Conquering OtherWorld Starts With a Game - Chapter 168: Management Mode

Players who reached Friendly reputation with the Undead Merchant Association would have an option to hire NPC on their own character panel. This privilege, though accessible to many, remained largely unused due to its perceived impracticality which made it seem like a useless feature.

Firstly, hiring an NPC to assist with quests or monster slaying was out of the question since only the weakest of civilian NPCs were available for hire. And if the NPC was really brought along, it would likely be the player protecting the NPC instead of the other way around. On top of that, any injury sustained by a hired civilian NPC would cost the employer a hefty reimbursement.

These hired civilian NPCs had limited “functions,” capable only of mundane tasks like cleaning armor, maintaining weapons, or fetching items. Anything beyond that was wishful thinking.

The cost of hiring these NPCs wasn’t trivial either—10 copper coins (player’s currency) per game day. Failure to pay on time would result in the termination of the contract.

In short, the cost-effectiveness of these hired NPCs was dismally low, previously prompting Orange Cat to believe that hiring a runner from a studio offered more value and flexibility.

But witnessing Ou Huang’s innovative gameplay now, Orange Cat realized the true potential of this feature—this was a “tool NPC” provided by the system to encourage players to delve into a business management playstyle within the game!

No matter how affordable or efficient studio grunts might be, they spoke a different language as NPCs, let alone serve as sales clerks!

With this epiphany, Orange Cat’s interest in “Employee: Dick Bill” grew significantly.

However, before making any moves, Orange Cat had to clarify one thing.

“Boss Ou Huang! Is there a means of exchanging NPC currency with ours?” Orange Cat immediately switched to full on sucking up to Ou Huang.

Ou Huang: “…”

Ten minutes later, a visibly exasperated Ou Huang led Orange Cat, who was still full of questions and theories, to the Weisshem town hall to find Ji Tang.

“You’re interested in exploring the business management gameplay mode, Boss Orange Cat? That’s great!”

Ji Tang, upon understanding the purpose of their visit, warmly welcomed Orange Cat, ushering him into the office.

“Ou Huang is a man of few words, so he probably didn’t explain it well. Let me introduce you to the business system we’ve established in Weisshem…”

Orange Cat instinctively tensed up. “Wait, wait, Ji Tang, don’t be so hasty, I’m getting scared—!”

“Don’t worry, this is a fantastic opportunity~”

“That makes me even more nervous!”

Seeing how things were panning out, Ou Huang seized the moment to make a swift exit, finally freeing himself from the clingy Orange Cat!

After having landed such a big fish, Ji Tang wasn’t about to let it slip away. He dragged Orange Cat to the storehouse.

When Orange Cat saw the goods in the storehouse, he was overcome with the urge to comment.

“What the heck?! Did the GMs just spawn a whole warehouse full of instant noodles? Moreover, Kang Shi Fu noodles? Do perfect knockoffs dodge trademark issues?!”

Even Ji Tang, a man of ironclad resolve, couldn’t help but avert his eyes slightly…

How should he put it… Lord Yang’s sourcing from nearly expired goods to knockoff brands was, to put it mildly, a headache for the expert task force as well.

However, not all aspects of these knockoff goods were negative. At the very least, there were no significant issues with food safety; after all, these were products of industrial production lines, arguably more reliable than those artisanal workshops that traded on craftsmanship and cultural appeal.

Clearing his throat to mask the awkwardness, Ji Tang clapped Orange Cat on the back with a hearty smack.

“Never mind the brand; all that matters is that these are tradeable goods. Everything is offered to you at wholesale prices. Sell them, and I’ll exchange the NPC copper you earn for game currency at a two-to-one ratio. Minus the merchant tax, profits are all yours, which definitely beats farming monsters.”

Orange Cat was well aware that a business model mode could be more lucrative than mindlessly grinding monsters, but something felt off. “Hold on, why come to me with such an offer? Ou Huang’s shop didn’t have all of this random stuff.”

“That’s because Ou Huang produces his own products himself. You haven’t really dabbled in lifestyle classes, have you, Boss Orange Cat?” Ji Tang reasoned. “The stability of sourcing products from players can’t really be compared to getting good from me, don’t you think?”

