[Wuwuwu… finally someone said what I've been feeling. The story is clearly excellent, so why is the whole internet bashing it?]
[Eden explained it so clearly—above plot is emotion, and above emotion is resonance. Only a story that stirs the audience's feelings can be called good. From what we've seen, Honkai Impact 3rd is exactly that. Yet just because of one character's departure, it's been met with so much malice…]
[A truly great story penetrates the heart and creates resonance with countless viewers. Honkai easily builds a strong sense of immersion. When I saw Himeko leave the stage, I was furious too, but I have to admit—it's a story worth remembering.]
[The two above—so getting more likes means you can say anything? Honkai Impact 3rd is just a game!!]
[As Eden said, a true Himeko fan would feel regret, sure. But I still have to say it—miHoYo! You're heartless, wuwuwu~~~ my Himeko…]
[Rest well, Sister Himeko… may the next time you open your eyes, your world be filled with light.]
[When darkness fell over miHoYo, Eden became light like Himeko, illuminating all of them… I hereby declare Eden the leader of all Himeko fans!]
[Eden's going to collaborate with miHoYo? Double chef's kiss!!]
——
"Boss! Boss!!" Durandal rushed into Mo Li's office with her laptop in her arms.
"What is it?" Mo Li closed the system panel and looked over curiously.
Instead of answering, Durandal pushed the computer toward him. "Boss, look at Weibo!"
"I told you, don't pay attention to the internet. Our studio is so secretive, no player's going to find us."
Durandal: "…"
"No—it's Eden, she spoke up for us! Since last night she's posted three times, and now Honkai 3rd's reputation is bouncing back fast!"
"For real?" Mo Li quickly took the laptop and started scrolling.
By now, the other girls in the studio had all gathered around.
"Boss, should we reply to Eden?"
Bronya rubbed her chin, thinking aloud: "She's a top-tier star, after all. She really did us a huge favor. Not responding at all would be a bit disrespectful…"
Mo Li nodded while scanning the posts. "True. We should respond. I'll use the official account later."
After reading, he glanced at Himeko with a strange look.
"Boss… if you stare at me like that, even I'll start to feel shy~"
Mo Li rolled his eyes before teasing, "Who would've thought, Miss Himeko managed to snag herself a superstar fan… Tsk tsk, ninety million followers—the youngest diva in the business, rich, beautiful, and classy."
Himeko twirled her hair with mock modesty. "She likes the Himeko in the game, not me."
"Close enough. Your personality is practically identical to her in-game self." Mo Li gave her a once-over before continuing:
"So? Want to sacrifice a little charm and see if we can land a collaboration with Eden? Maybe the game will soar even higher."
"Tch~ if you want to go, go yourself!"
"Fine, I'll go then~" Mo Li smirked and started typing at the computer.
The girls looked on in surprise.
Could it be that Mo Li was really planning to rely on his handsome face to seduce Eden the rich lady?
But when they peered at the screen, they saw he was only drafting a private message—one that listed their studio's address and contact information.
Bronya instinctively breathed a sigh of relief.
"Wait… why did I just feel relieved…?"
——
Online, the discussion about Honkai Impact 3rd was heating up more and more, driving downloads to skyrocket again.
Zhang Ming and his gamer group friends were buzzing in chat.
"No wonder I like this game so much—it's so moving, even Eden is a fan…"
"miHoYo didn't compromise. Eden's right: the fact this game makes us so angry just proves how excellent it is."
"While you guys are still chatting here, I already got Himeko's graduation costume! [Screenshot]"
"Holy crap!! That rich? You got her to 3S!!"
"Big bro, notice me!"
"I only managed to graduate the Herrscher at single S… but after seeing Eden's Weibo, I'm gonna buy a few more packs and graduate Himeko too."
"Himeko-sensei… wuwuwu~~"
Zhang Ming smiled, comforted by the chatter.
Just yesterday, the group had been in chaos, quarreling over The Final Lesson video, almost to the point of arranging fights.
Thankfully, the group leader muted everyone in time.
Now, with Eden's Weibo posts out, those who had been cursing miHoYo finally calmed down.
Some even admitted fault, handing out red envelopes as apologies.
And the rest quickly forgot yesterday's drama and went back to joking around.
The group had been together for years; bonds between friends were strong. Who would've thought a single short animation from Honkai 3rd could nearly tear it apart?
Just then, the group leader dropped a link.
"Look what I found!! Tencent is launching a new game, and it's Honkai 3rd's direct competitor! [Web link]"
"??? Tencent's pulling this scummy stunt again?"
"I just watched—it really does look like Honkai! Girls' Odyssey, launching in 2 days!!"
"What the—this is way too similar to Honkai! Even the UI layout is identical."
"They probably straight-up copied the code… wouldn't be the first time Tencent's done that…"
"Hope miHoYo can hold the line… damn Tencent!"
——
The news of Tencent's new game spread quickly.
From the preview footage, Girls' Odyssey looked nearly 70% identical to Honkai 3rd.
It was like they were deliberately telling players:
"In Honkai 3rd characters die, but in our game, nobody dies! Play without worries—forget about miHoYo."
Shameless.
Back when Zhao Yi's game hadn't flopped, Tencent might have kept up appearances with half-hearted explanations.
But after that disaster, Tencent had fully abandoned originality.
If a game blew up overseas, they licensed it.
If a game blew up domestically, they bought it, then squeezed it dry within two years.
And if they couldn't buy it? They suppressed it—or just copied it.
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