Chapter 85: The Path to Slaying a God (Part 4)

September 28.

Early morning.

Just as the download count for Road Rash surpassed five hundred thousand…

Just as the entire single-player gaming world was buzzing with talk of Road Rash…

Dadi Technology’s official website announced that they would officially launch their free single-player game, Soul of Racing, at eight o’clock that morning!

The official website emphasized that this was a pure competition game, expressing hope that players would find joy in competing against one another.

At almost the exact same time…

An item appeared in the shop of the smash-hit online game, War of Warcraft.

The item was named “Soul of Competition.”

As long as players logged into the official website and used the serial number from the Soul of Competition to download Soul of Racing, they could claim a random limited-edition fashion item for free, with a chance to obtain permanent fashion!

Upon seeing this news, the entire player base of War of Warcraft erupted in excitement!

Fashion items in War of Warcraft were generally very expensive, and some were impossible to obtain even through quests.

A random limited fashion item!

And there was even a chance to get a permanent limited fashion item!

That was worth a fortune…

The War of Warcraft players were ecstatic!

Every single one of them claimed the Soul of Competition in the shop and waited by the download link on the official website, ready to download Soul of Racing the very second it went live!

At this moment…

Onlookers felt as though they were witnessing a war without smoke.

This battle promised to be spectacular!

In truth, even without the War of Warcraft event, they were already highly anticipating this game from Dadi Technology!

After all…

Dadi Technology was once known as the King of Single-Player Games in Huaxia!

Could a single-player game made by them be anything less than excellent?

Furthermore, it was going head-to-head with Zhang Yang’s game, Road Rash.

If Zhang Yang’s Road Rash was immersive, then wouldn’t Dadi Technology’s Soul of Racing be even more impressive?

What kind of game would it actually be?

New God versus Old God!

The battle was about to begin!

Who!

Would win?

At this moment…

Everyone was filled with anticipation!

…

Universe Technology.

Some people had already returned to the dorms to sleep.

However, even more people remained glued to their computer screens.

When they saw Dadi Technology’s maneuver, a faint sense of unease took root in everyone’s hearts.

According to data surveys, War of Warcraft currently had around ten million registered players, with three point seven million active players!

This was a staggering figure!

Moreover, this number had been showing a trend of explosive growth over time.

If all these active players downloaded Soul of Racing, then…

How could they possibly win?

Although the download count for Road Rash had already surpassed five hundred thousand—a crazy number with very optimistic prospects—no matter how Wu Zhuang and the others analyzed it, they felt it was impossible for this single-player game to break four million.

Four million downloads!

The mere thought was terrifying!

The registration numbers for some online games were only four million!

How could this be possible…

“They’re cheating!”

“This isn’t fair.”

Zhao Hang almost screamed.

But then, his voice cut off abruptly, and he lowered his head.

He suddenly realized something…

If they were cheating, what about his own side?

Hadn’t they also embedded advertising items within God of Conquest?

Everyone’s emotions shifted from initial excitement to worry.

It felt as though a bucket of cold water had been poured over their hearts!

They looked toward Zhang Yang’s office…

Only to see that the lights were already out.

President Zhang seemed to have gone to bed early?

…

The next day.

Dadi Technology’s Soul of Racing officially opened for download.

In the first hour, the download count surpassed one hundred thousand…

It was like a prehistoric beast opening its gaping, bloody maw, staring intently at its prey, and after adjusting its posture, pouncing with savage force.

Road Rash was their prey!

It was being torn to shreds!

Soul of Racing hit one hundred thousand in one hour!

It had taken Road Rash three hours to reach one hundred thousand!

Seeing these figures…

Many people at Universe Technology felt their hearts being torn apart.

The foundation of an established game company was truly terrifying.

It was so formidable that they couldn’t even begin to compare; their ability to drive traffic was even more frightening…

One eye-catching and increasingly exaggerated statistic after another seemed to herald the return of the King of Dadi Technology!

It was still the King of Single-Player Games in Huaxia!

“Shocking! Soul of Racing Reaches 100,000 Downloads in One Hour, Creating a Myth!”

“The Craze for Domestic Single-Player Games is Coming!”

“The King of Single-Player Games, Dadi Technology, Arrives with a Bang…”

“…”

Countless news stories flooded the various Tieba forums. When netizens saw the data, their eyes widened in shock.

A lion uses its full strength even when hunting a rabbit!

