Losing Money to Be a Tycoon c1-883

by Inebriation-seeking Blue Shirt, 青衫取醉

  It was a blessing to be a slacker like Old Ma.

  It seemed like no matter what happened, he was always so optimistic, unlike himself, who was filled with all sorts of worries every day, racking his brains to lose more money.

  How envious.

  Pei Qian looked at the date. It was January 18th today. There was less than a week to Chinese New Year. All the work in the company had basically reached late stage.

  Pei Qian planned to take a break after the annual meeting on the 20th since Chinese New Year Eve was on 22nd.

  The annual meeting should have been held earlier, but there were many things to do in the last month. Pei Qian was afraid that the annual meeting would delay the settlement of his losses, so he postponed it for a few days and put it on the day of the holiday.

  That way, he could go home on holiday after the annual meeting. That would be quite straightforward.

  Of course, he had to arrange everything before the holidays.

  Pei Qian might have made a lot of money during this cycle but he had made ample preparations. He had spent a huge sum of money on Mission and Choice, and Dream Realization Ventures had split a portion of it. Pei Qian planned to use the remaining money to advertise.

  Pei Qian could not be bothered about the hidden dangers in advertising, since he had to spend so much money. What’s more, Pei Qian’s advertisements were mainly targeted at physical industries, including Fish-Catching Internet Cafe, Fish-Catching Take-Out, Deposit Fitness, Sloth Apartments, Upwind Logistics, and so on.

  All of these industries had one common characteristic: while most of them were already making steady profits, as long as the shops opened fast enough, they would not make much money. Advertising these industries was much safer than advertising for games and cell phones.

  During the Chinese New Year period, they would advertise in cities like Jingzhou, Beijing, and Shanghai. That would allow them to spend a huge sum of money.

  In that case, the System would officially settle the accounts after the new year. He should be able to generate considerable losses.

  Once the settlement was completed, Pei Qian would be able to focus all his energy on the next cycle.

  Pei Qian felt that his plan was perfect and flawless.

  Chapter 835 - Boss Pei Said, Dig Into The Details

  January 19th, Thursday…

  Pei Qian had just woken up when he saw Ma Yang send him a document for the live commerce of the Fully-Automated Smart Bickering Machine.

  “Isn’t that too efficient?”

  “Eh? That’s not right. Did he work overtime?”

  Pei Qian immediately called Ma Yang to question him.

  Ma Yang quickly answered, “No, Brother Qian, this is just the first draft. Chen Yufeng had it done yesterday afternoon. We managed to get it out faster since we obtained direct data and parameters.”

  “This is not the final manuscript. We still have to edit it during the day and arrange for a live-stream at night.”

  “Tengda’s motto is not to work overtime. I’m a good employee who strictly adheres to the Tengda spirit. How can I let everyone work overtime? Brother Qian, don’t worry. That’s impossible!”

  Satisfied, Pei Qian hung up.

  Alright, look at how enlightened Old Ma was!

  How great would it be if everyone in Tengda had such a realization!

  Hold on.

  Pei Qian suddenly realized that almost everyone in Tengda seemed to have realized this. However, his situation did not improve. Everyone did not work overtime but the company still continued to earn money…

  Pei Qian sighed silently. Every time he thought about this, he would feel melancholic.

  He should read the proposal first.

  Pei Qian read the live-stream proposal of the Fully-Automated Smart Bickering Machine from beginning to end. He found that it detailed its specific attributes, including how many speakers there were, how the specific parameters were, how different the sound parameters were for the same price, and so on.

  Other than that, there was also an audio comparison segment. He found a few other brands to compare the sound quality. There was no lack of products that cost thousands or tens of thousands of yuan.

  Live-streaming programs like this had to be compared in order to make content easier. If they only evaluated the Fully-Automated Smart Bickering Machine, the parameters would be finished in a few minutes. It would not be able to sustain the entire live-stream.

  Pei Qian was quite satisfied with this proposal.

  In any case, as long as he compared it with other sound systems and answered the questions truthfully, it would be enough to dissuade some players.

  The Fully-Automated Intelligent Bickering Machine did not have any exclusive technology after all. Its sound quality was not much different from the local echo wall that was priced at 2,000 yuan. Coupled with the few hundred yuan that the Fully-Automated Intelligent Bickering Machine cost, it would look extremely cheap.

  Pei Qian immediately sent Ma Yang a message: “Sure, we can make this proposal more detailed and perfect. We just have to make sure of the details and it would be perfect!”

  In any case, there were sound systems costing thousands and tens of thousands of yuan in the evaluation this time. In terms of details, the two thousand yuan from the Fully-Automated Intelligent Bickering Machine was definitely incomparable.

  If he were to dig deeper into the details, it would give the audience a feeling that the details of the smart bickering machine were not very particular and of poor quality. That would definitely dissuade many consumers who were still watching.

  …

  On the other side, Ma Yang received Pei Qian’s message and replied, “Alright.” Then, he looked for Chen Yufeng.

