Steve Ross in Action

A lot happened at the beginning of 1981.

For example, on January 1st, the federal government announced adjustments to the national minimum wage standard.

The rate has increased from $3.10 per hour to $3.35 per hour.

Based on a 40-hour work week, the minimum weekly wage for a job should not be less than 134.

This decision immediately caused countless labor-intensive enterprises to complain bitterly.

Because those capitalists felt that their labor costs had increased again.

However, if calculated based on 52 weeks per year, the minimum wage in America is only $6,968 per year, which is barely enough to keep people alive in today's soaring prices.

For example, the hostage crisis that lasted for 444 days ended within minutes of Yeongjong taking office, which greatly boosted the prestige of the newly sworn-in Yeongjong and made the recently abdicated King Injong look like a joke.

A few weeks later, Ling Zong directly invoked his free-market economics theory and turned his first campaign promise into reality: cutting federal spending and reducing taxes for the people of America.

This brought smiles to the faces of countless people.

For example, a few days after King Yeongjong announced the tax cuts, a message was sent from Buckingham Palace.

Their prince...

We're finally getting married!

As for the princess...

She's supposedly a nanny?

"Oh! This is simply unbelievable! A British prince is going to marry a nanny? This is an absolute joke! Is this something the British Empire would do? The prince is a disgrace to his mother! A disgrace to his grandmother!"

March 1st.

As the rising sun cast its golden rays upon the earth, long lines immediately formed outside the registration venue jointly organized by Game of Destiny and the National Football League.

Although the venue was surrounded by the same countless cartoon character signs of the game of fate as it was two years ago, and all the sponsors' logos and flags were waving in the wind, at this moment, people weren't talking about the game at all, but rather the epic gossip they'd been hearing for almost a week.

"No, no, no, no, that's not how it is..."

As a middle-aged white man in his forties or fifties was pointing out the flaws in the crowd and speaking passionately, a young girl nearby, who had been laughing at him, immediately shook her head and retorted, "Diana, who married Charles, was also an aristocrat; her father was an earl."

"Their marriage was both a matter of free love and a good match."

"Therefore, this marriage will not be a disgrace to the royal family."

"Oh, come on!" The sudden debate made the older white man glance at the young girl sideways, then he shouted, "Although I didn't know any Earl Spencer a few days ago, these past few days, The New York Times and America Today have practically stripped him bare!"

"This guy was a viscount seventy-five years ago! He got his title by serving as a page to the king and queen! His father was an earl, but he hadn't had any military achievements since the first generation. And, the news even said that their first baron title was earned through acting?"

"He only became a nobleman because he performed something like 'Althorpe' for the heir to the throne and amused those guys?"

"Wow! This story of a comeback is so interesting!"

"My ancestors were actors; watch how I rise to become a princess!"

"Ha ha ha ha--"

"This kind of promotion is absolutely hilarious, isn't it?"

The white man clapped his hands and looked around.

Then, countless bursts of laughter echoed through the sky.

Although decades later, the princess who died in a car accident was well-regarded in Europe and America.

But in this day and age, when nobody knows anything and nobody understands anything.

Her marriage to the prince was nothing short of a hilarious piece of gossip.

Firstly, the difference in their social status was too great. Even though she was of noble birth, a noble with no power or influence but only a title was even more pathetic than a commoner.

Despite insufficient income, they still needed to spend a lot of money to maintain the facade of nobility. This act of putting on a show of wealth made their lives appear merely glamorous.

Secondly, after World War II, Britain could no longer live up to the title of the "empire on which the sun never sets."

The Suez Crisis exposed their vulnerability.

Then, after completely losing their battle against Iceland, the richest third-world country that was their greatest nightmare in history, America's unofficial nemesis, a master of world diplomacy, the destroyer of cod, the protector of territorial waters, and a country that straddled the East and West...

They have nothing left, not even substance.

In this context, within America, insulting Britain is politically correct, and those who refuse to be insulted will find it a source of amusement!

"You're a real barbarian!"

