Chapter 64

Chapter 064: A Steal at This Price

This report is truly comprehensive!

As expected of a professional team—their organizational capabilities are formidable.

To produce such detailed data in such a short time, with astonishing efficiency, is no small feat.

The comments and suggestions from the scholars in the report also left a deep impression on him, sparking his imagination.

"This isn't just about having enough hands; you need sharp minds too!"

Yan Cang silently praised.

He set down the [Fate Wheel Mirror] and leaned back against the chair.

His thoughts inevitably drifted.

From his days as a student, he had long understood that people's minds work differently.

Back then, under Teacher Qiao Yue's strict supervision, he had worked hard enough.

Yet his grades still fell far short of those top students.

Those guys always seemed to grasp the essence of knowledge effortlessly, drawing inferences from one example, solving problems at a speed he could never match.

Yan Cang had long made peace with this gap in talent, feeling little resentment.

After all, everyone has their strengths.

Moreover, the "Great Fate Art" he now possessed—even if only a fraction of its power—was something others could only dream of, something beyond their imagination.

But at this moment, looking at this report, completed in an incredibly short time yet so comprehensive and professional,

Yan Cang couldn't help but mutter enviously, "If only I had this many people at my beck and call..."

The thought flickered and vanished.

He quickly snapped back to reality. "What am I thinking? Subordinates aren't puppets. Having to arrange everything for them all the time sounds like a hassle."

"Forget it, forget it."

Shaking off the thought, Yan Cang refocused on the most critical part of the report:

The specific test data on the effects of those Good Fortune Coins.

"In the core application scenario of opening chests... the [Constant Fortune Coin] can effectively prevent obtaining completely useless items, with a high probability of securing the desired type of supplies."

He savored this conclusion.

Having browsed the forum for so long, he was well aware of the pain points ordinary trial participants faced when opening chests.

Black Iron Chests were the norm, and at least half of what came out of them was likely to be of little use, or even worthless junk.

Opening a chest with high hopes, only to get such results, dealt a heavy blow to morale and emotions.

At the same time, it wasted a relatively precious opportunity to open a chest.

Now, for just ten Fate Points, this frustrating possibility could be largely avoided.

It ensured that what came out was something he needed at the moment—whether it was scarce meat or a handy weapon.

This was incredibly worth it.

"At least, based on the current market conditions," he thought, "food or an ordinary iron tool from a Black Iron Chest can easily sell for twenty or thirty Fate Points in the Trading House."

"If you get something relatively good or find a buyer in urgent need, selling for nearly a hundred Fate Points isn't unheard of."

"But no matter how you calculate it, this deal is a guaranteed profit!"

Of course, Yan Cang also understood that this pricing was based on the previous stage of overall resource scarcity.

Just as the impact assessment in the report had predicted.

As more and more people use [Good Fortune] to open chests, the prices of these basic survival supplies will inevitably drop, settling into a more reasonable range.

By then, the return on investment for the [Constant Fortune Coin] won't be as exaggerated as it is now.

But the value of this safety net remains; the threshold of ten Fate Points is low enough that there's no worry about a lack of users.

His gaze then shifted downward to the test results for the higher-tier Good Fortune Coins:

"The Auspicious Fortune Coin, one hundred Fate Points, basically guarantees a Bronze Chest and even the desired type—this cost-effectiveness is no slouch either."

"The Grand Fortune Coin, ten thousand Fate Points, basically guarantees a Silver Chest while potentially yielding items of the expected type—the prices of some Mysterious Artifacts and Skill Books in the Trading House should plummet!"

"The Heavenly Fortune Coin, one million Fate Points, guarantees a Silver Chest one hundred percent, and it will almost always yield the highest-quality items from within..."

Seeing this, Yan Cang felt something was off: "This effect description seems somewhat underwhelming, doesn't it?"

"It feels like it doesn't do justice to the [Good Fortune] power it carries; it should have an additional effect. For example, the items obtained are more suited to one's own needs?"

"But why isn't this mentioned in the report?"

He thought it over, "Could it be because those testers weren't opening chests for themselves? So that effect didn't apply?"

"But if that's the case... the [Good Fortune] power shouldn't have been completely consumed by opening chests!"

Yan Cang rested his chin on his hand, carefully deliberating.

"Perhaps... those items themselves were useful to the officials, but they just weren't noticed at the time?"

"Hmm! That must be it!"

Due to the exorbitant value of the [Heavenly Fortune Coin], it was destined that only a very few would exchange for it for now.

With that, Yan Cang didn't dwell on it much.

After coming up with this relatively reasonable explanation, he simply glossed over it.

"Overall, the effect of the Good Fortune Coin system has fully met or even slightly exceeded my original expectations."

He felt quite satisfied, a sense of accomplishment from a plan coming together welling up inside him.

"The Constant Fortune and Auspicious Fortune tiers can secure the most basic survival supplies; the Grand Fortune Coin brings the possibility of enhancing everyone's strength."

