The Worthless Scourge

Shanda headquarters.

Wednesday, the sixth day since "Legend of the Abyss" went live.

"Director Zhang, the Technical Department refuses to use hacking methods."

"What do they mean?"

"Director Chen said their primary responsibilities are network security maintenance and technological research and development. Their workload is currently heavy, and they can't spare personnel for hacking."

"I understand."

Zhang Yingfeng, the head of Legal Affairs and Copyright, felt rather angry at the moment.

He had been busy arranging personnel to investigate real-world infringing businesses and had not paid any further attention to the private server side.

When he received the report on "Legend of the Abyss" two days earlier, Zhang Yingfeng had not thought much of it and casually signed off on a hacking attack.

But when the request went through the proper process and reached the Technical Department, it was rejected again.

Zhang Yingfeng could not even vent his anger over it, because the head of the Technical Department was Boss Chen's younger brother and one of Shanda's founders.

For now, he would be called Little Chen.

Shanda's acquisition of Qidian Chinese Website had been personally led by Little Chen.

At this point, Shanda had a general manager, a vice president, and a whole host of department directors.

The general manager was naturally Boss Chen.

Vice President Zhu William had originally been the founder of Under the Banyan Tree. Boss Chen had recruited him half a year ago to improve the company's internal structure, arrange external acquisitions, and contact Wall Street in pursuit of an IPO.

Little Chen, meanwhile, held a director-level position.

Only after Zhang Yingfeng had worked hard to calm himself and rid his voice of any anger did he personally go speak with Little Chen.

Knock, knock, knock!

"Come in."

Little Chen wore half-rim glasses, a T-shirt and jeans, with a sweater over them. There was even a bed in his office. He often worked until midnight, then simply stayed at the company to sleep.

"Director Chen." Zhang Yingfeng greeted him with a smile.

Little Chen clattered away at his keyboard without looking up. "Have a seat."

Zhang Yingfeng sat down across the desk as the secretary brought over coffee.

"What is it?" Little Chen asked.

Zhang Yingfeng chose his words carefully and said in the mildest tone possible, "Director Chen, here's the situation. A private server has recently emerged, and its impact has been very negative. I need to use a few hackers."

Little Chen had always been direct. "I know about 'Legend of the Abyss.' Its player count is even lower than DuDu Legend's. DuDu Legend doesn't need hackers, so why are you attacking 'Legend of the Abyss'?"

"The public opinion impact has been extremely bad. They've even gone into Legend to recruit players," Zhang Yingfeng said.

Little Chen said, "Aren't you supposed to cooperate with the joint special crackdown by the five ministries? Just shut down the private server platforms. From the end of last year until now, why hasn't the company used hackers against private servers anymore? Aside from there being too many private servers to attack them all, hacking would bring severe negative consequences to the company!"

"Director Chen, I'm simply doing my duty. I hope you can understand," Zhang Yingfeng said.

"I can't understand," Little Chen retorted. "I'm in charge of technology, and I opposed using hackers last year. This thing is a double-edged sword. Use it too much, and sooner or later it'll cut you instead. If you resort to hacking over every little matter, what do we even need your Legal Department for?"

Shanda had been cautious about this sort of thing ever since it used hackers at the end of 2002.

A few years later, although it began using hackers again, it was always unwilling to act directly. Instead, it first formed a small team, which later became a subsidiary, and used outside hires to infiltrate various private servers. Those hacker teams were also formed by outside hires and had no direct connection to Shanda itself.

There really was no connection—Shanda even lost control of the situation.

One of the outside hires colluded with members of Shanda's anti-private-server team and directly extorted protection money from private servers on the market. Private servers that paid could survive, while those that refused were harshly targeted.

Eventually, they set their sights on private server platforms. Whoever refused to listen was threatened with hacking. Gradually, several of the largest private server platforms in the country all had to obey Shanda's outside hires...

Shanda chose to report the matter to the police, but even after those people were arrested, they were merely fined. The relevant authorities found it difficult to convict them.

In other words, apart from when private servers had first emerged and Shanda used hacking attacks, it did not directly employ hacking methods again for the next twenty-plus years, no matter how rampant private servers became.

Zhang Yingfeng patiently explained, "The legislation is temporarily incomplete, and normal legal measures are ineffective. That's why I suggested using hackers."

Little Chen could not be bothered to argue further. "If you want to use hackers, go get my second brother, Boss Chen, to sign off first."

