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Chapter 36 : How About Four Units to Test the Waters?
When Meyer left, his steps were unsteady, almost like he was drunk.
This Mr. Lin really could always come up with something new.
…
Henry rubbed his exhausted eyes, the bags beneath them swollen terribly.
He stopped in front of his store and quietly looked up at the somewhat worn sign beneath the morning sunlight.
Еńu̇ m̈а̊
Arcade Area.
It was a small arcade he owned.
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Henry sighed, pulled his keys from his pocket, unlocked the door, and flipped the sign to OPEN.
The impact of the Atari crash hadn’t hit small arcades like his particularly hard.
Although he’d entered the industry at an absolutely terrible time, he’d still managed to scrape by.
What Henry hadn’t expected was how quickly things would change.
Ӗñu_m а.ї ď
The thing that shattered his peaceful life was a small arcade machine called Tetris.
As the owner of a tiny arcade in Riverside, California, Henry had been lucky enough to secure some of the first units.
He bought two machines at an extremely cheap price.
No one could have imagined just how absurdly profitable those two machines would become.
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In less than a week, players from half the neighborhood had started gathering there.
Naturally, Henry didn’t hesitate afterward.
Ẃе̌b nо v е̊ ľ Еn u m̂ а̃
He took out another loan and grit his teeth as he purchased two more units of 1942.
The result was obvious.
The already fanatical players became even more obsessed with his store, spending entire days inside trying to beat high scores.
Henry loved that feeling.
Not just because he was making a lot of money, but because he could see signs of video games recovering.
He liked watching players immerse themselves in the pure joy of gaming.
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Henry walked to the counter and casually wiped down the glass display case with a rag.
Inside sat a small bronze trophy.
He’d specially commissioned it from a manufacturer.
Originally, he planned to host a simple Tetris tournament in his arcade.
He’d even prepared free drinks and snacks for the occasion.
But sometimes God simply wasn’t fair.
Еn̈uṁ a. ìd́
Contra released.
With its market-tailored hard-boiled hero narrative and outrageous graphics, Contra instantly became a phenomenon.
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Combined with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s endorsement, the entire country rushed toward the game overnight.
Ding-ling.
The doorbell rang.
Henry forced on a smile and welcomed the customer.
Ёn̆ u ḿā
“Morning, Henry. I’m first today?”
The visitor casually greeted him before sitting down in front of the Tetris cabinet.
He glanced around and noticed Henry was the only person there.
Henry laughed bitterly.
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“They all went to the place on 14th Street. You know… the one with…”
“Contra.”
E ñ um̄а́
The player clearly already understood.
As he inserted coins into the machine, he continued:
“You’re not buying one, Henry? Your arcade wouldn’t be this empty if you had it.”
He still remembered when half the neighborhood used to gather here.
And now, simply because the arcade lacked a Contra cabinet, the place had become deserted.
“I’d love to buy one. But wanna guess how much one costs?”
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Henry rubbed his forehead.
Just thinking about the number made his heart pound.
“Five thousand dollars! And there’s no stock! If you want one quickly, you’ve gotta pay extra to jump the line!”
Henry was only a small-time arcade owner.
Even if he emptied all his savings, he still couldn’t scrape together that much cash.
Back when he bought 1942, he’d already needed a loan.
W е̊ b nо̊v_е̌l̆ En u m̂а̇
“That new game really that good?”
Clearly, this player hadn’t tried Contra yet.
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The arcade on 14th Street that had Contra was nearly seven miles away.
Including the waiting time, he probably wouldn’t even get to play two rounds in a day.
So his strategy was simple:
While everyone else lined up for Contra, he’d enjoy these older games in peace.
W̌ е ḃ n̈ о̃ v̀ e l Еñ ǔ_mȧ
“Haha…”
Henry’s laughter sounded stiff.
He genuinely didn’t want to lie.
“I’ve played it before. It really is incredible…”
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The player nodded and said nothing more, returning his attention to the screen.
He wasn’t an impatient person.
Ѐ ńũ_m а.і́d
Once the hype died down and the crowds thinned, he’d naturally get his chance to play it.
Henry sat behind the counter like that, occasionally coming out to clean.
Throughout the morning, a few scattered players came and went, but none stayed long.
At noon.
The entrance bell rang again.
Henry forced himself up to greet the newcomer.
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But this person clearly wasn’t here to play.
Unlike the others dressed in light casual clothes, this man wore a perfectly pressed business suit.
Henry jolted awake and hurried over.
It was someone from the bank.
And if he was standing here, it could only mean one thing…
“My mortgage loan got approved?”
Е n ů m̊ a
Henry had pawned his car in exchange for ten thousand dollars in cash.
The bank employee nodded and pulled several documents from his briefcase for Henry to sign.
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Without hesitation, Henry quickly signed everything.
Even if he no longer had a car, as long as he used this money to buy two Contra machines, his arcade could recover immediately.
…
“Hello, thank you for calling Silicon Oasis…”
Е n̆ u m̀а̃ . i d̂
“What do you mean Contra is out of stock?! Are you kidding me?!”
Henry’s voice sounded frantic.
He’d finally gotten the money together, only to be told he still had to wait through the long manufacturing process.
What kind of joke was that?
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“Mr. Henry, please don’t worry.”
The receptionist comforted him.
W̊ е́b̈ nо̃v̊ еl Ĕ n̄ù.m̈а̄
She’d already dealt with countless situations like this over the past two days.
“Although Contra is currently out of stock, we do have a newly released GAMENOVA machine available. Would you like to hear about it?”
“A new machine?!”
Henry was startled.
As an arcade owner, he naturally knew GAMENOVA’s name.
After all, the current three hottest arcade machines all came from them.
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“That’s right. Metal Gear. You’re very lucky, sir. We only received the first shipment today.”
“…How much?”
Henry quickly calmed down.
Just from the title alone, it sounded like some sort of mech-themed sci-fi action game.
Which meant it was probably positioned against Contra.
Spending all his savings on two games that might not become hits still made him hesitate.
Ёńũm̃а. і̄ d_
“Twelve hundred dollars per unit, sir.”
“…Hm?!”
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Henry practically screamed.
“Just over a thousand each? You’re not joking?”
“No, sir.”
“Then… I’d like to order two… no, four units! And one Contra machine too.”
W ĕ bn ov̈ еl̇ Е́ ṅū m̆ ӑ
Henry still felt he shouldn’t put all his eggs in one basket.
Arcade cabinets this cheap were probably small games like Pac-Man.
Sure, they might be fun, but there was no way they could compare to a blockbuster like Contra.
If he wanted to turn things around, he still needed to focus on those high-end arcade machines.
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“Very well, Mr. Henry. We’ll arrange shipment immediately.”
(End of Chapter)
Е̄ ń_ū m̂ а̌
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