America: The Godfather of Game Development

Chapter 9: The Nemesis of Unscrupulous Merchants, A Crushing Blow to Allied Forces

Sitting in front of the computer, Lin Lixin hesitated to start writing the program.

He suddenly realized that he hadn't fully explored all the technologies in his tech tree.

While the technology of scrolling may sound simple, its implementation involves both hardware and software, and even direct manipulation of video memory and system memory.

The improved program attributes did indeed bring him a significant boost, and the implementation of those gameplay elements naturally emerged.

However, if it involves content he doesn't have a grasp of, then it won't be of much use.

"I still need to do some research."

Lin Lixin scratched his head, deciding to skip this part for now and focus on implementing the gameplay. He planned to look up relevant information at the school library tomorrow.

As evening approached, Sam angrily pushed open his bedroom door and plopped down on the edge of the bed.

"That damned old man," he said in a North American accent, "he actually asked for a thousand dollars per piece of that electronic junk!"

Lin Lixin listened to Sam's grumbling for a long time before he finally understood what was going on.

"Do we have to buy all those machines as a package? Otherwise, we won't rent them?"

"That's exactly right! This is outrageous! $1000 for one machine, with a little more money you could buy a new one!"

Although the arcade on the corner wasn't big, at that price, he would have to spend tens of thousands of US dollars to get the equipment as well.

This is beyond Sam's budget.

Lin Lixin frowned; this pricing was absolutely inappropriate.

This store was closed down due to the impact of the Atari shockwave, and the owner is probably in a hurry to sell it now.

The other party probably took advantage of Sam's foolish and rich nature and put pressure on him instead.

"Take me to see it."

……

"Mr. Lin, I have already explained the situation very clearly to Mr. Sam."

The arcade was lit by only one flickering light. The owner, a middle-aged man, forced a kind smile.

"Look, these are all machines I ordered at a high price. They're just a bit old. I'm selling them for a thousand each, hoping to make friends with you two. It's okay to lose a little money."

"Boss, could you give me a discount? I really need this shop."

Every word Sam said made Lin Lixin's vision go black, and he wished he could just shut him up.

Lin Lixin smiled, but inwardly he sneered.

This guy talks a good game, but he never tells the truth.

Her expression and demeanor were so well-acted that Sam was completely captivated.

He glanced at a Pac-Man game console in the corner and silently activated its scanning capability.

The dense red light almost gave him a big flash.

This kind of thing should be thrown into the garbage dump, yet they dare to price it at 1000.

To my utter surprise, the one Sam got for 800 yuan was actually one of the best-condition ones in the store.

"Boss, can you power it on and see how it works? If it works, we might as well buy the machine as well, since we'll need arcade machines after we open anyway."

Lin Lixin pointed to the machine in front of him, looked at the boss, and prayed that Sam would keep his mouth shut.

"Mr. Lin, look at this place, I haven't had a chance to clean it for a long time. This machine is quite dusty. I suggest you clean it before turning it on to avoid short circuits and burning things out."

Having said that, he turned to Sam beside him and continued,

"Don't worry about the quality, Mr. Sam. You should know very well that the one we sold you before was probably fine, right? At most, it was just some minor loose pin issues that could be fixed in a couple of minutes."

Sam nodded thoughtfully, somewhat persuaded.

That machine really didn't have any major problems, if all of them were of that quality...

He gritted his teeth and took it on, even if it meant incurring more debt. If all else failed, he could repair the machine and sell it to recoup some of his losses.

Lin Lixin sensed something was wrong and quickly pressed Sam down gently, telling him to calm down. He then pointed to a copy of "Iron Plate" and a copy of "Space Invaders" placed to the side.

"Boss, these two are in pretty good condition, they're definitely worth the thousand dollars."

In his view, the two machines had the fewest bright spots, and they were all small, insignificant components.

"However..." Lin Lixin pointed to the Pac-Man machine from before, "This one is in a really bad state. The RAM is completely broken, and there are many rusted areas on the circuit board. It's definitely unusable."

The shop owner's expression froze slightly, and his narrowed eyes widened a bit.

Oh no, we've run into an expert.

Originally, he thought he was finally going to make a big profit by opening a business with Sam, who was his benefactor. Little did he know that there was a real insider behind him.

Mr. Lin has a truly sharp eye; with just a quick glance, he clearly reported the extent of the damage.

This is a difficult situation.

"Haha..." He chuckled. "This one's sitting in the corner, probably because it's too damp. In that case, I'll just charge you for the monitor itself."

Lin Lixin nodded slightly and then went to another machine that was full of bright lights.

"What about this one? It looks like even the processor has been pried off."

"..."

The shop owner still had that smile on his face, but his teeth were practically grinding to powder.

Where the hell did this bastard come from? He was talking to Sam quite well before, and if he had been pushed a little harder, they would have reached an agreement.

The price negotiations have gone wrong, but he's in a hurry to sell this damn stuff.

That damned Atari shattered the confidence of the entire industry. They thought this winter would pass quickly, but no matter how long they dragged it out, there was no improvement.

If this continues, his machines will become increasingly worthless.

Let him endure a few more years, hoping for a recovery that's utterly impossible? Dream on!

Video games are dead; the best course of action is to get out and run as soon as possible.

He wasn't too happy about selling it so cheaply.

"These two guys seem to be in a hurry to rent the arcade; maybe we can still try to negotiate."

He could only pin his hopes on Sam's apparent eagerness.

"Mr. Lin, this price is really... hard to accept. Please ask around elsewhere."

"Hey, no, the price is negotiable..." Sam was getting anxious, thinking that maybe they could just compromise, but Lin Lixin, who was completely speechless, pressed him down again.

"Forget it, Sam. At worst, we can rent an empty room and order a batch of new machines from Mr. Meyer. It won't cost much more."

Sam paused for a moment. He vaguely remembered the name Meyer; it seemed to be the Jewish guy Lin Lixin had mentioned who wanted to buy their machines.

He was about to say something more, but when he turned his head, he saw Lin Lixin's smiling face staring at him.

For some reason, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

"Oh, you're right, that's a great idea."

Before he could finish speaking, he felt Lin Lixin pulling him toward the door.

"Wait a minute, you two!"