"Understood. Goodbye, Director Chen." Zhang Yingfeng left with his stomach full of anger.

Little Chen also took his hands off the keyboard and reclined in his chair, closing his eyes to rest.

He had only attended vocational high school and had worked as a cashier after graduation. But he taught himself computer technology and developed China's first internet billing software, breaking Microsoft's monopoly in that field in China.

At twenty-one, he founded Shanda with his brother and became Shanda's second-largest shareholder.

But by this point, he was nearly being pushed out of the decision-making circle.

This was not some brothers' falling-out. Aside from being competent in technology, Little Chen was simply not very capable in other areas, and his brother had criticized him publicly more than once.

From then on, he would only oversee two areas:

One was Shanda Literature, including a whole range of literary websites such as Qidian, Jinjiang, Under the Banyan Tree, Red Sleeve Adds Fragrance, Xiaoxiang Academy, Novel Reading Website, and more.

The other was the Shanda Innovation Institute, where he would become a pioneering explorer in fields such as cloud computing and voice input in China. He was the first person to develop cloud computing in China.

On the seventh day after "Legend of the Abyss" went live, Boss Chen finally flew back to Magic City.

On this trip, he had not only gone to the capital for meetings, but had also been received by senior leaders to discuss the development of China's online gaming industry. He then exchanged views with other game companies and visited several technology companies in the capital.

He had long since tossed trivial matters like private servers to the back of his mind.

As soon as Boss Chen returned to the company, Vice President Zhu William came to his office. "The acquisition of ZONA has been finalized. We can formally sign next month."

"You handle things quickly and reliably, as expected." Boss Chen was delighted.

ZONA was an American company with world-leading game engine development technology.

Shanda's purchase of ZONA was naturally meant to strengthen its own research and development capabilities!

Boss Chen asked, "How did your contacts with Wall Street go during this trip to the United States?"

Zhu William said, "I contacted a few old friends, and they're very interested in Shanda. If President Chen wants to list on NASDAQ, it would be best to find another industry professional to take dedicated responsibility for that area."

"What do you think of Tang Jun?" Boss Chen asked.

"Which Tang Jun?" Zhu William said.

Boss Chen said, "Microsoft's head in Shanghai."

Zhu William answered honestly, "I don't know him, so I can't evaluate him."

Boss Chen added, "If Tang Jun comes, he'll take over all of your current work."

He intended to strip Zhu William of all his current authority.

Zhu William merely smiled without speaking.

Boss Chen continued, "After Tang Jun joins, I'll hand Shanda Xinhua over to you."

"What does President Chen want?" Zhu William asked.

Boss Chen said, "Shanda Xinhua has been established for half a year and still hasn't achieved much. I need you to open up new ground and integrate the peripheral products of all Shanda's offerings. You also need to build a strong technical team responsible for research and development in computer software, hardware, and network technology. You must also form investment and marketing teams to acquire promising companies. You need to work toward Shanda's diversification and technological development. Shanda's future will be in your hands. You can also take some technical staff from headquarters."

"What about Director Chen..." Zhu William did not want to take away the authority of the company's second-largest shareholder and the general manager's own younger brother.

How could an outsider meddle in matters between brothers?

Boss Chen said, "I'll personally persuade my younger brother."

Zhu William did not refuse again and instead set a condition. "If I go to Shanda Xinhua, I want sufficient authority."

"From finances to management, you'll handle everything yourself. You won't need to ask me for instructions. Treat Shanda Xinhua as your own company." Boss Chen granted him the maximum degree of authority.

"I'll give it everything I have." Zhu William left after saying that.

A scholar would die for one who understood him.

Zhu William's departure truly carried a hint of giving his all until the very end.

Within nine months, he would increase Shanda Xinhua's profits eighteenfold and build formidable investment, marketing, and technical teams.

But he would also work himself into two bouts of gastric bleeding and voluntarily resign.

His resignation would even be so abrupt, and he would remain so determined despite every attempt to keep him, that Boss Chen would be unable to find a qualified successor for a long time.

Zhu William had barely left when Zhang Yingfeng entered.

"We have identified seven pirate factories and production sites," Zhang Yingfeng reported. "As soon as the special operation begins, we'll immediately provide the relevant leads to the authorities. We've also been watching a group that forges and sells game cards for more than two months."

Boss Chen praised him. "Well done."

Zhang Yingfeng hesitated for a moment. "There's a Legend Private Server that has caused quite a stir. I hope we can use a hacking attack."

