“At the same time, it is a form of support that Tengda offers to its partners, who will get to share in its profits.
“Think about it. If the spots for the GPL league become more and more valuable like Boss Pei expects, and they sell them all now, wouldn’t we stand to gain the most as the ones who joined him the earliest?
“Even if capital inflows get larger and larger, our club would still be able to sell its slots at a high price if it cannot carry on operations anymore. No matter what, we would not lose out!
“Lastly, I think Boss Pei is trying to generate some hype.
“If he only sells three slots, he would only earn fifty to sixty million yuan at most. However, selling all of them at once would easily earn him over a hundred million yuan!
“The unit price might be low, but the total price would definitely be high!
“Fifty million yuan and over a hundred million yuan are completely different in terms of publicity. The concept of ‘over a hundred million yuan’ alone is enough to generate hype!
“That would attract a lot of attention and make the GPL popular even before its premiere. How much in publicity fees would that save?
“As for whether there are other reasons, I think there are.
“It’s just that I’m too inexperienced to guess.”
The investors were enlightened. “I understand now. Boss Pei is actually giving us profits! Does he want us to put in more effort to make the GPL bigger?”
Li Shi nodded. “Yes, that must be it!”
“Therefore, we’ll follow the same strategy as before and try to buy two GPL spots! No matter what, we have to buy them first!”
The investors pondered for a while. That was true.
If the bidding was three months from now, they would still have a lot of time to think about it.
However, there were only three days left!
What was there to think about?
It was just like how some limited edition products could only be sold for three days at a time. Anyone who missed the opportunity in those three days would not have such an opportunity for years to come.
Wouldn’t they have to buy the slots at all costs?
Chapter 715 - Boss Ma, Start 'Advertising'!
November 3rd, Thursday…
At Fish-Catching Internet Cafe, Handong University branch…
As Pei Qian sipped his coffee and browsed the web, he frowned.
He was puzzled.
Why was the public opinion on the internet changing every day?
Before this, everyone on the internet had been saying that Tengda was putting too much pressure on the clubs. The clubs had decided to quit, thinking that Tengda would most likely suffer and that it would not be able to run a GPL.
All in all, most of them either felt worried or felt bad. Some even felt indignant for the clubs.
Pei Qian had been quite happy at that time.
If everyone had continued moaning and groaning, no one would have wanted the clubs’ GOG teams. Then, he would have bought them all. Wouldn’t it have been wonderful to buy them all at a high price?
Yet, in less than two days, everything had changed!
For some reason, the news that the three clubs had decided not to sell their GOG teams, and that Shenhua Real Estate and Sun Strike Studios were also preparing to purchase GPL slots had spread. The public opinion then took a 180-degree turn!
“Am I seeing things? Shenhua Real Estate has entered the market? They want to dabble in E-Sports? This is a f*cking downturn! Can the other clubs compete with such money?”
“The GPL actually wants to have sixteen teams. How are they going to arrange the competition schedule?”
“One look and I can tell that this would be a huge investment!”
“It’s over, I’ve been slapped in the face. I thought that the GPL would not be able to make it. Now, it looks like it’s unstoppable. Just the slots alone are enough to drive everyone crazy!”
“They’re only selling once? For three days? Hurry up and fight for it! Even if you get a slot for twenty million yuan, you’ll still make a killing!”
“That’s right. The entrance of large capital means that the entire market is optimistic about this prospect! Who knows, we might be able to earn millions or even tens of millions just by selling GPL slots in the future!”
The more Pei Qian read these comments, the more he felt that something was amiss.
Were there fake reviewers leading these discussions?
Two days ago, people had been saying that no one would want the GPL slots. How long had passed since? Had the public’s opinion changed so quickly?
It was impossible to believe that no one was responsible for this.
However, even if he knew this, Pei Qian was helpless.
That was because Boss Pei had already fallen into a reverse Tacitus trap: once everyone saw him as the embodiment of wealth, people would take whatever he did as the secret to getting rich.
If Boss Pei said that the GPL would become popular, everyone would think that it would become popular.
If Boss Pei said that the GPL would not become popular, everyone would think that he was just being humble or trying to dissuade those with weak willpower.
All in all, as long as Boss Pei spoke, the GPL would become popular!
Thus, Pei Qian could only feel anxious and helpless. He could not do anything else.
However, on further thought, there were only a few days left until the auction. There was no need to struggle. He could sell them for as much as he wanted.
All he had to do after that was burst more brain cells thinking about how to spend money.
As he continued browsing the web, his cell phone rang.
He picked up his cell phone and saw that it was Old Ma.
“Brother Qian! I’ve already prepared the first episode. I’m planning to do a live-stream. Do you want to watch it live?” Ma Yang’s excited voice sounded through the phone.
Pei Qian looked at the time, confused. It was 2 PM on Thursday.
