Chapter 34

After the interview, Alex sat on the couch, completely satisfied. He had finally managed to get all his frustration out. He practically melted into the couch until he started hearing shouts.

"Alex, you bastard, what have you done? We're doomed! I'll never get a good job in my life again."

Alex opened his eyes and saw everyone looking at him. Fred looked like he was about to cry, and Alex almost let out a laugh.

٩(╬ʘ益ʘ╬)۶

"Huh?! What are you laughing at? You didn't just badmouth all the participants in the competition, but you also attacked every company in the universe. Do you know how bad that is?"

"What's done is done. There's no point in worrying about it."

┐(︶▽︶)┌

"Alex, you…"

((╬◣﹏◢))

"Okay, okay, calm down. Everything will work out fine. You just need to trust the plan."

"Plan? What plan??"

"The plan. Trust the plan, and everything will turn out fine."

Just as Fred was about to start yelling, Ed couldn't help but speak up.

"Alex, do you really have a plan? This isn't a joke. We were there with you. You might have a company and lots of ideas for games, but what about us? We still need to do internships to gain experience. Just being associated with you there might close many doors for us."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"I know. That's why I brought you with me."

(≖､≖╬)

"Hahaha, come on, don't look at me like that. Did you really think that after two years of training you, I would just watch you run off to other companies? Hehehe, my teachings have a price, hahaha."

"You… crazy bastard."

"Puffff, hahaha."

"Don't laugh, Melissa. We're talking about our future."

"Hahaha, sorry, sorry, but it's really funny to see you all like this."

Jade, who had been listening, sighed worriedly. She knew Alex would do something, but she never imagined he would go this far.

(If he's gone this far, I hope he really knows what he's doing.)

"All right, kids, calm down. Alex, I also hope you have a good plan, because this isn't just going to close a few doors for you. You have no idea how petty people can be sometimes."

"Haha, I know, but like I said, just trust the plan."

"Okay, okay, that's enough for today. Everyone's tired. Boys, are you staying here or going home?"

"We're staying."

"Yeah, we need to talk more with Alex."

"Alright. And you, Jade?"

"I'm staying too. Grandma won't be back today."

"Okay. Jade, you take Alex's room, and you boys sleep in the living room."

After organizing everyone, Catharina made dinner and sent everyone to bed. Lying in bed, she noticed Mark looking at her.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

*Sigh*

"Are you sure it's okay to leave things like this? Alex might have a plan, but I don't think he understands the gravity of the situation he's gotten himself into. After today, everyone will look at everything he does with extreme scrutiny."

Hearing this, Catharina sighed lightly and looked at the ceiling. She got lost in thought for a moment before speaking.

"You know, some time ago, I intended to take Alex to meet Grandpa."

Hearing this, Mark's eyes widened for a moment, but he remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

"Even though Alex was very creative, I always believed he would have an amazing path in the military. But after he asked me to test that game, I changed my mind."

"Yes, you mentioned it. It was… *War* something."

"*God of War*. That game is unlike anything I've ever seen."

"....."

"Hehe, don't look at me like that. I'm not saying this just because it was fun, but because he created a civilization."

"Civilization?"

"Yes. At first, I thought he was just creating some strange monsters, but as I got deeper into the game, I realized that things were much more complex than I imagined.

The humans there have their own culture—whether it's food, architecture, clothing, religions, or even unique ways of thinking. It's a world with gods, magical creatures, and demons—a world where legends and myths are real, and that reflects in the culture of that place. The most incredible thing is how the world he created has a past.

This past is reflected in all the culture created. Each god has their deeds, and these deeds have influenced the beings living in that world in some way. Everything seems connected."

Hearing this, Mark was surprised. He understood very well the difficulty of creating something like that. It's easy to create a strange creature and say it belongs to an intelligent race, but creating an entire civilization for that creature is something entirely different.

(Note: If you're confused, remember that they have no knowledge of Earth's ancient times. To them, Alex created all of this.)

Seeing Mark's shocked expression, Catharina laughed.

