Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Phoenix, The End (2)
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The main conference hall at NB Soft.
Though called a conference hall, it was actually a space used for smaller events, or company functions like year-end and new-year kick-off parties.
With the Phoenix development team now numbering just over sixty, it was the only indoor space large enough to accommodate everyone.
The employees gathered here wore complex expressions, a mixture of tension and anticipation, as they waited for PD Oh Gwangseok to speak.
“PD-nim, I think the whole team is here.”
“Alright.”
The conference hall doors closed, and PD Gwangseok stood with a single sheet of A4 paper in his hand.
“As you all probably guessed, I’ve gathered you here to share the metrics from yesterday’s launch day. These results will determine our team’s future direction.”
PD Gwangseok’s expression wasn’t particularly bright.
Were the results bad?
I swallowed hard, waiting for him to speak.
“Our project, ‘Phoenix,’ had a first-day CR—that is, paid conversion rate—of 15.53%.”
At his words, a murmur rippled through the crowd again.
“Fifteen percent?”
“Is that high? Daeri Song, do you know?”
“No, I don’t have much knowledge in that area either…”
It was common for those on the development side to be completely ignorant of business metrics like CR (Conversion Rate) or ARPU.
But… I knew exactly what that number meant.
I had looked into it a few times before when I was interested in the company’s stock.
‘*League of War* was at 17%...’
Our company’s flagship title, *League of War*, had surpassed one trillion won in global gross revenue.
This figure was only slightly behind that incredible title.
Of course, other metrics needed to be considered, but if it was at this level…
It meant the game was at least a solid hit, a title the business division would pour marketing money into without a second thought.
“I don’t know the exact details either, but I was told that 15.53% is… veeeery positive.”
“Ooooh.”
“Phew, what a relief.”
At PD Oh Gwangseok’s words, everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
His statement meant that, at the very least, no one was about to lose their desk.
Furthermore, the title’s success would become a part of everyone’s career here, and there might even be incentives.
In other words, the years of struggle had not been meaningless.
“You’ve all worked so hard through the crunch. Thank you.”
PD Oh Gwangseok suddenly dropped to his knees and gave the team a deep bow.
“Uh… what are you doing, PD-nim?”
“Get up!”
In this completely unexpected situation, a few team members rushed forward to help the PD to his feet.
“Hey, what’s the big deal? I’m just bowing to show my gratitude. Why are you stopping me?”
“You can just say it while standing, why are you doing this?”
Oh Gwangseok rose with a pleasant smile, as if reluctantly.
He then cleared his throat a few times and got to the main point.
“As long as there are no major issues, we should be able to stably launch the game in Korea, Japan, North America, Europe… and hopefully, every country. If there are no operational problems and the metrics continue to be strong, there might be incentives, and we’ll be able to think about what comes next. I just… I really wanted to thank all of you for sticking with a lacking team leader like me all the way to launch.”
Honestly, I was surprised by his demeanor.
After our confrontation, Oh Gwangseok’s way of managing the team had changed slightly.
But I never thought he was someone capable of showing this much humility.
At least, the man I was looking at in this moment was a not-so-bad, no, a decent leader.
I clapped with genuine feeling and shouted his name.
“Oh Gwangseok!”
Then, Daeri Son Seokjin next to me followed suit.
“Oh Gwangseok!!”
Seeing this, other team members also began to chant his name.
Soon, the conference hall was filled with applause and cheers.
“Thank you! Thank you, everyone! We still have a long way to go, but I hope we can all work hard, overcome it together, and share in the fruits of our labor!”
Overwhelmed by the situation, Oh Gwangseok’s voice cracked as he repeatedly bowed and thanked everyone.
Something you’d only expect to see in a drama was happening right here, in our company… within our team.
As the cheers and applause slowly died down, Oh Gwangseok spoke again.
“You all worked so hard during the crunch. So, the company has granted our team a seven-day leave. Since we have to deal with some issues on the Thai build, we’ll split the team into two groups, and each will take a week off in rotation. That is all.”
“Oh Gwangseok! Oh Gwangseok!”
Just as the team members were about to chant the PD’s name again, Oh Gwangseok waved his hands, and the cheer subsided into small bursts of laughter.
It was a harmonious scene, one rarely seen in a game company, or any Korean company for that matter.
“And… finally, while I’m grateful to everyone here… I especially want to thank Gwajang Jo Hyunsoo!”
“Yes, uh… me?”
PD Gwangseok suddenly pointed at me.
Instantly, all eyes turned in my direction.
Ugh… I hate being put on the spot like this.
“After the FGT, he completely overhauled the entire scenario, handled the cinematics from planning to storyboarding, and trained and led Daeri Son Seokjin… he perfectly completed an impossible task within the schedule. Most importantly, he changed my long-held belief that story is unnecessary in mobile games. I believe everyone here will acknowledge that.”
At his words, everyone nodded silently.
“Let’s all give Gwajang Jo Hyunsoo a round of applause.”
Everyone sent a round of applause my way, their faces wreathed in smiles.
Their pleased expressions seemed to hold a sense of trust, an acknowledgment of my work.
I gave a small bow in return.
Most people looked happy, but Team Leader Go Yeongmi’s expression was positively rotten.
Well… it might look like I stole her thunder, but what can you do? It’s a fact that I did a better job than you.
