Mr. Wyne slammed a stack of newspapers violently onto his desk.
The thunderous bang, accompanied by a blazing fury, surged like a tide toward the subordinates standing behind the desk. In the company, these men were high-ranking managers and consultants; yet before the big boss, they looked like pitiful students being punished by a teacher at public school—bodies stiff, hands pressed tight against their trouser seams, and palms sweating so much they left dark stains on their silk suit pants.
They didn't even dare look up to meet Mr. Wyne's gaze, staring instead at the carpet as if they had overnight become ethnologists specializing in carpet patterns.
"Have you seen today's papers? Hmm? You haven't? Then let me read them to you!"
Mr. Wyne grabbed a newspaper and read aloud: "'An Epoch-making Great Invention: The Anti-Magic Radiation Screen Protector,' 'He Changed Norelia: An Interview with Inventor Ghoulster,' 'The Perfect Fusion of Magic and Science,' 'Using the Light of Science to Dispel the Haze of the Witchcraft Era,' 'Laughter Returns to Norelia: The Return of Magic Games'…"
By the time he reached the end, Mr. Wyne was nearly gnashing his teeth to dust. He swept all the newspapers off the desk in one motion. Amidst the flurry of papers flying like snowflakes, every subordinate remained as quiet as a winter cicada.
Mr. Wyne turned his gaze toward his secretary.
"What is going on here, Sherwood?" He glared at the secretary as if trying to tear him to shreds with his eyes. "Weren't you the one in charge of liaising with these newspapers? Don't you think you owe me a reasonable explanation?!"
Sherwood was a young man in his early twenties, his short black hair styled in the latest fashion. He was the only one among them who remained unruffled in the face of the boss's wrath.
Adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses, he replied calmly and composedly, "Mr. Wyne, I already sent the articles you wanted to the newspapers. Initially, the effect was indeed excellent; foot traffic at the magic game experience stores plummeted, and there was even a wave of returns. But then this inventor named Ghoulster appeared. No one could have predicted his arrival, sir. And even less could anyone have predicted he would bring along these so-called—wonderful little gadgets that prevent 'magic radiation.'"
"These newspapers..."
"Perhaps Ghoulster bribed them, but I think it's more likely the papers chose to report this for the sake of the news itself. You understand, sir, newspapers always chase sales; they always need the freshest, most explosive, and hottest topics. Currently, the hottest topic in Norelia is the magic game slate. Those who can't buy a slate can only find solace in reading the news. Any paper that reports on it sees a surge in sales."
Mr. Wyne opened his mouth, glanced at the other subordinates as if about to say something, then waved his hand impatiently. "All of you, get out of my sight! Sherwood, stay!"
The subordinates fled the office as if granted a divine reprieve. Some went straight back to their own offices to start drafting suicide notes. Ever since the magic slates appeared, Mr. Wyne's mood had become extremely unstable; it wouldn't be surprising if he lost control entirely one day. They felt it best to prepare for the worst.
Sherwood closed the office door and leaned down to pick up the newspapers from the floor. Mr. Wyne sat back in his chair in frustration, lighting a cigar.
"This Ghoulster appeared far too conveniently." His fingers tapped the armrest anxiously. "He's definitely in it with Lorne Dungeon! Lorne Dungeon knows there's no such thing as magic radiation, so he turned the tables by coming up with some 'screen protector'..."
"You are quite right, sir." Sherwood threw the gathered newspapers into the fireplace. "How do you intend to respond?"
Amidst the curling smoke, Mr. Wyne's frown deepened. "Write another article! Say that the protector doesn't prevent magic radiation at all!"
"But sir, Ghoulster has claimed that anyone who can prove his protector is faulty will receive a reward of a thousand gold coins. All the citizens of Norelia are watching this. If we don't provide ironclad evidence, I'm afraid we won't be able to convince the public. But the problem is—"
Sherwood watched the newspapers curling and blackening in the flames, a playful smirk touching the corner of his mouth. "If we want to prove Ghoulster's protector is ineffective, we must prove that the slate emits radiation even with the protector on. However, we cannot prove the existence of magic radiation in the first place. Even if we forged an instrument to show radiation, Lorne Dungeon could simply find someone else to 'invent' a new anti-radiation method. Our struggle with them would go on forever without a result. Unless..."
He paused meaningfully. Mr. Wyne immediately understood his point.
"Unless we completely crush his business. And spreading rumors alone isn't enough for that. We must shake his foundations," he murmured to himself.
Sherwood turned around and gave a slight bow. "Sir, you have expressed my thoughts exactly."
