After leaving the coffee shop, Felicia made her way to the business district. Her first investment—a two-million-dollar infusion into Hexagon, a small gaming start-up—had already been transferred. Today, she planned to assess the company's progress. This was more than just about the money; it was her first venture capital investment, and she approached it with seriousness. Word of her visit spread quickly, and Vincent, along with the five other founding members, awaited her in the lobby.

The moment Felicia entered, Vincent, a young man brimming with renewed energy, stepped forward. "Ms. Fuller, welcome! We're honored you're here for an inspection!"

It took Felicia a moment to recognize him. At the venture capital conference weeks prior, he had been a vastly different person—disheveled, glasses askew, radiating despair. He'd resembled a wilted plant, enlivened only by his passionate game presentation.

Now, he was unrecognizable: clean-shaven, impeccably dressed in a sharp suit, his hair neatly combed. He finally looked the part of a company leader.

Felicia teased, raising an eyebrow, "Well, you're starting to look like a real leader."

Vincent laughed, his face reddening slightly. He quickly introduced the five other founders, each greeting Felicia with nervous excitement.

After introductions, Felicia followed them upstairs to their office. Just two weeks prior, Hexagon had been a tiny studio struggling to survive. With Felicia's investment, they had transformed, renting an entire floor in a sleek office building.

Vincent eagerly guided her, explaining, "We've hired 35 employees so far, and HR is still recruiting. We're focused on top-tier game architects and programmers to strengthen development."

He gestured to different office sections. "Here's the development team and operations. Maintenance is in the corner."

Felicia nodded approvingly. The office energy and excitement were palpable, filling her with pride.

"Great work," she said, smiling. "Now, let's head to the conference room. I'd like to see your accomplishments."

"Right this way, Ms. Fuller."

The team led her to a well-equipped conference room with refreshments. Felicia took her seat at the head of the table, signaling them to begin.

Vincent nodded to a co-founder, who stood and presented: "Ms. Fuller, our game has been live for seven days. In that time, we've surpassed 60% of similar games in player engagement. Our user retention rate is an impressive 65%."

He clicked to the next slide, displaying financial figures. "As of today, we have 50,000 active users and $44,000 in revenue from in-game purchases." Felicia's eyes widened.

She wasn't a gaming metrics expert, but the team's excitement highlighted the exceptional results.

"Impressive," Felicia said, genuinely awed. "I wasn't expecting such a strong start. You've exceeded my expectations. Well done!"

The six founders exchanged relieved and proud smiles.

Unseen by Felicia was the sheer anxiety they'd endured during the game's launch. That first night, they'd stayed awake, monitoring backend analytics, hearts pounding as they watched the numbers climb—or sometimes stagnate. They celebrated only when the metrics surged with a sharp spike in downloads and engagement. Their joy had been raw, almost surreal—shouts, laughter, hugs as their fears lifted.

Vincent, calmer now, took a breath. "Ms. Fuller, while thrilled with the results, operational costs remain a challenge…"

Felicia understood immediately. Rent, salaries, bonuses, development, and marketing were consuming their funds. Two million dollars had been a lifeline, but insufficient to sustain their momentum.