That day, I walked in the wilderness of Erangel. It was as quiet as snow. Only the occasional gunshots sounded in the distance, like the waves in my heart, and then quickly returned to silence. At this moment, I saw it – among the broken walls, a small house converted from a gas station hung a red and white sign, conspicuous but not noisy, like a soft light passing through the world, swaying gently in the wind.
There is a self-service ordering machine in this small house, like a silent old man, sitting by the temple at the foot of the mountain, guarding a fragrance. A player approached, touched the button, and ordered a fried chicken meal. At that moment, I seemed to hear a door opened between reality and virtuality, a door about taste, about life, and about compassion.
The player’s name appeared on the screen, like a bell ringing on the bell tower of an ancient temple, not to remind others, but to wake himself up. The fried chicken meal he ordered appeared quietly, like a gentle destiny in fate – in a chaotic world, there are still people willing to prepare a hot meal for you.
Fried chicken, family bucket, is the first aid kit in the game; French fries, is the gentleness of replacing bandages; drinks, turned into energy drinks, are cool. These settings are not cold functions, but a warmth in the hearts of designers. They know that in a world of war, we need not only bullets and courage, but also a meal, a little oil and salt, a little calmness and comfort.
Each player can only order food once in each KFC in each game until the fourth stage of the war is open again. Just like in the road of life, all kinds of beauty cannot be coveted, only waiting can show their preciousness.
KFC not only appears in Erangel, but also extends to Miramar, Sanhok, and Vikendi. Even on the plane taking off at high altitude, the banner is also raised with the wind, like a flag of wish, swaying above the world. It does not tell us what to win, but reminds us not to forget: between running, stop and listen to the voice in your heart.
We are always running, always pushed forward, as if only achieving “victory” is the goal. But in this setting, I felt a deep wisdom. It is not to make you win, but to make you stop; it is not to make you conquer, but to take care of yourself.
I think of those ordinary and warm moments in my past life: hot soup on rainy nights, tofu pudding in the hands of the cold winter, a bowl of instant noodles under the lamp late at night… They are not delicacies, but they are the reasons for people to live well.
The setting of this game is not complicated, but it makes people’s hearts ripple. It allows us to see the mercy of a bite of fried chicken in the cold battlefield. Between life and death, see the meaning of “eating”. Between running, see the possibility of “settlement”.
In the rain of bullets, you and I still have to embrace kindness. In the lonely wandering, you and I still have to believe in warm food and waiting lights.
The appearance of this KFC is not to increase the “fun” of the game, but to let us remember: even in the virtual world, we must not forget the real feelings; even between killing and decision, we must not lose the tenderness of life.
Even if it’s just a fried chicken, it’s the most precious meal of this journey.