17: Chapter 17 sales surpassed three million, and Tencent took the initiative to come knocking.

On the day sales exceeded three million, a full four months had passed since the official release of Vampire Survivors.

Those four long months.

Jiang Yuan had experienced many things—some happy, some frustrating, and even some that made her angry. But most importantly, she finally, completely, and utterly owned a game studio of her own, where she could create any game she liked.

Compared to this, those so-called worries and difficulties seemed insignificant.

That day.

When Jiang Yuan arrived at the office, someone was blocking the door.

Zhou Ming was squatting there, phone in hand. One moment he was clenching his fists, the next he was letting out low whimpers, looking like a werewolf under the moon. Hearing footsteps, he looked up with a flushed face and a somewhat strange expression.

"Boss."

"Hmm?"

"Prepare yourself mentally."

Jiang Yuan glanced at him, pushed past him, and opened the door to go inside.

In the office, Su Meng, Chen Yu, Lin Zhengtao, and the two newly hired employees were all there.

The three of them were standing in front of Zhou Ming's workstation. Hearing the door open, they all turned their heads in unison, their expressions similar to Zhou Ming's just now... excited, dazed, and a little bit at a loss.

Jiang Yuan put down her bag and walked over.

The Steam backend was open on the screen. The sales column displayed: 3,014,783, which had increased by several hundred copies since she last checked at home.

She stared at the number, the corners of her lips curling slightly. A thick sense of joy flashed through her beautiful, clear eyes.

Three million.

Three million copies!

Zhou Ming, who had followed her in at some point, whispered from the side:

"It broke three million this morning. I only saw it after I arrived."

Jiang Yuan nodded.

Chen Yu couldn't help but ask:

"Boss, don't you want to say something?"

Jiang Yuan thought for a moment and said:

"Hmm, it's quite good."

The others looked at each other, momentarily unsure of what to say.

Should they say Jiang Yuan was just thick-skinned? Or were they just low-class bumpkins who hadn't seen the world?

Su Meng suddenly couldn't help but chuckle and turned to the pantry to get some water.

Lin Zhengtao pushed up his glasses and muttered softly:

"Three million copies, eighteen yuan each, that's fifty-four million..."

Zhou Ming chimed in:

"After Steam's cut, there's over thirty-seven million left. After taxes, we'll get about twenty-six or twenty-seven million."

Chen Yu's mouth fell open:

"Over twenty million?"

Zhou Ming nodded.

The hall fell silent for a few seconds.

Jiang Yuan didn't join in their calculations. She walked into her office, sat down, and turned on her computer.

But in her heart, she was actually calculating even more precisely.

Since Vampire Survivors went online, the sales composition was roughly: sixty percent domestic and forty percent overseas. Overseas prices were slightly higher, but not by much. Overall, the after-tax take-home should be around twenty-seven million.

Nearly thirty million yuan!

With thirty million yuan as support, it might be a bit too early to talk about AAA big-budget productions.

But aside from top-tier blockbusters, couldn't she make whatever game she wanted now?

Jiang Yuan tried to calm the surging emotions in her heart and opened her coding interface.

Outside the office door.

Zhou Ming poked his head in:

"President Jiang, shouldn't we celebrate today?"

Without looking up, Jiang Yuan said in a clear voice:

"Sure, let's have a feast tonight."

Zhou Ming grinned and pulled Chen Yu, who was hiding behind him, forward:

"I told you the Boss wouldn't mind! Hurry up and hand over all those restaurants you've bookmarked!"

At seven o'clock in the evening, the takeout ordered by the 'feeder' Chen Yu arrived.

It wasn't ordinary boxed lunches, but dishes from a nearby Cantonese restaurant in his collection. The table was filled with food that looked, smelled, and tasted excellent.

Chen Yu scrolled through his phone while eating. Suddenly, he said:

"Boss, someone is asking if you'll be acquired by a big company."

Jiang Yuan's chopsticks paused, and her heart felt as if it had been sharply pricked by a needle.

Lin Zhengtao looked up:

"Acquisition?"

Chen Yu read from the screen:

"With three million sales, big companies must have reached out to her, right? If she can get these results developing alone, imagine what she could do with big company resources. Wouldn't she just take off?"

Everyone looked at Jiang Yuan.

Jiang Yuan didn't speak and continued eating.

But she knew in her heart.

What was bound to come would come. If she were a big company, she certainly wouldn't let go of a hen that had just laid a golden egg.

