Off to the juvenile detention center

Was "Kung-Fu Master" fun?

In all fairness, whether in its graphics, sound effects, or every aspect of its design, it was unquestionably an excellent game.

Even among all the arcade games, it was a fine-looking piece of work.

But merely being "good" was not enough to stand against "Street Fighter."

Because it was simply so strong it defied all reason.

When it came to graphics, which of "Contra," "Metal Gear," or "Street Fighter" was any worse?

As for novelty of subject matter, "Street Fighter" just happened to be a fighting game too.

Now things were truly disastrous. They had collided head-on from every angle, leaving no blind spots, and only one side was destined to win and take all.

And the winner was "Street Fighter."

Inside Konami's North American division.

The vice president's expression shifted between light and shadow.

In just a single day, quite a few return requests had come in for the newly sold "Kung-Fu Master" machines.

But they were not due to quality-control problems.

After trying "Street Fighter," those arcade operators had actually returned their machines specifically to make room for "Street Fighter."

Some even used the refunds to buy more "Street Fighter" machines.

This was bullying taken too far!

"Boss, we've also received two returns from Phoenix, Arizona."

"I know..."

The vice president let out a long breath and picked up the inventory sheet, his brows knotting together.

Losing face was a minor matter. A businessman had no use for that stuff anyway.

The problem was, what was he supposed to do with this huge stockpile of "Kung-Fu Master" machines?

That was all real gold and silver.

"Have you gotten hold of a 'Street Fighter' machine? Take me to see it."

He could only put these vexing matters aside for now and follow his subordinate to study the new machine that was beating them into the ground.

Before he even pushed open the door, he could already hear the heated shouting inside from out in the hallway.

"Use Spinning Piledriver, you idiot!"

"No, use Banishing Flat! He already knows how to block that move!"

Bang!

With a dark expression, the vice president shoved the door open. Sure enough, a group of engineers was gathered around a "Street Fighter" arcade cabinet with cartoon images of Brandon Lee and Schwarzenegger painted on its casing.

"Zangief-win!"

The engineer controlling Zangief struck a pose, copying Zangief's movements on the screen.

"Stop winning. The boss is here."

"Boss? Let's see who dares call himself bo... in front of my Zangief."

When he turned around, all he saw was his immediate superior's thoroughly sour face.

The vice president stared straight at him for a long moment, then sighed helplessly.

It seemed there was no need to study anything further.

Even his own company's game developers and production staff could become completely absorbed in it. That was enough to show just how outrageously good it was.

He needed to arrange for staff to deal with the excess inventory and halt factory production as soon as possible.

He had no desire to turn Konami into a second Atari.

In a week, the market performance of "Kung-Fu Master" and "Street Fighter" underwent an earth-shattering, 180-degree reversal.

Walk into any arcade, and you could see players lined up in long queues in front of "Street Fighter."

As for "Kung-Fu Master," although quite a few players had indeed come to try it early on, the vast majority joined the "Street Fighter" queue after a few rounds.

The design of its PK system in particular was simply genius.

Skilled players could even sit at a machine all day, a complete departure from the old situation where they had to line up again after each round.

Quite a few people began devoting themselves to studying combo sequences.

And beyond these core players intent on honing their skills, there was another kind of fan.

"Bruce Lee is the people's choice! Hiyah! Jeet Kune Do! Ever heard of it, you hick?"

"Weirdo. If you ask me, Guile is the real macho man. American tough guys are my favorite."

"I'd say Chun-Li's quite a stunner too. Those thighs are gorgeous."

"Wait, nobody likes Cammy? I really want Cammy to squeeze me between her legs, hehe..."

Since players could choose characters, flame wars over power rankings became an inevitable part of the experience.

Under the influence of "Street Fighter," a kung fu craze even swept the entire nation.

"Guohao, Arnold, I really owe you both for your help this time."

Lin Lixin sincerely thanked each of them.

The influence "Street Fighter" now enjoyed was inseparable from the initial attention and buzz the two had brought it.

So many players new to video games had come for the image of T-800 or Bruce Lee.

"No, Mr. Lin. This time, I'm the one who owes you."

Brandon Lee shook his head, his tone serious.

He was not joking.

The influence of "Street Fighter" had surpassed everyone's imagination, even reaching Hollywood.

"I've received offers for two kung fu films, Mr. Lin."

Before this, Brandon Lee had appeared in only one production, and even that had been as Bruce Lee's double.

This opportunity had become the key to his official debut in the film and television industry.

As for Schwarzenegger, after "Contra" and "The Terminator," he had already become a wildly popular star.

Guile was merely another halo added to his collection.

Although every day, people took their anger at Guile's cheap turtle-and-projectile tactics out on him...

"Well... I'll be taking my leave, then. I have a flight to Kansas shortly."

Lin Lixin shook hands with both men, preparing to say goodbye.

Just as he was about to leave, Lin Lixin suddenly remembered something, stopped, and looked at Brandon Lee.

"Oh, Guohao, be careful when you're filming. You too, Mr. Arnold. I've heard safety measures on sets have been getting increasingly slapdash lately."

He thought of how, in the original timeline, an error by the props team during the filming of "The Crow" in 1993 had caused a prop round to actually fire, fatally shooting Brandon Lee.

Opinions about the incident varied wildly, with all kinds of conspiracy theories flying everywhere.

Lin Lixin had no way to uncover the truth of the matter, but he could change the outcome in his own way.

"Mr. Arnold, Guohao is just starting out. He'll have to rely on you to look after him in many ways."

"Of course."

Schwarzenegger naturally had no objection.

As the representative characters of "Street Fighter," Guile and Bruce Lee's subtly constructed destined rivalry had already become a popular meme circulating among the public.

Lin Lixin smiled, bade the two farewell, and headed for Los Angeles Airport.

Besides "Street Fighter" and "Metal Gear," he had prepared another launch title for NovaBox.

But first, he needed to fish an "eccentric genius" out of a juvenile detention center in Kansas.

"Mr. Lin, are you sure the person you're looking for is John Carmack?"

The staff member looked at the young entrepreneur before him with suspicion written all over his face, unable to understand why he wanted to see a surly thief.

Especially since Carmack was only fifteen this year, nothing more than a little punk.

"This kid was sent here for stealing his school's Apple II computer. Have you got the wrong person?"

"No mistake. He's the one."