Night time
April 17 2001
Mr Lawyer came to get some details and after asking for some mundane questions, he left saying that he would have no problem with it.
Bai Xue called it a day and went to sleep early. Really early.
9 pm.
He woke up, checked the time and date and then after a quick bath, began to work on the utility Telscreen.
Bai Xue knew nothing about game designing. Just to be clear.
He knew nothing about creative thinking or how to code or even how to use a simple transition. He is learning though.
(He is still learning)
"At the moment, I don't need to know about all this at all."
The current world had a extremely successful and rich history in its entertainment industry, and that was reflected upon all the sectors that were related to it.
Game industry was what Bai Xue has set his eyes upon as his continuous supply of funds for his monopolised business.
Realistically though, Bai Xue could work to the death but he would not be able to even hold a candle in this world's gaming scene. It was that far ahead than what we head in our world.
With so many vibrant, new and challenging ideas and innovations added with an unbiased public and their extremely rationalist mentality on what they would spend their Credits on among the hundreds and thousands of games that releases everyday, the competition no less than any other industry in the entertainment field.
And Bai Xue wasn't an innovative mind, be it gaming or world building or designing. He wouldn't be failing to understand Xu Bai Xue's study notes then.
This specific field was the worst that he could have chosen to spend his money upon, much less try his luck on and, Bai Xue knew that.
A week ago, he wasn't even planning to open a company or become a rich business or entrepreneur. Even his most ambitious financial decision was to get a job to pay for his food expenses. Nothing else actually.
The things changed and now we are in this part of the equation where among the hundreds of things and big to small industries, this was the only that he could do on his own because of the extremely low entry point that it had and something even more important. He had a ready consumer base but more on that later.
For now, let's get to know about the ease of it all.
The game creation platform was too easy. The market was full of people who would be happy to create whatever you want. The BGM, Art, software and even game mechanics could be easily brought and then it was just a simple drag and drop. He could even get it done by someone else as well. The only requirement was wealth.
But then some can argue that anyone can succeed in any field till the time they had money?
Well anyone could but Bai Xue couldn't. That's the unfortunate truth that he knew too well.
Business, arts or sophisticated things were never his strength to begin with.
And unlike the other occupation, he had an edge on others in the Game industry. The edge being that he had his knowledge and he knew a lot. In his mind was everything that he had wanted to enjoy with Elder and Youngest.
Games, movies, autobiographies to even some random daily quips. He had it all and he was planning to use a tinsy bit of it.
For in his search for monopolistic market and consumers, he had stumbled upon a specific group in the gaming industry that few were catering towards.
A group that has spending power. Real good spending power and even then, they seem to be neglected.
Neglected because they don't add anything to the market share. They buy games. They don't play it either. They were a bit behind the times as things had suddenly changed so much after the Final war.
So much so that they are left behind in the race to the future.
Truthfully, if it was his previous world, or our world, the same neglect wouldn't be so out of touch for there was no point in creating fighting games for an audience above 60+ years old.
That wasn't the general age to get excited and blood pumping over a few bits of animation on the screen and then spending on it.
But Xu Bai Xue's world was different.
127 years ago, the longevity elixir was created by Eden's Grace and that lead to the first great war which caused the end of nearly 1/3 of the world's population because who didn't want to have longevity and who wants their enemy to have it.
After that, Eden's Grace, Eavāntí and Higher Corps decided on the joint decision to provide the Longevity elixir to everyone after they reached to some conclusion which Bai Xue doesn't care about.
The result was that the people in this world lived now upto 160 years at an average with the world oldest living person at 268 years old because the longevity elixir worked really well on some people.
(That man has something wrong with him)
The average was 160 though.
Later on, more elixirs were created and given to people and now the people in the world still held their physical prime till 140 years of age at average.
But then some more drug creation happened but lost to the ages as the Final War happened 70 years ago, wiping out two continents along with its people and 3/5 of the entire world, along with most of Eden's Grace and the main headquarters of Eavāntí.
The Higher Corps later established the World Government that we know now and as years passed, assimilated in it.
After the Final War, people decide to not do it again, that why it was called Final War and then focused more on the rebuilding. That's where the entertainment and other industries came into action and with the governments support, they thrived extremely well.
But what about the people. Well they were burdened with the rebuilding of the world, from brick by brick, to roads, town, cities, counties, states and then countries which made up the World Government.
In all that, time passed and yet some things started to change. The newer generation weren't burdened as much and could do a lot more than just being a part in rebuilding of the world.
So they began to enjoy things along with work. A market for things that they could enjoy was created. Those who understood it began to focus on them.
Dramas, parks, shopping malls and games. They began to cater to the young ones who earned and spent a bit on things that they found fulfilling. Books, sports, cafes and parties. Things that were nearly crushed by the aftermaths of the wars had started to gain their popularity again.