“Uhh…” After some hesitation, Orange Cat asked cautiously, “Then, how much tax would I have to pay?”

“For local sales, you’re looking at a 50% tax,” Ji Tang stated ruthlessly.

“You might as well rob me!” Even the usually good-tempered Orange Cat was pushed to his limit.

“Hold up, hear me out. If you manage to transport and sell these goods outside Weisshem, the tax is only 20%,” Ji Tang went on. “Don’t you already have Honored reputation with the Merchant Association? Just submit an application to the town hall to form a trading caravan, and I’ll approve it. Then you can dive into the caravan management gameplay mode.”

Orange Cat’s lips twitched. “…So, Weisshem is running short on cash?”

“Can’t be helped, this world… ahem, this game operates solely on physical currency. You are from Zhejiang, surely you must understand that physical currency is more prone to cash flow problems than credit currency,” explained Ji Tang.

Orange Cat understood all too well. Even in systems based on credit currency, it wasn’t uncommon for companies to face cash flow crises or broken capital chains. The news often highlighted companies valued at billions in market capitalization, but those figures were merely conceptual values concocted by financiers aiming to fleece stock market investors and lure the next buyer.

Among the wealthy second generations of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, a common joke was that it could take three generations of indulgence to squander a fortune or three years to go bankrupt by venturing into business. The financial sector’s ruthlessness was such that even rich capitalist families might as well have been harmless bunnies in the face of it.

Orange Cat, having wheedled information out of Ou Huang, found himself genuinely intrigued by the business gameplay mode.

After all, was there anyone who wouldn’t want to make a name for themselves in the game? Being constantly underestimated always irked him. But while he might not excel in gameplay mechanics, Orange Cat was rather confident in his business acumen.

“Alright… I’ll give it a shot,” Orange Cat decided, weighing the pros and cons. “But I’ve only got a few hundred copper coins at present, and copper coins are hard to come by these days. Ji Tang, does the town hall have any policies in place, like commercial loans to support businesses?”

Ji Tang flashed a broad grin, draping an arm around Orange Cat’s shoulders. “Yes, of course! We’ve got you covered. Let’s find a place to sit down, have some tea, and talk it over—”

“Ji Tang, you weren’t like this before…”

The small town of Weisshem could hardly be described as having an orderly market economy.

Its crafts industry was rudimentary at best, still mired in small workshop-style production, with local artisans focusing on basic goods like leather products, bamboo baskets, wooden barrels, coffins, and simple furniture.

Ji Tang and Zhao Zhenzhen were determined to change this. Their first step was to revolutionize the local crafts industry, drawing all artisans and the majority of adult townsfolk into an industrial park on the town’s main road. Their goal was to scale up production and make better use of the town’s labor force… well, to boost employment rates, raise local income levels, and improve living standards.

The plan was progressing smoothly. The recent reconstruction of the main road had accustomed the townsfolk to organized labor, while the night school run by Sibyl and Shirley had brought about a wave of literacy. A significant number of townsfolk could now recognize up to a hundred characters, including their own names, and perform basic arithmetic. Weekly progress tests offered modest rewards like laundry soap or a towel, ensuring high enthusiasm for learning.

In short, organizing production was no longer a significant issue, but the market for selling these goods posed several challenges…

With a population of just over ten thousand and a few thousand households, even if the markets of the estates of nobles, which lay outside the jurisdiction of the town hall and local lordship, were tapped into, it wouldn’t suffice to support the upgraded local industry.

The goods gotten from Lord Yang were also not selling as well as before. Once the industrial zone kicked into gear, producing an endless stream of processed agricultural products, the question of where to sell them would become pressing!

This was precisely why the national team tacitly approved Lord Yang’s intended conquest of Indahl… Compared to the pressing need for new markets, the potential shortage of leadership personnel due to territorial expansion was hardly an issue!

Without this conquest, goods transported from Weisshem to Indahl can’t be publicly sold. This was a battle that had to be fought! Both ways had to be opened up, and resolving the dilemma of surplus goods was paramount.

