Go back in time and be a chaebol

Chapter 2537 You'll Make a Fortune (Third Update, Please Subscribe)

If it's too simple, it won't be interesting.

But this game is a very simple game that is easy to pick up and play, so why make it so complicated?
However, Nadya's suggestion made Alexei think for a while before he said:

"I optimized the falling speed algorithm today, which will increase the difficulty."

As Alexei spoke, he dragged the mouse to start the game. At the top of the screen, an L-shaped block slowly fell. He moved the arrow keys on the keyboard and precisely placed it in the empty space on the right, perfectly matching the block below.

The creation of this game was purely accidental. Three months ago, after the computer center finished its mission to calculate the trajectory of the Mars spacecraft, Alexei, who was unemployed, was bored. Looking at the jigsaw puzzles on the table, he, who had always loved jigsaw puzzles, suddenly had a brilliant idea: to create a game that could be played on a computer.

So he spent two sleepless nights writing the initial version with ease. Considering the computer's performance, he didn't use particularly complex graphics, but rather brick-like square graphics. Although they looked unremarkable, they unexpectedly spread rapidly throughout the center once shared.

From young technicians to veteran engineers, almost everyone has this little game installed on their computer. Everyone is obsessed with it, and they even offer suggestions.

"Just increase the speed to increase the difficulty, it's very simple..."

Alexei's fingers flew across the keyboard as he revised the code. Soon, he uploaded the latest version to the computing center's website—the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries also had their own internet.

The concept of OGAS, a network, took shape during Khrushchev's era when Soviet scientist Glushko envisioned using a network to connect the entire Soviet Union. Everyone working in the Soviet Union had a reason to connect to the network, so the first step was to collect data on the Soviet working population, as well as all data from the production and market levels.

Glushkov drafted a detailed plan and submitted it to the top Soviet leadership.

When high-ranking officials in Moscow began discussing the topic, the Finance Minister stood up and spoke, expressing his complete opposition to the idea. He stated that machines could already control the lighting in the chicken coops; there was no need to establish a nationwide network for the machines.

However, soon after SEA developed its internet, the Soviets couldn't sit still. Based on the principle of "if you have it, I have it too," the Soviet Union finally launched its own internet project.

Thus, the "OGAS" project, which had originally been aborted, was put back on the agenda. Over the course of more than a decade, it not only connected the entire Soviet Union but also the countries of Eastern Europe.

Although the OGAS network does not have as many users and resources as the Western internet, it is quite similar to it, allowing users to directly access web pages and download corresponding software.

This simple block game was published on the website of the computer center.

Customers can download the game themselves by visiting the computing center's website. Although the game has only been uploaded for a few months, its download count has already exceeded 10!
This is the game with the most downloads in the entire computing center.

Alexei, of course, didn't care much about this. After all, download numbers were meaningless in the Soviet Union. He couldn't get a penny from it, nor could he gain any honor. It was just a little invention to pass the time.

These kinds of games are just for passing the time.

It's a trivial little thing.

For three days straight, heavy snow had blanketed Moscow State University in a thick layer of white. The university's computer center was blasting heat, and a fine layer of condensation clung to the windows. Tang Zhiheng's fingers flew across the keyboard; red, yellow, and blue squares were steadily falling across the screen. His brow furrowed, his gaze fixed intently on the bottom area that was about to fill up.

Tang Zhiheng, an SEA student studying mathematics at Moscow State University who originally aspired to become a mathematician, was captivated by a game called "Square" for a whole week.

When I stumbled upon it on a friend's computer last week, I was immediately drawn to its minimalist yet logically captivating gameplay. There's no complicated plot; you simply piece together randomly falling blocks to form complete rows and score points. However, as you progress, the blocks fall faster, testing not only your reflexes but also your overall strategic planning abilities.

Without a complicated plot or flashy visuals, it delivers an ultimate sense of immersion using only the simplest logic and reaction speed—something he had never seen before in SEA games.

Finally... the screen was filled with blocks. Although the game was lost, as Tang Zhiheng stared at the computer screen, a thought flashed through his mind like an electric current: if this kind of easy-to-learn and highly fun game could be brought to SEA, it would definitely cause a sensation.

Once the idea took root, it grew wildly. Tang Zhiheng immediately shut down the game, grabbed his coat, and rushed out of the computer center. His blue Lada was parked at the campus gate, a special perk of being an international student—unlike Soviet citizens who had to wait in long lines, he could buy a car simply by submitting an application.

Although these older Volkswagen replicas were expensive, Tang Zhiheng, who was used to cars, still bought one. It didn't cost him any money, since he received a subsidy of several hundred rubles every month—a subsidy even higher than that of a university professor.

