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    Why Can’t I Make Games

    Why Can’t I Make Games C07

    by MarineTL

    Chapter 7: The Greatest Difficulty

    “Can your game really make money?”

    “We’ve already signed the agreement, what do you think?”

    “Then when will your game be released?”

    “Soon, in the next day or two… The more people who play this game, the more money you’ll be able to make…”

    “Fine!”

    “…”

    After signing the agreement, the driver, Chen Shou, was still somewhat skeptical.

    However…

    After seeing Zhang Yang’s very serious expression, the driver stared at the contract for a while longer.

    It was called a contract, but in reality, it looked more like a signed poster.

    On the poster, several lines were written.

    “Universe Technology’s First Season 1 Game Tournament, Starting Soon!”

    “First Place Prize: 30,000 RMB!”

    “Anyone who completes side mission game tasks will receive an equivalent cash reward, with a maximum reward of 10,000 RMB!”

    “If the first-place winner also completes all side mission tasks, an additional 20,000 RMB will be awarded on top of the 30,000 RMB base!”

    “…”

    “…”

    On the final page of the various clauses, Zhang Yang had pasted a photocopy of his own ID card1 to show his sincerity.

    The driver, Chen Shou, compared the photo to Zhang Yang several times before finally nodding.

    He didn’t think Zhang Yang looked like a scammer. Besides, even if it was a scam, it was only five yuan. It didn’t seem to matter much, and risking five yuan for a shot at thirty thousand RMB was definitely worth a try!

    He would just treat it like buying a five-yuan pack of cigarettes…

    Immediately, the way he looked at Zhang Yang began to grow fervent.

    He felt a surge of eagerness in his heart.

    “The more people play this game, the more money we make. But how do we earn it?”

    “Downloading the game requires a five-yuan top-up. However, if you invite ten people to download the game and enter the tournament, that money is refunded. If you invite twenty people, our company will give you a ten-yuan kickback2. For someone like you, Master3, you pick up so many passengers every day. Inviting twenty people a day shouldn’t be a problem at all, right? Just think of it as earning some extra cash on the side!”

    “Really?”

    “Absolutely. To show my sincerity, I’ve even photocopied my ID. You can look me up whenever you want… Honestly, I just want to promote our game. We want to create one of the top games in the world, but because our company was just founded and our visibility is too low, we’ve had to resort to this strategy!”

    “Alright!”

    The taxi arrived.

    They had reached their destination.

    Zhang Yang and the driver, Chen Shou, exchanged contact information and waved goodbye.

    The sun had already set.

    The afterglow of the sunset reflected upon the world…

    Zhang Yang looked up, silently watching the twilight, as if appreciating the beauty before the fall of night.

    A gust of wind blew past…

    Standing beside him, Zhong Chongwen and Zhao Hang were still immersed in the conversation they had just overheard between Zhang Yang and the driver.

    At first, they thought Zhang Yang had gone mad.

    But…

    After mulling it over a few times and truly understanding the logic, a shiver ran through the depths of their hearts for no apparent reason.

    It felt as if they were entering a trap.

    A trap that seemed full of calculations regarding human nature.

    Meanwhile, the tall Wu Zhuang, standing behind Zhang Yang, looked on with eyes that grew increasingly fanatical.

    The first time Zhang Yang met him was at a job fair.

    Zhang Yang had spoken some blood-pumping words to him.

    His blood had surged…

    And it hadn’t settled for a long time!

    The next time he saw Zhang Yang was after he had been rejected by a company, walking out the door with his head hanging low and his resume in hand.

    He had felt that the vast city of Yanjing was full of nothing but obstacles.

    Then, he saw a smiling Zhang Yang holding that very resume, which had been taped back together.

    It had previously been thrown into the trash by those people.

    But Zhang Yang had picked it up and mended it.

    At that moment, he had been speechless!

    Under the twilight.

    Zhang Yang’s shadow was stretched very, very long by the setting sun.

    They looked at Zhang Yang.

    “This is a good era… everything is flourishing…”

    “If I had two hectares of land in Luoyang, how could I have worn the seals of the prime ministers of six states4?”

    Zhang Yang suddenly spoke these words.

    They were full of sighs and reflection, yet devoid of the bitterness of unrecognized talent.

    Then, he took out a piece of gum, chewed it, and looked ahead.

    A journey of a thousand li5 begins with a single step.

    He possessed a certain confidence.

