October 12th, Tuesday…
Tengda Network Technology Co., Ltd… Li Yada had just finished speaking to a few translation workspaces.
After talking to Boss Pei, Li Yada had contacted several reputable translation workspaces in the country. She had also distributed a portion of the game's synopsis for them to try translating.
Li Yada had purposely picked out a few riddles in the game for the translation workspaces to work on as well. She wanted to see how high their standards were.
Most secondary plots required players to find clues and hints within poems. Only then would the relevant plot developments be triggered. These could only be captured by highly-skilled translators.
On one hand, they had to capture the full meaning of the poem, being careful not to miss out on any important parts of the message. That would allow foreign players to solve the riddle in the poem.
On the other hand, they had to ensure the poems remained beautiful. If such beautiful, ancient poems were translated into a pile of random facts; it would become meaningless. Players would not be able to appreciate the beauty of these words.
Thus, this really put the translators' skills to the test. Ordinary translators would not be able to translate the poems well.
The translation workspaces had already handed in their completed translation tests. After that, Li Yada handed them to Assistant Xin for reviewing, but the latter had rejected them all.
The translations were not bad, but they had not quite captured the beauty of the language.
Li Yada's English standard was average, but even she could roughly spot the flaws in the translations.
It went without saying that the flaws were much more obvious to Assistant Xin, who was once an assistant to a famous international enterprise's Vice President. She was adept in three languages. While she was not good enough to translate the game, she was still able to differentiate the good translations from the bad.
Thus, Li Yada told the various translation workspaces to redo their translation tests with higher standards. If they refused, Li Yada would have no choice but to turn them down altogether.
Once she finished dealing with the translation workspaces, Li Yada began to feel emotional. Boss Pei was right indeed.
They could not rush these things!
Translating Repent and be Saved would be much more difficult than translating other games. If they rushed things, they could mess everything up and fail to ensure high-quality work.
Their rush to produce the game in multiple different languages could end up damaging their own reputation. That was not a good representation of Tengda's way of working at
all.
Tengda had never been stingy with investments. As a company, they focused on every single detail and did it well. This was the core spirit that every employee of Tengda learned from Boss Pei.
"Forget it. I'll take Boss Pei's advice and avoid rushing matters."
Li Yada had tried to look for skilled translators who were reputable in the industry. However, it was extremely difficult to do so at such short notice, and she had no relevant connections as well.
There were several professional translators and translation workspaces listed on the officials' website for resources, such as the ones whom Li Yada had already contacted. Yet, there was no guarantee that their standards would be high.
Also, most reputable and skilled translators weren't interested in translating games.
Normally, highly-skilled translators focused on translating contemporary, famous films. Comparatively, translating games would be akin to manual labor for them. Even if Li Yada tried to contact them, there was a chance that they would turn her down.
What's more, Li Yada had no idea how to contact them.
Thus, she finally understood that there was no rushing these things. She had to take things slow.
On the other hand, her collaboration with Ma Yiqun of Zhongdian Chinese Network was going quite well. Ma Yiqun had approached Li Yada before, suggesting collaboration between the official novel and the game. She had happily agreed to this. It sounded like a win-win situation for both parties. What's more, at the heart of things, they were working for the same company. Collaborating would be akin to lending a helping hand.
They started brainstorming together and quickly figured out a good plan.
Li Yada discovered that Ma Yiqun was planning to organize a seven-day login event. After completing multiple tasks on the website for seven days in a row, the reader would be rewarded with a gift in the game.
Li Yada pondered for a moment and decided to go one step further. They could link the accounts together!
All they had to do was allow one account to access Zhongdian Chinese Network, Tengda Games TPDb, and the like, right? This way, all players of Tengda's games could use their gaming accounts to log in to Zhongdian Chinese Network. Any reward they earned would be distributed to this same account.
What's more, this would not be troublesome to set up. In fact, it could be easily done.
As for the in-game rewards, Li Yada had thought about distributing consumables at first. These would include the three souls and seven immortal forms that could be used for upgrading, props to strengthen one's weapons, and so on.
However, on further thought, she realized that it would be too stingy.
Repent and be Saved was a buy-to-play standalone game after all, there was no need to be so stingy.
She decided to distribute unique looks instead!
However, it was far too late to create new models for the game now. Li Yada wrecked her brains and finally thought of giving players special items to change character models. They could make use of the existing pill's image, name them 'Look-Changing Pills', and allow them to be reused.
It would not be difficult to produce these pills; they would just have to change a few codes in the system.
Of course, players would not be allowed to change the character models at will. Some monsters and bosses had huge models, which could result in bugs if they were altered. Thus, the pills would only allow players to change the appearance of characters that looked like the protagonist. This included small monsters and NPCs.
At the same time, there would be a cooling-off period attached to these pills. All in all, the pills would only serve as entertainment.
No matter what, there would be various female NPCs in the game who were quite good-looking. Although they would not be the most beautiful ladies, they would be considered beauties in the game's world.
Thus, Li Yada thought that this would be particularly attractive for players.
She made the necessary arrangements.
