Chapter 182: Chapter 133 Abstract Culture (Second Update)_2

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If he wasn’t an Immortal, he definitely couldn’t have been this successful.

Otherwise, he would only be left with his handsome but useless face to break into the entertainment industry!

After posting actual photos of these gifts online, they quickly received feedback from players on the website.

Although it was the Lunar New Year, everyone was quite idle in the days following the holiday, and they were naturally very excited to see “The Supreme One” release merchandise, so the comments were particularly plentiful.

When Mr. Fang discovered that the most popular item wasn’t Mukuai but Li’s Plague Chicken, he was completely stunned.

What’s so good-looking about this chicken!

However, upon opening the picture, Mr. Fang suddenly felt that there might be some reason to it.

This Plague Chicken was riddled with disease, but it didn’t look particularly unpleasant, and instead had a sense of fortitude despite its physical frailties.

Especially the way it lay motionless on the ground, it was like it had been completely crushed by fate and resigned itself, a true reflection of a laborer worn down by life.

Its gaze was indifferent, its eyes dull and lifeless, staring off into the distance as if it had lost all will to live.

But even though it was lying down, having given up on everything, it was still slowly chewing on a strand of grass, seemingly determined to keep living stubbornly until the sun rose again.

It was hard to imagine that a Plague Chicken could provoke such profound philosophical thoughts, reminding Mr. Fang of his own days at work, where every day he seemed to be just like this chicken, silently chewing, existing in a state neither alive nor dead.

If even he, who had retired early, could have such deep reflections, then surely others must feel the same.

Upon reading the comments, Mr. Fang found that many people shared his feelings.

[Although I’m a die-hard Mukuai fan, I have to say, when I saw this Plague Chicken, I actually felt a connection to it.]

[You and I are not Plague Chickens, yet you and I are all Plague Chickens in a way. The pressure of life looms over us like a lingering illness, and all we can do is passively accept our fates.]

[Strange, it kind of looks like a dog, and that dog somewhat resembles me.]

[I couldn’t help but laugh the moment I saw this Plague Chicken, but as I laughed, I started to cry.]

[I wonder if this chicken is still alive?]

[Reply: It’s alive. The constable didn’t have time to eat it; it’s still in the base, sickly as ever and waiting for death on the ground.]

[That’s good, as long as it’s alive.]

Thus, the first batch of player benefits was decided to be Plague Chickens.

Afterwards, Mr. Fang took over all the other issues.

For some reason, he felt that he saw his own life in the Plague Chicken, developing a comradeship with it as if they were of the same class, which led him to decide to promote Plague Chicken culture.

After dealing with various miscellaneous things, purchasing an abandoned factory outside of town, and planting Spirit Grass on the back mountain, a part of the satellite factory was moved here by Fang Cheng to serve as an outlet for products, making it convenient for Mr. Fang to release a large number of dolls at any time.

It wasn’t long before the Plague Chicken dolls were finally produced.

The appearance of this doll set off a small cultural craze, its confused eyes and stubborn eating antics creating stark contrast, and with its abstract cultural core, it became a hot topic online.

Although the first batch of Plague Chickens was only sent to players, the burgeoning demand drove Mr. Fang to go full throttle in releasing a second batch, and its unique fragrance acted like an anti-counterfeiting mark, deterring factories that considered forging it.

At the same time, players of other games also raised their voices, excited by the merchandise of “The Supreme One” and expressing their desire for their own merch!

They wanted the little spirit dolls of animals and plants from the Botanic Garden, thousands of them, identical, to buy them all up!

Characters from “Quiet Cultivation” had to be life-sized, especially the female characters—both the original skin and the premium skins were required!

The various armors from “The Nameless” were also in demand, with many players having long coveted the Mingguang armor, yearning to wear it in real life just once.

Temporarily ignoring these demands, Fang Cheng wrapped up things at his old home and then re-entered the game, beginning his journey in “The Supreme One” once more.

