Chapter 296: "Elf Academy" Launches! Nursery Rhyme Queen Bronya?
Seeing Qingque's impatient appearance, Su Mu couldn't help but smile to himself. It seemed that poaching Qingque away from her current post wasn't an impossible feat after all. Pleasing someone by catering to their hobbies is a task that can be simple or difficult depending on how it's handled. Obviously, Qingque possesses a highly enthusiastic passion and interest in tile games; after losing to Su Mu, she had been neglecting her meals and sleep, her mind entirely occupied by the duel at the table that day.
[Su Mu: I'm serious about teaching you, as long as you join my studio.]
[Qingque: Stop, stop, stop. I don't know why you're so eager to pull me in... Let's get this straight beforehand: I never work overtime.]
[Su Mu: Deal.]
[Qingque: ?]
[Qingque: I—I also want weekends off!]
[Su Mu: Deal.]
[Qingque: ???]
[Qingque: I must have a month and a half of paid vacation every year!]
[Su Mu: Deal.]
[Qingque: ???]
[Qingque: *Insert "Old Man, Subway, Phone" meme*]
Looking at the meme Qingque sent, Su Mu shrugged. *Sister, these demands are honestly a bit too low.* In the MiHoYo world, which of these wasn't the most basic of the basics? No overtime, full social benefits, breakfast, lunch, and dinner provided, weekends off, and paid leave—these were standard employee perks. There was a whole host of other benefits he hadn't even mentioned: Michelin five-star chef Kalpas personally handling the cafeteria, a thirteen-month salary bonus, guaranteed leave approval, monthly team-building events (where the cost is converted to cash for employees who choose not to attend)...
[Qingque: You're not fooling me, are you? How could a company like that exist?]
[Qingque: ...]
[Qingque: If you can write all of this into the contract, then I might consider it...]
[Su Mu: *Sends electronic contract image*]
[Qingque: !!]
[Qingque: Su Mu—no, Boss! No... Qingque has spent half her life wandering without finding an enlightened master. Today, if you do not forsake me, I am willing to take you as my godfather!!]
Su Mu couldn't help but be amused by Qingque's message. He quite liked girls with her personality—easy to talk to and open. Most importantly, she was very loyal to her desires; she jumped ship the moment a better offer appeared! One second she was righteously claiming to be the Diviner's person, and the next she was acknowledging a "godfather"... it was a bit too realistic.
[Qingque: Haha, perfect. I've had enough of working under that little Xuan... Every time I go to the Celestial Jade Mahjong Parlor, she always drags me away by my ear in front of everyone, making me, the Little Sparrow God, lose all face...]
[Qingque: Whoever wants this job can have it. Haha, I'm quitting!!]
Su Mu shook his head at Qingque's text, which was filled with the bitterness of a working person. He knew that with Fu Xuan's serious personality, having her as a superior was indeed a nightmare for someone like Qingque, who was naturally lively and loved to "fish" (slack off). Yet the Diviner always seemed to find tasks for Qingque—despite her laziness, she was truly talented, which was why she was so highly valued. Of course, Su Mu didn't care about Qingque slacking off; he was essentially just satisfying his collector's habit as an "Index Main." Whether Qingque worked hard or not wouldn't affect him when he eventually made *Honkai: Star Rail*—simply put, he had too much money and could afford to be willful!
[Su Mu: Wait.]
[Qingque: ?]
[Qingque: You're not going back on your word, are you, Big Boss? I'm telling you, a gentleman's word is his bond. Once said, it's like spilled water—and as the saying goes, spilled water is hard to retrieve. You can't back out!!]
[Su Mu: Of course I won't back out. I just wanted to ask if you want to become Fu Xuan's superior.]
[Qingque: ?!!!]
