Charming Scoundrels Across Worlds to Save

Crown Blueprints and a Subway Date

The $60,000 debt hung over Ethan's head like the Sword of Damocles, forcing him to fully utilize the core skill that had led to his success in his previous life - game development. He was all too familiar with this field. At the Neon Pulse Studio, where the system was lax and management was almost a joke, he easily accessed all the ongoing project materials in the development department by virtue of his position as the marketing director.

However, the result of his perusal made him frown. Several so-called "under development" projects were nothing but low-tech, monotonous and boring little games, filled with annoying interstitial ads, and had almost no playability. They seemed more like toys that Oliver, the boss, had a whim to make rather than products that could bring stable profits.

After a quick scan, Ethan's eyes fixed on a prototype of a simulation game that had been put aside. He carefully studied the current global game market and was surprised to find that games similar to those in his previous life that combined deep storylines, strategic nurturing, and rich character interactions (such as a blend of "Fire Emblem" and "The Sims") had not yet become popular. A bold idea began to take shape in his mind.

He devoted all his energy, taking that rudimentary prototype as the foundation and integrating the essence of a once-popular mini-game under his previous company, and began to make sweeping changes. The sound of keyboard tapping became the main theme of his workstation, and he completely ignored his lunch break. For the entire afternoon, he was immersed in the design of the architecture, gameplay, and numerical values.

When the last rays of the setting sun slanted through the blinds, a detailed framework of a game named "Queen's Ascent" had already taken shape on Ethan's computer. The revolutionary aspect of this game lies in its vast array of endings: the character meticulously cultivated by the player might not only ascend to the throne but also be ruthlessly executed, sent off as a political pawn in a marriage alliance, elope with a handsome duke or a loyal knight, or even abandon the court intrigues to run a small shop and eventually become a business tycoon (such as the legendary rise of a bakery). Compared to such a rich and unpredictable variety of endings, the single "becoming the queen" seems rather dull. The core appeal of the game lies in exploring and triggering these myriad and dramatic fates. Ethan recalled the enthusiasm of players in his previous life for such a setting - some would repeatedly attempt to elope with their favorite duke, only to end up as a self-proclaimed king or accidentally unlock the iron-blooded path of a female general leading troops into battle.

Ethan rubbed his sore eyes wearily, his neck protesting faintly. He had basically completed the core framework and gameplay mechanics, but the massive content filling - an engaging story background, distinct character settings, rich item systems, and countless side plots that support a vast number of endings - would require the close collaboration of the entire team (art, copywriting, programming) to complete. He was full of confidence in this: as long as this project was successfully launched, it would definitely bring considerable profits to Neon Pulse and also be a crucial step for him to repay his debts and accumulate capital for job-hopping.

Although he planned to leave once he made enough money, it would still take at least a few months. To ensure the smooth progress of "The Rise of the Queen" and avoid repeating the original owner's mistake of overworking employees and causing them to turn against him, Ethan decided to talk to the small boss, Oliver, about employee benefits - to pave the way for the inevitable overtime and replace empty promises with real incentives.

In the following days, Ethan seemed to be living in the company. A camp bed, takeout boxes and scattered tracing paper became the standard equipment in his cubicle. His colleagues were astonished to find that the Ethan who used to only fawn over the boss and had an empty head was like a different person, showing an almost obsessive focus and astonishing work efficiency. At first, many people privately scoffed, convinced that he was just making a fuss and putting on an act. However, at the regular morning meeting, when Ethan opened the PPT of the revised proposal titled "The Rise of the Queen", everyone was stunned.

The PPT has a clear structure, rigorous logic, and innovative gameplay that is refreshing. This is precisely the concept prototype that was easily abandoned before due to its high development difficulty. Now, in Ethan's hands, it has been transformed and is showing a captivating commercial potential.

Little boss Oliver Chen was taking big bites of a bagel slathered with thick cream cheese, oblivious to the cheese dripping onto the collar of his expensive casual shirt. His eyes were wide open as he sized up the man in front of the projection screen, who was well-organized and had a calm presence. Was this... was this still the same Ethan Hayes who only knew how to speak sweet nothings? Oliver was a second-generation rich kid, but he wasn't a fool. He knew exactly where he and this small studio stood. Before, Ethan's blatant flattery not only missed the mark but also made him feel insincere and awkward. If it weren't for Ethan's Ivy League background and the fact that he hadn't caused any major trouble, Oliver would have found an excuse to get rid of him long ago.

"Oliver," Ethan concluded his presentation, his gaze sharp and fixed on the boss, his voice carrying an unshakable conviction, "give me the command of the R&D department. Give me three months, and I guarantee to double the profits of Neon Pulse." His confidence was not unfounded; that detailed and creative proposal had already won over the core members present. No one thought he was bragging. There was a palpable sense in the air that "this guy might just pull it off."

"Great!" Oliver slapped his thigh with a sudden burst of energy, his eyes shining with the long-lost entrepreneurial spirit, as if he could already see the possibility of his "toy" evolving into a real business. "Let's do it your way! You're in full charge of the project team!" Overcome with excitement, he even promised, "When the game is done, I'll give you a big personal red envelope!"

"Red envelopes are not necessary," Ethan waved his hand firmly. What he needed was something more practical. "I have something to do right away." He quickly asked for leave from Oliver.

