Interstellar Travel: Becoming a Dress-Up Game Designer

Chapter 33 Chrysanthemum Side Story

As expected, after resting for two days, the players at Qingfengyi Games couldn't resist logging back in.

"This game is so deserted, it feels like there are so few people."

"Right, right? But the Weaver Star Network and the Emer Star Network are both very popular."

"I heard that the events organized by the designers were disgusting, and many players have quit the community."

Just as the new players were chatting enthusiastically, the veteran players logged in.

"Who said they left the community? Don't spread rumors. I've spent several thousand Star Coins, how could I leave?"

"I spent 10,000 yuan, can I quit now?"

"Oh dear, newbie? Never seen birds before, huh? Come to my place, I'll show you some birds. (Pictures included)"

The picture shows all sorts of birds.

"Wow, what is this? It's so beautiful!"

"How come there are no video recordings of something this beautiful?"

A veteran player said indignantly, "We should be qualified players and resolutely resist the behavior of promoting Qingfengyi. We will not post videos or pictures."

"Yes, the designers only remember our kindness when players don't have it. We don't hold limited-edition events or engage in false advertising."

A new player asked, puzzled, "What false advertising? The one in the game platform's announcement? Oh, the picture you posted is of the pet bird from the event, it's so beautiful."

"Oh dear, newbies, don't be envious. Qingfengyi's events are all limited edition; you won't be able to find them again!"

The veteran player serves excellent tea.

A new player posted several pictures in a row, saying, "Sorry, I've already bought them all! The clothes in this event are amazing! Pictures, pictures, pictures."

The picture contains all the birds, clothes, and flower fairies that should be there.

"Who sold it to you? Step forward! I need it too, sob sob sob."

"Wow, this newbie is amazing! He managed to buy the Fairy Flower, which we veteran players have been hoarding for so long?"

"Who wants to create a Flower Fairy? Add me as a friend, price negotiable."

The boss who bought the flower fairy from the employee was relieved.

The employee who sold his game assets used the money to buy a house, married the woman he loved, and even received a month's leave from his boss. He was thrilled.

It's rare to have a few good bosses in a lifetime. Although the house is a bit small, I bought it outright.

At this moment, a player came to the game chat to report the latest news about Qingfengyi.

"The studio released a video, and she's absolutely stunning!"

"Ahhh, I see it! It's a long-haired beauty! Oh my god, so that's how you use the makeup box in the game."

"Ugh, seeing long hair reminds me of my bald head, sob sob sob."

"Waaaaah, I'm still raising it, please don't poke it anymore."

"Ever since I played Qingfengyi, I've doubted my intelligence countless times. Why did I shave my head completely?"

The latest video released by Qingfengyi shows Lin Shuying doing Liang Ranran's makeup, followed by a video of the complete outfits from the "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix" event. Initially, the video showcases three outfits from the game, along with some small accessories. These accessories were designs Lin Shuying conceived in her spare time, originally intended as items for the lucky bag rewards, but ultimately became supplementary items.

Hairpins and hair ornaments depicting swallows spreading their wings, earrings and clips shaped like peacocks, bracelets with plump pearl birds, necklaces with magpies carrying plum blossoms, and so on.

The cutest of them all is the plump pearl bracelet. The men's version features blue plump pearls, but the plum blossom pearl bird bracelet is also suitable. Each pearl bird has a unique expression, and there are twenty-eight bracelets in total, each corresponding to one of the twenty-eight different pearl birds.

Ahhh, so this is how a yellow cheongsam goes perfectly with a pink pearl bird bracelet!

'No, these bracelets go with everything, I love them!'

'What have I been doing all this time? I've neglected these treasures for so long; they should have been on my wrists long ago.'

In the video, Xia Chunqi, wearing a ragdoll cat face, tries on all the accessories and changes into three different outfits. She even takes various lucky bags, hanging them on her waist, in her hands, on the eaves, and on different trees in the garden.

