Why did Boss Li insist on investing in the old industrial zone even though the majority of investors and businesses had not had high hopes for it?
On one hand, he had been following in Boss Pei’s footsteps. On the other hand, he had an independent way of thinking.
What’s more, that independent way of thinking had only been cultivated because of his ordinarily living conditions and mindset. His experience of being extremely focused while thinking would greatly benefit other investors, as well as mental workers who need to think without being distracted!
The transformation that Boss Li and Boss Pei achieved with the old industrial zone was also very impressive and commendable.
At that thought, Zhang Lixian stood up and shook Li Shi’s hand again. “Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to be interviewed by me, Boss Li. I trust that your way of thinking would help many young and confused individuals.”
The videographer stopped rolling. Zhang Lixian asked softly, “Boss Li, where can I buy one of those Fully-Automated Bickering Machines?”
Li Shi grinned. “Go online and search for its name, and you’ll be able to find it. It’s not that difficult.”
Zhang Lixian nodded. “Yes, this is very interesting. I want to keep one at home as well. Alright, I won’t disturb you any longer. Goodbye, Boss Li!”
…
…
September 13th, Tuesday evening…
Today was the last match of the first round of GOG’s international invitational tournament. Tomorrow was a rest day.
After watching the matches, Pei Qian did not return home. Instead, he headed to Fish-Catching Internet Cafe and sipped his cocktails while working on his mind map of the relationship between various departments in Tengda Corporation.
It was not that Pei Qian did not want to return home. It was just that there was not much for him to do at home.
His house was too empty. He could play games, but he would get bored with them if he played too much. On the other hand, waiters were serving him in Fish-Catching Internet Cafe, and he could sip alcohol while listening to singers sing.
There were more and more lines appearing on the mind map. Pei Qian was beginning to feel like his brain did not have enough storage space.
Pei Qian very reluctantly connected the DGE Club, Tengda Games, and Deposit Fitness.
GOG’s international invitational tournament was a fuse. The team members had been crazily ‘blowing’ DGE Club and Deposit Fitness from the very first day of the competition until now. Four days had already passed.
Pei Qian had seen it all and taken it all to heart, but he could not do anything about it…
He had intended to drop by Deposit Fitness to take a look, but on further thought, he concluded that it would only give him more to worry about. What was the point?
He could only quietly draw the line and announce the start of the next stage.
He could keep opening more branches. If he opened them fast enough, the profits would not catch up to him.
Pei Qian was beginning to realize that nothing was going smoothly this cycle. The physical shops, especially, were becoming increasingly popular. It had started with Fish-Catching Internet Cafe… and then Fish-Catching Take-Out. Now, even Deposit Fitness was getting out of control!
Fortunately, the Sloth Apartments were still holding on.
Otherwise, Pei Qian would be left with one straw to grasp at—Upwind Logistics. What would he do then?!
Pei Qian looked at the dense web of lines on his mind map, feeling like it was about time to give up on it.
Hidden connections between the departments aside, even the visible ones, were becoming hard to keep track of!
The dense web of lines had dense words attached to them as well. He would get dizzy just looking at it, and sorting it out would be a chore.
Pei Qian’s strategy to keep track of inter-departmental relationships using a mind map was turning out to be a failure. The departments were coming up with ‘combined events’ frequently and from out of nowhere. It was completely unreasonable.
For example, Pei Qian had asked Coach Yaling to take pictures of DGE’s members every day to ensure that they had less time for training. Who would have thought that those photos would later become advertising material for Deposit Fitness?
At that thought, Pei Qian could not help but heave a long sigh. For some reason, he felt particularly troubled.
…
At the same time, outside Fish-Catching Internet Cafe…
The internet cafe was brightly lit, and the light shone through the full-length windows. Everything inside was clearly visible from the outside.
Ruan Guangjian had just finished the concept art for a GOG hero and was walking out of Halo Workspace, intending to go home to rest.
However, as he walked past Fish-Catching Internet Cafe, he saw a familiar figure through the full-length windows.
“Eh, it’s already so late. Why is Boss Pei still here, and not at home, resting?
“He’s looking at his laptop. Is he still working?”
Ruan Guangjian was curious, and Boss Pei was seated with his back facing the full-length window. Ruan Guangjian walked forward, peeked past Boss Pei’s shoulder, and saw the image on the screen.
Suddenly, Ruan Guangjian became inspired. The composition looked very good from where he was standing.
At once, he whipped out his cell phone and took a picture through the full-length window.
Click.
In the picture, Boss Pei’s back was facing the camera. His right hand was supporting his chin as if he was deep in thought. His side profile was lit up by his computer screen. Although one could not see the screen clearly, one could tell that it was neither showing a game nor a movie.
“World famous painting: Boss Pei at Work.
“What’s on the computer?
“A mind map?”
Ruan Guangjian zoomed in on the photograph. The camera on his mobile phone had very high megapixels. Although he had not taken a picture of the screen on purpose, he could still faintly tell that there was a mind map with countless dense lines and boxes on it.
