Chapter 2: Peashooter, Sunflower, a huge wave of zombies is approaching

Several whole minutes…

Everyone only then snapped out of their daze.

"Little friend? Are you really designing a game?"

At this moment, Chen Wu's gaze toward the little guy was just like a "grandfather" seeing the gourd baby for the first time.

"I am indeed designing a game!"

The little guy nodded, then replied in a childish voice.

Chen Wu half-squatted, pointing at a string of English code on the computer screen, and immediately asked: "Little friend, do you know what this string of English code represents?"

"I know!"

The little guy nodded again. "These are several plants set in the game 'Plants vs. Zombies'."

"Sunflower, cost 50 sunshine, trait: produces 25 sunshine every 24 seconds."

"Peashooter, range: straight ahead one whole grid, cost 100 sunshine, trait: each attack fires a pea bullet."

"Cherry Bomb, range: centered on itself, explosion radius 1.5 grids in a circle, cost 150 sunshine, trait: large-area destructive blast."

……

A long stretch of English code was translated by the little guy in his tender voice.

The childish voice echoed throughout the entire computer lab…

Almost everyone craned their necks to look at the screen.

Chen Wu abruptly turned his head…

"Manager Zhang? Are these codes correct as he said?"

Upon hearing that…

Manager Zhang froze.

"I, I can't understand these codes!"

Um…

Now Chen Wu also froze for a moment.

Indeed, the teachers invited by the training department to teach game development are elites from home and abroad…

The department manager only handles coordination and really doesn't understand these.

"Then, quickly go find someone who understands code! Hurry… hurry!"

"Okay… okay!"

Manager Zhang agreed and immediately rushed out.

It was just ten minutes.

Manager Zhang returned, panting…

Following him, there was also a teacher about forty years old with black eye circles behind him.

"Vice President Chen, this is the game programming teacher we hired; he previously studied abroad in Kimchi Country, his name is…"

"Don't say more… come over and look at this string of code! Tell me… what does it contain?"

Chen Wu's entire focus was on the little guy and this string of code.

He had no time for pleasantries with the teacher; his words sounded more like a command.

Upon hearing this,

The teacher with black eye circles hurriedly squeezed to the front of the computer screen.

"It's this segment… take a look."

Chen Wu pointed at the code on the screen, his whole person eager to know the answer.

"This…"

The black-eyed teacher quickly scanned the screen, also moving the mouse up and down.

He then said: "Vice President Chen, this string of code is the setting for a game, which includes several dozen plants."

"For example, sunflower, cost 50 sunshine, trait: produces 25 sunshine every 24 seconds."

"For example, peashooter, range: straight ahead one whole grid, cost 100 sunshine, trait: each attack fires a pea bullet."

"For example, cherry bomb, range: centered on itself, explosion radius 1.5 grids in a circle, cost 150 sunshine, trait: large-area destructive blast."

"There are many more; just the plants alone exceed a hundred types, and there are also zombie settings afterward—overall it's very complex."

"It's more complex than the code of all single-player games on the market!"

…

Boom…

Boom—rumble!

The black-eyed teacher's words fell.

It was as if a thunderbolt from the sky struck, directly hitting the heads of every onlooker.

Exactly, exactly the same!

The black-eyed teacher's explanation and the little guy's explanation were exactly the same, so…

"This little guy isn't just randomly typing; he's… actually writing game code?"

"Or is it this complex code?"

"He… he's only seven years old?"

My goodness!

"He probably hasn't even started elementary school yet?"

"Where did he learn all this?"

It couldn't be that he's self-taught, could it?

Could it be that in our vast Xia nation, after Gan Luo, Sima Guang, Cao Chong, Cai Wenji, Dongfang Shuo, and Luo Binwang, another great child prodigy has been born?

Exactly, it's in today's limitless-potential gaming field!

Heaven blesses the great Xia nation...

Heaven blesses the 'Holy Great' network...

Heaven blesses Chen Wu and his brother!

…

Upon thinking that.

Chen Wu even felt an urge to hug the little guy...

