Chapter 231 For a Little Money
On April 20th, Ma Xiaoxiao and Zhang Ye's plane landed in Jin'an. They were regular visitors to the park; they had been part of the exploration team that opened the City of Prank. Ma Xiaoxiao was highly talented, having reached level 10 shortly after contracting the Red-Eyed Pokémon. Zhang Ye's talent lagged behind her, but he was a skilled support player, so Ma Xiaoxiao always gained more by teaming up with him than by going it alone.
Ma Xiaoxiao reached level 15, while Zhang Ye was 10. On the very day their team's points topped the Merit Rankings, they were visited by the Special Branch. They learned the truth about the world and understood their mission as Transcendents. However, they chose not to join the national team, instead signing a confidentiality agreement and remaining as independents.
There are many people like them. In fact, after reaching level 10, their strength and physical fitness have made a qualitative leap. Some people find that their old ailments, such as rheumatism and chronic diseases, have been cured without medication. Some find that their myopia has disappeared, and after taking off their glasses, the world has become clearer than ever. Others find that scars left by previous surgeries or injuries have faded and disappeared...
Apart from that, the biggest thing they have in common is that they have become stronger. They used to be so weak that they couldn’t even lift two buckets of water, but now they can climb with two buckets hanging on one hand, just like the protagonists in martial arts movies.
At this point, even without a special department knocking on their door, everyone had more or less guessed what was going on. After signing the confidentiality agreement, they felt a sense of superiority, a sense of being the only one sober amidst the rest of the pack. Of course, this sense of superiority gradually faded after realizing everyone around them was in the know, replaced by a subtle anxiety.
Ma Xiaoxiao and Zhang Ye came out of the passage with their luggage. On the way, they saw many people like them, most of whom were acquaintances. After greeting each other, they walked out of the airport together.
Their expressions were quite serious, very different from the tourists who came here happily to travel, and they quickly attracted some attention.
As soon as Qian Yu and his family came out of the station, they saw Ma Xiaoxiao and his group. Seeing a group of young people in their twenties holding their luggage and saluting, they were obviously tourists, but they all had stern faces, with expressions of concern for the country and the people. He couldn't help but laugh and said to his family around him, "Look at them, if you didn't know, you would think they were going to the battlefield!"
"Haha, that's quite similar. But I heard that points earned from killing monsters in the park can be exchanged for money. They're probably worried about not getting a good ranking!"
"It doesn't matter whether you get a good ranking or not. What's more important is to go out and have fun."
Of course, the discussion of Qian Yu's family was heard by the sharp-eyed and sharp-eared Ma Xiaoxiao and others. They thought, isn't it just going to the battlefield?
But I also feel a little envious. I think ordinary people have it so good. They are ignorant and feel like they are just here to have fun.
Qian Yu's family, unaware of the envy, praised the construction of the airport as they walked out.
"Wow, this place is so big! It's even bigger than the airports in first-tier cities!"
"This airport only took about half a year to build! To be able to build something like this in such a short time, our country's infrastructure strength is truly incredible!"
"Yeah, it's about the size of an international airport. It's just too big, and it's hard to walk out."
"Wow! There's a poster for the park over there!"
The exclamation of a child nearby attracted the attention of Qian Yu's family. They looked up and saw a huge poster hanging from the high dome in the center of the airport lobby. The big words "World Protection War" were particularly clear on the poster, and around it were the cute and strange races of the park.
As they walked out, they saw more and more park-related things. An airport staff member held up a doll and said, "Out-of-town passengers can get a free doll at the airport with their park ticket. There are dwarfs, rolling sheep, tree spirits... there are all kinds of them!"
The children around couldn't move when they saw the doll, and they all pestered their parents to take it. The baby who was less than three years old in Qian Yu's arms also kept leaning forward. They had no choice but to take the doll.
There were buses parked outside the terminal hall, and a whole row of shiny taxis parked on the roadside waiting for tourists.
Qian Yu's family was worried about the difficulty of getting a taxi, but when they saw the scene, they immediately relaxed. They hired a taxi and got in. The driver said very chattily, "We are going to the theme park, right?"
Qian Yu nodded, and the car started. The driver chatted with them as he drove, "It's really lively today! Even more lively than during the Chinese New Year. I heard on the radio yesterday that there are at least 400,000 tourists coming to Jin'an today!"
"So many!" Qian Yu was a little surprised.
The driver said proudly, "Of course, our Jinan amusement park is the best in the world! By the way, have you booked a hotel yet?"
"Not yet!" This wasn't the first time Qian Yu and his family had visited the park! They knew they had to prepare in advance, but unfortunately, the park had fully opened ticket sales this time, so they couldn't get any tickets for the hot springs. The hotels near the park were already fully booked. If they had encountered this situation before, they would have come at another time. But this time, Jinan City officials had said they would solve every tourist's accommodation problem, so they didn't worry too much and decided to think about it after they arrived.
Moreover, the park’s service has always been very good. Now that ticket sales have been liberalized, tourists will not be forced to sleep on the streets.
Upon hearing this, the driver immediately said enthusiastically: "Then I'll take you to Huicui Garden!"
As the driver spoke, he seemed to be worried that they would not believe him, and he turned on the car screen, which displayed a report from Jinan City TV Station.