Stepping out of the slightly outdated office building with neon lights flashing, Ethan immediately spotted Bella waiting by the roadside. The warm breeze of the early summer evening caressed her carefully styled long hair. They had hastily confirmed their relationship at that farcical wedding scene and become nominal boyfriend and girlfriend for only a short time. Ethan had thrown himself into the "Rise of the Queen" project without even having a proper date. Last night, the sensitive and delicate Bella timidly proposed over the phone, "Ethan, let's... break up. A forced relationship won't be sweet..."

Ethan, who was working overtime to catch up with the schedule at that time, was so startled that he almost closed the unsaved document. He hurriedly asked for the reason.

Bella's voice was choked with sobs and disappointment: "I understand. That day, you just pulled me back out of embarrassment... on impulse. Now that you've calmed down, you must regret it. Otherwise, why would you keep using overtime as an excuse to avoid me? In the end... in the end, it was my foolish fantasy. I shouldn't have had such a wild hope..."

Only then did Ethan come to his senses. In his previous life, he was a complete workaholic. Once he got involved in a project, he would forget to eat and sleep, completely ignoring the feelings of those around him. This was probably one of the main reasons why the original Ethan was "cheated on by Lily" in the eyes of others. Work was important, but if he pushed away Bella, who had finally come into his life and truly cared about him, because of it, that would be putting the cart before the horse! He immediately decided that no matter what, he would make time.

So, there is this date at the moment.

Last night, saying "break up" over the phone was an impulsive outburst of emotion. But now, seeing Ethan in person, Bella felt extremely embarrassed and self-reproachful. The man before her had a pale complexion clearly from staying up late, with a light stubble on his chin and slightly disheveled hair. His suit jacket was casually slung over his arm, and the collar of his shirt was slightly open - a look of utter exhaustion from being overworked. Bella's cheeks instantly flushed: Had she been too capricious and unreasonable? He was so busy... She felt uneasy in her heart, thinking that she was always causing him trouble, like a burden.

Bella's expression was like an open book, her feelings of chagrin, shyness and self-reproach clearly written on her face. Her little animal-like, uneasy look softened Ethan's heart, and he couldn't help but reach out and gently rub the top of her soft hair, his voice carrying a hint of imperceptible indulgence: "What are you worrying about again?"

"Nothing... nothing." Bella bit her lower lip lightly, as if she had made up her mind about something and gathered her courage to say, "Or... why don't you come to my family's company? The Roberts Group, it's in hotel management. If you go there, you won't have to be so... hardworking." She remembered that her father, Richard, had mentioned that he could arrange a position for Ethan.

Ethan chuckled. This silly girl, she herself was working hard as an assistant curator at the gallery, yet she was worried about him working overtime and wanted him to go to the family business to "enjoy the good life". According to the memory of the "original", that guy did go there and naturally thought he could rise to the top in a flash. However, Richard arranged him to start at the most basic position of a doormaneceptionist. The meager salary, heavy workload, and the open and covert sneers from colleagues about him being a "pretty boy" made the proud original feel extremely humiliated. He was always complaining and blaming fate, which made Bella, who was caught in the middle, very difficult and also made Richard even more disappointed.

But Ethan was different. He had his own field of passion and expertise - game development. No matter how vast the hotel empire of the Richards family was, it was a completely unfamiliar battlefield to him, offering no advantage of experience. "No job is easy," he smiled gently, his eyes firm. "Every battlefield has its own medals. This is just the beginning." He skillfully avoided a direct refusal.

"But..." Bella still wanted to say something.

"Nothing to worry about," Ethan interrupted her, his tone light and teasing. "It's fine if I'm a bit tired. Only by working hard and making money can I buy more beautiful dresses for our Bella to wear." He looked around. "By the way, where's your car? Why didn't you drive today?" He knew Bella had a striking Porsche 911.

Bella's eyes widened in surprise and she whispered, "I... I came by subway."

"Take the subway?" Ethan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly understood! The memory fragments of the "original body" emerged - that guy had once sourly made a "high-sounding statement" in front of Bella: The people who he hated the most were those who lorded it over others just because their families were rich. What was so great about driving a car worth over a million? The money wasn't his own hard-earned money, but his parents' blood and sweat! This sour and spiteful statement was obviously picked up by the sensitive Bella. Today, she was worried that driving a luxury car on their first official date would leave a bad impression on him as her boyfriend, so she deliberately chose the subway.

A wave of pity and guilt welled up in Ethan's heart. He stopped and turned to face Bella, his expression serious: "Bella, there's something I need to correct."

"What?" Bella looked up in confusion.

"I was wrong about what I said before," Ethan looked straight into her clear eyes and said frankly, "Your dad didn't earn 'sweat money' (referring to hard work with low pay), he earned money with wisdom and boldness. And I -" he shrugged self-mockingly and pointed at himself, "I earn the real 'sweat money'. Through overtime, staying up late, and painstakingly working pixel by pixel. But it doesn't matter, this kind of 'sweat money' can give our Bella the right to wear beautiful little dresses, right?"

Hearing the candid self-mockery and the clumsy yet sincere affection in his words, Bella's tense heartstrings instantly relaxed. She couldn't help but giggle, a sound that escaped her lips. The blush on her cheeks deepened, but a bright sparkle lit up her eyes.