The Favored Son of Heaven

“Protest! Sky Battle Network is Not Accessible!”

“Protest! The Sky Battle Network Server Capacity is Too Small!”

“Protest! The Sky Battle Network Only Collects Money and Does Not Work!”

The dazzling topics appeared one after another on the one to nine-star forums, attracting a lot of attention from the public.

The Sky Battle Network was the largest network created with the Federation’s investments. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that it was the Federation’s top network at all. Ever since it was created, there was never such a case of network congestion.

A large number of people opened the post out of curiosity. They wanted to satisfy their curiosity and see what had happened to be able to congest the Sky Battle Network.

Soon enough, everyone saw a name. A name that they have seen before but never really bothered with, Money-sucking Vampire Thirty-Six Hours.

In this world, everyone has their own idol or someone they take notice of. It was also because of this that not many people paid too much attention or bothered to go online to read the so-called “Comeback of the Money-Sucking Vampire Thirty Six Hours” post when they saw it for the first time.

However, people always have endless curiosity. Curiosity drives the development of the entire human society. Without curiosity, today’s human prosperity would not exist.

Many people who were uninterested in Qin Fen initially had also started to become curious when they saw that a person could congest a network channel to the point where the network almost crashed. What kind of person could this be to be able to cause such congestion on the Sky Battle Network that has never been a congested before?

More and more people were brought by their curiosity to gather at Free Zone Eleven, where Qin Fen was located. It was already crowded and congested, and the incoming traffic made it even more crowded.

“What? Network congestion? How is this possible?”

When the deputy general manager at the Sky Battle Network’s central management center, who was in charge of the free zones, heard his subordinate’s report, he jumped out his chair immediately.

As a higher management personnel at the Sky Battle Network, it was natural for Zhang Hao to understand better than anyone else about how large the Sky Battle Network was. Many of the channels only had a utilization rate that was less than five percent.

There was such a joke at the higher management of the Sky Battle Network, “You wish to congest the Sky Battle Network? Sure! There is a possibility! Invite the Earth Martial God or any other planet’s divine beast to the Sky Battle Network. Perhaps then, the network would be congested because people would want to witness the charm of the divine beasts?”

Zhang Hao slammed the table with his hands and looked at the duty manager who was drenched in cold sweat, “Which big shot has entered the Sky Battle Network? Don’t tell me a divine beastmaster has really entered the Sky Battle Network?”

“No…” Felice, the duty manager shook his head and smiled bitterly, “It’s a martial artist from a while ago who was pretty famous among the low-level martial artists. When he disappeared, he was only four-star. But now, he has returned as a nine-star…”

“Nine-star?” Zhang Hao squinted his eyebrows, “A nine-star martial artist? A Comet level martial artist? How is this possible? Even if he was a Main-star level…”

Felice pushed the black-rimmed glasses up onto the bridge of his nose, “General Manager, it’s different this time. This person was extremely popular when he was a two-star. When he was promoted to three-star, he also gained popularity in the circle of three-star martial artists. A few days after he entered four-star, he challenged all the sects on the Artificial Satellite Number Four’s street in one day. Finally, he battled against six or seven martial artists of the same star-class alone and defeated all of them…”

The contempt on Zhang Hao’s face reduced a little. Martial artists of the same star-class usually battled one on one due to the similarity in strength. If a single martial artist could battle against two, he would be considered extremely strong. If he could battle against a whole group at once, this person would be standing at the peak of that star-class!

“This still isn’t a big deal.” Felice sped up, “When he returned to the Battle Network not even after disappearing for a year, his strength has already reached nine-star…”

“What?” Zhang Hao felt a chill, “In less than a year, he went up five-star classes? Is he even human? Is this even true?”

“It’s not just that he had a five-star rise in less than a year.” Felice explained seriously, “It hasn’t been a year since the first time this person started fighting to his reappearance on the Sky Battle Network this time. In other words, in less than a year, he had a continuous rise of seven star classes…”

Zhang Hao’s chin dropped

It would already be considered inhumane to have a continuous five star-class rise in less than a year! A continuous seven level rise? Is he a beast? Even if this person was in his outburst period of strength growth, this is an extreme bt-level!

