Chapter 85: Are you a shill for the "hunger marketing" strategy?
With the Bamboo Source Crystal Core jointly developed by Star Territory and Dongling City, acid rain became less frightening, and players in the game world resumed their lives of hunting demons from dawn till dusk.
In the central square of Zhongyuan City, the huge notice screen was already surrounded by layers of players wearing various protective suits.
A high-temperature apocalypse swept through, obliterating all the high technology of the old world. People reverted to primitive methods of communication, with most safe zones relying on bulletin boards for information dissemination.
The bulletin board in Zhongyuan City is different from those in other places. In addition to the usual advertisements for recruitment, rental information, monster information and bounty, it is also updated daily with the latest monster distribution map.
The information is usually updated at 8:00 AM every day. There are dedicated staff who check out the outdated information from the previous day and replace it with new information. So by 9:00 AM, there are already quite a few people gathered in front of the bulletin board.
A young man in battle armor stomped his foot impatiently, "Why is the update so slow today? I'm waiting to see the latest monster distribution map so I can go out and hunt monsters."
A man with a buzz cut next to him chimed in, "I heard there was some important news to release today, so the update was delayed."
"What major event has happened this time? Why is even the information update being delayed?"
"Is the game about to make another big move? No way, we've only just gotten used to acid rain," someone wailed in anguish.
The commotion attracted a lot of attention, and some players who were just passing by stopped to observe the situation.
Just as everyone was discussing it, several staff members who were usually responsible for maintaining the bulletin board ran over and quickly cleaned up the expired task information, finally leaving a conspicuous area in the center of the screen.
Amidst the puzzled looks of the crowd, a staff member pulled a giant poster out of his backpack. The poster was so large that it would take four staff members working together to successfully put it up.
A brand new announcement was presented to everyone.
[Important Notice: The personnel teleportation channel between Zhongyuan City and Xingxing Territory has officially opened!]
The title stunned everyone present.
"Star Territory? Is that the place where the Bamboo Origin Crystal Core was invented?"
"Personnel teleportation? What does that mean?"
The announcement below details how to use the channel and the consumption rules:
[Limited to 10 people per teleportation, destination: Star Territory]
【Cost: 1500 game coins/time】
"When did the game secretly get an update? A teleportation portal has suddenly appeared!"
A burly man carrying a greatsword stared wide-eyed at the prices on the bulletin board, clicking his tongue in disapproval: "Fifteen thousand a time? That's too expensive! That's enough for me to have a priest heal my serious injuries three times over."
A skinny assassin next to him was also counting on his fingers: "That's right, this is worth half a month's food expenses for me."
“But that’s Star Territory!” The man who said this was the one with the buzz cut who had just reminded him that there was something important to announce. His eyes were now shining with longing.
"Do you know how long it would take to walk from here? At least half a year, and you'd die countless times along the way."
"I've found out everything. Star Territory has a water park, fresh vegetables and meat, and even milk tea. It's so much better than us eating nutritive mud all day long. Their barrier is also temperature-controlled, and even acid rain can't get in. It's so much better than the barrier in our city. I don't care, I'm going!"
As soon as he opened his mouth, he revealed information that many people did not know. People who had been complaining about the price gathered around him, their faces filled with curiosity and doubt.
"Is the Star Territory really that good?"
"But the travel expenses are too expensive."
"Brother, could you please explain it to us in more detail?"
The man with the buzz cut looked at the group of people who were still hesitating about the price, and a hint of contempt flashed through his mind, but he also felt quite pleased to be the center of attention.
He cleared his throat, deliberately lowering his voice to create an air of mystery: "You've all heard, haven't you? The Star Territory recently reached a deep cooperation agreement with our Central Plains City. How do you think those top researchers they sent there got there?"
"Could it be through this?" someone asked hesitantly, pointing to the bulletin board.
"You guessed right, it's through teleportation!"
The man with the buzz cut raised an eyebrow. "But it's not that price. To tell you the truth, there are teleportation arrays in all five major cities, but activating one of those things requires burning a whole hundred high-grade ores. With that kind of consumption, would you dare to use it?"
Those around gasped. "One hundred ore?! A single good-quality ore would cost a thousand or eight hundred points on the market. To need one hundred of them, no wonder this method hasn't become widespread."
Seeing the shocked expressions on everyone's faces, the man with the buzz cut smirked smugly: "Now, do you still think this passage in the Star Territory is expensive?"
The burly man with the greatsword who had been complaining about the price was speechless. He looked at the price of 1500 points on the bulletin board, and then thought about the unattainable 100 ores. Suddenly, he felt that it wasn't so unacceptable after all.
Amidst the lively discussion, someone shouted, "The first batch of teleportation slots are already open for reservation in the game system! Hehe, I'm really fast, I grabbed one immediately!"
"What?! Reservations are already available?"
"Let me see, let me see, the game interface really does have a teleportation reservation option."
"Wait a minute, only two hundred spots a day? That's way too few!"
The crowd erupted in chaos, with everyone frantically trying to access their own system interfaces.
Starry Territory's scarcity marketing campaign was quite successful. Players who were initially hesitant about the price immediately abandoned their concerns and joined the ticket-grabbing frenzy upon hearing that there were only 200 slots available per day.
"Hahaha, I got it! That's me!" The buzz-cut man shook his head smugly.
"You're so fast!"
"Oh no, it's all booked for today."
"I was just calculating the cost! I should have made an appointment first and then considered it."
One of the short assassins also failed to secure a spot. He rolled his eyes and quietly approached the man with the buzz cut: "Brother, are you selling this spot? I'll pay double the price."
“Not for sale!” The man with the buzz cut looked at him warily. “I’m going to settle down in the Star Territory. Nobody can take my spot.”
These words caused another stir.
One young man couldn't help but question, "No way, bro, you're way too enthusiastic about the Star Territory. You haven't even set foot on its grounds yet, and you're already thinking about settling down there?"
The people around thought it was a bit outrageous, and their gazes toward the man with the buzz cut became strange. Could this man be a plant hired by Star Territory?
"Hey, what kind of looks are you giving me?"
Just then, the city hall staff member finished his work and stepped forward, raising his voice: "Gentlemen, please listen to me."
"The teleportation channel between Star Territory and our Central Plains City is open indefinitely. In addition to the fixed two hundred slots per day, special channels can be applied for in emergencies."
He took out a document and read it aloud: "In addition, Star Territory is openly recruiting various construction talents from all friendly cities, including but not limited to management elites, craftsmen, planting experts, teachers, medical staff, etc. Those who pass the official review and interview will not only be given priority in teleportation, but also enjoy a series of settlement benefits including housing subsidies and settlement allowances."
This news was more shocking than the teleportation channel itself. Ten years have passed since the game started, and everyone has become accustomed to living life through the game. Hearing words like "recruitment" and "interview" again now feels like a distant memory.
With the official endorsement of Zhongyuan City, the Star Territory has gained even more credibility.
The man with the buzz cut was now extremely smug: "See? That's what you call vision! The future of Star Territory is right here, and it's a constant temperature barrier. You only need to wear a short-sleeved shirt to live in there. I'm not going to stay in this lousy place anymore. I don't want to live in a heat-resistant protective suit every day."
His complaints resonated deeply with many.
Many people looked down at their own similar gear, their eyes revealing the same weariness.
If this man with the buzz cut was a shill, he was a good one. At this moment, the longing for a comfortable life in the hearts of those present outweighed all doubts, turning into the most sincere expectation for that distant "star".
The same scene was repeated in Dongling City and Beihai City. The mayors spared no effort to increase the Star Territory's goodwill towards their own safe zone, even at the cost of losing players.
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