Nurturing Humanity

The Sandbox Game – Closed Beta Test 2.0

After singing in the karaoke box until eleven o’clock, it was time to end the party. Before Xu Zhi left, he received many little notes from blushing girls who had secretly slipped these to him behind Chen Xi’s back. They had written down their WeChat nicknames on these little notes, so apparently, they were planning to steal Chen Xi’s man from her.

Haha!

These were her so-called close girlfriends.

I think of you as a close girlfriend of mine, yet here you are singing Sun Yanzi’s Greenlight to me.

Xu Zhi, however, was not the least concerned about these things and quietly threw the little notes into the trash can beside him. He helped the drunken Chen Xi to the electric car and hurriedly drove back home.

“This time, are you happy? Satisfied?

Riding in the electric car while feeling the cool night breeze, Xu Zhi was speechless.

Chen Xi had gotten him to be her boyfriend just for the sake of dealing with this class reunion, hadn’t she? This time, she was the star of the night, winning the envious and jealous gazes of all her friends, so she should be very satisfied.

“Hehe, I feel so proud, happy, satisfied.”

Chen Xi sat in the backseat of the electric car and pressed her body against Xu Zhi’s back. “Just as I thought, having a handsome and gentle boyfriend who is terminally ill is really the greatest blessing in life.”

“Terminally ill! Can you please stop reminding me of the fact that I am terminally ill?”

Hearing this gave Xu Zhi a mild headache.

Chen Xi blushed and said, “I just want to keep mentioning your terminal illness all the time, whether you like it or not. If it wasn’t for this terminal illness, would you have quit your job? Would your girlfriend have dumped you? Would you be my boyfriend? I’m not good enough for you, am I?”

“You’re drunk.” Xu Zhi was at a loss for words.

“I’m not drunk at all. My childhood dream has come true, and I’ve finally brought you to meet everyone and introduced you as my boyfriend.”

She faced her palms outwards and started counting with her fingers as she made a list. “I’m not exceptionally pretty, nor am I particularly smart. My face was very chubby when I was young, and I’ve put in a lot of hard work trying to slim my face every day since middle school. Now, my face is oval, no longer round like before, I’ve become pretty. But still, I’m not as pretty as that girlfriend you had previously. She was naturally born with an oval face, with high cheekbones and a sharp chin. She is just so pretty, like a movie star.”

Xu Zhi was dumbfounded for a moment.

In truth, he was now able to freely adjust the components of his genetic strands, he had long come to think that a person’s looks no longer mattered that much. Looks were not everything to a person. In fact, she was already pretty even with a rounder face. After all, how could there possibly be so many perfect beauties in this world?

“You’re still young, you’re still growing up.” There was a serious look on Xu Zhi’s face.

“Really?”

Chen Xi’s eyes widened and sparkled with joy as she asked, “I can still grow?”

“Yes, you will continue to grow up and mature.” Xu Zhi was outright lying through his teeth. In truth, he thought that the possibility of her going through a second round of puberty was highly unlikely now that she was already in college.

“That’s good enough.” Chen Xi smiled daftly and then, in a drunkenly, she whispered, “It’s just a pity though, boohoohoo… By that time, you won’t be around to see it.”

Xu Zhi was lost for words.

Can we just stop touching on the matter that I am a dying man?

In the orchard of my yard, I’ve created a sandbox where a civilization can evolve. I’m dedicating all the power of that entire world to come up with a cure for my illness!

Hopefully, there will be one!

And cancer can also be cured!

His senseless argument with the drunk Chen Xi went on for a while longer as they traveled back home in the electric car. When they arrived back in the county, Xu Zhi sent Chen Xi back to Aunt Li’s house, which was just next door. Aunt Li scolded the crazy Chen Xi for a while. “You’re always treating your Brother Xu Zhi like your parents, expecting him to take care of you. Hurry up and take a shower, then go to bed!”

Aunt Li apologized profusely to Xu Zhi.

“It’s fine. This girl, I’ve watched her grow up too.” Xu Zhi stood at the door, not knowing whether he should laugh or cry. After a little chat with Aunt Li, he went back to his yard.

He felt that life in the countryside was free of intrigue. It was simply a light idyllic country life. The neighbors were bonded with friendships and rural love stories, and that made life in the countryside full of warmth.

…

Early the next morning, the sun shone brightly high up in the sky.

The clear sunlight fell on the endless mountains and rivers, forests and woods, oceans and grasslands, as well as the Babylonian tribe, that were all within the parameters of his yard. This added a pale golden afterglow to the entire land, making it so dazzling and overflowing with vitality. It was like the light had shone and lit up the entire world.

After eight o’clock, Xu Zhi finished his breakfast that had been prepared for him with love and was starting his routine of sitting in the courtyard eating apples, as he continued his work of researching by studying the small sandbox world in the distance.

“The daily secret observation of the giant.”

“Stop looking already. Survival crisis, species is about to be eliminated!”

In the small sandbox, a bunch of oddly shaped creatures of a bizarre species were amusing and entertaining themselves with the results of their own research and development.

“It’s time to make some adjustments and get the professionals on board to play this game.” He thought for a moment and wrote a post for an updated notice. After going through it a few times to ensure that there were no mistakes, he posted it on the forum.

Spore Evolution: The official updated Closed Beta Version 0.2 is now available online.

Thank you for your anticipation and support of this game. Many users have been eagerly waiting for the second closed beta version, hoping that there will be more openings for testers of the beta version of this game. Now, at the request of the majority of users, the game will be proceeding with a second beta test version.

The Spore Evolution Closed Beta Version 0.2 update log is as follows:

1. This time, there will be an additional 50 beta tester slots. The number of players playing the game online can go up to 150 Pax.

2. Applying to be a beta tester: Players are welcomed to apply for a beta tester position by sending an email to the official website of the game.

The application will be in the format of a biology essay. Please express your understanding of the game, what kind of species you will evolve when you enter the game, and elaborate on the feasibility and rationality of the species you intend to evolve. Your essay will be reviewed to determine if you are suitable for the beta tester position.

3. Due to technical limitations, this game will not be able to take in more players for a while.

In order to allow other players to enter the game for an experience, the game will follow the rule of survival of the fittest. In each phase of the game, the last 20 out of the 150 beta test players will be eliminated, and their slots will be vacated and made open to new players.

4. Spore Evolution will be starting an achievement system. Players who evolve unique and powerful species with great potential will be recorded in the history of evolution and receive rewards from the special system!

5. The sandbox mechanism is authentic and reasonable. All players are welcome to create any wonderful species.

…

After the official update log was posted, there was an uproar in the entire forum. Not for any other reason, but just the fact that this was simply so hardcore. Having to write a biology essay just to qualify for the position of a beta game tester?

Absolutely appalling!