[I don’t expect to see Wingin’ Chicken atop the download charts anytime soon. I’m just glad to be somewhat productive in my first week of whatever it was that brought me back ten years into my past.] So Vince thought as he was getting on the bus. 

He sat down next to Kyle like usual and told him about the recent publication of Wingin’ Chicken on the various mobile platforms.

“I was surprised that the review process didn’t take too long,” Vince said. Then, he offered his mobile phone to Kyle to test out version 1.0 and asked what he thought about the final product.

“I can make an account now? There’s a leaderboard too? It looks like the top 100 scores have already been set.” Kyle mentioned. 

[It seems plenty of people are already playing it though it’s only been a few hours since it was released to the public.] Vince thought.

“These ads are kinda annoying,” Kyle said with a disappointed look.

“I placed them at the borders to avoid blocking the view of the game,” Vince replied. 

[Ads are currently the only way to make money off this game with little hassle.] Vince thought.

“Don’t worry. If you like it that much, I can grant your account full access to the game without ads. Are you happy?” Vince asked. 

“You can do that? Yes, please.” Kyle replied.

“It’s one of the reasons why I added the personal account system in the game. I plan to sell a premium version through the personal accounts system in the future. I can explain how I did it and the features it provides when we have time later at lunch.” Vince stated. 

His friend continued to play the game amusingly with an odd fire in his eyes.

[I’ll definitely be able to create games in the future. The all too familiar feeling is in the back of my mind, nudging me to achieve this goal. I’m so lucky to have an accommodating friend like Vince who’s patient enough to teach me.] Kyle pondered.

Vince attended homeroom again, but he noticed Ms. Miller was a bit off today. She did everything as usual, but her face was slightly sadder than her typical stern look.

He noted that as he left the room and went on his day like always. The cafeteria was busier than usual. Students using their phones during lunchtime wasn’t rare, yet many more were engaged and focused on their phone screens.

While waiting in line for food, he overheard a group of students from further back the line discussing a new mobile game that had just been released.

[The middle schooler mentioned finding the game on the Facebook recommended tab, so I guess utilizing the social media APIs in the game was noticed by an algorithm and actively recommended my game on Facebook. I think it would be a win for them if all games actively included the Facebook platform as an option for more exposure] So Vince thought.

“The game is so simple, but that’s why it’s fun. Look, I’m already within the top 50 of the leaderboard!” the girl declared. 

“It’s fun, I admit, but these damn ads are too much. It defeats the purpose of buying a mobile phone with a larger display if the ads consume half the real estate.” the boy replied.

[Is the ad thing is really a big problem? I bet I could generate more revenue from the amount of ad screen time than selling the game itself by the nominal going rate nowadays, which would be around $5. Though I’m not too much of a greedy person, I need the capital for my future expenditures, and I’ll not let this golden egg turn into a silver egg suddenly.] Vince thought.

He would need to read the reviews and process all the constructive ones before introducing a new version.

He found Kyle, Jessica, Rick, and Sarah already at the table eating while talking in between.

Vince sat at the table, and three of them gazed at him with curiosity. Sarah was the first one to ask him about Wingin’ Chicken. Kyle provided a surface-level explanation when he first brought it up with them, but he suggested asking Vince instead.

They asked questions one by one, and he answered them concisely. Jessica showed interest in the technical side similar to Kyle. Still, Rick and Sarah were interested in the game’s aesthetic, like the continuously looping barn background where the chicken was trapped.

Vince knew that they both shared a passion for the arts and would often join art competitions to try and defeat each other.

They would beat all the other participants, though, that’s for sure. 

Soon, most people at school would learn that one particular middle school student made the game people were playing crazily. But, of course, this information would come by boasts from his dear friends.

On his way back to the bus, Vince saw a group of senior high school students walking towards him. Rugged was the word to describe their group, but the student leading them was even more ridiculous.

The kid looked like Mike Tyson on fight day with similarly short hair to boot. He clearly wanted to speak to Vince, and he complied without question or doubt. Maybe a bit of fear in there.

“Hey, You Vince Dalton?” the big guy asked. 

“Yes, I am. Glad to meet you. May I know your name?” Vince replied. “Tom Fury. I don’t want to waste time. Did you make this game? Wingin’ Chicken?” Tom asked. Tom seemed like an amiable person, so Vince replied with honesty.

“Yes, I did. Do you like it, Tom?” Vince inquired. 

“Like it? Like it?! I love it! This game is simple and doesn’t waste too much time playing. So, after a few attempts here and there, I am off to doing my reps. But I do have some issues with it. My hands and fingers are so large that I would accidentally touch the ads and the game pauses until I close them manually.” Tom declared.

“I’m glad you like my game, Tom. This game connected us when there was practically no chance of us ever meeting each other, and because of this sentiment, I’ll grant you access to an ad-free version of the game as soon as I’m able. No one that has downloaded the game has access to the ad-free version yet, and you’ll be the first.” Vince exclaimed with confidence.

[Having a massive guy like Tom as an ally would only be beneficial to me.] Vince thought.

Tom looked at him and looked at his friends behind him. Then, Tom suddenly had a huge smile on his face and said, “This is a true brother! Right guys?”

“Hell yeah!” the others replied loudly.

“These are my account details and my contact info as well. Let me know if you plan on getting in better shape. We train well at my family’s gym. You’re welcome whenever.”, Tom said before leaving with his crew.

[What an eventful day,] Vince thought.

EDITED