It had already been a full week since the livestream on Zaboru's YouTube channel ended, yet the effects were still spreading across the video-game industry.
Normally, online discussions moved quickly. One controversy replaced another, one exciting announcement buried the previous one, and even popular broadcasts gradually disappeared beneath newer entertainment. But Zaboru's visit to Sonaya headquarters refused to fade. Clips from the livestream continued circulating across YouTube, the ZAGE Forum, gaming websites, television programs, and even ordinary news broadcasts that rarely discussed video games in detail.
The most popular clips were not only of the gameplay.
Naturally, people loved watching Zaboru master the Bounce Bullet ability within minutes and repeatedly humiliate Koll by firing around his shield. They also replayed his reaction to the Hawks and Vultures branching routes, especially the moment he stopped the livestream directly before making the choice. But other moments had become equally famous.
His modified I Love Sonaya shirt had become an instant piece of gaming history.
His attempt to casually take the GameStation home had become a meme.
His honest criticism of Sherif Juan 4 while sitting inside Sonaya headquarters had shocked business analysts.
And most importantly, his final approval of Sherif Juan 5 had transformed the game's public image almost overnight.
Many players who had avoided the game because they disliked the previous entry suddenly decided to try it. Stores increased their orders, the first-week sales figures rose sharply, and Sonaya's stock price gained additional momentum after analysts realized how positively the public had responded to the broadcast.
Inside a private hotel meeting room, Steve Jobs sat near a large window overlooking the city. A cup of black coffee rested in his hand, though he had already allowed it to grow colder while reviewing several reports related to the broadcast.
Across from him sat Zanki Zagashira.
Unlike Steve, Zanki appeared relaxed. He leaned back comfortably, one arm resting across the chair, while a small smile remained on his face. The expression annoyed Steve because it made him look like a man enjoying someone else's confusion.
Steve placed the sales report on the table and asked, "Why do you think Zaboru did this?"
Zanki looked toward him without answering immediately.
Steve continued, his voice becoming sharper. "I already know he has praised rival games before. He has done it in interviews, magazines, public events, and even inside the ZAGE Forum. But this was different. He went directly into Sonaya headquarters with a full broadcast crew, played their newest major release in front of their developers, praised it, encouraged people to buy it, and then spent additional time taking photographs with their employees."
He tapped the report with one finger.
"Sonaya received a marketing campaign worth millions without paying for it."
Zanki's smile widened slightly. "You sound jealous."
Steve's expression hardened. "I am asking a serious question."
"And I gave you a serious observation."
Steve remained silent.
Zanki finally leaned forward. "Zaboru did it because he wanted to."
Steve frowned. "That is not an explanation."
"For normal executives, no," Zanki replied. "But for Zaboru, it is probably the most accurate explanation available. He liked the game. He was curious about it. He thought visiting Sonaya would be entertaining, and he knew the public would enjoy watching him interact with Hikaru Kurata."
Zanki gave a dry chuckle. "So he did it."
Steve slowly shook his head. "That is foolish."
"From our perspective, yes."
"From any reasonable business perspective."
Zanki tilted his head. "And yet Sonaya benefited, Zaboru's popularity increased, the public praised him for respecting competitors, YouTube gained traffic, gaming culture received another major event, and ZAGE's reputation became even stronger because its owner looked secure enough to promote a rival."
Steve's fingers tightened around the coffee cup.
Zanki continued, "That is the problem, Mr. Jobs. Zaboru does something that should be commercially foolish, yet the act somehow strengthens him anyway."
Steve looked back toward the sales report. "He gave Sonaya an enormous advantage."
"He did."
"He helped one of ZAGE's direct competitors."
"He did."
"And the public loves him more because of it."
Zanki grinned. "Exactly."
Steve finally placed the coffee down.
"What kind of executive behaves like that?"
"The kind who is already so far ahead that he does not feel threatened by one successful rival game."
That answer clearly irritated Steve.
Zanki saw it and continued more bitterly. "You asked why Zaboru did this. I think the real answer is that he does not view the market the same way we do. You and I see a rival's success and immediately calculate what it costs us. Market share. Consumer attention. Platform loyalty. Development talent. Public influence. Shareholder Stuff"
He gestured lazily toward the report.
