Online Game: My Decay Drives the Entire Server Crazy

Chapter 77 OfficialTwo days before the Lord of the Abyss broke the seal, an unexpected person came to the Unscrupulous Business Center.

GM Xiao Zhou. He didn’t send a private message in the game; he came to the door in person.

When Fatty Wang led him into the third-floor VIP room, Lin Ye was eating virtual melon seeds. Seeing Xiao Zhou walk in, he nearly choked on a seed.

Xiao Zhou was wearing a crumpled shirt, his eyes were dark as if he had been punched twice, and his hair was as messy as a bird’s nest. He walked up to Lin Ye and placed a thick stack of documents on the table.

”Brother Ye, this is from the official team for you.”

Lin Ye picked up the documents and flipped through them. The exclusive title ”Global Abyss Governance Ambassador,” all attributes +1000, and maximum favorability with all NPCs.

Unlimited material privilege, allowing for unlimited collection of common and rare materials from the official warehouse. A customized real-world game pod, worth a million. There were also a bunch of other random perks, listed over three whole pages.

Lin Ye put down the documents: ”What does this mean?”

Xiao Zhou rubbed his hands: ”It’s just... the official team is begging you to show mercy. You’ve incorporated the entire Abyss Council, the Lord of the Abyss has signed an employment contract, and all the Abyssal Lords across the globe are now promoting goods for you.”

”The Test Server has been picked bald by you, the Genesis God prototype has been drained by you, and even a large chunk of the Lord of the Abyss’s origin has been extracted by you. Official backend data shows that the inventory of core items for the next three versions has hit rock bottom. If this continues, there won’t be anything to release when the version updates.”

Lin Ye was silent for a moment: ”So you’re sending perks to beg me to stop picking at it?”

Xiao Zhou nodded, nodding like a chicken pecking at rice.

Su Qinghan stood to the side, her mouth twitching. The global game official team, acting subservient to beg a player for mercy. If this got out, the entire gaming world would explode.

Lin Ye pushed the documents aside: ”What if I don’t accept?”

Xiao Zhou’s face fell: ”Brother Ye, I have elderly parents and young children, and I haven’t finished paying off my mortgage after twenty years. The official team said if you keep picking at it, I’ll be the first to be fired. I’ve already had my salary cut three times; if it’s cut again, my wife will divorce me.”

Lin Ye’s mouth twitched. Being a GM was even more miserable than being an Abyssal Lord. At least the Abyssal Lords got a commission; GMs only got salary cuts.

”Fine. I’ll take the title, and I’ll take the material privilege. Send the customized game pod to the Dawn City square for free use by casual players.”

Xiao Zhou was stunned: ”To the square? That was for you personally.”

”I can’t use that much by myself. Put it in the square, and anyone who wants to use it can.”

Xiao Zhou didn’t dare to argue and took out his little notebook to write it down.

Lin Ye added: ”For future version updates, cut the Abyssal Lords’ material output by half. Convert the reduced portion into player benefits and distribute them through daily quests. Casual players who can’t afford the protection package will also be able to get Abyssal materials.”

Xiao Zhou froze, then nodded frantically, his hand shaking as he took notes.

Su Qinghan watched Lin Ye, her eyes filled with a smile. This man claimed to be wicked, but he was thinking entirely of the casual players. He took the official perks and immediately distributed them to the players. He reduced the Abyssal Lords’ output and converted it into player benefits. Every step was taken with the ordinary people in mind. But she didn’t say it out loud, because Lin Ye didn’t like being seen through.

After finishing his notes, Xiao Zhou took another document out of his bag. ”Brother Ye, there is one more thing. The official team would like to invite you to be the global spokesperson for gods domain: origin.”

Lin Ye was drinking tea and nearly spat it out.

”Spokesperson? Have you officials gone crazy? You’re asking me, a player who picks at bosses every day, scams big spenders, and forced the Lord of the Abyss to become a livestreaming promoter, to be your spokesperson?”

Xiao Zhou wiped the sweat from his brow: ”The official team says your global influence now exceeds that of all professional players and streamers. During that livestream where the Lord of the Abyss promoted goods, the global concurrent viewer count broke two hundred million. Official backend data shows that after the Abyssal protection package launched, daily active players increased fivefold, and monthly revenue increased tenfold. If you don’t act as the spokesperson, no one dares to.”

Lin Ye fell silent. It wasn’t because he was touched, but because he was doing the math. What was the annual salary for a global spokesperson? Were there commission clauses in the contract? Could the sales of the Abyssal protection package be counted toward the endorsement performance?

”How is the endorsement fee calculated?”

Xiao Zhou took another document out of his bag and handed it over. Lin Ye opened it and took a look. An annual salary of one billion real-world currency, five percent of the Abyssal protection package sales as an endorsement commission, free use of all in-game items, and a dedicated GM channel on standby twenty-four hours a day. There was also an additional clause: Lin Ye had the right to modify any unreasonable rules within the game.

Lin Ye closed the document: ”The last clause, I have the right to modify any unreasonable rules within the game. Are you sure?”

Xiao Zhou nodded: ”The official team said the rules you change are more popular with players than the ones the developers change. Last time you converted the Abyssal Lords’ material output into player benefits, backend satisfaction ratings rose by twenty points. The entire planning department is convinced.”

Lin Ye picked up a pen and signed the contract.

The system instantly popped up a global announcement.

”Global Announcement: Player ’Ye the Wicked’ has officially become the global spokesperson for gods domain: origin. Obtained the unique exclusive title ’Global Abyss Governance Ambassador’. All attributes +1000, maximum favorability with all NPCs. Obtained unlimited material privilege. Obtained game rule modification authority.”

