The current popular game world, especially Mingchao Xiakong’s cultivation system is the most complex. The required materials such as low-frequency tidal erosion sail core, medium-frequency crystallized phlogiston, burning phosphorus bones, golden wool, etc. are dazzling. Without extreme patience, it is difficult to enter the room. This complex list not only reflects the exquisiteness of today’s game mechanism, but also deeply reveals the subtle interaction between contemporary players’ mentality and consumer economy. If Qian Zhongshu writes, he must reveal the deep meaning of this phenomenon in his words, and there is no lack of ridicule and sarcasm.

First, the “low-frequency, medium-frequency, high-frequency, full-frequency tidal erosion sail core” is very academic and mysterious, just like a “telescope” to see the subtlety of the universe, or a “microscope” to observe the strangeness of microorganisms. However, it is actually game material, which is a layer of thresholds designed by developers, so that players need to start from the lowest frequency and rise step by step, just like the ancient imperial examinations from the child examination to the palace examination. Although there is no real knowledge, it is laborious. Players collect them one by one, which is nothing more than a metaphor for class advancement in modern society – you need to accumulate capital (in-game resources) continuously to reach a higher peak.

“Burning phosphorus bones” are named like ghosts, but they are actually obtained by defeating specific bosses. If this design is satirized in the style of Qian Zhongshu, it is “setting traps to lure the vulgar people, and the people rush to it, but they don’t know that the traps are actually cages.” Players fight for this, and their spirit and time cost are no different from the ancient literati studying scriptures hard for a piece of paper. It can be seen from this that modern game-based labor has more or less reflected the anxiety and competition in real society, which makes people have to sigh that “life is like a play, and there is pain in the play.”

The setting of “Golden Fleece” is particularly ironic. Since ancient Greek mythology, the Golden Fleece has symbolized rare treasures and lofty ideals. In Mingchao, the “Golden Fleece” can be obtained through daily purchase limits of fifteen, which gives people the feeling that “the ideal in dreams is out of reach, and the limited quantity cannot be fully obtained.” This limit not only increases the difficulty of collecting for players, but is also a modern capital operation method: limited supply, stimulating demand, and thus inducing players’ desire to consume. This method is quite similar to Qian Zhongshu’s ridicule of “it is difficult for poor scholars to seek knowledge, and buying books is like buying gold.”

The recharge discount code “three percentage points discount” is indeed a clever means for merchants to attract players to spend money. If Qian Zhongshu comments, he must say that “the merchants have good intentions, just like Fan Li in the Spring and Autumn Period, with far-reaching strategies and endless profits.” Players are tempted by discounts and frequently recharge. Although they get short-term satisfaction, they are like “drinking good medicine by mistake” and cannot get real spiritual relief. This is a microcosm of modern consumer society, which looks bright on the surface, but actually makes people indulge in it and difficult to extricate themselves.

Let’s look at the crystallized phlogiston required for the “resonance circuit” upgrade. It progresses from impurities to high purity in four levels, just like the saying of “refining the body and refining the spirit” in ancient Chinese alchemy. Players gradually improve their skills, just like alchemists who are cautious step by step, hoping to refine the elixir of life. This kind of design cleverly uses the metaphor of alchemy to remind players that cultivation is not achieved overnight, and requires perseverance and endurance. And this process also implies the hardships and confusion of modern people’s self-improvement-there are so many people who fail in alchemy, and players also fail again and again.

The complexity of material collection is far more than just in-game operations, but also involves the player’s time arrangement and psychological burden. Qian Zhongshu’s articles often see the irony of “working hard but getting nothing in return”, just like today’s players spend a lot of time collecting materials in the game, but often feel tired and empty. Here, the game has become the “spiritual opium” of modern society, which makes people addicted, but it is difficult to escape the time cage bound by it.

In short, the development material system of Mingchao Xiakong not only reflects the exquisiteness and complexity of game design, but also deeply reflects the spiritual state of modern young people who are lost in the gap between consumerism and digital entertainment. It is like a mirror, reflecting the economic logic, cultural mentality and psychological dilemma of contemporary society. If Qian Zhongshu commented on it, he would sigh that “the current atmosphere is like this, everyone competes for vanity, and games have become a new form of imperial examinations, which tests money and patience, but loses spiritual freedom and tranquility.” In this complex game world, I hope that players can keep a clear mind, not be confused by virtual achievements, and not fall into blind consumption. The richness of the spirit is far from being replaced by the accumulation of digital. Although games are entertainment, life should have more real warmth and thinking.