“Alright, let’s all slowly head back to the office. I’ll send out the notice for the vacation groups before I leave today. If you have any unavoidable circumstances, please let me know. Good work, everyone.”
And so, the happy little event came to an end, and the team members began to file out of the conference hall one by one.
‘So… what grade did *Phoenix* end up with?’
Until a moment ago, I had been too overwhelmed by the team’s atmosphere to think clearly, but now I felt a twinge of anxiety at the lack of a notification from God Game Maker.
What if the *Phoenix* project didn’t surpass the B grade required to clear Chapter 1?
I didn’t know what would happen if I failed to clear the chapter, but I was certain it would make my future career as a developer much more difficult.
As I stood there, pacing in a small circle and biting my nails.
*POW!*
<<Congratulations! The Phoenix project has been completed with an A- grade!>>
<<Your contribution to the scenario and story exceeded 30%. The one-line review for this game is ‘Other aspects are decent, but the storytelling and concept are outstanding’!>>
“Aargh! Damn it, you scared me!”
With the loud sound of a firecracker and a flashy effect, a huge status window appeared before my eyes.
Startled, I fell flat on my butt and stared blankly up at it.
An A- grade… Not only had I cleared Chapter 1 without a hitch, but it seemed I had made a significant contribution with the scenario.
A smile slowly spread across my face as I picked myself up.
Then… as if on cue, other status windows appeared, cluttering my vision.
<<You have cleared Chapter 1, ‘How to Become a Legendary Developer!’>>
<<Your level has increased from 7 to 8, granting you 5 additional points! You now have a total of 20 accumulated points!>>
The system message informed me that my level had increased upon clearing the chapter.
I already had 20 points accumulated. I decided to save them for when I became a PD and needed to respond to ‘real’ problems on the fly.
And then… the truly amazing reward followed.
<<As a reward for clearing Chapter 1, you have permanently acquired the skill ‘Acceleration’ for use once per day!>>
‘Holy… I can use Acceleration once a day, every day?’
Acceleration, the insane skill that doubled my work speed for two hours.
I had used it to persuade Team Leader Go Jinho during the cinematic meeting with its ridiculously tight schedule.
Its effect was game-breaking, but the constant point cost made it a burden to use frequently.
And now, I could use such a skill once a day, permanently.
This was truly like giving wings to a tiger.
<<Chapter 2, ‘The PD Creating His First Game,’ will now begin!>>
- Chapter Clear Condition: ‘Launch your new project with an A+ grade or higher.’
- Reward: ???
‘Well… I guess this is the start.’
With a slightly excited heart, I was about to leave the conference room with Daeri Son Seokjin when…
“Hey, Gwajang Jo.”
“Ah, yes.”
PD Oh Gwangseok called me over.
“The Division Head was looking for you. You should go see him.”
“Understood.”
I had a pretty good idea of what it was about.
I nodded and went straight up to the Division Head’s office.
“Gwajang Jo Hyunsoo reporting.”
“Ah, come in.”
Back in the Division Head’s office, Bonbujang Shin Chihwan greeted me as usual.
Seeing an iced Americano on the desk, I figured he had prepared it in advance.
Shin Chihwan, who had been standing with his arms crossed, pointed at it with his finger and said.
“That coffee’s for you. You… only drink iced Americanos, right?”
“How did you know?”
I asked as I took a seat. Shin Chihwan’s lips curled into a smirk.
“Workaholics don’t usually go for hot things. They have plenty of reasons to be running hot already, even without eating anything.”
“Then do you also only drink iced Americanos, Bonbujang-nim?”
I asked after taking a sip of coffee. Shin Chihwan waved his hand dismissively.
“No, I don’t drink it at all. Caffeine makes my condition fluctuate.”
“I see.”
“Right. I was just guessing, so don’t overthink it.”
“…”
A moment of silence passed.
Shin Chihwan sat down across from me and began to speak.
“You heard about *Phoenix*’s conversion rate, right?”
“Ah, yes. It came out pretty well.”
“Well, the response locally seems to be good. The other metrics should come out fine too, and we’ll probably be able to launch in Korea without any issues.”
“That’s great.”
“So, about that. I think it’s about time I kept my promise… Gwajang Jo, when should I issue the appointment for you as PD?”
The promise that he’d make me a PD if I could just get the game launched successfully, performing at least above average.
I had fulfilled my end of the bargain, and now Shin Chihwan was about to give me the position he had promised.
“They’re giving us a week of vacation. Would it be alright to do it after I get back from that? I have things I couldn’t get to, and I need to meet some people.”
“You can take more time off if you want, you know.”
My parents, Seol Rokhui, Yoon Byeongjong, and the people I planned to scout for my future team.
I needed to use the upcoming break as efficiently as possible.
“Then I’ll stay at the office for this first week, and when my junior returns, I’ll take two weeks off by adding my vacation days. My new plan isn’t completely finished yet, either.”
“Alright then. I’ll get the pieces in place while you’re gone.”
“Thank you.”
“You’ll probably have to meet the President after you’re appointed as PD. You don’t need to prepare anything, but just don’t misspeak when you get back.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Just as I was about to get up, a thought occurred to me, and I spoke.
“Ah, if *Phoenix*’s performance turns out to be good, what will happen with my incentive?”
My policy was to take whatever I could get.
I wanted to confirm how much financial gain I could expect from this project’s success.
“Hmm, about that…”
At my question, Bonbujang Shin Chihwan’s lips curled into a wide grin.