Chapter 212: New Hotspot

Dream Technology’s new game was launched without the usual pomp and circumstance, opting instead for a quieter, subtler approach to promotion.

While surfing the net, users might stumble upon an ad that reads, “What will your dream job look like in the future? Come and experience life in the future!”

The advertising comes in text format, but there are also small video versions available, with dazzling futuristic scenes that captivate far more than mere words could.

Nonetheless, on several gaming forums, “Miraculous World” has begun to spark hot debate.

An internet user with the handle “Universe One Space” posted an article on a forum titled “My Future as a Mecha Warrior”, which quickly became a popular thread.

“As a seasoned player of mecha games, I’m completely mesmerized by ‘Miraculous World’s’ humanoid mechas that adhere to aesthetic mechanics.

I was also shocked by the realistic display of the mecha weapon’s power—the plasma cannon on the mecha’s arm could easily shred asteroids several tens of meters in diameter in space.

The particle beam shoulder cannon of the mechas can effortlessly destroy the most advanced tanks of today, with mecha versus mecha battles testing the armor’s strength and the operator’s superior reflexes and experience.

Of course, the most important aspect is mastering the relevant knowledge. To have superior reflexes, one must be familiar with theories in mechanics, geometry, and mathematics.

So, for those who choose mechas, study hard!”

“Poster, are you a scholar? You’ve already reached the 122nd rank on the leaderboard so quickly?”

“I was once a true slacker because I thought those things were useless. But now, mecha warrior is my love, and I’m willing to devote all my energy to become proficient!” responded the original poster, “Universe One Space”.

“Poster is awesome. I like making money lying down, but ‘Miraculous World’ doesn’t seem to have such a profession. This is frustrating!”

“Haha, the guy above, making money lying down is a job for robots, none of your business.”

“I love cooking, but being a chef in ‘Miraculous World’ is just too difficult to learn.”

“I love eating, becoming a mukbang broadcaster. There’s no such profession in ‘Miraculous World’. I have nowhere to cry about this.”

“Folks above, can you actually eat in the game? Can you taste the sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, salty flavors?”

“Yes, in ‘Miraculous World’ you do feel hungry and need to eat. The tastes can be felt and are almost indistinguishable from reality.”

“That’s correct. I just had lunch, but I’m not sure if king crab really tastes like this. What should I do? Do I really need to spend money to try it in reality?”

“The guy above is amazing, daring to spend at the seafood restaurant in ‘Miraculous World’, which must have cost you 100,000 game coins, right? If game currency could be converted to cash, you could afford it in real life too.”

“I earned the game coins in the game. I can’t earn that much in reality; I still have a mortgage to pay off. I can’t afford such spending.”

“Guy above, tell us how did you make so many coins in the game? You can message me privately too.”

“No private messaging! Poster on the 10th floor, share your experience of making game coins quickly!”

“Is it tough? In ‘Miraculous World’ there’s the Creative Design Reward Competition, right? Just complete a design, and if it’s approved by the system, you earn 100,000 game coins.”

“Just a weak question for the person above, what design did you complete?”

“I study architectural design and completed a super cool elevator design.”

“I’m a coder. I also earned 100,000 game coins by writing a program for an algorithm.”

“I’m a creator. I wrote a piece of music and made 100,000 game coins!”

“And I am…”

…

Then, the entire thread went off on tangents about how everyone made their 100,000 game coins.

When given a chance to show off, people never miss out.

“Miraculous World” is becoming increasingly popular among doctors, various design professions, and those in basic theoretical fields like mathematics, physics, chemistry, and astronomy.

They could acquire a lot of knowledge within the game that’s still relevant in the real world.

In early summer 2022, as the global situation heated up, netizens found a new interest in their lives.

The people of Tang Country felt more changes, with furniture, home appliances, private cars, and the like becoming more intelligent and life becoming more convenient.

The next day after Madame Liu from the Imperial Capital bought a smart bed, she became an enthusiastic volunteer spokesperson in her neighborhood, bragging about her new bed to anyone within earshot.

“Sister Zhang, let me tell you, this smart bed is just too comfortable. No matter how you toss and turn or what position you lie in, the bed automatically adjusts to provide the best support, making you feel relaxed with minimal effort. I slept straight through last night until morning.”

