As Coral's words fell, Tao Yao couldn't help but feel a trace of doubt in her heart.
"Little Treasure?"
She pondered to herself, finding the name so endearing.
It's a standard name for a small animal.
But judging by Coral's tone, it seemed to be more than simple.
Just as she was about to ask, the Mermaid Queen Pearl excitedly interjected.
"Ah, don't you all know about Little Treasure?"
Pearl's eyes sparkled with excitement, her voice filled with pride:
"Little Treasure is our guardian beast of the Sea Kingdom, a colossal beast even more powerful than a Despair-level Disaster Beast! It is not only the guardian of this ocean but also our protector!"
As Pearl spoke, her tone became even more animated.
"Little Treasure once swallowed an entire island in one gulp and can control ocean currents, guiding fish migrations."
Her voice brimmed with admiration,
"And not only is Little Treasure incredibly strong, but it also possesses extraordinary wisdom. It can understand our language and even foresee future dangers. Sometimes, it communicates warnings to us through special means."
As Pearl recounted, her emotions seemed to soar higher and higher.
The earlier vigilance on her face completely vanished.
In its place was childlike excitement.
Her eyes twinkled, and her face radiated pride.
"Oh! By the way!"
Pearl suddenly seemed to recall a great idea, clapping her hands excitedly, "If you're interested, I can take you to meet Little Treasure... oh no, I mean, see Little Treasure! It is super cute, and although it is enormous, its temperament is very gentle. You are sure to love it!"
As Pearl spoke, she even made to stand up,
Clearly intending to take Tao Yao and Forget-Me-Not to see Little Treasure immediately.
However, Coral quickly reached out, pulling the eager Pearl back.
"Pearl!"
Coral's voice held a hint of helplessness and strictness,
"The Sea Kingdom is very busy right now; this is not the time for you to indulge in play. As the queen, you should be paying more attention to state affairs rather than thinking about playing with Little Treasure all day."
When Coral said this, Pearl immediately pouted like a scolded child.
She lowered her head and murmured softly,
"I know... but I just wanted to play with Little Treasure..."
Although she complained with her mouth,
Pearl still obediently sat back down, her eyes still sparkling with longing for Little Treasure.
Coral gently shook her head and then turned her gaze back to Forget-Me-Not and Tao Yao.
Her expression returned to its previous seriousness as she asked:
"You two just mentioned fairies? But the whole Sea Kingdom has been calm lately, and I haven't found any signs of fairies appearing. Could it be that you saw it wrong?"
In the face of Coral's doubt, Forget-Me-Not's expression grew even more resolute.
She looked directly into Coral's eyes, her voice clear and firm:
"We absolutely did not see it wrong. As Fairy Hunters, we have special methods to sense the existence of fairies."
"Although we can't pinpoint the exact location right now, I can be sure that in this sea area, there is indeed a powerful fairy attempting to awaken."
Forget-Me-Not paused for a moment and then continued:
"The awakening of a fairy is often accompanied by unusual phenomena."
"Perhaps everything seems normal now, but that may just be surface appearance."
"If it completely awakens, it could bring catastrophic consequences to the entire Sea Kingdom."
After listening to Forget-Me-Not, Coral fell into deep thought.
Her brow slightly furrowed, as if weighing the credibility of this information.
After a while, she slowly spoke:
"Well... I have heard of some exploits of Fairy Hunters. I admit that Fairy Hunters are indeed unmatched in searching for and discovering fairies. Your ability to sense fairies far exceeds that of ordinary people."
She paused, then continued:
"In that case, I think we should not ignore this possibility. After all, it is always wise to take precautions."
Coral's tone became more formal:
"How about this: I will have someone arrange accommodations for you; you two can stay in the Sea Kingdom for now. If any abnormalities do arise, it is very likely we will indeed need your assistance."
"During this time, I will also properly host you on behalf of the Sea Kingdom."
Coral's tone grew serious and firm.
Her gaze swept back and forth between Tao Yao and Forget-Me-Not, as if weighing something.
From Coral's tone, it was not difficult to discern.
She did not intend to let these unexpected guests leave easily.
This attitude happened to align perfectly with the intentions of Tao Yao and Forget-Me-Not, who exchanged knowing glances, tacitly deciding to take the opportunity to stay in the Sea Kingdom for a while longer.