"Zaboru sees a good game and thinks, 'That was fun. More people should play it.'"
Steve scoffed. "Then he is a fool."
"Perhaps."
Zanki's expression became more serious.
"But he is a fool with the most powerful video-game company in the world, the largest collection of popular entertainment properties, one hundred percent control of his own company, extraordinary public trust, and a reputation strong enough to affect sales with one sentence."
Steve's jaw tightened.
Zanki added, "That makes him a very dangerous fool."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Steve looked toward the window, watching the city below as he considered the situation. The success of Sherif Juan 5 bothered him for reasons beyond Sonaya's gain. The game had been praised by players, developers, and critics, but Zaboru's involvement had elevated it into a cultural event.
That influence was valuable.
Extremely valuable.
Steve finally asked, "If our next game is genuinely good, would Zaboru do the same for us?"
Zanki chuckled quietly.
Steve turned toward him. "What is funny?"
"You."
Steve's eyes sharpened.
Zanki raised one hand. "Do not misunderstand me. It is simply amusing to hear you ask whether Zaboru will help promote your product after everything Apple has done against him or will do to him."
Steve's voice became colder. "Business is business."
"That phrase always appears when powerful men want the other side to forget something."
Steve ignored the remark. "Answer the question."
Zanki considered it for a moment. "If your game is genuinely good, Zaboru may praise it. He might even say so publicly. But I doubt he would visit Apple headquarters and create another event as large as the Sonaya livestream."
"Why?"
"Because his relationship with Hikaru Kurata is different."
Steve frowned. "They are rivals."
"Yes, but Hikaru has changed."
Zanki rested his hands together. "He no longer appears obsessed with chasing ZAGE's shadow. He still wants Sonaya to compete, but he has learned how to build his own company identity. Zaboru respects that. Their rivalry has become almost friendly, or at least as friendly as two powerful competitors can reasonably become."
His smile turned bitter again.
"You, on the other hand, made iPlay specifically to challenge ZEPS. You have repeatedly attacked ZAGE's direction, criticized Zaboru personally, and treated his success like an insult against Apple."
Steve's face remained calm, but his eyes hardened.
Zanki continued, "So yes, Zaboru might praise a good Apple game. But he probably will not gift you the same kind of spectacle."
Steve looked back at the sales numbers. "Even a normal public approval would help."
"Of course."
Zanki gave a slow nod.
"These days, Zaboru's positive reviews are practically magic."
Steve disliked the word.
"Magic?"
"Not literally," Zanki replied. "But commercially, the effect is close enough. If Zaboru says a game is good, people listen. His audience believes he knows games better than anyone alive. More importantly, they believe he is honest."
Zanki leaned closer.
"Do you understand how rare that is?"
Steve said nothing.
"Most executives cannot review their own products honestly, much less a rival's. People assume every compliment is marketing and every criticism is strategy. But Zaboru can praise Sonaya, criticize ZAGE, insult a bad mechanic, support a small developer, and then recommend some strange homebrew project in the same week."
Zanki's smile disappeared.
"The public believes him because he behaves consistently. He genuinely likes games more than he likes protecting corporate appearances."
Steve's expression grew darker. "Which means his approval can move consumers."
"Yes."
"And that approval can be exploited."
Zanki's eyes shifted toward him.
Steve continued, "If Zaboru's reputation is powerful because people believe he is honest, then putting a product in front of him becomes valuable. We do not necessarily need him to cooperate intentionally. We only need to create circumstances where he sees something worth praising."
Zanki smiled again, but this time the expression was colder.
"Now you are thinking correctly."
Steve leaned back. "Apple's next major game needs to reach him before the wider public forms an opinion. Not through an obvious request. That would make it look like we need him."
"You do need him," Zanki replied.
Steve glared at him.
Zanki chuckled. "At least for this specific purpose."
Steve ignored the provocation and continued. "We could arrange an early review copy. Perhaps through a developer he respects. Or we could create a public demonstration where rejecting the invitation would make him appear petty."
Zanki shook his head. "Too obvious."
