Chapter 15: Su Mu: Oh No, Am I Being Subjected to "Hidden Rules"?
The next day.
Su Mu stepped into the miHoYo office in a joyful mood. Naturally, he was the first to arrive. Thanks to Pardofelis's promotion the previous night, the sales of *Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy* were now dominating the HOMU Game Platform, firmly securing the number one spot on this week's bestseller list. To put it simply, *Getting Over It* was making Phantom Iron Studio a fortune.
The game was a hit. And not just your average hit. Now, simply opening any streaming platform would reveal streamers struggling with the "special" canned man as he braved the heights, wailing and breaking down in front of their cameras. The game was gaining traction at an abstract speed, showing signs of breaking out of the gaming circle and into the mainstream.
Even some famous figures from other fields had joined the ranks of players. For instance, the internationally renowned singer Miss Robin posted an update in the morning:
Robin: "The game is really too difficult. I've been stuck at Orange Mountain despite many attempts. I wonder when I'll be able to clear it."
Fans flooded her post with likes and comments:
[Even Robin is playing *Getting Over It*?]
[That game is truly too hard. The lack of a save system is really unreasonable, isn't it?]
[When is Robin's new album coming out?]
The Sovereign of Anti-Entropy, Welt Yang, also posted a related update.
Welt Yang: "[Underground subway, Old Yang, mobile phone emoji.jpg]"
Clever fans immediately recognized Old Yang's state of mind:
[One look and you can tell Old Yang is being tortured by *Getting Over It*!]
[That expression perfectly matches my state of mind when playing the game!]
Even the magical girl Teriri posted: "The game is so hard~ It feels harder than training off-stage!"
[Teriri, I'm your fan!]
[I want to see Teriri stream this game!]
[Isn't Teriri's tour coming to Arc City soon? Arc City fans are in for a treat!]
Scrolling through these updates and seeing these big names comment on *Getting Over It* naturally boosted Su Mu's mood. Although the game had attracted people from other circles, the vast majority of the discussion still stemmed from the streaming and gaming communities. After all, this was a "streamer-oriented" game; watching a streamer get tortured and break down was far easier than playing it oneself.
This trend would likely continue for a while, though it wouldn't be long before players started clearing the game. While *Getting Over It* was difficult, it wasn't so hard that it required hundreds of hours to complete. Most players would be stuck for a long time initially, but as they mastered the techniques, their completion speed would increase. In his past life, it didn't take long after the game's release for experts to start performing ridiculous speedruns.
Regardless, the popularity during this period was enough for miHoYo to make a significant profit. Now, at its peak popularity, there was still plenty of residual value to be squeezed out of *Getting Over It*...
Back in his office, Su Mu didn't linger on the success of *Getting Over It*. He knew this was only the first step. He opened the *Honkai Impact 3rd* proposal and continued writing the plot. Today was going to be another day of hard work.
However, before he could type more than a few words, his phone suddenly rang.
"Kiana?"
The boss was calling? Why was she calling him at this hour?
"Boss, any instructions?"
"Su Mu, are you at the company right now?"
"Yes, why?"
"I'm downstairs. A friend of mine—uh, a friend wants to meet you!"
"Now? But aren't these working hours?"
"It's fine, consider it paid leave!"
Su Mu was stunned. Paid leave? Did Kiana know the game was selling like crazy and decided to reward him? Would there be a bonus later? Last night, Su Mu had forgotten to tell Kiana about the massive sales because he assumed Bronya would have told her. Plus, after working intensely on the proposal all day, he had fallen asleep the moment he got home.
"Alright, I'll be right down."
Su Mu didn't overthink it. Since it was Kiana's friend, it would be good to get to know them. Perhaps it was someone "familiar"? Could it be Raiden Mei? It was certainly possible! Su Mu was curious if the Mei in this world was the "Big Sister" figure from *A Post-Honkai Odyssey*.
He didn't delay and took the elevator to the main entrance of the Arc Commercial Tower. There, Kiana was leaning against a blue sports car, having waited for some time. Today, Kiana wore a yellow short-sleeved T-shirt tied at the waist, revealing her fiery midriff. Her fair skin and slender waistline were so beautiful that it was hard to look away. She wore a dark blue mini-skirt that showcased her tall, slender legs, paired with white lace-up sandals that accentuated the lines of her calves.
Su Mu recognized the outfit immediately—it was the one Kiana wore on the 2018 snack boxes. The difference was that back then, Kiana was just a young girl; the twenty-four-year-old Kiana before him was a breathtaking beauty. The visual impact was much stronger. Though she was a "dummy," the "Tuna's" looks were undeniably top-tier.
Upon seeing Su Mu, Kiana waved to him vigorously. Amidst the envious and jealous gazes of the passing office workers, Su Mu unhurriedly sat in the passenger seat of the sports car.
"Boss, what kind of car is this?"
"A Remi SU7."
"?"
"Mi from miHoYo, Mi from Remi. Don't you think they're a perfect match?"
Su Mu didn't know how to respond to that, so he changed the subject. "Boss, who is this friend of yours?"
From the passenger seat, Su Mu was even more aware of Kiana's curves against the seat and her supple, fair thighs, which gave one the urge to reach out and touch them. At this distance, he could smell her scent. It made Su Mu's face redden slightly as he realized once again that even if the "Tuna" was a dummy, she had indeed inherited Cecilia's excellent genes.
"No rush... Ahem, how long have you been in Arc City? Are you familiar with the place?"
"I went to university here, and I traveled to quite a few places for market research." Su Mu wasn't lying; he had been to many places for research, but only those specific spots. Otherwise, he was either at the library or in his dorm. As for other areas, he was practically blind.
"That's perfect. I haven't been in Arc City for long. Why don't you take me around?"
"?"
Su Mu looked at Kiana with some surprise. He couldn't figure out what she was up to. Surely she hadn't learned about the success of *Getting Over It* from Bronya and decided to subject him to "hidden rules" because of his talent?
END OF CHAPTER