She couldn’t bear it anymore, and she had to find a way to get her mom to reveal the truth earlier!
At the competition venue, facing the enthusiastic questioning from numerous reporters, Yin Yunqiu, who had anticipated this, directly displayed the final data of the five games on the big screen, including game experience duration, user retention rate, and audience satisfaction ratings, and solemnly said, “According to the competition rules, the judges’ votes account for only twenty percent of the total score, while the remaining eighty percent comes from the one thousand audience members present, and the results are based on comprehensive evaluations.”
Game experience duration refers to the amount of time players spent on each game within these ninety minutes. User retention rate refers to how many players, after playing the game, found it uninteresting and quit without looking back, as opposed to those who, after experiencing other games, returned to continue playing.
Everyone could see the changes in various data over time.
Initially, Deer Factory’s game was not very eye-catching because its icon was too cartoonish and didn’t grab people’s attention as much as the icons of other games. It could be said that it received little initial interest. However, once someone clicked into it, they found it hard to leave. The retention rate reached an astonishing eighty percent, surpassing the controversial girl’s mobile game by a significant margin.
“My goodness, I played a game that lasts only four minutes for a whole hour?” Someone exclaimed in surprise, then realized that they weren’t the one who played the most. Some players had been playing at Deer Factory from the start to the end and left comments like, “This official game is garbage. Why only give us an hour and a half? It’s not enough for a detailed experience. Thumbs down!”
Or, “Oh no, I was just one win away from going from ‘rich farmer’ to ‘shopkeeper.’ Let me continue, I want to double up! Super double up!” “This factory is toxic; I actually played a Zen fishing game for almost ninety minutes?” “When is this game going to be released? I want to play cards.”
A stream of positive reviews and comments flooded the audience’s attention, making everyone speechless. Even the journalists didn’t know what to say and decided to try the game themselves later. These recommendations with terms like “game copyright infringement,” “genius game designer,” and “champion is the young master of the Yin family” attracted the attention of netizens, and in no time, the number of people following the buzz about this game competition surged. With the rich rewards and treatment, it could be imagined how many game designers would register for the competition the following year.
Because Deer Factory’s game won the championship, it also received recommendations on multiple platforms.
It even integrated with the hottest social media accounts of the moment, allowing anyone with that social media account to log in directly without the hassle of registration. Upon logging in, they could play the game and see how their friends were doing in various game zones. For example, a teacher could see a student playing parkour, a wife could see her husband playing mahjong, and a subordinate could see their boss playing Go.
Since it allowed friends to form teams easily, it made it convenient to promote in real life. For a while, viral marketing flooded social media, and the user base of the game exploded.
…
In the subway.
The long wait was boring, and some people were dozing off with their heads down, while more people were yawning out of boredom. At this moment, a middle-aged man sat in his seat and took out his phone.
Sounds of cheerful effects, such as “airplane,” with the sound of planes flying by, and “bomb,” with a booming sound like thunder, quickly caught the attention of others. Everyone gathered around to watch.
“Excuse me, what game is this? Is it playing cards?”
“Sir, you’re about to lose. You were supposed to play a straight just now.”
“Surprisingly, it only requires beans, not money, and you can go bankrupt three times a day. I’ll download it when I get home.”
Scenes like this could be seen almost everywhere. On the surface, the three-time bankruptcy protection mechanism allowed users to gain a significant advantage. However, when they became addicted to “doubling” and “super-doubling” in the game, they could easily go from “overnight riches” to “overnight bankruptcy.” That’s when they realized that the daily three-time free bean rewards were simply not enough, and that’s when they needed to make in-game purchases.
So, Yin Minglu practically lay in his exclusive office, counting money. Whenever someone mentioned him, the people in high society not only talked about him with enthusiasm but also couldn’t help but give him a thumbs-up, praising the young master of the Yin family for his achievements. They even teased that he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Their praises made Yin’s old man, who used to have a stern face, can’t stop smiling.
For the young grandson who had grown up by his side, praising the grandson was equivalent to praising him for being a good teacher.
Yin Minglu quite enjoyed being praised by others. When he heard the compliments, his eyes squinted with a smile, resembling a crescent moon, and he proudly said to Yin Yunqiu, “Dad, you see how amazing I am, right?”
Indeed, he was impressive. Leading a team at such a young age and standing on his own were achievements that surpassed his own youth. Yin Yunqiu’s lips curled up slightly in pride, but he quickly realized that he shouldn’t let his child develop an arrogant personality, so he suppressed the smile.
Unfortunately, he had already been seen through by his young son, who was now suppressing his laughter with pursed lips.
In contrast, Jiang Mingqin, who had fled in embarrassment, returned to school to face the gossip and rumors throughout the entire school. She felt so embarrassed that she could hardly lift her head. She blamed herself for using fake accounts on the school forum to hype up the image of a genius teenage girl. She had thought that winning was a sure thing and had even encouraged her schoolmates to cheer for her, including the janitor. Almost the entire school knew that she was participating in the competition.
Naturally, the news of her game copyright infringement also became known throughout the school after the competition ended. Many people mocked her for her lack of common sense and shameless plagiarism, including her classmates. When they looked at her, their eyes were full of disdain. The teachers’ attitudes remained the same, but the attitudes of her peers were noticeably different. Her close friends distanced themselves from her, some senior students who had pursued her suddenly became silent, and some people hurriedly avoided her as if she were a carrier of a virus. Of course, some people felt sorry for her and tried to console her, saying, “Jiang, I know you didn’t do it on purpose. Recognizing your mistake and correcting it is the most significant step.”