Having not logged on for seven days, the game environment had changed again.

As expected, players had moved beyond the new player stages and started the next phase of gameplay.

The early players were like headless flies; they knew the game was fun and were willing to invest time and energy into it.

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But because everything needed to be slowly discovered, their strength grew slowly, and imprisonment and death were the norm.

However, now, thanks to the developed network and the uncompensated sharing of various bugs and tactics by the players, the game finally entered its second phase.

That was the official competition for the title of ‘First Under Heaven.’

Notable powerhouses had already emerged, and the more straightforward ‘First Under Heaven’ titles had been conquered. Aside from a few titles with a racing element, those already completed ‘First Under Heaven’ had lost all their allure.

Although there were still players genuinely pursuing this honor, players’ focus had shifted to various more difficult and topical titles.

· Many guilds with the goal of ‘First Under Heaven’ were formed, their sole objective being to assist the big shots in the guild to achieve the goal together.

A portion of gaming experts was even hired by guilds for money, providing additional income for the gaming elite.

The live streaming industry related to “The Supreme One” also took off, its popularity even surpassing “Quiet Cultivation” and becoming a favorite among streamers.

When Fang Cheng logged into the game, he found himself already brought onto a ship, accompanied by his teammate Xiemen Waidao, as well as some other players.

Although he had logged off, the game had a very good party system. As long as a player was in a party, their spawn point would automatically follow the party leader and appear next to the leader when they logged on again.

Of course, this feature could be turned off to avoid being tricked by a bad party leader.

Now it seemed that Fang Cheng had been brought onto the ship by his teammate, and then he faced the terrifying waves ahead.

Huge waves several meters high were coming head-on, the ocean lifted by nature’s overwhelming power and then smashing down on the ship like the wrath of the Dragon King.

The heart-stopping visuals made many players scream in panic, as though they would be buried at the bottom of the sea in the next second. But the colossal sailing ship was incredibly stable, and the sailors onboard remained unfazed by the giant waves, skillfully navigating the ship through them.

Turning his head, Fang Cheng saw the captain of this large ship not far away.

The storm drenched the captain, but he stood erect amidst the wind and rain, his back straight as a spear, completely disregarding the terror around him.

He was like a lighthouse; as long as he didn’t shrink away, even the fiercest of storms would be cleaved in two by him.

He was Zheng Quan, the ‘First Under Heaven’ captain.

This captain had been a government official in his early years, but unable to tolerate Zhao Qin’s tyranny, he decided to fund his own fleet and set sail to avoid disaster.

Unexpectedly, what was supposed to be a simple excursion awakened his talent for navigation.

In just a year’s time, he had grown from a newbie with a rudimentary understanding of sailing to a towering captain. Now, with a mere glance at the starry sky, he could determine the current time, position, and even occasionally harness the power of the stars to perform extraordinary feats.

Xiemen Waidao lay on the deck, heaving violently. It took a while for the sea to calm a bit before he could grab a rope and struggle to his feet, saying with difficulty, “This is the first time I’ve gotten seasick in a game. And does the game have to be this realistic, sensing even my seasickness?”

“This game is that realistic,” Fang Cheng said. “And why did you go to sea?”

“To rob ships…”

“Who would let you do that?” Fang Cheng pointed at Zheng Quan through the storm.

Xiemen Waidao chuckled, then heaved again before saying, “He’s willing. I have my reasons…”

Just then, Zheng Quan noticed them and walked over unhurriedly.

When he reached Fang Cheng’s side, he asked softly, “The World’s Best Fortune Teller?”

“Indeed.”

“Are you really his friend? I thought he was tricking me before.”

“I was careless at the time.”

“I thought so too.”

Zheng Quan patted Xiemen Waidao’s shoulder and then looked at Fang Cheng earnestly, “Then I request sir to divine for me.”

“Please speak.”

Pointing at the tumultuous sea in front of them, he asked solemnly, “Will the Ghost Ship truly appear here?”