Agreeing to Create Bad Games, What the Hell Is ‘Titanfall’? Chapter 233: Farewell, Brother

CRACK—!!!

A bolt of lightning flashed, followed by thunder that struck like a hamr!

Shen Miaomiao's eyes widened, filled with disbelief and shock. She looked at Gu Sheng, opening and closing her mouth three tis without managing to utter a word.

"...I'm sorry," Gu Sheng slowly raised his gun, pointing it at Shen Miaomiao: "I'm a cop."

The truth was revealed!

Just monts ago, while players controlling Leo were confronting Harvey, demanding why he betrayed them, all players controlling Vincent were secretly shown another cutscene.

This cutscene was exclusively for players—even spectators couldn't see it, nor could it be stread through broadcasting software.

In this cutscene, Vincent's true backstory was unveiled—

He wasn't just so bank clerk helping launder money. Neither was Gary.

Both of them were actually undercover cops.

Back when Harvey took Leo to that deal and shot the buyer, that buyer was Vincent's younger brother Gary!

Vincent had volunteered to be planted in prison, to get close to Leo, escape with him, gather intel on Harvey, and either arrest Harvey or kill him on the spot!

From start to finish!

This was all part of a secret police operation.

Vincent was an undercover agent.

"You betrayed ?"

"Leo, I—"

"You betrayed ?!"

SMACK!

With a furious shout, Shen Miaomiao slapped Gu Sheng's wrist hard, snatching the gun and pressing its barrel firmly against his head!

At this mont!

Leo's rage burned away all reason!

And Shen Miaomiao's fury was no less intense than Leo's!

"Easy, easy now Miaomiao..."

Gu Sheng, held at gunpoint by Shen Miaomiao, walked backward toward the police car under her direction.

"Shut the hell up!!!"

Shen Miaomiao's voice even overpowered the ga's audio!

"How could I have trusted you!"

"When we were escaping, you almost fell to your death! My hands were raw from holding on but I never let go!"

"When we were on the run, it was covering you from gunfire in the backseat!"

"If you really wanted dead, why did you catch at the cliff? Why save during the parachute jump? Why hesitate to shoot Harvey at the end?!"

As they reached the police car, Gu Sheng opened his mouth: "I just—"

"You're a liar."

Shen Miaomiao whispered in Gu Sheng's ear.

Then she kicked him hard into the police car:

"Get in!!!"

VROOM—!!!

The police car sped off!

Leo pressed his gun firmly against Vincent's head, roaring in rage:

"I trusted you with my life, Vincent!"

"Calm down Leo, just hear out, okay?" Vincent raised his hands placatingly: "I know you're angry—"

"Angry?! Fuck you, bitch!!!"

Leo shoved the gun harder against Vincent's head:

"You haven't seen truly angry yet!!!"

The police car swerved wildly like a raging bull!

This sudden turn of events struck strears like a thunderbolt!

Since Vincent players knew their undercover status earlier, most remained silent for gaplay flow.

This directly led to Leo players imrsing deeply!

After everything we've been through together!

Countless escapes and chases, covering for each other!

I thought we were the strongest, most reliable brothers who'd been through life and death!

I introduced you to my family, took you to see my son!

I cared about your life, visited your daughter with you, helped nd your marriage!

I treated you like my own flesh and blood!

Even five minutes ago, I was imagining our future together after escaping!

And now—

"You fucking betrayed ! Qiezi! I swear today one of us is dying!!!"

BOOM!

The car plunged into the sea, the two n grappling underwater.

"Give it up, old friend. You can't get far. I'm truly sorry..."

RATATAT!

Helicopter minigun fire strafed the water, trying to stop Leo's speedboat.

Amid tragic music!

Leo rushed into a factory, with Vincent close behind!

Standing on either side of factory's tempered glass, both raised their guns!

"Vincent! How does it feel being such a despicable coward?!"

"I'm sorry Leo! But Harvey killed my brother! I had to do this!"

