Chapter 143: A Rich Girl Wants to Keep Su Mu? Pre-production for Star Rail!
Bronya informed Su Mu about Cocolia's upcoming visit and explicitly mentioned that Cocolia wished to meet him in person.
"She's probably curious about you," Bronya speculated when discussing why Cocolia wanted to see him. "After all, you wrote her as a major villain in the game. She might be coming to settle the score."
Faced with Bronya's half-joking remark, Su Mu raised both hands in surrender. "Then I should definitely give Ms. Cocolia a deep kowtow." Since Cocolia was Seele's mother, kowtowing to a future mother-in-law was only natural.
"Anyway, you'd better be mentally prepared. Mother is a tough person," Bronya warned. "She might ask you some difficult questions... but with Seele and me there, she shouldn't do anything too drastic."
"Then I'll thank you in advance." Su Mu didn't mention that he was already in contact with Cocolia. He didn't think she was as scary as Bronya made her out to be. To be fair, her image in the game was so dark it wouldn't be surprising if she wanted to beat him up... but Su Mu couldn't help it; that was just how the original plot was written.
With some time before Cocolia's arrival, Su Mu's schedule was packed. First, he had an appointment with Herta to visit her studio and attempt a collaboration using her latest holographic technology. Su Mu had decided that while implementing holographics directly into gameplay might be premature, using it to create a VR promotional trailer for Titanfall's cockpit was perfectly feasible. Being able to feel immersed in a Titan's cockpit, charging through smoke and fire... the mere thought was enough to get the blood pumping.
Firefly's Glamoth Studio had been established for three months now. With the basic game framework provided by Su Mu, progress was incredibly fast. Since the underlying logic was already set—like building the internal frame of a Gundam—all that remained was to fill in the outer plating. Furthermore, the presence of the "bug-like" AI, Project Bunny 19C, allowed the production cycle to be significantly compressed.
In Su Mu's previous life, developing a large-scale single-player game was a grueling process that often took years. Some projects were even cancelled halfway through due to various reasons, becoming eternal regrets. Fortunately, the technological level of this world was far superior, so Titanfall wouldn't take years to develop. With the complete framework provided by Su Mu, the cost and difficulty had plummeted.
Even so, it would still take at least six months—a speed that was actually incredibly fast. After all, Honkai Impact 3rd had taken nearly three months just to develop its initial mobile launch. One of the main reasons for this progress was Bronya's Project Bunny 19C. Its full-power performance was so ridiculous it hardly seemed like a product of this era—though Bronya didn't know that miHoYo's version of the AI had been enhanced by Su Mu's System.
The "Game Producer System" Su Mu possessed allowed him to exchange "Reputation Points" for more than just games. Through Reputation, he could enhance various talents, which was why he appeared to be a genius in every field. This was also why he frequently made guest appearances in livestreams and performed "skits" about being healthy and positive. It was all to increase the "Old Thief's" fame; the more people knew him, the higher his Reputation points grew.
Normally, such a system would require a step-by-step progression from indie games to AAA blockheads—like a leveling novel. However, this world was so perfectly suited for Honkai Impact 3rd that this one game alone allowed Su Mu to unlock a vast array of subsequent functions. Eden's fame, the natural hype of the character prototypes, and the terrifying revenue-generating power of a free-to-play gacha game had turned Su Mu into an "Outer World Demon" in the industry.
However, precisely because of his terrifying accumulation speed, the System realized he would speedrun everything if this continued. It immediately applied a "patch," ordering Su Mu to develop other types of games or lose access to new features. It was as if the System itself was trying to save face.
Of course, even without the System's prodding, Su Mu intended to make great games. He felt nothing but disappointment for the current game industry of this world. If he didn't give them a "little Earth-style shock," he would have wasted this reincarnation!
After letting Bronya know he was heading to Herta's studio, Su Mu messaged Herta and drove to her Arc City location. Although it was nominally a game studio that developed some titles, they were mostly just tech-demos for her holographic inventions. According to Mobius, Herta's studio wasn't a game studio at all, but a research institute. Making games was just a way to show off new tech—"just for fun."
Su Mu felt helpless. Using a game studio as a cover for a high-tech lab... is there any other studio like this?
As soon as Su Mu stepped through the door, he saw two familiar figures. One was Herta. The other was a woman as cool and refined as a plum blossom, with a very elegant name: Ruan Mei. She wore a form-fitting qipao that accentuated her enviable long legs.
"You're here." Ruan Mei noticed Su Mu's arrival. She sized him up, a hint of "hunger" visible in her eyes. "I heard from Herta that you were coming today, so I came to see."
