The System Mistook Me for a Cat-Chapter 182
When everyone was fixated on the matter and couldn't divert their attention—
Why not make some money off them?
The system, acting as a "merchant," was somewhat lacking in professional ethics, as it grumbled while earning money.
"So," it said, "this is the game I made for you!"
Documentaries can record a journey through filming, but games with a stronger sense of immersion can engage more people. As long as the game remains on sale and in operation over time, the story will be revisited repeatedly.
Without Chu Tingwu's request, the system took it upon itself to plan and complete the work.
However... if Chu Tingwu had paid more attention to the company's operations, she might have discovered the system's secret gift, as it didn't try to hide it too much.
Chu Tingwu: "I'm sorry I don't go to work..."
Not to mention work, she hadn't even gone to school yet.
Her expression remained unchanged as she muttered to herself. The little girl beside her, who was also looking at the computer screen, couldn't help but glance up at her, then quickly looked back at the screen.
Although Chu Tingwu was a guest there to dine, she also had the dual identities of "boss of the foundation" and "kind big sister who helped set up a stall at the night market." Therefore, after finishing her meal, she didn't leave immediately—because the chef aunt had prepared a special dessert just for her.
Not for sale.
When she opened her computer on the sofa, the little girl who was doing her homework showed clear curiosity but didn't ask to watch.
It was Chu Tingwu who invited them over. Now, a few kids were sitting on either side of her, some leaning over the back of the sofa. Chu Tingwu asked, "Have you played computer games?"
The short-haired girl on the left, relatively more outgoing, raised her hand and said, "We played some in computer class."
Although they were "computer games," they mostly involved simple puzzles like filling in words or forming phrases, with some students secretly playing solitaire.
Chu Tingwu thought for a moment: "That's similar to another game from our company called 'School Banter.'"
Both were puzzle games, after all.
The little girl seemed a bit excited: "Really similar? My mom said she'll bring back an old phone for me when she comes home for the new year!"
Then she could play as well.
The age at which people began using electronic devices had significantly dropped. 'School Banter' was very popular in elementary schools. Everyone thought it was stylish to play "parent-approved" games, and it had strong social attributes. If someone hadn't played it, their conversation topics would be limited.
Chu Tingwu tilted her head: "Then you can watch the game I'm about to play—it's the test version that hasn't been released yet, and no one knows about it."
Plus, they could offer suggestions together to help her, which wasn't just a waste of time but truly useful.
Chu Tingwu slightly adjusted the screen to ensure everyone could see it.
On the screen, the full-screen display had just shown the game's title—
'Flybird'
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Usheng Group's game division had branched out to become an independent subsidiary, and now they were working overtime testing 'Flybird'.
Originally, the game was planned to release in two months, with the main content already completed by the system. However, to capitalize on the current online buzz and release it hastily, they had to split the game content into two parts, making it a two-part series.
Just like the name... 'Flybird' was a high-freedom 3D console game, playable with a controller or keyboard. The game involved the player taking on the role of a birdwatcher, chasing after a migrating flock of Red Rain Falcons, capturing enough footage to create a 20-minute video, and finally uploading it online to earn points and ratings.
Of course, both "uploading to the network" and "receiving ratings" were part of the game's mechanics, serving as the ending once the game was cleared.
The game was "based on real events," with maps completely referencing reality. Players could customize their character's appearance, and there were certain requirements for the route they took to follow the migratory birds (since they couldn't recreate the entire world map in the game). The game maintained a limited degree of freedom.
There were also game guides for beginners, but it wasn't mandatory to follow the main storyline. The game was filled with hidden Easter eggs, allowing players to explore freely.
Although the promotional campaign would start tonight, with the full online release scheduled for a week later, the testing had to continue. After all, with so many players out there, one could never predict what kinds of bugs they might encounter in the game.
Qiao Lulu was the admin of a game chat group and knew many familiar "masters," so after getting to know the official game platform, he began taking on intermediary work like linking testers to clients.
He organized a session, inviting familiar experts to try the game out.
For testers like them, the first step was naturally to test the clearing process, followed by exploring greater freedom. He even discussed with the company:
"If you have other people testing, they can also join me. I've decided to set up a voice chat to play together, and the discussion efficiency will be higher."
Not long after, someone actually added his contact, with an unfamiliar name but a very familiar cat avatar. After adding him to the voice room, Qiao Lulu didn't introduce anyone and immediately asked:
"Where are you in the game? Are you following the clearing route?"
The other side replied: "I just started playing. I heard you're also doing internal testing."
