"Boss… the livestream viewership has just broken two million!" Bronya reported, eyes wide as she stared at the data on the screen.
That number—second only to Eden's record—was something 99% of streamers could never even dream of reaching.
Mo Li was equally stunned. "So… Himeko's popularity has grown this much already, huh~…"
Half-joking, he added: "Should we ask her if she's interested in the idol path?"
Bronya tilted her head in thought. "It's true. If she entered the entertainment world, she could easily reach first-tier status…"
"Hah~ Seems like you're all in that league already."
Mo Li chuckled to himself. Who would've thought? A tiny game studio, and somehow it was packed with girls who all had the potential to be top stars.
Bronya only shook her head softly. "Unfortunately, I have no interest in that."
"She mentioned to me once—people have even DM'd her on Douyin, asking if she'd consider entering showbiz."
Mo Li raised a brow. "And what did she say?"
Bronya gave him a sly look. "Boss, are you worried she'll leave the studio?"
He smiled. "Not worried. Just… curious."
Bronya studied him for a long moment before finally smiling faintly. "Relax. If we'd wanted to enter the entertainment industry, we would've long ago."
"Even if just one of us became an idol, our studio wouldn't have needed investors in the first place."
That piqued Mo Li's curiosity. "Speaking of which, how's your game Save the Girl doing now?"
"It's doing well! Thanks to the traffic brought by Honkai Impact 3rd, it's no longer at risk of losing money." Gratitude flickered in her gaze.
"But… players still complain the gameplay is too repetitive."
Mo Li fell silent for a moment, then smiled. "I've been meaning to give you all some advice. Just hadn't had the time…"
He opened his laptop, pulling up a document. "I drafted some design suggestions for your game."
Bronya's eyes lit up immediately.
Advice from Mo Li… wasn't something to be taken lightly.
Just look at Honkai Impact 3rd, and the upcoming Genshin Impact.
With his guidance, their game could leap to another level.
She leaned in, eyes sparkling, absorbed in the document.
Their project wasn't bad—beautiful visuals, each turret-girl had her own personality and story. Almost like Arknights, though on a smaller scale.
But the problem was obvious: stage design.
Same map, slightly altered paths, background swaps, a few extra enemies.
Against the giants of the genre—like Arknights or Plants vs. Zombies—their game simply couldn't compete.
And yet, Mo Li hadn't "swapped" a full-blown Earth tower defense game for them. Out of respect for their passion, he only gave structural improvements and fresh mechanics.
But even those suggestions alone were enough to make Save the Girl explode in popularity.
Bronya's eyes grew brighter and brighter as she scrolled.
Then her sharp mind caught up, and she narrowed her gaze.
"Boss… you realize, these ideas are enough for you to make a blockbuster game on your own, right?"
"I know," Mo Li answered casually.
"Then why—" Bronya's voice trailed off. Her expression grew complicated. "The copyright to Save the Girl belongs to us, not you."
"I know that too~" he said with a shrug.
"If you hand these ideas to us, you won't earn a cent."
"Do I look like a man lacking in ideas?"
"..."
Bronya fell silent, staring at his screen.
Mo Li chuckled. "Take them. Consider it compensation for turning down the studio shares last time. If you feel guilty, just add my name to the credits."
"'Level Designer' will do."
In the past, Bronya would've refused outright.
Because Save the Girl was their dream, their labor of love—they wouldn't let a man intrude on it.
But after everything, Mo Li had proven himself.
When fangirls mobbed them, he chauffeured them daily for half a month. When they moved, he arranged everything. He gave them a luxurious place to live.
He never complained.
And now, despite having no stake in their project, he'd spent time designing improvements for their game.
It was impossible not to soften.
Bronya drew a deep breath and smiled faintly. "Since Boss is interested, I'll tell the others we agree. Save the Girl just gained another parent."
Mo Li rolled his eyes. "Correction—another dad."
"…Greedy much," she teased, carrying the laptop to gather the others.
Himeko and Kiana were still livestreaming, so Bronya left them out for now.
Durandal and Rita studied the suggestions carefully.
Rita covered her mouth, laughing softly. "So he says it's just a 'level designer' credit… but he's really helping us again."
Durandal nodded firmly.
With Mo Li's reputation, Save the Girl would benefit more from his name than he ever would from theirs.
The improvements themselves were dazzling:
– Turret-girls with buffs, debuffs, knockbacks, synergies.
– Monsters with unique traits: high HP, assassins targeting backline, ones inflicting debuffs on turrets.
– New modes: co-op, real-time battles, alternative perspectives.
– Even a Plants vs. Zombies–style spin, with turret-girls lined up against waves of quirky enemies.
Ganyu gasped. "T–This is amazing!!"
Durandal agreed. "These ideas could create an entirely new tower defense game."
"And it would be a hit," Ganyu whispered.
They were stunned.
Shares, guidance, now even blockbuster-tier ideas—Mo Li had given them more than some fathers ever would.
Rita smiled knowingly. "Since Boss treats us like family, should we still treat Save the Girl like our secret to guard?"
Her words made them hesitate.
"…Hand it over to Mo Li's studio?" Durandal asked softly.
One by one, they nodded.
Bronya agreed first. Ganyu, Fu Hua, and then Durandal herself followed.
"…Should we ask Himeko as well?"
"I'll fetch her," Bronya said.
Mo Li, unaware that his casual suggestions had disarmed every last bit of their wariness, continued working.
Meanwhile—Himeko was deep into the newly released Honkai 3rd open-world expansion: Sakura Samsara.
On screen, the pink-haired fox Yae Sakura made her long-awaited debut.
Even if her stats lagged behind Herrscher units, her charm was undeniable—gentle voice, fox ears, pink hair. Plenty of players happily opened their wallets.
As Himeko immersed herself in the game, Bronya appeared at her side, gesturing.
"Hm? Bronya? What is it?"
She spoke without thinking—forgetting they were live.
The chat instantly erupted:
[Duck!! Call Duck over!]
[Duck~ did you get your license back yet?]
[Is Seele with you, Duck?]
[So it's true… every miHoYo employee is a Valkyrie IRL!!]
[Crying… what god-tier studio is this?!]
[miHoYo, let Rita and Duck appear too, please!!]
[Do you need janitors? I'll mop floors for free!!]
[Forget everything else, Duck, please insult me!! Otherwise your license is revoked!!]
Bronya saw the spam.
Her forehead twitched. Puffing her cheeks, she snapped:
"Say 'revoking my license' one more time, I dare you!"
The moment her voice came through—
The chat froze.
And then—
[?!??!?]
[Duck is ANGRY]
[Ahhh she really said it!!]
[Kyaaaa she's so cute when mad!!]
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