Ms. Fang Jiu, a seasoned and elegant host, sat upright and spoke softly to the audience, "...According to expert estimates, without restrictions, the number of foreign tourists to Jinan City will exceed one million within two days... Fortunately, this hasn't put us under any pressure... To properly address tourists' food, travel, and accommodation needs, the municipal government has introduced several effective measures this week..."
"...What if you can't book a hotel? The citizens of Jin'an are here to help. Currently, the municipal government has arranged three residential communities for tourists to stay. Their interiors are comparable to hotels, and the prices are low. These three communities are Huicui Garden and Taoyuan New City... They're less than a 10-minute drive from Fantasy Park."
"What about food? During the World Guardian War event, many tourists are likely having trouble booking reservations at the Dwarf Elf restaurant. Don't worry, the seasonings and dipping sauces produced by the Dwarf Elf factory are guaranteed quality and delicious. All restaurants in Jinan City have now purchased Dwarf Elf-branded seasonings, ensuring you enjoy your meal with peace of mind... If any tourists discover problems with restaurants charging excessive fees, price hikes, or poor quality, please call the hotline... The nearby police station will dispatch officers within five minutes..."
"During the World Guardian War event, we've arranged special buses for visitors to go directly to the park. Whether you're at the high-speed rail station, airport, bus station, or any other bus stop, our special bus will be at your service within ten minutes..."
"...If you encounter any problems during your trip, please call the municipal hotline...You can check the location of nearby shuttle buses on the navigation map or the park app..."
Qian Yu and his family listened to the TV report while looking out of the car window.
They had been to Jin'an City during the Lunar New Year holiday, and it had been bustling enough back then, but this time was clearly even more grand. Posters promoting park activities were posted at regular intervals along the roadside; volunteers in red vests guided groups of tourists; familiar music wafted from the squares they passed by—it was the theme song for Fantasy Park, composed by a renowned domestic composer; and hot air balloons and drones flew overhead, carrying colorful banners promoting the park's activities...
When the taxi stopped at Huicui Garden, Qian Yu's family saw a group of primary school students raising their fingers and making biubiubiu sounds with high morale, shouting "Down with the evil god and protect the world" and running away laughing. Next to the trees on the roadside as they ran past, colorful balloons and streamers were flying in the wind.
Although it was not a festival, in such an environment, everyone felt the strong atmosphere of the event and looked forward to the large-scale events in the park even more.
At this time, many people on the Internet are live broadcasting large-scale events in the park.
The popular anchor, Xiao Zhou, first took his online audience on a tour of the measures and efforts taken by the Jinan Municipal Government to welcome the influx of tourists, introducing the warm and friendly citizens. He then focused his camera on the streets near Fantasy Park.
Under the watchful eyes of a nearby traffic police officer, he pointed to the row of dazzling decorations and the tall red inflatable gate on Taoyuan Street and said excitedly, "Friends and family, the reports from the front lines are correct. The municipal government has actually designated this entire street as the theme park's activity area. I just inquired, and they say the theme park has already installed holographic equipment along this street, even in every building and under every tree within a 5-kilometer radius. Then everyone can experience the feeling of fighting monsters on the main road!"
The audience was also stunned when they saw this scene, and the barrage of comments covered up the live broadcast content.
—I was there myself, and… the roads near the park were completely empty, and the parking lot had been relocated elsewhere, so visitors had to walk two blocks over. Such an outrageous thing actually happened!
Oh my goodness, even more outrageous: to support this massive event, Jinan City actually gave all schools a holiday! They also mandated that local businesses close three days a week, encouraging residents to actively participate in park activities and fight monsters on their days off!
——It’s so outrageous, yet inexplicably reasonable, it qualifies as a paradise!
——Hahaha, with this scene, I almost thought a world war was really going to break out!
——Oh my God, I think this large-scale event is a new technological breakthrough for the park. Will the whole world enter the holographic world in the future?
——Ahhh, I’m so envious, why am I not in Jinan City!
Online netizens were making memes and drooling, while offline, tourists who came to travel had already received the news on the park’s app.
Dear Warriors, the World Defense War is about to begin. All Warriors above Level 20 please use the QR code to enter the park. All Warriors above Level 10 please enter Taoyuan Street. All Warriors above Level 5 please enter the road outside Taoyuan Street. Warriors below Level 5 please go to secluded places with family and friends, such as hotel rooms, residential units, street shops, etc.
[Don't be afraid if you encounter monsters, this is a grand game. During the World Guardian War event, points earned will be doubled.]
[Event start countdown: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3…]
In the fantasy park, Chen Wangping, whose extraordinary level has reached 45, held two thin scalpels in his hands, and his black eyes were illuminated golden by the huge beam of light behind the abandoned park.
Within that beam of light, humanoid monsters rushed out one after another. Some were grotesquely and repulsive, some resembled humans, and some wore false, incomparably holy skins... but without exception, they were all level 30 or above!
These monsters flapped their wings, bringing with them tremendous malice, and pounced on the weak tourists in the park.
One of the gigantic monsters roared, "Come on! Let these ignorant ants see the greatness of the Lord God!"
The roar it made was extremely ferocious, and the tourists were caught off guard and startled. Then, instead of panicking as the monster had expected, they all let out a "wow" at the same time.
"Wow! What a long health bar! Killing this thing will definitely earn you a lot of points!"
"Go for the million-dollar prize!"
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