Chapter 80: New Game: Road Rash!

Large companies naturally have their own professional evaluators.

The criteria for evaluation are numerous.

First is sales volume, second is influence, and third is the company’s longevity…

Although Zhang Yang’s Universe Technology was formidable in Huaxia and boasted terrifying sales figures, its short history lacked persuasive power.

Furthermore, through various data points, the evaluators concluded that Zhang Yang’s success was built on subtly exploiting anxiety and riding the massive trend of free-to-play games.

The “Learning Edition” of God of Conquest succeeded by capitalizing on parents’ desperate desire for their children to excel, while the “Romance Edition” of Heartbeat Memories was simply free.

In an era where single-player games were almost exclusively paid downloads or sold via physical discs, the impact of a free download was truly devastating!

Even the software pirates could only stare in frustration!

What could they do?

There was no way to compete!

When the official game was already free to download on the internet, why would players bother visiting pirate sites to download software riddled with viruses?

They weren’t idiots!

Piracy vanished!

Consequently, the official data naturally skyrocketed.

“Free-to-play games are a trend; they represent a new era for players…”

“According to our analysis of various data, Lone Island Gun God sold a hundred and forty thousand legitimate copies on its first day…”

“However, the piracy statistics are staggering. First-day illegal downloads have already exceeded three hundred thousand!”

“The first-day free downloads for the Romance Edition of God of Conquest reached two hundred and seventy thousand!”

“In contrast, its pirated downloads were less than forty thousand…”

“If we truly placed both games on the same free-to-play level, the Romance Edition of God of Conquest would be completely unable to compete with Dadi Technology’s Lone Island Gun God!”

“…”

Leaving Germany, Smith’s mind echoed with the words of that analyst in black-rimmed glasses, who had spoken while holding the data reports.

He deeply agreed.

Free…

It meant users could play the game without paying any price.

In that case…

As long as there was enough gimmickry and promotion, users would basically always choose to download it.

If Lone Island Gun God had been a free download, then…

The one creating a myth wouldn’t have been God of Conquest.

But then again…

“Who would be that stupid?”

Smith shook his head.

Everyone knew that free games attracted more people and generated more terrifying download numbers, but what was the point of even the most ferocious data if it didn’t make money?

Still…

Even though the comprehensive analysis suggested that Zhang Yang’s company and his games couldn’t beat Dadi Technology on a level playing field…

Dadi Technology would always be the preferred choice.

Nevertheless, Smith still admired Zhang Yang.

“He is a talent.”

“It’s a pity. If you had started your company five years earlier, or even two, everything would be different…”

“This era, after all, is not yours…”

“…”

He stepped off the plane.

Upon arriving in Huaxia, Smith received a call from headquarters.

Afterward, he connected to the internet and viewed a Valuation Adjustment Mechanism (VAM) agreement on his laptop.

After reading the VAM, he was left speechless.

“Huh? My God, is this for real? This young man… he wants to compete in sales against a Huaxia game giant?”

“Oh my God!”

He couldn’t help but admire the man’s courage.

……………………….

Dadi Technology.

Although Dadi Technology’s main revenue didn’t currently come from single-player games, the sales of its single-player titles remained formidable.

During the 90s, they basically swept across all of Huaxia.

Their most successful title, Legend of Sword and Fairy: Ask of Love, still maintained its popularity today. It was a constant topic of conversation, and there were even rumors that a director had taken an interest in the game and hoped to buy the script.

Even when Mumaen Technology burst onto the scene in the late 90s and broke several gaming records, they still couldn’t truly go toe-to-toe with Dadi. It wasn’t until they began operating Legend that Mumaen Technology temporarily established its position as the king of the industry.

Yes, temporarily.

Dadi Technology was never willing to take a backseat to anyone.

Legend had only been flourishing for a few years when Dadi arrived with War of Warcraft…

It featured the most innovative 3D concepts, a world full of fantasy, more exquisite graphics, and a soul-stirring CG trailer.

Under this series of maneuvers, War of Warcraft instantly gave Legend a massive sense of crisis, forcing them into the desperate move of making the game free-to-play while charging through an in-game shop.

