Chapter 210: Mobius: Su Mu, Want to Go on a Date This Weekend?
Previously, many players knew that the first-person sci-fi FPS Titanfall, set to debut in June, was supervised by Su Mu. However, Honkai Impact 3rd already had some foundation in mecha design. The Anti-Entropy mechs and Schicksal's Divine Constructs were the best proof of that. Thus, at a glance, the transition seemed somewhat reasonable.
But what on earth was Resident Evil? A shooter, zombies, and horror...?
Oh. Wait. In the Honkai worldview, males eroded by Honkai energy essentially turn into zombie-like monsters. Haha, well then, never mind! The Old Thief making a zombie-slaying game is perfectly logical—completely logical!
Truth be told, the zombie genre has been a perennial favorite in film and gaming. It's filled with violent aesthetics; scenes of flesh and blood flying everywhere allow people to release stress to a great degree. There were already plenty of zombie games on the market, so players weren't surprised by the theme itself.
However... a zombie game combined with Herta Studio's holographic technology? That undoubtedly piqued the players' interest to the max.
Although there had been many VR games before, due to technical limitations and various factors, the finished products were usually underwhelming. Consequently, the VR market had remained in a delicate state, and the exorbitant price of hardware meant its prospects weren't highly regarded. While people in this world were willing to spend on entertainment, VR gear wasn't something every player could afford. Herta Studio's holographic tech was the pinnacle of the high-tech industry; equipment personally crafted by them likely wouldn't be cheap.
This was the reason many were skeptical about Su Mu's new game.
[VR gear isn't for everyone. That entry barrier alone is enough to deter most people.]
[True. Even though I'm interested in Herta's tech, the price tag will definitely be heavy...]
[Let's wait and see. I acknowledge the Old Thief's ability, but only for mobile. we don't even know if his 'Titanfall' is any good yet. My advice is to wait for 'Titanfall' first.]
[+1, I'm also in 'wait-and-see' mode.]
Many players held a cautious attitude toward MiHoYo's announcement. For various reasons, they were truly not optimistic about Resident Evil's future. However, another piece of news soon broke: the game would be released in two versions—a holographic VR version and a standard version for Console and PC. Purchasing the holographic version would include the standard version of Resident Evil for free.
[So we can experience the Old Thief's new game without the holographic gear?]
[Mhm, in that case, I'm willing to support it. I can afford a game, but VR gear is just too much.]
[I'm still cautious. I feel like everyone has deified the Old Thief. At the end of the day, he only has two major titles: the indie game 'Getting Over It' and the mobile game 'Honkai Impact 3rd.' his resume for major standalone titles is still a blank slate.]
Unsurprisingly, a wave of pessimism and "anti-hype" emerged overnight regarding Su Mu's new work. Over the past year and a half, industry veterans had harbored a lot of resentment. Watching Su Mu's games make a killing and bring MiHoYo terrifying profits while he himself rose to fame was a bitter pill to swallow. As the saying goes, "a tall tree attracts the wind." For many practitioners, a rising star like Su Mu was a sinner who snatched away their rice bowls. Mobile game studios, in particular, hated him because the high quality of Honkai 3rd meant they could no longer harvest "leeks" (naive players) with low-quality, reskinned gacha games.
In reality, the internal struggles and schemes had never ceased over the past year. Su Mu had been denounced by many, and some studios even went as far as putting up banners to boycott him, vowing to drive him out of the industry. Of course, those voices eventually vanished as time proved one principle: If your strength is solid enough, you can do whatever you want.
But the silence didn't mean his image improved in the eyes of those envious people. They simply buried their resentment and cursed him in the shadows, hoping he'd take a hard fall. Naturally, Resident Evil gave them the perfect opportunity. They began spreading negativity, posing as "veteran standalone industry experts" on forums to smear Su Mu.
[Su Mu? He's just a mobile developer. He doesn't know s* about standalone games!]
[Heh! Don't take steps too big or you'll tear something!]
[Stick to mobile; standalone games aren't for the likes of you!]
[What talent does he have? He's just a gacha game maker, a clown putting on an act!]
Such comments flooded the forums. Seeing this, the entire staff of MiHoYo was collectively enraged. Their fists were hard! Many employees took up their keyboards to become online "supermen," defending their beloved Director Su!
Su Mu himself didn't care. He knew the internet was a place where you could never tell if the person behind the screen was a human or a ghost. Chasing after their words was meaningless; he didn't have the power to slap someone across a network cable. The best way to strike back was to ignore them and let results speak for themselves. The "heat" during Honkai 3rd's initial announcement wasn't any lighter than this; the whole net was calling him and MiHoYo clowns then, too. Time would prove everything.
Welt Yang was surprised by Su Mu's mindset. As a veteran in the circle, he knew about the smear campaign. He called to offer help, but Su Mu told him not to worry.
"It's perfect. The new game didn't have enough hype, and now the heat is rising," Su Mu smiled. "Hate-clicks are still traffic."
