Chapter 25: There is still much you don't know
William watched the reporter, Diana, and gave her a silent nod of approval. *She knows how to seize an opportunity.* On live television, a beautiful woman had to know how to grab the camera's attention. Judging by the number of lenses now pointed at her, she was succeeding.
"Yeah, why? Just look at the stock market in the year 2000. It's easy to see that the middle class is prosperous, and people have money to spend on entertainment."
William paused for a few seconds, then continued, "Many young people today are pursuing individuality. They want to be different from others, to be seen as cool. And what's cooler than wearing a T-shirt with a zombie printed on it? That coolness becomes the trend. That's how I sold 430,000 hats and T-shirts in just half a month, and that's only in the counties surrounding London. If you expand that to all of Europe, I believe Best Buy could earn back the entire £135 million from merchandising alone in a single year. They got a very good deal."
"Wow..." The reporters in the audience looked from William to Roger Moore of Best Buy, their expressions a mixture of awe and disbelief.
Roger Moore's smile couldn't have been wider. He was ecstatic. Although William Devinshire was shamelessly driving up his own value, he was also doing a masterful job of advertising the game, educating these laymen reporters on its true potential.
If what William said was true, then Best Buy really had struck gold. His own position might even be up for a promotion next year. He knew that William's public analysis would only drive merchandise sales higher. Anything associated with this popular brand would now be easier to sell.
*I need to stay in contact with William Devinshire,* he thought. *This young man is a super potential stock. If he can do this once, he might be able to develop another excellent game in the future. I have to lock this kid down.*
"In fact," William said, looking at Roger Moore's beaming face, "to encourage Best Buy to pay me a little earlier, I'll give them another suggestion for free."
The people at the scene couldn't help but laugh, and Roger Moore's was the loudest of all. He was finding William more and more pleasing by the second.
"The internet is on the rise. In a couple of years, when the initial hype for the game dies down, I think you could launch an online version. You could design the game with a four-player co-op mode, where..."
Before William could finish, Roger Moore quickly cut him off. "William, perhaps we could hire you directly as a game planner! Or if you don't have that much time, you could be a consultant. We can discuss the future plans for the game in private later. We believe in your wisdom, and rest assured, you will be compensated!"
Moore was doing damage control in front of the reporters. He didn't want William's ideas revealed to the public, where competitors could imitate his creativity and cause problems for Best Buy.
William realized his mistake and nodded, agreeing to Roger Moore's request.
The reporters at the scene, however, were not about to let such a good story go. They began protesting loudly, arguing that the future of the game was a matter of public interest. The more hot-tempered journalists started shouting and cursing at Roger Moore.
But Moore sat there calmly, ignoring the reporters' shouts while staring nervously at William. William was amused by his panicked expression and gave him a slight shake of the head, motioning that he would drop the topic. After yelling for some time with no response from the two men on the stage, the reporters finally gave up and sat back down.
William apologized. "Sorry, everyone, that was my fault. The topic involves future planning and the interests of the buyer, so it's best we discuss it privately. I apologize for bringing it up."
"Okay," William said, ignoring the reporters' grumbling. "I think we've established why someone would spend £135 million to buy the game. Are there any other questions?"
"William, hello, I'm Robert from the *London Times*. My question is, why have you never had a girlfriend? Does this imply that your preferences in a partner differ from the norm? Thank you."
William knew a reporter would ask this. "I like beautiful women, there's no doubt about that," he said directly. "But before, the girls I liked didn't like me back. Now..." he paused, shrugging with a smirk, "...I doubt there are many girls in England who would turn me down." The smug gesture and the implication that money changed everything made the male reporters grit their teeth.
Everyone knew what William was implying: *I'm rich now*. For some of the white reporters, who held a prejudice against people of mixed race, the sight of this arrogance was infuriating.
One reporter, phrasing his question carelessly, asked, "William, what are your interests? According to the information we have, you don't seem to have many hobbies. You don't seem to like sports. Is it because of your... constitution?"
The question hung in the air, its discriminatory undertones shocking many. This was a live broadcast. Everyone understood that this reporter would be facing a storm of complaints later. The other journalists looked from the reporter to William, eager to see how he would respond to such a question.
William stared at the reporter. Though the man's words were slightly veiled, the prejudice was clear. He thought for a moment, then began to speak. "I had no friends when I was a child. No one at school would play with me. So, I made mathematics my game, reading my interest, and the library my playground. Society's indifference didn't break me; it made me who I am today. It's why I'm sitting here, about to receive hundreds of millions of pounds. It's not that I don't like sports; it's that I put my energy into more meaningful things."
"And who said I don't like sports? When I was bored between study sessions, I'd play Texas Hold'em against myself. I also enjoy swimming, archery, and free fighting. I can lift 100 kilograms."
*I can actually lift 200 kilograms,* William thought, *but I shouldn't be too public about it. People can accept 100 kg. If I said 200, they'd think I was a monster.*
"You might not know it, but I'm also very talented at archery. Being good at mathematics allows me to calculate the arrow's trajectory in my mind as soon as it's fired. I can now look at a target seventy meters away, close my eyes, and hit the bullseye. In fact, for my university entrance exam, my archery score was a perfect sixty points from six arrows."
"Unbelievable! That's impossible!" The reporters at the scene looked completely astonished. A seventy-meter shot is difficult to see clearly, let alone hit with one's eyes closed. Not even an Olympic champion could guarantee a bullseye every time.
"Perhaps," William said, seeing the reporters' disbelief, "after the press conference, we can find some time to test it out. What do you think?"
"Of course!" "That would be great!"