Who would still start a business seriously after being reborn?

Chapter 593 Ten Years
Lee Jae-yong now faces two choices.

One option is to release an official cheat program.

This thought was quickly extinguished by him. It would not only be self-destructive, but it would also confirm the public opinion that Samsung's technology was inferior to that of Momo Group, becoming an indelible stain and laughing stock for Samsung Electronics and the entire group.

Lee Jae-young can't afford to lose face, and Samsung can't afford to lose face either.

Secondly, they need to continue injecting capital. But so far, there is no hope in sight. With its system-level advantages and price wars, Momo Group has already created a powerful siphon effect. Investing more funds would be like throwing money into a fire, adding fuel to the fire for their competitors' brilliant achievements.

Stop loss.

This cruel word eventually took hold of his mind.

As the manager of a vast business empire, he had to make the choice that best served his interests, even if it was a choice fraught with humiliation.

He pressed the intercom button, his voice hoarse but carrying a calm that followed a resolute decision: "Notify all relevant department heads that there will be an emergency meeting in one hour."

An hour later, the atmosphere in the conference room was unusually heavy.

The executives looked at Lee Jae-yong's unusually calm yet cold face and dared not breathe loudly.

Without wasting words, Li Zairong laid out his analysis results directly, neither concealing his failure nor blaming anyone else.

"In conclusion," he concluded, "continued investment in this project will not yield any positive commercial returns or strategic value; on the contrary, it will continue to drain our resources. Therefore, I have decided..."

He paused for a moment, as if he needed to gather his strength before he could say what he was going to say next:

"Effective immediately, all offline promotional activities, hardware bundling subsidies, and media advertising investments for the game Audition Online will be suspended indefinitely."

"Inform T3 and all relevant partners that Samsung Group will cease all new funding injections."

"The marketing team is preparing for the aftermath of the project downsizing to minimize any potential negative impact on our brand reputation."

Each of his commands was concise and clear, carrying the air of a hero making a painful but necessary sacrifice.

There was dead silence in the conference room.

Everyone understands what this means.

This is tantamount to an official announcement of the death sentence for "Audition Online," and also signifies the complete failure of Samsung's gamble in the gaming industry.

An investment of over a billion US dollars has resulted in nothing but chaos.

No one objected.

Because everyone knows that this is currently the only rational choice.

The news quickly spread through various channels.

Samsung distributors and event contractors across Asia were the first to notice, as large-scale offline events that were originally planned were suddenly canceled and budgets were cancelled.

Immediately afterwards, T3 received official notification from Samsung, plunging them into utter panic and despair.

The financial market reacted swiftly, with reports circulating about Samsung's strategic setbacks and massive investments going down the drain. Samsung Electronics' stock price fell accordingly, albeit not by much, but it dealt a blow to Samsung's rapid growth momentum.

Lee Jae-young stood by the office window, looking at the night view of Seoul.

He lost this battle, and he lost badly.

But he was not discouraged. These proxy wars were inherently difficult, and their main business was not in the gaming industry.

He gave up Audition Online, but that doesn't mean he surrendered to Momo Group.

He simply withdrew from this doomed battlefield; next time, he will choose a more advantageous area.

Samsung Electronics' announcement of an indefinite suspension of all support for Audition Online was like a cold death sentence, quickly causing shockwaves in global capital markets and related industries.

Although ordinary gamers haven't felt the changes yet.

The game can still be logged into, and the songs can still be played, but at the capital level, which determines the life and death of the project, the funeral bells have already rung.

Investment bank analysts in Seoul and New York updated their reports immediately, with headlines that were all alarming:

Samsung strategically abandons Audition Online; massive investment confirmed as a failure.

Lacking financial support, T3's future looks bleak; Audition Online's lifespan is nearing its end.

Momo Group's ecosystem strategy achieves a key victory, consolidating the barriers of its Moc-os system.

Speculative capital that had previously harbored a sliver of hope for T3 or the Audition Online project has now completely abandoned any such thoughts.

No organization would be foolish enough to take on a project that a major investor like Samsung has publicly announced its abandonment of, and which has clearly been defeated by stronger competitors.

Because this means an infinite cash flow black hole and zero expected returns.

T3 Company urgently sought new investors or even buyers, but all invitations they sent out went unanswered.

