Out-of-control players in the world of Detective Conan

Why are PvP games so addictive?

Game developers often like to put newbies in AI-controlled matches during fights.

If they enjoy the game, they'll increase the engagement and keep playing, and I reckon they'll even spend money on it.

Later on, when the AI ​​opponents were gone and players were getting crushed by real players, the AI ​​would be brought in again just as the players were about to leave. This cycle continued, constantly increasing user engagement.

Hmm... after playing ranked matches all day, my score might not have changed, which is probably due to this reason.

But Qi Ming is playing a single-player game now, where there are no other players, only AI opponents, and the joy will be diminished as he keeps playing against the AI.

The closed loop between being tortured and enjoying the game has a crack, greatly reducing the fun.

Qi Ming stayed here for more than half a year, estimating that he spent about 4500 hours sightseeing.

He also felt a little bored, even though he knew he could still do a lot more here.

After all, humans are social animals and always need to communicate.

Although the characters here are exceptionally intelligent due to the system, they could even be mistaken for real people.

However, Qi Ming still couldn't fit in.

It's like someone who frequently uses Stamina going to a place where everyone is making egg drop soup.

Although their words and actions were identical to his, Qi Ming did not regard them as people on the same level.

Perhaps only when someone realizes the true nature of this world will he change his opinion of the other person.

……

Time slowly passed, and day and night alternated.

Half a month has passed since Qi Ming last chatted with the boss.

And in the past two weeks, Qi Ming...

They didn't do anything!

Perhaps because Qi Ming was about to be promoted to a cadre position, the organization did not assign him any tasks.

Qi Ming understands.

He's currently stuck at a certain level and experience point, waiting to complete the next stage of the quest before he can receive it.

However, he wasn't idle either. He spent his days taking Ai Haibara on sightseeing trips and opening teleportation points, a typical retirement routine for players.

During this time, Qi Ming also increasingly felt that the little girl he was raising was truly extraordinary.

He's very smart, seems to know everything, and I reckon he's only slightly less capable than me.

Qi Ming had his doubts too.

I've wondered if Ai Haibara is like the female protagonist of that orphan story, someone who looks like a child on the outside but is actually a weathered old monster on the inside.

However, bone age doesn't lie.

That's why we say this is a game.

Because such people don't exist in reality, people think of creating them in games.

During his time out with Ai Haibara, Qi Ming also took the opportunity to discuss philosophical questions with the little girl.

They say things like this world is a huge conspiracy, or something like The Truman Show.

In short, the plan is to use conversation to gradually reveal to Ai Haibara that this is a game world.

Ai Haibara also refuted Qi Ming's fallacies.

They say that matter determines consciousness, and that everything in front of us is objectively real.

In short, they tried every means to make Qi Ming believe that this was a real world.

Although they felt physically relaxed during their time together, they were all genuinely exhausted.

They argued back and forth, but neither of them could convince the other.

Why is this guy/girl so stubborn?

Nothing major happened during that time... if we disregard the fact that one member of the organization died.

Qi Ming received a text message from Gin a few days ago, saying that a member of the organization, Tequila, had died.

At first glance, the code name might sound like a woman's, but in reality, it belongs to a rough and tough man.

The cause of death was utterly absurd; it's said that he was killed when he took the wrong box during a transaction and was blown up.

That box was originally intended by the murderer to blow someone up...

have nothing to say.

Qi Ming only hopes that employees who make mistakes will be let go as soon as possible, regardless of what kind of departure they are leaving.

……

These uneventful days continued until this morning.

4-24, Yoneka-cho.

Having already washed up and gotten dressed, Ai Haibara came to Qi Ming's side, who was still fast asleep, and poked his cheek.

"Brother, you're up! Aren't you supposed to go to school today?"

"Go to school? What school? I'm a horse, I don't go to school."

Qi Ming's eyebrows twitched slightly, but he didn't wake up. He just mumbled something and then turned over to continue sleeping.

"I'm talking about myself, I'm starting school today."

"Start digging today? Whose grave are you digging? People are lying perfectly fine in their graves, why would you dig them up?"

Ai Haibara squinted and sighed helplessly.

How did this guy become like this?

In just over ten days, Ai Haibara witnessed firsthand the changes in Qi Ming's personality and behavior.

Ai Haibara is certain that Qi Ming initially wanted to establish a friendly, approachable persona in front of her.

Perhaps because I was never really cut out for it, I gradually reverted to my true nature after pretending for a while.

However, her personality is not the same as it was in the base; she is still like a normal person now.

However, he often criticizes himself and tries to make himself crazy with his crazy ideas, which is really a headache.

However, she now feels quite relaxed in front of Qi Ming because she doesn't have to pretend to be her true self.

During this time, she had deliberately shown some behavior that was not like that of a child in order to test Qi Ming, but Qi Ming did not find it strange at all.

I guess Qi Ming thinks of himself as a child prodigy.

And the other side.

Qi Ming really couldn't keep up the act any longer.

I remember the turning point came from a debate I had with Ai Haibara about life as a game during our trip.

He lost.

Who knows how this little guy has such profound insights into philosophy? He speaks so eloquently and logically!

Finally, Qi Ming, after being targeted by Ai Haibara's sharp tongue, couldn't help but retort.

Ai Haibara retorted again.

He retorted.

As a result, the two became completely uncontrollable.

Seeing that Ai Haibara's favorability rating hadn't decreased, Qi Ming simply let go of it.

What a load of rubbish, a gentleman who doesn't have the ability, you know that.

Just like Qi Ming initially thought he should be a good person in front of Conan, but this righteous little detective insisted on talking and drawing in front of him.

Unable to resist, the original plan was completely disrupted; plans can never keep up with changes.

However, Qi Ming found Haibara Ai's little expression after he teased her quite amusing.

"Didn't someone say they'd take me to school yesterday? Never mind, I know the way anyway."

Seeing Qi Ming like this, Ai Haibara stopped insisting on waking him up and turned to walk towards the door.

But to everyone's surprise, when they turned around, Qi Ming, who had been lying on the bed just a second ago, was already dressed, leaning against the wall, fully conscious, with a steaming cup of coffee in his hand.

"Isn't the world amazing, Ai? One second I was in bed, and the next I'm here."

"If this world weren't a game, I really can't imagine how this could be done."

Ai Haibara watched Qi Ming speak eloquently and clapped along, speaking in a flat tone with a calm expression.

"Oh, a magic trick that involves making someone disappear and teleporting instantly? I saw on the news that Phantom Thief Kid also knows this trick."

"Brother, this world really exists, don't deceive yourself."

Looking at Ai Haibara's unconvinced gaze, Qi Ming knew that this philosophical discussion had failed again.

However, upon hearing Ai Haibara mention Kaito Kid again, Qi Ming curled his lip in disdain.

It seems that it's because of this guy that every time I show Ai Haibara something incredible, she always refutes me by saying that Kaito Kid also knows this trick.

What kind of class do you think you are to use the same tricks as me?

"Ai, I'll invite Kaito Kid to my house for a visit another day, and you can see the difference between us."

Ai Haibara squinted her eyes.

"Brother, you're joking, right?"