It is late at night, and the lights at home are still on.
I am sitting in front of the computer, with a cup of warm water and an open notebook beside me.
The list on the screen is not only the material requirements in the game, but also the context of the growth of a virtual life.
I want to collect the following materials for the character named “Xia Kong”, but I also want to “record” the meaning behind each number.

1. The first thing: put the “demand” into the interview file for analysis
I often think of myself as a recorder.
Faced with a cold list of materials, I will not just treat it as a number.
It is her growth path. I want to “interview” her and ask myself: Why are 29 low-frequency sail cores so important? Why is 122 doses of special resonance promoter a watershed?
So I asked myself:

“If she doesn’t go online, what value does this preparation have for me?”

“If I don’t draw her, how can I adjust my next life plan?”

“If I go online, how should I measure the input and return?”

I wrote these questions on the side of the notebook. They are not only game strategies, but also my own propositions.

2. Enter the “data scene”: the action map behind material collection
So I drew a “material map”:

Sighing Ancient Dragon Area: brush 46 pieces of Burning Phosphorus Bone

Fate Challenge Area: Strive for 26 Iris Blooming Days

Daily Dungeon: Lock the drop rate of Sail Core and Crystallized Phlogiston

I am like a reporter, stepping into every scene and observing my emotions when working –
Is it a calm analysis? Or unconscious obsession?

I screened out high-frequency monsters because of efficiency; or maybe I wanted to find a sense of control in a fast pace.

I filled in the numbers in the table:

“The first brush of Burning Phosphorus Ancient Dragon: 1 piece, 7 minutes, failed 1 time and succeeded.”

Every action was recorded as a clue.

3. Discover resonance: the psychological drive behind the material
Conventional narratives portray players as “strength seekers” or “resource maniacs.”
But Chai Jing’s analysis tells me that there may be a mixture of emotions behind this:

Anxiety: Fear of missing the launch time and fear of not being fully prepared

Lack of security: Gaining a sense of control from preparation

The need for a sense of ritual in daily fragments: Repeating the brushing of materials to continue the rhythm of life

I looked at the notes carefully and asked myself:

“When you didn’t drop the materials for the tenth time, were you tired? Angry? Or did you automatically give up and start over?”

“When I got the 40th sail core, that little happiness was like the tears after waiting for the first cry of a child.”

I decided to write down these psychological fluctuations because they are more worthy of insight and recording than the materials themselves.

4. Weapons and circuits: Her structure also reflects her life plan
Materials required for special weapons:

Simple shackles 6, basic shackles 6, modified shackles 10, special shackles 12

40 pieces of crystallized phlogiston

330,000 shells

Materials for resonance circuits:

150+ four types of sail cores; 175 crystallized phlogiston; 26 iris blooming days; 2,030,000 shells

Transforming these inputs into reality is like preparing for a career, buying a house, and raising a child budget.

I regard it as an exercise in “life projectization”.

It tests my planning, budgeting, and execution – these are exactly what we often use to measure our abilities in reality.

I asked several players in the community:

“What kind of psychological needs do you prepare for her to meet?”

Some say it is to escape from the pressure of reality, and some say it is to find a continuous sense of achievement.

I wrote down each answer in my notes as a small sample of humanistic research on the “game crowd”.

V. Self-dialogue in continuous action
In the monotonous day-to-day dungeon, I try to build a dialogue mechanism for myself:

After brushing a set of dungeons every day, ask yourself: “Why did you do this? How did your mind change?”

Write a weekly report every week: “How many times did you run the ancient dragon in this cycle? How much materials did you complete? Why is the deviation?”

Do not escape the realistic pressure of “spending three million shells for virtual people”. On the contrary, I discuss it as a topic to give myself a boundary and meaning.

These records help me find a balance between “continuous investment” and “calm iteration”.

VI. Possibility and reflection: What changes did I make after she went online?
Suppose, she appeared and I drew her.
So, how should I manage these materials next?
I will record: whether the weapon progress, level, and actual combat performance match.

If I don’t draw it, how to deal with the “right to speak” of these three million shells?
I will reflect: “Should I turn this investment into real efforts – such as job promotion, hobby learning, and spending time with my family?”

These reflections have become another part of my records.

VII. Summary: Media-style records give social significance to the preparation in the game

When I typed the last material node and closed the notes, I knew that this was not just a “strategy”, it was an “action record”, a “self-observation”, and a “game psychology survey”.

I will organize it into a log of two to three thousand words, and perhaps post it on the platform.

I hope to make more players aware that:
You are not “wasting time”;
You are not “addicted”;
You are a decision maker, time manager, and emotional observer.

This is Chai Jing’s attitude.

Materials are not just props, but questions you give yourself –

“Why should I prepare?”
“Does this make me grow?”
“Can I bring this growth back to reality?”

The lights are still on, and the record is still going on.

I found the heartbeat behind the numbers.

This is an unseen interview between me and Xia Kong, and also a conversation between me and you, and between yourself.