Saturday 5 January 1998 Beijing China.
After a long and exhausting flight from London, Zaboru finally arrived in Beijing, China. It had been a long time since the last time he set foot in the country since beginning ZAGE's international expansion campaign, and the atmosphere felt both familiar and full of potential. Waiting for him at the airport was none other than Park Woojin, the sharp and enthusiastic CEO of Red Falcon, one of ZAGE's closest overseas partners. With a warm handshake and a few words of welcome, Park personally escorted Zaboru to one of Red Falcon's sleek new offices located in a rapidly developing district of the city.
Without wasting any time, the two headed into a scheduled meeting, but not before Zaboru was given the chance to observe the plot of land Park had acquired for future development. The property was situated in one of the many open spaces still available around Beijing in 1998, a reflection of how much room for growth the city had despite its already booming urban presence. The land was vast and open, perfect for building a major office facility from the ground up. Zaboru took his time analyzing the site layout, considering the long-term potential and the kind of infrastructure that would need to be developed.
Park enthusiastically outlined his vision as they walked the grounds, explaining where each section of the proposed building might go. The visit gave Zaboru a clearer picture of what ZAGE could accomplish in China, especially with so much raw space still accessible and affordable. It was exactly the kind of opportunity he hoped to find—and it only strengthened his belief that Beijing would play a major role in ZAGE's future.
Park Woojin grinned widely. "Welcome to China, Boss. As you can see, we've already secured a plot of land to build the China offices completely from scratch. Just like you planned—it'll be a 35-story office building, and based on our current estimates, the construction timeframe is around two to three years. The location is excellent, and the infrastructure around here is rapidly developing, so it's more than possible to make this vision a reality."
He paused for emphasis before continuing. "Of course, we'll be sending detailed financial reports throughout the process, covering all aspects of the budget, expenditures, and progress. You won't have to worry about any unexpected issues—we're fully prepared to manage the financial side. Everything will be transparent and properly recorded for Sayuri and the ZAGE finance team to review."
Zaboru nodded thoughtfully, processing the scale of what lay ahead. He then asked about the long-term strategy in China, since this expansion wasn't a one-off move. "ZAGE will be expanding aggressively over the next few years," he explained. "In 1998, we'll officially open the Korea branch, and by 1999 or 2000, the London office will be operational. With that pace, the China office needs to be ready no later than late 2000 or early 2001. It's going to play a central role not only in development but in keeping ZAGE financially stable as we grow internationally."
He glanced back toward the empty lot outside the window—soon to be transformed into a towering headquarters. It wasn't just about having a presence in China; it was about anchoring ZAGE's operations in Asia and ensuring the company had a long-term, sustainable foothold in one of the most dynamic markets in the world.
"Insanely great work as always, Park Woojin. Just as I expected—I can count on you," Zaboru said with genuine appreciation.
Park Woojin grinned proudly. "Glad to hear that, Boss. But aside from this expansion project, there's something else I'd like to talk to you about."
He let out a sigh, his tone shifting slightly. "It's about the current state of ZAGE's games in China overall."
Zaboru raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "And what exactly is it?"
"Well, let's just say the piracy problem has gotten completely out of hand lately—especially with your ZEPS 3 console. Even though it's protected by some pretty advanced anti-piracy systems developed by ZAGE, somehow local groups in China have already figured out how to bypass them. Now, pirated versions of the ZAGE console are everywhere. They're being sold in back-alley shops, and even near legitimate retailers. What's worse is that they're selling ZAGE games at rock-bottom prices, simply by copying them onto cheap DVD discs. That's led to a steady decline in our official sales over the past few months."
He rubbed his temple, clearly frustrated. "To be fair, the Chinese population is massive, and they're good spenders when it comes to entertainment. That's why our official merchandise is still doing relatively well. We've managed to move a solid amount of original products—consoles , games , shirts, posters, plushies—but it's a constant battle. And don't even get me started on the PC scene. The PC Bang culture here is thriving, but most of them run pirated versions of ZAGE's top PC titles. We've also seen a flood of counterfeit ZAGE action figures and collectibles, sold at absurdly low prices at street markets and small shops. Some of the packaging even tries to look official. It's honestly becoming unmanageable."
