Speaking of Xiakong in Mingchao, listeners may not know that she is just a “five-star resonator” in a virtual game, but she has a complicated cultivation system, which makes people feel deeply moved. Those so-called “low-frequency tide erosion sail core”, “burning phosphorus bones” and “golden fleece” are like thousands of “arty” symbols in modern society, which are gorgeous on the surface but confusing and exhausting in reality. The game has become a new stage, and the players have become the characters that are constantly pursued on this stage, just like the groups of common people running around in the old society, who are swept up by the so-called “promotion” and “success”.
From the acquisition of materials to the upgrade of characters, players are set one threshold after another. These four levels of tide erosion sail cores of different frequencies seem to tell us: the various classes and boundaries in modern life are clearly and meticulously divided. People have to spend a lot of time and energy to “collect” this intangible capital, just like the farmers working on the land in the old days, or the petty citizens running around for a piece of paper. The “burning phosphorus bones” in the game are rewards for defeating powerful monsters. Just like in reality, the strong get stronger and the weak get weaker. Resources are in the hands of a few people, and everyone is not equal.
The name “Golden Fleece” inevitably reminds people of the ancient myth, symbolizing rarity and preciousness. But in the game, it is a limited item for sale, which needs to be purchased with shells, and is limited to fifteen per week. Such a setting is obviously deliberately creating a “sense of scarcity” to induce players to keep recharging and consuming. Here, the logic of the virtual economy is no different from that of the real capitalist market. Players are like being pushed into the vortex of capital and cannot extricate themselves. In this regard, if Lu Xun were alive, he would definitely expose the exploitation and alienation in it.
What is even more disturbing is that the existence of recharge discount codes makes game consumption more “reasonable” and “convenient”. This is no different from the various “discount promotions” in modern society. On the surface, it is a welfare, but in fact it accelerates the exploitation of consumers. Players invest a lot for a little discount, expecting to get short-term satisfaction, but ignore the spiritual freedom and peace they really need. This phenomenon is like the “false, big and empty” described by Lu Xun, where the false halo covers up the inner desolation and loneliness.
The upgrade materials of the resonance circuit are so detailed that the amount of crystallized phlogiston required for each level seems to silently tell the modern society’s fanatical pursuit of efficiency and accumulation. People are taught to constantly “upgrade themselves”, but this upgrade is mostly superficial, mechanical, and far from the true nature of people. Every upgrade of the player requires a lot of materials and time, just as many people in reality are limited by the system, constrained by complicated rules and goals, and become small screws in the gears.
The various “challenges” and “dungeons” in the game, such as the Condensate Field·Confession Abyss, and defeating the Sighing Ancient Dragon to obtain materials, are more like endless tests and pressures in the lives of contemporary people. Many people have to struggle desperately in the gap between work and life. It seems that only by constantly defeating the “Boss” can they prove themselves and gain recognition. Games give them an outlet for venting, but they may also make them lose themselves in the glory of the virtual world and forget the pain of reality.
At the same time, game makers cleverly use various means to prolong the players’ stay time, thereby maximizing their benefits. This is a feast of modern “spiritual opium”. Players are willing to indulge, but they often pay with their precious youth and mental health. Many characters in Lu Xun’s works are victims of the social environment, and today’s gamers may not escape this fate.
In short, the material collection and cultivation system of Mingchao Xiakong seems complicated and cumbersome, but it reflects the deep anxiety and confusion of contemporary society. It is not only entertainment, but also a portrayal of the mental state of modern people. We should be alert to this and not let the virtual world devour real life, and don’t let these so-called “growth” and “progress” blind our eyes.