Han Xiao's eyes lit up.
Thanks to the influence of the Dragon Emperor, Black Star's reputation has begun to take off. He has built connections in the mercenary industry, which has enabled him to get more hiring opportunities and higher commission rates. Most people who become mercenaries are after money, which is very attractive to lone, ordinary mercenaries.
"If I raise my arms and issue a recruitment notice, at least several thousand low-level mercenaries will respond. Although expanding the scale would be more advantageous for me, there's no need to rush. Now that we have a foundation, what we need to do is consolidate Black Star's position. There's no need for rapid expansion; stable development is more important. As the saying goes, taking too big a step can easily lead to disaster."
Outsiders are unreliable, which will affect his reputation. Han Xiao's target members are future players. He is just waiting for the next version to open to recruit tens of thousands of players. The scale can expand to the level of the three major legions at once. There will be no shortage of people, so there is no rush to expand.
'However, the Sunil people are a high-quality fighting force. Since the split, their situation has worsened, and their desire to make money has become even more urgent.'
Han Xiao asked, "How many people want to come?"
"More than a hundred people, I think. They saw the news report and came to me wanting to join Black Star."
The hundred-plus people were only a small fraction of all the Sunil warriors. Upon seeing the Shattered Star Ring Express, and remembering that their fellow Grade B expert Melos was on Black Star, someone took the lead and gathered over a hundred of their kind to join Han Xiao.
"Let me talk to them myself," Han Xiao said.
Melos contacted the other party, and a familiar face appeared on the communicator screen. It was Reldon, with whom he had crossed paths before. Because he knew Han Xiao, he was chosen as the representative.
"It's nice to see you again, Black Star," Reldon said.
Han Xiao nodded and got straight to the point, "You want to join my mercenary group?"
"Yes, we mean to work under your name and carry out Black Star's missions. For this, we are willing to pay a 15% commission," Reldon said. Although it would require paying a commission, with Black Star's connections, the benefits would be generous, and safety would be guaranteed. In the long run, they would only earn more.
"So, the franchise model?"
Han Xiao's eyes darted around. He provided resources, and the Sunil people provided labor; each got what they needed.
Moreover, the more officers in a faction, the better, as they are all NPC resources.
However, the Sunil people were unaware of Han Xiao's thoughts. In their view, they were getting a good deal by using Black Star's resources at a very low cost. Therefore, Melos and Reldon looked at the pensive Han Xiao with some trepidation.
Han Xiao adopted a thoughtful expression, pondered for a moment, glanced at the tense expressions of the two, and held up two fingers, "I want 20%."
Seeing that he was softening his stance, Reldon breathed a sigh of relief and agreed. After some discussion, the two sides finalized the cooperation plan, and the more than one hundred Sunil mercenaries joined Black Star's forces, forming their own squad.
The mercenary group interface on the communicator kept popping up membership applications. Soon, hundreds of new names appeared in the member list. Han Xiao scanned them one by one. These Sunil people were all experienced veteran mercenaries with long mission records and excellent qualities.
"This group of Sunil mercenaries is quite strong; when they come together, they form a formidable force."
He nodded secretly. This team was Black Star's first squad, named Sunil Squad. He and a group of top players were the core troops, and the size of the mercenary group had increased two or three times.
Sunil Squad was essentially made up of laborers; he just needed to sit back and collect money, living a very comfortable life.
"Being a boss is definitely much more comfortable," Han Xiao remarked.
Sure enough, as long as you have connections and resources, people will flock to you and be willing to work for you.
The Black Star Mercenary Group's interface has been updated.
--
Black Star Mercenary Group
Credit Score: 198
Total size: 173 people
Grade D: 41 people
Grade C: 130 people
Grade B: 2 people
Number of hires completed: 2
Main activity areas: Garton Star System and Tu Shu
Resume: [Battle for the Defense of Sunil (Collapse/Expand)]
[Silver Spirit People Rescue Operation (Fold/Expand)]
Founder: Black Star - Han Xiao
Creation time: October 2, 688
Overall assessment: This is a small to medium-sized mercenary group with a good reputation. It also has cooperation agreements with large mercenary groups such as Sky Ring, Blades, and Purple Gold. This mercenary group is under the command of Dragon Emperor.
--
"As expected, the Mercenary Alliance included my information as a member of Dragon Calm." Han Xiao's eyes flashed; this label wouldn't be removed anytime soon.
