The two of them added each other as friends, and soon the game interface popped up with several reward items.
According to the in-game store prices, the rewards were worth about five dollars. All in all, adding a friend was definitely worth it.
Davidson's coworker looked at the item rewards on Davidson's phone with a hint of envy and said, "Man, if only we could get that many items every time we added a friend."
"Aren't all friend-add rewards the same?"
"Nope. You get a lot more rewards the first time you add a friend. After that, you only get one item worth like 30 or 40 cents each time. But hey, if I add enough people, I'll still have an endless supply of items."
His coworker grinned—that kind of satisfied grin you have after getting something for free.
"I even joined a help group. In one of the Facebook community chat groups, you can add anyone at any time, and everyone gets the item reward."
Davidson couldn't help but ask, "Can I join that group too?"
...
...
"Of course! The group isn't just for this game—there are lots of people playing other games too. Everyone's really nice. I like it there a lot. And hey, since you're kinda getting into video games, you could use the group to learn more about other games too."
Davidson said, "That actually makes a lot of sense."
And so, they kept chatting.
In the past, their relationship was strictly work-related—at most, they talked about their jobs.
But now, things felt much closer. Davidson's coworker even started bringing up other topics—about life, and about games.
"Honestly," his coworker said sincerely, "I always thought you were kind of old-fashioned."
"Is that so? Well, I always thought you were kind of idle. Just liked watching sports."
"Hey, sports are awesome! And let me tell you—there are sports games in video games too. They're really realistic and a lot of fun."
"There are soccer games in video games?"
"Of course! Not just soccer. In video games, you can do things you'd never imagine. You can become a hero, rescue a princess, slay dragons; or you can be a special forces soldier, wielding high-tech weapons to fight enemies. You could even be an adventurer, exploring ancient ruins for treasure. Games let you do so much. So I'm serious—if you're interested, I'll lend you my console. Believe me, these games are even more fun than Candy Fun Match."
After saying that, his coworker paused, as if realizing it might have come off wrong, then added: "I mean, not that Candy Fun Match isn't fun. It's great for passing time when you're not busy. But when I'm working a lot, I don't really have time for games like this."
Davidson might not have fully understood all his coworker's points yet, but he was definitely getting more curious.
"So... wanna give it a shot? I'll lend you the console."
"Sure... I'll give it a try," Davidson said.
"Great! How about I drop off the console at your place tonight? I can show you how it works."
"Sure, I'll prep some food and beers. Sound good?"
His coworker's eyes lit up. "Even better! And if there's steak..."
"No problem."
"Deal!" His coworker smiled brightly.
...
Getting a Rainbow Three-Star rating in Candy Fun Match was no easy feat.
Once in a while, you could luck out and earn it without using any items, but in most cases, it was extremely difficult—unless you got really lucky with tons of power-ups appearing during the level.
So Davidson inevitably started using more items than before.
He began replaying the game from level one, determined to get all Rainbow Three-Star ratings.
That would give him a deep sense of satisfaction.
But before long, his stockpile of items started running out.
To get more, he had two choices: add more friends, or spend money.
Earlier, under his coworker's suggestion, he had joined a Facebook community chat group where players added each other as friends.
The people in the group were genuinely friendly. They didn't just talk about adding friends—they actively helped newcomers, teaching them how to clear levels with high scores.
It was only then that Davidson realized—getting good at a game actually required strategy.
If you just played mindlessly on your own, you'd struggle to improve.
But in the group, people brainstormed together, creating polished strategies for clearing levels.
These strategies felt like solving puzzles.
At this point, he no longer saw Candy Fun Match as childish.
And he no longer believed that video games were just silly entertainment for kids.
After all, what child could grasp all this? And if they could, they'd have to be a genius.
In the chat group, he learned a lot about games—how to play, how to maximize scores. For the first time, Davidson started seeing games in a new light.
And at the same time, he was still earning more free items—a win-win.
However, the items you got from adding friends weren't enough to cover his usage.
Most players weren't as obsessed with perfect scores as Davidson.
They were happy just getting three stars—it was only a casual pastime for them.
But Davidson wanted perfection.
So, for the first time, he caved and bought some items from the shop.
They were only 30 or 40 cents each.
And often, using just one item correctly could get him that coveted Rainbow Three-Star rating. He felt that the cost was totally worth it.
"Wow, Davidson, you're amazing! You got all Rainbow Three-Star ratings? Hey... did you use a lot of items?"
Throughout the workday, anytime he wasn't busy, Davidson had been strategizing how to clear levels with higher scores.
By the end of the day, he had finally achieved Rainbow Three-Star ratings on all previous levels.
Hearing his coworker's admiration made him feel that every cent he'd spent was absolutely worth it.
He'd only spent a few dollars all day—less than the price of a meal—and in return, he got hours of fun.
It was far cheaper than most forms of entertainment, and the enjoyment was far greater.
What entertainment could be more worthwhile than video games?