I Heard You Urgently Need a Game

Unlike midnight in Great Xia, Evan was sitting at the dining table, enjoying a delicious lunch.

He opened the video Carter had sent him. It contained the segment where Shen Keke introduced the game through images and audio.

Besides the video, there was also an enlarged high-definition image—the game cover downloaded directly from Shen Keke's social media account.

The image was even more striking than the video. Details that had been blurry in the video were now clearly visible.

The city beneath the moonlight looked dead. On its pitch-black streets, countless beasts and monsters seemed to lurk in unknown corners.

One image could hardly reveal the full scope of the game.

Yet from that single image, he could practically smell the plague.

The hazy clouds beneath the moonlit night looked more like a spreading pestilence, steeped in terror and despair.

"Is this an image related to the game released by Black Star?" After watching the video, Evan called his friend again.

"Yeah. According to him, this is his next game." Carter's voice carried barely restrained pride.

After all, this designer was someone he had believed in from the very beginning.

"I can't say how good his future game will turn out to be, but the tension in this image is absolutely incredible!" Evan's mind was still filled with that eerie moonlit night, and he could almost smell thick, lingering blood.

From the side displayed in the image alone, one could glimpse a lost ancient city whose splendor had long faded away.

It looked like—

A cursed street where endemic disease had spread unchecked.

"I told you! He definitely won't disappoint you!" Carter said with a laugh.

"I'm starting to look forward to meeting him." Evan nodded. Only now had he truly begun looking forward to meeting this newcomer to the game development world.

Ever since that image had been released, discussion about Sprout Studio had never stopped.

Perhaps because Sprout Studio had proven itself time and time again, no one suspected that they were merely making empty promises or deceiving people, even though everyone had only seen one image.

People were simply debating whether Black Star could make this game well.

Ignoring the arguments outside, Sprout Studio's work continued in an orderly fashion.

The studio currently had two project teams. One was working on Hollow Knight, while the other was working on Bloodborne.

Only after Hollow Knight was finished would all personnel be shifted over to Bloodborne's development.

"Old Thief, are you free on Sunday? I want to introduce you to a friend." As soon as Evan confirmed his schedule, Carter started arranging a time with Ethan Vale.

"No problem. I'd also like to meet the friend you mentioned." Ethan Vale said with a smile.

Ethan Vale knew about Carter's friend. Before today, Carter had told Ethan Vale a great deal about him.

Evan was also a well-known figure in the gaming industry. Ethan Vale knew who Evan was, but Evan might not necessarily know who Ethan Vale was.

If this meeting went smoothly, it could indeed speed up his plans for the future.

As for the trouble Evan was currently facing, Ethan Vale did not consider it a major problem. It would be easy to solve.

Five o'clock on Sunday evening, Sea City Grand Hotel.

All three were punctual, arriving at almost the same time.

Carter walked between the two of them, excitement flushing his face.

"Brother, ever since I came to work in Great Xia, the time between our meetings has gotten ridiculously long." Carter held up his fingers, counting how long he had been away from home.

The internet was convenient these days, but video chatting with a friend could never compare to sitting together and drinking to their hearts' content!

The three followed the waiter into a private room that had already been prepared, while dishes began arriving one after another.

"Let me formally introduce you. This is my friend from Great Xia, Ethan Vale." Carter enthusiastically played the host.

"He's also the Old Thief players talk about, the heartless designer in their hearts." Carter chuckled.

That title alone was enough to show how much players loved Ethan Vale.

"And this is Evan." Carter proudly pointed toward Evan. "He's not only my lifelong friend, but also the chief executive officer of Microsoft's Xbox console division."

"Ha, don't let his current status fool you. His situation is even worse than mine right now." Carter showed no mercy in exposing his friend's predicament. It was no secret, after all. Anyone who knew even a little about Microsoft's current situation was aware of it.

"Carter, I'm not doing that badly. Besides, these problems were already there. It wasn't my planning that brought it to the brink of collapse." Evan laughed. That was the truth, and he did not deny it.

Without drawing attention to it, he looked toward Ethan Vale and carefully watched the young man's expression after hearing all this.

Now that he knew Evan's situation really was just like people said online, how would he react? With disdain? Contempt?

Even a starving camel was bigger than a horse. Microsoft would not collapse.

To launch the Xbox, Microsoft had lost more than four billion dollars. It had spared no expense on the Xbox's hardware specifications, and in its fight for third-party resources, Microsoft had even resorted to unconventional tactics such as subsidizing development funds and covering advertising costs.

Therefore, Microsoft would not run out of money, nor would it collapse.

At worst, Evan himself would be finished. After he stepped down, Microsoft would simply appoint a new chief executive officer.

"Hello. It's a pleasure to meet you." Evan extended his right hand toward Ethan Vale.

Ethan Vale reached out and shook it.

Evan saw none of the impatience or other negative emotions he had expected on Ethan Vale's face.

"Hahaha, I'm really happy. One is a lifelong friend, and the other is a new friend despite our age difference." Carter was the link between the two of them, and now it was up to him to keep the atmosphere lively.

"One is the chief executive officer of Xbox, and the other is a rising dark horse in game development.

"Sometimes I wonder what kind of sparks would fly if the two of you worked together. You'd definitely amaze the world!" Carter rubbed his hands together, his gaze repeatedly shifting between them as though invisible signals were passing through the air.

"Carter told me about your situation, and I've also carefully analyzed the games you've made.

"Your games are excellent and could absolutely be listed in our game store. Of course, the revenue split would be the same as for other game companies. I can't give you special treatment on that." Evan nodded in affirmation.

Those astonishing sales figures were enough to prove that listing Ethan Vale's games in their store would bring nothing but benefits. It was a win-win arrangement.

"Mr. Evan." Ethan Vale smiled and raised his head to look at the blond, blue-eyed man seated across from him.

"I heard that your next-generation console needs a major escort title to secure its footing.

"I'd like to compete for that spot."