"Players can update the game via patch packages, but previous versions of the game are no longer compatible with online platforms. This means that without updating, players in previous modes of the game will not be able to engage in online battles. This update includes two parts: first, the martial arts moves of these styles; and second, the game will adopt a real-name authentication system."
"The game 'Martial Artist' was originally released to allow players to experience the joy of combat and explore the mysteries of martial arts together. However, many young people today are too impetuous and, to put it bluntly, overestimate their abilities, showing no understanding of the humility and gentlemanly principles of Chinese martial arts. Chinese martial arts emphasize magnanimity, but not the ability to tolerate humiliation. Yet, many young people today lack self-control, or hope to demonstrate their so-called 'bravery' by fighting with others. As SMMH says, such people are not worthy of playing this game!"
The reporters conducting the interview exclaimed "Ah!" and wondered if this was a bit too high-profile.
But then again, this game is so well made, and it's completely free to play without taking any profit. Given SMMH's eccentric temperament, they're not afraid to say something that might offend players.
Play it or don't, it's up to you!
Reporters had heard about the offline disagreements among players caused by "Martial Artist," and thought that if such a violent game existed in the past, it would have been banned long ago. But if it's not regulated, given the impetuous nature of young people today, it would be difficult to explain if something serious happened.
Chen Xu continued, "The game's real-name authentication system binds the player's account to their ID card number. If a player is involved in an offline fight, their eligibility to play the game will be revoked at the discretion of the authorities. This real-name verification system, implemented in cooperation with national departments, will prevent players from registering for the game using fake ID cards. Each ID card number can only register one account, and minors under the age of 16 will have restrictions on their gaming access."
This approach... well, it's a viable strategy, after all, young people tend to be hot-tempered and lack composure. And most importantly, and most frighteningly so, is...
This game should have been classified as a violent game, even though the visuals aren't exactly gory. But it still encourages people to use violence.
Minors are prone to impulsiveness and their thinking is not yet mature. If something really happens because of this game, then there will be big trouble!
There's a famous saying online these days: "Better to mess with an old rogue than a young thug."
Those underage kids who don't study well and spend their days wandering the streets imitating gangsters are the most terrifying!
Because they're different from those old thugs; they're not easily impulsive, and they don't consider the consequences when they act. If an old thug and a young hoodlum both have a watermelon knife and they fight, the old thug will definitely die! Because experienced people know how to be careful and won't kill, but those kids really don't have any confidence when they act; they just stab without warning!
Even seasoned veterans of society would avoid such people... There's another crucial reason: the Law on the Protection of Minors!
Even if a minor commits murder, they'll only go to a juvenile detention center; they won't be sentenced to prison, so they're not afraid at all. Fighting with a kid like that will only hurt you!
Moreover, minors receive a lot of attention. If something really happens, the impact will be huge, and the spread of negative news will be extremely wide.
However, undertaking such a large-scale upgrade and monitoring system presents a challenge. While the technical aspects are certainly not a concern—that SMMH won't be able to manage it—how will they accomplish it? They can't remain hidden behind the scenes forever, can they?
Implementing real-name registration for games and banning accounts of players who violate the rules requires manpower and is definitely not a small undertaking. Will SMMH make an appearance?
Of course not, Chen Xu gave an answer that made everyone sigh, but it was also expected.
SMMH granted the distribution rights for this game in China to a small game company called "Hetu". This game company was actually started by Chen Xu's very cool senior classmates, Liang Xiaohui and Cui Guangwei... It's all in the family, right?
Furthermore, all subsequent game upgrades, testing, and related matters were handled entirely by their company. Similar to Vivendi overseas, Hetu Company didn't receive any substantial benefits, but it certainly gained a great deal in terms of reputation, which would be highly beneficial for the company's future development and expansion.
"The fact that SMMH resorted to violence to break the law is a last resort. We can't let a game cause social disharmony. Chinese people don't fight amongst themselves. If this game causes internal chaos, then SMMH's original words were that he would not hesitate to completely erase this game from the internet... I also believe that he has the ability to delete this game from everyone's computer."
"Chinese martial arts are profound and extensive, and cannot be fully represented by a single game. Before learning martial arts, one must first learn to be a good person. If one cannot be a good person, how can one practice martial arts? Even if one becomes the best in the world, it will be a disaster, not a blessing. Therefore, if anyone causes offline conflicts to escalate because of the game, their account will be banned without hesitation!"
Of course, even with a fully real-name ID card registration system, there are still loopholes. The biggest loophole is people.