"Then what do you suggest?"
"Make him curious."
Steve waited.
Zanki explained, "Zaboru reacts poorly to formal pressure but extremely well to interesting ideas. Do not ask him to promote Apple. Do not invite him to a polished corporate presentation filled with executives pretending to enjoy games. Put something unusual in front of him. A mechanic he has not seen before. A strange challenge. A talented developer. Something that makes him forget he is dealing with Apple."
Steve considered the suggestion.
Zanki added, "If he becomes genuinely interested, the rest happens naturally. He talks too much when he likes something. He will explain why it works, compare it with other games, speculate about its future, and accidentally promote the product better than our entire marketing department."
Steve's expression tightened at the phrase our entire marketing department, but he could not deny the logic.
After a few seconds, he asked, "And if the game is not good enough?"
Zanki gave him a flat look. "Then do not show it to him."
Steve did not appreciate the answer.
Zanki grinned "Developers always believe in their work until players destroy them."
Steve's tone sharpened. "You seem unusually comfortable insulting Apple."
Zanki then explain "Remember what he did at Sonaya. He praised Sherif Juan 5, yes. But before that, he openly explained why Sherif Juan 4 failed. Awkward camera. Heavy movement. Weak identity. Generic three-dimensional shooting. He said all of that inside Sonaya headquarters, in front of their own employees."
Steve remembered the clips.
Zanki continued, "Hikaru survived because the fifth game genuinely corrected those weaknesses. If Apple invites Zaboru and your game fails to impress him, he will not protect your pride."
Steve remained silent.
"He may even enjoy criticizing it," Zanki added.
Steve looked toward him. "Zaboru is not malicious."
"No," Zanki replied. "That makes it worse. Malicious criticism can be dismissed. Honest disappointment from Zaboru cannot."
The room became quiet again.
Eventually, Steve picked up the cold coffee and took a small drink, his expression twisting slightly at the taste. He placed it down again.
"So we need quality first."
"Yes."
"And curiosity second."
"Yes."
"And then we use his own honesty to promote our product."
Zanki smiled. "Now you understand."
Steve sip his coffe and said "Then we can use him."
The sentence hung in the air.
Zanki's smile became thinner.
"Yes," he said. "That is exactly what we can do."
There was no admiration in his voice now.
Only calculation.
Steve looked toward the city again. "It bothers me."
"What?"
"That one man can influence the industry this much."
Zanki's expression darkened. "You think it does not bother me?"
Steve turned back toward him.
Zanki continued more bitterly, "Zaboru can walk into Sonaya headquarters, insult their old game, praise the new one, steal a console in front of their president, and leave with everyone smiling. If either of us did the same thing, people would call it arrogance, manipulation, or corporate theater."
"They would be correct."
"Perhaps," Zanki replied. "But when Zaboru does it, they call him authentic."
His fingers tightened slightly against the chair.
"That word protects him from everything."
Steve gave a slow nod.
Zanki continued, "He acts foolish, and people call him charming. He ignores business etiquette, and people call him honest. He promotes a rival, and people call him secure. He spends money recklessly on employees and charity, and people call him generous. He refuses to behave like a proper executive, yet somehow that makes him a stronger executive than the rest of us."
His bitterness became more visible now.
"He does not even seem to understand how much power he has. Or perhaps he understands and simply enjoys pretending he does not."
Steve's voice became colder. "Nobody is that innocent."
"I agree."
"So perhaps the livestream was not foolish."
Zanki tilted his head.
Steve continued, "Perhaps it was calculated. Sonaya gains sales, but Zaboru gains something greater: influence over the idea of what a good game should be. He becomes the industry's judge. The person whose approval matters even when the product belongs to a rival."
Zanki thought about that interpretation.
"It is possible."
Steve's eyes sharpened. "Then promoting Sonaya may have benefited ZAGE more than it appeared."
"Publicly, yes."
"Which means we should stop treating his behavior as random."
Zanki gave a quiet laugh. "Good luck. Zaboru's greatest advantage is that even when his choices are strategic, he often makes them because they genuinely amuse him. There may not be a clean difference between calculation and instinct."
