NOVPUBChapter 723: 409
Chapter 723: 409
Human death is experienced three times.
The first is in the physical sense, where life punctuates with a full stop at this moment, everything halts here, and all of the world becomes irrelevant to you.
The second is in the social sense. When the collections not sorted out before death, or the browsing records on phones and computers are discovered by others, that kind of death occurs, and it doesn’t allow a person to rest in peace even in death.
The third is death on a worldly level.
This death happens on the day the universe is destroyed. All matter is dispersed, all energy withers away, and every material that made up the body scatters into the most basic particles at this moment, and after billions and billions of years of oblivion, it is reborn.
The eternity of death makes life appear so fleetingly short, and yet so brilliant in comparison. The vigorous vitality shines dazzlingly in the vast universe, the world’s most captivating color.
Right now, Fang Cheng felt this sensation.
Cheng Tianhua was an interesting character. He already had early symptoms of Alzheimer’s, which made it difficult for him to distinguish reality from fantasy, but also made his life experiences bizarre and fascinating enough to narrate.
He was eager to share his past, that fascinating story intermixed with reality and fantasy, which made Fang Cheng feel as though his life could be experienced and understood by others.
The story from last night was pulled out. Words leaped around in his mind, then transformed into images, into sounds, into motion pictures.
He needed to continuously flesh out the details, to deduce them through Great Divine Power, and then make the story even more fantastical.
Watching Fang Cheng deep in thought at his workstation, Huang Ping pulled Xiao Douzi into the break room and said with a serious expression while drinking fine coffee, “Something’s not right with the boss.”
“The boss is sick!” Xiao Douzi exclaimed, panicked. “I’ll go call a doctor. Let’s go to Xiehe and register him for a consultation!”
“It’s not that kind of problem; I think the boss is in great health, living to a hundred wouldn’t be an issue.”
“Oh, then that’s good. So what’s the problem you’re talking about?” Xiao Douzi asked curiously.
“The boss is actually playing games in the studio.”
Xiao Douzi paused, then asked in confusion, “Isn’t that pretty normal? Why does it sound like the sky is falling when you say it?”
“You’re right, but something is still off. Think about it, the boss has hardly ever played games in the studio before, has he?”
After a moment of reflection, Xiao Douzi exclaimed in surprise, “Huang, you’re right! So what do you think is going on?”
“The boss is most likely facing a bottleneck. So at this time, we need to actively care for him, cherish him, not put too much pressure on him, let him think in peace. Can we do that?”
“Don’t worry, I understand.”
“And the approach must be natural, actions should follow the heart, and we can’t let the boss realize that his current state is abnormal. We can’t add more pressure on him.”
“I get it, don’t worry. Shall I subtly find out what’s bothering the boss?”
Xiao Douzi nodded with certainty and went straight to the door to ask, “Boss, I have a friend who’s been feeling down recently. What do you think I should do to cheer him up?”
“Hmm?”
Fang Cheng looked at Xiao Douzi with confusion, not sure what the math prodigy had in mind.
Huang Ping hurriedly pulled Xiao Douzi away and asked in a low voice, “Is that your idea of subtlety?”
“I think I was subtle enough. If I lived in ancient times, I must be considered part of the restrained faction.”
“You’re from the beast faction!”
Fang Cheng observed the two and felt that there was something odd about them.
However, he always disliked eavesdropping and prying, and unless it was absolutely necessary, he wouldn’t interfere with his employees’ private lives.
But since they had come over, he directly said, “You’ve come just at the right time. I have some questions I’d like to ask.”
Huang Ping nudged Xiao Douzi back a bit and then said earnestly, “Go ahead.”
“For a narrative-driven game, is logic important?”
Huang Ping nodded, sensing why Fang Cheng was playing games in the studio.
The boss was about to start challenging himself again!
Challenging oneself is not a simple task; it implies discarding one’s past skills to learn things never understood before.
And those past skills could form something akin to a knowledge curse, making one want to return to their old comfort zone while trying to challenge themselves.
This is also why many in the gaming world tend to make everything taste the same; after all, they are too accustomed to the previous path and end up unwittingly walking it again.
At that moment, Huang Ping felt as if all his lifetime of learning was being mobilized, which set his brain thinking rapidly, sorting out his answer at lightning speed.
“It’s very important. The narrative must have its own logic. Setting is the cornerstone of a good story, and logic is its skeleton. If it’s a narrative-driven game, then logic is essential. However, logic also doesn’t have to adhere strictly to the logic of reality. For instance, if it’s an immortality cultivation game, then the logic brought about by the cultivation would be completely different.”
“I somewhat disagree,” Xiao Douzi spoke up. “Actually, many narrative games can also downplay logic. Some events can lack sequential relationships, and breaking away from the usual logic in game storytelling might create more tension, providing a more interesting experience for the players.”
