Chapter 927: Chapter 507 Boss Chapter 927: Chapter 507 Boss When Monkey arrived at the studio, he discovered that today, Fang Cheng was actually diligently sitting at his workspace, which excited Monkey so much that his eyes widened.

He had thought the Boss had arrived with a new game, but after looking carefully, he rubbed his eyes in confusion.

Something seemed off when he woke up this morning.

The Boss in front of him looked the same as usual, but after staring for a while, he could feel something was different.

After staring intently for a while, Monkey had a sudden realization.

The Boss was smiling!

Fang Cheng did smile occasionally, but it was usually fleeting, and most of the time he was very calm, with a sense of composure that seemed to have seen everything in the world.

But today, Fang Cheng looked very happy, and his smile felt different from before.

Although it was good that the Boss was happy, his unusual demeanor made Monkey quite nervous, and he carefully asked, “Boss, you seem quite happy.”

“Yes,” Fang Cheng nodded, “I’ve figured out some things, so I’m in a good mood.”

Monkey also sighed in relief, but couldn’t help but ask, “Boss, what did you figure out?”

“Games are an art of interaction.”

“…That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

“…If I may be so bold, isn’t that common knowledge?”

“People are different; what you consider common knowledge might take me a long time to understand. But no worries, it’s good once you understand.”

Seeing Fang Cheng’s reflective expression, Monkey became even more perplexed.

Returning to his own workstation, Monkey couldn’t figure it out and had no choice but to tug at the clothes of Xiao Douzi next to him and ask, “What’s up with the Boss today, why did he suddenly say that games are an art of interaction?”

Xiao Douzi coldly looked at Huang Ping and pushed up his glasses with his middle finger: “It seems you really don’t get it.”

“Get what?”

“One plus one equals what?”

“Two, are you an idiot?”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why does one plus one equal two?”

“It just does, that’s the rule.”

“Who made the rule, why is it set this way, what can you deduce from this rule?”

Looking at the serious Xiao Douzi, Monkey felt the other party might be nitpicking, but also felt there was more to it.

After thinking for a while, Xiao Douzi then said, “It looks to you like very ordinary common knowledge, but a lot goes into proving it or setting those rules, so this seemingly simple thing is established. And ‘games are an art of interaction’ is similar; although it’s a very plain statement, it encapsulates a wealth of principles.”

“…Xiao Douzi, are you glorifying the Boss too much?”

“Not at all. I feel I still haven’t fully grasped the Boss. In my mind, the Boss is a genius in the gaming industry while alive, and when he’s gone, he’s a top-three figure in the gaming hall of fame.”

“Why not the first?”

“Giving the Boss a bit of room for improvement.”

Monkey wanted to argue that one couldn’t improve after death, but felt it was useless to complain at that moment.

Resignedly shrugging his shoulders, Monkey continued his work, but soon found he couldn’t concentrate.

The Boss’s statement was very ordinary; people in the gaming industry hear it all the time.

But on closer thought, he realized that the statement actually defined what games are, clarified the core of gaming, and played a foundational role in UI, systems, gameplay, and various aspects.

After pondering for a while, Monkey realized he often heard this statement but never thought deeply about it; his thoughts had remained surface-level only.

Now, raised by Fang Cheng, he began to ponder what the essence of games was and soon found himself deep in a mental trap, unable to extricate himself.

Watching the continually pondering Monkey, Fang Cheng nodded with satisfaction.

Simplicity begets profundity; much knowledge hides in simple statements, but careful thought can yield much insight.

Although it seemed like he was back to the beginning, past experiences had become stepping stones, allowing Fang Cheng to see different insights.

Games are living art, which means as long as there are players, they continuously interact with the developers through gaming, writing their stories in the game.

And his expectations for the players, he now understood.

He hoped players would write unique stories, hoping to see them unleash astonishing creativity on the gaming stage.

Past gaming experiences had shown him the bizarre actions of players which sometimes frustrated him, yet also exposed him to their extraordinary creativity.

He began wondering what players would do next, a curiosity he had rarely felt before.

Smiling at the players’ comments, Fang Cheng finally encountered the joy of gaming.

Interaction is the expression of gaming, and curiosity its inner driving force; a game must be able to evoke players’ curiosity, which also draws them to keep playing.

Sitting at his workstation, Fang Cheng continuously refreshed the “Childhood” videos on Bilibili.

He had no particular goal, just watching diverse players engaging with the game in different ways and deriving different pleasures from it.

The conflict between Old Fox and Xiemen Waidao had been broadcasted live, and Old Fox’s dramatic declarations enhanced the popularity of the game even more, surprising many players that the game was actually online!