23: Chapter 23: Back to the Coast, Game Engine Gameplay Demo

...

Pfft—

Su Chen sprayed out a mouthful of soy milk, his face flushed from choking, but he paid no mind to his own embarrassing state, exclaiming in shock,

"Are you kidding me? Is this freaking video a live demo on a Xiaomi Phone 3?!"

Following the special effects-rendered video, familiar mobile game UI interaction buttons appeared; someone had controlled the protagonist to perform a dazzling duel of light blades.

That alone wasn't enough to make Su Chen lose his composure. It wasn't unusual for high-end phones nowadays to achieve console-level 3A graphics, but the problem was that the video ended with a panoramic shot, revealing that the phone used was the Xiaomi 3, which had been obsolete for years!

"Fake, this must be fake!" Su Chen was certain.

In the gaming industry, hardware is the core of graphics. With good hardware, the rest depends on software rendering capabilities. This is the logical core of game development. Even the famous Unreal Engine couldn't produce such exquisite graphics on an outdated phone because the hardware couldn't keep up.

That's why the market value of the famous graphics card company NVDA is higher than that of all game companies combined!

How did they manage to make an old horse pull a heavy cart like in the video? It's a miracle that the outdated processor's GPU didn't explode on the spot.

"Xiongba... Xiongba Engine?"

Su Chen couldn't help but look at the publisher. What a terrible name.

...

...

Floors 23 and 24 of the Brilliant Star River Building in Binhai City. Nearly two months had passed, and the desolation from back then had completely vanished.

Over a hundred people were bustling with activity, their feet barely touching the ground.

"The discussion is so intense; our engine is about to blow up!"

"No kidding. They might not understand, but we programmers at Xiongba Company know all too well. Once this engine is released, game developers worldwide will have their eyes on us."

"Haha, true that."

"Shh, shut up. Old Xiao and Manager Xia are coming outside."

The dozens of people in the R&D department immediately fell silent, staring straight ahead without looking around.

"..."

"We need more media attention now. The promotion can't stop. Lili will assist you."

Xia Jinsha spoke with decisive efficiency, a typical career-driven woman, addressing the balding man beside her. "The press conference in a week must not have any slip-ups, Minister Xiao."

Xiao Quan nodded in agreement.

The two conversed as they walked to the chairman's office.

...

"Damn it, who can tell me what 3D means?!"

It's way too small.

Is this the stuff my kid usually studies?

In the office, Lin Tianxiong, dressed in a suit and leather shoes, felt his head swell as he looked at the briefing notes. The professional jargon inside was too complex. He understood the need to keep up with the times, but he couldn't adapt too quickly—his brain just couldn't process it.

He was a coal miner; it was normal not to understand high-tech stuff, right?

After glancing a few more times,

Lin Tianxiong threw the document aside, abandoning the idea of going on stage to act like a cultured person and show off. He decided to let General Manager Xia Jinsha take the stage instead.

Just then, a knock sounded on the door.

Xia Jinsha and Xiao Quan walked in. Lin Tianxiong gestured for them to sit.

After the two finished reporting their work, Lin Tianxiong looked at Xiao Quan and asked, "Minister Xiao, you're responsible for the technical introduction at the press conference. Let me confirm one more thing: have you fully grasped this game engine?"

If they hadn't, they needed to hurry up. Did he hire all these people to just sit around and do nothing? Lin Tianxiong's gaze was sharp at that moment, less like a company boss and more like someone from the underworld.

"Boss, no problem,"

Xiao Quan swallowed hard, his eyes bloodshot but his expression excited. "We've fully grasped it. The core team is already working on further development."

The design team behind this game engine was simply genius. How did they come up with it? It was like expecting a barren wasteland, only for them to break through the rocks and bring forth a new spring.

When Xiao Quan, who had worked in the field for half his life, saw this game engine, he almost wanted to kneel. It was just too damn impressive.

"Hmm,"

Lin Tianxiong straightened his posture. "Tell me about the progress on the English version."

His previous business vision had always focused on the entire continent. Now, with such high-quality "coal," it would be a shame not to sell it globally.

Brother Tianxiong still had to have strategic foresight.

—

Time flew by in the blink of an eye. A week later, around noon, a Boeing 737 passenger plane landed at Binhai Airport.

A group of three walked out of the airport.

Lin Fang looked at the familiar flow of people and said, "Let's head to the company's office first."

Besides practicing shooting in the Philippines, he hadn't been idle. Through an online domestic agency, he had secured a lease for an ordinary office building on the outskirts of Binhai in the company's name.

Zhou Hui swiftly flagged down a taxi.

After getting in the car,

Xu Anqing looked somewhat dazed, smiling wryly at Lin Fang beside her. "Boss, I originally thought it would be a long time before we returned to the Central Continent."

Lin Fang showed an interested expression and asked, "If you encounter them again, what would you do?"

"Them" naturally referred to Xu Anqing's parents.

Xu Anqing clenched her fists tightly, then slowly relaxed them. Nightmarish memories of scoldings, beatings, and being barely clothed surfaced in her mind. Was she only worth 3,000 yuan?

"I won't wait for them to come to me. I'll go back to the village first to sever ties, then fight back."

Xu Anqing spoke half-jokingly, half-seriously, "Boss, when the time comes, can I borrow Brother Zhou? He's better at fighting."

"Sure,"

Lin Fang thought for a moment and added, "Just be mindful of the impact. Compensation is secondary; just don't take any lives."

"If anyone has to go inside, try to let Zhou Hui take the fall."

Zhou Hui in the passenger seat: ...

The driver: ...

"Boss, it won't be that exaggerated," Xu Anqing said with a laugh.