Fang Zheng didn't think too long about Argo's request for cooperation and nodded in agreement.

On the one hand, he does need to collect enough intelligence, but the game world is so big that Fang Zheng alone is not enough. Mobilizing the masses is a hard truth passed down by our ancestors, and Fang Zheng is certainly not stupid enough not to use it. As for Argo, he will be responsible for helping Fang Zheng collect the intelligence he needs, and then Fang Zheng will use this intelligence to build the data model he wants. If he has any results, he will give feedback to Argo in return. If it is particularly important and life-threatening intelligence, then Argo will pass it on to other players free of charge.

After all, although she is an intelligence dealer, we are all grasshoppers tied to the same rope. It is impossible for her to cheat someone who has the ability to lead everyone out of suffering just to make money.

However, Fang Zheng's request really made Argo a little confused.

"The history and culture of each layer, as well as information and records about monsters... What are these things...for?"

Honestly, after hearing Fang Zheng's request, Argo felt like his jaw was about to drop. The other party wanted to collect intelligence through him, Argo could understand, but why did you want these things? This is just a game, you still need to investigate the local customs?

"You don't understand that."

Looking at Argo, Fang Zheng waved his hand.

"A qualified game designer will definitely put all the clues in front of the players. For example, we all know that it is almost impossible to defeat the boss in an online game in one go, but players can't just rush in and rely on dying a few times to guess what skills the boss has and how much damage it does. That's too stupid. Generally speaking, regarding the skills and combat characteristics of each dungeon boss, the screenwriters and planners will give players very obscure clues in the previous task flow. For example, if there are two kinds of monsters, priests and archers, in a dungeon, then you have to be careful because the dungeon boss is likely to use their skills. In the previous dungeon introductions about these bosses, their identity information will definitely appear, so you can infer what skills they may have."

Having said this, Fang Zheng spread his hands.

"So, in theory, if players of a good online game are careful enough and can find all the clues left by the designer, they can defeat the dungeon boss in one go. But most players don't have the patience. Since they think it's better to pile up their lives, then let them do it... Anyway, we have told you all the clues and hints. Can you blame me if you don't pay attention?"

“Wow…”

After listening to Fang Zheng's introduction, Argo was completely stunned. She stared at Fang Zheng with her eyes wide open.

"Are all of you game designers so dirty-minded?"

"Thanks for the compliment."

Fang Zheng accepted Argo's compliment without any psychological burden. How could a game designer who couldn't make players grit their teeth and cry for help be called a qualified game designer?

Of course, Fang Zheng was not sure whether this game was like that. After all, according to his experience, games that were labeled as "XX No. 1" usually did not pay too much attention to the plot, especially virtual reality games like this. Players would not care much about the plot at the beginning. As long as they could enter another world, they would be satisfied.

However, Fang Zheng felt that there was no harm in giving it a try. After all, it was Argo who went on the run to collect intelligence. As for whether this information could be used...it would depend on the situation.

Fortunately, Argo didn't know what Fang was thinking, otherwise he would have definitely hunted him down.

After conducting countless inhumane experiments on this poor wild boar monster, Fang Zheng also summed up some rules.

From the perspective of damage data, the physical model inside the game is not much different from reality, of course, there is still a gap. This is also normal. After all, the game is just a game. It is unrealistic to expect it to achieve the seamless simulation of The Matrix.

Two days later, Founder released the first "Survival Guide" manual through Argo.

In this manual, Fang Zheng fully demonstrates his professional spirit as a game planner and designer. Normally, colleagues often follow the principle of seeing but not speaking out, but now Fang Zheng doesn't care about this.

You're risking lives just by making a game, and you won't let me take advantage of you?

Therefore, in this "Survival Guide 1.0" manual, Fang Zheng marked almost all the options, items, and interfaces in the character system, including the combat characteristics of monsters in the current primary plains area, how to dodge or resist to reduce damage, the limit of how many monsters to attract if one person is playing alone, the safety line of blood volume, and the movement trajectory of each monster.

Moreover, unlike other game manuals that focus on strategies for monsters and dungeons, Fang Zheng's manual is full of cowardice. The focus of the whole book is to tell other players how to survive in battle instead of rushing in to die. Fang Zheng also put forward many effective suggestions, telling those players how to retreat if things go wrong, and not to be impatient when seeing something suspicious, because according to the general nature of game designers, players will definitely be suspicious when they see something suspicious, trust your intuition, and it is absolutely right to turn around decisively! !

