Chapter 104 – The Day Before the Grand Prix

The Los Angeles Convention Center was already awake.

It was still early in the morning, yet the building was filled with activity.

Trucks were parked around the service entrances, workers carried boxes and equipment through the building, temporary signs bearing the Duel Monsters logo were being mounted, and hundreds of tables were being arranged across the tournament floor.

The convention centre had hosted large events before, but this one was different as it wasn't simply another convention. It was the second Duel Monsters Grand Prix, and Alexander was determined that nothing would go wrong.

He walked across the tournament floor with a clipboard in one hand and a schedule in the other, occasionally stopping to check something off while the tournament director followed right behind him.

"Table arrangement?"

"Completed."

"Registration?"

"Ready."

"Information booths?"

"Stocked."

"Tournament clocks?"

"Tested."

"Scoreboards?"

"Tested."

"And the backup scoreboards?"

The tournament director hesitated for half a second before he replied, "Tested as well."

Alexander nodded, "Good."

He continued walking.

The staff had learned something about Alexander over the past few months. Whenever he asked, "What happens if this breaks?", he wasn't being paranoid, but he genuinely wanted to know and if someone answered, "We have a backup", Alexander's next question was almost always: "And what happens if the backup breaks?"

It was admittedly excessive, but Alexander preferred excessive preparation to discovering a problem when several hundred people were already sitting at their tables.

The tournament floor itself was enormous.

Hundreds of tables had been arranged according to the finalised seating plan, with enough space between them for judges to move quickly without interfering with ongoing matches.

Registration desks were positioned near the entrance. Signs directed competitors toward their assigned areas. Information booths were stocked with schedules, rules and tournament material.

Everything had a place, everything had a purpose, and Alexander intended to check every last one of them to ensure that nothing was wrong.

After a few minutes, he finally seemed satisfied as he said, "This is good... For now."

The tournament director couldn't help smiling as he asked, "For now?"

Alexander looked at him and said, "There are still several hours before the doors open. We will make one final check tomorrow before it is fully open to the public."

The man's smile disappeared as he dreaded experiencing Alexander's extremely strict inspection once more.

Meanwhile, Alexander gave him a nod and simply continued walking toward the next area.

The broadcast area was almost as busy as the tournament floor.

ESPN had transformed one section of the convention centre into a miniature television studio.

Cameras were being positioned around the Feature Match area. Technicians were running cables. Monitors displayed different camera feeds. Production staff moved between stations while the graphics team tested the tournament overlay.

Alexander approached the production director and greeted him, "Good morning."

"Mr Jones." The man smiled and said, "I was wondering when you'd come by."

"I need to see the setup."

"Of course."

Alexander looked toward the Feature Match table and immediately saw that two cameras were positioned on either side, another was aimed at the players, and above the table was the overhead camera.

Alexander immediately pointed toward the monitor showing the overhead view and said, "That one needs to be centred."

"It is centred."

"It is slightly off... About 7 centimetres to the left."

The camera operator looked at the monitor, and after a moment, he adjusted it.

Alexander nodded and observed, "Better."

The production director raised an eyebrow as he asked, "You really notice that?"

"The audience needs to see the entire field." He pointed toward the table and added, "If they can't see all the cards, they can't understand the game."

The director gestured toward the cameras and commented, "That's why we have the close-ups."

"The close-ups are useful. They're not enough." Alexander walked around the table as he continued, "The overhead camera is essential. The viewers need to be able to see the board state."

He pointed toward one of the side cameras and said, "That one should capture the players' reactions."

Then another, "That one focuses on cards being played."

He paused, "And the camera operators need to know when those things matter."

The production director folded his arms, "What exactly do you mean?"

Alexander looked at him, "If someone summons a powerful monster, that's important as they unconsciosly input more emphasis on the act. Some players go as far as to put on some real performance that can be as cringy as it can be entertaining."

Then he pointed toward the field and continued to explain, "If someone reveals a Trap Card at exactly the right moment, that's important. If a player hesitates before making a move, that can be important too. But don't cut away from the board during an important play just to show the crowd."

