"Arrange a helicopter to Villa No. 3 for me. I'm going to climb Mount Fuji today."
Upon hearing this familiar command, Ruri-chan trembled all over.
She hadn't forgotten what happened the last time they went to the Mount Fuji separate residence. How long had it been since then? The person brought down from the mountain back then had already grandly moved into the Kuse Manor, and even went into closed-door dual cultivation with Ryu.
Going again?
Is there a Snow Woman's den up on that mountain?!
Phew No, no, it won't happen
No matter what, that would be too ridiculous. How could similar events happen again and again?
The maid clutched her heaving chest, calmed her mood, and turned to arrange the work. Lucy, hugging Ryu's arm, asked with some confusion, "Why does it feel like Ruri is a bit unhappy?"
Indeed, why is that? Ryu silently enjoyed the soft tactile sensation and glanced at Lucy.
"You really don't know?"
"Heh!" The silver-haired girl threw a flirtatious wink.
Truly a bad child~
Women are born with the talent of a detective. To say she couldn't perceive the feelings of those around her was absolutely impossible.
(The daughter of a certain politician may have added her talent points wrongly, so she is excluded from this discussion.)
But Lucy had no moral pressure, let alone any guilt about stealing someone's love. Anyone who has lived in Night City knows that you must act when it's time to act; neither money nor cyberware will stay put and wait for you.
Moreover, she still had no thoughts of marrying Ryu up to this point—she just didn't dare to state her position openly.
Calculating it this way, perhaps Ruri even owed her a favor~
The group took the helicopter to the Kuse separate residence on Mount Fuji. Ruri kept comforting herself in her heart, but she still inexplicably felt a sense of déjà vu, feeling uneasy in secret.
There shouldn't be any problems. This is the deep mountains, not a talent market. Moreover, even if he really brought another person down, it wouldn't necessarily be a woman, and certainly might not fit the Master's taste—even in this worldview of generally high attractiveness, natural "beautiful girls" were a scarce resource.
Right!
I definitely must not waver!
Maybe Lord Ryu just suddenly felt like enjoying the scenery—
This thought lasted until Ryu brought Sasha down, and finally, she couldn't hold on anymore~
—Ruri covered her face.
There was no way to continue deceiving herself!
Honestly! Give me a break!
...
One point that gave Ruri slight comfort was that Sasha did not move into the Kuse Manor like Lucy did. In fact, even Lucy was moving out.
Now that [Blue Dream Group] was on the right track and various supporting facilities were in place, Lucy couldn't quite adapt after living in the large manor for a month, so she planned to move into the high-end apartments specifically prepared for executives along with Sasha.
Ryu naturally permitted this, and Ruri breathed a slight sigh of relief: maybe things weren't as bad as she thought.
As Ryu's personal secretary, she had long been accustomed to being shocked by various emergencies. Although she was still a bit dazed now, she could still pull herself together and throw herself into work, not delaying a single thing.
"ALO's operational status is good. Over three million sets have been sold globally. Only a very small portion use the [NERvGear]; the majority still chose the lightweight [AmuSphere].
"We have now completely shut down the production line for the 'helmet' and are mainly supplying the 'glasses' to the market... [NERvGear] has already started to show collection value."
"After all, anything labeled 'out of print' becomes very valuable, especially something with such commemorative significance."
Ryu picked up the tablet in surprise, browsing the reports on it. "It surpassed three million sets this quickly?"
"Yes, it is indeed quite astonishing."
A quantity of three million sets might not seem like much compared to the flagship products of major console manufacturers.
But considering that the first month focused only on the domestic Japanese market and the international server was opened later, this figure could be said to be quite good.
Because as impressive as virtual reality games are, they actually have weaknesses:
The barrier to entry is relatively high.
Just as gaming otaku often say, the most expensive hardware facility isn't the console, but a room where no one disturbs you.
For FullDive works like "SAO" and "ALO," the requirements for private space and discretionary time are even greater than for ordinary consoles!
And the volume of three million sets isn't ALO's limit, but the manufacturer's limit—because the initial thunderclap issues led to significant adjustments in the production line, even hammering screws until sparks fly wouldn't be enough to meet all players' demands right now.
If there were an unlimited supply, looking just at pre-orders and player intent, breaking ten million in a month would be very stable.
—One must realize this isn't just buying a game, but taking down the entire set of equipment!
Currently, this "console" can only play ALO, plus a hidden map SAO. If no new games come out later, this equipment would be equivalent to being exclusive to a single game...
Despite all this, to still have such popularity can only show that the game quality is high enough for players to ignore these harsh conditions!
