Chapter 4 Kiana: You've Got to Add More Money!!
Bronya sat in her office, staring at her computer screen. She was in a daze.
To be more precise, she looked like she was in a daze because her brain had completely crashed.
One day ago.
Kiana Kaslana, the President of the company, had hired a graduate named Su Mu to be the Game Director of miHoYo Studio.
Everything that had just happened was so surreal that it took Bronya a long time to snap out of it.
She was dumbfounded.
Completely speechless.
Bronya knew Kiana was an idiot, but she never imagined Kiana could be an idiot to this extent.
Setting aside the actual quality of Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy for a moment.
The mere fact that Su Mu, a fresh graduate, was immediately appointed as the Game Director made Bronya's head spin.
No work experience!
No developed projects!
No family members in the gaming industry!
He was even from a different field of study!
Isn't that the definition of a "triple-threat" of nothingness?
On what grounds could he be hired by a game company? Was it just because Su Mu was handsome?
They were looking for a star Game Director, not a mascot!
After trying her best to calm her emotions, Bronya stepped out of her office to clear her head, only to see Su Mu waving at her.
"Morning, Manager Bronya."
Bronya did not take kindly to Su Mu. It wouldn't even be wrong to say she disliked him—partly due to the personal grudge of being tortured by Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy, and partly due to her dissatisfaction with Kiana's decision.
However, she forced her annoyance down. Bronya knew that beyond her personal grudge, the rest was just her taking her anger out on him.
Bronya: "Morning."
She watched Su Mu enter the office with the "Game Director" sign hanging on it.
Su Mu's office was right next to Bronya's.
After a moment of hesitation, Bronya decided to go in and have a chat with him.
Upon entering the Game Director's office, Su Mu couldn't help but sigh in admiration. Although miHoYo was obscure, the benefits were truly top-notch. This office had large floor-to-ceiling windows, offering a view of the most prosperous district in Arc City.
Su Mu sat down in his office chair.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in."
Bronya entered Su Mu's office and looked at him, hesitating as if she wanted to say something but couldn't find the words.
"?"
Su Mu was naturally happy about the "Big Duck's" sudden visit. After all, she was very pleasing to the eye!
A high-level Russian executive in a professional suit and black stockings, right in the office... anyone would find the sight heart-pounding!
"Are you serious?"
Bronya's sudden question caught Su Mu off guard.
"Serious?"
"About the position of Game Director. Are you serious?"
"Of course."
Su Mu answered solemnly. Although he was surprised to be made Game Director directly, he possessed ideas that wouldn't lose to anyone.
Even if his resume was currently blank, that was only temporary.
"Is that so?"
Bronya sighed. She closed her eyes for a moment before speaking again.
"Do you know with what kind of resolve I founded miHoYo—"
Before Bronya could finish, the office door was suddenly slammed open!
"Su Mu!!"
The newcomer was Kiana!
Bronya had to swallow her half-finished sentence. At this moment, she really felt the urge to roll her eyes!
She chose the worst time to show up!
"Boss, what are your orders?"
Kiana was the boss, after all, and she was the one providing Su Mu's livelihood. Even though he had the impression of a "Paramecium" white-haired tuna, Su Mu had to show some respect for now.
"Bronya is here too? What were you two just talking about?"
"We..."
"I had some things I didn't understand about work, so I was asking the Manager for advice."
Su Mu spoke up before Bronya could. His emotional intelligence wasn't so low that he would repeat their previous conversation.
Kiana chuckled and said, "So that's how it is! Then you must consult Bronya well! Bronya is amazing!"
Bronya looked helpless. "So? Do you actually have a reason for being here?"
She knew Kiana's personality. If she didn't remind her, the white-haired tuna would likely waste time on irrelevant matters.
"Ah, right... I came to talk to Su Mu about that game of his."
"?"
A question mark popped up in Bronya's mind. Asking about the game? Kiana didn't understand games; wouldn't asking her be pointless?
Su Mu nodded. "I see. Is there something specific you want to know, Boss?"
He got up to pour two glasses of water and handed them to Kiana and Bronya, who had sat down on the office sofa.
After thanking him, Kiana got straight to the point: "I want to know roughly how much money Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy needs."
Bronya added, "It's also about the investment budget for the project. Do you have an expectation?"
Kiana nodded quickly. "Right, right! The budget!"
Budget?
Su Mu paused. A budget? He certainly couldn't just hold up two fingers and say "two hundred."
This wasn't like Cat Mario, where you could just find two college students to write some code and slap on an internship stamp to finish it...
Of course, the production of Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy wasn't much better. It wouldn't be wrong to say it looked crude at first glance, but the biggest highlight of this game wasn't its graphics.
A game's production and promotion are both important. Su Mu could handle the production of Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy entirely on his own—with the system's help, he could manage the characters, modeling, UI design, and scripts by himself.
But promotion was a bottomless pit that depended on the company's strength.
From what he understood, miHoYo didn't have much money at all.
So the discussion here should only be about the production budget, right?
Su Mu answered somewhat uncertainly, "Two thousand...?"
Two thousand was actually quite a lot, considering he was doing all the character work, modeling, UI design, and scripts himself—he even had the music ready.
The game was already a finished product and could be put on sale immediately.
Kiana almost spat out her water. "How much? Only two thousand?"
As soon as he said this, Su Mu was stunned, and Bronya was also dumbfounded.
Su Mu felt a bit guilty; two thousand felt like too much. Thinking that he was scamming the "Tuna," his conscience actually hurt a bit!
Bronya, on the other hand, was shocked. She thought, Only two thousand? It should be zero! For a game this frustrating, any investment would just be throwing money into the ocean! For something that looked like a guaranteed failure, she thought even a single cent was too much!
Before Bronya could voice her complaints, Kiana suddenly slammed the table!
"Two thousand is way too little! Absolutely not! We have to add more money! I'll give you a figure... two million!"
?
Bronya froze, looking as if she had seen a ghost.
END OF CHAPTER