Establishment of the Hollow Knight
As Carter had predicted, the next day, Ye Feng's name appeared on the hot search headlines.
This was already his second time trending. The previous time was because of "Dead Cells."
On the hot search, the screenshot of the excerpt from the World Anti-War Organization's statement was clear, and each segment of English had corresponding translations.
The comments below were diverse, as not everyone followed the gaming industry. Even though "This Is My War" was popular in the gaming circle, most ordinary people didn't engage with it.
"This is the second time I've heard the name Sprout Studio."
"I knew it! I knew it! This is that Black Star scoundrel!"
"This game didn't have high production costs, but it's definitely a conscientious masterpiece! Everyone should try playing it."
"When real war happens, there will always be someone crouched amidst ruins, playing a bloody backdrop, humbly watching as humanity and life slowly wither away."
"Good news: You're about to dive into the game by the old scoundrel; bad news: You're about to dive into the game by the old scoundrel."
...
The employees of Sprout Studio only learned about this news because of notifications from others.
"Old scoundrel! Look at this! [Image]"
In the internal chat group of Sprout Studio, someone sent a screenshot of the trending topic along with an @mention of Ye Feng.
"Wait, really?"
"Ah ah ah! I'm so excited, we're being praised!"
"Old scoundrel is awesome!"
"No, I have to tell my mom!"
...
In the chat group of thirty-something people, the message count quickly reached 99+ in a minute.
Ye Feng sat in his office chair, and the screen of his phone on the desk lit up as messages scrolled quickly.
He picked up his phone from the desk, looked at the first message that mentioned him, and a grin appeared on his face. He rapidly tapped on the screen.
"Yep, I know."
Employee A: Huh?! You know!
Employee B: You know?!
Employee C: Huh? Treating us like outsiders? How long have you known? Why didn't you tell us?
Song Shan: Tormenting players wasn't enough; you had to torment all of us too (T ^ T).
...
The group messages continued flashing. It wasn't really that everyone was excited; it was just that the news had come so suddenly, and the joy was overwhelming.
After joining Sprout Studio, this was the first game they had created together. The game's success was an achievement, a milestone in the lives of its creators.
"I didn't tell everyone because I didn't think it was a big deal." Ye Feng genuinely believed it wasn't a big deal.
His journey wouldn't stop here.
Whether it was "Dead Cells" or "This Is My War," they were just small stepping stones in Ye Feng's gaming empire.
In the meeting room, Ye Feng gathered everyone for an impromptu meeting.
Gazes full of resentment were fixed on him at the front of the room.
"It's just getting praised a little…" Ye Feng waved his hand dismissively.
"Just getting praised a little…"
"Indeed, just getting praised a little…"
People murmured under their breaths below. They weren't really angry; it was just that this matter had come so suddenly, and they were so pleased.
The long table in the meeting room was filled with members of Sprout Studio. Ye Feng sat at the front, and the white latex paint on the walls reflected a faint white light.
The room had only two large potted plants in the corners, and a large white screen was set up at the front of the table for projections.
Ye Feng stood beside the white screen, and the projection started.
"Our goal has never been just this. There are many controversies online about us, and most people believe that our progress has nearly reached its limit."
"Perhaps some of you also think the same way." Ye Feng glanced deeply at everyone present.
Everyone lowered their heads and remained silent. Game design wasn't the monotonous work done day in and day out; it required inspiration. The more wonderful the game, the more ingenious the ideas it needed.
With three games consecutively released, he had squeezed out everything stored in a designer's mind.
Ye Feng's game development was too rapid, not giving himself any breathing room or time to contemplate.
Could he still create something new?
This wasn't just the employees' concern; it was also what players were thinking.
Song Shan lifted his chin, his gaze resolute as he looked in Ye Feng's direction.
He could.
Ye Feng tapped the stylus pen in his hand, and a large blue-and-white image appeared on the huge white screen.
On the edge of a cliff stood a pale, slender figure. Behind him was a damaged triangular bone spike.
It looked exactly like the pure bone spike in "Dead Cells."
The roaring wind carried a midnight chill, and on the precipice where the north wind mourned, sparkling dust floated in the air. The skull head had two tiny bone horns.
The hollow eyes showed no emotion.
"This is the new game I want to introduce to you all today, 'Hollow Knight.'" Ye Feng sat back down in his seat.
The scene wasn't complex, but it could be seen that the game's art style had undergone a significant change from the previous games.
Swinging the hammer looked like a low-quality texture game, and during the gameplay, characters didn't even have complex facial expressions.
With "Dead Cells," a pixel art game, the characters had to convey their thoughts through actions and spoken language.
What about the third game?
The visuals of "This Is My War" had undeniably improved from the previous two games. The game adopted an artistic, sketch-style aesthetic, utilizing black and white tones extensively to convey the desolation and heaviness of war.
With each step, with each game, clear changes could be seen, and the game visuals were rapidly progressing.
At this moment, he was showcasing a rich and intricate world—just a single image revealed the game's beauty.
"In this game, I'll also introduce the concept of 'Soul' to players." Ye Feng smiled.
The employees below exchanged puzzled glances.
Soul?
What concept was that?
Regardless of what "Soul" was, could he really bring forth another game that would earn players' acclaim?
In the silent meeting room, the sound of people swallowing could be heard.
During the subsequent meeting, everyone listened attentively as Ye Feng explained the game's setting and story. He showed everyone the rich underground kingdom, where everything captivated them, and urged them to bring it to life.
From that day on, the project for "Hollow Knight" was initiated.
By the end, the bewilderment in everyone's hearts had disappeared. Their gazes toward Ye Feng were now filled with fanaticism.
Just as he had said, the story of the underground insect kingdom, the wanderers, and the horrors—after hearing so much, no one could resist the temptation. They had to see it for themselves!
A faint light seemed to point toward a desolate little town, where a small knight stood on the edge of a cliff, paused for a moment, then leaped.