Time passed. The young ones spend more money. As economy grew, so did the spending. Competition started to emerge, a world full of happiness.
Time passed a bit more and now it was a sea of crabs. Saturation has reach its peak with the growing economy, newer generations and an increase of population that wants to do their own thing all leading to this.
Except some things didn't change. The old generation didn't die off as the young ones began to emerge and thrive. Neither did the old businesses. They were still here, still doing their jobs, all because they could do. They were physically young. Still young. Why would they need rest?
Why should they? The 32 year installments for the house hasn't been paid yet. There were some debts here and there as well. The children said that you was still young and with a job. You should pay for it. Just like you have been. And there was nothing. You miss your husband.
Even if you don't have debt. Even if you don't have much spendings. Do you have something to return to?
You stay at home. Your son asks why? So does your father. You are young. You are healthy. You should be doing something with your life. Some jobs to earn money. Even if you don't need it, do it for the future, someone else may need it. The family is big. So big. The future was unseen.
You are young. You look young. Your mind isn't. No one cares about that though. Neither did you when you were in their shoes.
You do your job. You see people that look like you, enjoying their holidays, eating at cafes or just dancing to some music in the streets. Those people are happy. You aren't. You wonder what changed.
You earned enough. You retire early. Your father scolds you for it. 90 years is even an age of retirement? Look at him, still holding on to his job for the past 15 years. Everyday he chides you on your decision. Taunting you, telling your children or your mother and grandmother. Sometimes you feel happy that grandfather had died but you feel bad for thinking like that.
You are old yet you don't feel it. It's all in the mind and nothing in the body. You sit down to watch TV. You can't resonate with anything. The teenage that you lived didn't involve this intense of a bullying or children this horny.
You think that things were different at your time but then realise that you have done nothing but work in your early days. Even your wife was arranged by your Aunt. And she is sitting beside you and quite enjoying the teen drama. You wonder about her tastes.
You look at her, she is as beautiful as the day you met her. So are you. You both are going to be like that for years to come.
Recalling all the things you went through together, You decide to take her to a cafe. When your wife left for a minute, some girls came to you and started a conversation. They are cheerful little girls and you exchange contacts. You think their bubbly nature would pair really well with your great grandsons.
A bit into the conversation and you realise that they want you and in a not appropriate sense, you are what they prefer.
You look young but you are not young anymore. You are old, sirens flash in your heads. If you are seen like this by someone, you are ducked.
You immediately shoo them away when you see your wife. You lie when she asks you about the girls. The date goes well. You felt truly young again.
During one of the rides, your wife decides to stay back and let you ride it. She has too much of it, she says. You say that you won't ride it as well but she insists. By the time you come from the rides, your wife is crying. Your phone is in her hand and on it had some spicy pictures that the girls sent.
You are old. You never had anything you had to hide from her.
You try to explain but your wife listens to none. You are devasted at her crying. Her because she thought you were cheating.
Your relationship with her strains. You get angry and agitated that she isn't listening. She is getting hurt and angry that you are making excuses. She has seen proof. Proof unmatched. Who get pictures like this for anything else?
Others began to notice. Things got out of hand. You tell the truth to your daughter and they explained the situation to your wife while clearing your name.
The misunderstanding ended but deep down, you feel a bit hurt that she didn't listen to you. You realise that you are not young even when you look young.
You are young yet you are old. You haven't married. Your parents are still forcing you. You do not want to but you can't say that to them. You are fearful. Your father hasn't lost his touch. Your mother never raises her voice. Time has passed and yet it feels as if nothing has changed since then. You want to leave but afraid to speak so.
You are young. You can work. You should work. You should earn. You can enjoy your life later. You won't be dying soon anyways.
....
In his search for a field where he can gain monopoly, Bai Xue had chanced upon a small forum called – You are young, You are old.
Filled with extremely depressing daily life stories of 60+ year old people who were disgruntled with the lack of entertainment and excess of depression in their lives. This was the place where they chatted, shared their pain and try to help each other.
This small forum with 363 people in total, 364 if you add him, became the sole reason on why he chose the gaming industry for his first company.
He had an audience that wants something for them. He had a way to grant they want. Even his first game was something that five people in the group really wanted to play. A fighting game with 90 year old graphics. Something that they had been talking about for the past two weeks!
Bai Xue checked the forum again and there was a new story and it was once again depressing. Other than that, the hype and discussion for the fighting game seem to have grown a lot as 7 people were talking about it now!
Bai Xue didn't know the exact game they were talking about since it was likely a native to this world and 85 years old.
"Good."
He smiled a bit and went back to work. He still has to learn how to drag and drop the elements properly.
He had been learning for the past five days and there were lots of improvement. He might be a prodigy in this.
"I don't think there's a need to regenerate my blood. I can take it slow."