Public Opinion Storm

"According to our news gathering team, the recent surge in video game piracy has intensified in our country. Initially, video games from major game developers were maliciously hacked by criminals, leading to the widespread distribution of pirated products within the country."

"After a period of fermentation, the cracked technology has attracted a bunch of evil forces to revel in it. So far, there have been cases in many cities across the country where criminals have been selling cheap games to North American gamers under the guise of selling cheap games. This has not only caused the vast majority of people to suffer financial losses, but also caused them serious physical and mental harm."

"Because the incident happened so suddenly, we still don't know the real cause of the whole thing. Was it an accident? Or was it someone's ulterior motive? But after our investigation, we found that the real contradiction seems to lie in the game of fate."

"Because of their technology, there may have been some problems."

"For this reason, we have invited a professor of computer science from Columbia University today."

"We hope they can help us analyze the current situation."

When the CBS host waved his hand, handing the stage to an elderly white man, the bespectacled scholar first nodded toward the camera.

Then he said:

"I am very pleased to have been invited by CBS to participate in the discussion on social issues today. Regarding the issue of game piracy that the host just mentioned, our school has indeed conducted some research on it."

"Game piracy actually started as early as ten years ago. The first pirated game was Pong, which was popular in North America. Its appearance made Atari a pioneer in the video game industry, but the pirated games at that time were different from the pirated games that people are familiar with now."

"For example, back then, pirated games weren't just direct copies. Nolan Bushnell's method of copying 'Pong' was very complicated. He was like a painter who would see an oil painting, think it was good, and then use that painting as a reference to copy it stroke by stroke."

"But now, all the pirated games on the market are copies of Xerox products."

"Some people think a painting is good, so they put it directly on a Xerox copier, and then with just a press of the copy button, an identical oil painting comes out of the copy nozzle."

"Oh—Professor, you mean that the emergence of the Jensen home console has lowered the cost of piracy for criminals?" Upon hearing this, the host immediately interjected.

The old professor paused for a second at this question, then nodded and said, "Uh—I can only say that it is precisely because the methods of piracy are different that the impact of the incidents is different."

"Back then, Mirova Odyssey's products could not be directly copied, making piracy extremely costly. So even though many pirated versions appeared, the ones that did appear on the market were playable games."

"Now, Jensen home consoles can be easily copied, so the cost of fraud for criminal groups is very low, resulting in a flood of junk."

"So, the home console version of Destiny Game actually has some design flaws?"

The host seized the opportunity to interrupt again and asked what was on his mind.

Perhaps sensing something, the old professor didn't hesitate this time and said directly, "Everything in this world is flawed; no one can create a perfect machine."

"If such a thing exists, I think it must be a perpetual motion machine."

Although the professor didn't state his true position, his ambiguous answer satisfied the host greatly. After chatting with him for a while, the host smiled at the camera and gave a concluding statement to the countless viewers in front of their televisions.

"That concludes our program for today. I believe those of you who have watched the entire program now understand why pirated games have suddenly become so rampant."

"While Destiny is the shining light of the video game industry, and Ethan Jones is the brightest star in the current tech industry, this is not the fundamental reason why Jensen's home consoles can stagnate, nor is it a reason for criminals to take advantage of the situation."

"Although there is no perfect machine in this world, and the Jensen home console has been through more than 500 days since its release, we still hope that while Destiny Games is making huge profits, it can take into account the feelings of ordinary people. Even if they cannot directly solve all the piracy problems on the market with technology, they should at least tell us how to identify piracy and how to protect ourselves."

"In addition, we also think that the rampant piracy is related to the excessively high price of Destiny games. The $200 Jensen home console is not affordable for everyone, and games costing tens of dollars are not truly accessible to the general public."

"If Ethan Jones truly wants to bring happiness to everyone in the world, shouldn't he at least consider people's feelings from the outset? Shouldn't he conduct a firsthand investigation into people's spending habits?"

When CBS's special program, "Talking Video Games," aired, similar opinions spread like wildfire across the vast North American continent.

The New York Times ran a very extravagant front-page headline—

[Beware of the frenzied pursuit of profit under exaggerated hype: Is the mass entertainment of the game of fate real or fake?]

Not to be outdone, *USA Today* also published its own opinion—

Video games are not above the law, and unchecked development is not a sustainable solution.

The Wall Street Journal was the most audacious, going straight to the heart of the matter and beginning to hold people accountable.

There is an industry in this world that has escaped federal government regulation, and the self-censorship of the game of fate seems to have become a significant breeding ground for crime.

The overwhelming negative news prompted Michael Dale to storm into Ethan's office once again.

This time, he was genuinely nervous.

"Boss, what should we do now?"

"We are being attacked by various media outlets, and our national competition is about to begin."

"If we can't get these things sorted out before the national tournament, then..."

"I'm afraid something bad might happen during the competition."

Ethan noticed Michael Dyer's anxiety. Seeing the boyish panic, he smiled and asked, "Are you in a hurry, or are our partners in a hurry? Or are the sponsors in a hurry?"

This question made Michael Dale purse his lips.

After staring at Ethan for a few seconds, he finally shook his head and said, "Both."

"Hahaha—" Ethan laughed out loud at the honest answer.

In fact, when Ethan learned that Steve Ross's father-in-law was once again wielding the weapon of public opinion against him, and that the Wall Street commentators with whom he had a grudge were not to be outdone and were all voiced their support, he knew that his allies might not be able to withstand the pressure and would want to withdraw.

