Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: An Extreme Strategic Plan (3)
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Around 1:30 AM on Tuesday.
In the empty office, no, the empty building, only Daeri Heo and I remained.
The video embedded in the PowerPoint presentation… I swallowed hard and pressed the play button on the finished product.
The thickly layered oil painting began to squirm and move with life, as if it were truly alive.
We did it.
Daeri Heo and I both exclaimed, our voices filled with emotion.
"Done! Done, done, done! The work is done, PD Jo!"
"You worked so hard, Daeri Heo!"
Last Thursday, Friday, and this week, Monday, until today, Tuesday...
We had succeeded in creating a ten-second animation of the oil-painted characters moving.
Although it wasn't a real oil painting like in *Loving Vincent* and merely a similar imitation, this would be more than enough to make an impact during the pitch.
'To think we actually finished this in time.'
The reason we were able to finish the animation in such an impossibly short time was thanks to the special reinforcements I had called in.
[Me: Ms. Seol, I'm so sorry to bother you, but would it be okay if I asked for a rather big favor?]
[Ms. Seol: What is it?]
[Me: Could you introduce me to any of your university juniors who are good at animation and have some free time? Please tell them they'll be well compensated.]
[Ms. Seol: Ah! Just a moment! I'll contact them right away. It's urgent, right?]
Ms. Seol majored in animation during her college days.
Thanks to that, she had many friends and juniors in the animation field, and I had reached out to her for help.
It was a bit awkward to ask for such a favor when we weren't even dating...
But, given the circumstances, I didn't have time to worry about such things.
'I'll have to treat Ms. Seol to a meal later.'
I felt grateful to Ms. Seol for helping me without any hesitation, and thankful that we had finished the work safely.
Coordinating the work was quite difficult, but without this method, we would never have finished on time.
"We never would have finished without your friends, PD-nim. I really wish I could treat them to a meal if I could."
"Haha, I should be the one buying the meal. Daeri Heo, let me know if there's anything you want to eat later, too."
"Oh, I was just doing my job..."
Of course, I never mentioned that I had used my own money to fund this work.
If I had, Daeri Heo would have surely felt guilty.
This was for me, my project, from the start.
I couldn't make my subordinate, who had already worked overtime until dawn several times, feel like she was walking on eggshells around me.
And well... honestly, that amount of money didn't feel like a big deal to me anymore.
"Alright, you should head home. Come in late tomorrow afternoon. There won't be anything urgent for you to do anyway."
"Ah, yes... Thank you. You have the presentation tomorrow, right, PD-nim?"
"Yes, I'll have a preliminary review with the Bonbujang in the morning. Then in the afternoon, I'll be in the meeting with all the executives. I'll touch up the document a bit more before I leave, so you can go first."
"Oh dear... you're working so hard. Good luck, PD-nim!"
After Daeri Heo Yuri dragged her exhausted body home, I first checked the grade of the completed document.
[A Strategic Plan Infinitely Close to Perfection]
- Narrative structure, logical flow, etc.... An overall highly polished strategic plan. Furthermore, the use of an oil painting-style animation seems like it will be very effective at persuading the audience what the finished game will feel like.
Grade: S
'An S-grade... This is the first time I've seen God Game Maker give such high praise.'
A grade I'd never seen before, for a document that I myself knew I'd poured a great deal of effort into.
I focused once more, checking the document from top to bottom for any potential issues.
Slowly... the day of the decisive battle was approaching.
****
After that grueling time, the next day arrived.
First thing in the morning, I did another pitch in front of Bonbujang Shin Chihwan for a final review.
"Oh, PD Jo, you really went all out with this animation, didn't you? How did you manage to make this in time?"
"I mobilized some personal connections here and there."
"Hey, you're quite capable. With this, you could probably make the Sajang fall head over heels for it."
As if it were a given, he showered my document with praise.
Coming from someone as strict as him, it had to be true.
