"Tsk tsk, isn't the game a bit too difficult…"
Looking at the data, Tony couldn't help but rest his chin in his hand and think.
"If no one can clear the first game I've made, wouldn't that be kind of embarrassing?"
"Maybe I should give the players some hints… Well, no need to panic yet. After all, it's only been less than two days since the game was released…"
Just as Tony was lost in thought, his phone suddenly rang. When he looked at the screen, he saw it was an unknown number.
Tony instantly guessed who it might be and quickly picked up the call.
"Hello, is this [New World Studio]?" The caller was a woman with a clear, pleasant voice.
"I am." Tony replied.
"Oh, nice to meet you! I'm Emily, head of the project department at NetPack." Just as Tony had expected, the call was from someone from a major company.
"Is there something I can help you with?" Tony didn't introduce himself, instead going straight to the point.
"It's like this, your Silent Hill game on the Steam platform has been extremely well received, and our company sees tremendous potential in your studio," Emily said warmly and directly. "So, we hope to reach a preliminary cooperation agreement with you."
"I'm sorry, but our studio currently has no plans to partner with any companies." Tony refused flatly.
"Please reconsider with your team," Emily said quickly.
"I'm sure you're aware of NetPack's classic IPs developed by our company. If we work together, it would be a true powerhouse alliance. We're coming to you with genuine sincerity. Perhaps we could at least find a time to talk in person?"
"Sorry, our studio really isn't considering cooperation at the moment. Thank you for your interest. I wish you a great day." Tony replied again without hesitation.
With that, he hung up first.
Cooperation? Impossible. At least for now, he couldn't risk it.
Developing a powerful game engine and creating an ultra-realistic game all by himself was already suspicious enough.
If he worked with other companies, it'd be too easy for secrets to leak. So as the game's producer, he had to stay hidden in the shadows.
It wasn't time to appear in the public eye just yet. Better to keep a low profile.
Sitting back in front of his computer, Tony began adding some other languages for Silent Hill. At that moment, Natalie came rushing into the room, phone in hand.
"Tony, someone from the NetPack just called me!" she said, slightly panicked.
"What did they say?" Tony asked calmly, fingers still flying across the keyboard.
"They wanted to know more details about [New World Studio]," Natalie replied, gesturing as she spoke.
"They asked all sorts of questions, whether the studio is partnered with someone, the address, how big it is, things like that."
"And how did you respond?" Tony asked.
"Just like you taught me," she said with a little wave. "I said we have no comment on [New World Studio] and didn't reveal anything."
"Good job!" Tony gave her a thumbs up.
"By the way, they also said they want to discuss potential business opportunities with [New World Studio], and asked if I could help connect them."
"Refuse it." Tony said with a wave.
"You're really turning them down?!" Although she'd expected that answer, Natalie was still a little surprised.
"That's the NetPack Factory we're talking about, they've got deep pockets! If we work with them, we could probably make a fortune!"
"Money isn't everything. I just don't like the way they operate their games," Tony said, shrugging.
"So I'm not interested in partnering with them. I'd rather do things my own way. That's good enough for me."
"Alright, it's your game!" Natalie didn't argue, after all, it was Tony's work.
Her little brother had made such an incredible game on his own. With that kind of talent, he wouldn't need backing from any big companies in the future anyways.
"Oh, and Sis," Tony added, "you'll probably start getting calls from more major tech companies soon. Just remember what I told you, don't reveal a single word of information!"
"And whatever they say about business cooperation, just give them one answer. No!"
"No problem!" Natalie nodded firmly.
Even though she didn't quite understand why Tony was so against working with those companies, she believed in his descision.
"Alright then, I'll go call the NetPack back to decline."
"Wait, hold on," Tony suddenly stopped her.
"What's wrong?" she asked, puzzled.
"Do you want to be the spokesperson for [New World Studio]?" he asked, smiling.
"Huh? Spokesperson?" Natalie said taken aback.
"Yeah. As the game developer, I'll need to communicate with players at some point. You can speak on my behalf." Tony patted her on the shoulder.
As a behind the scenes developer, Tony wanted to remain hidden. That's where Natalie came in handy, he trusted her completely.
"So, are you willing?" he asked, watching her shocked expression.
"Yes! Of course I am!" Natalie finally snapped out of it and nodded her head enthusiastically.
As a livestreamer, she knew exactly how much traffic and attention this would bring her. Just look at how hot Silent Hill was right now!
"Great. During tonight's livestream, you can have a conversation with players on my behalf," Tony said.
"Okay, I'll do exactly as you say!" Natalie agreed.
So, Natalie called back the NetPack staff and formally declined their business offer.
Just as Tony predicted, call after call kept coming in. All from major tech companies.
And Natalie handled them all the same way, she rejected them politely but firmly, exactly according to Tony's instructions, leaving no room for negotiation.
She was so busy that just answering all the calls took over half an hour.
After finishing, Natalie posted a quick update online.
"Going live tonight on time! Special guest: The Producer of Silent Hill PT! We'll be discussing the game in-depth, don't miss it!"
The moment the post went up, the comment section exploded.
"No way, Natalie has enough clout to invite the Silent Hill developer?!"
"I bet it's her younger brother! Didn't he get early access to the game?"
"Gotta watch this! I want to see what kind of madman made this terrifying game! Does he have three heads and six arms?"
"Honestly, to make something as scary as Silent Hill, he's probably a little unhinged!"
"Hahaha! Can't argue with that!"
1072 Words.