Chapter 357

Chapter 357: The Fang Universe Plan – Part 2 (6000 words)

After Uncle introduced the contents of Fang Library, everyone saw Me Fang’s determination to expand his business into the light novel sector.

The online literature market is coveted by many big players. In an era where IP reigns supreme, verified popular genres with minimal costs can be adapted into dramas, animations, and games, making it a feasible strategy.

However, this market is currently fiercely competitive. As we all know, Penguin has ambitions to acquire Shengda. This year’s beta test of “God Battle” is also adapted from the legendary online novel “Monkey King,” which further demonstrates Penguin’s emphasis on IP adaptations.

In summary, competing for the market against a giant like Penguin would be unwise.

But Me Fang took a different approach, deciding to enter the niche light novel sector that others have not paid much attention to. At the same time, he reinforced his identity as a leader in the secondary culture, leaving open the possibility of future cooperation with Penguin, which was indeed a smart move.

After Chen Rui finished his explanation, Me Fang continued the conversation:

“As we all know, the broad concept of secondary culture includes four major fields: Animation, Comic, Game, and Novel. Currently, the most promising ecosystem in China is the game ecosystem.”

“With the development of the industry in recent years, mobile gaming revenue has steadily increased and surpassed PC gaming last year, becoming the strongest paying type in the gaming market.”

“Mobile games have strong monetization capabilities. A successful online game also has high user stickiness. Our C Station’s game forum section has accumulated over ten million active users in recent years, half of whom have purchased records of independent games such as ‘Cloud Journey’ and ‘To the Moon,’ showing our community’s love for independent games.”

“As someone who started programming and making games since elementary school, I equate this love to an independent spirit. Many game developers in China start their journey to create games to realize their childhood dreams, and I am no exception.”

“The independent spirit stems from passion. It requires you to cultivate yourself into a versatile producer to achieve your goals. Because of the passion, no amount of hardship or effort feels wasted.”

“I admire all independent game producers, including myself. During my initial game-making stages, I also encountered many trial-and-error setbacks. At that time, I desperately wanted a more robust, localized platform that could give me quicker access to players.”

“In short, because I’ve been through the rain, I want to provide an umbrella for others. This is our G plan—TABTAB.”

Two logos similar in shape appeared on the large screen behind Me Fang.

“These are the desktop version and mobile version of TABTAB. Regarding the positioning and future strategies of this product, I hope my good partner, lifelong partner, Miss Lin You Xi, will introduce them!”

Amidst the applause from the guests, Lin You Xi slowly walked onto the stage from one side and nodded to the audience below.

“Hello everyone, I am Lin You Xi, the technical director of C Station. You might be more familiar with the name ‘Miss,’ but I find it very uncomfortable to be called that way.”

Lin You Xi and Me Fang were both wearing Peking University uniforms, standing side by side, giving off a youthful romantic vibe.

“Just now, Fang introduced something oddly personal, saying things like ‘lifelong partner.’ I never agreed to that.”

The guests laughed, and next to him, Me Fang scratched his head embarrassedly, “Don’t ruin my moment, I came up with that cool nickname on the spot.”

“You should at least discuss it with me first and get my opinion.”

“Do you not want to be my lifelong partner?”

“In terms of career… there’s no problem.”

“Great!”

Lin You Xi smiled at Me Fang, “Just remember to sign the contract later. You must have a sense of contract.”

At this moment, a mischievous photographer switched the LED screen to show Lin You Xi’s smiling expression looking at Me Fang, causing the guests to feel younger and cheer, creating a small display of affection.

After Lin You Xi took the stage, she began to introduce the dual-end plans for TABTAB. The mobile end was more important to the bosses. TABTAB would inherit data from the C Station game forum, becoming an independent app.

This app would support users downloading and uploading games on the platform. Lin You Xi promised that the mobile version of TABTAB would strongly support user-generated content, using player reviews and ratings as the primary user orientation, and would be the first in China to offer unlockable and downloadable buy-to-play games, providing a direct communication platform between developers and players.

