The release of the promotional video for Gods and Demons was delayed a bit beyond the third anniversary, catching everyone by surprise when it finally dropped, just as fans were reveling in their anniversary bonuses.

This promo material had been prepared for a while, naturally focusing on the main characters. Chun Yao was the most exquisitely crafted character by the art team in the past three years, a stunning beauty, with outfits aplenty. In the video, both her feminine and later male attire made an appearance, bringing out her radiant allure.

The last promo had been short, but this time, there were clips of Chun Yao interacting with Luo Yin. The atmosphere, rather than intense and confrontational, was unexpectedly sweet.

As for Luo Yin, he already had a strong fan base. His lines and demeanor in flashback scenes hinted at someone he could never forget, a mystery figure he searched for even after gaining power, refusing to give up even in retirement. Those in the know kept silent, and this ambiguous storyline fueled endless imagination. With the official reveal of this CP, it was obvious how perfectly they fit.

In truth, the relationship between these two wasn’t as tragic as expected. Luo Yin had arrived with fierce ambition, but after pretending for so long, he found he couldn’t bear to harm Chun Yao. His use of Xie Shuangxue to eliminate threats within the Feather Clan was always targeted at those dangerous to Chun Yao.

Endless Sea had pulled out all the stops with immersive settings, leaving even the pickiest players with nothing to complain about. During the buildup to the release, the buzz around these two main characters was already high. Besides solo fans, the hype for the CP pairing was skyrocketing.

“Head-pushing squad, mobilize!”

“Alright, I approve of this marriage.”

“I’m all in. And a warning to Endless Sea: no tragic endings for this couple! You turned this into a world quest, so if my CP doesn’t get a happy ending, I’m reporting you to consumer services for a refund!”

The main CP was bustling with attention, as expected, but Xie Shuangxue turned out to be an extra surprise.

Initially, he only had a few shadowed shots, just some backviews. However, due to his recent display, Wei Lan urgently added a frontal shot. It wasn’t long, but a glimpse of him amid the crowd was enough.

The Feather Clan all have wings, but he was an orphan adopted by them, an outsider from the start. In that shot, he was surrounded by the Feather Clan after his schemes were exposed. Looking lean and vulnerable, he glanced back with a complex expression, as if nostalgic for something left behind.

In the players’ immersive perspective, that glance seemed directed straight at them, his striking beauty even more poignant under the dim light.

Everyone already knew Chun Yao and Luo Yin, so their polished appearances weren’t much of a surprise. But Xie Shuangxue? Now he was an unexpected delight, sparking immediate curiosity.

“Who is this guy?”

“Wow, he’s actually really pretty.”

“How come no one mentioned this character in the teasers?”

Seeing the rising interest, Endless Sea quickly released a video of Xie Shuangxue’s quiet confession. From Yu Haiqing’s perspective, it switched seamlessly to the player’s viewpoint. While the test space at the time lacked scenery, this time, everything was perfected.

The short, atmospheric video showed Xie Shuangxue standing on the edge of a forest under the soft moonlight, the breeze gently brushing his face. The timing was impeccable, stopping right when it left people wanting more.

Sadly, SEA was undergoing a stability test due to a recent upgrade, so they couldn’t include this immersive experience in the promo yet. The realism level was still based on the old version.

It was clear: only Yu Haiqing had experienced the unique SEA. But evidently, only Yu Haiqing seemed unfazed by it. Many players were thoroughly enchanted.

“Ah, a confession from a beauty!”

“I blurted out, ‘Hello, darling!’”

“Haven’t I spent enough? Show me the rest, faster!”

The constant stream of promotional materials sent Gods and Demons trending across major social media platforms. Discussion flooded the Player Forum, delighting the game department at Endless Sea. 

None of their original main characters had taken such a unique route. Although they put careful planning into the main characters’ reveals, it was essential to build hype in the meantime with side content. 

Now, with Xie Shuangxue as an unexpected addition, the excitement soared.

However, while Endless Sea basked in their success, someone wasn’t pleased.

The discussions about the third anniversary had spiked so high that Radiance Continent, which had been trying hard to stir up attention, was now overshadowed. The game director of Dreamscape, Chen Xian, had been watching the player comments and reservation numbers for days. The more he watched, the grimmer his face grew.

For three years, Gods and Demons had seemed like an unbeatable legend in the immersive gaming scene, envied by everyone in the industry. His Dreamscape was constantly mocked by players as a “marketing company,” unable to hold a candle to Endless Sea. Every loss stung.

Why?

This time, the company had gone all out, pouring in funds, luring top talent, and even upgrading their chip to surpass SEA. Before release, they’d launched extensive promotions, convinced they’d win. But once Gods and Demons dropped their materials, Radiance Continent became an afterthought.

And where did this Xie Shuangxue even come from?

This character irritated Chen Xian more than Chun Yao and Luo Yin. He’d anticipated those two since they were Endless Sea’s carefully cultivated leads with a fan following. But Xie Shuangxue? He came out of nowhere.

Attention for similar character types is limited, and Radiance Continent’s little fox NPC had been a key part of their push. But after Xie Shuangxue’s confession video, the fox’s popularity had visibly declined, affecting the rest of their marketing plan.