“Miss Xu, I remember you have some issues with insomnia. You should really get a smart bed, it’ll guarantee you say goodbye to insomnia. I really had a great sleep last night.”

“Madame Liang, don’t you always get leg cramps when you sleep at night? You should quickly change to a smart bed. It massages you while you sleep, and you surely won’t get cramps anymore.”

“Sister Sun, you… oh, thank you for recommending the smart bed to me!”

…

Scenes like these are becoming increasingly common in the lives of the Tang Country’s people, and gradually they’re starting to appear in other countries as well.

A survey by an international media outlet found that, in recent years, the development of smart technology deeply influences human society.

From household robots to a variety of smart home appliances and furnishings, to autonomous vehicles gradually being tested in some major cities.

People’s lives are becoming more convenient and comfortable.

++++++++

“Mr. President, our electronic and mechanical industry giants are suffering an unprecedented blow. Over the past quarter, each of these top companies has seen a significant drop in sales, and their stock prices have fallen to new lows.”

Miles Snoken, the U.S. President’s economic advisor, issued another warning; this was the third time in the last month he raised the issue.

Recently, President Baysan Volbsk was swamped with the Persia issue, the Asan country issue, and the Indian Ocean seabed behemoth problem, leaving him no time to care about domestic economic issues.

The underwater behemoth was a particular headache for Baysan Volbsk. The security team and military had held numerous meetings but could not come up with a solid plan to capture the creature.

The main problem was that if they dispatched too few troops, they would stand no chance against the sea monster. However, deploying a significant force would make the other two superpowers and the Asan country quite sensitive, and keeping the operation secret would be impossible.

As a President, and being in office for a significant period, Baysan Volbsk was privy to all the necessary secrets.

Only upon sitting in that chair did he realize that the U.S.’ position as the global superpower wasn’t just luck; it was seizing key opportunities at the right time.

If obtaining a wealth of technological data and scientists from Germany after World War II laid the foundation for the U.S. to lead the world in technology,

then an unearthed alien spacecraft last century was the true source of America’s global superiority.

Even though deciphering the spacecraft was an exceedingly slow process, scientists have had great advancements simply from the inspiration gained from its various parts.

For instance, the U.S. entered the transistor era ahead of the Soviet Union thanks to insights from a circuit board found on the spacecraft.

Developments like these accelerated computer technology, research into laser weapons, and neutral particle weapon technology, as well as the aerodynamic design of aircraft, and more.

Having tasted such success, the Americans see the seabed behemoth in the same light as the alien spacecraft back then.

If it weren’t for its significance, the U.S. would have gone public with it, rallying allies to confront the threat together.

Preliminary expert analysis of the two attacks on navy ships suggested that this might not be a creature of nature but a type of artificial intelligence life form.

Based on descriptions from Captain Donald and others, its manufacturing technology is beyond anything available on Blue Star.

That’s exactly why the Americans envied it so much.

They achieved multiple technological advancements through the inoperable spacecraft; imagine what they could achieve if they captured this functioning giant?

By then, any catching up or surpassing done by Tang Country would be a non-issue.

At this time, could Baysan Volbsk genuinely be interested in Snoken’s repeated reports about Dream Technology challenging the U.S. giants in electronics and machinery?

If they dealt with the sea monster, the U.S. would undoubtedly make a massive technological leap. Why then worry about Dream Technology?

“Snoken, I have more important matters to handle right now. If this issue is resolved well, your concerns about Dream Technology might just disappear.”

“Why is that? You know, not only the electronic and mechanical industries are being hit hard by Dream Technology; our software industry and even online gaming industry are under their attack. We must take action as quickly as possible…”

“So, tell me, what actions can we take? We’ve already sanctioned Dream Technology completely, and we even launched a missile attack on one of their factories in Africa. What else can we do? Do you want me to order all their factories to be destroyed?”

Snoken was stumped. Indeed, the U.S. government had fully sanctioned Dream Technology and even resorted to military action. It seemed the only remaining option was to destroy all of Dream Technology’s factories.

But that would enrage a slew of nations, as not every country hosting a Dream Technology factory is as defenseless as South Sudan.

Thank you to “Cold and Somber Cloud at Dusk” for the 100 coin donation!