Once a darling of capital, it has become a forgotten street vendor overnight.

Inside T3, the atmosphere gradually shifted from the initial panic upon receiving the notification from Samsung to a suffocating despair.

In the first few days, the number of online users did not plummet. In fact, because Samsung stopped subsidizing, those users who came for discounts and prizes left, and the proportion of core players temporarily increased, making the data seem more stable.

But this was merely a last gasp before the flames died down.

Without Samsung's vast offline marketing network and continuous advertising exposure, Audition Online's channels for attracting new users were almost completely cut off.

Even more devastating is the growing division and antagonism between MOOC-OS users and Windows users within the game, resulting in a complete loss of fairness and a negative reputation spreading like a virus within the player community.

Old players are constantly leaving, and new players are nowhere to be seen.

The curve representing the highest number of concurrent online users, after a brief period of stabilization, began to decline steadily downwards.

200 million...180 million...150 million...

They tried to introduce new fashions, new events, and even slightly reduce the game's difficulty, but all these efforts seemed powerless in the face of systemic disadvantages and a huge decline in public opinion.

The company was in a state of panic, and talented programmers and planners began secretly sending out their resumes.

The atmosphere in the office grew increasingly oppressive, filled with a pessimistic feeling of knowing death was inevitable yet being powerless to change it.

President Mueller attempted to contact Microsoft, but the newly appointed president of Microsoft's Asia Pacific region had not yet officially taken office, leaving only a polite but empty reply that the situation was being assessed.

Microsoft clearly also believes that the project is beyond saving and is unwilling to waste any more resources.

Audition Online, a game that once achieved great success and sparked a social phenomenon, is now like a patient whose life support has been cut off, forced to watch helplessly as its vitality slowly ebbs away, awaiting its final moment.

All of this data was clearly displayed on Cheng Yi's desk in his office. After reading the report, Cheng Yi said to Kong Feng, "Audition Online doesn't need us to waste another bullet; it will reach its end on its own. What you need to do now is prepare to receive its legacy."

Kong Feng knew what Cheng Yi was talking about: these legacies were the millions of casual social gamers who were about to become homeless and were looking for new games.

During this period, the community casual game "Sweet Home", jointly developed by Momo Games and Tencent Group, has entered the closed beta period. It has already opened its arms and prepared precise marketing activities and migration plans, waiting to devour this big cake that Samsung and T3 have cultivated with huge investments.

Sweet Home is also a dating and social game that relies entirely on QQ users and Momo members.

This game is all about mutual effort and growth. A home needs the couple to work together to gradually improve it. A home built by only one person is abnormal.

It also incorporates gameplay elements such as social dance parties, competitive games, and planting games. It can be considered the world's first social game with simple planning by Cheng Yi, framework provided by Tencent, and technical support from Momo Games.

This silent harvest began quietly with Cheng Yi's tacit approval.

On Saturday afternoon, Cheng Yi, who finally had some free time, took Lin Qingyin to the city center of Jingzhou.

Since the rise of Momo Technology Industrial Park, even the concept of the city center has become somewhat blurred. In terms of prosperity, the million-square-meter area woven by Momo Technology Industrial Park is far superior to the city center. However, in terms of the warmth and everyday life, the Momo Technology Industrial Park area is a bit too modern and futuristic.

The commercial street was bustling with people on the weekend, exuding a relaxed atmosphere.

Cheng Yi and Lin Qingyin also enjoyed this rare moment of leisure.

Lin Qingyin was in a good mood today. She linked arms with Cheng Yi and happily looked around at the shops on both sides.

She went in and out of the shops, buying whatever she liked.

With Lin Qingyin's current wealth, she could easily buy an entire street, yet the things she buys are not expensive.

She doesn't really care about brands; she just likes what she likes.

After strolling through the pedestrian street, they went to the flea market next to it.

Flea markets are much more lively than pedestrian streets, with stalls and shops everywhere, selling a wide variety of things. Before the rise of Taobao, these street stalls were ubiquitous throughout the country, and were the only way for many ordinary people to make a living.

After browsing the flea market for a while, Cheng Yi noticed something subtle.

He suddenly noticed that wild "shamate" (a subculture characterized by flamboyant and often outlandish fashion) had appeared on the streets.