This isn't strange either. Knowing that just the ability to "fly freely" satisfies the childhood dreams of countless people allows it to instantly kill all competing products on the market~
In fact, although ALO is a fantasy adventure game, many players don't focus on combat and leveling. Often, after enjoying the intense and exciting "swords and magic" in the early stages, they turn to focus on life professions.
Fishing, cooking, tourism, social gatherings... Because the realism is extremely high, it's almost no different from reality. One can even taste richer flavors and climb more magnificent high mountains—it is extremely popular with adult players!
When people reach middle age, they have to watch out for excessive oil and salt when eating, have to watch people's moods during social engagements, and fear insufficient stamina during travel. Even going fishing, they always come up empty!
Suddenly, one day, they can return to their youth. No matter how they enjoy delicious food, they won't intake a single calorie. Old classmates from all over the world can gather together, transform into elves, and fly over snow-capped mountains, grasslands, rivers, and seas... The key point is that fishing can also grind proficiency!
This is something they wouldn't have dared to dream of before!
So ALO has a very interesting phenomenon:
These adult players, primarily office workers, like to play in casual mode. Those who have trained life professions accept quests and trades, gradually becoming like NPCs in the game, enhancing the gaming experience for the student demographic.
—Even Ryu hadn't expected that there would be people willing to work for him without taking a salary.
"Influenced by this, [Rect]'s previously falling stock price has now achieved a reversal and has been rising continuously for the past few days."
"Heh The Yuuki family must be overjoyed" Ryu shook his head with a smile.
Ruri said with great pride, "When SAO crashed before, [Rect], as the primary responsible party, saw its stock price plummet for days. It was us who released favorable news in time to cushion them. The Yuuki family would have already been shouting with relief, let alone now."
"Hmm?" Ryu looked at the maid strangely. "You seem very happy?"
"Because your plan, my Lord, has achieved great success. It has reached the time to harvest the fruit."
My plan?
Sorry, I've been 'winning' too much recently. Which one are you talking about?
"Have you forgotten? True, after all, it is merely a trifling Yuuki family."
Ruri looked jubilant, revealing a trace of pride and confidence. Her words carried the feeling that wisdom was firmly in her grasp.
"When SAO crashed back then, you remained immovable as a mountain from beginning to end, having anticipated all developments early on. I learned a lot.
"Although you didn't say it explicitly, I was acquiring the plummeting [Rect] stocks back then—of course, held through peripheral funds, without harming the Kuse reputation.
"Now, after the continuous plunge and surge, [Rect]'s stock price has doubled. While the Yuuki family certainly made a huge profit, we have already become the second-largest shareholder after the Yuuki family through proxy holdings and financing.
"Furthermore, there are two other participating companies whose major shareholders are companies under our banner... In other words, we are actually the 'controlling majority' now!"
"...Is that so."
"Of course, with your mercy, you won't kick the Yuuki family out of the game. But from now on, we hold a Sword of Damocles, watching only to see if they remain loyal forever."
Ruri's gaze was burning: "As expected of Lord Ryu, transforming a crisis into a business opportunity. Not only turning the entire project from a loss into a profit but also taking the opportunity to control a new subsidiary force... Truly a calculation without omissions!"
Don't say that!
My head was full of how to explode Kayaba's gold coins at the time; I didn't think about that much!
The young man kept his lips tight and nodded slowly. "These are all small matters... but you did very well. Indeed, you haven't followed me for so long in vain."
"It is all due to Lord Ryu's personal example, giving us subordinates a perfect role model!"
Where can you find such self-aware workers!
—Ryu was quite moved in his heart.
Buying Ruri from the Kohakugawa family back then didn't cost much money. Such a delicate and pitiful beautiful girl not only exploded gold coins for him but also worked so hard in the business world to get money under her master's name. This return on investment is just too high!
...It seems it would be unjustifiable not to issue a child as a year-end bonus.
"By the way, there is one more trivial matter."
Ruri scrolled through the interface, her fingertip stopping on a memo.
"Your class is about to receive a transfer student."
"Hmm?" Ryu looked up. "Is it necessary to specifically mention this kind of thing?"
"It is the Yuuki family's daughter—Yuuki Asuna."
Ruri-chan's voice sounded very thin, far removed from before; she seemed to have calmed down instantly.
"It seems the Yuuki Family Head has tasted the marrow and doesn't want to continue working hard."
"Heh!" Ryu laughed brightly. "Let him be."
"Mhm~" The corners of Ruri's mouth tilted up. With a casual swipe of her fingertip, she crossed off the memo.
From the past to the foreseeable future, the Yuuki Family Head wasn't the first to do this, nor would he be the last, but Ryu wasn't a child who could be manipulated.
