In the eyes of the company employees, Shen Qinghan, the second shareholder, represents a mysterious presence.
Simply because everything she wears, drives, or even owns, are things ordinary people couldn't acquire even after striving for a lifetime.
A thirty million Federation Coins investment, decided just like that.
After investing, she completely refrained from participating in the project's creation, leaving it entirely to Zhao Ming to manage.
How many people dream of having such an investor?
But now, something this significant has happened...
The receptionist sighed inwardly, fearing that President Shen might not have a solution, given the extraordinarily tight timeline.
There's only nine days until the Anti-War Competition begins.
What could possibly be made in nine days?
A casual game?
Upon hearing the receptionist's comment, Shen Qinghan frowned:
"Got it."
Then she glanced in the direction of Zhao Ming's office; indeed, this situation had arisen quite suddenly, and Shen Qinghan acknowledged that this investment was eighty percent likely to be a loss.
To her, thirty million Federation Coins is insignificant, but she fears Zhao Ming might not be able to handle it.
In today's age, there's no such thing as a technological gap.
As long as there is enough money, one can pour it into a photon supercomputing cluster to buy computing power, making any game with outstanding effects and details.
Including her investment, Cyber Blue Star: 2077 barely has fifty million Federation Coins available for game development after server rentals.
In comparison, Emperor Penguin Group's imitation of Ruins of the Future: 2100 used five hundred million Federation Coins as basic investment, with details and visuals massively overshadowing Cyber Blue Star: 2077.
Under such circumstances, launching is just waiting to be criticized; Emperor Penguin, as such a cross-Federation corporation, could easily crush them.
However....
If one cannot withstand even this setback...forget it, let's see the situation first.
Shen Qinghan walked towards Zhao Ming's office.
She knocked on the door of Zhao Ming's office, from inside came Zhao Ming's voice:
"Come in."
He didn't sound the least bit frustrated, rather quite normal.
This relieved many of the employees in the office.
As long as the boss is alive.
Only Hao Wen, the employee responsible for designing the core game plot, looked uncertain.
Listening to Zhao Ming's voice, he was puzzled.
How could he act so indifferently?
Could the game still have some core elements or a turnaround point Zhao Ming hasn't disclosed?
Even Shen Qinghan outside was somewhat surprised.
This....
It sounds like nothing's wrong?
Shen Qinghan opened the door and entered, and all the other employees in the office gazed inside, especially the sheepish Hao Wen, glimpsing Zhao Ming operating something on the computer.
Then the office door closed, blocking all sight and sound.
This inexplicably made Hao Wen uneasy.
——
Inside the office.
Zhao Ming, seated on the office chair, moved his gaze from the screen and glanced at the visitor.
Enveloped by the sight was Shen Qinghan's ever cold demeanor.
Memories of Shen Qinghan came rushing back.
Shen Qinghan.
She was the president of the student council during Zhao Ming's university days.
Two years senior to Zhao Ming.
Legendary mysterious family background, exact details unknown, but definitely no shortage of money.
Rumors existed about Shen Qinghan investing in students back in school.
Although the amounts varied greatly.
The original individual wouldn't have considered seeking Shen Qinghan's investment if the calculation hadn't revealed a massive deficit.
Yet, what the original one didn't anticipate was how smoothly the process went.
After listing the design concepts and appealing aspects of Cyber Blue Star: 2077 and explaining everything to Shen Qinghan, securing a thirty million investment was effortless.
Everything was smooth until yesterday...
Seeing Shen Qinghan enter, Zhao Ming stood up and gestured her to sit on the sofa:
"Senior."
After all, she's a benefactor and must not be neglected.
Moreover....
Half the money lost is Shen Qinghan's.
Upon thinking about this, Zhao Ming couldn't help but grit his teeth.
Zhao Ming walked over, seated himself, and pressed a button glowing on the coffee table, activating an internal setup providing hot and cold drinks as needed.
Two cups of coffee soon emerged from inside the coffee table.
Shen Qinghan nodded, glanced around, then looked at Zhao Ming:
"I was initially worried you couldn't bear the blow."
"Seems I overthought it."
