Back at the company in the afternoon, William asked the others what they thought about moving.
Their current lease had about eleven months left, but they knew they wouldn't renew. So whether they moved sooner or later didn't matter much. The issue was that some people rented their apartments in three-month terms, others month-to-month. Moving now would mean either breaking leases and losing some money, or taking the subway one to two hours each day.
Working at the new place would be better for sure. At least they wouldn't be packed together, with nowhere to put bowls during lunch. Takeout costs were also high. At the new place, they'd get the park's meal subsidy, and William promised to match it — $6 a day for meals.
Thirty yuan was enough for two meals if spent carefully, easing living costs a bit. Plus, since nearby apartments were cheap, William decided to cancel the housing allowance and just give free housing instead.
For a small team of ten, free housing wasn't worth much. But if fifty people all needed housing allowance, the cost would be almost the same as renting a whole apartment building. Offering free housing would also make hiring easier.
It was a tempting offer, but no one was ready to move right away.
Still, the new place's furnishings would take ten to fifteen days to finish. By then, a few employees' leases would end, and they might be willing to switch.
Once the New Fortune Tower office was empty, William's team would also move. The only problem was the longer commute by car, so Cynthia would have to help with driving for a while.
The development of Craftsman Wood was moving faster than William expected. He had already finished all the assets for the first five levels. Since he made the assets first before writing the code, the game wasn't playable yet.
That afternoon, William focused on finishing the code. There was nothing too complex — just straightforward commands. He was already very used to it.
By evening—
The studio's employees were heading out. William thought about finishing the code in one last push, but he was only about 80% done. Completing it would take until seven or eight o'clock. He could have let Cynthia head back first, but there was no rush. Better to have dinner together and then work late in peace.
"Have you ever heard of a Carpenter Association?"
William hadn't told Cynthia about Craftsman Wood yet. He had been working on it for two days, but Cynthia hadn't stopped by his office, and Angela was busy with her own work, so no one knew what he was doing.
"Carpenter Association?"
Cynthia tilted her head toward William while driving. Luckily, they were at a red light, or that look could've been dangerous.
William said, "Eyes on the road."
"Oh." Cynthia straightened her head. "I haven't heard of any carpenter association, but I've watched woodworking shows before. You know, where craftsmen carve wood on the spot. Why?"
William briefly explained the concept of "Craftsman Wood" to her. Since it's a game that promotes traditional craftsmanship, he didn't plan to just put it online without any buzz. He needed something to attract attention.
After listening, Cynthia gave her opinion. "We could sponsor that show."
"How about we make our own show instead?"
Rather than sponsor someone else's show, why not just do one themselves? These days the entertainment industry is huge, and there must be plenty of ways to make it happen.
"We could, but what about the ratings?"
A game's quality is judged by player reviews, but a TV show's quality depends on ratings.
Sponsoring an existing show is safer since the ratings are more reliable. A brand-new show might be appealing, but if it can't get on a good channel or in a good time slot, ratings could take a big hit.
Quality matters, but connections matter more.
"I'll ask Merry."
When he dropped her off this afternoon, she mentioned she'd be going back to the office. By now she should be off work. Technically, she didn't have to reply to William at this hour, but their relationship wasn't just a business one.
As a friend, Merry wouldn't just ignore him.
"It's worth a try."
Merry's reply wasn't just support for his idea—it also meant she could back the show and make it happen. If she said so, she definitely had the right connections.
The show's format would be like what Cynthia suggested, but instead of letting carpenters work freely, they'd have themed challenges—making specific furniture using mortise-and-tenon joints, just like in the game "Craftsman Wood."
William wasn't counting on the show to make the game a big hit. His real goal was to get the attention of the authorities. If he could get their endorsement, both the show and the game could succeed together.
During dinner, Merry said she had already found a production team, and auditions could start the next day.
She was fast and trusted William completely. In their talk, William only mentioned the link between the game and the show. He didn't tell her that he already had the furniture assets ready, but even if he didn't, she would've found a way.
Still, William didn't want her to waste time. Before even finishing his meal, he packed up the materials he'd prepared and sent them to Merry.
He also told her the game had 21 levels, each with a unique collectible. The show could have one item per episode for 21 episodes. If it did well, he could even add DLC.
If the show became popular enough, it could keep going even without game updates. After all, mortise-and-tenon furniture from history could number in the thousands.
If the show took off and boosted demand for the game, they could switch the release order—have the show feature a new collectible first, then update the game to match. At that point, even an intern could handle the work.
William already had a grand vision for "Craftsman Wood" in his mind, but how far it could go was up to fate.