From Idler to Tech Tycoon: Earth

Chapter 40: News
Chapter 40 - 40: NewsPhilippine Government’s Announcement

The world had questions.

And in one single press conference, the Philippine government answered them all.

The President stood at the podium, cameras flashing, journalists scrambling to tweet out every word in real-time. His expression was composed, but there was undeniable pride in his voice.

”Today, I am proud to announce that the revolutionary game World War II: Frontline, which has taken the gaming world by storm, was developed right here in the Philippines by our very own ByteBull Studios.”

Boom.

The internet detonated.

Within seconds, #PhilippinesTechRevolution trended worldwide. Social media flooded with reactions—shock, admiration, skepticism, and, inevitably, greed.

Reddit: ”Wait, this AI-powered game-changing FPS came from the Philippines??

”Twitter (X): ”Who are these guys? Are they the next Google?!”

YouTube: ”The Future of Gaming is Here... and It’s from ByteBull Studios!”

Governments, corporations, and intelligence agencies who had been desperately tracing the AI’s origins finally had their answer. ByteBull was no longer an enigma.

They were now a target.

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The basement of Estello’s mansion had never been so alive.

Richard and Jack sat side by side, their screens a blur of code and encrypted data transfers. They had no time to celebrate the hype. The moment their location was exposed, the real battle began.

Jack groaned, fingers flying over his keyboard. ”Dude, our email is a warzone. Everyone’s either offering us money or trying to hack us.”

Richard barely looked up, his focus razor-sharp. ”Ignore the offers. Keep monitoring for intrusion attempts.”

Jack exhaled. ”Bro, we’re getting hit from everywhere—corporate spies, rogue hackers, probably even governments. Someone just tried to spoof our domain registry.”

Richard smirked. ”Let them try.”

While Jack handled their public internet connection, Richard had gone dark. His PC was now an isolated fortress, disconnected from external networks but fully operational with the Vector Core AI.

Inside his screen, the Phoenix AI Core was running on full capacity, a digital ghost patrolling his system in real time.

Lines of code blurred across his monitor as Phoenix reported:

Scanning for spyware...

Detected unauthorized backdoor attempt. Neutralized.

Running optimization protocol...

System integrity: 100% secure.

Richard muttered, ”Good. Keep going.”

He had set Phoenix AI on a mission: fortify his system, detect and delete any malware, and wipe all traces of their sensitive work. Every byte of critical data was being locked behind multi-layered encryption, backed by Phoenix’s evolving security matrix.

Meanwhile, Jack worked in the opposite direction—keeping the team’s public-facing systems operational, handling inquiries, and preparing for the licensing launch.

He had just finished uninstalling Vector Core from his PC, wiping all sensitive traces, ensuring that even if someone managed to breach their external system, they’d find nothing of real value.

Richard and Jack would now take turns finalizing the game.

Step 1: Richard worked offline, coding, refining, and securing the AI.

Step 2: Data was transferred manually to Jack’s PC, which was only connected long enough for the final upload.

Step 3: Jack uploaded and handled the external world, while Richard continued development underground.

No leaks. No traces. Absolute control.

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Jack stretched, rubbing his eyes. ”This is insane. One day we’re indie devs, the next we’re playing cyber-warfare against billion-dollar corporations and actual governments.”

Richard didn’t look away from his screen. ”That’s why we stay ahead. If we control the narrative, we control the game.”

Estello stepped into the basement, arms crossed. ”Boys, we have a problem.”

Jack groaned. ”Please don’t say the word ’problem.’ We already have, like, twenty.”

Estello smirked but his tone remained serious. ”The moment the President announced ByteBull, international players made their move. We have delegates from the US, China, Japan, Canada, and Russia all trying to schedule ’urgent meetings.’”

Jack whistled. ”Damn, they don’t even pretend anymore.”

Richard leaned back. ”They’ll come with money, threats, or both.”

Estello nodded. ”And that’s exactly why you need to be ready.”

Jack glanced at Richard. ”So... do we take these meetings?”

Richard’s smirk returned, sharp and calculated.

”We’ll listen. But we won’t sell.”

Jack raised an eyebrow. ”Then what’s the point?”

Richard grinned. ”Because, my friend... we’re about to start a bidding war.”

Jack exhaled. ”Man, this is getting out of control.”

Richard turned back to his screen, Phoenix AI’s security logs running smoothly.

”No, Jack. This is us taking control.”

The storm had arrived, and ByteBull Studios wasn’t just surviving it.

They were about to own it.

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At exactly 12:00 PM (PHT), ByteBull Studios dropped their official public announcement across all major platforms—Twitter (X), Facebook, YouTube, and Reddit. The post was simple but devastatingly effective.

Official Announcement from ByteBull Studios

World War II: Frontline will officially launch on December 2012.

The Vector Core Game Engine will be available for licensing starting December 2012.

The Phoenix AI will also be available for licensing for select partners.

