Friday 8 May 2000
Zaboru was inside his office at ZAGE Tower in Japan. He had just returned from London earlier that day, and although the trip had been productive it had also been exhausting. Sitting across from him was his father, Zanichi Renkonan. The two were discussing several technical matters related to the development of ZEPS 4, particularly some of the hardware requirements
However, their conversation slowly paused when the television in the corner of the office began broadcasting breaking news. The report immediately caught both of their attention.
The news anchor spoke seriously. "Since last month, many companies that depend heavily on websites have gone bankrupt. More than five thousand companies across the world have already reported financial collapse. Analysts say this happened because investors suddenly withdrew their funding, while many of these companies lacked sustainable business models. During the past few years, large amounts of money flowed into internet startups, many of which focused more on rapid growth and publicity rather than actual profit. When investor confidence suddenly dropped, those fragile companies quickly collapsed."
The broadcast continued with more details. "However, several major internet companies remain stable despite the crisis. Businesses such as Amazon, eBay, and Yahoo! are continuing their operations without major disruption. These companies already built strong platforms and real customer bases, allowing them to survive the sudden market shock. At the same time, a few rising technology companies established within the past year, including Google and PayPal, are also showing strong growth even during the current market instability. Analysts believe that companies with clear technology advantages or strong service models will continue to expand even as weaker competitors disappear."
Zaboru chuckled quietly as he watched the report and thought to himself, 'So the WWW Bubble or Dot Com bubble happened in this world too, huh.' The situation felt strangely familiar to him because he had already seen something like this in his previous life. Zanichi sighed while crossing his arms. "Well, looks like you were right, Boss. It seems the bubble really did burst." Zaboru had warned about this possibility long ago when the internet boom first started attracting reckless investment, and now it had finally happened.
"It's actually very simple, Dad," Zaboru said calmly. "Most of those companies only built websites without really thinking about long-term sustainability. They didn't have strong business models, and many of them depended almost entirely on investor money to survive. That's always a dangerous sign." He leaned back slightly in his chair while continuing his explanation.
"When investors kept pouring money into them, everything looked fine on the surface. The companies expanded quickly, hired people, and spent heavily on marketing. But in reality many of them weren't generating real profit. Once investors started questioning where the money was actually going, confidence collapsed almost instantly. The moment funding disappeared, those companies had nothing to support themselves."
Zaboru gave a small smile. "That's why a bubble like this can burst at any time. All it takes is for investors to realize the money flow isn't sustainable. Once that happens, the entire structure falls apart very quickly."
Zaboru smiled. "That's exactly why I wanted to avoid a situation like this. That's also why YouTube and our other websites required such a long planning process before we launched them. I never wanted those platforms to become our core business model. Instead, they exist to support what ZAGE actually does best, which is developing and selling games." He paused for a moment before continuing. "If the websites succeed, they strengthen our ecosystem. If they fail, the company itself will still remain stable. That balance is important."
"But still, the companies that survive this crisis will definitely become much bigger," Zanichi said thoughtfully. "Take eBay and Amazon for example. Many of their competitors have disappeared almost overnight. That means their market space just became much larger, and they can take advantage of that opportunity to grow even faster." Zanichi leaned back slightly before looking at Zaboru again. "So what do you think? Should we form a partnership with eBay or Amazon and sell our products through their platforms? It could help us reach even more customers across the world."
Zaboru chuckled. "Hahaha, no need, Dad. We already have our own platform, Z-Store, remember?" He pointed toward the computer on his desk as if the entire digital store existed right there in front of them. "Besides, if we partner with them we'll definitely have to pay a lot of money just to list our products on their marketplaces. On top of that, we already have strong logistics and distribution networks across multiple countries. In some areas our distribution teams are already just as capable as theirs."
Zaboru chuckled. "At least for now, we're doing fine, Dad. In the future we'll see if we ever need to partner with them. But if that day comes, I'd rather keep the relationship simple. Something like: we are the seller and they are the platform, nothing more than that if possible."
He leaned back slightly in his chair, thinking about the larger picture. "Right now Z-Store is still growing. The more we rely on our own ecosystem, the stronger our position becomes. If we immediately depend on other platforms, we lose control over how our products reach customers. I'd rather build our own system first before relying on someone else's."
Zanichi nodded slowly. "Well, that's true. Our infrastructure is already quite strong." He paused for a moment before continuing. "But with this bubble bursting, there's still a possibility that our customers might decrease for a while, right? Many people have lost their jobs during this collapse. When that happens, entertainment spending is usually one of the first things people reduce."
He looked toward the television again where the news was still discussing layoffs from failed internet startups. "When people become uncertain about their income, they start saving money. Games, gadgets, and other entertainment products might not feel like a priority anymore."
Zaboru nodded slowly. "It's true, but I think this situation will only be temporary. Economic shifts like this always happen. When one industry collapses, another one eventually rises to replace it. Sooner or later new types of jobs will appear for those people who lost their work during the crash. The internet itself is still growing, after all."
He glanced at the television again before continuing. "Some companies failed because they rushed in without real plans, but the technology itself is still valuable. In the long run, it will create even more opportunities than before."
Zanichi shrugged lightly and gave a small laugh. "Well, look how confident you are, Boss. That's exactly the kind of attitude we need right now. Hahaha."