It was just sending a daughter, after all. Did he really think he could climb up the Kuse family's—
Ruri inadvertently saw Asuna's daily life photo. Her eyes blinked, and her fingertip hesitated slightly.
In the end, she still clicked "Priority Watch"!
Although she felt this shouldn't fit Ryu's taste... matters having reached this stage, she didn't quite trust her own judgment anymore.
How about the Shirogane family's youngest daughter? Should she be added to the watch list too...
By the way, isn't the concentration of attractiveness around her own master a bit ridiculous?
Am I living in the world of some gal game? Why is every single competitor of such high quality!
Calm down~
Calm down, Ruri. Compared to these people, you have a huge advantage—
"This is the upcoming promotion plan for ALO, as well as the development progress of the new work [GGO]."
—Only she can keep up with the Master's work (exploitation) intensity!
"GGO, huh... This is the key focus for the coming year. We can start the warm-up now."
"So early?"
"After all, the development speed is astonishingly fast right now." Ryu shrugged.
The Kuse Group's technical strength was already strong. Now, with Kayaba taking the lead, recruiting experts from all over the world using the "Power Platform," and utilizing the black technology of quantum physics, a development cycle that would normally take several years was forcibly compressed to units of months. It was quite ridiculous.
But then again, scientists in the Ultra-series developed "anti-kaiju weapons" in units of hours, wishing they could be as efficient as a blue cat-type robot... Kayaba and his lot are still green!
"GGO is a FullDive shooting game. It has both an apocalyptic wasteland survival mode, as well as team dungeons and player competition... I feel it will be very popular."
Ruri was very expectant. "This type of game is more likely to become a hit compared to fantasy adventures, and it's also convenient for us to operate a virtual economy."
"Mhm~" Ryu nodded.
He was an RPG enthusiast, so he couldn't quite understand it, but limited-edition items within shooting games were indeed very easy to speculate on. The game quality might be a bit inferior to ALO, but the commercial value was actually higher.
Some games didn't even care about content; they could self-circulate just on the virtual economy.
...
"Actually, we could also try the operation model of paying for gacha draws."
Ruri said seriously, "For example, collaborating with famous IPs. We have partnerships with Shuyūsha, Tōhō, and Chiyoda."
"..."
Ryu looked at the maid in great surprise, then shook his head. "Collaborations are fine, but paying for gacha... let's not consider that for the time being."
"Eh?"
"The 'positive feedback' this model gives players is too low. It doesn't fit the preferences I developed as an RPG player."
"You must be joking. We are the creators now, aren't we?"
"Just take it as me not forgetting my original intention." Ryu smiled. "Next item."
"Yes." Ruri didn't mind too much; after all, it wasn't an important matter.
"Regarding ALO's promotion... Those guys actually proposed hiring idols to cosplay as fairies in the game and holding a comic convention... This costume design is truly frivolous... Tsk, this obscene figure!"
Ruri worriedly said, "Are they behaving too directly? Don't forget we also have many female players—"
"This is the one! It's decided! It will definitely be a hit!" Ryu slammed the table immediately.
"Eh?"
Ruri froze. "But ALO actually has one-third female players. If the promotional work only targets males and exposes desire so nakedly—"
"Invite some ladies in men's clothing with strong top energy; girls will also like these COSERs very much!"
"I-is that so?"
"By the way, who did they invite?"
"Oh... they are all popular idol groups. Domestic ones, and also Korean... Tsk!"
Ruri's gaze suddenly became severe. If she previously had rectification opinions on the plan, now she was targeting the person who proposed the plan.
"Daring to mix personal selfishness into company planning... This obscure underground idol group is actually enjoying the second tier of exposure. These guys either took money or are brainless fans!"
"What idol?"
"They're called [Back Street Girls]," Ruri supplemented. "A four-person group."
"Back Street Girls... this name is indeed very common."
It sounded a bit familiar, but there were simply too many underground idols in Japan. With all sorts of weird names, maybe Chika had mentioned it unintentionally. Ryu really didn't have the time to think about it in detail.
Ryu waved his hand. "After all, it's just a detail issue. Let them relax a bit."
"You are too benevolent."
"Maybe a small group will work even harder. Don't be so calculating~"
Ding!
[Destiny Coin (Sugou Nobuyuki / Aika) +1]
"Hmm?!"
Wait, what the hell? Did I do something?
Eh? Sugou... Aika?
Back Street Girls... Back Street Girls... I'm not some kind of demon either...
Ah!
Ryu's pupils dilated slightly. A fleeting glimpse of a memory surfaced in his mind, causing him to suddenly understand everything.
But immediately after, he fell into deep thought, then blankness, trying hard to keep a straight face...
Finally, he couldn't help but laugh~
________________________________________
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