“That’s why…” Felice shook his head helplessly, “Two-star, three-star, four-star, these are the biggest user group of the Sky Battle Network, right? How would they react when they hear that Thirty-Six Hours has reappeared? Plus, he already has nine-star strength after being gone for some time. It is natural for them to rush to Thirty-Six Hours at once.”

Zhang Hao nodded slowly as he clicked his tongue, “Exactly! They are the biggest group, and they would naturally rush over the moment they get to know of this…”

Felice spread his hands open and twitched his mouth, “That’s it. If these three huge groups were to get all excited, they would naturally spread the news everywhere. Forums for five-star, six-star, seven-star, eight-star, and nine-star would also be hogged by these people’s propaganda. And when those martial artists see such a miraculous thing, they would naturally go over to watch.”

Zhang Hao nodded his head again. As someone who has lots of experience and knowledge, even I couldn’t resist going over to see what sort of sacred kid this is after listening to such news. How could other people resist?

“So how many people are congested now?” Zhang Hao recovered from his shock and returned to being the deputy general manager with extremely strong managerial skills at once.

Felice held a report in his hand, “Before I came in, it had already climbed to more than five million people who got stuck on the net. Now…”

Felice pressed the communication device in his hand that was connected to the computer room. The female voice that came from it sounded extremely pleasant, but the number that was reported removed all of Zhang Hao’s thoughts from appreciating the melodious voice.

Seven hundred and sixty-five thousand eight hundred and sixty-six people. Not only was the number rising at every second, the rate it increased at was not just by a few people per second, but rather by thousands.

“God!” Zhang Hao couldn’t continue sitting in the office. He got up and walked to the computer room quickly. If he were to continue waiting for news in this office, he believed that he’d probably receive a letter of dismissal from the higher-ups by afternoon.

The outer layer of the Sky Battle Network was complete chaos already, but Qin Fen seemed to be unaware of the situation outside. He was waiting for God of Earth and Grain, Mountain and River’s answer. It’s been fifteen minutes since he sent out the battle invitation, but there was still no reply.

“Fight, or no fight! There should still be a reply.” Qin Fen’s arms crossed in front of his chest. He didn’t seem to notice that the battlefield that would usually only have two or three people was now crowded with people.

Di di…

The communication device sounded seventeen minutes after sending the battle invitation, and Qin Fen was stunned as he saw the reply letter.

“Sorry, your server is heavily congested and no messages can be channeled out.”

“The network is congested?” Qin Fen suspected that he heard wrong. When has the Sky Battle Network ever had such a situation of network congestion? Even in the previous network fighting competition, there was never any congestion.

Yes, congestion had indeed never appeared in network combat competitions. However, Qin Fen didn’t know that it was because the higher-ups of the Sky Battle Network would adjust the server flow rate during every competition.

Besides, not many people would be using the other channels every time the competition started. It was enough to just leave ten percent of the flow rate for those channels. The others could all be tuned to the special channel of the competition.

However, arena number eleven in Free Zone Eleven today was just a normal channel, a normal channel that had not gone through any special deployment.

For a place that would usually only have two or three users, placing lots of resources there would only be an absolute waste! But today was different. This situation was nothing like the network combat competition; it was a strange thing that had never happened before. It would only be strange if the network was not congested.

Di di… 

A private video call signal popped out on Qin Fen’s system bar.

Video calls required a fee.

Qin Fen naturally chose for the other party to pay for this feature.

“What? I’m paying?” Zhang Hao looked at the reply and gave a helpless and bitter smile. He even refrains from paying a video fee that only costs a few yuan? This guy really is the same as the information said, he really is a money-sucking vampire! This is also good, the project can be carried out smoothly.

The video communicator connected, and Zhang Hao was somewhat surprised. This person who had caused the Sky Battle Network to be congested for the first time in history had actually chosen to hide his portrait.

Could it be that he looked ugly? Zhang Hao speculated maliciously and said, “Thirty-Six Hours, hello. I am the deputy general manager of Sky Battle Network who is in charge of the free zone, you can call me Zhang Hao.”

Qin Fen looked at the middle-aged man in the video call with extreme surprise. The Sky Battle Network’s deputy general manager? Although these people did not have the power of army generals, every one of them was extremely wealthy. What was up with today? Is this to explain the cause of this time’s network congestion to the users? Even so, there’s still no need to dispatch a deputy general manager, right? 

