Chapter Thirty: The Game of Resources

In this way, the entire room presented a peculiar scene: one half was packed to overflowing, while the other half remained sparsely populated.

Walking over to the bookshelf on the far left, Zhang Mingyang browsed up and down, searching for books that piqued his interest. After glancing through a few, none caught his attention, so he made his way toward the deepest part of the room, where the draft manuscripts were kept.

“Hey! What kind of book is this?”

From a pile of drafts, Zhang Mingyang pulled out a book titled “The Resource Game.” Judging from the title, it seemed less like a classified document and more like a strategy guide for a game.

Intrigued, Zhang Mingyang opened to the first page. “What is this? There isn’t even an author’s name!” He checked both the cover and the back—indeed, no name was to be found.

This was strange. How could an anonymous book end up in a confidential archive?

He continued leafing through it. The table of contents contained only a single sentence: “The Pros and Cons of Resources.”

Zhang Mingyang found this rather baffling. He had never seen a table of contents consisting of just one line.

On the first page, the heading read, “The Pros and Cons of Resources.” He read on: Humanity’s progress is inseparable from technology, and technological progress, in turn, is inseparable from resources.

From the moment humans appeared and began wielding stone tools, they learned to harness resources to empower themselves.

“Stone resources” ushered humanity into the “tribal society.”
“Bronze resources” marked the advent of the “chieftain-slave society.”
“Iron resources” brought about the “imperial feudal society.”
“Coal resources” propelled humanity into the “industrial society.”
“Oil resources” led to the “modern society.”
“Rare resources” will usher humanity into the “space age.”
“Antimatter resources” will propel humanity into the “era of space colonization.”
And even more potent resources—like “dark matter” and those yet to be discovered—will lead humanity into the “era of cosmic supremacy.”

The use of resources stands as humanity’s greatest achievement. It has changed how we live, elevated us into Earth’s “advanced civilization,” and brought about untold benefits—the “pros.” Yet the “cons” swiftly followed:

The use of “stone weapons” taught humans to kill and to compete.
“Bronze weapons” taught us about slavery and the orderliness of killing.
“Iron weapons” awakened us to the existence of profit and the art of psychological control.
“Gunpowder” taught us the advantage of resources.
“The atom” taught us the power of deterrence and intimidation.

The emergence of “dark matter” will drive humanity into unknown contests.

…

By this point, Zhang Mingyang no longer felt he was reading a game guide. Instead, it seemed more like a parable in novel form.

He continued reading:

All things in the world have two sides. Humans can use resources to strengthen themselves—but can’t others do the same? Or, perhaps, other civilizations?

The resource game on Earth is nearing its end. Humanity’s “account” is close to reaching its maximum level and is about to enter a grander “cosmic resource game.” Yet, upon entering this unknown game, the gear acquired on Earth will no longer suffice; we must start afresh. And once the game resets, all the old problems arise anew:

We do not know who our opponents are.
We do not know their levels.
We do not know the nature of their equipment.
Where are the resources required to upgrade gear?
To what era have they advanced by exploiting their resources?
…

All these questions, and more, remain mysteries to us. Only as we acquire cosmic resources will we gradually uncover the answers.

Some might say, then let’s avoid higher-level zones—remain in low-level areas where we can be overlords, picking fights at will.

Of course, that’s an option. But what happens if a higher-level, better-equipped player enters our low-level zone? They could easily overpower us.

Ultimately, once humanity enters the resource game, there is no way out—unless your account is erased. Everyone who joins the game is compelled to fight for supremacy.

During the game, you may form alliances, employ cunning and strategy, but the goal never changes: to become the strongest, to rule the entire server.

Some will argue—not all players are like humanity, focused only on slaughter and expansion.

True, we cannot know the character of every player, but one thing is certain: those content to drift along, lacking the will to dominate, will not survive to the end.

The ones who conquer the server are always those who climb to the top through countless battles.

If we, too, become complacent and stop striving, our fate will be the same as theirs. This is the true nature of the resource game: acquire resources, fight, acquire more resources, fight again—until only one remains.

By now, cold sweat had soaked Zhang Mingyang’s back. A chilling realization struck him: humanity stood on the threshold of the cosmic resource game.

He read on, but what followed only deepened his unease.

When we reach the pinnacle of the game, will there not be an even greater game awaiting us, with neither beginning nor end?

“Who on earth wrote this book?” Zhang Mingyang wiped the sweat from his brow. The further he read, the more disturbing it became. He steadied himself, struggling to pull his mind out of the cosmic game conjured by the book.

“Mingyang, hurry over here—there’s a book,” his teacher’s voice called, pulling him back from the universe.

“Oh, I’m coming.” Putting down the book, Zhang Mingyang briefly considered copying the whole thing to read later. But the archive’s security system forbade all recording devices, so he abandoned the idea. It seemed he would have to make several more visits.

Setting the book aside, Zhang Mingyang rejoined the bustling crowd, vying for books on the shelves.

…

That day, Zhang Mingyang and his teacher stayed in the archive from morning through night, missing both lunch and dinner. It was past nine when they finally stepped outside.

Under the sky full of stars, Lin Guangming and Zhang Mingyang each gazed upward, each caught in his own thoughts.

“Mingyang, after reading Wang Huairen’s book today, I truly feel how insignificant I am. Such advanced technology—how do you think he accomplished it?” his teacher mused.

Zhang Mingyang, gazing at the Big Dipper in the northeast, sighed, “Perhaps the game has already begun.”

“Hm? What did you say?” Wang Huairen looked at his favorite student in confusion.

“Oh, nothing,” Zhang Mingyang replied, rubbing his head, weary after a day of reading.

“That’s not fatigue, that’s hunger.” Hearing Zhang Mingyang’s stomach growl, Wang Huairen led him toward the dormitory.

“Teacher, the cafeteria’s that way,” Zhang Mingyang said.

“At this hour, there’s nothing good left in the cafeteria. Come to my room—I’ve got some goodies stashed away.”

“Goodies?” Zhang Mingyang suddenly remembered something. “Teacher, did your wife send you marinated beef again?”

Wang Huairen turned, surprised. “How did you know? I don’t smell like it, do I?”

Laughing, Zhang Mingyang replied, “Back at school, every time you brought something, it was always your wife’s marinated beef. We all knew.”

“How come I didn’t know that?”