Now, all preparations were complete.
The decisive moment to create my own work, to become a PD, was here.
At 3 PM, Bonbujang Shin Chihwan and I moved to the main conference room.
As we arrived early and prepared for the pitch, the company executives, including the senior management, began to arrive one by one.
"Good afternoon, Director Kim!"
"Bonbujang Shin, you're looking well these days."
"Haha, Phoenix is doing well, so I can finally breathe a little. The performance of all the games in Division 5 should improve across the board now."
They exchanged pleasantries and words that sounded like well-wishes.
I could feel that even the usually confident Shin Chihwan was being as careful as possible with his words in front of them.
Every word seemed to have a hidden barb, making me feel like I'd get indigestion just from listening.
Still, the good thing was that, judging by the atmosphere, Bonbujang Shin Chihwan's momentum seemed to be on the rise, likely due to the recent success of the Phoenix project.
'An uncomfortable person is here too.'
And next to them sat Director Han Sanghyeok, a higher-up from the business department, glaring at me as if he wanted to kill me.
He must have held a grudge against me because of the Coby Fox interview incident.
'He's the one most likely to be a pain in the ass during today's presentation.'
Just as I was mentally rehearsing the kinds of things he might say.
"The Sajang is arriving."
A moment later, a secretary opened the door, and two people entered the conference room.
The short, heavily built one was Sajang Oh Geoshin.
The thin, tall, and noble-looking one was Vice President Kim Geon.
The two of them naturally took the seats of honor at the center of the conference room, and the other executives rose from their seats and bowed to them.
'Anyone watching would think a military division commander had arrived.'
When you think of a game company, you might picture a place like Google or a foreign conglomerate, where you can be friends with the CEO.
However, this is Korea, and a strict, vertical hierarchical culture is our standard.
Game companies are no exception.
"If you're ready, let's begin the meeting."
Sajang Oh Geoshin said, raising his hand.
I gave a small nod, adjusted the microphone on the lectern, and began to speak.
"Good afternoon. My name is Gwajang Jo Hyunsoo. I will now begin the strategic planning presentation for Project 'Pass On Dream'."
I thought there might be at least a small round of applause, but the executives just stared at me, unmoving.
Moreover, their eyes were all like those of hyenas.
They looked ready to tear me apart at the slightest sign of weakness.
Well... if you've been dragged into a tiger's den, you have to keep your wits about you.
"One day, while talking with my parents, a thought occurred to me. What were my parents' dreams? It was something I had never once wondered about."
I unleashed the pitching skills I had honed so sharply.
I presented only the bare minimum facts for numerical aspects like revenue and TO, and instead, continuously prodded their emotional side.
They may seem like heartless executives, but they have parents too, and surely they feel some affection for them.
I interspersed my speech with questions to refresh the topic, twisted the logic, and controlled the pace like a conductor at a concert, shaking the executives to their core.
I had no intention of winning this battle with just a well-made document alone.
- Is it original?
- Is it relevant to the audience?
- Is there a twist?
It was a presentation that followed the so-called P=OR² formula.
When the build-up had reached a certain point.
I threw a light punch.
"As the graphical style that could best convey this game's theme... that is, 'dreams,' I have chosen the art style of Vincent van Gogh."
The moment I changed the slide, the images of the characters on the PowerPoint transformed into Van Gogh's style.
"Ooh."
A small gasp escaped from the lips of the previously motionless executives.
Riding this momentum, I slowly began my sales pitch.
"NB Soft is a global game company that not only creates excellent games like League of War but also contributes to various social values. Pass On Dream will not only generate revenue and serve as original IP for secondary content creation, but it will also have a multi-layered effect in strengthening our company's brand value."
Some parts of this statement had no solid evidence.
No, in the first place, it's difficult to present data on something like branding.
Unless I were a sociologist or a marketer, there was no way I could present proper figures.
But the same was true for the executives.
