400 The Butterfly Game
Cui Geng's 'Completion Forecast' was very simply written.
"I am 'The Tentacled Beast that Writes for His Life'. I want to tell all of you something from the bottom of my heart.
"I know that many friends hoped that there would be two, three, or even five million words in this book. Some of you even hoped that the book would never end.
"However, I don't have enough experience writing Xuanhuan novels. This book's framework wasn't big from the beginning. The most exciting parts could be written with seven or eight hundred thousand words. After diluting the content, I stretched it to its maximum of a million words.
"All of you could tell that I sped up the plot recently. That's because I was reaching seven hundred thousand words, and I was reaching the end of the novel's plot.
"I was afraid that if I ended the book too suddenly, none of you would have been able to accept it. That's why I'm warning you now: the book is probably going to reach its conclusion in one or two weeks. Please brace yourselves.
"I'm preparing for the next book. Once I have something substantial, I'll inform all of you at once."
Just as Cui Geng had expected, the comments section immediately flooded with discussion.
Cui Geng decisively exited Zhongdian Chinese Network's application and stopped its processes so that he would not have to read his readers' comments. That was because he could probably easily guess what the comments would be about.
"So what if they start scolding me? As long as I don't read the comments, it wouldn't affect me. Even if I get scolded, I have to write out what I have in mind!
"I can sense that this idea would be the brightest moment of my writing career!"
Cui Geng switched the computer on and created a new document. Then, he quickly wrote out his idea.
"Even at its best, a story set in the city would not be as good as traditional Xuanhuan and Xianxia stories. Still, there'll probably be many readers. It'll be a hot topic for sure."
"However… at the moment, most stories set in the city are interesting because they're about mindless boasting and romance, with powerful soldiers and campus flowers as the protagonists.
"That's not quite my style.
"I can't write about mindless boasting, and I can't come across as preachy because that would not match the uniqueness of this idea.
"That's why I'm going to write a story with a humorous tone.
"I won't make readers just feel good like they normally would. Instead, I will make them feel like God—in control of everything…"
As Cui Geng brainstormed, he quickly thought of a pretty good framework for the novel.
It would be called The Butterfly Game.
He had not thought of a name for the protagonist yet. In any case, he would just be a tool.
The protagonist would be sitting at home one day, slacking. All of a sudden, a system would drop from above. A blue ball of light would smash him in his head and merge together with him.
The protagonist would subsequently realize that he could summon the light ball whenever he wanted. Through the light ball, he could even observe everything that was happening in a parallel world.
The light ball would contain a game called 'The Butterfly Game'. The inspiration for that name came from 'the butterfly effect'.
The protagonist would not be the creator of that parallel world.
He would have certain powers in the game, but he would only be able to make relatively superficial changes in the parallel world. He would be just like a butterfly, gently fluttering its wings in the Amazon jungle.
The aim of the game would be to cause the biggest effect on the people and things in the game through a chain reaction to these superficial changes.
At the end, the game would measure the effect caused by the protagonist and grade him. He would then be rewarded according to that grade.
As the cycle continued, the protagonist would get more and more powers, and his area of influence would increase.
Thus, the protagonist would keep causing butterfly effects. Many people would begin realizing their dreams in that world due to a freak combination of factors.
Cui Geng had even thought about how to write the first scene in the beginning.
He would start with an independent game designer, who would be destitute and dejected… but never gave up on his dreams.
Since this game designer would be destitute and dejected, he would create a very simple and stripped-down game. However, it would be filled with sincerity.
Still, since he would have no money to advertise it, nobody would catch onto it. Helpless and desperate, the game designer would decide to give up on his dreams and return home to work in a factory, which his family would have found for him.
While observing the parallel world, the protagonist would notice this game designer. Thus, using his limited powers, he would find a UP Master in the game channel and then cause the UP Master to 'accidentally' download the game and start playing it.
The UP Master would recommend the game on his own initiative, causing it to become popular at once. From then on, things would spiral out of control. All of these would cause the game designer's dreams to come true.
Of course, since this story was only the beginning, it would be relatively simple.
As the plot developed, the story would become more and more complicated.