Faced with Zhang Yang’s offensive, President Ding Ziguang had indeed exerted his full power!

When this punch landed…

It was incredibly heavy. More than half of the single-player gaming circle was shaken by the impact, and everyone cried out, wondering if the era of single-player games had truly arrived.

“A god is a god because he has countless believers…”

“…”

Shengteng Technology.

Chen Qiang was dumbfounded, finally letting out a long, low sigh.

Despite his reluctance, Zhang Yang’s situation was indeed looking grim…

…

In three hours, the download count for Soul of Racing surpassed three hundred and ten thousand!

It had completely crushed Road Rash.

Zhang Yang.

He probably couldn’t win.

Standing in front of a cafe, Liu Ruohan, wearing a mask, saw this news on her phone.

After reading it…

She suddenly stopped.

For a moment, she didn’t know how to face Zhang Yang.

She even began to imagine what kind of expression Zhang Yang would have when she saw him in a moment.

He must be very disappointed.

He was a proud man, and someone like that surely found it hard to accept such a blow.

That was what Liu Ruohan thought.

In truth…

She suddenly felt a bit of regret for inviting Zhang Yang to coffee at a time like this.

After standing at the entrance for a moment, she finally chose to walk into the cafe and head toward the reserved private booth.

When she pushed the door open…

She was suddenly struck by surprise.

Inside the cafe booth.

She saw Zhang Yang sitting there quietly.

The afternoon sun fell across his face, highlighting an expression of pure enjoyment.

His eyes were narrowed, immersed in the music, and his fingers tapped along to the melody.

Liu Ruohan was stunned.

She didn’t know if it was an illusion, but she felt that the Zhang Yang before her now was completely different from the one in her memory, as if they were two different people.

Could it be!

Does he still not know his sales figures?

Liu Ruohan wondered.

“Miss Liu, you’re here…”

“Yes, President Zhang. Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“It wasn’t long. This is quite nice,” Zhang Yang said with a calm smile.

In fact…

Listening to the Western music in the cafe, enjoying the air conditioning, smelling the unique fragrance, and ordering the most expensive coffee on the menu…

He really liked this place. It was elegant and refined.

The key was…

He didn’t have to pay for it.

How could he not enjoy a day like this?

“You seem like a different person…” Liu Ruohan finally spoke her mind.

As she looked at Zhang Yang in his suit and tie, his hair neatly combed and even his mustache trimmed clean, she was truly astonished.

“I’m still the same me, nothing has changed. The only difference is that I’m not as strapped for cash as I used to be…” Zhang Yang continued to smile, taking a sip of coffee. The rich aroma echoed in his breath, filling him with pleasure.

“Was it really just because of a lack of money before?” Liu Ruohan blinked, looking at Zhang Yang with curiosity.

“Money bolsters a coward’s courage¹. It’s a crude saying, but a true one. Miss Liu, is there a reason you invited me for coffee today?” Zhang Yang looked at her.

“…” Liu Ruohan locked eyes with Zhang Yang for a moment, and for some reason, her face suddenly flushed.

She didn’t know what was happening, but the current Zhang Yang seemed to have undergone a complete transformation. Although he still wasn’t quite handsome enough in her eyes, his temperament was growing closer and closer to the Knight Prince from the game.

And did his voice always sound so gentle?

“Miss Liu?” Zhang Yang’s eyes crinkled into a smile when he saw her face redden slightly.

“Ah, President Zhang, I’m actually… I’m very shocked. I’m shocked by your current state of mind. You… you probably don’t know the sales figures for Dadi Technology’s Soul of Racing yet, do you?” Liu Ruohan hesitated for a moment before finally speaking her mind.

“I received a text just now. Soul of Racing has surpassed three hundred and ten thousand downloads. With one day’s worth of downloads, it might actually reach eight hundred thousand…” Zhang Yang nodded.

“You aren’t nervous? I remember you seem to have an agreement with the BMW Group,” Liu Ruohan said. Seeing that the calm expression on Zhang Yang’s face didn’t seem faked, she became even more curious.

“Are download numbers meaningful?” Zhang Yang shook his head, taking a sip of coffee with a faint smile.

“But you’re going to lose!” Liu Ruohan said instinctively.

“The world is a bustling place driven by fame and fortune. We need to look past the superficial noise to see the essence of the matter. Essentially, some people are panicking, while others are calm. Temporary success or failure means nothing…”

“Speak like a normal person!” Liu Ruohan felt like Zhang Yang was just putting on airs now.