Welt was stunned. This young man actually wanted to use the abuse and slander to boost the game's visibility... Su Mu shrugged: "They're working so hard to promote me for free. It'd be a waste not to take it."
Welt sighed, suddenly curious how those attackers would feel if they knew Su Mu viewed them as free labor. He knew the insults were temporary; once Su Mu's work hit the market, the doubts would crumble. He looked forward to the day the boomerang hit those "trend-setters" in the face.
As March arrived, MiHoYo's spring schedule hit its stride. Several major events occurred.
The most notable was the change in the lead for the Honkai Impact 3rd project. At the company meeting, Su Mu and Bronya proposed Carole as the new lead for the project, with Timido and Lyle assisting in management. Given their excellent daily performance, the motion passed unanimously. The trio officially took over the project from Su Mu and were promoted to Department Managers.
Additionally, Bronya remained the HR Manager but two Deputy Managers were added to assist her—in reality, the deputies took over HR duties. This freed Bronya to focus more on her role as Vice President.
Then came the Customer Service department. Due to her outstanding performance, Kiana was promoted to Department Manager... What? Why is the President also a Department Manager? Don't sweat the details. Everyone at MiHoYo knew that in this company, the "President" was basically a mascot...
Finally, Su Mu's title change: he remained Chief Game Director but was also named the company's second Vice President. Everyone knew it was logical for Su Mu to be President, but since the title was largely symbolic, it was better to give him a VP role with actual power.
After this meeting, the internal structure of MiHoYo saw many shifts. The total staff now exceeded 1,500, making it a genuine leader in the industry. This number was expected to rise further during summer recruitment. Graduating students would soon enter the workforce, providing the "new blood" vital for the company's vitality.
Su Mu's life became "plain, unpretentious, and boring." Because Resident Evil's development required coordination with Herta Studio, he traveled frequently between the two firms. He was also in charge of siphoning staff to form a new studio for MiHoYo's second mobile game—Honkai: Star Rail.
In his spare time, he had meals and chats with Bronya. Their relationship was stabilizing, though they hadn't taken the "final step" yet. Perhaps because both had secrets they couldn't easily share, a thin barrier remained...
Due to work and his relationship with Bronya—and the fact that Kiana had adapted to living alone—Seele no longer had an excuse to stay over. This meant Seele's private time with Su Mu decreased. while she didn't show dissatisfaction on the surface... whenever she caught Su Mu alone, he became her "venting tool," ruthlessly squeezed for every drop.
"Seele, your skin seems even whiter lately. It's so supple and smooth! Did you use a new skincare product?" Many female employees at the office were shocked by her change, saying she was becoming prettier.
"Eh? N-no, it's just the products Sister Elysia recommended..."
Watching Seele talk to the staff, Su Mu chuckled inwardly. Of course it's supple. Do you know how much of my 'essence' has been drained!! Fortunately, Su Mu's body had been enhanced, otherwise even a kidney of steel wouldn't hold up. Between high-intensity work and high-intensity "squeezing" from Seele, he had actually started exercising more, participating in night runs after work. He was even considering a gym membership to train his legs...
Everything was moving in an orderly fashion. Time flew by.
Then, one day in mid-March, Su Mu received a call from Mobius. He was surprised that she would contact him first. Sometimes he'd share "embarrassing" stories about Elysia at the firm with Mobius, and she would always reply with a cold "Oh." But Su Mu knew she was interested; otherwise, she wouldn't reply at all. she had the "hardest mouth" in the Golden Courtyard.
Usually, it was Su Mu reaching out. Mobius rarely initiated. occasionally, if she was with Herta, Herta would grab the phone and send a "Come test." Phone calls, however, were rare.
"Dr. Mobius, is there something I can help you with?" Su Mu teased after picking up.
"Are you free this weekend?" Mobius skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point.
"I am... are you asking me on a date, or for dinner?"
Facing Su Mu's teasing, Mobius replied, "Something like that. If you're free, meet at the Arc HOMU Park entrance at 8:00 AM Saturday. I'll be waiting at the ticket gate."
Eh? Surprised by the sudden invite, Su Mu asked, "Doctor, can I take this as you asking me on a date?"
A laugh came from the other end. "Heh, you really want to date me, little lab rat? Aren't you afraid I'll eat you in one bite? But I'm sorry to disappoint you. It's about Griseo."
Su Mu knew that despite Mobius's sharp tongue, she truly loved Griseo and looked after her carefully.
"Griseo's teacher assigned homework: write a travelogue about a weekend outing with family. But as you know, Griseo's parents are abroad for research and don't have time to return... Elysia asked me to take her to HOMU Park and said Griseo's second favorite person is you. so, she wants you to come along so we can act as Griseo's 'temporary parents'."
Su Mu's expression turned peculiar. It wasn't that he didn't want to play with Griseo. But the fact that Elysia was "matchmaking" this behind the scenes... what little scheme was "Bad Ellie" up to now? Although he was wary of Elysia stirring trouble, Su Mu didn't want to ruin Griseo's excitement, so he agreed to Mobius's request.
END OF CHAPTER
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