Pei Qian heaved a long sigh. Oh, it’s not me. That’s fine, then. You gave me a scare. I thought I was exposed.
Lin Wan shrugged. “They can’t blame us. After all, people who have not experienced being Tengda’s opponents would never understand how terrifying Tengda really is. “Now, I can say that I understand what it’s like.”
She sighed softly. “On top of that… Boss Pei, just a line or two from you can turn the entire situation around.
“Er…” Pei Qian cleared his throat. “What are you talking about? I’m fair and just.” Ye Zhizhou spoke with heavy insinuations. “Min Jingchao originally thought about recruiting more people to speed up GOG’s production of new heroes, but you rejected him, didn’t you, Boss Pei? How would he have thought of crowdsourcing heroes if you had not given him hints?”
Pei Qian: “…this is a misunderstanding.”
A knowing look appeared on everyone’s face. Pei Qian was speechless. This is really a misunderstanding! My heart has always been on your side!
What’s more, even if I did secretly help them, it was not by providing the crowdsourcing idea…
It’s too late; there was no way for Pei Qian to clarify the situation. He decided not to get caught up in this problem. Anyway, he had already become used to this attitude.
Now, Finger Games was not allowing IOI to be modified. Shang Yang Games could only think of other resolutions.
“So, what are your thoughts about the future operating strategy?” Pei Qian asked.
Everyone exchanged confused looks, but no one said anything.
Lin Wan sighed. “Boss Pei, we’re still trying hard to come up with something.”
That sounded bad to Pei Qian.
It was obvious that they had all lost their fighting spirit. They probably thought that GOG was leading by far too much, and even Finger Games was unwilling to modify the game. How could they win based on publicity alone?
Boss Pei had been the one who had given them this task. Of course, no one would say anything as discouraging as ‘we can’t win’. Still, they could not come up with a better solution.
At any moment, Pei Qian expected Lin Wan to say something like ‘I don’t think I’m capable enough. I want to remain in Tengda to learn more.’
Quickly! I have to rack my brains to come up with a plan for Shang Yang Games.
Pei Qian thought as hard as he could. All of a sudden, a light bulb switched on. He had an idea. If all else failed, distributing cash would solve the problem!
GOG only became popular at the start because it distributed cash, right? Then, IOI should do the same!
Since they could not modify the game, they could resort to overwhelming marketing strategies to oppress GOG.
Pei Qian cleared his throat. “As we said before, 50% of each department’s profit can be freely used for the department’s various expenses. Set that sum aside, and I will allocate another special fund for you.
“The fund will be used for two things: marketing by live streamers and internet cafes! “Look for some live streamers and UP Masters and then sponsor them to produce content relating to IOI. They can do things like introduce new heroes and create tutorials, as long as they focus on creating the impression that the game is extremely popular overseas.
“After that, enter partnerships with various internet cafes. Let those who play IOI use the majority of skins for free and enjoy a stipulated discount on their per-hour charges.
“Snatch the spotlight back by force!”
Based on Pei Qian’s memory, that was how LOL had marketed their game as well, and it had indeed been effective. He could not go wrong by copying others’ homework, right? At his first meeting with the Management Trainees, they had reported an important piece of news: all departments had a large-scale plan to spend money, which included supplementing salaries, purchasing office supplies, and the like.
Pei Qian guessed that the various department heads had finally understood the meaning behind the Tengda Cornerstone Award. As they envied Upwind Logistics, they each came up with a plan to spend money on a larger scale.
Since that was the case, Pei Qian had to lend them a helping hand!
Thus, he decided to let all departments freely use 50% of their profit on its various expenses, to help them spend money quicker.
Of course, Pei Qian also provided additional funds for loss-incurring businesses like Upwind Logistics and Fish-Catching Take-Out to increase their losses.
Until now, Shang Yang Games was still generating profits from games like Bloody Battle Song and Be Quiet. It was also earning income from IOI’s local server.
