Chapter 67: What on Earth! What is This Thing (Four Thousand Words)

Thirty thousand!
In less than four days, thirty thousand copies of the game sold!
After seeing this astonishing figure, Liu Ruohan was entirely at a loss for words.
And these numbers were still skyrocketing...
Was this about to create a myth that no one could ever surpass?
It took her a long time to snap back to reality...
She turned on her computer.
The entertainment section of the web was flooded with "Rice Field", and across all major music platforms, including Soudu Music, "Rice Field" had soared to the number one spot!
"Shocking! Zhang Yang has unlocked his hidden potential!"
"Unbelievable, Zhou Yang and Zhang Yang actually..."
"He turns out to be a songwriter, and a blockbuster hit came right from his hands!"
"A young man who didn't even finish high school was actually able to write such a stunning smash hit..."
"Is the myth of the single-player game about to be forged?"
"..."
Amidst the screen full of "Rice Field", Zhang Yang's name was everywhere.
With sheer disbelief, Liu Ruohan opened the credits for "Rice Field"!
She saw that the composer for "Rice Field" was unmistakably listed as "Zhang Yang".
Had this guy seriously turned on some kind of cheat code?
..............................
Shanghai.
In the study of a villa, rows of books such as "Sunshine" and "Like a Dream" were neatly arranged.
The author of these books was named Ming Han.
Having achieved fame at a young age, he radiated brilliance and was once an idolized author for a generation of youths. But nowadays, whenever people spoke of this young man, they invariably associated him with countless labels like "rebellious," "restless," "cancerous," and "incompatible with society."
Ever since the broadcast of the previous episode of "Today," he had stirred up endless controversy online...
On the program, he stood like an isolated island, facing countless alienated gazes. He was shy, occasionally offering a hesitant word of self-defense without backing down, only to be ultimately drowned out by a chorus of voices.
While many people used extremely sharp tones to criticize him, they would simultaneously praise another piano prodigy...
Compared to that young girl,
he, lingering in the corner, seemed like the "bad student," the "hopeless extra," the "punished and ridiculed misfit."
He could still clearly recall every single moment of that show!
It felt bitterly cold to him.
However...
It was merely bitterly cold. In this world, individuals who walked their own path would always court endless controversy.
"This song is truly wonderful!"
At this very moment, in his study, he was listening to "Rice Field".
He was deeply intoxicated by it, fascinated by its melody and ambiance.
Then, he began to listen to other songs.
When it played the song "Dream Chaser"...
Ming Han saw the music video.
Accompanied by Zhou Yang's beautiful singing, Ming Han saw a dilapidated room where ordinary young people clad in cheap clothes struggled desperately in front of bulky computer monitors.
"Hello everyone, my name is Zhao Hang, I'm from Shenyang... When I was very young, I had polio. I have a dream, and that is to make a game that excites players all over the world!"
He saw a young man with slightly disabled limbs and an awkward gait leaning toward the camera, trying hard to squeeze out a smile.
"My name is Zhong... Zhong Chong...wen. I am! A stutterer... I have, I have a dream..." A bespectacled young man struggled to utter a complete sentence, looking both excited and extremely nervous.
"My name is Wu Zhuang, I'm from the Northeast. A dream—does making money to marry a wife count?" Wu Zhuang, a burly northerner, chuckled stupidly in front of the camera, then rubbed his hands in embarrassment.
"My name is Ge Yumiao! I want to become the world's top game designer, oh yeah!" Ge Yumiao made an enthusiastic gesture.
"My name is Sun Lili, I... I just joined the company, and I... I will work hard!" A girl's face turned beet red.
"..."
"..."
"My name is Zhang Yang, and our story has only just begun!"
This was a group of young people brimming with youthful awkwardness yet full of vitality.
They were in a humble, shabby room,
striving and fighting for their dreams!
Ming Han saw Zhang Yang.
He suddenly felt that this person was, in a sense, very much like himself.
Plagued by controversy, similarly lacking a university degree, equally stubborn... Well, at least he felt Zhang Yang was an extremely stubborn person!
"Our story has only just begun!"
That phrase echoed in his mind.
He suddenly felt that he was no longer lonely!
"They are on the road!"
"I am on the road too!"
"My story has only just begun as well!"
