Chapter 21
Chapter 21
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Reorganization
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I took another close look at the woman standing before me.
A white woman with slightly brownish hair.
Anyone would call her a beauty, but her sharp gaze made it hard to approach her casually.
"Do I seem that lacking for this company?"
"No way."
Having stared too openly, she smiled faintly and asked if she didn't meet my standards.
She was definitely an attractive person.
Not as a woman, but as a manager.
While we were working on Village Maker and Byte Line as usual in the office, an unexpected guest appeared.
'Hello, Huck. Mind if I join your company?'
Scarlett, the marketing team leader from Seton, whom I hadn't seen since our collaboration ended.
She showed up with a case of beer as a bribe and expressed her desire to join Savior.
'Not a bad deal for me, but why would Scarlett want to come to our company?'
During our collaboration with Seton, I'd had plenty of chances to witness her operational skills.
Especially since Fisher, the technician who came to support us, had said:
- The team leader is famous even at Seton. You can tell she's meticulous just by looking at her. It's a secret, but her nickname is the Iron Lady.
True to Fisher's words, she was too capable to be just a marketing team leader. She was more than qualified—overflowing, even—to handle Savior's management.
"May I ask why you left Seton?"
But I had to check.
There had to be a good reason for someone I wouldn't let go if I were Seton's president to resign.
'If she's tangled up in something seriously dangerous, that could be a headache.'
The game industry, from my experience, was a den of thugs, to put it bluntly.
Companies treated employees like consumables, and employees were always ready to stab the company in the back. It was a savage savanna where letting your guard down meant getting eaten.
Among the worst offenses was stealing company data and jumping to a competitor or starting your own—commonly called "gibae-i" in this era.
"You don't think I did something bad, do you?"
"Honestly, would you tell me if I said yes?"
"I was going to tell you anyway. It's hard to trust someone who's hiding things."
Without a hint of offense at being suspected, Scarlett calmly began recounting what happened at Seton.
"...So I just threw my resignation in Tommy Hwang's face in a fit of anger and walked out."
"Sorry. I ended up prying into personal matters."
"No. If you hadn't asked, I might have reconsidered joining Savior."
"Pardon?"
Scarlett gave a meaningful smile in response to my question.
"I can work under someone who watches me sharply, but not under someone who laughs haha-ho ho with cloudy eyes."
I agreed with her.
'Not just for managers—even for team leaders, competence is key.'
No matter how nice or good with people you are, without skills, you'll get talked behind your back by subordinates.
Even if you're called a dog in personality, a competent team leader will have employees lining up to transfer during shuffle season.
"Huck! Does this make sense?! This isn't a dating sim; it's middle school kids playing house!"
A voice interrupted just as Scarlett and I were building mutual confidence.
"Can you handle that too?"
"Of course."
I was curious how she'd manage Jason.
Meetings are essential in every company.
You review past events, check ongoing tasks, and plan future ones.
All through meetings.
"Savior's main revenue source right now is Dead Hills. Sales from Dead Hills alone could sustain us for three years if we're frugal, but do we want that?"
Everyone dragged their chairs around the whiteboard and shook their heads at Scarlett's words.
Though "everyone" was just me, Rogers, Jason, and Jackson—four people total.
"Then it's time to scale up the company. We need aggressive operations without skimping on investment."
"What do you mean by aggressive?"
"Right now, Savior doesn't even have proper team divisions."
I nodded at Scarlett's point.
I oversaw everything, but Rogers and Jason would help with Village Maker then switch to Byte Line.
Sometimes we'd all swarm to help Jackson with dotting at his request.
"I'm planning to establish a development department, graphics department, and management department first."
"It won't end with just establishing them."
"Right. Development doesn't need more staff yet, but graphics needs at least two more designers."
"How many for management?"
"Same for management: one for clerical and accounting, one dedicated to marketing."
"All necessary hires. Go ahead."
"Thanks."
Surprisingly, Rogers was the happiest about approving Scarlett's staffing proposal.
"Finally, some breathing room."
He sighed in relief, looking at me.
Lately, with the hits of Dead Hills and Dead Hills RE, miscellaneous tasks had piled up.
Jason and Jackson couldn't handle them, so Rogers and I had been covering.
'Graphics definitely needs more people this time. Village Maker requires way more manpower than Dead Hills.'
I'd initially planned part-timers, but changed after Dead Hills RE.
Dot graphics weren't from my era, and I wasn't a design expert—I'd underestimated it.
Even simple tasks get vastly better quality in color and harmony from pros. No reason to skimp on investment.
"And as I mentioned before, companies get benefits starting at ten people, so I recommend hiring one more soon, even if not right away."
"I have a position and person in mind for the last one."
"Sound director, right?"
Scarlett nailed it, as if reading my mind.
"Yes. I can handle sound up to this project, but soon sound will be as crucial as story and graphics."
"Soon" wasn't exaggeration.
Floppy disks, the current standard, would end in two to three years max.
'Once Sony and Philips' CDs take off, gaming changes drastically.'
Floppies hold 1MB max per disk.
CDs start at 600MB minimum, freeing developers from capacity limits.
That sparks revolutions like 3D graphics—and sound.
Sound was just effects before; with CDs, it becomes a starring role.
'And that person happens to be in the US right now.'
I'd long decided on the sound director.
The genius who'd handled sound for Nothing's masterpieces, including Forgarden when I was main director.
-Nothing really nails game OSTs and BGM.
Her music went beyond making games fun.
It brought back users who'd cursed Nothing as money-grubbers, lost in nostalgia from sound alone.
"If you have someone in mind, leave it to you. Now, business."
Finishing, Scarlett grabbed a marker and wrote on the whiteboard.
Soon, "Byte Line" and "Village Maker" appeared.
"I never imagined you were developing something this huge."
"Scarlett gets it—this masterpiece by me. My contribution to Byte Line is at least..."
"2.3 percent?"
"Huck, you're too generous to Jason. I'd say 1.7 percent."
Jason, spouting nonsense midway, glared at us indignantly, but we ignored him and focused on Scarlett.
"I'll handle this."
"You'll sell Byte Line yourself?"
"Isn't that why you hired me as CAO? Focus on development from now on."
She was right; her recent frontline experience made her better for sales than me.
Plus her Seton North America network.
"Byte Line is revolutionary. If I can't succeed with this, it's my incompetence."
"I trust you. But prioritize user acquisition over profit with the initial version—expand as much as possible."
"Of course. Last topic?"
Scarlett erased "Byte Line," leaving "Village Maker."
"With our new title Village Maker nearing release, it's time for promotion plans."
"Agreed. Even our competitor Demon Slayer has massive hype from Id Software's website and magazine teases."
Rogers agreed on promotion needs.
Village Maker was wrapping up; time to hype it.
No matter how good, no ads meant no hits in this era.
"So, distribute demo floppies via CGW and other mags/media like before..."
Scarlett had plans ready, flowing smoothly,
"No. Not this time."
"What?"
Scarlett gasped back; others stared in shock.
"Gotta play hard to get with users."
Directors who always giveaway are unpopular.
Gave last time; now make them antsy.