Gamer population transitioned from single digits to double digits. Along with an increase in productivity, there also came a slew of new problems.
For example, the issue of online time period.
Light Chu realized that he seemed to have overlooked something—not everyone had work or school during the day, especially in the single-player gaming community.
There were always those people who were active in the group chat 24/7, making it difficult to figure out how they made a living in the real world.
Peeking the screen until late at night, he forgot to turn off the computer.
Sitting in his chair, drowsy, Light Chu was awakened in the middle of the night by the sound of a private message notification.
Damn.
Who could it be at this late hour...
Rubbing his eyes, Light Chu squinted and opened the private message, only to find that it was from [Level_99_trashpicker] of the Shachuko Club.
Trash-kun: "Light Bro! When can you login the earliest?"
Trash-kun: "I can't wait anymore, please, let me in to grind!"
Giao?
Who is this person?
Light Chu was still half-asleep, so he thought for a moment before typing a response.
[Light]: "I was just catching up on sleep... Don't you have work during the day??"
[Level_99_trashpicker]: "Hehe, work? Who needs it? This game will definitely make big money in the future! It's better to use the time to level up!"
Light Chu: "..."
Is it really okay to say that in front of a game planner?
Forget it.
Just pretend I didn't hear it.
[Light]: "Take it easy. The official release date hasn't been announced yet. It could be in closed beta for a year or two, and then in internal testing for three to five years."
[Level_99_trashpicker]: "It doesn't matter! Your gigachad company isn't worried about going bankrupt, why should I be worried? Haha."
His thinking was very clear.
Even clearer than most gamers who obtained the closed beta qualification.
Compared to the games currently on the market, this game was far superior, with no competition at all.
Just the ability to free up nighttime hours was already unbeatable, right?
Who would refuse to have an extra eight hours in a day?
Being a little tired during the closed beta phase was nothing. It wasn't possible to be exhausted all the time. Besides, would they keep grinding until the server shut down? Only no-life gamers would treat closed beta content as the entirety of the game.
Trash-kun had a broader perspective.
Although he didn't know when the official release would be, as long as it happened, it was certain to be a hit!
Getting to play early meant earning a profit. Starting one day ahead of others meant having an extra day of advantage, not to mention the game itself was already addictive enough.
[Light]: "Fine, do as you wish."
[Level_99_trashpicker]: "Then, Mr. Game Designer, can you let me come online? Hehe. I promise, whatever you want me to test, I'll test it!"
[Light]: "I can't control what you do, just follow the game rules. But... it's so late, don't you have anything else to do? The in-game time is synchronized with real time, so it's still late at night in the game."
That was also why Light Chu didn't make gamers work through the night.
Even he wouldn't dare to stay outside in the wilderness overnight.
[Level_99_trashpicker]: "That's because it's late at night! You might not know, but my character's genetic sequence in the game is a mutant! Strictly speaking, the night is my territory, and the daytime is when I should be sleeping! Hehe, Mr. Game Designer, please let me go online."
[Light]: "Let me make a request."
[Level_99_trashpicker]: "Thank you, Light Bro!!!"
Light Chu sighed and stood up from his chair, straightening his slightly disheveled collar and buttons.
He had never seen such an enthusiastic gamer before.
But this guy's reasoning seemed to make sense.
Strictly speaking, the night was indeed the mutant's domain.
For [Level_99_trashpicker], who was a lizardman, darkness didn't necessarily mean danger; it could even provide cover.
Having made up his mind, Light Chu opened the gamer list and [Level_99_trashpicker]'s status from "Locked" to "Enabled."
Almost at the same time he made the change, he heard the sound of the cabin door opening from the neighboring room.
Wow.
That fast?
As the lizardman approached from the room, Light Chu concealed his surprise, clasped his hands behind his back, and faced him with a serious expression.
"Awake? Perfect timing," Light Chu said.
"I have a mission for you."
A quest triggered!?
Tras-kun stood straight, full of vigor, and said, "Please command, respected Governor."
Light Chu got straight to the point.
"There is a humanoid mutant tribe on Street 76, directly in front of the east gate of the wetland park. Yesterday, we discovered traces of raiders in the northern outskirts of the city along the elevated highway. I suspect there is a raider base in the north."
"I need you to investigate along the elevated highway heading north, searching for any signs of survivor activity within a 3-kilometer radius. If you find any suspected survivor bases, mark them on the map and immediately report back."
"Remember to remain stealth and avoid any unnecessary battles."
"Additionally, if you come across suitable targets, you can also take on hunting side missions. The rewards are valid at any time."
After listening to Light Chu's orders, the tall figure immediately bowed respectfully.
"Understood! Respected Governor!"
