Chapter 125: The Beginning
The initial agreement reached between Guan Yi and Zhong Ziyu was that, based on the current game, Zhong Ziyu would give up 4% of the shares. However, these shares would be "dry shares," meaning that Zhong Ziyu would not be able to participate in the internal decision-making of the community network, and they could not be transferred or sold without Zhong Ziyu's consent.
The final revenue ratio for the game was set at 2:8, meaning that 20% of all revenue would go to the community network game platform.
This is actually quite fair, because the other party provided the platform and servers, and taking 20% is already Zhong Ziyu's final concession. According to Zhong Ziyu's original plan, a 30/70 or 40/60 split was what he wanted.
Guan Yi was in charge of the game's development and maintenance, while Zhong Ziyu needed to heavily promote the game on the website and also advertise it elsewhere... This was normal, as Zhong Ziyu hoped the game would bring him more players. And since plagiarism was inevitable, it was crucial to seize the maximum benefit before others followed suit.
You might be wondering, if you knew someone would copy and follow suit, why not prepare in advance? For example, by applying for a patent.
However, this is online, not in reality. Real-world copyright protection laws are far more comprehensive; even items like the Double Swallow slanted keyboard have copyright protection, and car models have patents. But online, relevant legal provisions are practically nonexistent. Forget plagiarism; just look at the rampant private servers and cheat codes for games like Legend of Mir 2, and the countless pirated copies of Qidian novels plastered across the internet. While Shanda (the game's publisher) offers high rewards to combat private servers and piracy, it can only helplessly watch pirate websites flourish. This shows that many things online are not as simple as they seem.
Furthermore, social networking sites are still in their infancy and don't yet have the resources to create enemies. Because much online, including social networking sites, is copied from one another, and SNS communities themselves weren't invented by the Chinese. If they were to take to court because other communities were also borrowing their successful ideas, they would offend far too many people, which would be extremely detrimental to the website's future development. To give a very simple example… would a newly established small website sue Tencent?
Almost none of Tencent's games and development directions are original. They are all copied from others' successes and then made their own. For example, QQ chat rooms are a copy of Xilu, QQ games are a copy of Lianzhong, QQLIVE online TV is a copy of several existing online TV programs, and the QQ gaming platform is a copy of the Haofang gaming platform…
Or to put it more politely, this isn't plagiarism, it's borrowing, because Tencent develops all of these things independently. The problem is, creativity is priceless, but technology has a price. Given Tencent's current strength, money, and status, aside from highly technical online games like World of Warcraft and Fantasy Westward Journey, which it can't "borrow," everything else is truly within its grasp.
However, this is an inevitable consequence of internet development; everyone is copying and copying what others have succeeded at. Then, they develop their own ideas. It's neither good nor bad in itself.
In the current climate where there isn't enough technology to guarantee that their work won't be copied, Chen Xu and his team can only prepare for this. As the old saying goes, what goes around comes around.
After returning to their new home, Chen Xu, Gao Xiaojie, Guan Yi, and Tang Bixuan, who was completely clueless about games, began an emergency discussion about games. They also gathered a group of people from the computer interest group online to give their opinions.
The initial concept for the game was to give players a very ordinary house and manor, with 2D graphics, of course... I didn't realize that although Gao Xiaojie's computer skills were lacking, his art design was quite good, at least basically meeting the needs of this small game.
If I had to compare it to something, this game currently in development is somewhat similar to a future K game called "Buy a House," but it's much more engaging.
The key lies in the details of the design.
Chen Xu jokingly called the new game "My Home, My House," and surprisingly, this joke was unanimously approved by the three girls. At the start of the game, players receive a small house of 30 square meters and a small garden of 10 square meters directly from the system. The garden is divided into six plots of land where crops can be grown.
The game adopted a common system of upgrading through both money and experience. Planting crops on the farm would grant experience, and harvesting would also grant experience and money. This model was similar to the current Happy Farm, but Happy Farm did not exist at that time, so it was Chen Xu and his team who pioneered it.
To be honest, this idea isn't actually that complicated. Once you think about farm planting, you can basically think of similar details.
However, setting up the details was not so simple, and it took the group a whole night to discuss it.
For example, how much experience do you get from planting a crop, how much does it cost to buy seeds, and how much money can you expect to earn from the harvest? How much experience is needed to level up, what is the price of a house, the price of furniture and appliances, and how do you interact with friends...?
These are all things that need to be discussed.
What annoyed Gao Xiaojie and others was that the game's design required the most effort, and it was also the easiest to copy.
After all, no one wants their hard-earned results to be taken by others. After discussing for a while, Gao Xiaojie felt dejected when he thought that everything he had done might be for someone else's benefit, so he threw down his pen and slumped onto the table.
