Yes, the mobile game “Dream of a Thousand Years” from the previous life was indeed adapted from the original novel, which was bought for the rights. Its exciting and captivating plot all comes from the novel by this woman. It’s just that Jiang Mingqin didn’t know about it. After all, many gamers just bury themselves in playing games, much like eating eggs without caring about the mother hen laying them.
Jiang Mingqin was the same way. She could remember the original plot quite well, and with the help of some college students from a literary society, she gradually improved the in-game text. However, she didn’t know that the original mobile game had purchased the rights to the original novel.
Now, this novel is still being serialized because the author enjoys introducing the origins of these ancient artifacts and relics in great detail. However, the informative texts are too lengthy and boring, resulting in mediocre article data and very few comments. It can be described as rather quiet, with only a few regular commenters.
At one point, it left the author disheartened, and life became difficult. But six months ago, Yin Company, with a discerning eye, purchased the rights to her game adaptation. This finally brought her some relief, and the website even gave her a featured spot. Although her data didn’t improve much, she remained relatively unknown. The substantial copyright income of up to a million was enough motivation for her to continue writing this novel.
Then, during this game competition, she saw her own work. When Yin Company first sent people to negotiate with her, the proposed game style was remarkably similar, almost identical. But she distinctly remembered that the negotiating party was very polite and mentioned that they planned to release the game as a premium product, and due to issues with the game mode and market taste, it wouldn’t be launched within the next two years.
It must have been a leak of game secrets, she thought, suppressing her anger. However, upon second thought, she was afraid of misunderstanding. So, she made a phone call to Yin Company to inquire if they had handed her novel’s rights to a group of students for game adaptation. After receiving a denial, she couldn’t contain her anger anymore.
Without her permission, without even a word of notice, the act of commercial adaptation of her novel was a clear case of infringement. Even if the other party was a group of inexperienced students, she would not tolerate such behavior!
-Backstage in the rest area-
Jiang Mingyao, who didn’t know that a storm was about to hit, was still comforting his sister. He had advised his sister not to raise the price of the in-game packages so high. 6¥ was still acceptable, but the subsequent amounts were 30¥, 68¥, 128¥, 328¥, and 648¥. In an era where this game was optional for most people, such pricing was unprecedented, and he was genuinely worried if anyone would be willing to spend that much. He was deeply concerned.
There were certainly some who were willing, but many more were dissatisfied with such pricing. They criticized the game’s developers in the chat, and as the complaints kept coming in, the young girl with thin skin was on the verge of tears, her eyes welling up like a stormy sea. She couldn’t allow herself to receive such abuse. In the previous life, when this game was launched, Yin Minglu received nothing but praise. Everyone called it an ethical game. Now, with her as the developer, how did it become a money-grabbing game? She believed that her version was even more mature than the game when it first launched.
The people giving these reviews must all be elementary school students or penniless folks who couldn’t afford to play the game. Why demean the game she had worked so hard on? They needed to understand that it had consumed a lot of her effort.
The girl was still resentful.
In the audience section, the students from Class 1-5 were still deliberating. They genuinely believed that both games, developed by Yin Minglu and Jiang Mingqin, were excellent. Regardless of who won, it would be a great honor for their class. However, supporting one side meant dividing the votes, and that was a dilemma.
“Hey, who are you planning to vote for?” a male student poked his companion’s elbow. He actually preferred Deer Factory and wanted to vote for Yin Minglu. However, he knew that his good friend had a secret crush on Jiang Mingqin, so he hesitated in his vote.
“I… I don’t know,” he replied. On one hand was the girl he admired, and on the other hand, it was the game he liked. Both were their classmates, and both were good people. It was a difficult choice.
But soon, they realized they didn’t need to worry anymore because someone had complained about Jiang’s game infringement. When the news reached the audience, it caused an uproar.
“What’s going on? Wasn’t this game original?” a girl who was enjoying “Dream of a Thousand Years” on her tablet expressed her dissatisfaction.
The competition ended quickly, and the judges began giving their evaluations, mostly focusing on the two most popular games. They didn’t seem to care about the money-grabbing issue that the audience was concerned about because, from the perspective of the capitalists, they knew that completely free and non-profit games were impossible.
