Chapter 22: Young A-Meng Ascends the Altar

Once it was discovered that the game was functioning properly, Teacher Purefan began sharing the Easter eggs he had unearthed. The game was packed with so many intriguing details—a testament to the cost-no-object use of system computing power and the meticulous refinement of every nuance. Honestly, Teacher Purefan felt that even if all the third-rate art films previously produced by Maodou were combined, they wouldn't possess as much artistic depth as this game. It was so incredibly detailed; President Gu was truly a master of hidden depth. This was the magnum opus of Maodou, the final work into which every ounce of heart and soul had been poured—it truly lived up to its reputation!

Beyond the gameplay itself, the narrative delivery of this title was undoubtedly the pinnacle of Maodou Media. Thanks to the curation of renowned bloggers like Teacher Purefan, various memes and iconic scenes from *Pure Love* began to circulate, becoming legendary among players. Meme encyclopedias released numerous videos explaining the "Pure Love" phenomena: the moment the protagonist learns the truth in the finale, his mental state collapses, his face contorts, and his "red bar" drains to zero—this was dubbed the "Unique Jester." The brief stutter that occurred when players rapidly swapped diaries to trigger a bug was christened "Za Warudo." The instant the protagonist’s red bar flipped from empty to full, reversing its polarity in a surge of growth, was called the "Moment of Awakening." The composition of the shot where he turns his back on the heroine—that entity of combined angel and demon—was hailed as the masterpiece "Farewell to the Mortal World." The path he takes, gradually receding into the distance toward a small hillside, became known as the "Stairway to Divinity." His meetings and conversations with Teacher Tong were described as "The Sage’s Guidance" and the "Time of Apocalypse." When the protagonist summons the heroine again after triggering a bug, wearing that robotic, scripted smile he flashes every time they meet, it was labeled the "Gotham Nightmare." Engaging battle mode against her was "Hunting Time."

Sacrificing the heroine to gain power. A mental state that rapidly collapses only to be rebuilt. The dual expression of crying and laughing on the same face, where a decline in sanity equals an increase in power. The faint, glowing effects radiating from his body, signifying immense buffs. Though his attire remained unchanged, his aura shifted from that of a loser to a god-like being, reminiscent of Aizen’s transformation. The sudden, chaotic orchestral swell of various intense background tracks playing simultaneously. The garbled, incessant game prompts echoing like delirious whispers... Is he a holy son, or a devil? It is the "Descent into the Mortal Realm!" From here on, whether the protagonist is saint or sinner, whether he acts for good or evil, whether he brings prosperity or ruin to the masses... whether he becomes the sole survivor or leads everyone to salvation... whether he spreads hatred and tragedy or bestows kindness and boundless love... whether he seeks "True Love for a Lifetime" or chooses "Friends with Benefits Across the City"... it all rests solely on the player's whim!

In short, every performance in the game, the various reactions of the NPCs, and the subsequent derivative storylines were interpreted in vastly different ways by different people. How many little details and Easter eggs did "System Bro" actually bury? Even Gu Meng himself couldn't count them all; he left it entirely up to the players to discover. A thousand readers lead to a thousand Hamlets. Great works are those that can be experienced and reflected upon repeatedly.

This game may not be a masterpiece to everyone, but there will certainly be those who hold it as one. It offered so many points to praise: sentiment, righteousness, intellectual combat, painstaking effort, secrets, twists, limit-breaking, and passion. It featured new face-modeling technology, details like stars in the sky, incredible replayability, the dreams of humanity, indomitable will, and the image of a strategist sacrificing himself to enter the fray, winning half a game against the heavens themselves... It satisfied every romantic notion a man could have. The buffs were fully stacked, and these weren't "politically correct" buffs—they were the kind that looked legitimately badass!

