Translator: Star River from w.a.n.gmamaread
Proofreader: Rhith
Chen Xiao treated them at the revolving restaurant on the top floor of the Grand Hotel, opposite Capital University.
Xie Mingzhe looked through the floor-to-ceiling window and saw the skysc.r.a.pers and levitated roads. Immersed in the game world these days, he nearly forgot that the real world was in a high-tech era. But it was a pity that Chinese cla.s.sic culture got lost in this world.
Seeing the boy lost in thought beside the window, Chen Xiao walked over to him and asked, “Xiao Xie, do you think I look like a bad guy?”
Xie Mingzhe recovered consciousness, “Why did you ask that? You are a nice person!”
Chen Xiao raised his eyebrows, “Really? I thought you regarded me as a very bad boss so you don"t want to tell me your secret.”
Xie Mingzhe"s heart missed a beat, “What secret?”
Chen Xiao patted his shoulder, “Tell me when you want. If you don"t want to say it, I won"t force you.”
It was a hearty lunch, joyous and harmonious.
But Xie Mingzhe felt upset, worrying that Brother Chen may have known something.
After returning to the studio, Xie Mingzhe looked at the helmets, seats and the large virtual LCD screen in the centre of the room. He suddenly realized – did he overlook something important? The data of the computers in the studio were usually interoperable, right? Just like an internet cafe manager could monitor all computers in the cafe, the studio owner did too.
Thinking of Brother Chen"s words at noon, Xie Mingzhe felt a shudder running down his back. He immediately ran upstairs to look for Chen Xiao. The man was smoking on the balcony, leaving Xie Mingzhe a figure shrouded in smoke.
Xie Mingzhe touched his nose with embarra.s.sment and asked, “Brother Chen, do you know all of what I"ve done in the game?”
Chen Xiao blew some smoke rings and then looked back at him, saying, “All smart helmets in the game studio are connected with the host machine to make it convenient to liquidate the data everyday. I found that you have made a lot of cards, but I don"t know much about the specific situation. After all, your individual s.p.a.ce is your privacy, so I have never entered into your s.p.a.ce.”
Xie Mingzhe, “…”
Chen Xiao looked very gentle. He smoked as he said, “There are only a few players who have the ability to make cards in this game. You have talent in this field while keeping a low profile to prevent others from knowing that, which is good for you. At least you are not as innocent as a white rabbit who may put all his cards on the table. We met each other not long ago, so it"s normal that you are wary towards me.”
He was so frank that Xie Mingzhe felt embarra.s.sed, “I didn"t guard against you deliberately. At first I was not sure if I could sell my card, and I just wanted to make some pocket money. I just figured out the whole thing in the last two days.”
Chen Xiao said, “If you are willing to believe me, I can help you. If not, it doesn"t matter. We are only a boss and an employee, and you only signed a one-month contract. After that, it"s up to you whether you will continue to work here.”
Xie Mingzhe kept silent for a moment, and then he looked up at Chen Xiao, saying, “Brother Chen, I believe in you.”
Apart from Chen Xiao accepting him even though he was a newcomer, another reason why Xie Mingzhe dared to trust Chen Xiao was the latter"s feelings for his brother. Many times he saw Chen Xiao standing on the balcony smoking alone, or watering the succulents left by his brother. He looked very gentle, lost in memory. All this showed Chen Xiao was a man who valued his family and friends. Generally, such a person would not betray his friend.
Besides, although Chen Xiao looked somewhat decadent, he was particularly frank. Getting along with Chen Xiao for so long, Xie Mingzhe thought of him as a trustworthy person. Xiao Pang, Jin Yue and Chi Qing were nice people too, so he decided to take a gamble to trust Chen Xiao. If he was wrong, he could leave the studio after the contract ended, which would not be a big loss to him in any way.
Thinking of this, Xie Mingzhe said, “I got some ideas for making character cards, and made IDE cards by accident.”
Chen Xiao suddenly widened his eyes, “Are you 月半 in the auction?”
Xie Mingzhe didn"t want to hide it any more, answering, “Yes.”
In fact, Chen Xiao had a hunch. Every night when the host machine liquidated the data, Xie Mingzhe"s computer showed he had made more cards. By lunchtime today, the number increased to over a hundred. This growth rate was more like he created cards by himself.
But now Xie Mingzhe personally admitted it, which made Chen Xiao still a little shocked.
Chen Xiao frowned and lowered his voice, asking, “Do you know what it means to be able to make IDE cards?”
