Mo Li stared at the photo again.
There was no denying it—she really looked exactly like Durandal.
"I was planning to approach this studio anyway… Might as well give her a call and feel things out."
He picked up his phone and dialed the number provided by the system.
Ring... Ring...
The call connected quickly. On the other end, a calm and mature voice—graceful and composed—echoed through the line.
Mo Li's pupils shrank. Even her voice sounds like Durandal!
"Hello? Who's speaking?"
Snapping out of his daze, Mo Li took a brief pause, then got straight to the point.
"I heard your studio might be looking for investors?"
On the other end, Youlan's hand froze midair. She had been about to hang up—but that sentence stopped her cold.
Someone actually wanted to invest in her struggling studio?
"Good afternoon, sir. And you are...?"
"My name is Mo Li. I'm a gaming enthusiast with plans to develop a title of my own. The problem is, I lack a team."
"I stumbled upon your studio's information. I also tried your game, Save the Girl. While the mechanics aren't groundbreaking, it's clear your team put genuine effort into it."
His words were honest—neither condescending nor flattering—and that alone earned him some respect from Youlan.
She knew better than anyone: the game wasn't great. But the team behind it had poured their hearts into its creation.
Unfortunately, passion didn't pay the bills. The game flopped, and the studio was on the brink of shutting down. If they couldn't secure funding soon, all their hard work would be for nothing.
So when a potential investor appeared out of nowhere, Youlan couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope.
Still, investment deals were best discussed in person.
"If you have time, Mr. Mo, I'd prefer we meet and talk."
"I'm available now. You choose the place—I'll come to you."
"In that case, let's meet at Fate Café, just off West Loop Road."
After hanging up, Mo Li got in his car and headed straight there.
Strangely, the café was right near the Mihuyou office. Why not just invite him directly to the studio?
Mo Li was curious, but didn't dwell on it.
He also hadn't mentioned the word "acquisition" yet—intentionally.
According to the system's notes, Mihuyou wasn't technically for sale, just open to investment. So he decided to meet under that pretense, then feel things out.
After all, the system had said there was a chance to acquire it. Naturally, Mo Li wanted to try.
That said, buying a studio wasn't something he'd do blindly.
Sure, Youlan was beautiful—but that wasn't a good enough reason to throw away ¥20 million.
Soon, Mo Li arrived at the café.
"'Fate Café,' huh… fitting name."
The environment was elegant and calm, with gentle music filling the space.
He pulled out his phone and dialed the number again.
"Miss Youlan, I'm here."
"I see you."
Mo Li looked around—and there she was.
A striking woman in a business suit, tall and slender, waving at him from across the room.
"Even her figure is just like Durandal's..." Mo Li thought, stunned.
He walked over with a polite smile.
"Hello again. Just to reintroduce myself—Mo Li."
"Just call me Youlan," she replied, rising gracefully to greet him.
"Would you like something to drink?"
"Anything's fine."
Once the waiter left, Mo Li dove straight into business.
"Miss Youlan, let's not waste time. I have one question."
"What exactly does your studio have that would make me want to invest?"
Youlan froze, staring at his youthful yet confident face, unsure how to respond.
Didn't he just say he was interested in investing? Why ask that now?
"Our studio... is made up of people who genuinely love games," she said honestly. "If your goal is purely profit, Mr. Mo... then I can't guarantee any returns."
Mo Li let out a short laugh.
"You're refreshingly honest."
"And I respect that. That's part of why I agreed to meet you."
"But personally, I believe passion and profit don't have to be mutually exclusive."
He paused, then his expression grew serious.
"I have a game concept—an excellent one. If executed properly, it could return ten times the investment."
In fact, he was underselling it. Honkai Impact 3rd wasn't a one-time purchase game—once launched, regular updates and new characters would generate continuous revenue.
"But I can't build it alone. And I don't want to start a brand-new studio from scratch."
Hearing that, Youlan frowned slightly.
"So… you want to invest in our studio and co-develop the game?"
Mo Li blinked. Is she seriously this straightforward?
"Ahem. Miss Youlan… I think you've misunderstood."
"Why would I fund the game, provide the core idea, and hand over the results to your studio? Does that sound realistic to you?"
Youlan realized her slip and blushed slightly, flustered.
"What I meant to say is... I want to acquire your studio."
"Eh?" she blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift.
"Didn't you just say… you wanted to invest?"
"That was just to get us to this meeting," Mo Li admitted shamelessly. "But after thinking it over, acquisition makes more sense."
Youlan sighed, visibly disappointed.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Mo. I have no intention of selling the studio. I may be the founder, but this company was built together with my teammates. Even if I agreed, they probably wouldn't."
Mo Li nodded in understanding.
"Fair. But… can I speak to them as well?"
"You all know the studio's in a difficult place. Realistically, you won't find other investors."
"Even if your team volunteers their time, do you have the resources to develop another game?"
He leaned forward slightly, eyes sharp and sincere.
"I love games too, Miss Youlan. And I believe we can work together to create something the entire world will love—and pay for."