This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 265: The Business Sense of Mosquitoes and New Players Online!

Chapter 265: Chapter 265: The Business Sense of Mosquitoes and New Players Online!

Early morning.

Niu Li yawned as he walked out of the workers’ dormitory.

As usual, he went to the communal washing basin to freshen up, then headed to the factory entrance to pick up two steamed buns, planning to eat them on his feet before getting down to work.

Since Niu Li had joined Steel Factory No. 81 and become a glorious worker, two or three months had already passed by.

Having dealt with the crisis of Chewing Bone Tribe’s invasion, the steel factory ramped up production, and he quickly got promoted by the factory manager thanks to his hard work, eagerness to learn, and intelligence.

By now, Niu Li had risen from a menial laborer to a foreman in charge of workers five and six, memorizing the operation guidelines and safety handbook issued by the factory. Not only had his monthly salary doubled, but residents of the refuge had also equipped him with a VM.

It was well known that only core factory employees were entitled to wear VMs and communicate directly with those omnipotent residents of the refuge.

For the Waste Land Wanderers living in this area, the VM worn on the arm was not only a tool for communication but also a symbol of status.

It signified recognition!

If nothing unexpected happened, by next year he might very well be sitting in the workshop director’s seat.

In fact, not just Niu Li alone, more and more residents from Bet Street had come here to work recently, with very few still engaging in scavenging and hunting.

It was said that Yu Hu had even become the chairman of the Hunters Guild, right?

But Niu Li didn’t envy him.

For one thing, Yu Hu really had some hunting skills, and for another, he was quite satisfied with his current life.

Whatever their jobs were, they all had a bright future!

After finishing the buns in his hand, Niu Li clapped his hands, about to walk towards the factory, when he noticed some commotion at the corner of the street.

It seemed to be a workshop for Goblin Technology?

Compared with the broad entrance of Steel Factory No. 81, that Goblin Technology workshop was indeed just a workshop, whether in terms of its storefront or scale.

"What happened there?" Niu Li stopped a passerby, asking curiously, "Why is it so bustling?"

The local answered,

"It looks like Goblin Technology is opening a new factory and is recruiting. I just went to take a look, they’re offering 10 Silver Coins a day, paid monthly!"

Silver Coins could buy two kilograms of potatoes or three kilograms of corn... or two bowls of noodles.

Most factories here provided room and board, so the wages could be saved, and earning 10 Silver Coins a day was considered very generous.

However...

That was Goblin Technology.

Most survivors had a poor impression of the place because they always heard deafening noises coming from the factory.

Rumors would often spread—

That there were researching some formidable weapons of mass destruction.

Niu Li noticed that many people had gathered at the factory entrance, yet hardly anyone was applying.

He wasn’t surprised at all that Goblin Technology was struggling to recruit...

...

"Damn! Why is no one coming!"

Only eight people had been recruited the entire morning.

Looking at the staff roster in his hand, Mosquito couldn’t help but let out a curse.

Why was it that every time Steel Factory No. 81 recruited, people would swarm the entrance, yet every time he tried to recruit, it was all lookie-loos?

Was this fair?

Obviously not!

After much thought, Mosquito could only come up with one reason.

There was no doubt; he must have been "balanced" by Dog Plan.

A newcomer standing by couldn’t help but interject,

"Have you ever thought that your wages might be too low?"

The other three players also chimed in.

"That’s right, 10 Silver Coins a day... can’t believe you came up with that!"

"Yeah, no one would work for that money, not even a dog. I made 10 Silver Coins and 10 Contribution Points just delivering ammo yesterday!"

"Damn capitalist! Be careful or you’ll end up hung from a streetlight!"

These four were the new employees Mosquito had recruited, all newcomers who joined the game with Alpha1.1 version, with matching two-character nicknames for their IDs—Deathbringer, Soul Chaser, Kill God, Discourage.

Judging from those IDs, they weren’t very old.