“Rumor has it they lucked out. This character was barely designed, but the model turned out gorgeous,” Chen Xian’s assistant reported, handing him a stack of gathered information. “Fans of the fox character are into looks, and, well… he’s prettier than ours.”

He muttered the last part, bracing for Chen Xian’s glare. Chen Xian had been in a foul mood lately, so his assistant quickly went silent.

Chen Xian wasn’t about to let this slide, though. He snarled, “Why so silent? I asked you to dig into Gods and Demons. What did you find?”

“They’re tight-lipped over there, only minor details got out. The biggest news is probably SEA’s upgrade, which was just a single line in the announcement. I heard President Yu Haiqing himself was working on it, so it’s probably a big breakthrough.” The assistant tried to advise, “Director, I think we should focus more on key aspects like these. Character popularity isn’t the main factor—experience and gameplay are what count.”

Chen Xian chuckled, spotting something in the information packet that lit up his gaze.

“Wait a second, Xie Shuangxue has that kind of character setting?”

Though unreleased game plot details are typically kept under wraps, some background info on Xie Shuangxue was easy enough to gather within the industry.

“You don’t get it! We’re at war now; every big and small detail matters. We can’t let this character get too popular,” Chen Xian tapped his desk, a plan already forming. “His character setting has flaws, and it’s too late for them to change the plot. We can use that.”

It seemed that Gods and Demons’ luck wasn’t infallible.

The assistant hesitated, but Chen Xian’s logic seemed plausible. “So… what should we do?”

Chen Xian sneered, “Leak some dirt on Xie Shuangxue. Post it on the forum.”

“Dirt?” The assistant blinked. “But he’s an NPC. What kind of dirt?”

Chen Xian stared at him as if he were an idiot. “Do I have to teach you that?”

Dreamscape had mastered the art of marketing. They knew how to subtly manipulate forums like the Player Forum, notorious for its chaotic and argumentative vibe.

Xie Shuangxue wasn’t the main target. The objective was to overshadow Gods and Demons’ campaign.

Over at the Endless Sea planning department, Song Xiaoce noticed the strange turn of events. As the youngest planner, he regularly collected player feedback and managed some promotional tasks. Checking forum comments was part of his job and not entirely slacking off.

Endless Sea was no stranger to criticism on the forum; it was part of being a popular game. He’d even bought a hat shaped like a dog’s head to match his “Dog Designer” nickname to combat the hate with humor.

Lately, the vibe had been unusually good. Fans were content with the anniversary perks and material. Some were even addressing him respectfully as “Designer Dada,” a rare luxury.

Song Xiaoce was feeling almost giddy.

But today, things changed. Some forum users started making snide comments.

“Am I the only one who finds Xie Shuangxue’s character way too forced?”

“First it was the fox character in Radiance, now Endless Sea pops up with this. Is it inspiration or plagiarism?”

“Listen up, anyone with a clue about the plot, stay away from this character. Xie Shuangxue’s a low-level antagonist with a tacky personality.”

“Did you really think the confession video was directed at Chun Yao? This homewrecker plot is disgusting.”

This was the art of reverse marketing: hinting without outright lying, subtly stirring controversy that was hard to dismiss but easy to spread.

The forum was a wild place. With fans, there were detractors. Soon, people were jumping on the bandwagon.

“Honestly, NPCs relying on looks are getting annoying.”

“Only kids would like this.”

Since when do people even hate on NPCs?

As the discussion spiraled, Song Xiaoce frowned, scrolling further to see the true agenda behind these comments.

“Industry insider here, no bias. As a professional, Endless Sea’s tactics with Xie Shuangxue are crystal clear. Immersive realism and interaction have been hot topics for years, and I’ve heard other companies put in serious work to surpass them. But the Endless Sea is stagnating.

This confession video relies purely on the “confession” angle for appeal. It’s a cheap trick without any real tech advancement, tarnishing the efforts of those who prioritize genuine innovation.”

“I agree. Endless Sea’s focus has clearly scattered these past two years, and their tech team is falling behind. Now they’re using cheap psychological tricks to boost engagement. Tragic.”

“Longtime Gods and Demons player. This third anniversary has been a disappointment. They’re relying on an NPC for hype now. Gods and Demons is done.”

Who’s done?

Done with what?

Song Xiaoce slammed his hand down. “Alright, masks off!”

Done? Who are you calling done? Which corner of the industry are you hiding in? Step forward!

The promo for Xie Shuangxue had been his and the art team’s labor of love, even letting them reach their KPI early. Now someone was trashing his hard work.

Xie Shuangxue was popular because he was beautiful. Was that a problem?

He thought it was great!

Shameless trolls.

Song Xiaoce knew that personally responding would only fuel the fire. Some posts supporting Endless Sea were probably from trolls themselves, posing as “fans” just to heighten the contrast.

“The jealousy over Gods and Demons’ popularity is obvious.”

“Really? Hating on an NPC just because he’s popular?”

These hollow replies only made the so-called “insider” posts appear more reasonable.

While there were sharp-eyed users who saw through it, several high-traffic threads kept the buzz alive, leading casual players to second-guess.

“It does feel off. Gods and Demons isn’t a romance game. Why push this angle? It feels tacky.”

“Could Endless Sea really be slipping?”

And there it was, the forum’s infamous catchphrase of the last three years: “Yu Haiqing is getting cocky.”