After distributing the work to his subordinates, Li Yada accessed TPDb, intending to check Repent and be Saved's overall rating. All of Tengda's employees had already developed the habit of visiting TPDb when they had free time on their hands. After all, the website's ratings determined their following month's bonus. They could not possibly ignore them.
The amount of revenue that the game generated was quite irrelevant; they only worked to generate revenue if it was convenient. If they wanted to earn bonuses, the employees had to ensure that their project's ratings hit the roof.
"Eh? It's 9.1?!"
Li Yada perked up and sat upright. The rating had spiked!
How did it increase so much in a single day?!
On closer inspection, Li Yada realized that the games media had finally released their reviews!
Ratings from games media held a huge weightage in the overall ratings on TPDb. The higher the ratings given by reputable and influential games media were, the higher the game's overall rating would become.
Li Yada scanned the games media's comments and realized that they had nothing but praise for Repent and be Saved.
"After producing Game Designer, Tengda Games has once again produced a refreshing masterpiece that redefines innovation.
"This up-and-coming game company is always providing its players with novel experiences. In a few short weeks, players went from criticizing the game to praising it, and from rejecting it to fully embracing it.
"Tengda Games can be counted on to produce superior works. It's almost as if the phrase 'cutting corners' doesn't exist in their dictionary.
"Before this, no designer would have thought that such a difficult, hardcore game would succeed in the local market. Yet, Tengda Games has done it again. Repent and be Saved makes its players suffer willingly and find joy in the process.
"That's why this game is expected to be the standard for perfect combat systems in the future.
"The game displayed originality by including the concept of the epitaph. From various other details within the game, one can also appreciate the designer's inspiration and talent.
"Other designers would also do well to learn from this game's difficult mechanisms."
Various other game reviewers and media also reflected similar sentiments.
These reviewers and media were not reacting like many players did when the game was first released. This was because after one week, the players' impressions of the game had undergone a 180-degree change. These game reviewers and media took everything into consideration before writing their reviews.
What's more, these game reviewers and media would not give the game a low rating just because they could not complete it. They were all professional.
Ordinary players only gave Repent and be Saved a low rating out of vengeance, after seeing how difficult the game was and suffering through it. However, these game reviewers and media could see other things:
The game's quality, the outstanding combat system, the beautiful scenery and style, the complexity and depth of the plot, the glorification of traditional Chinese culture to a certain extent, and the gameplay and originality of the system which pointed out the future direction of action-based games' development…
Since the game reviewers and media were incorporating all of these considerations in their rating of the game, it was no wonder that they gave such high ratings! Among all of these things, Li Yada was the proudest of the official platform's review.
"Repent and be Saved depicts a helpless world that is born out of ancient Chinese culture. The artistic recreation of this world gives players a brand new experience.
"This is a helpless world set in the Degenerate Age, where the six realms are broken. Its outstanding difficulty allows players to feel the helplessness of being stuck in a world like that. Again and again, they are tortured by death. However, this world also hides countless curious secrets. It pushes every single player to pick himself up after each revival, in the hopes of accomplishing his personal mission to save the world!
"Deep ancient poems, torturous fights, rich background stories, and hidden philosophies; these are what make Repent and be Saved a memorable experience and a risk worth taking! "This is the most praise-worthy thing: while domestically-produced, traditional Chinese-style games are on a decline and other local game developers slavishly copy foreign developers, Tengda Games chose to walk a path of absolute originality."
"Repent and be Saved has blended traditional Chinese culture into the background story, the game's content, and the game's core spirit extremely well. It plays an instrumental role in spreading traditional Chinese culture in the new age. "May other game developers and designers push the boundaries of their minds and learn from Repent and be Saved, to further glorify traditional Chinese culture and build the game industry's confidence in our heritage!"
Of course, the official platform had to do something to express their validation of the game.
Without any doubt, Repent and be Saved would be given a few more recommendation spots. This was to be expected.
Li Yada could not help but feel emotional. Boss Pei is Boss Pei indeed; he did not have to put in much effort in producing such an outstanding game!
Official recommendations… what are those to Boss Pei? He's received so many of those!
Li Yada read the media's praise for Repent and be Saved once again, feeling pleased with herself.
"I took over the development of this game midway through, but I contributed to the game's success!"
She had still been reading the game's reviews when the lady from the front desk ran over.
"The official platform's staff just called. They wish to discuss translating a foreign version of the game."
"Huh? The official platform's staff?"
Li Yada did not dare to brush it off. She quickly got up to receive the call.
The official platform had Tengda's office number; that was why they called the front desk directly.
Li Yada felt quite excited. After all, this was her first time speaking to the official platform's staff over the phone. After exchanging a few pleasantries, the other party quickly dove into the purpose of his call.
"May I ask if you have any intention to produce Repent and be Saved in other languages and venture into the overseas market?"
Chapter 291 Sticking Logos onto the System Units
Li Yada quickly answered, "Ah, yes. A while ago, I contacted a few translation workspaces. However, Repent and be Saved has high standards for these translators. We haven't found a suitable translator yet.
"We're still trying to contact more experienced translators, but it might take a while..."
The other party smiled. "That's great!