So I added you on a whim.
Qiao Lulu: "Oh... The fastest progress we've got so far is reaching Ling City."
Or rather, the fastest player has been stuck there for a while.
After opening the game and browsing through the introduction, he realized what "real event" the game was based on and couldn't help but admire Usheng Group's speed, which was almost absurd—did they already have a similar game idea before the "Chu and Three Five Five" streamer chasing birds incidents occurred?
The game's storyline differed quite a bit from reality.
After playing for a while, Qiao Lulu immediately discovered that this was essentially a highly free exploration and strategy game.
Players could choose among three roles at the start, customizing their appearance, with options including a male photographer, a female photographer... and a cat with a camera.
Clearly, the path to clearing the game differed significantly between humans and animals. So, although Qiao Lulu knew that playing as a human would definitely be more efficient, he couldn't resist choosing the cat.
At this point, he hadn't even left the first city yet.
Some players were more focused on fulfilling their paid responsibilities, opting for the conventional human photographer start. In the voice channel, people were whispering among themselves, and some had jumped into private chats. At that moment, a female voice asked the newcomer: "Which role are you using?"
Chu Tingwu: "I started with the female photographer and played for a bit, then switched to the cat to try it out."
The player who spoke, known in the community as "Yue Si," didn't seem surprised by her response: "It's normal. Listening to them shout and scream, I also thought about trying it out—"
Because with a cat, you start with no money at all!
Yes, contrary to exploration and battles, this game seemed to place more emphasis on strategy and management.
If one were to follow the main storyline, at first glance, it would seem like a game of chasing birds while gathering footage... but it's impossible to catch up with flying birds on foot, so players must try different modes of transportation.
At the start, players only have a camera and a phone. The camera is for filming, while the phone handles various tickets, such as train, boat, and flight tickets, all needing to be arranged via the phone. Tracking the current coordinates of the Red Rain Falcons also relies on the phone—
In addition to the ticket booking interface, the player's phone displays a comprehensive video and blog software interface. By searching for "Red-crowned Cranes," players can find information in blogs posted by "netizens" and official data, which can then be relied upon to mark the cranes' locations on the map and provide recommended route selections.
In reality, some people simply follow the newbie guide step by step, letting their minds go blank without thinking, and still manage to catch up with the Red-crowned Cranes. However, during the process, they realize they're running out of money.
Yue Si: "I only realized while playing that this game seems simple at first glance, but it actually has a lot of information—"
Players can make money!
The newbie guide suggests earning money by posting video clips of the Red-crowned Cranes online, which can lead to views and tips from netizens. Moreover, when the protagonist catches up with the cranes, they can choose to start a live stream, earning even more money.
Qiao Lulu interjects: "But doing that would result in a low final score, right?"
At the end of the game, the protagonist needs to edit video clips into a mini-documentary over 20 minutes long, with the final score based on views and comments. If the video contains scenes viewers have already seen, how can it achieve high views? But if the exciting clips are kept hidden, it becomes impossible to earn enough travel funds early on.
Chu Tingwu: "Hmm... There must be other ways to make money, right?"
Qiao Lulu smiles: "Indeed, the game even allows players to work."
If the protagonist doesn't follow the main storyline, time in the game won't change, and the Red-crowned Cranes won't fly away. Players can trigger side quests to earn money before chasing the birds.
However, the side quests in one city are limited. To move to a new map, players must complete the main storyline by using transport to travel to the next city.
— In the chatroom, a veteran player is diligently trying to exploit a bug to access the next map without using transport.
As he finishes speaking, he hears a small commotion from the new player with the cat avatar. A few little girls are talking: "But... it seems Chu Chu's character never lacked money, right?"
Qiao Lulu: "Huh?"
He becomes excited: "Friend, did your character not lack money while playing Human?"
Chu Tingwu: "I felt there were many ways to make money, and..."
It didn't seem to affect her completing the main storyline?
Qiao Lulu is doubtful, and other players turn their attention away from the game to ask Chu Tingwu to share her screen recording.
Chu Tingwu: "I didn't record it earlier, but forget it, I'll recreate it."
Yue Si: "Share your screen!"
Once the screen is shared, everyone notices that Chu Tingwu has started a new save file. The female photographer's face is default, and she skips the opening animation, disregarding the exaggerated information from netizens and selecting only the realistic data—
The location of the Red-crowned Cranes is marked on the map.
The others are not surprised; they all managed to pass this initial test.
Of course, there are those who purposely fail to test the game.
