Nearing the end of the video, many comments that said 'full-mark essay' floated past the screen.
Yet, that was not the end. Teacher Qiao delivered a parting message to bring the comments to a climax once again!
"The above was the full content for this episode of Products of the Gods. I hope everyone will get to enjoy the rich gaming experience for themselves. After all, no matter how many times you watch others complete the game, you're only scratching an itch through a layer of clothes. Nothing compared to enjoying the game firsthand.
"You don't have to worry about not being able to complete the game because of your bad skills. After this, I will produce detailed walkthroughs so that other lousy players like me can work hard to complete the game for themselves!
"This episode of Product of the Gods will end here. I will update strategies to progress through Repent and be Saved later on. Please keep watching this space! "If you like this series, please support me! See you again on the next episode of Products of the Gods!"
Comments like 'I can't wait', 'thank you, Old Qiao', 'I'm waiting for your update', and 'see you next year series' appeared on the screen. Once again, Pei Qian fell silent.
I'm finished. This Teacher Qiao is going to come up with a series of videos! He's going to produce a detailed walkthrough for the game!
Pei Qian had expected a series like that.
He expected the series to have limited influence if it had not been posted in Products of the Gods.
Yet, now, Teacher Qiao had posted it in Products of the Gods! The situation was completely different!
Many gamers left various comments in the comments section. All of them were obviously encouraged.
"I waited a lifetime for this! Finally, there's a second episode for the Products of the Gods!"
"I never expected the second episode to be about Tengda's game as well."
"He's my son indeed. Every time he produces a video, he stands out. He beats all other UP Masters in the games channel, hands down!"
"This is extremely well-said. The game's spirituality has increased by at least three tiers! I must say that it's extremely rich in content. Ordinary people would have been blinded by the illusion of high difficulty. We needed a professional like Teacher Qiao to analyze the game for us so that we could all appreciate the richness of the game!"
"Old Qiao, you really XXX and produced a top-quality video! Not only is Tengda's game a product of the gods, but your video is, too!"
"Old Qiao, you really spent a full week grinding your sword to produce such a top-quality video! Not only is Tengda's game a product of the gods, but your video is, too!" "I feel guilty after watching this video. I'm one of those who got the 'repent and be saved ending'. I refunded the game because I was too lousy. I'm going to buy it back right now!"
"I feel guilty after watching this video. I'm one of those who got the 'repent and be saved ending'. I refunded the game because I was too lousy. I'm going to seriously achieve Cloud Clearance!"
"Thank you for dissuading me from using the Pudu to speed through the game, Old Qiao. I'm going to drop the weapon and try to complete this game based on my own skills!" "I didn't think there would be so much to the plot of a short game like that. Indeed, it's a respectable piece of work."
"While plots are treated as mere decorations in foreign games, Tengda has professionally designed and produced such a rich worldview and plot for their game. What's more, they left clues for players to locate a hidden weapon and used only a small part of the novel's content. They're so good-hearted!"
"I'm going to read the novel now!"
"I feel like there are still a lot of holes in the game's plot. I also noticed some details that Old Qiao did not talk about. I'll produce a video later on to share them with everyone!"
After reading the most popular comments, Pei Qian felt his eyes begin to well up.
You've all been brainwashed by him! The video is far from the truth! I wanted all of you to reach the 'repent and be saved ending'. Will you just give up once and for all?
Who told you to imagine the game's protagonist suffering in the sea of bitterness forever? It's just a freaking game. It's not real! Don't take it so seriously, alright?
The only comment among all of these that brought some comfort to Pei Qian was the one who talked about Cloud Clearance.
How good would it be if everyone just happily watched others play?!
Yet, this was obviously wishful thinking on Boss Pei's part.
Many gamers, who had initially given up on the game because they were too lousy, became determined to purchase the game after watching the video. Those who had already refunded the game wanted to re-purchase it. Those who were on the verge of giving up were motivated to keep trying. Critically, the difficulty of the game had been completely explained away!
The haters and fake reviewers had been upset primarily because of the game's difficulty. They emphasized that point to demonize the game and persuade other lousy players, who were still considering whether to try the game or not, not to play it.
However, Teacher Qiao's video introduced a more high-level way of looking at the game that brought the focus away from the game's difficulty.
Indeed, the game was difficult. However, the game's difficulty contributed to its immersiveness. In fact, it was an important part of the plot.
It was precisely because it was difficult that the game was complete. It was precisely because it was difficult that gamers could fully experience the game and achieve emotional Nirvana!
What used to be the game's primary flaw had now become its selling point!
After introducing this view, Teacher Qiao established a stronghold so that he could not be defeated.
Once the detailed walkthroughs were released, lousy gamers—who had been worried about not being able to complete the game-would cast aside all doubts at once. If all else failed, they could at least depend on the walkthroughs and progress bit by bit.
This would lead to more players buying the game!
Pei Qian felt depressed.
Things were getting very bad!
He had completely underestimated the amount of damage Teacher Qiao could cause!
It was now Thursday. He would receive Repent and be Saved's revenue by Monday. In these three days, the game's reputation would probably greatly improve; and sales would balloon.
This was a massive problem! At that thought, Pei Qian quickly called Lu Mingliang. He wanted Lu Mingliang to work as hard as he could to open tens more Upwind Courier stations. He had to keep opening new stations until the next settlement. All the additional money that Pei Qian would earn had to be spent as soon as possible!
Even after ending the call, Pei Qian could not relax.
No way, I have to personally go down! I have to supervise the progress myself!
Pei Qian was afraid because Lu Mingliang did not understand the gravity of the problem. He wanted to go down to Upwind Logistics's office and personally push all the employees there to work harder!
Now, Pei Qian did not want to wait a single minute more. He arranged for the chauffeur to pick him up and quickly rushed out of the office.
Before he left, he said to Li Yada, "I'm going to deal with some things at Upwind Logistics. If there's nothing else to do, all of you can call it a day."
The employees in the office observed Boss Pei who looked like he was in a rush. They could not help but feel sorrow.
Eh, didn't our game just become unexpectedly popular?
Boss Pei isn't even giving himself a break to celebrate? Instead, he's going to deal with Upwind Logistics's problems?
He's so hardworking!
The leader was working overtime while his employees were allowed to knock off early. What kind of spirit was this?!
Upstairs from Tengda, in Zhongdian Chinese Network…
Ma Yiqun had been kept busy with TPDb. Now, the website was finally almost complete, and there was nothing much left to do.
Of course, although Ma Yiqun was in charge of both Zhongdian Chinese Network and TPDb at the same time, he still had a lot of free time on his hands.
This was because ever since Zhongdian Chinese Network was set up, Ma Yiqun did not have to do much for the site. He could allow it to run on its own.
