Outside the crowd encircling the booth stood a bespectacled, slightly plump man.

Spotting Chunan and Xiaohan approaching, he immediately stepped forward. "Brother Chu! You're finally here—I've been waiting ages!"

Xiaohan gave him a puzzled glance.

Chunan explained, "This is Zhao Xing, head of Bamboo Blade Studio. Just call him Old Zhao."

Old Zhao beamed warmly at Xiaohan. "Sister-in-law! How are you? Wanna try our studio's upcoming game?"

Xiaohan: "???"

Sister-in-law?

Who?

Her?

Chunan cleared his throat lightly. "Alright, your new game seems popular. Gonna blow up at launch, huh?"

That successfully diverted Old Zhao's attention. His mood brightened. "Haha, all thanks to you, Brother Chu! Without your brilliant ideas, we might not have even finished this game."

"What game?" Xiaohan's curiosity was piqued.

"Come, come! I reserved a PC just for you two. After you, Sister-in-law!" Old Zhao eagerly ushered them toward the booth.

Xiaohan grew even more confused. "Sister-in-law? Me?"

"Nah," Chunan replied without hesitation. "Game devs are all a bit weird. Don't mind it."

After all, who'd enter this industry without a screw loose?

Game development here was far more complex than his last world. Though still emerging, making real money was tough.

Dreams? Could dreams feed you?

Xiaohan nodded oddly. "Then why hang out with weirdos?"

"'Cause I'm weird too."

Otherwise, why bother dabbling in games?

Xiaohan: "..."

Despite Chunan's modest following—just over a hundred thousand fans—he held solid clout in gaming circles. As Old Zhao led them inside, many recognized Chunan and Xiaohan, greeting them warmly. Their presence nearly overshadowed the booth itself.

Old Zhao and his team didn't mind; Chunan was a friend. The new game's promotion was already a success.

Chunan smiled and greeted every fan, fulfilling requests for photos and autographs—though few asked for signatures. Streamer autographs lacked idol weight.

Xiaohan seemed uneasy. She clung to Chunan's sleeve, hiding behind him with a docile smile. When fans waved, she returned a goofy grin—unsure how to act.

Unbeknownst to her, photos of this sweet, awkward moment spread online, quietly gaining her new fans. Fans drawn solely to her, not Chunan.

Live viewers turned into sour lemons, grumbling about missing the chance to meet such a cute girl—even if she was taken. At least they could've glimpsed her beauty. Screenshots just didn't cut it.

Crucially, fan-uploaded photos proved Xiaohan's stunning looks needed no filters. This deepened the obsession of lecherous viewers.

But that was for later.

She cared little for fame. Games and a carefree life mattered more.

Once Chunan finished with fans, Old Zhao guided them to a reserved PC.

Old Zhao grinned. "Our new game is... well, we're using Brother Chu's term—a 'tower defense' game."

The screen showed cartoonish graphics. Though unique, Chunan felt intense déjà vu.

Yes—it mimicked *Plants vs. Zombies*.

This world's first tower defense title.

In his last life, games evolved alongside computers, with genres expanding as hardware improved. Early devs struggled to create fun within tight limits, birthing diverse genres.

Here, games emerged late in the tech race. Platforms were already powerful, so most titles chased realism over fun.

Chunan had planned to transplant classic genres, enriching this industry. But would players dismiss simple games on high-end rigs? Like playing Minesweeper on a top-tier PC—nobody would bother.

He feared cultural mismatch.

Yet seeing so many players try this game, his first attempt seemed successful. Well, he'd only shared concepts. Replicating *Plants vs. Zombies* at 70-80% accuracy—with all its essence intact—was impressive.

Partnering with them was the right call.

This game's concept was his goodwill gesture.

Xiaohan was hooked.

She spent a minute learning the controls, then started the campaign. And... got stuck on level one.

"Why won't this plant attack that zombie? Aaaaah, my brain's eaten!"

"Why no sun?! It's daytime!"

"Why can't sunflowers attack? Shoot it!"

...

Chunan watched silently, then patted Old Zhao's shoulder. "See? Your game needs to accommodate less sharp players. Level one's too hard for her—and no tutorial."

Old Zhao nodded awkwardly. "...Got it. We'll tweak it before launch."