Chapter 60: Is the Post-90s Generation a Lost Generation?

August 1st, 9:00 AM.

“In fact, I already have a lot to say!”

“Over the past twenty years, I have seen far too many children go astray, living the rest of their lives in regret!”

“Especially the current post-90s generation…”

“They don’t even compare to the post-80s. The post-80s were diligent, serious, admired Western culture, and understood the value of learning…”

“But what about the children today? They are lazy, lack a sense of self-reproach, and are utterly selfish. They are addicted to virtual worlds, chasing this celebrity today and that star tomorrow. As soon as a new cassette tape comes out, they flock to buy it…”

“I see many such children around me. They sleep until the sun is high in the sky every day and spend their time idling about. They never read books on weekends, and they always leave their summer homework until the very last day. They even scribble through it haphazardly just to have something to hand in…”

“I truly cannot imagine what the children of this era will become once they grow up…”

“…”

“…”

Today was a documentary-style program.

Produced by Zhejiang TV, it was a thought-provoking show specifically designed to reflect on various social phenomena of the times.

Much of its content was highly controversial.

The program had once aired an episode comparing a young, famous dropout writer to a girl who had been an outstanding piano student since childhood and had studied abroad…

The rebellious teenage writer appeared green and reluctant to be cornered by experts, while the excellent piano girl wore a brilliant smile. She possessed an innate, invisible sense of superiority, speaking of her plans to go abroad for further studies and stating that she would return to serve her motherland in the future.

Such voices won the applause and cheers of many parents and experts…

In this era, the American Dream was still fresh, and the American air was still considered sweet. Even mainstream media felt that America was indeed a very sacred country.

The viewership ratings for that particular episode were terrifying, at one point surpassing many of the station’s serious dramas. The level of discussion online remained high, with many people criticizing the boy’s rebellion, believing him to be a representative figure of the “lost” post-90s generation.

After that episode ended, the planning team saw the secret to high ratings and began searching for the next, even more controversial target.

That target was games!

To parents, games had always been something they spoke of with dread.

Even many schoolteachers felt that games were “electronic opium¹” that caused people to waste away. They viewed them as a scourge that had to be strongly resisted and crushed!

But…

The more you resisted, the more students would sneak out to play games and stay up all night in internet cafes…

Such phenomena were common in newspapers and the media. Moreover, as internet cafes began to increase and computers were no longer rare items, these occurrences became even more widespread.

The emergence of new things always affects many others.

And the post-90s generation was stuck in this awkward point in time.

Subor consoles, television games, arcade games, computer games, MP3s, MP4s, pop music, idol groups…

They were facing various temptations every single moment!

Could they still have the heart to study?

“Look at the internet cafes and game halls today. How many of them are minors? How many are from the post-90s generation?”

“The post-90s are likely to be a lost generation…”

Su Bin, a teacher from Hangzhou No. 1 Middle School, was one of the guests invited by the program crew.

As an old teacher who had worked diligently in the education system for twenty years, Su Bin had far too much to say about current social phenomena.

In front of the camera, he faced the reporter with deep anxiety.

He led the program crew on undercover investigations, passing by arcade halls and internet cafes one after another.

Except for a few that had received word early and closed their doors, the reporter always managed to catch several minors…

When the internet cafe owners saw the camera, their faces turned white with fear!

“This era… honestly, if you ask me, they are truly beyond saving!”

Su Bin stepped out of an internet cafe, dragging along several students whose faces were blurred by mosaics. He was exasperated by their failure to live up to expectations, gritting his teeth in frustration.

“If you ask me, games are more loathsome than drugs. They don’t just destroy the body; they destroy the spirit…”

“Many unscrupulous game companies have created point cards and top-ups. Many underage students have no money. What do they do when they have no money? They steal, they rob…”

“How many people have been ruined by games?”

“Speaking of which, I recall a very popular post on the internet recently. I remember it said that gaming is a sport, that it will enter the Asian Games in the future, and even take on a club format like football to win glory for the country?”

“I think it’s hilarious. A game is just a game. How can it win glory for the country? Just because someone plays a game well, they’re winning glory?”

“Then there are those so-called Subors². They use the name of ‘learning machines’ but make games that cause addiction. They deceive the parents’ feelings. The parents spend the money, and it ends up affecting the children’s studies…”

“On this note, I have to mention that man, Zhang Yang, again…”

“He is the representative figure of opportunists!”

“Look at that name. Beat the Grass Mud Horse! Isn’t that just teaching people how to swear?”

“I’ve seen that game. It’s full of blood and violence. It seriously affects the values of minors and even adults, leading to crime!”

“Such games should definitely be banned!”

“And now, I see the news that he seems to be making a game again under the guise of so-called ‘learning’?”

The sun was shining brightly.

In front of the camera, Su Bin was full of criticism.

He passed by a Bluebird computer retail store.

A sign was posted in the computer shop: “New batch of Bluebird Computers arrived! Free installation of the student version learning game, God of Conquest, is officially included. Helping you learn, helping you with the High School Entrance Exam!”

After seeing these words, he pointed at the computer shop.

He noticed that many parents were actually lining up at the entrance of the store.

He suddenly felt a sense of bitterness.

“Not only is he unrepentant, but now he’s using the name of education to do things that mislead and ruin the younger generation!”

“If this isn’t a scam, then what is?”

“A learning game? It’s nothing more than a distortion of concepts!”

“Pity the parents of the world. How many more people are going to be swindled?”