Groups of young people, dressed in tight-fitting clothes covered with metal chains and ripped holes, sported bizarre, brightly colored, spiky hairstyles that were styled with hair gel into sharp, exaggerated shapes resembling hedgehogs or peacocks spreading their tails.

They either leaned against the street smoking or made loud noises, trying to attract the attention of passersby.

"What is that..." Lin Qingyin noticed it too, muttering to herself with a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

“Shamate,” Cheng Yi said casually. “It’s a distorted culture. I thought this kind of culture would never appear again.”

As a reborn individual, he was acutely aware of how this distorted trend, stemming from the aesthetic misalignment and the search for recognition among the lower classes, would pollute the streets and alleys in an eyesore for a long time to come.

The thought of the fear of being dominated by these hairdressers in his past life made his hands itch, and he wished he could grab a pair of clippers and shave all the hair off their heads.

"Oh." Lin Qingyin withdrew her gaze and quickly turned her attention to the nearby street stalls.

Cheng Yi stood to the side, lit a cigarette, and watched Lin Qingyin wander around the various stalls, picking out things she liked.

Just then, a group of about five or six particularly striking young men with flamboyant fashion sense noticed the pure and beautiful Lin Qingyin. They exchanged glances, whistled, and surrounded her.

"Hey, little sister, wanna play with your brothers?" A young man with a red rooster-like hairstyle approached with a grin, his eyes lingering on Lin Qingyin.

"Little sister, let me take a picture of you. I guarantee you'll become an internet celebrity. My older brother has over 2000 followers on BlogChina." As he spoke, the blond-haired man pulled out a mobile phone that could take pictures.

Startled by the sudden disturbance, Lin Qingyin took a step back and couldn't help but look back at Cheng Yi, who was not far away.

"Damn it." Cheng Yi's face instantly darkened.

He walked over in a few steps, pulled Lin Qingyin behind him, and glanced at these reckless guys.

The leader of the punks saw Cheng Yi blocking his way and shoved him aside, yelling, "Get out of the way, stop blocking..."

Before his hand could even touch Cheng Yi, Lin Yongxing, the bodyguard who had been following him like a shadow, made his move.

Move as fast as lightning!

With a snap, Lin Yongxing swiftly broke the outstretched wrist of the punk, leaving it dangling at an odd angle.

Lin Yongxing didn't even glance at the screaming thug before kicking him in the stomach, sending him flying more than a meter away. The thug crashed into a trash can and curled up on the ground, groaning in pain.

Before the other members of the "Shamate" subculture could react, Lin Yongxing had already attacked them like a tiger among sheep, using both fists and feet.

His movements were devoid of any fancy moves, consisting entirely of highly efficient combat techniques. Each strike was accompanied by the dull thud of bones and flesh colliding and a piercing scream.

In less than ten seconds, the arrogant and domineering punks were all lying on the ground. Some were screaming in pain while clutching their broken arms, some were vomiting while holding their stomachs, and some had passed out. Although their faces were full of pain and fear, their exaggerated hairstyles were still perfectly in place.

Pedestrians on the street were stunned by the sudden scene of violence and quickly moved aside to watch.

Cheng Yi glanced coldly at the scum lying on the ground, took out his phone, and dialed Cao Zhe's number directly.

"President Cheng," Cao Zhe said with great respect.

Cheng Yi said, "I was attacked on the pedestrian street in the city center."

"What?" Cao Zhe's voice suddenly rose several decibels, trembling as he asked, "Are you...are you alright?"

"I'm fine. You can arrange for the nearest police station to handle this," Cheng Yi replied.

"I, I'll go there myself."

Cheng Yi hung up the phone, and less than five minutes later, Cao Zhe arrived with a team of special police officers.

Seeing that Cheng Yi was unharmed, Cao Zhe finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Looking at the group of punks with broken arms and hands on the ground, Cao Zhe frowned, waved his hand and said, "Take them all away. If they dare to cause trouble during this crackdown, they'll be spending their lives in jail."

Despite the frightened punks begging for mercy, Cheng Yi showed no mercy.

These young people are too impulsive, and each of them has a special move that they can only use once in their lifetime. It would be bad if they held a grudge.

Let them go in and serve ten years.

When he came out ten years later, he had become more mature.

This is the best place for these idle hooligans.

It allows you to learn a skill without harming society.

(End of this chapter)