“Haha, Miss Liu, Dadi Technology can’t afford to lose. Because they can’t afford it, they’re doing everything they can to make their download data look good. At least on paper, they’re betting everything they have to win! But a game, even if you give it a hundred million downloads, what’s the point if no one actually plays it?” Zhang Yang shook his head, his voice full of emotion.

“Zhang Yang, do you really not care about winning or losing?” Liu Ruohan was getting anxious.

She desperately wanted to know his true attitude toward the outcome!

“Miss Liu, the beginning of falling for a man is being curious about him… I can see the curiosity in your eyes…” Zhang Yang didn’t answer her question directly, but instead looked at her intently.

“Zhang Yang!” Liu Ruohan was thin-skinned, and her face instantly turned scalding hot at his words. She glared at him.

“Stay calm, Miss Liu. I’m just stating a fact…” Zhang Yang watched her reaction, his own heart rate steady and his face unbothered.

“Zhang Yang, you really are… I invited you here today to ask about the future reform plans for Mumaen! That is my purpose, so don’t get ahead of yourself.” Liu Ruohan was speechless.

The nerve of this guy!

“I’m not getting ahead of myself. Don’t blush. Your blushing only makes me feel like you’re even more interested in me…” Zhang Yang looked at Liu Ruohan, thinking she looked both beautiful and cute like this. He felt a sudden urge to pat her on the head.

But he ultimately suppressed the thought.

“Zhang Yang, if you keep this up, I’m leaving!” Liu Ruohan finally couldn’t take it anymore.

“Alright, then I’ll briefly discuss the current state of Mumaen. To be honest, I’m not very optimistic about your company’s current situation…” Seeing Liu Ruohan’s expression, Zhang Yang finally stopped his teasing and began to give her a serious, step-by-step analysis.

An hour later…

Zhang Yang and Liu Ruohan walked out of the cafe one after the other.

Liu Ruohan looked at Zhang Yang’s back with a complicated gaze.

Zhang Yang’s series of analyses regarding Mumaen had made her feel very uneasy.

Just as Zhang Yang was about to hail a taxi and leave…

She called out to him.

“Zhang Yang, Soul of Racing has already surpassed four hundred thousand downloads. They’ll catch up to you very soon. Are you really not worried?” She stared at his back.

She desperately wanted to hear the truth!

She really, really wanted to know.

She wanted to know if Zhang Yang was just putting on an act!

“Let the bullets fly for a while².”

“…”

Zhang Yang put his hands in his pockets and continued to play it cool.

…

3:00 PM.

Soul of Racing had already surpassed five hundred thousand downloads!

The data was still skyrocketing!

Breaking eight hundred thousand in a single day was already a reality.

The download count for Road Rash had stalled at 1.1 million. Although it was still increasing, the pace had gradually slowed down.

It had reached a bottleneck.

Many people felt it was a pity to see this figure plateau…

With its current explosive growth rate, it seemed only a matter of time before Soul of Racing caught up to Road Rash.

September 29th.

In just one day…

The download count for Soul of Racing reached a staggering eight hundred and thirty thousand!

Another brand-new record had been set!

It should have been a cause for celebration!

The official channels should have been shouting it from the rooftops, and it wouldn’t have been over the top to invite media reporters for some serious hype. After all, this was another glorious era for domestic single-player games!

But…

The Dadi Technology official website showed no movement at all.

There wasn’t even a single news post or advertisement about breaking the record. It was as if they had gone quiet, seemingly realizing that their victory wasn’t exactly honorable.

In fact…

The word-of-mouth reputation for Soul of Racing was quite poor in the market!

Its rating had plummeted from an initial 9.0 to a mere 6.3…

In contrast, the rating for Road Rash had remained steady at around 9.2!

It was as solid as a rock!

The truth was…

The greater the expectations, the greater the disappointment that followed.

To some extent, the technical quality of Soul of Racing was actually quite good in terms of backgrounds, music, and special effects.

These could be considered first-class, and some aspects were even more impressive than Road Rash.

Unfortunately…

The gameplay was far too simplistic.

Compared to the staggering download numbers, their actual gameplay was a massive disappointment.

It was stuck in the racing concepts of the NES era.

