Chapter 57 Is This a Learning Game?
Chapter 57: Is This a Learning Game?
“This game is way too bloody and violent! Isn’t it inciting crime?”
“What’s up with the game’s name? ‘Mad Beating the Grass Mud Horse’? A homophone? Isn’t that just promoting foul language? Oh my god!”
“Gas canisters, kitchen knives, bricks, wine bottles… Seeing these items come out and smash on people’s heads—it gives me chills. Just looking at it makes me uncomfortable…”
“I feel the same. Plus, there are all sorts of chaotic storylines. This will mislead young people’s values!”
“These unscrupulous game developers, how can they mislead others like this? Don’t they have children of their own?”
“Yeah, it’s really frustrating. My son is addicted to this game every day and neglecting his homework. These games must be taken down, or they will seriously affect the next generation!”
“And these characters are so ugly, it makes me nauseous just to look at them. Who would want to play this? It seriously impacts values!”
“Agreed!”
“The oldest among the post-90s generation is only 15 now. They’re facing all sorts of trash games. I can’t imagine what kind of people this generation will become when they grow up…”
“Also, that Zhang Yang—he said games are eSports? Like football eSports? Games deserve that?”
“He’s so young but already a deadbeat. That person must be no good!”
“And ‘Desert Bicycle’ is just a pyramid scheme, right? It’s a money scam, a crime! How can someone like that make games?”
“……”
On the computer screens, the internet was flooded with scathing criticism aimed at ‘Cosmos Technology’ and their game ‘Mad Beating the Grass Mud Horse,’ as well as a barrage of negative news about Zhang Yang.
These torrents of condemnation erupted all at once, sweeping through every major forum.
Even the official forums for ‘Mad Beating the Grass Mud Horse’ and ‘Desert Bicycle’ were overwhelmed by a flood of abusive comments.
Every post was drowned out by insults.
From the game’s name to its content, every aspect was condemned, and the public outcry seemed to grow more intense by the minute, with an increasing number of people joining in.
Song Qingqing was stunned.
Fame is a curse; the stronger you grow, the more vulnerable you become.
What on earth was going on?
She found it especially hard to believe when she saw Zhang Yang was exposed as a deadbeat!
In her impression, her senior was an outstanding and upright person—there was no way he could be a deadbeat!
Impossible!
Absolutely impossible!
He was only twenty years old!
As a minor, he couldn’t have been a guarantor for debts—no way!
Unless...
He had already become an adult...
Wait a minute! Could it have been after senior high school?
She immediately grabbed her phone and called Zhang Yang.
But the call kept showing as busy...
No matter how many times she dialed, it was always busy.
Without hesitation, she left her dorm and ran towards the company.
The office lights were still on, brightly illuminated.
Upon entering, she saw many people coming and going, and several reporters gathered inside.
“We want to see Mr. Zhang Yang...”
“Mr. Zhang Yang’s game is accused of harming the health of young people. We want to hear his thoughts...”
“Yes, the entire gaming market is flooded with criticism. What does Mr. Zhang Yang have to say?”
“……”
Song Qingqing saw Zhang Yang’s office door tightly shut.
She was deeply worried.
“Sister Sun, Mr. Zhang...”
“I don’t know. He’s been inside all this time. He must be feeling terrible... I choose to trust him,” Sun Lili said, looking toward Zhang Yang’s office with a flicker of concern.
She keenly sensed that this sudden outburst of public opinion was no accident; there was definitely a hidden hand pulling the strings!
In fact, several game companies had already chosen to stand against Zhang Yang online.
They all accused him of breaking gaming rules and creating misleading games that tarnished the entire industry.
Liu Yun, the HR manager from Wrangler Games, and Li Minghao, former deputy HR manager at Earth Corporation, were among those who quickly voiced their criticisms on social media.
“We once interviewed this guy, but he was timid and full of empty talk, so we didn’t hire him. We thought he was unreliable!”
“Actually, I agree with Ms. Liu. When he came to talk about the future of gaming, he acted all high and mighty, which really annoyed me...”