He logged into social media.
And wrote this passage on his social media profile:
"He has lived through the darkest, coldest polar night..."
"The bumps and hardships he walked through are bound to have been heart-wrenching!"
"When endurance reaches its limit, there must have been times when no light could be seen!"
"Brimming with talent, yet ignored and misunderstood by everyone!"
"Others negated him, thought he wouldn't amount to anything, considered him trash!"
"He is bound to show everyone, bound to prove it to everyone!"
"Congratulations to him! Congratulations to Mr. Zhang Yang! And thank you, Mr. Zhang Yang!"
"His story has only just begun, and my story has only just begun too!"
"..."
He took a screenshot of Zhang Yang's words from the music video and set it as his computer screensaver!
He checked the time.
It was eight o'clock in the evening.
Amidst his parents' shocked expressions, he left his study and turned on the television!
Zhejiang Television's "Today" officially began broadcasting.
This used to be the most agonizing show for him, and the thing he least wanted to face...
He had been ridiculed. Youths are naturally proud, and being subjected to mockery and misunderstanding is bound to bring pain and self-doubt.
This was the darkness he refused to face!
For a long time, he didn't even dare to approach it, didn't dare go near the television set!
Yet now, he desperately wanted to see what this program was talking about, and he desperately wanted to know what Zhang Yang intended to do!
The program started quickly!
The title of this episode was "Opium and the Digital Age".
The title of the show was as alluring as ever.
At the very beginning of the program...
The production crew conducted covert investigations into many internet cafes.
In many internet cafes, the phenomenon of underage patrons still existed, and on the computers in private booths, one could even catch glimpses of unsightly scenes of men and women stripping and wrestling...
"Games cause addiction; they are simply not something that should exist in this era!"
"My child is addicted to games. He used to study very well and was in the top five of his class, but later, ever since he got hooked on games, his grades plummeted. He was ruined by games!"
"My child is the same!"
"I believe that ninety percent of juvenile delinquency is caused by playing games. Look at the games nowadays, things like 'Madly Beating Alpacas'... Is this something a normal person can play?"
"As for this Zhang Yang guy, I think he's just an opportunist!"
"..."
Through the fragmented interview footage,
Ming Han vaguely saw countless negative news reports regarding games!
There were also numerous parents speaking ill of Zhang Yang...
They used furious tones to accuse Zhang Yang.
Ming Han suddenly felt a sense of empathy.
Until!
The interview reached the home of Su Bin, an elderly teacher at Hangzhou No. 1 High School...
And they saw "God of Walkthroughs"...
Time ticked by bit by bit.
Ming Han watched as Su Bin's expression shifted from disdain and resistance to strangeness, curiosity, and sheer disbelief...
These were the most authentic portrayals captured on camera!
He suddenly felt an immense sense of satisfaction!
It was the validation of being misunderstood, yet ultimately understood after exposure!
He felt that same empathy!
Then...
After the interview at Su Bin's home concluded, he saw the camera switch to Beijing.
Switching to the office building of Universe Technology's new company!
On television, Ming Han saw lights blazing brightly...
As the elevator slowly ascended, Ming Han faintly heard the cheers and excitement of those young people...
He saw Zhang Yang!
He saw Zhang Yang's individual interview.
"I don't know what is going on..."
"I've always felt that everyone has a misconception, thinking that games are products of the modern era..."
"However, in reality, games began as early as primitive society; they are a reflection of human social progress..."
"They are a solace during busy labor, a way to relax one's mind..."
"Eagle catching chicks, dropping the handkerchief—can you say those aren't games?"
"Running, skipping rope, high jumping—these athletic activities are competitions. So, aren't games a form of competition as well?"
"It's just that they have changed their medium, moving from reality onto the computer..."
"When we face them, we are as guarded as if facing a ferocious flood or beast, feeling as though once someone touches them, they are finished!"
"However..."
"I hope to let everyone know that while it may have had negative impacts in the past, it is not entirely harmful. It all depends on how we guide them..."
"Mr. Gorky once said: Play is a child's way of understanding the world. They live in this world and bear the mission of transforming it!"
"..."
"..."
"Perhaps many people don't understand right now and find it hard to comprehend, but please, leave all this to time!"
During the interview,
Zhang Yang faced the camera and spoke a great deal.