After recovering from the initial shock, Pei Qian quickly nodded. “Alright, I’ll be right there! Uh, where’s the address?”
Ma Yang said, “I’ll send it to you now!”
After hanging up, Pei Qian could not help but feel emotional again. Old Ma was indeed reliable.
Wouldn’t it be better to choose a weekend for the first live-stream? Wouldn’t it be better to choose a prime time of around eight in the evening?
Why did you have to choose an afternoon on a work day? Everyone’s at work. How many people would watch your live-stream?
Still, this suited Pei Qian’s expectations. After all, the smaller the number of viewers, the less likely it would become popular!
Pei Qian looked at the address on his cell phone.
Old Ma had rented a special office space for the live-stream this time. Chen Yufeng and the entire professional review team usually worked there.
Pei Qian immediately rushed over.
…
At the same time, Ma Yang was reading Chen Yufeng’s script seriously.
Although he did not have to memorize it and could watch the teleprompter during the live-stream, Ma Yang was afraid that he would stutter. Thus, he wanted to read it twice through in advance. That way, the live-stream would be smoother.
Initially, Chen Yufeng had thought of hiring someone to do some makeup for Boss Ma, but Boss Ma rejected him.
Ma Yang was very repulsed by makeup and had no interest in wearing a suit.
At last, at Chen Yufeng’s persistent insistence, Ma Yang went to wash his hair.
On the table in front of Ma Yang were piles of learning materials.
Plastic book covers, pencils, erasers, table mats, folders, solid glue, and so on. There were several sets of learning supplies, each with a different brand.
The other staff were busy with their own tasks. Some were checking the cameras, some were adjusting the lights, and some were preparing various emergency pla
ns.
This group of people had been hired by Chen Yufeng one by one after he entered the company. They were talents in all fields. Now, the entire team was serving Ma Yang alone. Their task was to provide Ma Yang with live-stream content.
As for whether Ma Yang could really become an internet celebrity, it was hard to say. It would depend on fate.
However, at the very least, the live-stream content provided by these teams was accurate.
Boss Pei entered while everyone was busy.
Chen Yufeng rushed forward. “Boss Pei!”
Pei Qian nodded. At once, he spotted Old Ma reading his script seriously, as well as the mess of learning materials on the table.
Pei Qian was stunned. “This is…?”
Chen Yufeng quickly explained, “Oh, Boss Pei, there are the things that we prepared for Boss Ma’s first live-stream: learning supplies evaluation.”
Noticing that Boss Pei looked a little surprised, Chen Yufeng quickly said, “Boss Pei, you said that we could review anything earlier on. That’s why we decided to start with some small things. If it doesn’t work, we’ll change it next time…”
Pei Qian raised his hand. “No need! This is good enough.”
Obviously, Chen Yufeng was afraid of offending big manufacturers. He did not dare to evaluate popular digital products right from the start. Instead, he had chosen to review unimportant things first.
That was not bad to Pei Qian.
After all, being scolded could generate traffic as well.
No one would be interested or pay attention to these small things. Naturally, there would be no traffic. That was good.
Ma Yang noticed Pei Qian as well. He turned his long face around and said, “Brother Qian, you’re here!”
“I’m busy, and so I won’t have time to host you. Just watch my performance later!”
After Ma Yang finished speaking, he started reciting the script once again.
Pei Qian stood calmly by the side, took out his cell phone, and entered Old Ma’s live-stream, waiting to watch the bullet screen comments.
He had to admit that Ma Yang had accumulated hundreds of thousands of fans over this period of time.
After all, he had been burning real money. Since Ma Yang had nothing better to do on Weibo, he had been posting about the Dream Fund every day and garnered a lot of attention as a result. Earlier on, he had also asked DGE’s players to play games with him. That also directed a large number of fans to the live-stream.
What’s more, Old Ma had shared his investment experience in the live-stream. He was regarded by the audience as an ‘investor driven by interest’ and had thus attracted countless fans.
Finally, the preparation work was almost done. They waited for the live-stream to begin.
Ma Yang read the script two more times, then raised his hand and made an ‘okay’ sign. “We can start now!”
Chen Yufeng nodded. “Alright, we’ll officially start the live-stream then!”
Pei Qian could not help but feel emotional. It all looked quite legitimate.
After being packaged by a professional team, Old Ma looked like a real live-streamer.
However, there was something wrong with the goods he was reviewing.
Everyone else reviewed lipstick, cosmetics, and the like, but Ma Yang was reviewing learning materials.
Those who did not know anything would have thought that this was a live-stream meant for primary school students!
An image appeared on the live-stream, and a big group of viewers flooded in. However, since it was a work day, there were not many people.
“Boss Ma is starting the broadcast!”
“What has Boss Ma been busy with recently?”
“Boss Ma, do you know about the recent GPL matter? Do you have any insider information?”
“Eh, Boss Ma’s live-stream background has changed. Why? Has the background been specially prepared?”