    This confidence came from his very bones, from the depths of his soul.

    He felt that by taking this first step, he had already set foot on the path to success.

    As night fell over the brilliantly lit city…

    He chewed his gum, sitting by the roadside, quietly watching the people coming and going on the distant street…

    Tall buildings stood before him, and luxury cars passed him by.

    In the future…

    The path he walked would be the brand-new history of Huaxia’s gaming industry!

    …

    Inside the rental house.

    Three computers were set up.

    The brands were different, and their ages varied…

    Clearly, they were the ones the team had brought themselves…

    Everyone was busy.

    Zhao Hang was responsible for the art textures, while Zhong Chongwen was in charge of programming according to the design documents.

    Wu Zhuang was researching the current Yanjing market, constantly searching for information on major game companies.

    They were full of ambition…

    From the very beginning, their goal was to become one of the top three game companies in Huaxia.

    Not far away.

    Zhang Yang continued to write design documents and future plans.

    The room was silent.

    He was the maker of all the rules.

    Life was like a game.

    And he was currently playing that game…

    When midnight arrived.

    Zhang Yang heard the sound of a computer keyboard stopping.

    Then, he saw Zhong Chongwen stand up.

    “Old Zhong6, what’s wrong?”

    “Brother Zhang… President Zhang, I feel like… is this a bit… dull? What is the point of us developing this game…”

    Zhong Chongwen took a deep breath.

    He had previously called Zhang Yang “Brother Zhang,” but later, after hearing that Zhang Yang was even younger than him, he had been quite shocked.

    Even now, he still wasn’t quite used to the title.

    At this moment, he felt a flicker of hesitation.

    When his blood cooled and he truly began designing the game…

    Both he and Zhao Hang felt an indescribable sensation.

    The programming for this game, titled Desert Bicycle7, wasn’t difficult.

    In fact, it wasn’t just easy…

    It was incredibly simple. In a single night, they could finish the code and the entire game project.

    A random weather system, a day-night cycle, cactus textures, desert textures, and a small program for random events.

    When broken down, those were the only real components.

    In just three hours.

    Zhao Hang had already mapped out the entire framework.

    When they actually started the test run, he felt the game was somewhat tedious and the scenery was far too repetitive…

    For eight whole hours, you had to stare at the screen and hold down the arrow keys to deal with random sandstorms while steering the bicycle forward. If your mind wandered for even a second, the bike would veer off course, and there was no coming back.

    Anything else?

    There was nothing else.

    “A bit tedious?”

    Zhang Yang burst into laughter when he saw the frustrated look on Zhong Chongwen’s face.

    “Yes,” Zhong Chongwen nodded.

    To someone like him who had played many single-player games, this game was indeed very boring.

    “You’re a developer. As a developer, you’ll feel the program you’ve made is too simple. However, you shouldn’t look at yourself as a game developer. If you think of yourself as a gambler, then everything changes.”

    “Huh?”

    “Gamers all have a competitive streak. Online, this is a relatively simple pastime, but in the real world, the milestones in this game are filled with various small rewards, and there’s even a leaderboard!”

    “…”

    “This is my game operations plan. By the way, I want to create a Universe Technology game platform. I want this game to be downloaded from there…”

    “…”

    Zhang Yang handed a proposal to Zhong Chongwen.

    Zhong Chongwen took it, and after reading through, he looked at Zhang Yang with sudden astonishment.

    Then, he nodded, turned back to his seat, and resumed his rhythmic typing on the keyboard.

    As for Zhang Yang…

    He remained silent for a long while before lowering his head to call an advertising agency.

    ……………………….

    “You can make money playing games? Is this for real? It’s not a scam, is it? Where in the world do you get a free lunch like that?”

    “I think it’s a scam too, but it only costs five yuan to download the game, so it doesn’t hurt to participate. Besides, the guy posted his ID card. I verified it, and it’s legitimate. I also looked up that Universe Technology company, and it actually exists. By the way, isn’t our son obsessed with that StarCraft game lately? He’s playing games anyway, so why not let him try this? It’s all the same in the end… and he might even make some money.”

    “Fine! But Old Chen, do you really think we can get that thirty thousand RMB reward?”

    “I doubt we’ll get the thirty thousand, but our family should be able to make a few dozen yuan. We’ll just treat it as extra pocket money.”

    “Then should I tell my brother and the others? If we bring in more people, can we get it for free?”

