Mo Li studied the photo again and again before finally coming to one conclusion—she really did look exactly like her.
"Perfect. I was planning to acquire this studio anyway. Let's give them a call first and see where things stand."
He pulled out his phone and dialed the number the system had provided.
"Brr… brr…"
The call was quickly picked up, and on the other end came a calm, mature, and alluringly poised female voice.
Mo Li's pupils contracted. Even the voice sounds the same!!
"Hello? Who's speaking?"
Mo Li quickly snapped out of his daze. After a brief moment of thought, he went straight to the point.
"I heard your studio is looking for investors?"Youlan
At those words, Youlan—who had been about to hang up—paused.
She was surprised. For a struggling little studio like hers, someone actually wanted to invest?
"Good afternoon, sir. May I ask who you are?"
"My name's Mo Li. I'm a game enthusiast. Lately I've had an idea for a game I want to make, but I lack the manpower.
"I happened to come across your studio's profile, and I tried out Save the Girl. The gameplay's not great, but I can tell your team put a lot of heart into it."
His words—neither sugarcoating nor outright criticism—raised her opinion of him slightly.
She was well aware their game wasn't exactly stellar.
But she also knew her team had poured their whole hearts into making it.
Unfortunately, sales were dismal, and finding an investor was next to impossible.
At this rate, the studio would soon shut down, and Save the Girl—their labor of love—would be taken offline.
None of them wanted to see that happen.
Now, with a potential investor calling out of the blue, she couldn't help but feel a flicker of hope.
Still, whether or not to accept an investment… that was something to discuss in person.
"If you have time, sir, perhaps we could meet to talk in detail."
"Sure," Mo Li replied without hesitation. "I'm free right now. You pick the place—I'll head over."
"Then… how about Yuanding Café on West Ring Road?"
…
After hanging up, Mo Li drove straight to the location.
Oddly enough, the café was just a stone's throw from miHoYo Studio. Why not just meet there instead?
But he only felt mild curiosity and didn't dwell on it.
The reason he'd mentioned "investment" instead of "acquisition" was deliberate.
The system's introduction of miHoYo had only noted they were seeking investors, not that they were selling.
So, to meet the founder, Mo Li had decided to start with the investment angle.
Of course, since the system had hinted there was a chance to acquire them, that was still his real goal.
Plus, whether to acquire or not—he figured it was best to see for himself first.
Yes, Youlan was beautiful, but that wasn't a reason to throw money away.
…
Before long, Mo Li arrived at Yuanding Café.
"Nice name—'Fated Meeting.'"
The interior was warmly lit, accompanied by soft background music, giving the place an air of quiet elegance.
Pulling out his phone, Mo Li dialed her again. "Miss Youlan, I'm here."
"I see you."
Mo Li turned, scanning the room—then spotted her at once.
A tall, slender woman in a fitted office suit was waving him over.
"Even her figure matches Durandal's exactly!" he marveled inwardly.
He walked over at an unhurried pace, a polite smile on his face. "Hello. Let me reintroduce myself—I'm Mo Li."
"Just call me Youlan."
She rose gracefully to her feet, offering a courteous smile.
"What would you like to drink?"
"Anything's fine."
Once the waiter was dismissed, Mo Li got straight to the point.
"Miss Youlan, let's skip the small talk. Let me ask you something—what makes your studio worth investing in?"
Youlan opened her mouth, looking at Mo Li's young, strikingly handsome face, momentarily unsure how to answer.
What's going on? You're already thinking of investing, so why put me on the spot like this…?
"Our studio is made up of people who genuinely love games. If you're investing purely for profit… I can't promise you'll get your money back."
Mo Li couldn't help but laugh. "Now that's what I call an honest person."
"I understand. The reason I wanted to meet is precisely because of your team's attitude toward games.
"As for profit and passion… I think it's possible to have both."
He paused, his smile fading into a serious expression.
"I have an excellent game concept. If it's made properly, the returns would be at least tenfold."
He was actually downplaying it.
After all, Honkai Impact 3rd wasn't a one-time purchase. As long as it kept updating with new characters, its revenue stream would never stop growing.
"But I can't develop it alone, and I don't want to spend the effort starting a new studio from scratch."
At this, Youlan's brows furrowed slightly. "So… you mean you want to invest in our studio to make this game?"
Mo Li: "…"
Big sis, it's fine to be honest, but do you have to be this naïve?
"Ahem… Miss Youlan, that would be quite the joke…
"I put up the money, provide the concept, and hand over all the results to your studio? Do you think that's realistic?"
Realizing her slip, Youlan's cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
"What I meant was… I want to acquire your studio."
"…Eh?"
Her mind stalled for a second. That was a sharp turn in the conversation—she needed a moment to catch up.
"But didn't you say… you wanted to invest?"
Mo Li, unfazed, said calmly, "I did have the thought, but after thinking it over, acquisition makes more sense."
"…I'm sorry, Mr. Mo Li, but I'm not planning to sell. I may be the founder, but this studio was built together with the other members.
"Even if I agreed, the others wouldn't."
"I understand," Mo Li nodded. "But… Could I speak with them? I'm sure you all know the situation your studio's in.
"Finding investors is nearly impossible right now.
"Even if your employees worked for free, would there still be enough money to make another game?
"We're both people who love games. Why not work together and make something the whole world will love—and be willing to pay for?"