Lucky bags go very well with plum blossom trees, magnolia trees, osmanthus trees, peach blossom trees, and hibiscus trees, and they also go well with people.

'Oh no, I don't have enough lucky bags!'

"My goodness, the most luxurious Empress outfit costs 500,000 lucky bags, the second one costs 300,000, and the third one, the cheongsam, costs 80,000. I can't afford it! I can't afford it!"

Xia Chunqi looked very pleased with herself; this was a work perk, hehe.

Of course, it's for all employees to take photos.

The video taken from the gaming section is not the game interface. Within the gaming section, anything is possible as long as Lin Shuying hasn't deleted her data.

The group almost couldn't resist bringing the phoenix to life, but it turned out to be just a cutscene and special effects, without any actual model.

Xia Chunqi: "No wonder you didn't ride this bird, it turns out there really isn't one."

Zhang Zhongxia: "The boss really knows how to think creatively, making the transition animations and special effects so realistic."

After finishing their work, the group logged out of the game.

In reality, they can't make changes even if they want to. In the game design section, only designers and their certified assistants can conceive the concepts. So far, Lin Shuying hasn't appointed any assistants because she doesn't know what their roles would be.

The knowledge of interstellar people is different from that of someone who is roughly an ancient Earthling. It's like asking her to conceive of Zerg or interstellar warships; she can't come up with any specific details.

Holographic modeling requires very detailed thinking, otherwise it cannot be constructed.

The video continues, with Lin Shuying and Liang Ranran wearing doll-like heads in the background.

The white doll with makeup is also super cute, but it doesn't show the queen's domineering aura; it's just cute.

The comments section was filled with phrases like "I love it!" and "So cute!"

None of them exuded power and majesty, or the aura of an empress; they fell short of the effect Lin Shuying wanted.

However, the promotion was very successful, and many players finally opened the makeup box they bought at the beginning of the event, opened the porcelain inside, and examined it carefully.

Following Qingfengyi's video steps, players with less-than-ideal hands-on skills were completely lost. Those with exceptional talent, however, recreated the makeup and styling from the video on their first try. Standing up, making minor adjustments, and instantly exuding confidence and presence.

"The Empress has arrived! Everyone, hurry up and greet her! (Video)"

In the video, the player is wearing the most luxurious Queen Set with 500,000 Lucky Bags, accompanied by several friends dressed in various cheongsams, walking gracefully on the waterside pavilion and covered bridge.

Holding a lucky bag in their hand, they hang one every few steps.

"Ahhhh, so majestic and powerful!"

"This...this...this looks different from Qingfengyi's video style."

"Upstairs, even if a cat wears a warlord outfit and pilots a starship, it will still only look cute."

"That makes sense. Shall we add each other as friends? I want to borrow some clothes from your place."

"Borrow these clothes from me, I really can't afford to buy them, sob sob~"

"A male player here. Don't you guys think this event is unfair to male players? There are no men's clothing items."

"That's right, finally someone is speaking up for male players."

One player posted several pictures, saying, "I didn't realize it, but my wife looks absolutely stunning in the Queen outfit! I'll love her for a million years."

In the picture, the Peony Fairy is dressed in a Song Dynasty-style empress's outfit, the Peach Blossom Fairy is wearing a cheongsam, the serene and elegant Fairy of the Other Shore is also dressed in a Song Dynasty-style empress's outfit, and the Plum Blossom Fairy is wearing an empress's cheongsam. The four fairies stand in a row, bowing slightly, a sight that is the envy of all.

"Wow, where did you get four outfits? That's a total of 1.38 million lucky bags! My mecha Grand Marshal!"

"Upstairs, you didn't count the other small accessories. Look at the ones people are wearing on their hands, they're piled up."

The fairy in the picture is indeed wearing a lot of things on her wrists, and her sleeves are almost slipping down to her upper arms.

