Chapter 126: Differences from Virtual Games

Passing through a minimalist corridor, Yu Jia arrived at a platform. A few people were already standing inside, all appearing to be Goose Farm staff based on their attire. As for the operators who had accompanied her, they were nowhere to be seen.

"Looks like I’m the first one here," Yu Jia murmured to herself before turning her gaze toward the platform. The structure was entirely transparent, making it easy to see the scenery outside through its walls. She was currently at a great height, with countless skyscrapers stretching out below, where various flight vehicles wove back and forth between the buildings.

Goose Farm’s reality game was adapted from Qi Games' "Super God Machinery." The setting was a complex backdrop of the Old European era and the Second Industrial Revolution. The primary gameplay involved modifying one's own body to combat the mysteries of myth.

...

"How many people have come from Qi Games this time? Are there any talented individuals among them?" Su Xing asked the person beside him. This individual was the staff member in charge of coordination and held all the files on the visiting operators, giving him some insight into their backgrounds.

"There are three worth watching: one named Hu Chao, another named Tian Yi, and a female operator named Yu Jia," the staff member reported. "Hu Chao and Tian Yi both have over three years of experience and possess a sharp eye for game design. Yu Jia is a newly hired designer at Qi Games, but despite her recent arrival, she has already produced a few successful titles and shows considerable talent."

They had invited the Qi Games personnel for training not only due to the concessions signed in the original contract but also because Goose Farm itself lacked experienced talent. Whenever they spotted suitable candidates, they would look to "recruit" them. Birds choose the best trees to nest in; they believed these operators would make the right choice once they saw Goose Farm’s sincerity.

"I see. Go check the lift platform to ensure there are no issues and save us some time," Su Xing said, noting down the three names, intending to drop a few hints later about the opportunities at Goose Farm.

The surrounding staff moved quickly to obey. The man who had been reporting paused after a few steps and added, "Brother Su, that’s Yu Jia over there." He gestured toward her as she entered the platform. Su Xing glanced over, nodded, and then walked toward her.

"Hello, I’m Su Xing. I’ll be leading your training this time."

Seeing Su Xing approach and extend a hand, Yu Jia’s brows furrowed slightly. "Hello," she replied politely, but she did not reach out to shake his hand. Instead, she naturally stepped back half a step, distancing herself from the man who struck her as somewhat greasy.

Su Xing didn’t react to this, taking the opportunity to look her over. Young, diligent, talented, and most importantly, a woman. She fit Goose Farm’s recruitment criteria perfectly. If he could poach her, it would certainly help resolve the company's current problem of being entirely composed of male STEM graduates.

As he thought this, he wore a smile and began to probe. He felt that for a fresh hire like Yu Jia, who likely hadn't developed a strong sense of loyalty to her company, this was the perfect time to poach her. After some pleasantries, Su Xing asked curiously, "I’ve already hosted several operators from Qi Games, but I’m a bit curious about your company's benefits. How much do you make a month?"

His goal wasn't genuine curiosity—he already knew the answer. He just wanted to gauge Yu Jia's attitude toward Qi Games.

"Salary?" Yu Jia frowned at the question. She hadn't really paid attention to it; in her mind, she never seemed to run out of money anyway. "It’s enough," she replied dismissively after a moment's thought.

*Enough... satisfied with the status quo, are we?* Su Xing muttered internally before starting to introduce the benefits of Goose Farm.

"I recall that Qi Games only gives you one day off a week, and even that day is spent reviewing games, which essentially means working," he began. "Things are a bit different here. We only work four days a week, from ten in the morning to four in the afternoon, with flexible scheduling. Naturally, we provide full social insurance and a housing fund. More importantly, our monthly salary includes bonuses based on the game's profits. Take me, for example: after taxes, I took home over 1.2 million last month. And that’s just a middle-income position; those in higher management make even more. Plus..."

He wanted to make Yu Jia yearn for Goose Farm, making it easier to recruit her later. Goose Farm’s benefits had always been the best among the major reality game companies. He didn't believe she wouldn't be tempted once she heard what they offered.

However, half an hour later, Su Xing felt his throat go dry, yet Yu Jia looked completely uninterested. After hearing his description of the various perks, she didn't seem the least bit moved. Su Xing began to doubt himself. *Could Qi Games' benefits actually be better than Goose Farm’s?*

"Impossible," he immediately dismissed the thought. He figured he must be using the wrong approach and prepared to bring up the annual leave and year-end bonuses.

Before he could speak, however, a group of about ten people emerged from the corridor behind Yu Jia, led by Tian Yi. Upon seeing them, Tian Yi immediately recognized Su Xing from the information he had gathered through his own channels and led his group over.