"Just coordinate with the Technical Department," Boss Chen said.

Zhang Yingfeng hesitated. "Director Chen... doesn't agree to use hackers."

Boss Chen fell silent upon hearing that.

Zhang Yingfeng felt rather uneasy and forced himself to continue. "Director Chen said that if you sign off on it, he'll agree to carry it out."

Boss Chen pondered for a long time before finally saying, "He has a point. Hacking is ultimately dishonorable."

"Then..." Zhang Yingfeng was dumbfounded.

Boss Chen had always been weakening his younger brother's authority. Over such a minor matter, he had to give his brother enough face.

Sigh, his own younger brother was obedient sometimes, but stubborn at others.

Just like a child who had never grown up.

And he truly was not that old. Little Chen was only twenty-five this year, yet he was already Shanda's second-largest shareholder and third-most powerful figure!

He had to suppress him, yet also placate him.

Boss Chen said, "You don't need to worry about private servers. Follow the original plan and focus on cracking down on private server platforms."

Zhang Yingfeng still wanted to press the matter. "That private server's influence has been extremely bad."

"Is it very large?" Boss Chen asked.

Zhang Yingfeng said, "It isn't the largest in scale, and its player count is lower than DuDu Legend's. But its public opinion impact has been terrible. It even made the front-page news section of 17173."

Boss Chen finally became interested. "How did they manage that?"

Zhang Yingfeng said, "They used a series of posts to guide public opinion and stir up player resentment toward Shanda. Even users from Tianya and Xici Hutong went over to join the excitement."

"Is that the one that posted the 'game refugee' thread?" Boss Chen asked.

Zhang Yingfeng said, "That's the one. It's called 'Legend of the Abyss.'"

Boss Chen logged into the 17173 forum and roughly finished reading those posts. To his surprise, he praised them. "These people really know how to promote something. What is their Abyss Map like?"

"They copied maps containing BOSSes and sold tickets for entry. One team gets exclusive access to one map. And they only copied the floor where the BOSS is located," Zhang Yingfeng said.

Boss Chen thought for a moment. "The Age of Heroes we're developing can also incorporate Abyss Map gameplay."

Zhang Yingfeng said, "Age of Heroes sells game cards, which conflicts with charging for map tickets."

"Have the development team study how to combine them," Boss Chen said.

Zhang Yingfeng asked, "Are we really not taking down that private server?"

Boss Chen sighed. "You can't catch every rat. Your job is to clear out their nests."

To Chen Guiliang and Tao Chenggang, "Legend of the Abyss" was a major matter.

But in Boss Chen's eyes, it really was just a trivial matter. When he saw the posts half a month ago, he had merely been curious about how Chen Guiliang was operating. Now that the mystery had been revealed, he lost interest.

Recruit them?

Impossible.

What positions should he give the private server team? How much should he pay them?

They were already making money from running a private server. Why would they agree to be recruited if the pay was too low? If the pay was too high and the positions too important, what would Shanda's other employees think?

Moreover, Shanda was already developing two new games and had no need to make a third in the short term.

Resources were limited.

Shanda's Age of Heroes development team had been poached by Boss Shi only because it could not obtain resources and internal conflicts had escalated.

As for "Legend of the Abyss" and its instance-based gameplay, it conflicted with the official Legend's game card sales. Though it had a novel selling point for now, it was not worthwhile in the long run and was far less profitable than the game cards provided by Legend.

Even if they wanted to borrow the instance concept, they could simply take it and use it for free!

Chen Guiliang and "Legend of the Abyss" held no value whatsoever to Shanda—not even enough value to justify using hackers.

Chen Guiliang's side was about to face their monthly exam.

Shanda's Lawyer's Letter had not even arrived yet, nor had any Shanda employee called or messaged them on QQ.

That only made Chen Guiliang more suspicious. Every noon, he called Tao Chenggang. "Brother Gang, Shanda still hasn't made a move?"

Tao Chenggang was equally puzzled. "Yeah. We've already opened the tenth server, and the first few servers are about to be merged in pairs. Why the hell has Shanda said nothing? Could they be planning something big? I'm worried the police might suddenly show up at our door."

"Uh... let's wait a little longer. Even if we get arrested, it'll only be a fine at most, maybe a few days in detention," Chen Guiliang said.

Tao Chenggang said guiltily, "I'll consult a lawyer again."