Sword Among Us

Bai Lang placed a leg over his knee, smiled, and pushed the glasses over his nose bridge. “You still have a bounty over your head, and you’re rushing for time, so we’ll cut to the chase.”

It seemed that he had become more charismatic in the real world. Half a year ago, he still looked very boyish, but right then, a profound air could be found on him, even though it was very faint.

“There are two things we have to tell you.

“One, our people have reached Baokang’s Shennongjia. We’ve also contacted Thunderous Battle, but the situation is rather complicated, and progress is very slow.

“Two, it’s about our cooperation with the official developers. Over the past few days, there have been many people who challenged the royal mausoleum, but all of them failed. Too many people have died from Ninja King’s clone, Ninja King himself, or in Nation Protecting Divine Sword’s tomb or the tomb with the heirloom seal. Those who went there couldn’t even reach the entrance to the second level…”

When Bai Lang said that, he spread his arms and grinned. “Up until now, we’re the only ones who have successfully cleared the royal mausoleum. The official website has shared our battle replay, and now, our view count has surpassed one hundred million! Not only are the views not slowing down anytime soon, there is an increasing number of people who are researching our battle replay. Hence, the official developers want to contact you through South China Martial Arts Ranking Board.

“Next time, if there are similar activities, our battle replays can enter the pay-to-view website. It can be considered as an independent website focusing on uploading walkthroughs for quests. If anyone wants to research those dungeons or events in the future, they will need to pay an appropriate sum of money to log in to experience the uploader’s first person view in the game…”

When Chen Fan and Qi Ci saw Happy’s expression change, their faces filled with excitement and pride!

After all, the official developers were the ones who had come to them right then, and they had even asked South China Martial Arts Ranking Board to design that specific website. From that, they could tell that South China Martial Arts Ranking Board’s fame and influence was swiftly growing.

“You’re not forced to do it. If you think that there is a need for you to keep a secret, we can choose not to sell your point of view. We can sell battle replays that do not require a lot of secrecy on your part, and viewer confidentiality is very high. The price would also be cheap. Hence, the official developers believe that they could reach more than 50% sales. If the battle replay was recorded from your point of view though, the percentage would be even higher!”

Happy felt dazed.

The system of paying to view walkthrough battle replays was very popular in his previous life, but he had only come to realize its importance and experienced it after his friends told him about it. It was very addictive. It was said that the official developers managed to gain a lot of profit through that system. The amount of money they earned every single day was very shocking, and the elites on the Famous People Rank had been proud of being placed on the ranks to sell their battle replays.

In his previous life, Happy had been very inconspicuous in the early stages of the game. He had always been training, and he never created any battle replays. During the later stages of the game, most of the profit gained from thats pay-to-view system was divided by the elites on the ranks.

He had thus not expected that the pay-to-view system would be developed earlier because of South China Martial Arts Ranking Board and his own influence, and the first person they invited would be him.

However, Happy soon changed to the right mindset to talk. “How much are they planning to pay us for this pay-to-view system?”

The trio was stunned.

They had thought that Happy would be stunned by the major piece of news for a long time. They did not expect that he would ask the core of the problem straight away.

“The uploader of the battle replay can apply for the quotation himself. Once their application is verified, the uploader can get 10% of the income!”

Bai Lang, Chen Fan, and Qi Ci analyzed the situation with great excitement. “The official developers set the lowest quotation at 10RMB. If ten million people buy it, the total profit would be one hundred million, and we would get ten million. Once we deduct what is needed for tax, we can still get around a few million.”

A few million was a huge sum for university students, especially when they could get such a huge income through an inconspicuous battle replay. Who would not be tempted?

However, that sum did not manage to tempt Happy.

“It’s too low.”

Happy’s answer caught the trio off guard, and they were thrown into disbelief. They looked at each other at a loss for a long time.

‘That is too low?’