But all four claimed to have already graduated, even showing off their diplomas.

"You newbies don’t know a damn thing!" Mosquito’s face turned red as he glared at the newcomers, defending his miserly practices, "The wages for NPCs... 10 Silver Coins is already a lot, okay? Isn’t that what they give at Steel Factory No. 81 next door?"

Honestly, was 10 Silver Coins a trivial amount?

In previous versions, these NPCs made less than 2 Silver Coins a day, and he was already paying generously!

Blame the Manager for being too generous with payouts and task rewards, which led to severe inflation over the past few months.

Back then, newcomers would be glad to earn a mere 10 Silver Coins for a day’s hard labor, and jobs paying 5 Copper Coins were snapped up, with 1 Silver Coin bringing sheer joy.

But now?

Jobs paying 10 Silver Coins an hour were considered too low by these newbies.

And they justified their laziness eloquently—

For the same 10 Silver Coins, at least errands for the refuge earned Contribution Points, which could be used to purchase land or high-tech equipment.

Even errands for Long Endurance Farm granted regional reputation. With a high reputation, one could set up shop or hold office in municipal institutions.

Wasn’t that more interesting than laboring away?

Every time he heard this logic, Mosquito couldn’t help bemoaning the situation.

The newcomers these days truly lacked any spirit of dedication.

If they didn’t put in the effort, how could he charge to T0?

How could Goblin Technology become bigger and stronger?

If it weren’t for the fact that Chu Guang happened to need the "engine repairing" skills of these four people, Mosquito wouldn’t have hired these few extra guys.

Soul Chaser didn’t buy Mosquito’s bullshit and nonchalantly rolled his eyes.

"How can it be the same? Shelter No. 117’s steel factory is an enterprise invested in by the shelter. Besides wages, they even give out gift vouchers."

Kill God chimed in, "Exactly, and I heard that enterprises held by the shelter not only employ you for life, they occasionally throw in pots, pans, and even things like soap, oil, and salt. Work for the shelter for the first half of your life, and for the second half, the shelter supports you."

Discourage added, "I couldn’t agree more, capitalists are so hateful!"

Mosquito was instantly frantic upon hearing this.

"Damn it! How much can those gifts be worth?! Also, aren’t all those just game settings you’re taking seriously?"

All four rolled their eyes in unison.

The gifts aren’t worth much.

Well then, damn it, you could at least give them!

Ignoring these rookies who were singing the opposite tune, Mosquito took out a pen and a small notebook and silently did some calculations.

After pondering for a while, he mumbled with the pen in his mouth.

"Raise the NPC’s salary to 12 silver coins..."

"Any more and there’s nothing left to earn!"

A daily wage of 12 silver coins, a monthly salary of 360 silver, for 20 people, that was 7200 silver coins.

The thought of an increased cost of 7200 silver coins made Mosquito’s heart ache.

Damn it!

Why can’t we have slavery?

It’s the Wasteland, after all; is it so bad to buy a couple of slaves to do the work?

It’s not like I’m not feeding them!

In the end, Mosquito still raised the wages.

And indeed, it proved that paying a bit more money did have its uses.

The temps who had been spectating that morning, upon seeing the daily wage increase by 2 silver coins, all came forward to sign up.

Working at Goblin Tech was a bit scary, but when the pay was sufficient, no one cared that much anymore.

Moreover...

No one has ever heard of anyone getting blown to bits, right?

Just before evening, Mosquito, having finally recruited enough workers, breathed a sigh of relief and immediately started arranging production.

The reason for the sudden recruitment was primarily because Goblin Tech had recently opened a new factory.

And the whole story began yesterday, when Mosquito found out on the forum that gas masks were selling at high prices in Giant Stone City and the demand was flourishing!

Even the commoners who only had a few chips for wages would buy one for themselves and their families.

Sharp in business acumen, Mosquito immediately smelled the opportunity to make a fortune.