There's nothing he can do; his alliance with those people is purely based on mutual interests.

Their partnership with the NFL was simply a mutually beneficial arrangement. The NFL wanted to make money during the offseason, while Game of Fate needed a reputable event organizer. So, the two parties quickly reached an agreement and came together. There was no other connection between them.

Their collaboration with NBC was a mutually agreeable arrangement. NBC needed hype to expand its influence, while Ethan Jones liked to make bold statements, so the two sides hit it off immediately.

When the future looks bright, everyone's atmosphere is certainly cheerful and harmonious, but if anything unexpected happens, those guys will definitely cut ties at the first opportunity.

And this kind of thing...

"Don't be nervous."

"I'll take care of everything."

Ethan stood up abruptly and patted Michael Dale on the shoulder.

Then he walked out of his office without looking back.

Michael Dale was puzzled by this behavior. Under his watchful eye, Ethan left the company alone, got into his car, and drove towards the school.

Ten minutes later, he knocked on the old principal's door.

"Oh, Headmaster, I'm troubling you again."

Upon meeting, Ethan opened his arms wide.

He gave the elderly principal, who was in a wheelchair, a big hug.

The old headmaster was used to this kind of enthusiasm. He chuckled twice and gestured for Ethan to come inside quickly.

After Ethan took his seat, the old headmaster spoke frankly, saying, "I think I understand the matter of the Game of Fate very well. So, what do you want me to do for you this time? Is it to resolve the public opinion issue, or to invite everyone to sit down and have a proper talk?"

"If it's the former, then I can only tell you that you're a bit late."

"If it's the latter, then I would say that the current negotiations mean that the game of fate is about to begin."

As the best company incubated by Stanford, Destiny Games' every move is under the watchful eye of the former president. This is not only because the former president knows that the better Destiny Games develops, the more correct his policies will be, but also because he knows that Ethan is a sensible person.

Ethan knew who provided him with his resources.

So when the school has a need, he will take out money to help without hesitation.

Take, for example, the previous sale of patents.

He gave the school shares when they asked for them.

For example, if teachers and students on campus want to start their own businesses.

A million-dollar investment may not seem like much for a private university, but if everyone asks for a million dollars, even if they have a lot of personal savings, it certainly won't be enough.

In this situation, Ethan being able to sign checks with his eyes closed is the greatest support he can give to the school.

From an entrepreneur's perspective, schools can genuinely help them solve funding problems. And from the school's perspective, the companies they support can indeed help them overcome difficulties.

This is the fundamental reason why the old headmaster liked Ethan.

This is also why the former principal hoped that the game of destiny could operate for a long time.

However, many things are beyond human control.

Take this piracy crisis for example. If Ethan Jones had intervened earlier and nipped the crisis in the bud, then he wouldn't be standing in front of me now.

Once a crisis has occurred, calming public opinion becomes extremely difficult.

And want to reconcile with the opponent?

The opponents in this game of fate are all wolves who devour people without spitting out the bones!

To satisfy their appetite, the only option is to launch the game of destiny at this time.

When the game of fate is at its most controversial, its valuation will inevitably be low. After a massive influx of investors and a subsequent reversal, financial capital can reap huge profits.

Although legally speaking, this is indeed market manipulation.

but……

Who cares?

However, now that Ethan was here, he had no intention of surrendering.

"Principal, you know my personality."

"I would rather die with these people than gain even the slightest benefit."

"Therefore, I am not here to seek reconciliation."

Ethan's words made the old headmaster's smile even wider.

Staring at Ethan with admiration, Ethan took out a stack of documents under his gaze.

When the documents requested by the Federal Patent and Copyright Office appeared before the old principal, the old man, who had already thoroughly investigated the matter, immediately smirked and said, "Are you trying to drag the Patent Office into this mess?"

Ethan didn't answer directly, but instead said, "I just want them to explain why they gave my patent registration information to Tai Dong?"

"And then?" The old principal tossed the file aside.

With his arms crossed and a smile on his face, he asked, "Then should we have the FBI arrest them? Or should we get the CIA involved?"

"I think I understand what you mean. No matter which company intervenes, Tai Dong's actions will be exposed to the public. Then, you can choose a media outlet to expose this matter and turn this crisis into an enemy's ulterior motive?"

"The reason is..."

"The former president of the Motion Picture Association of America, Steve Ross's man, has shown up in Japan?"

What the old headmaster said was indeed what Ethan wanted to do.

Because only by making a big fuss and letting everyone know about it can we succeed.

That's the only way to let the world understand what Warner really is.

However, in Ethan's opinion, the old headmaster was still a bit too lenient.

His idea was to wipe out Tai Dong's group completely.

Yes!

Ethan had no intention of creating any hypothetical enemy, using a minor figure like the former president of the Motion Picture Association of America to prove that the current crisis was related to Warner Bros.! What he wanted was for the boss of Tai-East to admit that it was Steve Ross who colluded with them to create this disruptive environment!

But neither the FBI nor the CIA are qualified to do this.

The only person capable of doing these things is...

Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office.

Thinking of this, Ethan smiled at Fred Terman and said, "Principal, you should know more about the history of Taito than I do, right? So, what do you think about letting the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office arrest them directly?"

"On our side, we want the San Francisco Police Department to release the investigation results directly, pointing the finger at Tai Dong."

"At the same time, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office made arrests, and the boss of Taito confessed immediately."

"You think this way..."

"Wouldn't that be easier?" (End of Chapter)