Chapter 720 - Players, I’m Gonna Earn Till I Explode! (1/2)

The players were ecstatic and could not wait to open the faction store interface.

Compared to Version 2.0, the faction store’s product categories had increased by hundreds of times, and various equipment, materials, and items were all available. Because the Black Star Army had collaborated with many different financial groups, Han Xiao had managed to negotiate with the leaders of the various financial groups to open their purchase channels to his faction members.

In this manner, as long as an object was not too rare, the faction store would definitely be selling it. This led to a significant increase in the logistics capabilities of the Black Star Army.

Han Xiao had also collected a huge number of blueprint drawings in the past few years and vigorously developed the backend logistics division. With the support of his strong economic strength, he had established countless factories and assembly lines for the logistics department and even trained up a group of professionals. Currently, the capability of the Black Star Army to produce independently was very strong, already having stored tens of thousands of machines and equipment, including rare high-end equipment such as orange and pink equipment.

All the materials and equipment would be supplied to the members of the faction. As long as they had money, they would be able to arm themselves to the teeth.

The standard issued armor of the Black Star Army had also undergone many changes through the past seven years. It had integrated a variety of intermediate-level armor technology, further strengthening it to be better armor. It had been mass produced for the middle to lower ranked members, named ‘Black Star Army’s Mark 7 Individual Soldier Armor’. It could transform into specialized modes for attack, defense, reconnaissance, and more.

The armor of the majority of players had fallen behind in times. Compared to the current Mark 7 armor, it looked more like a trinket than actual armor.

Looking at the list of items the faction store offered, the desires of the players started to burn. This was especially true for Frenzied Sword, Hao Tian, and the other professional players who did not lack money.

If they participated in the battle, all the good items, including orange equipment, would be on fifty percent off!

This opportunity, once gone, would never come back!

The players had amassed a large sum during Version 2.0, and having come across this sale with great difficulty, where they would finally upgrade their equipment, the idea of diligently saving up was simply thrown out the window.

What was the purpose of saving? To be able to spend it all when the opportune time came!

When one could bear it no longer, there was no need to endure!

Without hesitation, the players on scene immediately applied for the military operation through Phillip.

With the fast processing speed of Phillip, it quickly completed the request of all the players present, sending out the mission that Han Xiao had long prepared to them.

(Faction War Mission: Black Star’s Counterattack]

Mission Introduction: Section Zero has prepared a large-scale counterattack military operation. As a glorious Black Star Warrior, you have chosen to participate in this campaign.

Mission Requirements: Follow the Black Star Army’s fleet, and obey orders to participate in the battle.

Reward: +500 Black Star Army Favorability, activate the follow-up mission of the secret war.

The players present only took a glance at the interface notification before turning their attention back to the Faction store. Indeed, everything present was reduced by half.

The players were all overjoyed and could not wait to dance around merrily.

Han Xiao had released this mission in order to guide the players as he had no control over the activation of main storylines. Thus, he used the reward section to let players understand that they would start the following mission of the secret war main storyline. This was to give players peace of mind, allowing them to improve their participation during the battle and reducing the number of slackers.

In the past, Section Zero had also assigned players to participate in the battle. This time, he had taken in so many players, so the labor had to be done by himself.

This large-scale military operation had not been proposed suddenly as Han Xiao knew that the players would return during this time. Two months prior, he had already begun preparations for this large-scale counterattack operation. He had waited until now to bring players with him to join in this secret war together.

While the players had accumulated a lot of experience and money in Version 2.0, Han Xiao’s upgrades now required a sky-high price. The experience they had saved up was just not enough, and he had to fatten them up once more, or else the Mission Completion Cards he had saved up would be useless.

As soon as this version opened, Han Xiao could not wait to guide the players over to the war missions. This was to allow them to accumulate as much experience as possible; only by increasing the players’ spending power and letting them become rich could he then earn even more. He had always been an advocate for mutual benefits and being well-off comprehensively.

Putting it in another way, the leeks that he had planted were not ripe yet. He still had to give it his all to fertilize them.

Han Xiao also knew well that with every new version, raising their levels to the upper limit would be the players’ first choice. As such, their desire to spend would be lowered. Han Xiao needed to stimulate demand and make players willing to take out their wallets for consumption.

The fifty percent discount for the war participants was just one of his measures to stimulate the demand in the players.

The large number of players formed a turbulent human wave as they left the square, going straight toward the logistics department. Meanwhile, every one of them was browsing the store, looking for their favorite equipment or items.

“One set of the standard issued armor, and I’ll take the skin for it as well!”

“Jackpot, jackpot! This time, we hit the motherload!”

“Never expected this sort of benefit from the beginning of the version. This is to improve our combat capability, allowing us to protect ourselves in the war mission. The head really loves us!”

The hundred thousand or so players nearly burst the logistics department at the seams when they all rushed in to order equipment.

In addition to the single players wantonly buying, a few of the guilds began to organize their manpower, calling friends to crowdfund their items.

“Such opportunities are rare. Hurry and get more money. We can buy better things with these!”

The Guild of Gods Head Jupiter showed an expression of glee, prepared to utilize the funds of his guild to buy a few sets of mining spaceships and equipment. In the future, Guild of Gods would be able to mine their own resources, receiving a steady stream of profits.

Professional players like Frenzied Sword, however, preferred the high quality equipment and went to find their respective club’s guild to raise money, buying orange equipment crazily.

The players present looked as though they had all consumed aphrodisiacs, their desire for consumption skyrocketing to extreme levels. Wave after wave of purchases were made, and on their hands were big and small bags, all containing new equipment. Although their wallets were emptied, everybody had a smile on their face.

Having saved fifty percent of what they were supposed to pay, they were so happy!

At the same time, Han Xiao returned to his office, checking the revenue data of the army.

“In just half an hour, I’ve earned 2.7 billion Enas,” Han Xiao murmured to himself. Even with the current huge assets of the Black Star Army, this sum was no small amount. If averaged out, an individual player had spent close to 20,000 Enas. While all the goods were on a fifty percent sale, his total profit after deducting the costs was still hundreds of millions of Enas.

With the current productivity and warehouse capacity of the Black Star Army, meeting the demands of all the players was simply a piece of cake.

Han Xiao did not play his strategy of raising the price first before slashing it; he indeed placed all his goods at a fifty percent discount this time. However, because he had already mastered the Technology specialization, the profits after discount was still immensely high!

The players were also not stupid and would definitely remember the prices of goods in the previous version. Furthermore, what Han Xiao was lacking now was not money, so he had no need to destroy the goodwill between him and the players for just this paltry sum. It would be better to allow the players to feel some substantial benefits.

His goal was not to obtain this pot of money but rather to stimulate the consumers’ desire for consumption, emptying the players’ wallets before using this long-term discount activity to make players generate money quickly. Thus, they would work harder to participate in the war. Through this, their experience would fill up and empty out for him, then rinse and repeat… Continuously draining the players wallets would keep their fighting spirit up!

A mature leek would know how to engage in self-fertilization!