Chapter 6: Unable to Resist Clicking on This Game!

Most of the players didn't start playing immediately. Instead, they were watching the big screen, waiting for the host to introduce the games before deciding which ones to play.

The deep, resonant voice of the male host echoed throughout the venue.

"Designer number 7, entry: Flappy Bird."

"In this game, players can control the bird's flight by tapping the screen and navigating through obstacles. Players earn 1 point for each obstacle they pass."

"The game features online connectivity and ranking functions, yes, ranking functions."

The host's voice noticeably faltered. Clearly, he wanted to say something more grandiose about the game but failed.

Even with his professional skills as a well-known host, he couldn't find anything commendable about the game and ended up repeating that it had online and ranking features.

Well, at least it was an online game.

The audience burst into laughter. Some of the previous games were simple, but none were as essential as this one!

Judging by the demonstration video on the big screen, it barely qualified as a game, but... just barely!

The pixel art was terrible.

There was no gameplay to speak of.

It had only one incredibly dull playstyle.

Who would want to play this?

The three judges reacted similarly.

Steven Harris looked livid.

Simon Dominic was bewildered.

Daniel Cooper seemed incredulous, checking the game on his tablet to confirm its simplicity.

Clearly, all three judges shared the same thought: "Is this for real?"

How did this game make it through the preliminary rounds? What was the designer thinking?

The contestants laughed out loud, and their anxiety and nervousness were alleviated entirely.

Many began secretly observing to discover who the mysterious designer number 7 was, wondering if they weren't afraid of becoming a laughingstock in the gaming community.

Alex Parker sat upright and composed, showing no hint of being the number 7 designer.

Contestants didn't wear number tags to prevent bias, ensuring judges and the audience assessed the games fairly.

The host continued introducing other games, and the incident with Flappy Bird became a humorous interlude.

Alex Parker felt the timing was right and secretly activated the virtual screen on his bracelet using the Super Focus Device.

He had tested it earlier, knowing that only he could see the virtual screen, allowing him to use it freely in public.

Alex Parker targeted the three judges and a majority of the audience, precisely five hundred people, focusing their attention on his game.

A countdown timer appeared on the virtual screen, giving him 10 minutes during which these 500 people would focus entirely on his game.

Having done this, Alex Parker sat back and waited quietly.

As the saying goes, "Do your best and leave the rest to fate." Now was the time to leave it to fate.

...

In the audience, a student opened his tablet, looking for a game to play.

He had no intention of touching "Flappy Bird," but his finger involuntarily clicked on it.

"Huh?"

He was confused but felt an inexplicable urge calling him: "Play it, just play it..."

"This is just that super simple, annoying game... it doesn't seem fun at all."

"..."

"Alright, let's give it a try."

The student tapped the screen and started the game.

A couple was playing a cooperative flight combat game when the girl suddenly felt bored.

"This is so dull; let's switch games," the girl said.

The boy nodded, "Sure, but which one?"

As they scanned through the twenty games, their eyes inexplicably fixed on the chubby, silly-looking bird icon from "Flappy Bird."

The girl said, "This game has online play and rankings. Why don't we try it?"

The boy hesitated, "Okay, but is it fun?"

The girl replied, "We won't know until we play it. Besides, with the ranking feature, let's see who scores higher."

The boy agreed, "Alright!"

Both of them clicked on the "Flappy Bird" icon together.

The effect of the Super Focus Device was immediate. All 500 targeted people started playing "Flappy Bird."

Even the three judges did the same.

Steven Harris was still fuming. When he saw the introduction of "Flappy Bird" on the big screen, he almost stood up to demand the disqualification of designer number 7.

As the oldest judge, Steven Harris was more conservative and couldn't believe this could be considered a game. To him, it was a mockery, an insult to game designers.

How did such a game pass the preliminaries? Did the organizers not correctly review the designer's abilities?

Or was it... nepotism?

The thought that even this competition could be rigged was disheartening!

Despite his anger, Steven Harris found his gaze uncontrollably drawn to the chubby bird icon, which seemed to dominate the tablet screen.

"..."

"I want to see just how bad this can be."

Steven Harris clicked on the chubby bird icon and entered the game.

He felt a bit embarrassed, thinking that playing this game lowered his status. He glanced at the other two judges beside him, and to his surprise, they were also playing "Flappy Bird."

Steven Harris: "..."

It seemed he wasn't the only one.

The other two judges, Simon Dominic and Daniel Cooper, were also playing "Flappy Bird."

Daniel Cooper wasn't entirely influenced by the Super Focus Device. During the host's introduction, he had already noticed something odd.

Why would such a simple and monotonous game bother to include online and ranking features?

It seemed entirely unnecessary. With that effort, they could have made more levels or characters.

With this question in mind, Daniel Cooper clicked on the chubby bird icon.

The game's start screen was simple, instructing players to tap the screen to make the bird fly. There were no other prompts.

A "0" appeared at the top of the screen, indicating the score.

The game's graphics were as crude as in the demonstration video, featuring a pixelated style. The bird looked like a ball with two lifeless eyes, a sausage-like mouth, and tiny wings, looking incredibly silly.

Strangely, it had a mysterious charm.

Daniel Cooper tapped the screen.

The chubby bird flailed like a drowning fish, barely lifting before crashing into a pipe and dying instantly.

Daniel Cooper: "..."

This game is infuriating!