Chapter 21: White! Tall! Elegant!
Whenever Ethan thinks about gaming expos, the first thing that comes to mind is—white, big, long.
Well... there's really no way around it.
After all, for decades, game expos have been infamous for pushing the boundaries.
The Tokyo Game Show, born in 1996, was the first to blend video games with beautiful women. The booth girls at the Yakuza booth have always been a striking highlight.
Perhaps due to regional proximity and ease of imitation, ChinaJoy, established in 2004, followed suit. Nearly every exhibitor hired stunning showgirls to warm up the crowd, their eye-catching curves, provocative outfits, and suggestive logo placements helping ChinaJoy break through year after year.
Because of the frenzy stirred by these two events, the world's largest electronic entertainment exhibition, E3, also began inviting models. By the time Gamescom was founded in 2009, they too could not resist. Showgirls, elaborate cosplay, and the fusion of beauty with gaming became the norm.
Thus, 'white', 'big', and 'long' became the hallmark of gaming expos.
And in this day and age...
"Oh! Fxxk! This is a trade show???"
Ethan exclaimed as he followed Frank into the San Francisco Video Game Expo, his breakfast barely digested. The moment they stepped inside, Ethan's eyes widened in disbelief.
"My God! Is this seriously free to watch???"
His eyes were as wide as saucers, blinking like camera shutters, capturing the scene unfolding around him.
Before him was a vast sea of machines and an even larger sea of people.
Of course, neither the machines nor the crowd would have shocked the worldly Ethan so much. No, what really left him speechless were the women at the booths.
A parade of scantily clad white women, their upper bodies adorned with nothing more than a bra, and their lower halves barely covered by palm-sized thongs, strutted in stiletto heels. Each time a visitor paused before their booths, these women eagerly approached, enthusiastically introducing the products they were promoting.
Though Ethan couldn't personally vouch for their professional expertise, judging by the satisfied expressions on the faces of those who had already tried the products, the customers seemed quite pleased.
'Is this seriously a video game expo?'
'This feels anything but legitimate!'
Glancing around, Ethan Jones was utterly dumbfounded.
He turned to Frank, feeling as if he had wandered into a red-light district rather than a trade show.
The only thing missing from this place, compared to a seedy nightclub, was the overpowering stench of cigarette smoke and the deafening blare of techno music. Everything else, both what should and shouldn't be there, was present in abundance.
Frank, however, burst into laughter at Ethan's astonishment.
He slung an arm around Ethan's shoulder and dragged him deeper into the crowd.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Surprised, are we? It's like you've never seen something like this before! How old are you again? Never been to a bar? Come on, it's just some showgirls! Totally normal here!"
"Bro! You gotta understand—where do you think arcade machines used to sell best? The place that moved the most units and paid the fastest? That's right, Las Vegas! Since the fifties, Vegas has been the favorite customer of arcade sellers in California. And to cater to those bosses, arcade manufacturers started offering Vegas-style showgirl services while promoting their machines. Makes perfect sense, right?"
Capitalism always bows to money.
In non-monopoly industries, the rule of thumb is to cater to every whim of the customer!
The customer is king!
Whatever they want, we provide!
As Ethan and Frank merged into the crowd, they were immediately greeted by an overwhelming scent of air freshener.
The blend of strong fragrances wasn't exactly pleasant—downright pungent, even—but honestly, when those garishly dressed girls pitched their machines in syrupy voices, and showed you how to play step by step, the tenderness in their approach was... kind of nice.
Especially since...
It was all free.
And nothing brings more joy than a freebie!
Yet, despite his internal satisfaction, Ethan's face remained grim.
Because in front of these old-school sales tactics, his humble arcade machine made him feel like a complete fool.
Let's be real—
Even if Snake was the best game in the world, how could it compete in a place like this?
When all the major exhibitors were using beautiful women to draw customers, how on earth was Ethan Jones supposed to dress up as a male dancer and flaunt himself in public?
After all, this was a gaming expo, not a strip club!
And sure enough, when Ethan brought Snake into the expo, two entire hours passed without a single person trying the game.
Especially since the background music for Snake was still Jingle Bells, which only made the merchants who came to speak with Frank burst into laughter before they patted Ethan on the back and swiftly moved on.
Yes, Frank's mysterious friend Mr. Furbacher did have a booth here.
As a hazardous chemicals vendor with a shop in downtown San Francisco, the organizers had invited him to provide technical solutions and materials for the arcade manufacturers that had recently switched industries.