The expression on Qingque's face on the other side of the phone was quite spectacular. To be fair, the salary at the Luofu Company wasn't low, but overtime was unavoidable. Moreover, the company's recent situation was quite sluggish, which was inextricably linked to the previous CEO Jingliu's mental illness. Combined with recent crackdowns on the antique industry and a decrease in customers... all these factors contributed to the company's recent decline. No matter how diligently Fu Xuan worked to restore former glory, it was an extremely difficult task. As the saying goes, the more difficult the company's situation, the stricter the evaluations... with an already grim financial state, who knows how many employees were fired this year. Without results, everyone faced being laid off. A major reason Qingque wanted to jump ship was her keen perception of the internal situation—it felt a bit like a setting sun. Of course, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse, but that wasn't for a small worker like her to worry about. As a worker, the most important thing was eating well, drinking well, dressing well, and sleeping well. If those couldn't be guaranteed, it was time to consider moving to a more worry-free place. While Qingque wasn't heartless, as an adult, it was better to talk about money than sentiment; it was more practical.
Furthermore... Su Mu said there was a way to make her Fu Xuan's superior!? Just thinking about the once-lofty Diviner becoming her subordinate, forced to be submissive and call her "Manager Qing," was intoxicating. And then she could rightfully call her "Little Xuan," and the Diviner would surely show a very interesting expression of dissatisfaction and shame!! For Qingque, this was simply irresistible! Qingque couldn't help but tremble all over, feeling as if she were floating into a fairyland! That sensation would surely make her incredibly satisfied!
[Qingque: What's your grand plan, Godfather? Qingque will surely do her best to assist!!]
There is a saying that if you know yourself and your enemy, you will win a hundred battles. While Su Mu had some impressions of the people at the Luofu, game and reality still had differences. He had investigated the Luofu's current financial situation and other aspects, concluding that they desperately needed an opportunity for change. As an internal employee, Qingque understood the situation better than any information Su Mu could gather. Facing Su Mu's questions, Qingque didn't hold back and told him everything about the company's internal state. Such things weren't exactly commercial secrets, and since their paths didn't align, her quitting was no joke. Seeing Qingque relay all sorts of intelligence to him, Su Mu couldn't help but smile.
[Su Mu: Aren't you afraid I'm a fraud or a commercial spy here to fish for company info?]
[Qingque: What is there to cheat me out of... I'm basically a rascal anyway; at most, you could only cheat me of my looks.]
[Qingque: And since that Songque person is hanging around you, it wouldn't even be my turn to be cheated of looks, right?]
[Qingque: Since you're so good at tile games, you must understand that Celestial Jade gives answers. Through our match, your skills told me that you are someone who doesn't lie and stands by your word.]
[Su Mu: Celestial Jade has that function?]
[Qingque: Hmph, don't underestimate the intelligence-gathering capabilities of Celestial Jade!]
[Su Mu: My word, an intelligence mahjong parlor! Elysia Shock Meme image]
[Qingque: So you play *Honkai Impact 3rd* too? Let's add each other; my ID is...]
Su Mu stifled a laugh; he didn't just play *Honkai Impact 3rd*, he made it. However, he hadn't revealed his identity to Qingque yet. Caution is necessary; he'd pull her in first and tell her later.
[Su Mu: Do many people in your company play *Honkai Impact 3rd*?]
[Qingque: Duh, that's *Honkai Impact 3rd*! Even the Diviner tried it on a whim and said the character named Theresa gave her a strange sense of familiarity for some reason.]
[Qingque: "Do you understand the weight of last year's Mobile Game of the Year, and how popular the old thief Su Mu is? I'm telling you, your game studio better follow MiHoYo's rules. Do you really have that kind of strength? Don't let me join only for you to go bankrupt!"]
It had to be said, watching someone praise him to his face felt quite good. At this moment, Su Mu understood why those urban novel protagonists liked using aliases; playing the "pig to eat the tiger" was indeed satisfying. Watching Qingque frantically praise "Su Mu," he almost couldn't keep a straight face. He wondered how espectacular her expression would be once she learned his true identity.