"I'm so conflicted!" Gao Xiaojie pouted, looking annoyed. "I know perfectly well that what I'm making will be copied by others in the future, yet I keep striving for perfection. Ugh, the more perfect it is now, the less effort it will save for others in the future!"
Hearing Gao Xiaojie's childish words, Chen Xu exchanged a helpless glance with Guan Yi. They had discussed this issue before and knew there was no other way but to release it first... Just like when Microsoft was eager to release the Windows operating system back then, even though they knew the system was not perfect, they had to release it first to seize the market.
Now, even though they know there are better technologies available, they have no way to use them and can only rush to release their own versions in order to grab a larger user base.
"Aaaaaah!" Gao Xiaojie grabbed her hair. "Again! Again! Where were we? How much do potato seeds cost? How many can we harvest? What are you looking at? I was just complaining. Hmph, do you think I can just throw together a game like this?!"
Chen Xu and Guan Yi exchanged a smile. Sure enough, that's just the kind of personality this girl has—a competitive and unyielding personality. But it's precisely because of this that she's so adorable.
"Alright, alright, the farm discussion is almost over. All that's missing is the data. What about the houses? How do we interact when it comes to buying a house?"
Interactivity is crucial for this web game, as it's essentially a game designed to enhance user communication within an SNS community. Like in a farm game, players can steal from their neighbors, help friends water and fertilize their plants, feed their dogs, and even do mischievous things, thus strengthening interaction between friends and enhancing the gameplay.
In addition to the garden, the interactivity within the house also needs to be enhanced.
Guan Yi suggested: "We could add a part-time job feature, such as helping a friend repair a dirty or leaking room, earning experience and money in the process."
Gao Xiaojie nodded and said that it was set up the same as the farm, and Bixuan quickly wrote it down.
Tang Bixuan quickly jotted it down in her notebook. Chen Xu thought for a moment and said, "I think the most attractive thing about the farm is stealing things from my friends' farms. Oh, speaking of which, I suddenly have another idea. Bixuan, could you please write it down? It's about using a tool to ensure that your crops won't be stolen, not that they can't be stolen all the time. For example, we could make a one-time-use tool that would extend the protection time after the crops mature, like three or five hours, during which time others can't steal them."
Tang Bixuan quickly took notes. Gao Xiaojie said, "That's a good idea. What else? Do you mean to install a burglar function in the room as well?"
Chen Xu: "..."
After intense discussions, the game's design was finally finalized. The game's production mainly involved acquiring the necessary assets; as for the technical aspects, such simple programming posed no challenge for Chen Xu.
And this day was February 17th, which was the eve of Chinese New Year in 2007...
Chapter 126 The Developer of the Beacon Virus
Lunar New Year's Eve is also the most important festival for every Chinese person... Spring Festival.
Of the four people in this room, only Tang Bixuan was not spending the Spring Festival away from home for the first time; the other three were all experiencing it for the first time.
However, since it was their first time spending the Spring Festival away from home, these young people didn't experience the typical homesickness that comes with holidays. It was a rare opportunity for them to spend the holiday away from home, and while they missed their parents, they weren't so distraught as to lose their appetite. After all, they were young!
Two days ago, Guan Yi went to the supermarket and bought a lot of New Year's goods. Putting aside other things, there were snacks scattered all over the bed. In Guan Yi's words, one of the biggest dreams of girls is to sit in a warm bed in the dead of winter, watching boring entertainment programs and eating snacks without worrying about gaining weight.
Looking at the dazzling array of snacks in front of her, Tang Bixuan was a little at a loss. How could a girl not like to eat snacks? But she didn't pay for these. Although Guan Yi, Gao Xiaojie, and Chen Xu told her not to be shy, she only ate a little bit each time.
Besides snacks, there were many other New Year's goods, such as sausages, hams, and salted ducks. In short, the refrigerator was filled with a dazzling array of items. However, this made things difficult for Gao Xiaojie. She got up early on New Year's Eve and worked all day. With Tang Bixuan's help, she finally prepared a table of delicious and visually appealing dishes.
As for Guan Yi? This woman had originally planned to help, but remembering the steak she'd made that day, Chen Xu nervously pulled her back to continue discussing the game. So, the two of them spent the entire afternoon sitting in front of the computer, eating and chatting, until by the time they had their New Year's Eve dinner, their stomachs were so full they couldn't eat anything…
"Hehe. Bixuan's profits are pretty good! Look at this sweet and sour fish, Bixuan made it! Try it. It tastes really good!"
"Also, turtle soup, it's very nourishing. Bixuan, come and try some. Your body is too weak, you need to nourish yourself properly. This is genuine Chinese turtle essence, haha." Then Chen Xu lewdly picked off the head of the old turtle and put it into Guan Yi's bowl: "You should nourish yourself too." Then Guan Yi kicked him away.
