Knock, knock.
The door swung open and Li Jing stepped in—smart blazer, pencil skirt, sheer stockings that caught the light just enough to look sharp, not flashy.
"Gu Feng, all the proposals from the big companies came in. Want to take a look?"
At Sea Breeze Company, Li Jing handled comms, finance, and external relations. Gu Feng lived in content and tech. But when a decision could change the studio's fate—like today—she always brought it to him.
Gu Feng took the folder, skimming.
Youhai Group: Invest 1 billion with "full-spectrum promotion," in exchange for 50% equity in Sea Breeze.
Fangming Group: "Project investment" dedicated to Age of Voyages in exchange for 70% of that title's equity; Sea Breeze retains operations.
Shanyue Group:2 billion to buy out Sea Breeze entirely; they'll keep Age of Voyages running and hire Gu Feng as overall director.
By the end, Gu Feng was smiling.
"Looks like Wind & Snow still offers the 'best' terms?"
Li Jing sighed and nodded. "They're the industry's #1 for a reason. They actually understand what Age of Voyages is."
The others were yacht makers, tech conglomerates, real estate empires—giants, sure, but clueless about the game's core value. Wind & Snow's offer: invest 1 billion, fair-market equity percentage. Reasonable—until their one condition:
Withdraw Age of Voyages from the Sailing Games Competition.
Withdraw meant permanent exclusion—this year and future cycles. No second chances.
Gu Feng laughed. No anger. If anything… a touch of contempt.
Li Jing blinked. Was she imagining that?
He set the folder down and turned to her, lips quirking.
"Put the word out: we're opening five more closed beta slots tonight."
"Huh?" She hadn't expected that. Funding hole? He was… selling beta slots?
She drew a breath, about to reveal something, "Gu Feng, actually I—"
He glanced back, still smiling. "Just do it, Sister Jing."
The words stuck in her throat. After a beat, she nodded. "Okay. I'll announce it."
11:00 AM. Two hours after the official post, Li Jing knocked again, this time practically glowing.
"Gu Feng, people are reaching out from everywhere—every channel—to buy those beta slots."
She was stunned. The announcement had barely gone live, yet money was already knocking.
Gu Feng's smile sharpened. "Go on."
"One viewer—he's watched the Age of Voyages streams for two days—wants all five. Highest bid so far: one billion."
"One billion, hmm?"
He didn't look surprised. Anyone with a brain in games could smell the potential. Wind & Snow's 1-billion buy-in made sense—if they could kneecap the competition by forcing a withdrawal.
But Gu Feng?
He wasn't playing their game.
"Reply with this: Closed beta lasts until month's end. Public beta—capped at 100 players—begins after. Our price: 200 million per slot. Non-negotiable."
"Two hundred million… for one beta slot?!"
Li Jing stared. Was he insane? It's just a game. Even if it's amazing, you're asking two hundred million credits for a twenty-odd-day head start?
"Just send it. Same reply to everyone else."
She hesitated—then swallowed her doubts. Deep down, she wanted to see if reality really could rise to meet his nerve.
Heels ticking out the door, she pushed the message. Replies poured in almost instantly—most of them ugly.
[Two hundred million a slot? You've lost your mind.]
[It's a game, not a private island.]
[Is that Old Thief Gu? Drop your address. I'm not sending a knife. Promise.]
She skimmed past the noise—and froze at a single line:
[200M each, huh? You can guarantee no 100-player public beta before month's end?]
Her fingers flew.
[Guaranteed. I'm Sea Breeze's CFO and Deputy General Manager.]
A two-second pause. Then:
[Good. I'll take all five. One more thing—any issue if the five of us stream together?]
[No problem. We'll set up a five-person shared channel for you.]
The funds hit within minutes.
+10,000,000,000 Federal Credits.
Li Jing stood in front of the screen, breath locked, staring at the account balance like it might disappear if she blinked.
It didn't.
"Ten… billion," she whispered.
Even then, it felt like a dream she wasn't allowed to wake from.
Hook: As the money lands, five mysterious avatars join the dev back end—each with a masked profile and a single shared tag: Founders' Club. Who just bought their way into the earliest circle—and what are they planning to do with that head start?
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