After training his subordinates for such a long period, Ma Yiqun could finally trust them to do their work independently. The editors, led by Zhu Xingan, could now responsibly vet manuscripts, distribute recommendation spots, and make suggestions to various authors on their own.
In their free time, Zhu Xingan and the other editors even worked on Repent and be Saved's official novel.
Although the novel had been heavily criticized by many readers, nobody really minded. They only wrote to entertain themselves.
Ma Yiqun felt moved from time to time as he observed them. They were talents from Handong University indeed. Although they all showed hints of sociopathic or autistic behavior, they picked things up quite quickly
After Ma Yiqun explained to them rules and ways of online novels, everyone seemed to develop a good understanding of it.
All things aside, they did seem suited for this business.
On the whole, Zhongdian Chinese Network was developing correctly. Not many people thought well of it ever since the website started; there were not enough readers or authors. However, the situation was showing signs of improvement.
Boss Pei had given Ma Yiqun a sum of money a while ago to pick the business up. Now, Ma Yiqun could boost the remuneration for authors who produced better-than-average online literature.
Ma Yiqun could decide which books had elite potential and peg the distributions against the novels' figures. This would vastly change Zhongdian Chinese Network's reputation among the circle of writers.
With a higher ceiling, the website would surely catch the attention of more skilled writers.
The only problem that Ma Yiqun was finding it difficult to solve was the lack of readers.
After all, supplementing authors' income was not a long-term solution to this problem. Yet, Ma Yiqun was not worried. As long as they could continue supplementing authors' income for a while, the number of good authors on the site would increase. Someday, they would produce a viral novel.
The number of readers was bound to increase someday, right?
Ma Yiqun accessed the platform to look at the novels' figures.
He was holding onto a huge sum of money, and he had to be extremely careful with choosing which author he should give the money to.
This was because the process was not entirely transparent. Conflict could arise from his decisions. If unselected authors became envious, they could diss Zhongdian Chinese Network online and ruin its reputation forever.
Thus, he had to be as objective as possible.
Of course, Ma Yiqun could not possibly read every novel online. It would tire him to death. He would mainly refer to the numbers and his own judgment when deciding how much more he should pay the authors each month.
First, he had to narrow down his options using the figures on the platform. He would look at figures like the number of saves and the number of recommendation votes. Then, Ma Yiqun would study the chapters in the beginning and the middle. He would compare the number of comments to see if there was any obvious drop and look for any signs of fake reviewers.
This way, he could roughly determine each novel's popularity.
Even if a book started well but deteriorated in the middle, the figures would reveal this. Ma Yiqun could adjust the income supplements accordingly.
After all, the money belonged to Boss Pei. Ma Yiqun had to be accountable to him. He had to spend the money purposefully and not frivolously.
He scanned the novels with the highest figures on the platform. All of a sudden, he became shocked.
Why are the figures for these books increasing so rapidly? Repent and be Saved's official novel was experiencing the greatest jumps. The figures were not just increasing rapidly; they were practically exploding!
Ma Yiqun looked at the number of registered accounts on the website and found that even that was rapidly increasing! He was surprised and elated but also deeply confused.
What's happening? Where are all the new users coming from?
Could Boss Pei have advertised Zhongdian Chinese Network somewhere else? Yet, Boss Pei did not tell me anything about this!
Chapter 286 Create a Combined Event with the Game
Ma Yiqun quickly scanned the comments below Repent and be Saved's official novel. He found that many of them had visited the website after playing Repent and be Saved. Of course, Ma Yiqun knew that the game had been released. After all, he had written the game's plot together with the other editors. He had contributed to the game as well.
However, what Ma Yiqun did not know was that so many readers would be interested in the official novel!
Plot planning was Ma Yiqun's forte; that was why he knew the state of the local game industry very well. Plot planning was akin to 'changing the skin' of the game. At the moment, the local game industry viewed games' plots as one of the least important parts of the game.
This was especially true for mobile games and web-based games. Many project teams did not even have plot planners. Instead, they tended to make their administrative planners responsible for writing the plot if they were good in language.
Most project teams would not even spend huge sums of money hiring plot planners for client-side games, which required slightly richer plots. The most they would do was hire a fresh graduate, who majored in literature, and pay him or her minimum wages to produce a plot.
All in all, most local game merchants did not care about their games' plots. Most gamers were also not concerned about them.
Practically speaking, did game merchants avoid focusing on plots because gamers did not pay that much attention to it, or did gamers stop paying that much attention to plots because game merchants didn't focus on it?
This was a chicken-and-egg problem that would never be resolved.
Pei Qian could only say that games' plots were currently being neglected by local game merchants.
The local situation aside, very few players of foreign AAA games with the best plots would purposely look for the games' original novels to read, too. Ma Yiqun thought that Repent and be Saved's official novel was quite well-written, but it probably was not so good as to achieve such outstanding results.
Thus, Ma Yiqun had not expected such a development. He was completely shocked. He quickly tried to investigate what caused this to happen.
Teacher Qiao's fans had a prominent presence in the comments section. This was how Ma Yiqun traced his way to Teacher Qiao's video.
Once he finished watching it, a realization dawned on him. So this was what happened! It was not just the plot!
Foreign AAA games' plots were very good, but their official novels mostly overlapped with the games themselves.
In fact, the original novels' plots were sometimes incomplete; the games would expand a great deal on the plot in their original novels.
In terms of content-if novels scored seven marks, their corresponding games would score ten marks.
On top of all these, games were naturally more interactive, graphic, and artistic. Compared to novels—which communicated using words alone-games could express much more. That explained the huge gap between novels and games.
Most gamers would not even think about reading the original novels of games because the former would not be as elaborate as the latter.
Yet, the situation was different for Repent and be Saved!
A lot of the game's plot was hidden. If the original novel scored ten marks, the game would only score about five.
What's more, the game only revealed the tip of the plot's iceberg. The props and descriptions that appeared in the game only foreshadowed the material in the novel.
Yet, the game was well-done. It had a deep meaning to it, which allowed players to resonate strongly with the protagonist throughout the gameplay. Naturally, players would become extremely interested and invested in the game's plot! In the face of a story that hung in the balance, players understandably rushed to read the game's official novel in order to have their questions answered. Ma Yiqun could not help but feel moved. Amazing!
Why didn't I think about this when we were writing the official plot? Ma Yiqun had not worked seriously on the plot and official novel. Zhu Xingan had been the more passionate one. If not for the latter, the official novel would probably not have been updated so constantly. "How could I have neglected such a serious task? I nearly messed up Boss Pei's plans. I really should not have…
"It looks like Zhu Xingan is a talent worth nurturing
"Wait a minute. Now's not the time to think about these things. I have to grab the opportunity to retain as many readers as we
can!"