Though his tone rose and fell with emotion, every single word seemed imbued with an undeniable power!
Yet his expression was extremely calm.
He neither whitewashed games nor deliberately beautified them...
He seemed merely to be stating a fact.
Even though Ming Han had never heard a single one of the famous quotes Zhang Yang cited.
"Well said!"
However, this did not stop him from standing up and applauding Zhang Yang, cheering for him!
The program...
Came to an end in its closing moments!
He pulled open the curtains!
In the night sky, stars filled the firmament.
So dazzling and beautiful.
The grand aspirations in Zhang Yang's music video swept away all the gloom in his heart!
He suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs toward the distance!
Startling a chorus of barking dogs, along with a stream of curses and a child's crying from downstairs!
Yet he burst out laughing.
Then let's have a competition!
That piano prodigy!
No...
Why should I compete with you?
You were never the object of my comparison to begin with!
Zhang Yang's story was magnificent!
It felt as though a certain spirit was inspiring him!
Then!
His own story would be equally magnificent!
That piano prodigy was merely an insignificant scenery along the journey.
......................
"Right! Games shouldn't be treated like floods and fierce beasts. Many parents are irresponsible, and that cannot be blamed on games!"
"Yes, and furthermore, I admit that many internet cafe owners do let minors log on just to make money, but that is not a reason for games not to exist, nor should games take the blame for juvenile delinquency..."
"I just looked up some data: many juvenile delinquents turn out the way they are mostly due to divorced single-parent households or households raised by grandparents... Parents only make excuses for their own educational failures and never reflect on their personal faults or why their children turned out this way!"
"Family background is crucial; games are merely an outlet for them to vent..."
"Also, I often hear that the post-90s generation is a ruined generation, but what era hasn't had ruined people..."
"..."
"..."
As soon as the episode of "Today" aired, it sparked a craze for gaming online!
Countless young people reposted Zhang Yang's words in online forums, and various screenshots were frantically circulated...
It was as if they had finally let out a pent-up breath, expressing the thoughts that had accumulated in their hearts for years.
The homepages of major gaming forums were completely dominated by Zhang Yang's voice and his words.
At the same time, many pop music forums were the same.
In just a single night...
Searches for the name "Zhang Yang" reached an astonishing three million times, surging into the top ten trending keywords on Soudu!
Moreover, this data was growing frantically...
For a time, it overshadowed the trending searches of many celebrities and was even catching up to Zhou Yang!
................
Universe Technology!
"Thirty-five thousand!"
"Thirty-seven thousand!"
"Forty thousand!"
"Holy crap!"
"..."
Ge Yumiao, Zhong Chongwen, and the others felt their blood boiling.
They watched the download numbers for "God of Walkthroughs" go wild!
With every blink, it felt as though they were witnessing a myth being forged!
Sun Lili, meanwhile, kept answering calls at the front desk!
The front desk phone was ringing off the hook!
Many reporters hoped to come tomorrow, and some had even arrived that very evening, standing guard right downstairs at the office building.
Sun Lili finally waited for the phone calls to quiet down a bit before looking toward the office.
Zhang Yang had brought a middle-aged man and a young man into the office, and they had been chatting for a long time.
She had no idea what they were talking about.
......................
Inside the office.
"I need some data, Mr. Tong. I hope you can go to America and see if there are Apple phones or anything similar over there... Mr. Tang Lei, let me take a look at the phone you've assembled."
Amidst the clamor of the great era,
Zhang Yang accepted a newly assembled mobile phone from the middle-aged man.
When the phone powered on, he fell into deep thought.
Subsequently...
After confirming that Apple phones indeed existed in this world, his eyes lit up!
"How about we temporarily name this phone the Pineapple phone?"
"What the heck?"
"America has Apple, China has Pineapple!"
"Or we could call it the Phelps Waterproof Phone—a professional device, simply awesome!"
"..."
"When the time comes, we'll sell the phone and the game together! Inside the game, I'll run some ads for the phone!"
"Don't feel embarrassed right now; seizing the market is what matters most!"
"We could even call it the Dalang Phone, and the boot animation screensaver could be, 'Dalang, it's time to take your medicine,' paired with some music!"
Inside the office...
Tong Wei and the middle-aged man felt completely numb.