  Chen Yufeng was the person in charge of Ma Yang’s live-stream. He had been working conscientiously ever since he was in charge of providing content for Boss Ma’s live-stream. He was very careful in handling every detail. Every time before a live-stream, the other members of the team would look at the draft multiple times. The words would be minced many times and they would not dare to make mistakes in the data.

  Chen Yufeng knew very well what Boss Ma was doing now was very hateful. There were definitely many companies who hated him to the core and were looking for problems with magnifying glasses.

  Moreover, Boss Ma was doing a live-stream, not a video. If something went wrong with the data, he would be recorded and attacked crazily.

  What Boss Ma did, whether it was live commerce or reviewing or showing what was fake, was all about credibility.

  Once there was a small mistake in the document, their credibility would definitely decrease over time. That was something very difficult to make up for.

  Therefore, Chen Yufeng had always been very serious.

  At that moment, he was still editing the draft word by word, preparing for the last episode before the new year to review his own Fully-Automated Smart Bickering Machine.

  Chen Yufeng did not know why they wanted to evaluate this. However, since Boss Pei had personally given Boss Ma the task and repeatedly instructed him to be as blunt as before, he could only do his best to prepare without any delay.

  As for the others in the team, they were also doing their own jobs. Some were in charge of verification data, while others were adjusting other equipment.

  Chen Yufeng was checking one of the data in the document when Ma Yang came over.

  “I showed the proposal to Boss Pei just now, and he was quite satisfied. However, he hopes that this draft can be further refined and perfected, especially the details. We have to be as strict as possible.”

  Chen Yufeng was stunned for a moment. “He wants us to dig deeper into the details? Did Boss Pei say how to dig deeper?”

  Ma Yang said, “Do we have to ask Boss Pei about this? Of course, we’ll think about it ourselves.”

  Chen Yufeng thought about it. That seemed to be the case. It was obviously not appropriate to disturb Boss Pei over such min
or details.

  However, the problem was, how else could they be even stricter?

  He had already listed the audio parameters of the Smart Bickering Machine and arranged for a trial segment. How could he be stricter with the details?

  Should he use the macro lens to show the audience the workmanship of the details?

  However, nothing could be seen on the surface. They were all products of modern technology. The quality was very high. It was impossible for the exterior to be rough or uneven.

  Chen Yufeng suddenly had a flash of inspiration as he said, “I got it. Why don’t we just dismantle the system? We can dismantle all the sound systems into parts. There will definitely be something inside!”

  Ma Yang nodded. “Alright, that’s a good idea! Are there any other details? Let’s think again?”

  Chen Yufeng thought hard for a long time. This time, he really could not think of anything.

  “Boss Ma, why don’t we ask Boss Chang of Otto Technologies? Let him briefly introduce the details of where this sound system is different from other sound systems. We can tell the audience the truth. This is not against the rules, right?” Chen Yufeng said.

  Ma Yang thought for a moment. “That’s fine. We have to do a live-stream tonight. Time is tight, and Boss Pei wants details. I have to ask Chang You.”

  “Alright, you don’t have to worry about this. I’ll ask him for it.”

  Ma Yang turned around to make a call. Chen Yufeng immediately changed the script for the live-stream and added the segment of dismantling the sound system. He also arranged for technicians to dismantle all the sound systems to study them first so that they would not have any problems.

  Ma Yang returned not long after.

  “Alright, Chang You said that he would send us a document in a while. The Fully-Automated Smart Bickering Machine has all the special functions. We can follow his instructions.”

  Chen Yufeng was a little hesitant. “Boss Ma, Otto Technologies seems to be quite straightforward. They probably gave it to us on account of our brotherhood. Should we be more lenient on our livestream?”

  Ma Yang glared at him. “How can we do that? We’ll do what we have to. Boss Pei’s Tengda spirit is the truth! Boss Pei repeatedly reminded us to be stricter with our products. How can we make an exception?”

  Chen Yufeng nodded. “Alright, Boss Ma. I understand.”

  Things were much easier now that Boss Ma had spoken.

  Chen Yufeng asked out of turn mainly because he was afraid that things would not end well and he would be the scapegoat. Now that Boss Ma had spoken, based on Boss Ma’s character, even if there was a scapegoat, it would be Boss Ma himself. Chen Yufeng was no longer worried.

  Soon, Otto Technologies sent a document regarding the Fully-Automated Smart Bickering Machine.

  Chen Yufeng opened it and was dumbfounded.

  “Huh? This bickering machine has so many functions?”

  “It can automatically recite poems?”

  “You can match the lines?”

  “You can even start a bickering mode?”

  “I knew about the bickering mode a long time ago. I don’t think anyone paid attention to the poetry recital and the lines, right? The official platform didn’t give any introduction, did they?”

  Chen Yufeng was a little surprised.

  He had done some research on this Fully-Automated Intelligent Bickering Machine. He knew that this thing’s artificial intelligence was very strange. Once it entered the Bickering Mode, it could make people want to tear down their homes.

  However, he had never heard of the automatic recitation function before.

  The explanation in the document seemed to be because the relevant database had not been done too well before. This function had just been updated because it was about complete.

