"Is this game really that amazing? Such a simple pixel style, such basic gameplay, and it actually got first place? And it beat the second place by so much!"

"What's so strange about that? Think about how much time you spent on this game yourself."

"...It must have been forty minutes."

"I spent almost an hour! I was just busy racking up points, and now I still feel a bit dizzy."

"Yeah, every time I close my eyes, I see that stupid bird jumping around, and I can't help but want to tap it..."

"Look, there are nearly six hundred people on this leaderboard, and the top two hundred all scored over 20. There are even lots of people with forty or fifty points. Just think about how long you'd have to play to get 20 points."

"That... would take at least twenty minutes... If your reflexes aren't good, you might not even make it in an hour."

"Exactly, that's the real data."

"It really is... This game is insane..." The audience members who didn't believe it at first were now starting to have second thoughts.

The host cleared his throat: "Alright, since the technical staff have confirmed the results are real and valid, our current first place is the work of Designer No. 7, 'FlappyBird'!"

"Next is the judges' review segment. After the reviews, the audience will have another round of recommendations."

The host paused, then continued: "One thing to remind everyone: right now, 'FlappyBird' is leading the second place in both playtime and recommendations. According to the rules, each player recommendation is equivalent to 30 minutes of playtime. So, only if the second place game, 'Hunter Island', gets 128 more recommendations than 'FlappyBird', will it have a chance to compete for first place."

"Now, let's have the three judges give their comments."

The host raised his hand, signaling the three judges to begin.

The three judges looked at each other, and Brian Cooper said to William Clark, "Why don't you go first, senior?"

All three were B-level designers and didn't work at the same company, so there was no real hierarchy. William Clark was the oldest, so Henry Green and Brian Cooper both showed him respect and let him speak first.

William Clark's face was dark as he pulled the microphone closer and cleared his throat in a low voice.

"This counts as a game?! I'm the first to disagree! If this can be called a game, then wouldn't that mean any random person could develop a game?!"

"Does a street singer count as a singer?!"

"Does someone who graffiti on a wall count as an artist?!"

"If you just hit enter a few more times when writing an essay, does that make you a modern poet?!"

"Ridiculous!"

William Clark was clearly furious, even rapping his knuckles hard on the table.

"First of all, this game has no story at all, the gameplay is monotonous, the graphics are rough, and the controls are terrible! So as a game, its production quality is simply failing!"

"Secondly, this game is just exploiting a loophole, relying on provoking players' competitiveness and luck, forcibly dragging out the playtime!"

"So, all these numbers you see—playtime, recommendations—they're all fake! Why? Because it's taking a crooked path!"

"Therefore, my attitude is clear: I firmly oppose this game becoming the first place!"

After William Clark finished, he pushed the microphone aside and was still breathing heavily.

"Good! Well said, Teacher Shi!"

No one knew who shouted it, but the audience burst into laughter.

That cheer came from among the contestants, most likely the author of 'Hunter Island'.

Adam Brooks calmly unscrewed his bottle of mineral water and took a sip. He had expected this kind of reaction from William Clark.

Clearly, William Clark really disliked this kind of game, because he was clumsy and couldn't enjoy the fun of racking up points at all.

And Adam Brooks's super focus device had forced William Clark to suffer through ten minutes of this game, so it was only natural that he was holding a bellyful of anger.

The host obviously hadn't expected William Clark to get so worked up, and quickly changed the subject: "Alright, just now Teacher William Clark gave his opinion. Next, Teacher Henry Green."

Henry Green looked a bit awkwardly at William Clark, then at 'FlappyBird', hesitated for a moment, and finally turned on the microphone.

"This game... I do agree with Teacher William Clark on one point: its gameplay really isn't very rich, and the quality isn't particularly high. In terms of production value, it doesn't really deserve first place in this competition."

Henry Green paused, then changed his tone: "But... I think, since it achieved these results, with good playtime and recommendation numbers, it means the players recognize it. So, I'll reserve my judgment and leave the final decision to the audience."

Chapter 8: Is This Really Your Reason for Racking Up Points?

Henry Green's comments were much more slippery, clearly trying not to offend either side. In fact, he really didn't have a particularly clear stance.

The audience began to whisper among themselves.