"I trusted you more than I ever trusted Harvey, a hundred tis more!"

"I'll explain to the chief! I'll get your sentence reduced!"

"My sentence? You're fucking dead, Vincent!"

RATATAT—!

BANG! BANG!

RATATAT—!

Staccato gunfire echoed through the factory!

With each thunderclap from the stormy sky, every shot struck players' hearts like a hamr!

Hands that had reached out to help each other countless tis now fired lethal bullets instead!

They fought from the factory to the terrace.

From the terrace to the rooftop.

Now!

The downpour raged!

Thunder and lightning, just like that night they escaped prison together!

Until covered in wounds, until completely exhausted!

Until both lost their guns, until both removed bulletproof vests for hand-to-hand combat!

BOOM—CRACK!

Torrential rain drenched them both.

WHOOSH! BAM! Leo's fist connected hard with Vincent's face—

[Thanks for earlier]

[No problem]

Their first ti teaming up to take down prison bullies...

WHOOSH! THUD! Vincent kicked Leo to the ground—

[Hey, need a favor?]

[Sigh... alright...]

Their first collaboration stealing the chisel...

WHOOSH! CRASH! Leo's elbow smashed into Vincent's back—

[Alex is adorable]

[Of course!]

When they visited Leo's ho, helping his young son build a wooden horse...

WHOOSH! BAM! Vincent's knee drove into Leo's stomach—

[I'm still nervous]

[Relax. Go see your baby girl, hold her]

When they went to the hospital, visiting Vincent's wife and newborn daughter...

The storm's fury made it hard to breathe.

Battered and exhausted, both n lay on the rooftop gasping.

Shen Miaomiao looked at Gu Sheng silently.

Gu Sheng's gaze drifted to the rooftop edge before eting Shen Miaomiao's eyes.

The next second!

Both dragged their nearly spent bodies toward the rooftop edge!

Where a black gun lay lodged—

Dropped during their struggle!

SCRAPE—

SCRAPE—

THUD—

THUD—

The sound of their struggling movents filled the rooftop.

Gritting her teeth against the motion pod's resistance, Shen Miaomiao kept her eyes locked on the gun, crawling desperately!

SLAP!

Finally!

In the pouring rain!

Shen Miaomiao's hand grasped the gun's handle!

Whirling around to aim—

Only to see Gu Sheng had barely moved.

RUMBLE—

Thunder rolled across the sky.

The rain fell so heavily it beca a white curtain.

With the gun's dark barrel aid at Gu Sheng, they stared at each other across the rooftop.

Vincent and Leo's mories cut like knives.

For players, every earlier mont was equally profound.

This whole journey, we’ve stood shoulder to shoulder—from clumsy beginnings to perfect sync.

Yet now, when our wills finally unite, it's not for freedom—but for bloodshed.

Soft sobbing ca through voice chat.

Shen Miaomiao's gun hand trembled.

Hearing of the betrayal, she'd been furious, fully embodying Leo, wanting nothing more than to kill Gu Sheng's Vincent.

But with the gun actually pointed at him, she found herself unable to pull the trigger.

"...Shoot."

As the ga's designer, Gu Sheng knew players had no other choice at this ending.

Once soone picked up the gun, the outco was decided.

BANG!

Muzzle flash.

The bullet flew.

Carrying both relief and the storm's oppressive weight.

SPLURT!

Blood blood from Vincent's chest.

Labored breathing accompanied his stumbling steps.

Under the rain's assault, crimson quickly soaked his shirt.

Leaning against a steel tower, Vincent slowly slid down.

CLATTER.

Leo's gun also fell to the ground.

Walking over woodenly, he stood before Vincent.

"This... is my letter..."

Vincent tremblingly reached into his pocket, producing a note:

"Give this... to Carol."

[You should write her a letter]

That had been Leo's suggestion.

And Vincent had taken it to heart.

In the pouring rain!

Vincent extended his hand.

And Leo's hand grasped it without hesitation.

Just as they'd done countless tis before—

We've been through life and death.