“Sigh…”

“…”

Along the way, Su Bin voiced a great deal of criticism in front of the camera.

By the time he arrived home, it was nearly midnight.

He intended to invite the program crew and the reporters for a late dinner to continue discussing the current state of the post-90s generation.

However…

The moment he stepped through the front door…

He was suddenly met with a sight that nearly gave him a stroke.

“Don’t film this part!”

“Stop filming, cut it out!”

“…”

In front of the lens…

Su Bin’s wife was beaming with joy as she set up a computer, accompanied by a fourteen-year-old boy who was grinning ear to ear. They had just finished installing the machine and were currently launching a game.

The content of that game…

Was none other than God of Conquest.

Su Bin’s expression shifted drastically. He rushed over immediately.

“Why did you buy a computer?”

“Our son’s English is poor. I just happened to see this advertisement online, so I bought it to give it a try…”

“Zhang Yang is a fraud, a swindler! How could you…”

“We were going to buy a computer sooner or later anyway. It’s better to buy it now while there’s a promotion. Besides, Bluebird Computers are endorsed by Zhou Yang. You know how much our son likes Zhou Yang…”

“Sigh, a doting mother spoils the child! Do you realize this is the most critical time for him? How can you… you’re leading him astray! Return the computer immediately…”

“Return it for what? Do you even know what the future trends are? If you don’t understand computers, you’re illiterate. Who else is like you, unable to even type or use a Wubi keyboard³? You’re a relic! Do you want our son to lose at the starting line? You keep saying the post-90s are a lost generation, but wasn’t there anyone lost in your generation?”

“You…”

On camera.

Su Bin’s family began to argue.

Su Bin frantically signaled for them to stop recording, but how could the production crew let such an opportunity slip away?

The head of the planning team, Zhang Liang, immediately ordered the staff to set up the cameras, capturing the three family members from every angle.

This was a ratings goldmine; there was no way they would miss it.

“Professor Su, how about this? Let’s let the child play the game first. Our program has a massive reach. If this truly involves consumer fraud, we can serve as a warning to other parents. At the same time, we can report it to the relevant departments, fulfilling our media responsibility of supervision!…”

“Or, if you’re afraid of the child being exposed to the game, how about we just do a trial run? What do you think?”

“…”

Zhang Liang pulled Su Bin aside and spoke with a serious expression.

Hearing this, Su Bin thought it over carefully and felt it made sense. He nodded subconsciously.

Then, after a moment of hesitation, he allowed his wife to let their son interact with the game.

This could serve as a perfect negative example.

“Camera angles are set!”

“Ready to start!”

“OK!”

After Zhang Liang gave the signal to the staff, a new round of recording began immediately.

Su Bin’s son, Su Xiao, sat in the computer chair and opened God of Conquest.

“Welcome to God of Conquest!”

“Before the game begins, we will conduct a brief assessment to pair you with your own Goddess of Luck to help you clear the stages…”

“May I ask, what are your exam scores for…”

“…”

Several subjects popped up on the screen.

Mathematics, English, Science, Politics…

As the boy entered his scores and the number 60 appeared for English, Su Bin felt a wave of embarrassment, even shame.

This child…

He had been taking English tutoring constantly, but no matter how much they spent, his grades just wouldn’t improve. It was as if he were naturally born to be terrible at English…

“Thank you for your cooperation. Based on your initial data, we will assign you the Goddess Athena. Athena is an expert in various foreign languages… she can better guide you on your journey!”

“However, Athena must also test you to see if you are qualified to face the challenges ahead…”

“For the next ten minutes, you will enter the Simulated Battlefield…”

“In the Simulated Battlefield, you will use your own strength to strengthen your Natal Weapon⁴…”

“A/B/C/D…”

“…”

Su Bin stared blankly at the game.

The screen transitioned into a specific scene.

Su Xiao controlled the character, moving through the environment while using the arrow keys combined with the S and D keys to attack monsters.

The letters of the alphabet would randomly appear on these monsters, some uppercase and some lowercase.

They wandered around in a random, disordered fashion. To attack these monsters, one had to strike them and, within a specific timeframe, arrange the letters formed by the monsters’ souls in the correct order and case onto the sword held by the protagonist.

The game’s sense of impact⁵ was very strong. Every hit was accompanied by the monster’s cry, and there were various dodging skills and maneuvers. The controls felt exceptionally well-designed.

His son, Su Xiao, was having the time of his life.

“Isn’t this just the basic 26-letter alphabet sequence?”

“…”

“Wait, no. This game actually does seem to reinforce memory. The designs of these monsters… they seem to be based on the shapes of the 26 letters…”

“Does this mean it’s teaching English from the very basics?”

“No, it seems like there’s more to it than that!”

“…”

Standing nearby, Zhang Liang watched Su Xiao control the protagonist, swinging the sword in a thrilling slaughter. He closed his eyes slightly and suddenly realized that the images of those twenty-six letter-monsters were incredibly vivid in his mind.

“Haha, this game is too easy! Who doesn’t know how to arrange the 26 letters?”

When all twenty-six monster souls were arranged on the sword, the blade erupted with a searing light.

It was dazzling and incredibly cool, leaving Su Xiao wide-eyed with wonder.

Children naturally possessed a sense of awe for this kind of glowing, powerful weaponry.

“…”

This game… really did seem to have the intent of making learning fun?

(End of Chapter)

Translator’s Notes