Why Can’t I Make Games C05
by MarineTLChapter 5: Savior
Night had fallen.
The clamor outside the house had finally settled into silence.
As a recent college graduate, Zhong Chongwen was riding an emotional roller coaster.
He tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
Outside the window of the old house, the moonlight spilled across the landscape, bright and clear. Yet the light felt quiet, lonely, and distant, shrouding the horizon in an endless mystery that led to parts unknown.
This day…!
He had experienced so much.
There was the anticipation and outlook for his upcoming career, followed by the heavy blows of reality and the deep-seated insecurity and disappointment regarding his physical disability…
And finally…
He had heard Zhang Yang’s seductive, intoxicating words. In the depths of despair, those words had suddenly made his blood boil, filling him with a fighting spirit.
Even now, looking back on it, he still felt a sense of feverish excitement.
In truth.
Who living in this world didn’t want to be recognized?
Who didn’t want to be respected?
“I think this feels a bit like a pyramid scheme scam1…” On the other side of the broken wooden bed, Zhao Hang suddenly spoke up. His voice then took on a complex tone. “If I really can’t make it here in Yanjing, maybe I should just leave…”
Zhao Hang had experienced the cold indifference of the world since he was a child.
In a sense, he had always maintained a level of vigilance toward human nature.
When chatting with Zhang Yang earlier, Zhang Yang had made his blood pump, making him want to charge forward blindly!
But once he calmed down, his reason eventually regained the upper hand.
Dreams were brilliant and ideas were beautiful, but reality…
Zhang Yang’s approach was undoubtedly an attempt to get something for nothing. No matter how grandly he spoke, they were still faced with several undeniable problems…
“He has no money, no technology, and doesn’t even understand basic programming. There isn’t a single high-end computer in this house. Even the mouse isn’t an optical one; it’s one of those old ones with a trackball… We all know those are obsolete!” Zhao Hang’s frown deepened. “We might be fresh out of college, but we aren’t three-year-olds. A hundred thousand yuan annual salary sounds tempting, but how is he going to pay it? If he had that much money, why was he out looking for a job this morning?”
“Yeah, it does seem that way…”
“How about this: let’s wait for a call from the other places. I’m a bit skeptical about that phone recording now. I think that kind of thing can be faked…”
“Mm.”
The earlier passion in Zhong Chongwen’s heart was instantly doused like a bucket of cold water had been thrown over him.
Reality eclipsed all fantasy.
It felt as though a dream had shattered.
Thinking carefully, he realized Zhao Hang was right.
They had only just met Zhang Yang…
Zhang Yang seemed very honest with them.
But…
All that honesty was built on the premise that he had tricked them into coming here in the first place.
A hundred thousand yuan salary?
One of the world’s top ten game companies?
Which of those wasn’t just a rosy picture? Which wasn’t just a load of nonsense?
He looked around the dilapidated room.
…………………………………………
Early morning.
When Zhang Yang woke up, he saw that the room next door was empty.
Then, he found a letter.
The letter read: “Sorry, after much consideration, we’ve decided to wait for a call from the other side…”
Zhang Yang’s expression momentarily froze. He stared at the doorway, remaining silent for a long time.
Eventually, he let out a small, accepting smile.
A ray of sunlight hit his face.
He wasn’t disappointed.
He had long been mentally prepared for many things.
After all…
What right did he have to make them believe in him?
Why should they believe him?
No matter how well he spoke or how grand the promises he made, it didn’t change the fact that he currently had nothing.
People needed to eat!
Zhang Yang sighed helplessly, patted his empty stomach, and turned to brew a pack of instant noodles. He then began to contemplate his next move.
The problem standing before him remained the same!
Money!
Money makes the world go round, and without it…
What could you even do?
“It’s 2005 in this world. How can I make money?”
“2005 is such an awkward era… The internet isn’t developed yet. There are no so-called influencers, just a bunch of kids in the non-mainstream subculture2. There’s no such thing as ‘traffic stars3‘ yet. However, domestic knock-off phones4 are starting to sprout. In the future, a group of tech companies making knock-off phones will emerge.”
“Right now, the main trend is TV shopping. Online shopping exists, but it isn’t widespread yet.”
“But all of that is too far away from me. Even if I wanted to sell something, I’d need startup capital…”
“I could be a copycat author5 or songwriter, but the problem is, I only remember how the songs go. I have no idea how to arrange music or write out the lyrics…”
“Even if I wrote them, no one would probably pay attention to me. I don’t have the connections…”
“In reality, I can only focus on doing one thing well for now: standing at the forefront of the gaming industry!”
“…”
Zhang Yang sat in the room, deep in thought for a long time.
Finally, he stood up and let out a long breath.
He walked to the desk on an empty stomach. After a moment of hesitation, he pulled out a notebook, flipped it open, and looked at his plan.
“Step one: Make a game!”
“Step two: Sell the game!”
“Step three: Make money!”
“…”
When he looked at the “make a game” section, he narrowed his eyes, looking at the categories: design, art, programming, operations…
These were the steps.
He slowly broke these steps down.
In truth, aside from the knowledge of future games from his original world and a general idea of the trends for the next few years, he had nothing. He didn’t actually understand the technical side of anything.
His mood sank once more.
But after a long while, his gaze shifted to the words “Register a Company” written further up.
He squinted.
When he opened his eyes again, his gaze was filled with determination, and a slight curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.
“I’ll take this path!”
Then, he pulled out a resume that had been taped back together.
After watching for a while, he showed a slight smile.
……………………………………………………
“Sorry, we’ve already filled all the positions.”
“Sorry, why don’t you try some other companies?”
