264: This is all intentional

Jiang Feng was waiting for someone at the Huanmeng Group headquarters.

Ever since the game Xuanhuan World was released, he knew that he would definitely be sought out by the officials.

Because Xuanhuan World was too free.

There were no restrictions, no guidance; everything was autonomously extended by the underlying rules of the game.

In Xuanhuan World, players could rob, kill, and even eat people.

This in itself was already quite horrifying, and in his previous life on Earth, it would have been strictly banned.

But on Blue Star, due to the advanced vr game technology, the immense power of game developers, and the pressure of real-world employment, these violent elements were not banned.

However, now Xuanhuan World faced a new problem, one that was destined to appear from the beginning and was unavoidable.

Human rights.

In this era, vr games had become a second home for many people.

Now you suddenly tell them that because you have no money in reality, you can only be a mount for the rich in Xuanhuan World.

A real mount.

Who could accept that?

The impact this brought was immense and extremely negative.

When Jiang Feng noticed the public opinion rising, he prepared himself to be held accountable.

He even mentally prepared for the trading System to be completely cut off.

However... a high-ranking official from the organizing committee, specifically in charge of public opinion, named “Zhou Mingcheng,” came with his people to the Huanmeng Group headquarters to meet with Jiang Feng.

His first words were: “Your Xuanhuan World is truly excellent; it perfectly achieved the promotional effect we needed.”

Jiang Feng was stunned.

This was not what he had expected.

He even wanted to ask if the leader had lost his mind.

But the other party continued:

“Jiang Feng, think about it, what is the purpose of our Ancient Style Game Development Competition?”

The competition had ended, Xuanhuan World had won awards, and it was promoted globally.

Preparations for the next competition had already begun.

At this point, bringing up the competition again made Jiang Feng a bit confused for a moment.

He thought for a while and said, “To expose the darkness of ancient society?”

Zhou Mingcheng smiled and said, “Exactly, to expose the darkness of ancient society.”

Jiang Feng finally understood.

Indeed, the oppression of personal relationships was an important part of ancient society.

Ancient laws would guarantee the ownership of landlords and other powerful individuals over slaves, allowing them to exploit the lower classes to their heart's content.

And the current situation in Xuanhuan World had some similarities to ancient times.

Jiang Feng thought for a moment and then said:

“But leader, this doesn't seem quite right, does it?

“Ultimately, this is a game, a second home for players.

“Even I, as the designer, feel that things are a bit too extreme now.”

Jiang Feng truly felt it was a bit much.

He wanted players to experience the darkness of Xuanhuan World, to see the cruelty of layered oppression.

However, he also designed various Opportunities for players.

He hoped that after constantly being abused and knocked down, players could, through various Opportunities and unyielding perseverance, strive for greater heights and completely change Xuanhuan World.

But the antics players came up with were even too much for him to bear.

The rampant evil Cultivators were understandable, and the dominance of Buddhist Cultivator also had his push, but the planned Human-Demon War had actually turned into a golden Opportunity for rich players to buy mounts.

This was something he had not anticipated.

The massive interference of real-world financial power in Xuanhuan World gave him, as the designer, a headache.

Yet the leader thought this was perfectly reasonable and exactly the effect they wanted to achieve.

Zhou Mingcheng smiled and said:

“Li Changfeng didn't just lose his mind to buy Immortal Master players as mounts in Xuanhuan World.

“He is a Golden Core Cultivator in the game, and from what I know, his Golden Core quality is very good, with potential to reach Nascent Soul.

“With his strength, catching a few native great demons wouldn't be very difficult.

“Not only could he get stronger and cooler mounts than Fire Wolf, but he also wouldn't be attacked by public opinion.

“But he still chose to buy Immortal Master players as mounts.”

Buy?

Jiang Feng was not stupid; it was just that his logic was still focused on being a game designer and hadn't broken free yet.

With the leader's hint, he suddenly understood everything.

“Li Changfeng's defiant actions were guided by you?”

“Precisely.”

Zhou Mingcheng nodded, sighing:

“Actually, from the moment Xuanhuan World was released, we had this plan.

“No game has ever been as complete as Xuanhuan World, nor as free.

“More importantly, the stratification in other games isn't obvious; this isn't about numerical stratification, but ecological stratification.

“In our view, one of the most powerful aspects of Xuanhuan World is that the same race, the same people, can gain different powers due to different cultivation levels, and thus occupy different positions in the ecological chain.

“This naked, undisguised stratification gives Xuanhuan World the potential for subtle change.”

Jiang Feng nodded:

“Indeed, power represents authority, but in the real world, authority needs to be realized through various indirect means.

“In Xuanhuan World, however, it's different. Power is authority, and this authority comes directly from power. Golden Core Cultivators can move mountains and fill seas, and Nascent Soul Cultivators can even wander in the void.

“The resources they can control are beyond imagination, and sometimes Golden Core and Nascent Soul powerhouses themselves are the greatest resources.

“Therefore, as long as players delve into Xuanhuan World, they will inevitably be influenced by this unique ecology, and then pursue... “But this is not what I want. What I need is for players to recognize the current state of Xuanhuan World and then change it.”

Zhou Mingcheng sighed:

“I know your philosophy and ideas, and we highly approve.

“To let players see through the darkness of Xuanhuan World and then change it, transforming it into a true second home, this is also what we hope to see.

“But the reality is that players quickly formed independent groups, or became selfish individuals.

“They were assimilated by Xuanhuan World and never changed.

“We need to administer a strong medicine.”

Jiang Feng frowned:

“But treating Immortal Master players as mounts, and even signing contracts comparable to slavery, will definitely cause a significant public outcry.

“I'm afraid the game will be shut down.”

Zhou Mingcheng smiled mysteriously and said:

“That's why, Jiang Feng, we didn't intervene when Xuanhuan World became popular domestically.

“Now that it has gone overseas and has foreign friends, we can intervene.”

Jiang Feng was suddenly startled.

He thought about it.

Yes, the one who signed the contract and willingly became a mount was a foreigner.

This indeed caused an uproar abroad, but in China, it was merely entertainment.

“We will proceed step by step, first foreigners, then our own people... “They will all understand the deeper darkness of Xuanhuan World.

“Jiang Feng, I believe you must have set up countless dark elements.

“Players will be horrified, shocked, denounce, question, and eventually reflect; it's about educating through entertainment.

“And on this basis, we, the officials, have one more requirement for Xuanhuan World, though you can refuse.”