This isn’t just a game. This is the future of AI-driven gaming.

#ByteBull #WW2Frontline #NextGenGaming #AIRevolution

The internet went ballistic.

Global Reaction – The Shockwave Hits Gamers & Fans

”THIS IS INSANE. AI-POWERED GAMEPLAY? DAY ONE PURCHASE!””Bro, they’re licensing the AI? This is gonna change the whole industry.””No way the big corporations let this slide. ByteBull is playing with fire.”

Gaming & Tech News

IGN, Kotaku, TechCrunch, and Bloomberg immediately ran headlines.

➡ ”ByteBull Studios Declares War on the Gaming Industry” – Bloomberg➡ ”Indie Studio ByteBull Just Pulled the Ultimate Power Move” – Kotaku➡ ”AI Licensing? Game Development Will Never Be the Same” – TechCrunch

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Behind closed doors, Sony, Microsoft, EA, Activision, and Ubisoft scrambled to react.

CEO of Activision Blizzard: ”They’re cutting us out. They’re making everyone bid for the AI.”

Sony’s AI R&D Head: ”If we don’t license Vector Core first, our competitors will.”

EA’s CFO: ”The stock market is already reacting. ByteBull’s play could tank traditional game development models.”

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Within hours, gaming stocks fluctuated wildly.

Ubisoft, EA, and Activision saw immediate dips as investors feared ByteBull’s AI would outpace traditional development.Tech giants like NVIDIA and AMD saw a rise, anticipating new products for AI processing hardware.

The message was clear: ByteBull Studios had officially disrupted the gaming industry.

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Back in Estello’s mansion, Richard and Jack sat in front of their screens, watching their social media explode in real-time.

Jack’s jaw hung open. ”Bro... we just made history.”

Richard leaned back, his fingers steepled. ”No, Jack. We just made ourselves untouchable.”

Estello chuckled, sipping his coffee. ”Now, the real game begins.”

Richard nodded. ”Time to set the rules.”

ByteBull wasn’t selling out.

They were making the world fight for their technology—on their terms.

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The industry had been caught off guard. The government was scrambling. Corporations were in panic mode.

And ByteBull?

ByteBull was in control.

The basement was dead silent except for the soft hum of computer fans. Richard and Jack sat at their desks, their screens flashing with notifications from media outlets, gaming executives, and government agencies worldwide.

Jack rubbed his temples. ”Bro, we just declared war on the entire gaming industry.”

Richard smirked, typing rapidly on his keyboard. ”Correction. We just made them our customers.”

Estello chuckled from his leather chair, swirling his coffee. ”They’re not customers yet, boys. They’re still trying to figure out if they should kneel or attack.”

Richard turned his screen around, displaying a flood of corporate emails.

Sony – ”We’re interested in early licensing talks. What are your terms?”

Microsoft – ”ByteBull is an exciting new player. Let’s discuss potential collaboration.”

EA – ”We are prepared to make an aggressive bid for exclusive rights to Phoenix AI.”

Ubisoft – ”We’d like to arrange a meeting with your leadership team immediately.”

Tencent – ”What is your asking price for full ownership?”

Jack whistled. ”Damn. They really thought we were gonna sell.”

Richard cracked his knuckles. ”Time to make things interesting.”

Richard drafted the official licensing proposal and sent it out to every major corporation and investor.

ByteBull Licensing Model

Vector Core Game Engine – Available for licensing at $50M per year, non-exclusive.Phoenix AI– Available for licensing at $100M per year, non-exclusive.Custom AI Development – Starting at $500M for tailored AI solutions.

No Exclusivity Deals. No Full Ownership Sales.

ByteBull was setting the rules of engagement.

They weren’t here to sell out. They were here to change the game.

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Sony Interactive Entertainment – Tokyo, Japan

The boardroom was dead silent. Sony’s executives stared at the licensing proposal on the massive conference screen.

Hiroshi Tanaka (Head of PlayStation AI R&D) tapped his fingers against the table. ”This is genius.”

A younger executive looked confused. ”Genius, sir? They just made us pay a fortune for tech we don’t own.”

Tanaka smirked. ”Exactly. And that means Microsoft, EA, Ubisoft, and everyone else will pay for it too.”

Sony’s CEO leaned forward. ”If we don’t sign the deal, our competitors will. If we sign, we get access to the most advanced AI in gaming.”

A beat of silence.

Then the CEO nodded. ”Sign the damn contract.”

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Microsoft – Redmond, USA

In Microsoft’s gaming division, the top brass sat in an emergency meeting.

Their biggest concern? Sony was already preparing to sign ByteBull’s deal.

Phil Spencer (Head of Xbox): ”We can’t let them have this edge. If PlayStation gets Phoenix AI before us, it’s over.”

Microsoft VP: ”They’re charging $100M a year. Are we really doing this?”

Phil Spencer: ”We don’t have a choice. Sign it.”