The interface layout of TABTAB adopted a simple card-style module, which was purer than various built-in application stores or application store software on the market.

The two main products being promoted were representative works from Ximilu Games: “Cloud Journey Mobile Version,” which would synchronize updates with new plotlines.

Another was Soulframe Liang Qiwei, who, under Me Fang’s investment, had established Lingyoufang Studio and released its first ink-painting style ARPG martial arts game, “Shadow Blade.” Lin You Xi also expressed her welcome to all game developers to join, stating that the TAB plan would not charge any fees except for advertising promotion and operational support.

The desktop version of TABTAB would be akin to a domestic version of Steam for independent games, used for publishing and importing excellent buy-to-play independent games.

Unlike the mobile version, the desktop version was almost entirely buy-to-play games. Both the mobile and desktop versions shared the same name, TABTAB, and at most, links to the same game across multiple channels would be connected.

Along with the product TABTAB, the first Xi Universe · Game Developer Competition was also displayed. This competition consisted of two tracks: one was a regular product competition, with submission channels on both ends of TABTAB, and independent awards;

The other track was a game jam, similar to a game marathon, requiring participants to form teams and develop a small game within a short period based on a given theme, with independent awards as well.

“The purpose of this competition is to stimulate the creative enthusiasm of domestic game enthusiasts. I sincerely hope everyone can feel happiness and fulfillment during the game development process, and we do not want this passion to be wasted.”

Lin You Xi continued in her speech, “As Fang said, my motivation for participating in game development also stems from this passion.”

“My biological mother passed away when I was young, and my father was busy with work. For me, the happiest thing in childhood was playing video games at Fang’s house. We played Contra, Legend, Bubblegum, Fantasy Westward Journey, Wool Island, and many other games together.”

“And I began understanding code and programming under Fang’s influence. He shaped who I am today…”

Lin You Xi’s speech was becoming increasingly like a public declaration of affection!

Looking at the murmurs from the audience, although Me Fang felt embarrassed inside, he felt extremely proud.

A girl who openly expresses deep feelings in public is already a once-in-a-lifetime treasure. What else isn’t worth cherishing?

After Lin You Xi’s introduction, everyone responded with prolonged and enthusiastic applause. Before they left the stage, the two exchanged a celebratory clap and then went backstage.

Me Fang continued his presentation:

“After discussing our Fang Universe game plan, let’s talk about the live streaming industry… In the past two years, the live streaming industry has been booming. As one of the earliest participants, C Station has many supporters in the domestic market.”

“But unlike conventional live streaming platforms, the average age of secondary culture users is relatively young. Also, because we immerse ourselves in the world of secondary culture, we are naturally introverted and shy. Many users find it difficult to face the real-world camera and thus are reluctant to show themselves on the platform.”

“To address this, we have a new idea—a method that allows our introverted users to interact joyfully without showing their faces.”

At this moment, a pink-haired, blue-eyed anime girl appeared on the LED screen behind Me Fang. She was intently watching the screen and turned around to look when she noticed the camera switch, confirming before greeting the audience.

“Is it my turn? Is it my turn? Hello everyone! I’m your good friend Yuanbao desu!”

The animated girl, Yuanbao, looked lifelike on the screen, causing the guests to murmur.

“Is this a video animation? Or a live recording?”

“Motion capture? Virtual character live streaming, right?”

“The model generation is very natural… This is quite interesting.”

Although the two previously presented product plans showed some novelty and demonstrated Me Fang’s future development prospects, compared to this new technology, they still fell short.

“This is our new virtual live streaming technology that we are gradually promoting. By wearing the corresponding motion capture equipment, a complete character image can be transformed into a secondary character.”

Me Fang was professionally explaining the virtual live streaming technology, while on the LED screen, Yuanbao listened to Me Fang’s constant muttering, her expression growing increasingly anxious until she couldn’t help but interrupt him.

“Fang, Fang, weren’t you supposed to let me introduce this? I memorized my lines! Why did you take over everything I was going to say?”

