364: Chapter 364: A Direction Has Been Found

Elder Zhang's gaze narrowed slightly.

This perspective had already transcended mere entertainment and amusement, landing directly on the core proposition of reshaping the structure of human society.

Lin Yuan stood by the railing, looking down at the public space below.

His voice was very level.

"Once fully immersive virtual games go online, what they truly drive will by no means be just the games themselves."

"Professional players, large guilds, strategy development teams, global tournament broadcasts, professional sparring partners, tournament referees, and even a massive group of data analysts..."

"There will be people to do all of these."

As he said this, he lightly tapped the railing with his fingertip.

"Some will make a living through extreme skill."

"Some will make a living through their strategic minds."

"And some will make a living through powerful organizational abilities."

"There will even be people who, by relying on rule comprehension, resource allocation, intelligence analysis, and logistics management, will find a place here that they couldn't find in reality."

Elder Zhang did not interrupt.

He only slowly withdrew his gaze, his fingers resting on the railing pausing for a moment.

Yang Tongan had his eyes half-closed, his rough fingertips slowly rubbing against the edge of the railing.

He knew better than Elder Zhang that every word Lin Yuan was saying now was not just about industrial planning.

It was also the groundwork for the next round of public perception.

What Lin Yuan wanted was never just to make people think the second world was fun.

He wanted to make everyone believe that this world could truly carry life, carry work, and carry the future.

"Therefore, once virtual games appear, it will be easy for an immeasurable new market to emerge."

Lin Yuan turned his head, meeting the gazes of the two bigwigs, his lips curling into a faint smile.

"It could even be an entirely new industrial chain that completely overturns existing perceptions and accommodates hundreds of millions of people."

After this sentence fell, the platform was quiet for two seconds.

In the distance, a streamlined aircraft slowly swept across the sky above the city.

A low-frequency hum pressed down through the air, then quickly faded into the distance.

Elder Zhang looked at that pale blue exhaust trail, the light in his eyes sinking bit by bit.

He could already imagine what kind of changes that industrial chain would bring once it took shape.

That would not be the rise and fall of a single enterprise or industry.

It would be the emergence of a new batch of jobs in the second world after a batch of real-world jobs were replaced by automation.

It was not a patch.

It was a fundamental transformation.

Lin Yuan continued: "I can handle the underlying physics engine and technical framework of the virtual games."

"Combat feedback, material rules, economic models, sensory thresholds, and security protocols—all of these can be written into the underlying layer."

"But once virtual games are linked to real money and form a complete economic closed loop, they will no longer be just toys for fun."

Elder Zhang slowly raised his eyes.

"That would be a new market."

"Correct."

Lin Yuan nodded.

Elder Zhang's brows lowered slowly.

He did not speak, only his jawline tightened a little.

The appeal of fully immersive technology was too strong.

It was so strong that once it opened, it would inevitably cause countless funds, organizations, and individuals to flood in crazily.

"So you didn't rush to release it."

"Yes."

Lin Yuan responded.

"Games can be launched at any time."

"But when to open, how to open, and to what extent to open—all of this must wait until policies in reality are fully implemented and the rules are established..."

A deep sense of approval flashed in Elder Zhang's eyes.

He looked at Lin Yuan, his voice low.

"You think further ahead than many people."

Lin Yuan smiled.

"It's not that I think far ahead."

"It's that the issue of intelligent automation replacing human labor won't wait for us to think about it slowly."

He turned around, leaning his back against the railing, his posture still relaxed.

"Assembly lines, basic customer service, simple auditing, repetitive copywriting, basic data processing..."

"For these jobs, it's only a matter of time before they are replaced, and there isn't much time left."

"It cannot be stopped."

"And there is no need to stop it."

Hearing this, Yang Tongan's brows moved imperceptibly.

Lin Yuan continued:

"It is a good thing for productivity to move forward."

"But after productivity is liberated, people cannot be left behind."

"When jobs in reality decrease, new jobs must grow in the second world."

"Otherwise, the more technology advances, the more ordinary people will find themselves at a loss as to where to go, and that would be a disaster."

This was said very lightly.

But the fingers Elder Zhang had resting on the railing tightened slightly.

He had seen too much of the growing pains brought about by industrial upgrading.

Every time technology advanced, some people cheered, while others were pushed to the shore by the tide.

In the past, they could only use subsidies, training, job transfers, and support to buffer it bit by bit.

But this time it was different.

What the second world offered was not short-term resettlement.

It was an entirely new piece of soil.

"Therefore, the advent of virtual games is inevitable."

Lin Yuan looked up at the intersecting light trails above the city.

"It must give these people new things to do."

"Give them new sources of income."

"And also give them new channels for upward mobility."

He paused, the smile on his lips fading slightly, yet appearing more resolute.

"Let our people of Xia Kingdom be able to earn money with dignity in this new era."

After this sentence fell.

Elder Zhang looked at Lin Yuan, his Adam's apple moving slightly.

Yang Tongan slowly exhaled, the sharpness in his eyes receding, leaving only the heat suppressed deep within.

This young man was always like this.

He seemed to toss out a concept so easily.

But when you really break that sentence apart, inside it contains the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people, and the path for a country for the next few decades.

Yang Tongan suddenly let out a laugh.

"You kid, your ideas are not bad."

"However, those old fellows in the think tank have suffered quite a bit this month because of this second world you threw out."

"The lights in the conference room haven't been turned off even at three in the morning."

Upon hearing this, the lines at the corners of Elder Zhang's eyes moved slightly.

He did not deny it.

"It is worth it."

Elder Zhang said in a deep voice.

"As early as when the second world was proposed, the higher-ups were already paving the way."

"The financial sector, tax sector, industry and information technology sector, human resources and social security sector, and education sector—all of them are re-evaluating everything."

"Academician Lin, rest assured."

As he said this, his tone became increasingly firm.

"The country will clear away all the troubles in reality for you."

Lin Yuan looked at Elder Zhang.

A moment later, he nodded slightly, accepting it calmly.

"Then I will organize the technical framework of the virtual games first on my end."

"Only provide the framework, don't rush to fill in the content."

"As for the specific content, we will wait until the real-world rules are set before deciding what themes the first batch of pilot projects will have."

Curiosity flashed in Elder Zhang's eyes.

"You should already have a direction in mind, right?"

Lin Yuan nodded, casting his gaze into the distance.

"The things that humanity has fantasized about in its subconscious for so many years must have a reason for their enduring popularity."

"Jianghu, cultivation, interstellar, lord, mecha."

"These things are not just yearned for by young people."

"Many people don't say it out loud, but in their hearts, they all want to go in and try it themselves."

He tilted his head slightly, a smile that understood the human heart lingering at the corners of his mouth.

"Who hasn't thought about traveling through the Jianghu with a sword?"

"Who hasn't thought about riding the wind on a sword and taking a look at the churning sea of clouds?"

"And who hasn't thought about piloting a mecha, standing on the bridge of a starship, and watching the fleet pass through the galaxy with their own eyes?"