I had already emotionally 'massaged' them by bringing up the stories of parents and dreams earlier.
At this point, if I spewed out abstract, value-laden words like 'brand value,' 'secondary content,' and 'social value,' they would be sucked into my argument and presentation as if it were a black hole.
'The pace isn't bad.'
I could see right through their expressions, reading the emotions they felt about the presentation.
This might actually work.
Hmm, not bad.
This is good.
This could definitely sell.
Though the degree of their thoughts and feelings varied, they were all thinking that my project had potential.
When the opponent is in a daze like this.
You have to land a solid blow.
"What are your dreams? In Pass On Dream, you will be able to find the dreams of your past, present, and future."
The moment I delivered my final line, the illustration of a person watching the sunset in the background began to move.
This was the animation that Daeri Heo and Ms. Seol's juniors had worked on through the night for the past few days.
The man who had been gazing at the sunset turned his head toward the screen, strode forward, and wrote the words 'Pass On Dream' with a brush.
After that, the faint, sorrowful cry of a bird could be heard.
This ten-second finale delivered a powerful, instantaneous message about the kind of experience the Pass On Dream project would offer.
"Hmm... Not bad."
"The presentation itself is fine, but whether the game will sell or not..."
Was it because they hadn't expected me to do well at all? A look of bewilderment was clear on the executives' faces.
Jealousy and tension—the various emotions that flickered across their faces were clear proof that my presentation had hit the mark.
At the perfect moment, just as their reactions began to subside, I bowed my head slightly toward the front.
And then came the closing line.
"That was Pass On Dream. Thank you."
And then...
Sajang Oh Geoshin, who was sitting in the seat of honor, slowly rose from his chair.
His brow was deeply furrowed, giving the impression that he was slightly displeased.
As I thought... is it because he feels like it won't make money?
For a moment, all sorts of thoughts flooded my mind.
"You, what did you say your name was?"
"It's Jo Hyunsoo."
The executives were also frozen stiff, as if unable to predict what the Sajang would say.
"Do you happen to know about the relationship between Van Gogh and Gauguin?"
In that instant, a chill ran down my spine.
A question with an unknowable intent, but I had a gut feeling that a lot would change with this one answer.
I calmly organized my thoughts as much as possible before slowly opening my lips.
"Yes, I know it well. At the request of Van Gogh's brother, an art dealer, Gauguin had to live with the socially awkward Van Gogh for a long time. Gauguin grew tired of Van Gogh, who would ramble on and on at the drop of a hat, and left the house as if fleeing."
"Hoh... you seem to have done your homework. Do you have any plans to implement that aspect in the game?"
"Of course. We're still in the strategic planning document phase, so I couldn't convey the specific details, but I believe Gauguin's existence is necessary to fully express the character of Van Gogh. If this project is approved, I plan to find ways to implement it."
I had thrown out a message: if you want to see how the relationship between Gauguin and Van Gogh is implemented, then approve this project.
The Sajang's expression betrayed no emotion, so I had no idea what the outcome would be.
I could feel sweat trickling down the back of my neck as I endured the hellish silence.
How many more seconds passed like that?
"Ahahaha! This guy is interesting. He knows how to cast a line!"
*Clap! Clap! Clap!*
Suddenly, Sajang Oh Geoshin began to clap loudly.
"Until now, all the strategic plans brought to me were so dull, I was bored to death. But here's a guy who really knows something!"
"Indeed."
Then, the Vice President started clapping along.
Eventually, the other executives reluctantly began to clap along with the mood, and applause spread throughout the conference room.
'What is this?'
I hid my confusion as best I could and looked around.
Bonbujang Shin Chihwan grinned and secretly gave me a thumbs-up.
And when the applause began to die down again, Sajang Oh Geoshin spoke.
"Perfect, truly! This is the kind of perfect strategic plan pitch I've always been emphasizing to the PDs!"