The nearby camera operator nodded and said, "Understood."

"And don't spend thirty seconds showing someone's reaction while the audience has no idea what caused it."

The director smiled faintly as he observed, "You've thought about this."

Alexander gave him a flat look and replied, "It's my game."

That earned a short laugh, "Fair enough."

Alexander's expression softened as he said, "The cards are the action. Everything else should help the audience understand that."

The director nodded more seriously this time, "I think we're beginning to understand."

"Good."

The graphics team soon called Alexander over and before long the tournament overlay appeared on one of the large monitors.

Player names. Life Points. Round number. Match score. Important cards. Tournament statistics.

It was considerably more sophisticated than anything used during the first Grand Prix or in any other sporting event until now.

Alexander studied it for a while before he said, "Move the Life Points slightly higher."

The technician made the adjustment, "And the round number?"

"Top right."

"Make it more visible."

After another adjustment, Alexander nodded and commented, "Better."

He watched the feed for another few seconds before asking, "What happens if the system crashes?"

The technician answered immediately, "We have a redundant server."

"And if the redundant server crashes?"

The technician paused as he thought for a moment, then he replied, "We have a secondary recording system."

"And if that fails?"

Once again, complete silence as the same technician tried to find an answer.

Alexander calmly waited, and eventually, one of the technicians raised his hand, "We have a manual procedure. In extreme cases, we can use that while others try to reset the system."

Alexander nodded, "Good."

The production director couldn't help chuckling and asking, "You really don't trust technology, do you?"

"I trust technology." Alexander looked at the screens before he added, "I just trust redundancy more."

After checking a few more things with the ESPN crew and director, Alexander moved on to continue his inspection.

The merchandise and convention area was next.

Rows of booths surrounded the tournament hall.

Booster packs. Starter Decks. Starter Boxes. Binders. Sleeves. Rulebooks. Promotional material. Duel Monsters merchandise. There were even dedicated demonstration tables where newcomers could learn the game without disturbing the competitors.

Alexander walked through the area alongside Damon Whitaker, the head of Marketing.

"Retailers are in this section," Damon explained. "Distributors are further down. New-player demonstrations are here."

Alexander nodded and said, "Good."

Then he looked around. The area was busy despite the tournament not having started yet.

After a few moments, Alexander observed, "You've kept the merchandise away from the main traffic."

"That was the idea."

"Good. I don't want spectators blocking competitors."

Damon nodded before Alexander asked, "And the demonstration tables?"

"Separated from the competitive area."

"Perfect." Alexander glanced toward the large promotional banners; most of them looked good, but then he stopped as he noticed that something was missing, so he called out, "Damon."

"Yes?"

"Where's the prize?"

Damon blinked, "The prize?"

"The 10.000 dollars. I don't see it."

Damon pointed toward one of the displays and said, "It's mentioned there."

Alexander looked, and it was, but in relatively small text, something that made him frown and say, "No. That's wrong."

Damon also frowned as he asked, "Wrong...?"

"That's not enough." Alexander pointed toward the sign, "The winner gets 10.000 dollars. That needs to be much more visible. It should immediately catch anyone's attention."

"That much?"

"Absolutely."

Damon considered it before he guessed, "You're thinking about publicity."

"I'm thinking about perception." Alexander corrected him before looking toward the tournament hall and added, "10.000 dollars changes the way people describe this event."

Damon nodded slowly as he understood what Alexander meant, "It's no longer just a card tournament."

Alexander smiled as he explained, "Exactly. It's a championship. There is a cash prize. There are hundreds of competitors. There will be television coverage. Newspapers can call it a championship. Television stations can call it a championship. And viewers who don't know anything about Duel Monsters will immediately understand that this isn't simply children sitting around playing cards. It's the real deal."

Damon also smiled and said, "I'll have a new sign made and will put it somewhere people can't miss."

"Good."

Once again, Alexander left Damon behind and moved on with his inspection; this time he headed toward the area they had reserved for the judges.