Tao Yao lightly cleared her throat and spoke:
"It would be a great honor for us to stay a while longer in this beautiful Sea Kingdom. We also hope to contribute to the safety of the Sea Kingdom."
Upon hearing this, Pearl's face blossomed with a radiant smile.
Since confirming that Tao Yao and Forget-Me-Not had no malicious intentions,
Her joy was evident, especially after hearing that the two foreign guests wanted to stay.
"That's wonderful!"
Pearl clapped her hands excitedly, "I finally have guests! I haven't seen friends from the mainland for a long time."
She turned to Tao Yao and Forget-Me-Not, her eyes filled with anticipation,
"I can take you to visit our Coral Palace, as well as the Mermaid's Secret Garden, oh right, and the underwater concert hall run by Sister Coral! You will definitely love it!"
The more Pearl spoke, the more excited she became, even standing up as if she was about to take the two guests on an underwater journey immediately.
However, at that moment, Coral reached out and gently pressed her hand on Pearl's shoulder.
"Pearl,"
Coral's voice was serious and firm, "You still have a lot of work to handle. As the queen of the Sea Kingdom, you cannot always immerse yourself in play. There are important documents that need your review and several urgent decisions that require your input."
Pearl's excitement instantly faded, replaced by disappointment and grievance.
She lowered her head and with barely audible voice pleaded:
"Sister Coral, let me take them for a little tour, okay? I promise I will come back to work soon. Please, just this once?"
She lifted her head, her big watery eyes looking at Coral, filled with pleading.
That look was like a little puppy being denied by its owner from playing, pitiful and endearing.
However, Coral's expression remained serious, and she gently shook her head:
"No, Pearl. You have already been slacking off on a lot of work; you cannot delay any longer."
Pearl's shoulders slumped, and her expression turned even more dejected.
She whispered in complaint:
"But I really don't want to be queen... I clearly have no abilities... Sister Coral, why did you make me the queen of the Sea Kingdom..."
Coral's expression softened a little.
She gently patted Pearl's shoulder, her tone carrying a hint of warmth:
"Pearl, you are much more capable than you think. You might not understand it now, but one day, you will. Trust me; you will understand in the future."
Pearl pouted, looking wronged as she returned to her seat at the table.
Even so.
The little mermaid's eyes still occasionally darted towards Tao Yao and Forget-Me-Not.
Clearly, she was still lamenting the lost opportunity to play.
Coral turned to Tao Yao and Forget-Me-Not, giving a slight smile:
"Alright, everyone, please follow me. I will personally arrange your accommodations."
And so, Tao Yao and Forget-Me-Not successfully stayed in the Sea Kingdom, justifiably settling down.
They were arranged to stay in a Coral Palace, surrounded by colorful tropical fish, with a vast underwater plain in the distance, breathtakingly beautiful.
...
As night fell, the underwater world was shrouded in a deep blue.
Colorful glowing jellyfish moved slowly through the sea, adding a dreamy hue to this quiet ocean.
Inside the Coral Palace, soft blue light filtered through windows made of shells, creating a tranquil and mysterious atmosphere indoors.
Tao Yao stood by the window, gazing at the scene outside, unable to help but marvel at the wonder and beauty of the underwater world.
At that moment, a familiar glow lit up beside Tao Yao.
The system fairy Xiao Xiao emerged from the light, floating beside her.
"Wow, this place is so beautiful! The underwater world is even more magical than I imagined."
The system fairy Xiao Xiao looked around in amazement.
"Master, look at those glowing jellyfish and the colorful corals; it's just like a fairy tale world!"
Xiao Xiao floated to the window, excitedly pointing at the scene outside.
"Is that a shimmering school of silver fish? This is Xiao Xiao's first time seeing it!"
Just as Xiao Xiao was immersed in the beautiful underwater scenery, a hand suddenly reached out and grabbed her.
"Xiao Xiao, it's time to work."
Tao Yao's voice interrupted Xiao Xiao's reverie.
"Huh? Didn't we say we would take a break for a while?"
Xiao Xiao said in a bit of a panic, her little face showing a grievance expression.
Tao Yao replied, "Rest is important, but we can't forget our main task either. Now that the situation is special, we need to keep track of the game's trends at all times."
Though her tone was gentle, it was firm and brooked no refusal.
"Okay, let me see the players' situations; we should start thinking about the next version."
After hearing what Tao Yao said, Xiao Xiao, though a bit reluctant, nodded.
"Okay, Master."
