Chapter 112: Letting Otto Play [Midsummer Night's Fantasy]? The Episode Where He Most Wants to Die Is Here!
"Old Su, you big baby! I seriously want to 'love' you to death with a bullet! You Wubbaboo little darling, I really want to love you to death!"
Boothill jumped up and punched Su Mu in the chest.
"You big baby! You little darling, you snatched all our players, didn't you? Talk about a jolt! I'm gifting you a punch directly!"
Su Mu rubbed his chest and smiled wryly. "You didn't exactly give me a chance to speak."
Boothill ran a hand through his hair, grumbling, "I really want to love you to death, you little darling..." He sighed and sat back down in the chair next to Su Mu. "I never thought the Su Mu of miHoYo was you. I didn't think there'd be such a coincidence in this world... but this is good too. At least you have a great job. Now I can rest easy knowing a little darling like you won't starve on the streets."
The staff member nearby stared at them, eyes wide. "Brother, you're the Su Mu from miHoYo?"
Boothill looked at the staffer. "I didn't expect this little darling to end up at miHoYo either. Keep this quiet, or those players will literally tear Old Su to pieces!"
Boothill's temper came fast and went just as quickly. After learning Su Mu's true identity, he just poked fun at him. As for jealousy, there wasn't a shred of it. If it were anyone else, Su Mu might have been surrounded the moment he stepped outside if someone shouted "Old Thief Su Mu is here." Although Boothill sounded like he was cursing, Su Mu could see the slight curve of his lips; he was in a good mood.
"Hey? How did I not realize you were this capable back in school? If I'd known, I would've dragged you along when I started the studio. I was planning to endure the grind, make a hit game, and then bring you in as a supervisor. Who knew you'd go and strike it rich in silence? If I hadn't run into you today, were you planning to keep this from me forever, you little darling?"
Boothill was genuinely loyal. In college, he had mentioned starting a company and making Su Mu a leader so they could play games together all day as boss and employee. Most people would have taken it as a joke, but Boothill was a man of his word. Su Mu was also impressed that Boothill had managed to set up a studio and develop his own game so quickly after graduation. He truly admired him.
"I've been so busy lately I couldn't get away, that's why I didn't tell you." "You aren't hiding anything else from me, are you, Old Su?" "What is this, a background check?" "Heh! You little darling, do you want me to tell everyone what happened at your house last time?" "I don't care. An upright man fears no shadows. It was a misunderstanding." "Meeooow (Holy mother of God)! I didn't realize half a year in the workplace would make you so silver-tongued."
Boothill and Su Mu traded friendly barbs, catching up on each other's lives.
"Heh, I've got something to brag about now! Whenever I meet someone, I'll tell them my brother is Su Mu from miHoYo. That's some serious face right there!"
Boothill was Su Mu's best friend. After catching up, the slight gloom in his heart vanished. He was genuinely happy for Su Mu's success, with no strings attached.
"What about you, Boothill? How's the studio going?" "Sigh, that..."
Mentioning the studio, Boothill's expression darkened. "I'll tell you straight, Old Su, I now know how hard it is to make a game. I saw you testing our Starsea Ranger just now. What do you think?"
Su Mu wasn't afraid of offending him. Boothill was a straight shooter—a man with a heroic streak. He gave his honest assessment. As a top-down Roguelike, the graphics were simple but the controls were solid. The main issue was the lack of "satisfaction"; the difficulty was too high, and one mistake cost half a health bar. It lacked sensory impact. But the potential was there.
The game's premise of a ranger traveling the universe to fight monsters reminded Su Mu of a classic: Alien Shooter. Developed by Sigma Team in 2006, it was a legendary title for old-school gamers. The dynamic music, realistic sound effects, and the thrill of mowing down thousands of monsters made it a masterpiece of its era.
Boothill's game lacked a reasonable difficulty curve and resource management. Su Mu didn't hold back. He suggested lowering monster HP and attack frequency while buffing character stats. For resource management, he suggested a "Dynamic Difficulty System" similar to Capcom's Resident Evil remakes—spawning ammo when the player is low, or health when they're hurt. This maintains a constant sense of tension, forcing players to "scavenge" every corner.
"Old Su, you big baby, I seriously love you!" Boothill slapped his thigh. "Now I see why you're the director at miHoYo. You're a total genius! I want to give your brain a 'love' bullet! How do you come up with this stuff?"
Su Mu's advice hit every pain point of Boothill's project. The fact that he could diagnose so many issues after a short playtest left Boothill in awe. He realized his friend had reached the top through pure skill.
"Old Su, why don't you come be the director at my studio? Hell, you can be the boss! With you, we'd be number one in the country—no, the world!" "The boss at miHoYo gave me my big break. I'm sorry, I can't." "You big baby, what are you apologizing for? Come if you want, don't if you don't! Would I end our friendship over that?"
Boothill was loud and rowdy, but his bond with Su Mu was real, which warmed Su Mu's heart.
"But while I can't join you, miHoYo can collaborate with your studio. No problem."
Boothill looked at him with surprise. "You big baby, won't that put pressure on you? I don't want you getting sidelined at your company because of me! If I dragged you down, I'd rather run headfirst into a wall!"
