NOVPUBChapter 760: Chapter 426: The Economic System in the Game_2
Chapter 760 -426: The Economic System in the Game_2
Huang Ping withdrew the hand he had placed on Alt and F4 and said to Fang Cheng, “Boss, this game is kind of outrageous.”
“Do you think so too?” Fang Cheng asked excitedly.
“Yeah, but it’s strangely fun. By the way, Boss, were you trying to satirize something with this game? Turning a school into a large entertainment city, are you implying the current situation where universities favor business over education?”
Fang Cheng looked at Huang Ping, puzzled, wondering how he had come to that conclusion.
I just wanted to make an ordinary school simulator, who would have thought you would treat the incoming Cultivators like cash cows.
I’m also a victim, okay?
Before Fang Cheng could reply, Xiao Douzi seriously said, “No, I think this is the Boss satirizing how capital alienates people. These Cultivators are the embodiment of capital, and even if they are unconscious, they morph the environment into the most suitable soil for capital to thrive. However, some parts like working in factories are missing, let’s add them.”
“Haven’t we already done that?” Monkey asked in confusion, “Isn’t that what the Spirit Gathering Array is?”
“I’ve looked at some film schools, where students have already become part of the capital’s entertainment,” Lin Nan said quietly, “Interesting is, the Boss never said the game should be played this way, yet the players have turned it into this. So I think, the implication of the game is to warn people, to be wary of those looking for shortcuts, and to remind oneself not to be devoured by this era.”
“That makes sense.”
“Lin Nan is right, that must be what the Boss means.”
Watching his colleagues, one after another, discuss the “implication” of the game, Fang Cheng felt like he was somewhat out of touch with the times. n𝚘𝚟𝚙𝚞𝚋.𝚌o𝚖
When I made the game, I really didn’t think that much.
Can we be more realistic?
Fang Cheng thought over-interpretation was a habit among his colleagues, but before long, he found that the game’s popularity hadn’t fallen; instead, it had increased.
The cause was a research student who was nearly driven insane by graduation requirements.
She was on the verge of graduating, her job offer was all set, her advisor was ready to let her go, and a good job with an annual salary of five hundred thousand was within reach.
Just as she was preparing to embrace her new life, the department gave her some bad news.
She lacked one paper publication to graduate.
This rule had just been implemented, and somehow, she was also subjected to it.
If she couldn’t publish an article in a fairly influential media outlet within the allotted time, she would most likely be doomed.
After learning this unfortunate news, she was totally stunned.
Her advisor, seeing no other choice, spoke to his student gently, “This is the department’s regulation, and I can’t do anything about it. I can give you a special pass for them to review your article immediately. As long as it meets the standard, it should be publishable.”
Upon hearing this, the research student saw a glimmer of hope and asked expectantly, “When do they need it?”
If she could have a week’s time, she could try her best to write an article and then leave it to luck.
“Yesterday,” the advisor said expressionlessly.
The research student felt her heart stop.
“However, fortunately, there were some issues with their publication, so they’re delaying the release by three days, giving you a chance. If you can get me the draft within ten hours, then there might be a slight possibility. Good luck, I’m rooting for you.”
Walking out of the advisor’s office in a daze, the research student felt her head was still numb.
Back in her dorm, she opened her phone, stared at the HR contact information, but couldn’t bring herself to say that she would not be able to graduate and they should find someone else for the opportunity.
Writing an article in ten hours was simple, but to get it published in “Economic Observation,” that was a bit tricky.
“Economic Observation” was considered one of the more authoritative financial publications in the country; its chief editor was known for his upright nature, fair perspective on issues, and dislike for sensationalism, preferring articles of substantial thought.
Her advisor was a frequent contributor to this publication but occasionally would also face rejection. It was a bit of a joke that even the advisor had mixed emotions about this chief editor.
Now, forcing herself to do such a thing was just the difference between dying today and dying tomorrow.
After spacing out for a while, she turned on her computer, launched Word, and prepared to seriously write a paper and give herself a last-ditch struggle.
However, when she came back to her senses, she realized she had already started “Gardener Simulator” and was immersed in managing her own amusement park.
“Eh! What just happened to me! Did someone put a curse on me? Wasn’t I supposed to write an essay? Why did I suddenly start playing a game?”
“Not at all,” her roommate, who was sitting up in bed across from her, said indifferently, “I saw it very clearly, you were writing for fifteen minutes before you started scratching your head, indicating you couldn’t continue, then you opened a webpage to start searching for information, and after that, you spent half an hour on a gaming forum reading new posts, and then you opened the game to try new strategies.”
“Why are you watching me so closely!”
“Because my hobby is to observe human reactions when the deadline approaches, and their escapism is particularly interesting.”
Looking at her obnoxious roommate, she felt completely finished.
However, her roommate slowly flipped a page of her book and said calmly, “Haven’t you been playing ‘Gardener Simulator’ lately? The economic system in this game is quite interesting and realistic. Since you’re so into it, why not write a paper based on the content of the game?”
This suggestion hit her like a bolt of lightning, making her want to give her roommate a big hug.
She was good at this game, having played it from the beginning, even discovering the game’s Easter eggs herself.
Sitting back at her computer, she opened the game again and reexamined its content.
“Just writing about the game itself has a gimmick, but without substance, it won’t catch the editor-in-chief’s eye.”
“So, the gameplay at first resembles a small peasant economy, where the player doesn’t feel much pressure and the costs from buildings are low. Although the income is less, it has the advantage of being more stable.”
“However, historically, small peasant economies were more susceptible to natural disasters, so when writing the paper, I could skip this point and focus on an ideal model instead.”
“The incoming Cultivator is essentially the influx of capital. The arrival of large capital distorts the local economic system, twisting it to cater to the shape of the capital. Wait, that sentence can’t go in, it’s a bit dirty.”
“However, the inflow of capital isn’t unlimited, and a single industry structure makes the school’s resilience very low. Once problems arise, the original prosperity will vanish, and everything will return to its basic nature.”
As she thought and wrote, the feeling of being unlucky ebbed away as her mind had never been clearer and her logic had never flowed so smoothly.
Her brain felt as if it had taken a laxative, with wonderful metaphors and rhetoric pouring out, making her more and more excited and happy the more she wrote.
After putting a final period at the end of her essay, she let out a satisfied sigh.
She checked the typos in her paper, sent her draft to her mentor with a note, and then fell into a deep sleep.
At six in the morning, she was jolted awake by her alarm clock, instinctively looking at her phone, and immediately, all sleepiness was gone.
—3:15 a.m.—
Mentor: “Okay, I’ll take a look at it right away.”
Mentor: “Did you actually write about a game? You didn’t send me game strategies, did you?”
Mentor: “‘Economic Observation’s’ editor-in-chief hates games the most, and you used a game as an example. Didn’t you do some research on the other party’s preferences before writing?”
—3:20 a.m.—
Mentor: “Are you asleep? You actually went to sleep? Nevermind, I have a draft here, I’ll help you edit it.”
—3:30 a.m.—
Mentor: “Can’t edit it, don’t bother graduating.”
—4:10 a.m.—
Mentor: “Come to my office tomorrow, first thing in the morning.”
Seeing these messages, she felt she was absolutely doomed.