“The games that made it to the finals are undoubtedly excellent. I haven’t seen a mobile game specifically designed for girls on the market before. I have high hopes for the future of “Dream of a Thousand Years.” However, Deer Factory’s game is likely to have a broader appeal. Its charm lies in the fact that it’s suitable for all ages, and you can play it almost anytime, anywhere.”
“Yes, in my opinion, the most outstanding aspect of this game is that the game producer has turned it into a game factory. They will continue to add many games over time, which will eventually capture the majority of gamers. It’s a very lively factory.” Of course, it’s also an ambitious factory.
“And it also wins in terms of quantity.” Another judge laughed, thinking that mahjong was truly a national treasure. Its charm was mesmerizing, and he had just spent a whole hour playing it at the table and still felt unsatisfied.
He also noticed some details, such as after each game ended, simply tapping “replay” would quickly start a new match, eliminating unnecessary waiting time and keeping everyone immersed in the game. This inadvertently made them ignore the passage of time. Unlike in reality, there was the shuffling and dealing of cards, but the automatic card distribution ensured fairness, reducing the chance of hiding or peeking at cards.
Games that could captivate players had endless potential.
Seeing the evaluations were all leaning toward “both games are excellent, but Deer Factory’s game is superior,” one young judge panicked. He had been arranged by An Meijunjun to help Jiang Mingqin win and create a buzz around the “genius teenage female designer” angle. He had even set up reporters outside. Now, the news articles were starting to write:
“Shocking! Game Design Champion is Only Fifteen Years Old”
“Overwhelming Love Game Conquers the Audience, Heartwrenching Story Behind”
“The First Hyperrealistic Love Mobile Game for Female Users in History Is Born”
…
But unexpectedly, a strong rival emerged, and what’s more, they shamelessly released over a dozen games at once. However, when it came to making money, they meant business. So, when exchanging opinions with the judges, he did everything in his power to belittle Deer Factory
“I’m not optimistic about this game; it will promote a gambling atmosphere.” Even though real money was replaced with in-game currency, it still essentially had a gambling aspect.
“It lacks any literary depth.” After all, card games, mahjong, and racing games fall into the category of casual puzzles; what depth can they have?
“Using quantity to compensate for quality exploits a loophole in the competition rules.” Although the competition didn’t explicitly forbid this.
In short, he went to great lengths and racked his brains to point out the shortcomings of this game. But it seemed to have little effect. Even the five female judges, after some thought, also voted for Deer Factory as the champion. They stated that “Dream of a Thousand Years,” a female-oriented mobile game, had a narrow audience, less national recognition compared to the latter, and a high pay-to-win threshold, making it ineligible for the championship but definitely capable of securing second place.
Well, getting second place was still good. The title of runner-up might not be as eye-catching and glamorous as that of the champion, but there were plenty of opportunities for publicity, far better than getting nothing. The judge quickly accepted reality and started thinking about how to utilize the media. However, he didn’t anticipate that reality would soon deliver a harsh blow.
This romance game fell into an infringement controversy. Forget about getting second place; they couldn’t even get a single strand of hair. The participant was in deep trouble.
This news was far more interesting than the “genius teenage female designer.” Immediately, reporters outside the venue swarmed in as if they were injected with chicken blood, rushing in with microphones and cameras before security could intervene.
Seeing the news, even the judges were astonished. They didn’t expect that such an excellent female-oriented game was unauthorized. If this matter wasn’t handled well, the young designer’s life would be tarnished. In the future, no matter how many games the other side released, people would always suspect them of “plagiarism.”
An Meijun quickly received the news and panicked, calling Yin Yunqiu’s private number urgently. She pleaded, “Yunqiu, please help the second-place contestant.”
“Why should I help her?” Yin Yunqiu’s eyes narrowed, his tone sharp. She was just an unrelated girl who had entered the finals by deceit and disrupted the competition’s order. He hadn’t even held her accountable for her actions yet, so why should he let her off? Moreover, if someone made a mistake, they should face the consequences; he hadn’t become so morally indifferent.
