This was probably the craziest day yet.
When the answer to the puzzle was revealed, all previous speculations became instantly obsolete. A flood of players who had obtained the answer rushed to Atlas's dedicated stores to exchange it for the third puzzle. Meanwhile, those who had painstakingly worked on solving the puzzle themselves became a larger denominator in the percentage, further reducing their chances of winning.
On TV, GG chattered endlessly, explaining the answer and the logic behind solving the puzzle.
At that moment, Kobayashi Tetsu issued another GG:
[ The grand prize for winning all stages of the puzzle is the most special reward: a 15 cm tall Sonic gold statue weighing a massive 500 grams! ]
Kobayashi Tetsu didn't mention anything about a signature, just one line:
[ A 15 cm tall, 500 gram pure gold statue! ]
[ Officially produced by a reputable jewelry store, complete with a long-term valid authenticity certificate! ]
In Osaka, an ordinary family home:
The husband and wife watched the GG on TV.
"Hmph, it's just a stupid game company. What's there to film? So what if they lost a clue? Why are they wasting my TV time every day? So damn annoying."
The husband held such things in utter contempt.
When the leak was exposed, the players were devastated, but he couldn't care less. He didn't play games anyway.
But then, the TV broadcast a second GG segment.
It was still Kobayashi Tetsu, but the background had completely changed. Against a pure white backdrop, Kobayashi Tetsu showcased the object beside him.
A Sonic Statue, pure gold! Five hundred grams! Comes with an authenticity certificate!
"No matter who you are—a homemaker, a white-collar worker, or a factory laborer—anyone who can solve all three stages of the puzzle and become the grand champion can take home this sixty-million-yen statue!"
The TV program continued to play, but it felt as if Kobayashi Tetsu's image still lingered on the screen.
The husband gnawed on the tip of his chopstick, momentarily stunned.
It wasn't until several minutes later that he finally snapped out of his daze, his mind erupting in a frenzy of shouting.
Sixty million! Sixty million! Fucking sixty million!
Even for high-income Japanese workers during the country's golden age, sixty million yen represented a lifetime's worth of work!
He didn't care about Atlas or Sonic, but he desperately wanted that sixty-million-yen statue!
The husband suddenly remembered something. "The newspaper! Right! The newspaper! Hurry up and get it for me!"
The newspaper contained the detailed competition rules. The deadline for the first puzzle hadn't passed yet—there was still time to participate!
Moreover, the answers to the first and second puzzles had been publicly revealed by some mysterious organization. All that was needed was to solve the third puzzle!
He sprang to his feet.
Forget breakfast! He wasn't hungry anymore!
Once he got that sixty-million-yen statue, he'd sell it and have the freedom to go anywhere—Uganda, Kenya, or even Ethiopia if he felt like it!
Kyoto, Sapporo, Yokohama.
Though the timing varied, the news spread rapidly across Japan.
Kobayashi Tetsu didn't mention Atlas or game companies. Instead, he simply held up a resin display case to show everyone the custom-made prize:
A sixty-million-yen golden Sonic statue.
Want it? Kobayashi Tetsu hid the statue in the Atlas office! Go treasure hunting! Welcome to the great treasure hunt era!
The third puzzle followed closely, waiting for players to participate and solve it.
Within just a week, before the registration deadline, the number of participants surged seventeenfold.
Atlas Headquarters
Kobayashi Tetsu flipped through the list of registered participants.
"What's this? So many housewives? Does Atlas have some hidden appeal to married women?"
Upon further reflection, Kobayashi Tetsu found this quite understandable.
Japan was on the cusp of the era of women's professional boxing. Before this, Japanese society strictly adhered to the model of men working while women stayed at home. With little to do beyond chatting with their neighbors in the apartment complex or watching TV, these housewives naturally gravitated toward any novel activity.
Of course, such a phenomenon would first capture the attention of housewives.
Most of these participants were likely just filling numbers. Kobayashi Tetsu didn't mean to be dismissive, but housewives who had never even touched a game had virtually no chance of winning. Once the third stage unlocked the game console puzzles, they would almost certainly drop out en masse.
However, housewives had plenty of free time and loved to talk. Any interesting development would spread naturally through their social networks, acting as a viral marketing force.
After a moment's consideration, Kobayashi Tetsu dialed an internal line. Naka Yuji entered his office promptly.
"Yes, President?"
"Nakahiro-kun, go inform the team. Even though the registration deadline has passed, manipulate the system to accept applications for the next week. I'd rather have too many participants than too few!"
Naka Yuji nodded vigorously.
It doesn't matter if I don't understand. As long as the job gets done!
After seeing Naka Yuji out, Kobayashi Tetsu looked down at his desk and pondered for a moment, suddenly feeling a twinge of regret.
I should have installed some buttons!
Then I could be like a Big Golden Retriever, with two buttons on my desk—one for launching nuclear missiles, and one for getting a Coke.
Press the button, and someone brings me an ice-cold Coke. Press the nuclear missile button, and a nuclear bomb gets randomly launched at the Big Goose.
But pressing the button only summons Naka Yuji. That's still pretty pointless. Forget it.
Besides, what if I accidentally press the nuclear missile button? Kobayashi Tetsu has to consider green environmentalism!
As Kobayashi Tetsu was thinking this, Naka Yuji suddenly jogged back into the office.
"I didn't press any buttons!"
"What buttons?" Naka Yuji replied. "Manager Mitsuhashi is here."
Mitsuhashi was the property manager of the Mitsui Building. Kobayashi Tetsu knew his son—well, he knew him, but they weren't particularly close.
Mitsuhashi entered with a hearty laugh. "President Kobayashi, you've really given us quite a challenge with this precious item. It would be terrible if it were lost."
Kobayashi Tetsu chuckled. "It's alright. Even if it's lost, I won't hold you accountable. At most, we can just blame it on bad luck."
Mitsuhashi dramatically assumed a prayer-like posture.
"Well then, we'll have to do our utmost. We'll definitely protect this precious ornament." He sighed, adding, "President Kobayashi is truly generous. Even my wife, after seeing it on TV, urged me to try out for the competition."
Kobayashi Tetsu understood.
If he couldn't attract such crowds, why bother commissioning such an expensive statue?
"Speaking of which, there's been an increasing number of people loitering outside the building these past few days," Mitsuhashi said. "Fortunately, they can't easily enter without a work pass. Otherwise, it would be quite troublesome. But rest assured, I'll keep them under control."
After some casual conversation and expressions of determination, Mitsuhashi took his leave.
Kobayashi Tetsu leaned closer to the window and looked down.
Below, a crowd had indeed gathered in the plaza, but unable to enter, they clustered in small groups, standing or sitting outside.
"Then... let's focus on the game," Kobayashi Tetsu said, turning and spreading his hands.
First, he'd perfect the Demon Tower, then in just a month, he'd sweep up five million game coins! Enough to cover all his expenses and then some!
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