Su Mu recalled Mobius's previous warning. He knew Ruan Mei was interested in him... and it seemed that interest hadn't faded with time, but had grown deeper.
"Test subject arrived?" Herta appeared before Su Mu in her black thick-soled leather shoes. Her doll-like, exquisite face held little expression, but the slight curve of her lips suggested she was in a good mood. "You're just in time. Ruan Mei and I just finished calibrating the equipment. We're waiting for you to test it..."
At that moment, a pink-haired figure appeared beside them. "Wow! You must be the famous Su Mu! Welcome to Herta's Studio!!"
It was a girl who looked full of vitality, curiosity, and energy. Her employee ID read: "Acting Station Master of Herta Studio—Asta."
Pink-haired but calculating, a beautiful girl, the power of money... she had many labels, but the most impressive was "Rich Girl." After all, in the Honkai: Star Rail story, Asta possessed terrifying wealth. Most of the facilities on the Herta Space Station were funded by her. In one mission, it was mentioned that she tried to buy a fleet of Star Destroyers just to upgrade security, but they were out of stock. In another, she casually offered a Star Destroyer to the Trailblazer as a thank-you gift. In the "Luofu" arc, she could spend 200 million credits of "pocket money" on a whim, leaving the recipient stunned while Asta simply asked, "Is that a lot?"
She was a true heiress.
Su Mu had researched the studio's structure beforehand, and it was exactly as he thought. Herta was the nominal President, and Asta was the Acting President... but in reality, Herta hadn't spent a dime; Asta funded everything.
"President Asta, hello." Su Mu greeted the energetic girl, careful not to let his guard down. He wasn't stupid; Asta was by no means as "naive and easy to trick" as she appeared. You think every pink-haired girl is as pure as Elysia? Being 'pink on the outside, black on the inside' is the standard!
"Mhm.... I actually investigated you before. It's the first time I've seen Madam Herta praise someone's ability so much. Now that I see you, you really are a man of talent." Su Mu responded to her pleasantries in kind.
"Woof! Woof woof!"
As they spoke, a small white dog with a golden carrot collar ran out, circling Asta anxiously. Su Mu recognized it immediately: Asta's pet dog, Peppy. He fully believed that carrot was solid gold; being a rich girl's dog, its treatment was beyond imagination. But Peppy looked incredibly distressed, whimpering and barking non-stop.
"Peppy, what's wrong?" Asta looked at him with concern. "Are you feeling unwell?" Peppy couldn't speak, only pacing and barking. "What should I do... he was fine a moment ago." Asta became frantic; Peppy was family to her.
Su Mu wanted to help, but he wasn't a vet, and the System was being stingy with talent exchanges. "If only I could understand what Peppy is saying."
This offhand remark caused Herta to step forward and shove a uniquely designed headset toward Su Mu. "Put it on. Perfect for a test."
Su Mu was startled but, under her expectant gaze, put on the headset.
"I'm being strangled! I'm being strangled! Any tighter and you're gonna have a dead dog on your hands!!"
Su Mu jolted. A female voice rang in his mind, its frequency matching Peppy's barks. He realized Peppy was "talking."
"Peppy, do you feel uncomfortable?" "Woof woof? (You can understand me?)" The dog stopped at Su Mu's feet, its eyes full of human-like intelligence. "Let me take that off for you...." Su Mu knelt down and reached out. Peppy didn't run, staying perfectly still.
As Su Mu removed the golden carrot collar, the dog looked visibly relieved. It barked happily and then, to Asta's shock, lunged into Su Mu's arms to lick his face. Su Mu explained to Asta that the collar was simply tied too tight, causing the discomfort.
"My bad, my bad," Asta said sheepishly. "I was changing his collar and heard a guest was coming, so I rushed..."
Peppy looked at Su Mu with adoration: "Woof woof! (Thank you! You really saved my dog life! From today on, you're my Big Brother!!)"
Herta and Ruan Mei watched with surprise in their eyes. Ruan Mei explained: "Madam Herta and I developed the Synesthesia Beacon to communicate with life forms, but it's still in testing. It only works on people whose 'brain development' has reached a certain level."
Herta shook her head. "Indeed. Ruan Mei and I can only catch the general gist; we currently can't achieve cross-species communication as fluently as you just did..."
Asta knew about the project and looked at Ruan Mei in shock. "Does that mean... Mr. Su Mu's brain development is higher than Madam Herta's and Ruan Mei's?"
"Mhm, it's the highest I've ever seen," Ruan Mei said. "I suddenly understand how you can hold so many roles and be a master in so many different fields..."
Su Mu was confused. "Brain development? What's that?"
