Book Read Free

Losing Money to Be a Tycoon c1-883

Page 160

by Inebriation-seeking Blue Shirt, 青衫取醉


  He recalled the time when the internet cafe opened. Business was bad, and the computer occupancy ratio was only around ten percent. Most computers were unoccupied.

  However, slowly, more customers came to the store. Many of them played Repent and be Saved, and some played other large-scale games. However, the similarity was that all the games they played required high computer configurations.

  As time progressed, there were more and more customers in the store. The recent computer occupancy ratio increased to about thirty to forty percent.

  It seemed like Boss Pei knew that business was improving. Therefore, he decided to continue investing money in internet cafes and take advantage of the good business!

  Yes, that must be the case!

  Zhang Yuan immediately contacted other shopping malls and searched for suitable locations to open more internet cafes.

  After hanging up the call, Pei Qian called Lu Mingliang. He asked Lu Mingliang to open a hundred more Upwind Courier stations.

  Needless to say, a hundred courier stations were an ideal number. Even though opening courier stations did not cost much at the early stages, significant time was needed to rent working space, purchase logistic shelves, hire employees, and more.

  Pei Qian merely asked Lu Mingliang to work towards the goal of opening a hundred Upwind Courier stations. The more courier stations he opened, the merrier it was. He just wanted Lu Mingliang to open as many as he could.

  As long as the settlement was not affected, everything was fine to Pei Qian. After making those arrangements, Pei Qian heaved a sigh of relief. Even if Repent and be Saved became viral and earned him a lot of money, it was not the end for Pei Qian.

  Even if it was the end, he could at least salvage something.

  Pei Qian slumped on the chair, and an air of melancholy surrounded him. Despite feeling melancholy, life must go on.

  Pei Qian opened the forum and refreshed the page without harboring much hope. All of a sudden, he saw a post that made his eyes lit up.

  “Huh? Are the fake reviewers finally doing their job?

  “The money spent was worthwhile!”

  While Boss Pei was busy making the calls, the fake reviewers were also busy working. Although hopes for a comeback were narrow, everyone did not give up. Many fake reviewers were still working hard. Some of them even missed the refund allowance period because they were too engrossed in their work.

  However, even though they made huge progress in the game, they still could not find any good ideas to criticize the game.

  Suddenly, a message in the chat group captured everyone’s attention.

  “Guys, look at this post! It says that Pudu can only be used to fight specific monsters. It can only be used for the six realms of rebirth and existence ending. If we were to use it to fight enemies in the lowest level of hell or in Yama’s palace, the damage of the weapon would be greatly reduced! Do you think we can make an issue out of this?”

  Hu Xiao was stunned. He opened the post hurriedly to check it out.

  He paid extra attention to all the posts regarding Pudu as he hoped to clear the stages using Pudu as well!

  It had been six days since the release of the game. Pudu was discovered two days ago, and it went viral yesterday.

  Many talented gamers were almost at the last few stages of the game. Some players that used Pudu had also reached the last few stages.

  According to the settings of the game, Pudu could only be used to clear the six realms of rebirth and existence ending. If it was used in the lowest level of hell or in Yama’s palace, the damage of the weapon would be no different from other ordinary weapons.

  Therefore, players using the Pudu would discover the problems with the weapon once they cleared the Road to the Underworld and the Three-Life Stone and reached the stage where they would choose the different endings. However, what was there to criticize regarding that? Hu Xiao was slightly confused.

  Many people in the group chat raised the question as well.

  “What are we going to make out of this?”

  “This is just a normal game setting, isn’t it?”

  “No, I think this is a Trojan horse that the game company is using! It was meant to disgust the players! “They give us a weapon that could only be used to fight certain monsters. They are tricking us into thinking that the game is easy. However, after five hours, when the refund allowance period was over; the players would then discover that they would continue being tormented at the later stages of the

  game!

  “Therefore, this is a scam that prevents players from opting for a refund! The crux of the game remains unchanged. Its sole purpose is still to disgust the players!”

  “What the hell?”

  “This reason does not suffice, but it seems much better than those mindless critiques that we were using before.”

  “I think what he says makes sense! Is the game company trying to disgust the players deliberately? Why would they choose to design the hidden weapon such that it can only fight specific monsters? Why did they not allow us to use the weapon for everything?”

  “That’s right! I don’t care about this anymore. I think we should stir some debate using this piece of information. We cannot do nothing after accepting the customer’s money!”

  Very soon, a trending post appeared on the forum:

  “Pudu is a Scam! The Design Team Harbors Bad Intentions. Do not Fall for Their Trap!”

  “Everyone knows that Pudu is very useful in the early stages of the game. Fighting the monsters was as easy as chopping vegetables. However, when you reach the later stages, the weapon is completely ineffective in fighting certain monsters. It becomes no different from an ordinary weapon! “Many people also discovered that this weapon cannot be upgraded.

  “This is where the game company’s deviousness shows. They trick us into playing the game with this weapon. When the refund allowance period ends, it will be too late for us to regret it!