  He had heard of the functions of the lines before, but the correct lines were all from Ocean Stronghold’s downloadable content. This time, Otto Technologies seemed to have sent more than just lines from Ocean Stronghold. There were also a few other lines that he did not know where they came from.

  Chen Yufeng looked at Ma Yang. “Boss Ma, are you going to include all these details?”

  Ma Yang nodded. “Of course! Boss Pei said to be strict with the details. Of course, we have to add them in! Hurry up and prepare!”

  Chen Yufeng felt immense pressure. He quickly called the rest of the team together and each of them took charge of different parts. He made use of the time to prepare.

  As for Ma Yang himself, he was holding onto a Fully-Automated Smart Bickering Machine, constantly pressing on the stick, waiting for the machine to swing back.

  He continued playing the game tirelessly.

  …

  At the same time, Pei Qian had finished his breakfast and arrived at the office to work.

  As the new year approached, most departments had completed their tasks. He could feel that everyone was not in the mood to work.

  Pei Qian was very happy about this. He hoped that everyone could continue being lazy.

  When he arrived at the office, the first thing he did was to call Assistant Xin over and ask her how the Spring Festival advertisement that he had previously arranged was doing.

  Assistant Xin reported in an orderly manner with a small notebook in hand. “Currently, the promotional work is mainly in Jingzhou, as well as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Pengcheng, and other major cities, including subway advertisements, bulletin boards, office building advertisements, and so on. Everything has been arranged.”

  “The advertisements are mainly physical industries such as Fish-Catching Internet Cafe, Fish-Catching Take-Out, Sloth Apartments, Upwind Logistics, Deposit Fitness, and so on. Each industry has hired different celebrities to be their spokespersons. The publicity materials have been arranged. They will be released during the Chinese New Year period.”

  “The only small problem is that some cities might not have these industries. For example, Sloth Apartments only exists in Jingzhou. Isn’t it a little… too early to go to Beijing and Shanghai to advertise?”

  Pei Qian smiled. “It’s not early at all. The timing is just right!”

  It would be best if the other cities did not have any related industries. Wouldn’t the advertisements be wasted? Wouldn’t the money be wasted?

  He chose to advertise in Jingzhou because everyone in Jingzhou already knew about these industries. If he advertised more, the situation would not worsen.

  The reason why they chose to advertise in first-tier cities like Beijing and Shanghai was because the advertisements there were expensive.

  There was a limit to the amount of time he could spend. It would be unrealistic to spread the advertisements across the country. He could go to a few key cities to ensure that he could spend the money well.

  Assistant Xin said, “Also, Boss Pei, this is the specific plan and process for this year’s annual meeting. It was released quite some time ago, but you haven’t had the time to read it.”

  She handed him a document as she spoke.

  Pei Qian reached out to take it and put it aside. “Alright, I’ll take some time to take a look. There’s nothing else for now. I’ll look for you if there’s anything.”

  Chapter 836 - Caught Off-guard

  Pei Qian put the plan for the annual meeting aside, planning to read it when he had time.

  It was not that he was lazy. The main thing was that he did not care about the details of the annual meeting. It was not that high on his priority.

  His most important mission was to spend money. Second, he had to ensure that the businesses that were not profitable would continue that way. Third, he had to make the businesses that were already profitable earn less.

  On the other hand, giving benefits to the employees during the annual meeting was only a small part of the first priority.

  “The most successful part of this cycle should be the incubation base for the Destitution Plan.”

  “Until now, only two standalon
e games have been released. One is good but not popular, the other is neither good nor popular. In short, neither of the two games made much money.”

  “Moreover, the progress of the games that he has high hopes for are not enough to be released based on the progress that Qiu Hong sent me. They will be released next month at the earliest. They should not cause me any trouble before settlement.”

  “Indeed, the Destitution Plan has not let me down. At the moment, it is still purely making losses. What’s more, the outside world basically doesn’t know that Tengda is the one behind it.”

  “Not accepting both fame and fortune, very good!”

  Pei Qian happened to read Qiu Hong’s work report on the incubation base. He was very satisfied with the current situation there.

  At that moment, Pei Qian’s cell phone vibrated. Qiu Hong had sent him a new message.

  “Boss Pei, good news!”

  “The Survival Guide for Working Adults is officially released today. Its reputation and sales have exploded!”

  Pei Qian’s smile froze on his face when he saw the message.

  What the hell?

  What is this Survival Guide for Working Adults?

  He quickly opened the report sent by Qiu Hong. It contained the names of all independent games that were being developed in the incubation base. However, he did not see the so-called Survival Guide for Working Adults even after flipping through it from beginning to end.

  “What the f*ck is going on?!” Pei Qian was at a loss for words. He felt like he was about to collapse.

  Didn’t they say that this cycle would not be profitable?

  Where did this game come from?!

  …

  At the same time, at Cherry Workspace in Beijing…

  The boss and producer of the studio, Jiang Fan, as well as the chief designer, Yang Liang, and the others were laughing foolishly as they looked at the sales figures behind the scenes.