In addition to 50% of those profits, Boss Pei’s special fund would pave the way for them to spend more money, conduct aggressive marketing, and fight their way through!
Ye Zhizhou pondered for a long while. Suddenly, a realization dawned on him. “So that’s it! I’ve learned another trick from Boss Pei. When there’s no special way out, don’t hesitate to resort to brute force! “Is this what martial artists mean when they say ‘not moving trumps any trick’?
Pei Qian: “…more or less.”
He had not intended for it to be so complex, but Ye Zhizhou’s bootlicking was not far off.
Lin Wan’s brow furrowed as she asked, “Well… Boss Pei, if GOG mindlessly follows suit and burns money together with us, what should we do?”
Chapter 544 - Your Tengda can Run, but It can’t Hide!
That question stumped Pei Qian. That’s right. If GOG mindlessly follows suit, what should they do? Pei Qian knew that there had already been inconsistencies in his decisions. Before this, Tengda had been competing with other companies, which could not compete with Tengda when it came to burning money. After all, other companies would either burn their bosses’ money or their investors’ money. Unless the boss did not care for money-just like Pei Qian, they would not be as carefree when it came to spending.
Thus, Tengda would always be able to burn the most money.
However, GOG was Tengda’s game, and it had the same spending capacity!
Still, Pei Qian quickly calmed himself down. It was just a minor problem with the system.
I just have to make sure that IOI perpetually has more funds than GOG, right?
If they were comparing who could spend more
-of course, the one with more ammunition would have the greater advantage! What’s more, if both games tried hard to spend as much money as possible, it would be excellent for Pei Qian!
He had just been worried that there were not enough avenues to spend on.
At that thought, Pei Qian smiled. “Don’t worry. I will make sure that you always have more money than GOG.”
It was not possible to limit GOG’s funds. After all, Pei Qian had just allowed them to freely spend fifty percent of their profits a while ago. He could not change that policy all of a sudden.
If anything, he was more worried that people might misunderstand him. What if they started thinking hard about Boss Pei’s ‘deeper intentions? What if they assumed that he was hinting at everyone to stop spending money freely?
That would achieve the exact opposite of what Pei Qian wanted. Thus, GOG should still be allowed to spend whatever they had. All Pei Qian had to do was ensure that IOI’s local server always had more funds than GOG.
GOG wouldn’t be able to turn the tables around now, would it?
Everyone’s eyes lit up again. Indeed, Boss Pei lived up to his reputation! Just a single move from him could solve all of their problems! It was not hard to think of spending money, but he was being so decisive and firm about it, without displaying any hint of worry. Not everyone had that amount of courage.
On top of that, only someone like Boss Pei could promise that IOI would always have more money than GOG. With renewed motivation, Ye Zhizhou said, “Alright, Boss Pei. We’ll start planning immediately to regain our foothold!”
After leaving Shang Yang Games, Pei Qian relaxed.
He glanced at his watch; it was past 3
PM. It did not seem like a bad idea to go home, lie down on the sofa in his living room, and bask in the afternoon sun.
At that moment, his cell phone rang. It was Li Shi.
Pei Qian: “?”
All of a sudden, he felt like he was facing a formidable enemy. Don’t tell me that something went wrong with Thriller Hostel. Otherwise, could this be about the Golden Maze?
Could Li Shi be interested in investing in Dream Realization Ventures as well?
That’s not right. Li Sh could not possibly want to invest in the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine, right? He was not high on drugs; how could he be so irrational?
Pei Qian immediately began to panic upon seeing Li Shi’s name. He was afraid that Li Shi would invest in his projects without any hesitation and then cause the projects that had been secretly incurring losses to become popular. Yet, he could not ignore Li Shi’s call. Behaving like an ostrich would not save him from being stabbed in the back.
Pei Qian had no choice but to accept the call.
“Hello? Boss Li, what’s the matter?”
Li Shi’s voice sounded through the phone. “Boss Pei, it’s nothing much. I have a friend who wants to meet you to talk about something. I wonder if you have the time.