"There was once a theory that humans only use 10% of their brain's potential, and that famous scientists in history had much higher development levels..." Herta explained the concept. Simply put, the higher the development, the higher the IQ. Su Mu didn't know if he truly had a high development rate, but on reflection, his "cheating" behavior probably looked like "abnormal brain development" to scientists like them.
Su Mu put Peppy down. "So you two were waiting for me today to test this Synesthesia Beacon?"
Herta nodded. "Yes, that was my goal today. I suspected something after hearing about you from Himeko... it seems my hunch was correct." Ruan Mei's gaze remained unshielded—she was looking at Su Mu as if he were a precious experimental subject. It made him feel a bit uneasy.
Asta stepped between them, smiling as she handed over a black-gold card. "Regardless, thank you for saving Peppy! There's 10 million on this card as a thank-you gift!"
Su Mu's mouth twitched. A true rich girl....
"I should be thanking Ruan Mei." Su Mu tried to take off the beacon, but Herta stopped him.
"Keep it. Consider it a meeting gift from Ruan Mei and me. This device only achieves its true value in the hands of someone who can use it."
"....It's not free, is it, Madam Herta?"
"You're right. I want you to assist me in developing the Synesthesia Beacon. Your usage provides us with invaluable experimental data."
"Can I refuse?"
"What do you think?" Herta rolled her eyes. Ruan Mei said nothing, just stared at Su Mu with a blank expression. Su Mu knew her personality; refusing her here might lead to trouble later. Assisting with a beacon was much better than Mobius's "kidnap you off the street and experiment on you in a dark basement" approach.
"Fine. Let's talk about the reward then." Su Mu wasn't going to help for free. He had to be realistic.
"Me! Me! Me!" Asta raised her hand, offering the black-gold card again with an expectant look. This kid gives off the 'I'll pay for the upgrade' vibe, Su Mu thought.
Su Mu wasn't planning on a massive shakedown, but he wanted to state his position: there's no such thing as a free lunch. If you want help, you either owe a favor or show sincerity. "My request is simple. Our company will soon develop a new game called Honkai: Star Rail. I want the portrait and name rights for everyone in Herta Studio, including Peppy. I'll also need your help as intermediaries to get authorizations from others."
Su Mu had long wanted to develop Star Rail, but lacked the right channels. Now, the solution had fallen into his lap. With Herta and Ruan Mei's status, getting most prototypes to sign off wouldn't be an issue. As for others he hadn't met, he'd find another way.
"A new game?" Herta's eyes showed a hint of suspicion. "You want to add us as characters like in Honkai 3rd?"
"Exactly."
"And my setting?"
"Madam Herta—solved the Soliton Wave problem and Spark Model conjecture in her youth; discovered the Sigma Baryon conversion method in her teens; proposed the Herta Sequence and published a paper on reverse aging in middle age; in old age, she achieved reverse aging and solved the mystery of Imaginary Overflow, capturing and sealing a Stellarons from deep space; saved her planet from destruction nineteen times and met Aeons twice." Su Mu recited Herta's lore from memory.
"Fine, I accept." Herta waved her hand, taking the deal. From her smirk, she was clearly extremely satisfied with that setting!
"Also, I want to collaborate with your studio to use your advanced holographic technology..."
"Done. Anything else?"
"Not for now."
"Tell Asta if you think of anything later," Herta waved him off. "Exchange contacts. As long as you cooperate with our experiments, we will satisfy your requests to the best of our ability."
Su Mu was stunned. Classic Herta. If she was interested in something, she'd pay any price. It was basically giving Su Mu a wishing machine; if it was within her power, she'd agree without hesitation.
"Hehe, exactly! Mr. Su Mu, just let me know what you need! The whole Herta Studio is at your service!" Asta exchanged contacts with Su Mu. Her enthusiasm was a bit overwhelming. "Let me pay a deposit first; Herta Studio never mistreats anyone!" She offered the 10 million card again.
"Regarding that, if you're interested, why not take a stake as an investor when I develop Honkai: Star Rail? The returns won't disappoint you."
Asta nodded solemnly. "New games are expensive! Is 100 million enough? If not, how about 500 million?"
Hearing those numbers, Su Mu was speechless. A true rich girl.
Coming to Herta's studio once had resulted in a collaboration, character rights for Star Rail, and a major investor. This trip was a massive win. So what's the catch? Su Mu hadn't realized that "selling his body" (for science) could be so lucrative.
Harvesting so much from one trip, Su Mu was ready to head back and officially greenlight Honkai: Star Rail. Just imagining the scene where Old Yang sees the Honkai chasing him even into the Star Rail world made Su Mu chuckle.
END OF CHAPTER
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