You said you would make games by yourself, but how did you become the richest man by doing nothing?

In the meeting room of Taoyuan Township Studio, the atmosphere was heavy, as if frozen into a thick layer of ice.

Planning Director Liu Mengyuan stood in front of the conference table, holding a newly printed market data report in her hand, her face terribly gloomy.

"Everyone, we're in trouble."

As soon as the words fell, the entire conference room fell silent, and everyone's eyes turned to her in unison.

Chief Programmer Chu Xiong frowned and pushed his glasses up his nose: "What's going on?"

Liu Mengyuan took a deep breath and threw the data report on the table, her tone heavy: "Our competitor has already started to take action."

Taoyuan Township's opponent is the veteran game giant in the industry—Apocalypse Group.

This game company has a huge financial chain, a mature research and development team, and a profound market influence.

And their helmsman is Han Yufeng—a business prodigy known for his cold decisiveness and tough methods.

He is not only the CEO of Apocalypse Group, but also the strategic master in the game industry who is best at "precision strikes against competitors."

At this moment, in the headquarters building of Apocalypse Group, a comprehensive competitive offensive against "Don't Play This Game" is quietly unfolding.

Han Yufeng sat in his spacious office, his eyes deep, his slender fingers gently tapping the table.

"Taoyuan Township's 'Don't Play This Game' has become a hit. We need to react as soon as possible."

He glanced at the senior executives in front of the conference table, his tone calm and unquestionable: "I want to shift the attention of the entire market away from Taoyuan Township's game. Can you do it?"

Marketing Director Li Hao nodded, a confident smile on his lips: "It's already been arranged. We have prepared a full range of marketing tactics. Within three days, our game will occupy the headlines of all mainstream social media."

"How exactly will you do it?" Han Yufeng asked lightly.

Li Hao opened a plan and began to report in detail: "First of all, we have contacted the world's largest game media companies and bought their homepage recommendations for a whole week. No matter which game news website players open, they will see our game promotion."

"Secondly, we have launched a CG promotional video with a super high budget, produced by a top animation team, with quality comparable to Hollywood blockbusters, and directly launched it globally."

"Furthermore, we have signed cooperation agreements with several top game anchors and KOLs, who will focus on live-streaming our game in the coming week, driving the popularity of the topic."

"In addition, we have organized an 'unprecedented player benefit event' on major social platforms—as long as you log in to the game during the event, you can receive game props and gift packs worth thousands of yuan, directly attracting a large number of players to shift their attention."

A series of measures made all the senior executives in the conference room nod involuntarily.

Han Yufeng smiled slightly, a sharp light flashing in his eyes: "Very good, this is just the first step."

He paused and looked at another executive: "What about the public relations department? What is your plan?"

Gu Xue, the public relations director of Apocalypse Group, pushed her gold-rimmed glasses and said calmly: "We have arranged a series of 'propaganda war' plans."

"First, we will use anonymous channels to create 'player dissatisfaction with Don't Play This Game' topics in major game forums, amplify existing bugs and problems in the game, and make players begin to question Taoyuan Township's operating capabilities."

"Secondly, we will find some professional game reviewers to pick out the flaws of 'Don't Play This Game' in the name of 'objective analysis', creating a kind of 'This game is popular, but not as good as advertised' public opinion orientation."

"Then, we will create the illusion of 'player churn' on major social platforms, such as arranging a large number of water armies to post, claiming that they have abandoned the game and turned to Apocalypse Group's new game."

"Finally, we will put some 'comparison' videos on Bilibili, Douyin and other short video platforms, comparing the advantages of our game with the disadvantages of 'Don't Play This Game', subtly influencing players' judgments."

After listening, Han Yufeng smiled slightly and clapped gently.

"Very good, in this way, the market popularity of 'Don't Play This Game' should be weakened by us in a short period of time."

His eyes turned cold, and his tone was unquestionable: "I want them to know that this industry is not something that emerging companies like them can easily shake."

In the conference room, everyone answered in unison: "Yes!"

However, just as everyone was in high spirits to prepare for the battle, Lu Yu, the company's "soul figure", was leisurely sitting on the sofa, holding a glass of lemonade, with a calm expression.

He slowly raised his head, looked at the extremely nervous senior executives in the conference room, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, and his tone was understated: "So, what you mean is that our game has become so popular that Apocalypse Group can't sit still?"

Liu Mengyuan was stunned: "Uh...yes."

Lu Yu smiled, took a sip of tea gently: "Then what's there to worry about?"

Everyone: "..."

He put down his teacup, his eyes calm, and his tone was calm: "Since they are afraid of us, it means that we are doing the right thing."

In the conference room, everyone was stunned.

Immediately, the corners of Liu Mengyuan's mouth raised, and a hint of fighting spirit flashed in her eyes.

"That's right, then let them see what the real king of open world is!"

As night fell, the Shanghai International Convention and Exhibition Center was brightly lit and neon lights flickered.

This is a feast for the game industry—the Global Game Developers Summit.

In the hall, high-end custom crystal chandeliers cast soft light, senior executives of top game companies, industry giants, senior producers, investors, and media representatives gathered together, toasting and talking, and the conversations were full of capital and market games.

Among these well-dressed and high-spirited crowds, a young man in a casual shirt, with one hand in his pocket, seemed particularly out of place.

He was neither enthusiastic about greetings, nor actively integrated into those high-sounding circles, but casually held a glass of champagne, leaned against the floor-to-ceiling windows, and leisurely admired the night view of Shanghai.

He is Lu Yu, the founder of Taoyuan Township Studio.

However, most of the people present looked at him with contempt, disdain, or full of doubt.

