Rise of Knockoffs
2009 Words
The sky gradually darkened.
The day slowly passed.
In Lu Ming's shop.
Although the illusion realm didn't allow the use of energy, some people who had trained their physical qualities had already surpassed a score of 100, setting new records. Fruit Ninja was originally designed for these individuals. This significant improvement in reflexes, achieved through personal effort and training, made those who hadn't passed even more excited and eager to practice.
Business was booming!
Lu Ming had spent ten days making cards, and all of them were completely sold out—there wasn't a single one left!
As some people left with looks of frustration, Lu Ming announced that the shop was closing.
"Boss, we'll come back tomorrow."
"Boss, prepare more cards for tomorrow."
The crowd gradually dispersed.
"Alright," Lu Ming replied with a smile.
After everyone had left, he began counting the day's earnings.
Because many people were experiencing the game for the first time, lasting only a few seconds or even just a dozen seconds, each card was used multiple times, resulting in a total of 1,400 experiences!
Three hundred cards!
The total income reached 140,000 yuan!
After deducting 20,000 in costs, the net profit was a staggering 120,000 yuan!
120,000 yuan?
What does that mean?
He could pay off all his loans and still have 20,000 left over!
Of course, this 20,000 couldn't be touched because he needed to set aside some costs for making more cards and the promised 10,000 yuan bonus for the marketing campaign.
But at least he was debt-free.
"Little guy... I've paid off the debt you owed."
Lu Ming silently said to the little Lu Ming in his heart.
A cool breeze blew through the air. It was a bit chilly. Lu Ming glanced outside and saw that it was already quite late.
Most of the shops had closed, and the number of pedestrians had decreased, giving the place a desolate feeling. But Lu Ming knew that some things were just beginning.
Has Fruit Ninja become popular?
Yes, it has!
Especially now.
After those people returned home and spread the word, the excitement that had been building up all day would explode tomorrow, and Fruit Ninja's popularity would reach an all-time high!
Far more terrifying than today!
This was a profit of tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands!
No one would give up such an opportunity.
Especially the smart ones on this street, in this neighborhood.
"Will someone come?" Lu Ming wondered with anticipation.
Outside, a round figure squeezed into the shop.
It was none other than Zhang Xiaopang!
"Brother Lu, I'm here."
Zhang Xiaopang's face was full of joy.
"Why you?" Lu Ming's expression darkened.
"Why not me?" Zhang Xiaopang glared at him. "Let me tell you, Brother Lu, someone came to see me today! They offered 100,000 yuan to buy the construction method for your Fruit Ninja illusion realm!"
"Someone approached you?" Lu Ming was taken aback.
If they had approached Zhang Xiaopang, they probably wouldn't come looking for him anymore.
"Of course," Zhang Xiaopang said smugly. "I've finally made a name for myself in this business, but I'm not that kind of person! 100,000? There's no way I'd sell out a friend for that!"
Then he saw the look on Lu Ming's face, as if he were staring at an i***t.
"What's wrong?" Zhang Xiaopang was puzzled.
"Are you stupid?" Lu Ming said, pained. "If they want to buy it, sell it to them!"
"Huh?" Zhang Xiaopang was dumbfounded. "But... isn't it your secret formula?"
"It is," Lu Ming shrugged. "But the structure of Fruit Ninja is so simple. How long do you think it would take for those who have played it to create something similar?"
Zhang Xiaopang was stunned.
How long would it take?
Three hours?
Four hours?
At most.
Even if the descriptions were inaccurate, gathering a few more people would easily do the trick.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Zhang Xiaopang wailed.
100,000 yuan! That could buy him so many massages!
Painful!
"I didn't think you'd be so foolish..." Lu Ming started to say, but seeing Zhang Xiaopang's resentful look, he quickly changed his tone. "Ahem, I mean, I didn't expect you to be so loyal!"
"I don't think it matters," Lu Ming continued. "Sure, we missed out on 100,000, but now I know that you're loyal, Zhang Xiaopang. In the future, I'll have plenty of better cards for you to make, so I think it's worth it."
Lu Ming patted him on the shoulder.
He genuinely felt this way.
Their relationship had been that of ordinary friends, but he hadn't expected Zhang Xiaopang to be so loyal! 100,000 yuan—it was worth it!
"I still feel like I lost out," Zhang Xiaopang sighed.
"That was my mistake," Lu Ming admitted. "I thought they would come to me."
"Come to you?" Zhang Xiaopang didn't understand.
"After all, I'm the creator of Fruit Ninja."
Lu Ming found it odd. "Logically, the owner of the Leaf Chain Store and Zhang Chun should have come to me by now to buy it. I'd sell it for 100,000 too!"
That's a huge sum!
"True," Zhang Xiaopang agreed. "If they've offered 100,000 to me, why not to you?"
"I think I know why," Lu Ming suddenly realized.
How much was today's net profit?
120,000 yuan!
What does that mean?
The Fruit Ninja card was a goose that laid golden eggs!
If the daily net profit reached 120,000 in Lu Ming's small shop, how much would it be in a large store? Clearly, it would be a staggering amount!
So how much would it cost to buy this card?
100,000 yuan?
Impossible!
They could earn it back in a day!
What about a million yuan?
Even that was unlikely—it would only take about eight or nine days to recoup the cost.
