Chapter 31 - 31 31 The Black Box

31: Chapter 31: The Black Box 31: Chapter 31: The Black Box “As science and technology continuously advanced, humans bestowed more and more abilities and emotions upon machines, taking on the stance of gods. However, have you noticed that human emotions themselves are being increasingly lost?” Huang Ying, wearing virtual reality glasses, strolled through the old city’s ancient alleys with Han Fei. Children were playing around them, their faces bearing the purest smiles. “Take some of the things I’ve seen and experienced, for instance. Most people living in this Smart City appear sleek and always wear a smile. But in reality, they rush about in various business settings all day, under immense pressure. And those so-called social gatherings are nothing but acts, everyone seeming warm and welcoming, yet their hearts are cold and calm.” “Our genes have been continuously decoded, our information collected and categorized, and every unusual behavior of ours is recorded in the citizen system. Gradually, our lives, emotions, and very existences have become standardized. It doesn’t feel like we are living our own lives, but rather repeating the same day until death.” After an in-depth conversation, Han Fei found Huang Ying to be quite impressive, at least his words seemed very compelling. “Humans evolved from animals, yet our hearts are gradually becoming like machines, which is a terrifying thing. That’s exactly why I am so fond of ‘Perfect Life,’ this epoch-making game.” Stepping on the stone pavement, looking at the moss beside the road, and smelling the faint scent of post-rain freshness, Huang Ying spread his arms wide: “This game is helping us retrieve our lost emotions, healing the wounds of our souls. Here we can re-experience the beautiful memories we’ve forgotten and genuinely feel our own existence.” “Really?” Han Fei thought back to his own experiences playing the game, barely holding back his tears. “Yes,” said Huang Ying confidently. “This beta version feels extraordinary. I wonder how incredible the official release will be.” Han Fei removed his virtual reality glasses; the ancient alley and the drizzle completely vanished, and he was standing with Huang Ying in a private room. “The official version will definitely surpass your expectations. It’s a game where dreams come true. Just like its name suggests, it will give you a perfect life,” Huang Ying said touchingly. “From your tone, why do I feel like you have already played the official version?” Han Fei looked somewhat surprised. “You caught me; I am actually a special invitee tester for the sixth internal test of ‘Perfect Life.'” Han Fei recalled the information he had found online. The beta testers of Perfect Life were generally divided into four categories: The first category consisted of the game’s internal staff who would first enter and deeply experience the game during every test. The second was the government oversight personnel. As ‘Perfect Life’ is a cross-era deep immersion game that integrates cutting-edge science and innumerable wild ideas, the government pays great attention to it. The third category was special invite testers like Huang Ying, often professionals from various industries and fields. They would play the game from their professional perspectives, offering their suggestions for adjustments to make the game more realistic and entertaining. The fourth category was general players who obtained testing qualifications through various channels. Some of these people were veteran players who simply wanted to experience the game, while others were studios that earned money through gaming. They wanted to obtain firsthand information to prepare for the public beta. “Being invited as a beta tester means you must be a big shot in reality too!” Han Fei was now certain that the Huang Ying in front of him was the same one he had encountered the previous night; his earlier speculation was correct. “I wouldn’t dare claim to be a big shot; I’m just somewhat well-known in the industry.” Huang Ying was very modest and didn’t put on airs. He was extremely patient, leading Han Fei around the game exhibition area and tirelessly promoting Perfect Life, seeming even more dedicated than the game company’s salespeople. “You say Perfect Life can make everyone’s dreams come true, but what if I’m a hardcore fan of horror films? Can I immerse myself in a horror movie experience within the game?” After confirming his identity, Han Fei began to probe. “Of course, the game features a special night paradise, which is designed for horror enthusiasts. It includes various thrilling facilities and recreations of movie scenarios. You can even choose to work at the night paradise and try to trigger a life as the owner of the paradise,” Huang Ying advised seriously. “But you need to be aware of one thing, the game has a mental threshold setting. If it exceeds ten, you’ll be judged by the system to have received a strong stimulation and will then be forcibly disconnected.” “Disconnected if it exceeds ten?” Han Fei’s eyelids twitched; his mental threshold in the game had been set to 100, as high as his life value! “If you’re forcibly disconnected too many times, your game character might die. Life is very fragile in Perfect Life, and you only have one life. After death, all data is reset, and you start over from scratch,” Huang Ying said with emotion. “Death is very painful; you must cherish life.” “Personally, I’ve watched many horror films and feel nothing about movie plots anymore, but certain mysterious events related to hauntings in reality feel much more chilling.” Han Fei took one step closer to the question he wanted to ask: “Do you think there could be supernatural kaidan scenarios in Perfect Life?” “There should have been before the second test. I heard that back then there were no major restrictions; players could attack NPCs without punishment. One tester even slaughtered a neighborhood, and he ended up confined due to mental derangement.” “That crazy?” “What do you think? When human nature is unrestrained, people can turn into the most terrifying beasts.” Huang Ying seemed to recall some rumors from that time: “Because of that tester, Perfect Life imposed a lot of restrictions and cut nearly a third of its scenarios. By the sixth internal test, virtually all plots that could provoke ethical concerns had been removed, even the Easter Egg mentioned in the late founder’s will was deleted.” “An Easter Egg left in the founder’s will?” “Didn’t you know? This is quite famous in the gaming circles.” Huang Ying lowered his voice: “The Chairman of Eternal Life Pharmaceutical died from an illness after the first internal test of Perfect Life. In his will, he told his children to find a black box filled with the world’s regrets, grudge, hatred, misfortune, and malice. He also provided three clues, saying that the box is in the deepest part of the world, the brain sea, and the human heart.” “Did anyone find that box later?” Han Fei subtly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. “No, everyone had different interpretations, and eventually it was suspected that the box was actually an Easter egg hidden in the game, likely containing the old gentleman’s obsession. Testers searched like madmen for the Easter egg in the game, but no one found it. By the third test, due to certain reasons, all the scenarios originally designed by the old gentleman had been deleted, making it impossible to ever find that Easter egg,” Huang Ying said with a tinge of regret. “In my lifetime, I really want to know what that Easter Egg was.” “Yeah, I’d really like to know too,” Han Fei said, patting his own head, his expression very calm.