However, Jiang Mingqin looked at them as if they were bestowing charity upon her, and her eyes burned with anger. She swore that one day, when she returned to her wealthy family, she would make those classmates who looked down on her regret it! Anyone who dared to ridicule her would feel her power! “Get lost! I don’t need your fake kindness,” she coldly pushed away the girl next to her. The girl stumbled but managed to regain her balance, looking bewildered.
Her friend supported her and said, “Why is Jiang so ungrateful? She clearly meant well when she tried to console her, but she pushed her away and had such a strange attitude. Let’s just not bother with her anymore.”
Because the conversations at school were quite harsh, Jiang’s parents considered having their younger daughter transfer to another school. However, Jiang Mingqin was stubborn; she wanted to keep an eye on Yin Minglu and observe his every move closely, not allowing him to have any more astounding accomplishments! When she reclaimed her identity, she wanted to see, with her own eyes, how Yin Minglu would react when he was the one facing ridicule!
The younger daughter was stubborn, and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jiang, didn’t know what to do with her. Only Jiang Mingyao watched her coldly. Right after the competition ended, she had initially tried to gain sympathy from her parents by playing the victim. Since childhood, due to her frail health, no matter what wrong she did, her tears would quickly earn her forgiveness from others. Jiang Mingqin had always found this tactic to be effective.
Seeing their younger daughter with teary eyes, Jiang Shi and Kong Jinghua couldn’t bring themselves to say anything harsher and even tried to persuade their elder son to let it go.
However, Jiang Mingyao kept a stern expression and chose not to let it go. He realized that his past indulgence had harmed his sister, so this time, he genuinely took on the role of an older brother and wanted to have a serious conversation with her.
But the young girl was defiant. She raised her delicate eyebrows and had an arrogant attitude as she said, “Those classmates of yours helped me not because they cared, but because it was profitable for them. Now that they’ve got jobs, what do they care about me? Besides, you’re not my real brother, so who are you to lecture me?”
As soon as the words left her mouth, the room fell silent.
Jiang Mingyao felt like he had been struck by a heavy blow, his mind went blank, and he couldn’t believe what he had just heard. He asked in disbelief, “What did you say?”
As soon as she spoke, the young girl realized that things were not going well. Cold sweat instantly soaked her back, the color drained from her face, and she thought she had revealed the truth in a fit of emotion. It was not the right time to expose everything, so she needed to find a way to salvage the situation.
She made an effort to calm herself down and then deliberately pouted and said, “Isn’t that right? I’m your real younger sister, and I’ve been wronged. You don’t even stand up for me. You don’t look like a brother to me!”
Is it really like this? Jiang Mingyao looked skeptical, but the girl didn’t wait for him to question further. She covered her face and started crying heavily. As she cried, it suddenly seemed like there was a pain in her heart, and the girl fainted.
He panicked and called their parents. Seeing their son lecturing their daughter to the point of her breaking down, they didn’t know whom to blame. Their son’s intentions were good, but their daughter’s emotional resilience and physical strength were too weak to withstand too much scolding.
Jiang Mingyao felt guilty as well. He wanted to help his sister when his parents helped her up. However, when he saw her hand hanging limp and motionless, he was shocked. Was the girl pretending to faint? Why would she do that? Didn’t she know it would make him and their parents worried? Was it to evade his scolding, or was it to change the topic because of the earlier slip of the tongue?
Thinking about the last possibility, Jiang Mingyao’s heart surged with turmoil, and his temples began to throb.
Half a month later, the routine autumn school-wide physical examination began. Medical examination vehicles entered the campus, and numerous volunteers assisted the students with their regular check-ups.
“Doctor, please be gentle. I’m afraid of pain,” a boy extended his strong arm, wearing a pained expression on his face. The needle in the doctor’s hand hadn’t even come close when the people around heard a series of howls, as if the boy was being tortured. The doctor sighed and said, “Classmate, I haven’t even started yet.”
Laughter erupted in the vehicle, and Yin Minglu gave the boy a disdainful look, holding the cotton swab on his arm, “Zheng Jiangning, are you still a man? You’re acting more cowardly than the girls from other classes. Don’t claim you know me in the future.”
“I’ve always been afraid of needles!” the boy cried out.
“If you don’t get the shot now, I’ll leave. We still have height, weight, and vision tests to go through, and you’ll have to wait in a long line when you’re feeling better,” Yin Minglu said ruthlessly, getting up from his seat as if he was about to leave.
“Hey, wait for me!” Fearing being left behind by his friend, Zheng Jiangning quickly relented. He closed his eyes and steeled himself, putting an end to this “torture.” When he walked away, he found himself covered in sweat and walking unsteadily. His appearance invited even more teasing from the other boys.
As the boy looked around for a medical waste bin to dispose of the cotton swab, a gentle voice spoke, “Classmate, let me take care of the waste for you.”
The boy looked up and saw a tall and slender figure wearing glasses and a large mask. The person had a volunteer badge on their chest and was extending a gloved hand.
Thinking that the person was kindly offering to help, the boy didn’t think much of it. He handed over the cotton swab, said thank you, and walked away with his friends.
The volunteer, holding the bloodied cotton swab, had an uncertain look in their eyes. They also thought about the hair samples they had collected from their parents, wondering what kind of truth they were hoping to uncover.
—
Author’s note: Almost there.
Thank you to the angels who voted for me or provided nourishment~
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