It's reasonable to suspect that if the man's arms weren't so thick, he could have gotten the flower fairy to roll up her sleeves to her shoulders.

Various bracelets are worn from the fingers to the upper arms.

"I've discovered a new way to flaunt wealth. That's amazing."

"I'm so envious, sob sob sob."

"Look at their ears, are they trying to sell jewelry by using themselves as a walking shelf?"

"Oh, honey, I'm sorry, I'm poor, I can't buy you nice clothes!"

There were eight pairs of earrings on her ears!

Seven pairs are clip-on earrings, and one pair is worn through a piercing.

The player proudly declared, "My wife is going to be the most beautiful woman in the world that everyone envies!"

"......"

"......"

"......"

........

This player is probably the most extravagant and ostentatious in this event, reaching the pinnacle of their spending power.

In reality, the production of the floral-themed hair combs that Lin Shuying had planned beforehand has officially begun.

There are many kinds of flowers, such as peonies, plum blossoms, camellias, chrysanthemums, and osmanthus. The same flowers can also be combined with various pearls, gemstones, and small items to make different styles and patterns.

She took a piece of each of the various gemstone petals she already had and put it into the blind box. She would keep this blind box here from now on as a decision box for when she was indecisive.

With your eyes closed, pick out a petal from the flower. Whatever flower you pick, make a hair comb based on that flower from the flower series.

I touched one, took it out, and it was a chrysanthemum petal.

Lin Shuying turned to Liang Ranran and said, "We've been making chrysanthemum hair combs for our floral series. You'll assist me and go call Mengqiu down for the shoot."

Liang Ranran: "Boss, should we find another filming location?"

Xia Chunqi started school during this period.

Lin Shuying: "You should tell Qiaoqiao and Yunzhi and ask them to make the arrangements."

"it is good."

Lin Shuying took out chrysanthemum petals of various colors, as well as chrysanthemum leaves, gemstone accessories, and so on.

Once everything was ready, I sent the previously saved design to Liang Ranran. She had practiced making gemstone hairpins and embellishing them for a long time. The difficulty in making gemstone hairpins lies in the embellishment and design; making them according to the design is not as difficult as embellishing them.

Embroidery requires real dexterity; so far, Liang Ranran hasn't created a single flower that Lin Shuying is satisfied with.

Liang Ranran brought He Mengqiu downstairs, and He Mengqiu was in charge of filming their crafting process.

Lin Shuying: "I've sent you the design drawings. I'll make them one by one so you can watch. You'll be in charge of making the gemstone hairpins, and I'll make the wrapped flowers. After we finish those two, I'll make the velvet flowers, and you can make the silk flowers. Later, when I have time, I'll teach you how to make heat-shrink flowers. I'll send you six design drawings first. Make six of each design, for good luck. This is our studio's first product, so we'll try our best to make it the best it can be. It's okay if it's a little slow."

Liang Ranran: "Okay, boss."

Lin Shuying laughed and said, "I'll give you a commission for each product we make. Qiaoqiao and Yunzhi will decide how much. I'll tell you after we decide."

After reviewing the procurement and cooperation contracts negotiated by Lin Qiaoqiao, Lin Shuying decided to put Lin Qiaoqiao in charge of all matters related to pricing. As the boss, all she needed to do was control the overall situation and ensure the final accounts were profitable and that there was enough money to spend.

Don't feel too good!

Looking up and seeing He Mengqiu diligently filming, Lin Shuying said, "Filming videos is hard work too. You guys get bonuses based on the video's performance, so film well, edit well, and do a good job with post-production and promotion. Keep it up! I don't have an incredible career path here, but I do offer incredibly high salaries!"

He Mengqiu and Liang Ranran nodded blushing, focusing even more intently on their work.

On the first day, not much was done. She just watched Lin Shuying make a demonstration of six chrysanthemum-patterned gemstone hair combs. All six had many petals and somewhat intricate designs; each one took her over an hour to make. She even had to work overtime for half an hour at the end. Liang Ranran was lucky to make two a day; there was no way to meet the deadline.

