Video Game Tycoon in Tokyo-Chapter 696: Everyone Is Going Crazy for Civilization

"Supervisor, you can build Wonders, which will significantly increase your nation's revenue. It's very beneficial. The downside is that the construction time is long, and the resource consumption is high, so you need to make some choices. You can't build Wonders indefinitely."

"Supervisor, you should produce some combat units. Even if you don't plan on launching invasions, you at least need to be able to defend yourself. Otherwise, someone will just come and raid you. A country without weapons is like a money-printing machine for others."

"Supervisor, this place has a very good environment, it's perfect for building farms. I suggest we take this land and turn it into our own. It seems like the country that owns this land doesn't plan on developing it."

"Supervisor, you'll need to wait until the next turn."

"Supervisor, please don't rush..."

In the department supervisor's office, Curtis kept offering guidance on the game Civilization to the supervisor.

"This game is quite interesting; let's go for another turn."

With Curtis's guidance, the supervisor gradually got familiar with the game's mechanics and gameplay, and before he knew it, he had been playing for quite a while.

The original work was rather easy, so he had plenty of time to indulge in something lighthearted.

...

...

Had it not been for the relatively easy workload, the supervisor probably would not have just been concerned with the missing employees' safety. He might have been in a panic by now.

The supervisor had spent over two hours playing the game.

During this time, he had lost track of time. It felt like only an instant had passed.

When he finally snapped out of it, he realized just how much time he had spent on the game. And surprisingly, he felt like he could keep playing.

After all, he had just finished the Stone Age, and there was still the Bronze Age and many more to come.

However, he remained rational and didn't fully fall into the game.

Still, he believed that given a more relaxed environment, he could easily play for hours, even days without sleep.

This seemed unbelievable to him as someone in his forties. He had always been careful with staying up late, but now he was actually thinking about staying up to play a game.

This realization made him turn to Curtis, who now looked completely energized, his fatigue gone.

This guy...

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"Curtis, it looks like you've been playing this game for quite a while. The game just released about four or five days ago. You haven't been playing it for all these days, have you?"

Curtis, clearly excited, enjoyed watching others play Civilization. Helping his boss with game strategies made it even more thrilling.

But when he heard the supervisor's question, he quickly turned nervous.

"Ah, supervisor, I... I haven't..."

Seeing Curtis's flustered reaction, the supervisor immediately understood. After all, no one was foolish.

He was understanding about Curtis's secrecy.

"It's fine. No need to explain," the supervisor said generously. "I actually understand now. After playing this game, I realized it's really addictive. I barely did anything, and hours passed by. If I focused more, I could probably go days without sleep."

"I'm sorry, supervisor. I should've told you the truth."

"I said it's okay now. I pretty much understand why this game is so addictive. But no matter what, it's not right for those three to miss work for several days without responding. If they really neglected work because of this game, I won't let them off easily."

Curtis shrank a little, relieved that he had at least come to work.

As for the other three, well, they were on their own.

"Go home and rest. Work and entertainment need to be balanced. You don't want to end up broke from playing games, do you?"

"I understand, supervisor. I'll make sure to be more careful."

After Curtis left, the supervisor stared at the screen showing Civilization still running.

Without thinking, he reached for the mouse.

Another turn...

It was now 11 a.m. He figured he'd play until lunchtime, then get back to work in the afternoon.

He had a plan in mind.

But as usual, reality was full of surprises.

When he finally snapped out of it, he noticed it was already dark outside.

He blinked at the sky outside.

Well, work can wait until tomorrow.

He picked up the phone and dialed his wife.

"Hello, honey. I'm really busy at work today, I might be home later."

"Okay, you and the kids go ahead and eat, I'll just grab something here."

After hanging up, the supervisor returned to Civilization, feeling as if he had found that youthful enthusiasm again.

The feeling of being willing to stay up all night for something he loved, burning all his energy.

But, as someone in his forties, his body couldn't keep up with his youthful desires. Unknowingly, he fell asleep at his desk. He was awakened by a phone call.

"Hello?"

Still groggy, he answered the phone.

"Hello, sir, are you the one who reported that three of your employees went missing yesterday?"

"Yes, that's me."

"We found them. They're all at home, playing that game Civilization. We've had a lot of similar reports over the past two days. It's really quite surprising—one game has gotten so many people to stay up for days. When we went to their houses, they all looked exhausted."

"Got it. Thank you, officer."

The supervisor hung up, feeling a bit weary as he glanced at the window.

It was already morning again, 8 a.m.

He had... spent the whole night away from home.

At that moment, the supervisor truly understood the allure of the game.

It was like watching the World Cup every four years or the Super Bowl every year—being willing to give everything up, even staying up all night, for something you love.

He now understood why those three employees had done what they did.

But no matter the reason, those three would still face the consequences.

Not showing up for work, not even calling in—well, they deserved what they got.

...

As the officer had said, due to the release of Civilization, many people had gone for days without contacting anyone, fully immersed in the game.

The officers were also astonished.

Was this game really that powerful?