Shanda Can't Sit Still Anymore

Other private server owners found themselves in similar situations, all of them green with envy. Today, with Greedy Blue Moon Legend making a big move, all other private servers saw a drop in their online player numbers as everyone flocked to Greedy Blue Moon.

There was nothing they could do. The platform belonged to Greedy Blue Moon, their technology was superior, the game was fun, and updates were fast. All the other owners could do was watch enviously from the sidelines. If only they had such a cash cow, they would treasure it, and would sell everything they owned to get their hands on it.

They could only wait for this wave of popularity to pass and see. While they were envious, their own private servers had indeed made a lot of money after joining this platform.

If the private server owners were merely envious, then Shanda was completely thrown off balance!

Shanghai, Shanda Network Company President's Office.

"Boss, the shadow attack failed. The opponent's technical team was prepared!"

Crack! A glass teacup shattered on the floor. Chen Tianqiao's face darkened as he cursed, "A bunch of useless idiots! What do you think the company pays you all this money for? Get out!"

Looking at the report in his hand, titled "Private Servers Are Destroying Legend," Chen Tianqiao was filled with anger mixed with a hint of regret.

He regretted his misjudgment last month regarding the development of private servers, especially Greedy Blue Moon, which was already impacting the development of Hot-blooded Legend of Mir.

As the person walked towards the door, Chen Tianqiao called out, "Wait, call an emergency meeting with the other senior executives. Oh, and also call that operations guy, what's his name..."

"Zhou Xiao?" Tan Qunzhao, the head of technology, asked uncertainly.

"Yes, that Zhou Xiao. Call him to the meeting too! Go!"

A few minutes later, The atmosphere in the conference room was heavy. Seeing the big boss at the head of the table with a somber expression, everyone felt uneasy.

Chen Tianqiao looked at the core senior executives of the company, his face as dark as water. "What are you looking at me for? Is there something written on my face? Look at the reports in your hands!"

After a moment, once everyone had finished reading.

"Everyone has seen the significant impact and disruption that private servers have had on us through the reports. Although the overall growth is still there, our revenue this month has decreased by 20 percentage points compared to last month. This is unacceptable! We are facing a severe challenge and cannot afford to be complacent! What are your thoughts? Who wants to go first?"

After reading the reports, the people present started whispering to each other, creating a chaotic scene.

"The development trend of Legend is actually declining?"

"This private server is a hidden danger that needs to be eradicated quickly!"

"And this Greedy Blue Moon Legend, it's developing too fast."

"This is blatant infringement!"

"Shocking, they're practically a bunch of vampires and parasites!"

The crowd below chattered and complained, with only one suggestion: calling the police.

Chen Tianqiao rubbed his temples, a headache forming. "All of that is useless talk. Do any of you have any solutions?"

"Uh, this..." Everyone looked around, stammering, unable to come up with anything concrete.

Seeing them only good at identifying problems but unable to offer any solutions, Chen Tianqiao felt a surge of frustration.

Among the people present were his wife, brother-in-law, and younger brother. Except for the newcomers Zhou Xiao and Tan Qunzhao, everyone else was a relative of the Chen family.

Chen Tianqiao could only suppress his anger. It was his own doing. The family-style management he advocated was a double-edged sword. The advantage was that there were no ulterior motives; they worked with great enthusiasm and efficiency for the family's business.

The disadvantage was also obvious, and the current situation highlighted it perfectly: their work capabilities were uneven and extremely limited!

Finally, Luo Qianqian spoke up first, "Actually, we can start from a few aspects."

Chen Tianqiao raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Tell me."

"First, issue a statement on the official website boycotting Legend private servers. Second, find some media outlets to hold a press conference to clarify our position as the official Legend. Third..."

Before Luo Qianqian could finish, Chen Tianqiao interrupted forcefully, "Enough! You want to post it on the official website? Do you think we have too many users? Once this announcement is released, everyone in the world will know about the existence of private servers. You'd be advertising for them! If I didn't know better, I'd think you were a spy sent by them. Hmph~ And you want to find media? Aren't you afraid the situation won't be big enough? Have you considered that the investors might lose confidence in us if you do this?"

Noticing the newcomer standing silently in the corner of the conference room, Chen Tianqiao directly called him out, "Zhou Xiao, what are your thoughts? Feel free to share."

Surrounded by his superiors, Zhou Xiao stood up and walked to the whiteboard, writing down some numbers. He looked as if he were teaching a class to the elders, clearly having prepared in advance.

First, he listed the data:

Early March: 100

Early April: 300

Early May: 1000

"Everyone has seen the impact of private servers on our Legend in the reports, so I won't elaborate. Let's first look at a set of data. In early March, Legend private servers began to emerge. The first private server appeared in internet cafes. At this point, private servers were still a hobby for individual internet cafes, with only a few. Just one month later, the number of private servers on the market exceeded a hundred.

By now, the number has multiplied several times over, undergoing fission and developing at an extremely rapid pace. The exact numbers might have some error, but the trend is clear. If we don't respond..."

With a few strokes, he wrote another line of data below.

Estimated early June: 3000+

"It can be said that as long as Shanda's Legend exists in an internet cafe, private servers will inevitably accompany it! Everyone, this is not an alarmist statement. Of course, private servers are now springing up like mushrooms after rain! These are our opponents. And how do private servers come about? President Tan, could you briefly explain to everyone?"

Tan Qunzhao didn't stand up and explained, "There is only one reason for the creation of private servers: the source code was leaked by the Korean company Wemade! Those who obtained the source code only need to package and translate it slightly to sell it worldwide, thus becoming similar to us.

What makes them stronger than us is that they have the right to modify the code, while we do not. Furthermore, the barrier to setting up a private server is extremely low; even those who don't understand technology can do it with a little instruction!"

"Exactly. And although we are the official authorized publisher, we only have operating rights, not modification rights. The legal regulations regarding piracy in China are not yet complete, making it impossible to effectively combat piracy. Therefore, we cannot completely eradicate private servers, and must find another way. My suggestions are very simple, only three points!

Hinder their development: Instead of issuing a statement, send lawyer's letters directly. All private servers have corresponding contact emails. This is the first point. Of course, we won't actually sue them, but it will serve as a deterrent.

Strengthen ourselves: Urge the Korean side to accelerate the update speed of the game and enhance Legend's gameplay to compete with private servers. This is the second point.

Third, seize this opportunity to pressure Wemade Company and see if we can obtain the modification rights for Legend, turning a passive situation into an active one. Finally!"

Zhou Xiao paused, then wrote several large characters in the center of the whiteboard, circling them.

Greedy Blue Moon Legend!