The end of the month soon came.

The list of finalists of the Hope Cup competition was also announced on the official website as scheduled.

According to the practice of previous competitions, this kind of national-level programming competition usually attracts follow-up reports from major media.

As one of the most influential newspapers among Xia Guo's university students, Times Youth Daily naturally did not miss the coverage of this event.

Therefore, the editor-in-chief office of Times Youth Daily directly assigned the task to a specific department, asking to write a column on the front page of the newspaper to comment on the finalists of the "Hope Cup".

After receiving this glorious and arduous task from his boss, Zhang Wei and his colleagues in the office spent a whole night downloading all the 270 entries published on the official website of the organizer of the competition.

Flipping through the information in his hand, Wang Yong said with emotion.

"There are a lot of brainstorming works in this competition......"

"Normal," staring at the computer screen meticulously, Zhang Wei replied casually, "After all, this year's test questions are enough to brainstorm." ”

"The test questions of that year's competition are not brainy?"

"After all, the selection of Hope Cup is not just a simple programmer, but a programmer with both programming ability and design creativity."

"Creative? Hey, I have a buddy here who is very interesting, and he actually got a whole virus," Wang Yong flipped through the information in his hand, and said with a smile, "Grapevine, the organizer only found out that the computer was poisoned after running the program, no matter what key is pressed, or the mouse is touched, the computer will be automatically restarted." ”

Liu Sicheng asked with interest: "What happened later?" ”

Wang Yong smiled and said, "What else can come after?" You look at the list of cooperative units, the main test committee has experts in the field of security from the Xia Academy of Sciences, what kind of storm can this little trick set off. ”

Liu Sicheng said with emotion: "It's incredible, this kind of work has been shortlisted." ”

"After all, it is undeniable that this is indeed a work that makes people doubt their lives," Wang Yong shrugged his shoulders and continued, "If you are a novice who doesn't know how to use computers, this virus is enough to make you doubt your life." ”

"Doubting life is not thinking about life...... I always feel like it's off topic. ”

"Off topic? In contrast, I'm more curious about the performance of this big guy in the final, it will definitely be very exciting at that time! ”

There have been many such cases in previous years.

Because the level of the contestant's performance was too high, he received an offer from a large company or was invited to study at a world-class research institute such as the Summer Academy of Sciences to study on topics related to the future of all mankind.

Since the organizer approved the shortlisting of this work, it must have been due to the quality of some aspect of the contestants before such a decision was made.

The voice of communication in the office has never been heard, and Liu Sicheng suddenly noticed that their boss Zhang Wei seems to have not participated in the topic since he started to say a word.

A trace of curiosity floated in his heart, and he couldn't help but speak.

"Speaking of which, why is Brother Wei so silent today?"

Hearing that someone threw the topic to himself, Zhang Wei took his eyes off the screen, leaned back in his chair, picked up the cold coffee on the table and took a sip gently.

"I saw a very interesting work."

As soon as I heard this, the whole office became interested.

"? A work that even our brother Wei finds interesting? Wang Yong pushed down his glasses and walked curiously to his colleague's desk, "I'll take a look." ”

Zhang Wei let go of the office chair and mouse, allowing Wang Yong to do his place.

"Games?"

"yes, it's wicked, I've played it several times."

"Oh? Then I'll have to study it. ”

With a hint of curiosity in his heart, Wang Yong held the mouse and clicked the button to start the game.

Soon the game begins.

The whole game is very short, so short that you just have to walk to the bench in the middle of the cemetery and sit down, and listen to a 30-second piece of music to complete the level.

However, as a veteran gamer, Wang Yong always felt that something was not quite right.

"I can't say how strange it is, but as a game, it's just a ...... process It's a little shorter. ”

He had intended to use the word perfunctory, but the music that came to play at the end of the game was quite interesting, not quite like free stock footage that he had heard elsewhere.

Regardless of the game itself, at least in terms of the soundtrack, he could feel that the producers had put a little bit of thought into it, so he changed his words temporarily.

As he spoke, Wang Yong reopened it.

This time, instead of following the prompts, he went straight to the bench in the center of the cemetery, but walked around the cemetery, trying to find another way to clear the level.

However, Zhang Wei's words dispelled his thoughts.

"If you're trying to find a way out of the cemetery, I advise you not to bother, it's all stickers on the outside, and as for other ways to clear the level...... I've tried them all. ”

"Do you have to die?" Wang Yong said with a wry smile.

"Yes," Zhang Wei nodded, "There is only one ending." ”

From the time when Wang Yong opened the second one just now, Liu Sicheng walked behind the two and stood there, watched the entire game process from beginning to end, and a thoughtful look suddenly appeared in his eyes, and he spoke.

"Will it ...... Was it intentional on the part of the maker? ”

Wang Yong, who watched the game-ending cutscene, was stunned.

"On purpose?"

Liu Sicheng nodded and continued.

"On the surface, it's just a simple game, but it contains a very deep philosophy of life. Brother Wei's words just now reminded me that the only ending is inevitable, and this ...... Isn't that exactly where we all be? ”

There was silence in the office.

Not only the three people gathered in front of the computer, but even the others who were busy with the things at hand stopped talking.

After a long while, Zhang Wei, as the editor-in-chief, coughed lightly, breaking the solemn atmosphere.

"Let's not think about such a heavy thing."

Wang Yong, who came back to his senses, also laughed dryly and said twice.

"yes, yes, it's too early for us."

"But...... As I am saying to our Xiao Liu, the deep meaning of this game may be here," after thinking for a moment, Zhang Wei continued, "Unlike the popular fast-paced games on the market that pursue graphics and coolness, the developers of this game have focused on an old man who is dying...... This is very counterintuitive. But now it suddenly feels like that's the finishing touch to the game. ”

"It's not like a simple game, it's not like a simple program or any animation, it's more like a moving work of art. Old lives disappear, new ones come and go, games come and go, and the world repeats itself over and over again. ”

"I think the reason why the organizers let such works be shortlisted must also be because of the philosophy contained in them."

After listening to Zhang Wei's words, everyone in the office nodded in agreement.

Especially Wang Yong, who was holding the mouse and driving it again, the expression on his face at this moment was no longer half contemptuous, but with a touch of contemplative solemnity.

Yes, as Zhang Wei and Liu Sicheng feel in this game, it's like a moving work of art.

The player's death doesn't seem to mean anything to this game.

Whether it's the tombstone, the birds flying through the woods, or the music that flows quietly like a stream at the end, nothing changes with the player's death.

The option of whether to repeat a line or not makes the heavy concept of death abstracted into something as light as a feather. He wasn't old enough to write about it, but it was there because he could clearly feel it in the game.

Gradually, a hint of realization appeared in Wang Yong's eyes.

There are no easter eggs at all.

There is no hidden ending either.

What you see in front of your eyes is all that the game producer wants to express.

Without a doubt, this is a game that can be thought-provoking!

Just like that line that the producer wrote in the file attachment!