    “Yeah, that’s what the contract I signed says. Look for yourself if you don’t believe me. If you’re still skeptical, I’ll find some time tomorrow to visit their company…”

    “…”

    In a single night.

    The taxi driver, Chen Shou, and his family mobilized all their resources and started making calls.

    Early the next morning.

    Chen Shou called Zhang Yang, saying he would drop by the company when he had a moment…

    After hanging up, he headed out in his taxi to look for fares.

    ……………………….

    Meanwhile, after Zhang Yang took the call…

    He looked at the dilapidated room and the landlord who was currently pounding on the door, demanding rent. He fell into deep thought.

    At this moment, he was facing the greatest challenge of his life.

    A single penny could break a hero’s back8.

    A tech company needed to look the part…

    Clothes make the man, just as gold leaf makes the Buddha9.

    Even a shell company10 needed a respectable facade.

    If Chen Shou came here and saw this run-down shack, it would undoubtedly be the end!

    A poor soul living in a place like this…

    How could he possibly have the money to pay out rewards?

    Wouldn’t that be a scam?

    In an instant, his credibility would plummet.

    “Zhang Yang!”

    “Today is the last day!”

    “Are you going to keep renting or not? Give me a straight answer!”

    “I’ve given you enough time! If you’re not staying, pack your things early. I have guests coming to see the place this afternoon!”

    “…”

    Zhang Yang hesitated for a moment.

    Then, his eyes narrowed as he pushed open the door.

    He looked at the landlord.

    How could he convince the landlord not only to stop asking for rent, but to give him a better, cleaner storefront instead?

    (End of Chapter)

    Translator’s Notes

    1. ID card: In China, the Resident Identity Card (身份证) is the primary form of legal identification. Providing a photocopy of this card is a significant gesture of trust and sincerity, as it contains sensitive personal data like a permanent ID number and home address, making it easy for authorities or individuals to locate the person in case of a dispute or fraud. ↩
    2. kickback: Here it means a referral rebate or commission paid for bringing in new users, not an illicit bribe. The scheme is that each new downloader you recruit can earn you money back from the company. ↩
    3. Master: A translation of the Chinese honorific shifu (师傅), which is a standard polite way to address taxi drivers, craftsmen, or skilled workers. It denotes professional respect rather than a master-servant relationship or a teacher in a martial arts or academic sense. ↩
    4. If I had two hectares of land in Luoyang, how could I have worn the seals of the prime ministers of six states: A famous quote by Su Qin, a strategist from the Warring States period. After failing his initial ventures and being shamed by his family, he eventually rose to become the chancellor of six different states. The quote means that his grand achievements were driven by the desperation of having no small plot of land to fall back on. ↩
    5. thousand li: A reference to the famous proverb from the Tao Te Ching: “A journey of a thousand li begins with a single step.” A li (里) is a traditional Chinese unit of distance, historically roughly 500 meters, used here to emphasize the start of a long, ambitious endeavor. ↩
    6. Old Zhong: The prefix “Old” (老, lǎo) is a common Chinese honorific used before a surname to address friends, colleagues, or acquaintances. It signifies familiarity and respect, and does not necessarily imply that the person is elderly. ↩
    7. Desert Bicycle: This game is a parody of Desert Bus, a real-world cult classic “anti-game.” Known for being intentionally tedious, it requires players to drive in real-time for eight hours across a desert with no pause and constant minor steering corrections, serving here as a specific genre trope of “boring” but challenging gameplay. ↩
    8. A single penny could break a hero’s back: A translation of the Chinese idiom yi wen qian nandao yingxiong han. It illustrates how even a person of great talent or ‘heroic’ stature can be rendered helpless by a trivial lack of money. It emphasizes the grounding and often humiliating reality of financial hardship. ↩
    9. Clothes make the man, just as gold leaf makes the Buddha: This proverb (ren kao yizhuang, fo kao jinzhuang) stresses that outward appearances are vital for gaining respect and credibility. Just as a Buddha statue requires gold leaf to appear divine, a person or business needs a professional exterior to be taken seriously in a social or commercial context. ↩
    10. shell company: The term used here corresponds to the Chinese concept of a pibao gongsi or ‘briefcase company.’ This refers to a business that lacks physical assets or a permanent office, operating only out of a briefcase. It implies a fly-by-night or fraudulent operation that relies on a professional-looking facade to appear legitimate. ↩

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