In a small social circle not far away, several industry bigwigs were standing together in twos and threes, talking in low voices.

"Have you heard? Taoyuan Township Studio's 'Don't Play This Game' will be officially released at the summit tomorrow, and that Lu Yu is also here."

"Heh, is he worthy of coming to this occasion? A small studio that has just been established, why should it be on an equal footing with us industry giants?"

"That's right, open world? AI-driven? With their little capital and team size, what decent things can they make?"

"I saw their promotional PV before, saying something like 'dynamically evolving virtual world', 'every player's experience is unique'... It sounds quite bluffing, but can they really achieve this technology?"

"Don't be kidding, even our Apocalypse Group can't do it, can a small company do it? Either it's bragging, or it's a PPT dream."

"Hehe, young people always like to make gimmicks, and it's another matter whether they can land in the end."

"I heard that the investment circle is also very cautious about them. After all, they don't have any success stories. Who would easily throw money into it?"

"Wait, if their press conference tomorrow goes wrong, it will definitely become a laughing stock in the entire industry."

"Hahaha, that's really interesting."

Several people smiled at each other, their tone full of undisguised contempt.

At the same time, in the investor circle on the other side, several representatives of venture capital companies were talking in low voices.

"Taoyuan Township's project is too risky."

"Yes, there is no mature business model at all. If their game is really done in the way they advertise, the server cost, operating cost, and AI computing cost will be ridiculously high."

"I talked to their planning director. Their development concept is indeed very advanced, but in fact... this kind of overly radical innovation may not be accepted by the market."

"What's more, Apocalypse Group has recently targeted them. The market competition is so fierce, can they really survive?"

"We in the venture capital circle have a consensus that it is not suitable to bet at present. Let's wait and see."

"Indeed, after their game is launched, let's take a look at the market reaction. If it really has potential, then consider investing."

Several investors exchanged a tacit look, obviously, they were not optimistic about Taoyuan Township's project.

In the media area, several game reporters were also discussing in low voices.

"What do you think Taoyuan Township can come up with at tomorrow's press conference?"

"Something substantial? I think it's a joke."

"Seriously, this Lu Yu has hardly been famous in the industry before. Suddenly, he set up a studio and claimed to subvert the industry? Isn't this a fantasy?"

"Their game is promoted too mysteriously, what is 'AI-driven dynamic world', 'real immersive experience', it sounds quite bluffing, but which studio has really done it?"

"Do you remember the company that claimed to be 'AI open world' the year before last? As a result, the server crashed a few days after it went online, players cursed, and finally went bankrupt directly."

"That's right, history is always surprisingly similar. I bet that Taoyuan Township's result will not be much better."

"Wait, there will definitely be explosive points at tomorrow's press conference. Anyway, we only report the facts."

Several reporters smiled at each other, and had already begun to rehearse the negative news headlines for tomorrow in their hearts.

However, Lu Yu didn't care about all these doubts.

He still leaned leisurely against the floor-to-ceiling windows, admiring the bright night view of Shanghai, the champagne in his hand shook gently, reflecting the spots of light.

It's not that he doesn't know these rumors.

He is just...too lazy to care.

He had long expected these doubts from industry bigwigs, investors, and media people.

After all, in this industry, "conservatism" is the mainstream, and any innovation that goes beyond conventional cognition will be suspected, ridiculed, and despised.

But isn't the game industry like this?

All breakthroughs start from being "not favored".

Lu Yu's mouth raised slightly, took a sip of champagne gently, and a meaningful light flashed in his eyes.

"Not optimistic? Then let you see what is the real revolution."

Under the night, Shanghai is still brightly lit and noisy.

Tomorrow, he will let the entire industry redefine the word "game".

On one side is the representative of Taoyuan Township Studio, led by the always unpredictable Lu Yu, he is still in a lazy and casual manner, propping his chin with one hand, with a faint smile on the corner of his mouth, as if all this has nothing to do with him.

On the other side is the senior management team of Apocalypse Group, led by the group's vice president—Shen Mubai.

Shen Mubai is dressed in a straight suit, and behind the gold-rimmed glasses are a pair of sharp eagle-like eyes. There is a gentle smile on the corner of his mouth, but everyone who knows him knows that this man's methods are never to be underestimated.

Today's meeting, on the surface, is a cooperation negotiation, but in reality...

This is a contest of capital, a hunting game that is about to start.

"President Lu, first of all, congratulations to your company, 'This Is Not a Game' has a very bright market promotion performance."

Shen Mubai took a sip of coffee lightly, his tone was steady, with just the right amount of appreciation and affinity.

"However, as an old friend in the industry, I have to remind you—your team is limited in size after all. In the face of global market expansion, have you considered a deeper cooperation with our Apocalypse Group?"

He smiled slightly, his tone sincere and full of temptation: "Apocalypse Group's resources and distribution capabilities in the global game market will definitely take 'This Is Not a Game' to the next level."

In the conference room, the members of the Taoyuan Township team frowned, and Liu Mengyuan subconsciously tightened the pen in her hand.

Of course, they knew that Apocalypse Group would never simply "help" them.

If they really let them intervene, the only result would be that Taoyuan Township's market share would be eroded little by little, and eventually become a vassal of Apocalypse.

But just as Liu Mengyuan was about to refuse, Lu Yu suddenly smiled.

"President Shen is right."

He slowly put down the file in his hand, leaned lazily on the back of his chair, his tone as leisurely as if he was chatting about the weather: "After all, our Taoyuan Township is indeed a small company, with limited operating experience, and our promotion capabilities are not as good as your big group."

Shen Mubai was slightly stunned, then a smug smile flashed in his eyes.

(End of this chapter)