Ma Yiqun suddenly realized a more urgent problem: as the CEO of Zhongdian Chinese Network, he had to do his job!
Boss Pei had worked hard to direct so many new readers and users to Zhongdian Chinese Network. Ma Yiqun had to retain them as much as possible!
Ma Yiqun was certain that Repent and be Saved would continue to direct traffic to Zhongdian Chinese Network for some time to come. Over the next few days or even over the next few weeks, Zhongdian Chinese Network's traffic would probably increase.
However, these would just be superficial numbers. Most people would only visit the website to read Repent and be Saved's official novel. It was difficult to tell how many of them would remain.
Thus, Ma Yiqun had to think of a way to keep all of them!
Ma Yiqun wasted no time and called Zhu Xingan into his office at once.
"Quick, ask one of our operations staff to come up with some kind of event that would help us keep all our new readers!
"Didn't we come up with an event allowing new users to read books freely? Use that as a foundation and work harder on it!
"Come up with something based on games' seven-day login events."
Ma Yiqun was worried that Zhu Xingan would not be familiar with games' seven-day login events, and so he took some time to explain it to the latter in detail.
If a game managed to influence a new player to log in every day for seven days, a habit would be developed. The game would have successfully retained this player.
Developers of web-based games and mobile games had wrecked their brains for a long time, thinking about how to retain their players. After extensive research, they came up with the seven-day login event system. Simply put, they planned something every day for the first seven days after a new player registered. They enticed players to develop this gaming habit using attractive rewards.
While this method was tacky, one had to admit that it was extremely effective.
Otherwise, it would not have become the hallmark of mobile games and web-based games.
"Come up with a reward to give readers every day. For example, give them a few novels if they spent a set amount of time reading on our website.
"The required activity should not be that difficult. You can ask them to move their fingers around a bit or something in order to get the reward.
"The rewards for the second and seventh days are the most important. The reward for the seventh day has to be the best, and the one for the second day has to be just slightly worse. However, they both have to be extremely attractive.
"Do you have any good ideas?"
Ma Yiqun looked at Zhu Xingan.
Zhu Xingan pondered for a moment. "We can reward them with unimpeded reading for a week on the second day, and unimpeded reading for a month on the seventh day."
"Er… that's quite repetitive." Ma Yiqun shook his head. "What's more, most readers wouldn't see a difference between a week and a month of unimpeded reading.
"If they like our novels, we can successfully retain them by just giving them a week. If they don't like our novels, even giving them a month wouldn't work.
"We need something more exciting."
Zhu Xingan fell into deep thought. Finally, he said, "Let's give them something related to the game. The people being directed to our site are gamers; they would likely be interested in rewards like that."
Ma Yiqun clapped his hands. "Good! That's a good idea!
"If we hold a combined event with the game, more gamers would be attracted! What's more, we won't need additional funds for this. That means we won't have to report this to Boss Pei. I'll just have to mention it to Li Yada in private.
"It's settled then. We will give them three full days of unimpeded reading on their first day. On the second day, we will give them seven full days of unimpeded reading. On the seventh day, we will give them a prop for the game.
"We'll give them rewards on the other days as well, such as Zhongdian coins, discounts, and the like."
Zhu Xingan nodded. "Alright, I'll go and talk to the operations staff. We'll come up with a plan as soon as possible."
Everyone in Zhongdian Chinese Network came alive at once.
Armies were trained for months just for a single day of battle. Boss Pei had already directed so much traffic to the website. If they failed to retain new readers, everyone would have let Boss Pei down. They could pack their bags and go home!
Ma Yiqun sent a message to Li Yada, and the two began discussing a combined event for the game and website in detail.
At Upwind Logistics's headquarters…
At the moment, Pei Qian had already opened more than a hundred Upwind Courier stations. This number was going to increase to over two hundred soon.
These Upwind Courier stations were located in various districts around Jingzhou City. However, a special office was still required for daily operations and administrative work.
Upwind Logistics's headquarters was located in a two-story shop. The first level was an Upwind Courier station which made deliveries as per normal. The second level was an office for Upwind Logistics.
Once Upwind Logistics expanded, Pei Qian would have to find a more suitable location for the office.
Now, Pei Qian walked up to the second level to look for Lu Mingliang.
Lu Mingliang was adjusting quite well to his new role. The table was filled with documents, and his computer had been changed to a light and thin business laptop. He really looked like something.
"Boss Pei, this is such a small matter. Why did you have to come down?" Lu Mingliang stood up to receive Pei Qian and poured him a cup of tea. Pei Qian sipped his tea and sat on the sofa, trying to calm himself down. It was obvious that Lu Mingliang had no clue about Boss Pei's current predicament.
What do you mean by 'a small matter'?! This is no small matter! My entire family's lives are dependent on Fish-Catching Internet Cafe and the Upwind Courier stations!
If not for these two money-burning machines
– Fish-Catching Internet Cafe and the Upwind Courier stations-Boss Pei might have died a long time ago.
Of course, Boss Pei had a knack for remaining expressionless even as his world collapsed around him. At that moment, he maintained a calm look and sipped his tea in silence.
"How are the Upwind Courier stations coming along?"
Lu Mingliang was well-prepared. "Don't worry, Boss Pei. Everything has been arranged; the preparations for the Upwind Courier stations are underway. I'm thinking that we can hire people and look for locations at the same time. This would ensure that the Upwind Courier stations would be ready for business as soon as possible!"
As Lu Mingliang spoke, he presented a set of documents to Pei Qian. He began to explain in detail the locations and plans for each courier station, as well as the status of recruitment.
Pei Qian was a little surprised.
Pei Qian came to personally supervise the process because he had been afraid that Lu Mingliang would not understand his urgency.
Yet, after listening to Lu Mingliang's detailed report, Pei Qian realized he had been overthinking.
Lu Mingliang was very reliable!
It looked like it was the right decision to put Lu Mingliang in charge of Upwind Logistics.
Lu Mingliang was the best at listening to instructions. He would loyally and obediently execute whatever Boss Pei instructed him to. He would not take matters into his own hands.
Putting a life-saving business like Upwind Logistics in Lu Mingliang's hands made Pei Qian feel much more relieved.
Once Lu Mingliang finished speaking, he smiled and asked, "Boss Pei, what is the hidden meaning behind your plan for Upwind Logistics?"
Pei Qian was confused.
Hidden meaning? What hidden meaning? The hidden meaning is that I would completely fail if I don't spend all this money!
Pei Qian remained silent for a moment and asked, "Why are you asking this?"
