143: Chapter 143 Software Association

"Is 'mu online' produced by a domestic company?"

"No, it's a company from South Korea called Webzen."

"Understood. Boss Chen, what aspects of the license are we applying for?"

"The game title, characters, world-building, and art assets, for the purpose of adaptation and commercial operation." Chen Fan leaned back in his chair, his tone casual. "The next game we make will be related to this IP."

"Boss Chen, are we making a PC game?" Zhang Tao interjected.

He was no stranger to the game "mu online". Since it entered China in 2002, it had been the most popular game in internet cafes, second only to "the legend of mir".

Its gorgeous skill effects and cool, large wing equipment were the youthful memories of countless people who pulled all-nighters.

Eight years had passed, and although the game was outdated, the IP was still valuable domestically.

Chen Fan waved his hand. "No, we aren't doing a PC game for now; what we're going to make is a web game."

Zhang Tao followed up. "A web game... are we just copying 'mu online'?"

"No, we're only borrowing its shell. The core gameplay must be distinct; we'll discuss the specifics when the time comes," Chen Fan said.

"But there's no rush right now. The top priority is to finish 'happy elimination' and get it launched as soon as possible. Once 'happy elimination' is live, we'll have enough manpower, and the license will have been applied for, so we can free up resources to work on the web game then."

Zhang Tao nodded, but his tone held a hint of worry. "Boss Chen, as far as I know, many companies in the industry are fighting for the 'mu online' license, but it seems there haven't been any clear results yet."

He carefully chose his words. "I heard it's mainly because the Korean side has set very strict entry barriers, and the terms haven't been agreed upon."

Chen Fan frowned upon hearing this.

He had long heard that people from South Korea could be quite petty, but he hadn't expected them to be this difficult regarding game licensing.

A game that had already declined, yet they were still clutching it like a treasure.

However, Chen Fan didn't intend to give up; he still decided to give it a shot.

He only wanted the game license, not the copyright, so perhaps he could succeed.

After all, in his past life, 37 Interactive Entertainment managed to get the license.

Thinking of this, he looked at Wang Jing. "You contact Webzen first and see what their terms are."

"Understood."

"By the way, when you reach out to them, you can tell them about the performance of 'defend the carrot' produced by our company. Let them know we aren't just any small workshop, but a company capable of building up an IP."

Wang Jing nodded.

"Alright, that's it for today's meeting." Chen Fan stood up and picked up his phone from the table. "Everyone, get back to work."

Upon hearing this, everyone stood up and walked out.

The conference room was instantly left with only Chen Fan.

He took out his phone and checked the time; it was almost 11 o'clock.

He prepared to find Qiao Linlin to check on the office progress.

He stood up, left the conference room, and went to the front desk administrative station.

However, he found that Qiao Linlin was not at her desk.

He asked others in the office and learned that Qiao Linlin had gone to the new office at the Software Park.

He originally wanted to call Qiao Linlin to ask about the progress.

After thinking about it, he ultimately decided to go to the site to take a look.

Chen Fan picked up the car keys from the table and walked toward the elevators.

10 minutes later.

Chen Fan arrived at the 12th floor of Building A in the Software Park.

Exiting the elevator and turning right, the front desk was directly in front of him.

At this moment, the front desk was empty; there was nothing on the background wall, and the entrance sign hadn't been decorated yet.

Arriving at the office areas on the left and right, they were both empty—no desks, no chairs, no partitions, only gray-white floor tiles and snow-white painted walls.

Qiao Linlin was standing by the window with two strange men, holding a tape measure and a folder.

Those two looked to be in their early thirties; one was taking pictures with a camera, and the other was holding a laser rangefinder, taking measurements against the walls.

Seeing Chen Fan arrive, Qiao Linlin immediately walked toward him.

"Boss, why are you here?"

"Just coming to check the progress." Chen Fan glanced at the two busy people. "What are they doing?"

"Boss, these are from Sunon Office Furniture. I invited them over to survey the site and provide a workstation layout plan."

"About how long will it take?"

"They said they'll finish measuring today and can provide the plan and quote in three days."

Chen Fan nodded. "How is that Software Enterprise Certification going?"

Upon hearing Chen Fan's words, Qiao Linlin fell silent for a moment.

"The materials were submitted," she said, carefully choosing her words, "but the Software Association blocked it. They said our sales contract format wasn't standard enough, and a few photocopies of invoices weren't clear, so they asked me to resubmit them."

"Did you resubmit them?"

"Yes." Qiao Linlin flipped through her notebook. "I resubmitted them last week, but the person in charge of the review there keeps saying they haven't received them. I sent them again, and they still said they hadn't received them. Later, I had Sister Fang reprint a copy, and I delivered it in person."

Chen Fan frowned. "And then?"

"Then they just said to wait." Qiao Linlin closed her notebook and pursed her lips slightly. "When I asked when the results would be out, they said 'soon'. When I asked how long exactly, they said 'not sure'."

Chen Fan glanced at her.

"Are you being given a hard time?" Chen Fan asked.

Qiao Linlin paused and shook her head. "It's not exactly being given a hard time, it's just... the process is slow, and the people handling it aren't very diligent. I've run back and forth several times; every time they say there's no problem, but it just won't move forward."

"Is this an official government agency?"

"No, this organization is a social organization. It's usually commissioned by the official government to undertake part of the industry management functions. Only after the Software Association's preliminary review will it be reviewed by the Chang'an official agency."

Chen Fan frowned. These kinds of non-official organizations that bear some official responsibilities are the most troublesome.

"Come with me in a while; let's go see what the situation is."

...

At two in the afternoon, Chen Fan drove Qiao Linlin to the Software Association.

The office was located in a small six-story building in the High-Tech Zone.

Faded promotional posters were pasted on the walls, and a few cardboard boxes were piled in the corner. Chen Fan walked in front, with Qiao Linlin following behind, her high heels clicking crisply on the floor tiles.

The service hall wasn't big, with four or five windows, but only two were occupied. The air was filled with the smell of copy paper and old carpet, and the air conditioning was set a bit low, making it chilly.