Han Xiao also saw the impact of the information he revealed on the forum, just as he had expected.
Once again, they secretly tricked Germinal, and Germinal had no idea who was behind it or what went wrong.
I secretly did something naughty to make him feel completely comfortable.
The faction introduction letter was not well received, which surprised Han Xiao. But after thinking about it, he realized why. It was due to the current economic situation of the players. Although the guild could raise 250,000, it was still a big risk for them. If the introduction letter was not effective, it would greatly slow down their development.
In other words, the price he set was too high for this period. Only when the average player's assets increase will the risk of buying the letter of introduction decrease, and only then will guilds attempt to buy it.
"At this price, it'll be a long time before someone dares to be the first to try it." Han Xiao bit his nail, deep in thought. The best solution would be to lower the price... but that's absolutely impossible! It's out of the question!
"Then we can use a promotional strategy, including some additional benefits with the letter of introduction."
Han Xiao's first thought was about favorability rewards. For example, he would give favorability points for purchasing referral letters. He used favorability points as a prerequisite for purchasing high-level equipment in the store, which was part of the profit chain.
He felt that giving away favor points as a bonus was inappropriate, as the maximum favor level was only one hundred points, and players had to cherish it more as they progressed. He would only give ordinary players a maximum of ten favor points, and would never exceed that number, so that players could not obtain it easily.
When used in a letter of introduction, if there's only one or two points of positive impression, it's not attractive; if there's too much, it's not good for you either.
"How about just throwing in the equipment?" The thought crossed his mind, but Han Xiao immediately suppressed it. He wouldn't do something like that, even if it meant giving it away for free. To be a proper businessman, he absolutely couldn't be so heartless.
He has recently created a number of new blueprints, but there are no finished products, so he can't sell them.
As for potions, now is not a good time to sell them. The market for percentage-based boost potions will only expand when players reach higher levels. Professional players who want to compete are the best target customers.
Just as I was struggling with this, an unexpected notification suddenly appeared on the panel.
[The Source of the Stone Spot Plague has been identified]
[Requirement 1: Find the source of the plague, completed]
[Requirement 2: Contain the spread of the plague, completed]
[Requirement 3: Cure all plague patients; not completed]
[You have gained 60,000 experience points, and your favorability with Black Pine Settlement has increased by 400.]
Han Xiao was taken aback.
This task was left to Frenzied Sword and Meat Bun Hits Dog, and they completed it!
"As expected of the people I've set my sights on." Han Xiao laughed. Frenzied Saber and Meat Bun were probably around level 15, so this mission was somewhat difficult for them. Although they didn't complete it perfectly, it was still an unexpected bonus. After all, Han Xiao hadn't interfered with the mission from the beginning, so the reward was practically free!
Wait a minute!
Han Xiao's eyes lit up.
He was suddenly inspired and came up with another way to sell referral letters!
"Frenzied Saber, that was brilliant!"
Han Xiao chuckled. This task was completed just in time, reminding him at a crucial moment; it was like sending charcoal in snowy weather or an urn in a fire.
At this moment, players in this beginner village are coming one after another to learn the [Energy Refinement Method], and they are all amazed by the exorbitant price of the letter of introduction, with a string of zeros that makes people dizzy.
Han Xiao suddenly shouted, "The torrent of time sweeps everyone forward, and the buried truths will always be forgotten by those who cannot stop moving forward. I have some things that I need the help of some trustworthy people."
As he spoke, he broke down the five objectives of the hidden main quest [The New Era--Origin] into new quests: [The End of the One Clinging to Life], [The Lost Key], [The Long-Buried Past], [The Mysterious Captive], and [Fellow Traveler].
The [New Era--Origin] process is too complicated. If Han Xiao were to do it, it would waste a lot of time, and this is only the first step.
Han Xiao decided to break down the mission objectives and share them with the players, allowing them to complete the tasks. This would save him time, allowing him to reap the benefits without Frenzied Saber's success validated his idea; it turned out that players could also receive rewards when they completed the tasks.
Just like the evil capitalists, they attract others to work for them with profits, yet they still earn the most themselves.
Furthermore, Han Xiao clearly stated that this was a "main quest," a move that would further enhance his standing among players.
"The NPC who issues the main quest, wow, that must be an important person!" -- That's probably what players would think.
The players were initially stunned when they saw these tasks, but their expressions quickly turned to ecstasy, as if they had reached a climax in an instant, and they all erupted with enthusiasm.
Main quest!
"My God! This is another main storyline!"
"Wow, so many rewards!"
"Accept the mission immediately!"
However, the player was stunned to find that the quest was grayed out and could not be accepted.
"Why can't I accept the quest?! Why can't I accept it?!"
Their doubts were quickly resolved when they noticed that the mission had a prerequisite—purchasing a letter of introduction!
