At noon, inside Nebula Games.
Yang Xin and Ruan Ningxue were leaning back on massage chairs, scrolling through their phones.
"It looks like the online players are turning their 'criticism' toward you, Chen Xu!" Ruan Ningxue said, glancing at Chen Xu, who was sitting beside her with his eyes closed.
"Yeah, yeah, the comments under the official Weibo account post for Outlast have surged from over a thousand to twenty thousand, and they're still climbing," Yang Xin added.
"What can you do? It's all because Chen Xu insisted during that media interview that he's a Warrior of Love. Outlast has absolutely nothing to do with being a Warrior of Love," Ruan Ningxue said.
At that moment, Chen Xu, who had been quietly enjoying the massage chair with his eyes shut, opened them.
He pulled out his phone, glanced at it, and remained completely unfazed. "Who says Outlast has nothing to do with love?"
"You two are just too young. Watch me," Chen Xu said with a smile, then pulled out his phone and posted on the official Weibo account.
………
Online, players were still buzzing with discussion, but the moment Chen Xu's post went live, everyone fell silent.
Especially those who had actually played Outlast—they were utterly speechless.
After reading Chen Xu's Weibo post, all the players felt a strange sensation—something they couldn't quite put into words, yet couldn't refute either.
Chen Xu's post read:
"Seeing our beloved players question my self-proclaimed title as a Warrior of Love truly breaks my heart!"
"How can Outlast not be a game overflowing with love?"
"Outside the game, this title embodies the burning love I hold for all of you, my players."
"And within the game’s own story, love is present at every turn!"
"Without spoilers, let me briefly analyze it for you—tell me if this doesn't make perfect sense."
"First, let's examine the game's setting: the protagonist, Miles Upshur, drives alone to Mount Massive Asylum to uncover its dark secrets. And remember, Mount Massive Asylum is funded by the multinational corporation, Murkoff."
"What kind of motivation drives an ordinary independent journalist to risk his life exposing the conspiracy behind Mount Massive Asylum? To defy a massive, evil conglomerate? The answer is simple: justice! And what is justice? We can interpret it as love—specifically, a grand, selfless love!"
"Once inside Mount Massive Asylum, what kind of environment does the protagonist face? A decrepit, abandoned asylum with no lights, where even the power has to be manually switched on. Along the way, uncooperative patients and doctors constantly try to stop him."
"But how does our protagonist respond? He repairs the switch in the asylum’s catacomb, despite being targeted by patients and doctors. At no point does he ever initiate violence—he only defends himself."
"Despite such overwhelming hardships, our protagonist persists in his investigation and ultimately exposes the truth—even sacrificing his life in the process."
"What kind of spirit is this? Isn't he a brave, fearless warrior?"
"A Warrior of Love isn't just about romantic love—it's about compassion for all humanity, the kind of love that uplifts the world!"
"Therefore, without a doubt, Outlast is a work overflowing with 'love' from beginning to end!"
"I hope you all can feel the burning love within Outlast! Thank you!"
Inside Nebula Games’ office, Yang Xin and Ruan Ningxue, still reclined on their massage chairs, also read the Weibo post.
Both of them stared at Chen Xu with extremely complicated expressions.
Honestly, if they hadn’t been involved in the game’s development, they might’ve actually believed this entire argument!
"Mr. Chen, you..." Ruan Ningxue said, utterly speechless.
Yang Xin beside her wore the exact same look.
Before this, they had expected Chen Xu to respond with something sincere—maybe some lofty ideals, or at least some corporate platitudes.
After all, isn’t that what most game companies and designers do when faced with player criticism?
But they never expected that, in response to such criticism, Chen Xu would come up with this.
The craziest part? It somehow sounded—on some level—almost reasonable.
……………………
Previously, players online had never imagined Chen Xu would actually respond.
Now, many were surprised to see he actually had.
But the content? It left them utterly speechless.
Instantly, the online discussion exploded.
Players everywhere declared they’d fallen for his nonsense!
"What the hell kind of 'small love' and 'big love'? I actually believed you, Chen Xu!"
"I'm gagging! 'Never harmed anyone'? You want me to harm people? Then give me some damn weapons!"
"Miles: Where's my gun? Where's my gun? Who saw my gun? Don't I live in a capitalist country? Aren't guns legal here? Why don't I have one?!"
"Sorry, you only have a DV camera, not a gun."
"I know Chen Xu is full of BS, but damn it, I actually kind of agree with him."
"Following this logic, the patients in the asylum were actually really friendly!"
"Exactly! How can you say the patients weren't friendly? Those patients were incredibly kind!"
"While the protagonist investigated the asylum, the patients and doctors warmly interacted with him, inviting him to join indoor parkour activities and playing Hide and Seek with him to help him relive childhood memories. To help him relax, they even arranged for the Haier Brothers to tell stories and assigned a Doc (operator) to give him nail care."
"Fat Security Guard Uncle, deeply concerned for the protagonist’s safety, never left his side. He followed him even during sewer repairs, affectionately calling him 'Piglet,' and ultimately sacrificed himself heroically in front of the protagonist."
"That’s right—Fat Security Guard Uncle cared so much about me that, in the sewers, he worried I’d hit my head, so he kindly separated my head from my body!"
"And the nail care Doc, worried it was unhygienic for me to eat with my fingers, kindly clipped them all off!"
"Yes, yes! In the end, the protagonist, touched by everyone’s care, recorded these heartwarming moments on his DV. To repay these lovely patients, he bravely put out fires to save the hospital and helped the Docs with Abdominal Exercises."
"55555555, the story of Outlast is so touching! So this is love! True affection exists in this world—boundless, selfless love! It’s just a pity that every time I feel the love from Outlast, I have to change my underwear."
"Suddenly, I can’t even bear to look at Outlast’s story—but damn it, I can’t even explain what’s wrong with it!"
Following Chen Xu’s Weibo post, many players expressed their disbelief. How could the Warrior of Love twist things like this?
We can’t beat you!
But soon after, players who had actually played Outlast began creating memes based on Chen Xu’s post.
After all, if you rephrase Outlast’s story this way, it actually sounds heartwarming, harmonious, and full of love.
The entire game, inside and out, is brimming with love.
After the official response, Chen Xu’s Weibo post quickly went viral, adding even more fuel to Outlast’s popularity.
Players created countless memes and jokes.
Meanwhile, in the gaming industry and among game designers, the focus was on the sales data driven by Outlast’s surging popularity.
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