Zhou Lang, 42, loses his job during the mask era, gets divorced, and falls into debt. In his rented apartment, he develops a high fever and cough, then passes out. He retains his “memories of reality” and his “understanding of a game publisher's inner workings.” Before losing his job, he was a designer at that very game company, specializing in beginner-village monsters and quest progression. His goal: go from “being farmed for experience by players” to “making every player on the server call him Dad.”
