Chapter 39

Mo Di hung up the phone with a heavy heart.

He could not ascertain if Zhao Chun Cheng had ulterior motives but he was definitely suspicious.

Also …

If Zhao Chun Cheng wanted to harm him, what would he do to his shampoo and thermos? Poison? Or sulfuric acid?!

Mo Di pondered for two seconds before turning off the surveillance and opened a well-known online shopping site. He searched for a camera that was less inconspicuous as it could be bought easily without Mu Tian Heng’s help.

Later that night, when Mo Di was almost done with the new game’s details and script, only then did Mu Tian Heng came back.

“Sorry I came back late today.” Mu Tian Heng rubbed Mo Di’s hair gently. “Have you had dinner yet? How about I take you out for supper?”

“I’ve eaten. Brother, are you particularly busy lately?” Mo Di could clearly see that Mu Tian Heng was tired. There were even dark circles under his eyes.

“It is quite a busy time. To stabilize the company here, a little hard work is inevitable.” Mu Tian Heng took a look at the time and said: “Would you like to go out for supper with me?”

“Brother, you haven’t had dinner, right? It’s not good to always eat out. Let me make you something to eat.” Mo Di put aside his laptop, wanting to go to the kitchen but was stopped by Mu Tian Heng.

Mu Tian Heng was beaming when he looked at Mo Di, “No need. I’ll do it myself. There’s also takeout. You’re busy working on your games recently. There’s rarely a free day so you should have more rest.”

“I’m not tired, and cooking for my brother is even less tiring. This can be considered as my break.” Mo Di insisted. “Brother, you have not tasted my cooking yet. I’m a pretty good cook as well. I’ll give you a try today.”

That said, Mo Di bent down to pick up the furball that was circling around Mu Tian Heng’s feet and put it in his arms. “Brother, you keep Suan Suan accompanied. Just leave the kitchen to me. You can’t object, and you can’t help either, otherwise, Suan Suan will be unhappy.”

A storm was raging in Mu Tian Heng’s heart as he looked at Mo Di’s little domineering attitude and the decree that was for his own good. He reached to touch Mo Di’s hair and said: “Alright. When my family’s little one is this ferocious, I really dare not go against him. I’ll obey.” 

Mo Di’s face was heated, he gave a slight cough, “I’ll go to the kitchen then .”

But when he turned to leave, Mu Tian Heng was following behind him.

“Didn’t you promise not to help in the kitchen?” Mo Di frowned. “You can’t just turn back on your words.”

“I meant what I said. I’m just going to admire our little Mo Di’s valiant skills.” Mu Tian Heng looked at Mo Di fondly. “If you can’t even approve my tiny request then it’s just too pitiful for me.”

“Wh…what’s there to pity? How can that word even be used in this situation?” Mo Di’s temperature increase, he dared not look directly at Mu Tian Heng. He turned around and strode off, stuttering: “If…if you want to watch th… then go ahead.”

Mu Tian Heng witnessed Mo Di’s shyness and couldn’t help but smiled and shook his head. He then followed him at a leisure pace.

His little one was just too amusing to tease. How cute.

Mo Di only made three dishes: stir-fried lotus root, braised chicken wings, and fish-flavored tofu. Each dish was full of fragrance and mouth-watering colors. 

Mu Tian Heng was not expecting Mo Di to be this skillful and adept. After his bewilderment, there was also a sense of endearment. 

But he kept a cool expression.

After all, whatever he said would negatively affect their moods.

Mu Tian Heng held his chopsticks and picked up a piece of attractive golden tofu and took a bite.

The rich and delicious tofu slipped down his throat. The fresh and tender tofu seasoned with fragrant fish sauce jolted his taste buds. From his mouth to his stomach, warmth and comfort cascaded in with each bite. 

Mu Tian Heng sighed in satisfaction as he got hungrier. He smiled at Mo Di and said: “This is too delicious. It’s only making me hungrier. I feel like I can sweep all this cleanly.” 

“I’m glad you like it.” Mo Di smiled as he brought Mu Tian Heng rice and a bowl of oatmeal and millet soup. “Brother, please dig in.”

“Stop busying yourself, come and eat with me.” Mu Tian Heng pulled out the chair next to him. “Come sit here.”

“Ok. But I’ll just have few nibbles. I already had dinner earlier.” Mo Di came over with a small bowl and picked up Suan Suan who had been grabbing the bottom of his pants.

Suan Suan let out a baby whimper and the tiny body pounced onto the table.

“You can’t eat these.” Mo Di chuckled and pulled Suan Suan away from the food. But the fluffball refused to sit still. Its front paws remained outstretched and the eyes stayed on the food. It then turned its head back to Mo Di, then back to the food, as if saying: I want food, quickly give it to me.

Mo Di laughed harder. He rubbed Suan Suan’s head, “you glutton!”

Mu Tian Heng was also laughing, “Little Suan Suan looks pitiful. Now I feel bad for eating this.” Then, he picked up a piece of the braised chicken and put it in his mouth.

Suan Suan exclaimed: “Awooo!” 

Mo Di the mediator went to get some doggie snacks for Suan Suan to have fun with. Suan Suan had his food and finally quietened down. As he chomped on his food, he turned to give Mu Tian Heng a ‘don’t envy me, I also have food’ look. 

Mu Tian Heng smiled at Mo Di and said: “Is this Suan Suan going to reach another level of cultivation?”

…

The next day, Mo Di finalized the script and setting for the new game and sent it to Pang Qiang Lang and Han Chao.