In this bloodless war, as Legend’s reputation crumbled day by day, the outcome was becoming clear.

“Liu Zhongshan is courting death¹!”

“What a waste of a good hand…”

“Even if his player count exceeds ours for now, he is no longer a threat!”

“…”

At noon on September 7th.

Liu Lei, the President of Dadi Technology, shook his head with some emotion after reading the latest report.

He then stopped paying attention to Legend.

In fact, the moment he learned that Mumaen Technology’s negotiations with the Korean side were consistently failing, Liu Lei realized that Legend was doomed…

A game plagued by hacks and private servers, with no end in sight and a company that did nothing…

How much longer could such a game last?

The one who laughs last is the true powerhouse.

Sitting on his sofa, he felt an inexplicable sense of loneliness that comes with being at the top².

A moment later, a knock sounded at his office door.

“Come in!”

Ding Ziguang, the head of Dadi Technology’s single-player department, walked in.

“President Liu, the people from BMW are here.”

“Oh, you handle it. I trust you with this.”

Liu Lei looked at Ding Ziguang.

His eyes were full of appreciation.

Ding Ziguang was undoubtedly a major contributor to Dadi Technology’s ability to dominate the world until now.

Ding Ziguang appeared refined and scholarly, sporting a small mustache and long hair, looking very much like a creative professional.

In truth…

He was indeed overflowing with artistic talent.

Dadi Technology’s former blockbuster single-player game, Legend of Sword and Fairy: Ask of Love, was planned entirely by him. Many of the moving plotlines that haunted the players’ dreams were written by his hand alone.

Unlike Liu Zhongshan, who purged those who disagreed with him, Liu Lei was the exact opposite. He was willing to delegate power and placed great importance on the veterans who had helped him build his empire. Whenever he had a spare moment, he would invite them out for golf or tea.

He was completely at ease handing the BMW project over to Ding Ziguang.

“This time, there is an added Valuation Adjustment Mechanism (VAM),” Ding Ziguang said after a moment of silence, shaking his head.

“A VAM?” Liu Lei asked, showing some interest.

“It was proposed by Zhang Yang’s side to BMW. He wants to compete with us on sales. If he wins, we give him that five million dollars. If he loses, he won’t take a single cent of his five hundred thousand. The BMW executives are quite interested in this VAM as well.”

“Heh, the kid is certainly ambitious. No matter how you look at it, he’s the one profiting, isn’t he? His five hundred thousand dollars is just a drop in the bucket to us, but if he wins, he stands to make a fortune.” Liu Lei laughed after hearing the details.

Then, for no particular reason, he felt a slight sense of regret.

The kid was a talent with a sharp sense for the market and a knack for finding loopholes.

But…

It was a pity they had missed out on him!

However, regret was just regret, and he did not dwell on it.

The profits from single-player games were clearly not enough to catch his eye.

Even if Zhang Yang took the full ten million dollars, it was far too small compared to the scale of War of Warcraft.

“By signing this agreement, we are essentially giving this kid a chance to stand on the same level as us for publicity. If we don’t sign, he will probably start promoting his invincibility myth, claiming his games are peerless. He would be making a scene everywhere, which would be quite unpleasant to watch.” Ding Ziguang looked at Liu Lei and nodded.

He truly did not like Zhang Yang.

He felt that Zhang Yang was just like his name³, too flashy, and he wasn’t very likable.

“Then let’s show him that there is always a higher heaven and people more capable than him⁴.” Liu Lei looked at Ding Ziguang cheerfully. “You won’t fail unexpectedly, will you?”

“I won’t! I will take this seriously.”

Ding Ziguang shook his head.

“Good.” Liu Lei nodded.

………………………………………

“Holy crap!”

“Is this some kind of joke?”

“I’m dying here. Zhang Yang? Zhang Yang wants to compete with us?”

“Hahaha, isn’t that like throwing an egg against a rock? Does he think he’s invincible just because he developed a few single-player games?”

“Haha, this is too hilarious. When we were making games, he was still wetting the bed!”

