The virtual empire starts from the game

Chapter 620 Career Advancement! Press Conference Begins! (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Qi Huahua was furious at the drone's nonchalant attitude, and even in her busy schedule, she didn't forget to fire a few shots at it.

The drone wobbled a couple of times, but they didn't take it seriously.

Fortunately, the chase was a head-on one, and they had just walked through the terrain, so they still remembered it and knew the locations of the supply points by heart.

Although it was chaotic, at least we didn't get lost again.

While running, he took the opportunity to deal some damage.

While running and fighting, he found himself in grave danger, and the giant centipede-like alien boss's health bar steadily decreased.

Finally, thanks to the development team's ingenious level design and numerical control, just as they reached the initial mine where they logged in, the Zerg BOSS's last bit of health was depleted, and it fell from the top of the cave with a mournful cry.

Dust flew everywhere, and green blood splattered.

The remaining giant insects stopped their pursuit, turned and fled, disappearing from sight in less than ten seconds.

The mine fell silent again, with only four people remaining, panting heavily from exhaustion.

Orange Juice and the valiant sniper dropped their weapons and collapsed on the ground, not wanting to move an inch.

The drone finally stopped its little tune and got down to business:

“Mining operations are complete. Calling for evacuation.”

Just seconds later, they heard the sound of rocks cracking overhead again.

Four large drill bits spun and pierced through the rock layer, bringing the four evacuation pods crashing heavily to the ground, where they stood steadily not far in front of them.

"The evacuation pod landed perfectly; you're really lucky," the drone said again.

The valiant sniper immediately realized: This damned Deeprock Mining Company could even cause problems with the evacuation pods!
However, he was too tired to argue with the drone now.

As Huan Yue slowly got up from the ground, she had already finished cutting off the BOSS's special organs and thrown them into the backpack floating behind her.

"Let's go back to the surface. This godforsaken place looks like it's about to collapse."

The BOSS had already caused serious damage to the mine structure by crawling in and out of the rock wall, and now that four more evacuation pods have crawled in, the top of the cave has suffered another major blow.

At this moment, large and small pieces of rock have already fallen from the top of the cave, and it looks like the entire cave will soon collapse and completely bury the mine.

The four hurriedly crawled into the evacuation pod and secured themselves.

No manual operation is required; the evacuation capsule starts automatically and takes off from the spot.

The drilling rig popped out from the top, and while drilling into the top of the cave, it caused serious damage to the rock structure again, and the entire top rock wall collapsed with a roar!
Deeprock Mining's evacuation capsule, completely unaffected, drilled through the rock strata and rushed straight to the surface from the Abyss, 800 meters underground!

On the glass canopy in front of the four, the mission results slowly appeared—

[Deep Rock Mining Company Mining Operations Briefing]
[Task ID]: D-800-617-01
[Work Location]: Mine Pit 617, Underground Forest, Level 1, Abyss Caverns

[Executive Staff]: Four Level D miners

[Task Completion Status]:
1. Basic mining target has been met (200 units of copper ore).

2. Additional mineral production: 246 units of copper ore, 330 units of iron ore, 80 units of tourmaline

3. Complete 4 emergency missions (receive a 40% bonus to mission completion)

[Risk and Control Assessment]:
1. Deaths: 0, Serious Injuries: 0
Personnel threat [Low]
2. 1382 Zerg killed, including 24 elite Zerg and 1 giant Zerg.

The swarm threat level has been increased from [Low] to [Medium].
3. Mine collapse rate: 100%
The landslide threat level has been increased from [Low] to [Extremely High].
……

Lines of information slowly appeared.

The valiant sniper, who had been overlooking the Abyss Caves, almost lost his composure upon seeing this information:
"No... this threat level changes in real time, doesn't it?"

"So this thing is completely unreliable and can only be used as a reference?"

But this was just the beginning of something outrageous.

Even more outrageous are the following sections on equipment wear and tear, special ammunition consumption, and dangerous operation warnings.

Each section is short, but each one is enough to raise the blood pressure of even the most valiant sniper.

Especially when calculating their profits at the end, after calculating the value of the ore, they immediately start calculating the costs that need to be deducted—

[The follow-up mineral bags were stuffed into the swarm's biological tissue and subjected to slight corrosion.]
[Drone damaged by gunfire, paintwork damaged]
[The landing module and evacuation module have over 10% more impact scratches than allowed]
……

Each of these entries is followed by a number such as [-138], [-311], or [-466].

That means money will be deducted from their labor output.

The costs weren't even fully calculated until the evacuation capsule landed with a thud and they returned to the small courtyard where they had started their journey.