Zaboru chuckled, clearly amused. "Hahaha, I see. Stuff like that can't be helped, Park. We're already doing our best to prevent it." His tone was light, but there was a trace of acceptance in his voice—an understanding that came from experience.
Despite being in a new world where the political and economic relationships between China, Korea, and Japan were surprisingly harmonious, Zaboru found that some aspects of China hadn't changed much from his previous life. The rampant piracy and counterfeit culture felt all too familiar. He had seen this before—bootleg consoles, knockoff merchandise, pirated DVDs—all of it. But he didn't feel frustrated. He'd learned a lesson: trying to stamp out piracy completely was like chasing shadows.
Instead, he saw the situation through a different lens. Zaboru believed that the best solution wasn't just enforcement or restriction—it was value. He had learned from previous life that when people are given high-quality, innovative, and desirable products, many of them eventually shift toward the original. The key was to keep delivering content that outclassed the bootlegs and made people want the real deal and when they really loved the products they might feel bad to bought the counterfeit.
"This is an investment," he thought to himself. "Let them play the pirated versions. Over time, they'll know the difference. They'll come back for the real thing. We'll earn their loyalty—not by force, but by quality."
As he considered this, he felt even more certain that ZAGE's future in China wasn't just about sales—it was about slowly shifting perception, building trust, and growing a fanbase that valued authenticity over imitation.
But Park Woojin clearly didn't understand the full picture. "But Boss, we could be losing millions of dollars if this keeps happening! Are you saying there's no real solution to it?" His voice carried genuine concern, and a hint of frustration.
Zaboru smiled calmly, completely unfazed by the question. "Honestly, Park, in the short term, no—there's no perfect solution," he replied, his tone steady and reassuring. "What we can do is make sure we have the best protection possible for our products. Not just technically, but in how we present and position them. Our merchandise, especially, needs to stand out in quality. People should be able to tell the difference just by looking or holding it. That distinction matters."
He paused, then added, "Piracy is tough to control, especially in a place with such a massive market and loose enforcement. But strange as it sounds, it can actually help us in the long run. The more people get exposed to our games—even the pirated ones—the more our brand awareness spreads. We're planting seeds. Believe me, Park, it'll pay off."
He leaned forward slightly, his expression thoughtful. "When those same players grow older, earn more, or just develop a love for the games—they'll come back and support us. They'll want the real thing. We don't need to alienate them by cracking down too harshly or treating them like criminals. Most of them just want to play and don't have the means to buy legit copies. I get that."
Zaboru chuckled softly. "It may seem like bad business to ignore potential revenue loss, but what we're building is something deeper—loyalty, connection, and trust. That's worth more than a few quick bucks."
Park Woojin was still visibly confused. He couldn't quite understand why Zaboru was so confident, or why he spoke with such calm assurance about piracy and the company's long-term future. To Park, it seemed strange—almost illogical—that a CEO would prioritize players' experiences over profits. Zaboru genuinely cared more about people playing and enjoying his games than he did about squeezing every possible cent from sales. It was unconventional, and to be honest, Park had often heard others in the industry call Zaboru a bad businessman because of it. And maybe, from a purely financial standpoint, they weren't entirely wrong.
But that was also what made Zaboru so different. He wasn't just a CEO—he was a creator, a gamer at heart, someone who deeply respected his audience. That unique mindset gave ZAGE a soul, something Park was slowly beginning to appreciate.
Park let out a long sigh, still trying to make sense of it all. "Well… you are the boss," he finally said, half smiling. Then his expression brightened a bit, as if remembering something. "Anyway, would you be interested in checking out one of the biggest PC bangs in Beijing? Just a heads-up, it's not one of ours. Our ZAGE PC Bang is actually the second biggest in the city, but the number one spot goes to a place called Yellow Thunder Games. It's massive, always packed with people, and just a few blocks away from here. Maybe you'd be up for checking it out? It could give us some useful insight into the local gaming habits—and just so you know, yes, they run pirated games there as well."
Zaboru's eyes lit up with curiosity. "Oh, absolutely—I'm definitely interested. Let's go check it out for ourselves."
Park grinned, already expecting that response. He knew Zaboru well enough to guess that he wouldn't turn down the chance to see the local gaming culture firsthand. Without wasting another moment, the two of them stepped out of the office and began walking together toward Yellow Thunder Games, the bustling PC bang that had taken the top spot in Beijing.
To be continue
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