"The official platform was thinking about making Repent and be Saved the benchmark for games exporting Chinese culture. If you're agreeable, we can look for experienced translators on your behalf. We're certain that the translation would be authentic and clear.
"You won't have to worry about the fees and other peripheral issues as well. We have professionals to take care of these things.
"We'll think about producing English and Japanese versions first, and then take our time to produce the game in other languages. There's no rush."
Li Yada was elated. "Of course, that'll be
great!"
She knew very well that the official platform would have far more resources and connections than a private company like Tengda. If they could step in and help them find suitable translators, they would probably be able to hire expert translators!
After Li Yada agreed to the proposal, both parties discussed a few more items and exchanged contact details.
They still had to take the rest of the process one step at a time, but with the strong backing of the official platform, Li Yada was sure that it would be smooth.
After she hung up, Li Yada began to process the pleasant surprise.
The official platform had offered to translate Repent and be Saved into other languages. What's more, they were taking the initiative to market the game for them! However, on further thought, Li Yada realized that this was reasonable.
Repent and be Saved was a top-quality game with rich content. It was the perfect marketing opportunity for the official platform!
From what happened with the mobile version of Bloody Battle Song to Game Designer, one would be able to tell that the officials supported original games that nurtured the right moral values that contained deep meaning.
What's more, Repent and be Saved was not just good in terms of gameplay and quality, but it also contained rich culture. Even foreigners did not mind searching the dictionary as they played the game. It was obvious that this contributed greatly to the game's attractiveness.
Wasn't a game like that exactly what the official platform wanted?
Thus, it was only logical that they would fully back it and take the initiative to get it translated.
A realization suddenly dawned on Li Yada.
"Could Boss Pei have guessed this would happen?
"What did Boss Pei say before?
"He said that 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.
"We now have both resources and support! We shouldn't wait any longer to venture into the overseas market, should we?
"It looks like Boss Pei was telling me to be patient and wait for this opportunity. He knew that the official platform was bound to do something within this month. That was why he remained so calm!
"Eh, but Boss Pei also said we'll only think about translating the game next month.
"Was Boss Pei under the impression that the official platform would only notice the game next month and arrange for it to be translated thereafter?
"That's possible, too. After all, it would take time for the game to become popular and for the official platform to take note of it. Perhaps Boss Pei did not expect Repent and be Saved to become so popular so quickly!
"This is great. I'll report the good news to Boss Pei right now!
"It's a pity that he isn't in the office. If he was, I would have told him to personally speak to the official platform's staff. He would probably have been over the moon, wouldn't he?"
OV
V
Li Yada was still celebrating in her heart as she dialed Boss Pei's number.
"Achoo!'
Tugging at his blanket in his rented apartment, Pei Qian suddenly sneezed. He cleaned his mucus and tossed the used tissue paper in the faraway trash can. Plop! It landed beside the trash can, on the ground instead.
"F*ck!"
Pei Qian was speechless. He tossed his blanket aside, hopped off his bed, and threw the tissue paper into the trash can. Then, he jumped back onto his bed at lightning speed to continue lazing around.
There was no need to go to work today because he... was down with the flu!
They were now in the middle of autumn and winter. The weather was getting cooler. After all the running around he did over the past few days, Pei Qian finally came down with the flu.
Thus, he decided not to go anywhere today. He was going to lie in the bed like a corpse and drink as much warm water as he could.
"I'm so miserable."
Pei Qian could not help but whine.
Why is the story developing so differently from what I imagined?!
According to my original plan, I should be lying back and counting my winnings by now, right? Why am I still trying so hard to spend money?! Ah, this is so sad! Pei Qian had just been playing with his cell phone when Li Yada called. He paused for a moment, and then quickly answered the call.
Don't tell me that you've created another huge mess in the two days that I've been gone. I can't take any more blows!
"Is there something wrong...?" Pei Qian sounded listless.
Li Yada was obviously shocked. "Boss Pei, have you caught the flu?"
"Ah, it's no big deal. I've already drunk a lot of warm water. Did something happen to Repent and be Saved?" Pei Qian was not in the mood for small talk.
Li Yada sounded excited as she answered, "Yes, Boss Pei! The official platform just called to say that they'll arrange for Repent and be Saved to be professionally translated. They'll also help us market it overseas! Boss Pei, it's going to be produced a week earlier than you expected!
"Don't worry, Boss Pei. I've already done most of the preparations."
Pei Qian, "???"
What is this?! The official platform is going to hire professional translators for us?! Holy sh*t! I'm finished, then, aren't I? How can I turn this down?!
Pei Qian suddenly felt light-headed. He felt like his flu was getting worse.
It was a good thing he had been lying in bed like a corpse-he did not have to worry about losing and dropping dead on the ground. He remained silent for a full minute before he said, "Oh, is there anything else?".
Li Yada answered, "Ah, there's nothing else. I just wanted to report this to you. How are you, Boss Pei? Do you need any medicine or help?"
"No..." Pei Qian looked at the ceiling, in a daze. "I just want to be left alone to get some rest."
"Ah, alright. Boss Pei, you've been working too hard. Rest well!"
Li Yada mumbled to herself after hanging up.
"Indeed, Boss Pei had expected this. He's not surprised whatsoever."