Until the very last one, the valiant sniper finally unleashed his full power:

[An employee's hazardous work practices led to the complete collapse of Mine Tunnel No. 617. According to the "Deep Rock Mining Company Class D Miner Operation Manual," the miner involved is liable for compensation equivalent to 10% of the mine's output.]
[-one]
[All basic minerals have been sold. Total revenue: 12385]
[The profits are insufficient to cover the fines, and will be deducted in full soon]
[The "Deep Rock Mining Company Level D Personnel Basic Welfare Guarantee" clause is activated, retaining 20% ​​of the revenue. Current team disposable balance: 2477]
[Task Summary: Success!]
Please continue to dedicate your life to the company's development!
"Damn it!" The valiant sniper shoved open the hatch.

As expected, the drone reappeared before their eyes.

The valiant sniper declared menacingly, "That mine was clearly destroyed by the giant bug!"

"No, the giant bug didn't collapse it; it was the evacuation pod you called that broke it! This is clearly your responsibility!"

Before the drone could even offer an explanation, the valiant sniper roared, "And another thing! Your paint is damaged? You're just a bare metal lump, where's the paint?!"

"Biological tissue corroding mineral bags?"

"Weren't those biological tissues what you told us to collect? If they can't be put in the mineral bags, why the hell didn't you carry them yourself?!"

……

The valiant sniper was furious and fired wildly at the drone.

Netizens also joined in the rant, saying that this kind of unscrupulous company exists in real life, and the boss would also be hung from a street lamp.

In the virtual world, it goes without saying—if anyone finds the headquarters' location, it will definitely be blown to smithereens!
As for the company's boss, he'll die a horrible death!
The brave sniper, reminded by his viewers, quickly realized what was happening.

He asked the drone, "Where is Deeprock Mining's headquarters located?"

"I am very dissatisfied with the company's rules and regulations and would like to have a face-to-face discussion with the boss about employee benefits."

The drone carefully lowered its altitude slightly: "We're sorry, Deep Rock Mining Company's location information is only accessible to employees with C-level or higher access."

"Your current status is Level D and you are not authorized to access relevant information."

"You fucking..." The valiant sniper was speechless.

Qi Huahua raised her hand: "Everyone! I received a message about elevating your privileges!"

The group turned around and saw a special message on the hatch of her evacuation pod:
Use both the [Light Gun] and the [Grapple Gun] simultaneously to complete mining operations and obtain career advancement information.

By successfully completing five consecutive mining operations using the [Lighting Gun], [Grapple Gun], and two light weapons, you can be promoted to C-level privileges and become a [Scout].

After being promoted in privileges, the outstanding company loan will be halved unconditionally, you can enjoy higher-level logistical services, receive a 10% discount on supplies, unlock your own personal drone, and customize your drone music library.

Current promotion progress: 0/5
(I recommend you complete the promotion as soon as possible!)
-
After reading this information, the three immediately ran back to check their hatches.

A moment later, the orange juice, puzzled, loudly retorted:
“Isn’t this right?!”

Why haven't I received the message?

"I specifically chose the turret and the shield! These are both defensive devices. Shouldn't combining them unlock a class like [Shield Guard]?!"

Huan Yue was also a little surprised: "Both the zipline launcher and the platform gun are displacement devices. I thought that the combination of the two would make a scout."

The valiant sniper, however, reaped the rewards—

Simultaneously use the [Power Drill Rig] and [Explosive Charge] to complete mining operations and obtain career advancement information.

By successfully completing five consecutive mining operations using the [Power Drill Rig], [Explosive Pack], and one light and one heavy weapon, you can be promoted to C-level authority and become a [Drill Rig Operator].

Current promotion progress: 0/5
(It is recommended to complete the privilege upgrade as soon as possible!)
-
He looked at Huan Yue and Orange Juice: "It seems that you two took the wrong support equipment. If you switch them, you should be able to get the promotion information."

"One more round?"

He is now eager to complete his promotion task as soon as possible and obtain higher authority.

On the one hand, they certainly want to solve the loan problem, but on the other hand...

Find out the location of this unscrupulous company, then take ten thousand men and slaughter these heartless capitalists!

"Go go go!" Huan Yue was not to be outdone.

Nana was reluctant to give up the flamethrower, so she suggested, "How about we switch to something else?"

"Phantom Moon, didn't you want a highly mobile class? Why don't you switch to Scout, and I'll try something else?"

Huan Yue immediately agreed.

After a brief exchange, Qihuahua and Orange Juice quickly began the second round.

……

……

As the four men went back down into the mine to get promoted and pay off their loans, the town quickly became even more bustling!
There's no need to doubt the sales of games that build dreams.

This is an outrageous company that can sell out holographic air fryers instantly. Its strength in its main business of "selling games" can only be described as [unbeatable].

While the brave snipers were playing a game, both "Echoes of the Deep" and "Under the Rock" had already sold over ten million copies.

It's not just over 1000 million, it's 3000 million!
This is even on a weekday!