The broadcast of the interstellar news brought him dozens of points of fame in various regions of the Shattered Star Ring, and his total fame on the faction interface reached 67 points, several times higher than before.
Although the total is considerable, when broken down, other galaxies and star sectors only account for a small portion. For most interstellar citizens, Black Star is merely an impression. Fortunately, the faction panel shows total recognition. In the normal way, one would have to complete at least one or two mercenary missions in each region. Now, the time saved is twenty or thirty missions.
Han Xiao exchanged a few words with Reldon and asked the Sunil warriors to assemble at the Juberly Hub.
Melos, standing to the side, looked delighted. In his eyes, Black Star's willingness to accept his kin was a timely and generous gesture!
After seeing Melos off, Han Xiao opened the long-unused player forum.
Numerous posts came into view, with very short intervals between posts, indicating a high level of activity.
A quick glance revealed a wide variety of posts: showing off equipment, researching PvP or dungeon strategies, auctioning items, asking for team members, arguing, telling stories, and just general chatter.
The players in the earlier groups have already become familiar with the game and are gradually delving into the storyline and studying various techniques. Apart from Planet Aquamarine, the main storyline of the other beginner planets is progressing rapidly. Without someone like him causing trouble on the other beginner planets, the game experience is perfectly normal.
During this period, many new players have joined the game, and the forums are filled with posts from newbies asking for guidance.
"Location: Planet Frostwinter Bone-Suppressing Pool. Seeking expert help to clear the [Frost Baptism] dungeon. Price negotiable." This is a typical client looking for a carry.
"A country bumpkin from Planet Long Song is looking for a pro to carry me through Bandit Canyon. I can last-hit and yell '666'!" This is a lazy freeloader.
"Female, with a sweet voice and gentle body, 8/10 in looks, seeking a male mentor. Requirements: considerate personality, handsome, kind-hearted, with a magnetic voice, good at coaxing and caring. Straight men, please do not apply. Ugly people, please have some self-respect. Thank you for your cooperation." Wow, this is something else! Someone unfamiliar with the situation might think it's a blind date.
Almost three months have passed since Han Xiao left Planet Aquamarine. Many new players have joined the game, and the situation on Planet Aquamarine has not changed much. However, the Third Sanctuary has become one of the default gathering places for players.
The "Black Phantom" prefix of the Third Sanctuary aroused the curiosity of some new players, who asked who Han Xiao was. Veteran players had the opportunity to show off their experience, giving a lengthy and passionate account of Han Xiao's story, letting newcomers know about this Number One figure. Han Xiao's name spread wider and wider.
"There are more and more players, but it's still far from the peak of Galaxy in its previous life... However, this is only the first version. These new players now will be veteran players in a few versions. As the version updates, the skill ceiling will continue to rise, and the overall environment will become more dangerous. But this is a double-edged sword. As long as I maintain my lead and rely on the strength of the players, I can stand firmly in Galaxy... Speaking of which, the time is not synchronized when the version is updated, and players will also disappear. In a little over a year, it will be the first version update."
He hadn't been browsing the forums for a while because the areas where players were active were basically irrelevant to them, so he hadn't been paying much attention to the overall player activity lately.
On the contrary, players pay close attention to his actions. Meat Bun's videos are the only way to understand the StarCraft landscape, and each episode receives an extremely enthusiastic response.
Meat Bun edited the videos into a series format. The first episode was about the group arriving at Juberly Hub and establishing a mercenary group. The second episode was about the Battle of Sunil. Now, the third episode has been released, progressing to Black Star joining the Dragon Calm. It hasn't reached the appearance of Ashes yet. It mainly introduces the three legions and the Dragon Calm, as well as the dock battle to rescue the Silver Spirit People prisoners. Then, it shows the life of a group of high-level players catching thieves in the guard after joining the Dragon Calm.
Compared to the previous two episodes, this episode has reached a new level of popularity, even though Han Xiao hadn't watched it before.
He clicked on the video, and the opening sequence was filled with a deluge of comments, so dense and dazzling that it was hard to see anything. Upon closer inspection, he realized that the content of these comments was almost identical.
"At 47:35 of the main feature, the screen is filled with long legs!"
"Ahhh! My Lord Dragon Emperor, please marry me!"
"Ames is mine! Draw your sword!"
"I'm taking over Sister Long's contract, no arguments allowed!"
Han Xiao's lips twitched immediately. He finally understood why this video was so popular; at least half of the viewers were there to see Ames.