For the next few days, The WunderPanda Theme Park received more news coverage by Kiyu after Jin had lifted the information embargo for the service instance. As expected her video channel was bombarded by thousands of hits within the first day.
The video coverage by Kiyu had also broadcasted on the Pandaflix as well as the front page of the Pandamonium App, for those cultivators who had patronised Jin’s store before. The System had noticed there was a drastic increase in the one time customers coming back for the service instance.
Because they were coming back after a long time, Jin had implemented a welcome back gift by letting them receive appropriate benefits like a booster pack for those who had played the Pet Card Arena or a 1 Silver Panda Medal, whichever they wished to choose.
The online video had also garnered a lot of attention and the people influenced by the video coverage were coming in flocks, making WunderPanda theme park the most popular instance, with Goblin Raid Events coming at a close second. That wasn’t to say that the other dungeon instances were left untouched.
A number of the cultivators came because they heard that dungeon instances were real and intense, unlike other dungeon suppliers. They were no doubt extremely satisfied by the challenge, and many were hoping to join the ranks of Pandawan status because of the fame and recognition that they were as strong as them.
Separately, Yang Ling had a few things to take care of because it was the end of the year and told Jin that Xiong Da and her would liaise among themselves to challenge the Escape City dungeon instance as promised. They were confident that none could defeat the Escape City dungeon instance as of yet.
The cultivators also noticed the newly revamped Luxury Recovery Instance. Many gave feedback to the Panda Nurses that it was a remarkably comfortable experience, much better than the real hospitals. The Panda Nurses could only chuckle and emphasised that this was not a hospital at all. Some even kid about driving here if they ever injured themselves, just for the care and concern of the Panda Nurses.
The decision to insert the hotspring instance option in every ward was a fantastic idea. A number of them were lured into the 10% discount and the ease of having the option right beside them. And because the wards are either solo or with friends, many tend to take up this opportunity after battling. The Emerald Mountain Hot Spring Instance had seen more than a 100% turnover just within a couple of days as compared to a month ago.
In addition to the luxury rooms they were warded in, there was also a gathering area on the first floor of the luxury recovery instance where every cultivator had access to. It was a lobby kind of space where the cultivators came together to discuss or merely chit chat about the experiences they had.
However, not everyone would be willing to do that since city people were not like people from small towns and villages. They rather prefer to keep to themselves. That was why Jin had included something extra to incentivise them to mingle in the lobby.
It was by changing his loot distribution yet again. Jin no longer made treasure chest pop up at random times or at the end of the dungeon. Instead, everyone would be teleported to the Luxury Recovery Instance lobby to retrieve their treasure from their assigned lockers. (The assigned lockers were also for the cultivators to keep their belongings if they had any.)
Should they win any prizes that were more than a gold Panda Medal, a ticket was given to them, and they could retrieve it at the Redemption Counter. This was to ensure no stealing of loot although the System had made sure such an act was impossible. Because all of the loot was already tagged to specific cultivators.
It was the act of going to the redemption counter, that thrill which made it look like the cultivators got something great. Jin had read about hyping the excitement for customers and creating addiction, and this was one of the ways that will entice people to come back again.
Even the lobby halls that Jin once made for cultivators to gather party members had all been connected to the first floor of the Luxury Recovery Instance so that the main shop instance would not be as crowded as it was.
However, those who were not injured were forbidden to visit the levels with wards unless they wished to meet a friend of theirs. Their pals would need to acknowledge and permit their arrival before they were allowed to ride the elevator to meet their fellow cultivators. Otherwise, all the gathering activities were done in the lobby.
All of these were to accommodate the increasing number of cultivators that were flooding into Jin’s store. What initially seems to be a large and spacious place in the shop instance had become a place for cultivators to wait for their friends before moving into the Lobby area of the Luxury Recovery Instance.
Lynn also had plans to expand her Restaurant Instance and the first thing was to actually incorporate one of Jin’s service instances, the Reservoir of Deep Fishing instance. She felt that by placing the fishing together with the restaurant, it could boost the sales of that particular service instance since it had Chef Roro to cut up the perfect sushi.
She reasoned that not many would know the existence of that service instance, and the price was off putting for the majority of the people. Jin then explained the System’s rationale to keep the price hefty but Lynn argued that he should relook at it while keeping the System’s wishes in mind.
“What do you mean?” Jin asked, and Lynn giggled a little when he was talking to her in the dining area of the terrace house. (Come to think of it, Jin does not really have an office to himself nor does Qiu Yue.)
“Let them fish for free, the first set of bait and fishing rods are free. The subsequent baits will require payment but allow them fish for as long as they want. However, have a bear cub NPC to accompany them and use the bear cub to promote the fish they caught. This way, the fishermen won’t be bored and have a companion with them while fishing. If they manage to catch a fish, the bear cub could tell them that they can either release the fish or buy it for sushi, bbq or maybe as a meal in the restaurant.” Lynn explained her idea.
“I believe this will improve the odds of the fishing experience and eventually there will be people who would want to buy the fish,” Lynn added and suddenly it raised a question in Jin’s head.
“Hmm, System is there a way for the Lost Tech Counterfeiter to …erm counterfeit a living fish or do you need to use souls with it to recreate the fish? I find that there is some kind of weird loophole here.” Jin questioned and Lynn was surprised that Jin could even think of that.