“I think you’ve heard of this friend of mine before. You might even have met him. He’s Wang Peng, one of the creators of Quanmin Reviews.
“Wang Peng, Xue Zhebin, and I are partners. We started Ming House together. Do you remember?”
Pei Qian’s eyes widened. He did remember. He remembered him very well. That name is still in my little notebook! Although he was pretty low on the list, Pei Qian could never forget about him.
Back then, Wang Peng and Xue Zhebin had a meal at Ming Yun Private Kitchen and then marked it out on Quanmin Reviews’ application. They had written a long review and instructed their programmer to leave the name of the restaurant blank.
That was how Ming Yun Private Kitchen’s losses turned to profits. Pei Qian’s hatred for him ran deep! How dare he come and see me?
Pei Qian wanted to turn down the invitation by saying that he was overwhelmed with work. However, on further thought, he decided that it would be best to meet him.
What if this man secretly plots against me? If I don’t meet him, I would remain in the dark, wouldn’t I?
Pei Qian pondered for a moment. “I have time right now and tomorrow. I’ll leave it up to Boss Wang.”
Li Shi was overjoyed. “That’s great! Shall we meet at Fish-Catching Internet Cafe’s Handong University branch in an hour?”
Pei Qian: “Alright, but… what is this about?”
Li Shi laughed. “Boss Pei, you’ll find out when we meet. We wouldn’t waste your precious time!”
Pei Qian: “…”
Why was it that the more he heard, the more terrified he felt?
At Fish-Catching Internet Cafe, Handong University branch…
A short while after Pei Qian arrived, Li Shi and Wang Peng walked into the restaurant. “Boss Pei!”
“Boss Li, Boss Wang.”
After exchanging a couple of hypocritical pleasantries with both men, Pei Qian sat down with them. A bad feeling arose in Pei Qian’s gut as he observed Wang Peng’s wide grin.
What was he so happy about?
“Boss Wang, why did you want to meet me?” Pei Qian asked, feeling slightly worried. Pei Qian had an ominous feeling every time someone met him full of smiles!
Wang Peng grinned at Boss Pei but did not answer his question. Instead, he glanced at Li Shi and said, “I heard from Boss Li that you’re a lucky charm, Boss Pei. Whoever gets close to you will get lucky!
“If they treat you kindly, they would reap extremely generous rewards as well. “After what happened with Ming House, I was still half-doubtful. However, I am completely convinced now!”
Pei Qian looked confused. After a moment of silence, question marks filled his mind.
What’s he trying to say? I’m a lucky charm? Why don’t I feel the same way?
Your good luck is bad luck to me!
Seeing Boss Pei’s indifference, Li Shi smiled and said to Wang Peng, “Boss Wang, just cut to the chase. Boss Pei doesn’t like being left hanging
“What’s more, Boss Pei is extremely busy all the time. There are a lot of things that require his attention. I don’t think he even knows about this.”
Pei Qian opened his mouth, but no sound came out of it. Something about what Boss Li had said didn’t sit right with Pei Qian, but he could not find any major mistakes either.
Wang Peng nodded. “Alright, I’ll cut to the chase, then. Boss Pei, do you know that the nameless restaurant has become famous on foreign websites thanks to a famous food blogger?!” Pei Qian,”??!” I didn’t know that!
Li Shi noticed Boss Pei’s unchanging expression and sniggered. “See, I told you that Boss Pei’s extremely busy. How could something as small as this bother him?
“Branch Manager Lin must have handled everything on his own. If he had to report every little thing to Boss Pei, wouldn’t he be as good as useless?”
After realizing that Pei Qian knew nothing about this, Wang Peng became even more excited.
“Boss Pei, you didn’t know about this? That’s great. Let me tell you all about it! My job requires me to keep an eye on famous food bloggers overseas. Many of them frequently travel around the world just to try gourmet food with three Michelin stars.
“On Tuesday night, I noticed one food blogger with a few million followers publish a new post. What’s more, that post had been shared multiple times by others.
