A Race to (Be) The Top

"Sorry, we are sincerely sorry that you have encountered such an accident for no reason."

The man in suits and leather shoes politely bowed ninety degrees to Ling Xiaolu, but this did not reduce his resentment.

"May I ask who you are?"

"Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself," the man operated on the communicator a few times, and Ling Xiaolu received a business card exchange request from the other party, "I am the customer service manager of Xinshan Company, you can call me Ke Ming."

"Hello, Manager Ke, I just want to know why this damn thing can't be taken down. Didn't I agree that it's just for research?"

"It's like this, let me explain it to you briefly." Ke Ming stretched out his two hands to simulate a rectangular viewfinder frame, and expanded it outward, and a magnified virtual projection screen appeared in front of Ling Xiaolu, densely packed with people. It's numbers and graphs.

"The stats of combat pets in the game seem random on the surface, but in essence they all follow the numerical rules designed by the original numerical planning, which is also to maintain the balance of confrontation in the game.

"And each of us also has our own hidden attribute ability value. The problem that has plagued us for a long time is the mismatch between the player's value and the battle pet's value system, which causes the host to judge it as a 'plug-in' and reject these players. login.

"After our multiple tests, we found that only when the matching degree is higher than 92.7%, the player can pass the review smoothly, so we call 92.7% the critical point of login.

"Although the critical point has been found, it is a pity that there are very few users who can reach this value. So far, only 37 people have passed the test, and the matching degree of the highest one is as high as 98.5%."

"You mean that the matching degree between me and the system exceeds 92.7%?" Ling Xiaolu asked.

"More than that." He was touching the virtual screen, and a human silhouette appeared on the left side of the screen. On the right side, there were many values ​​that Ling Xiaolu couldn't understand, as well as the percentage that jumped rapidly in the center of the screen, and it didn't stop until it jumped to 100.08%.

"...This is me?" Ling Xiaolu said after a long time.

"Exactly."

"What is 100.08%?"

"It's the system matching degree just mentioned."

"Since it's data matching, how can it be more than 100% matching? I'm good at math, don't lie to me."

Ke Ming sighed: "This is exactly the problem that bothers us."

"Then when will you be able to overcome this problem?"

"The technical department is working hard to troubleshoot the fault, and we will definitely do it as soon as possible."

"As soon as possible? An hour? Half a day? A day?"

"Because this is the first time we have encountered such a situation, so there is no way to give you an accurate resolution time." Ke Ming looked distressed.

"You have been studying the problem of not being able to put this thing on for more than a year, but you still haven't figured it out, so how long will it take to study it?" Ling Xiaolu scratched his hair in distress, "I don't want to live with this thing all the time."

"We will make corresponding compensation for the inconvenience caused to your life. I have applied to the company's senior management to temporarily hire you as a non-staff tester. As long as you wear this device, you can calculate the effective working hours, and we will calculate it according to the number of hours. Pay your salary."

"Then if I can't take it off for a day, can I get a 24-hour salary?"

"Exactly, and in view of the particularity of your job, your hourly salary is double that of other testers, non-working hours are counted as overtime, and holidays are doubled."

"But with this on, I can't do anything, I can't even get out the door."

"May I venture to ask, what is your occupation?"

"student."

"High school students? Or high school students?"

"I just finished the entrance examination, and I will be a first-year college student when I start school again." Ling Xiaolu was a little depressed, and finally got admitted to the ideal school. What if the start of school is delayed because of this.

"No wonder you buy game peripherals at this time. Can I ask again which college you were admitted to?"

"Smoky Mountain University."

"Wow," Ke Ming admired sincerely, "It's a famous old school with a long history, with a history of nearly 500 years, and the people who can get in are extraordinary. I don't know which major you got in? "

"The direction of superionic materials in the interstellar navigation and communication major of Yinhe Engineering College."

"It's still a popular major, so your grades must be excellent."

Not just anyone can become a customer service manager, and targeted compliments are at least very effective for an inexperienced young man like Ling Xiaolu.

"It's okay." His tone and expression softened a lot.

