Friday
Friday brought new tasks.
Li Jun was going to work on the progression system - the ante and blind structure that would give the game its roguelike escalation. Each ante would increase the stakes, and each blind would present new challenges for players to overcome.
As for Lin Feng, he was going to work on shop integration. This was where players would spend their earned money on new jokers, tarot cards, and other upgrades between rounds.
These were major tasks and would probably take considerable time to complete properly.
On the song's side, the situation was escalating.
The snippet was back on hot search - but this time it had climbed to #30.
Discussions were heating up even more. Multiple fandoms were now at each other's throats, each accusing the others of spreading misinformation or stealing credit. Comment sections had become battlegrounds.
Lin Feng was beginning to get a little concerned.
Even Su Yue's cover of the song was getting attention now. People were digging through old clips and finding her stream. Some were praising her voice. Others were demanding to know where she had gotten the song as it was just a clip without the stream's context.
He wondered if this had been the right choice.
If the final release disappointed their expectations - if it turned out not to belong to their beloved idol but a nameless streamer - they might cause trouble. Rabid fans were unpredictable. They could just as easily turn their frustration toward whoever had "misled" them.
He reassured himself that there was no need to worry.
Their crash out could be harnessed to drag even more publicity. Controversy was still engagement. And engagement meant eyes on Su Yue.
Though he noted that he might need to increase her security.
She had been recognized more often in public lately. And her identity had been exposed on several forums. While he could moderate the chats during her livestream to prevent people who knew her from doxxing her, he couldn't control other public spaces.
He nodded to himself.
Indeed, he should think about this more seriously.
He decided to give Mengqi a call.
…
Later, in Lin Feng's office.
"...that's indeed troublesome."
Lin Feng nodded.
"I was thinking," he began, "since you worked in the industry, maybe you know of a security agency for idols or trainees?"
He leaned back in his chair.
"I'd like to get at least a bodyguard for Su Yue."
Mengqi nodded slowly.
"I have some contacts, but..."
She sighed.
"Well, I'll look into it."
"Thank you," Lin Feng said.
She stood up from her seat.
"There's no need to thank me," she said. "It's my job."
She turned toward the door.
"Wait."
Lin Feng's voice stopped her.
She looked back.
"Is there anything else?"
"About earlier," he began.
He paused, choosing his words carefully.
"I made some promises, and I have yet to fulfill them. But I also promised to ease your mind so you could focus on what you have to do."
He met her gaze.
"Do you feel like you're at ease?"
Mengqi smiled.
"Far from it."
Lin Feng opened his mouth to respond, but she had already turned around.
"But it's much better than before," she said, her back still facing him. "At the very least, I don't dislike it."
With that, she left.
The door clicked shut behind her.
Lin Feng sighed and got up from his chair.
He stretched his limbs, working out the stiffness in his shoulders.
Well, it seemed this matter would be handled soon.
He glanced at his laptop.
He should probably get back to work.
...
Lin Feng settled back into his seat and opened the Fool's Gambit project.
He continued where he had left off - the shop integration system.
It was tedious work. The shop needed to interface with the player's economy, track available items, handle purchases, and refresh its inventory between rounds. Each joker and tarot card had to be properly cataloged with their effects and costs.
He worked methodically, building out the framework piece by piece.
Hours passed.
Eventually, he glanced at the clock.
It was almost time for his daily teaching session.
He saved his progress and pushed his changes to the repository. The shop system wasn't complete yet, but it was getting there.
He closed the code editor and opened his teaching materials instead.
He went over them a few times, refreshing his memory on the key points he wanted to cover.
Once he felt prepared, he finally connected the call.
…
Saturday.
The morning proceeded as usual.
Lin Feng attended the daily meeting with the group. Business was stable. Orders were consistent. Nothing out of the ordinary to report.
Afterward, he did his coding lesson early - covering some new concepts with Zhang Wei before moving on to other matters.
He then had a briefing with Li Jun about Fool's Gambit. They reviewed each other's progress and discussed the next steps. Li Jun was making good headway on the ante and blind system. The progression curve was starting to take shape.
Lin Feng wrote a bit of code himself - cleaning up some loose ends in the shop integration before calling it for the day.
Around lunch, he had his Tianji briefing with Yu Shen. They discussed the latest numbers over food.
After that, he went to Su Yue's place.
...
Lin Feng knocked on the door.
It opened.
Mengqi stood there.
"Great, you're here," she said, stepping aside to let him in.
He walked inside and found Su Yue sitting on the couch.
She seemed... withdrawn.
Her shoulders were hunched, her gaze cast downward. She looked smaller somehow - like she was trying to retreat into herself.
"Did something happen?" he asked.
"Well, somewhat," Mengqi said.
She closed the door behind him.
"You were right," she continued. "She's been unable to leave. She's being recognized everywhere she goes."
Mengqi glanced toward the window.
"This place might've been exposed too."
That wasn't good, Lin Feng thought.
"About…" he began.
"Don't worry about it," Mengqi cut in. "I've already gotten into contact with some people I know. I'm in negotiations."
Lin Feng nodded.
"Good."
He paused.
"You should also look into apartments," he said. "A three-bedroom in a gated complex should do. Don't worry about the money."
Mengqi nodded.
"I'll do that too."
She picked up her bag.
"Stay here with her," she said, glancing at Su Yue. "She's a little shaken."
Lin Feng walked over and sat down next to Su Yue on the couch.
"Do your thing," he said to Mengqi.
She nodded and left.
The door clicked shut behind her.