However, a few words from the black-eye-circle teacher calmed him down again.

"Deputy General Manager Chen, the game's settings are so complex, page after page... It looks like a production larger and more complex than that of *Chinese Paladin*."

"But putting it into practice is probably difficult... it's hard to program all these settings together."

"However... even if we delete two-thirds of the settings and simplify programming, this should still be an extremely innovative standalone game!"

Oh...

These words calmed Chen Wu considerably.

I was too excited before.

Now, it's not yet the time to be happy!

Although Chen Wu doesn't really understand game development and programming.

But…

He still knows the basic common sense.

A game is not just about programming; engine, graphics, operation… none can be missing.

Even if the programming is excellent, during actual testing, various reasons can cause the game to crash.

Just this string of code is not enough to prove how excellent this little guy is!

But…

Faintly, Chen Wu felt full of confidence in this little guy.

He had a premonition that this game would definitely be good.

"Little guy, can I try playing the game you designed?"

"Of course."

After a brief exchange, the little guy rose from his seat and immediately opened a folder on the computer.

Inside the folder was a striking icon: a zombie's hand holding a white Xiao Hua.

"Click this to start the game."

The little guy nodded, his tiny finger pointing at that striking icon.

"Good, good!"

Chen Wu operated the mouse to open the game.

While staring at the computer screen, he laughed and said, "Uncle doesn't know how yet; you'll have to teach me..."

"There's a tutorial; it's very simple, even a three-year-old can play!"

The little guy's eyes curved, his mouth grinning; he kept laughing, a laughter so innocent and carefree.

…

The game opened.

The big words "Plants vs. Zombies" came into view.

Then came the tutorial…

Sunflowers produce sunlight;

Peashooters fire green pellets;

while zombies will warn: a huge wave of zombies is approaching.

Chen Wu followed the steps to start the game; in just a few minutes he learned to plant sunflowers, collect sunlight, and plant peashooters.

He also learned to resist a huge wave of zombie invasion.

Because he rarely used a mouse, he was a bit clumsy.

Several times he got eaten by zombies…

But…

Chen Wu hesitated not at all, opened it again, and tried once more.

His whole self instantly became immersed in it…

At this moment, he seemed to have forgotten what his purpose was…

He had already been captivated by the game's gameplay, graphics, and feel, unconsciously wanting to continue clearing levels and unlock more plants and zombies.

The same.

Who else besides Chen Wu could be captivated by Plants vs. Zombies?

Ten minutes!

Twenty minutes!

One hour!

Chen Wu played for a full hour, while all the staff, including the employees who rushed over upon hearing the news, just watched him play for an hour.

He was hooked, completely hooked.

In 2001, the single-player game market was almost monopolized by Counter-Strike, Red Alert, StarCraft, Diablo.

Such a Plants vs. Zombies.

Because of its operability, the anticipation of unlocking the game, and its unique casual gameplay, it is enough to make anyone who comes into contact with it become addicted.

It blew up…

The entire computer lab was completely blown up.

Everyone will cheer nonstop for Chen Wu's splendid operation, will be endlessly excited from clearing levels, and will feel their hearts twisted into a knot from the tension of facing a large group of approaching zombies.

And all of this is because of the game called Plants vs. Zombies created by the little guy Lu Yu.

Until one and a half hours later.

Still, Chen Wu's throat was too dry, and he wanted to drink water.

Looking around, he saw the little guy Lu Yu.

He finally came to his senses…

He came to try this game, right? How... just, just, just, just... just got addicted?

Wait!

The game designed by the little guy had no problems whatsoever in its operation for one and a half hours.

Nor did the engine show any discomfort…

Not even the slightest stutter appeared in the picture.

Under such gameplay, under such graphics, against the backdrop of this era.

Sharp-witted Chen Wu instantly discovered its value.

This game is enough to sweep the entire Great Xia State.

What excited Chen Wu even more than that was that the little guy who designed this game was right before his eyes…

Cute, lively, simply too endearing.

……

……