The autumn wind of September brought a little chill, sweeping across this world where virtual and reality intertwine. Zhongli, this name was mentioned again. He is the guardian who stands like a mountain, silent and firm. With the release of Genshin Impact 4.0, he appeared in the sight of countless players again. Starting from September 5, the opportunity to draw him was reopened, like a key, opening the expectations and desires hidden in the hearts of some people for a long time.
Drawing cards is a game, but it is also like a game of life. Behind each card is probability, fate, and bet. For ordinary people, if they want to draw Zhongli, they have to go through about 80 to 90 trials, which is the “bottom line” promise given by the system. But if you are unlucky and draw other five-star permanent characters, the number will immediately increase, and it will take 150 or even 180 times to touch the guardian of the rock. These numbers, cold and icy, carry the excitement, loss, anxiety and waiting of many people.
Money is the unavoidable reality of this game. Two 6480 Genesis Crystals, equivalent to about 300 US dollars, can be exchanged for Zhongli. If you are unlucky, you have to pay three 6480. The recharge process is repeated three times, and confirmed three times, like a silent test, testing people’s patience and the thickness of their wallets. 300 US dollars, this is a considerable expense for many people. The burden of life outside the game may be heavy, and the krypton gold in this virtual world is reflecting the desire and helplessness of reality.
Here, behind the money spent on buying characters is a psychological battle. It is not a simple money transaction, but a bet on hope. Many people are willing to use real money to exchange for a virtual sense of security and satisfaction. This behavior is both sighing and thought-provoking-are the things we lack in real life placed in these virtual symbols?
Games are a space for modern people to escape and pursue, and card drawing has become a ritual. You keep clicking and looking forward to it. That moment seems to be frozen, and your heartbeat is intertwined with the light on the screen. The result is not always important. What is important is the expectation, the unresolved tension, and even the self-comfort at that moment.
Card drawing is like life, and the rare Zhongli is like a lighthouse in the distance. Some people strive to move forward, while others give up halfway. In any case, this road is full of too many unpredictable twists and turns and variables. We often struggle between reality and ideals, investing a lot of time and money, but we may not get what we want. Just like the probability of drawing cards, no one can control it, and we can only accept it willingly.
In the dead of night, I closed my phone and looked at the starry sky outside the window. Card drawing has become a metaphor in life – hope and disappointment are intertwined, waiting and persistence coexist. It makes people see their own fragility and inner tenacity. Perhaps this is its deepest meaning.
Zhongli in this virtual world is not only a role, but also a guardian, and even more a sustenance. I hope that everyone who is running on the road of drawing cards can find their own peace and strength, even if it is just an illusory dream.