Guohao, Come Be Our Martial Arts Consultant

They called it research, but in reality, they were playing to their hearts' content with a critical eye.

Sam's haul was absolutely the pure stuff. He had even brought back cartridges that had only been out for a few days.

The group played at VideoSoft until they lost all sense of time.

Only after dark did Lin Lixin reluctantly put down the controller.

To be honest, before transmigrating, Lin Lixin had never actually touched a genuine, original Famicom. In his day, Subor had ruled the roost.

Hooking a Subor up to the bulky television at home to play some Super Mario had already been a rare treat back then.

As for Sam, that went without saying. This was a man who had bought several copies of even "E.T." Naturally, the Famicom had him utterly entranced.

Yet the strongest reaction came from Gerald.

He sat there quietly, watching "Donkey Kong" on the screen, unsure how to express what he felt.

He finally understood why Lin Lixin was so determined to make a home console instead of staying in the comfort zone of the arcade market and continuing to rake in money.

"Phew-"

Gerald let out a long breath and slowly asked:

"Have American games lost their confidence?"

He shook his head with a bitter, self-mocking smile, only now realizing how slow on the uptake his earlier thinking had been. He immediately perked up.

"We have to make NB! It has to be NB!"

Vivian put down her controller, likewise somewhat surprised by the Famicom's performance.

She had always noticed how seriously Lin Lixin treated this machine, as though he were facing an incredibly formidable opponent.

Only now did she finally understand.

Nintendo had taken a different path from GAMENOVA. Their games were unremarkable graphically, with little visual appeal.

But in terms of gameplay, they were practically unassailable.

Especially "Super Mario." Even viewed through Vivian's bias as someone from GAMENOVA, it was an utterly stunning, flawless work.

Still, thinking of Lin Lixin's outrageous technical prowess eased the tension in Vivian's heart a little.

It would be hard to lose.

She looked at Lin Lixin, who was rummaging through a small mountain of cartridges, and asked curiously:

"What are you planning for the new game?"

Lin Lixin thought for a moment.

Their next game would be a launch title for their home console, so it really did require careful consideration.

"For the next game, I'm planning simultaneous development for both arcades and home consoles."

Arcades provided their baseline earnings, so naturally, he would not just casually abandon them.

Especially now that the new manufacturing process was driving profits higher and higher.

But this requirement left him a little stuck.

He needed to find a game that offered completely different experiences in arcades and on home consoles, while being equally fun on both.

Suddenly, his gaze caught on a cartridge. His eyes lit up, and he pulled it straight out.

There were actually two bold, forceful Chinese characters on the cover.

[Kung-Fu Master]

"Didn't this game only just come out? You even managed to get this?"

Lin Lixin took a close look. Sure enough, it was "Kung-Fu Master," developed by Konami.

Hearing him, Sam came over and chuckled. "I got a buddy to get it for me. What, you really like this game?"

After saying that, Sam nodded as though something had suddenly clicked.

"Makes sense. I heard the protagonist was based on Bruce Lee."

An idea for the next game suddenly took shape in Lin Lixin's mind.

"Say... how about we make a fighting game?"

If "Kung-Fu Master" was the forefather of fighting games, then "Street Fighter" was unquestionably the game that laid their foundations.

Many mechanics of modern fighting games had been established in the Street Fighter era.

"Like 'Kung-Fu Master'?" Sam had already played the game earlier and knew how it played. "Wouldn't that put us head-to-head with Konami?"

"F**K KONAMI." Lin Lixin immediately tossed out an American curse. "Konami doesn't know shit."

Although "Kung-Fu Master" was a great pioneer, at its narrative core, it still relied on that same set of Japanese stereotypes.

The Fried Rice Clan, kung fu master Lee, and all that-it was a little too ridiculous.

If Lin Lixin were making it, well...

It would only get more ridiculous!

Qigong, ninjas-he would put them all in.

How could you play fighting games without knowing how to throw a projectile?

Fireballs and uppercuts were an attitude.

The next day, in Hollywood.

Schwarzenegger had just finished shooting a scene and was sitting off to the side, resting.

The recent smash hit "The Terminator," combined with the enormous popularity "Contra" had built up for him, had transformed him into a red-hot superstar.

"Arnold, someone's looking for you." A crew member suddenly waved him over to take a call. "Mr. Lin's on the phone."

Schwarzenegger perked up and hurried over to the telephone.

He had seen how wildly popular Metal Gear was, and naturally, he was green with envy.

But Snake's style did not quite fit him, and Lin Lixin had not contacted him either, so he had felt too awkward to say anything more.

Now that Lin Lixin had suddenly reached out, could that be what this was about?

"Lin, long time no see... Brandon Lee? Sure, I'll arrange it for you."

Schwarzenegger hung up, unable to help feeling a little disappointed.

He had finally gotten a call from Lin Lixin, only for it to turn out that Lin wanted his help contacting a Hollywood actor who was just starting out.

Even so, he would naturally do him this favor.

Schwarzenegger quickly dialed his agent's number.

Lin Lixin had watched countless documentaries and seen his photographs countless times.

But when he actually stood before that legend's son, he still could not avoid a moment of dazed disbelief.

Brandon Lee, Bruce Lee's son, was a young man of only twenty who had perfectly inherited all his parents' strengths.

In his Chinese-American face, one could still see the shadow of that legend.

Lin Lixin's throat shifted, and he could only lament that he had arrived ten years too late.

"Hello, Mr. Lin."

Brandon Lee was very polite, clearly well brought up and well educated. His entire bearing gave Lin Lixin a favorable impression of modesty and courtesy.

Lin Lixin forcibly suppressed his excitement so that he would not appear too out of sorts.

"You're just as handsome as your father."

"...Uh? Thank you."

Well, to Brandon Lee, who did not know the truth, that really did not sound like a particularly natural opening.

"Guohao, I don't know whether Mr. Schwarzenegger told you, but I'm the boss of the game developer GAMENOVA. I'd like to invite you to help develop our new title."

"Video games?" Brandon Lee was a little stunned. He had no idea how he could possibly be connected to that field.

Only in the past couple of days had he received an invitation to appear in "Kung Fu: The Movie." He would make his debut as his father's stand-in, formally entering film and television.

But when it came to video games, he truly knew absolutely nothing.

"That's right. I'd like you to serve as the martial arts consultant for 'Street Fighter,' and also design the moves for the Chinese character 'Fei Long.'"