We've protected each other.

We were each other's most reliable safeguard.

We were each other's strongest shield.

We were brothers.

RUSTLE—

With the rain, Vincent's hand finally fell still...

...

So ti later.

Morning sunlight bathed empty streets.

A car turned onto a road, stopping before a house.

CLICK.

The door opened.

A bearded Leo stepped out, approaching the doorstep.

Placing the letter conspicuously, he rang the bell, gave the house one last look, and left.

Soon Carol opened the door, glanced around, and noticed the letter.

Unfolding it, Vincent's voice spoke:

"Carol, my love."

"I write mainly to apologize,"

"Sorry for all the broken promises, missing our important monts, not being there when you needed most..."

As Vincent spoke,

The scene shifted.

Vincent's solemn funeral, police honor guard firing salutes.

While Leo took his family and left town.

"Sorry for disappointing you again and again,"

"My greatest regret is missing every minute with you and our daughter,"

"But starting now... I don't want to miss another second,"

"Forgive . I'll cherish you both as always,"

"I'll love you forever."

"—Vincent"

The ga ended with Leo's family driving down an open road.

Distant mountains layered the horizon, the unknown path ahead.

[Golden Wind]

[Presents]

[Escape from Hell]

The ga was over.

In the motion pod, Gu Sheng exhaled deeply.

Back in his past life playing this ga's ending, he'd felt this sa lingering lancholy.

He'd even wondered—why must soone die?

Why not a happy ending where both live?

Why couldn't Leo's shot miss slightly, just wounding Vincent?

Why couldn't Vincent's bullet go wide, sparing Leo?

But now!

Having remade this ga entirely and experienced it firsthand in the pod!

The answer finally ca—

Because both Leo and Vincent were stubbornly resolute n.

Without that stubbornness, they'd never have bonded.

Without that resolve, they'd never have progressed together.

Though different, they were fundantally the sa.

Only death could validate their respective convictions.

This ga's called Escape from Hell.

Seemingly about breaking prison's bonds and achieving vengeance.

But really, once their plan took shape, neither Vincent nor Leo could ever truly escape.

ntal walls are stronger than prison bars.

Whichever died, the survivor would carry that brand forever—an inescapable cage lasting until death...

HISS—

The pod opened!

Gu Sheng shook his head wistfully.

Simultaneously,

The adjacent pod also opened.

Inside, Little Nezha's eyes were red-rimd. Before the lid fully retracted, she leapt out and buried herself in Gu Sheng's chest, sobbing:

"I... didn't want to shoot... you... made ..."

"Shh... it's okay, I don't bla you,"

Gu Sheng held Little Nezha, stroking her hair:

"I told you to shoot, otherwise how would we finish?"

"Sniff... I'd rather... not finish at all..."

Little Nezha hiccuped:

"Ending on the return flight would've been fine..."

"But whether gas or reality, everyone and everything deserves proper closure,"

Gu Sheng patted Shen Miaomiao's head:

"We can't avoid facing things just because they're hard, right?"

At this,

Little Nezha sniffled, looking up at Gu Sheng with teary eyes:

"Will you ever leave ... us?"

"Never," Gu Sheng didn't hesitate for even a second: "Never ever."

"Then... pinky promise?" Shen Miaomiao hiccuped, extending her little finger.

"Pinky promise," Gu Sheng linked fingers: "Pinky swear, hundred years no changes, whoever breaks it is a puppy. Okay?"

"Mm!" Shen Miaomiao nodded, lips pursed.

"Alright, no more tears. Here,"

Gu Sheng crouched slightly, patting his back:

"Piggyback?"

"Mm, piggyback..." Little Nezha climbed on, then added: "Next ga you make, give it a happy ending, okay?"

"Okay, a family reunion, all sweetness, lovers united forever,"

Gu Sheng carried her out of the studio:

"How's that, CEO Shen?"

CEO Shen sniffled approvingly: "CEO Shen says... snff... promising! Very promising!"