The young girl glared angrily at the older white man and shouted, "You're insulting people!"

"They have absolutely no manners!"

"Manners?" This word made the older white man laugh even louder.

His eyes darted around, carefully examining the guy in front of him who was about the same age as his child.

He asked sarcastically, "Do you think the prince has good manners?"

"You still think those who can join the royal family are well-mannered?"

"Oh—girl—you're really so interesting—"

"You haven't watched too many Disney fairy tales, have you? Do you think you can be Cinderella too?"

"Those guys have been sucking blood and eating flesh from ordinary people for many years!"

"So why should I try to see things from their perspective?"

"You think they're a good match, but that's just because you believe such a thing might happen to you! A nanny becoming a princess? Wow! That's a real-life fairy tale!"

"But let me tell you, it's all bullshit!"

"They won't be happy!"

Their marriage is a joke!

"Because of the three channels for upward social mobility, marriage is the least reliable!"

"Either God blesses you, and you were born in Rome!"

"Either God blesses you and you'll have good luck for the rest of your life!"

"As for marriage?"

"ha--"

"Rich people are not bound by love!"

"Not to mention the royal family!"

"There's no love there at all!"

"Right?"

At this point, the old white man had already turned his head away.

"Yeah~~~"

The blunt question received unanimous approval from those around him.

When the girl realized that everyone in the crowd was giving her mocking looks...

Her chest heaved immediately, and she stormed off in a fit of rage.

Her departure elicited a sneer from the men in line, who then continued their conversation.

It was as if everything that had just happened had never existed.

"I'm so angry! I'm so angry! I'm so angry!"

However, as soon as the girl got away from the crowd, she stopped at a corner.

Gazing at the distant procession, she gritted her teeth.

At that moment, she felt a fire burning fiercely within her, not only because those disgusting white men had shattered her fairytale wedding dreams with their despicable male chauvinism, but also because the reason she was queuing up today was to register for the national video game tournament.

As a devoted fan of the game of fate, she played the game "Pac-Man: Lady Pac-Man" for a long time.

As a female fan of Princess Leia, she has played and watched Star Wars many times.

To be honest, she was somewhat disappointed when she learned that the national video game tournament hosted by Destiny Games was held every two years. She had wanted Princess Leia to compete on that stage.

Under the watchful eyes of the entire nation.

According to the plans announced by Steve Ballmer in the early 1980s, Starfield, as the first game for the Jensen home console, was far more likely to be used as the basis for the second National Video Game Championship than Empire Strikes Back.

In this situation, no matter how much she longed for it.

We'll have to wait three years to see Princess Leia at the tournament.

This also requires ensuring that Destiny Games doesn't release a more influential game in the next three years.

However, all of the above are just her expectations.

Because after the release of Cube, she knew that if Ethan Jones were to die immediately, Cube would become the greatest video game of all time.

When games like Cube Evolved, which can truly be played indefinitely, appear, Empire Strikes Back may no longer be a competitive game, but...

Unexpectedly, Ethan Jones' new assistant, who succeeded Steve Ballmer, announced that two games from Empire Strikes Back would also be included in this year's competition.

This surprise thrilled her.

According to her vision, this is a manifestation of the game's continued embrace of female players.

Unfortunately, when she came to register this morning, she encountered a bunch of men who were his subordinates.

This is really...

So unlucky!

"MFxxk! These guys all deserve to go to hell!"

She grumbled through gritted teeth, then broke into a fit of pain.

"Ugh—when will these guys ever finish lining up?!"

"I still want to sign up!"

But before she could finish speaking, a resentful voice suddenly rang out.

"Yes!"

"These guys are absolutely disgusting!"

"Taking advantage of their numbers, they keep bombarding us with those outdated and boring ideas!"

"I'm so angry just listening to it!"

This voice of support caught the girl's attention, and she turned her head to see a woman who was only a few years older than her but exuded maturity.

"Who are you?" the girl asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Oh! I'm here to register too."

