Don't Yell, I'm Thinking

"Boss, are you... are you okay?"

Seeing Bai Fu suddenly fall silent, her face turning from green to white, An Ya couldn't help but get nervous again.

She thought her boss had returned to normal, but judging by the current situation, had her boss's head been damaged by the punch she took while collecting debts?

No, she didn't want her boss to be broken from being hit!

An Ya lunged forward, tears and snot flying, "Boss, you have to snap out of it! If something happens to you, I... I'll go fight that old bastard who hit you!"

Bai Fu rubbed An Ya's head, "Stop fussing, I'm thinking."

Being a player-favorite character isn't easy.

First, she needed to determine what kind of NPCs players actually liked.

Bai Fu roughly divided popular NPCs into two categories.

1. Seductive. 2. Not Seductive.

She wasn't dividing them randomly; she had a plan!

This classification applied to everyone, regardless of gender, human, beast, or even a refrigerator.

Ultimately, didn't most people play games for the thrill?

Visual and auditory stimulation was thrilling, emotional resonance was thrilling, and "seductive" precisely offered players the simplest and most direct visual and auditory stimulation.

But don't underestimate the word "seductive," or players will teach you a lesson with their wallets.

With countless new games emerging, "ordinary goods" have long been phased out. Only "unique" high-end models can remain popular on adult websites after the initial wave.

Life is short, who wouldn't want something good?

So, what constitutes "unique"?

Bai Fu examined herself.

Bright eyes, pearly teeth, plump flesh, jade-like bones, large yet firm, whether it was her appearance or her figure, she was over a nine out of ten.

Her hardware was up to par, but meeting the hardware requirements was merely obtaining the "unique" entry ticket. She needed corresponding software to unleash her hardware's full potential.

Could she pull off something amazing like drawing a sword from her chest?

Could she afford custom outfits like the "high-silk milk cap" style?

Could she learn the alluring yet not vulgar demeanor of the Hehuan Sect demoness?

Bai Fu glanced at her own impoverished state and then at herself, unable to even bite a lighter.

No money, no skills, and unwilling to learn from the Hehuan Sect demoness, the final evaluation would likely be, "Seen it, nice, so what? Next."

This didn't meet her expectations. She didn't want to be popular for just a short while; she wanted to continuously rake in gold from players and developers.

Indeed, she had to take the second path: becoming a veteran artist who moved players with her performance, someone they'd remember fondly years later.

Based on her understanding and player feedback from the community, Bai Fu roughly categorized veteran artists.

Category 1: Righteous companions or villains with immense charisma. Category 2: Big sisters who shield players from storms, or even burn themselves to forge a future for them. Category 3: Tragic heroes who make one sigh, "Alas, heavens, why so cruel to X." Category 4: Rich young ladies who shower players with money whenever they're bored, creating the future with their wealth. Category 5: Companions who always stay by the player's side, silently supporting them, and fiercely defending them against anyone who dares to challenge them. Category 6: A fleeting glimpse that stirred a player's heart, someone they'd occasionally recall fondly years later, a "white moonlight." Category 7: Others.

Although there were many options, choosing wasn't difficult.

Bai Fu knew herself well.

She wanted to be a righteous companion, a supervillain who brought despair to all, or a comforting big sister figure, but she lacked the ability.

As for a money-spending young lady, that was even more fantastical.

Looking around, she could only lean towards being a companion or a white moonlight for now.

Being a companion had too many limitations, so she decided to be a player's white moonlight.

A shot fired in youth, hitting the heart years later in the name of nostalgia.

"While players are still confused upon entering the game, I'll first build up some goodwill with them. That way, even if they know I'm from the Wildfire Gang, they won't attack immediately."

Building goodwill, Bai Fu was full of confidence.

Her face wasn't for nothing; even just stretching her leg would attract a large group of players, let alone her plan to stage a "beautiful girl saves 'hero'" scenario to whitewash herself.

After leaving players with the impression "she must be a good person," her next step was to establish a persona.

A good persona could break through sensory limitations and reach the depths of the soul.

The popularity gathered this way could truly be everlasting.

Of course, what Bai Fu truly valued was power. Increasing her popularity was merely a shortcut to obtaining it.

She viewed establishing a persona as making a wish.

Look, game designers, this is how I should appear in the players' eyes. To avoid disappointing them, for the sake of the game's reputation, shouldn't you add some points to me?

She wasn't threatening the designers either. If a character became so outstanding that they escaped the designers' control, wouldn't that just showcase the designers' excellent character-crafting skills?

If this were implemented, her strength would grow, player expectations would be met, and the designers' mothers and bonuses would all be safe.

What the hell is this so-called "win-win-win" situation!

For this reason, Bai Fu was extremely cautious when establishing her persona.

A persona like "20 years old, divorced with an 11-year-old child" could quickly garner a lot of attention, but it wouldn't help her improve her strength, so she directly ruled it out.

"For now, I should try to shape myself as a mysterious figure. Let the players imagine my true identity themselves. This way, I can adjust as needed and avoid the awkward situation of a persona collapse."

After all, she said she was unfathomable, but she never specified where she was unfathomable. Could the players be blamed if they guessed wrong? If anyone was to blame, it was the stupid designers!

What if the players imagined an interesting persona? She could just adopt it.

Win!

Bai Fu glanced at An Ya beside her.

"An Ya!"

"Here!" An Ya, who had been pulled aside, immediately stepped forward. "Boss, are we going to teach those unruly outsiders a lesson right now?"

Bai Fu shook her head. "Too short-sighted. The value of those outsiders is far beyond the bounty offered by the Wildfire Gang. An Ya, broaden your horizons. Our journey is to the stars and the sea; we can't afford to lose sight of the bigger picture for small gains."

An Ya: "..."

Bai Fu smiled like a child-eating witch. "Do you want to wake up every day in the middle of a 500-square-meter bed? Do you want to..."

An Ya said with a bitter face, "Boss, I don't even dare to dream of such things."

Bai Fu was speechless.

Young people shouldn't be too old. Dream more, what if it comes true?

"If you want it, then cooperate with me. I've already found an opportunity to strike it rich with those outsiders."

An Ya looked skeptical. "Then what should I do?"

Bai Fu said, "I haven't figured out your persona yet, so for now, just follow me and be a riddle-maker."

Shaping a loli is different from shaping a young girl or a young married woman. If you force them in the same direction, you might accidentally create something purely "prison-style."

As a law-abiding, five-star citizen, Bai Fu wasn't that "criminal."

She planned to interact with the players first, see if they preferred a "crazy loli" or a "young lady loli" before tailoring a persona for An Ya that would complement her.

An Ya nodded as if she understood. "Riddle-maker?"

Bai Fu stood up. "Stop dwelling on it. Let's go out now."

An Ya hurriedly asked, "Boss, where are we going?"

Bai Fu said, "To the hair salon. Before we take any official action, I'll dye my hair white to give myself a buff."

I heard that white hair is a special attack against Chinese people. Two white-haired individuals would be a double special attack. Wouldn't that just skyrocket the players' favorability?

"Huh?"

An Ya suspected she had misheard.

What was the connection between dyeing her hair white and sleeping in a 500-square-meter bed?

It's over. Boss has really been driven crazy by that old man who owes money!

No, Boss, if you go mad, what will happen to me!