Chapter 19: The Power of the Supreme Crop Potion

In the heart of Peng City, within a towering skyscraper at midday, Zhang Yang finished his lunch, ordered in as usual, and settled into his office. He habitually reached for his phone, intending to browse the gaming group, catch up on videos, and then indulge in a well-earned nap.

As a member of the new generation, Zhang Yang was a seasoned gamer, with a long history that stretched from arcade games on street corners as a child, to early online games on the computer, and now to the wildly popular MOBA titles that swept the nation. He was what one might call a hardcore gamer, particularly fond of fair competitive games like Dota and League of Heroes. Among amateur players, his skills were top-tier, even if he wasn't quite a legend.

He was part of numerous gaming groups—some formed by college friends for private matches, others composed of communities around gaming gurus. Whenever he had free time, Zhang Yang would find partners in these groups, join a match, and lose himself in the pleasures of the game.

“Let’s check the group,” he thought. “I wonder if Duck Egg God will release a new video tonight. If so, I have to try for a cameo—maybe get featured.”

He clicked into the Duck Egg League of Heroes group, eager to see the latest announcement from the famed player, Duck Egg. As soon as he entered, he spotted a fresh notice from the group owner.

“A MOBA game playable on mobile? Let’s see how it is. I’ll download it now.”

“A mobile game would be so convenient. Find a quiet corner, put on some headphones, and squeeze in a game whenever there’s a spare moment.”

Drawn by curiosity, Zhang Yang immediately realized the greatest advantage of this new game. “It doesn’t require much memory. I wonder how it plays.”

Soon, the download was complete. He installed the game and entered.

“The opening is similar to League of Heroes—a tutorial, simple and easy to grasp. Only three skills and a hidden passive, which fits the mobile format; too many abilities would make the buttons too small to manage. Three skills is just right.”

Even the introduction made Zhang Yang nod in approval. The design was praiseworthy.

“The graphics are excellent, the heroes well-made. Buying equipment is simplified, which saves a lot of trouble. Skill effects are impressive, too. This is clearly a meticulously crafted game.”

He quickly finished the new player tutorial. In his mind, Zhang Yang assessed the game, and as an experienced MOBA player, he knew exactly what elements mattered.

“Only thirty-six heroes for now—a bit sparse. This ‘Hou Yi’ is clearly modeled after Frost Archer, and ‘Arthur’ after Demacia. There are traces of League of Heroes everywhere.”

“The game modes basically copy League of Heroes, so anyone familiar with that will pick it up easily. I was worried it’d be hard to control, but those concerns were unfounded.”

“Enough analysis—time for a match!”

After a quick review, Zhang Yang discovered many similarities to League of Heroes. Eager to play, he prepared for a game—after all, it was midday, and everyone was on their phones anyway, so long as he kept the sound off.

As a player, Zhang Yang favored mage and assassin heroes, showing little interest in tanks or jungle farming. His first pick was Angela, a powerful mage.

“Controls are simple, last-hitting is easy, buying equipment is brainless, and the map is straightforward. Haha, but the gameplay is truly engaging. My ultimate—triple kill!”

With his MOBA experience, Zhang Yang adapted with lightning speed. By level four, he unleashed his ultimate in a team fight, taking down three opponents in one go.

“Yes! Amazing!”

Instantly, Zhang Yang was hooked by the charm of this game, plunging himself into its world. Before long, after just over ten minutes, he led his team to victory, crushing the enemy’s crystal.

“Victory! Congratulations, you’ve earned MVP. First MVP—share your achievement?”

Without hesitation, Zhang Yang chose to share his accomplishment, not just in the Penguin group, but also across micro-chat groups and his micro-chat moments.

“Simple to pick up, superb visuals, well-designed heroes and effects, highly playable. The best part is, you can squeeze in a match even while on the toilet. Brothers, come join me!”

He gave the game, King of Glory, the highest praise, sharing it through multiple channels and inviting friends to join him.

“Is it true? A mobile League of Heroes? How come I’ve never heard of this before?”

“It’s a new release. I’ve tried it myself, and it’s fantastic. Add me, let’s team up.”

“I’ll download it now. If it’s bad, I’ll sabotage you next time!”

“If it’s bad, do whatever you want. I’m off for another round.”

The responses to Zhang Yang’s share were swift, with many asking for details. King of Glory was so new that no one had heard of it. Zhang Yang confidently recommended it to friends and classmates, replying to comments and, seeing he had time, started another match.

Scenes like this unfolded across every corner of the nation. Wang Wanli, responsible for the game’s promotion, knew that the best marketing was word-of-mouth—recommendations among friends and acquaintances.

Thus, the three million yuan marketing budget was not spent on major websites or companies, but entirely on hiring League of Heroes gurus, commentators, and streamers to advertise the game.

These gamers and influencers made their living from gaming, often accepting promotional gigs for new releases to supplement their income and to refresh their experience. It was a light, enjoyable change, and didn’t interfere with their main commentary work.

Though some well-known commentators and streamers charged steep fees, even the highest rates were far less than what major sites and companies demanded. With just a few tens of thousands, they were happy to promote the game.

Their influence and appeal were not to be underestimated—especially in the gaming community. When these gurus, commentators, and streamers began to push King of Glory, the results were immediate and impressive.

At Entrepreneurship Center Room 602 of Yanhuang University, the entire King of Glory team had assembled—it was the weekend, no classes, and everyone was present. All eyes were fixed anxiously on a computer monitor displaying several key figures: download numbers, registered player counts, online players, and VIP recharge statistics.

“Three million spent—at least let’s make a splash,” Zhao Dongye nervously watched the numbers, silently reflecting. Today was the official launch for King of Glory, and the day’s data could determine the game’s future.

“It’s starting!”

Everyone watched as the numbers began to shift. From a string of zeros, the figures started to climb.

In no time, downloads broke into triple digits, but these were mostly from the three million spent—hired gurus, commentators, streamers, and the team’s own promotion and classmates downloading. Everyone knew the real test lay ahead.

After the first hour, growth was sluggish—only a few hundred downloads, and even fewer registrations. Most online players were the hired gurus and streamers.

“It’s been over an hour—why so few?”

Qian Jin was growing impatient, disheartened by the paltry numbers.

“Relax. Let the bullet fly a bit,” Li Fu said confidently.

And indeed, after just over an hour, downloads began climbing rapidly, soon breaking into four digits, then five. Registered players quickly hit the thousands, and online numbers surged.

Three hours in, King of Glory finally revealed its dominance, with explosive growth in downloads, registrations, and online players.

In less than ten minutes, downloads leaped past 100,000, registered players reached tens of thousands, and online users soared to over 10,000.

By afternoon, as more viewers watched videos from the gurus, commentators, and streamers, and with the strong word-of-mouth from early adopters, King of Glory's dominance erupted. Downloads smashed through 500,000; registrations hit 200,000; online players reached 50,000.

By evening, the peak gaming hours, King of Glory’s addictive power took hold. On its launch day, downloads broke one million, registrations soared to 800,000, and concurrent players reached a staggering 400,000!

PS: Please add to your favorites, click, and recommend—all support is welcome! Thanks to eeeeyuuuit for a 500 reward, and to reader 20170927****1998 for a 100 reward!