With the help of the international student subsidy, Tang Zhiheng not only lived a very comfortable life, but also bought a car, which was the envy of many at Moscow State University.

The engine roared as it drove out of the campus, heading towards the Soviet Academy of Sciences Computer Center, following the address it had obtained from a classmate.

At 5:30 p.m., employees of the Academy of Sciences' Computer Center began to emerge from the gate. Tang Zhiheng parked his car on a street corner not far away and searched the crowd with his eyes. Soon, he learned from the employees that the developer of "Cube" was Alexei Pajitnov, an engineer at the center, a guy with a big beard.

When that familiar figure appeared at the door, Tang Zhiheng immediately opened the car door to greet him. Alexei was walking towards the subway station when he was suddenly blocked in his way. He subconsciously took a step back and warily sized up the person in front of him—he looked somewhat East Asian, with yellow skin and black eyes, wearing a well-fitting woolen overcoat, and looked no different from the Korean employees in the computing center.

"Hello, my name is Tang Zhiheng, and I am a student at Moscow State University."

Tang Zhiheng tried to make his Russian sound as gentle as possible while handing over his student ID, which he had prepared in advance.

"I really enjoy the 'block' game you developed, and I came here specifically to ask you for advice." Alexei took the student ID and glanced at it, his brow still furrowed.

"'Cubes'? Those are just little gadgets I use to pass the time while I'm slacking off. Are you a foreign student?"

He looked at the other party with some doubt, never expecting that his "little gadget" would attract the attention of foreigners.

“It is by no means a trinket, Mr. Alexei.”

Tang Zhiheng's tone was filled with barely suppressed excitement as he said:

“Its gameplay is highly innovative, and I believe that players in both SEA and Europe will love it as much as I do. I am here today to apply for a license from you—I hope to be able to distribute the copyright of this game in SEA and other Western countries, and we will split all the profits.”

Alexei was stunned. He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a word for a long time. "Cube" was indeed very popular in the computer center, but he never imagined that this program, which he had written in two sleepless nights, could actually be "released" and "make money."

"You mean...this game can make money?"

Alexei's voice trembled slightly. He glanced subconsciously at the Lada sedan behind Tang Zhiheng, his Adam's apple bobbing. He had always longed to own a car of his own, although he had submitted his application six months ago and was told that he would have to wait at least 12 months to get a number, or even longer—in the Soviet Union, cars were always in short supply, and it was common to not be able to buy one even if you had the money.

This is in Moscow; in remote areas, the wait could be as long as two years.

"I can't guarantee that I'll make a lot of money, but I'm sure there's a market for it."

Tang Zhiheng said earnestly:

"If you are willing to grant me the license, I will contact SEA's game publishers to produce floppy disks for sale in computer stores, and I will give you 30% of all the profits."

"30%...how much is that?"

Alexei pressed on, his gaze involuntarily drifting back to the Lada, and asked:

"Can I buy a car?"

When he asked that question, he himself felt it was a bit absurd—how could a game he wrote while slacking off possibly be replaced with a different car?

Tang Zhiheng was stunned for a moment, then smiled:

“Mr. Alexei, it can get you dozens of Ladas like this, or even better ones.”

"This is impossible."

Alexei immediately shook his head and said with absolute certainty:
"In the Soviet Union, no matter how much money you had, you couldn't buy a car without a quota."

Tang Zhiheng then realized the differences in national conditions between the two countries. He thought for a moment and then said:

"In SEA, you can buy a car at any car dealership as long as you have enough money. If the game is profitable, I can help you convert your earnings into US dollars, or buy a car for you directly in SEA and ship it back to you—as an international student, I have the convenience of buying foreign cars."

That's true. According to Soviet law, international students could buy an imported car tax-free. However, since they could only buy it from abroad and transportation was a problem, very few international students did so.

But now, sensing that the other party seemed to need a car, Tang Zhiheng didn't mind helping them.

Alexei's eyes lit up instantly.

Looking into Tang Zhiheng's sincere eyes, and then at the Lada gleaming metallic in the setting sun, his heart began to pound uncontrollably.

"I need to think about it and discuss it with my family."

Alexei forced himself to calm down, took out a small notebook from his pocket, wrote down his phone number, and then said:
"Come back at this time tomorrow, and I'll give you an answer."

Tang Zhiheng took the notebook and nodded vigorously:

"No problem, I'll wait for your reply."

He watched Alexei turn and walk towards the subway station, his steps noticeably lighter than before, and a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips—he had a premonition that he might really make a fortune!
(End of this chapter)