“……”
Seeing this series of comments, Sun Lili’s anger boiled over.
These people were fabricating lies and slandering Mr. Zhang without any reason!
Did they want Mr. Zhang to suffer even more?
“Sister Sun, do we still have any options now?”
“I don’t know. The internet is flooded with abuse. This is a tough hurdle for Mr. Zhang to overcome... If it were only the game being banned, it might be okay—Mr. Zhang’s abilities could see him through. But if he gets crushed by all this...,” Sun Lili shook her head.
More damaging information about Zhang Yang surfaced online.
Apparently, he had borrowed all the money he could from relatives and friends. Debt collectors came to his door every day, even threatening the neighbors.
Even after selling his house, the collectors still came at night, disturbing the neighbors’ rest.
Only then did Song Qingqing realize.
Zhang Yang came from Erlonghu Village in Nanmin County, Zhangjiakou.
It was only about a mile from the village he had told her about.
“There must be some misunderstanding. Surely... Mr. Zhang is being sabotaged, and the other side is playing dirty, giving no chance for defense...” Wu Zhuang pushed past the reporters and locked the company doors after sending them away. His expression was grave.
Those shadowy figures wanted Zhang Yang to completely fall apart—to break him psychologically.
Wu Zhuang had called Zhang Yang, but he never answered.
Since the incident exploded, Zhang Yang had locked himself in his office without moving.
Wait!
Could it be that Mr. Zhang was... losing hope?
Wu Zhuang’s heart skipped a beat. He stared intently at the office, ready to rush in...
At that moment...
The office door opened!
Everyone immediately gathered around.
“Mr. Zhang!”
“Mr. Zhang, are you alright?”
“Mr. Zhang!”
“……”
Song Qingqing looked at Zhang Yang, her heart tangled with emotion.
Yet...
She saw Zhang Yang yawn casually and walk out as if nothing had happened.
“What’s up? I just took a nap, and you already blew up my phone?” Zhang Yang looked at everyone. “Weren’t you off work? Why are you all back? Working overtime?”
“Mr. Zhang, didn’t you see the news?” Ge Yumiao stammered.
“News? What news? I was sleeping, didn’t see anything...” Zhang Yang shook his head. “Why are there so many reporters outside?”
“Th-they... they...” Ge Yumiao was at a loss for words, his mind blank.
“Let me check the news...” Zhang Yang remained puzzled, then opened up the news on the desk and skimmed through the overwhelming criticism online.
The whole office fell silent.
Everyone’s hearts were heavy with anxiety...
They felt suffocated!
Everyone feared Zhang Yang would suddenly lose his temper, lash out, or break down emotionally...
But...
After a long while, Zhang Yang turned his head, took out a piece of chewing gum, chewed it, and smiled broadly.
“Ahem, ahem...”
“I originally wanted to live like an ordinary person among you, but... reality doesn’t seem to allow me to keep a low profile, does it? Fine, since we’re here, I’ll be honest... I’m a deadbeat!”
“???” Everyone was stunned when Zhang Yang cleared his throat and jovially made this comment in a humorous tone.
At this moment...
Song Qingqing’s eyes reddened!
She was about to cry!
What had her senior endured all these years?
What was going on with him?
“Why are you all looking at me like that? My dad was a gambler who left behind a mountain of debts. When I just became an adult, he took my ID card and used it to mortgage everything, then ran away... What was I supposed to do with this mess?” Zhang Yang shrugged.
Scenes of despair flashed through his mind.
Even now, recalling them was painful.
Sometimes...
He would curse the sky, feeling the world was so unfair to him!
Life had dealt him a devastating hand right from the start!
What else could he do?
If this were a novel, he’d want to wield a knife and take down the author!
Damn it!
Starting with such a dark twist—how is anyone supposed to keep reading?
Should I even bother subscribing?
“Senior, you... you dropped out because... so you...” Song Qingqing’s eyes filled with tears she couldn’t hold back.