Cigar in mouth, Mr. Wyne rose and walked to the window.
"The reason Lorne Dungeon's slates sell so well is entirely because there are no competing products. Once a similar gaming device hits the market, his good days will be over," he said coldly.
In the past, Norelia Communications had used the same competitive strategy. His company rarely invented anything new because you never knew if a new invention would be welcomed or shunned. Usually, he would wait until someone else's new invention became popular, then produce a cheaper version of the same product. Leveraging the company's distribution channels and operational advantages, he would flood the market and completely crush the opponent.
But this time, creating a competing magic slate wouldn't be so easy. Because to produce such a thing, one had to understand magic.
Mr. Wyne gazed through the bright, clean floor-to-ceiling window at the distant scenery. The "Norelia Telecom" building was located on the city's most bustling street. Whenever he stood here overlooking the flow of people coming and going like ants, Mr. Wyne felt a magnificent sense of superiority—presumably, this was how the gods felt looking down upon the mortal world.
The scenery was quite refreshing, except for that pitch-black high tower standing in the distance. It stood in silent confrontation with the Norelia Communications building, like a wordless provocation. Its presence mutely declared: no matter what status you achieve in this city or how much wealth you possess, never forget that there is a group of people here you cannot afford to provoke.
"But I can't just walk into the tower and ask those mages to develop some slate for me."
"The tower isn't the only place in the world with mages, Mr. Wyne." Sherwood turned toward his boss.
Mr. Wyne's brow gradually smoothed out.
Right. Magic was everywhere in this world. But not all those with magical talent entered the Mages' Tower, just as not all smart people went to university. It was just that the Mages' Tower was the highest hall for studying magic; if one wanted to achieve excellence on that path, one simply had to go there.
In the old days, mages would ignore the wishes of those involved and forcibly take children with excellent talent into the tower. But as society gradually became more enlightened, this practice was banned by various countries. Word was that mages still secretly sought out talented youngsters, but what young person wanted to spend their whole life dealing with a bunch of eccentric old fogeys? Perhaps one day magic would naturally perish for lack of successors.
Mr. Wyne didn't know if Lorne Dungeon had been rejected by the tower or if he simply didn't want to enter the profession. But he knew that many mages among the common folk became consultants for nobles and the wealthy. Only the royal family was qualified to hire mages from the tower as consultants (or rather, the tower mages only gave face to the royal family); others couldn't hire a true mage even with money. So, they would settle for the next best thing and hire someone with magical talent to act as a figurehead.
In fact, Mr. Wyne's wife's family had such a consultant.
"Indeed, why not hand this matter over to them?" Mr. Wyne raised his eyebrows.
His wife's cousin was none other than a director at "ToyJoy" the continent's largest toy manufacturer. Their business strategy was quite similar to that of Norelia Communications; they rarely invented new toys themselves, instead constantly expanding their operations and market share by acquiring small and medium-sized toy makers.
The magic slate could be considered a toy. Wouldn't it be enough to hand it over to his brother-in-law for research? If they couldn't find someone who knew magic in Norelia, could they not find one in the capital?
"Go and bring Chris to me," Mr. Wyne ordered.
Sherwood bowed and backed out of the office.
Half an hour later, Chris, who was still in class, was forcibly dragged out of the classroom by Sherwood, shoved into a car, and hauled to his father's company. Having been beaten just a few days ago, Chris was timid in front of his father, his usual liveliness and ego completely gone.
"Dad, I'm in the middle of class..."
"Hand over your slate." Mr. Wyne tapped the desk.
Chris panicked. "Why? That's mine! No, I... I didn't bring it! I left it at home!"
"Sherwood."
"Yes, sir."
The young secretary expertly unbuttoned Chris's coat and pulled the magic slate from an inner vest pocket, respectfully presenting it to Mr. Wyne with both hands.
"Sherwood!!" Chris screamed.
Sherwood replied politely, "Young Master, studies come first. Such 'clever tricks' are best left unplayed."
Chris felt like crying but had no tears. After days and nights of thinking, he had figured out why his father detested the magic slate so much. As the young master of the Norelia Communications Company, buying a competitor's product was indeed a bit unseemly.
But... but the magic slate was so much fun! His father's company didn't produce them, yet didn't let him play with them either—how could anyone in the world be so unreasonable!
He pleaded, "Dad, if you want to play, I'll buy you one when the next batch is released, okay? Why do you have to take mine? I just put the screen protector on it yesterday!"
Mr. Wyne slammed his hand on the desk. Chris jumped and shrunk back.