“Excited, I went to take a look. That’s when I realized that there were no pictures. It was just a long post filled with words. “At that moment, I felt confused. Due to the time difference, this blogger often posts extremely late at night. She often travels to various parts of the world, takes pictures of classic delicacies, and then accompanies those pictures with her own reviews.
“The difference between this blogger and amateur food bloggers is that she has a very good appreciation of food. At the same time, she knows how to satisfy the hopes of ordinary people, so that her reviews do not look too over-the-top and unrelatable. That’s why she has so many followers.
“However, based on my recollection, she rarely published posts that are made up of pure words.
“On closer inspection, I realized that she was talking about your nameless restaurant, Boss Pei. It was no wonder that there were no pictures. It’s because the nameless restaurant forbids customers from taking any, haha!”
The hand that Pei Qian was using to hold his coffee cup stopped in mid-air. All of a sudden, he understood why Ming Yun Private Kitchen was seeing an increasing number of foreigners making reservations. Obviously, it was all thanks to this food blogger!
Fortunately, he had already been mentally prepared for this. Pei Qian maintained a calm expression and repeatedly told himself: “Don’t panic. Even if Ming Yun Private Kitchen becomes famous, it cannot generate more profits for you!”
He sipped his coffee and asked, “And then?”
Wang Peng could not help but feel moved. “Boss Pei, your calmness in the face of great waves is really admirable.
“You know, that’s a blogger who would even pick on Michelin restaurants. She has an extremely picky taste. Yet, this time, she wrote a long article, praising the nameless restaurant in every way possible!
“She wrote about details like service and the taste of the various dishes she had. She included a lot of details and praise for two dishes in particular-Verjus in Egg and Steamed Chinese Cabbage in Supreme Soup! “She also emphasized something that satisfied her the most: No matter what questions are asked, the waiter was able to answer her smoothly.
“What’s more, Branch Manager Lin had many extraordinary and thought-provoking insights into the development of the food and beverage industry, which helped to deepen her understanding of Chinese food culture!
“Boss Pei, that’s rare praise. “Sa
dly, the Michelin Guide has not entered China yet. Otherwise, Michelin reviewers would surely have paid a sneak visit to the nameless restaurant as soon as the blog post was published. Then, you could get two or three Michelin stars and…”
Pei Qian’s heart thudded as he listened to this.
What the hell? Was this food blogger that influential?
It was a good thing that the Michelin Guide had not entered China yet, or… the consequences would be dire!
Pei Qian did not think that Michelin was that impressive. After all, it had standards that favored Western cuisine, and it was not that helpful for studying Chinese cuisine.
Still, Pei Qian knew that many people followed Michelin guides! Even if Michelin wanted to award the restaurant three stars, Pei Qian would immediately turn it down.
Otherwise, what would he do once crazy diners from all around the world fought to visit the place? Wouldn’t he lose control of the situation?
It was just as well that the Michelin Guide had not entered China yet. Even if it would in a few years, it would start from bigger cities like Shanghai and Beijing and not a small city like Jingzhou.
Pei Qian instinctively heaved a sigh of relief.
However, on further thought, something seemed amiss. Had Wang Peng come all the way down just to tell him about this?
The food blogger did sound impressive, and she had praised Ming Yun Private Kitchen. Yet, so what if more foreigners were making reservations and having meals there?
The outcome was still the same. Ming Yun Private Kitchen was already fully booked for the next two months. Even if its reputation improved, it would not earn Pei Qian any more money. What was there to be afraid of?
Li Shi nodded. “It’s a pity that you can’t get three Michelin stars. Although you can’t trust Michelin to review Chinese food, it still wouldn’t be a bad thing to have.
“Honestly, after trying my hand in the high-end food industry, I have a newfound respect for you, Boss Pei. It’s easy to get a high-end restaurant from thirty to sixty marks out of one hundred, but it’s extremely difficult to get it from ninety to 95 marks!
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