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Pay-to-Win game group.
“Elderly Player: Battle pet food is incredibly tasty, the group leader is awesome! (Excited voice cracking)”
“Excited: Bought ten packs of snacks, fed them daily, finally gained the favor of a three-star demonic beast and successfully formed a bond. The group leader is awesome!”
“Kneels Down: Bought the sleep aid set, used it in the game, slept for four hours, woke up feeling energetic and unusually clear-minded. The group leader is awesome!”
“Truth in My Hands: I’ve figured it out. No matter what she sells, Yun Shan can turn it into a big hit. What does this mean? It means she’s destined for great things. The group leader is awesome! (Cheers)”
Yun Shan’s online time reached the limit, and she happened to see the chat records upon logging off. She replied, “Even if you praise me like this, I won’t pay you. Rejecting the water army, starting with me.”
She followed it with a cool emoji.
The group members naturally knew that the speaker wasn’t part of the water army, but it didn’t stop them from playing along.
After unmuting, many people responded with, “Rejecting the water army, starting with me.”
Seeing that the chat was about to flood with responses, the loyal fan Gao Ling swiftly sent a command red packet – “Battle pet food is incredibly tasty, the group leader is awesome!”
Anyone in the group who wanted to grab the red packet had to first enter the correct command.
As a result, many unscrupulous individuals immediately switched sides, changing the command.
Yun Shan: …
From this, it’s clear that money truly has the power to do anything it wants.
After the chaos, some people began discussing serious matters. “The group leader has sold so many formulas, has she made a fortune and become a wealthy benefactor?”
Yun Shan didn’t hide anything, “Investing in technology, receiving monthly dividends.”
The questioner was surprised, “Cooperating with NPCs? Do you trust them?”
Upon hearing this, many group members advised, “Be cautious, group leader. The NPCs in ‘Doomsday Camp’ are different from those in other games, they really can be difficult to deal with!! Don’t ask me how I know, crying uncontrollably.emoji.”
“Even though the shop’s business is thriving, the sales figures, no matter how high, have little to do with the group leader. Fudging the accounts, casually handling it, who can clearly explain the profits?”
“Running at a loss, getting monthly dividends is not as good as a one-time buyout.”
“The group leader is usually quite steady. Why is she… having trouble deciding on a big deal? Shouldn’t she discuss it with the group members?”
Looking at the chat records, Yun Shan chuckled, “Thank you for your concern, but I know what I’m doing. With the backdrop of the apocalypse, I’m not so naive as to place all my hopes on the NPCs’ honesty. If the NPCs try anything underhanded, I’m confident I’ll make them regret it.”
After this statement, the entire group fell silent.
After a while, some people began speaking one after another, “I was naive. I actually forgot how ruthless our group leader can be. She won’t let anyone take advantage of her, right?!”
“Am I a pitiful wage earner, actually worrying whether the group leader lying down will earn less? I’m delusional. Seriously, I need to reflect.”
“Just curious, if the NPCs breach the contract, what will the group leader do?”
Yun Shan: “Nothing much, just planning a big move, locking up the landlord and taking the throne myself.”
“Country Bumpkin: … Is the group leader joking?”
“Distressed: Assertive statement, truly impressive. Thumbs up.jpg”
“Elderly Player: If it were me, I wouldn’t dare boast so much. The group leader is awesome!”
Everyone chuckled, taking it lightly, without taking it to heart.
Yun Shan: Who’s joking? A player who’s always prepared like her is just one affair away from a successful rise to power.
***
Upon learning that Yun Shan made a fortune selling formulas and recipes, wealthy individuals came knocking.
“Big Boss (Bai Shenghua): Do you have points? 1 point = 70 yuan, I’ll buy all under 50,000.”
“Food, Drink, and Fun (Kang Zeyang): I’ll buy points, whatever amount you have. Name your price, I’ll transfer directly.”
“Rich and Reckless (Han Jiaqing): Hey there? I have money, do you have points?”
“Ordinary Scholar (Xie Shaoting): How many points do you have? I’ll take them all, name your price.”
In addition to familiar faces, some less familiar group members also messaged inquiries.
Yun Shan edited a message and uniformly replied, “Only exchange, points and food exchange rate as per the table below.”
Some had no food in hand, so they had to retreat.
Someone responded with a string of question marks, “Didn’t you exchange for a large batch of food from Xie Shaoting? How are you short on food?”
Yun Shan: “The bigger the family, the more food is never a problem.”
Some made a strenuous effort to persuade Yun Shan to change her mind, but Yun Shan insisted that she only wanted food, nothing else.
Customers had to retreat, thinking that making a deal with the group leader was not easy. Wouldn’t it be easier to just take the money directly? Why so many demands?
Some successfully exchanged for points, like Han Jiaqing and Xie Shaoting.
Hearing that points were only for exchange and not for sale, they calculated their inventory, took out some stored food, and in the blink of an eye, exchanged them for points.
As for Bai Shenghua—
“I’ll be direct. I also need food, and currently have a significant shortfall, so I can’t give it to you.”
Yun Shan: “That’s truly unfortunate.”
She had intended to close the chat box, but to her surprise, Bai Shenghua’s next message read, “I plan to start a liquor business. Are you interested in joining?”
Seeing the message from the other side, Yun Shan’s expression turned serious.
Bai Shenghua continued, “I’ve conducted market research.”
“Red Maple Camp was established in July 2204. Initially, there was a shortage of food, and residents could barely fill their stomachs by farming and hunting.”
“The geographical environment of the camp is excellent, with a year-round spring-like climate and three harvests a year (in 2205). After several bountiful seasons, households had surplus food, and the survival crisis was resolved.”
“Later, the cultivated land area continued to expand, with some opening restaurants, and others establishing breeding farms. The range of business activities became increasingly diverse.”
