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"Mr. Morrison, the development project team for the Chinese cultural competition has been established. We're about to hold a meeting to discuss the general direction for the new content. Will you be attending?" Nathan asked, entering Alex's office.
"Of course. I was just about to call everyone together!" Alex said with a smile.
He was taking this Chinese cultural game competition very seriously. Although he'd already achieved considerable fame and fortune and genuinely didn't need another award to validate himself, as someone who'd lived an entire previous life immersed in Chinese culture, who didn't harbor love for Wuxia and Xianxia?
Alex genuinely hoped that Chinese cultural narratives could reach global audiences, and this was an excellent opportunity. Or rather, his company's current worldwide reputation and influence gave it the power to achieve exactly that.
"Then let's head to Conference Room 3!" Nathan and Alex went to the meeting room together. By then, the employees of the new project team were already waiting. Some were veteran employees Alex recognized, but many were newer faces—or rather, employees Alex didn't interact with regularly enough to know well.
Since the team had expanded so rapidly, it was genuinely difficult for Alex to remember everyone. After all, with over three thousand employees in the company now, he couldn't possibly know every single person.
Moreover, Alex no longer participated in many routine tasks and meetings, so the distance between him and grassroots employees had grown quite significant. He could no longer be as familiar with every team member as he'd been when first starting the business.
This was the so-called loneliness at the top. As a person's status grew higher, the number of people they could speak openly with paradoxically became fewer.
When Alex entered the meeting room, the atmosphere seemed to shift instantly. The expressions of employees Alex wasn't familiar with immediately became tense and serious—like students when the principal suddenly appears during study hall.
Alex was also reflecting on the difference between himself now and two years ago. He didn't feel hugely different internally, but the attitudes and reactions of those around him had changed dramatically.
Fewer people dared to joke with him casually. More people became nervous and careful when they saw him. He'd try to crack a joke with employees, but nobody dared respond naturally—instead it seemed to frighten them, making them think there was hidden meaning in his words.
When people talked and interacted with him, they all showed deference. This subtly caused Alex to gradually drift further from his employees, and he slowly began adopting a more serious demeanor himself.
Alex later understood why all those high-ranking executives and CEOs seemed to carry a certain gravitas, an aura of authority.
He sat down in his seat.
Alex felt as if the newer employees in the room were holding their breath, almost afraid to move. So he smiled and said, "Everyone, there's no need to be so nervous. This isn't a courtroom, and I'm not here to judge you!"
Alex's words immediately made several people laugh, though some wanted to laugh but didn't quite dare.
"Actually, I still prefer everyone to think of me as just another gamer who loves creating experiences, just like all of you. So everyone relax. There's no need to be so tense!" Alex continued. His words did have a noticeable effect, with employees' expressions relaxing considerably.
"I called everyone together today to discuss the thematic direction for this Chinese cultural content piece. So feel free to speak your minds. Don't hold back, and don't worry about your ideas being criticized or rejected. We need a genuine clash of concepts and inspirations. Any seemingly naive idea could become the seed of a future masterpiece. I was once that extremely naive person myself.
Every game I've created originated from what seemed like a ridiculous, impractical idea at first. So no matter what you think of, just say it out loud, and let's brainstorm together!" Alex said earnestly.
He understood very well why many companies produced excellent work when they first started, but once they grew larger, they actually struggled to create quality content.
He'd pondered this phenomenon, and the reason was that in the beginning—especially in a small studio—everyone dared to speak their minds openly, would be frank, and wouldn't worry about politics or hierarchy.
At that stage, an idea could be properly refined and perfected through honest feedback, turning it into outstanding work.
However, once a company grew and hierarchical relationships emerged, the CEO—as the company's leader—would often not hear the truth, but rather flattery or what people thought the boss wanted to hear.
Ideas proposed by leadership would also struggle to receive impartial evaluation, making it easy to become isolated in an echo chamber where any flaws or blind spots in the concept would go uncorrected.
This was a dangerous phenomenon Alex desperately wanted to avoid. Although he held many proven IPs and successful concepts from his previous life, he also hoped to draw on everyone's creativity and perspectives to make the games even better.
Just like when Fast & Furious was developed—the team had contributed numerous creative ideas and mechanics that led to the immense success of that franchise adaptation.
After Alex finished speaking, everyone looked at each other, but nobody dared to speak first.
James Park, the lead project designer, was the first to speak: "Let me share my concept first. It might not be fully developed yet, and I hope leadership and colleagues can offer suggestions to help refine it!"
"Excellent!" Alex nodded with a smile, genuinely anticipating James's idea.
James briefly outlined his concept. His chosen theme was a game designed around Chinese mythology background, similar to the Primordial Era and Investiture of the Gods themes. His concept was actually quite conventional and lacked significant novelty overall, but there were a few plot designs and settings within it that were quite good.
"Very well presented. Let's hold off on discussion for now. I want to see if anyone else has different concepts and ideas!" Alex said, looking around the room.
Everyone fell silent again. Some people's expressions were complex—they glanced at James, then at others. One young woman seemed to hesitate, clearly wanting to speak but holding back.
Alex felt somewhat helpless. He could understand this dynamic perfectly. Everyone surely had ideas, and some wanted to seize the opportunity to show off, but they didn't want to be the first to speak—or rather, didn't dare to. They feared their intentions would seem too obvious, like they were trying to steal James's thunder.
Those at a similar level to James worried about future working relationships, while those at lower levels feared James might hold a grudge, potentially affecting their career development. Everyone valued their positions greatly.
So in this internal struggle and contradiction, many potentially brilliant ideas were probably being stifled before they could even be voiced.
"What's your name?" Alex asked, pointing to the young woman in the second seat on the right. He'd noticed her hesitation earlier and knew she definitely had an idea worth hearing.
The woman who was called on seemed slightly nervous: "Mr. Morrison, my name is Lisa Chen, and I'm a narrative designer!"
"Excellent, narrative designer. Perfect. Tell us about your concept!" Alex said...