There were collisions between cars and championship races, but everything was restricted to a single track against AI. They hadn’t even opened up local area networks or the concept of competing on the same stage.

In terms of game mechanics and reputation, it was far inferior to Road Rash.

There weren’t many players shouting curses.

Nor were there many long-winded essays from players venting their frustrations…

There was only silent disappointment and departure.

Of course…

Most people were just downloading it like they were completing a quest. After downloading and registering, they would delete the game and head back to War of Warcraft to claim their cosmetic items…

They had absolutely no interest in the game itself.

On the contrary, in the internet cafes…

More and more people were playing Road Rash!

At a single glance…

You could always see groups of three or five players gathered together…

Their faces were bright with smiles, full of excitement and passion…

…

Inside the BMW Huaxia branch office.

Smith’s gaze was complex.

He had indeed received a very impressive set of download data…

However, this data truly had no commercial value!

According to his investigation, while the downloads were staggering, the retention rate was abysmal. With such a terrible retention rate, the actual promotional effect…

It was plain to see for anyone in the know.

Knock, knock, knock.

He heard a knock at the door.

Then…

Qian Liang walked in.

“Mr. Smith, who would you say won this outcome?” Qian Liang looked at Smith.

“I don’t know…” Smith shook his head.

“I hope headquarters can take everything into consideration… and not just focus blindly on download data!” Qian Liang sighed. “What is the point of such fake data?”

“I know…” Smith nodded.

He had called headquarters immediately…

Soon after…

Headquarters had quickly given him a reply.

After seeing the reply, Smith glanced at Qian Liang.

…

Universe Technology.

September 29th.

Soul of Racing surpassed the download count of Road Rash, reaching 1.4 million.

This was a shocking figure.

When everyone saw this data, a sense of powerlessness washed over them.

“It’s not time for the final result yet, is it?”

“Was the contract signed for the download count within two days of a game’s release?”

“I think so…”

“Then… we…”

“…”

Disappointment!

Everyone at Universe Technology was utterly disappointed.

Some of the girls even started crying on the spot. They had worked so hard for so long, fully expecting to topple a giant, but they never expected this kind of ending!

It was a bitter pill to swallow!

It was truly hard to accept!

They felt they had lost!

Zhao Hang, Zhong Chongwen, and the others remained silent. They were all adults, and while they were usually strong, a breaking point can come in an instant…

Closing their eyes.

All they could think about was their day-and-night efforts turning into nothing but bubbles…

“Why is it like this!”

“How can it be like this? This is cheating!”

“These are fake downloads! How can they do this!”

“Waaaah…”

“…”

Right at that moment…

Zhang Yang walked in from outside. Seeing everyone’s expressions, he looked a bit bewildered.

“What’s with those looks on your faces?”

“It’s not the end of the world…”

“Do you guys still want your bonuses or not?”

“…”

Looking at Zhang Yang’s smile.

Everyone felt even worse.

Bonuses…

What was the point of bonuses now?

“No way? You guys actually think we lost? How is that possible? Not only did BMW Technology send us five million dollars, but they also added another two million dollars in game investment… Didn’t you guys want to buy BMWs? The BMW company agreed to give us a ten percent discount. Do you want your bonuses in cash, or should we just give you a BMW?”

“What?”

When everyone heard Zhang Yang suddenly say this, they were all shocked.

Could it be that they…

“That’s right! We successfully slayed the god!” Zhang Yang looked at everyone with a smile. “BMW Technology isn’t stupid. What use is fake download data to them? What’s the point if there’s no active user base?”

“Then…”

“Alright, alright! Even though we won, there is still a bit of a lingering bad taste in my mouth. So, I’m giving everyone a week off. After that week, you can relax however you like, but then the new game goes on the schedule. This time, we are going to use real player data to crush Dadi Technology’s fake numbers! We will beat them until they’re begging for mercy!” Zhang Yang narrowed his eyes as he looked at the Sunflower on the windowsill.

………………….

“What?!”

“This game isn’t even over yet…”

“Zhang Yang fucking announced the next game already?”

“Does this guy really have a damn system or something?!”

“Damn!”

“Can his logistics department even handle this?”

“…”

Dadi Technology!

Ding Ziguang had barely managed to save a shred of dignity with those download numbers, but when he heard the inside scoop, his eyes widened in shock!

It was like a bolt from the blue, leaving him completely numb!

(End of Chapter)

Translator’s Notes