Pang Qiang Lang and Han Chao were fired up after they received the information.

Pang Qiang Lang: ah ah ah ah ah Infinite flow pathfinding. I love it! I love it! This script is just incredible! It’s a bomb! (TN: I’m not sure the correct translation for the game genre 无限流闯关 so I just used the direct google translation. If anyone knows a better translation, please tell me, I’m not familiar with gaming terms)

Han Chao: I love this! I want to play this! Now!!!

Mo Di: We’ll all play when it’s done [smiley]

Pang Qiang Lang: There are so many identities to choose from. I played a very popular infinite flow game before but there are a lot less playable characters. And the plots are mostly fixed. Even playing with another character, the outcome did not change much. But your game, Xiao Di…. each role has great autonomy and the flow of the plot will deviate through multiple possibilities. I think this will take a lot of thinking and effort to write the program. Several times more advanced than our previous game.

Mo Di: It’s ok, our next step has always been to do our best.

Han Chao: I only read several pages and it moved me to tears.

Han Chao: I love the ability to get different skills throughout the plot, and with this, the storyline will further open up. This is just too grand with so many NPCs and characters to choose from, each with their own skill sets. There are so many possibilities! This will be so fun, I really love it!

Pang Qiang Lang: but making this will be much more tedious. I don’t think we can finish this anytime before the third elimination round. No, it’s not even that, I don’t think we’ll even have one-fifth of it done.

Mo Di: No worries. The new version of Xin Wei Dao should be fine and we can leave it aside. The big final rounds only begin near the end of November, so we’ll have more than two months to work on this.

Mo Di: I’ll try to finish about a quarter to a third of it by the beginning of December.

Pang Qiang Lang: Ha? But if we can’t finish it, how are we going to join the competition?!

Mo Di sent a voice memo instead of typing: “It’ll be fine.”

Mo Di: I heard from a reliable source that for the finals, the games do not have to be perfectly completed. As long as we have a good foundation for the game, we can still make improvements and changes to it during the competition.

When the competition progressed to that stage, the teams would be moved to the official base and work under the camera, bringing a closer sense of familiarity and raising enthusiasm in the audience.

Pang Qiang Lang: Are you certain? Is this trustworthy?

Mo Di: Yes, it’s certain.

Han Chao: This game is wonderful, it’s just like a novel. Xiao Di, you did a great job planning this out. But if this is the case, I’m afraid we can’t accept the revenue for this game. Even one percent is too much.

Pang Qiang Lang: That’s right. It’ll make me guilty.

Mo Di smiled and typed: You guys are very important as the leading members. Have confidence in yourself.

Han Chao: Anyway, just don’t give me too much or I can’t sleep at night. Moreover, this game will require more money to make than the last, and you’re always the one having to pay the most. It just doesn’t make sense that we always take advantage of you.

Mo Di thought and said: Five percent for each of you, and one percent for each of the new artists. I’ve already written the contract, you guys better not refuse.

Han Chao: That’s ten percent for us, that’s too much!

Pang Qiang Lang: Although I love money…. This is not right! I won’t take it!”

Mo Di was firm: I said it’s fine. My total share is eighty percent. The remaining amount will be given to the future members and my brother. 

Pang Qiang Lang was shocked: Your brother?! You mean Mu Tian Heng?

Mo Di: Yes. He had helped me out a lot. 

Honestly, he wanted to give more to Mu Tian Heng but was worried that it would sow discord with the members. So for now, this would have to do. When his company was established, he would give Mu Tian Heng his shares.

In the afternoon, Mo Di signed an agreement with the members. He also explained the specific tasks and schedules to be completed each week. After that, he went back to school.

It was already late September but the temperature was still humid. The last few days’ temperatures were abnormally high.

Mo Di was drenched in sweat when he got back to the dorm. He wanted to take a shower but realized that the water supply was cut.

“It’s been cut for more than a day now.” Chen Zhao patted Mo Di’s shoulder to comfort him. “Let’s go to the bathhouse. We’ve been doing that for the past two days, wash and scrub with the brothers.”

Mo Di had no choice. He did not like using the bathhouse but there was no other way. He went to the bathroom to gather the shampoo and other bath supplies, then to the cupboard to get his change of clothes.

“Xiao Di, wait for me, this father will come as well.” Lin Jun Feng poked his head from the balcony, “I want to take a bath too.”

“Mo Di, you guys are going to the bathhouse?” A voice suddenly came through the ajar dorm door.

It was Zhao Chun Cheng.

“I want to go as well, shall we go together?” Zhao Chun Cheng had his upper body in the door and smiled at Mo Di.

Mo Di eyed Zhao Chun Cheng for a while before smiling back and said: “Ok.”

He then casually placed the camera disguised as a USB drive into his shampoo bag and put them on the stool near the door with the clothes at the bottom and the bag of bathing supplies on top. “Lin Jun Feng is still packing his stuff. I have to use the toilet, why don’t you come in first?”

“No need, no need. You go.” Zhao Chun Cheng waved his hand in courtesy and said: “It occurred to me that I forgot to pack my underwear, I have to go back and get it.”

Zhao Chun Cheng went back to his dorm in the opposite direction and closed the door.

Mo Di went back to his room and entered the toilet. He played with his phone for a few minutes before coming out again.

Lin Jun Feng already had his things in hand and was chatting with Zhao Chun Cheng at the door. He saw Mo Di came out and waved to him: “Let’s go Xiao Di, let’s help each other scrub and wash!”