For my slavedriver, @agaragarjelly, who reminded me that I must continue till the end.

Two more episodes after this!!!

1.  Talk nerdy to me!

I’ll be the first one to admit this. When most people talk in computerese, my mind turns into an error code.

So I was surprised when Nai’s demo made perfect sense to me.

When FengTeng’s server was sabotaged, Nai ordered Mozarta to access a back-up server with the same specs used by FengTeng’s server. Instead of showing weakness, Nai used of this unexpected crisis to demonstrate their company’s preparedness to deal with problems. It became a sales pitch.

He said, “Online games are commercial products. Every second of the operation affects the company’s reputation and profit. That’s why stability is imperative. Numerous internet disasters have take place in recent years.

In order to avoid such a negative impact, Zhiyi considered off-site disaster recovery, when we designed our server infrastructure. Within this framework, when a server is in trouble, a mirror server automatically kicks in allowing players to continue the game.

Ensuring the game’s normal operation and minimizing accidents have always been Zhiyi’s goals. These are the promises we make to Fengteng in our future partnership.”

Also, when the rival company questioned whether their complex designed scenes in their game required high-end computer hardware which would inconvenience and add cost to our players, Nai presented the result of the engine optimization that he and KO worked on for days.

Nai explained, “Lowering the computer hardware requirement without sacrificing game quality has always been the goal of our engine optimization. Now, we will demonstrate that with a large-scale Hebo flood-fighting quest. (pause) Since there are long spells of rain in the game, floods are inevitable. Hebo floods is our cross-server disaster relief quest. Aside from rescuing NPCs and sending them to safety in a limited time, players also have to execute quests like rebuilding and relief goods transfer.

These quests form dynamic quest chains, to ensure players will not find the quests tedious or tiresome. Now we will simulate tens of thousands of players simultaneously on the same quest, in a pressure test of the server’s performance.”

Their own company representative became excited because this newfound technique could be applied to their other games.

But to me, the most impressive feature of his demo was his company Zhiyi Tech’s mission statement, “Original work and cultural transmission.” 

I’m copying it here in full because it was a long speech. I thought it would have bored me but I guess Yang Yang could read the US tax code to me and I’d still listen with all ears.

When we decided to start our own gaming company many had doubts because we are young and inexperienced. Also because many people still view gaming as wasting one’s life away. However, to me, a game is the same as a book, a movie, a museum. It isn’t just entertainment. It’s also a medium. A medium bearing the duty of cultural transmission is a means of showcasing culture to the people. Even more so, it is an imperceptible influence.

While playing our games, players are fully immersed in it and able to experience every refinement of Chinese culture. So Zhiyi’s objective isn’t simply to create popular games. Through the world we create, we hope more people will get to know Chinese culture. That’s also why we have insisted on researching and developing our own engine. Only our own engine can create a unique world of Chinse civilization, completely different from other cultures.

We want to create a world out of something that has remained in text and imagination only. Of course, we won’t force our ideas and concepts onto players. Instead, these will be manifested and embodied in the elements of our game. That is the mindset and aspiration behind our game design.”

I swear after he finished his demo I wanted to cheer for him.

Because he nailed it. He was proud of his heritage and culture, and wanted to showcase them in a medium that’s accessible to all, not only to the artsy-fartsy crowd like me.

2. “We won.” 

The last time she checked her phone in the library, it was 8:33pm. All day long, she’d been worrying about the meeting.

But when she saw him home, she ran to him and greeted him with “You’re back.”

He replied, “I came to get you for late-night supper.”

And then he added, “We won,” and she hugged him.

I thought it was so typical of Weiwei to be shy and proper. She waited for him to tell her the good news before she hugged him. Me? I would have jumped on the poor guy (beach or no beach)…just because I’ve been conditioned by Hollywood to envision romance like this.

I found this gif online. lol. They were practicing how she was going to run up to him.

3. Ordering food

Mozarta wanted to order more food because Nai was treating them out. As soon as he ordered the more expensive dishes, Nai casually reminded them that the dinner should be Mozarta’s treat because he had promised to treat them out to seafood on account of his owning two apartments. Nai said that the upcoming company weekend retreat would be his treat.

They all applauded, except for Mozarta, of course.

One of the guys even told Nai “I love you” in English.

And Weiwei cutely grunted in protest from the side.

And Nai glanced at her.

Mozarta continued to grumble, “Nai you’re the embodiment of ruthlessness.” As always, Nai took his insulting comment as a compliment, “You’re too kind. I’m only a dust storm, at most.”

The dust storm reference is from Episode 25. Ep 25 Highlights

Weiwei offered him a crab to appease him.

WW: Here, have a crab. You’re so vindictive. I won’t ever offend you.
Nai: Too late. You just did.

But he teased her, too.

Her eyes widened. And he grinned. (Huh? What did SHE do wrong? I’m stumped here….)

The extra food arrived. Topic shifted to Mozarta’s two apartments. Mozarta blamed his parents, saying that they bought the real estate to urge him to get married. 😜 KO was just listening to him….

But Nai wasn’t done paying him back for comparing him to a dust storm, so he piled on with an innuendo.

Nai: But why two apartments? Could it be…
Old Man Yu: (jumps in and teases him) You’re getting two wives?!
Mozarta: (protesting) Nai, why are you…
Nai: (eyeing Weiwei) Dust storms are unforgiving.

Again, Weiwei quickly grabbed a shellfish and put in on his plate, “Here you go.” She grinned widely at him.

Did I miss something? I don’t get what he was upset for?  Was she covering up for Mozarta and Nai didn’t like it?

Or was there a Chinese wordplay here that I didn’t get?

4. Ashuang

Nai stood up to refill the decanter. Weiwei followed with him to ask where Ashuang was. Nai told her that he’d resign. Weiwei was shocked and asked if he really betrayed everyone. Nai was surprised that she knew about Ashuang and she revealed how she spotted him with their rival company. Nai disclosed Ashuang’s story to her although he already decided to keep the truth from the others. “They don’t need to know.”

I’m glad she knew.

5. Oysters

Weiwei offered him as oyster as he worked hard as the “Head of Household.”

Nai: (crossing his arm) Oyster?
WW: What’s wrong?
Nai: Nothing. Hurry and grow up, Mrs. Head of Household.

lol. I thought we already discussed this. He was having fun with her innocence and unworldliness because she didn’t know that oysters are an aphrodisiac. She needed to hurry and grow up.

But sure, he liked to be the one to “corrupt” her just like in Ep 27, when he asked for a “couple mission” or told her that she could pretend to be the victim in front of his parents, and cast him as the bad guy. That’s the constant trope throughout this drama. Weiwei was the chaste virgin and Nai was the big bad wolf. Although Weiwei was fierce and feisty with others, to Nai and Nai alone, she chose to show her docile and submissive side. Interesting, right?

6. Brotherhood

Nai was just kidding about letting Mozarta pay for dinner. He knew Mozarta would be pleasantly surprised.

I like the way the college friends have stuck it together through thick and thin.

Aha!!! Found a gif!