“Negative, the System had tried counterfeiting a living being and had been unable to achieve the same result. The counterfeiter might use the living being as a design blueprint, but the result is more similar to a dead item. System even tried inserting a soul in, but the body rejected the soul entirely.” The System replied and Jin guessed that the System had its own procedure in making those clones out while maintaining both the spirit, soul and information that it once had.
The System was after all a byproduct from the Will of the Heavens.
“Oh well, I was just asking, since I thought it could duplicate a one to one for almost everything.” Jin sighed and he told Lynn to go ahead with that particular idea since the fishing instance only had a handful of customers.
Maybe he could add a fishing tournament or something in the future. But for now, if Lynn could revitalise the instance, that would be an excellent idea and a possible boost to their income.
“System, please transfer Lynn the rights to the fishing instance and allow her to merge the instance with her restaurant instance,” Jin ordered the System and it did what it was told upon seeing the marketing potential Lynn had proposed.
In the meantime, Peppers after hearing some ruckus decided to come down to see who was around. “Ah! Master, you’ve come at the right time!” Peppers greeted Jin as she told him to stay where he was. She rushed back up her room to get a few items down.
“What’s this?” Jin asked as Peppers laid a suitcase down right in front of him. She smirked a little before opening it up for him to see.
“This is… how did you do it?” Jin was surprised as Peppers giggled and shited the suitcase for Lynn to see, making her awe in amazement.
It was none other than the Living Armour Plates. Zither Mistress Ke Mi had informed Peppers that a few of them had reached a decent size so she decided to pluck one out for Jin to see the results. However, because she had to tend to the crops in Agriculture Sector One, she had handed it over to Peppers instead.
Peppers, on the other hand, had decided to feed it with some precious stones she bought off the System to mimic Ke Mi and suddenly the living armour plate had started to glow and emit a rainbow shine off its plate. Peppers told Jin that the stones it ate were infused with an exceeding amount of energy which she had inserted before they could explode.
As the living armour plate consumed the stones, it grew larger to a point it was a wide and vast looking plate. One which would have taken centuries for it to grow into such a size. And somehow it transformed its shape into a belt when Jin touched it with his chi. Peppers quickly picked it up before the living armour plated belt wanted more of Jin’s chi and placed it in the suitcase.
“I do not understand much about it, but I figured that this particular living armour plate eats whatever it can to grow, and it still seems hungry for more. You’re lucky I’m here as it seems to be attracted to the highest quantity of chi or mana in the vicinity. Else even Lynn would not be able to remove it from you.” Peppers warned Jin not to activate his chi in front of it.
“That could actually become a very effective weapon against certain types of enemies or even high level grades.” Jin deduced and Peppers agreed with him wholeheartedly.
“Which is why I am going to experiment with it a little more and see if other plates respond the same as this plate. At least to my knowledge, this is a very abnormal behaviour for a living armour plate. The Jacks also have never heard of a precedent for such a case.” Peppers responded. (she was hoping to turn this mistake of itchy fingers into a blessing in disguise.)
“But it brings a lot of possibilities if you think about it. Like chi or mana absorbing armour plate. Those attacks would render partially ineffective to Jin, protecting him even more.” Lynn said that this plate could be unique enough.
“Heh! Sounds like my Reverse Aegis barrier spell, absorbing all kind of magic to keep itself alive.” Peppers chuckled and realised…that could be the key from absorbing Jin’s chi if Jin were to use it.
“Oh my god, talking with you guys is one of the best things that happened to me this week! Unless it’s an emergency, don’t call on me. I have ideas to try out!!!” Peppers squeaked with delight and brought the suitcase up with her.
“She totally looks like you when you have your bouts of inspiration.” Lynn laughed as she continued drinking her Blue Mountain coffee.
“Wouldn’t it be ironic if she was my kid from the future?” Jin uttered casually and Lynn nearly choked from drinking her coffee.
“Please, don’t make me laugh when I am drinking,” Lynn warned Jin and they both chuckled a little.
“By the way, Lynn. I am sorry if you were keeping this a secret but erm… I stumbled upon some sake the last time I visited the Werejackals. However, I did not see it on any menu yet, including the ones in WunderPanda theme park. Is that a new drink for the restaurant?” Jin asked since he did have plans to create a bar instance in the future too.
“Oh, I erm… I am planning to create a bar…for the expansion of my Restaurant instance.” Lynn guessed there was no harm revealing her whole hand since Jin already found out part of it. “As you can imagine, they will be serving only the best and if there is one item on the menu, then so be it. As long as the sake wine can meet the expectation of the people, I am happy to serve that.”
“But as of right now, it is still in the planning phase. I have asked Melis to try them …but unfortunately, she gets intoxicated rather quickly. That’s why I asked the Jacks before you met them. Thus, I need more time before I can perfect the sake for sale.” Lynn explained.
“Oh…so the bar expansion and the fishing …are they like stops for people to alight from?” Jin wondered to which Lynn nodded in excitement. She did not expect Jin to guess her plans that quickly. Like Jin and Qiu Yue, Lynn wanted to expand on her sphere of influence in the store too, and only by showing that she had the capability to do it then she believed she was worthy to be in this store.
“I see, I see. Please! Keep it up! Like I said that instance is your very own wonderland aside from the WunderPanda that is. Hahah! Do continue with the good work!” Jin encouraged her before he received a call that he had to answer.
“I will, Jin. I will.” Lynn quietly stared at his back as he moved to the backyard to answer his call.