  “I think that the designer is a psychopath. He or she designed the game just to torment the players. Do not fall into the company’s trap!

  “Players who do not want to be tormented must avoid playing the game at all cost. If you have purchased the game, seek a refund quickly! Do not be tricked by the Pudu!”

  Once the message was posted, the fake reviewers started springing into action!

  Some were tasked to reply to the post while others were tasked to forward the post. Very soon, the popularity of the post soared.

  Of course, the nature of this post was also trying to criticize the game mindlessly. Therefore, it did not speak to the players.

  Nevertheless, with the efforts of the fake reviewers, the posts achieved some impact.

  Many netizens who originally thought of playing the game because of the Pudu weapon changed their minds.

  If Pudu could only be used at the early stages of the game and they had to suffer for most parts of the game, wouldn’t that be worse?

  They had their fill of fun at the beginning, but they had to pay back for the stages that they cleared easily with the weapon at the later stages of the game. That discouraged many players from playing the game.

  Pei Qian finally showed a smile.

  The fake reviewers did a great job! My money was not wasted! They had actually found that reason to criticize the game mindlessly. That was not easy for them!

  Pei Qian had the urge to pay the fake reviewers more for what they did.

  Although the effects of the mindless criticism were not very impactful, it pointed out the fact that Pudu could only be used to fight certain monsters. That would definitely discourage many players with bad gaming skills from playing the game.

  Even if it only managed to stop one of those people from playing the game, its achievement was still notable!

  Pei Qian could not help but exclaim that the money spent on the fake reviews was indeed worthwhile!

  Chapter 283 - Rest Assured, Boss Pei. I’m Here for You!

  Chap
ter 283 Rest Assured, Boss Pei. I’m Here for You!

  In Beijing…

  Qiao Liang was filled with indignation when he saw the debate regarding Repent and be Saved on the internet.

  Why are they misinterpreting Boss Pei’s intentions? This is a slander! An absolute and complete slander!

  It was obvious that those mindless haters were fake reviewers. Who paid for the fake reviews? It must be those evil competitors!

  They were not dedicated to producing games. They were envious of the good reputation and high sales volume of Tengda’s games. They hated the fact that they could not earn money easily after Tengda appeared in the market. Therefore, they decided to use these ulterior measures to tarnish Tengda’s reputation.

  That was utterly despicable!

  Qiao Liang wished that he could step up and produce a video to uncover the evil intentions that the fake reviewers had and protect the reputation of this rare well-produced game.

  wa

  However, the fortunate thing was that there was only one day before his meeting with Boss Pei.

  Tomorrow, Teacher Qiao would officially step back in the spotlight and teach those fake reviewers and haters a lesson!

  Qiao Liang checked the clips on his computer and the synopsis that he had written.

  According to his plan, he would finish the newest episode of Products of the Gods today, in which he would talk about the interesting factors regarding Repent and be Saved. After that, he would make a video regarding the game and provide a game walkthrough to the viewers.

  It seemed reasonable that the game deserved dozens of videos.

  He could make it into a video series to show off his achievements after the torture that he had been through. He could flaunt his skills in the video and satisfy his fans who had been waiting eagerly for his uploads

  Products of the Gods, followed by a string of related videos

  Perfect!

  When he thought about that, Qiao Liang started making his videos.

  The second episode of the ‘Products of the Gods’ series: Repent and be Saved, a Hardcore Game that Tortures the Players!

  The clips for the video had already been filmed, and the synopsis was almost completed. He was left with the editing and voiceover before he could upload the video.

  The content of the video was not centered on the difficulty of the game. There were already many debates about the game’s difficulty level on the internet.

  In Qiao Liang’s opinion, the main factor that the fake reviewers and haters critiqued was the game’s difficulty. Although what they did was utterly evil, he would be falling into their trap if he overemphasized it.

  The motive of the fake reviewers was to highlight the difficulty level of the game. They wanted to demonize the game’s difficulty and, in turn, discourage netizens who were unconfident about their gaming skills from playing the game. If he emphasized that too much, it would only allow the notion that ‘the game is hard to sink into the minds of his viewers. That would deviate from his original intention of promoting the game to ordinary netizens.

  Therefore, the difficulty level of the game was a natural barrier that prevented netizens from trying out the game. It was also the main battle scene for fake reviewers and haters.

  If he wanted to defeat the haters and fake reviewers, he needed to attack that opinion from a higher perspective. He needed to explain the reason and purpose behind the high difficulty level of the game!

  After experiencing the long torture that Qiao Liang had suffered, he had found new reasoning in the process. The spiritual core of the game! He could link the game’s difficulty level with its spiritual core. That was the deeper meaning that the game was trying to bring to the players!

  Qiao Liang referenced a few sentences that he found on Zhongdian Chinese Network. He noted down some of his thoughts when he played the game and included that in his synopsis. After completing that, Qiao Liang had finally finished writing the content for that episode of the series.

