On the morning of October 6th, Jason Cole boarded a flight from the south, carrying with him everything he owned.
By the time the plane touched down in Lumen City in the afternoon, his palms were slightly damp, and his heartbeat had grown faster with every passing minute.
This was not just another trip.
This was his gamble.
When he stepped out of the airport, the cool air brushed against his face, grounding him in reality. In his hand, he held a large black suitcase—worn, simple, and heavy, not because of its contents, but because of what it represented.
Inside it were his entire life savings and ambitions.
A laptop.
A few sets of clothes.
Several notebooks filled with game ideas, scribbles, and rough systems.
A handheld console.
And just over twenty thousand yuan in savings.
That was it.
That was everything.
For a man past thirty years old, this was not something to be proud of.
At his age, most people had already settled down. They had stable jobs, families, mortgages, and children running around their homes. Their lives had structure, direction, and security.
Jason Cole had a suitcase and twenty thousand yuan.
By ordinary standards…
He had failed.
But today was different.
Because for the first time in his life—
fate had opened a door.
---
Just days ago, his proposal had been seen.
Not just by anyone.
But by Ethan Reed, the Lead Planner of Northstar Games.
And not only had it been seen—
It had been approved.
Even more unbelievable, Northstar was willing to collaborate with him.
Jason knew exactly what this meant.
This was not luck.
This was opportunity.
And he had taken it.
---
Jason understood his own limits better than anyone else.
He was not the best artist.
He was not a top-tier programmer.
He didn't have a prestigious degree.
And in most large companies, that alone was enough to disqualify him before he even got an interview.
It was a cruel reality.
Experience meant nothing without credentials.
Skill meant nothing without reputation.
Talent meant nothing without the right background.
But Northstar Games was different.
Even though it hadn't yet reached the scale of the biggest corporations, everyone in the industry knew one thing—
Northstar's rise was unstoppable.
It didn't hire based on degrees.
It valued ability.
It rewarded creativity.
And most importantly—
It wasn't trapped by rigid systems.
As long as Vivian Frost and Ethan Reed were there…
Northstar would continue climbing.
---
There were already rumors circulating across the industry.
Some said Tencent had attempted to invest 1.5 billion yuan into Northstar—and failed.
Others said major companies tried to poach Ethan Reed with absurd salaries—and failed.
Northstar did not bend.
It did not sell.
It built.
Players loved it.
Employees respected it.
And online, people even joked—
Instead of Tencent acquiring Northstar…
Maybe one day Northstar would acquire Tencent's gaming division.
It sounded ridiculous.
But standing there in Lumen City, suitcase in hand—
Jason didn't think it was impossible.
Because players were tired.
Tired of recycled content.
Tired of shallow systems.
Tired of games built only to extract money.
They wanted something real.
And Northstar delivered.
---
Filled with anticipation, Jason finally arrived at the headquarters of Northstar Games.
He took the elevator up.
Seventh floor.
Conference room.
And there—
He met them.
The two figures who had reshaped the industry.
---
Vivian Frost.
Young.
Charismatic.
Sharp.
She wore her black hair in a high bun, dressed casually in a yellow T-shirt and denim jacket. At a glance, she looked more like a college student than the leader of a revolutionary company.
And beside her—
Ethan Reed.
Relaxed posture.
Baseball cap.
Calm eyes.
A faint smile.
A man who looked ordinary—
Until you realized what he had created.
---
"Welcome, Mr. Cole," Ethan said, extending his hand.
Jason quickly shook it. "It's an honor."
Vivian leaned forward slightly, smiling. "I'm Vivian Frost. The boss."
"I know," Jason replied immediately.
---
After a brief introduction, they sat down.
Ethan opened the conversation directly.
"I've reviewed your Cosmic Sprite proposal," he said calmly. "We like it."
Jason's heart tightened.
"But before we move forward," Ethan continued, "we need to discuss the terms."
Jason nodded, taking a breath.
He spoke honestly.
"Five insurances and one housing fund… a standard developer salary… and as the creator… some equity in the project."
Even as he said it, he felt embarrassed.
Because he knew the truth.
Cosmic Sprite had taken heavy inspiration from Pokémon.
And Pokémon—
Was Northstar's creation.
---
Ethan listened.
Then slowly shook his head.
"We're not planning to hire you."
---
Those words hit like a bullet.
Jason froze.
His mind went blank.
His apartment was gone.
His savings were limited.
He had moved cities for this opportunity.
Was this the end?
---
Before despair could take root—
Ethan spoke again.
"We're offering cooperation."
---
Silence filled the room.
Then Ethan explained.
"Northstar will invest in you. We'll help you establish your own company. We'll take 61% equity. The rest is yours. We provide funding, technology, and workspace."
Jason's brain stopped processing.
This wasn't employment.
This was something else entirely.
This was…
an opportunity to build his own company.
---
Ethan continued:
"And I also have several suggestions to improve your system."
That was the breaking point.
Jason stood up abruptly.
"I'll take 20%!" he blurted out.
He didn't even feel worthy of 39%.
To him, even 20% felt generous.
---
Vivian laughed lightly.
"Relax. We're not robbing you."
---
Jason hesitated.
Then he spoke again.
"I… I have another concept."
He rushed out, returned with his laptop, and opened a document.
"Moles World."
A social web-based game.
Cute mole characters.
Different professions.
Interactive systems.
Furniture.
Mini-games.
A digital world built on connection and daily life.
---
Vivian leaned forward with interest.
Ethan stared at the screen.
Inside—
He was shocked.
This wasn't coincidence.
This was instinct.
A natural ability to grasp what players wanted.
To design systems that could grow.
---
After a moment, Ethan made a decision.
"We're investing in this too."
---
The partnership was confirmed.
Jason Cole would establish his own studio.
Nanshan Games.
Office space.
Equipment.
Staff.
Everything would be provided.
---
His vision blurred slightly.
For a moment—
He almost lost control of his emotions.
---
Later, Ethan personally showed him around Northstar.
Third floor.
"Animation department," Ethan said. "Have you seen Edgerunners?"
Jason nodded. "I love it."
Ethan smiled slightly. "Your project could have something like that one day."
Fourth floor.
Music department.
Fifth floor.
"Your future office."
---
Then Ethan said something quietly.
"Reference isn't plagiarism. Innovation builds on foundations."
Jason didn't respond.
But inside—
Something changed.
Respect.
Gratitude.
Determination.
He made a silent promise.
One day—
Nanshan Games would stand beside Northstar.
Two days later.
October 8th.
Work resumed.
Evan Cross visited the new studio floor and looked around in silence.
Northstar had grown rapidly.
Competition would only get harder.
But he was no longer afraid.
Because here—
People were trained through real work.
Not theory.
Not waiting.
But action.
---
Meanwhile, on the seventh floor—
Rachel Quinn entered Vivian's office.
"The Pokémon anime is ready," she said. "We can release."
Vivian nodded.
Ethan didn't even look up from his screen.
"Let's hold a celebration dinner tonight."
Vivian agreed instantly.
"We celebrate both."
---
Rachel stood there, speechless.
Then turned and walked out, muttering:
"These two…"
---
Because she understood something they didn't show on the surface.
October 8th.
The Pokémon anime officially launched.
And inside that building—
No one truly understood yet—
Just how far it would go.
From Lumen City…
To the entire country…
And one day—
To the world.