“I plan to open a pub, specializing in the liquor business.”
Yun Shan fell silent for a moment and warned, “Three pounds of food for one pound of liquor. Making liquor consumes a lot of food.”
Bai Shenghua was undeterred, “Running a chicken farm, duck farm, or pig farm also requires feed. I’m not afraid of high costs, the profits from the finished product will make it worthwhile.”
“Currently, players haven’t realized this is a lucrative opportunity, they can make food and sell liquor casually. After a while, everyone will rush to do the same, and it won’t be as profitable.”
“I have the skills, you have food and points. What do you say we join forces and make a big profit together?”
Yun Shan didn’t think it was a good idea and said, “I won’t earn this money, and I advise you not to either.”
Bai Shenghua: “…”
Bai Shenghua: “Just pretend I was never here today.”
With that, the negotiation broke down, and the conversation ended.
Bai Shenghua never expected that someone would refuse such a good deal, where points could multiply several times.
He had originally planned to use Yun Shan’s influence to advertise, but that plan was now off the table.
“Forget it, I can do this without her. This business can still thrive.” Bai Shenghua opened his friends list to find another partner to collaborate with.
At the same time, Yun Shan’s expression revealed a sense of reminiscence.
If she remembered correctly, at the end of 2206 in the previous life, food-based liquor was in high demand and caused a frenzy.
Initially, the liquor sold very well.
NPCs had lost this skill and didn’t know how to make it. However, there were many male survivors who hadn’t had a drink in years and were craving it. Even though the price of food-based liquor was high, they were willing to spend money on it.
Seeing the extremely high profits, many players searched for tutorials online, learned the craft, and then entered the game to produce food-based liquor for sale.
After nearly a month of almost frenzied revelry, a large amount of stored food was turned into liquor, and the market became oversaturated. Even if players were willing to sell at a loss, they couldn’t find buyers.
It was even worse that the weather had abruptly changed in December. Just as the crops were about to be harvested, they were hit by icestones. Countless crops were devastated, with at least an 80% reduction in yield!
Both NPC residents and players found themselves in a situation of “not getting enough to eat.” It wasn’t until the end of March 2207 that another bountiful harvest significantly alleviated the food pressure.
“I need to come up with a solution,” Yun Shan pondered.
Unfortunately, in the previous life, she was Lu Ming’s personal doctor and was only given one task by the organization: to cure Lu Ming. As a result, Yun Shan pored over numerous medical texts, studying diligently, like an emotionless learning machine.
This, in turn, directly led to her being too preoccupied to keep up with current events. Much of the news she heard was often after the fact, from others.
“When exactly did the ice rainstorm occur in December?” Yun Shan tried to recall, but nothing came to mind, so she gave up struggling. “Notify Lu Ming in advance and let him decide.”
As for her, she would just send a warning, and that was the extent of her responsibility.
***
“I have something very important to tell you in person.” Yun Shan logged into the game and messaged Lu Ming through her wristwatch.
About fifteen minutes later, Lu Ming appeared in front of Yun Shan.
His jet-black hair resembled a crow’s feathers, his pupils were as deep as obsidian, and his features were as sharp and striking as a masterpiece of beauty.
“What’s the matter?” Lu Ming asked.
Yun Shan recounted the details about the food-based liquor and the ice rain incident in December.
She concluded, “I can’t disclose the source of the information, but I assure you, everything I’ve said is true.”
“I trust you,” Lu Ming responded without hesitation.
After discussing the matter, Yun Shan looked at Lu Ming, feeling a surge of embarrassment. Her gaze wandered aimlessly. “That’s all I wanted to say. You can go back to your duties now.”
Noticing Yun Shan’s uneasiness, Lu Ming said, “There’s no need to dwell on what happened before. We can pretend it never occurred. When we meet in the future, we can continue our original conversation.”
Yun Shan had heard that confessions could be disregarded, and she was feeling happy about it, but when she suddenly heard the words “when we meet in the future,” her smile froze.
“Why are you surprised?” Lu Ming glanced at her. “Haven’t you known all along that this isn’t a simple game, but a different world? The residents aren’t NPCs, but living people?”
Yun Shan: …
She understood that she held the truth, but she wasn’t sure when Lu Ming realized she knew.
“If you don’t understand what’s going on, why did you go online to issue a warning when the Grey Rats attacked the camp at night?” Lu Ming’s mind was clear. “It shows that in your heart, NPCs are more than just a set of data.”
Yun Shan: …
She realized she held the truth, but she didn’t know when Lu Ming realized that she knew.
“If you don’t understand the situation, why did you go online at night to warn about the Grey Rat Gang attacking the camp?” Lu Ming’s mind was clear. “It shows that in your heart, NPCs are more than just a set of data.”
A bolt from the blue!
Yun Shan suddenly realized that Lu Ming had actually guessed it long ago, but had never confronted her about it.
#Major Incident Scene
#Comprehensive Social and Physiological Death
Yun Shan once again used her disappearing act and vanished into thin air.
Facing the empty room, Lu Ming’s voice was barely audible, “When… you won’t be able to run away.”
***
Lu Ming stepped out of the room, and You Yi was standing at the door. He looked around for a moment and asked, “Where’s the Divine Doctor?”
Lu Ming: “Ran away.”
You Yi sighed deeply, expressing an indescribable helplessness, “Can you treat her better and stop scaring her all the time?”
In the entire camp, there was only this one doctor who could treat the Lord. If she ran away and never returned, what would they do?
Lu Ming: “I didn’t scare her.”
Didn’t scare her, yet she ran away twice? You Yi found it hard to believe.
“Are you free? Go out for a run,” Lu Ming said.
You Yi: “…”