“Yeah, I’m really dying of laughter. Hahaha, does he really think that just because his God of Conquest was a hit, he can look down on everyone?”

“It’s normal for young people to be arrogant. It’s time someone taught him a lesson!”

“We definitely need to teach him a lesson, let him know how big the world is, and let him know despair…”

“Haha, this is killing me. Oh, my stomach hurts…”

“…”

In the Dadi Technology office.

Several young employees suddenly couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter after receiving the news.

When they first heard it, they were stunned.

It was unbelievable.

But then, it was as if they had heard the funniest joke in the world.

Zhang Yang!

To think he had the audacity to compete with them like this?

Did he not look at their scale? Did he not look at their user base?

Wasn’t this just nonsense?

Xie Yu, the head of post-production, was laughing so hard he had a stitch in his side.

He understood why Zhang Yang would come up with such a VAM.

It was surely because the total sales of God of Conquest had exceeded a million thanks to the free guides and hyped-up data, making him so conceited that he thought he was invincible.

But…

If he really wanted to compete with Dadi Technology in the realm of free games…

Wasn’t that just a joke?

If you actually counted the installation numbers of the pirated versions, God of Conquest was no match for Island of the Gods!

Wasn’t this guy just looking for death?

Waves of joyful laughter echoed throughout the entire office.

The laughter only came to an abrupt halt when Ding Ziguang pushed the door open and walked in.

Ding Ziguang looked at everyone sternly.

“Is it really that funny?” A cold glint flashed in his eyes, his expression icy. “A lion uses its full strength even when hunting a rabbit⁵. I’ve always reminded you never to underestimate any opponent, understood? Zhang Yang is not a simple man!”

After saying this, he silently pulled out the VAM and continued, “Even though Zhang Yang’s company is small, his courage is commendable. I admire him for that. Therefore, we aren’t just going to win this time, we’re going to win by a landslide! Everyone is working overtime tonight to start discussing strategy! Tomorrow, report to work as usual. Every second counts!”

As soon as he said those words, the entire office suddenly erupted in groans of despair.

“Ah… Boss Ding, don’t be like that. I have a date tonight!”

“Yeah, Boss Ding, we’ve been working so hard for so long. Just give us one day off…”

“It’s not that we don’t take Zhang Yang seriously, but there’s really no need for this much overtime. I’ve been going a bit bald lately…”

“Exactly, Boss Ding. Can I hand in the Game Planner to you tomorrow afternoon? A Game Planner isn’t something that can be produced just by working overtime. It needs time to prepare, and it needs inspiration.”

“A lion does use its full strength to hunt a rabbit, but taking one day off won’t affect anything later, right? Tomorrow is the weekend…”

“…”

Looking at the group of young people in the office, Ding Ziguang shook his head, speechless.

These people were the ones who had followed him from the very beginning.

Although he had always been very strict, over time, once they figured out his temperament, they had started to get cheeky.

Besides, they really had been working a lot of overtime lately.

Tomorrow was also their anniversary.

“Forget it. you can have tomorrow off.”

He finally shook his head.

“Oh yeah!”

“Boss Ding is the best!”

“Long live the boss!”

Looking at the cheering crowd, he felt a bit helpless.

Taking one day off shouldn’t affect anything, right?

…………………………………………

September 7th.

In the afternoon.

Su Nuannuan arrived at the office after taking a nap.

Seeing her colleagues already busy at work, she felt a twinge of guilt.

She checked the time.

It was two-thirty in the afternoon.

It seemed she was late.

Late?

Wait, didn’t the company say there were no fixed working hours?

Why did she feel late?

Su Nuannuan looked around at everyone. Am I an exception?

“Ah, Su Nuannuan, you’re finally here…”

“Ah, I took a little nap.”

“That’s quite a nap. It’s already past two…”

“Doesn’t the company have no set working hours?”

“That’s true, but everyone still shows up on time…”

“Why?”

“When I used to work for other bosses, I’d drag my feet and show up as late as possible. But since joining this company, I can’t wait to work overtime every day…”

“Is there overtime pay?”

“No overtime pay.”

