High above the skies of Florida, a small plane glided smoothly through the air. The cabin door slowly opened, and a middle-aged man and woman, both wearing parachute packs, stood at the edge.
"Honey… I'm a little scared," the woman said, gripping the man's clothes tightly, clearly unwilling to let go.
"Don't worry. Don't be afraid," the man said as he took her hand, feeling the trembling in her palm.
When he squeezed her hand a little tighter, she seemed to calm down noticeably.
"Honey, I really never expected you'd be willing to do something like this. You were never like this before."
"What was I like before?" the man asked.
"Hmm… kind of boring," she said honestly. "Especially after we got married and had kids—you were lifeless, like you had no spark at all. But lately, you feel like a completely different person."
"Is that so?" the man smiled faintly. "Then do you prefer the old, boring me—or the current me?"
Without hesitation, she replied, "Of course the current you. You're much more fun now. You take me out, you go on adventures. Even if it's just a small part of life, having this kind of excitement once in a while feels amazing."
The man spoke softly, with emotion, "You know… you could've told me all this a long time ago. I just realized it far too late."
She smiled. "I wanted you to figure it out yourself. That way, I know it's truly what you want, not something I forced you to change."
"Honey."
"Mm?"
"I love you."
"I love you too."
The middle-aged couple gazed deeply into each other's eyes. The fear of the height seemed to vanish completely.
"All right, sir and ma'am. It's time to jump," said the skydiving instructor flatly.
Seriously—what kind of day was this? Two middle-aged people being this mushy? He felt like he'd just been kicked by a dog.
Apparently this guy had suddenly "woken up" and learned how to enjoy romance and excitement.
And generally speaking, it wasn't easy for a man to suddenly have that kind of awakening.
The source of this man's awakening was… rather strange.
He had played Grand Theft Auto V.
When he saw Mike in the game, it felt like he was looking at his own reflection.
Viewing a life so similar to his own from a different perspective, he suddenly realized just how terrible his life had become.
Ignored and disliked by his children. One kid constantly causing trouble. A wife who looked fine on the surface but was emotionally distant.
If he didn't do something, his life might really end up just as miserable as Mike's in the game.
So he started looking for a solution.
The answer he came up with was simple: seek excitement. Find a way to make life feel alive again.
And so, he took his whole family on a trip across America.
He took his younger son to the best amusement parks, letting him scream with joy.
He took his older son to see his favorite singer in concert—even though his ears nearly went deaf from the noise.
And then, he took his wife to places that were thrilling and romantic.
Candlelight dinners by the sea at night.
Revisiting the places where they'd first fallen in love during the day.
In his wife's eyes, it was like a block of stone had suddenly gained enlightenment.
She couldn't understand what had caused this change.
Or maybe—even if she did know—she wouldn't want to believe it.
A game? Could a game really change someone that much?
She didn't believe games had that kind of power.
To her, games were just addictive, pointless distractions.
If it weren't for worrying that her husband might go out fooling around if he didn't play games, she wouldn't even want him playing at all.
And besides, this was one of his few remaining pleasures.
If she took that away too, his life would probably feel even bleaker.
"All right—jump!"
The man went first, with an instructor helping manage the parachute timing.
Right after him came his wife.
She screamed as she leapt from the sky.
"Honey! Honey!"
The woman shouted in fear as they fell.
"Honey! Honey!" the man shouted back.
"Honey, I love you! I'm sorry these past few years have been so dull!"
"Honey, it's my fault! I should've made life better!"
"I love you!"
"I love you too!"
The two instructors controlling the parachutes felt physically ill.
This was beyond ridiculous—seeing an old married couple be this clingy was rare.
And somehow, they both felt like they'd been kicked by a dog again.
This job is unbearable…
The man's marriage and family life were rejuvenated, full of new vitality.
He also decided that from now on, he'd actively recommend Grand Theft Auto V to everyone he knew.
This game had genuinely changed him in many ways.
And he hoped it could change others too.
The game cost only $59.
Compared to the improvement in his family life, that "tuition fee" was absurdly cheap.
And on top of that—it really was a great game.
He'd heard that the online mode would be launching soon, bringing many new features, maintained by the same team that ran Cyberpunk 2077's online mode.
Cyberpunk 2077 had become a uniquely successful online game.
It didn't rely heavily on aggressive microtransactions, yet it consistently ranked near the top in revenue.
Small purchases added up.
Most players didn't mind spending a little extra for a better experience.
One or two dollars for a great outfit or vehicle skin—something most people could easily afford.
It was a model similar to Candy Crush: winning through volume, steady income, and long-term updates that kept the game alive.
The man had already logged over a thousand hours in Cyberpunk 2077's online mode.
Most of that time was spent playing alone, with some time playing together with his two kids.
That game alone had already warmed up what was once a cold family atmosphere.
And he was sure he'd play GTA V for even longer.
Because it felt more real—far more grounded than a sci-fi world set decades in the future.
Even before the online mode launched, he'd already made plans with friends to play together.
Online, people were already rushing to register in-game factions and organizations, ready to team up the moment the servers went live.
These were the same friends he'd been playing Cyberpunk 2077 with all along.
Of course, that didn't mean they'd stop playing Cyberpunk 2077.
Both were great games—no conflict at all.
If progress ever fell behind, they'd just spend a little money to catch up.
Money they were more than happy to spend.