In the virtual corner called Erangel, the rain of bullets and the chaos of chickens and dogs interweave into an abstract painting of modern “war and peace”. Do you think there is only blood and rain here? Wrong, now even the smell of fried chicken has drifted into this battlefield with the smoke of gunpowder, adding a touch of life to those players who are desperately trying to survive.
This incident happened quite dramatically. The originally dilapidated gas station was abruptly lit up by a bright red KFC sign. The sign seemed to be calling out to the players: “Don’t just focus on the gun, come and eat a chicken leg, you can kill more people with blood and vigor!” This scene can’t help but make people smile: the cruelty of war and the temptation of fast food are wonderfully framed together, which seems to be a spoiler of the irony of life itself.
The player approaches the self-service ordering machine and presses the button. The game nickname is immediately hung on the screen, and then you can receive the daunting but tempting fried chicken meal. This set meal is not just a food model, but is endowed with various functions: the chicken leg is a first aid kit, and the character will take a bite seriously when using it; the French fries are transformed into bandages, and the drinks are reduced to energy drinks. This design is like a “battlefield food show”, which allows people to experience a bit of strange life fun while killing.
The rules of the game are also interesting: each KFC self-service ordering machine can only be used once per game, and can only be used again until the fourth stage. Just like the ancient imperial examinations, the first test is difficult, and the retest is even more difficult. Be careful not to eat too much, be too energetic, and lose the “bloodiness” on the battlefield. This subtle restriction silently demonstrates the game designer’s philosophical thinking on “moderation” and “balance”.
Not only Erangel, but also Miramar, Sanhok, Vikendi and other maps are all decorated with red and white colors. Even the planes taking off are flying KFC banners, like flying billboards, as if shouting to the little passengers in the air: “Foodies, get ready, there will be fried chicken waiting for you when you land!” This scene seems to make people feel like they are in a cross-border ensemble of “war and fast food”.
This absurd sense of reality inevitably reminds people of the literary classics we read in those years – the cruel reality is interspersed with the trivialities of life, just as in those difficult years, people would find the joy of life in the small daily necessities even if they encountered difficulties. Fried chicken meal has become a microcosm of life in this virtual battlefield, which is not only a tool for survival, but also a spiritual comfort.
However, behind this absurd contrast, there is also a hint of deep meaning: the survival status of modern people seems to be no longer just to survive, but how to grasp a little warmth and a little interest in a cold and ruthless environment. That fried chicken is not just a simple food, but a symbol of existence, a soft weapon against the dead silence.
When the sound of gunfire and chicken legs coexist, besides winning or losing, perhaps what the players are really fighting for is this moment of peace and that feeling of being “cared for”. After all, whether in the real world or in the virtual space, the meaning of life is always inseparable from the fireworks and the delicate warmth of this world.