There were boxes of various sizes. Ruan Guangjian couldn’t read the words in the small boxes and on the lines, but he could read the ones in a few boxes. They said ‘Tengda Games’, ‘Deposit Fitness’, ‘Fish-Catching Take-Out’, ‘Fish-Catching Internet Cafe’, and so on. The dense lines extended from each of those boxes and connected to the other boxes around them.
Ruan Guangjian glanced at it, confirmed that there was no confidential information or business secrets, and then relaxed.
Everyone knew what businesses were under Tengda Corporation. That was no secret. He wouldn’t cause trouble by uploading the image.
Ruan Guangjian uploaded the image on his Weibo and wrote a caption. “I’ve knocked off work, but someone is still working.”
He had intended to greet Boss Pei in the internet cafe but then realized that there was no need to. Satisfied, Ruan Guangjian turned to leave.
Chapter 652 - Death Notice and Precise Last Hit
Pei Qian worked hard for five minutes before dragging the mind map into the recycle bin.
I give up, this sh*t doesn’t work at all!
Pei Qian was not an iron man. He had to give up decisively and think of other ways.
Pei Qian looked at his watch after he finished his cocktail. It was about time for him to go back and rest.
Wasn’t it a great idea to play games on his big TV for a few houses before falling asleep?
He might have finished a few games, but games could never be finished.
Pei Qian got up and left, preparing to go home for his blissful me time.
…
Pei Qian was about to enter the 12th floor of Dawn of Prosperous City when he found a small note stuck on the door.
“Hm?”
“What’s this?”
Pei Qian thought it might be a water bill or the like, but he realized that it s
hould not be such a long bill. Moreover, the utilities were handled by the butler in Sloth Apartments.
He took it and looked at the string of letters on it. “Nine pm tonight Jingzhou TV Finance Channel.”
Pei Qian was stunned right there and then.
What was the meaning of this?
Assassination notice?
Death threat?
What would there be on Jingzhou TV?
Pei Qian always felt that something was up whenever the TV was involved, no matter what it was.
There was no signature on this note, but it was too late to be concerned about who the culprit was.
He looked at his watch. It was almost nine; he might not be able to catch up if he were to delay any more at the Fish-Catching Internet Cafe.
Pei Qian hurried in, changed his shoes, and turned on the TV.
The interview section of the Finance Channel started on time a few minutes later.
“He is the person at the helm of the famous Fu Hui Investments in Jingzhou.
“He is regarded as the second indicator of the investment industry in Jingzhou.
“He resolutely invested a lot of money into the industrial zones, transforming it even though most companies and investors were not optimistic about it.
“While there are ups and downs in the investment circle, he—who had witnessed countless wealth myths… what unique insights did he have on the ways of investment? How does he keep his head clear and think rationally in the face of all the complicated work?
“What secrets of success does Li Shi, who had been through ups and downs in the business sea for half his life, have for the young in the era of national entrepreneurship and innovation?
“The financial story of tonight, ‘Li Shi and the Thinker’ will be shown soon!”
This interview column was filled with a sense of deja vu from ‘XX has an appointment’. It was a popular interview column across the country. It was a normal thing to be imitated by Jingzhou TV.
Pei Qian knew exactly who the culprit that posted the note on his door was after watching the beginning of this TV program.
It was definitely Boss Li!
Pei Qian started to doubt his motives now that he had locked onto the culprit.
This interview obviously had nothing to do with him. Wasn’t this Boss Li’s interview?
Why did Boss Li want him to watch it? To see how handsome he was in the interview?
Was Boss Li showing off to me? Show off that he could get on the TV interview program, but I didn’t?
Did you not know that the financial channel came to me first? They only found you because I rejected them.
Boast all you want.
Pei Qian suddenly changed his mind. That didn’t sound right; Boss Li should not be that sort of person.
He continued watching on with confused feelings.
Pei Qian was shocked when they came to the interview.
Wasn’t this Sloth Apartments!?
It was obviously Boss Li’s room, but the layout was exactly the same as his room, even the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine was in the same place!
Pei Qian suddenly realized the crux of the problem.
Why was there a Fully-Automated Bickering Machine in Boss Li’s room?
He did have one in his room, but that was specially sent by Zhang Wang to him. They did not give the other rooms.
Pei Qian calmed himself down and continued watching.
Boss Li spoke freely on the screen.
“…Boss Pei invested, therefore I followed his path.”
“…Boss Pei does outstandingly at every one of those stages. That’s why he always achieves great success in his investments.”
“…As opposed to saying that this is Boss Pei’s home, it would be more fitting to say that it’s Boss Pei’s training room or brainstorming room!”
“Boss Pei’s success is no coincidence. It is the result of him thinking hard day after day…”
Pei Qian’s expression changed from relaxed to dazed, to shock, and finally to becoming completely frozen as he watched on.