"It's the beginning of June, and there are still three full months before September when colleges and universities start. I believe that within these three months, our technical department will be able to come up with a follow-up solution."

"Then what about my daily life? You won't let me go out with this in summer, will you?"

"There are two ways to solve this matter. One is that the company is responsible for sending people to deliver daily necessities to your door. As long as it is what you need, we can meet it. If you want to shop online by yourself, the company can also reimburse you in full, but you have to keep stay at home."

"What about the second way?"

"With our company's current game technology, you can completely solve all your physiological needs in the game. That is to say, as long as you maintain a normal diet in the game, you will also take in the same amount of nutrients in reality. There is no need to worry about your health. Worry about the problem."

"So advanced?"

"In fact, a small group of players have lived in the game for a long time. Our host will monitor the indicators of the players' bodies in real time, and there has been no problem so far."

"Then I will still be caught as a pet. Is there any way for me to enter the game through the bracelet?"

"Sorry, this is not available for the time being. The host can only handle the access request of one peripheral device at a time, and the collar, as a special peripheral device, has priority reading rights. We cannot modify this for individuals."

The clerk on the side helped to lobby: "In fact, human pets will also receive many privileges and preferential treatment in the game."

"What kind of preferential treatment?"

"For example," Manager Ke introduced, "players don't need to pay any game fees. In the free state, the game is completely free. After signing the contract, the owner is responsible for paying the peripheral equipment fee, monthly card fee, and store props fee. .”

"Who?" The corner of Ling Xiaolu's mouth twitched.

"It will be paid by the contractor who signed the elf contract with you." Manager Ke changed his words wisely.

"Also, what did you just say, there are monthly cards and charging items?"

"For ordinary players to play the game, the first 50 levels are free, and after that, you need to buy a monthly card of [-] alliance coins. The items in the in-game store are voluntary consumption, and the game experience will not be affected if you don't buy them."

"What charging model is so tricky?"

"This is based on the operation experience of a certain keyboard online game produced and developed by Jinshan Technology, the predecessor of Xinshan Company, hundreds of years ago. It is a mature charging model that has been tested by the market."

"Keyboard online games," Ling Xiaolu sighed, "it's really an old term."

"Yes, it disappeared a long time ago. In our generation, there are no old players of keyboard online games. Today's era is already the heyday of holographic online games."

"In the final analysis, there is only monetary compensation. Now I feel like I am bargaining with the big boss who wants to support me. Although I am a poor man, I am not so poor that I have to sell myself. I still have a monthly card of 50 alliance coins. Affordable."

"Signing an elf contract between the owner and the pet requires the consent of both parties. Given that human pets are currently scarce and the supply exceeds demand, the decision is actually in your hands. If you do not agree, no one can force you."

"Yes, once the signing is completed, the right to make my own decisions will be in the hands of others. I just said that the ratio is 3:1, and the local tyrants will definitely do everything possible to force me to submit." Ling Xiaolu is not stupid at all on the key issue.

"In addition, human pets can learn all existing pet skills in the game, which is a game experience that other players cannot have."

"Oh?" Ling Xiaolu finally became a little interested.

"It's like the exclusive skills of the undead system, the famous corruption of everything and the spread of the plague." The clerk added.

"What kind of skill is this! Just by hearing the name, I don't have the desire to learn it!"

The clerk regretted: "Those are two very powerful skills. Once you learn them, you will get sores, pus, and rot all over your body. All players will turn around and run away when they see you."

"What kind of picture do I have!!!"

Ke Ming gave him a warning with his eyes, and the sensible clerk silently shut up.

Seeing that Ling Xiaolu still rejects being a pet, the experienced Ke Ming had an idea.

"Whether to use the collar to play the game is your freedom, but if you are willing to try, our company's technical department will fully cooperate to meet your requirements in the game as much as possible."

"For example?"

"I know that your biggest concern is that you don't like the identity of the battle pet. Although this cannot be changed, the technicians will try their best to assist you in disguising yourself as an ordinary player, so that even the applicants cannot tell the difference."

Ling Xiaolu rekindled hope: "Does that mean I won't be caught as a pet?"

Ke Ming did not correct his statement, but only said: "We will do our best to protect your game freedom."