Thanks to Frank's official invitation, Ethan had been able to bring his machine in. Not only that, but the organizers even helped with the setup. But if time could rewind, Ethan would've left the machine at home. Standing here felt like a complete waste of time!
Honestly, if he had the time to watch these old-school arcade companies throw a carnival, he might as well head to Sacramento.
Perhaps the new-school arcade companies there might be more open to collaborating on Snake?
Though Ethan was visibly dejected, Frank's enthusiasm remained sky-high.
He continuously scanned the various booths and their attendants.
Moreover, whenever he spotted a type he fancied, he would discreetly make his escape.
He would ask Ethan to keep an eye on the booth while he swiftly darted over to the booth featuring the girls he liked, indulging in a few rounds of games.
Ethan strongly disapproved of such unprofessional behavior. He was contemplating whether he should find an excuse to leave when Frank returned, perhaps teaching the young entrepreneur a lesson, when...
A figure suddenly appeared before him.
It was a young man wearing a cowboy hat and aviator sunglasses, dressed in a floral shirt and bell-bottomed jeans.
After glancing at the booth's sign, he inquired curiously, "San Francisco Electronics Supply? Hello, sir. Do you sell materials here? Specifically, materials for making circuit boards?"
"Yes, we do," Ethan replied.
He was so accustomed to this process that he felt as though he were the owner of San Francisco Electronics Supply himself.
He patted the record sheet on the desk and said, "Just write down the materials you need on this form, including the item names and quantities. Leave your contact details, and we will get in touch with you within three business days to arrange pickup."
"Okay, okay, thank you." The man bent down to write.
As the man's long hair cascaded down, Ethan shifted slightly.
In this era, wearing floral shirts and having long hair typically signified a hippie.
Ethan had no desire to associate with such unpredictable individuals to avoid any trouble.
'Oh wait! A hippie?'
The term made Ethan scrutinize the man a little more closely.
An intriguing idea suddenly struck him.
'Isn't Mr. Furbacher always worried about problems?'
'Hey!'
'This could be a chance to amuse him!'
Ethan thought that if he told Frank later that the guy buying chemical materials was a distinctly dressed hippie, the timid fellow would likely be thoroughly shaken.
As Ethan entertained these thoughts, the long-haired hippie finished his list.
He nodded amicably at Ethan and then turned his attention to the Snake arcade game.
Perhaps drawn by its exquisite appearance, or maybe subdued by the background music of Jingle Bells, he stared at it for a while before asking, "Sir, is this your company's video game?"
"Well… sort of," Ethan replied, brightening up. "If you're interested, feel free to give it a try."
He pulled a handful of coins from his pocket and added, "It's on the house."
"Thank you." The long-haired hippie picked up a quarter and inserted it, starting to play with intense concentration as the screen flickered.
At first, unfamiliar with the game mechanics, he, like everyone else, met his demise swiftly.
But after a few coins, he began to grasp the game's nuances and started to improve.
His hands moved rhythmically on the joystick.
Under his deft control, the snake on the screen consumed white dots repeatedly.
Meanwhile, he seemed possessed by a ghostly focus, lost in silence.
Though the expo was quite noisy, Ethan could hear the rhythmic crunching of the game clearly in his ears.
This scene surprised Ethan.
He hadn't expected that this hippie could withstand three rounds of game acceleration!
Only on the fourth acceleration did he, unable to react in time, watch in dismay as the snake collided with the wall!
"Oh! Fxxk!"
He shook his fist and cursed loudly.
"Just a little more!"
He stomped his foot in frustration!
Seeing all this, Ethan was quite impressed.
This guy was the only one in the past few days to score forty points with just four coins despite being unfamiliar with Snake's mechanics.
Just as Ethan was about to compliment him, the hippie stood up straight and began looking around, as if trying to avoid detection.
Ethan was puzzled by his furtive behavior, but the next moment, the man provided an explanation.
He leaned in, unplugged the game, and whispered to Ethan, "Sir, it's a pleasure to meet you here. Please forgive my rudeness, as I'm quite excited right now."
"Sir, since you've brought Snake to the expo, it implies you're considering selling it, correct? If so, let's have a conversation."
As he spoke, he patted his pocket and pulled out a wallet.
"This is my business card."
Ethan was delighted by the straightforward approach.
He had almost resigned himself to leaving empty-handed!
But to his surprise...
There was someone who recognized the value?
When he accepted the business card with a smile and glanced at it, ready to discuss collaboration with the hippie...
To his astonishment!
The text on the card left him stunned!
He rubbed his eyes in disbelief!
Because it read:
Atari Electronics Engineer—Steven Paul Jobs.