Gu Meng’s image in everyone’s hearts had become incredibly dashing. Fans shouted, "President Gu, you're cool! President Gu, you're cool!" Employees at the company whispered, "Welcome back, Young Master; celebrate the coronation of the Dragon King." As for keeping the truth about the bugs from them, that was only natural. Maodou employees might be bought off by the dark forces of competitors; no one could be trusted. Even if they weren't bribed, what if their families were threatened? "Tell us Gu Meng’s secrets, or else you wouldn't want anything to happen to..." Gu Ritian had been killed so casually, right downstairs at the company, right before Gu Meng’s eyes. These people were absolutely capable of such things.

Newcomers in the gaming industry realized that if they were in his position, they would surely have lost within the rules. Even if they could win, they were facing an opponent who would simply flip the table, forcing them to cower and hide. But President Gu was not only astonishingly capable and intellectually transcendent, his courage was world-shaking! His final turnaround victory proved he was a true warrior. And he won using his father’s specialty—skating the edge of the rules... To win wasn't enough; he had to win while standing tall! It was so romantic. He was nothing short of a superman! "Submit your resumes now! Let’s become gaming masters together, let’s become Maodou idols! If Maodou really disappears, let’s build a new Maodou together!"

Surprisingly, Gu Meng’s reputation didn't end up labeled as a "perverted game designer" as he had feared. Instead, it became even more exalted! It was truly bizarre. Even the gaming censors were charmed by his coolness. Their first reaction wasn't anger at Gu Meng for intentionally hiding the true mechanics, but rather cheering for him in secret, deciding to treat it all as a game bug—purely coincidental. Besides, the leadership likely didn't want to punish Maodou further and stir up more trouble. *The Adventures of the Sun Never Sets* had indeed been handled strictly, with an extra warning attached; it was only natural for President Gu, facing such a dark and malicious situation, to have reservations.

It wasn't just the neutral authorities; even the enemy companies and peers, who were mercilessly suppressing him, felt a sense of admiration for Gu Meng in their hearts. Wang Feng remarked, "Gu Ritian sired a good son!" When he was alive, he often bragged that his crooked-mouthed son was a genius who would shock the world. Heh, who knew he wasn't just blowing smoke! The more people learned, the more shocked they became. Even passersby who found the constant news cycle annoying had to admit, after learning the details, that President Gu was a real man!

Awesome! The Dragon King... he really, I’m crying. Such a heaven-sent powerhouse—past or present, the more one learns, the more one admires him. In a world of cutthroat competition, encountering a formidable enemy with shocking connections and boundless resources, using high-handed tactics—the company had already collapsed three times. They had "used their influence" to force two of his major titles off the market and manipulated public opinion to stir up a massive storm. They destroyed his games and ruined his reputation. Having won three times, after "Big Sun Brother" let the sun set three times, he still wasn't satisfied—he had to rub salt in the wound! He murdered his father in the street! All the key staff deserted the company! Only a bunch of misfits were left! Panic ensued, yet he laid his plans alone! Bloggers across all platforms dared not take his contracts! The police lied to his face; looking around, he didn't know who he could trust. The hidden enemy was as monstrous as a beast, and his new work could be taken down at any moment. He was riddled with holes, short on money and staff, with no power to fight back at the start—even if he gave his all, he couldn't win...

It was not impossible to win! The "final work" of the King of Edge-Walking, Maodou, sacrificed everything without reservation. He used every gimmick for the sake of going viral, ignoring the consequences of using bugs as mechanics once they were exposed. In this work, the Dragon King asked for no past life and sought no afterlife! He only wanted the glory of this world! "I want to fight for a breath—not to prove how great I am, but to tell others that what I have lost, I will take back!" The King of Edge-Walking—a title well-earned. My youth has ended, but it will live on here forever. Tears well up. The Dragon King sublimated into a Dragon Emperor, suppressing the supreme beings of the dark forbidden zone... This is truly, too cool!

It led even those indifferent to such games to admit that *Pure Love Warrior Simulator* might just be a god-tier masterpiece. If things continue this way, it might even spawn a strange group of "Pure Love Scholars." A massive amount of game detail has been excavated, some of which are even over-interpretations. The result? In just one week, Gu Meng’s reputation is about to ascend to the pantheon!