For example, there would be an extremely wealthy antagonist in the book. He would be the boss of a multinational corporation, and he would love acquiring game companies all over the world if they had good reputations. He would then milk every last cent from those companies.
To force these game companies into acquisition, he would resort to dirty tricks, plant moles in the companies, or smear their reputations online to cause them to run into financial difficulties. In the end of the day—to pressure the companies that he liked, he would resort to anything.
The protagonist's mission would be to ruin the antagonist's plans by changing certain details in the world using the butterfly effect, which he had become extremely familiar with. By doing so, he would be saving the good-hearted game companies from being maliciously acquired.
All in all, the protagonist would have to use his golden fingers and the 'butterfly effect' to influence everyone in the parallel world and help them to achieve their dreams.
All of those people could come from various industries. They could be game designers, entrepreneurs, cafe bosses, singers, actors, directors, writers…
There would be a whole host of characters like that.
As time went by, the people whom the protagonist had helped would help one another and affect one another. It would get harder and harder to anticipate how things would develop.
As the supporting characters continue to mature and their lives begin to intertwine with one another's, the protagonist's butterfly effect would grow more powerful.
Take a child who faced the possibility of dropping out of school for example. Thanks to the protagonist's butterfly effect, the child would get financial assistance from a good-hearted person.
He would go on to graduate from high school and obtain excellent results in university. He would then take a post-graduate course and obtain his Ph.D. before taking part in the research and development of an extremely important project.
The project would become a success, and a new investment opportunity would arise.
At the same time, another supporting character's company would face the possibility of insolvency due to insufficient funds. However, because they had invested in that project, they would rise to success and become giants in the industry. They would go on to deeply change the way the entire world lived.
All in all, the parallel world would slowly turn into the perfect world, thanks to the protagonist's use of the butterfly effect time and time again.
…
Once he finished writing the idea out, Cui Geng read it a couple of times to evaluate it.
"It's not a typical storyline, and there are bound to be huge risks involved. However, that also means there's opportunity. I don't think anyone has a similar story set in a city.
"The readers would not be made to feel like the protagonist but like God. They would watch as the parallel world accidentally and slowly changes due to each butterfly effect. A plot like that would keep the readers on their toes and fill them with hope for the future.
"There would be no supporting character who would try to show off and end up being defeated by the protagonist. Instead, all the supporting characters would achieve their dreams one by one, and the parallel world would just get better.
"The book would lean towards being humorous. It would also be quite relaxing. I think it will appeal to readers who are tired of reading books about young underdogs with unlimited potential.
"I can gather material from different kinds of businesses. There are many stories in the country about companies establishing empires out of pure coincidence.
"Even Tengda can be used as an inspiration. Reality is much more exciting than novels…"
The more Cui Geng thought about it, the more inspired he became!
There were holes in this plot; he could not say that it was perfect.
Yet, which plot was perfect?
As long as one was venturing into new territory, there would be risks involved.
At that thought, Cui Geng sent the document to his own email and then deleted the document from the computer.
Things like ideas were extremely important to writers. If others saw the document and leaked the information and someone else began writing a book based on his idea, he would be in trouble.
Once he was done, Cui Geng glanced at his cell phone. It was just about time to knock off.
He stood up and walked out.
Once I get back, I have to focus and work hard to write the ending for the book.
The framework wasn't big to begin with. If I continue writing eight thousand words per day, I'll probably finish what I had originally planned in a week or so.
Then, I'll decisively end the book. So what if I get scolded? I'll quickly start writing a new one and act like nothing happened.
For the sake of my new idea, I'll tolerate getting scolded!
Cui Geng walked out of the game room and bumped into Boss Pei, who had just arrived back at the office.
When Pei Qian saw Cui Geng walk out of the game room, he smiled brightly. "Come, I'll treat you to a meal!"
Cui Geng was stunned. "Huh? But, Boss Pei—"
"No 'but's. Just come with me."
Boss Pei did not even allow Cui Geng to object. He led the latter onto the car, and the two headed to Ming House for a huge feast.
In the car, Cui Geng's heart was filled with doubts. Boss Pei looked so happy when he saw me. Does he already know that today's lesson on the Tengda spirit was a success?
Is he treating me to a meal to encourage me?