“Ah...” Zhang Yang shrugged again and sighed softly. “These ruthless netizens have stripped me bare...”
He glanced at the reporters outside.
Images of shameful scenes swirled again in his mind...
He sighed deeply once more, his gaze darkening briefly before he shook his head lightly.
“What’s with those looks? Although I was a deadbeat before, since last night, I’m not anymore! Also, maybe I exaggerated a bit when I hired you all, but I did pay you guys...” Zhang Yang looked at their worried, skeptical faces and shook his head. “If the game gets banned, so what? It’s not like the world’s ending... We’re not missing an arm or a leg... cough, cough, old Zhao, I’m not talking about you...”
“……”
Zhang Yang shook his head at everyone.
His gaze then fixed on the reporters.
“Today is really lively. When I saw parents reporting us earlier, a thought suddenly came to me: I neglected the children’s market. Just right, I’ll make a children’s learning and social game version of ‘God of Strategies’...”
Under the dark clouds looming overhead,
When everyone’s hearts were in their throats...
They watched Zhang Yang nonchalantly walk toward the door.
Then, by the storage room near the door, he picked up a megaphone he used back in the internet café days.
“Song, come on, what are you standing there for? Help me out a bit...”
“Huh?”
Song Qingqing stared blankly at Zhang Yang, then subconsciously followed him.
“Old Wu, Manager Wu, is there any water left in the office? There are so many reporters outside, and you even kicked them out? We need to be polite and sincere—do unto others as you would have them do unto you...”
“????” Wu Zhuang was dumbfounded.
……………………………………
“Thank you all for supporting ‘Cosmos Technology’!”
“I’ve reflected deeply and thought for a long time, and I believe children’s education is indeed a very big challenge!”
“Although I was once a deadbeat, I have my unspeakable hardships!”
“Specifically, I will hold a dedicated press conference. I hope all reporter friends will come. Thank you all for your attention and support!”
“……”
The reporters saw Zhang Yang with folded hands, beaming like a spring breeze as he arrived at the venue.
They also noticed a burly man from the Northeast distributing cases of bottled water.
“Of course, what I want to talk about now is education!”
“Are there parents here? If not, it’s okay. You’re all recording this, so I believe they will see it.”
“Yes, education is paramount, especially subjects like math and English. Many children struggle with these!”
“I have extensive teaching experience. See this young lady beside me? She’s now a top law student at Yanjing University...”
“When she was in her first year of high school, I tutored her. At that time, I remember your grades were average, right? At least, far from Yanjing University. Oh, and I remember many other kids I tutored alongside you. Thanks to my tutoring, your grades improved rapidly, didn’t they?”
“In fact, everyone...”
“I was very young back then, but I developed a fun learning method. This method is powerful—it can turn a bottom-ranked student into a top performer!”
“Actually, in high school, I was a top student myself. Honestly, if I had studied seriously, I might have competed for the highest score in Yanjing University’s entrance exam!”
“Don’t believe me? Check my grades, go to my school...”
“……”
“Over the years, I have kept thinking about education, about making learning fun. Games are a double-edged sword... they can make kids addicted, but they can also help them improve...”
“……”
The reporters were bewildered.
They watched as Zhang Yang suddenly launched into an unexpected discourse on educational philosophy.
What was he up to?
……………………………………
At the scene,
Liu Yun and Li Minghao stared blankly as Zhang Yang held the megaphone, passionately sharing his educational vision and unique learning methods!
This guy...
“For the sake of children’s education, for the future blossoms of our motherland, for the children’s tomorrow!”
“I have decided to launch a fun learning and social game called ‘God of Strategies’!”
“This game includes English speaking, vocabulary memorization tasks, math formula challenges, and is full of variety...”
“To make children love learning, love the future!”
“I managed to build this company from nothing as a penniless deadbeat in just a few months, and even cleared my debts...”
“So!”
“I can definitely make children love learning!”
“……”
Hearing Zhang Yang’s passionate declaration, Liu Yun’s pupils constricted!
She was completely stunned!
(End of Chapter)