Infinite Platform Executives' Meeting

Infinite Games Company, conference room.

Since the old chairman stepped down, this was the first meeting attended by all the company's executives who held shares, including the new chairman.

The attendees sat around the conference table, looking at the virtual screen with puzzled expressions.

[Game: Omnipotent God (Free)]

Release date: November 17, 2320

Developer: Wonder Studio

Downloads yesterday: 98,762

Uninstalls yesterday: 0

Average daily playtime: 14 hours 32 minutes

Player growth curve over the past week (chart).

Player distribution by region (chart).

Player distribution by gender and age (chart).

The virtual screen displayed detailed data on Omnipotent God from the Infinite Game Platform.

The report had taken just five minutes to compile using the platform's database and traffic monitoring.

After reviewing the data, the executives of the Infinite Game Platform realized that the game in the report had enormous potential.

Still, they were puzzled about what this game had to do with the emergency meeting.

"Everyone's here. I'll explain the situation in detail."

After looking around the room, Fang Chong rose to speak.

The attendees turned their eyes toward Fang Chong, waiting for him to clear things up.

Fang Chong then began his explanation.

He described how he'd discovered the game, entered it out of curiosity to try it, and what he'd experienced afterward.

As they listened to Fang Chong, the platform executives around the table grew increasingly serious.

Most of them were veterans who had helped the old chairman establish the Infinite Game Platform. They'd spent more than a decade in the gaming industry and understood its structure inside out.

When Fang Chong voiced his concerns, they all realized how serious the situation was.

A game with one-hundred-percent realism had appeared!

They could hardly believe it, but they knew Fang Chong and were certain he wouldn't joke about something like this.

But if it was all true...

The existing structure of the gaming industry might be about to collapse.

The Infinite Game Platform's domestic monopoly was closely tied to the gaming industry's vibrant variety and its huge selection of games across every genre.

If Omnipotent God really became a Second World for people, as Fang Chong predicted, then the Infinite Game Platform would have no reason to exist.

If every player went to play Omnipotent God, the Infinite Game Platform would become a platform in name only.

More importantly...

Would Wonder Studio still be willing to hand over fifteen percent of its profits to the Infinite Platform?

The answer was obvious.

At the thought, everyone around the table shuddered.

"What should we do?" someone asked Fang Chong.

"I've thought about it for a long time. The safest approach, in my opinion, is to cooperate with Wonder Studio before Omnipotent God takes off. We can promise to do everything we can to promote the game in exchange for five percent of its future in-game revenue."

"Only five percent? Isn't that too low?" someone immediately asked.

"To be honest, my bottom line is one percent," Fang Chong replied with a helpless sigh.

His words caused an uproar.

"I know what you're all thinking. But put yourselves in their shoes. If you had a game guaranteed to take the world by storm, would you give up five percent of your future profits in exchange for rapid early growth?"

The attendees fell silent.

They had to admit that Fang Chong's analysis made sense.

For a groundbreaking game like Omnipotent God, promotion would only help in the early stages. Once the game really took off, it wouldn't need publicity. Its popularity would spread like a virus.

So using early promotion as a bargaining chip might not even win their agreement, let alone secure a bigger share.

"I've said my piece. Does anyone have anything to add?" Fang Chong asked, looking around the room.

"I don't like it, but it seems we don't have a better option. I agree with Fang Chong."

"I haven't made up my mind yet. I'll try the game after the meeting and decide then."

"I agree with Fang Chong, too. At least we might get something out of it. That's better than nothing."

"Ah... Old Jiang had only been retired for a little while. Who'd have thought this would happen?"

One by one, the attendees shared their thoughts.

The sudden appearance of Omnipotent God had made them realize that a new era was upon them, whether they liked it or not.

For now, the Infinite Game Platform still held its ground, but its collapse was only a matter of time.

"Jiang Ming, what do you think? You're the chairman now. Do you have any ideas?" someone asked, turning to him.

"Can't we buy the studio before it gets off the ground?" Jiang Ming asked, still reluctant to give up.

The attendees exchanged glances.

Clearly, Jiang Ming still hadn't grasped the seriousness of the situation.

But he was the chairman now, and they couldn't very well contradict him to his face. So they all stayed silent.

"Jiang Ming, back when we were starting out with the old chairman, someone offered us a hundred million to buy the Infinite Game Platform we'd built. We were broke and owed the bank a huge sum, but we still turned them down. Do you know why?" asked the man seated across from Fang Chong as he stood up.

"Why?" Jiang Ming replied automatically.

"Even though a hundred million was a fortune to us back then, we believed the Infinite Game Platform was worth more than that. We also believed it would bring us even greater wealth in the future."

At last, slow-witted Jiang Ming understood.

His expression turned ghastly.

A few hours earlier, he'd sent Wonder Studio an email with a threatening tone.

He'd already received their reply.

They'd answered with two concise words: Don't bother dreaming!

As Jiang Ming sat there looking stricken, unsure whether he should come clean to everyone, Fang Chong stood and said:

"Since we're mostly in agreement, let's try to get in touch with Wonder Studio first and see what they have to say."

As he spoke, Fang Chong pressed the virtual remote in his hand, and the screen switched to the Infinite Game Platform's backend.

"I've drafted a letter. Take a look and tell me if anything needs changing. If it's fine, I'll send it."

Fang Chong opened the email account for the platform administrator.

Everyone's eyes immediately fixed on the reply at the top of the inbox.

From: Wonder Studio

Reply: Idiot!

At that moment, everyone around the table wore wonderfully varied expressions.