Shi Peiran called Lin Qingwan.
Seeing the caller ID on her phone, Lin Qingwan frowned. "That's all for today. You may leave now," she instructed the subordinates in her office.
"Yes."
After they left, only Lin Qingwan remained in the office.
She pressed the answer button and held the phone to her ear. "What is it?"
"President Lin," Shi Peiran cautiously glanced around, ensuring no one was nearby before continuing in a hushed tone, "Tianmu Group's 'King's Pesticide' has finished development. They're planning to start the beta test today."
"What? So soon?" Lin Qingwan's eyes widened. "What's going on? Why am I only hearing about this now?"
"President Lin, just two days ago, they mentioned there were still minor bugs to fix and that it would take at least two weeks. I have no idea why they suddenly decided to launch the beta test."
Shi Peiran hastily fabricated an excuse and added, "You're the eldest sister of our boss. You know how strong his programming skills are. He visited the company yesterday—maybe he fixed all the bugs then."
"Alright, I understand."
Lin Qingwan's brows remained tightly knit.
After ending the call with Shi Peiran, she immediately strode in her high heels—click, click, click—toward the chairman's office.
Lin Chang was still reviewing documents, with Lin Li also present.
"You've done an excellent job with this report," Lin Chang praised with a smile.
"Thank you for the compliment, Dad. It's all thanks to your guidance." Lin Li responded with humility.
Lin Chang looked at him with satisfaction.
Lin Li was talented and filial—if not for the fact that he had become a eunuch, he would have been the perfect successor for the company.
What a shame.
Lin Chang shook his head.
Lin Qingwan pushed open the door and entered the chairman's office.
"Wan'er, what brings you here?" Lin Chang frowned in confusion.
"Dad, I have urgent news."
Since Lin Li was family, Lin Qingwan spoke directly. "Shi Peiran just contacted me. Tianmu Group is about to begin beta testing for their game, 'King's Pesticide.'"
"What?"
Lin Chang abruptly stood up from his chair.
"Our game has only just been completed," Lin Qingwan suggested. "Should we also start beta testing?"
"No, it's too late for that," Lin Chang rejected the idea.
"Our game is identical to Tianmu Group's. If they launch before us, they'll flood the market with promotions, especially with their platform, Hu Yin, backing them. They'll dominate the market in no time. All our efforts and investments over the past year would go to waste."
"Our entertainment division is already struggling against Tianmu Group. We can't afford another misstep in gaming!"
Moreover, if Tianmu Group's game succeeded, they would rise to unprecedented heights.
Starlight Group would never be able to compete with them again.
And any hope of forcing Lin Xuan to return to the family would vanish entirely.
Lin Chang's expression darkened.
Lin Qingwan frowned. "Dad, then how do we beat them to the market?"
Lin Chang said firmly, "Skip beta testing. Release the game directly, backed by massive marketing. That way, we'll secure the user base first."
"But Dad, what if there are issues with the game without beta testing?" Lin Qingwan voiced her concern.
"There shouldn't be any problems," Lin Chang asserted confidently.
"We hired top-tier programmers and spent over a year developing this game. How could anything go wrong?"
"Still..." Lin Qingwan remained uneasy. "Dad, I think we should play it safe."
Hearing her words, an inexplicable sense of foreboding crept into Lin Chang's heart, as though something ominous awaited.
He relented with a nod. "Fine, I'll be cautious. But we won't waste time on beta testing. Instead, I'll hire internationally renowned gaming and programming experts to inspect the game. If they find no issues, we'll launch immediately."
"Alright."
Lin Qingwan didn't object further.
This was indeed the best course of action.
"Dad, I'll get back to work now."
She left the chairman's office, her expression clouded with worry.
Under her breath, she murmured, "Xiao Xuan, don't blame your elder sister. Starlight Group is Dad's life's work. I only acted against your company to protect it."
"Your company's Hu Yin, entertainment, and literature divisions are thriving. Losing 'King's Pesticide' won't hurt you much. Xiao Xuan, you're so capable—you'll develop another game."
As she spoke, the weight in her heart lightened somewhat.
She was in the wrong this time, but she would find a way to make it up to Lin Xuan later.
Lin Chang personally spent a fortune hiring world-famous programming and gaming experts.
He tasked them with identifying any potential flaws before the official launch.
Meanwhile, Lei Hui had been monitoring Starlight Group's movements on Lin Xuan's orders.
He immediately reported their actions to Lin Xuan.
"Boss, they've brought in experts to inspect their game. What if they find the hidden flaws?" Lei Hui asked anxiously.
Lin Xuan smirked coldly. "The vulnerabilities I planted aren't something they can easily detect."
"Let them search all they want. All we have to do is sit back and watch their game collapse on a massive scale. Then, we'll reap the rewards."
This way, they wouldn’t even need to spend on marketing.
A dark glint flashed in Lin Xuan's eyes.
The program he had embedded appeared flawless on the surface.
But once he triggered it with a few lines of code, the game would crash—permanently.
This would teach Lin Chang and Lin Qingwan the consequences of stealing someone else's work.
Hearing Lin Xuan's words, Lei Hui finally relaxed.
Of course. Why should he doubt his boss?
"Got it."
Lei Hui nodded, then couldn't resist adding, "Boss, you're downright ruthless."
Who else could promote their products without spending a dime—relying entirely on their rivals to do the work?
Take Palm Treasure, for example. It gained fame by piggybacking on Leap Website, not to mention hacking Weibo's backend to secure a top trending spot.
Their movies rode on Starlight Group's promotional campaigns.
And now, this game would benefit from Starlight Group's marketing budget while they swooped in for the kill.
The cost of advertising alone probably exceeded the game's development expenses.
Lin Xuan knew exactly what Lei Hui meant. He chuckled.
"No, I'm a good person. I'm just giving them a taste of their own medicine."
Thank you to... Huaqi..., Huameng Manshuo, Beimu Shuangfeng, Shiguang Yinyu, and other dear friends for your gifts.
Something happened... My heart aches, and I feel like crying. I couldn’t sleep at all last night...
Uu.
g Yu was preparing for retirement when her organization decided to eliminate her. She transmigrated to a zombie apocalypse world. However, a tiny unexpected situation occurred: She somehow transformed into an adorable little girl?!
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
th】 【No prior gaming knowledge required】【The First Cultivation + Game Design Novel on the Platform】 In a world where the righteous path dominates and crushes the demonic sects, Lu Ze unlocks the "Son of the Demon Path" system. Killing righteous cultivators now grants him power-ups. Wait—deaths in illusions count too? As a former game designer, Lu Ze decides to give the cultivators of this world a little—no, a massive—shock... Sect Elders: "What is this 'Escape from the Demon Sect' game? Why have all our disciples abandoned cultivation to play it??" Elite Disciples: "You're saying... mastering 'Demon Slayer' can help us counter demonic schemes?" Reclusive Masters: "Why did I leave seclusion? Ask that backstabbing rat who ambushed me in 'Eternal Strife' yesterday!" Rogue Cultivators & Civilians: "'Immortal Abyss Action' is addictive! You can even earn spirit stones by loot-running..." Sect Prodigy: "My Dao heart is unshakable... except for that cursed black hammer." Royal Scions: "Can skins have stat boosts? I’ll pay 10,000 spirit stones for one!!" Sect Leader: "WHO IS CORRUPTING MY DISCIPLES?!!!"
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"