008. I petitioned the company to make Li Aozi a photo model, but they refused!
"I understand now, Du Zexin must have some bad luck aura I don't know about."
Li Aozi crossed his arms, watching the three game testers in the interrogation room, trying hard not to laugh.
Although he had guessed that the game testers noticed him and planned to include him in the game PV as promotional material, Li Aozi did not expect it to be these three unfortunate souls.
Coincidentally, they were all acquaintances.
The self-proclaimed Qi Huaimu, a [Hacker] and [Warrior], and the [Shaman] Xue Parker, these two were the well-known scapegoats of Qiqiao Network. Due to the designers' and planners' unlikable behavior, they often angered players. However, the designers and planners knew they were unpopular and did not dare to go online, so players vented their anger on the ordinary game testers.
These two unfortunate souls were the only ones from Qiqiao Network who logged in regularly, making them easy targets for hundreds of players' pursuit every time they started work.
As for Lu Ao • Vick, his real name is Lu Run, he has a more special identity. Since version 3.0, he was transferred to the Professional League Committee, serving as a director, with excellent publicity and performance skills.
"These unfortunate souls—finally, the lucky boy has arrived. I've been waiting eagerly!"
'Qi Huaimu' presented a lot of evidence to show that he had broken ties with the GTB, killed some bounty hunters on the way, and hoped to prove his innocence, along with video footage from the ruins of the Abyss Humanitarian Relief Organization.
With such high costs and their amateurish performance, it was clear that these three Frost-Plated people were not lying and could not be spies.
However, Lord Auckland still smiled, with a look of 'go on, I'm listening,' while Li Aozi noticed that this young warlord was constantly observing his own attitude.
In other words, the fate of these three testers did not depend on their performance or winning over Lord Auckland, but on whether Li Aozi agreed.
Sure enough, when Luo Le handed over all the evidence, Lord Auckland, this white-haired, red-eyed youth, propped his chin and thought for a moment before turning to Li Aozi:
"What do you think, Mr. Li Aozi?"
The intention to flatter was too obvious to hide. Unlike ordinary players who had to scheme and maneuver, Li Aozi's extraordinary charisma completely removed any unnecessary conflicts and suspicions, making Lord Auckland very trusting.
Of course, his brilliant record and strong abilities, along with the promise of knowledge from the Abyss Humanitarian Relief Organization, were important factors too.
Li Aozi thought for a moment and said:
"I believe what they say. Facing Bio King Kong and being able to kill gtb bounty hunters, risking their lives to come deep into the Outlands, is commendable for Frost-Plated people. I have some things to ask them alone."
Lord Auckland nodded: "In that case, I'll leave these three to you."
He then gave some brief instructions, and the guards released the three.
"Wow, Li Aozi has such a big presence, even a lord with nuclear weapons looks to him."
Luo Le turned back, clicking his tongue in wonder.
According to internal company data, Triangle Town would be developed as one of the Outlands' settlements for players, possibly even the main city for the Outlands faction. Auckland • Jute's profile had several pages.
But with just a few words, Li Aozi managed to get this promising young warlord to release them.
"It's normal. If Li Aozi really is a [Domination] class mentor, given his previous performance against Bio King Kong, his strength might already be above Beta level."
"Gamma level? Then he does have the capital."
During the transition, Lu Run approached Li Aozi, ready to activate [Disguise Mode] for better communication with the NPC, but Li Aozi glanced at him and said:
"Are you here to take my photo?"
"Eh?" Lu Run was taken aback. How did he know? Was the pupil camera that obvious?
But he nodded instinctively.
"I understand, taking photos and recording videos to help clear my name—that's fine. But I want you to expose the true nature and disgusting research of the Abyss Humanitarian Relief Organization."
Li Aozi's words left Lu Run completely stunned.
He hadn't said anything, yet the other party had guessed his motives almost entirely, making Lu Run feel uneasy:
'Is this NPC good at inference, or is his intelligence higher than I thought?'
Noticing the player's unease, Li Aozi opened the NPC template and edited a task for him:
"Push Open the Prism Door"
[Deadline]: 30 days
[Difficulty]: C
[Description]:
A legend of punishing evil and banishing demons, yet labeled as a ruthless butcher and a scourge.