Lu Mingliang gave him a knowing look. "If you did not have a plan for the future of the Upwind Courier stations, why would you be so eager to set up so many stations within such a short time?"
Pei Qian thought about it. Oh, you're right.
To Lu Mingliang, the Upwind Courier stations could not achieve so much so quickly. Whether they opened the stations now or a month later, it would make no difference.
Yet, why was Boss Pei so hardworking in this aspect? It was obvious that his actions were motivated by his future plans!
Pei Qian sipped his tea and nodded subtly, expressing his agreement.
Think whatever you want. As long as you open the Upwind Courier stations for me as soon as possible and help me spend all this money in my hands, I would thank the heavens.
Pei Qian finished his tea and heaved a sigh of relief. He left a few more instructions for Lu Mingliang, emphasizing the need to move as fast as possible, and then turned to leave.
Chapter 287 We Have to Actively Share Boss Pei's Burdens and Look for Work on Our Own!
At night…
Qiao Liang accessed Aili Island and looked through the newest episode of Products of the Gods. The passionate gamers had already pushed him to first place in the gaming channel and third place in the entire site.
At the rate things were going, reaching first place in the entire site by the next day was not a faraway dream for Qiao Liang.
He clicked on the video and scrolled down to the comments section. When he read the praises that his fans had for him, he felt satisfied.
Look, this was a true first-tier UP Master.
A first-tier UP Master only needed to casually upload a video for it to rank among the top videos on all of Aili Island!
While feeling immensely pleased himself, Qiao Liang also felt grateful towards Boss Pei.
If Boss Pei had not produced a game that could generate so much discussion, Qiao Liang would not have had a chance to produce a video like that. He would not have stood out among the other gaming content creators. After reading comments from all the bootlickers, Qiao Liang prepared to exit the browser and continue editing the first episode of Repent and be Saved's complete walkthrough.
Although Qiao Liang wanted to wait for some time before uploading it, the game was getting extremely popular now. He had to grasp the opportunity to ride on its popularity.
If every episode of his complete walkthrough could be ranked among the top videos on Aili Island, he would obviously gain a lot of new fans. The amount of sponsored partnerships he would receive in the future would naturally increase as well.
Qiao Liang posted an update. "The first episode of the walkthrough is officially in production! Stay tuned! Also, many friends have told me that their hardware is not good enough for the game. I suggest that you try the game at a high-end internet cafe. For my friends who are in Jingzhou, I especially recommend Fish-Catching Internet Cafe. It'll give you the perfect gaming experience for sure. Of course, the only flaw is that you won't be able to blame the hardware if you die."
He took the chance to advertise Fish-Catching Internet Cafe on Boss Pei's behalf.
After making his presence known on the site, Teacher Qiao finally moved to close the browser. At that moment, he received a private message.
He clicked it and realized that it was from another UP Master.
"Hello, Teacher Qiao. I am a content creator and an exchange student from the United States. My name is Hao Shuaiqi. I love Repent and be Saved, too, and I am thinking about livestreaming the game on Link Live. I hope to be able to use some of your content, and I'm wondering if that's okay with you. Thank?you."
Qiao Liang paused. He had an impression of this UP Master.
He was an exchange student from overseas. He spoke shabby Mandarin, but his videos were quite good. He was also quite popular on Aili Island.
He clicked the user's display picture and verified that it was him.
Qiao Liang was elated. He quickly replied, "Of course!"
Qiao Liang knew about Link Live. It was a new livestream platform started by a certain popular chat software.
In China, they had ZZ Live-Stream, which was also a relatively new livestream platform.
However, Link Live was started much earlier overseas. There were more functions, and it was more user-friendly. Naturally, it was also more popular than the local ZZ Live-Stream.
If this foreigner could live-stream Repent and be Saved on Link Live, wouldn't he be glorifying traditional Chinese culture?
What's more, if Qiao Liang became friends with this UP Master, they might be able to collaborate in the future. Wouldn't that be a win-win situation?
Thus, Qiao Liang immediately agreed to the UP Master's request. He also specifically mentioned that if Hao Shuaiqi met with any problems while playing the game, he could ask Qiao Liang for help. Qiao Liang promised to help him seriously.
After all, Repent and be Saved was a complicated game. There were also many secondary plots and riddles which made use of traditional Mandarin. Given the foreign UP Master's shabby Mandarin, Qiao Liang was certain that he would be confused.
Both of them chatted for a little while more and built a pleasant relationship. They officially became friends and agreed to discuss their experience in the game regularly.
Hao Shuaiqi also expressed interest in recording his Link Live livestreams and uploading them on Aili Island. He hoped that Teacher Qiao would share his videos when the time came.
October 8th, Friday…
At Fish-Catching Internet Cafe's Huanyu Tianjie branch…
Ma Yang and Zhang Yuan were seated at the resting area in the internet cafe. The latest episode of Products of the Gods was playing on the big screen.
"Brother Ma, the internet cafe is becoming more and more popular now. That's why I always say Boss Pei is far-sighted." Zhang Yuan scanned the internet cafe which was already more than half-filled. "Do you think Boss Pei had planned for all of this? Did he know that the game would become so popular after its release? Did he know many people would try and play the game at the internet cafe? Was that why he told us to open this store as quickly as possible and to open three others at the same time?"
Ma Yang giggled. "That's for sure. Brother Qian would never do something he's not confident in. I think he must have planned for all of this.
"Speaking of which, I secretly went to Xing Le Internet Cafe the day before—the cafe that copied us and claimed to be on a 'high-end path'. Guess what I saw. The computers lagged when I tried to run Repent and be Saved. The hardware just could not run the game smoothly at top-quality!" Zhang Yuan paused. "It couldn't? Aren't Xing Le Internet Cafe's computers high-end as?well?
Ma Yang shook his head. "I saw their specifications. They're a far cry from the computers you set up. They must have cut corners. Our computers-monitors, peripherals, and all —cost more than twenty thousand yuan in total. One system unit alone could cost more than ten thousand yuan.
"From what I observed, a system unit in Xing Le Internet Cafe costs five thousand yuan at most. Can they even be compared?
"It can barely run Repent and be Saved. The graphics and quality have to be adjusted downwards, and the gaming experience is only average.
"Haven't you realized? The people playing games at our internet cafe are mainly playing Repent and be Saved.
"What happened with Chen Lei had already made our Fish-Catching Internet Cafe relatively well-known. Then came the nameless restaurant's success and Quanmin Reviews' ratings. Now, we are extremely well-known in Jingzhou!
"Every time someone mentions a high-end internet cafe in Jingzhou, everyone thinks about Fish-Catching Internet Cafe.
"Brother Qian really emphasized the true essence of internet cafes!"