Boss Li’s speech completely confounded him!
He understood the meaning of every word, but he did not know what Boss Li was talking about when they were strung together!
Moreover, the more he listened, the more he felt a sense of absurdity.
Are you sure the ‘Boss Pei’ you were describing here is the same person as me?
Moreover, weren’t they interviewing you? Why did you only talk about me?
Pei Qian originally thought that the title of this interview ‘Li Shi and the Thinker’ was referring to Li Shi as a thinker.
He only realized now that this Thinker was referring to himself!
The word ‘and’ was not an explanatory relationship but a parallel relationship!
Recall carefully, Boss Li was stabbing his heart in this column.
First, he spoke to the emcee about the Thriller Hostel and then portrayed himself and Pei Qian as the investors who cared about Jingzhou and supported the transformation of the old industrial zones without hesitation.
Then, he began to shift the topic to the Sloth Apartments, talking about the special layout and structure of the Sloth Apartments and how helpful it was for people to concentrate on thinking.
Finally, he spoke about the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine, touting that to be the finishing touches of the ‘thinking space’ and even had a touch of philosophy with it.
Pei Qian originally did not think much of it, thinking: ‘You could do whatever you want with your interview, what had that got to do with me? Why did you deliberately post a note at my door to show off?’
Now, he understood… that was not showing off. It was a death notice!
Pei Qian began to feel unwell.
Sh*t, something terrible had happened!
The Sloth Apartments had already gone through several twists and turns previously. There was only one last wall left unbreached.
The recent formaldehyde houses cases had caused a large number of rental companies such as Home Corporation and Snail Apartments to be discredited. They were now busy apologizing and mending public relations. Only the Sloth Apartments had not been damaged in this incident; instead, they had profited!
However, there were still not many people determined to move into the Sloth Apartments. The underlying reason was still because of the ‘Four Bare Walls’.
But now, Boss Li broke through all these and twisted the explanation of ‘Four Bare Walls’!
The original ‘impractical’ immediately became ‘good for thinking and mediation’.
Moreover, even such a useless invention like the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine did not escape the claws of Boss Li. He had now explained it as an art that allowed people to train their mentality and allow people to think.
A simple interview immediately brought up the status of the Thriller Hostel, Sloth Apartments, and the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine!
Pei Qian was now feeling regretful.
He had never thought that his refusal to be interviewed would cause a totally opposite effect from what he intended!
However, who would have thought of such a thing?
Pei Qian took out his cell phone hurriedly and checked the latest ratings of Sloth Apartments on Tengda Life App.
He could only hope that the crowd not be deceived by Boss Li!
Sloth Apartments would not help you in your thinking—don’t be fooled!
The Fully-Automated Bickering Machine is really purely just a useless toy—don’t buy it!
However, Pei Qian’s heart turned cold, looking at the new comments below Sloth Apartments.
The original comments were generally about how inconvenient and impractical this place was.
However, the direction of the new comments was totally different now.
“I understand now! I found Sloth Apartments to be inappropriate previously because it wasn’t the right method!”
“I’m an art
ist. I suddenly realize that the Sloth Apartments is the perfect place to stay after watching the interview. It is absolutely minimalistic; nothing will be able to disturb my thoughts.”
“I’m an author; I also feel that this place isn’t bad!”
“+1 as a programmer”
“Does Boss Pei’s method really help? I’m convinced and am prepared to rent one unit!”
“Actually, there is a certain truth to it. There is currently a trend of ‘breaking away’ and ‘minimalistic’; of course, this is not completely true as well. Everyone had to consider whether it was suitable for themselves or not. However, there were some undeniable facts to this theory. Everyone’s energy was limited. If you want to make a huge breakthrough in life, there would be some distractions that you had to give up. Sloth Apartments is a place providing such an environment!”
“Then how do you explain that there is no place for storage and not being able to shift the furniture?”
“Do you not understand? That is to ensure that everything in the room will not be messed up by you! Think about it, if you have a lot of storage space, you would buy continuously and then stuff a bunch of useless stuff into the cabinets. If you can buy your own furniture, you will definitely do things according to your own preferences. That is completely contrary to the idea of the Sloth Apartments!”
“Yes, the layout of the entire house was designed by an impressive designer. The perfect harmony created originally would be messed up and there would be no more of that original aura.”
“Yes, the Sloth Apartments has a butler and a cleaner, and you cannot touch the things inside it. Isn’t that allowing you to not need to care for anything and concentrate on your own affairs?”
“It is normal to feel ungrounded because what the Sloth Apartments advocated was Boss Pei’s own life philosophy. It is not suitable for everyone; it is specially prepared for thinkers.”
“I heard that the largest units have been taken up by the investors in Jingzhou. There are still two lake-view houses and a set of commercial and residential houses. Everyone, hurry up, I believe they will be out of stock soon.”
“These three house types happen to have three different price ranges. Is it to convince people of all wealth classes to experience the minimalist lifestyle?”
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