What’s the fundamental need of the Wasteland?

Definitely something that can save your life!

The Tide swept in, and the entire Qingquan City was enveloped in clouds of spores.

Those slime molds and spores couldn’t be killed with muscles or bullets.

Not even the Awakeners could withstand the continuous inhalation of harmful substances.

Be it the traders going to Giant Stone City to do business or the locals living there, everyone needed at least one gas mask to ensure their safety.

After spotting this business opportunity, Mosquito was so happy he couldn’t stop smiling.

Immediately, he logged into the Game, and overnight, he went to the Manager’s assistant to register a subsidiary with the main business of "producing military equipment" and applied for a new factory building.

How much technology could a gas mask involve?

Drill three holes in rubber, insert activated carbon into a plastic bottle for a filter, and two aluminum rings with a piece of glass are all it takes!

Thanks to their neighbor, Changjiu Farm, planting plenty of Cam Trees, rubber was cheap at the shelter – just slightly more expensive than food.

Plastic for the filters was also easy to come by; the most common trash in the Wasteland was plastic bottles. Plus, even without using recycled trash, the industrial area’s chemical plants could independently synthesize polyethylene from biomass oil, cheaper than wood.

After careful study, Mosquito calculated that including labor and material costs, a gas mask would cost at most 2 silver coins to produce.

If the production scale increased, the cost could even be reduced below 2 silver coins!

Even if a mask could only sell for 10 coins, it still meant over 100% profit for him!

If he traded the earned chips for specialty goods from Giant Stone City and transported them back, the profit margin would be even more fearsome.

Looking at the bustling workers in the brand new factory, Mosquito couldn’t help but brag with a smug grin on his face.

"I’m a damn genius!"

Following right behind him, Mole Brother couldn’t help but candidly retort.

"I remember that this idea was mine, right?"

Mosquito casually replied.

"Doesn’t matter! I’m the first to do it!"

Mole Brother: "..."

Motherfucker.

This guy’s skin is thicker than I thought!

...

Although he’s often criticized by other players as a profiteer, one has to admit that Mosquito’s initiative and efficiency are absolutely T0 level among all players!

From a post on the Forum to a new factory with a scale of twenty people, this guy took less than 48 hours in total.

While other players were still endlessly arguing over market scale, displaying their drawn designs on the forum, the gas masks made by Goblin Tech were already on the shelves by the north gate.

It was the perfect demonstration that time is indeed money!

The design of the gas masks was incredibly straightforward, or to put it bluntly, it was directly copied from World War II movies.

The cone-shaped silhouette plus two fist-sized flat circular filters looked exactly like the set of a return to the German headquarters, sandwiched between two aluminum rings was a piece of resin lens; it was an imitation of the M38 rubber gas mask!

And because the Wasteland People aren’t too picky about quality—as long as it works—Mosquito was simply meeting everyone’s needs, using even less material than half of what the M38 rubber gas mask requires!

Mosquito straightforwardly named it the N19.

Since the cost was only half that of the M38, the number was thus, naturally, halved as well.

Although this gas mask was filled with points for criticism, compared to that thing rigged up from trash by Mole Old Brother, it still looked a bit more aesthetically pleasing.

Moreover, available on the shelves along with it were twenty pieces of gray-black protective suits made of synthetic fabric.

While slime and spores didn’t have a direct damaging effect on contact, for those players who ventured deep into the infected areas, this kind of protective clothing that covered the whole body without restricting movement was a bit more useful than nothing.

At least it was a tad more useful than a bulletproof vest.

With the players’ wallets in mind, Mosquito’s pricing was also incredibly "conscientious"—a protective suit was priced at only 80 Silver Coins.

If you choose the mask + protective suit set, a set was just 100 Silver Coins!

One could say it was exceptionally "conscientious."

The sales were handled by a young girl from the Frost Spear Clan, to whom Mosquito didn’t offer a base salary but promised a 15% sales commission.