Why? Well, that’s because she’s your daughter!
Holding her phone, An Meijun was extremely anxious but couldn’t reveal the truth. She stammered, “I think that girl made a mistake unintentionally. She’s still young, and it’s normal for young people to make wrong choices sometimes. She’s also a classmate of Minglu’s. Considering their camaraderie as classmates, if we don’t help her, her life might be ruined forever. It’s a pitiable situation.”
And if Jiang Mingqin’s reputation was tarnished, even if she returned to her wealthy family, she would have a hard time establishing herself.
This woman was being overly kind-hearted, caring more about a stranger than her own biological son. Yin Yunqiu slightly furrowed his brows, remaining silent and not agreeing to take it lightly.
Led by university students, when confronted with the author’s stern accusations, their faces turned crimson, filled with embarrassment. They didn’t expect to be deceived by Jiang Mingqin, the girl. The script wasn’t written by her; it had a different owner.
All the talk about a genius and talented girl turned out to be nothing but a bunch of lies!
The story was still being serialized online, and for some reason, Jiang Mingqin seemed to have claimed it as her own. Did she really have no concept of copyrights and legality? These things with attributed rights couldn’t be casually reproduced or commercially adapted without the original author’s permission. Originally, their team could have secured second place, but now, in the face-off with lawyers and the original author, they were being severely reprimanded.
This unexpected turn of events also stunned Jiang Mingqin. She looked at her brother and then at the stern-faced senior student, looking very bewildered. Her beautiful eyes welled up with tears, and her voice choked with a hint of sobbing, “I’m sorry, I’m still very young, and I didn’t know that game adaptation required authorization. I know so little, and I didn’t intend to plagiarize. Please forgive me.”The flashbulbs were going off wildly on the side, and the security guards couldn’t stop them.
Under the camera’s lens, the young girl admitted her mistake but repeatedly cited her youth as a reason. Because she was a minor, she claimed she lacked legal awareness.
However, being young is not an excuse, especially when your mistake can be explained by your age. How should he and his fellow students and teachers explain? They were all adults who knew the law and understood it. How could they not know that plagiarism was wrong? The girl completely distanced herself from her mistake, ignoring the others. Even if she had said one more sentence like “My brother’s classmates were misled by me,” taking full responsibility for it, everyone might have forgiven her.
Jiang Mingyao felt a sense of despair. He didn’t have to think to know that the month-long relationships he had built with his fellow students and teachers seemed on the verge of breaking down. Everyone hung their heads, as if they had come to resent him and his sister. He looked at his sister with a sorrowful expression and called out, “Mingqin!”
He wanted to pull the girl over and apologize to their fellow students and teachers together. But the girl seemed to know his intention, and tears flowed down as she waved his hand away, shouting, “I know I was wrong! Don’t force me!”
Her sharp nails accidentally scratched his face, and Jiang Mingyao winced in pain. He released his grip, and the girl rushed out like the wind, leaving her older brother behind to clean up the mess.
He smiled wryly and bowed one by one to apologize.
Those with good relationships sighed and patted his shoulder, choosing to forgive him. Those with average relationships glared at him, angry as they seemed unable to accept it all at once. After all, who would want to be branded with the stigma of “plagiarism” and “copycat” for no reason, just because they were misled? Clearly, they hadn’t even graduated yet, and their futures were still bright.
Some of them even invested in this game, hoping to share the fruits of their labor when it was released. For this game, they often stayed up all night writing scripts and coding, as if they were raising their own children. They put in a lot of effort.
But in the end, they gained nothing and were ridiculed upon returning to school. Jiang Mingyao was also one of them, and he understood his companions” pain better than anyone. Just when he thought the month-long effort of the group was about to go bankrupt, the head of the Yin Company’s gaming department came to them and handed out his business card.
The implication in his words seemed to be that he wanted to buy the game they had designed and recruit some of the elite members of their team after they graduated.
The unexpected surprise stunned the group of college students. They knew they were in the wrong and had no reason to refuse. If the copyright holder approved the acquisition, their stigma would be greatly reduced because they were working on the official version, and they also had a future guarantee! After all, Yin’s employment prospects and benefits were well-known in the industry.