Zhang Yuan felt moved. "How else would Boss Pei be called Boss Pei? Everything was linked. Temporary loss gave way to long-term profit. He's awesome.
"If this continues, things would look up!"
Of course, Zhang Yuan and Ma Yang knew very well that Repent and be Saved was only presenting an opportunity for the Fish-Catching Internet Cafes to become famous.
On one hand, the original Fish-Catching Internet Cafes had already become quite popular in Jingzhou. On the other hand, the Fish-Catching Internet Cafes already had quite a good reputation on Quanmin Reviews. Many people visited the cafes because of that.
As for Repent and be Saved, the game had extraordinary requirements for hardware. If one's hardware was not good enough, they would experience lags in the game. Most players in Jingzhou went to Fish-Catching Internet Cafe to ensure that they had the best gaming experience. Fish-Catching Internet Cafe's Huanyu Tianjie branch was slowly gaining fame. Many males who came to shop eventually felt bored and decided to rest in the internet cafe. That was how the internet cafe became well-known.
Zhang Yuan and Ma Yang felt emotional as they watched the screen. Boss Pei was extremely wise indeed!
"May I ask if the two of you are the bosses here?"
Zhang Yuan turned around to see an average-looking, but extremely well-dressed, young man standing behind him. He looked quite wealthy.
Zhang Yuan did not dare to brush him off. After all, he was a customer. Customers were?kings.
Whether he was wealthy or not, he was like a provider to Fish-Catching Internet Cafe. "Can I help you with anything?" Zhang Yuan quickly asked. The young man smiled. "It's nothing much. I just feel very comfortable using your computers. Can you give me a list of all your hardware? I want to create the same set-up at home."
Zhang Yuan nodded. "Of course. Please hold?on."
He looked for a paper and pen and quickly jotted down a list of all the hardware.
Zhang Yuan was extremely familiar with all the hardware in the shop, and so he wrote the list confidently.
"The cable management for this chassis will not be the most convenient. I don't think you'll have a problem, right?" Zhang Yuan asked as he handed the list over to the young man.
The young man scratched his head and said, "Er… I don't really know how to install the hardware. Can you help me out?"
Zhang Yuan, "…"
He was just about to reject him when the young man said, "I'll give you five hundred yuan to help me install the hardware!"
Zhang Yuan replied, "No problem!
"How about this: let's leave our contact numbers with each other. I'll find someone to install the hardware for you. Leave us your address, and we'll deliver the entire set."
"Is that possible? Thank you so much!" The young man looked elated. He thanked them profusely as he left.
However, Ma Yang felt confused. In a low voice, he said, "Ask him to do it on his own. Why should we work so hard for him?"
Ma Yang could not seem to understand why Zhang Yuan agreed. The latter was now the regional manager of the Fish-Catching Internet Cafes after all. Why should he install hardware for others like he used to before?
Five hundred yuan to install computers was higher than average, but Zhang Yuan was already drawing a high salary. Did he have to work so hard to earn that much more?
Zhang Yuan smiled and answered, "Brother Ma, I'm not installing the hardware just to earn those few hundred yuan. I just think there's a business opportunity here! "Don't you think 'Fish-Catching Internet Cafe's brand of computers', 'the computer for Repent and be Saved', or 'Tengda's chosen computer' sounds quite sensational?"
Ma Yang paused. "Er… it does sound quite sensational. However, even if we can ride on the internet cafe's fame, it would be useless. We would be competing with traditional computer brands. It doesn't sound easy."
Zhang Yuan shook his head. "Traditional brands produce ridiculously downsized hardware, which allows them to earn a huge profit margin. Players who have real standards would know that DIY computers are more worth it."
Ma Yang pondered for a moment and said, "But other brands offer after-sales service."
Zhang Yuan smiled and answered, "We can do the same. Not only that, but we can also deliver the hardware to people's homes! Have you forgotten that Upwind Logistics belongs to Boss Pei, too? It'll be a waste if we don't make use of it!
"Many manufacturers sell computers wholesale online and cheat many people as a result. We would be selling true high-quality stuff and only charging a tiny installment and after-service fee. If we only target high-end customers, we will probably succeed.
"For all we know, we might even create our own ready-made brand in the future!"
Ma Yang looked confused. "Our own ready-made brand?"
Zhang Yuan nodded. "I already thought about it. We can be called Republic of Faith, or ROF for short. What do you think?
"When the time comes, we can cover all of Jingzhou, together with the Fish-Catching Internet Cafes and Upwind Logistics!"
Ma Yang pondered for a moment. "It's not that we can't, but I just think… there's no need to. Why can't we just focus on running internet cafes well?"
Zhang Yuan shook his head. "Brother Ma, you're oversimplifying things! "We cannot only do what Boss Pei wants us to do. That means we'd be taking zero initiative! We have to actively share Boss Pei's burdens and look for work on our own!
"Brother Ma, although your relationship with Boss Pei is solid, Tengda is now running a huge business. If we don't grab the opportunity to produce results, we will be overtaken by the other departments.
"We can try expanding Fish-Catching Internet Cafe's business this time. If we succeed, Fish-Catching Internet Cafe's status in Tengda would be much higher! "Wouldn't it be great if we can show our achievements off to everyone else?"
Ma Yang nodded, finally understanding. "Yes, you're making sense. We cannot always do only as Brother Qian says. We have to look for work to do on our own.
"Get busy with the computers, then. Look for people we can hire to install the computers and provide after-service.
"I will tell Lu Mingliang about this so that Upwind Logistics can collaborate with us. We'll try to get this business started!"
Chapter 288 We Need English!
October 10th, Sunday…
Qiao Liang had published the first episode of Repent and be Saved's complete walkthrough. Satisfied, he refreshed the browser, reading the entertaining netizens' comments and waiting for the video to gain popularity.
The comments section was going crazy.
"So fast!"
"It's finally here. I'm so happy!"
"Ah, Old Qiao's video is finally out. I'll like it first to show my support!"
"Old Qiao's train of thought is very clear while playing the game. He really has thoroughly researched it." "Indeed, Old Qiao has done his homework well. He tried to experience the game from the perspective of a lousy player and displayed great techniques to progress in the game, even in the difficult areas. This is really useful!"
"How professional! We also see a lot of foreshadowing of the plot. I'll give you 66 likes!"
"My brain: I know now! My hand: No, you don't."
"I feel like I'm playing a completely different game from Teacher Qiao. Why does it look so easy for him?"
The netizens were bootlicking Qiao Liang; he could not help but feel pleased with himself.
I produce professional game commentaries; how can others compare to me?
Qiao Liang was very happy with the episode he had just produced.
It was not a video meant to show off his amazing gaming skills. Instead, it was meant to take the perspective of ordinary players. He was aiming to show them an easier way for gamers to complete the game.
