Chapter 10
Lu Xun was in a good mood lately. The news of his impending marriage had spread through the company, and colleagues were congratulating him. When they learned his fiancé was his childhood friend, Liang Xusheng, they praised their long-lasting bond, further boosting his mood. He instructed his team to plan a special event for Rewind during his wedding, offering rewards to players.
A few days later, Rewind 6066 launched a new event with a new limited-edition card. Liang Xusheng, a veteran and high-spending player since the game’s beta testing, was eagerly anticipating the new attack card. He always got the limited cards, especially after maxing out their levels. His Douyin followers had asked him to record a video of his gacha pulls, and he had agreed.
However, as he started pulling for the card, he noticed something was amiss. He was nearing the pity pull threshold, and still no five-star card. Usually, he got one within forty pulls. He put down his breakfast spoon, focused on his phone, and continued pulling. Finally, on his last pity pull, he got a five-star card, but it was for a different character.
What? How did I get the wrong card? Rewind 6066 wasn’t known for its stingy gacha rates. Its popularity stemmed from its high-quality 3D graphics, engaging storyline, and generous pull rates.
He continued pulling, thinking he should get the limited card within the next ten or twenty pulls. But he didn’t. He was nearing the hard pity limit, having spent almost 180 pulls, and had only gotten two copies of the limited card. He was baffled. Usually, 180 pulls were enough to max out a card.
He continued, still not suspecting anything. As he kept pulling, he nearly threw his phone in frustration. Thanks to Lu Xun, he had accumulated a considerable amount of free gacha pulls, along with his saved-up pulls. Yet, he had burned through a significant portion of them just to max out this one card.
Without even bothering to upgrade the card’s level, he sat there, wondering what was going on. He switched to WeChat, intending to ask Lu Xun if the gacha rates had been changed or if he was just incredibly unlucky today.
Before he could send the message, Lulu messaged him: [Screaming and crying emoji] [Did you pull for the limited card? What’s going on today?! I’ve done over 120 pulls and haven’t gotten a single one! Not one!]
Liang Xusheng was taken aback.
Lulu continued: [All my game groups are exploding. It seems like everyone’s pull rates are lower. I’m going crazy! Sobbing emoji. Can you ask your Lu Xun what’s happening? Crying on the floor emoji.]
Liang Xusheng replied: [I was just about to.]
He called Lu Xun. “What’s going on? The pull rates for the limited card are so low! I spent over 300 pulls to max it out! What’s wrong with the new gacha?”
“I just found out. I’m on my way to the office to investigate,” Lu Xun said calmly.
“You didn’t know? You’re the CEO!” Liang Xusheng exclaimed.
“I have another call. I’ll call you back,” Lu Xun said, and hung up.
Liang Xusheng wondered if they had actually changed the gacha rates. That seemed impossible. The guaranteed five-star within forty pulls was a core principle of the game, a promise to the players, established on Liang Xusheng’s advice. Lu Xun would have told him if they were changing it.
He decided it must be a technical issue and waited for Lu Xun’s explanation.
But soon, another problem surfaced. When he checked the card’s storyline, he was shocked to find large sections of static scenes. The appeal of immersive 3D mobile games was the animated storylines, far superior to 2D games. However, many 3D games cut corners by using static scenes, where characters simply stood still and delivered dialogue with voiceovers, to save on production costs. Liang Xusheng had specifically addressed this issue during Rewind‘s development, ensuring minimal static scenes, which contributed to the game’s success.
But this new card was full of them. What’s going on?, he wondered, scrolling through the storyline, increasingly horrified. He immediately sent screenshots to Lu Xun: [It’s all static scenes! You didn’t know about this either?]
Lu Xun didn’t reply. Liang Xusheng checked the Rewind game groups and found them flooded with complaints about the low pull rates and static scenes. Players were furious, cursing “Xunsheng Interactive,” Lu Xun’s company.
Liang Xusheng’s heart sank. He had a bad feeling about this. He checked Douyin, and it was the same story. Videos about Rewind were filled with angry comments.
While waiting for Lu Xun’s reply, he edited his gacha pull video but decided not to upload it yet. Even so, his older videos were filled with comments asking about the new card and complaining about the issues.
By the time Lu Xun called him back, Xunsheng Interactive was trending on social media. Liang Xusheng answered the phone, sighing. “Luckily, no one knows you’re the CEO of Rewind. Otherwise, you’d be the next target of internet ridicule.”
Lu Xun: “…”
“What’s going on?” Liang Xusheng asked, sitting up in his chair.
“It’s the new planner. He convinced Liu Mo to change the gacha rates,” Lu Xun explained.
“Seriously?! What about the static scenes? Is that him too? How does he have so much power?”
“He’s a level 11, Vice President. If Liu Mo approves, he can do whatever he wants,” Lu Xun said.
“Why would Liu Mo approve? Is he crazy?”
Lu Xun finally revealed the crux of the matter. “The new planner isn’t just friends with the HR manager; he was also pushed by an investor. They think our production costs are too high and want to cut them. Liu Mo was pressured into agreeing.”
Liang Xusheng, having grown up around business discussions, immediately grasped the implications. “And you? You didn’t know? Did the investors blindside you?”
“Pretty much,” Lu Xun admitted.
“Damn it,” Liang Xusheng cursed. Knowing Lu Xun was busy, he said, “I’ll let you go. Try giving out free gacha pulls to appease the players. Say there was a problem with the gacha. You can’t explain the static scenes, so just brace for the backlash.”
However, Liang Xusheng didn’t see any official statement from Xunsheng that day. He knew without asking that the internal discussions hadn’t gone well. He decided not to upload his gacha video. After dinner, he went to Lu Xun’s apartment, letting himself in with his fingerprint. He waited patiently, knowing Lu Xun would be busy.
Finally, near 10 pm, the door opened.
“You’re back?” Liang Xusheng asked, turning from his seat on the sofa.
Lu Xun wasn’t surprised to see him. “Didn’t reach an agreement,” he said, changing his shoes.
“What happened?” Liang Xusheng offered him a glass of water. “Is there anything my husband can’t handle?”
Lu Xun paused, taking the glass, amused by Liang Xusheng’s casual use of the term. He finished the water and handed the empty glass back. “Pour me another one,” he said, then added, “wifey.”
