Chapter 90. The Big One Is Coming
"Big Sis Kaguya, you don't have to worry so much about Mama Cocolia~"
After lazing comfortably in the orphanage for a whole day and eating two meals cooked by Kalpas, the group—bored in the evening and about to head out for a walk—was suddenly called over by Cocolia.
Nice?
That's only toward you all, right.
Kaguya complained in her heart, trying to soothe her nerves.
It was fine during the day when there were lots of people and the pressure wasn't as heavy.
But this was a nighttime, semi-private meeting.
She would be facing Cocolia directly.
How could she not be nervous?
Like a daughter-in-law meeting the mother-in-law for the first time, Kaguya stepped onto the battlefield with a resolute expression.
However, when they reached Cocolia's room, that kindly demeanor instead left her feeling at a loss.
"See, Seele said Mama Cocolia is very nice~"
"Mm..."
Sitting on the sofa, Kaguya accepted the tea that Cocolia had personally poured with a flustered sort of gratitude, and then heard Seele beside her whispering.
She nodded, but her body remained stiff and restrained.
That image from the banquet—a strong woman who could overwhelm everyone with momentum alone—wasn't something Kaguya could forget anytime soon.
She was, in fact, overthinking it.
In Cocolia's eyes, since her own son liked Kaguya this much, then Kaguya naturally counted as her daughter-in-law, so of course her attitude would improve.
They chatted about family matters for a while.
When she heard that the three were already living together, Cocolia beamed at Xander and teased, "Be careful, okay? I don't want some little one calling me Grandma at this time the year after next."
"Pfft!!!"
Seele, Bronya, and even Kaguya all flushed red.
Xander sprayed out the sip of tea he had just taken.
He coughed a few times, hurriedly wiped his mouth with a tissue, and said helplessly, "Don't tease me. Calling me over this late, there should be something you want to talk about, right?"
"Your life events are just as important to me."
"..."
"Alright, alright, I'll stop teasing."
Cocolia sighed a little regretfully, then put on a serious face.
"This time I called you over because of games."
"About the game?"
Hearing their actual line of work brought up so suddenly, Bronya and Kaguya shed their shyness and looked over in confusion.
"Mm. I'll tell you some specifics first."
She paused.
Seeing the kids perk up, Cocolia spoke slowly.
"AR glasses. You're familiar with them, right?"
"Sure. This product should already be pretty mature on the market, right?"
In fact, in recent years AR glasses had nearly become everyday items like mobile phones.
They all nodded.
Bronya asked, puzzled.
"Mm, Bronya, you're not wrong. AR tech has indeed matured, but due to certain breakthroughs that must still be kept confidential, AR technology has seen innovation along with them."
"On top of improved interactivity, performance is far stronger, and if you wear the gloves paired with the AR glasses, they can even simulate tactile feedback."
"Because of this, the market landscape is about to change.
Previously, Anti-Entropy, Schicksal, and Shencheng Technology formed a three-way balance, with small manufacturers trailing behind to pick up scraps.
After this innovation, it will become a true tri-hegemony by those three."
Taking a sip of water, Cocolia said in a deep voice, "After consultations among the three companies, AR glasses equipped with the latest technology will launch simultaneously in one year. At that time, redistribution of market share will depend on each side's capabilities."
"So..."
Xander realized something, and his heartbeat quickened.
"Mm. The various software paired with the new AR glasses is mostly designed already, but the one category still undecided by the parent group is games."
"!!!!!"
Noticing how excited the kids looked, Cocolia quickly poured some cold water on them.
"Don't get excited yet. This opportunity isn't being handed to you outright."
If it were simply selling a pair of glasses, Cocolia could just make the call.
But what the group valued was what came bundled with the AR glasses.
As they gradually became daily necessities like mobile phones, choosing a set of AR glasses often meant that the user was joining Anti-Entropy's electronic product ecosystem.
All their living and consumption would become tied to Anti-Entropy.
That was the real prize Cocolia and the others had their eye on.
You can't make much just selling glasses.
The entire system ecosystem is where the big money is.
After explaining the pros and cons, Cocolia continued, "At the executive group meeting in half a month, the game plan will be finalized. I'll give you a chance to present yourselves. If you're selected, you can mobilize all of Anti-Entropy Entertainment's resources for this game."
"Only half a month?"
The excitement ebbed.
Bronya frowned.
"Only half a month."
Hearing Cocolia's decisive tone, Bronya's brows knit even tighter.
Producing a game proposal excellent enough in half a month—wasn't that asking a bit too much?
Truthfully, Cocolia didn't expect them to succeed.
She simply felt that since her child planned to cultivate a long-term career in the game industry, they shouldn't miss this chance to train and build credentials.
As newcomers, failing to be chosen wouldn't be shameful.
They could learn from the experienced designers—also good.
Just then, Xander suddenly asked, "Can the new glasses realize real-time interaction between users?"
Hearing that, Cocolia froze for a moment and then nodded.
"Right. The glasses will automatically detect nearby signals and, without involving user privacy, generate reasonable interactions with what they're seeing.
Interaction can basically be zero-latency.
Of course, this feature will be a toggle.
Any issues?"
"No problem!"
Far from a problem.
Hearing Cocolia's description, Xander was so excited his hands were trembling.
AR.
Simulated touch.
Real-time interaction.
He had originally planned to bring that thing out in a few years, after he had more name recognition.
But wasn't this the perfect opportunity now?!!!
What stage could be more suitable for its debut than a worldwide Anti-Entropy promotion?
"Mm? You've got an idea?"
"Of course. I'll secure this opportunity.
No—this opportunity belongs to me!"
"So confident?"
Seeing Xander so full of momentum, Cocolia was genuinely surprised.
"Half a month really is..."
Bronya frowned at his bravado and was about to say something, but then she recalled the scene of Xander writing the Hollow Knight proposal back then, and chose to hold her tongue.
"Heh-heh, the result might just surprise you~"
Meeting several slightly skeptical gazes head-on, Xander felt no guilt whatsoever.
Do you even understand the gold content of the world's number one IP?
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