Pei Qian tossed his phone aside and heaved a long sigh.
There's nothing I can do. The official platform has prepared everything so well. I can't afford to offend them. I don't have any legitimate reason to turn them down, too. All I can do is swallow this difficult pill.
I'm furious! I have to open a few more Upwind Courier stations now!
At Fish-Catching Internet Cafe's flagship store...
Ma Yang and Zhang Yuan had not visited this branch for a long time.
The only thing different from before was that the internet cafe area was no longer deserted. Instead, almost eighty percent of the seats were taken. It was quite crowded.
Of course, Fish-Catching Internet Cafe 1.0 was different from Fish-Catching Internet Cafe 2.0. The flagship store had few computers. It only took a few customers to fill the internet cafe area. That was why the high percentage did not mean much.
Still, no matter what, Fish-Catching Internet Cafe's internet cafe area was no longer just there for show, like it was before. One had to admit that this was a huge improvement.
Zhang Yuan and Ma Yang were on the second floor. There was a fully-installed system unit on the table.
They were using the same chassis as before, and the entire system looked impressive and luxurious.
After all, they had spent a huge sum of money on it. Of course, they had to take good care of the exterior appearance as well.
Apart from the system unit, there was also a special logo on the table. The word 'ROF' was written like a freehand drawing. It looked particularly memorable.
This was Republic of Faith's custom-made logo. One could install the logo onto the system unit, and it would glow.
It was common knowledge that hardware that glowed had fifty percent better performance.
Republic of Faith did not make use of Fish-Catching Internet Cafe's logo because the latter looked relatively lame. It would not help to express Republic of Faith's high-end style.
Ma Yang scrutinized the system unit in front of him. "Er... it's not bad! At least it looks perfectly fine on the outside. Just one look, and you'd be able to tell that this is expensive stuff."
Zhang Yuan nodded. "It really is quite expensive.
"We're just beginning. We can sell the Fish-Catching Internet Cafe's brand of computers first and focus on serving a few ballers. We don't need to mass produce these units. For now, we'll work on building a name for ourselves.
"At the end of the day, we have to make sure that every person who buys our system units feels like royalty. We'll deliver the system unit to their doorstep and offer on-the-spot repair services. These would be necessary.
"Once we build a name for ourselves, we can think about producing other types of hardware or tending to customers' special requests.
"As for monitors, mouses, and the like; we can provide an official recommendation list If customers think our prices are too high, they can purchase them on their own. If they can't be bothered, we can purchase these items on their behalf. This would just be additional work for our brothers at Upwind Logistics.
"If our business takes off, we might even be able to find original equipment manufacturers to produce our monitors and other peripherals. Then, Republic of Faith would be complete. We would have produced something worth showing off." Ma Yang nodded in approval. "Yes, we shouldn't try to bite off more than we can chew. We'll start by installing and delivering our system units. We can offer on-the-spot repair services and charge a small fee in order to build a name for ourselves. That can be Fish-Catching Internet Cafe and Upwind Logistics's subsidiary business.
"If we succeed, we'd be achieving something for Fish-Catching Internet Cafe."
Zhang Yuan felt deeply comforted. Boss Ma was finally on the same page as him. At last, Zhang Yuan did not need to expend so much energy to lie to-no, persuade him.
Very quickly, the system unit was wrapped up and ready to be delivered to their first customer.One of the young men from Upwind Logistics would deliver the system unit. Fish-Catching Internet Cafe would then be in charge of the after-sales service.
Apart from regular maintenance, Fish-Catching Internet Cafe would also provide on-the-spot services such as upgrading of peripherals and swapping of display cards.
The brothers from Upwind Logistics were basically family. Zhang Yuan and Ma Yang could trust them to be careful while delivering the system units. Naturally, they did not have to worry about the computer being smashed. The entire unit would surely reach the customer's house safe and sound.
Zhang Yuan retrieved the other custom-made ROF logos and installed them on the computers in the internet cafe.
He would stick this logo on all of Fish-Catching Internet Cafe's computers, so that players would form an impression of their brand.
Before this, customers would have been able to tell with one look that the computers were self-made. However, with the logo, the computers would look that much more impressive.
Someone was bound to ask for the brand of the computers.
Then, the helpful waiters in the internet cafe could introduce them to the new business of custom-made, high-end system units.
Chapter 292 It's a Good Thing that I Found Out Early!
Wednesday...
Pei Qian woke up feeling hungry.
He switched on his cell phone and accessed Fish-Catching Take-Out.
Although Boss Pei's loss-incurring plan was not going smoothly, he had to admit that, thanks to all his hard work-his and Jingzhou citizens' standard of living had improved greatly.
He could order things online and have it delivered to his doorstep by Upwind Logistics.
If he wanted to have take-out, he could be sure that Fish-Catching Take-Outs would serve him healthy and nutritious food.
On top of all of these, Fish-Catching Internet Cafe had greatly improved his online experience.
Until now, Fish-Catching Take-Out had been in operation for over four months. All this time, it had steadily been incurring losses.
Pei Qian was quite happy with this. Unfortunately, Fish-Catching Take-Out's business was not big enough. Although it was incurring losses, it was not much.
