To ascend, I had no choice but to create games

“There is no French version.”

“That just proves it’s not good enough to even have a French version.”

This joke made the team burst into laughter.

The blond man at the front clapped his hands to quiet everyone down, then said to Zhang Ping, whose complexion wasn’t great, “I know you have concerns, but trust me, ‘Magic Dynasty’ is an exceptional competitive game. Moreover, we are currently operating a ‘Magic Dynasty’ competition. We’ve been preparing for this event for a long time, and I believe it will boost ‘Magic Dynasty’s’ sales and significantly increase revenue.”

As international games were unbanned, some classic foreign competitions would gradually be introduced. This was one of the reasons why Tianyi Headquarters considered cooperating with Cat and Mouse Entertainment.

After all, the other party’s products had fallen to the second tier, but their operation of various events was still quite good, which was one of the experiences Tianyi hoped to gain.

Just as Zhang Ping was racking his brains trying to make the other party change their mind, the other side had already assumed he had no issues and turned to look at the other planners, asking, “Does anyone else have any questions?”

After a moment of silence, someone in the corner asked, “Could we know what kind of event it is?”

Turning his head, Zhang Ping saw Qiu Yu with dark circles under her eyes, sitting in the corner, curiously raising her hand to ask her question.

The translator glanced at Zhang Ping, who nodded his head, signaling the translator to pass on the question.

“Good question,” the blond man nodded in agreement. “We will group fighters by teams, and each region will have twenty groups battling it out to determine the champion.”

After briefly introducing the competition’s format, the blond man started to explain various details, then looked at Qiu Yu and asked, “Do you understand what I said?”

“I understand, but this doesn’t seem quite right. Have you ever run a ‘battle royale’ type competition before?”

“It’s our first time, but there shouldn’t be too many difficulties. After all, Cat and Mouse Entertainment is a very mature gaming company, and we have done many similar competition projects,” the blond man explained with a smile.

“But not including ‘battle royale’, right? May I assume that you are actually using Tianyi as cannon fodder to test out your ideas? As far as I know, there hasn’t been a successful formal ‘battle royale’ competition so far because there are many problems that can’t be resolved for the time being.”

The translator was about to translate, but Zhang Ping swiftly stopped him.

“Don’t translate that. Tell them we’ll take a break and continue the discussion later. Qiu Yu, follow me.”

Zhang Ping called on Qiu Yu and led her to the stairwell.

Qiu Yu wasn’t very tall, but Zhang Ping was even shorter. The two stood by the stairwell, clearly looking like they had issues to discuss, so other smokers decisively left the area to entertain themselves elsewhere.

Zhang Ping opened his own Yuxi cigarettes, handed one to Qiu Yu, and then lit one for himself.

Seeing that Qiu Yu didn’t move, he took out the lighter again, ignited it, and held it out to her.

“I’ve quit…”

“Oh, sorry.”

Putting the lighter away, Zhang Ping didn’t ask for the cigarette back but instead stomped it out, then asked, “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“About which part?”

“The competition part.”

“Well, Cat and Mouse Entertainment clearly wants to bring the competition here and create a synergy with their own games. After all, promoting competitions helps to promote the games and boosts their influence. The domestic market is too big; they also want a piece of it.”

“Continue,” Zhang Ping said.

“But this competition clearly has pitfalls since ‘battle royale’ events are not yet mature. Many are looking for an appropriate solution, but unfortunately, common methods haven’t worked.”

Zhang Ping leaned against the wall, thought quietly for a while, and then sighed, “It’s a pity we can’t solve it either. The pressure from headquarters is too great; we have to cooperate.”

“So we drag our feet, right? Give it a few days, and they should know what to do.”

Qiu Yu’s composure gave Zhang Ping a hint.

Narrowing his eyes at the other party, Zhang Ping asked, “You kid… speak up, what news have you got?”

“It’s information anyone can look up. Fang Cheng Studio’s ‘Quiet Cultivation’ tournament program is about to start broadcasting.”

Zhang Ping furrowed his brow in recollection, then nodded and said, “That’s true, but what does that have to do with our current problem?”

“They can’t be that foolish. Although they’re treating us like guinea pigs, if a proven workable plan emerges, they’ll surely adopt it. I feel that Fang Cheng Studio has some capable people in operation as well, and they must have come up with a solution, otherwise they wouldn’t spend so much money on this.”

“Are you sure they’ve got a plan?”

“I can’t be certain about anything else, but we are talking about Fang Cheng Studio.”

“…True.”

It has to be said, Fang Cheng Studio is currently a golden signboard in the gaming industry.

Even after losing to them twice, Zhang Ping had to admit, their strength was growing too fast, and their games were becoming more and more fun to play.

Moreover, it was rumored that they had formed a strategic partnership with Kirin Industry. Although the VR integrated platform was niche, it already established a safety net for their games, ensuring that no matter what, they wouldn’t make a loss.

This condition was something every gamer dreamed of.

After all, who wouldn’t want a ‘get out of jail free card’ to make games without any restrictions?

Sighing with envy, Zhang Ping continued to inquire at Qiu Yu, “How long do you think we can delay to see the effects?”

“Hmm… two weeks. Their program airs two episodes a week, after two weeks, we can finish watching four episodes, and the ratings and audience feedback will reflect in these four episodes. Those Gauls should be able to see it too.”

“Two weeks, huh…”

The pressure from the headquarters was to start work within a week.

However, if they started, many plans would be set in stone, and it would be very troublesome to make changes later on. It would also be a heavy blow to our own operations and the morale of the planners.

If those Gauls were as hardheaded as baguettes, insisting on following the original policies, it would be even worse for them.

Zhang Ping also felt that traditional tournaments were unreliable, with a high chance of failure.

If they failed, the Gauls would only lose an idea, but they might lose their jobs.

Looking at Qiu Yu across from him, Zhang Ping took a deep breath and then said earnestly, “Qiu Yu, when KongKong left, he recommended you to me directly, saying that you are a gaming genius and I’ve also been keeping an eye on your recent performance in the small games department. It’s been remarkable, very impressive. So I want to ask you, can I trust you?”

Qiu Yu looked at Zhang Ping as if he had seen a ghost, and with a frown said, “I’m just a junior planner, and you’re pressuring me? Are you the president or am I the president!”

“You know I’m the president and you still talk to me with that attitude!”

“At worst, I’ll just get lost. What era is this to still put up with your crap.”

“You…”

Looking at Qiu Yu, a post-’00s, Zhang Ping felt that the other party truly came to shake up the workplace.

But he did have the pride to back it up, reviving the nearly dead small games department with a few ideas; his talent truly wasn’t something an ordinary planner could match.

After a moment of thought, he patted Qiu Yu’s shoulder and said, “I understand. I trust you. I’ll stall the headquarters for two weeks. After this succeeds, you’ll pretty much be the lead planner.”

“And if it doesn’t work out?”

“Then I’ll be gone.”

Looking at the serious Zhang Ping, Qiu Yu felt that his position as the lead planner was probably secured.

It was time to think about what game he should make.