Chapter 22: Gaming dreams and family bonds
(Gaming dreams and family bonds)
"I'm not sure if Emily would be comfortable with it; she values her privacy. Promoting the game might be too much for her. I'll ask her if she's interested, and if not, we can explore other options with popular gamers," Josh responded thoughtfully to his partner, considering Emily's feelings and privacy.
William nodded his head, and they continued their meeting to promote the spellbound clash.
Emily finally took a moment to relax after days of non-stop work. Good thing their work is already done and Josh is satisfied with their work.
She can finally relax and take action on how to convince Dr. Turner.
She received a text from Dr. Turner informing her about his vacation and that he would come back the day after tomorrow. She knew that he needed this time to alleviate the stress and exhaustion from his previous company's betrayal. Emily planned to put extra effort into convincing Dr. Turner to join her company upon his return. She pledged to herself that his visit would be the catalyst for bringing him on board, determined to make a persuasive case for him to join their team.
As Emily immersed herself in thought, Ethan entered her office with a subtle smirk. Unnoticed by Emily, who was lost in contemplation, Josh couldn't help but think, "She must be deep in thought." Ethan seems to find it amusing.
"Hey, wake up!" Josh exclaimed while snapping his fingers, surprising Emily. She rolled her eyes in response to Ethan's antics.
"Did you read the article about the competition you joined last time?" Josh asked Emily.
"Oh, what about it?" Emily replied.
"Well, they posted a video about your competition and how you defeated your opponent in just 8 minutes. You really crushed your opponent's morale. I'm sure they'll be practicing every day from now on," Ethan humorously shared the story from the article.
"It's good that they'll motivate themselves, and besides, their code is quite simple. They won't survive if someone hacks into them," Emily replied with a hint of coldness.
Ethan teased, "Oh, they even mentioned that you'll join next year's competition, and everyone's excited. They've even reserved a ticket for next year just to watch you. You're becoming quite famous."
Emily was left speechless by the hype surrounding her. Despite keeping her face hidden throughout the game for various reasons, the unexpected attention left her contemplating whether she should join the next year's competition. The prospect lingered in her thoughts as she weighed the impact of her decision on her privacy and the unexpected fame that seemed to be finding her.
Her phone suddenly buzzed, and Josh was calling her. She answered her phone. "Hello? What's up? "she asked.
"Hi Emily, I'm in a meeting right now, and we're strategizing how to promote the game. We're planning to invite some famous gamers on the launch date of Spellbound Clash for a match game while livestreaming. Since you are good at playing Spellbound Clash, would you like to join? It's okay if you don't like it, considering the public aspect of the livestream. What do you think?"
Emily, who finds joy in playing video games during her free time, sees the opportunity to play with professional and famous gamers as a dream come true. Unconcerned about livestreaming since her identity won't be revealed through playing a game, she enthusiastically told Josh, "Sure, why not? I'd love to play with famous gamers. Count me in!"
Josh, delighted by Emily's agreement, expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you! You're the best! Don't worry; I'll mention that you're my good friend."
"No worries, it's just playing games," Emily replied casually, embracing the upcoming gaming experience.
After the call with Josh, Emily decided to head back to her place, feeling the weight of the non-stop work in recent days. She bid farewell to Ethan and made her way home.
Upon arriving, her grandfather called her, expressing disappointment: "You! You haven't been back to this house in how many days?"
Emily smiled gently and responded, "Do you miss me, Grandpa? I've been busy with work at Ethan's company, as I told you last time."
The old man grumbled, "Being busy is okay, but forgetting your grandpa is bad!"
"Haha, you really miss me, Grandpa. How about I come over tomorrow, and we can enjoy a good dinner? I miss Nancy's cooking," Emily suggested.
"Hmmp, make sure you will come; I'll be waiting. I'll tell Nancy to cook your favorite food," the old man insisted.
"Yay! Thank you, Grandpa," Emily happily responded.
As they continued their conversation, they discussed their activities over the past few days. The old man expressed concern for his granddaughter, inquiring about how she was coping with the incident involving her cousin. They shared a heartfelt conversation, bridging the gap created by the days of Emily's absence.
Emily contemplated the situation while resting on her bed. The thought of Alex crossed her mind, and she wondered, "Alex? Hmm, for sure he knows my number, but he hasn't sent a message to me. Is he busy, does he want me to message him first, or is he just not interested in me?" She anticipated that Alex might contact her first, adding an element of curiosity to their interaction.