Chapter 102: Can You Stop the Torrent?

Time is like a river.

It never stops.

The same is true for eras.

No matter how you try to obstruct it, you cannot stop the dawn of a new era, much less its forward march!

This was true for Song Chaoyang of Yinlun Game Technology, Liu Zhongshan of Mumaen, Xu Hailong of Shengteng Technology, and countless other game companies across Huaxia, large and small.

Overnight…

News from America reached their ears.

Upon hearing the news, they were left speechless.

They had thought that by sealing the doors and windows, Zhang Yang would be trapped inside, forced to pace the room until he suffocated.

But in their wildest dreams, they never imagined that Zhang Yang would simply tear the whole house down and walk out with a swagger to greet the brilliant sunlight outside.

All they could see now was his receding back.

Song Chaoyang spent the entire day in a daze.

Later, he noticed that the employees in various departments were becoming distracted. He wasn’t sure if it was just an illusion, but he felt many of them were looking at him with strange expressions.

As if they were looking at a loser…

As if their work no longer required the same level of dedication as before.

The looks from his employees were becoming unbearable for Song Chaoyang. In a sense, his subordinates were no longer as obedient as they once were.

Recalling the expressions of those who had come to resign just a few days ago made him feel a wave of nausea.

Although he had eventually kept them by offering raises and making them sign non-compete agreements^[1], those agreements felt like a double-edged sword that hurt both parties.

“Even if they really resign, you still have to provide them with a certain amount of compensation.”

“A non-compete agreement without compensation is just a scrap of paper!”

“…”

That was what his lawyer had told him.

……………………

“Dad!”

“A long, long time ago, Zhang Yang told me he hoped we could act as an intermediary to help publish his games abroad. At that time, we would have had a profit-sharing partnership. I had even found the companies and was just waiting for your approval. What did you say?”

“You said you would handle it, that publishing deals aren’t something that can be done in a few days or months, that there were too many details in the middle…”

“When I called them just now, I realized you never did anything. Not only did you not do it, you didn’t even have a single conversation with those companies. You were lying to me the whole time, treating me like a child…”

“Dad, what is wrong with you?”

“I know you’re autocratic, but have you ever considered the future of this company?”

“…”

November 15th.

A set of data struck Liu Zhongshan’s heart like a sledgehammer, nearly causing his heart to stop.

In just two days, the downloads for Plants vs. Zombies in Huaxia had exceeded 1.5 million!

Paid downloads for Plants vs. Zombies in America had surpassed 230,000 copies, and according to surveys, the game was trending toward becoming a craze in the States!

Once, everyone on the internet thought Zhang Yang was just taking a shortcut by relying on the free-to-play model.

Many people used to think Zhang Yang only relied on marketing gimmicks to hype up a game…

But now!

One hit game after another and the genuine praise from players were like slaps to their faces. The slaps were loud, shattering even the last shred of wishful thinking in their hearts. Liu Ruohan burst into the office, completely disregarding the fact that he was her father and she was his daughter.

She stomped her foot at Liu Zhongshan, her beautiful eyes brimming with tears of frustration.

In her heart, her father had once been a man of great vision and talent. In a wild, unrefined era, he had risen rapidly, using his sharp eyes to bet everything on the agency rights^[2] for Legend, subsequently building the glory of Mumaen Technology.

She had idolized her father since childhood, viewing him as a god!

It was only after returning from abroad that she realized her father was just an ordinary man…

And now, she realized even more that her father was a narrow-minded, money-grubbing businessman who lacked long-term vision.

Liu Ruohan was disappointed!

At this moment, she was utterly disillusioned.

“You don’t understand business matters,” Liu Zhongshan said. He waited for Liu Ruohan to finish her outburst before looking up at her and letting out a long, weary sigh.

“I don’t understand? Then do you think Zhang Yang understands? Zhang Yang has created so many things; does he not understand business?” Liu Ruohan shot back.

“He… I don’t know how to describe him… this person… is actually a bit terrifying. So terrifying that it feels abnormal.” After speaking, Liu Zhongshan stared silently into the distance, saying no more.

In truth…

At this moment, as he recalled everything about Zhang Yang, he couldn’t help but feel a chill run down his spine.

