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Steven Paul Jobs? Ethan stared down at the business card, scanning it over and over to make sure he hadn't misread it. Once he was certain, his head snapped up.
His eyes—previously wide at the sight of showgirls—now opened even wider, nearly popping out of his skull. He scanned the man in front of him from head to toe, as if trying to X-ray through the absurd getup.
There was a sharpness in his stare that made the so-called hippie visibly uncomfortable.
The man blinked, unsure. "Sir… did I say something wrong? If I offended you, I sincerely apologize."
Ethan didn't answer. He just kept studying him. Despite the frog-shaped nose ring and the cowboy hat casting a shadow over half his face, Ethan could still make out the underlying structure.
Too familiar.No doubt about it... this guy is Steve Jobs!
It all lined up. The name. The face. The timing.
Before founding Apple with Steve Wozniak, Jobs had worked at Atari—as a technician and engineer. He'd even co-developed Breakout. And right now, standing in front of Ethan, was a man who fit every known detail.
Oh. My. God. Trying to hold himself together, Ethan spoke.
"Mr. Jobs?"
His voice cracked slightly from the pressure, but he quickly pulled himself back, forcing a smile.
"Apologies if I seemed a little dazed just now. I'm very glad to meet you."
He extended his right hand.
"I'm Ethan Jones." Then, with a polite chuckle, he pointed to his own temple.
"When I saw your name, I knew it sounded familiar. I guess my brain just needed a second to catch up. I figured… maybe I'd recognize something in your face. If I made things awkward, I truly apologize."
The man smiled, visibly relaxing.
"Really? Then I'm relieved."
He pulled off his sunglasses with a casual motion and grinned.
"Well—now that you can see my face properly… do you feel anything?"
Ethan's heart nearly jumped. There it is! That's the face!
Young, sharp, and unmistakably Steve Jobs. But still, he played it cool.
"Nah, nothing in particular."
Jobs burst out laughing and shook his hand with a firm grip.
"Good! If you had, I might've worried I walked into the wrong kind of place, Mr. Jones."
The line hovered just on the edge of impropriety—vague enough to raise eyebrows, suggestive enough to spark imagination.
In the wrong crowd, it might've caused an uproar.
But Ethan didn't mind. He had a flexible moral compass—and an even more flexible sense of humor.
"Honestly? I agree. Probably best not to say anything too bold around here."
He gestured subtly toward the noisy, smoke-filled expo floor.
"This kind of atmosphere can easily twist a man's words."
Jobs nodded, amused. "Ah, so we speak the same language."
Steve Jobs raised his eyebrows, pointed at the Snake machine, and asked directly, "Mr. Jones, if I'm not mistaken, are you waiting for customers here? Just not sure if you're selling the machine or the game. If it's the game, have you found a partner? If it's the machine, how many people have ordered it today?"
Precise and piercing questions—an unspoken code between visionaries. While he spoke, the future Apple co-founder glanced at the table where Ethan Jones had just placed a coin.
Ethan caught the hint. Smiling, he replied, "Mr. Jobs, your intuition's spot on. I'm here to sell games—and no, I haven't found a partner yet."
That made Jobs laugh. Rising, he gestured toward the entrance of the exhibition hall. "Shall we talk outside?"
"Sure," Ethan nodded.
But before leaving, he didn't forget to call back Mr. FBI, who was still enjoying himself at a nearby stall.
When Frank heard that someone was interested in Snake, he genuinely felt happy for his friend. But when he learned the potential buyer looked like a hippie…
He immediately tugged on Ethan's arm and whispered, "Bro, are you sure he's legit? Not some scammer?"
"Absolutely," Ethan said confidently, already expecting that reaction.
Frank sighed. "Alright, take care of yourself then." Waving a hand, he added, "You go ahead. I'll watch your machine—it won't vanish."
With Frank around, Ethan had no worries about the machine. More importantly, his focus had already changed. After all, this wasn't just anyone—it was Steve Jobs.
In truth, when Ethan first decided to model his approach after Hollywood's independent film studios—partnering with industry giants to distribute small, innovative works—Atari had been his ideal target.
They were the undisputed kings of the electronic arcade world, the ones who brought Pong to the nation. In this space, Atari was like Disney.
If they agreed to publish Snake, it would be a rocket ride to success.
But...Despite how perfect the fit seemed, Ethan had deliberately left Atari off his list of potential partners.
The reason was simple. Atari was currently neck-deep in a copyright lawsuit with Magnavox over Pong. And Ethan? He was a former Magnavox employee.
So, if he suddenly showed up at Atari with a brand-new game in hand, it might look suspicious. A trap, even—one set by Magnavox.
Anyone with half a brain would be wary. Which is exactly why, despite knowing that Atari was the best publisher out there, Ethan hadn't planned to knock on their door.
He didn't want to invite unnecessary trouble.
But now…With those mid-sized companies proving greedy and unwilling to budge, and with Steve Jobs—an Atari employee—standing right in front of him, Ethan Jones had no choice but to take a gamble on the giant he'd originally planned to avoid.
So, when Ethan and Steve walked out of the exhibition together and sat down at a nearby McDonald's, what started as a cautious conversation quickly took an unexpected turn.
After a brief introduction, Ethan casually mentioned his background.
"I used to work at Magnavox," he said.
The reaction was immediate. Steve Jobs, who had maintained a calm demeanor until now, suddenly sat up straight.
"What? Wait—what did you say? You're a former Magnavox employee? Oh! That's really something!"
Grinning, he knocked on the table and said, "Brother, I'm glad to see you here!"
Note: Steve Jobs was Atari's employee No. 40.