Chapter 371 A Phenomenal Game, Little Ma Calls

Time passed quietly, and the day of phantom world's official release finally arrived.

At the moment of release, the number of downloads surged like a tsunami.

Not only in Dragon Country, but IP addresses from all over the world were visiting frantically.

Wealthy tycoons and celebrities did not hesitate to click purchase for the Deluxe Edition. Although that set of neuron-link VR equipment required specialized logistics delivery and would arrive a bit later, they bought it first anyway.

Meanwhile, more ordinary players chose the Standard Edition, priced at 3,000 yuan.

This price was definitely not cheap for a game, but considering the epoch-making quality it displayed, countless people were still willing to pay for it.

Some people also downloaded it just to join in the fun and experience the luxury of the official version.

After a day, the data was astonishing.

In just 24 hours, the global downloads of phantom world surpassed 500 million.

And the number of purchases, including both the Standard and Deluxe Editions, reached a terrifying 300 million.

This completely shattered all historical records for global game releases!

Of course, the download volume was far higher than the purchase volume, indicating that many people were still waiting to see, or just wanted to download it first to try it out.

But Jiang Jing believed that once they experienced it, it would be hard to resist the game's charm, and converting them into paying users was only a matter of time.

Unless they really had no money.

But if they really had no money, they wouldn't spend time downloading the game in the first place...

Those who received the Deluxe Edition VR equipment first were naturally the wealthy elites in Rong City. Almost a few hours after the release, some people posted unboxing pictures online.

That 'neuron-link' equipment looked incredibly sci-fi, consisting of what looked like a thickened eye mask and a miniature signal receiver worn on the wrist—it was unbelievably simple.

After eagerly experiencing it, these testers posted incredible shares online one after another:

“My god! Words cannot describe it! This isn't playing a game at all; this is transmigration!”

“The graphics are 100% realistic! The face I customized looks exactly like me! Walking in the game feels exactly the same as in reality!”

“The brain-control is so smooth! I wanted to swing my sword, and without my hand even moving, my game character swung it! As soon as the thought arrives, the action is executed!”

“Hahaha, this is killing me. My husband is wearing the equipment and dancing around in the living room, fighting the air, saying he's killing monsters in the game! He almost kicked the coffee table over!”

These real and amusing shares pushed the popularity of phantom world's Deluxe Edition to its peak.

The internet was filled with envious exclamations and voices urging the logistics companies.

Those wealthy players who hadn't received their goods yet were even more anxious, offering extra money to seek priority shipping channels.

Of course, some people also started to have other ideas.

If such advanced Brain-control Technology could be cracked and researched, its value would be immeasurable.

Many foreign scientific research institutions and organizations with ulterior motives also quietly ordered the Deluxe Edition, aiming straight for that VR equipment.

Regarding these undercurrents, Jiang Jing merely smiled disdainfully.

Crack it?

That is nothing but a pipe dream!

If they actually succeeded in cracking it, that would be a real miracle.

The storm triggered by phantom world grew more and more intense.

The entire logistics system of Rong City seemed to have been injected with a shot of adrenaline. Express delivery vehicles flowed endlessly, and countless packages printed with the Xingchen Technology logo were sorted, loaded, and sent to all parts of the country.

Of course, packages sent overseas required longer transit times, but this did not deter the enthusiasm of global players in the slightest.

The online world was almost completely dominated by phantom world.

Eight out of the top ten on the trending search list were related to it.

Players spontaneously formed communities on forums, Tieba, and video websites to share their experiences in the game.

“Brothers! I found a hidden easter egg! There's a cave behind the waterfall east of Qingfeng Village. Inside is an old man, and if you match poems with him, you can get a rare skill book!”

“How do I level up fast? It feels so hard to fight monsters!”

“To the person upstairs, don't just think about fighting and killing! Go learn gathering or blacksmithing. The experience given by quests is also quite a lot, and you can make money!”

“Holy crap! The scenery in this game is so beautiful! Any random screenshot makes a perfect wallpaper! [Shared in-game sunset screenshot]”

“Check out my self-created [Mad Dog Swordplay]! It specializes in targeting the lower body, and it's super effective against humanoid monsters! [Battle video attached]”

The exquisite graphics made players linger, and they took screenshots to share one after another.

The highly free gameplay gave birth to countless 'folk experts.' Some studied combat techniques and became martial arts instructors.

Some explored the map, tirelessly digging up hidden quests and easter eggs.

There were also lifestyle players obsessed with fishing, cooking, building... The entire game ecosystem showed unprecedented vitality.

Many game streamers switched over to play it. Under the massive hype, the number of viewers in their Livestream rooms often broke records.

Xingchen Technology Headquarters, Data Monitoring Center.

On the huge electronic screen, curves representing data such as download volume, online players, and transaction volume soared all the way, constantly refreshing records.

Looking at the dazzling numbers on the screen, Jiang Jing happily wrapped his arm around the slender waist of Jiang Yan beside him.

“How about it, President Jiang? Are you satisfied with these results?” Jiang Jing smiled, lowering his head to quickly plant a kiss on Jiang Yan's enticing lips.

“Ah!” Caught off guard, Jiang Yan let out a soft cry, and her cheeks instantly flushed red.

She subconsciously looked at the busy employees around them.

However, the surrounding employees were working so intently at this moment, each staring intently at the screen in front of them as if they could see flowers blooming on them.

They were either 'intently' tapping on their keyboards, their expressions as serious as if they were handling state secrets.

Or they were gathered together 'heatedly' discussing some data fluctuation, completely ignoring the little interaction between the boss and the president.

Amused and annoyed, Jiang Yan gave Jiang Jing a gentle punch and whispered, “Are you crazy! So many people are watching!”

Jiang Jing licked his lips, chuckled, and whispered in her ear, “What's there to fear? None of them saw it. Besides, you taste great. How about another one?”

Just as he was about to launch another attack, the private phone in his pocket rang.

Feeling a bit disappointed, Jiang Jing pulled out his phone and glanced at the caller ID—Pony Ma.

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, as if he had expected this.

“Hello, Brother Ma?” Jiang Jing's tone was relaxed.

From the other end of the line, Pony Ma's enthusiastic yet somewhat complicated voice immediately came through: “CEO Jiang! Congratulations, congratulations! The data for phantom world is simply earth-shattering. It has completely slapped the faces of us old-timers!”

He first offered his sincere congratulations, and then changed the subject, speaking with a touch of self-deprecation and emotion:

“I experienced it myself, and I have to say, CEO Jiang, you really don't make a sound unless you intend to amaze everyone!”

“Developing a game so casually and directly shattering the ceiling of our industry—this is completely leaving no way out for us, haha.”

Hearing this, Jiang Jing laughed, his tone carrying a hint of teasing: “Brother Ma, you are being too modest. Penguin Games is still an industry giant with deep roots and lush leaves.”

“Mine is just a small-scale endeavor, trying out some new tricks. It can't compare to a behemoth like yours.”

The two flattered each other for a few sentences, and the atmosphere seemed harmonious.

But in the end, Pony Ma couldn't help himself and began to complain...