At a set price of 10 Silver Coins per mask, she earned a 1.5 Silver Coin reward for each mask sold.

Eager to make money to support her family, the young girl was full of energy, vigorously hawking her wares as soon as she took her post. Her exotic face and pleasant voice attracted many players to come and watch.

However...

The stand had just opened not long before players started noticing a problem.

Silver Sword: "Wait, why is the set more expensive than buying them separately?!"

Quit Smoking, who was just about to pay, suddenly had a start and retracted the VM he had just extended.

"Damn! It really is!"

"Mosquito has gone crazy with greed!"

"This is too much of a ripoff!"

Seeing everyone so stirred up and reacting so strongly, the Frost Spear Clan girl selling the masks seemed a bit at a loss and looked helplessly toward Mosquito, who was standing by her side.

Having anticipated that people would complain about his pricing, Mosquito casually dug at his ear with his little finger, stepped out from the crowd, and said indifferently.

"What’s the fuss about, there’s a freebie with the set! Didn’t you see it also comes with an engineer shovel and a belt?"

The engineer shovel was a blade head he had ordered from Factory No. 81, assembled with wooden handles wholesale from a woodworker’s cabin, costing only 5 Silver Coins.

As for the belt, that thing was even cheaper, made from leftover materials from a leather factory that were used for clothes, with a wholesale price of only 3 Silver Coins a piece.

Running at a loss?

That didn’t exist.

At most, he just earned a bit less.

Silver Sword: "Can I just buy the mask and engineer shovel?"

Silver Hand: "I just want the gas mask and the belt!"

Mosquito shook his head like a rattle.

"No sale, no sale, the engineer shovel and belt are freebies, not for individual sale!"

Silver Daddy: "Damn!"

Quit Smoking: "@#￥!"

Despite their grumbling and swearing, enticed by the freebies, many players still took out their VMs to pay. Watching as the gas masks and protective suits were bought up in a frenzy, joy bloomed on Mosquito’s face.

What’s that about being a life pro gamer?

This is how you do it!

...

The third day after the launch of the Alpha1.1 version.

The countdown for the four hundred helmets finally hit zero, and the little players who had been anticipating it for countless days finally managed to log into the Game.

When they opened their eyes and let the glaring white light imprint on their retinas, almost every face looking up was filled with surprise and shock.

This light!

This wind!

This realistic touch!

And that solemn and grave broadcast!

The shock of being there hit them, from every frame to every decibel, making them feel the budget burning!

And this was just the opening animation...

"Awesome! Who’d have thought I’d play such an awesome game in my lifetime!"

"Isn’t this way cooler than that so-called metaverse?!"

"Kids are crying with excitement!"

"Open the door! Let me out!"

"...I have to put on pants to go out? Why wear pants, can I go without them?"

"Is it okay if I take them off once I’m outside?"

The chatter was as relentless as before.

Finally, when the broadcast ended, more than 400 newbies swarmed out of the rooms, squeezing into the square under the guidance of the broadcast.

Unlike Shelter No. 404,

The poorly maintained Shelter No. 117 appeared somewhat old but had slightly more space.

However, these newcomers obviously didn’t care about that.

Being one in ten thousand lucky enough to witness the birth of a groundbreaking game was already something to cheer and jump for joy about.

Who cared about which shelter they were born in?

Under the watchful gaze of many hopeful eyes, an azure power Armor strode to the front of all the players.

Its gleaming armor and the hammer that radiated strength instantly focused everyone’s attention as it made its entrance.

The visor on the helmet opened.

Chu Guang cleared his throat and solemnly recited the opening lines he had thought up after surveying the players present.

"...It is now the two hundredth year after the apocalypse, and thankfully, we have succeeded in surviving the most difficult times. Standing here means you are luckier than 12 billion people, and now I need you all to quickly recognize the situation and fulfill your declaration under the flag of United Human—to rebuild our homeland!"