Su Mu smiled. "Not at all. My goal at BW was to find promising studios to partner with. Don't worry." "Then I'll thank you on behalf of the guys at the studio."
While Su Mu wanted to recruit Boothill, he knew Boothill's loyalty wouldn't let him abandon his employees. Partnering was the better move. Of course, business was business; if Boothill had lazy employees coasting on his kindness, Su Mu wouldn't be lenient.
After saying goodbye to Boothill, Su Mu continued exploring the exhibition. BW proceeded without major incident. On the second and third days, the crowds thinned slightly, but the Honkai 3rd booth remained the busiest. Even though they missed the Day 1 stream with Luna, fans still flocked to take photos with cosplayers.
The only frustration was that the 10,000 sets of merch were gone by the second morning. The staff was stunned by the enthusiasm. Kosma grumbled that his arms nearly broke from handing out bags, but he enjoyed being able to wander the floor afterward.
In the final day and a half, Su Mu took Griseo and Firefly around the hall. To reward Firefly's hard work, he treated her to an Oak Roll cake.
Firefly was surprised. "Senior, how did you know I like Oak Rolls?" "Intuition, I guess." Su Mu gave a vague answer. Firefly didn't press, her face full of satisfaction.
"Big Brother Su Mu..." Little Griseo held out a small piece of blueberry mousse on a fork to Su Mu's mouth, her eyes wide with expectation. Su Mu knew he couldn't refuse. "Is it sweet?" "Very sweet. Griseo's mousse is the best." Su Mu ruffled her hair, and she leaned into it, looking happy.
"Griseo, want to try my cake?" "Mhm, thank you, Sister Firefly."
Watching them, Su Mu felt a sense of peace. Just then, a voice came from behind.
"Oh, the happy family is out for a snack. Seems I came at the wrong time."
Su Mu turned to see a familiar face. "Senti?"
Senti strode forward and gave Su Mu a poke in the stomach—not hard, just playful. "That's just the interest! Writing Himeko-sensei's death and making me cry... we aren't done yet!" She waved a fist. "If the Old Timer hadn't warned me a thousand times, I'd give you a real walloping!"
Senti was like a child—straightforward and easy to handle. Su Mu had already secured her character rights. He looked at Firefly and the cake.
"Is Griseo here too? From a distance, you three really looked like a family. And who is this lady? A new girlfriend?"
Firefly's face turned bright red, like a ripe apple. "W-We... do we really look like a family...?"
Su Mu rolled his eyes. "You can eat whatever you want, but don't talk nonsense. She's my friend."
Senti looked at them suspiciously. "Friend? Riiight. I'll take your word for it." She paused. "I won't bother you then. Your booth looks like it doesn't need my help anyway. I'm going to look around."
Senti left as quickly as she arrived. Su Mu shook his head—so much energy. He turned to find Firefly still blushing.
"Senior... you just said we were friends, right?" "Mhm. Sorry if you didn't want that..." "No! Of course I do!" Firefly clenched her fists and stepped a bit closer, her scent drifting toward him. "Being your friend makes me very happy. Thank you for taking care of me lately..."
The more Firefly worked at miHoYo, the more she admired Su Mu. He managed a massive team with perfect order. Everyone had their specialty, but Su Mu seemed to know everything—from combat design to art and programming. She aspired to be that strong.
"Mhm, about work..." Su Mu looked at her thoughtfully. "I have an important task for you. I think you're ready. I want to appoint you as the Project Lead for Titanfall. If you're willing, I'll propose it at the next meeting."
Firefly's eyes went wide. "Eh? Me? Project Lead for Titanfall?"
Su Mu had his reasons. He had an entire planet's worth of game resources; he couldn't do it alone. He needed to train producers he could trust. Firefly was talented and, more importantly, she was a woman of her word. Plus, his "collection" instinct was kicking in—he wasn't going to let her leave after her exchange program. He'd get her to settle here permanently.
"Can I... think about it?" "Of course."
After BW, Su Mu remained busy. The hype for Luna Kindred was at an all-time high. The collaboration with Boothill and the Titanfall project were moving forward. Kiana was looking for a new office space for the subsidiary studio. Finally, after what felt like "seven years" to the players, the new version—Midsummer Night's Fantasy—launched!
"Whew—so this is Arc City? Not a bad place."
In front of the Schicksal branch building, a man and a woman arrived.
"I didn't think the flight would be this delayed... I hope Theresa hasn't been waiting too long." "I'm surprised Theresa invited us to join the livestream for the new version." "It's a pity Sakura couldn't come. She hasn't seen Theresa in a while." "Yes, a pity."
The visitors were Otto Apocalypse and Kallen Kaslana!
Otto was wearing a smirk he couldn't suppress. Pity? Like hell! With that fox spirit gone, it was just him and Kallen on the trip. After meeting their granddaughter, it would be a perfect three-person family time!
"The version is [Midsummer Night's Fantasy], right? That vampire Theresa looks too cute." "Yes, I can't wait to see what kind of story this other-world Theresa has."
The elevator stopped at the office floor. Otto stepped out with Kallen, full of beautiful expectations. He had no idea what kind of "hell" was waiting for him.
END OF CHAPTER
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