Finally obtaining permission to go online, Trash-kun wasted no time. After leaving the sanctuary, he stepped onto the elevator to the surface and quickly disappeared into the night outside the sanatorium.
Light Chu could sense the general locations and distances of each gamer. After confirming that Trash-kun was following his orders and heading north, instead of wandering off, Light Chu returned to the sanctuary, closed the door, and sat back in his chair to continue dozing off.
...
The next day, before 6 a.m.
Except for Raven_raven that was being cloned again, the other gamers began to emerge from their cultivation chambers one after another.
Trash-kun hadn't returned yet from his previous excursion.
However, Light Chu could confirm through the gamer list that he was still alive and not too far from the wetland park.
"Respected Governor, do we have any plans for today?" White was the first to step forward and respectfully ask, even though it was a pointless question he asked every day. Who knows, it might trigger some event?
Even if it didn't trigger anything, it didn't matter. It was just a way to make their presence known to the Governor.
As an NPC, Light Chu fulfilled his duty as usual and gave a routine response.
"Same as yesterday, the tasks are written on the bulletin board. Apart from that, you are free to do as you wish. The outpost urgently needs food, building materials... and defense fortifications."
One side of the outpost's wall had already been repaired, and the remaining three walls should be completed within two days.
Light Chu was concerned that the increasing activity at the outpost would alert the humanoid mutant tribe in Street 76 to the east.
Currently, the outpost had a total of three guns, two of which were 5mm pea shooters. They wouldn't be completely defenseless against those green-skinned muscleheads, but they would definitely get beaten badly. He estimated that only he would be able to escape.
If they were captured by those beasts, it would be a fate worse than death. In most cases, their spirit would break before their bodies...
Of course, if any gamers were captured, they would most likely be forcibly disconnected, and whatever happened afterward, they wouldn't be able to witness it out of curiosity.
The group of gamers emerged onto the surface in batches, full of energy, ready to start a new day's work.
"Where's Trash-kun? Why don't I see him?" Nighten looked around and noticed that the giant lizard was missing from the crowd.
Light Chu glanced at them and said, "He has already set off early. I have a special mission for him."
Upon hearing this, the nearby gamers all showed expressions of envy on their faces.
Indeed, special professions were different.
While they were still grinding, this guy had already triggered an exclusive mission.
Damn Gacha King!
"Nighten, you and I will go on a long journey later... and Tomorrow, you come too." After much consideration, Light Chu decided to bring someone with a brain.
Tomorrow's face was pleasantly surprised, and he promptly abandoned White's "resentful" gaze and happily skipped over.
Although he had previously agreed with White to research primitive steelmaking together today, doing missions with the boss was much more exciting than smelting steel.
Not to mention the generous rewards.
Just the firsthand hot intelligence was enough to entice him!
"Good buddy, wait for me!"
"Get lost and never come back."
Ignoring the verbal exchange between the two gamers, Light Chu took off the two 5mm iron pipe rifles strapped to his back and handed them to Tomorrow and Nighten, respectively.
At the same time, they were also given 20 rounds of ammunition.
He didn't expect these two rookies to hit anyone with these crude bird guns that didn't even have rifling, but in critical moments, firing two shots to intimidate the enemy and hold the line was good enough.
What if they actually hit something?
Even if they hit just one shot, it would be a bloody profit.
Of course, it would be best if they didn't engage in any fights.
"The safety is on the right side of the trigger. Familiarize yourselves with the position, but don't try to turn it off with your hands unless I tell you to."
Watching the two gamers excitedly fiddling with the weapons in their hands, Light Chu paused for a moment before continuing.
"We're going to visit a nearby survivor outpost later and exchange some supplies needed for the outpost."
"No matter what happens, you must follow my command. Remember not to act on your own, especially do not fire or engage in hostile actions without permission."
"Remember, we represent the entire residents of Sanctuary 404."
"Understood?"
"Understood! Respected Governor!" Tomorrow stood straight and saluted with a clumsy and non-standard military salute, filled with excitement. "Your command is our mission!"
Nighten's response was a bit slower, but his mind was quick, so he quickly imitated Tomorrow's actions and saluted.
"I, the same like him!"
Light Chu: "..."
Where did they learn all this from novels?
It sounded so awkward when spoken out loud!
However, as the Governor, he couldn't say such things, of course. His control over the gamers, in a way, was positively correlated with their immersion in their roles as "Sanctuary Resident".
The more the gamers identified with their identity as sanctuary residents, the more likely they were to obey his orders instead of causing trouble.
"...Very good, very spirited!"
Light Chu cleared his throat and looked solemnly outside the sanatorium.
"We need to bring 50 kilograms of smoked meat, 20 kilograms of smoked fish, 10 pieces of mutated hyena fur... and a cart for transportation."
"You two prepare together."
"We'll set off in ten minutes!"