In this era, being plagiarized by a major corporation and ending in bankruptcy is commonplace, yet with no solution—because their work is better, and they invest more money into it.
Trying to incite players to criticize often fails...
Countless entrepreneurs have been driven to despair.
Observing Zhao Ming's relaxed demeanor, Shen Qinghan felt reassured and curious:
"You don't seem affected at all."
"Does Cyber Blue Star: 2077 have any hidden features that Emperor Penguin Group hasn't copied?"
Other than some game mechanics that could turn the tables, Shen Qinghan couldn't figure out how Zhao Ming could be so calm.
However.
Zhao Ming just shook his head and shrugged nonchalantly:
"No."
"'Cyber Blue Star: 2077' is definitely finished, it can't compete with Emperor Penguin."
"Fortunately, we have the copyright."
"Clearly, they made their start by participating in the 'Anti-War Competition', yet over the years, they haven't developed anything new, relying solely on copying others to profit."
"Though we can't take them down now, we must destroy them when the opportunity arises."
Shen Qinghan's mouth twitched slightly, and she rolled her eyes beautifully.
She gave Zhao Ming a huge eye-roll.
Many want to take down Emperor Penguin, but there hasn't been a single success in all these years.
"Just tell me what we should do now."
"I invested thirty million."
"What are you planning to do?"
Zhao Ming's face stiffened, and he coughed lightly:
"Senior."
"You aren't really short of that thirty million... right?"
Shen Qinghan also remained expressionless, saying nothing, staring at Zhao Ming.
Under such a gaze, Zhao Ming quickly gave in:
"Alright, alright, I've already thought of a way."
Initially wanting to joke a bit, but this person is too cold.
Who could bear to marry her?
Tsk....
Then Zhao Ming explained to Shen Qinghan:
"I thought carefully about 'Cyber Blue Star: 2077', it can indeed attract a lot of attention and might even win a place."
"But such novel games emerge every year."
"Players get bored after playing for a while."
"Ultimately, it's aesthetic fatigue. To break through, we must bring something different to this world."
"The 'Anti-War Competition' has been organized for so many years, they've forgotten the original intention."
"The purpose of the 'Anti-War Competition' is, of course, anti-war."
"So how do we promote anti-war?"
"It must be by having players experience the harshness of war."
"So I've decided to go in this direction."
"To develop a multiplayer online competitive shooting game."
Zhao Ming concluded solemnly.
Only to be met with a long silence, as Shen Qinghan looked at Zhao Ming speechlessly.
....
....
After a while.
"That's it?"
Zhao Ming was a bit stunned, nodded:
"That's it."
"Isn't that enough?"
Turning World War II movies into a game, letting players feel like cannon fodder, watching fellow soldiers get shot in the head next to them, blood spurting all over, stomachs blown open with intestines crawling all over.
In such circumstances, who would still anticipate war?
Shen Qinghan was so frustrated her head was buzzing, she couldn't help clenching her fist:
"That crappy idea of yours was already abandoned two hundred years ago."
"Nowadays, they use computing power to create virtual worlds, with things like mechs, starships, and even mythical worlds that require billions in Federation Coins to create."
"Who would play such an outdated shooting game?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Ming understood and proceeded to explain:
"It's different, mechs, ships, myths, except for starships which are somewhat feasible, others are fictional. Even the mech model isn't suitable for combat."
"No one would be foolish enough to make that stuff."
"Although technology in today's society is developing rapidly, maintaining order still relies on the military and firearms."
"And the game I'm making is to give players the most realistic experience."
"And the things they've never experienced before."
Hearing this, Shen Qinghan couldn't help but chuckle in exasperation:
"A shooting game, can you really make it exciting?"
"The 'Anti-War Competition' has been held for three hundred years."
"Shooting games have been overplayed in the first hundred-plus years."
"What can you bring that players haven't experienced?"
"Retro, perhaps?"
Zhao Ming shook his head:
"No."
He looked straight into Shen Qinghan's eyes, causing an inexplicable flutter in her heart as Zhao Ming's lips curled upwards:
"It's war."
War?!
These two words struck Shen Qinghan's mind like a heavy hammer.
Promoting war in the 'Anti-War Competition'?
How dare he?!