In a short span of just over five months.

Starting with nothing, he had stirred up a storm of blood and fire^[3] in the Huaxia gaming circle…

Crucially, his creativity seemed as though it would never run dry. Every idea he brought out was a brilliant one that seemed to grasp the very pulse of the era!

Once or twice might be normal. Three or four times could be a mix of luck and skill. But what about more than five times?

Starting from the educational version of God of Conquest.

Many businesses seemed to have been inspired, flocking to television stations to run advertisements for various learning machines…

Though the specific tactics varied, they all followed Zhang Yang’s template without exception.

At the same time…

Starting from the massive success of the Phelps Phone in November!

Infomercials began appearing on every major television station.

Although the products being sold were diverse, the tactics used in these infomercials followed the same template as the learning machines, mirroring Zhang Yang’s style…

Every single one of them shouted the same lines: “Not 2888, but only 998! Only 888!^[4]“

Furthermore, according to his investigation.

Down in Guangdong^[5], many manufacturers of waterproof phones and loud-speaker phones had already set their sights on television shopping and were beginning to negotiate contracts with TV stations.

At this moment…

He had to admit that Zhang Yang was a commercial genius!

The man was a genius, and he made her feel as if Zhang Yang didn’t belong to this era at all!

“Dad, you’re afraid! It’s not just you; every other game company in Huaxia is terrified…”

“…” Liu Zhongshan remained silent.

“You’re afraid he’ll steal your slice of the pie, so you’re all trying to crush him. But have you ever considered who is actually responsible for all of this?”

“…”

“A market doesn’t decline because of one person’s rise. On the contrary, it flourishes. The market gets bigger! Before Zhang Yang, whose game ever sold over two hundred thousand copies in America? Before him, which of your games ever held a commanding lead in the TCA player voting phase?”

“…”

“Wake up. You can’t stop it. None of you can!”

“…”

Liu Ruohan stared at Liu Zhongshan.

In this moment, she poured out everything she had been holding deep inside. Her voice grew increasingly sharp, like a blade stabbing ruthlessly into Liu Zhongshan’s chest.

Liu Zhongshan said nothing, unable to find a single word of rebuttal. He simply stared out the window.

Outside the office, Liu Yun, the head of Human Resources, stood with a pale face. She kept her head bowed the entire time, her mind a terrifying blank.

She had never seen the young lady of Mumaen fly into such a rage!

Even more shocking, she had never seen the usually domineering President Liu be lectured like this.

Inside the office.

After Liu Ruohan finished her outburst, she felt exhausted.

She sat down across from Liu Zhongshan.

“So, what do you want?” Liu Zhongshan finally spoke.

“Dad, with the company in your hands, there is only a dead end or decline. Zhang Yang told me that your monetization policies for Legend are all wrong-completely and utterly wrong. Even though Legend is still popular now, the hidden dangers are already there. For our new game, Legendary World, we can have microtransactions, but we can’t destroy our reputation with the general public. We can’t let the game become nothing more than a tool to harvest players… At the same time, Zhang Yang’s games have given us a lot of inspiration. The concept of Tower Defense can be deepened and can spawn many different types of games…”

“Go on,” Liu Zhongshan said, his eyes fixed on Liu Ruohan.

“For example, a game like War of Warcraft. We can try to fight for it. The online version has already been licensed to Dadi Technology, but there’s another version based on the Tower Defense modification. We could collaborate with the American company Tyrannosaurus to develop it…”

“What other version?”

“A map-based defense combat game^[6]!” Liu Ruohan said the words slowly as she watched Liu Zhongshan.

“Did Zhang Yang tell you this?”

“No, Zhang Yang didn’t tell me. I thought of it suddenly while playing Plants vs. Zombies! Dad, Zhang Yang isn’t bringing pressure to Huaxia’s games; he’s bringing new concepts, a new era. What he’s bringing is a gold mine!”

“I suppose I’m getting old.”

Liu Zhongshan looked at Liu Ruohan.

He suddenly lowered his head with a bitter smile.

“Then you have to delegate power to me!”

“You can’t manage this company…”

“But at least it’s better than watching it decline in your hands!” Liu Ruohan stared back at him.