Lin Shuying tries not to work overtime at night, and she doesn't lead the way in working overtime either.

It would be awkward if employees saw her busy and felt embarrassed to leave work.

Evenings are a good time to buy some groceries, and Lu Yunzhi, Lin Qiaoqiao, and He Mengqiu, who are all pretty good cooks, can cook a hot pot or a stir-fry. Although the interstellar vegetables have been artificially modified and repeatedly processed with radiation, so the taste isn't quite as good, it's still a real dish.

There aren't many employees, only seven people.

The seventh person was Wang Congjun, Lin Qiaoqiao's newly recruited business assistant. The young man had good speaking skills and was good-looking. He was new, and his head stood out from the others around him, reflecting light somewhat.

Lin Qiaoqiao said that she would take her to banquets in the future, and she should be pretty so that she would be proud to be taken out.

Lin Shuying naturally agreed. She didn't have any plans to have a harem, but who wouldn't like to be surrounded by handsome men and beautiful women?

It's pleasing to the eye.

Everyone gathered around for a meal and a chat. Lin Shuying also tried her best to be a good boss, paying attention to the employees' well-being and so on.

That's life~

After dinner, I'll dedicate the evening to gaming, and maybe take a stroll through the holographic world and renovate my house.

In real life, we've released a chrysanthemum hair comb from our floral series; the game should follow suit too, so as not to waste the inspiration for this theme.

After thinking about it for two days, I decided to make this plan the Qingfengyi activity for next month.

Perfect timing! The end of the event is ideal for the studio's opening.

Imagine a player excitedly acquiring items from the game, and then hearing that the same items exist in real life—their wallets, though empty, suddenly seem to bulge out.

Two months is just enough time to complete the actual hair comb.

It would be nice to pair it with a few gold hairpins.

Let's start planning!

The six hair combs designed this time use six different chrysanthemums: Green Peony, Phoenix Wings, Black Chrysanthemum, Purple Dragon Lying in Snow, Yellow Stone Duke, and Rouge Dots of Snow.

Chrysanthemums are very popular in China, and they have been cultivated for more than 3,000 years. Simply mentioning these six types would be a disservice to the beauty of chrysanthemums.

How about creating a chrysanthemum series? There were quite a few chrysanthemums in my previous flower updates, so I can gather them all and give them a tag. I can also categorize the flowers, just like clothing and accessories, so it'll be easy to find new items of the same type in the future.

It's perfect.

The event is called "Chrysanthemums of the East, A Thousand Years of Splendor".

For thousands of years, the Chinese have consumed, used, cultivated, appreciated, and nurtured chrysanthemums, resulting in a rich and long-standing chrysanthemum culture, with countless ancient poems passed down through generations.

This topic seems like a good choice, and we can make the activity themed around cultivating chrysanthemums.

Of course, players won't actually be allowed to slowly cultivate chrysanthemums like the masters of Huaxia.

Players can obtain seeds of newer chrysanthemum varieties by planting the original wild chrysanthemums, zinnias, dahlias, and chrysanthemums. The shop will then unlock these new chrysanthemum varieties until the following six are unlocked: Green Peony, Phoenix Wings, Ink Chrysanthemum, Purple Dragon Lying in Snow, Yellow Stone Duke, and Rouge Snow.

The six chrysanthemum variants can be continuously synthesized, with the final products being gemstone petals, velvet petals, entwined petals, silk petals, and heat-shrinkable flower petals. Of course, the drop rates vary depending on the materials used.

As for other chrysanthemum mutated petals, they become components, such as pearls, gemstones, and small butterfly shells.

During this period, the number of normally mutated flowers will decrease, with most being moved to service activities.

Lin Shuying thought about it more and more and felt that this idea was good. It gave players the sense of treasure hunting, a merge mini-game, and hidden treasures.

It has all the fun elements of playing.