The town hall was stretched thin and lacked manpower—even young Brooke had been indoctrinated by Zhao Zhenzhen into serving the people, venturing beyond Indahl’s borders with his comrades to pioneer new markets with their samples in tow!

Some townsfolk, who had started to get involved in the commercial domain, weren’t ready for greater responsibilities yet and could only assist with minor shipments.

Weighing his options, Ji Tang preferred to place his trust in the players over collaborating with the native nobility. Pure business management style games had its own dedicated following, and there would undoubtedly be some among “OtherWorld” players who relished the challenge of building a business model.

Native nobility, on the other hand, might vie with the town hall for power once they themselves made it big, whereas players wouldn’t worry about that!

Ou Huang, returning to his modest shop, chose not to enter when he noticed a housewife NPC approached with a basket in hand. After watching from a distance for a while, he turned back toward the town hall, intending to teleport back to Exile Town.

Just as he was about to step through the town hall gates, he was pounced on by Orange Cat, who was like a starving tiger.

Despite Ou Huang’s obsession in lifestyle classes, few players could match his agility. In the blink of an eye, he sidestepped and retreated, deftly avoiding the sneak attack and ensuring Orange Cat couldn’t grab hold of his legs.

A miserable Orange Cat looked up and extended a hand. “Boss Orange Cat, come team up with me for trade caravan mode~”

Ou Huang: “…”

Meanwhile, in Exile Town.

It was already 10 p.m. on Earth, and in game, it was seven in the evening.

Emerging defeated from the monster battlefield once more were Qin Guan, Blossoming Strokes, Yang Ying, Unceasing Entropy, Tang Jia, Jia Luo, and others. Messed up and downtrodden, they sat in contemplative silence on the dirt path outside the Town Hall, pondering the harsh realities of their virtual existence.

“Why is it… so goddamn difficult!” Jia Luo exhaled softly, her spirit worn thin. “We finally pinpointed the mission’s location and even evaded the Headless Horseman, only to be momentarily hindered by a mere imp, allowing the Horseman to return to his post…”

“We should have known better than to rush in. Just throwing the flare in there should have been enough,” Yang Ying lamented, her hand covering her face in dismay.

“To think the path we once cleared is reinforced by monsters the second time around. How annoying! The monsters are already formidable, and to top it off, their AI is astoundingly sharp!” Tang Jia exclaimed in frustration.

“Let’s go at it again. We’ve already suffered so much and learned from our numerous setbacks; we’ll be more cautious next time,” Blossoming Strokes declared, rallying their spirits.

“Alright, I’ll call for more… Give Me Medicine and their group have returned after getting deep in the Poisonous Marshlands. Shall we wait for them to log back in?” Qin Guan proposed, his voice drained of energy.

Consecutive wipes left their ranks thin as several in their group had left, leaving vacant spots. The rest of the group readily agreed to this suggestion and nodded in unison.

After a prolonged silence, Unceasing Entropy suddenly spoke up, “I’ve been thinking… Can we not exploit the monsters’ inherent weaknesses?”

“How so?” Blossoming Strokes inquired eagerly.

“Some monsters within have natural adversaries as you’ve all noticed,” Unceasing Entropy explained. “The towering Treants fear the Flame Demons, who, in turn, dread the Gargoyles. The Gargoyles are wary of the Harpies, and the Harpies fear those Assassin Monsters.”

“Come to think of it… the Assassins are terrorized by the Giant Moles, who cower before the Headless Horseman…” Blossoming Strokes quickly caught on, her eyes gleaming with realization. “And the Headless Horseman, it seems, never ventures near the Treants!”

Unceasing Entropy nodded. “The Flame Demons, of a moderate size and swift, can be lured by wanderer players using Windwalk. If we could draw a few Flame Demons to push our allied Treants closer to the enemy’s stronghold, we might just get a chance to approach and deliver the flare.”

“Let’s give it a shot!” Blossoming Strokes clenched her fist resolutely. “The monsters inside are capable of learning from our tactics, so we’ll have but one chance to get this right. We must seize it!”