Zaboru talked with Zanichi for a little while longer before leaving and returning to his office. Once he arrived, he sat quietly for a moment and thought about the events of the day. The news about the internet bubble, the discussion with his father, and the future of technology all lingered in his mind. After a short moment of contemplation, he slowly closed his eyes and entered the Emulator Mind. Inside that mental world, his ghost companion Zaborn was already there, sitting comfortably while watching Terminator and casually eating an endless supply of hotdogs. .
Zaboru chuckled. "Yo, dude. Watching movies all day?" Zaborn laughed while taking another big bite of a hotdog, grease on his fingers as he grinned widely. "Of course. This place is heaven," he said happily. Zaboru simply nodded and walked toward the room beside Zaborn's space. Inside the Emulator Mind there were now clearly separated areas for both of them.
Zaboru had gradually modified this section so he could summon objects, tools, and reference materials whenever he needed them. The space had slowly turned into his personal workshop inside the mental world, a place where ideas could be tested and explored without limits.
Meanwhile, Zaborn had also become curious about many things, especially game development. From time to time he would ask questions or explore the ideas Zaboru recreated inside the space. Even so, his favorite activities had not changed much. He still spent most of his time playing games, eating endless food, and watching movies, occasionally glancing over to observe Zaboru's work with quiet interest.
Zaboru then began to brainstorm seriously. Several notes floated in front of him inside the Emulator Mind, and one word was written clearly at the center of the board: A.I.
"Hmm… I think I should start exploring and developing an A.I assistant," Zaboru murmured to himself while staring at the notes. "Right now the available hardware specs are still very limited… but that doesn't mean I can't start outlining the concept. At the very least I can prepare a proper draft for the system."
He slowly began organizing ideas in front of him. Lines connected different concepts: data processing, voice interface, pattern recognition, and task automation. Even if a full system could not exist yet, the foundation could already be designed.
While thinking, another memory surfaced in his mind. 'Back in my previous life, some people believed A.I had already existed for a long time but was secretly hidden by governments or large organizations.'
He paused for a moment.
'Was that actually true… or was it just a rumor people liked to talk about?'
Zaboru rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
'Regardless of whether those rumors were real or not, I definitely need A.I in the future. If I can build a proper assistant system, it would help tremendously with my workload. Managing ZAGE, overseeing multiple global projects, and planning future technology… an intelligent system supporting me would make everything far more efficient.'
Zaboru then began planning an early version of an AI system that could slowly be developed over time. He looked at the floating notes in front of him and chuckled softly. "Well… I really wish I had some kind of A.I related superpower," he muttered. "But it seems I still don't have that ability. So I guess I'll just build it myself."
In his previous life, Zaboru actually knew almost nothing about developing artificial intelligence. He had only been a user of technology, not a creator of it. However, things were different now. With his Deep Memory Dive ability and his Enlightenment Body enhancing his focus and learning speed, studying complex topics had become far easier than before. Concepts that once felt overwhelming now became manageable when he broke them down step by step.
Because of that, Zaboru began studying the fundamentals of artificial intelligence in this world: pattern recognition, machine learning concepts, data training, and decision systems. Step by step, he started to understand how an AI might function and how such a system could be constructed piece by piece, even though the available knowledge and technology of the era were still quite limited.
Even so, he knew this would not be easy. Unlike developing a video game, AI systems required massive amounts of testing and iteration. Every behavior had to be trained, evaluated, and adjusted repeatedly before it could function reliably.
Fortunately, the Emulator Mind gave him a unique advantage. Inside this space, time moved far slower compared to the real world, and he could even split his consciousness into four separate versions of himself. That meant multiple experiments could run at the same time while he analyzed different approaches simultaneously.
Because of that, Zaboru constantly used the Emulator Mind as his secret research laboratory. Here he could safely test different AI concepts without anyone in the outside world knowing what he was building.
AI could be used for many different things, but what Zaboru truly wanted was something more specific. He wanted an intelligent system that could act as his personal management assistant and strategic agent. Something that could help organize information, analyze situations, and support his decisions while running ZAGE and its growing global network. With so many projects, teams, and companies under his supervision, having an AI assistant would dramatically reduce his workload and help him respond faster to complex problems.
As time passed inside the Emulator Mind, another strange idea suddenly crossed his thoughts. 'Well… maybe in the future I could ask Zaborn to sneak into places like the CIA or some government database just to confirm if those rumors from my previous life were actually true. People always said that powerful governments secretly developed advanced AI long before the public ever saw it.'
Zaboru smirked slightly at the thought.
'If that rumor actually turns out to be real… then maybe I could just copy some of their research. Hehehe.'
However, the idea quickly ran into a problem.
'But Zaborn still can't really leave Japan… or at least not freely. Even if he moves outside, he still has to remain connected to my Emulator Mind somehow. Hmm… why is that anyway?'
Zaboru leaned back slightly while thinking.
'Is there some kind of invisible barrier or limitation tied to my ability or to previous Zaboru?'
After thinking about it for a moment, he simply sighed and pushed the thought aside. There was no point worrying about it now. Instead, he returned his focus to the floating notes in front of him and continued working on the early framework of his AI project.
To be continue
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