Alexander's expression became noticeably more serious when he reached the judges' headquarters.

This was the one area where he allowed himself almost no room for compromise.

His company had spent months recruiting and training judges. There were now enough certified judges to supervise tournaments throughout the country, and some had even been hired by third parties to judge major local events. For the Grand Prix, however, Alexander had brought enough personnel to cover the enormous tournament floor while maintaining several layers of backup.

He met with the head judge, and without wasting time he said, "Let's go through the procedures."

The head judge nodded, "Of course."

"Disputes."

"Will be handled according to the tournament policy."

"Illegal plays?"

"Warnings or game penalties where appropriate, escalating according to severity and circumstances."

"Appeals?"

"Players can appeal rulings to the appropriate senior judge."

"Timing?"

"Strictly enforced."

"Player conduct?"

"Monitored throughout the tournament."

"Counterfeit cards?"

"Decks will be checked during registration and again before matches."

"Emergency procedures?"

"Already established."

Alexander nodded before he asked, "And everyone has passed the examinations?"

"Everyone." The head judge sounded confident, "We're ready, Mr Jones."

Alexander studied him, then he began asking questions.

Difficult ones. Edge cases. Interactions that could easily confuse an inexperienced judge. Situations where the obvious answer wasn't necessarily the correct one.

The head judge answered each one before another judge was brought in for one of the more complicated scenarios, but he answered it correctly as well.

Alexander finally smiled, "Good."

The tension in the room eased, "Very good."

This was perhaps the first time all morning that Alexander genuinely relaxed.

A faulty camera could be fixed, a late shipment could be delivered, a broken scoreboard could be replaced, but incompetent judges? That could ruin an entire tournament.

Later that day, Alexander found Roland near the Feature Match stage.

"Everything ready?" Roland asked.

"Almost."

"That's concerning."

Alexander gave him a look, but Roland remained completely serious, "I'll assume that means you're satisfied."

"Mostly."

Alexander looked toward the cameras, then toward the Feature Match table, "I'm more worried about tomorrow."

Roland raised an eyebrow and asked, "The tournament?"

"In part, but mostly about the broadcast."

Roland understood immediately and reassured him, "You'll be fine."

"I'll be commentating on live television."

"You're the creator of the game."

"That doesn't make me a professional commentator."

"No." Roland paused before he said, "It makes you the person who currently understands Duel Monsters better than anyone else in the whole world."

Alexander sighed, "That's a very diplomatic way of saying ESPN couldn't find anyone better for the job."

"Precisely."

Alexander couldn't help smiling.

Roland continued, "You're not expected to become a professional sportscaster overnight."

"Good."

"That's Mike Patrick's job."

Alexander looked at him and asked, "He's here?"

"Already."

As if summoned by the conversation, a man approached them and asked, "Are you Alexander Jones?"

At 47, Mike Patrick had the seasoned, polished presence of a veteran sportscaster: silver beginning to show at his temples, a composed expression, and the confident posture of someone accustomed to commanding a broadcast booth.

Alexander turned and replied, "Yes."

The man offered his hand and said, "Mike Patrick."

They shook hands.

"Nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

Patrick smiled, "I've been studying the rules."

"How much do you know?"

Patrick laughed and said, "Enough to know that I still have a lot to learn. Your creation is quite complex..."

They soon moved toward the Feature Match table to rehearse, and Patrick deliberately began with basic questions, "What exactly is a Life Point?"

Without hesitation, Alexander explained, "Life Points, officially shortened to LP, are a numeric value in Duel Monsters Duels used to represent the health of a player. If a player loses all their LP, they lose the Duel..."

Then he asked about summoning, then card effects, then more complicated interactions.

Alexander answered each question, and eventually Patrick changed his approach, "All right. Suppose a player has an opportunity to attack, but chooses not to. What does that tell us?"

Once again, Alexander quickly began to explain the possibilities, "Well, it mostly depends on the state of the board. If there are cards on the back row, he may be trying to avoid activating a trap. Then there are monsters that activate powerful effects when attacked, and he may want to avoid that. Or he may want to ensure that his opponent has absolutely no chance to recover. Or he may be stalling, waiting for the right opportunity or for some timed effect to trigger..."

