To ascend, I had no choice but to create games-Chapter 821 - 454 What are you thinking?_1

As a seasoned gamer, Mr. Shen himself is a witness to gaming history in recent years.

He witnessed the demise of Atari, the rise of FC, and the popularity of arcade games.

A gaming console ban had isolated consoles from the country, but it provided fertile ground for the growth of PC gaming. There were even a proliferation of risqué games; a bunch of old pervs used 256 colors to create elaborate compositions, which many a teenage boy held onto railings and ripped bed sheets over and relived countless times in their dreams.

Still, standalone games were eventually defeated by piracy, and the more aggressive web games began to emerge. The existence of web games was just a flash in the pan, though, as the advent of mobile games relegated web gaming to a tear-stained Chapter of history that wasn’t particularly pretty to look at.

Mr. Shen thought he had seen it all, having weathered many a storm, yet he had to admit defeat after playing Fang Cheng Studio’s new game "Please Come In, Guest".

This game really was addictive.

The gameplay was straightforward, and while it might not stand out, it was in a league of its own among a heap of games submitted for review.

The game mechanics were simple: stock up, sell, and then use the money to spruce up your little shop, and research new items. Occasionally, customers would make some novel requests or you’d get items from customers to study—and that’s the entirety of the gameplay.

But this game...

Why is it so compelling?

From the moment he started playing, Mr. Shen knew he was in trouble.

He knew he shouldn’t, but he kept getting drawn in by the game. Every second brought something to do; every moment, there was progress to be made.

The automation settings in the game were a stroke of genius—easy to get into but with full functionality, the automated production line allowed players to put their hands away while constantly focusing on new facilities.

Playing the game with a single-minded focus, Mr. Shen forgot to clock out, to call his family, to acknowledge others’ existence, and even to remember he was supposed to be reviewing the game.

It wasn’t until the head of the review team noticed the scarcity in Mr. Shen’s review records for the past two days that something seemed amiss.

Knocking on Mr. Shen’s desk, the team leader politely asked, "Shen, your records for the past couple of days are a bit light. Is there a problem?"

The team leader was a few years older than Mr. Shen, also a gamer, and his works were even more popular. He was a figure who could stand alone in the annals of gaming history.

In contrast, Mr. Shen, who might at best claim half a Chapter in that history, could indeed be called one of its founders without exaggeration.

Nevertheless, the team leader was very respectful toward Mr. Shen. After all, his student Fang Cheng might become the subject of half the gaming history books, so it was necessary to maintain a good relationship.

Moreover, the review team was run by Mr. Shen and Fang Cheng together. If Mr. Shen hadn’t declined the position of team leader, the current leader wouldn’t have had a role there.

Feeling his question was polite, the team leader was taken aback when Mr. Shen simply looked up and said, "Wait a minute. My production line is almost ready. This line will allow me to randomly compose different item combinations. I just need to check back every so often to see if there are any good combinations."

"Mr. Shen, what are you talking about?" the team leader asked in confusion.

"But picking combinations is a bit of a hassle, so I’d better make a sorting machine too. However, I’ll need a new motor for the sorting machine, so it’s probably best if I optimize and upgrade the existing one first.... Did you need something, team leader?"

Seeing Mr. Shen now, the team leader was shocked.

His dark circles were alarmingly large, his enviable hair showed signs of falling out, and his usually neat clothes were now wrinkled. He bore no resemblance to the elite gamer he used to be.

"Mr. Shen, are you feeling all right?" the team leader asked with concern. "Do you need me to get a doctor?"

"No, I’m fine," Mr. Shen said outright, "Just don’t interrupt me. I’m going to continue playing the game."

"Oh."

Nodding his head, the team leader glanced at the others, and quickly identified a clear-eyed yet naive college student, then gave a slight nod.

He was quite adept at conveying emotions with his eyes, and with his recent gesture, he fully conveyed his appreciation for the college student, hinting at his intention to nurture him.

Locking eyes with the leader, the college student immediately puffed out his chest, his keyboard clacking briskly as he strived to look serious and ambitious.

Nodding again, the team leader pointed at the college student and whispered to his secretary, "Give Mr. Shen’s workload to him."

Seeing the secretary about to leave, the team leader held him back and continued, "Give him my workload too."

Back in his office, the team leader pulled up the game that Mr. Shen had been playing incessantly for days and, upon seeing the publisher, nodded in understanding.

Fang Cheng Studio, huh...

No wonder.

Ordinary games no longer impressed Mr. Shen—it had to be a title from Fang Cheng Studio to hold such allure, making even Mr. Shen unable to resist.

Even though he knew it was a critical moment, the team leader still rubbed his hands together, ready to give it a try.

Men, after all, can’t admit defeat.

Plus, he wanted to challenge his weakness and see just what kind of game Fang Cheng Studio’s latest title was, that it could even cause Mr. Shen to slip up.