Not only that, in this manual, Fang Zheng also combined his combat experience in the main world and the Dark Souls world to teach those players several sets of simple and practical cold weapon defense skills.

After all, full stealth is different from ordinary games. In ordinary games, if you want to defend, you just need to press a button. But full stealth games are basically the same as reality, which means that players have to actively use their weapons and shields to defend in order to achieve the desired effect.

But it was obvious that the players in this world were all modern city dwellers, and they had probably never been out alone in the wilderness, so naturally they would not use cold weapons. It was hard to say how much of the knowledge they learned from books, movies and games was true, so Fang Zheng simply gave everyone a cold weapon literacy class, telling them how to hold a sword to exert its maximum power, or how to wield it more flexibly.

Of course, in order to prevent these players from becoming overconfident and thinking they can save the world, Fang Zheng also wrote a sentence at the end of the manual: "I understand that you hope to see your family as soon as possible, but I hope you can think about it. Do you want to see the faces of your family and friends when you open your eyes, or do you want them to cry and send you to the crematorium?"

As for how many players could read these words, Fang Zheng didn't care. Anyway, that was all he had to say. If those players insisted on committing suicide, then Fang Zheng couldn't do anything about it.

This survival manual was immediately snapped up by players as soon as it was released, especially for those who were new to the game. They also wanted to survive, but they had no idea how to survive. So many people were trembling with fear and unable to sleep on the first night of coming to this world, feeling that the future was dark, and no one knew whether they had the confidence to survive until leaving the game world.

For these players, the survival manual written by Fang Zheng and published by Argo is undoubtedly like a stick or a machete given to an unarmed traveler trapped in the wilderness. Although it is very simple, it at least gives them the courage and ability to fight!

But for Fang Zheng, the situation was not as good as he imagined...

"No one?"

Looking at Argo in front of him, Fang Zheng was stunned.

"You mean... there's not even one player who wants to team up with me? Am I so unpopular?"

"Of course not, Mr. Fang Zheng."

Facing Fang Zheng's question, Argo also hurriedly shook his head.

"In fact... they don't even dare to team up with you."

"……What's the meaning?"

"It's like this..."

As he spoke, Argo explained to Fang Zheng that the reason why no one teamed up with Fang Zheng was not because they were willing, but because they dared!

It took Fang Zheng three days to write this survival manual. During this time, many players formed guilds to help each other. Many of them were friends they knew in the game, and some were even friends in real life. Of course, these people would not abandon their partners to team up with Fang Zheng. As for those players who went it alone...their reasons left Fang Zheng speechless.

Because they were afraid of causing trouble for Fang Zheng!

After all, with the release of the survival manual, Fang Zheng's name has basically spread throughout the game, and the things he wrote are particularly effective, so Fang Zheng's status in the minds of these players has been further elevated. But because of this, many players dare not team up with Fang Zheng, because they are afraid that they are not capable enough and will hinder Fang Zheng and his team. If others find out and they become the target of public criticism, they can only commit seppuku to apologize...

"There is such an operation..."

After listening to Argo's explanation, Fang Zheng was completely speechless. Damn, in Chinese online game novels, whenever the big boss raises his arm and calls for help, a bunch of people are eager to rush over and not even spare the golden-legged hair. What the hell are these Japanese people... Are they afraid to join a team because they are afraid of causing trouble for the big boss?

So I was wrong in pretending to be so high-profile?!

I have calculated everything, but I didn't take into account the national character of the Japanese...

Fang Zheng couldn't do anything about it. He had already put the call on hold. Now it depended on whether anyone was willing to contact him. After all, Fang Zheng couldn't rely on Restia, Esther and himself to clear the 100th floor. He needed a core team, but it seemed that forming this core team was more difficult than Fang Zheng had imagined.

"... Never mind. Let's just leave it at that for now. Anyway, you should keep an eye on it for me for the next few days. If anyone wants to form a team, please contact me immediately."

In the end, Fang Zheng had no choice but to give Argo this explanation.

As for what happens next... I'm afraid I'll just have to go with the flow.