“Then why…”

“There are bonus shares⁶! As long as we participate in game production, we all get bonuses to some degree. Besides, the company’s revenue is completely transparent. It’s almost like we’re shareholders ourselves, isn’t it?”

The young girl next to Su Nuannuan looked at her and shrugged.

Su Nuannuan stood there dazed.

She felt a sudden sense of disorientation.

She realized that Universe Technology was truly a magical company.

There were no clock-in times.

And yet!

Every single employee came back to work immediately after finishing their lunch.

Not a single person was slacking off.

Zhang Yang had truly achieved a genuine partnership with his employees.

“One of the top ten game companies in the world…”

“The King of global single-player games!”

“One of the world’s top ten most popular game companies for youth…”

“The home of games, beloved by industry professionals!”

“…”

Su Nuannuan looked at these slogans again.

Suddenly, she felt a surge of fighting spirit.

“Ugh, I’m so nervous…”

A short while later, Su Nuannuan heard the girl next to her muttering while staring toward Zhang Yang’s office. Her voice was a mix of anticipation and anxiety.

She had one hand clenched into a fist.

Su Nuannuan remembered.

This girl’s name seemed to be Sun Lili.

She was also a newcomer who hadn’t been with the company long. Well…

To be fair, the company itself hadn’t been around for very long…

“What’s wrong?”

“President Zhang is talking with the head of BMW Huaxia. If we can land this deal, we might even get a discount on buying cars. Plus, the sooner we start the new game, the sooner we make money. Sigh, they’ve been talking for over three hours. I wonder how it’s going…” Sun Lili’s voice carried the same nervous tension as someone waiting for lottery results.

Su Nuannuan noticed it wasn’t just Sun Lili. Colleagues from other departments were also glancing toward Zhang Yang’s office from time to time. Some even used the excuse of going to the restroom to linger near the office door for a moment, trying to catch a snippet of the conversation.

However, they couldn’t hear a thing.

A moment later…

Zhang Yang walked out, chatting and laughing with Qian Liang. After seeing Qian Liang off, the smile vanished from Zhang Yang’s face.

He looked around at everyone and hesitated for a moment.

“Everyone, you’ve all worked hard lately!”

“This time, our goal is daunting. Truly daunting. More importantly, our target is a terrifying giant: Dadi Technology…”

“We’ve been treated differently!”

“The investment we can get is only one million, and if we’re unlucky, that million might even be cut in half…”

“But Dadi Technology’s investment is ten million!”

“Well, after my repeated efforts and by signing a Valuation Adjustment Mechanism (VAM), we’ve won the chance to go head-to-head with Dadi Technology…”

“If we win!”

“We win the five-million-dollar investment opportunity that BMW originally intended for Dadi Technology!”

“If we lose!”

“Not only do we have to make the game for free, but we only get five hundred thousand!”

“To be honest… Mr. Qian Liang doesn’t trust me, he doesn’t trust us. He thinks what we’re doing is stupid…”

“But if we don’t try, how will we ever know?”

“Only by crossing this mountain can they hear our story⁷!”

“No matter the outcome…”

“Draw your swords⁸!”

“…”

The entire office was silent at first…

Then, a burst of excited cheering erupted!

Some people were pounding their desks…

Others were clenching their fists!

Amidst the cheers, Zhang Yang silently caught the eyes of Zhao Hang, Zhong Chongwen, Ge Yumiao, and the others.

The group understood and nodded, following Zhang Yang into his office.

“Our new game is called Road Rash.”

“I’ve already finished the proposal…”

“Take a look…”

“…”

When they saw Zhang Yang pull out a proposal…

They were stunned!

They stared at Zhang Yang in disbelief!

So fast?

“Everyone will have to work a bit harder during this period!”

“We don’t actually have any advantage. Our only edge is to finish it before they do!”

“While maintaining game quality, we need to be as fast as possible!”

“…”

After Zhang Yang finished speaking, he closed his eyes.

A once-wildly popular single-player game surfaced in his mind.

Road Rash!

Once upon a time…

How many people’s youth was defined by that memory?

Using this game to compete with them now…

That wasn’t unfair, was it?

(End of Chapter)

Translator’s Notes