Chapter 72: Could You Be the Master of Love?

As more and more streamers began live-streaming Overcooked, and an increasing number of video creators produced content about it, more and more players were exposed to the game.

On community forums, discussions about the game were everywhere.

‘Breakup’ and ‘Friendship over’ became keywords associated with the game.

Especially as the game’s popularity surged, Tieba, forums, and various Q&A communities were flooded with stories players made up on the spot.

For example: My girlfriend and I were deeply in love, but after playing Overcooked, we broke up and our friendship ended.

Of course, occasionally some of these stories were true. However, for those couples who actually broke up because of Overcooked, the game was merely a spark that ignited the fuse.

Their relationships had already been like gunpowder—ready to explode at the slightest touch.

Still, this didn’t stop the spread of Overcooked memes.

After Valentine’s Day, Overcooked’s popularity climbed geometrically every single day.

Major online communities buzzed with playful discussions among players.

Moreover, in various live stream rooms, whenever streamers or video creators turned red-faced and argued over gameplay elements, viewers would timely flood the screen with bullet comments like ‘Breakup!’ and ‘Going solo!’

After all, enjoying drama is practically human instinct.

………………

While players were playing along with memes and personally experiencing what ‘Breakup Kitchen’ truly meant,

On the official Weibo account, a trending topic had been pushed to the top of the PC game category’s homepage:

‘How do you evaluate game designer Chen Xu, who calls himself a “Warrior of Love,” for choosing to launch Overcooked on Valentine’s Day and releasing an extremely romantic and heartwarming promotional video?’

Under this post, players flooded in with all kinds of responses.

‘Don’t even talk to me about that Warrior of Love! I was naive enough to believe Chen Xu actually made a warm and wholesome game. My girlfriend and I broke up after playing Overcooked! Chen Xu, compensate me for my lost girlfriend!’

‘Bro above, what happened? Did you break your hand?’

‘Yeah! Bro, don’t give up on treatment! Modern medicine is so advanced—go to the hospital quickly, maybe they can reattach your girlfriend!’

‘Don’t worry, bro, you had two girlfriends anyway—losing one isn’t a big deal.’

‘You guys are going too far! The OP is already suffering enough.’

‘Ahem, friendly reminder: open this OP’s profile page. You’ll find a surprise.’

‘Damn it! OP, wasn’t your last post saying you broke up with your boyfriend? Are you male or female?’

‘Young man, your mindset is too narrow! Can’t a guy have a boyfriend? Add me as a friend—I’ll show you something amazing!’

‘You guys are off-topic! Anyway, I feel Chen Xu is full of malice! He already showed his colors with Outlast!’

‘It’s not just Outlast! Think carefully about all the games Chen Xu has developed before. Reflect. Really reflect.’

‘Exactly! Chen Xu is no Warrior of Love. Think carefully—every game he’s made so far cuts like a knife!’

‘Right! Take To the Moon—seemingly heartwarming, but in the end, Johnny only got false memories. At its core, it’s still a tragedy! And Undertale has its Genocide Ending. As for Mirror (Game)? Beat the Tauren. Pure love warriors never retreat!’

‘Exactly! We strongly suggest the Game Department take action. Chen Xu’s games are truly dangerous! Outlast only tried to scare us to death, but Overcooked wants us to engage in real-person PK now!’

This Super Topic gathered over twenty thousand comments in just one day.

Of course, there were also some dissenting voices.

Many players said Overcooked wasn’t that exaggerated—they’d played it with friends and lovers, cooperated, tricked each other, and had a great time.

However, these comments clearly stood isolated and outnumbered.

The dominant sentiment remained: never again would they believe Chen Xu was the so-called ‘Warrior of Love.’

…………………

At Nebula Games.

After the New Year’s Holiday, employees from various departments had gradually returned to work.

At the company’s rest area, Ruan Ningxue and Yang Xin sat with mischievous smiles, staring at Chen Xu.

‘Mr. Chen, your conspiracy has been exposed!’ Yang Xin showed Chen Xu the Super Topic.

‘Exactly!’ Ruan Ningxue chimed in.

When they were developing Overcooked, and when they filmed the promotional video, the naive duo genuinely believed this was a warm, wholesome game that strengthened relationships.

During development, when certain internal signs appeared, they thought it was just a coincidence.

But now, with the game launched, terms like ‘Breakup Kitchen’ and ‘Friendship Over Kitchen,’ plus this trending topic, instantly made them realize:

Beneath Overcooked’s seemingly warm exterior lay sheer malice!

‘Sigh, the world is declining, and people’s hearts have changed! You two are co-developers—how can you hold such thoughts?’ Chen Xu looked at them solemnly, offering a serious explanation.

‘Why are so many players breaking up? Because their relationships were already flawed!’

‘Why do breakups happen? Because they can’t communicate or reach consensus in the game. Because when one makes a mistake under time pressure, the other blames them, pouring oil on the fire. Because when one is slow and can’t keep up, the other grows impatient and dismissive.’

‘Therefore, the true core of Overcooked is to teach couples and friends the essence of coexistence—the real preservative for genuine friendship and love: communication, tolerance, and patience.’

‘If any of these three elements are missing, cracks in the relationship naturally appear.’

As Chen Xu finished speaking, Yang Xin and Ruan Ningxue, sitting across from him, fell silent.

After a long pause, Yang Xin stared at Chen Xu with a strange look: ‘Could… could you be the legendary Master of Love?’

‘Chen Xu, why are you always able to come up with such convincing, eloquent speeches?’ Ruan Ningxue also looked utterly speechless.

This scene felt strangely familiar!

Back during Outlast, there had been a similar explanation.

Was this a Matryoshka doll?

If it weren’t for the precedent of Outlast, the two might have actually believed him.

‘You think it makes sense? Then the truth must be exactly as I said. I’m a producer who genuinely cares about players!’ Chen Xu smiled.

Their expressions didn’t change at all.

Why did it feel to both of them like Chen Xu was just fooling them?

Hmm… no, more accurately, fooling the players.

Watching Chen Xu pull out his phone, open the official Weibo account, polish up his words, and send them out, the two exchanged glances.

They both saw the exact same thought in each other’s eyes: From now on, we must be extra careful. Mr. Chen’s deception skills are no ordinary thing!

<>