About twenty minutes later, Pei Qian's food arrived.
Fish-Catching Internet Cafe's Handong University branch was quite close to where Pei Qian was living. Thus, it did not take long for his food to be delivered.
As Pei Qian ate, he thought about what he should do from now on.
It felt like he was under immense pressure to spend more money. On top of his regular expenses, Pei Qian had to look for other avenues to spend money.
He looked at the premium cutlery and familiar food in front of him. All of a sudden, Pei Qian realized that the take-out business could start taking on more expenses.
After all, Fish-Catching Take-Out had been incurring losses for long enough; Pei Qian trusted it now.
"If it doesn't work, I can drink some poison to quench my thirst, right?"
Pei Qian pondered hard and decided he would leave the next cycle's problems till then to resolve.
First, he had to make sure that he incurred losses in time for the next settlement. After all, this did not just concern money; it also concerned the special reward that the System had prepared for him.
As for what he would do if he earned everything back with interest during the next cycle...
He could open more businesses to spend more money then.
At the end of the day, he had to resolve the problems on his hands at the moment!
le
At that thought, Pei Qian retrieved his phone and looked at his calendar. It was October 13th. He had until October 24th to continue spending more money on Fish-Catching Internet Cafe and Upwind Logistics. After that, he would have to stop.
If he wanted to spend more money in that final week, he would have to do so on his own employees.
Tengda was considered a huge company now. More than a hundred employees were working on Tengda Games, Zhongdian Chinese Network, and TPDb. In addition to the forty-odd employees in Shang Yang Games, the hundred-odd employees in Fish-Catching Internet Cafe, and the delivery men in Upwind Logistics and Fish-Catching Take-Out; Pei Qian had a total of six to seven hundred employees to take care of.
Of course, he treated the employees of different businesses differently. He could not possibly give his delivery men the same benefits as he did the core employees of Tengda Games.
If he spent more money on each person, he would be under less stress.
However, there was a limit to the number of benefits he could distribute. What if he still could not finish spending all the additional money?
Pei Qian pondered for a moment and decided to drink some poison to quench his thirst. He would organize a sale! Pei Qian could not do this during the previous cycle, mainly because Fish-Catching Internet Cafe had been his only physical business. What's more, Fish-Catching Internet Cafe had only become famous just before settlement. Pei Qian's hands were tied; he could not do anything about it.
This time, the money was rolling in much earlier. That meant Pei Qian had plenty of time to react.
He looked at the time and then looked at October 24th on his calendar. Although it had not yet become common, 1024 was Programmer's Day.
It was just like November 11th. Now, people still saw it as One's Day and not a day to splurge on online shopping.
November 11th would fall under the next cycle. Pei Qian could not wait until then, but he could wait for October 24th.
On that date, he would organize a sale so that more businesses could incur losses. Wouldn't that reduce the weight on his shoulders?
At that thought, Pei Qian began to see the light at the end of the tunnel. He quickly thought about the businesses on his hands.
He had to consider properly which businesses he wanted to organize a sale.
He could not offer a discount on the games because there were no production costs. If he offered discounts, they would only earn more It would be akin to committing suicide.
His ultimate aim in running a sale was not to become more famous but to incur more losses. Thus, Pei Qian narrowed his options down to Fish-Catching Internet Cafe and Upwind Logistics.
He would focus especially on Upwind Logistics. He was already making a loss thanks to manpower expenses. If he could increase the number of deliveries each Upwind Courier station had to make, he would be able to distribute more remuneration to his delivery men. This meant that he would increase his overall spending and thus overall losses.
What's more, he had control over the amount of losses he incurred. At the same time, he would be able to improve Upwind Logistics' reputation. The System would likely approve this decision.
After conducting a simple test on the System, Pei Qian came up with a simple plan to commemorate 1024, Programmer's Day.
First, he would provide a sum of money to Fish-Catching Take-Out, so that it could offer discounts on all their menu items. At the same time, delivery fees would be waived.
Apart from this, he also had to provide Upwind Logistics with a huge sum of money.
At the moment, Pei Qian had close to two hundred Upwind Courier stations. He predicted that he could open forty to fifty more stations before the 24th. Most of Jingzhou City would be covered.
Those who made use of Upwind Courier stations to make their deliveries would have their express delivery charges waived. Pei Qian would cover these charges using the System Funds. Normally, Upwind Logistics would also earn a commission from delivering parcels to customers' doorsteps. Pei Qian planned to waive this commission during the event period as well, so that more delivery companies would be attracted to work with Upwind Logistics.
He would purchase a bunch of small gifts to be delivered to customers along with their parcels. This would be another way to spend more money.
Middlemen normally profited from the difference in price, but Pei Qian would be the only middleman who would personally make up for the difference in price.
He would start off by doing some marketing of the event, which would last from October 24th to October 31st.
Pei Qian did not dare to engage in large-scale marketing. Although this would allow him to spend more money, there were also higher risks. He could not afford to mess up.
Pei Qian also intelligently set payday to be at the end of the month. This ensured that he would be able to distribute huge sums of money to his employees just before settlement. As much as possible, he could deplete the System Funds.