"Thus, the value of Fate Points is stable, inflationary pressure is relieved, everyone's enthusiasm for top-ups increases, and the growth of the Energy Pool can speed up again..."

"A perfect closed loop!"

As for the application scenarios of the Good Fortune Coin system, they were naturally not limited to just opening chests.

That was a given.

It all depended on individual wisdom and needs; after all, he hadn't imposed any restrictions.

Perhaps someone might truly develop an unexpected and ingenious use, unleashing tremendous value.

Yan Cang was happy to see that happen.

"Anyway, I'm not a game designer, so I don't need to worry about balance," he thought.

"Besides, since everyone can obtain them, isn't that a form of balance in itself?"

As for the opposing factions not having them?

"Hmm! It's not out of the question to consider selling them at double the price..." His thoughts once again drifted off.

Snapping back to reality, Yan Cang stretched languidly with satisfaction, feeling comfortable while still taking a moment to praise:

"I'm so grateful to the countless staff behind this report!"

It was precisely thanks to this professional internal report that he could maintain such a relaxed mindset and leisurely assess the results.

He didn't have to wade through the vast ocean of the forum and chat channels to collect user feedback that was hard to distinguish between true and false.

Of course, even though he had already grasped the gist of things through the report, he still wanted to browse the forum.

After all, surfing the web was still quite enjoyable.

Yan Cang picked up the [Fate Wheel Mirror] again.

Then, he switched the interface in the mirror to the forum, ready to check out the celebratory frenzy after the Fate Net update.

Sure enough.

At this moment, the Fate Net Forum was already buzzing to the point of near explosion.

Discussion posts about the three new features sprang up like mushrooms after rain, their posting speed dazzlingly fast.

The posts on the front page were refreshing almost every second.

Among them, the hottest topic was naturally the Good Fortune Coin System.

Although the personal attribute interface and the item details column were also key and practical features, they ultimately lacked the impact of something like luck.

Luck was both mysterious and tangible, directly tied to everyone's core interests.

Under the rule of being able to open a supply box for free every day, boosting luck was practically a universal need.

However, since the new features went live just over an hour after the leaderboard refresh at noon today,

the vast majority of people had already habitually opened their daily chests as soon as the prompt sounded.

This led to an interesting phenomenon:

The discussions on the forum about the actual effects of the Good Fortune Coins were currently dominated by "inquiries," "verifications," "hearsay," and "a few lucky ones showing off."

Several highly popular boasting posts floated on the front page:

[Just used an Auspicious Fortune Coin, bronze chest, got a fine steel machete! [Image attached] A hundred Fate Points, totally worth it!]

Replies below: "So jealous! I opened mine at noon like an idiot, black iron, got a rag, crying!"

"OP is a good person, soaking up some luck! Tomorrow I'll go for Auspicious Fortune too!"

"Grand Fortune Coin is the real deal! Heard it guarantees a silver chest!"

"Anyone tried the Heavenly Fortune Coin? Share your experience!"

"I can only afford a Constant Fortune Coin, but I opened a pack of jerky, totally worth it!"

More people were regretting and wailing:

"Ahhh! Why didn't the update come earlier! I opened my chest at noon! Another black iron, feels like I missed out on a fortune!"

"Same regret! Tomorrow! Tomorrow I must exchange for an Auspicious Fortune Coin to open my chest!"

"Question: Does the Auspicious Fortune Coin still work on a chest that's already been opened? Can it make the loot better? (Dreaming)"

"Boo hoo, I donated all my Fate Points to the People's Union Association, now I don't have any money to exchange for coins..."

Others were analyzing price fluctuations in the Trading House:

[Latest Data! Food and tool prices have plummeted, overall about 30% off compared to before the update, and they're still slowly dropping.]

[Reminder: If you have surplus supplies on hand, it's recommended to sell them off quickly; another wave of treasure chests will open tomorrow at noon, and everyone will have a Good Fortune buff. It's expected that the supply of these materials will surge, and prices might drop to half or even lower than current levels.]

"Thirty percent off? Prices are dropping this fast?"

Yan Cang felt a bit puzzled when he saw this data.

"Didn't everyone basically open their supply boxes today before the update?"

"Where is all this supply coming from to squeeze prices?"

But after a moment's thought, he understood.

Panic selling!

Because once the treasure chests refresh tomorrow at noon, with the boost from [Good Fortune], a significant increase in the output of high-demand supplies is an obvious and inevitable trend.

A major price correction is something everyone can foresee.

With that in mind, those holding inventory naturally rush to sell today while prices are relatively high.

"I see!"

"The market is reacting pretty quickly..."

After figuring it out, Yan Cang continued browsing various posts.

Suddenly, his brow twitched slightly.

He keenly sensed something unusual—

The total amount in the Energy Pool was rapidly plummeting!

"What... is going on?"

