Wu Bin paused his conversation and got up to open the door. His face twitched once with slight irritation at the sight of his next guest and immediately blocked the passage with his arm, “Why are you here?”
“Meeting,” Bufu replied as he looped underneath Wu Bin and let himself in.
“Why aren’t you two meeting at the office?” Wu Bin asked as he closed the door from behind and returned to his seat.
“It’s the weekend,” they both replied.
“Then why are you even meeting!?” Wu Bin quickly realized he was asking two workaholics, and backtracked. “Why aren’t you meeting in your apartment?”
“Because your cousin is too lazy to drive,” Bufu responded. As he sat down on the couch, he looked around. He hadn’t been in Wu Bin’s apartment in awhile, but it looked much more barren since Wu Ling moved out.
Wu Bin left them alone. Every once in awhile, he glanced at the two as they worked on the app interface. It was really boring stuff so he decided to head out for a drink with his friends and left them alone.
They were reviewing the demo of the Shennong App that Bufu had built. Li Yun simply wanted an app for buyers to view pictures and prices of the products, but Bufu's app looked more like a game. From the menu screen, there was an option simply to buy different available vegetables, but there was also a farm option for buyers to navigate the farm in 3d.
After signing on, Li Yun had the ability to design the avatar and walk through the farm, “The concept was probably a game first and you just added the buying option?”
“Well, yeah, a simple vending app would be boring," Bufu said. He had been working on a game for a year, and the vending option was just an add-on. "I’m going to start adding dungeons to the farm for them to visit. The more products they buy, the more coins they will collect to buy materials. If they collect enough coins, they can use it to buy real produce. Or, they can use the coins to create their own virtual farm to grow mythical plants for making weapons, clothing, armor, and buy it from each other.”
“You’re really making this into a game?”
“Hey, why not?” It had always been Bufu's dream to create his own game.
By nighttime, they got the overall framework for the app. Bufu was going to bring in a couple of his developer buddies to assist with finishing the app. Most likely it could be completed around the same time as the first scheduled harvest. Bufu packed up his laptop, preparing to leave.
“Hey, anything I should know about you and little Ling?” Li Yun asked before he left.
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“No?” Bufu shrugged.
“You honestly think I would believe that?”
“I already told her it wasn’t going to work.”
“It’s good that you’re self-aware,” If Li Yun were to guess, after his grandparent’s party, Wu Ling was too embarrassed to talk to Bufu. “Why aren’t you seeing anyone then?”
“Why do you think I’m not seeing anyone? It’s not like you know every girl I have dated.”
Li Yun stared at Bufu as he spoke. The words came out so naturally that it sounded like the truth. “Don’t you feel exhausted, dating so many women?”
“No. Being in a relationship is the most important aspect of life. If I don’t date around, how am I supposed to find someone?”
“Yeah, but don’t you feel a month is a bit short to learn about another person?”
“It’s just how I am. There’s a rush of adrenaline when I meet a woman and learn everything there is to know about her. If she doesn’t make me feel the same rush after a month, what’s the point of continuing?”
Li Yun wondered where he got the mentality from? Was it because he was handsome enough that he didn’t have to worry about finding a woman? Was the root of his problem overchoice?
Overchoice was a psychological overload when there were too many options available. The brain could not decide on one when there were other options still available.
The common phenomenon was known by economists as the paradox of choice. Having more choices available did not lead to an increase in satisfaction. Consumers liked the idea of more choices, but when presented with more options, they were less likely to buy something from a set of 24 than a set of 3.
It was like buying a packaged steam bun in the store that offered 100 different varieties. There were 100 choices available, but buying one meant the person would regret not being able to buy the other 99. Whereas, a person buying from a store with only 3 varieties will feel more satisfied after buying a bun since they were only missing out on 2 other varieties.
“Can I punch your face?” asked Li Yun.
Bufu shrugged, “I can’t help it if I have a handsome face.”
“When did you start becoming so cynical about relationships?”
“Probably around the same time you did?” Bufu dated a lot in high school. “Don’t act like I’m the one with a problem. You intentionally dated women who you know will dump you eventually.”
Li Yun grimaced since it was the truth. Most of Li Yun’s girlfriends were women who valued their personal goals and paths. It wasn’t that they didn’t value relationships, but their world didn’t revolve around relationships.
Women were finding that their independence was much more valuable than relationships. It wasn’t particularly a bad thing, it was the modern society that allowed them to have the freedom to choose between their own personal achievements and their family.
When the pharaohs and emperors built pyramids and great sculptures, it was to preserve their legacy and attain immortality that mortals would envy. Modern woman had more opportunity to create a legacy, and it often meant little time to focus on family. It caused problems like divorce and a low birth rate, but creating a legacy required that sort of sacrifice.
Li Yun still wondered whether Rouxi was the type to value her career or family. When he first met her under her business persona, he thought she valued her career and personal independence. It was the reason he approached her in the first place. After seeing her again, he wasn’t sure how his opinions had changed.
What about her first impression of him? Did she see someone who had potential? Did she think there was a way to use him for her personal goals? These were questions on the back of his mind, but dared not to address. If he asked her, would it make any difference?