Chapter 272: Full of Meaning
Zhao Lei glanced at the time. From when he started the game to when he finished, only about ten minutes had passed.
This included the time he wasted wandering around and clicking on things aimlessly.
Moreover, the game's controls were very simple. There was no combat, no monsters—the entire process only required moving and clicking.
Combined with the various choices in the game, it was obvious that this was a puzzle game.
In other words, the fun should lie in exploring different branches and unlocking different endings.
Once he figured this out, Zhao Lei felt more grounded and roughly knew what he should do next.
He should try different choices.
...
The game started again.
According to the prompt, Stanley should leave the office and go to the meeting room to find his colleagues. But Zhao Lei suddenly thought, what if he didn't go out? What if he closed the door?
He clicked on the office door, and it shut with a click.
[Stanley couldn't bear the pressure. What if he had to make a choice? What if he messed up within his responsibilities? No, that wouldn't end well.]
[The thing to do now was to wait, Stanley thought. Nothing could hurt me here. I was happy, always happy...]
Zhao Lei was dumbfounded. What the hell?
Was he locked in the room?
He moved around and clicked on the door to try to get out, but it was useless. He also noticed something very eerie: the clock on the wall, which had been motionless before, had started ticking, as if reminding Stanley that time was slipping away.
[Stanley knew it would end soon. Someone would come to talk to him, someone would come to give him tasks. It was coming...]
The narration stopped abruptly. There was no visual, and Zhao Lei couldn't imagine what had happened to Stanley.
The game ended. This was also an ending.
Zhao Lei realized that although the two endings he had unlocked were relatively simple, they were full of meaning.
Just like the game's title, *The Stanley Parable*, a parable itself uses metaphorical stories to convey profound truths and offer insights.
Clearly, if the player always followed the narration's guidance, they could finish a seemingly beautiful "Freedom Ending" in just a few minutes. But Zhao Lei was very skeptical. Rather than a "Freedom Ending," it felt more like a "Deception Ending," because Stanley was only acting on what the narration said, without exploring the deeper mysteries of this world.
What did these two endings represent?
Self-imposed isolation out of cowardice, leading to perishing in silence?
Or following the obvious guidance to complete a journey and then achieving self-deception?
Zhao Lei found the game very interesting and began trying different branching paths.
The game started again.
This time, Zhao Lei thought about the button in the power control room.
When disabling the mind control device, he had two buttons in front of him: [OFF] and [ON]. What would happen if he chose to turn it on?
This time, Zhao Lei was more familiar with the route and quickly followed the narration's guidance to the final power control room.
[Stanley decided that this machine would never control anyone else's life again, because he would completely eliminate these controls.]
Although the narration strongly hinted for him to turn off the machine, Zhao Lei pressed [ON].
[Oh, Stanley, you didn't turn on this control console, did you? After they enslaved you for so many years, you want to control the machine yourself? Is that what you want? Control?]
The large screen in front turned a deep red, displaying: [Loading Mind Control System...] The background music became tense.
[Stanley, I commend your effort, but you need to understand that this machine's capabilities are limited. You should learn to let go, turn off this control system, and leave. If you want to derail my story, you'll need to try harder.]
[I believe you'll be interested in this:]
[Stanley suddenly realized he had just activated the emergency network's self-destruct system. If the machine was started without a specific DNA verification, a nuclear bomb would detonate and destroy the entire facility.]
[So, when will it detonate? Hmm, let me think. Two minutes!]
[Now this story is getting interesting, isn't it? Now it's your time to shine. Please act as you wish. Too bad you don't have much time to enjoy it!]
Zhao Lei was dumbfounded, feeling completely toyed with by the narration.
He controlled Stanley to search everywhere in the facility. There were many operable buttons outside, and he clicked on each one, but it was useless—none of them could stop the countdown.
Even when he walked toward some doors that could lead to escape, those doors immediately closed automatically.
If this were a normal game, there would surely be a way to break the situation. But Zhao Lei strongly suspected that, despite the many buttons and switches in the room, nothing could stop the nuclear bomb from exploding. All attempts were futile.
The narration continued.
[What, you want to know where your colleagues went? Fine, since I'm in a good mood, I'll tell you.]
[I eliminated them. I turned off the machine. I gave you freedom. Of course, only for this story. Sometimes I just make you sit in the office forever, pressing buttons alone, until you die.]
[Other times, I sink the office into the ground, swallowing everyone inside, or I scorch the office.]
Zhao Lei ignored the narration. He was still wandering around the room, looking for any button that could resolve the current situation.
But what the narration said next startled Zhao Lei.
[Oh, Stanley, what are you doing? Do you think there's a button in this room to turn off this countdown?]
[Look at yourself, running back and forth between screens, clicking on everything in this room. You must be thinking, it's these buttons with numbers! No, it's these buttons of different colors! Or this big red button! There must be something here to save me!]
[Why, Stanley? Do you think every problem in this game can be solved?]
[No, you're still alive only because I want to see you helpless and dejected. This isn't a challenge; it's a tragedy.]
The countdown ended.
With a violent explosion, everything went silent.
Zhao Lei was shocked. Clearly, this was also an ending, but it felt even more unexpected.
The most unique aspect was the narration's words, which seemed to mock the player's actions, as if speaking directly to the player through the screen.
Obviously, all of this was designed by Chen Mo, but Zhao Lei still felt like he was interacting with the narration.
Moreover, what the narration said hinted at a fact: the narration had absolute control over the entire game. It could rewrite the whole story at will, control Stanley's life and death freely, and all of this depended entirely on its mood.
After realizing this, Zhao Lei suddenly developed a strong interest in the game. He couldn't wait to find more endings.