Qin Feng stood before the massive floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the bustling city with its endless stream of cars below him.
It had been a month since his soul merged with this world, and the soul, originating from an era of information explosion, had finally completely integrated with the body of a wealthy second-generation heir in this parallel world, where the tech tree had branched out a bit crookedly.
In his previous life, he was a hardcore gaming enthusiast, struggling through tens of thousands of ranked matches in League of Legends, witnessing the LPL's journey from its dark age to its ultimate triumph, and then back to its darkest hour.
Now, he was Qin Feng, with parents who were business magnates, and a family rolling in money. According to family arrangements, he served as a manager in a sizable fund company, with an impressive resume and a promising future.
However, the transmigator he now was found life dull and uninteresting.
The technological level of this world was almost identical to his previous one; smartphones and high-speed internet were all readily available. Yet, in the gaming sphere, especially competitive gaming, it was appallingly barren.
The mainstream game market was dominated by two types of games: one consisted of MMORPGs with gorgeous graphics but repetitive gameplay, where success was measured by who spent more or played longer; the other comprised relatively simple FPS and outdated RTS games, featuring monotonous tactics and extremely poor viewership.
The concept of team strategy in competitive games (MOBA) was practically nonexistent!
There was no "League of Legends," no "DOTA," no rapidly changing battlefields, no thrilling team fights, no perfect plays that decided victory or defeat.
For a hardcore MOBA player, this was both mental and physical torture.
"Am I destined to spend my life in this boring world, making money in the financial market through insider information and family resources, then just coasting along until I die?"
Qin Feng murmured to himself, his eyes filled with unwillingness.
No, absolutely not!
In his mind, he possessed everything about "League of Legends" from S1 to S10, and even older versions! Hero abilities, item attributes, map details, version updates, balance adjustments, and even famous bugs and their fixes... not to mention the grand esports epic, countless legendary players, classic battles, tactical systems... This memory was a gold mine waiting for him to exploit, enough to change the entire landscape of the era!
An uncontrollable impulse burned in his chest. He wanted to personally create the world that had once brought him countless passions and youthful memories in this timeline!
He wanted the words "esports" to echo across the globe!
Thinking this, Qin Feng abruptly turned, grabbed the internal phone on the desk, and spoke in an unchallengeable tone: "Notify all heads of the Project Department, Marketing Department, and Technology Department. In half an hour, in Meeting Room One, I will hold a new product initiation meeting."
Half an hour later, inside Meeting Room One.
Both sides of the long conference table were filled with elite key personnel from various departments of the company. Dressed in suits, their expressions carried a hint of confusion and bewilderment. This newly appointed President Qin, with his deep background and recognized abilities, had suddenly called such a high-level meeting. What was it for?
Qin Feng did not sit at the head of the table but stood in front of the projector screen, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this meeting today has only one agenda." He got straight to the point, pressing the laser pointer in his hand.
The screen lit up, and on the title page of the PPT, a powerful artistic logo appeared—a clenched fist, with the English words below: League of Legends.
"I have decided that the company's next, and future only, core strategic project will be to develop and operate a new type of competitive game called 'League of Legends'."
As soon as his words fell, a subtle stir arose in the conference room. Everyone exchanged glances, seeing disbelief in each other's eyes.
"A game?" A middle-aged man with meticulously combed hair and gold-rimmed glasses, Manager Wang, the head of the Project Department, was the first to speak. "President Qin, you're not joking, are you? We are a fund company. Although we do strategic investments, we have never been involved in specific game development. This... isn't the leap too big?"
"Yes, President Qin," Director Li of the Marketing Department, a refined and capable woman with exquisite makeup, chimed in. She quickly flipped through the project summary she had just received. "According to this document, this... 'league of legends' you described, seems to be a team-based strategy battle game? There are currently no similar products on the market, so the risk is too high. Moreover, the gaming industry, especially new types of games, requires huge investment, has long return cycles, and is extremely unstable."
Qin Feng's expression remained unchanged; he had long anticipated this reaction.
"Manager Wang, Director Li, your concerns are based on the existing market's cognitive framework." He switched the PPT, which displayed a simple game mechanism diagram. "But I ask you, the current game market is stagnant, like a dead end. MMORPGs are either about who spends more or who grinds more. FPS and RTS have high barriers to entry and insufficient viewership, making it difficult to form a broad user base. What players crave is a game that is fairer, more competitive, more visually appealing, and has the charm of team cooperation!"
He pointed at the diagram, his tone filled with undeniable confidence: "And 'League of Legends' is the answer!"
He elaborated: "This is a 5v5 team competitive game where players will act as 'Summoners,' choose a 'Hero' with unique skills, and battle on a map called 'Summoners Rift,' divided into three 'lanes.' There is only one goal: destroy the enemy's base crystal!"