“Don’t be too greedy…”

“Since we’re the uploader, 10% is definitely too low. They’re just sitting there and reaping in the profit, while we’re the uploaders as well as the ones taking the risk. Besides, we’re selling our experiences and benefits. We must at least gain 50% of the profit, or else, we shouldn’t make the deal. Reply to the official developers and tell them that this is what I said. If it’s not a 50/50 split, I will not provide any battle replays.”

“50%?!”

Chen Fan was shocked by Happy’s expectations, and his voice throat even grew dry.

Based on the figures they provided just then, 50% would mean fifty million!

Qi Ci was also shocked, but he shook his head to show that he thought it was not practical. “That’s not possible.”

After all, the platform was provided by World of Martial Artists. The official developers were in control of everything. To him, the official website giving them 10% of the profit was already a very shocking benefit.

However, Happy had his own thoughts about it.

He remembered that in his previous life, the only battle replay he ever experienced was from the most mysterious player in World of Martial Arts—One Emperor, the strongest player in the game!

Even after the game had been launched for two years, One Emperor only made one battle replay. The location was at the top of the Forbidden City. It was during the time when he appeared for a brief moment and killed Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuixue[1]’s disciples. The video showing it was not long, taking up less than three minutes. The change in the field of vision was incredibly shocking, however, and the pay-to-view system had received a profit of more than ten billion.

Based on rumors, the official developers had tried to get in contact with One Emperor for a very long time, and they finally gritted their teeth and agreed to a 20/80 split to get the right to upload his battle replay.

Even if One Emperor took away 80% of their profit, they still gained ten billion from that battle replay alone!

It was clear from that just how great One Emperor’s popularity had been at that time, and the official developers were also very flexible when it came to the price and division of profit.

*****

Happy, however, would not say those things out loud. He only tapped against the table and used a very calm tone to tell to the trio, “Everything can only be gained if we fight for it. Last time, did you ever think that the official developers would contact you on their own? You didn’t, right?

“But now, they did it. This proves that we have a bargaining chip that the official developers view as valuable. This bargaining chip is something other people do not have; it only belongs to us!”

Chen Fan, Bai Lang, and Qi Ci were so shocked by Happy’s argument that they sank into deep thought.

“Please don’t tell me that you’ve already agreed to the official developers?”

Xu Xin had also heard the quartet’s conversation. When she walked out from the kitchen, she stared at the trio.

The trio’s faces turned red. They instantly felt embarrassed.

“Urk.”

“At that time, we thought that 10% was a very great deal.”

“Idiots.” Xu Xin could not bear to watch it anymore, and she sighed in resignation. “Did you talk about this together, or did the three of you talk about it on your own?”

“We did talk about it with another group.” The trio finally found some semblance of confidence. “At that time, we even asked a few students from the Economics Department…”

“But you’re still students. You must have been so happy that you felt faint when you heard that you’ll be earning around ten million, right?” Xu Xin moved in front of the trio and sat down beside Happy.

The situation swiftly turned into a 2 vs 3!

“It’s fine,” Happy said while remaining calm. His words attracted everyone’s attention.

“You may have promised them, but if they want to get the rights, and even if it’s a verbal authorization to my battle replay, they will need to get my approval for it. Bai Lang, do the official developers intend to go through you to contact me and get a first-person battle replay for my battle at Common Reed Bank?”

Chen Fan, Bai Lang, and Qi Ci were silent.

The trio looked as if they were staring at an alien. “How did you know?!” they asked in disbelief.

“It’s obvious.” Happy shook his head in resignation. “Aside from that battle replay, I can’t think of anything else that could tempt the official developers. Just do as I said and reply to them. Tell them that my battle replay is related to my personal benefits and secrets. I want at least a 50% share of the profit.”

Happy had not asked for the exorbitant price of 80% because he still did not have that right. One Emperor had been dormant for two years, building a mysterious air about himself that led to everyone believing that he was invincible, to earn that right!

When Happy remembered the battle at the top of the Forbidden City he experienced through the battle replay, he could not help but long for it.

‘One of these days, I will reach that height!’