During the event, Pei Qian would also increase remuneration for Upwind Logistics and Fish-Catching Takeout's delivery men. For every additional delivery they made, they would earn an additional bonus.
Although each delivery man would probably not get much, Pei Qian had many Upwind Courier stations and employees around Jingzhou City. Altogether, it would add up to a huge sum of money.
As for the consequences...
Obviously, more users would use Fish-Catching Take-Out and Upwind Logistics thanks to the Programmer's Day event. However, both of these businesses were incurring losses. The larger they became, the more losses they would incur. Pei Qian did not have to worry too much.
What's more, even if these businesses started generating profit, it would be a problem for the next cycle.
This was exactly why Pei Qian did not dare to mess around with the other businesses. He could not afford to organize sales or promotions for the internet cafe or games because there were too many risks involved. Everything might backfire.
After coming up with a general plan, Pei Qian felt more confident. Thus, he prepared to make calls to Lu Mingliang and Ma Yang, intending to give them a simple brief on the event first.
Soon, Lu Mingliang answered the phone. "Do you have time today? Come to Fish-Catching Internet Cafe's Handong University branch. I have a plan to market Fish-Catching Take-Out and Upwind Logistics."
Lu Mingliang paused. "Boss Pei, I'm at the Handong University branch."
Pei Qian responded, "Huh? What are you doing there?"
Lu Mingliang answered, "Boss Ma asked me to come over. We're discussing the details of the computer-installation business."
Pei Qian's mind was filled with question marks.
He was caught by surprise.
What the h*ll is that? What's a computer-installation business?
"Give me a while. I'll be right there!"
Pei Qian quickly got dressed, being careful to put on a thick sweater and scarf. Then, he headed out of the door.
It was a good thing that his flu had subsided. His condition improved after he rested for the entire day the day before. Today's weather was pretty good: the sun was shining, and there was not much wind. Pei Qian could go out without much hindrance.
In any case, it was a critical period. How could such a small thing stop Boss Pei's huge money-making plan?!
He quickly made a call to arrange for the company's chauffeur to drive him around.
Fish-Catching Internet Cafe, Handong University branch...
Not long after his call with Lu Mingliang, Pei Qian arrived. Looking at Boss Pei's serious and stern expression, all three men became confused.
"Boss Pei, you..." Lu Mingliang didn't recall Boss Pei looking like that when he last saw him.
Pei Qian pulled his scarf down slightly and said in a nasal voice, "I'm down with slight flu."
"Brother Qian, you should rest properly if you're sick! I have to scold you this time. Stop thinking about work; take care of your own body!" Ma Yang waved at a nearby waiter. "Get Boss Pei a glass of warm water."
Pei Qian quickly said, "There's no need for that. I've had so much warm water that the thought of it makes me want to puke now. Get me some coffee."
Pei Qian looked at the system unit on the table and sharply noticed that it was slightly different from the system units in Fish-Catching Internet Cafe.
There was a glowing logo on this one!
Pei Qian immediately realized that the situation was not as simple as he expected.
Good. The three of you are sneaking around behind my back! It's a good thing that I found out early!
Pei Qian was speechless. If I had not been thinking about how to incur losses despite being sick, I might have been thrown under the bus completely!
Ma Yang giggled. "Brother Qian, I wanted to give you a surprise, but you found out in the end.
"Zhang Yuan and I have been thinking about making use of Fish-Catching Internet Cafe and Upwind Logistics to start a side-business in custom-made system units..."
Ma Yang briefly explained how ROF's brand came to be.
Simply put, Repent and be Saved had led many ballers with high standards for their computers to Fish-Catching Internet Cafe. These ballers formed a demand for similarly branded high-end computers. Zhang Yuan, who enjoyed making system units in his spare time, saw this as a business opportunity. He decided to start a computer-installation business and work with Upwind Logistics to deliver these system units to customers' doorsteps.
Not much investment was required. They would earn five hundred to a thousand yuan for each system unit sold. All Zhang Yuan and the other managers of the internet cafes had to do was purchase the hardware online, deliver them to customers, and provide after-sales services. They did not have to spend a lot of money.
Even if the business failed, they would not incur much loss. This was because Zhang Yuan and the others had no plans to accumulate the hardware. They would only place orders if there was demand. After listening to Ma Yang's description, Pei Qian fell into deep thought. If they did this, they would surely generate profits!
Alright, Ma Yang, you big-eyed fellow. Even you are betraying me now!
However, on further thought, it seemed like Ma Yang could not be blamed for this. After all, Ma Yang could easily be hoodwinked.
Zhang Yuan should take all the blame instead!
It looked like Pei Qian had to eliminate all threats by taking Zhang Yuan away from Ma Yang's side!
Pei Qian looked at the prototype of ROF's first-generation system unit.
All things aside, the business sounded extremely promising. If he allowed them to carry on, they probably would be able to generate some profit and launch a sneak attack against Boss Pei at the last minute.
Pei Qian could not help but celebrate in his heart.
I nearly fell for their trick. That was close! It's a good thing I came prepared!Pei Qian was not mad. Instead, he was quite happy.
