C58: This is my love

[Chen Xu POV]

At noon, inside the Neon game.

Yang Xin and I were leaning back on the comfy chairs as we scrolled through our phones.

"Online people seem to be aiming their guns at you, Chen Xu!" Ruan Ningxue said, looking over at me, while I kept my eyes closed in enlightenment.

"Yeah, yeah. Under the official blog post for Escape, the comments have skyrocketed from over 1,000 to 20,000, and they keep climbing," Yang Xin added.

"No way. During your media interview, you called yourself a Warrior of Love. But this Escape game doesn't seem to have anything to do with such taste," Ruan Ningxue said while giggling.

At that point, I opened my eyes, feeling the gentle pressure of the comfy chair. Without any panic, I pulled out my Ifruit 36 XD to check the growing storm of comments and smiled.

"Who said Escape has nothing to do with love?" I asked, grinning sarcastically.

"You guys are still too green. Watch me." I continued with the smirk.

I typed it quickly and posted it on the official blog.

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Online, the players were still caught up in heated debates. But when my new post dropped, everyone went silent. Especially the ones who had already played Escape. They stared at the screen, speechless. They were the ones with the loudest voices.

This is what I wrote:

___________

"Seeing my dear questioning my title as the 'Warrior of Love' breaks my heart!

(◞‸◟) ⤜♡→ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ_______💔(੭´༎ຶ ཀ ´༎ຶ)੭

Why isn't 'Escape' a game full of love?

Outside the game, it's filled with my burning love for you, the players.

And even the game's plot itself is packed with love!

Without spoiling too much, let me break it down so we can see the truth together.

First, let's look at the game's background. The protagonist, Miles Upscher, drives alone to Colorado Mountain Giant Mental Hospital to investigate the dark secrets hidden within. Keep in mind that Mount Massive is funded by the multinational corporation Murkoff.

Now, what kind of ordinary, independent journalist would risk his life to expose the conspiracy inside that asylum? Taking on a huge, evil corporation like Murkoff? The answer is simple: justice! And what is justice, if not love? A great love!"

"After entering the mental hospital, you will face a terrifying scene. The hospital is in complete disrepair, with no lights at all. Even generating power was something you had to do yourself, and there were uncooperative people in the way. Psychopaths and doctors will constantly try to stop you."

"But what did you do? You repaired the switch in the basement of that dilapidated mental hospital. Even though you were targeted by patients and doctors. You never intended to hurt anyone. You were only defending myself."

"Even in the face of these overwhelming obstacles, you kept pushing forward with your investigation. In the end, you uncovered the truth, even at the cost of your own life."

"What kind of spirit is this? Isn't this the bravery and fearlessness of a true spartan?"

"A warrior of love isn't just about personal love, but about the great love that can change the world!"

"So, there's no doubt that Escape is a work full of love through and through!"

"I hope everyone can feel the fiery love in Escape! Thank you!"

There ends my bull crap...

___________

In Neon Game's office, Yang Xin and Ruan Ningxue, who were leaning back on the comfy chairs now, also read this post.

Both of them looked at me with stupendous expressions.

Pig grief!

If they hadn't been part of the development process. They might have believed this ludicrous claim.

"Chen, seriously?" Ruan Ningxue asked me, vexation clear in her voice.

Yang Xin, sitting nearby, gave me the same distrustful look.

Before this, they thought I would sincerely explain to the players some hard truths, or at least use some fancy language to smooth things over.

After all, isn't that what most game firms and creators do when faced with player disapproval?

But to their surprise, instead of addressing the players' queries head-on, I came up with this whole flimsy narrative.

The crazy part is that even though they knew better, they still felt like it kind of weirdly made sense.

Players discussing the game online didn't expect me to respond to criticisms directly at first.

And now, many of them were amazed to find that I replied.

As soon as they saw what I said, though, they were amazed at my trash account of all this!

Instantly, the online discussions exploded with players reacting to my comments.

(☞'益'☞) They all declared they didn't buy this nonsense!

______________________________

'What's this about love and great love? I can't believe Chen Xu pulled that off with a straight face! What thick skin!'

'I can't even! What does he mean by "You will never want to hurt anyone"? Dude, I wanted to hurt someone! But where's my weapon? I want to butcher them like one does in Dead Rising!'

'Myers: Where's my gun? Has anyone seen my gun? I live in a capitalist country! There's no way I don't have access to a gun!'

Chen Xu: Sorry, I only have a DV camera and no gun for you. We are a warrior of love.

Someone posted it mocking Chen Xu's comment.

'Obviously, I know that Chen Xu's theory sounds like nonsense, but I have to admit that it still makes some sense.'

'According to this theory, the patients in the mental hospital are very friendly and wholesome!'

'Yes, yes, how can anyone say that those mentally ill patients aren't friendly? They are quite friendly!'

'When I investigated the mental hospital, the patients and doctors interacted with me in a friendly way, inviting me to join them in indoor parkour activities and even playing hide-and-seek to help me relive childhood memories. The Haier brothers told stories, and the nail doctor gave me a manicure!'

'Uncle Fatty, the captain of the security team, was even more worried about my safety. He chased me down the right path.'

'That's right, The fat security uncle took good care of me. When I was crawling in the sewers, afraid I might hit my head, he thoughtfully separated it from me!'

'And the nail care doctor, worried about my hygiene, made sure I wouldn't eat with dirty fingers by cutting them off!'

'Yeah, yeah, in the end, I recorded all these warm scenes with my DV, and to repay these lovely patients, I bravely put out a fire to save the hospital. I even helped with some of the nail doctor's abdominal surgery exercises!'

'"Escape" is such a touching story! It turns out this is love! There's true love in the world—boundless love! It's just unfortunate that every time I feel this love, I end up vomiting.'

'Suddenly, I realize that I can't look directly at "Escape" anymore, but I can't quite pinpoint why!'

______________________________

[POV shift to some player]

With Chen Xu's official post-release, I was left silent—could a warrior of love be connected with me?

No way, I can't play along with this!

However, after playing "Escape," I found myself following Chen Xu's official blog and joining in on the jokes.

After all, when you put it another way, the plot of "Escape" really does seem warm, harmonious, and full of love.

The whole game is filled with love, inside and out.

After the official response, Chen Xu's blog blew up, further fueling the popularity of "Escape."

Players like me couldn't stop poking at it.

But for the game industry and various designers, what mattered more was the sales data generated by all the attention surrounding "Escape."