Interstellar Travel: Becoming a Dress-Up Game Designer

Chapter 251

Then comes the firing process, which takes half a month.

Normal firing doesn't take half a month, at most three or four days to ten days. The remaining time is for the masters to adjust and refine the process, and it's also the time that determines the outcome.

Don't underestimate the one or two-day buffer period; there's a lot you can do during that time. Some masters can even refine the unpolished clay twice, perfecting the details.

Soon, the players weren't bored during the two-week firing period. Various porcelain items were gradually transported to the main city of Huaxia Jianghu. Although some were looted by players, about 50-60% were still delivered.

The result is actually quite bleak; the players' combat power is a bit too strong. Fortunately, the game developers designed enough escort teams, otherwise the current situation would be much worse.

The streets were lined with stalls, these were vendors selling basic pots and pans, mostly ceramics in that era. Designs included blue and white, plain, and polychrome porcelain; Lin Shuying designed them according to modern ceramic industry standards, with a wide variety of patterns. The only drawback was the slightly lower level of refinement, and the prices were quite ordinary. The porcelain often had bubbles, flaws, and missing patterns—experiences Lin Shuying had gained from browsing ten-dollar stores in her previous life. She loved all kinds of ceramic kitchenware, but needed to save money for hair ornaments and clothing fabrics; unfortunately, this industry, to be honest, had high costs and low profits.

She is the kind of person who has a conscience.

Behind the stalls were various shops, not all of which sold tableware. There were restaurants, inns, jade shops, clothing stores, hairpin shops, kite shops, and even a museum run by players.

Yes, now you can buy shops not only in Zhangdengjiecai Street and the player's main city, but also in Huaxia Jianghu. Business here is even better than in Zhangdengjiecai Street, because most combat players basically stay here and are completely absorbed in the game.

Now, they were all sitting in the teahouse, sighing and complaining, "Why does such a peaceful competition have to be held in the Jianghu of China? It could have been moved to a brightly lit street. It's affecting my fights."

"Exactly, it wasn't fun playing."

In the world of martial arts, combat players can engage in street brawls without injuring other players or NPCs, and there are no penalties other than monetary damages. Fighting in the streets is truly exhilarating—kicking open a door, flipping tables and chairs with a single shot. Then, a cathartic roar of "Hey you little thief! Bring it on, grandpa!" can be unleashed.

They were so arrogant, they didn't even know their own limitations, and they enjoyed the feeling of being cocky.

However, combat players can't be too arrogant now because porcelain is too expensive, and they don't have the money to compensate for it. Combat players are poor; every penny they earn goes to feeding their weapons and searching for martial arts manuals. Where can they save money? Those who can save money are the big shots, helping out in fights every day, but being powerful also means spending a lot.

It's a vicious cycle and a bottomless pit; it's incredibly frustrating.

The streets were once filled with wooden buildings, and even some slightly upscale restaurants could be salvaged and repaired by teammates if damaged. But now, the streets are littered with porcelain. Smashing even half of a piece, let alone a whole piece, is unaffordable. Don't be fooled by the small-time vendors and NPC merchants; their stalls are overflowing with goods—over a thousand pieces of porcelain in a single go. Each piece costs one or two taels of silver, and smashing them all would mean paying a hundred taels of gold. Given the scale of a player-versus-player fight, you'd have to compensate at least five vendors.

If you encounter an NPC, it's fine; you can just compensate them for the value of the item. But if you encounter a player, you'll be lucky to escape with your life.

Yes, this event also opens up merchant adventures for players. When you encounter some transport caravans in branch cities or on the main road, you can buy porcelain goods from them and then change your identity to become a merchant to sell porcelain in the main city.

Combat players who can't handle the game will sullenly spend their time in teahouses and taverns.

Unable to afford to buy or compensate, they became the majority of those who remained silent during this event.

Other players went on a buying spree, especially the game designer players who specialize in cooking, floristry, gardening, and home renovation. They bought everything imaginable, their shouts echoing everywhere.

"I've got my eye on that double peach bowl over there, put it down right now!"

"What do you mean, if you like it, it's mine if I get it first?"

"Assistant, assistant! What are you doing?! Hurry up and grab it!"

The assistant was exasperated, still picking up the orange cat-and-butterfly plate and the plum blossom and snow-covered blue-and-white bowl she had just admired, when another call came in. Since both were collectors and vendors, they immediately raised the price, "Highest bidder wins! Highest bidder wins!"

The person who was grabbing the bowl snatched the last double-peach bowl and laughed, "What do you mean by 'highest bidder wins'? Do you even want to do business? Give it to me!"

After receiving the bowl, I paid and immediately put it in my backpack.

This double peach bowl is very beautiful. There are only thirty available; the first 28 have already been sold, and this is the only one left. The peaches are plump, pointed, and pink, and the two leaves at the bottom are extremely cute. There is also a peach blossom and a few petals beside it, fluttering gently.

It's really hard not to love it.

The scene was extremely chaotic. While there were a large quantity of porcelain items—any small vendor could have thousands—the sheer number of pieces distributed among hundreds of millions, even billions, of players meant there were very few. Furthermore, this sale was extremely unfriendly to indecisive players; they didn't know whether to buy from the vendors or the shops first. The vendors' items were more varied and cheaper, and although not as refined, they were plentiful and attractive.