Alright, since you love being entrepreneurs so much, do me a favor. Help me to spend more money! This project sounded very profitable, but since Pei Qian had found out about it, he was going to keep a close eye on it and prevent it from generating profit!
Ma Yang watched as Boss Pei smiled and said nothing. At that moment, he could not figure out whether the latter supported the idea or not.
"Brother Qian, what do you think of this plan? Is it promising?" Ma Yang asked.
Pei Qian nodded. "I think it's not bad, but there's a problem. You're spending way too little money!
"There's no point in being quiet about it. If you want to start this business, start big! Don't worry about not having enough capital; I'll fork out the capital!"
Zhang Yuan was stunned. He did not know exactly how to feel. "Boss Pei, it's great that you support us, but... there's no need to spend all that money..."
Hadn't Zhang Yuan only thought about selling system units to build their reputation? Many other internet cafes were doing the same. There was no need for so much funding at this stage. Even if Boss Pei invested millions of yuan in this business, Zhang Yuan would not know where to spend the money. Pei Qian shook his head. "You're too conservative! You can't even think of ways to spend money? How can that be?"
Chapter 293 Everything that Boss Pei Did Felt Wrong
Zhang Yuan was confused. "Huh? Boss Pei, what do you mean?"
Pei Qian sniggered. "From the way things are going, customers have to wait at least four to five days for their system units to arrive at their doorstep after placing their orders, right?"
Zhang Yuan thought for a moment and replied, "Er… we could deliver the units in three or four days if we act quickly."
Pei Qian shook his head, obviously unsatisfied. "That's really slow.
"Based on our current model, we are creating good computers to be displayed in Fish-Catching Internet Cafe. Gamers can come to the internet cafes and try out the computers for themselves, in order to see if they are good or not. "If they like the computers, they have to pay for it. We would then order the necessary hardware and assemble a computer for them. At the same time, we would be responsible for getting the system units delivered to their doorsteps and providing after-sales services. All we would earn are the installation and service fees, right?
"Here comes the problem. If we order the hardware online, it would take at least two or three days to come even if the delivery is quick. Then, we have to assemble the system units and deliver them. That would take another day at least. Wouldn't customers become very anxious in those few days?
"That's a huge problem!"
Zhang Yuan was slightly confused. "Huh? It's just three or four days; they can wait, can't they?
"Even online shops that sell ready-made computers work that way, right? Some shops even take a full week to deliver the system units after the orders have been made. We're already considered quite fast."
Pei Qian shook his head. "We're only two or three days faster than other online shops; how can we call that a core benefit? Gamers still have to wait, don't they?
"Fast service is this: customers placing an order in the morning and receiving their system unit by the afternoon on the same day!
"That's why we cannot only place orders for hardware after receiving customers' requests. We have to be prepared with the hardware in advance.
"We need to achieve four things:
"We should deliver customers' purchases as quickly as if they had been bought from physical stores. Our after-sales service has to be as good as first-tier brands. Our marketing model and the quality of our goods have to match up to the most good-hearted online stores. Our quality-to-price ratio must be pegged against what unscrupulous merchants selling 'lemon' products[1] boast of! "Only then can we do this glowing logo justice, understand?"
Zhang Yuan became speechless. He pondered for a moment and said, "That requires us to have large amounts of stocks prepared. Yet, that'll be like false bravado. If we can't sell our stocks, we'll have to hold it until the next generation of products comes out. By then, the stocks would have to be sold at very low prices. The risks are too high!"
Pei Qian smiled. "There will be risks to anything that we do. How can we sit back and do nothing just because of that?
"As long as money can buy an excellent shopping experience for our customers, it would be money well-spent!
"Since we have decided to venture into this business, we should not keep it so low-profile. I'll give you a sum of money. You can rent warehouses near each of our Fish-Catching Internet Cafe branches and store our stocks there.
"Don't worry about overstocking. I'm thinking about holding a 1024 Programmer's Day event. We can use that opportunity to publicize ROF's brand as well."
All three men looked confused. "Programmer's Day?"
Pei Qian nodded and explained his plan in detail.
The main event was a huge sale for Fish-Catching Take-Out and Upwind Logistics, starting from the week beginning with October 24th. The event would ultimately aim to give back to old and new customers alike, improve the businesses' reputation, and increase their market share. Of course, the core aim was to spend as much money as possible.
After finding out about the computer-installation business, Pei Qian decided to include it in the 1024 Programmer's Day event.
It would seem quite underwhelming if he only gave discounts for Fish-Catching Take-Out and Upwind Logistics on Programmer's Day.
Now, he could give discounts on system units, too. It was just as well!
"ROF can be included in the event as a computer-installation brand as well, but we have to make some changes.
"First, we have too few types of systems, one, to be exact. We won't be able to properly satisfy customers' requests.
"I think we can come up with three types of systems: costing 7,999, 11,999, and 15,999 yuan respectively. During the sale, we can sell these systems at their cost price. In essence, these systems would be sold at the total cost of their respective hardware parts. That would mean we would deliver and install them at no charge.
"We can also include a free upgrade. Those who purchase the 7,999 yuan system can upgrade to the 11,999 one for free. Those who purchase the 11,999 system can in turn upgrade to the 15,999 one for free.