"Honestly, I always knew Alex was some kind of genius, but this was the first time I was completely shocked. That's why I'm really not worried anymore. When this game is released, it will change how people view entertainment media. That's why today I'm just curious about what he'll do in the future."

*Sigh*

"I guess our son is more of a genius than I thought… But Cath… with all of this, your grandfather…"

"It's okay. Even if he finds out about the kids, it'll be a while before he can come after us. By then, the kids will be over 100 years old, so we can let them study here and escape… I mean, travel the universe, hahaha."

"Are you going to run away and leave the kids to deal with him?"

"Why? Do you want to stay here and talk to him?"

Mark thought about Catharina's grandfather.

"My dream has always been to travel the universe, not to be stuck working."

...…

Alex's final speech was like a bomb exploding on the Internet. Everyone interested in games or the gaming industry was following the broadcast, and one of them was William Freeman.

He was watching the broadcast live. Unfortunately, he only made it to the top 50, so he couldn't participate, but he was extremely curious to know what kind of person Alexandre was.

The whole time, he was waiting to see the person who could create that kind of story, but as he watched, a small disappointment grew. He didn't think Alex would be a shy, anti-social kid. When the time came for everyone to promote themselves, Will sensed something odd about Alex.

As he listened to all the speeches, his expression worsened more and more. Perhaps someone else would say Alex was just scared of being on stage, but Will recognized that expression well—it was disdain mixed with a hint of anger.

When Alex's turn began, he didn't show any shyness at all. His speech was like a thunderclap to Will.

"I will become the best game designer in the universe."

"Hahaha, yes, that's amazing! You're absolutely right, you crazy bastard, hahaha. But if anyone's going to be the best, it'll be me."

...…

Somewhere else in the universe, on a small transport planet, Barbara, a 10-year-old girl, was watching the broadcast. From a young age, she had been a lover of games, and when she finally started school this year, she chose to study game design.

Today, she could say with absolute certainty that her favorite game was Detroit, so she was extremely excited to watch the broadcast of the top 10. When Alex finally began his speech, he completely shocked the little girl.

"What do you admire in them…"

Little Barbara listened to Alex talk about the problems in the industry, heard him speak of his love for games, and clenched her fists tightly. She felt the blood boiling in her veins.

"My company will lead the market when it comes to innovation…"

"That was so cool…"

This kind of situation was happening all over the universe. Alex didn't know it yet, but he had already influenced a large number of future designers. However, not all the reactions were positive. After this speech, many people were irritated.

Especially the tournament participants. Alex became public enemy number one among them. After what he said, the top 10 didn't let it slide. They quickly started recording videos talking about Alex's arrogance and how he disregarded all the contributions of veteran designers to the industry.

But they weren't the only ones trying to ride the waves Alex created. Thousands of news sites began releasing stories.

"The Birth of the Greatest Designer in the Universe?"

"Youthful Arrogance"

"Are Today's Designers Outdated?"

"The Birth of the God of Games"

"The Top Designer of the Competition Says He'll Dethrone Veteran Designers"

"Has a New Era Arrived? Is DreamHeart the Hope of the Gaming World?"

"See How Celebrities Are Influencing Their Grandchildren."

"Alexandre Lockhart, Arrogance Incarnate."

"See How a Kid Has Thrown the Entire Gaming Market into Panic."

In just one day after the competition broadcast, Alexandre Lockhart became a universally known name. Small clips of Alex's speech were everywhere, and the public was truly surprised by his actions.

"Haha, the kid may be small, but he's got guts, haha."

"Very arrogant. Even if the gaming market is slightly below the film industry, that doesn't mean he can throw all the designers in the trash."

"Hahaha, burn, burn, I just want to see everything burn." This comment had a gif of Alex with his hand on his head laughing during the speech.

"He sure knows how to talk, but can he do what he said?"

The Internet was buzzing. Unlike Detroit, where only androids and a few people paid attention, this reached every corner of the universe. Even people who talk about politics or makeup were posting about it.

