Another New Year has arrived.

Unlike previous Spring Festivals, this year is Old Chen’s first year after permanently settling in Jiangning, persuaded by his son.

Because of this, Old Chen is rather melancholic.

Perhaps it’s how all elderly people feel, it’s hard to leave one’s roots. Actually, Chen Ba can understand Old Chen’s feelings. After all, he sometimes misses the place where he grew up.

But there’s no choice...

Just like that line Dagu said to Obik, the old village isn’t coming back!

Obik’s experience is really akin to what Chen Ba’s generation went through, with the village bearing childhood memories that’s destined to remain in the past.

It was once beautiful, but that was the past. Now, when you look around, how much still resembles what it used to be?

Old Chen can take things as they come. After being emotional for a bit, he let it go, especially since he still had to cook the New Year’s Eve dinner!

Maid?

Chen Ba did hire a maid for his father, but she also needs a break for the New Year, so he gave the cooking auntie some time off, meaning Old Chen had to cook himself for a while.

Luckily, Old Chen’s cooking skills are decent enough. After years of cooking as a single parent, his culinary skills aren’t far behind those of the maid.

"Dad, what’s your New Year’s wish?"

"Nether Dragon..."

"Cough, cough! No more Nether Dragon Venerable, that thing is done for. If I buff it, I’d get roasted by players!"

As soon as Old Chen started speaking, he startled Chen Ba.

How long has it been, and Old Chen is still thinking about Nether Dragon Venerable? Is that broken character so fun? Hasn’t it been in the gutter for months now?

"I’ll play with it even if it’s in the gutter!"

Old Chen pouted and said, "If I don’t play Nether Dragon Venerable, then what? It’s all your fault for creating ’Ancestor Tree,’ making me play it until now without clearing it..."

Oh! Old Chen is still playing Ancestor Tree? 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Chen Ba was a bit surprised and curiously asked, "Which version are you playing?"

"I have no idea, but I downloaded the integrated package made by Bin from Tianba Community. It’s got tens of thousands of levels!"

"Then that’s the Sata version."

Chen Ba nodded knowingly.

Since its release, the game "Ancestor Tree" has spawned several versions. In theory, every player could create their own version, but most people prefer playing ready-made ones.

So the mainstream versions, which are also the more popular ones, amount to only about a dozen worldwide.

Among them, the Sata version is the most downloaded and used by domestic players, created by a Chinese player named SataTNT, who is currently among the top twenty world record holders.

How is it only in the top twenty?

Don’t underestimate this ranking. In fact, being in the top twenty is quite prestigious. Moreover, the Sata version of "Ancestor Tree" is also the most-used and downloaded version worldwide, bar none!

The top global records, especially the top ten versions, are specially optimized versions for record-breaking runs.

Despite having a vast number of levels, sometimes thousands or even hundreds of thousands, they aren’t suitable for the average player to enjoy.

The levels created by player SataTNT, although fewer than the top few, are quite engaging and not as monotonous, which is why it’s quite popular.

Chen Ba even considered recruiting him.

This guy’s integrated "Ancestor Tree" version is catching up to 70% of the game’s sales.

In other words, out of every ten "Ancestor Tree" players, nearly seven are playing the Sata version; that market share is astonishingly high.

If such talent isn’t recruited to Tianba Studio and is instead used for malicious purposes, it wouldn’t be good.

Speaking of which...

The Sata version of "Ancestor Tree" is the most popular version with a terrifying 98,000 levels, close to breaking 100,000.

This is only among the top twenty!

The current Guinness World Record holder for "Ancestor Tree" levels comes from Western Europe, some unknown person who optimized the level generation method and logic, creating 2.74 million levels.

Yes, 2.74 million levels!

The astounding number of levels not only stunned many players but has a lead of nearly 1.7 million levels over the second place, truly far ahead.

Chen Ba was also shocked by them.

In fact, many players noticed that as the number of levels in "Ancestor Tree" increased, level generation speed slowed down the further you go, to the point where after 1 million levels, average home computers couldn’t load the game.

Don’t get the wrong idea, the game files are still the same size and don’t take up more storage space on your hard drive.

The reason home computers can’t load it is simply because after the game surpasses 1 million levels, consumer-grade CPUs can’t handle it.

So, the top ten players worldwide have now moved to mysterious configurations, especially the Western European guy in first place, using unknown devices to run the program.

2.74 million levels...

Thinking about this terrifying number, and that it’s still growing, the entire gaming industry has been rendered speechless by "Ancestor Tree."

Can anyone really experience all these levels? Impossible, absolutely impossible!

Even if someone could, no one would be willing to try, considering how overwhelming the number of levels is.

Players prefer those versions with only a few thousand or tens of thousands of interesting levels to play and have fun with; as for the versions on the global records list?

Oh, come on, you’re trying to kill me?

Even with just a few thousand or tens of thousands of levels, I’m already exhausted. By the time I reach the end, I’m sick of it, and you want me to play versions with hundreds of thousands or millions of levels?

A new generation of internet addiction buster!

Old Chen’s gaming addiction was almost halved by "Ancestor Tree." Had he not come to his senses and uninstalled the game, he might get nauseous and want to vomit as soon as he sees the computer now.

