In the next second, almost as if by telepathy, two figures rose from their seats simultaneously.
The legs of their chairs scraped against the floor—not loud, but remarkably distinct in the suddenly tense air.
Dan Heng was halfway through typing a line of code; his fingers hovered over the keyboard as his gaze, behind his glasses, swept over the two who had suddenly stood.
He glanced at Bronya in the corner and then at Shinji, who looked slightly dazed while holding the card.
His brow twitched ever so slightly before he silently returned his attention to the screen.
Even the rhythm of his typing seemed half a beat slower than before.
Stelle and March 7th stopped whispering, their eyes wide.
They looked back and forth between the two sides, faces glowing with excitement and curiosity, silently thinking, "Something's happening!"
Kiana moved quickly, reaching Shinji's desk in just a few steps. She stretched out her arm, and with a snap,
a card edged with faint golden sparkles—clearly superior to Bronya's—appeared.
She slapped it down in front of Shinji, right beside Bronya's card.
The abstract family crest shimmered subtly in the dim light.
"Here!" Kiana tilted her chin, trying hard to sound indifferent.
Her tone even carried a hint of generosity, though the slight redness of her ears betrayed her.
"What is that little bit of money from Bronya even enough for?
It'll be gone after buying a few decent computers!
The limit on this card is… well, anyway, it's higher than Bronya's!
Take it and use it for now. The password is my birthday—don't tell me you forgot!"
She spoke rapidly and, finishing, cast a provocative glance at Mei, who had just approached the desk.
Mei's pace was calm. However, when she placed a card that was entirely black, cool to the touch, and devoid of decoration—except for a Raiden emblem in the corner—onto the desk,
the room seemed to drop in temperature by a degree.
The card was silent and weightless, yet it carried an undeniable presence as it landed on the wooden tabletop with a soft thud.
"Shinji," Mei's voice was gentle as always, but carried more authority than usual,
"while the Kaslana Family cards are convenient, there may be restrictions on large-scale procurement or overseas payments.
This is an unlimited supplementary business card from the Raiden Group's partner bank.
It is linked to my independent project reserve fund within the group, so the approval process will be much simpler."
She paused, her purple eyes calmly fixed on Shinji.
"If it isn't enough, I can request to increase the reserve fund limit or activate some of my personal investment authorities within the group.
Creation requires stable support; there's no need to be distracted by trivial matters."
Her words were airtight, offering a practical alternative while subtly highlighting Kiana's card's limitations.
Finally, she casually revealed her trump card: "there's more if it's not enough," maintaining elegant composure and refusing to concede an inch.
Kiana's blue eyes widened immediately.
"Hey! Mei! What do you mean by that?
How is my card inconvenient?
It's just for buying equipment and hiring people!
And so what if it's unlimited? Is that such a big deal? I—"
"Kiana," Mei tilted her head slightly, smiling gently and perfectly,
"I am merely stating the facts to provide Shinji with more options.
From what I hear, this project might not be small in scale."
"You…!"
Two cards of vastly different styles, yet both immensely valuable, lay side by side on the mottled office desk.
They pressed down on Bronya's old savings card like a silent battlefield.
A subtle scent of gunpowder mixed with sweetness and electricity drifted through the air.
Stelle nudged March 7th with her elbow and whispered, "Wow… is this the legendary 'Money Power' showdown?"
March 7th nodded vigorously, eyes sparkling. "A Shura field! It's a Shura field! Though a little different from usual…"
Dan Heng pushed up his glasses, his gaze sweeping quickly between the three cards and the three girls.
He silently saved his current code and created a new document, typing the title:
'Project Emergency Fund Injection Plan (Multi-source) V0.1'.
Meanwhile, Bronya remained completely unaware of the escalating "war situation."
She simply adjusted her posture, letting the screen light fall more evenly on her face.
Her hand guiding the mouse remained steady, likely sketching the mecha's structure.
The cold, hard texture of metal was already beginning to take shape.
Only when she paused to think did a faint glint appear in her lake-blue eyes—a nearly imperceptible sparkle that seemed to say: "Everything is going according to plan."
Shinji looked down at the three cards on the desk.
One was old, carrying the weight of desperate trust.
One shone with straightforward and passionate support.
One was dark, containing unfathomable backup.
They came from three girls with vastly different personalities and backgrounds, yet at this moment, they had forged a strange alliance.
In their own ways, they had once again bound him and the precarious Studio to the same war chariot—
or rather, placed him on a path with no retreat, only forward.
The path ahead was uncertain, surrounded by formidable challenges, yet funding no longer seemed insurmountable.
Though taking this money felt a thousand times heavier than previous debts.
Shinji inhaled slowly, then exhaled.
He lifted his head, scanning Kiana's pouting yet expectant face,
Mei's gentle and calm yet sharp eyes,
and finally resting on Bronya's focused back.
"The money, I'll take it."
His voice was quiet but carried clearly through the office.
"Consider it a loan to the Studio, or… an advance on dividends. I'll issue a proper receipt."
He paused, gaze sharp, sweeping over everyone.
"Now then—
time to get to work."
"Dan Heng, by tomorrow noon, I want a report based on our current engine.
I need a technical feasibility report on optimizing the basic framework and core combat logic for a mobile 3D action game.
Focus on skill chaining, hit feedback, and performance overhead."
"Stelle, March 7th, collect data on all successful and failed 3D action mobile games on the market.
Specifically, compare character progression systems and story presentation methods. Provide preliminary conclusions by tomorrow."
His instructions were clear and steady.
Gone was the fervor of painting rosy pictures; now, only sink-or-swim pragmatism remained.
Those whose names were called subconsciously sat up straighter.
Dan Heng pushed up his glasses and began typing the new document title.
Stelle and March 7th quickly set aside their spectator expressions, opening browsers and documents.
"As for the specific design draft and project plan," Shinji said, eyes on the blank document,
"give me twenty-four hours."
No grand claims, no ethereal visions—just clear tasks and deadlines.
The office atmosphere shifted.
Despair, numbness, and hesitation gave way to pressure, challenge, and a faint excitement.
The three cards' weighty expectations—irreversible and non-negotiable—loomed over them.
Yet something new was emerging: possibility.
Accompanied by typing, pen rustles, and occasional page turns, it began to sprout—fragile yet determined.
Shinji leaned back, opening his computer.
On the system's light screen visible only to him, the progress bar inched forward.
And deep in his mind, regarding the Prologue, Changkong City, and the girls' first encounters and battles,
images surged with unprecedented clarity.
Time had begun.
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