128: Chapter 128 "Star Path" - Aiming for Southeast Asia (300,000 downloads)

On the projection screen in the 38th-floor conference room of Singularity Technology, the pre-launch data for the overseas version of star path: reboot flickered.

The pre-registration email inbox for the Southeast Asia region had already received 12,000 messages, and the discussion volume for the Twitter topic #StarryPathReborn had exceeded 50,000, with players from Indonesia and Malaysia accounting for over 60% of that total.

Zhou Yurou stood in front of the screen, dressed in a sharp navy blue suit, holding a laser pointer in her hand, her tone filled with barely concealed excitement.

According to the latest coordination results, Garena, the largest game operator in Southeast Asia, has confirmed that they will provide a homepage banner recommendation spot on the launch day of the overseas version of star path: reboot, lasting for 72 hours.

She clicked the mouse, and the screen switched to a mock-up of Garena's homepage. The protagonist of star path stood in front of an interstellar spaceship against a backdrop of a brilliant nebula, standing out vividly among the other game icons. Garena's operations director revealed that this recommendation spot was originally reserved for a new game from a major Korean manufacturer. After they heard about the reputation of our game's visuals and storyline, they proactively adjusted their resources, which shows how much they value us.

The shareholders in the conference room nodded one after another. Mr. Li, a shareholder sitting on the left representing Liwen Group, couldn't help but speak up: There's no need to elaborate on Garena's channel strength in Southeast Asia; with this recommendation spot, our download numbers are guaranteed. However, have you encountered any issues with payments and localized translation? The languages and payment habits in Southeast Asia are quite complex.

That point has already been resolved, Zhou Yurou replied with a smile, switching to the next PPT slide. Song's Global, a foreign trade company under the Song family, has 12 years of localization experience in Southeast Asia. They will assist us in completing translations for six languages—in addition to the main languages like English, Indonesian, and Malay, it will also cover Vietnamese, Thai, and Filipino to ensure that the story details do not deviate. Regarding payments, they have already connected with local e-wallets like Gcash and DOKU. Players can directly top up using local currency, and the settlement exchange rate will be based on real-time market rates, avoiding situations where players give up on paying due to exchange rate issues.

Just as she finished speaking, Song Zhiwei stood up from her seat and added, My father also specially arranged for top gaming influencers in Southeast Asia to participate in the pre-launch promotion—Indonesia's 'GameMaster' and Malaysia's 'Xiaonan Game Commentary.' Both of their YouTube channels have over 500,000 subscribers. They will release gameplay videos three days before the launch, covering the game's core mechanics and exclusive bonus codes to attract players to pre-register.

She took out her phone and displayed the gameplay script sent by the influencers: Look, they even proactively suggested adding 'Chinese-style interstellar' features, such as designing the spaceships in the game with qipao patterns and incorporating localized translations of Chinese proverbs into NPC dialogue. This not only highlights our cultural characteristics but also makes it feel fresh for local players.

Zhang Fan sat at the head of the table, looking at the plans and data on the screen, a gratified smile curling at the corners of his mouth. From the controversy when star path: reboot launched domestically to now receiving top-tier resource support for the overseas version, the efforts along the way had finally paid off.

He gently tapped the table to attract everyone's attention: With Garena's channel support, plus the localization and influencer resources from the Song family, the foundation for our overseas expansion is already very solid. I'm setting a goal: in the first month of launch, the download volume in Southeast Asia should exceed 300,000, and we should strive for a payment rate of 15%, making star path: reboot a benchmark for domestically produced games going overseas.

300,000? Wouldn't that be a bit conservative? Gu Jingshen suddenly interjected. He leaned back in his chair, twirling a pen in his hand. I saw the projected data provided by Garena, and the first-month downloads could reach 400,000. Shouldn't we set our goal a bit higher?