Actually, Chen Ba is the same...

His internet and gaming addiction almost got cured by the game "Ancestor Tree".

During that time, he felt sick just looking at a computer, and at night he dreamed of that Ancestor Tree, dreamed of the protagonist Tree Treasure, then immediately woke up in shock.

Perhaps precisely because of the miraculous internet addiction-quitting feature of "Ancestor Tree", this game became a favorite for parents to recommend to their children.

"Play! You have to play!"

"Dad will buy you a computer, buy you games, buy you snacks and drinks you like, just sit in front of the computer and play games for me. An all-nighter isn’t enough, you have to play through the game..."

Unexpectedly.

Parents’ intentions were cruel but effective. All children forced by their parents to play "Ancestor Tree" eventually relievedly turned to their textbooks.

Really can’t take it!

Parents standing behind you with a feather duster, forcing you to complete the game. Initially, it’s exciting; after all, having such freedom to openly play games is rare.

But play it long enough, and you’ll feel nauseous.

This lousy game is truly despair-inducing, why are there so many levels?

Complete the game? Maybe in the next lifetime!

Compared to "Ancestor Tree", the abstract mathematical symbols and various theorems and formulas in textbooks seem almost "refreshing".

This bizarre educational method, no one knows how it got popular, nor who started it; anyway, it inexplicably became a trend.

At least half of the added sales of "Ancestor Tree" came from parents with children.

Don’t ask; if you ask, it’s attack poison with poison!

What to do if a child loves games? Don’t panic, buy him a copy of "Ancestor Tree" to quit internet addiction!

What to do if the child gets a headache or diarrhea when looking at books or doing homework? Don’t panic; a disease that even top-tier hospitals can’t cure can be solved by buying a copy of "Ancestor Tree".

There’s no child that "Ancestor Tree" can’t cure, even the toughest will experience an emotional breakdown after playing a thousand levels...

Regarding this behavior, Chen Ba does not approve, because he believes that "Ancestor Tree" is not for quitting internet addiction, it’s for quitting gaming addiction!

Playing too much of "Ancestor Tree", and perhaps you’ll lose interest in any games in the future, even feel unlucky hearing about games.

Isn’t this digging a hole for oneself?

As the head of a gaming company, Chen Ba doesn’t want the number of players to decrease and definitely doesn’t want to become the sinner of the gaming industry because of "Ancestor Tree".

So, after Chinese New Year, he carefully worded a heartfelt essay; the core message being: please don’t use "Ancestor Tree" to educate children! "Ancestor Tree" doesn’t welcome these student players!

Of course...

A heartfelt essay certainly couldn’t be so blunt, even if that’s the sentiment, Chen Ba expressed it quite tactfully.

Under the flag of doing what’s best for children, in the name of protecting the nation’s future flowers, urging parents to stop the brutality, Tianba Studio will take concrete action to prevent any underage players from playing "Ancestor Tree".

"I’m doing this for the good of the children!"

"I really can’t take this money, taking it weighs on my conscience. All you mothers of Zihan can rest assured; I absolutely won’t allow minors into the game ’Ancestor Tree’."

No way!

Despite Chen Ba’s "responsible" stance touching parents, making them feel this gaming company was indeed reliable, they don’t really want to support Chen Ba.

Young man, your intention is good, but why are you banning my child Zihan from playing "Ancestor Tree"?

Do you know, I’m counting on "Ancestor Tree" to help my child Zihan quit internet addiction!

No, you must take this money!

The money for a copy of the game, everyone can afford it, for the children, please be sure to accept it.

"I’m not taking it, I really won’t take it!"

Chen Ba doesn’t want to be a sinner or want to eliminate future players, so he truly doesn’t want to accept this money.

But the more he doesn’t want to take it, the more parents offer it to him, even lauding him as the most responsible gaming person.

And what about the children’s attitude?

Of course, they supported!

Upon learning the plan to completely ban underage players from "Ancestor Tree", besides a few kids feeling unhappy and opposing, most children shed tears of joy.

Ba, what a good person!

Whoever wants to play this lousy game can play it, but I’m not playing; banning it is fine, saving me from parents forcing me to complete it day and night, almost vomiting out yesterday’s food.

No matter parents’ opinions, Chen Ba is determined not to earn this money. For the sake of nurturing future players, he insisted on listing "Ancestor Tree" as a "regulated" game.

However, just after the game implemented strict "anti-addiction" measures, Chen Ba was summoned.

Parents were not satisfied, for the first time involving their children in anti-addiction enforcement, they approached the game company demanding an explanation.

The lawyer in charge of this for Tianba Studio was dumbfounded.

What the heck?

Tianba Studio’s anti-addiction measures upset parents so much, aren’t anti-addiction measures allowed?

Wow!

The sun didn’t come out from the west, did it? Or maybe he heard wrong, actually it’s because Tianba Studio’s games cause harm, hence parents demand stronger anti-addiction measures?

"Causing harm? Are you a lawyer or not! Clearly it’s beneficial..."

Lawyer: "..."

Wonderful, in all these years in the profession, this is the first time encountering such bizarre and abstract cases, won’t this case be recorded in a textbook?