80: Chapter 80 Chinese Valentine’s Day

Zhang Tao thought for a moment and looked at Liu Yuan.

Liu Yuan nodded: "We can use placeholders first, and then iterate to replace them with official assets later."

"Placeholders? What does that mean?"

Chen Fan was still a bit confused by this technical jargon.

Liu Yuan scratched his head and explained: "It just means using simple things as substitutes for now. For example, putting a square where a radish should be, or a dot where a monster should be. This way, the programming side can test the functions first without waiting for me to finish drawing all the graphics."

He paused and added: "When Brother Tao demonstrated earlier, weren't those radishes and monsters just dots and squares? Those are placeholders."

Chen Fan frowned: "Can't you just use the official art assets directly? Or is there not enough time?"

Liu Yuan scratched his head and confessed honestly: "The line drafts are done, but coloring, exporting, slicing, and adapting them to the formats needed by the program—the whole process really takes about a week."

He paused and added: "If we wait until everything is drawn before testing, we won't be able to play it next week."

Chen Fan was stunned for a moment.

"Won't be able to play it next week?"

Liu Yuan nodded: "We definitely won't be able to play the version with official assets next week, but we can play the one with placeholders."

Chen Fan frowned even tighter and looked at Zhang Tao.

Zhang Tao pushed up his glasses and explained: "Mr. Chen, it's like this—the art team needs time to produce the graphics, and the programming team needs time to debug. If we wait for the art to be completely finished before starting the programming work, it will take two weeks before we see anything."

He paused and pointed to the squares and dots on the screen.

"By advancing both sides simultaneously now, the program can run the logic using placeholders first, while the art team continues drawing. Once finished, we can replace them directly. Next week, you'll be able to play the core gameplay. Although the visuals will be a bit crude, we'll be able to test whether the game is fun or not."

After listening, Chen Fan thought for a moment. It was mid-August now, and next Monday was the 23rd. There shouldn't be any problem getting the playable build before school started.

"Alright, let's leave it at that for today. Engineer Zhang, stay behind."

After everyone else left, Zhang Tao looked at Chen Fan, waiting for his instructions.

"Engineer Zhang, we still need to speed up the timeline. Do a good job motivating the team; let them work overtime when necessary, and their overtime pay will absolutely not be shorted."

"Don't worry, Boss, I will arrange it properly."

"Alright, go ahead and get busy."

...

After the meeting, Chen Fan took his cup and went outside to get some water, only to hear a few female employees in the company discussing something.

"Sister Min, today is Qixi. What did your husband get you?" the finance employee, Li Fang, asked, poking her head out.

"I don't know yet. My husband doesn't understand romance; he'll probably just take me out for a meal and that will be it," said the HR manager, Zhou Min, with a smile, her face full of happiness.

Li Fang looked envious: "That's so nice. It's good enough just to have someone take you out for a meal. My guy might not even remember that today is Qixi."

She turned her head and looked at Qiao Linlin, who was organizing files.

"Linlin, what about you?"

"Sister Fang, I'm still single," Qiao Linlin said, pretending to look aggrieved.

"Wow, Linlin, you're so pretty and still single?" Li Fang's eyes widened. "That's impossible, right? Wouldn't the people chasing you be lined up to the company door?"

Qiao Linlin smiled with pursed lips and was about to speak when she caught a glimpse of Chen Fan coming out of the office with a water cup.

A look of joy appeared in her eyes, and the smile on her lips deepened, but her tone still carried a hint of coquetry:

"Yeah~ there just isn't anyone."

Chen Fan was stunned for a moment after hearing their conversation.

In his previous life, he was used to being single and had never paid any attention to such holidays.

In this life, although he had a girlfriend, his mind was filled with the company, the game, and development progress, and he had almost forgotten about it.

However, Lin Xi was still in the county town.

He would just have to call Lin Xi later.

At 12:00 noon, Chen Fan had just arrived downstairs at the company.

His phone rang.

He took the iPhone 4 out of his pocket, glanced at the caller ID, and was stunned.

It was actually Lin Xi. He had planned to call her later, but he didn't expect her to call him first.

"Hello, Xixi."

The other end of the line was quiet for a second, then Lin Xi's voice came through.

"Chen Fan, do you know what day it is today?"

"What day?" Chen Fan said deliberately.

"Do you really not know, or are you pretending not to know?" Lin Xi's tone carried a hint of slight dissatisfaction. "Today is Qixi."

Chen Fan chuckled.

"I know."

"Then do you know where I am right now?"

"At home?"

"Wrong~"

"Playing outside?"

"Wrong, guess again~"

"Uh, can you give me a hint?"

The other end of the line was quiet for a second, and then Lin Xi's voice came softly:

"Have you heard the poem 'I raise my eyes to see the sun, but I do not see Chang'an'?"

Chen Fan was stunned.

Chang'an?

A thought suddenly appeared in his mind.

"You came to Chang'an?"

"Yeah," Lin Xi's voice carried unconcealable laughter. "I just arrived at the Chang'an bus station~"

Chen Fan stood there, stunned for two seconds.

Then he turned and walked outside.

"Wait there, don't move, I'll be there soon."

...

Half an hour later, the car stopped next to the bus station.

As soon as he got out of the car, Chen Fan quickly ran toward the lobby.

After entering the lobby, Chen Fan's eyes quickly searched through the crowd.

The entrance, the ticket office, the waiting room door...

None of them.

He took out his phone and was about to call when he caught a glimpse of a white figure in the corner of the lobby.

Lin Xi was standing by a pillar, holding a bottle of water, looking down at her phone.

Chen Fan slowed his pace and walked toward her.

After arriving in front of Lin Xi, Chen Fan didn't make a sound.

Lin Xi seemed to sense something and suddenly looked up.

After seeing that it was Chen Fan, she was stunned for a moment, then her eyes curved into crescents.

Chen Fan touched her head. "Why did you suddenly come to Chang'an? Didn't you say your mom wouldn't let you come?"

Lin Xi smiled with pursed lips, her eyes filled with a little pride.

"I pestered her until she let me come."

She paused, turned to look at Chen Fan, her eyes bright:

"Besides, today is Qixi~"

Chen Fan felt a warmth in his heart and reached out to ruffle her hair.

"Then are you going back?"

"Yes, I have to go back tomorrow~" Lin Xi's tone carried a hint of slight reluctance.

"Can you not go back? School starts in half a month, and you'll have to make another trip then."

"No, my mom only allowed me to stay for one day~"

"Then I'll take you back tomorrow."

Lin Xi was stunned for a moment and turned to look at him.

"Really?"

"Of course, really." Chen Fan looked at her. "My admission letter is still at home, so it's a good chance to go back and get it."

Lin Xi's eyes lit up.

"Then how long will you stay when you go back?"

"I won't be able to stay long; I still have things to do here in Chang'an."

"Oh~" A trace of regret flashed in Lin Xi's eyes.

"What, you can't bear to part with me?"

"Who can't bear to part with you?"

"After school starts, when we go to Chang'an, won't we be able to see each other often?"

Hearing Chen Fan's words, Lin Xi's eyes lit up, and then she nodded.

"Let's go, let's go eat."

"Mm."