Global players were collectively stunned.

The cross-server channel exploded even more violently than when the Lord of the Abyss broke the seal.

”Wocao Wuqing: Global spokesperson? Brother Ye has become the official spokesperson?”

”Brick-Moving Expert: No way, Brother Ye, who picks at the official team’s wool every day, is being hired by them as a spokesperson?”

”Invincible Sword God: The official team is joining them since they can’t beat them.”

”Data Emperor: Not joining. It’s begging on their knees. I heard that when GM Xiao Zhou went to deliver the contract, he almost knelt before Brother Ye.”

”Yes Little Follower: Brother Ye has the authority to modify game rules! Brothers, if you have any unreasonable rules, report them quickly!”

The forum was instantly flooded with players’ suggestions for rule modifications. Increase dungeon material drop rates tenfold, double equipment enhancement success rates, automatically ban unscrupulous merchants, automatically downgrade players who steal monsters. Lin Ye read through them one by one, then picked up the game rule modification authority and began to make changes.

First, extend the newbie protection period to level 30. Players below level 30 cannot be PKed, cannot have monsters stolen, and material drop rates are doubled.

Second, increase the drop rate of all dungeon materials fivefold. Not tenfold, fivefold. If it’s increased too much, the market will collapse; fivefold is just right.

Third, reduce the Trading House transaction fee from ten percent to two percent. The profit margin for unscrupulous merchants will be compressed directly.

Fourth, double the duration of the debuff for players who PK maliciously. For every kill, the red name duration increases from one hour to two hours.

Fifth, reduce the base price of the Abyssal protection package from 500 gold coins to 100 gold coins. The overseas version is reduced from 50,000 gold coins to 10,000 gold coins.

After the five rules were changed, global players were collectively ecstatic. Thank-you posts on the forum filled dozens of pages.

”Casual Little Mage: Brother Ye! Newbie protection extended to level 30! I’m finally not afraid of being killed when I go out!”

”Brick-Moving Expert: Dungeon material drop rates increased fivefold! Brother Ye, you are my god!”

”Invincible Sword God: Trading House fees reduced to two percent! Unscrupulous merchants are crying in the toilet!”

”Yes Little Follower: The Abyssal protection package has dropped in price! The base version is 100 gold coins! I can afford it!”

Lin Ye closed the forum and turned to Fatty Wang.

”How are sales after the price reduction of the package?”

Fatty Wang took a look at the backend: ”Base version sales increased thirtyfold. Before, 1.2 million people were fighting for 5,000 copies; now 6 million people are buying it. Although the unit price dropped, the total sales volume tripled.”

Lin Ye nodded. Lowering the unit price and increasing sales volume actually resulted in higher total profits. Casual players could afford the package, and the Abyssal Lords’ material output could cover it. It was a win-win.

Deep within the Abyss Rift, the cracks on the sealing array were already large enough to see the humanoid outline inside. The voice of the Lord of the Abyss rang in Lin Ye’s mind.

”You changed five rules, and not one of them is beneficial to yourself. They are all beneficial to ordinary players.”

Lin Ye looked at the purple eyes in the sealing array.

”Who says it’s not beneficial to me? Player satisfaction is higher, more packages are sold, and my commission is higher. How is it not beneficial?”

The Lord of the Abyss was silent for a moment.

”You always have a reason.”

Lin Ye stood up and walked to the edge of the Abyss Rift. The purple eyes in the sealing array were close at hand, separated by the last thin energy membrane. The humanoid outline of the Lord of the Abyss had completely formed. Over three meters tall, dark golden scales, and purple flames even deeper than those of the Lord of Destruction. It stood in the center of the sealing array like a mountain locked in a cage.

Lin Ye looked at it: ”Breaking the seal the day after tomorrow. Are you ready?”

The purple flames in the eyes of the Lord of the Abyss flickered.

”Ready. After the seal is broken, let’s have a fight first. After the fight, I’ll be your Abyssal Director.”

”Have you read the contract?”

”I’ve read it. Annual salary is negotiable, you set the performance reviews, and the rule modification authority belongs to you. There is also an additional clause: if I rank first in performance reviews for three consecutive quarters, I can apply for independent operating rights for the Abyss Council.”

Lin Ye nodded.

”You want independent operating rights?”

The Lord of the Abyss was silent for a long time.

”I do. But not now. Let me lead the Abyssal Lords across the globe first.”

Lin Ye’s mouth curled up. The Lord of the Abyss hadn’t been an Abyssal Director for many days, but he had already learned how to lead a team. He turned and walked out of the Abyss Rift. The sunlight of Dawn City fell on him, and the exclusive title of global spokesperson shone with golden light above his head. In the square, the customized game pod had been set up, and casual players were lining up to experience it.

Fatty Wang ran over.

”Brother! The official team sent more stuff!”

”What did they send?”

”The authorization letter for the livestream of the Lord of the Abyss breaking the seal countdown. The official team says the battle of breaking the seal the day after tomorrow will be broadcast globally. They even thought of the livestream room title for you.”

”What title?”

Fatty Wang flipped the authorization letter to the last page. It read the livestream room title: Global Spokesperson Ye the Wicked VS Abyssal Director, start work immediately after the fight.

Lin Ye’s mouth twitched. The official team was even more ruthless with memes than the players.

He threw the authorization letter back to Fatty Wang.

”Tell the official team to add one sentence to the livestream room title.”

”Add what?”

”If you lose, you sign the contract; if you win, you also sign the contract. Either way, you have to work.”