"This here is my assistant; its name is Xiao Qi. Any questions about the shelter or anything you don’t understand, feel free to ask it."

After the formalities, Chu Guang left the rest of the time to his assistant Xiao Qi and the veteran players beside him.

The threat of the Tide was approaching.

There were places in need of hands everywhere.

Regarding how to play Wasteland OL, these players with wild ideas were much more numerous than any game designer could handle.

All they needed was a little bit of right guidance.

Once they completed the "Pass the Torch" task, those rookies should have a basic understanding of the game’s rules and gameplay.

After the opening animation ended.

The rookies scattered in a swarm.

A curious little player, peeking around, approached the Quit Smoking Brother and asked.

"Boss, how do I play this game?"

Hearing someone call him boss made Quit Smoking chuckle with delight, promptly adopting an expert’s demeanor as he calmly glanced at the player.

"What’s your ID?"

The player giggled and said,

"Corner Old Six! I’m pretty slick with a sniper, quick-scoping, no-scope, you name it. Where can I buy a sniper in this game?"

Quit Smoking looked at him with a caring expression and patiently said,

"First of all, a basic LD-47 assault rifle costs 200 Silver Coins. For a newbie, I recommend a Pu-9 with better control or the bolt-action Opener... Before you think about buying any other gun, check your pockets first."

Corner Old Six felt his pocket and pulled out a coin engraved with an N and F on either side.

"Ugh, I only have 5 Silver Coins... What can that buy?"

Quit Smoking looked at him in surprise.

"The newbie gift pack actually rose to 5 Silver Coins?"

It was only 1 Silver Coin when he started—had it quintupled?

Corner Old Six was stunned.

"Is that a lot?"

Quit Smoking laughed and said, "Just about enough for a bowl of noodles."

Corner Old Six: "..."

Quit Smoking patted him on the shoulder with a weathered air.

"Don’t be discouraged, everyone goes through this. First, take on a ’Pass the Torch’ task; I’ll help you finish the newbie quests. Save up for a VM with 500 Contribution Points and 50 Silver Coins. Without the player interface, everything you do will be inconvenient."

Corner Old Six was shocked.

"What? You have to pay for the game system interface?"

Quit Smoking nodded.

"After all, it’s a feature we pressured the developers to create. When this game first launched, it didn’t even have a currency for trading."

"Awesome!" Corner Old Six looked at him enviously. "Boss, you must be one of the top players, right?"

Quit Smoking smiled mysteriously.

"Not at all, not at all. The waters are deep in this game. There are many bosses here; I’m just average."

Hearing this, Corner Old Six’s eyes lit up.

Just on account of that statement, he must be a boss without a doubt!

"Boss! Can you also take along a brother who wants to play together?"

Quit Smoking said with a smile,

"Sure, I can take up to four. How many are you?"

Corner Old Six chuckled,

"Not many, just four with me!"

What the hell?

Four at once?

Quit Smoking looked at him in surprise and tapped on his VM.

"What are your three friends’ IDs?"

"Sniper Bai, Item Carrier, Lost Rookie!"

Not bad.

Just from the IDs, one can tell they’re FPS players.

Quit Smoking entered the nicknames on the screen and sent the request. Now they just needed to confirm with Xiao Qi, and the "Pass the Torch" quest would officially begin.

"All set... you guys must’ve waited in line for quite a while."

Corner Old Six scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed smile,

"Yeah, we did wait quite some time... I only signed up after seeing the promo photos for the Alpha 1.0 new map, been about a month."

As he spoke, he couldn’t help but sigh.

"This game’s become so hot lately, reservations are over a hundred thousand!"

Quit Smoking: "..."

Damn it!

Only a month’s wait and he’s complaining!

The joy from being called boss just a moment ago was suddenly not so sweet.

-

(A bowl of beef noodles, and I squatted in the toilet for half an hour...)

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