  He read through it a few times. Satisfied with what he read, Qiao Liang nodded his head.

  Afterward, he opened the video editing app.

  “Rest assured, Boss Pei. I’m here for you!”

  October 7th… Pei Qian was scrolling through the webpage and checking the statistics for Repent and be Saved.

  After the commotion previously, there was finally peace in the forum.

  im

  .

  After all, a week had gone by; and those interested in the game had decided to buy the game while those who regretted their purchase had received their refund. Some talented gamers had even cleared all the stages.

  At this point in time, ordinary issues were not enough to stir up an intense debate.

  There was a golden phase for the transmission of every game. Pei Qian believed that as long as he survived that golden phase, his life would be much easier afterward.

  From the looks of things currently, the discussion about the game’s difficulty on the internet had its effects. The increase in sales volume for the later few days had evidently slowed down.

  After all, the current market environment did not embrace high difficulty games as many players lacked the necessary skills.

  Once the impression that a game was hard was imprinted on the minds of everyonealthough that would not affect the reputation of the game, its sales volume would still suffer.

  Many players might not admit that they have bad skills. However, in reality, once they hear that the game was torturous; they would vote with their feet and choose not to purchase the game.

  2 was neve

  After all, there was never a similar souls-like game in the domestic games market. Players’ habits had not been developed. The players who enjoyed tormenting themselves in the game were the minority.

  Pudu’s existence greatly improved that situation. Pei Qian felt that the current situation was still acceptable.

  Despite this, he could not let his guard down.

  Teacher Qiao had not uploaded his video! As long as that dude’s video was not uploaded, Pei Qian would not be at ease.

  Pei Qian was mentally prepared for Teacher Qiao’s new video.

  He felt that Teacher Qiao would most likely post a detailed game walkthrough. He would talk about the advantages and disadvantages of the various weapons, give a tutorial on how to defeat every boss, and have other related content.

  After all, as compared to other UP Masters, Teacher Qiao had the biggest advantage. He needed the least effort to produce the video.

  That kind of video would not affect Pei Qian too much.

  Even if Teacher Qiao did not post about that, other talented gamers who cleared all the stages would definitely do so. That was unavoidable.

  Such videos were very helpful to players who purchased the game but were stuck in one of the stages or to cloud players who would just watch the video and pretended that it was them who had cleared the stages.

  However, it would not stimulate the sales volume of the game.

  Pei Qian had thought about that thoroughly when he invited Teacher Qiao over to try out the game. It should not pose a huge risk to him.

  As long as the ‘fortress’ regarding the game’s difficulty was not demolished, there was nothing for Pei Qian to worry about.

  After refreshing Aili Island’s webpage once again, Pei Qian decided to take a rest and watch a drama series.

  However, a new video suddenly appeared on the updates section of Aili Island.

  The second episode of the ‘Products of the Gods’ series: Repent and be Saved, a Hardcore Game that Tortures the Players!

  Pei Qian was confused. “?”

  He clicked on it quickly.

  There were some words in the description section: Many players gave up on the game because of its difficulty level. That is really disappointing. In my opinion, this was not a game that turned away players with bad skills. Contrary to that, only players with bad skills can truly understand the value of this game!r />
  Pei Qian’s mind was filled with question marks.

  What the hell? Only players with bad skills can truly understand the value of this game? What sh*t are you talking about!

  Be careful of your words. You would be held responsible if the players’ understanding of the game deviated!

  Pei Qian was instantly flustered. He checked out the video hurriedly.

  “Hey, y’all. I am still your Teacher Qiao.

  “Actually, when the game Repent and be Saved was first released, players had been urging me to make a video about it.

  “However, I have only uploaded the video today.

  “Was it because I was standing you up? No, no, no! It was the complete opposite actually. About a month ago, when the game was still in its development stages, I received an invitation from Tengda to try out the game.

  “The reason why I am only uploading this video today is that I promised the design team that I will only reveal what I know about the game a week after the release of the game. This video was originally supposed to help y’all experience the deeper intentions of the game with your hearts.

  “However, I did not expect that everyone’s attention was on the difficulty level of the game and neglected the deeper intentions of the game. I must say that this is a very disappointing observation.

  “What I’m trying to say is that the game’s difficulty was supposed to help to convey the meanings behind the game.

  “This is not an ordinary work, but instead a masterpiece in terms of its gaming experience. It surpasses all other high-quality games.

  “My dear audience daddies, hear me out!”

  After watching the opening introduction, Pei Qian was dumbfounded.

  Holy f*ck? Teacher Qiao was not taking the usual route!

  Pei Qian had originally thought that Teacher Qiao’s video would focus on the game’s difficulty. He thought that Teacher Qiao would make a walkthrough about the game and focus more on the game’s combat system and details.

  However, that was not the case!

  It seemed that Teacher Qiao did not plan to talk about the game’s difficulty but instead talk about the game from its spiritual core. He oversold the merits of the game and claimed that it is a masterpiece in terms of its gaming experience?

 

‹ Prev