“…”

…

Shengteng Technology.

Xu Hailong held a stack of documents and knocked on the door to the office of Ma Teng, the boss of Shengteng Technology’s headquarters.

Ma Teng wore glasses and looked refined, even a bit delicate.

“Mr. Ma… this is the report on our gaming industry branch. Please have a look.”

“Mr. Xu, have a seat first.”

“Alright.”

After seeing Xu Hailong, Ma Teng nodded slightly and gestured for him to sit.

It was only after Xu Hailong had been sitting for a while that Ma Teng finally pulled himself away from his work.

He took the industry report and studied it for a long time.

Then, he looked up.

“This time at TCA, the game Battlefield is very impressive. It’s foreseeable that this game will explode in popularity in the future. Tell the R&D department that this will be our key project for next year…”

“What about the legal department…”

“They’re fine. Just do it. We’ll deal with it once it’s made.”

“Understood.”

“Also… you handled the Road Rash matter very poorly. We are Huaxian; we aren’t like the Americans. Tripping people up behind their backs isn’t our style.” Ma Teng looked up, his glasses catching a glint of sunlight. “Blocking someone else’s path is blocking our own. I hope you understand that. A qualified leader cannot be so narrow-minded.”

“I… I understand.” Caught in Ma Teng’s gaze, Xu Hailong felt a sudden chill run down his spine. He nodded subconsciously.

“The game Road Rash is good, you understand?”

“But with so many people reporting it, the game…”

“That’s not my problem, it’s yours. How exactly you modify it is your business. I only care about the results.”

“As for Zhang Yang, things are the same as before…”

“Zhang Yang is a special case. He’s a real character, and I admire him. I will personally call him to ask for licensing. If possible, we can develop together and engage in healthy competition. This market has always been vast.”

“Oh, alright.”

“And one more thing… Mr. Xu.”

“Yes?”

“You decide what to do about your bonus this year. It’s true that many things shouldn’t be said openly, but Shengteng Technology needs to show some form of accountability. Do you understand?” Ma Teng looked at him calmly.

“I understand…”

“Zhang Yang… he’s only in his twenties, right? Very young…”

“Yes.”

“My daughter is eighteen. She’s coming back soon, too.”

“Huh?” Xu Hailong was stunned.

“It’s nothing… just talking to myself.”

Xu Hailong nodded.

Even though Ma Teng spoke softly, even gently, for some reason Xu Hailong felt a suffocating pressure that made it hard to breathe.

…

The evening of October 15th!

Everyone at Universe Technology heard a piece of news!

The American company UC Technology was sending representatives specifically to Huaxia to discuss the export of Huaxian games to the United States.

Word was spreading…

The ratings for several of their company’s games were incredibly high!

UC Games was extremely satisfied!

Upon hearing this news, everyone was invigorated!

The breath they had been holding for so long was finally released. They had delivered a resounding slap to the faces of their critics, proving to Huaxia’s players that their sales had never been driven by mere marketing.

All the suppression and pain of the past few days vanished in an instant.

Ge Yumiao was so excited he began shouting and cheering, completely disregarding his professional image. Afterward, he and Zhong Chongwen officially hung a banner in the company’s main office hall!

“The Future Global King of Single-Player Games!”

The banner was hung in a very prominent position.

Every employee who walked in and saw it felt their eyes burn with passion, their blood seemingly reaching a boiling point.

They felt as if they were one step closer to that dream.

At eight o’clock in the evening.

A stretch Lincoln pulled up in front of Universe Technology.

A tall, long-haired American girl stepped out of the car.

Wu Zhuang instinctively went to greet her, wearing a friendly smile and speaking in a thick, “Northeastern-accented” English.

“HELLO…”

“…”

The girl adjusted her glasses. After greeting this peculiar “English-speaking youth,” she prepared to follow him inside…

Just then…

Her phone rang.

She picked up a call from an American company!

“What? You’re a fertilizer factory? Why is a fertilizer factory calling us? I don’t believe we have any business dealings.”

“Huh?”

“You’re talking about a game?”

“What do Plants vs. Zombies and fertilizer have to do with each other? This… Jinkela?”

“???”

(End of Chapter)