“Hello, Mr. Zhong. Do you have an appointment? If you don’t have an appointment, please leave…”
“…”
The day after the job fair ended.
Zhong Chongwen and Zhao Hang did not receive any phone calls.
Still clinging to a final shred of hope, they personally visited several of those companies.
But in the end, as the sun dipped below the horizon, all they had gained was a sense of loss and disappointment.
Sitting at the entrance of a major corporation, they watched the sea of people not far away…
Everyone seemed so busy, each with their own purpose and tasks to attend to.
Meanwhile, the two of them felt like outcasts, people who simply weren’t accepted by this city.
“He didn’t lie to us!”
Once his disappointment became absolute, Zhao Hang suddenly lowered his head, recalling the words Zhang Yang had spoken to them, and…
That recording.
Every word in that recording pierced through their hearts.
At this moment, he felt as if he had swallowed gall, his heart filled with an unbearable bitterness.
As for Zhong Chongwen, he kept his head down, remaining silent the entire time.
The fire in his heart continued to burn, and he gritted his teeth.
“Might as well… might as well just… just follow Zhang Yang and work for him!”
That was exactly what he was thinking.
But now…
He felt that going back like this would be a total loss of face, and there was no guarantee Zhang Yang would even want him anymore.
Just as his mind was racing with stray thoughts, filled with the fear of gain and loss…
“A weakness of human nature is that people won’t turn back until they hit a dead end.”
“Many things are driven by loss aversion…”
“After studying hard for so many years, everyone wants a mentor who appreciates their talent6. Everyone wants to enter a big company, because only a big company can provide the stage to truly show what they’re capable of!”
“But…”
“…”
He suddenly heard a familiar voice.
He looked up sharply.
He saw Zhao Hang staring blankly in one direction, his eyes filled with a complex range of emotions.
Under the setting sun, Zhang Yang was chewing gum and carrying a briefcase, walking toward them one step at a time.
Clad in the glow of the sunset, he seemed to radiate a faint light.
“Believe me now?”
“B-Brother Zhang, how… why are you here?”
“Oh, I came over to register the company and interview another colleague on the way. His name is Wu Zhuang… oh, here he comes.”
Zhang Yang then turned his head to look in the other direction. A large, honest-looking man holding a resume was walking toward him step by step.
“Are you two sure you want to keep sitting here feeling sorry for yourselves and complaining about the unfairness of the world, or are you going to get in the car with me and return to the company for a last-ditch battle7?”
“…”
A taxi pulled up to the curb.
Zhang Yang sat in the passenger seat, looking at the two of them…
On this day.
Under a sky filled with evening clouds.
The business license8 for Universe Technology swayed in Zhang Yang’s hand…
The two of them subconsciously followed him…
After getting into the car, Zhao Hang’s emotions remained incredibly complicated.
For some reason, he felt as if everything he thought or did had been predicted by this young man, who wasn’t much older than himself.
“President Zhang, how did you know we would be sitting here?”
“That’s just how the weaknesses of human nature9 work… however, now isn’t the time to discuss that. Take a look at our company’s first game planning proposal…”
“Huh?”
“…”
Zhao Hang and Zhong Chongwen were handed a proposal.
When they saw the contents of this plan, their eyes widened in shock!
(End of Chapter)
Translator’s Notes
- pyramid scheme scam: Refers to “chuanxiao” (传销), a notorious form of multi-level marketing in China that often involves coercion, brainwashing, and illegal detention. It is a common fear for job seekers, especially recent graduates, who are frequently targeted by such predatory schemes. ↩
- non-mainstream subculture: Refers to “Feizhuliu” (非主流), a prominent youth subculture in mid-2000s China characterized by exaggerated hairstyles, emo-inspired fashion, and stylized internet slang. It was often viewed with disdain by the older generation. ↩
- traffic stars: Refers to “liuliang mingxing” (流量明星), a modern Chinese term for celebrities whose popularity is driven primarily by massive social media engagement and fan data (“traffic”) rather than professional accolades or artistic merit. ↩
- knock-off phones: Refers to “Shanzhai” (山寨) phones. In the mid-2000s, China saw a boom in these low-cost, unbranded, or imitation mobile devices. The term eventually evolved to describe a broader culture of imitation and grassroots innovation in Chinese manufacturing. ↩
- copycat author: A reference to the ‘wenchaogong’ trope common in Chinese ‘rebirth’ or ‘transmigration’ fiction. It describes a protagonist who uses their knowledge of the future to ‘copy’ and profit from famous literary or musical works that have not yet been created in their current timeline. ↩
- mentor who appreciates their talent: This translates the Chinese name ‘Bole,’ a legendary figure famous for his ability to identify ‘thousand-li horses’ (exceptional horses that can run vast distances). In Chinese culture, it refers to a person with the insight to recognize and nurture hidden talent in others. ↩
- last-ditch battle: This translates the idiom bèishuǐ-yīzhàn, literally ‘to fight a battle with one’s back to the river.’ It refers to a famous tactic by the Han dynasty general Han Xin, who intentionally left his army no way to retreat, forcing them to fight with total desperation. It signifies a situation where failure is not an option. ↩
- business license: In China, the yíngyè zhízhào (business license) is a physical certificate issued by the government. Receiving this document is a major symbolic milestone for a startup, as it represents the official legal birth of the company and the point at which it can legally conduct business. ↩
- weaknesses of human nature: This phrase (rénxìng de ruòdiǎn) is the Chinese title of Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People. Its use here suggests Zhang Yang is applying principles of popular psychology and ‘successology’—a common theme in Chinese business literature—to motivate his new recruits. ↩
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