Patrick nodded thoughtfully, "So there's no way to look at the decision in isolation."

"Not really. You have to consider what the player knows, what they could lose, and what they're trying to accomplish."

Patrick leaned forward slightly, "But the decision itself can still tell us something."

Alexander smiled. "Absolutely."

"Like if they could attack, but deliberately don't, their opponent might start wondering why."

"Exactly. They might be trying to bait a response."

"And if they don't attack, the opponent might assume they have something prepared."

"Right."

Patrick smiled, "That's what I needed."

Alexander raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Not just the rules." Patrick gestured toward the table. "I need to know what the decision means. Why a player would do something, or deliberately not do it."

Alexander smiled, "Now you're getting it."

They continued.

Patrick asked about a hypothetical late-game comeback, and Alexander explained the sequence of plays.

Patrick then turned it into something an ordinary viewer could understand.

By the end of the rehearsal, Alexander was genuinely impressed.

Patrick didn't need to become a Duel Monsters expert; he needed to know enough to ask the right questions.

Alexander didn't need to learn how to be a sportscaster; he needed someone who could turn his knowledge into something people could follow.

The pairing made sense.

"Tomorrow should work," Alexander said.

Patrick smiled, "I'll take that as a professional endorsement."

"It's not."

Patrick laughed.

By evening, the convention centre had become almost completely quiet.

Most of the workers had left. The remaining staff were finishing the last preparations before getting some rest.

Alexander walked through the tournament floor one final time.

The tables were ready. The judges were ready. The merchandise was ready. The cameras were ready. The commentators were ready. The competitors had already arrived in Los Angeles and were resting in their accommodations. There was nothing left to prepare.

Alexander reached the Feature Match stage; the empty table stood beneath the lights

Tomorrow, two Duelists would sit there. The cameras would turn on. Mike Patrick would speak. Alexander would explain. And millions of people might watch.

Alexander took the speech he'd prepared from his pocket; it wasn't particularly long as he had deliberately kept it short.

Nobody wanted to spend half an hour listening to the organiser of a card game tournament deliver a long speech before they could start playing.

He read it again to check that it flowed as intended and said everything that needed to be said.

He thanked the competitors. Welcomed the spectators. Acknowledged the judges, staff, sponsors and ESPN crew. He talked briefly about the first Grand Prix. About how much Duel Monsters had grown since then. Then came the announcement of the 10.000 dollars prize and an Ultimate Rare card that won't be revealed until the very end, as usual.

That part was easy.

The final section was harder, as Alexander wanted to say something that actually mattered, that the Grand Prix wasn't merely about winning. Winning mattered. He wasn't going to insult the competitors by pretending otherwise. But there was more to Duel Monsters than victory. It was about understanding, understanding your cards, understanding yourself and understanding the person sitting across from you.

The first Grand Prix had shown that Duel Monsters could bring people together, but the second would show that it could become something much larger.

Alexander reached the final sentence.

He read it, then frowned as he crossed it out and tried another before he crossed that out too.

Eventually, he settled on something simpler.

He read it once, then again to get a feel for it, and this time, he nodded, "Good enough. But I'll likely also end up improvising something else on the spot..."

He folded the speech, and for a moment, Alexander simply stood there. He looked across the empty convention centre while thinking, 'Months of preparation have led to this. Business negotiations. Card production. Tournament organisation. Judges. Marketing. And now television. Tomorrow, the doors will open. Hundreds of competitors will take their seats. Thousands of spectators can walk through the convention centre. Millions might see the tournament through ESPN channel...'

Alexander finally allowed himself to stop thinking about that.

There was nothing left to prepare.

Tomorrow, he wouldn't merely be the organiser; he wouldn't merely be the businessman behind Industrial Illusions; he would be standing in front of thousands of people, and potentially millions more watching from home, as the creator of Duel Monsters, and for the first time, the world would get a glimpse of what he had been building.