Someone's account is banned, but they can still log in using someone else's account, as long as it's a legitimately registered account. However, this makes them an unregistered user in the game, and they'll never be able to play legitimately.
Gamers also dream of dominating the world and vying for the title of the number one martial arts master. Moreover, Hetu Company will definitely have various events planned, and not being able to participate in the competition under one's own identity is a heavy blow to many people.
Chen Xu's interview was quickly posted online, immediately sparking controversy. Many applauded, while others vehemently criticized him, saying, "How I play the game is my own business. Why are you bastarding? I'll just quit this game!"
Then, a list of banned accounts appeared on the official homepage of Hetu "Martial Arts". Anyone who made such a fuss in the forum was checked for their ID card and account and banned from the game for six months. The ban will be lifted after six months.
This really stunned everyone. Considering the formidable reputation of SMMH, the world's number one hacker, it was impossible to hide one's online identity from him. So the shouting and cursing subsided considerably.
Of course. Some people don't download updates; as long as the game doesn't install new patches, they naturally don't need to use the real-name verification method. However, this game will no longer be able to be upgraded, and game moves can no longer be downloaded from the internet, significantly reducing its fun factor.
You're not playing anymore? That's fine too. There are plenty of people playing anyway. Hetu has already planned several projects to be launched once everyone is familiar with the game to a certain extent. And with the popularity of martial arts, there's no worry about attracting outside help and funding.
However, this is still not a cure. How do people who practice martial arts resolve conflicts? Do they fight like men?
This method is good. It's true that a great man can settle a score over a fight, but the problem is that not everyone has the same spirit as Xiao Feng.
So Chen Xu got off to a good start, well, he also deliberately acted as a shill.
He deliberately arranged for himself to argue with Bajiquan. After a heated argument, the two publicly challenged each other on Hetu's martial arts homepage. The challenge process was not a sparring match, but rather each of them chose a Korean game channel, stormed in, and frantically racked up points!
In one afternoon, Chen Xu killed 132 Koreans on a Korean gaming channel. Baji, being slower, only managed to kill 58.
In the end, Bajiquan had no choice but to admit defeat on the official homepage of Hetu Martial Arts Academy.
The advantage of this method is that whenever players have conflicts while playing the game, they'll simply say, "Let's go kill some Korean bastards and see who can kill the most within the time limit!"
I must say, this is a very good idea.
It's normal for fighting games to be intense, and at that point, there needs to be an outlet for that energy. If two people continue fighting, there will always be a loser, who will become even more frustrated, making it harder to resolve the conflict.
But going to kill those Koreans provides a perfect excuse to vent your frustrations... Of course, if you get wrecked by them, then you can't blame anyone else. However, skilled players go to skilled channels, and newbies go to newbie channels; you can always find a few you can beat. Chen Xu, who was maliciously pushing Chinese players to disrupt things in Korea, provided a software download on his homepage... because some networks in mainland China can't connect to Korean servers and require proxies or other odds and ends.
With the software provided by Chen Xu, one can log in to several major Korean gaming platforms with a single click. In the past few days, the poor Koreans have been overrun by countless Chinese players who have slaughtered them. Moreover, to avoid accidental casualties, both sides will exchange secret codes after entering the game. The most popular secret code at present is: SBTM.
Although this code also starts with S, it has nothing to do with SMMH. SBT means: "Translated, look it up yourself, in case some girls attack me."
Then Chinese players dominated the Korean gaming platform, and the skilled players who ranked first in the channel points were able to receive a prize of 1,000 yuan, which was incredibly worthwhile!
Moreover, although Korean players unanimously protested against the killing of Koreans, seeing it as a provocation from Chinese players, Chinese players continued to do it with great enthusiasm... What's wrong with you? You're allowed to provoke us, but we're not allowed to retaliate? In the end, this led to several major Korean game platforms having to block IPs and ports from China. However, this was child's play. Just half an hour after they blocked the ports, the official website of Hetu Martial Arts updated its login interface for Korean game platforms, easily bypassing the block.
While the Koreans were still trying to come up with a plan, Chen Xu quickly sent a message: If Korean players don't dare to accept the challenge, then they are no longer qualified to play this game. The next patch will remove the Korean character library from the game.
Upon hearing this, the Koreans immediately became obedient, either surrendering to their fate or gathering their own people to intercept them.
Chen Xu is practically the face of martial arts now! Who dares to offend him? Unless they really don't plan to play this game anymore.
After playing Martial Arts, what other similar games can catch people's eye?
So let's fight! It's just getting beaten up, right? You'll get used to it after a while...