"Who wants to play with this thing! I'm taking it for research! And you actually bought that protector?!" Mr. Wyne's anger flared. "You spendthrift! Are you trying to kill me with frustration?!"
"The protector prevents radiation..." Chris said softly.
"Shut up! Sherwood, take this little brat home and have the servants watch him closely. He is not allowed to go to Lorne Dungeon's shop again! Also, from now on, install anti-magic metal fences in the mansion and the company! No one is allowed to play magic games on my turf!"
This time Chris really did cry. If the slate was confiscated, he could just go to the experience store, but now he wasn't even allowed there... He hadn't finished all the endings of The Legend of the Brave yet! Five-Color Stone Match-3 was also getting a version update with new gameplay. What was he supposed to do without his slate?!
But no matter how he protested, Mr. Wyne remained as unmoved as a marble statue. Ultimately, he was forcibly pulled out of the office by Sherwood and shoved into the steam carriage.
Once his son and the secretary had left, Mr. Wyne picked up the magic slate, weighed it suspiciously, then took out stationery and a pen to write a letter to his brother-in-law in the capital. After finishing, he sealed the slate and the letter together in a box and placed it on the corner of the desk, waiting for Sherwood to return so he could send it by express mail at the post office.
In the empty office, the delivery box twitched.
If anyone could have seen inside the box at that moment, they would have seen the film on the slate suddenly bulge, turning from a flat surface into a tiny sphere. No, not a sphere, but a slime only the size of a finger. The "protector" on Chris's slate wasn't made of ordinary slime mucus, but was an actual slime.
It struggled to move its tiny body, slid off the desk, wiggled to the door, and slipped out through the crack.
Meanwhile, inside the steam carriage.
"Sherwood, talk to my dad, let me go to the store at least... How about just one hour a day?" Chris begged.
The young secretary gave an apologetic smile. "You know your father's temper best. Once he makes up his mind, no one can change it."
Chris held his head and began to wail.
"However, perhaps you could ask the Madam for help." Sherwood's eyes shifted, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Didn't you also give her a slate? She has hidden it very well; Mr. Wyne hasn't discovered it yet. Let her just lend you hers!"
"Oh, right!" Chris slapped his thigh. His mom loved him so much, she'd definitely agree!
But then he realized another serious problem.
"Dad won't let me go to the experience store, so how am I supposed to buy top-up cards? I can't send the servants; they follow Dad's every word..." Chris banged his head against the carriage window in frustration. "If only there was a way to top up while sitting at home..."
"Ten 'Diamond Stardust' cards, please."
Lorne's jaw dropped in disbelief as the money was held out to him. Foot traffic at the magic game experience store was currently increasing rather than decreasing; besides those queuing to play the slates, there were those queuing to buy cards. Lorne was learning for the first time just how many "whales" were hidden in Norelia. Whether in the Blue Star or the Otherworld, humans really spared no expense when it came to gaming...
If anyone else had come to buy the cards, he wouldn't have been so surprised, but the issue was that this bill was being handed over by the famous "zero-spender grinder"—Miss Yvette.
Does my game really have that much charm? Lorne couldn't help but feel a bit flattered.
"Oh, I'm buying them for Chris," Miss Yvette quickly explained. "You might not know, but his father has banned him from the store. I went to visit him at home once, and he secretly asked me to buy cards for him."
Lorne knew about it, of course. He even knew Chris's slate had been confiscated—when Chris went to the shop next door to get the protector, what was applied wasn't ordinary slime mucus, but a real slime. The little guy had already made its way back to the store and told Lorne everything.
Chris's father was the one behind the "magic radiation" rumors. It sounded a bit incredible at first, but on second thought, it made sense. The landline company simply felt the mobile company was stealing their business.
What Lorne hadn't expected was that Chris's family actually had ties to "ToyJoy" Lorne had heard that company's famous name on his very first day in the "toy industry." If ToyJoy got their hands on a magic slate, what would they do? Develop knock-off products to compete?
He had to plan ahead and prepare for the arrival of imitation products. Furthermore, he had to seize the initiative in other areas.
As Lorne pondered, he took out a Diamond Stardust card from under the counter and gave it to Miss Yvette.
"Chris will be happy this time." Miss Yvette gave a helpless smile. "He's always complaining about why he has to walk so far just to buy cards. He said it would be great if he could top up while sitting at home. You're so capable—can you think of a way?"
A way to top up while sitting at home? Of course! On the Blue Star, weren't Alipay, WeChat, and online banking all exactly that?
But the prerequisite for online payment was that finance itself had to be digitized. This world didn't even have computers or the internet yet, and banks still used manual bookkeeping. To create an online payment platform, he first needed to collaborate with a bank to network all the accounts.