Of course, Qiao Liang would save a new file every time he met special monsters. This allowed him to show different ways of progressing through the area, so that his viewers could pick whichever suited them best.
There were other interesting things about the video, such as the hidden details and Easter eggs in the game, the testing of the official novel's plot, and Qiao Liang's opinion on the unclear parts of the game's storyline. Qiao Liang watched the quickly-rising number of fans, feeling gratified and elated.
Whom should he thank?
Boss Pei, of course!
If Boss Pei had not invited Qiao Liang to Jingzhou to test the game in advance, how could he have been so much faster than other UP Masters?
Qiao Liang could not help but imagine himself still suffering and stumbling through the game if Boss Pei had not invited him to play it earlier than everyone else. Maybe he would be half-dead by now!
How else could I refer to myself as Boss Pei's loved one?!
Not only did he invite me to play the game in advance, but he also edited the game based on my feedback. I contributed to the game's success, didn't I?
Looking at the bigger picture, can I call myself the 'assistant designer' of Repent and be Saved? Or should I call myself the 'special tester of Repent and be Saved'?
Hehe, they're both not wrong!
Qiao Liang began interacting with his fans by randomly picking a few comments to reply to.
Soon, the video-termed by the audience as 'the best video of October'-rose up in ranks through the charts. It first appeared on the ranking board of the games channel… and then on the ranking board for content across Aili Island!
Qiao Liang scanned the videos on the ranking board and saw a familiar UP Master's name.
It was Hao Shuaiqi!
His video was titled 'When a Foreign UP Master Livestreams Repent and be Saved on Link Live'.
His video was still gaining popularity at the moment, and it was following closely behind Qiao Liang's walkthrough.
"Eh, this brother is quite efficient. Let me see how our foreign friend is doing."
Qiao Liang clicked on the video.
He had to say that Hao Shuaiqi lived up to his name-he was quite charming[1]. He gave off a foolish vibe, and he looked like someone who knew how to entertain others.
This foreign, energetic fellow had edited the recording of his livestream on Link Live, added special effects and subtitles, and then uploaded it on Aili Island.
It was obvious that Hao Shuaiqi had taken a completely different path from Teacher Qiao with his video.
Teacher Qiao's video was a walkthrough. It was not fast-paced, but it was rich in content. He had planned the entire process and filmed everything according to the script. He needed to cause his viewers to feel like the game was quite simple. Hao Shuaiqi's video was a different story. It was filmed in one take and was naturally filled with scenes of him being killed by various different monsters. In one livestream alone, he could be killed by the same monster several times. Hao Shuaiqi edited these death scenes to make his video more entertaining. Hao Shuaiqi had written 'he died' on his own epitaph. Coupled with his expressions as caught by the camera, his video showed viewers shadows of themselves playing the game. It was quite explosive.
From the bullet screen comments, Qiao Liang could tell that Hao Shuaiqi's viewers remained extremely happy even though he kept dying.
"Hahaha, the streamer died again."
"He's me; there's no doubt about it."
"The 'he died' message is so smart."
"I suggest that the livestreamer change the words on the epitaph to 'lousy' on your second try. The effect will be outstanding!"
"Tengda Games has brought glory to our country?!" "He's making our foreign friends suffer and hurting international relations!"
"Cause of death: 'this monster doesn't look that powerful'."
"I came from Teacher Qiao's video. I'm eating one dish twice over—the entertainment effect is so explosive!"
"This is strange. When I tried this game on my own, I got so frustrated that I kept smashing my controller. Why am I having so much fun watching others play it, then?"
"Please, Hao Shuaiqi. Look for a coach. I can't watch this any longer!"
Hao Shuaiqi had an online dictionary opened in a browser, and a huge physical dictionary set up next to him. Each time he met with words he did not understand in the game, he would look them up.
In order to prevent foreigners from falling for the game, Pei Qian added a lot of poetry and ancient Mandarin into the game. He even hid riddles that would unlock secondary plot details.
Although Qiao Liang's knowledge of ancient Mandarin was not great, he did know a bit. At the very least, he could guess what was happening in the game.
However, someone like Hao Shuaiqi would have a much tougher time. Often, he failed to find the words he was looking for in the dictionaries. He had no choice but to ask his friends and passionate viewers for assistance.
Nevertheless, each time Hao Shuaiqi uncovered the meaning behind a certain poem or riddle, he would become particularly excited and feel an overwhelming sense of achievement.
Pei Qian thought about hiding the riddles in ancient poems—that would have been more ruthless. However, it would also have required a lot more work. That was why Pei Qian gave up; there was simply no way they could do it!
Even literature majors did not take courses on writing ancient poetry. Even if Pei Qian did manage to force fresh graduates to write poems for the game, the poems would be a far cry from classic ancient poems. Also, Ma Yiqun and Zhu Xingan were busy writing the game's plot. They did not have the time or energy to weigh each word and produce meaningful poems.
That was why they picked out relatively neglected but deep poems that fit into the context of the game and forced them into the storyline.
With the help of his physical and online dictionaries, Hao Shuaiqi expended a lot of effort solving these riddles.
Each time, he would explain the meaning behind these riddles and be praised with comments like 'woo', 'lol', or 'awesome'.
There were no bullet screen comments on Link Live, but the audience could still post their comments in real-time as the livestream progressed. That was how they interacted with the host.
Hao Shuaiqi also very considerately recorded his foreign viewers' comments and translated the meaning behind these comments periodically. These were to be displayed at the end of the video.
Take this episode for example. He displayed a couple of comments from his foreign viewers at the end.
"This is a very meaningful game. I wish there were more games like that!" "Can anyone tell me where I can purchase this game?" "It looks like this game was really created for players; it is quite enlightening."
"It looks rich in content. The hand sensitivity and graphics are not bad, too. I can't wait to see more content!"
"We need English!"
"We need Japanese!"
Qiao Liang could not help but smile as he read these comments.
"He could refer to his dictionary and play the game at the same time? It's about time to let our friends from overseas suffer! Speaking of which, the game is so hardcore. It's no wonder that foreigners are becoming fond of?it.
"I'll give him a like."
Qiao Liang shared Hao Shuaiqi's video, pleased that they could ride on each other's fame.
At Tengda Games…
Li Yada saw the backend figures for Repent and be Saved and then scanned the game's ratings and comments on TPDb. Satisfied, she nodded.
Mm, everything was thriving!
The backend figures were increasing steadily. While the sales volume increased, the refund rate decreased. Before, it had been over 20%; now, it was less than 10%.
The game's ratings on TPDb were also constantly changing. Now, it had an overall rating of 8.1, but it looked like this figure would continue to increase in the near future.