After a while of commotion, Guan Yi brought out another bottle of red wine, but this time it wasn't anything fancy—it was Great Wall dry red wine he'd bought from the supermarket downstairs. After everyone poured themselves a glass, Guan Yi smiled and raised his glass: "Hmm, how should I put it? Heh, Happy New Year!"
"Happy New Year! Cheers!" The group laughed and clinked glasses. But when they clinked glasses, whether Chen Xu used too much force or the glass wasn't sturdy, it shattered when he bumped it against Gao Xiaojie's glass. Wine spilled all over the table.
"Oh dear!" Guan Yi and Tang Bixuan hurriedly and clumsily cleaned the glass off the table. Guan Yi laughed, "Peace and safety every year, hehe, peace and safety every year." Then he glared at Chen Xu: "Why did you use so much force?!"
Chen Xu felt wronged. How could he have known that the cup would break so easily? Oh well, may the broken pieces bring peace and safety year after year.
After this little incident, everyone continued eating. Tang Bixuan carefully picked out all the broken glass shards. Seeing her earnest expression, Gao Xiaojie chuckled and said that whoever marries Bixuan in the future will truly be incredibly lucky.
Tang Bixuan smiled shyly, while Chen Xu shamelessly wondered if Wu Yuan, that repressed pervert, had succeeded in his attempt.
During this period, Wu Yuan would call Chen Xu every night. That damn guy was using his home landline to call! He didn't care about the cost of his calls, but Chen Xu had to pay to answer them! There was nothing he could do; China Mobile was the boss, and they could charge for both calls.
Wu Yuan's call was obviously not for Chen Xu's sake. His real purpose in calling Chen Xu was something else entirely. He barely exchanged a few words with Chen Xu before asking him to hand the phone to Tang Bixuan. Sigh, then they talked for half an hour to fifty minutes at a time. Heaven knows how that reserved boss could have so much to say. I never knew that before.
Given Tang Bixuan's personality, she'd be too embarrassed to hang up on Wu Yuan unless she had something to say, so the two of them would chat on the phone for hours every day. Chen Xu watched his phone bill skyrocket, wishing he could just drag Wu Yuan off the other end of the line and beat him up! At this moment, Guan Yi chuckled, "Oh yeah, oh yeah, Bixuan's been hanging out with Wu Yuan from Chen Xu's dorm lately, hehe..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but since they lived together every day, nothing could be hidden from each other. Tang Bixuan blushed slightly and said softly, "No, Wu Yuan is a good person. I've always thought of him as an older brother."
Well, a "good guy" card plus a "brother" card—that's a killer weapon! Chen Xu gloated to the side, considering whether to send the message to his boss, but unfortunately, he couldn't see the expression on his face.
After chatting and eating for a while, Tang Bixuan suddenly raised her glass and said shyly, "Shall we have a drink? Today is the happiest Spring Festival I've had in the past three years. Thank you!"
Seeing the usually timid and shy girl raise her glass, Chen Xu and the others responded enthusiastically. However, when drinking, Tang Bixuan picked up her wine glass and gulped down a whole glass of red wine.
Such a large stemmed glass must weigh at least four ounces. Although red wine can't compare to white wine, it's still wine! After Tang Bixuan finished drinking, her face immediately turned red, and her eyes became a little glazed. She said, "Heh, it's really good to know you all. At least this year I don't have to stay alone in the drafty room, hugging my pillow and crying all by myself."
Uh, isn't that a little off?
Guan Yi and Gao Xiaojie exchanged a glance, then moved closer, each taking one of her hands. The two girls, being quite observant, had already noticed that Tang Bixuan's mood had changed somewhat after drinking that glass of wine.
Not being able to go home and reunite with family for the Lunar New Year is, after all, a source of helplessness and melancholy. For Chen Xu and the others, all three are naturally optimistic. This occasional absence, with a group of people gathered together, can be seen as a rare experience. But for Tang Bixuan, this girl has endured much hardship. Being able to sit with friends for Lunar New Year's Eve inevitably brings back memories of those difficult days.
Tang Bixuan was a little agitated due to the alcohol, but fortunately she was able to control her emotions. After saying a few words of thanks, she leaned on Gao Xiaojie's shoulder, laughing and crying at the same time.
Guan Yi said, "Bixuan, if you have anything on your mind, just tell us. Don't be shy. I think some things are better left unsaid than kept inside. Anyway, those things are in the past. You have to believe in yourself. Believe in us. Your life will get better and better from now on."
Gao Xiaojie agreed, saying, "Yes, yes, tell me. Don't keep it bottled up inside."
Tang Bixuan simply smiled and shook her head, saying that today is Lunar New Year's Eve. It's a time for celebration, and some things are already in the past, so it's better not to talk about them to avoid spoiling everyone's mood.
