Shift! The Side-Character Heroine

A Taoist Nun Friend of Mine

July passed by uneventfully, if you count out the get-togethers and dinner parties. Zhao Youyue could finally relax again. At the same time, she was no longer weighed down by the worries that plagued her heart.

She had unexpectedly received an invitation from Feng Huo Gaming Company, asking her to dub the voices of two female characters. These two female characters were Yan Qingmeng and Jane Doe Su.

Coincidences were truly fickle. Zhao Youyue did not even anticipate meeting the famous game producer Zha Feng at one of the dinner parties attended by her and her parents.

Zha Feng himself took the initiative to greet Zhao Youyue. He was slightly on the thick side, and had an aura that basically burned of extravagance. He looked more like a nobleman than a game producer. God knows why this noble produced games that overflowed with malice and conspiracy…

Zha Feng thought highly of Zhao Youyue. He admired her gaming skills. Her playthrough with “Holy Monk” had been most inspiring. Something even told him that his recent bouts of inspiration had something to do with her live streams.

Players like Zhao Youyue who did not resort to tricks like “The Bow and Arrow of Justice” or “Killer Cliff of Justice” were truly strong-willed ones. Some skills like “Killer Cliffs” were parlor tricks. They just took advantage of the NPC’s lack of intelligence by using the terrain as a strategy to defeat the difficult monsters.

Zhao Youyue had straight up fought her way through every level. It was dignified, and honorable.

This earned a great deal of Zha Feng’s respect. Zhao Youyue was ethical, legitimate, and her playthroughs were pleasant to watch, almost theatrical. If his games were artwork, then Zhao Youyue was a connoisseur who truly appreciated and respected his work!

Players who resorted to cheap tricks and hacks were an affront to his work. It was like serving good wine to those who did not know how to taste it.

Zha Feng’s respect for Zhao Youyue did not just end there. Her recent live streams had increased the revenue of his game. Such effective free marketing left him indebted to Lady Zhao.

The sales and revenue of the game were the least of Zha Feng’s concerns. He was most delighted at the fact that more people were simply playing his game, meaning that he got to torture more humans with its charm and understand his transhuman-like perseverance and ideals

Perhaps all outstanding creators thought this way. Their creations had left the realm of material. It was like a Baptist preacher giving out a sermon, hoping that they would be able to convey their own ideology and worldview to their readers and players. They hope to change more people and awaken humanity as a whole.

He was not like those creators who created whatever that was sellable. These creators had no spines nor ideals of their own. They only meekly conformed to the desires of the world. This resulted in clich stereotypes that would be as virulent and as incurable as cancer, as there are so many fools in this world…

Zha Feng understood that his ideals were unpopular and underappreciated. His games were especially for players who were sick and tired of games that were stupid, idiotic and only sought for their money. Those idiotic players were not even worthy of playing his games!

Luckily, Zha Feng had never been vocal about his ideas. Ironically, he channeled that disillusionment into his work, turning it into elements of “malice,” “conspiracy,” and included it in his game. If not, his reputation would have gone up in smoke

Some would say: how the f*ck could you even start off a master race argument when it comes to gaming. Games are games. How do you even look down on an equal?

What nave idealists. Master races did exist in games, just like how master races existed among novel readers. Those who read famous books could always look down on those who read ordinary and bland stories. If the latter party did not like it, so be it. They were so far beneath that they won’t even know how to appreciate reading material of a higher form! Your disdain is no match for me.

Such was the case with his games. Players who stopped playing games like “Tale of Wuxia 3 – Swords of the Future” after trying it out because they were horribly tortured would gawk at those who seemed to genuinely enjoy dying over and over again. Are those guys mental? Which nutcase would pay for an extensive torture session?

Well, they were just as sane as everyone else. Everyone had a different spiritual animal. Who knows, someone who read bland novels might grow sick and tired of them, one day. They would then move on to famous novels, and slowly grow into their charm.

Once Zha Feng discovered that Zhao Youyue was the daughter of Zhao Jiayi, his already surmountable respect for her only grew. She was Zhao, and that meant that noble blood flowed through her veins. Not bad, not bad at all.

A new idea dawned upon Zha Feng. The characters in his new DLC had yet to be paired with suitable voices. Zhao Youyue was perfect for the role. This could also serve as another advertising card. After all, Zhao Youyue, a.k.a. Ah Yu, was pretty popular, and their reputation precedes them, even in the highly competitive VA industry!

Zhao Youyue’s use couldn’t possibly end there. Apparently, Zhao Youyue was also an accomplished musician. Why not ask Lady Zhao to sing a song or two? He might even compose a song for her character…

Zhao Youyue was still worried that she would not be able to learn more about the contents of the new DLC. She did not anticipate Zha Feng taking the initiative of sending it to her. At the same time, he ‘let it slip’ to her that there was actually another female character in the game, and her role was no lesser than that of Yan Qingmeng.

Zha Feng did not elaborate on it. He did not have to, as Zhao Youyue knew it very well. This washed over Zhao Youyue like a wave and liberated her of all worries. She was most eager to take part in the production of the game. She was far more confident in composing new soundtracks than dub the characters!

Zhao Youyue first received the script and notes related to the character – “Yan Qingmeng.” She soon discovered that this character definitely needed her full time and effort. This was not just another bland, stereotypical fairy

As expected, as Zha Feng was fixated on the process of creating other characters, did he obtain additional inspiration?

Iconic works needed more than one iconic character. When two or more notable characters met and clashed, the produced iconic scenes!

Zhao Youyue read through Yan Qingmeng’s lines. Everything about her had been designed around the idea of charming the players!

The title of a song rose up in her mind “A Taoist nun friend of mine.”

She started to mourn for the players. They were screwed. They were so screwed. This was going to crush them, and you better pray to God that you haven’t maxed out her favorability, let alone married her