"It is said that I was the first to make this kind of card, so my cards are popular for the time being. However, card designers in major clubs are not fools, and they will make such cards soon. I want to acc.u.mulate a sum of money before they start selling IDE cards."
Chen Xiao, "…"
Obviously, Xie Mingzhe impressed him with his words. He didn"t expect this eighteen-year old boy to have such a clear mind. He nodded approvingly, "You"re right. When a new kind of battle card first appears on the market, they can be sold at their highest price because the demand for them exceeds the supply, but their price will plunge when clubs sells them in bulk. Their price won"t stabilize until next season"s League. At present, there are no IDE cards on the market, so you can make a fortune even by selling [Lin Daiyu] only."
"Brother Chen, you know [Lin Daiyu]?"
"Yes. Your story has gone viral in the forum recently. It is said that "Chubby", a card-making genius, appeared at the auction and sold his one-star card for 660,000 gold coins. I guessed that you were "Chubby", but it was only my guess, I didn"t expect you to actually be "Chubby"." Chen Xiao took a deep breath, stubbing out his cigarette b.u.t.t in the ashtray. He looked at Xie Mingzhe, saying with a rare serious look in his eyes, "Because of your talent, major clubs will do everything possible to attract you, but I have to warn you that every club has hidden rules. Signing for a club means that you will have to sell your cards" copyright to them. If you have many creative ideas, don"t sign this personal contract, understand?"
Brother Chen"s words warmed Xie Mingzhe"s heart. Xie Mingzhe said immediately, "I know. I want to be a freelance designer."
Chen Xiao nodded, saying, "Talk about your plan."
Xie Mingzhe said, "IDE cards are a kind of tactical card. I"ll establish myself in the original cards circle by selling IDE cards first, and when my creator LOGO receives popular recognition, it will be easier for me to sell other cards in the future. I have a lot of things to do alone, and I don"t know as much about this game as you do, so I think, if you are willing to help me, we can work together?"
"Do you trust me?" Chen Xiao asked frankly.
"Of course I do. Without Brother Chen, I would never have started my career in this game at all. Actually, I was driven out by my landlord on the day I looked for a job. But for you, I might have slept in the street that night."
Chen Xiao was moved by Xie Mingzhe"s words. He had been reluctant to get involved in Xie Mingzhe"s personal affairs, but Xie Mingzhe"s clear eyes reminded him of someone. A crazy idea suddenly came into his mind.
If Xiao Xie really has considerable talent, the man he"s been waiting for may come back.
Thinking of this, Chen Xiao clenched his fists, took a deep breath and looked at Xie Mingzhe, trying to gently say, "If you make money by selling cards, you"ll be exhausted since you do everything by yourself. You need a team to support you. Now that you"ve been working in the studio for so long, you must have known everyone very well. Let us help you. I think Xiao Pang, A"Qing and Jin Yue will be very happy when you make a lot of money and give us some shares."
Xie Mingzhe nodded vigorously, "That"s what I think."
He had it difficult if he wanted to make cards and run his own store by himself. It would be great if there was a team to support him, then he could focus on making cards.
It would be better if Brother Chen and his team were willing to help him, because he knew everyone very well.
They returned downstairs, put on their helmets and logged into the game. Chen Xiao took Xie Mingzhe directly to the commercial street.
"Near the Central Square of the Aquarius galaxy is the location of the busiest commercial section in the game. I"ll show you the largest card store here and you can learn how to run a store from them." Brother Chen said while walking. Xie Mingzhe followed him closely.
The street facing the auction house had high foot traffic. It was busy even at noon.
There were various stores on the street, amongst which the "Battle Card Store" was the most eye-catching. As soon as they entered the store, they saw more than a dozen neat rows of display cases which were cla.s.sified according to the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire and earth. The store had an endless array of cards, including seven-star cards and one-star cards. Every card had a price tag underneath them. There were packages of cards in the Treasure Area next to the display cases, such as a package of five wood cards or five metal cards…
After visiting the busiest street, Xie Mingzhe became aware that it would be very difficult for him to run a store alone. He needed someone to help him, especially when his business expanded. If he focused on running the store, he might not have time to make cards. Thinking of this, Xie Mingzhe said, "Brother Chen, I want to rent a store at the auction this afternoon. Please give me some advice about running a store."
Chen Xiao nodded, "OK. I"ll go with you and help you choose a store in the best section."
They attended the auction on time at 3:30pm.
Each of the stores being auctioned that day had an area of 200 square meters and two floors. One of them was located near Central Square. Such a store was rarely auctioned.