Film a video for Li Aozi and publish it on Frost-Plated media, revealing the true identity of the Abyss Humanitarian Relief Organization.
I could tolerate lies if I had not known the truth.
[Completion Conditions]:
Complete the filming and upload it to various social media, achieving no less than 100,000 views.
Reward:
2000 experience points
Li Aozi's favorability +30
.........
With his current [Senior Battle NPC] template, he could issue tasks below B difficulty, with the experience and rewards coming from himself. Favorability was free; he could raise it at will or drop it to negative if displeased.
The task wasn't hard, and the reward was generous for Lu Run.
He came to find material for Li Aozi's photos anyway, and now there's a reward—a win-win.
"Leave it to me!"
Half an hour later, Li Aozi sat on the laboratory sofa, surrounded by three men. The first round of shooting was done, and at Lu Run's request, Li Aozi changed clothes several times and recorded some statements condemning the Abyss Humanitarian Relief Organization's inhumane biochemical experiments.
"I didn't expect Li Aozi to be in good shape, quite fit. He doesn't look strong, but he's all muscle, perfect for a model."
Lu Run was very satisfied with the massive amount of footage in the video library.
"With the material collected from the Abyss Humanitarian Relief Organization, we should be able to complete the task smoothly. Just a bit of editing, and the Frost-Plated chapter and [Domination] class promo videos will be ready soon."
Everyone knows that the premise for a good game promo video is what?
Good-looking characters!
If every game character were made to look dark and unattractive, and the game still sold well, it could only mean the game was called "Plantation Simulator."
Lu Run was delighted, logging off to edit the video. His body flickered, and Lu Ao • Vick's body disintegrated into dark particles, instantly dispersing.
Damn! How did this guy just slip away?
Luo Le and Xue Nian's faces showed embarrassment. Lu Run logging off with such an obvious disappearing effect—what would the NPC think?
"Looks like your friend had something to do and used Omega Energy to leave first."
Li Aozi saw their stiff expressions and held back a laugh, saying:
"Thank you for your help, but Gtb's retaliation will come soon. I'll talk to Lord Auckland to let you hide here for a while."
"Thank you for your kindness, but we have other urgent matters and can't stay long."
Luo Le and Xue Nian were still thinking about the "Tracing Abyss" investigation task, which required joining Li Aozi to eliminate Gtb's mercenaries and bounty hunters.
After finishing this task, they had to return to their official jobs to test the game system.
The game's beta test was about to start, and the system still had many flaws. Even the in-game [Mall] was not implemented yet—at this rate, the company would go bankrupt soon—well, maybe not a bad thing?
Li Aozi had already guessed that these people must have triggered some task to find him, but he didn't mind. Time was on his side. He decided to mention something important first:
"You seem different from ordinary humans, but don't worry, I won't reveal your secret."
Before the two game testers could react, Li Aozi took out a USB drive and handed it to them:
"These are some Bio King Kong cell data I analyzed in Triangle Town's laboratory. If possible, I hope you can use your hacking skills to spread them on various national forums."
"Uh, but what's the point of spreading these?"
"To leave a way out for myself," Li Aozi said meaningfully.
Only the upper echelons of Frost-Plated probably knew about Bio King Kong. Spreading a small portion of data worldwide wouldn't cause a big stir—just enough to make those who desire it willing to pay and protect him.
Li Aozi chatted casually with the two testers for a while. Both were from military backgrounds and tight-lipped. His [Charisma] attribute's charm made them more open, and he subtly learned something interesting:
—Game testers and ordinary players were a bit different. They seemed to understand some basic game-related professional skills and knowledge.
This was very intriguing—if players could learn skills and knowledge directly from the game, it wasn't just about following a template but a detailed system of knowledge and memory.
"One of the game testers' jobs might be to use the game's recognition filter to prevent players from truly learning the skills and knowledge?"
Li Aozi flicked a pen into the air. Driven by gravity, it spun continuously. Concentrating, he pondered the various knowledge, system theories, academic terms, and calculation formulas from "Advanced Education Knowledge" and "Pioneer-Level Biochemical Material Science."
—It's real.
Li Aozi's eyes narrowed slightly.
Unlike before, when he had no information as a player.
Now, Li Aozi could truly learn the knowledge and skills from the game.