“This time the network congestion… things are like this…”

As Qin Fen listened to Zhang Hao’s explanation, his eyes flashed with amazement as well as some helplessness. Who knew that my reappearance after being absent these days would capture so much attention?

“So, we have a plan for the time being.” Zhang Hao stared at Qin Fen, “First of all, I need to know what your intention for appearing at the Sky Battle Network this time is.”

“I need to fight.” Qin Fen thought for a while and added, “I need to fight with the most powerful martial artist of my star-class. I need to go through battle in order to break through and upgrade my star-class.

Upgrade his star-class? Zhang Hao’s eyes twitched, Another upgrade in star-class? You want to upgrade your star-class eight times in less than a year? 

After a short period of silence and shock, Zhang Hao regained his composure and said, “That’s great! I heard that you seem to have an urgent need for a large sum of money?”

Qin Fen shrugged his shoulders and said in his heart , I would indeed need an extremely large sum of money in order to marry the Earth Martial God, Song Wendong’s granddaughter. If I couldn’t even provide the most basic financial security for my own woman, I really wouldn’t have the face to marry her. 

“That’s good.”

Zhang Hao rubbed his hands nervously. He had some curiosity.  Even when I met a Main star-level master, I had never been so nervous. Why am I nervous in front of this nine-star martial artist? It feels as if I’m not facing a Meteor level martial artist, but rather, a martial dao grandmaster. 

“Things are like this.” Zhang Hao tried to calm his mind and said, “Since you have come to look for a battle opponent, I think that this is an extremely good gimmick and business opportunity to hype things up.”

“Business opportunity?” Qin Fen noticed a glimpse of Zhang Hao’s thought keenly, “You’re thinking of charging a fee?”

Zhang Hao was delighted that the person he was talking to was a smart person. There was nothing new about charging fees for martial artists’ battles. Every time the network held a Federation-wide combat competition, fees would always be charged a handsome price.

In certain battles between high-level star-class martial artists, there would also be a limit set on the fee price. There just weren’t many cases like this, and surely not many people would be willing to pay the price.

As for battles between nine-star martial artists, there had never been such a case of implementing a charging system.

“That’s right, it’s to charge a fee!” Zhang Hao nodded, “We can open a special channel temporarily, and those who want to watch the game would have to pay to do so. As for the income of the battle, we can give you five percent! What do you think?”

“Not enough.”

Zhang Hao couldn’t believe his ears. Did I hear wrong? Thirty-Six Hours said ‘Not enough’? How was there still some disdain in his tone? Isn’t he in short of money? Could it be that he also has the so-called dignity of a master?

“Why?” Zhang Hao blurted out. Five percent was a big profit, how can this poor person refuse?

Qin Fen stretched out two fingers and his tone was calm as always, “I want twenty percent of the income.”

“What?”

Zhang Hao looked up and down at Qin Fen, Twenty percent? Is this kid crazy from being so poor?

“Cooperation is a win-win situation.” Qin Fen did not wait for Zhang Hao to reply and said slowly, “No cooperation is a double loss situation. I can manage to lose. If the network congestion this time cannot be solved smoothly, it is not me whose reputation it would damage, right?”

Zhang Hao had to look at Qin Fen again. The voice of this man who hid his face didn’t sound too old, yet how is he able to see things so accurately?

The deployment of network resources was not a simple matter. According to the current network congestion, it would take a certain amount of time to coordinate and allocate personnel. If they used the charging model, they could remove those who were not willing to spend money automatically. Plus, with a simple “The e-tickets are sold out, who asked you to be late”, the problem could also be solved easily.

Zhang Hao knew that he couldn’t wait! If he were to continue the delay, it was possible that he would have to step down before the network even started to flow smoothly.

Twenty percent… Zhang Hao’s eyeballs were spinning rapidly. It seemed that the dividend he could get from this incident would be gone completely. A temporary construction of a pay-to-view channel could hold five million online users at one time. If it cost ten yuan per person, twenty percent would be ten million! Even after, if he paid the taxes, he would still have eight million!

“Okay!” Zhang Hao clenched his teeth and said, “You really are a money-sucking vampire! I agree!”