“Oh… So you prepared this part? Sorry… I thought you wouldn’t remember all these technical terms.”

“How could I forget? Don’t underestimate me! You’re so annoying!”

On the LED screen, Yuanbao’s expression was cute and playful, and the guests clapped enthusiastically. Me Fang apologized with a smile and handed the opportunity to introduce the technology to Xia Yuan.

Because it was spontaneous, everyone didn’t feel artificial. They found it very interesting, and at the end, Yuanbao demonstrated the virtual prop interaction feature, playing her new song “The Love for Childhood Sweethearts” with a virtual guitar.

Xia Yuan’s lyrics and melody were lively and cheerful, exuding a vibrant energy and sweet love, and Me Fang closed his eyes and listened quietly, enjoying the moment of showing affection on stage.

Yuanbao’s fan base seemed even wider than imagined, and the sudden release of a new song earned more applause than before.

Finally, Xia Yuan walked onto the stage amid the continuous applause and demonstrated the actual effects of the motion capture equipment.

“Of course, the cost of this set of equipment is still high. Considering that most UP hosts cannot afford it, we will release a facial capture plugin to develop virtual live streaming software focused on facial expressions.”

“This function will be placed in the live streaming plugin, and we will provide some free and paid models.”

“Additionally, we will later open up DIY model design features. After user-made models pass review, they can be published online for others to download for free or pay, with 70% of the proceeds going to the creator…”

Me Fang explained the strategic vision for virtual hosts, while Xia Yuan listened attentively, her eyes filled with love for him.

The troublemaking photographer zoomed in on Xia Yuan at this moment, and on the LED screen, Xia Yuan’s Yuanbao avatar appeared. Noticing everyone’s focus, Me Fang and Xia Yuan glanced back, and Xia Yuan, feeling embarrassed, covered her face, while Me Fang calmly replied:

“It seems our photographer knows how to cause a stir… I need to have a serious chat with him after the press conference.”

Laughter erupted from the crowd, but the effect was impressive.

After releasing the virtual host product, Xia Yuan returned to her seat amidst applause, and Lin You Xi greeted her:

“Just now, singing was so sweet, I was moved too.”

“You, you were the one who was moved… The line ‘today you are the shape Fang created’ is something I couldn’t say.”

“Well, tonight—”

Lin You Xi leaned close to Xia Yuan and teased her: “Changing into Fang’s shape and all, I wonder who—”

“Stop it! That matter is separate…”

Xia Yuan playfully hit Lin You Xi, and after a bit of banter, they continued watching the person they cared about on stage.

“Those are all the contents of this Fang Universe product launch. But I still have some things I want to say to everyone.”

Me Fang cleared his throat,

“This year has been memorable for me, Yuanbao, and Miss. We officially crossed the age of 18 and became college students at Peking University.”

“Growing up means we can no longer live carefree lives like childhood sweethearts. We have our own goals and ambitions, and some things are inevitable sacrifices, such as peaceful and leisurely lives and the freedom to do as we please. In the future, we will also face many criticisms and setbacks.”

“However, I am not at all confused or afraid about our future because since I was five, they have always been by my side. With their companionship, I believe I can achieve anything.”

“Whether it’s wealth rivaling a country or fame across the seas, none of these compare to the lasting friendship we developed during our childhood.”

“Our feelings started as friendship, then experienced the haze of love, but most of it has transformed into family-like bonds. To this day, I believe our relationship cannot be simply described by any one of these three emotions.”

“They are like extensions of myself, an inseparable part of my life, untouchable by anyone and irreplaceable by anyone. On life’s journey, we have mostly held hands through most of it, and this will remain unchanged in the past, present, and future.”

Me Fang passionately expressed his love for Xia Yuan and Lin You Xi during the Fang Universe product launch. Everyone listened quietly, and Lin You Xi and Xia Yuan sat together listening.

At this moment, they felt no shame because what Me Fang said was merely the facts of their decade-long companionship.

“To commemorate our feelings and align with our strategic brand management planning, after seeking opinions from other company executives, I will announce our integrated strategic brand at this Fang Universe product launch.”