Jiang Yuan thought it would still be a while.

But to her surprise, the very next day, someone arrived.

The visitor was a man in his early thirties named Cheng Liang, from Tencent's Investment and Mergers & Acquisitions Department.

This man wore a dark suit, his hair combed meticulously, exuding the air of a business elite. Upon entering, he scanned the office, his gaze lingering for a moment on the second-hand workstations.

"You must be President Jiang, right?"

He looked at Jiang Yuan, who was wearing a thin white sweater and faded jeans, her smooth black hair falling over her shoulders. Her features were delicate and beautiful, and her skin was as white as jade. She looked more like an ordinary female college student than a company boss. A flash of surprise and admiration crossed his eyes as he said with a smile:

"I've heard so much about you."

Jiang Yuan shook hands with him, smiled without saying much, and simply led him to the conference room.

The group sat down in the conference room. Cheng Liang took the water Su Meng handed him and got straight to the point:

"President Jiang, I'll be direct. We at Tencent are very interested in Spark Games."

Jiang Yuan nodded, waiting for him to continue.

Cheng Liang took a document out of his briefcase and pushed it toward her.

"This is the preliminary proposal we've drafted."

Jiang Yuan flipped through it.

Acquisition.

Offer: Eighty million.

Spark Games would be merged into Tencent. Jiang Yuan would serve as the lead project designer with a five-year long-term contract. She could utilize group resources to fully invest in the research, development, and initiation of new IPs, with the IP ownership belonging to Tencent.

She finished reading, closed the file, and placed it back on the table.

Cheng Liang watched her movements, waited a few seconds, and then asked:

"What does President Jiang think?"

Jiang Yuan said calmly:

"Not selling."

Cheng Liang was stunned for a moment and quickly said:

"President Jiang, this price can be discussed. Eighty million is the initial offer, not the final price! Whatever thoughts you have, we can talk about them."

Jiang Yuan shook her head:

"It's not about the money."

Cheng Liang was silent for a few seconds before changing his tone.

"Then what about another way?"

He watched the calm Jiang Yuan and continued:

"No buyout, just investment. Spark Games remains independent, we take a small stake, and we don't interfere with operations. Of course, Spark Games can still enjoy the group's resources!"

Jiang Yuan blinked.

Cheng Liang thought he had moved her and added:

"Thirty million for twenty percent! You keep doing what you're doing, and we only participate in dividends! We won't participate in the leadership of Spark Games! If you have other ideas or needs in the future, we can talk further."

Jiang Yuan frowned and thought for a moment, but still shook her head.

Cheng Liang frowned:

"President Jiang, these conditions are already very lenient."

Jiang Yuan nodded:

"I know."

Cheng Liang waited for a few seconds, and seeing she had nothing more to say, he couldn't help but sigh.

"President Jiang, may I ask why?"

Jiang Yuan thought for a moment and said:

"I started this studio because I want to make games I like and want to make. If I take your money, even if you say you won't interfere, I'll still have to consider your thoughts."

Cheng Liang said:

"We can state clearly in the contract that there will be no interference."

Jiang Yuan said indifferently:

"Contracts are contracts, reality is reality."

Cheng Liang was silent for a while, then stood up.

"President Jiang, think it over carefully."

He placed a business card on the table.

"If you change your mind, you can call me anytime."

As he reached the door, he suddenly turned back and said:

"NetEase will probably come looking for you too. Their offer won't be higher than ours. If it is, Tencent will match whatever amount they offer!"

The door closed.

The conference room suddenly fell into a heavy silence.

Jiang Yuan seemed to drop all her pretenses, her shoulders slumping as she leaned back into the sofa. Her clear, bright eyes blinked as she stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.

A moment later, she got up, pushed the door open, and went out.

Zhou Ming was the first to approach:

"Boss, eighty million?!"

Jiang Yuan glared at him.

Zhou Ming choked, saying in a somewhat awkward whisper:

"I was just expressing my amazement."

Chen Yu said from the side:

"That twenty percent stake, thirty million..."

Su Meng, holding her cup, said leisurely:

"Once you take their thirty million, you'll have to listen to them for everything in the future. They say they won't interfere, but do you really believe that? Who are they kidding?"

Lin Zhengtao and the other two nodded repeatedly like chicks pecking at grain.

Jiang Yuan didn't speak and put the document into the paper shredder.

Amidst the buzzing sound, she said calmly:

"Let's stop talking about this. Get back to work."