"In this process, players need to earn gold by last-hitting minions, killing jungle monsters, destroying defensive towers, and eliminating enemy Heroes to gain economy and experience, purchase equipment, level up, and strengthen themselves..."
As Qin Feng described, the brows of most people in the conference room furrowed tighter and tighter.
"Three lanes? Pushing towers?" Manager Wang couldn't help but interrupt, a hint of undetectable sarcasm in his tone. "President Qin, forgive my frankness, but this sounds suspiciously like some player-made RPG maps in 'Warcraft' or 'Starcraft'? Those things have always been niche within a niche, never making it to the mainstream. Using it as the company's core strategic project, isn't that a bit too... childish?"
"Childish?" Qin Feng laughed, a laugh filled with strong superiority and a touch of pity, like "a summer insect cannot understand ice."
His gaze swept over everyone present, his voice rising a few octaves: "Do you call those digital prisons where you can get 999 damage with one strike by spending money and doing repetitive daily tasks 'mainstream'? Do you call those manufacturers who only follow trends, reskin games, and lack any innovative spirit 'industry elites'?"
His words were like whips, lashing at everyone's nerves.
"Your so-called industry has become ossified! You only lie on your past laurels, guarding your small patch of land, not daring to overstep the bounds! Because innovation has risks, you don't innovate? Because the market hasn't validated it, you conclude it has no future?"
Qin Feng slammed the table, leaning forward, his powerful aura instantly enveloping the entire conference room.
"Absurd!"
"True giants are always the rule-makers, not the rule-followers! What I want to do is not to divide the existing cake, but to personally bake an unprecedented, bigger, and more delicious cake!"
He took a deep breath, his tone shifting from fierce criticism to a highly evocative description: "Imagine five strangers collaborating closely because of a game, achieving an incredible comeback through exquisite teamwork; imagine an extreme player, with unbelievable skill, executing a decisive kill against the enemy; imagine the energy contained when this game, full of uncertainty and the charm of ultimate skill, is watched, discussed, and cheered for by thousands of people!"
"That will not just be a game," Qin Feng's voice carried a prophetic power, "that will be a brand new sport! An Olympics for young people, for the digital age!"
The conference room was silent. Some were stunned by this grand vision, but more people still had eyes full of doubt.
Director Li spoke with difficulty: "President Qin, your idea... is very advanced. However, what about public opinion? The mainstream view still considers playing games as 'neglecting one's duties for pleasure,' as 'electronic heroin.' Investing huge sums in such a project might lead to immense social pressure and policy risks."
"Pressure? Risks?" Qin Feng scoffed, returning to the main seat, resuming his slightly roguish, wealthy second-generation demeanor, but his words were resolute, "The birth of any new thing is accompanied by doubt. When cars were first invented, they were slower than horse-drawn carriages! But time will prove everything."
"As for 'neglecting one's duties for pleasure'?" A smirk played on his lips. "That's because past games lacked clear competitive goals and a noble spiritual core. But when 'League of Legends' establishes a complete professional esports system, when professional players pour their sweat and strive for national honor, dreams, and their team on the field, who would dare to define it with those four words easily?"
He looked at the still silent crowd, knowing that words alone could not completely overturn their deeply ingrained beliefs. But he didn't need them to fully understand; he only needed them to execute.
"This project, I am determined to do it." Qin Feng's voice was calm, yet carried the authority of a final decision. "The company will undergo a strategic transformation, establishing a brand new 'Riot Games Company' to operate independently. Those willing to create the future with me are welcome. Those with concerns can submit their resignations now, and the finance department will settle salaries at the highest standard."
He stood up, preparing to end the meeting.
"Technology Department, stay after the meeting. I need you to produce a technical feasibility assessment based on the design documents I provide, as well as an engine selection plan, within one week."
"Meeting adjourned!"
Everyone left the conference room with varied expressions, leaving only a few core members of the Technology Department, who exchanged glances, feeling immense pressure yet also a faint excitement about entering an unknown field.
Qin Feng walked to the window, gazing out at the city once more.
In his mind, the familiar login screen of "League of Legends," the champion selection screen, and the scenery of Summoners Rift flashed one by one. The nights he had cheered and regretted in front of the screen now transformed into a burning flame in his chest.
"Just wait. Wait until the names of WE, IG, FPX, EDG echo throughout this world, wait until the sound of 'Congratulations LPL' reverberates globally..."
He murmured to himself, his eyes sharp as blades.
"Those who mock me today will soon understand."
"I, Qin Feng, am not creating a game, but a new era belonging to esports!"