"Hello, Brother Su. I’m Tian Yi, and these are the other operators from Qi Games' Shuchuan Star System branches," Tian Yi introduced himself, already adopting the demeanor of a leader.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Su Xing decided not to continue his conversation with Yu Jia. He gave a slight nod and said to the group, "Since everyone is here, let’s not waste time. Follow me."

As they walked, Tian Yi leaned toward Yu Jia. "What were you and Brother Su talking about just now?"

"Just chatting about Goose Farm’s benefits," Yu Jia replied without much thought.

"Benefits?" Tian Yi’s eyes lit up, but seeing that Yu Jia had no interest in continuing the conversation, he wisely kept quiet. He was vaguely aware of Yu Jia’s background and certainly didn't want to leave a bad impression.

With Su Xing leading the way, they soon arrived in a room. "The atmospheric pressure and temperature outside are suitable for human survival," Su Xing said, pulling out a set of transparent, loose-fitting full-body suits from a rack. These were specialized adaptive suits that allowed for movement in slightly harsh environments. After briefly explaining how to use them, he handed a set to everyone and then put one on himself. Once he had inspected everyone to ensure they were properly equipped, he led them back to the platform.

"Alright, let’s go outside and see the players' status in 'Super God Machinery'."

Standing on the transparent platform, Su Xing operated his light-brain for a moment. Yu Jia felt the platform beneath her feet begin to descend slowly, detaching from the base and dropping toward the land below. The platform didn't touch the ground as she had expected; instead, it stopped in mid-air.

"Our game uses a point-based system. Players have a three-day trial period, during which their activities are restricted to the 'Starter Village,'" Su Xing explained as they descended into the city.

Yu Jia examined the city. It wasn't particularly large, roughly the size of a small town, but unlike reality, the buildings here didn't seem designed with lighting in mind. The structures, built from what looked like discarded parts, stood like giant trees in a primeval forest, blocking all light from the lower levels, with only the upper parts receiving a faint glimmer.

Back at the base, the distance had made it hard to see, but now that they were close, she could see many figures—the players—weaving between the walls of the high-rises. Their bodies were heavily modified with various mechanical parts, and the scent of machine oil seemed to waft toward them.

Unlike typical games, "Super God Machinery" had no level system. It was like a real world; a player’s strength depended on powerful parts and how they were modified and combined. This gameplay alone made the game engaging, causing players to spend vast amounts of time contemplating part combinations. Since every second a player spent in-game translated to more profit, the developers naturally made it as complex as possible.

Through Su Xing's introduction, Yu Jia also learned a setting that casual players were unaware of: the game had official, developer-set protagonists. "With protagonists, we can better control the timing of updates for each version," Su Xing explained. "If we let players drive the plot, heaven knows what would happen."

Yu Jia, never one to shy away from asking questions, frowned. "Then why not set specific plot points for players to complete? It would keep the main story on track and allow for seamless transitions between updates. I feel that would be better than using protagonists to force the plot along."

Su Xing shook his head. "That may sound good, but it would cause a sense of fragmentation in the narrative. You can’t control when players will clear the levels. Whether they are too fast or too slow, it would tear the overall story apart. It’s far better to set an AI protagonist and let nature take its course."

Yu Jia pondered his words. After touring the Starter Village, Su Xing piloted the platform toward the outskirts. "Outside the city are unit areas similar to dungeons. The story setting is the ruins of an ancient city. This is where players get the parts they use for modifications. There are monsters here, which not only makes the search process difficult but also provides them with special materials. After passing through these dungeons, they reach other cities. These are areas we’ve added in later updates, featuring completely different landscapes and dungeons to keep the game's daily active user count up so it doesn't drop after every update."

Yu Jia looked at the massive labyrinth surrounding the city. Since the terrain was man-made, she had another question: "Is this terrain built after the game is launched, or is it already finished beforehand?"

"Most buildings in reality games are constructed afterward," Tian Yi, who had been silent until now, chimed in, hoping to make a good impression on Su Xing.

Su Xing added, "Most structures are built based on real-time feedback. Besides budget considerations, another reason is to collect data on which types of stories players prefer, so we can cater to them. Reality games aren't like virtual games—they can't be easily changed, so every update must be handled with extreme caution. We only proceed after multiple rounds of discussion."

Finished, Su Xing looked at the others. "Do you have any questions?"

"How are the operational activities for 'Super God Machinery' usually set up?" one of the operators asked, hoping to score some points.

Su Xing didn't answer his question. "We will cover that in later training. For now, the focus is on understanding the differences between reality games and standard virtual games."

He couldn't be bothered to waste time on incompetent operators; even a canned response felt like a waste of breath. The operator who asked the question was rebuffed and said nothing more, and the others who had been planning to ask questions swallowed them back.

With no more questions, Su Xing shifted the group’s focus, piloting the platform into the labyrinth ahead. He wanted to show them how players conquered dungeons, where the game’s appeal lay, and other mechanics—all information they would need when considering operational activities later on.