The items in the shop are exquisite, but the quantity is limited, so you might not be able to buy much after browsing. Most items in the shop are also sold in sets, unlike vendors who sell items individually or in bulk.

It offers a lot of freedom, which is very friendly to players who run restaurants, museums, or buy their own tableware. This isn't as good as what's sold in stores, as they don't support selling individual items. Some players have their eyes on one particular item, which is very frustrating.

Then, a new way of playing emerged. Players who wanted to buy one would wait next to the item, and when someone came by, they would ask if they wanted to pool their resources to disassemble and reassemble it. If you were lucky, you could meet that kind of player; if you weren't, you could only watch others buy it. Some people couldn't resist and bought them all, then cried over their empty wallets.

"Waaaah, why didn't I work harder to earn gold ingots before? I'm so sad."

"Ugh, designer, you're so mean! I just decided to save up for the phoenix, but instead of the phoenix, I got porcelain. I can't save up, I just can't save up anymore, boohoo."

Too many people are complaining about being poor!

By this time, the masterpieces from the competitions had not yet appeared, and players could no longer afford them.

Once all the porcelain on the street has been sold, the competition will officially begin!

The atmosphere on the streets had changed. Many guards dressed in red silk robes with black trim and official hats rode swiftly on large horses and took control of the entire city. The small vendors had disappeared, and many ordinary residents had appeared in their place.

The combat players were notified by the system: During the five-day competition period, fighting, arena challenges, and duels between martial arts sects and individuals are prohibited in this city.

Combat players are having an even harder time.

Some, unable to contain themselves, moved on to other cities; after all, there are more than one city in the martial arts world of China. They heard that the recently updated Three Mountains region boasts even more powerful kung fu, so they decided to head there.

Subsequently, combat players from the Chinese martial arts world gradually headed up the mountain, creating a realistic scene where the ancient Chinese martial arts world and the imperial court were separated.

On the second day of the game after the citywide lockdown and screening, the sound of gongs and drums woke up many players in the early morning. Everyone went to teahouses and restaurants, looking out the windows expectantly.

The imposing figure below, carrying a gong, banged it and shouted, "The once-in-a-decade porcelain competition! It officially begins at the beginning of Chenshi (7-9 AM)!"

Following behind were people holding signs with a black background and red regular script characters, which read: "Majestic, Proclaim the Order".

Behind them followed tall, armored soldiers on horseback, both horses and riders fully armed. The sound of iron hooves echoed through the streets, creating a solemn atmosphere. Many players, who had been unable to suppress their arrogance, calmed down and watched silently.

After the group completed its journey, at the hour of Chen (7-9 AM), the player is suddenly interrupted by a cutscene:

Chinese pottery can be traced back to before the Neolithic period, or even earlier. It is speculated that these were unintentional creations by ancient humans while making fire or shaping clay. Later, with technological advancements, porcelain evolved, its origins traceable to the Shang Dynasty, a period primarily characterized by celadon and underglaze painting. During the Han Dynasty, porcelain gradually replaced bronze ware, becoming the primary household item and taking over the role of cooking and dining utensils from bronze. After the Three Kingdoms period, a rich variety of polychrome porcelain emerged. The Tang Dynasty was the peak period for porcelain development, with major kilns emerging during this time, ultimately becoming the representative of Chinese porcelain. Porcelain-making techniques reached their zenith during this period, and the types of utensils expanded from daily necessities to display items, art pieces, and porcelain sculptures, resulting in a diverse range of porcelain art pieces, ornaments, household items, and building materials.

For example, pillows, porcelain beds, screens, porcelain sculptures of beauties, portraits of deities, and sculptures of plants and animals are all exquisitely crafted and breathtaking.

Celadon and white porcelain were the mainstream types. Celadon's origins can be traced back to the Shang Dynasty, while white porcelain's origins are slightly later, with archaeological discoveries placing it in the Han Dynasty. The location of the blue planet is now difficult to verify after its sinking.

Later, with the evolution of dynasties, wars, and the spread of porcelain across the globe by caravans, the world-renowned Porcelain Trade Route was formed. Porcelain was brought back to Marco Polo's country during his exchanges with China, and after centuries of research, European-style porcelain emerged. Chinese merchants, discovering the popularity of porcelain in other countries, gradually began designing European-style porcelain that surpassed their own country's production and reselling it back, firmly grasping control of the Porcelain Trade Route. Especially after the Republic of China era, European-style porcelain appeared in large quantities, exported overseas by caravans. At one point, the sheer volume of exported porcelain even spurred the evolution of traditional Chinese porcelain styles, leading many Chinese to embrace European-style porcelain. In reality, both originated in China, and their primary production area was also China…

The visuals are animation, and the drawing is somewhat rudimentary.

However, the porcelain pieces inside are exquisitely crafted, allowing players to experience the evolution and development of porcelain, feeling a truly magnificent historical process. The development of porcelain in modern times is even richer, not only in its design, types, and shapes, but also in the materials used for firing it. The emergence of imitation porcelain has rapidly lowered the price of genuine pieces, with some decent pieces even available for just one or two yuan. While they cannot match the quality and texture of genuine porcelain, the price reduction is undeniable.