Behind Me Fang, a large brand logo appeared on the screen, along with the strategic brand name he had formulated—

[Yuan Xi Mutual Entertainment]

As soon as this name was revealed, the meaning was clear, and the audience erupted into continuous applause.

Me Fang’s surprise for Lin You Xi and Xia Yuan, which they had been keeping secret, made them look at each other and smile in unison.

“The meaning of this name doesn’t need much elaboration. This is a small gift for Yuanbao and Miss.”

“Yuan Xi Mutual Entertainment will exist as a joint brand for all our products, including C Station, Ximilu Games, Yuanxia Music, and future Fang Universe projects, focusing on company management and investment.”

“Establishing a group means that Yuan Xi Mutual Entertainment will gradually transition from a club-oriented industry to a commercial one. We will strive to expand our territory in the secondary culture sector, making our products more standardized, professional, and of higher quality, providing our users with a safer, more stable, and healthier environment for creation and entertainment.”

“In the past, subtitle groups have made significant contributions to the rapid growth of C Station and the spread of secondary culture. We are grateful and will reward their contributions accordingly, hoping to preserve their recognized achievements and give due recognition for their efforts.”

“To this end, in recent years, C Station has been dedicated to importing a large number of anime series from overseas, directly collaborating with subtitle groups for localization, removing the label of piracy, and also allowing our secondary culture enthusiasts to watch anime with dignity and ease on C Station. It also ensures that our domestic users’ support directly benefits the production teams in Japan, promoting bilateral exchanges.”

“From a long-term perspective, the trend of legalizing anime is unstoppable. For Yuan Xi Mutual Entertainment to go further, this is an unavoidable expense in my view.”

Behind Me Fang, a list of numerous anime series appeared on the screen. With hindsight and experience, he had purchased copyrights for popular anime series like “Magical Index,” “Date A Live,” “Fate,” and more.

Since August 2014, the Japanese authorities had begun filing copyright infringement lawsuits against overseas pirated resources. Me Fang’s actions were also considered a preemptive move in the copyright battle.

“Legalizing anime will undoubtedly bring a significant additional expenditure to our group. However, I believe this is a necessary path for Yuan Xi Mutual Entertainment to become standardized and enter the market, and it is the foundation of C Station. We will continue to prioritize and enhance user experience within the site, making C Station the eternal home for our secondary culture enthusiasts.”

Me Fang represented Yuan Xi Mutual Entertainment by initiating the copyright war, signaling that the wave of legalizing anime had gradually begun with this press conference. Future battles for Yuan Xi Mutual Entertainment would be long and hard, but Me Fang was fully prepared, having already secured the initiative.

“So, that concludes all the contents of this Fang Universe plan product launch. Once again, thank you all for coming and watching. Thank you for taking the time to watch these perhaps still immature product plans.”

“But, as I mentioned in my Mei Fang body, you can underestimate our youth, but because of our youth, we won’t easily lose our初心. We will pursue our pure dreams and prove to everyone that we in the secondary culture will jointly create a new era for us. Thank you all!”

Amidst the prolonged applause, Me Fang slowly descended from the stage. Countless cameras and lights shone upon him, and he felt an unprecedented sense of ease.

Previously, he always felt that people on stage were out of reach, but now that he had stepped onto the stage himself, he felt no pressure from being high up but instead a previously unknown excitement.

Just like the first time he played the guitar on stage under Xia Yuan’s encouragement.

No matter what, there were always two people supporting and encouraging him from the sidelines—

Me Fang descended from the stage, and Xia Yuan and Lin You Xi both approached to congratulate him.

He hugged both of them without hesitation.

To outsiders, this was a hug filled with friendship.

This legendary scene was captured and widely circulated as a classic photo marking the establishment of Yuan Xi Mutual Entertainment.

The grand transition chapter is over! Next, we can return to daily life. I plan to integrate the business and life aspects in the university segment. The business mainly revolves around games. I hope you find this interpretation interesting.

(End of Chapter)