The magic in the dungeon core was currently quite sufficient, so he could spare a portion to power the online banking system.
As this thought surfaced in Lorne's mind, the relevant magical formulas began to take shape. Building the system wasn't hard, but you had to have a bank first. Even if Lorne were bold enough, he wouldn't dare make the grand claim of "I'm going to open a bank." So, finding a bank to collaborate with was more practical.
The first one he thought of was Gulf Bank. They had provided the loan for the store, so collaborating with them was natural. But Gulf Bank was only a small to medium-sized bank with branches only in Norelia and surrounding cities. If possible, Lorne wanted to collaborate with a powerful bank to spread the business quickly.
"Mr. Lorne Dungeon?" Yvette's voice woke Lorne from his deep thought.
He quickly handed the ten cards to Yvette and asked tentatively, "If you were to deposit money in a bank with a good reputation and great strength, which one would you choose?"
"Western Trust Bank, of course," Yvette said without hesitation. "The largest bank in the whole Kingdom of the Coastal—even the royal family keeps their wealth and jewelry there!"
Lorne had heard of the name; they had a branch at the corner of Sunset Boulevard. Every time Lorne passed by, he was drawn to the grand stone carvings at the bank's entrance.
He waved goodbye to Yvette and turned to instruct Selena: "Go and make an appointment with the Norelia branch of Western Trust Bank. I want to talk to the manager about an important business deal in three days."
The next day, Lorne changed into his newly purchased handmade suit, took his cane, and dressed like a proper Norelia gentleman before heading to Western Trust Bank.
His name had appeared in the newspapers multiple times recently, making him a household name in Norelia. Upon hearing he was visiting, the manager of Western Trust Bank pushed back all his morning appointments. He even called in eleven bank executives to invite Lorne into their largest conference room, showing how much they valued the meeting.
For this meeting, Lorne had spent three days and nights creating a brand-new PPT—more exquisite and intuitive than the last one. To the people of this era, it was nothing short of a visual spectacle. Combined with his eloquence, he didn't believe he couldn't move these banking executives.
However, after Lorne had talked at length about the six major advantages of an online banking system, the necessity of developing online payments, and the future outlook of the market, what he saw on the executives' faces wasn't wild joy, but regret and confusion.
"Gentlemen, ladies, was there something I didn't explain clearly?" Lorne leaned on the conference table, forcing a smile.
The executives exchanged skeptical glances. An eerie silence filled the room. Finally, the manager cleared his throat.
"You explained it very clearly, Mr. Dungeon. We were also extremely impressed by this... er, magic slideshow of yours. But I originally thought the purpose of your visit was to take out a loan..."
"I've already taken out a loan with another bank and don't need more for now," Lorne said calmly.
"I've heard. Gulf Bank, right?" The manager's lips curled into a smirk, speaking the name with a hint of disdain. "That's a decent bank, but its strength is far inferior to ours. Loaning to some small street vendors is fine, but for a large company like yours, it seems a bit..."
"If I have financing needs in the future, I will certainly consider your bank," Lorne said. "But that's not why I'm here today. What are your thoughts on the online banking system?"
The manager shifted in his mahogany chair as if sitting on needles. "The 'online banking system' you proposed is indeed very novel and creative, but it doesn't quite align with our bank's future development direction."
"Oh?" Lorne raised an eyebrow.
"In fact, our head office has already set a five-year plan. We are launching a new invention called a 'Credit Bill Card.' It hasn't been promoted in Norelia yet, but it's already being piloted in the capital. The bank will issue these cards to users with good economic credit. Cardholders can use them to buy on credit in shops and then pay back the debt monthly; for expensive items, they can even pay in installments. This can stimulate consumption, allowing people to buy now and pay later..."
"You mean a 'Credit Card'?" Lorne blurted out.
"It's a Credit Bill Card," the manager corrected him. "Though 'Credit Card' does sound good..." He whispered to the secretary beside him, "Note down that name and report it to headquarters later."
Lorne curled his lip. On the Earth, credit cards indeed came before online banking. Credit cards were more prevalent in Western countries; people became so accustomed to them that digital payment was difficult to promote. Credit cards fostered a culture of advance spending—while people enjoyed the joy of it, a group of "card slaves" was also born. Banks could earn untold profits from credit card interest, so of course, they wouldn't give up on that business.
Lorne could tell from the manager's attitude. Even if the online banking platform was built, it could currently only be used to top up magic games, and the bank would have to assign a lot of manpower to digitize depositor information. Western Trust Bank was planning to enter the credit card field, so they didn't think much of online banking.