It had been a while since the fans saw Boss Ma live-streaming. All of them were very passionate, and sporadic gifts floated by.
Ma Yang quickly asked, “Who’s sending me gifts?
“Manager Fang, permanently ban anyone who gives me presents, understand?
“I don’t lack money. Please don’t give me gifts. I’ll fight anyone who does!
“Alright, almost everyone’s here. Let’s get straight to the point.
“Today, I’ll introduce a few items to everyone.”
Ma Yang brought the items that he had prepared in front of the camera.
A bunch of question marks appeared on the live-stream.
“???”
“Boss Ma is… advertising?”
“If Boss Ma is so rich, why is he advertising?”
“Are they promoting some high-end luxury goods?”
“What is this? It looks like a pencil, eraser, and solid glue?”
“What the hell?”
The audience was stunned.
They had not expected Boss Ma to introduce items at the start of the live-stream. What was that supposed to mean?
Ma Yang ignored the bullet screen comments and read his script.
“Today, I’ll show everyone a few items that you must not buy.
“These pencils and erasers have high levels of polycyclic hydrocarbons; these table pads and folders are overpriced; these solid glues contain a large amount of formaldehyde; these plastic books have high levels of polycyclic hydrocarbons and benzodiazepines…”
Chapter 716 - Another Recruitment Season
The professional team’s script was very detailed. It included the brands of the learning supplies, the purchase method, the testing reports from the professional testing laboratory, and so on. Everything was complete.
The beginning of the live-stream was a simple summary.
However, every item would then be introduced in detail, with emphasis on the toxic and harmful substances that could cause harm to one’s health.
Among these products, some did not have clear brand names but had corresponding sales channels, and had brands. Ma Yang spoke the names of the brands without attempting to hide anything.
Soon, the comments in the live-stream changed completely.
At first, everyone had just been watching for fun and not paying much attention. However, slowly, the bullet screen comments became serious.
“So, Boss Ma is not endorsing these brands, but exposing their fake and inferior products?”
“?? My child uses this type of eraser!”
“There are even big brands in here. Their products sell very well both online and at the stationery store outside the school. Yet, even they don’t meet the standards?”
“These are all strong carcinogens meant for children’s use! Do these merchants have any morals?”
“Boss Ma seems to be well-prepared. Thank you for exposing these rubbish products, Boss Ma!”
The viewers typing the bullet screen comments had had no interest in Ma Yang’s live-stream at all.
Who would want to watch an endorsement of pencil erasers? There were no primary school students watching the live-stream.
What’s more, most people subconsciously believed that things like pencils, erasers, book covers, and solid glue would not differ much even if their price and quality were different.
Even if people endorsed particular products, no one would go online just to buy them.
However, the audience had not thought that Boss Ma was not endorsing those goods, but exposing them!
What’s more, he was honest, fair, and outspoken for small brands and large local stationery brands alike!
It would be meaningless to listen to endorsements, but interesting to listen to exposés!
There was a small number of people watching the live-stream, whose children had to use these stationery in school. When they heard that these stationery contained high levels of toxic and harmful substances, they became extremely anxious. Although most other people had no direct interest in this matter, it was easy for them to f
eel indignant about the harmful stationery as well.
It was one thing to sell poor-quality and expensive stationery, but quite another to cut corners to save a few yuan and endanger children’s health in the process.
Was this something a human could do?
“I support Boss Ma!”
“Has anyone recorded this? Put it up on the internet! Expose these black-hearted and unscrupulous merchants!”
“Is Boss Ma’s conclusion reliable? Don’t you think he’s exaggerating things to scare us? People pay so much more for these branded products, and yet they’re not that far off from third-rate goods? That seems a little ridiculous…”
“Boss Ma has test reports available already. He must have tested it seriously!”
“I’m a fan of Boss Ma now!”
“I used to think that Boss Ma was just throwing money away on Weibo. Now, it seems like Boss Ma is not only an investor driven by interest and a dream-fulfiller for ordinary people, but he is also the nemesis of fake and inferior products! I will not miss a single live-stream from Boss Ma from now on!”
“Boss Ma is so tough – he’s a real man!”
As Ma Yang continued live-streaming, more and more bullet screen comments appeared.
Pei Qian read the bullet screen comments on Ma Yang’s live-stream using his cell phone. For a while, he was speechless.
What the f*ck…?
The situation had completely exceeded Pei Qian’s expectations. At first, he had thought that Ma Yang would just be exposing poor-quality learning equipment. Who would be interested in such content?
Never would he have expected the content of this episode to be so well-received!
On further thought, this was mainly because he had made a mistake.
Like many viewers, Pei Qian had subconsciously thought that even if the quality of some pencils, erasers, plastic book covers, and solid glue were not as good, they could not be that bad.
However, the test results revealed that his imagination could never keep up with the decline in manufacturers’ moral standards.
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