It's a certainty that it will surpass 50 million on the first day, and it shouldn't be a problem to break 100 million in the first month.

—In keeping with DreamWorks' tradition, both games also support traditional PC and DreamWorks game suites.

The only problem is that the incredibly powerful Genesis Engine's most powerful functions are all designed to serve the [Dream Machine].

Even the Mirage game suite can't fully utilize its capabilities, let alone a PC; the gameplay will inevitably be somewhat compromised.

The good news is that with the completion of the super server, cloud gaming technology has reached new heights, which has greatly improved the gaming experience on all devices.

Despite the offsetting effects, the overall gaming experience for players has improved significantly.

—At least when there are a lot of people on the screen at the same time, there will be no more lag issues.

This advantage is especially crucial when hundreds of millions of players flock to the same street!

The town's layout was originally very compact, with narrow streets and a large number of pedestrians.

Now that tens of millions of players have flooded in, the excitement is indescribable.

There were people everywhere!
This town boasts a unique and vibrant world-like landscape, quite different from the bustling metropolis, and its appeal to players is no less than that of the bustling metropolis when it was first released.

At least a third of the players who bought Under the Rock were drawn to this town, coming in to explore and experience its exotic charm.

In this respect, players using the Dream Machine have a significantly better experience than players using other devices!
Not only can you be completely immersed in the unique atmosphere, but you can also smell the aromas, taste the delicious food, and notice the details of each character's facial expressions.

The rising heat, the distinct sounds from near and far, the gentle breeze blowing through the long street, the delicate sensation of brushing against your cheek...

All of this conveys a concept to their senses—

This is a living, breathing town.

These details are difficult to experience using a PC or holographic device.

This is why Xu Meng specifically mentioned on the spaceship wreckage, "[Use the Dream Machine to obtain the perfect experience]".

……

Of course, many players are not in a hurry.

The exploration of the town had no clear purpose, nor was there any task urging them on; whether it was a day earlier or later would not make much difference.

These players then flocked to "Under the Rock" to experience the thrill of being a miner.

Deep Rock Mining Company's reputation also deteriorated rapidly during this process.

Because of the astonishing user base of Dream Building, the outcry against this unscrupulous company quickly spread beyond the gaming community and across the entire social network.

On influential social media platforms such as Weiguang, Bitbite, and Cirrus, keywords like "Deeprock Mining Company" and "deeprock" are rapidly rising in popularity.

Just moments before, netizens who were unaware of the reason were still immersed in news about "alien invasion of Earth," "Xu Meng piloting a mecha," and "the release of Zhumeng's new game," when suddenly they saw a mining company being ridiculed by netizens all over the world.

One by one, they asked blankly, "What company is Deep Rock Mining? We've never heard of it before?"

"Exploiting employees? How exactly are they exploited? Are they even more inhumane than real-world capitalists?"

……

Deeprock Mining Company's various inhumane actions have made many players who are still at work or in class unhappy even before they enter the game.

Soon, people on Mengjin and social networks asked: "Do you have to sign a contract of servitude to play this game? Is it not possible to avoid signing one?"

This issue quickly attracted a lot of discussion among players.

—I don't have time to play games, so I can only chat and vent.

But because they didn't have time to play games, the discussion naturally didn't come to any conclusion.

Fortunately, it soon reached 10 a.m.

The Zhenyue mech has taken off and disappeared, and the headquarters of Zhumeng, which was bombed into ruins, has been restored to its original state.

The hall where the press conference was being held was already filled with reporters and gamers.

The lobby in the same location in the game has also been opened to players.

Players in the game stopped and rushed over to watch the mini press conference hosted by Xu Meng.

As soon as Xu Meng appeared, some people at the scene couldn't help but ask about the situation of Shenyan Mining Company:

"Mr. Xu, why would you design such a beastly company as Deep Rock Mining?"

"Are your sources of inspiration real-world companies?"

"Playing games requires becoming a slave first... This is outrageous! Can't we avoid signing a slave agreement?"

……

There were so many questions that Xu Meng found it hard to ignore them.

After greeting everyone, he quickly said, "You don't have to sign."

The players were overjoyed to hear this.

But Xu Meng quickly added, "Anyone with B-level or higher privileges can form their own team."

"You can also choose to sign an agreement with senior employees with B-level privileges to indirectly cooperate with Deep Rock Mining Company."

The players watching the live stream were unaware of the inherent risks of "signing agreements with players," and subconsciously felt that it didn't seem so bad.

Xu Meng didn't give anyone time to think and immediately got to the main topic of the press conference—

"Today's small press conference will be co-hosted by two special guests!"

"Let's welcome: Xiaomeng! And—"

"Our lovely Coco!"

The lights shifted to the right side of the podium, where Xiaomeng was holding the hand of the little blind girl Keke, standing there quietly.

(End of this chapter)