They had never seen the ubiquitous QR codes of the Blue Star, nor experienced the convenience of scanning to pay. To them, that scenario was more bizarre than a sci-fi novel and simply couldn't become a reality. Humans can never imagine things outside their own cognition.
"Fair enough." Lorne gave a strained smile. "It seems my ideas don't align with your bank's. I won't waste any more of your time. Perhaps we can collaborate in the future."
The manager shook Lorne's hand. "If you ever want a loan..."
"I'll consider it," Lorne brushed him off with a few shakes, then packed up his slate and walked out of the conference room under the puzzled gazes of the executives.
If Western Trust Bank won't do it, maybe I should just open one myself?
But he had no idea how to run a bank! Human ability has its limits; even if he became a Demon King, he still wouldn't be good at things he wasn't good at! He'd have to consider other banks.
On the way back to the store, Lorne's mind was filled with the names of Norelia's various banks. Just as he reached the store, before he even entered, he heard a familiar, honest laugh coming from inside.
"Oh, Miss Serina, you are truly humorous! Talking to you for a while makes all my worries for the day vanish!—Oh, Mr. Lorne Dungeon! You're back! I've been waiting for you for ages!"
Banks, the loan manager from Gulf Bank, was wiping sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief while beaming at Lorne.
"Ah, Mr. Banks, what a rare guest." Lorne took off his gloves and shook hands with his loan manager.
"I happened to be passing by, so I thought I'd drop in..."
Mr. Banks was panting heavily as if he'd just finished a marathon.
Hah, liar. The experience store had been open for so long, he could have "happened to pass by" every day, but he chose today specifically... He'd probably heard Lorne had gone to Western Trust Bank and had rushed over as fast as his legs would carry him without even waiting for a hired carriage.
Lorne didn't expose him. He just smiled. "Do your children still like the magic slates?"
"Of course, of course." Mr. Banks gave a bashful smile. "I'll never forget the looks on their faces the moment they got the slates. I don't think I've ever looked so tall in their eyes..."
"I'm glad our products are loved by our customers." Lorne beckoned to him. "My office is upstairs. Shall we talk there?"
"Since you are so kind to invite me, I would be honored..."
Mr. Banks followed Lorne upstairs.
When the experience store first opened, the second floor was just an empty shell. Capital was tight then, and Lorne had to spend money where it mattered, so he decorated the first floor and the staff dorms on the third floor first. It was only after the shop started bringing in revenue (mostly thanks to generous whales) that he began decorating the second-floor office.
Mr. Banks sat in the newly renovated office, sipping the coffee brought by Silas, his eyes darting around. He noticed that more than ten desks had been placed on this floor, separated into small cubicles with wooden boards.
"Are you planning to use this as an office space?" he asked.
Lorne stirred his coffee calmly. "The future game development team will be based here, though we haven't recruited everyone yet."
"You really are expanding the company's operations!" Mr. Banks' voice instantly jumped an octave. "How is your cash flow? Do you need a loan? You have good credit and are a premium customer of our bank. Our bank is always willing to collaborate with local Norelia companies..."
Lorne raised his hand, signaling Mr. Banks to be quiet. The loan manager shut his mouth, looking as aggrieved as an abandoned dog.
Lorne hadn't overlooked collaborating with Gulf Bank to develop magic online banking, but he felt they were too small and might not keep up with the growth of the magic slate user base. That was why he had chosen a major bank like Western Trust first.
He had gone to Western Trust with confidence, only to be hit with a cold bucket of reality. Thinking about it calmly, was he moving too fast? People in this world didn't know how developed the gaming industry was on the Blue Star, so they were cautious, prudent, or even skeptical toward everything related to magic games. They might be willing to invest, but they would never bet their entire fortune at once.
Perhaps collaborating with a small bank was more appropriate for the current situation. Lorne was a big customer for Gulf Bank, so their attitude toward online banking would surely be more positive than Western Trust's. They would be willing to take high risks, and Lorne would give them high returns.
"I'm not short on funds for now, thank you for your kindness," Lorne said. "However, I am indeed looking to start a new business and need to collaborate with a reputable and capable bank. I'm currently looking for the right partner..."
"We at Gulf Bank are forever your friends!" Mr. Banks said excitedly.
Lorne intentionally remained silent for a while to pique the loan manager's curiosity, then said slowly, "I plan to add a brand-new payment channel for the magic slates. I have a detailed plan and a PPT here... I mean, a slideshow. Let me introduce it to you..."