Page 4 of Texting My Secret CEO
“Anyway,” I say, raising an eyebrow.
“Analytics on the Emerald Cove stuff,” Peter says.
I wave a hand. “People hate it. The grind is too hard. It takes too long to get all the enchanted seashells. By the time people get them, doing the boss doesn’t feel like fun. It just feels like another chore.”
“Well…” He smiles tightly.
“Am I wrong?”
“No, Jack, you’re not.”
“I was certain people would like this,” I mutter. “There arefiveenemy varieties in that one area. All with unique move sets and weaknesses. What more do people want?”
“Are you genuinely asking me?”
“Yes, Pete. Goddamn it.”
“That’s why I’m here,” he says. “I can’t tell you how to make a game, but I’ve found this streamer. DakkyDuck, that’s her online name. But she uses her name on her streams. Dakota. Plays Empire’s Fall exclusively. She’s been playing it since its release.”
I shrug. “Okay.”
“Last week, during the special event, she had forty thousand viewers for the giveaway portion.”
“Good for her,” I mutter.
“That’s a lot,” he says, as if I’m not aware.
“I know—and good for her.”
He grits his teeth for a moment. A gesture I know well.
“Just say it, Pete, whatever it is,” I tell him.
“You should watch her stream,” he says.
“Should I?”
He frowns at me. “Jack, how is sulking going to help anything? You want to know why people don’t like Emerald Cove? Tune into Dakky’s stream. She makes some good points. And she’s not one of these booby streamers.”
“Booby… what? You’re aware we’re both in our forties, Pete?”
“Hey, it’s my job to know stuff like this. A booby streamer is a woman who pretends to stream games, but mostly just sits there with her tits out.”
“Why do I feel an HR call is incoming if this conversation continues?” I grunt.
“She’s got substance,” he replies. “That’s all I’m saying.” He stands, rubbing his hands as though washing them clean. “I’ve done my job.”
I ask her name again before he leaves. What have I got to lose?
I log onto the most popular streaming website. As I search her name, I expect another empty internet personality. Part of me—a big part—hates the way the internet has gone. It used to mean something. Working away for hours on end on a website or game. Getting rewarded for hard work.
Now? It’s memes, viral moments, and stupid crap half the time. Or maybe it just seems stupid because I don’t understand it.
My gamer instincts activate when I realize I’ve caught her in the middle of a raid. A raid is an event where the game sends waves of enemies at a player’s base. These are optional, meaning theplayer can turn them off, but keeping them on means you get better rewards.
I lean forward, watching as she ducks and dives past three zombies. She’s only got 3 health points left, and no potions.
She chews on her lip and tosses her hair to get it out of her face. Pete’s right. She’s not a booby streamer.