The most important part of all of these was that the media reviews would be released in a few days.
In order for the local games media to review this game, everyone in the editing team had to complete it.
Repent and be Saved was extremely difficult, and the games media staff were but human. Since they could not complete the game in such a short period, they naturally decided against writing a review for the game. Thus Repent and be Saved still had zero games media reviews so far.
If a few media platforms rated the game highly, the ratings on TPDb would increase for sure.
"Boss Pei can indeed devise plans while in the tent. He has not come to the office for two days, and yet the game is developing just as he expected. Indeed, he is a confident man."
Li Yada could not help but feel moved.
Once again, she browsed the comments section. It was then that she realized many new, popular comments. "We need English!"
The comments looked about the same, and they came one after another. However, the users posting these comments were different.
Li Yada paused for a moment, stunned.
At first, she had thought that someone was playing a trick on them. After all, they had not advertised the game online. Why would foreigners be interested in it?
However, on closer inspection, she realized there were many similar comments.
Li Yada looked further into these comments and verified their sources.
These users had been directed here by a UP Master on Aili Island named Hao Shuaiqi. Hao Shuaiqi had livestreamed himself playing Repent and be Saved. That was how the game caught the foreigners' attention.
It looked like these viewers were quite eager, too. However, Repent and be Saved would be way too difficult for people who did not understand Mandarin to complete. These people would have no choice but to give up solving the riddles in the game.
Li Yada pondered for a moment and decided to report the matter to Boss Pei.
After all, the overseas market was vast.
They could spend some money getting the game translated. Once they produced an English version, they could hire a foreign publisher to market it overseas. That would help them generate more profit.
At that thought, Li Yada decided to give Boss Pei a call.
Translating the game and looking for foreign publishers were no minor tasks. Both required money. Li Yada had to ask Boss Pei to make the final call.
"I'll ask Boss Pei for guidance and see if he's interested in producing an English version."
[1] 'Hao Shuaiqi' means 'very charming' in Mandarin.
Chapter 289 Let's Wait for a Better Time
At that moment, Pei Qian had just left Upwind Logistics. He was preparing to visit Fish-Catching Internet Cafe's Huanyu Tianjie branch.
After all, there was nothing much he could do for the game now. He had to spend the extra money earned as quickly as he could.
Upwind Logistics was progressing quite smoothly. Lu Mingliang was working quickly to recruit employees and open the new courier stations. Lu Mingliang had always been reliable, and Pei Qian never had to worry about him. However, at a critical moment like that, Pei Qian decided it was better to personally oversee the progress.
He was busy, but he could not help it. He had to endure this, at least until after settlement.
While in the car, Pei Qian's phone rang. He glanced at it and saw that it was Li Yada. His heart thudded.
Don't tell me that something went wrong with Repent and be Saved. Don't mess with me! I'm trying my best to solve all these problems already. Don't create any more problems for me!
He quickly answered the phone.
"Boss Pei, do you want to create an English version of Repent and be Saved?
"There are many foreigners leaving comments under our game, hoping that we'll produce an English version.
"What's more, we might be able to venture into overseas markets. Haven't the officials been pushing local game developers to move overseas and glorify our traditional Chinese culture…?"
When Pei Qian heard this, his heart began to race. Immediately, he replied, "Let's not rush to do that!"
Create an English version? That would kill me!
Pei Qian knew very well that the first of the Dark Souls series had become popular in the West. The Westerners loved being tortured by difficult games like that.
Wouldn't he be shooting himself in the foot if he created an English version of Repent and be Saved?
Of course, he was not completely brushing off that idea. However, they were already at a crucial juncture in the cycle. Even if he wanted to earn money, he could not do it now!
He had less than a month to settlement. Pei Qian was rushing to open more internet cafes and Upwind Courier stations, in the hopes that he would be able to incur a loss. If he could lose hundreds of thousands of yuannot only would his own pockets be full, but he would also receive the System's special reward.
If he released an English version of the game in the overseas market at a time like that, wouldn't he be screwing everything up?
It was true that he would need to spend money translating the game in order to create an English version. However, it would not be a huge sum.
Written translation was a very respectable job in the West, but in China, written translation was worth far less than simultaneous interpretation and real-time translation in business meetings. One could say that it cost as much as vegetables in a market. A thousand words could be translated for a mere three or four hundred yuan. That meant that Pei Qian would only spend tens of thousands of yuan to get a written translation of Repent and be Saved, which only had hundreds of thousands of words.
Would it be worth it for Boss Pei to spend that little money?
Even if he hired a famous translator, he would only be able to spend over a hundred thousand yuan at most. Compared to the income that an English version of the game would generate, this was negligible. It would not be worth it at all.
If Pei Qian said yes to Li Yada's suggestiongiven the latter's efficiency, she would probably find suitable written translators within two days. Each translator could translate a separate portion of the game. The job would be done in no time.
Settlement was right around the corner; Pei Qian could not afford such a mess-up!
Thus, Pei Qian turned her down. Even if he wanted to translate the game, they had to wait until settlement was complete!
Pei Qian cleared his throat. "It's too sudden.
"We need to wait for the right time to venture into the overseas market. Every single factor has to be right. Without adequate resources and support, we could be easily eliminated once we enter.
"Of course, I'm not saying we should be crippled by fear. I'm just saying this concerns our company's long-term plan. We need to be more cautious.
"Let's stabilize our position in the local market first. We can think about translating the game into other languages next month.
"You can start looking for suitable translators in the meantime. As for when exactly they will start translating the game… We can discuss further next month.
Li Yada answered, "Ah, but what should we do about our foreign players now? They seem quite pitiful. Should we let them refer to dictionaries as they play the game all the way until next month?"
Pei Qian sounded stern as he said, "Why not? This is a good opportunity for them to learn Mandarin!
"The ones who are playing our game now have some understanding of Mandarin. Let them use their dictionaries and revise knowledge that they had already forgotten. They will learn new Mandarin terms while they're at it. Isn't that a good thing?
"As for the players who completely do not understand Mandarin… they'll have to wait anyway. Waiting half a month more would not make a big difference.
"What's more, our game has so many ancient poems. How long would it take for the translators to translate them all? If they rush through the translation, they might sacrifice quality. We'll become a laughingstock among the foreigners. "That's why we shouldn't rush these things. We have to consider them at length. You can start looking for more well-known and skilled translators. We'll discuss these things again once you've found a few."
Li Yada pondered for a moment and realized that Boss Pei was making sense. "Alright, I'll make the necessary preparations."
After hanging up, Pei Qian heaved a long sigh of relief.
Thank goodness I'm smart; we almost ran into a massive problem!