That's right, they're that ruthless!
Players immediately erupted in anger. "What's the point of playing this?! 250,000? Who the hell can afford that?!"
Watching the players' moods fluctuate wildly, their expressions resembling a combination of impotence and constipation, Han Xiao chuckled inwardly. Due to quota limitations, his "main quests" could only be issued in limited quantities, leaving only the elite route as an option. He decided to target professional players, who were backed by large guilds, making them perfect for promoting referral letters and bundling sales.
Want the main quest? Great, buy my referral letter.
Don't want to spend money? Then what makes you think you can become stronger?
Professional gamers are willing to use any means to improve and will never overlook the main storyline.
Moreover, Han Xiao did this for another reason: ordinary players are of varying quality and might cause his own mission to fail, while professional players are highly skilled and have guild support, making them more reliable for completing missions.
Scarcity increases value, and he added a crucial piece of information to the mission description: there was a chance to gain Black Phantom's favor, implying that accepting the mission might unlock his "hidden storyline."
The examples of Frenzied Saber, Meat Bun, and Maple Moon aren't compelling enough, and few hardcore players are coming to them. They probably think that triggering hidden storylines depends on luck, so they don't pay much attention to it.
Han Xiao decided to take a drastic step, showing expert players a channel with a higher chance of triggering the "Black Phantom hidden storyline".
"This strategy was brilliant! It's like killing so many birds with one stone!" Old Man Han was very satisfied.
You little punks, I don't believe you won't take the bait!
The forum has a chat room feature. At this moment, a password-protected chat room began to be filled with people, and notifications kept ringing.
[Azure Sky has entered the chat room]
[Jupiter has entered the chat room]
[Morning Snow and Evening Frost have entered the chat room]
[My I Shed Tears, Your Mom Breaks Down and she has entered the chat room.]
A dozen or so people entered the chat room. They were all presidents of well-known guilds in Huaxia, and they knew each other and each had their own small circle.
"Is everyone here?" Rain Falls on Green Mountains, the guild leader of Drizzle Jianghu, was the first to speak.
I Shed Tears, Your Mom Breaks Down: "Not all of them are here."
This was a double entendre, Nine Doors Guild leader, Three Times Three Equals ⑨, asked, "Where's Lao Qi? Why isn't anyone pulling him away?"
"Forget it, that idiot is always spamming the screen, and he can't talk about anything serious," said Altair, the president of Chrysanthemum Downstairs.
"Who booked the room? What important business are they discussing?" Jupiter asked.
Azure Sky Cascades: "Hey, isn't this the esports powerhouse? I heard your Protoss has been doing poorly lately. You trashy guild leader, when are you going to step down? I'll go to your club's gate and set off firecrackers to celebrate, Jupiter."
Jupiter: "Get lost."
Morning Snow and Evening Frost sent a funny smiley face.
I Shed Tears, Your Mom Breaks Down: "Rain Falls on Green Mountains, Jiang Yuluo, the mainstay of your Rainstorm TV show, has been very active lately, appearing on many programs. Could you please get me her autograph?"
Rain Falls on Green Mountains: "Three thousand per sheet, fixed price."
"Damn it, are you robbing me? Don't you have any sense of being a model student council member or an outstanding student leader?"
Altair) chimed in. "My autograph is free, do you want it?"
I Shed Tears, Your Mom Breaks Down: "Go to hell! Your signature is so stiff it's not even good enough to wipe your butt. If it were Yao Yao's signature, I might consider it @Jade Zither Seven-String Bell"
"Stop trying to curry favor, they haven't come in," Altair, annoyed.
Morning Snow and Evening Frost sent a funny smiley face.
Jupiter: "Stop joking around, let's get down to business, I'm very busy."
Azure Sky: "Come on, you're just a mascot."
Jupiter: "Get out of here!"
Rain Falls on Green Mountains: "Alright, let me steer the conversation back on track. You've all seen the posts on the forum, right? About the Black Phantom's main quest."
"Yes, I saw it. What do you want to say?"
"Let's all chip in and let a professional player take on Black Phantom's main quest."
"You want to share the risk, right? But only one person can take on the task. Why don't we pool our money ourselves?"
"No, what I mean is, we can suggest that professional players team up to complete it through our collaboration, fostering healthy competition."
Azure Sky: "That's not bad, but I need to consult the team first."
Altair: "If I join, the club definitely won't have any objections."
Three Times Three Equals ⑨: "I get them all, smile"
Azure Sky: "Ah, I remember now, the Temple's professional players are all in the Southern Continent, right? We won't be able to run into Black Phantom, so you can't play with us Jupiter. Kick him out quickly; he's a spy here to gather intelligence."
Jupiter: "Spicy skin..."
[Jupiter has left the chat room]
Morning Snow and Evening Frost sent a funny smiley face.