No matter how Guan Yi tried to persuade her, she just smiled and refused to say anything.
Sigh, this little girl is just too kind. Chen Xu and the others exchanged glances, all feeling that with her personality, she was far too easy to be bullied. It must have been really tough for her to live alone until now.
Chen Xu thought for a moment. He dialed Wu Yuan's number, then handed over the phone with a smile and said, "Bixuan, if there are some things you don't want to tell us, just tell my boss. Heh, weren't you two having a pretty good chat?"
Tang Bixuan hesitated for a moment, then heard Wu Yuandi's voice repeatedly on the phone: "Hey? Third brother, what do you want?!" and "Damn it! Third brother, if you don't say something, I'll chop you up! Do you know I'm roaming?" She finally answered the phone, said "Hello," and her face turned even redder. Then she apologized and went upstairs to her bedroom to make another call.
Chen Xu watched her go upstairs and sighed: "Sigh, I never thought my brooding boss could actually pick up such a gorgeous girl. Tonight, Xiao Bixuan will probably drink too much and pour out her heart. After the boss comforts her a bit, won't he just take her?"
"Oh?" Guan Yi raised an eyebrow: "You seem quite experienced. Come on, tell me, how many have you managed to snag?"
Chen Xu pretended to count on his fingers: "Let me count... well, not counting you and Gao Xiaojie, it's about seventeen or eighteen..."
"You're asking for it!" Guan Yi playfully slapped him, and Gao Xiaojie across from him widened his eyes: "Hey, classmate, are you kidding me? You're including Guan Yi, fine, you two are practically roommates, why are you dragging me into this?"
Chen Xu rolled her eyes. She really wanted to say, "Didn't we share a bed? Besides sharing a bed, we did *that* too." But she knew she'd better not say that if she didn't want to die; Guan Yi would deal with her. Sure enough, Guan Yi immediately turned her attention to Gao Xiaojie, reaching out to tickle her armpit and laughing, "What did you just say? You shared a bed with him that night too!"
The two girls were laughing and joking around, and Chen Xu felt a sense of warmth watching them. For some reason, he suddenly felt that this Spring Festival was not lonely, and he also had a feeling of home.
Just as Chen Xu was grinning foolishly, his watch suddenly vibrated. Chen Xu thought to himself, "Damn it, why is that bastard Hao Aiguo sending me a message at this time? Instead of staying home and eating dumplings on New Year's Eve."
Looking down, he saw Hao Aiguo's message on the screen: "MH, the firewall you gave to our military has been breached!"
Chen Xu was taken aback, then the text on the screen refreshed again: "MH? Hello, we are the developers of the Beacon Virus. By the way, I should correct you, this virus is named Shadow, not Beacon..."
Chapter 127 The Mysterious Organization (Part 1)
Chen Xu's heart skipped a beat when he saw the message.
The developers of the Beacon virus?!
Compared to the novice he was when he discovered the Beacon Virus, Chen Xu has matured in every aspect after a semester of exposure to so many things. He naturally knows just how powerful the Beacon Virus is!
Chen Xu had once put a sample of this Beacon Fire virus into a simulation system to see if he could handle it. However, once attacked, the virus immediately transformed into a powerful and destructive virus. If it hadn't been tested on Xiao Min's computer, the computer's hard drive would probably have been destroyed by this virus.
This shows just how unfathomable the strength of the developers of the Firefly virus is!
Snke, who provoked us last time, wasn't the developer of the Beacon Virus at all. Their skill level wasn't high enough to create a virus as devastating as Beacon. While the Terminator virus Snake released that day was terrifying and decisive, it only damaged system hardware, and its protection and stealth were far inferior to the Beacon Virus!
Now, the developers of the Beacon virus have actually shown themselves? And they've even breached the firewall they provided to the military... that firewall that's practically god-like!
Chen Xu hurriedly ran back to his bedroom and locked the door, ignoring Gao Xiaojie and Guan Yi calling him to eat dumplings. He transformed Xiao Min into the shape of a computer and connected to the network, replying in the communicator: "This is SMMH. Who are you? You've got some nerve attacking the military network!"
A reply came quickly: "SMMH. It's a pleasure to meet you. We had no intention of offending the Chinese military, but you are so mysterious that we had no choice but to use this method. Please forgive us. Your firewall is very powerful; it took us five months to finally find a way to break through it. We apologize for the negative impact we have caused." The military personnel were furious because the intruders were far too powerful. They were completely unable to retaliate. However, at that moment, the military technicians discovered that control had returned to them. It turned out that the powerful force had vanished without a trace, just as it had appeared without warning.
Having achieved its objective and successfully located SMMH, the organization withdrew voluntarily. Even so, the fact that the other side could come and go as they pleased in their own backyard was a humiliating blow to the military, and also a source of deep unease… because their strength was simply too great!