Mo Li's words struck a chord in Youlan's heart.
The truth was, the whole reason she and her team had banded together was to create a game that the entire world would love.
Their goal had always been to produce something that could make money and earn a stellar reputation.
But… in the current market, games that could achieve both were rare—far too rare.
And for a tiny workshop like theirs, making that dream a reality was almost impossible.
Even Save the Girl had been funded out of her own pocket.
Mo Li had also hit her where it hurt—miHoYo's staff really were working purely for passion, not taking a single paycheck…
Sure, it was voluntary, but Youlan didn't want things to stay that way forever.
They all had their own lives—without income, how could they keep going?
After thinking it over, she finally nodded seriously.
"Mr. Mo Li, please wait a moment. I'm going to make a call."
"Go ahead. I'm not in a hurry~" Mo Li replied with a calm smile.
A few minutes later, Youlan's long legs carried her back to him.
"Mr. Mo Li, would you have time to visit our studio?"
Mo Li knew this meant he was halfway to sealing the deal. Of course, he was happy to accept.
"Let's head over now."
…
At miHoYo Studio
A group of young women sat together, eyes filled with a mixture of anticipation and unease.
If Mo Li were here already, he'd be stunned—because every single one of them was a familiar face to him.
There was the gentle, black-haired Mei.
The sultry, curvaceous Rita.
The poised and elegant Ganyu, with her ice-blue hair.
The ambitious Himeko, and the stoic Shenzhou native Fu Hua.
And at the center of the group sat none other than the slightly expressionless "Big Duck"—Bronya.
"How is it, Bronya?" someone asked.
The long-haired silver-gray beauty frowned slightly. After ending her call, she said gravely,
"Big Sis says… that investor wants to buy out our studio."
"What?"
"Buyout? I thought it was an investment?" Himeko frowned. "Could this guy be up to something shady?"
Mei nodded in agreement. "I think so too… Honestly, there's nothing in our studio worth acquiring. And truthfully… nothing worth investing in either."
"Hehe~" Rita chuckled softly.
"Aren't you girls overthinking it? When we released our game, the only one who showed up publicly was Durandal. None of our personal details ever got out.
"My guess? This investor's here for Durandal."
The others traded looks—and had to admit Rita's theory made sense.
"Anyway," Bronya continued, "Big Sis said the investor wants to talk to all of us. I agreed."
"What—you're actually thinking of selling the studio?"
"If we sell, I'll probably quit…" Rita said with a note of sadness. She really loved their current lifestyle—coming to work and chatting with her sisters, watching their player count slowly grow,
and sometimes brainstorming new ideas together.
If the studio really was sold, the atmosphere would change drastically.
And the fact that the potential buyer was… a man…
That thought left everyone a bit silent.
After a while, Himeko smiled and reassured them,
"Didn't Bronya say it's just a discussion? Whether we sell or not, Durandal will take our opinions into account."
"She's right," Mei agreed. "If Durandal had already decided to sell, she wouldn't be asking us first."
Just then, the studio door swung open.
Durandal stepped in on high heels, a tall, striking figure—and behind her came a handsome young man.
"Big Sis!"
She gave them a small nod.
"Let me introduce you all—this is Mr. Mo Li, who's interested in acquiring our studio."
The girls' gazes all turned toward Mo Li.
"Well, well~ quite the handsome young man," Himeko teased with a smile.
As for Mo Li…
Internally, he was already numb.
What kind of lineup is this?
The entire room was filled with the delicate fragrance of young women…
"You… Is this everyone in your studio?"
Durandal nodded. "Mm. Save the Girl was developed by all of us together."
Mo Li pressed his lips together, unsure what to say.
With his Earth memories, he already liked the characters from Honkai Impact 3rd and Genshin Impact—but…you're telling me they've all shown up in the real world?
And I'm planning to make Honkai and Genshin…
Wait…
That means I have to acquire this studio, right?
Otherwise, if I release those games, what if they sue me?
Sure, the 2D versions and real-life versions aren't exactly the same—but when the names, personalities, and even appearances are a 90% match, people will talk.
"What's wrong, Mr. Mo Li?"
"Hehe~ I imagine you're a little shocked, aren't you?" Himeko teased again. "So many beauties popping up at once…"
Mo Li quickly snapped back to reality and shot her a look.
"Ahem… I am surprised. I didn't expect your studio to be made up entirely of women.
"But I've seen your ability and passion for games in Save the Girl.
"As for my reason for being here—Miss Durandal has probably told you. I'd like to hear your thoughts."
The girls exchanged glances. Finally, Bronya stepped forward and said softly,
"Mr. Mo Li, as you can see, our studio is just a group of girls who love games enough to choose this path.
"So… we don't want to be under someone else's control."
"I understand your concern," Mo Li nodded.
"Before anything else, let me share my vision with you."