Zhou Yurou shook her head with a smile: It's better to leave some margin. Although the pre-launch data is good, there are too many uncertainties in the overseas market, such as changes in local player tastes or the sudden launch of competing products; these could all affect download numbers. 300,000 is the bottom-line target; if we can exceed expectations, that would naturally be better.

Zhang Fan nodded, acknowledging Zhou Yurou's caution: Sister Rou is right; playing it steady is the most important thing. The Technology Department needs to be careful; the stability of the overseas servers must be ensured. The network environment in Southeast Asia is complex, and we cannot have lag or disconnections, otherwise, it will affect the player experience. The Marketing Department must maintain real-time communication with Garena and adjust promotion strategies in a timely manner based on data analysis after the launch.

Rest assured, the Technology Department has already deployed two backup servers in Singapore. Once the main server is under too much pressure, it will automatically switch, ensuring latency is kept within 50ms. The technical director, Old Wang, raised his hand to respond. Localization testing has also been done for three rounds, and issues previously discovered such as 'story translation ambiguity' and 'payment redirect latency' have all been resolved.

Halfway through the meeting, Zhang Fan suddenly remembered the matter concerning Lin Haoyu and turned to ask Gu Jingshen: Is there any new movement from Lin Haoyu's side? After the tax inspection, has he caused any more trouble for Xia Qinyi?

Gu Jingshen put away his joking expression, his tone becoming serious: I have my guys watching him. Lin Haoyu hasn't been to the yoga studio recently, nor has he been near the kindergarten. However, he went to an abandoned factory yesterday and seems to have met with a few social idlers; it's unclear what they discussed. Qin Xue has also arranged for people to follow him; if there's any anomaly, she will notify us immediately.

Zhang Fan frowned, his inner worry not dissipating.

Lin Haoyu had been pushed into a corner and would certainly not give up. The current calm might just be the quiet before the storm.

He said to Gu Jingshen: Keep a closer watch, especially during the times Lele goes to and from school. Tell Xia Qinyi to try not to take Lele out alone; if necessary, have bodyguards pick her up and drop her off.

Alright, I'll tell Xia Qinyi right now. Gu Jingshen nodded in agreement.

After the meeting ended, the shareholders left one after another. Zhou Yurou stayed in the conference room, organizing the promotion schedule for the overseas version. Song Zhiwei walked to Zhang Fan's side and handed him a cup of warm water: Don't worry too much about Lin Haoyu; with Qin Xue and the bodyguards watching, he won't be able to stir up any trouble. Our current focus is the launch of the overseas version. This is Singularity's first time going overseas; whether we can make a name for ourselves depends on this.

Zhang Fan took the water cup and looked at the overseas version poster of star path: reboot on the screen, taking a deep breath: I know, it's just that it hasn't been easy for Xia Qinyi and her daughter, and I can't let them be hurt again. Once the overseas version launch stabilizes, it will be time to completely resolve the matter with Lin Haoyu.

Song Zhiwei looked at his earnest expression, a complex emotion welling up in her heart, but she still smiled and said: Rest assured, with me here, I won't let Lin Haoyu bully them. By the way, my father asked me to ask you if he should personally go to Southeast Asia on the day the overseas version launches to meet with Garena's CEO and consolidate the cooperative relationship.

There's no need to trouble Chairman Song, Zhang Fan shook his head. We are still in the development stage, so there's no need to trouble Chairman Song to make the trip himself. It won't be too late to ask Chairman Song to step in once Singularity has established a firm footing overseas.

Song Zhiwei nodded, said nothing more, and turned to help Zhou Yurou organize the documents. In the conference room, sunlight spilled in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, landing on the poster of star path: reboot, as if casting a layer of hopeful light onto this game about to go overseas.

And Zhang Fan looked at the poster, silently making up his mind—not only to make star path successful in Southeast Asia but also to completely eliminate the threat of Lin Haoyu, so that Xia Qinyi and her daughter, as well as Singularity's employees, could all welcome the future with peace of mind.