Becoming the richest man starts with the game

Chapter 2: A World Transformed

"The next question is: which industry should I choose?"

After careful thought, Pei Qian decided to first understand the broader context of this new world.

He powered up his laptop, opened the Qiandu search engine, and began browsing recent news, focusing on developments in technology.

"There are some differences, but nothing too drastic," he mused.

This world, compared to the one Pei Qian had known in his previous life, had not undergone significant changes—except for a faster pace of technological advancement.

Communication and information technologies had leaped forward, with computer chips, graphics cards, and other digital hardware advancing rapidly.

Technologies Pei Qian vaguely remembered emerging in 2015 or later were already in their nascent stages here. For instance, the smartphone revolution, which should have surged around 2012, had reached widespread adoption as early as 2008 in this world. High-quality mobile games were already making an appearance.

Moreover, intellectual property protection was noticeably stronger. Piracy had been thoroughly eradicated, with stringent crackdowns and lower thresholds for criminalization.

In other aspects, however, the world hadn't changed much.

The primary opportunities still lay in the internet, technology, gaming, and cultural industries, much like in his previous life.

Pei Qian had the freedom to venture into any field, as the system imposed no restrictions.

However, to establish a company and generate value—without being flagged for violations—he would inevitably need to recruit professionals in the chosen field.

But what if these professionals were too competent and ended up achieving success? That would ruin his plans!

After much deliberation, Pei Qian concluded that the gaming industry would be his best bet.

Although he had no direct experience in game development, his extensive gaming background had given him a decent understanding of the field.

Unlike other industries, Pei Qian believed he had more control over game development. A slight tweak to a game's mechanics could spell its doom—a unique advantage!

Besides, the gaming industry was a notorious money pit.

In other sectors, failed investments could be recouped through asset liquidation. But in gaming? A failed project was a total loss—nothing but worthless lines of code.

With his knowledge of the next decade, Pei Qian only needed to avoid creating any games with profit potential.

Step one: Make a game.

Step two: Lose money and convert the system's funds into personal wealth.

Step three: Spend extravagantly!

Yes, the plan was flawless.

Feeling confident in his brilliance, Pei Qian searched the Bureau of Commerce's website, downloaded the personal company management app, and logged in with his ID number and default password.

He discovered that a company, "Tenda Network Technology Co., Ltd.," was already registered under his name, complete with a corporate account containing 50,000 yuan.

It was undoubtedly the system's handiwork.

This parallel world, designed for "easy mode" entrepreneurship, differed significantly from Pei Qian's original reality.

Here, barriers to starting a business were minimal, with most corporate processes automated and manageable entirely online.

This convenience surpassed even the technological advancements of his original world a decade later, making it highly entrepreneur-friendly.

Other innovations followed a similar pattern.

For example, thanks to rapid advancements in communication and cloud technologies, networking resources in many industries had been consolidated, greatly improving the efficiency of remote work.

In the gaming industry, a unified regulatory body called the Entertainment Software Rating Agency (ESRA) had been established. This agency oversaw game regulation and approvals while providing an official resource hub for developers.

The ESRA resource hub was essentially a comprehensive marketplace for gaming assets within the domestic market. Developers could purchase universal art assets, programming templates, and design drafts or hire professionals for custom work.

While these resources were mostly entry-level, they provided a solid foundation for indie developers.

The hub also connected developers with industry veterans, such as top-tier illustrators, allowing direct negotiations for premium services.

In addition, ESRA offered an official game editor that integrated common tools from the market and simplified their use. With some training, most people—even without programming experience—could master it.

These changes had occurred within a mere two to three years, from around 2007 to 2009, thanks to breakthroughs in technology.

Such robust support from an authoritative organization had revolutionized the gaming industry. Similar transformations had taken place in other cultural sectors, such as film and animation, but Pei Qian had no immediate need to explore those.

"Let me check the requirements for the resource hub client and editor."

"Not bad. My laptop should barely handle it. Still, its specs impose some limitations—large-scale games are out of the question."

"No matter. I wasn't planning on making a big game anyway."

Pei Qian's laptop was only a few months old, purchased shortly after starting college. While adequate for general use, it was a mid-to-low-range model and couldn't handle demanding tasks.

That was fine, as Pei Qian had no intention of creating a large-scale game. Limited manpower, insufficient funds, and a deliberate lack of profitability ensured that wasn't even on the table.

A modest indie game that could pass approval would suffice.

Pei Qian opened the editor and began studying the tutorial.

An hour later, he was on the verge of nodding off.

"So much for 'no programming experience required'! Ugh!"

Although the editor was far more user-friendly than traditional tools or programming languages, it was still daunting for someone with zero background like Pei Qian.

Still, he managed to grasp basic operations such as applying templates and modifying art assets.

"Time to browse the resource hub and analyze the current market."

Pei Qian accessed the hub, exploring its diverse offerings.

The range was extensive, covering genres like simulation, fighting, shooting, and more, all with foundational templates.

For instance, the shooting game template included mechanics for movement, shooting, and reloading, along with preset bullet trajectories. Adding purchased art assets would result in a rudimentary, playable game.

Developing something more sophisticated, however, would require mastering advanced features of the editor or hiring experts via the hub.