Steve clearly disliked that uncertainty.
Zanki leaned forward again. "But that does not mean he cannot be exploited."
Steve waited.
"He has weaknesses."
Steve's interest immediately returned.
Zanki began counting them slowly. "Curiosity. Pride in his gaming ability. Attachment to developers who show passion. A tendency to help people he believes deserve recognition. A complete inability to ignore something strange. And, perhaps most useful of all, his need to remain honest with his audience."
Steve smiled faintly. "Explain the last one."
"If Zaboru publicly promises to review something honestly, he traps himself. Even if he later realizes the event benefits us, he cannot suddenly become unfair without damaging the reputation he protects."
"So we create a public situation before he fully understands the commercial consequences."
"Exactly."
The plan was not complete, but the foundation was already forming.
They would not ask Zaboru to help Apple.
They would create a situation where helping Apple felt like Zaboru's own decision.
Several days later, reports of the livestream's continuing impact reached ZAGE Tower as well.
However, Zaboru was not scolded inside the office.
The real lecture happened at home.
Zanichi sat in the living room with a cup of coffee in one hand while Zaboru relaxed nearby. Keiko was reading quietly across from them, though the slight smile on her face suggested she had already heard most of the discussion.
Zanichi sighed and looked toward his son. "You often compliment competitors' games, but this one went much further than usual."
Zaboru grinned. "It was fun."
"That is not a defense."
"It is for me."
Zanichi gave him a tired look before continuing, "You entered Sonaya headquarters with live-broadcast equipment, criticized their previous game, praised the new one, told everyone to buy it, stole one of their consoles, and then took photographs with half their employees."
Zaboru nodded proudly. "A successful day."
Zanichi stared at him.
Keiko covered her mouth to hide a laugh.
Zanichi finally muttered, "It was beyond stupid."
Despite the criticism, a chuckle escaped him.
Zaboru leaned back comfortably. "Come on, Dad. Hikaru Kurata has genuinely changed. He is not chasing ZAGE's shadow anymore. He is finally allowing Sonaya to become Sonaya instead of trying to become another version of us."
Zanichi took another drink and remained quiet.
Zaboru continued, more sincerely this time, "And Sherif Juan 5 really is good. I finished both major routes after coming home. I sided with the Hawks first, then the Vultures. Both sides reveal different truths, and neither one feels completely correct. It deserves recognition."
Zanichi smiled faintly. "You played it twice already?"
"Of course."
"Did you sleep?"
Zaboru paused.
Zanichi sighed. "I knew it."
Zaboru chuckle "its normal" Zanichi sighed "just wait until you 50's"
Zaboru ignored the comment.
Zanichi placed his coffee down and spoke more seriously. "Sometimes you need to restrain yourself, Son. ZAGE's name is always behind you, but honestly, your personal name may already be larger than ZAGE's. When you say something is good, people buy it. When you call something disappointing, companies feel it. You should act like you understand that power occasionally."
Zaboru's smile weakened slightly.
He knew his father was right.
Zanichi continued, "You are not simply another gamer uploading opinions anymore. Even your jokes can move markets. One sentence from you can help hundreds of developers or make investors panic."
Zaboru nodded slowly. "I understand."
Zanichi looked at him for a few seconds, then gave a tired chuckle. "Still, people love you because you remain true to yourself. If you suddenly become some cold executive who measures every word, you would probably lose something important."
Zaboru looked up.
Zanichi waved one hand dismissively. "So I suppose you should continue being yourself. Just remember that being yourself does not mean turning your brain off."
Zaboru laughed. "Fair enough."
Zanichi leaned back and sighed. "Anyway, it is not my damn business. Do as you like."
Keiko finally looked up from her book and said, "Dear, you spent ten minutes lecturing him and then said it wasn't your business."
Zanichi looked toward his wife. "I'm his father. Contradiction is allowed my word are advices."
Zaboru laughed loudly.
Despite his father's warning, he already knew he would not change completely. He might become slightly more careful about the consequences of his words, but he would never stop praising a game simply because it came from a rival.
A good game was still a good game.
And if that honesty made people trust him, then so be it he will do what he want anyway.
To be continued.
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