Chapter 43 I Think I'm a 'Warrior of Love'

The award ceremony location for the Game Department's sci-fi Game Design Competition was situated in Modu's Game Department.

More specifically, it was held in the meeting hall of the Game Department building in Modu.

Although called an award ceremony, it bore little resemblance to anything grand or ceremonial.

Despite being during the National Day holiday, there were still numerous staff members inside the Game Department.

It was unclear whether they were official employees or just regular contract workers.

There were no elaborate scenes. Game Department staff members took photos mostly using their smartphones.

However, outside the entrance of the Game Department, many gaming media reporters stood with name tags and shoulder-mounted cameras.

Yet these reporters merely took distant photos and didn't approach for interviews.

After all, the event had just started. Even if interviews were to be conducted, they would wait until the designers finished participating in the official activities inside the Game Department.

Although primitive, Chen Xu, attending this event for the first time, found it quite interesting.

It was only 1:30 PM. He had been notified earlier that the event would officially begin at 2:00 PM.

Following the staff into the temporarily converted meeting room, he found the space surprisingly large.

The interior decor of the meeting room featured a combination of reddish-brown and white tones, arranged in a tiered seating layout.

The chairs were divided into two main sections. At the front stood a long horizontal table serving as the main podium. On either side of the backdrop hung bright red national flags, with the national emblem prominently displayed directly above the center.

At various spots throughout the room stood plastic placards, each displaying the name of a Game Designer.

Chen Xu quickly located his seat—a spot near the wall in the first row. Beside it, someone was already seated.

"You're Chen Xu? Winning first place with To the Moon was truly well-deserved," said the person beside him, making space for Chen Xu to pass. Meng Zuo wore a faint smile, though his emotions inside were complicated.

It would be a lie to say he didn't feel a trace of resentment.

But hatred? That was out of the question.

In fact, he even felt a bit of admiration. He had played To the Moon, and it had deeply moved him.

"Teacher Meng? I've long admired you. I'm also a big fan of Galaxy Heroes, especially the level design in Chapter Three—it was truly outstanding." Hearing the man's words, Chen Xu glanced at the name tag in front of him and extended his right hand with a smile.

"Oh, nowhere near as impressive as your storytelling in To the Moon. And before that, your game Undertale was absolutely stunning," Meng Zuo replied, instinctively engaging in polite professional flattery. But then he suddenly paused.

Why did this scene feel so familiar?

It was almost identical to the fantasy he'd imagined in his mind a month ago!

Only this time, the protagonist and supporting character seemed to have switched roles.

Meng Zuo fell silent after releasing Chen Xu's hand.

At that moment, Chen Xu didn't notice that he had unintentionally 'damaged' a designer's fragile psyche.

Nearby designers who noticed the interaction came over to chat with Chen Xu.

What surprised Chen Xu was that several designers, though strangers, were unusually warm and enthusiastic.

After some subtle probing, Chen Xu finally understood.

Although they didn't know him personally, they shared one common trait:

They had all been publicly criticized by Zhong Mei online before.

But unlike Chen Xu, they hadn't confronted her head-on.

Instead, they'd been trampled on and used to boost her popularity.

Chen Xu, by standing up to her, had essentially avenged them.

Now that he'd won first place in this Game Design Competition, many designers naturally wanted to get to know him.

After all, in the gaming industry, more friends meant more opportunities.

His phone gained a bunch of new designer contacts, and he joined several small group chats with other designers on his messaging apps.

While everyone was chatting, the Game Department's leadership soon entered the meeting room.

Prior to this, Chen Xu had done his homework.

He was already familiar with the various leaders of the Game Department, knowing full well that he'd likely interact with them frequently in the future.

The award ceremony officially began. Yang Chen, the Modu branch head of the Game Department, stepped onto the stage to deliver his speech. He was a man in his fifties, slim, tall, wearing gold-rimmed glasses—an image that perfectly matched the stereotype of a traditional intellectual.

His speech was formal and serious.

After the speech concluded, the awarding segment began. Yang Chen solemnly announced:

Amidst thunderous applause, Chen Xu walked forward with a smile. As the applause faded, he accepted from Yang Chen a small red booklet representing the first prize, along with a small medal also symbolizing first place.

Next came the winner's acceptance speech. Chen Xu had memorized his remarks in advance, modifying last year's winning speech template slightly.

Whether or not his words overlapped with others' didn't matter—he was the first to speak, after all.

"I'd like to thank all the leaders. I'm deeply honored to have won first place in this Game Design Competition. Standing here at this moment, I feel extremely excited..."

As Chen Xu delivered his speech, the audience erupted in applause. But Meng Zuo, who had previously sat beside him, now wore a slightly awkward expression.

Why did this acceptance speech sound so similar to the one he'd prepared?

After all the Game Designers finished their speeches, each holding their certificate and medal, they took a commemorative photo in front of Game Department staff. With that, the event was essentially over.

Upon exiting the Game Department building, the reporters who had been waiting outside the entrance pounced without hesitation, swarming around the designers.

However, most media attention focused primarily on Chen Xu and Meng Zuo from NetDragon's Jianhuolei Studio.

After all, among the group, only these two were particularly newsworthy.

"Teacher Chen, how do you feel about winning first prize this time?"

"Teacher Chen, do you have any new game development plans after To the Moon? Will your next game also be a heartwarming title like To the Moon?"

The reporters fired off a barrage of questions.

Clearly, they were trying to remain professional, and since it wasn't an exclusive interview, whatever Chen Xu said could be reported by any outlet—it just depended on who published fastest.

"Winning first prize came as a huge surprise and an incredible delight. I never imagined the leaders would hold To the Moon in such high regard. Receiving this award fills me with great pressure, but I'll continue striving to contribute to the domestic gaming industry..."

Listening to Chen Xu's formal, lengthy response, the surrounding reporters felt depressed.

You're such a young designer—why do you sound so official?

Not a single sensational quote!

But soon, Chen Xu's next words made them even more frustrated.

"As for a new game, I don't have any concrete plans yet. Whether it'll be another heartwarming game—I can't say for sure right now. But personally, I do enjoy developing this kind of game. After all, I've always felt that I should probably consider myself a Warrior of Love."

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