SWDnovel Chapter 16 A Subtle and Unobtrusive Way to Show Off
Chapter 16 A Subtle and Unobtrusive Way to Show Off
"Hello, welcome to SiliconOasis. Our company is dedicated to providing arcade operators with high-quality arcade machines, from shore to shore, if needed..."
"Mr. Meyer." Lin Lixin interrupted the other party's self-introduction. Even through the distorted telephone, Meyer's voice was easily recognizable.
His voice still carried a Hebrew accent that hadn't been completely assimilated into the local culture.
Although they shout loud slogans, they even answer the phone themselves, so it seems that the actual scale of their operations is not that large.
Lin Lixin breathed a slight sigh of relief. If they were to directly face a successful tycoon, they would inevitably feel some pressure.
"Hello, may I ask who you are...?"
Meyer had only met Lin Lixin once. Although he was impressed by Tetris, Lin Lixin had no intention of selling it, and after so many days, he had long forgotten about it.
"I wonder if Mr. Meyer has any plans to order more stock recently? We have a batch of new arcade game machines that we'd like to sell."
"Hmm? Sorry, not at the moment."
On the other end of the phone, Meyer frowned and refused.
He pondered for a long time, but couldn't think of any new arcade games that had been released recently.
Besides, he's an arcade distributor, and he does business with almost half of California. If there really is a new game being released soon, he'll definitely be the first to receive the news.
However, none of the suppliers contacted him, which puzzled him.
"Mr. Meyer, you no longer need Tetris's arcade machines? Well, we can contact each other again sometime."
Lin Lixin deliberately avoided making things clear, using a feigned retreat as a tactic, and simply hung up the phone.
While they do need arcade games to earn start-up capital, revealing too much of their urgency will only put them at a disadvantage in negotiations.
On the other end of the phone, Meyer, who had just taken a sip of hot coffee, spat it out.
"Wait, Tetris? You found a source? Feed them? Feed them?!"
His memory of that name was far too vivid.
A dilapidated machine casually placed on the street actually attracted a large group of college students from the neighborhood to line up in the blazing sun.
Regardless of how good the game is, its ability to attract users alone makes it worthwhile for him to order a batch to test the waters.
No matter how he replied, the call had already been disconnected, leaving only a beeping notification sound.
"F**K! F**K! F**K!" he cursed anxiously. "Why are young people these days so impetuous!"
The other party knew his number, but Meyer did not know Lin Lixin's landline number.
Now that Lin Lixin has hung up the phone, he can't call back.
Are we just supposed to sit here and wait for them to call back for consultation?
Meyer slammed the receiver back onto the landline.
No, we can't just sit here and wait to die. He's not the only supplier in California.
He searched for Tetris's source of goods for a week, but couldn't find a second seller.
If the supply of this new model with huge commercial potential falls into the hands of his competitors, he'll be finished.
Meyer said a few words to the clerk, picked up his briefcase, and rushed out of the warehouse.
He remembered the address; it was in a residential area near USC. He had to get there before the other business contacted him!
……
"Sam, you stay here and watch the store. I'm going home for a bit."
After telling Sam to leave him at the store, Lin Lixin returned to his apartment alone, moved a stool in front of the door, and sat with his legs crossed, basking in the sun.
He was in no hurry.
If Mayer was truly a shrewd and insightful businessman, he should have seen the terrifying business opportunities behind Tetris.
An hour later, a Buick pulled up in front of their apartment.
The car door opened, and Meyer, sporting his signature hooked nose, rushed out of the car in a flurry of activity.
Lin Lixin heard the sound and slowly opened his eyes.
[David Meyer]
Overall Rating: A (Shrewd Businessman)
[Administration & Finance]: 47 (Growth Value: B- (Adjusted to A due to skill adjustment))
【Skill】:
[Racial Talent]: Business-related skills are enhanced.
His car wasn't particularly luxurious, and it seemed Lin Lixin's guess was correct; the other party was just a small business owner with a fairly stable business.
"Sir..." Meyer almost ran off his hat, quickly grabbing it and taking it off before stopping in front of Lin Lixin. "That phone call just now..."
Lin Lixin feigned surprise and quickly stood up from his chair.
"Mr. Meyer? What brings you here? Didn't you say earlier that you didn't need it?"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Lin, I mistakenly thought you were referring to those outdated game console manufacturers. If it's Tetris, how could I not need it?"
"The sun is so bright, let's go inside and talk."
Meyer nodded and followed Lin Lixin into the messy apartment.
His eyes secretly scanned the room, trying to make a rough analysis of Lin Lixin's personality so that he could prescribe the right medicine.
Meyer's first glance fell on the scattered electronic components and tools: soldering irons, capacitors, resistors, and even hand saws for boards and spray paint cans were all there.
"Um, Mr. Lin, if I may be so bold as to ask, that Tetris arcade machine, was it... something you made yourself?"
What incredible hands-on skills! He'd seen those young geeks tinker with all sorts of weird and wonderful gadgets.
But what kind of gadgets are arcade machines?
"Hmm?" Lin Lixin turned around, followed Meyer's gaze, and nodded. "Mr. Meyer has a good eye. Indeed, that prototype was modified from a second-hand arcade machine."
Meyer was secretly surprised and followed Lin Lixin into his fairly tidy bedroom.
The most eye-catching thing in the room is the Commodore 64 on the table. It's a very popular home computer model. Its configuration is not as good as IBM's, but its price-performance ratio is definitely the highest.
Meyer's breath hitched. He saw a small object on the table. He recognized it; it was used to burn EPROMs.
"Oh My God……"
A terrifying thought began to slowly take shape in his mind, making his heart race.
It seems like I'm about to snag a huge bargain!
"Mr. Lin, the game 'Tetris'...you developed it?!"
Almost the instant this thought appeared, the fragmented clues in Meyer's mind suddenly clicked together.
Everything is connected.
Why couldn't he find Tetris even after searching all the arcade machine manufacturers?
Why is that machine so old? Even the logo looks like it was just painted on recently.
Why wouldn't Lin Lixin sell him that important machine?
There is only one answer—
Lin Lixin's lips curled up into an innocent smile.
"Yes, Mr. Meyer, yes."
"No f**king way..." Meyer murmured.
He is now incredibly grateful that he didn't stay at the company waiting for Lin Lixin to contact him.
This is an incredibly thick thigh, a bright pearl still covered in dust!
This trip was truly worthwhile!