Chapter 163 Discovering a Potential Crisis
Chen Xu has become famous once again, but this time the effect of becoming famous is not very good.
To be honest, Chen Xu is already a prominent figure at Hexie University. You can find out about his story with just a little inquiry... His father is a newly minted billionaire with a net worth of billions... Just that alone is an absolute killer weapon!
What do many girls care about these days? One word: money… Of course, not all girls are that materialistic, but the sheer volume of love letters Chen Xu's dorm receives every day is enough to drive all the guys at Hexie University insane with envy… Many of them are from their dream girls, and what drives the Hexie University guys even crazier is that most of them are from beautiful girls at the art school, complete with photos of them, some sexy, some innocent…
As for Chen Xu's other achievements, such as making games and earning tens or even hundreds of thousands of yuan every month, these things are not of much interest to anyone.
Of course, these things are still worth promoting. While there aren't many beautiful women at Hexie University, there are plenty at the neighboring art school. And those beauties aren't just pretty faces hoping to hook up with a rich guy. Ever since seeing Chen Xu's bravery against several opponents at the cake shop opening, many people have specifically inquired about him and concluded that Chen Xu is definitely the ideal boyfriend and husband. First of all, while he's not handsome, his looks are passable. He's also a good fighter, making you feel safe with him. His entrepreneurial venture during his freshman year of university already surpasses many so-called successful people, proving he's definitely not a spoiled rich kid with no ability. Moreover, Chen Xu has a great personality, is loyal to his friends, and considerate to girls—he's practically the perfect man!
It's just a pity that this incredibly handsome guy is getting very close to three of the most beautiful girls at Hexie University. I heard that, along with the beautiful owner of the cake shop, the four beauties are renting a duplex apartment with him. Wow, what a lucky guy!
Basically, after setting aside the three beauties, Guan Yizhan, Jing Gao, and Xiaojie, it's hard to find anyone at He Xie University who can rival the beauties from the neighboring art schools. So, the girls at He Xie University gave up on that idea one by one, though they couldn't help but curse men in their hearts, saying they were all bad and couldn't resist pretty girls.
However, Chen Xu's rise to fame this time is different from before.
In the past, whether it was rabies, Chen Banxian, or several games, the impact was considerable. But this time, he has gained an additional title: "Number One in the World"!
Being the best in the world—what an honor!
However, the consequence was that the beasts of Hexie University had the advantage of being close to the source. Many came to challenge Chen Xu, hoping that if they could even win a move or two, wow, they'd have something to brag about!
It wasn't just Hexie University. With the popularity of this game, "Martial Arts Master," even players from neighboring universities came to challenge Chen Xu to a duel, making it difficult for him to refuse... If he refused, they would say, "Oh, you don't even dare to fight? You call yourself the best in the world!"
Such words are really hurtful to one's self-esteem! But if he keeps fighting like this, facing dozens of opponents every day, Chen Xu won't have to do anything else!
So Chen Xu made two rules. First, he would only accept a maximum of five challenges per day; second... the challenge fee was twenty yuan. A bet is a bet.
It has to be said that Chen Xu's business acumen has improved considerably these past few days working under Guan Yi and Gao Xiaojie! Earning a hundred yuan a day like this is practically faster than robbing someone!
When these two rules were first introduced, some people were still foolish enough to spend money to challenge him. However, after Chen Xu was given a lot of extra food expenses, no one dared to come anymore, because Chen Xu's fighting style was just too abnormal!
With Chen Xu's current skill level, he doesn't need Xiao Min's help at all to deal with these newbies. He can just go in and give them a good beating. They're basically dead in under thirty seconds, and then twenty yuan is gone... If this keeps up, who can stand it?
However, because of this incident, many people had some reservations about Chen Xu. Those from the same college were fine. They all lived on the same floor and saw each other all the time, so they knew what kind of person Chen Xu was. But the rumors outside said that Chen Xu was too arrogant and difficult to approach, which made Chen Xu quite amused and exasperated.
Forget it, let outsiders say what they want. After all, didn't Xiang Shaolong in "A Step into the Past" say, "I'd rather be feared than loved"? A true master should have the demeanor of a master!
Chen Xu's life gradually returned to normal. Every day, he would go online to beat up some Koreans, then exercise, study computer technology, and then go to a cake shop to chat with a few beautiful women about life and ideals. He was living a pretty comfortable life.
That noon after school, Chen Xu, as usual, went to the cafeteria with his roommates... Although the cafeteria food was terrible, Chen Xu wasn't usually picky; that's the atmosphere of university, right? Moreover, Chen Xu's actions earned high praise from his three roommates, who said he hadn't lost touch with the masses.