As he saw their interpersonal relationships beginning to mend due to this matter, and the hatred for the little sister was not as great anymore, Jiang Mingyao’s troubled face finally showed a hint of a smile. He found the person in charge alone, first apologized for his sister’s actions, and then asked, “Thank you very much for your help. May I ask why you want to acquire our game?”
The most outstanding part of the entire game was the storyline, and the copyright for the storyline was in Yin’s hands. These students were infringing on it. The things they had designed could have been taken directly by Yin, and no one would have said anything. But Yin actually helped them and cleared their tarnished reputation. In other words, this move seemed like charity.
Jiang Mingyao thanked him earnestly, exuding an aura of honesty and integrity that made people think of a gentleman who repaid kindness with gratitude.
The person in charge had a favorable impression of him and replied, “Because it was a decision made by our young master. The Yin family had already planned to turn the work into a game, and the plan was in progress. You managed to create it in just over a month, which is indeed impressive. Our young master’s exact words were, “Since you’ve already done it, and the finished product is so outstanding, let’s just buy it. But this name doesn’t sound good. Let’s change it and relaunch it in two years.” That was our young master’s original words.”
So, their game was actually recognized by someone. The other party didn’t pursue their mistake, which made Jiang Mingyao think. He couldn’t help but ask, “May I ask who your young master is?”
Following the direction indicated by the person in charge, Jiang Mingyao saw the young man who had won the championship, his sister’s classmate, the handsome boy he had always noticed, and was suddenly amazed at this twist of fate.
Although there was a problem with the runner-up’s selection, the game “Dream of a Thousand Years” was forced to be taken down. But the championship was beyond doubt.
As the organizer, Yin Yunqiu personally went on stage to present the awards. Ignoring the eager champion who was almost reaching out to accept the award, he walked up to the third-place winner first, presented the award, then handed the award to the second-place winner, who looked as if he had won the lottery, and finally, it was the turn of the youngest and happiest champion.
With slender fingers holding a medal, he was about to pass it through the little champion’s neck to put it on him. But in the process, he deliberately raised the ribbon, making the little champion have to tiptoe and look up to receive the medal.
When the prize arrived at his chest, the champion touched it with some surprise and then raised his head to glare at the award presenter.
Yin Yunqiu’s eyes revealed a hint of amusement. Now, everyone on stage knew that these two were probably acquaintances.
Immediately, a reporter raised their hand and asked, “Mr. Yin, is the person on stage Young Master Minglu?”
After confirming the answer, all the reporters became excited, waving their microphones and cameras, clamoring, “Is it fair for Young Master Minglu to participate in a competition held by his own company? Does it involve any bias during the evaluation process? Is Young Master Minglu’s championship truly deserved? Did the judges know his identity beforehand? Are their evaluations genuine and reliable? Does Young Master Minglu’s participation in the game competition mean he has no interest in inheriting the family business and wants to pursue this career in the future?”
One question after another was thrown at them, and the judges who were playing the game were indeed surprised when they discovered that the young master of the Yin family had participated in their company’s game competition incognito. They were amazed that their evaluations had been too low.
Otherwise, such an outstanding boy designer, the son of a wealthy family and the president’s only son, had his identity confirmed, and the live broadcast room exploded.
[Ah, so handsome and rich. This is my dream boy; I can!]
[Why is he so young? He’s only fifteen. My idol, I’m waiting for you to grow up!]
[I don’t like money; I just like boys who can play games and are talented. Husband, look at me, I’m so sweet if you pick me.]
[I can be both dad and son. Which one should I choose?]
As the tears streamed down her face, the girl who had fled back home, watching the handsome boy in the live broadcast room kissing the medal, her eyes filled with resentment. The contrast between his splendid performance and her own miserable appearance made her wish she could tear him apart through the screen! She couldn’t bear to watch her father personally awarding him with such a pampered look, feeling as if her patience was wearing thin!
—
Author’s note: Thank you to the angels who voted for me or provided nutrient solution~
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