So, to buy this card, it would take over ten million, or even a sky-high price! But how much would it cost to copy a similar card?
Not much at all!
100,000 would suffice!
With such a comparison, who would still come to Lu Ming?
"So that's how it is," Zhang Xiaopang was dumbfounded.
The two exchanged a look, both feeling a deep sense of loss—that was a lot of money!
"Don't worry, you'll make other cards," Zhang Xiaopang consoled him.
"We'll have to," Lu Ming sighed.
But deep down, he still felt unsatisfied.
He had expected Fruit Ninja to be copied, so he had prepared by making 300 cards in ten days to sell them all at once!
But the fact that he couldn't even get a penny of royalty from those people really annoyed him.
"No, I still feel unsatisfied."
Lu Ming flipped through his contacts, found the number for the Leaf Chain Store, and called directly, "I'm the creator of Fruit Ninja. I need to speak with your boss."
"Uh," the person on the other end paused, "please hold."
After a long time, a steady middle-aged man's voice came on the line. "Hello, may I help you?"
"Hello, Mr. Qian," Lu Ming took a deep breath, "I want to sell the design and concept of the Fruit Ninja card, as well as the creative process, to your company."
"We don't need it," Qian Shengcai replied bluntly.
"Why not?" Lu Ming asked.
"Because we've already made it," Qian Shengcai said with a smile. "You have some creativity to make something like this, but once it's seen, it has no value."
"..." Lu Ming was silent for a moment. "Well, what about an official license? Although knockoffs are everywhere, you could say that yours is the original, the official version! Plus, I have some better ideas that could enhance the card and provide a better experience for everyone."
"No one cares about that," Qian Shengcai declined.
"Alright," Lu Ming said regretfully. "It seems we won't have a chance to collaborate. Since you've already made it, may I ask how much it cost?"
"500,000 yuan!" Qian Shengcai said proudly.
Trying to sell it to them for a fortune?
Not a chance.
If it were a high-tech, advanced card, that might be different. But this low-level, ordinary card, with no encryption and such a simple design, how could it sell for a high price?
He spent 500,000 mainly to gain a time advantage!
Fruit Ninja was all about being first! So he paid a high price to gather information from several people and then hired card makers and illusion masters at a high cost to create it.
"But..." Lu Ming hesitated, "I was only asking for 50,000."
"What?" Qian Shengcai was dumbfounded.
Fifty...
Fifty thousand?!
He was completely shocked.
He hung up the phone in a daze, still not understanding. Fifty thousand? A card that generated more than 100,000 yuan in profit a day, and you were selling it for only 50,000?
Are you crazy?!
Are you out of your mind?
If he had known that earlier, he would have just bought it directly—why go to all that trouble?
Huh?
He even spent 100,000 to approach Zhang Xiaopang!
Such a huge loss!
Even more painful!
Qian Shengcai was really puzzled. Why would you sell it so cheaply?
But he had no way of knowing that for Lu Ming, who needed the money urgently, 50,000 would have been enough.
He didn't want to sell it for a high price and cause too much trouble.
This 50,000 was an easy and straightforward way to get out of the situation quickly.
But it turned out to be...
A massive loss!
Both sides were left with lingering feelings of resentment.
...
Meanwhile, on another street.
In a five-star hotel.
Zhang Chun, who had already purchased a portion of the Fruit Ninja design, was leisurely drinking red wine when she received a message from her assistant. "Master Zhang, the mission is completed. We have successfully completed the basic structure of the Fruit Ninja card."
"Good," Zhang Chun said softly.
"I have analyzed it. To ensure the best gaming experience, you should consider purchasing a good number of cards."
"I have already prepared 300 copies," Zhang Chun said.
"I feel like there's a problem."
The assistant hesitated.
"What problem?"
"300 copies... won't be enough."
"Why?"
"Because the one sold on XX street has already made a fortune! Now, the number of people coming is increasing, and many people are willing to buy cards in bulk to experience it at home."
"Oh?"
Zhang Chun's eyes suddenly lit up.
She could already foresee the terrifying popularity of this thing.
"Interesting," Zhang Chun said with a smile. "But you should remember, don't make too many copies. Otherwise, if the official association finds out, you'll have a big problem!"
"I understand, Master Zhang."
The assistant took orders and left.
At that moment, Zhang Chun finally understood why Lu Ming hadn't released the card earlier.
Because there were knockoffs everywhere!
Even the great Zhang Chun had to resort to such tactics, so how could an ordinary person like Lu Ming hope to fight it?
This was the reality!
A bleak and desolate reality!
But the real reason?
Who knows?
Zhang Chun didn't know, and Lu Ming would never know.
So, on this quiet night, as the light gradually faded, Lu Ming walked out of the shop and slowly made his way home. He didn't feel defeated but calmly accepted reality.
This was life.
No one wins every time.
But... he had other plans.
Because a card like Fruit Ninja was too easy to create. Even if he didn't want to do anything, there were other people, big companies, who would do it.
But this time, Lu Ming had a countermeasure.
Yes.
This time, he wasn't alone.
He had Zhang Xiaopang with him!
"Get a good night's sleep," Lu Ming said to himself. "Tomorrow will be a busy day."
But...
Outside, the sky was growing darker.
And in the dark night, something else was happening quietly.
Some people were becoming more excited and eager, while others were feeling a growing sense of dread.
- Writer