He immediately sank his consciousness into the Mirror World to check the real-time status of the Energy Pool.

There, he saw the vast and majestic Crimson Sun, its volume and energy intensity visibly shrinking!

Although the reduction ratio wasn't fatal relative to its total size, the rate of decline was extremely swift.

This consumption speed clearly far exceeded the energy inflow from user top-ups, and also far surpassed the energy needed to maintain the Fate Net's operation.

"?"

While puzzled, Yan Cang quickly traced the source of this abnormal energy consumption.

Soon, he pinpointed the target:

It was the Exchange Good Fortune Coins function!

Countless exchange requests were surging in from the Fate Net's Withdrawal Interface, connecting to his origin [Fortune-Bearing Golden Mother]...

The latter was drawing energy from the Energy Pool to manifest physical Good Fortune Coins one by one, then distributing them to users.

Although the vast majority were exchanges for [Constant Fortune Coins], the proportion of [Auspicious Fortune Coins] was also considerable.

Occasionally, he even saw records of [Grand Fortune Coin] exchanges flashing by.

But that wasn't the main issue; the real problem was the sheer volume and concentration.

"What's going on? Why are Good Fortune Coins suddenly selling like hotcakes? People are scrambling for them as if they're free?"

Yan Cang couldn't help but find it strange.

Even though he knew Good Fortune Coins had good effects and there would definitely be demand, this surge was way too sudden!

It was almost like there was a promotional event!

He thought to himself that he hadn't launched any price cuts or sales; the exchange price for Good Fortune Coins was still the same clear markup.

While puzzled, Yan Cang quickly traced the origin.

Soon.

His gaze locked onto the front page of the Fate Net Forum, where a post's popularity was skyrocketing.

This post was strange; its number of replies wasn't particularly high relative to its popularity, barely breaking ten thousand.

But its number of reposts had already surpassed the ten million mark!

And it was still growing!

The post title was very straightforward, with a hint of clickbait marketing flair:

"Brothers, I've combined various data from the forum with my own personal tests and just summarized the real utility and general situation of the Good Fortune Coins. Check it out fast! First come, first served!"

Yan Cang clicked on it.

The main post was concise but highly provocative:

[Based on what I can find on the forum and the real cases I've gathered from a small-scale survey, here's the summary:]

[Constant Fortune Coin (10 Fate Points): Guarantees you'll get the type of item you want, no more junk! Huge profit!]

[Auspicious Fortune Coin (100 Fate Points): High chance of getting a Bronze Chest! Getting one is a massive win!]

[Grand Fortune Coin (10,000 Fate Points): Too little data, but it's a sure bet for a Silver Chest! Getting a powerful skill from it is basically a life-changing opportunity.]

[Heavenly Fortune and Fate Coins: Haven't seen them, but considering the price, their effects must be absolutely insane!]

[Summary: The effect of the Good Fortune Coins is absolutely worth more than their cost! Even if you've already opened today's Supply Box, stocking up for tomorrow is still a huge win!]

[Moreover, Good Fortune isn't just useful for opening chests; when you're in danger, it might just turn things around for you, and you need its guidance when searching for resources nearby.]

[There are many, many other uses too. In short, the Good Fortune Coin is the most cost-effective hard currency in the current version.]

[The key point is that the price is set so cheaply. The Chief is generous! Loyalty!]

[I'm just worried it might be limited? After all, with such powerful effects, the cost might be high!]

[So I'm reminding everyone: Don't hesitate, go exchange now! Exchange as many as you can! Even hoarding them won't cause a loss! Don't wait until the price goes up or there's a purchase limit to regret it!]

"Makes sense!"

"After all, Good Fortune Coins can be exchanged back for Fate Points, so stocking up in advance won't cause any loss."

After reading the content, even Yan Cang couldn't help but nod.

He felt the post was very persuasive, and the sense of urgency was perfectly crafted.

As for others who saw the post, their reactions were even more predictable.

Driven by the mentality of "buying means profit, no risk of loss," most were instantly convinced and took action.

Some even forwarded the post to people they knew, afraid their friends and family might miss out.

That's where the tens of millions of shares—still growing—came from.

From this, one could see how widely it spread.

And once a large number of people start scrambling to buy a product, naturally more and more people join the rush.

That's why this wave of exchanges kept intensifying.

It's just...

"I didn't arrange any shills, did I? Why is someone so actively helping to promote this?"

"And worrying about me limiting purchases or raising prices... He doesn't actually think I'm selling at a loss, does he?"

Yan Cang couldn't help but look down at the warm, golden glow of the [Fortune-Bearing Golden Mother] on his wrist, then at the [Fate Wheel Mirror] beside him with its starry surface, and finally felt the slowly circulating Sword Qi of the Sword Nurturing Art within him, along with the supreme "Great Fate Art"...

"I'm about to be broke enough to take the bus?"

He inexplicably thought of that line.