"Then can I also have pets that are as cool as the wind-breathing pterosaur?"

"I'm really sorry, this is something that technology cannot achieve, because your identity is a battle pet, and the system stipulates that a battle pet cannot raise another battle pet. But if you like this new battle pet in the expansion pack, I can make the decision Here's a mini version for you."

"Mini version?"

"That's what we often call non-combat pets."

Ling Xiaolu doesn't really know the difference between combat pets and non-combat pets, but the various compensation conditions proposed by Xinshan Company are enough to show sincerity, and if he refuses to give up, he will appear to be unreasonable.

"Well, the matter has come to this point, even if I disagree, it seems that I have no choice."

"Did you agree to experience the game? That's really great, and it will also be of great help to our research and improvement of peripherals." Ke Ming said gratefully.

"What should I do next?"

"You need to do an identity registration, are you over the age?"

"It's full, what's the problem?"

"The game "Elf Contract" has two ratings in the online game rating system at the same time, R14 and R18. That is to say, only players who are 14 years old and above are allowed to enter the game, but players who are over [-] years old can experience The whole content of the game."

"What's the difference?"

"First of all, there will be a big difference in the picture. The exposed bones of all skeletons will grow muscles, the corpse will become a tomb, and there will be no bloody special effects. Overly revealing clothing will be re-sewn; secondly, minors The account will be included in the anti-addiction system, and the income will be halved for more than two hours online, and the income will be zero after five hours; finally, sex with other players is not allowed.”

Ling Xiaolu immediately caught the point: "Can you still have sex with other players?"

"If it is on the premise that two or more parties are voluntary."

"How many ways can it be?" He was dumbfounded.

"We are a free and open game." Ke Ming said with a smile.

The clerk held up a pupil print scanner: "If you have reached the age requirement, please take an identity scan here so that we can verify your information."

There is no ID card in this era, and personal information is stored through pupil lines. The clerk quickly scanned Ling Xiaolu's eyes with a device, and his information was listed in detail on the display——

Name: Ling Xiaolu

Sex: Male

Age: 18

Birthplace: Hushuo City

Occupation: Student

……

"Please verify that the information is correct."

"That's right." Ling Xiaolu confirmed.

"The identity confirmation is OK, the peripherals have been bound, and the last step is to implant the client."

He bent down and took out the "Hidden Dragon" deluxe version client gift box from the counter. It is indeed a deluxe version. The packaging is so exquisite. The original game painting is exquisite, and the material is similar to glass. If you look carefully, there are colorful streamers on the top of the box surge.All the flowing light points to the same destination, and the end point of the convergence happens to be the pearl inlaid in the eye of the wind-breathing pterosaur.

"You can now open the gift box yourself."

Ling Xiaolu lightly touched the surface of the bead, and the cubic box immediately rose into the air and began to rotate clockwise.Slowly at first, then faster and faster, until the naked eye cannot capture its speed.

Just when Ling Xiaolu was dazzled, several lifelike goldfish jumped out of the box and swam nimbly around Ling Xiaolu, making him reach out to catch them.But the goldfish slipped away from between his fingers, entangled with his companions until it turned into a swimming dragon made of ink and wash, and circled back and forth in the air several times accompanied by the melodious ancient tune. The smoke dissipated, leaving only three flowing calligraphy characters in the air - Dongtianling.

"It's so beautiful," he sighed sincerely. "It would be nice without this thing around my neck."

The deluxe packaging gift box has quietly fallen back to its original place. The originally closed top cover is open, revealing the pure black inner box inside. In the center of the inner box, there is a golden metal chip embedded.

The clerk carefully took out the chip, inserted it into the slot at the bottom of the collar, and wiped it with his hands, leaving no trace on the metal surface.

"Everything is ready, you can now freely travel between the real world and the virtual world, I wish you a happy game."

"We will send exclusive customer service to escort you to ensure that your game progresses smoothly. If you have any questions, you can ask customer service or contact me." Ke Ming added.

"I have a question right now."

"Please speak."

Ling Xiaolu pointed at his neck: "How do I go back wearing this?"