Chapter 129. Bustling Mini Game Festival (3/22)
Morning, just before opening time.
By now, the gate of St. Freya High School was already jam-packed with players who had rushed over upon hearing the news, and a row of reporters with press badges filled the very front.
They had come while it was still dark, hoping to snag first-hand information.
At first, they tried to use their status as reporters to see if they could get in for interviews early, but the security at the gate kept repeating only one line: "Entry is not allowed before opening time."
Backed by Schicksal and Anti-Entropy, St. Freya had plenty of confidence to not be afraid of these reporters.
With no other choice, they could only wait with the players until time was up.
Seeing the rowdy scene, anyone who didn't know better would think St. Freya was about to be under siege.
At eight o'clock sharp, the guards opened the gates.
In an instant, everyone surged inside like zombies released from their cages, and the security personnel around the area immediately went on high alert, afraid that any safety incident might occur.
Most of them ignored the exhibitors on both sides and locked onto the central target, rushing there in a single stream.
The Gensokyo booth.
Even though Sugisaki Ken, Kitahara, and Grandpa Kiri had already anticipated a bustling turnout today, the human tide—three deep inside and out, nearly clogging the deliberately reserved open space—still made them tense up at once.
Working together with the on-site guards, they did their best to maintain order.
Compared to the game they were showing, these reporters and players were obviously more interested in Xander.
Several burly men stood up front to hold back the crowd for him, while Xander stood on a small platform, reached out to push away a microphone that was about to poke his nose, and smiled as he waved to the large crowd of players behind.
For a moment, cheers surged like waves.
"Old Thief Masato, we adore you!"
"Pokémon is number one!!"
"Big bro, you're so handsome—can I be your boyfriend?!!"
He smiled and nodded to the loudly shouting fans, but when he saw the 1.9-meter-tall guy yelling about wanting to be his boyfriend, the smile at the corner of his mouth twitched, and he almost couldn't hold it in.
Meanwhile, the festival's official livestream was broadcasting the same scene, and the rising shouts sent the on-screen comments into a scroll.
[Whoa, we've got NanKiri!]
[I'm dying laughing. Even Old Thief looks like he couldn't hold it in. Which group is that bro from? Too funny.]
[That said, Old Thief really is pretty handsome.]
[Good-looking, young, and he can make a game like Pokémon—I'm jealous. What kind of hacked life is that?]
[Don't be sad up there. Even if you've got no skill, you sure have dreams.]
[Killing the body and the heart—commenced.]
Both online and offline were equally lively.
After greeting the fans, he stepped forward and signed a few autographs for them.
That "NanKiri" guy from just now turned shy when face-to-face, bashfully pulling out a Pokémon T-shirt he'd prepared long ago and asking him to sign it.
After writing his name, Xander looked at him in amusement and said, "I like girls. Thank you for the sentiment—sorry about that."
The crowd immediately burst into laughter.
That fan's face turned red, but he was clearly the mischievous type, so he followed along and simpered, "Actually, I could go be a girl too~"
After saying that, he even threw a nauseatingly flirty wink at him.
"Hahahahaha!!!"
The surrounding laughter got even louder, and Xander's expression went dark.
"Scram, scram, scram~"
Laughing and cursing as he pushed the guy away, Xander set his hands to signing for those lined up again.
Only when his wrist was a little sore did he finally have time to deal with the reporters who had long been itching to begin.
Standing before them, with a human wall of guards helping him maintain order, he spoke up before they could ask anything: "This time, it's the booth for the new game Plants vs. Zombies. I will not answer any questions about Pokémon."
Hearing this, many of the reporters below furrowed their brows.
Xander's new game was certainly worth attention, but compared to the globally viral Pokémon, a small-scale title like this was still far behind in terms of heat.
But there was no helping it.
If the person himself said so, then continuing to ask about Pokémon would be tantamount to making a scene.
A handful of reporters who'd come prepared seized the moment and quickly put forward several questions about the mini game, and Xander answered them one by one with a smile.
"Game genre? It's a tower-defense game. Players will play as…"
"That's right. This is a game intended to make everyone happy—even people who aren't used to playing games."
"Difficulty? It's very easy to pick up, but there will be some challenging modes."
"..."
After answering several questions in a row, everyone remained all smiles, a picture of harmony and friendliness.
However, there are always a few who like to be contrarian and self-important at times like this, deliberately singing a different tune to show how 'special' they are.
For example, now—one reporter suddenly raised his voice and asked, "Mr. Masato, a lot of people online believe that you shouldn't participate in this Mini Game Festival, that it's unfair to the other participants. What's your view on this?"
At that, the lively scene immediately cooled, but Xander didn't get angry over it.
He smiled and replied, "First, Gensokyo Company has been established for less than two years, which meets St. Freya's participation criteria for the Mini Game Festival, and the resources we used also fall within the permitted range, so there's been no rule violation."
Shutting the guy up with the facts first, Xander continued, "Also, as many people know, this Mini Game Festival is where my very first game began. It has considerable significance for me and for our company. This time we reached out to the expo organizers in advance, and only after confirming everything was in order did we decide to participate."
Xander felt he had made himself very clear, but the reporter's focus immediately skewed off-track.
"You reached out to the expo organizers in advance?"
"A backroom deal?"
The man looked like he'd discovered some huge scoop and excitedly asked, "Then, since you have contact with the expo organizers, does that mean some slots might already have been decided in advance?"
He said it as if brimming with righteous indignation, like he was truly speaking up for those small studios.
The players watching on the side were immediately displeased.
What the heck is this clown spouting?
Someone who can make a game like Pokémon—would Old Thief Masato really need to cheat?!!
Noticing the smile fading at the corner of Xander's mouth—clearly a little angry—this reporter grew even more excited inside.
If he could manufacture a conflict at this moment, that would absolutely be big news!!
"Shocking! The Pokémon producer flew into a rage and took a swing after being exposed for cheating!"
Just as the reporter was gloating, Xander's rather cool voice came over: "The games I make don't need filthy methods like that to become famous."
His tone was calm yet full of confidence.
Looking back at his past results, the line fit him perfectly.
In an instant, everyone looked at that reporter like he was a clown.
Those players who had been angry also burst into laughter, loudly cheering for Xander.
As he finished, Xander glanced at the reporter, noted his name, and took out his phone.
Watching him type something, the reporter stiffened his neck again and said, "You're not deleting some key—"
"I'm just notifying our company lead that, for future new-game press events, we shouldn't let trash like you—who only ask dumbass questions—slip in."
"Congratulations."
"Thanks to your efforts, you and your outlet have been added to Gensokyo's blacklist."
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