The scale of this was far greater than Alex had anticipated, but he wasn't bothered and slept peacefully through the night, unlike his friends, who could barely close their eyes.

...…

In an office, five people were gathered, talking. All of them were going to be judges in the next stages of the competition.

"That kid is certainly arrogant."

"Haha, what's this, Carlton? Don't tell me you were hurt by the kid's words."

"Shut up, Isabella. As if a brat's speech could affect me, but I'm curious to see if his talent is as big as his mouth."

"That was obviously a marketing stunt."

"Yeah, but I can't tell if it was brave or stupid."

"Obviously, it's just a kid trying to grab attention by being different from the others."

"Maybe, but I think he has some skill. Have you guys played Detroit?"

"I don't think there's anyone in the gaming industry who hasn't."

"Yeah, that game is really good. All the new mechanics were surprising. Honestly, I'd like to give him the prize right away. Just with that game, he's already met all the requirements for the three stages of the competition."

"I agree, but maybe that's the problem. He created an excellent game, and it went to his head."

"Setting the competition aside, I really don't think the kid is stupid. Have you visited his website, especially the game platform for the holographic bracelet?"

"Are you serious, Isabella? That's just kid stuff. I'm not going to waste my time with that."

"Really? Because I checked it out, and I was surprised by what I found."

Isabella raised her holographic bracelet and opened an app with a DreamHeart icon. Everyone looked and saw that the app was quite simple, but she showed a tab called "toys."

"Toys? What's that?"

Isabella smiled slightly and started Jenga. Immediately, a small fairy appeared, smiling cheerfully and greeting everyone.

"Hello, I'm your guide, and I'll explain the rules of the game."

The little fairy raised her hand, and a group of small blocks appeared, quickly forming a tower.

"The rules are simple. The participants will take out one block at a time, and the one who makes the tower fall loses. Simple, right? But remember, you can't remove the blocks from the top."

Seeing this, Carlton's eyes immediately narrowed as various ideas began to form in his mind.

"That's it? Doesn't seem like a big deal."

Everyone took out a block, but they didn't find it very interesting. Seeing this, Carlton just sighed and crossed his arms, not wanting to explain anything. Isabella sighed softly.

"This toy is amazing in many ways. I believe the military will be very interested in them."

"The exercise?"

Everyone seemed confused. Carlton rolled his eyes and said:

"During missions, soldiers are prohibited from using the Internet. They can only use the ship's intranet. Often, soldiers can only train or do nothing in the dorms. This type of game could relieve their boredom."

"That… really does sound interesting."

Isabella looked at Carlton, surprised at how quickly he had discovered the advantages of this toy.

"This isn't the only toy here. Besides this Jenga, there's this Rubik's cube, Uno, and several others, all made of solid light."

Carlton was surprised by this. Everyone in this room had been designers for many years, with their own companies, yet even they didn't grasp the full potential of this.

(It seems I'll have to research more about this kid. Even if we remove the games, just these ideas on how to use solid light are enough to change things.)

While he was thinking, he noticed Isabella looking at him and smiling.

(Tch, that clever old lady.)

[Note: I'm not going to introduce everyone; the only important ones are Isabella and Carlton.]

...

Alex had no idea that the toys he had created just to test the limitations of solid light were attracting the attention of many people in the universe. He continued to sleep peacefully until a foot hit his face and a scream woke him up.

"ALEX, WAKE UP."

"Huh?! What? Melissa, get your foot off my head. What happened?"

"Look at your website."

"My website? What about it… WHAT???"

"Why are you guys yelling so early in the morning?"

"Mom, look at the site. My brother's page has reached 1 quadrillion views in less than 12 hours."

...…

Note: Another chapter is done. Sorry for the delay; I was a bit busy today.

I wanted to thank you all for the comments on the last chapters. It was a lot of fun to read, and I even made a list of several games I've never played and plan to try later.

One more thing—I saw some of you commenting that Assassin's Creed Black Flag is a new game. So here's something to make you feel old: Assassin's Creed Black Flag was released in 2013. Yes, you're getting old, hahaha.