There were only three classes this morning, and it was only 10:30 when they finished. When Chen Xu and the others walked to the cafeteria, laughing and joking, there weren't many people there yet... If they had come after four classes, hehe, they would have seen a huge crowd at the cafeteria's food counter!
It has to be said that the chefs in the cafeteria have all mastered a unique skill... the skill of tossing the wok!
Looking at that fragrant braised pig's head meat, I took a spoonful, and wow, it looked like a lot, but after tossing it with the big spoon, there wasn't much left!
Moreover, some of the cafeteria cooks are lecherous; they give more to pretty girls but pitifully little to boys. I remember the day Chen Xu and Guan Yi ate together in the cafeteria. They both had a 1.2 yuan serving of pork head meat, but Guan Yi got a huge portion that almost filled the entire plate, while Chen Xu only got two small pieces… such differential treatment!
Why give girls so much of this stuff? Girls need to maintain their figure; how can they eat too much of this?!
However, Chen Xu and his friends arrived early today, and some of the dishes in the cafeteria hadn't even been served yet. When they first arrived and there was a lot of food, the cooks were usually quite generous. The person serving Chen Xu's food was an auntie in her forties. Chen Xu sweetly complimented her, "Oh, Auntie, you've looked younger lately!" The auntie was so pleased that she completely covered Chen Xu's one-yuan potato and beef dish.
Seeing Chen Xu bring back such a large bowl of potatoes and beef, everyone broke into a sweat. Then, they happily started dividing it up. Qin Xiao'an even thought there wasn't enough food, so she ran to the nearby supermarket and bought a bag of pickled vegetables for 80 cents. The group sat together happily and ate.
At this time, the cafeteria gradually became more crowded, and then a couple sat down at the table next to Chen Xu and his friends.
The tables and chairs in the cafeteria are mostly set up together, with four seats. So, it's a bit cramped for two people to sit side by side, so they usually sit opposite each other.
Of course, they're a couple, so sitting side-by-side isn't a big deal. But their lovey-dovey manner was a bit... how should I put it? That girl, well, she's actually considered pretty good within Hexie University, but that's only within Hexie University. She's far inferior to Guan Yi and the others. Even Xiao M, who seemed to have a good relationship with Dong Qingjie, whom I saw at the karaoke bar last time, doesn't compare.
So of these four people, Qin Xiaoan, being a bachelor who hadn't seen many beautiful women, was the one who was giving them a rather lewd look...
However, this girl's voice is just... too sweet!
"Brother, this doesn't taste good!"
"Brother, I want to eat KFC..."
"Brother, feed me!"
The four animals next to them couldn't help but get goosebumps and their skin splattered into the food bowls. They thought, "Sister, please don't do this! We're eating!"
The boy, however, seemed quite pleased, and to be fair, he wasn't wrong. The girl was actually quite pretty, with a petite and charming demeanor, and when she called him "brother" in that sweet, childlike voice like Lin Chi-ling, most people would melt...
This is, after all, someone else's private matter, and even if they're unhappy about it, they can't say it out loud. So Chen Xu and the others decided to finish eating quickly and move on to another location.
Unexpectedly, the two people next to them completely ignored everyone else. The boy picked up a piece of potato, took a bite, and then tenderly offered it to the girl, saying, "Darling, here." The girl looked at him tenderly, gently opened her mouth, and ate the half-eaten potato.
Uh, that's a bit too cheesy!
I can't take it anymore!
At this moment, Qin Xiao'an also picked up a piece of potato, took a small bite, and then looked at Wu Yuan affectionately, saying, "Darling, come on." Wu Yuan understood, looked at Xiao'an with the same affectionate expression, opened his mouth, and ate the potato...
"Ugh!" Chen Xu and Dong Qingjie froze instantly, and the expressions of the man and woman next to them were also incredibly interesting. Finally, they let out an "Ah!" and abandoned the food on the table, turning around and running away, leaving behind the words, "You deadbeat!"
Qin Xiaoan and Wu Yuan laughed and high-fived, while Chen Xu shivered and said, "Hey, can we not do anything this exciting next time? Our dorm isn't Brokeback Mountain!"
Dong Qingjie rolled her eyes, threw her chopsticks aside, and said, "Damn, you two are so disgusting I can't eat!"
"Old Dong, it's good that you don't eat!" Qin Xiaoan laughed and said, "That's exactly what I was worried about – not being able to fill my stomach with this four-cent meal!"