"Ahem…" Mo Li was startled by the girls' looks and quickly waved his hands.
"I've said before… this is really just a coincidence…"
He was getting a headache—he couldn't tell them about the system, and he certainly couldn't say that in another world, Durandal and the others were the game characters.
Just as things were getting awkward, Mei stepped in to defuse the tension.
"Honestly… I still believe in the boss."
Himeko also chimed in with a smile:
"I'm fine with it, but you're being a bit sneaky, boss~"
"Huh? How so?"
Bronya's lips curled slightly.
"Since you used us as templates, shouldn't our pay go up a bit too?"
Mo Li suddenly realized—after seeing Honkai 3's profit potential, these girls were now thinking about a raise.
He didn't mind. It was human nature, and after all, the in-game characters were indeed based on them.
"We're not asking for much, just—"
Before Bronya could finish, Mo Li interrupted.
"I get it. It's fair. Did you forget? I said this on the first day—we'd never shortchange you. Once the game makes money, you'll get a share of the profits."
The girls blinked, suddenly remembering.
Back then, they hadn't cared much about Mo Li's game and thought he was just painting pretty promises.
Now that he brought it up again, they realized he had been serious all along.
Feeling a little embarrassed, Bronya coughed softly.
"Boss… we only asked for higher salaries out of necessity. Honkai 3 may be yours, but Save the Girl was all our hard work. We still want to keep it running… but that takes money…"
"Ah, I see."
Mo Li nodded, thought for a moment, then smiled.
"I've seen your game. The core issue is the gameplay—it doesn't hook players. Once Honkai 3 is stable, I'll give you some new ideas to work with. That way, your 'passion project' won't keep losing money every month."
The girls' eyes lit up immediately.
If Mo Li came up with it, it had to be good.
Just look at Honkai 3—innovative gameplay, world-leading operations, even a top-tier 3D anime rendering engine.
They were convinced.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Mo Li."
Gentle Mei bowed slightly, unable to hide her joy.
Himeko brushed back her hair and gave him a teasing look.
"Boss, you're so good to us~ How should we repay you?"
"Repay me, huh…"
Mo Li rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
That look made Himeko's heart skip a beat.
He's not actually thinking something… inappropriate, is he?
She might joke around, but if Mo Li really tried something, she'd deck him.
"How about this," Mo Li said with a snap of his fingers, "Honkai 3 is really hot on Douyin right now, but we've still got half a month before launch. To keep the hype going… Himeko, why don't you make a public appearance?"
Himeko finally exhaled.
Good—no outrageous requests. Otherwise, they'd have to seriously reevaluate his character.
But after thinking about it, she shook her head.
"Boss, maybe pick someone else. That's really not my thing."
The others shook their heads too.
"We don't want to be in the public eye either…"
"Alright…"
Mo Li didn't push.
"If you don't want to, then forget it. There are plenty of other ways to keep the hype alive."
"Other than having us show up, you don't have any other ideas, boss~?"
Himeko was already teasing again.
Just as Mo Li was about to reply, Ganyu's phone rang.
In the studio, Ganyu and Fu Hua rarely spoke, mainly handling errands—a bit like secretaries.
"Durandal, it's that person calling…"
For some reason, as soon as she said this, the girls' expressions all turned cold.
That made Mo Li curious.
"What's going on?"
Bronya explained quietly.
"A very annoying guy. Durandal met him when looking for investment… he's just unpleasant."
Even with the explanation, Mo Li still wasn't satisfied.
"Should I answer it?"
Ganyu blinked up at him.
Mo Li rolled his eyes.
"It's your phone—why ask me?"
Ganyu blushed and quickly turned to Bronya.
"Pick it up. Let's hear what he wants."
"Okay…"
Ganyu nodded, answered the call, and put it on speaker.
"Miss Durandal, it's me."
A young man's voice came through.
Bronya frowned instinctively.
"Tch… I'm annoyed just hearing him."
Durandal stayed expressionless.
"What is it?"
The man chuckled.
"I'm outside your studio. Can we meet?"
"If you have something to say, say it now."
"Alright, straight to the point then. I hear your studio is looking for investment. I think you've got potential, so I'd like to put in two million."
The girls glanced at each other.
Was this guy living under a rock? Did he never check gaming news?
Honkai 3 was trending everywhere on Douyin, with miHoYo's logo front and center.
The studio was about to take off—and now he wanted to invest?
"Sorry, Mr. Zhao. miHoYo Studio is no longer under our control. You'll have to speak with our new boss."
Durandal hung up without hesitation.
Her decisiveness only made Mo Li more curious.
They were all easygoing girls—what exactly had this guy done to make them dislike him so much?
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