He could leave next week's problems to be resolved in their own time. As long as they did not try to squeeze everything in these couple of days, he could discuss them after settlement.
Pei Qian calmed himself down. A while later, he arrived at Huanyu Tianjie.
He alighted from the car and headed straight for Fish-Catching Internet Cafe which was on the third floor.
Pei Qian had been keeping an eye on Tengda over the past few days. Thus, he had not visited Fish-Catching Internet Cafe in a long time. He needed to see the situation for himself today before he could relax.
Yet, before entering the internet cafe, Pei Qian felt that something was amiss.
It was a Sunday afternoon. As this was the biggest shopping mall in Jingzhou City, Huanyu Tianjie received many visitors.
Normally, this did not affect Fish-Catching Internet Cafe in any way since it was located on the third floor. After all, most people only came here to shop, eat, and watch movies. Few people would come here to play games. While he had been looking for suitable locations for Fish-Catching Internet Cafe, Pei Qian had noticed that the two clothes shops on this floor were relatively deserted. Even the coffee shop drew a limited crowd. That was why he decided to set up the new Fish-Catching Internet Cafe branch here.
Yet, something about the current situation looked off!
Pei Qian had taken the elevator up. There were many people inside. Pei Qian was not too concerned at first; he had thought that they were on their way to watch a movie or eat some food. Yet, to his shock, the entire group of people emerged on the third level!
Stunned, Pei Qian became the last person to get out of the elevator. He stared wide-eyed as the entire group of people walked towards Fish-Catching Internet Cafe.
Wait a moment! Stop right there! What are you doing?! Stop walking around!
Pei Qian walked briskly towards Fish-Catching Internet Cafe. When he looked inside the internet cafe, his breath caught in his throat; and he almost fainted.
More than sixty percent of the seats were filled. From the way things were going, Pei Qian guessed it would not be long before his losses would be turned to profits!
To h*ll with bitterness ending and sweetness beginning!
Pei Qian immediately looked for Ma Yang and Zhang Yuan.
Where are they?! The two of them must have been responsible for turning my internet cafe into this mess! Whoever was responsible for this should be prepared to take the blame. Once I catch you, I will make sure you suffer!
Pei Qian continued to walk deeper into the internet cafe. The further he got, the faster his heart raced.
The last time he experienced something similar was at Fish-Catching Internet Cafe's flagship store. However, while the flagship store had become famous at that time, the crowd had mostly visited it for the drinks and Chen Lei.
This time, only the internet cafe part of the business remained!
All of these people were seated in their gaming chairs, focusing intently on the game. Most of them were playing Repent and be Saved. There were even a few couples and groups of friends. The internet cafe was bustling; it was no longer as cold and deserted as it used to be.
Painful!
Pei Qian arrived at the resting area and saw Teacher Qiao's latest video playing on the screen.
Some customers were seated around the long table in the resting area. Some were drinking coffee while others were drinking milk tea. As they enjoyed their drinks, they listened to Teacher Qiao's walkthrough. From time to time, their faces displayed understanding and inspiration.
Ma Yang was seated in the resting area as well, but Zhang Yuan was absent for some reason.
"Brother Qian, you're here?"
A grin spread across Ma Yang's long face as he welcomed Pei Qian into the resting area.
"Do you want some coffee? There's a coffee shop next door. They noticed that our internet cafe was getting crowded so they collaborated with us to give our customers a thirty-percent discount on their drinks! All things aside, their drinks are quite good. Look, everyone here has one."
The corners of Pei Qian's mouth twitched.
It was like Ma Yang had stabbed him right in the face; Pei Qian was utterly stunned.
"Why… are there so many people here today?" Pei Qian asked, trembling.
Ma Yang looked confused. "Huh? Not really. There are this many people in here every day."
Pei Qian was speechless. "…"
What the f*ck! Long-face, are you trying to infuriate me to death?! What do you gain from doing that?!
Pei Qian forced himself to calm down. "So since when did all of these people start coming?"
Confused, Ma Yang asked, "Brother Qian, don't you know? It was while you were busy with Repent and be Saved!
"I didn't realize it before. We didn't have many people in our internet cafe at the time, but after everything that happened in Jingzhou recently, we did build up quite a good reputation for ourselves!
"This branch is new, but it has quite a high rating on Quanmin Reviews.
"At first, very few people came here, but the number of visitors started increasing as time went by. After shopping, people wanted to find a place to rest. The coffee shop happened to be full so they started coming into our internet cafe. In any case, spending ten yuan per hour is not much in a shopping mall like that.
"Brother Qian, guess what happened next. A few days ago, they finished renovating the huge skating rink in the mall. It was officially?open!
"Many fathers started bringing their children here to ice-skate. Since their children's ice-skating classes lasted over an hour, the fathers would come up and play games in the internet cafe.
"Some other men accompanied their girlfriends to have their hair or nails done. These would take a couple of hours at a time. That's why they started visiting our internet cafe to pass time as well.
"On top of all of these, we had a good reputation. Teacher Qiao seemed to have recommended us in his videos as well. Wang Peng from Quanmin Reviews also recommended us.
"Of course, the most important factor was Repent and be Saved becoming popular. It caused the internet cafe to rise to fame along with it! Many of our customers want the best experience while playing Repent and be Saved; that brings them here every day. "Brother Qian, you've been extremely busy with Tengda's business recently. Weren't you working on this?" Pei Qian was really speechless.
What? How did it become my fault again?! Do you think I wanted Repent and be Saved to become like that?!
Ma Yang looked slightly regretful. "It's a pity that we are still away from generating profit… even though we are doing so much better than before. "Brother Qian, you're not happy with the current situation as well, right? You also think that we should get even more popular, right?"
The corners of Pei Qian's mouth twitched. I'm really not happy, but it's for a whole other reason!
He thought about a more urgent problem and immediately asked, "How are the other branches doing?"
Happily, Ma Yang answered, "We've already chosen the other locations. We just have to do simple renovations, and we should be able to open for business by next week!" Pei Qian quickly waved his hand. "It's not urgent! Postpone their openings to the week after next-the week of the 24th. There's no need to rush things anymore, understand?"
At first, Pei Qian had thought it did not matter when they opened the other branches. However, looking at the terrible situation the Huanyu Tianjie branch was in, Pei Qian finally realized that it mattered greatly!
If he opened the other branches too early, and they gained many customers as a result, Pei Qian would have even more problems to resolve!
Thus, he had to delay opening the other branches to a week before settlement. This would mean losing a week's worth of revenue. He did not want to put too much pressure on himself.
Ma Yang paused. "But we've already paid the rent. Why do you want to delay…?"
Pei Qian acted solemn as he said, "Let's wait for a better time. Don't ask so many questions."