She waved her little magic wand, and a virtual light panel immediately appeared before Tao Yao.
The light panel displayed information related to "Fairy Journey" from outside the game world.
Xiao Xiao began to explain in detail.
"With the 1.4 version update, many players have enthusiastically thrown themselves into the game. However, the content of this update itself is quite minimal, and there are no new maps opened."
"Even your old floral language has been instantly cleared because of the new version wheelchair produced by your loyal fan, Little Lei."
"So, in just two days, or even less, players have once again fallen into a period of stagnation..."
The system fairy went on and on, while Tao Yao simply sat on the edge of the bed, listening intently.
Xiao Xiao talked a lot, including the current issues with Fairy Journey.
As the explanation deepened, Xiao Xiao's tone grew heavier.
Finally, she sighed and helplessly stated:
"The situation is essentially like this."
"Master, ever since your 'Last Dance,' the development of the entire game has suddenly been restricted, and the heat has dropped significantly..."
"And the Fairy Technology Company established by the Goddess in Blue Star seems to be experiencing operational issues internally..."
"Wait!" Tao Yao suddenly interrupted Xiao Xiao, her brows furrowing tightly, "This broken game actually has a company? Isn't this a game developed by the Goddess herself?"
"Of course! The game certainly has to be operated by someone."
Xiao Xiao explained:
"But rest assured, the executives of this company are all creations of the Goddess, just ordinary tool operators."
"The Goddess handed over the permissions in Blue Star to them, allowing them to operate the whole game according to the pre-designed plan to ensure it is a sufficiently realistic game."
"And it is precisely because the planning had been settled long ago that the entire company's presence is quite weak, plus they rarely appear on social platforms, merely symbolically releasing a few PVs, ultimately making it less famous than the game..."
Tao Yao's eyes widened, staring at Xiao Xiao intently,
"There are creations of the Goddess in Blue Star... such an important matter... why didn't you tell me earlier?!!"
Her tone was filled with disbelief and a touch of anger.
"I... I just remembered just now."
Xiao Xiao nervously explained, her small body trembling slightly:
"I only remembered there was such a thing when your popularity value just broke 800,000..."
Tao Yao took a deep breath, trying to calm her emotions.
She closed her eyes, contemplating for a moment, then slowly spoke:
"Alright, if that's the case, then we must pay closer attention to the game's trends. Xiao Xiao, continue to tell me about that company's situation."
Xiao Xiao nodded and continued explaining:
"On the surface, the Fairy Technology Company seems like a regular game company, but in reality, its core members are all special existences created by the Goddess."
"They possess wisdom and abilities that surpass ordinary people, but they are also bound by strict behavior codes and cannot arbitrarily interfere with the operation of the game world."
"The company's daily operations mainly deal with technical issues, like server maintenance and bug fixes."
"They are also responsible for executing the game update plans set in advance by the Goddess. However, due to a lack of flexibility and innovation, plus insufficient communication with the player community, the game's development has encountered bottlenecks."
Tao Yao nodded thoughtfully, "So, the current problem is that the game lacks freshness, and the players are starting to feel bored?"
"Exactly,"
"Furthermore, since the upper management of the company are all creations of the Goddess, or let's say God-made people, they might not understand the needs and psychology of human players thoroughly. This has led to some decisions that may deviate from the players' expectations."
Tao Yao stood up, pacing back and forth in the room.
Her brows were tightly furrowed, her heart filled with frustration.
Standing at the window, looking at the gorgeous underwater view outside, her heart was anything but calm.
Her thoughts drifted towards the matters of the game company, overwhelmed with complex emotions.
Although she knew it was somewhat inappropriate to think this way, she had to admit, the Goddess's game...
Actually still had a lot of areas needing improvement.
It's not that this game was terrible, but rather that there were many spaces for optimization.
After all.
No game starts out flawless.
From the moment a game is born, there are always small problems that need to be fixed and improved.
Typically, these issues can be resolved through subsequent updates and maintenance.
The development team would adjust and improve the game content based on player feedback, making it more aligned with player expectations over time.
However, the current problem is that the Goddess is no longer present.
The whole game has lost its most important guidepost and cannot effectively improve based on player feedback.
Tao Yao felt a sense of helplessness.
Although she possessed a certain amount of popularity, it was far from enough to affect the entire game world.
In terms of boosting the game's appeal, what she could do was indeed limited.