The young woman pointed to the line ahead and said, "I'm right in front of you in line. I just overheard your discussion, and honestly, those people's opinions are like maggots in a sewer! It's disgusting!"

"So, when you left, I left too!"

"I really don't want to associate with those people!"

"I'd rather rearrange it!"

"I don't want to endure ear pollution there!"

In just a few words, the young woman had already explained her background.

Her words softened the girl's expression, and her eyes lit up with excitement, as if she had found a kindred spirit.

After exchanging words, the girl learned that the other person, like her, also wanted to make a name for themselves in "The Empire Strikes Back," which made her very happy.

At the same time, she was also very distressed because, given the current situation, they were...

It was a wasted trip.

However, her point of view made the young women shake their heads, "No, no, no... Even if we didn't register today, we can still play games!"

"You mean The Empire Strikes Back? Oh—I was planning to go to the arcade and play a few rounds after registration ended, but now… I'm not really in the mood." The girl sighed.

"Who said 'Empire Strikes Back'? I'm talking about the new game!" the young woman raised her voice.

"A new game? 'Cube of Destiny'?" The girl looked confused.

"Oh my god—" The young woman screamed before the girl could finish speaking.

"Sister! Do you live on Mars?"

"I'm talking about the new game of Fate/stay night! 'Ms. Pac-Man 2'!"

"And Star Wars: The Legend of Princess Leia!"

"That's a game Ethan Jones just released recently!"

"Such a big thing, you couldn't possibly not know about it, could you?"

The girl's eyes widened as she listened to the continuous barrage of questions.

The way it crashed looked just like a machine that had frozen due to a search.

After a moment, unable to find any useful information in her mind, she shook her head with difficulty.

"Sister—I—I don't think I've ever heard of these games before—"

"Besides, doesn't Destiny Games hold nationwide launch events every time they release a new product?"

"Ethan Jones hasn't been on TV lately..."

"Yes! Because it's a game they released secretly!" The girl's doubt made the young woman laugh, saying, "For Ethan Jones, the most important thing right now is the national tournament."

"No matter what happens, it can't steal the headlines of the national tournament."

"So, their game release this time was done quietly."

"And those games weren't released in arcades, they were released on consoles."

This explanation eased the surprise on the girl's face considerably.

But at the same time, the mention of a console platform made her frown. "A console? But I don't have one..."

"Hey! No problem! We can go play in the arcade!"

The girl's words brought a smile to the young woman's face. She said, "If you're interested in these games, I can take you to see them. It's not far, just over here..."

With the young woman half-pulling and half-dragging her, the girl finally arrived at a small shop next to the stadium.

As the glass door opened, rows of neat television sets appeared in front of her.

Below each television set is a Jensen home console.

Its orderly appearance is quite impressive.

But that's not the main point. What's truly eye-catching is the shelf directly opposite the door.

It was piled high with cassette cases the size of books and the width of a finger.

Upon closer inspection, almost all the cartridge cases were marked with the Destiny Game logo.

"Are these all games of fate?"

The girl was somewhat incredulous.

The shop owner standing behind the counter nodded and said, "Yes."

Why are there so many?

"Because Ethan Jones started in the industry back in '72!" the boss said. "You didn't think 'Snake' was his first work, did you?"

"Ah—is that so?" The girl felt as if she had stepped into a new world.

"Of course! If you don't believe me, you can try it first..."

The boss pointed to the machine next to him and said, "Twenty-five cents an hour."

"If you're not going to play, then don't waste your time here."

The girl hesitated slightly after hearing his firm words.

But in the end, he still pulled out five coins from his pocket.

Then, the shopkeeper let her choose her own cassette tape.

After hesitating for a long time, she finally chose "The Legend of Princess Leia," which had the Star Wars logo.

As she sat down in front of the computer, the familiar boot animation made her breathe a sigh of relief.

Reading the cartridge, the letters that appeared were indeed in the style of the game of fate—

"Leia is the princess of the planet Audrone, and one of the important leaders of the rebel army..." (End of this chapter)