ROSGT Chapter 106: A Whiff of Madness in the Air
### Volume 1, Chapter 106: A Whiff of Madness in the Air
During lunch, Ye Chui decided that the third game from the Wolverine Game Studio would be "Fatal Fury." With the game engine they had developed, making a game like "Fatal Fury" wasn't too challenging and didn't require higher specifications. The main challenge would be in the game's background and character design, which wasn't an issue for Ye Chui.
The first installment of "Fatal Fury," known as "The Battle of Destiny," is a revenge story, which is always engaging. Ye Chui chose this game to pave the way for the future development of "The King of Fighters." Characters like Terry, Andy, and Joe Higashi from "Fatal Fury" would later become iconic figures in "The King of Fighters."
Ye Chui intended to gradually build "The King of Fighters" into a super game, akin to the "Avengers" series. Although "Fatal Fury" was almost as classic as "The King of Fighters," for Ye Chui, the most enjoyable arcade fighting game remained "The King of Fighters." Therefore, "Fatal Fury" would serve as a prelude to "The King of Fighters."
Ye Chui shared the story of "Fatal Fury" with Fang Nan and others. Fang Xi and Robert became immediately excited and couldn't wait to start developing the new game.
"Fatal Fury" officially introduced the two-player versus mode, allowing two players to fight against each other. This versus mode was one of the most appealing aspects of a game. In "Street Fighter" and "Double Dragon," the two-player mode only allowed for cooperative play to clear levels.
After lunch, the development of "Fatal Fury" officially began.
Meanwhile, Ye Chui received a call from Zhang Xing, who eagerly congratulated him on the success of his second game but made no mention of the sensation caused by "Comic King." After "Comic King" caused a stir, Ye Chui felt somewhat guilty since the "Street Fighter" tournament was entirely organized by Zhang Xing, but the final beneficiary was Ye Chui. He thought Zhang Xing might be a bit upset, but from Zhang Xing's tone, there was no sign of displeasure.
Of course, Ye Chui knew that businessmen were skilled at hiding their true emotions. Zhang Xing might be very angry with Ye Chui internally but was deliberately concealing his feelings.
Since Zhang Xing didn't mention "Comic King," Ye Chui didn't bring it up either. After all, their relationship was mutually beneficial.
...
In the evening, Fang Nan went to the supermarket to buy groceries. Once she left, Ye Chui wheeled himself over to Fang Xi.
Fang Xi was doing push-ups in a T-shirt and shorts, panting and sweating. He didn't even stop when Ye Chui approached to talk.
"Fang Xi, I need to ask you something," Ye Chui said.
"Brother Hammer, what do you want to ask?" Fang Xi replied, still doing his push-ups.
Ye Chui couldn't help but point out, "Fang Xi, your belly is always touching the ground while you only move your upper body. This doesn't help at all."
"..."
Fang Xi felt a bit deflated. "I'm too heavy to lift my whole body."
Ye Chui rolled his eyes. "Then what's the point of doing it?"
"It's just for psychological comfort..." Fang Xi stopped exercising, wiped the sweat off his forehead, and asked, "Brother Hammer, what do you want to ask?"
"Since yesterday, your sister has been with me all the time, and I haven't had a chance to talk to you alone." Ye Chui's expression turned serious. "Fang Xi, who is Lin Xiangfeng?"
"Lin Xiangfeng?" Fang Xi looked a bit surprised, then showed a reminiscent expression. "Brother Hammer, how do you know him? I used to know him pretty well, but we weren't friends. That guy was a bit introverted and didn't talk much. We used to get bullied in our circle, and my sister always helped us out..."
"Huh? He got bullied, and your sister helped out?" Ye Chui was surprised.
The Lin Xiangfeng he met yesterday didn't seem like someone who would be bullied.
"Brother Hammer, how do you know this guy?" Fang Xi continued to ask.
"I met him at the research institute yesterday," Ye Chui explained honestly. "He seems to have a thing for your sister?"
"That guy likes my sister?" Fang Xi was stunned and then laughed as if he had heard something amusing. "No way. With his small guts, how could he like my sister?"
"He threatened me yesterday, telling me to stay away from your sister or else," Ye Chui said calmly.
Ye Chui wasn't particularly worried and found the situation rather amusing. Could a few words scare him?
"He threatened you?" Fang Xi was taken aback, then furious. He jumped up from the sofa. "That guy thinks he's something now? I'll go settle this with him."
Ye Chui stopped Fang Xi. "Don't make a mess. I'll handle this myself. Whatever he plans to do, I'll deal with it. You don't need to interfere."
Ye Chui asked Fang Xi about Lin Xiangfeng to understand more about him, not to have Fang Xi resolve the issue. He preferred to handle it himself.
"Tell me more about Lin Xiangfeng. Don't leave anything out."
"Okay."
Fang Xi nodded and recalled, explaining Lin Xiangfeng's background and other details.
Finally, Fang Xi remembered something, frowning. "I heard he went abroad to study. Apparently, he killed someone."
"Killed someone?" Ye Chui was shocked.
"I heard about it. It was almost three years ago. No one knows the exact details, but the rumor was he stabbed a guy who used to bully him over thirty times. His family sent him abroad to avoid the heat..."
Fang Xi pondered. "No one knows if it's true. The guy he allegedly stabbed really did die. Whether it was Lin Xiangfeng who did it, I can't be sure. My sister never believed he had the guts."
"..." Ye Chui was silent. For some reason, hearing Fang Xi's story made him feel that it might be true.
From Fang Xi's description, Lin Xiangfeng seemed introverted and weak. Such people might remain timid all their lives or suddenly become extremely radical.
Just like Lin Xiangfeng now.
Honestly, when Ye Chui saw Lin Xiangfeng, he felt a whiff of madness in the air...
"This opponent might be tricky..." Ye Chui thought silently.
At night.
When Ye Chui returned to his room, he received a call from his mother, Zhou Yayun. She informed him that the additional 40,000 copies of "Comic King" had been printed and were being sent to bookstores and newsstands overnight.
"I estimate these 40,000 copies will sell out quickly. I've set up a pre-order service on the magazine's website, and the pre-orders for the first issue have already reached 20,000 copies. I think we'll need to print more. I probably won't get much sleep these next few days."
Zhou Yayun's voice sounded tired but also very happy. After taking care of Ye Chui at home for half a year, she was eager to get back to work.
Ye Chui advised, "Mom, take care of yourself."
"Don't worry about me. I'm in good health. But you," Zhou Yayun's voice was full of love, "how are your legs now?"
"Don't worry, Mom. My legs are recovering well. I can feel pain now," Ye Chui said with a smile. Last night, after injecting the serum, he had visited home briefly to reassure his parents. But parents always worry.
Ye Chui comforted his mom a bit more, then ended the call when he heard a knock at the door.
It was Fang Nan. She brought in a basin of hot water. "Hammer, Qian Xiaomai said you need to soak your legs in hot water to help the nerves recover. I boiled some water for you."
"Well, thank you," Ye Chui said with a smile.
Fang Nan was quite considerate when she wasn't acting tough.
She helped Ye Chui take off his shoes and socks and put his feet into the basin.
Ye Chui suddenly froze, asking, "Nan Nan, did you just boil this water?"
"Yes."
"Did you add any cold water?"
"...I think I forgot."
"..."
In his room, Fang Xi was shirtless, shaking his fat as he followed an aerobic video. Suddenly, he heard a piercing scream from Ye Chui. Fang Xi wiped the sweat from his forehead and sighed, "Brother Hammer, it must be tough dealing with my sister..."