Chapter 9: The Betrayal from Within
Chapter 9: The Betrayal from Within
📅 Date: November 1991
📍 Location: NexTech Studios, Seoul, South Korea
The cold winds of late autumn swept through Seoul, but inside NexTech Studios, the atmosphere was hotter than ever.
With less than a year until NexBox's launch, every department was working at full capacity.
✔ The final hardware prototype was being assembled.
✔ Game developers were refining the first wave of NexBox-exclusive titles.
✔ Global pre-orders were scheduled to open in March 1992.
Everything was moving perfectly.
Until Jin Hoshino received a warning he never expected.
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A Leaked Prototype?
📍 November 12, 1991 – 9:00 AM
Jin was in a meeting when Kim Seung-ho (Lead Programmer) barged into the conference room, his face pale.
"Jin… I think someone leaked the NexBox prototype."
Jin's expression turned ice-cold.
The room fell silent.
"Explain."
Seung-ho handed him a tech magazine article published that morning.
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📢 Breaking News: A New Contender in the Gaming Industry?
A leaked report suggests that GameSphere is working on a CD-ROM console with striking similarities to NexTech's rumored NexBox system.
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Jin's fingers tightened around the paper.
GameSphere had never planned to enter the CD console market before.
But now?
They were rushing to release their own console—one that looked suspiciously like the NexBox.
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Finding the Traitor
📍 November 12, 1991 – 10:00 PM
Jin didn't waste time.
He locked down all internal systems, activated security logs, and ordered an internal audit.
✔ Only a handful of people had access to the full NexBox specifications.
✔ Leaked information was too detailed—it had to be from someone high-ranking.
✔ GameSphere would have paid a fortune for insider knowledge.
Jin assembled his core team late at night:
Kim Seung-ho (Lead Programmer)
Park Min-ji (Game Designer)
Lee Tae-jun (Sound Engineer)
Choi Da-hyun (Marketing & PR)
Seung-ho spoke first. "I reviewed access logs. Someone copied NexBox's internal schematics three days ago."
Jin's eyes darkened.
"Who?"
Da-hyun hesitated, then pushed a file toward him.
Jin flipped it open. His expression remained calm, but his aura turned deadly.
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📌 Name: Cho Jin-wook
📌 Position: Senior Hardware Engineer
📌 Status: Missing since yesterday
📌 Suspected Contact: GameSphere Korea
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A traitor.
Someone inside his company had sold him out.
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The Aftermath of Betrayal
📅 Date: November 14, 1991
📢 Breaking News: GameSphere Announces CD-Based Console for 1993
✔ GameSphere's new console was suddenly "in development"—just months after the NexBox leak.
✔ Investors in NexTech were getting nervous—was GameSphere going to take the lead?
✔ Some media outlets called GameSphere's move "a declaration of war."
Jin sat in his office, watching the news unfold.
His company had worked for over a year on NexBox, only for GameSphere to steal their work.
Most CEOs would panic.
Jin smirked.
"You want a war? I'll give you one."
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Jin's Counterattack
📍 November 20, 1991
Jin knew he couldn't stop GameSphere from releasing their console.
But he could make sure NexBox launched first—and crushed them.
Step 1: Acceleration
✔ Jin ordered production to speed up, moving the NexBox launch to October 1992 instead of Q4 1992.
✔ He cut all unnecessary delays—his team worked overtime to finish everything early.
Step 2: Preemptive Marketing Strike
✔ A surprise NexBox reveal event was scheduled for January 1992—six months before launch.
✔ A live demo of NexBox's exclusive RPG (Eternal Blade) was planned to show the world NexBox's superior graphics.
✔ Pre-orders would open worldwide in March 1992, forcing GameSphere to rush and make mistakes.
Step 3: Tracking the Traitor
✔ Jin hired private investigators to track Cho Jin-wook's movements.
✔ His lawyers prepared a lawsuit against GameSphere for industrial espionage.
✔ His PR team leaked rumors that GameSphere stole technology because they couldn't innovate themselves.
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A Surprise Meeting
📅 Date: November 25, 1991
📍 Location: A Private Hotel in Seoul
Jin sat across from an unexpected guest.
Park Jae-woo, CEO of GameSphere Korea.
Jae-woo took a sip of tea, smirking. "No hard feelings, Hoshino. Business is business."
Jin's expression didn't change. "You bribed my engineer. You stole NexBox's technology. And you expect me to be civil?"
Jae-woo chuckled. "I'm here to make you an offer."
Jin leaned forward. "I'm listening."
Jae-woo slid a contract across the table.
📜 Offer: GameSphere would drop out of the CD-ROM console race if Jin agreed to:
Sell Battle Zone's publishing rights to GameSphere.
Delay NexBox's launch to 1994.
Jin stared at the contract.
Then, he tore it in half.
"Nice try."
Jae-woo's smile faded. "You'll regret this."
Jin smirked. "No. You will."
As Jae-woo left the room, Jin's resolve hardened.
GameSphere had declared war.
Now, he would make them regret it.
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End of Chapter 9