Chapter 7: Popularity Value

Wang Lang returned to the armored vehicle formation at the rear.

Qiao Mian landed slowly, waving at King Kong and Bumblebee.

King Kong plopped down onto the ground, resting his head against the ticket hall, gazing idly at the sky.

Bumblebee awkwardly stopped his dance steps and walked over to Qiao Mian.

“Mr. Qiao, are you really going to let them in?” he asked.

“You don’t like it?” Qiao Mian looked at him, puzzled.

“Of course not,” Bumblebee exclaimed, “I’m bored out of my mind.”

“Then you’ll have plenty to do from now on.” Qiao Mian smiled.

“Can I get a raise?” Bumblebee’s optics flashed with hope.

“Turn your lights off,” Qiao Mian replied wearily. “You haven’t even started working and you’re already asking for a raise. If you were human, you’d starve.”

“That’s impossible,” Bumblebee protested. “I work twenty-four hours a day, no sleep, always on alert for intruders, mediating quarrels between the Rampaging Dinosaur and King Kong, serving as their sparring partner, and even taking care of the dino and snake babies from time to time…”

“That’s how people on Earth work,” Qiao Mian said blankly.

Bumblebee looked at him. “I know how to use the internet.”

Qiao Mian looked away. “Then you should know this is your karmic reward.”

Bumblebee immediately started playing a song: “Arise, ye who refuse to be slaves! Arise, ye who hunger and thirst! The blood that fills our hearts is boiling…”

Qiao Mian looked skyward, his face dark. “Nice weather today.”

Bumblebee glanced up, his singing mingling with his own voice, “The sky back home is much more beautiful.”

“Once this busy period is over, I’ll give you two days off,” Qiao Mian decided to grant him a small benefit.

“With pay?” Bumblebee asked expectantly, his song pausing.

“Yes.” A stream of air hissed at Qiao Mian’s feet as he floated upward.

He patted Bumblebee on the head. “Work hard and pay off your last AllSpark debt as soon as possible.”

“Thank you, Mr. Qiao!” Bumblebee said joyfully, and his tune shifted to a lively pop song.

Seeing some commotion among the crowd opposite, as if Wang Lang had made a decision, Qiao Mian signaled Bumblebee to withdraw for now.

Taking advantage of the brief lull, he summoned Unit Zero and opened his game interface:

[Player Name: Qiao Mian]
[Game Level: 1 (263,423/1,000,000)]
[Game Coins: 70,221]
[Number of Employees: 4]
[Popularity Value: 10,000]
[Listed Items: Iron Man Suit Mark 6 (10,000 coins), Blood Orchid Extract (1,000 coins per portion), AllSpark (100,000 coins each), Kong’s Blood Serum (100 coins each), Dimensional Item Seeker (100 coins each) …]
[Modules Unlocked: Ticket Hall, Admin Center, Dinosaur Park, Python Pavilion, Highway]
[Connected Dimensions: Jurassic World, Kong, Anaconda, Iron Man, Transformers]
…

Qiao Mian reviewed the data carefully.

Previously, his popularity value was zero.

Only after King Kong collected ten thousand yuan in ticket sales from Liang Xiaoyu did his popularity value skyrocket to ten thousand.

He had known this for a while. Five years ago, when his online girlfriend of three months suddenly said her wife was pregnant and she couldn’t play games with him anymore, a deeply shaken Qiao Mian took a bottle of baijiu and headed up the mountain.

Halfway, a streak of light struck him. When he awoke, he found himself bound to a miraculous game.

This game, hailing from ten thousand years in the future, claimed to add some fun to the barren entertainment lives of these ancient humans. It blended some of the fantastical worlds imagined around the twenty-first century into reality, letting players build an all-encompassing fantasy park from scratch.

Upon receiving the game, Qiao Mian quickly understood its mechanics. Anything unclear, his soul-bound game AI assistant “Unit Zero” would explain.

He knew that the ticket sales at the entrance corresponded to popularity value, and that popularity could be exchanged for game coins at a ratio of 10,000 to 1.

Game coins were the most crucial resource in the game.

They could purchase all sorts of wondrous things.

For example, the Dimensional Item Seeker, which could explore key objects and characters in a specified dimension. Once discovered, one could spend a small amount of game coins to contact the character or materialize the item.

Materialized items would appear in the game’s shop, priced by the system.

Purchasing them would cost more game coins.

A triple-layered exploitation, not unlike a certain famous tech company.

Still, it was a good deal.

Iron Man’s suit, Blood Orchid Extract, the AllSpark, Kong’s Blood Serum—these were all acquired using the Dimensional Item Seeker in the respective worlds: Iron Man, Anaconda, Transformers, and Kong.

Game coins could also be earned via daily check-ins, apart from popularity exchange.

The first check-in awarded one coin, the second day two, increasing daily. On the last day of the full year, besides receiving 365 coins, you’d also get the ultimate reward: a random new dimension unlocked!

Afterward, the count reset.

If you missed a day, you’d have to start over from one.

Qiao Mian had missed a day before and remembered it clearly.

Even after five years with this magical game, aside from the initial Jurassic World dimension, he had only unlocked four more dimensions.

But the fifth was just around the corner.

…

Seeing Wang Lang leading three others over, Qiao Mian exhaled quietly.

Sooner or later, the ugly bride must meet her in-laws.

The core principle of the Fantasy Park game was for players to provide humanity with newer, more thrilling entertainment.

Most importantly, if he could begin normal operations, the pace of earning game coins would increase dramatically.

Perhaps it wouldn’t be long before he could reach level two.

What did level two offer?

Even Qiao Mian was dying to know.

…

As Wang Lang and his party were about to approach, a figure suddenly darted out from the rear.

Wang Lang halted, and the three at his side stopped as well.

The four of them stood tall and straight, facing the person rushing over.

“It’s me!” The newcomer ignored the four and waved vigorously at Qiao Mian.

Qiao Mian thought to himself: Are we that close?

Seeing the selfie stick and phone in her hand, he hesitated.

This woman was reckless and foolish, not to mention unremarkable, but she wasn’t entirely useless.

He had watched her live streams before and noticed she had a sizable following.

Perhaps she could be used for another round of advertising?

Qiao Mian pondered this.

“Mr. Qiao,” Wang Lang turned to him.

“Have you made your selections?” Qiao Mian glanced at the three men.

A young soldier, still clutching a submachine gun.

The other two were older, in their forties or fifties.

“Yes,” Wang Lang replied.

He didn’t introduce the three.

Liang Xiaoyu, who had dashed from the crowd, was now being held back, waving and shouting at Qiao Mian.

“What’s her story?” Qiao Mian asked, pointing at Liang Xiaoyu.

Wang Lang explained, “She’s an ordinary civilian, accidentally wandered in before. We’ll see her out.”

Qiao Mian shook his head. “That’s not what I meant. Let her come in with us.”

Wang Lang was stunned, then gave Qiao Mian a long, searching look.

Could it be that this guy was attracted to the streamer?

If he really was that lustful, things might actually be easier.

He thought for a moment, then waved to the rear. “Let her through.”

Freed, Liang Xiaoyu dashed over like an unchained wild dog.

Had Qiao Mian not floated higher in time, the streamer would have bowled him over with a hug.

“Ma’am, please maintain your dignity!” Bumblebee poked his head out from behind the gate to admonish her.

…