This feeling of powerlessness made her feel frustrated and restless.
After a moment of thought, Tao Yao turned to Xiao Xiao and asked:
"Xiao Xiao, let me ask you a question, can that tool operator game company's permissions affect the future development trajectory of the entire 'Fairy Journey'?"
Xiao Xiao pondered for a while.
"Well... strictly speaking, the entire upper management of the game company in Blue Star consists of tool operators. The planning has been prepared long ago. While they do have some influencing permissions, they will not exceed those permissions."
"After all, the Goddess is the owner of the whole game; even if the Goddess is no longer present, this is still the Goddess's game, and those tool operators are merely the visible personnel for Blue Star. Just treat them as if they don't exist."
After hearing this reply, Tao Yao's expression didn't look too good.
Furrowing her brow, she spoke somewhat urgently:
"You mean they can influence the game?"
"Sort of...?"
Tao Yao took a deep breath, trying to calm her emotions. She patiently continued:
"Xiao Xiao, have you ever thought about this? Since the planning was already prepared and they are running the whole game according to the predetermined trajectory, there shouldn't be any problems, and they would continue to operate."
"But the current situation is that I have already broken this rule. Which means, I have already broken the original plan... In this scenario, can those tool operators still just sit back and relax?"
Xiao Xiao was taken aback, her little face filled with surprise.
"Are you implying that the tool operators will have to change the game?"
Tao Yao nodded, "Xiao Xiao, if possible, please help me check their specific situation."
Xiao Xiao immediately began to immerse herself fully into the Blue Star network, searching for relevant information.
As the search deepened, Xiao Xiao's face gradually turned pale.
"Master, the situation seems to be much worse than we imagined."
Xiao Xiao's voice carried a hint of trembling:
"I found some recent news about the Fairy Technology Company online."
"Master, there have been significant changes within the company. First, they completely adjusted the entire personnel structure. Some of the original upper management have been replaced, forming a new management team, which seems to be more radical and innovative."
"Secondly, the promotion department also underwent a major overhaul. The team responsible for operating the self-media platform was completely replaced, and the new team has started frequently posting messages on major social platforms and interacting with players. This is completely different from before..."
"Then, the company has massively recruited new research and development personnel. Among them are experienced game designers and executives from other successful game companies. These new employees bring fresh ideas and concepts."
Xiao Xiao's voice grew increasingly tense, her speed inadvertently quickening:
"Master, the most terrifying thing is... they..."
"They actually changed the Goddess's original plan! According to the internal documents I obtained, the new management believes that the original game content can no longer meet players' needs, so they decided to implement a comprehensive reform of the game."
By the end of her statement, Xiao Xiao's voice was clearly quaking:
"They completely abandoned the Goddess's original design concept to recreate the game based on market demands..."
As Xiao Xiao narrated, Tao Yao's expression gradually became calm.
Her gaze turned profound, as if she were contemplating something.
Tao Yao took a deep breath and slowly spoke:
"I'm not afraid of how bad the game becomes. As long as I have enough time to accumulate popularity value, when I can fully control the entire game world, I will do my best to make this game better."
Her voice grew low and determined:
"You must understand, a period of stagnation is not terrifying; what is terrifying is random modifications..."
Tao Yao turned to Xiao Xiao, her eyes sparkling with inquiry:
"How exactly are they planning to change it?"
Xiao Xiao took a deep breath and continued reporting:
"Master, according to the internal documents I just infiltrated, they plan to introduce a whole new card battle mode in the next version."
"This mode will completely detach from the original gameplay, introducing an entirely new combat system and character development mechanism."
"What's worse is that they also plan to make significant adjustments to existing characters."
"Some characters originally rated four stars will be upgraded to five stars, with their corresponding storylines and abilities rewritten."
"In addition to that, they plan to introduce a completely new world area, entirely independent of the current game map. This new area will adopt a completely different art style and storyline setting, reportedly to cater to a younger player demographic."
Listening to what Xiao Xiao said.
Tao Yao fell silent, responding after a moment:
"These changes are fine. As long as the operations are good and the alterations are well done, it won't really affect anything."
However, just as Tao Yao's words fell,
Xiao Xiao hesitated slightly before speaking.
"But Master, it seems there is another change in their meeting records..."
"Huh? What?"
"Someone suggested in the meeting to introduce male characters into the card pool and allocate sufficient content to expand the potential player base..."
Tao Yao: "..."