Then, as the mouse cursor moves, they see Chu Tingwu select a bus based on the system's recommendation, heading to the location to film the birds—an easy task—but after boarding, the character moves around the bus, interacting with an elderly person in the front and then interacting with someone at the back.
Someone notices: "Is the vehicle's travel timer paused during dialogue?"
Indeed, the bus ride is fixed at one minute, simplifying the actual process, but during this time, the character has enough time to talk to all the NPCs.
Then they see the female photographer enter a combat interface—
Everyone: "..."
Wait, this game has a combat mode?! It's not just an exploration and strategy game!
They had previously tried attacking NPCs on purpose but never triggered this mode! Now it seems that only being attacked by NPCs can activate it passively.
The photographer catches the thief, helping the elderly recover their wallet and receiving a small monetary reward from the elderly in gratitude. Although the amount is not much, it shows a new way to earn travel funds.
Next, the police arrive to take the thief away, praising the player-controlled character and asking if they want to go to the police station to make a statement.
Of course, the answer is no, everyone thinks, as the birds haven't been filmed yet.
But on the screen, the player agrees.
Such side quests occurring during the main storyline cause time to continue moving. If the protagonist goes to the police station, they'll miss filming the birds... However, after completing the task, the character on the screen asks each police officer about to leave:
"Can someone take me to Tianhai Park on their way home?"
This is where the Red-crowned Cranes currently are.
The difference is—
Qiao Lulu: "You don't need to buy a ticket for this park!"
The previous bird-watching spot required a ticket to enter, and players found that sneaking in wasn't possible, so they had to pay, considering it a fixed part of the process... But Chu Tingwu's actions resulted in catching a ride on a police officer's motorcycle to Tianhai Park, where she filmed video footage rated "Excellent."
Compared to others, she only spent bus fare throughout, and even earned some back on the bus.
Qiao Lulu looks at his own character on the side screen, nearly broke, and then at Chu Tingwu's character—
How is it possible that someone filmed a single piece of footage without spending a dime and even turned a small profit?
Seeing this, everyone feels itchy to try it out immediately, but they find the game's protagonist, after filming the Red-crowned Cranes and seeing them fly away, still has the camera on, filming the sky, scenery, and cats in Tianhai Park.
Finally, she logs into the account used by others to upload bird-watching videos—
Qiao Lulu: "Surely not?"
When playing, everyone had also tried earning money with other video footage, but videos without Red-crowned Cranes barely received any engagement.
After all, rare animals are a major draw.
At this moment, the screen prompts the player to choose the video's title and description—
Visit freewёbnoνel.com for the best novel reading experience.
Chu Tingwu deftly clicks two options.
#Sky Left Behind by the Red-crowned Cranes##Something Happened Today, Making Me Late#
Yue Si: "Amazing."
She understands now; Chu Tingwu has earned three times from one side quest: once from the elderly's reward, once from a free filming opportunity, and finally—
[Fan: The sky like this is also beautiful (Tip)]
[Fan: Haha, unlucky streamer, but you did a good deed (Tip)]
[Fan: Feel sorry for the anchor, will you still miss next time? (Tip)]
Qiao Lulu: "..."
Next time, "missing" is likely, with only a couple of photos shown, keeping the actual footage hidden. But viewers would still provide views and tips because a narrative like this makes catching the bird seem less exciting.
As long as the host can continuously offer interesting and relevant side quest narratives, she can achieve a high final score without wasting time working and easily gather travel funds.
The initially challenging game seems to suddenly clear away its fog, and everyone can imagine how Chu Tingwu will clear the game... But she:
"Anyway, that's it. I feel the pace is a bit fast, and my friend... the company informed me of other road trip easter eggs, so I quit."
Playing with cats.
With the victory almost within reach, she gives up.
Of course, it's time to try the more challenging feline role.
Qiao Lulu can't help but advise: "If you're the first to clear the game, they'll give you a bonus."
After all, testers have different workloads and thus varying pay.
"Oh..." The voice diminishes, "You can have it. I'm not interested in the money in my pocket."
Qiao Lulu realizes:
Big shots are indeed big shots. So confident, believing that they won't face any difficulties in the later stages, so they choose the harder path. Maybe everyone else is still struggling with the human form, but she'll be the first to complete the game using a cat?
Scary!
Where exactly did this big shot with the nickname "355-1" come from? He's never heard of them before.
Chu Tingwu: "?"
Chu Tingwu: Why the sudden silence? And that gasp.
She was just stating a fact. After all, the prize money ultimately comes out of her own pocket, doesn't it?
