“Don’t worry about funding. I’ll have finance approve it. Your plan is excellent and worth my investment.” The previous game he had made was still generating revenue, so Ling Cheng felt confident about creating an Interactive SLG.
“Thank you for your support, President Ling.” Yun Ziyu was overjoyed. She had been fully prepared for the plan to be rejected, or even for her to be criticized.
The company’s financial situation was not optimistic. She had thought about proposing a project with a cost of over half a million, and she wouldn’t have been surprised to get a harsh scolding.
But Yun Ziyu felt that this new boss had the same love for games in his eyes that she did.
She had also played the galgame the boss had previously made. She could feel the creator’s dedication and passion in that game, so she took a risk and tried.
“But why does your project only have 10 people? Are the rest of the company currently working on other projects?”
“Yes, the others are mainly responsible for handling another mobile gacha game and two or three small games.”
Ling Cheng checked on that mobile gacha game. It had been half-dead for a long time. Half a year ago, they had tried to sell off its assets but hadn’t succeeded.
Its monthly revenue wasn’t even enough to support the operations costs.
“Why are 12 people still running that game? Wind it down gradually. Then have half of them join the new project, and the other half help with the small games.”
Ling Cheng made the decision quickly, and he also remembered a game shutdown case he had seen before.
“Understood, President Ling. What do you mean exactly?” Yun Ziyu had long thought that game should be cut—it was pure negative profit.
“Shutting it down directly might have a bad impact. Disclose all the remaining funds from this project.” Ling Cheng picked up the pen beside him and casually wrote on a blank sheet of paper.
“That is, show the players how long the game has left, why it’s shutting down, and everything else.”
Ling Cheng thought about how 12 people were running a game that was practically dead, and they hadn’t even launched any new events.
Suddenly, his heart ached. He felt what it was like to be a capitalist. Twelve experienced veterans, just sitting around unused—what a waste!
After all, every person missing meant the new game’s progress would slow down.
But the new game still had many preparations. He might need to do a few more quests to gather some funds and push the quality of the new game even higher.
During this period, Ling Cheng planned to have those 12 people do one last event properly and set up a countdown for the game shutdown, since they’d just be idle eating their salaries otherwise.
As for game rewards, he’d be generous—since the game was going to close anyway. After the shutdown, they would release a single-player commemorative edition that players could keep. In the meantime, they’d add more small interactive gameplay features to prepare for that edition.
“I understand. I’ll go refine this plan further, and once it’s ready, I’ll submit it to you for review.” After Ling Cheng briefly explained his ideas, Yun Ziyu quickly understood.
“That’s fine. After all, you used to be a senior student I admired. I trust your abilities completely. As for the shutdown plan for that game, go ahead and take full charge.”
Ling Cheng wasn’t very interested in these business operations. His mind was already on how to raise funds for the new project, so he used his delegation skill.
For Yun Ziyu, seeing the trust in her new boss’s eyes stirred something in her heart again.
Even if she had been a downtrodden loser for nearly a year, she was still a passionate young person at heart.
As a newcomer, being told she had full authority felt like she was finally being appreciated.
Unlike her previous boss—who had already been fired—no matter what plan she came up with, he would always nitpick to show off his “brilliance.”
Even if his final suggestions were all counterproductive, he still thought he was right and would take the chance to suppress her.
But the current President Ling not only approved her plan but also fully supported her.
Yun Ziyu bit her lower lip gently and swore to make this Shutdown event absolutely perfect—even to reverse the game’s reputation. She would not let President Ling’s trust down.
“Huff… thank you for your trust. I won’t let you down.” Yun Ziyu bowed deeply, then walked out of the office and headed straight to the team responsible for the mobile gacha game.
As she gathered the team for a meeting, she thought about how to make this event flawless.
Once everyone was present, Yun Ziyu announced, “The game is shutting down.”
Many in the team immediately panicked. After all, the company’s finances were unhealthy, and the game was shutting down—their jobs might be next.
“Sigh, with the game’s revenue like this, it’s normal for it to be shut down.”
The chief operator grimaced, as if he had expected this outcome. Last month, the game’s revenue hadn’t even exceeded 100,000. It would have been abnormal if it hadn’t been shut down.
“No! Don’t fire me! My wife just had a baby, and we’ve only paid half the mortgage…” A 33-year-old programmer with a receding hairline—already half bald—painfully grabbed his remaining strands of hair and sobbed onto the desk.
“Old Wang, don’t be too sad… Maybe there’s severance pay. The new boss doesn’t seem like a bad person.” A female colleague tried to comfort him.
“How is that possible? All bosses are the same. Severance pay? They’ll drag it out for half a year or more… Not to mention, this boss took over the company and hasn’t even come to work.” Someone nearby immediately chimed in pessimistically.
“Quiet! Everyone quiet!” Yun Ziyu, displeased at their reactions, thought to herself: ‘Ling Cheng is such a good boss, and you people are painting him as a villain.’
“First of all, President Ling already has a plan for everyone’s future. No one will lose their jobs.”
Everyone looked up as if they had heard heavenly music.
Most people working on this game were senior employees, many already married with children. They simply couldn’t bear the blow of unemployment.
“President Ling is far-sighted and has already made arrangements for all of you. You’ll join the new development project later. Our job now is to complete this last dance—to execute the Game Closure Action flawlessly.”
In that moment, Yun Ziyu felt the same spirited confidence she had back in university, when she was the Student Council President.
She understood that all of this was thanks to her boss, who was younger than her—he had pulled her out of the mud and supported her dreams…
“Awesome! I knew President Ling was preparing for the new game during those two days he wasn’t here!” The modeler, who had been badmouthing just moments ago, quickly changed his tune—a master of faces.
“Weren’t you just saying all bosses are the same?”
“But our President Ling isn’t an ordinary person, is he?”