Chapter 718 439: Time Flies

"The 'game' is limited. Everything is predetermined from the beginning; you will only experience the processes we have outlined. Everyone is just a segment of code, tirelessly operating according to established rules."

"In other words, it's a 'dead' world."

"But the real 'world' is different. It is composed of countless individuals like you, me, and Old Yang, influencing each other in various ways—an unpredictable vast chaos system."

"The real 'world' is 'alive', much like the Dawn Realm you've crossed into. Each individual truly exists, and any minor action you take could trigger a butterfly effect, altering the entire world's trajectory."

"You said you hoped I could recreate those experiences in a game... Sure, from a production standpoint, it's possible, but it would be pointless."

"Even if we made it, that world would still be dead, not alive. The entire world would only operate within the code's preset parameters, and all characters would only utter lines predetermined in the database."

"You can't use a limited 'game' to generate an infinite 'world'. That's not game-making anymore; it's 'world creation', something only the deities can accomplish."

Seeing Su Mo fall silent, the producer firmly gripped his shoulder, earnestly advising him, "Enough, stop dwelling on these tangential thoughts."

"If you truly love the Dawn Realm that much, why not... why not join our studio? It's much easier for an experienced player to switch to planning than for an outsider. There's definitely work you can do; we can maintain the 'Dawn' game together."

Su Mo suddenly looked up at him and asked, "In your view, what's the most challenging aspect of generating a 'world'?"

The producer sighed helplessly, "Su Mo, you..."

Su Mo: "This is important to me. Please."

Seeing Su Mo's determined gaze, the producer knew he couldn't persuade him otherwise, so he circled back to the topic, "The biggest challenges are... well... I personally think they are algorithms, computing power, and computational materials."

"As I said earlier, the world is a vast chaos system, with nearly limitless factors influencing its operation. On a cognitive level, it's uncertain, non-repeatable, and unpredictable."

"Given current computer technology, creating such a vast chaos system is impossible. However..."

Su Mo hurriedly asked, "But what?"

The producer hesitated for a moment and then chuckled helplessly, "I'm just saying, you don't have to take it seriously."

"Generally speaking, what we call 'infinite' is simply a quantity so vast that it's difficult to count, broadly termed 'infinite'."

"In reality, from the concept of matter, there's nothing truly infinite in this world. The universe is finite; the particles within the universe are finite. Scientists have calculated it to approximately 3.28×10^80 in magnitude."

"Thus, theoretically speaking, if a universe exists with different dimensions, its 'world lines' are also finite, albeit at a colossal magnitude."

"Now, with the concept of artificial intelligence being so popular, if one day an AI emerges that reaches the pinnacle in terms of algorithms, computing power, and computational materials, enabling it to calculate the change processes of every particle and ultimately deduce all possibilities of the universe's evolution..."

"Then true 'world creation' would be possible."

After finishing, the producer noticed Su Mo's eyes becoming brightly lit, as if flames ignited within them, so intense that it made direct eye contact difficult.

Su Mo stood up from his seat and gave the producer a ninety-degree bow.

The producer quickly stepped forward to help him up, "What are you doing, all of a sudden?"

"Thank you."

Su Mo said.

"I now know how to live!"

...

...

...

Time flies, tides rise and fall.

More than fifty springs and autumns have quietly passed.

In a private room of a high-tier hospital, the light of the setting sun pours in through the window. An emaciated elderly man lies on a hospital bed, his body attached to various tubes, his face pale and eyes slightly open, weakly and slowly breathing, silently gazing at the sky turned golden by the twilight.

He is truly ancient now, already in his nineties, so old that even the advanced life-support equipment around him struggles to maintain his health. His life is like the setting sun outside the window, about to sink.

Then, the door to the hospital room opened, and a caregiver entered softly, saying, "Mr. Su Xun, your son is here."

An aging figure walked in, not as old as Su Xun but still with a head full of gray hair, wearing thick reading glasses, and needing a cane due to unsteady legs.

"Dad." Su Mo called out.

"You've come." Su Xun painfully turned his head and raised his dry fingers to beckon him, "Come, let's have a chat, father and son."

Su Mo motioned for the caregiver to leave first, then tremblingly sat down next to Su Xun.

Su Xun's voice rasped, "How's work been lately?"

Su Mo nodded, "It's been alright, just very busy."

Su Xun murmured, "Of course, you're busy. Your tech company operates globally, with headquarters and branches totaling over ten thousand people."

At this, he chuckled, "Back when you were in high school, your science subjects were clearly weak. I never imagined you'd venture into research."

Su Mo said nothing, merely gripping that dry, cold hand, rubbing it to warm his father's hand.

The sun gradually sunk to the horizon, the sky shifting color from golden to orange, and gradually to a deep blue.

Su Xun's cloudy gaze deepened, softly asking, "Still can't forget over there?"

Su Mo's pupils trembled as if recalling his past life; after a long silence, he gently nodded.

Su Xun sighed deeply, his gaze growing slightly stricken, tinged with profound melancholy: "When you suddenly said you wanted to research artificial intelligence, I figured."

"Although you always claimed it's the future's technology frontier, that it can earn a lot of money, I know profit isn't your goal. Even now, with tens of thousands of employees and a net worth over twenty billion, profit has never been your goal."

"You want to go back, back to that world called Dawn. Everything you've done for the past fifty years has been for going back."

Su Mo softly said, "Dad, if you want to scold me, just scold."

The room fell into silence, however, Su Mo awaited no scolding but instead felt a hand lightly resting on his face.

Su Xun's hand was bony and veined, as if it could shatter at any moment, his eyes showing a tenderness reserved for his offspring.

Su Xun gently caressed his son's aging face, warmly laughing, "What's there to scold? You've made so much money for us to spend, your mom and I have enjoyed half a lifetime of blessings, quite comfortably."

"As for what's in your heart... You've grown so much, when did Dad ever interfere with your choices in life?"

"Moreover, you've accompanied us all the way in this world. Your mom passed early, went over ten years ago. Those old pals of yours, Coco and the others, I recall have gone too, right?"

Su Mo nodded, "Fatty and Squid passed the year before last, Coco just last year, all around seventy like me, it's their time."

The sunlight grew dim, with only a lingering afterglow remaining, as if bidding farewell to the world.

Su Xun's eyelids grew heavy, but he continued to gaze outside, not wanting to miss final beauty.

"Yes, you didn't marry, no kids, now mom's gone, friends are gone, once I, your old father, leave, you won't have any ties left."

Su Mo rubbed his warm eyes, placed Su Xun's dry hand back under the cover, teasingly reproved, "Old man, quit crowing, the hundredth birthday banquet has been planned ahead just for you, you can't miss as the main star."

Su Xun's breathing became shallower, the heart monitor's beeping slowed, his gaze grew scattered, distant, shaking his head softly muttering, "Can't wait until then, dreamt of your mom last night, she said she misses me, and I do too, miss her, time to find her."

The sun's final ray vanished over the horizon, night fell, plunging the world into a tranquil darkness, with only the rustle of leaves in the evening breeze.

"Son..."

Su Xun's voice blurred almost beyond comprehension, yet his mouth subtly lifted, showing a smile of relief.

"Dad's gone, you go find that world in your heart."

"Beep—" The heart monitor emitted a sharp sound, shattering the room's silence.

Su Xun's eyes closed forever, this ordinary father who lived life securely, quietly departed in his son's company.

Tears uncontrollably flowed from Su Mo's eyes, he tightly gripped Su Xun's cold hand, knelt down, and gave his father a final bow.