[Su Mu: Actually, my boss is a second-generation rich person—someone with more money than sense who throws cash at whoever looks pleasing.]
In fact, this statement wasn't wrong, as Kiana really was a second-generation rich person, and the description fit her perfectly. For all intents and purposes, Su Mu was describing reality.
[Qingque: Isn't the boss Songque? Isn't she a pauper?]
[Su Mu: Not anymore, because she was scouted by our owner.]
[Qingque: ?]
[Qingque: Your owner... male or female?]
[Su Mu: Female.]
[Qingque: Oh~ rich people certainly play in interesting ways.]
[Qingque: *Elysia Snicker Meme image*]
Far away at the MiHoYo office, Kiana suddenly sneezed. She looked up in confusion: "Who's talking behind my back? It must be that stinky old man! He must be thinking about my embarrassing moments again!"
After some banter with Qingque, Su Mu understood the Luofu's internal situation. It seemed that opening a new path into the gaming industry from antiques wouldn't be as difficult as imagined, given the foundation laid by *Honkai Impact 3rd*. Acceptance shouldn't be an issue. Thus, he just needed to be prepared. After all, Fu Xuan was different from Qingque; she wasn't easily fooled. Without precise data and reports as evidence, pulling her in wouldn't be easy.
---
While Su Mu was actively pursuing his "Blue Planet Game Seed Plan" and his grand wish for Blue Planet games to flourish in this world, some good news spread among *Honkai Impact 3rd* players.
That was the launch of a new *Honkai Impact 3rd* spin-off series!! Following the unanimous praise for *Cooking with Valkyries*, MiHoYo teamed up with Firework Studio again for a new animated series—*Elf Academy*! As early as the "Shattered Samsara" version preview, information about *Elf Academy* had been released. Seeing the cute interactions of the ELF (Equipment Living Form) characters, everyone realized this seemed to be a very cheerful and humorous animation.
That was good. That was very good!! This animation style allowed *Honkai Impact 3rd* players to collectively breathe a sigh of relief. It's a comedy; surely the old thief Su Mu couldn't send any "knives" (tragedies) this time, right? That previous *Cooking with Valkyries*, while warm and healing, felt like a knife to the stomach when watched alongside the main story... Seeing the family at St. Freya Academy together in peace didn't feel healing; it just hurt. The more warm and happy the past was, the more miserable Kiana and her companions felt in the main story! That cursed Su Mu—releasing *Cooking with Valkyries* was definitely meant to make players suffer again! Truly a monster!! Two stabs for the price of one. Players collectively said, "We truly thank you, you scoundrel Su Mu!!"
Su Mu, of course, accepted all these "compliments" unreservedly. Because they were so familiar with his ways, many players were a bit anxious when they tuned in for *Elf Academy*.
For instance, in Senti's livestream, she was waiting somewhat uneasily for the update, ready to taste it with her viewers. "Hey, do you think this comedy animation is actually 'comedy' in the style of *that* site?" Senti chatted with her viewers, referring to sites known for misleading tags where "comedy" was used for tragic stories to trick unsuspecting readers. The result, of course, was tears. But authors could always claim comedy was just one element—they never said there wouldn't be others like "stomach medicine" or "depression"... those don't conflict with comedy, do they? This speech reminded Senti of Su Mu; wasn't the situation in *Honkai Impact 3rd* exactly like that? Does it have comedy elements? Yes. But after laughing, who's the one laughing next? Haha, if the old thief is laughing, it's still a laugh, right? Laughter doesn't disappear; it just transfers!
Soon, under Senti's anticipation, *Elf Academy* finally updated. The moment the cheerful and bright OP "Little Things" appeared, seeing the smooth and cute chibi art style, Senti's eyes lit up. "The animation quality is high. Even though it's chibi, it's very refined... but this OP..." Her expression became a bit strange. "Why does this voice sound so familiar? And it sounds just like a nursery rhyme..."
END OF CHAPTER
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