"The first 100 customers can enjoy this free upgrade. After that, we will hold a ballot and allow lucky customers to upgrade at no charge. "Fish-Catching Internet Cafe can hold a ballot at regular intervals as well. We would give one entire system to one lucky customer during each ballot.
"Of course, all of these activities will be conducted between October 24th and 31st. After that, we'll resume normal operations. "Holding a promotional event like that would make us more popular and get our brand name out there. It wouldn't be too ridiculous to spend some money, right?"
Pei Qian was not actually speaking to the three men… but to the System.
Indeed, the System did not prohibit him from doing this!
The System drew a very blur line between 'promotions' and 'free gifts'. As long as it looked like a promotional event on the surface and Pei Qian explained that he was trying to gain popularity by giving discounts, the System would likely turn a blind eye to his actions.
He could not help but feel moved. Physical industries were really the best!
He could do no such thing for the games.
Once research and development was complete, games required no more production costs. The more promotions one ran, the more one would earn.
On the other hand, one had to incur large expenses for manpower and rent to operate physical industries. On top of that, he could run huge promotional events and sell computer hardware at low prices. As long as he did not do this over an extended period and gained popularity and fame in return, the System would not consider it an intentional loss.
He had also mentioned he wanted to produce a large number of stocks. He would spend a lot of money to build up an excess of stocks, which Pei Qian guessed would not all be sold. Once they came up with new products, the excess stocks would have to be sold at extremely low prices. That meant another chance to incur losses!
Great!
After listening to Boss Pei's explanation, Zhang Yuan could not help but raise his thumb. "Boss Pei, you are far-sighted indeed, and you make such bold moves!
"However, I have a minor suggestion.
"1024 is Programmer's Day, but if we run a promotional event for that reason, it might not be as effective. After all, we are trying to target everyone… and not just programmers.
"Why don't we call it '1024 Digital Day'? That would expand our audience and make it easier for us to advertise the promotion."
Pei Qian nodded. "Alright, that works!"
He didn't think that referring to October 24th as Programmer's Day was appropriate either.
At first, he was only going to run promotions for take-out and delivery services. Referring to such an event as Programmer's Day sounded far-fetched.
Now, the event would include take-out, logistics, and computer-installation services. Calling it 1024 Digital Day would be more memorable.
More people in Jingzhou would take note of it, and Pei Qian would incur more losses.
In addition to the manpower costs Pei Qian would incur during this period, he could be assured that he would be spending a huge sum of money.
Zhang Yuan was becoming very excited and highly motivated.
Boss Pei is amazing!
He trusts me! Before this, Zhang Yuan had thought about keeping the business low-profile. He wanted to go down the route of online computer-installation business and ride on Fish-Catching Internet Cafe's fame. He thought that he would be able to generate some revenue by targeting ballers.
He had not expected Boss Pei to be so generous. He was offering so much support that Zhang Yuan felt touched!
"Boss Pei, don't worry. I'll do this well!"
Pei Qian nodded. "Alright. As always, do not be afraid of spending money. Understand?"
Boss Pei had finally thought things through as well. Being stabbed in the back by his own employees was unavoidable.
The bigger his business was, the less he would be able to attend to everything personally. He also could not expect his subordinates to report every single thing to him. They could only offer updates every once in a while. Misinformation and time lags were to be expected.
He had so many employees under him; there would probably always be people who had nothing better to do and wanted to try their hand at starting a business.
After all, Boss Pei was treating them so well. Their lives were already stable and comfortable. Some people would seek to fulfill higher-order desires, such as achieving success in their careers. Pei Qian could not fault them.
Thus, Boss Pei had to take some responsibility for causing his employees to repeatedly stab him in the back-he had satisfied everyone too well.
Without any worries in the world, of course, they would have time to think about how to start their own business.
Pei Qian could not help but feel sorrow. Boss Pei was to be blamed for everything.
Yet, this was not a bad thing. The key was in what perspective he took.
If he saw things negatively, he could say that everyone was out to kill him. If he saw things positively, he could say that there was a chance they could help him spend more money if they worked blindly.
As the saying went, it was better to redirect the current than to fight it.
Take this incident for example. Zhang Yuan had wanted to run a low-profile business. He had thought about making use of Fish-Catching Internet Cafe's fame and Upwind Logistics' convenience to run his computer-installation business. Although such a business would not generate much revenue, it also would not incur much loss. The most likely outcome was that it would earn some money.
However, Pei Qian managed to use this opportunity to spend even more money during this cycle by making some adjustments.
He had turned a problem into a blessing!
Pei Qian giggled. It's a good thing I'm a genius. Otherwise, I would be defeated by my own employees!
They discussed a general direction for the promotional event. Finally, preparations for 1024 Digital Day's unstoppable promotional event was underway.
October 14th…
Zhongdian Chinese Network…
All preparations for the collaboration with Repent and be Saved had been complete.
Everything was done very efficiently. Most importantly, Ma Yiqun understood that traffic on Zhongdian Chinese Network was increasing rapidly thanks to Repent and be Saved's popularity. He could not guarantee that this effect would remain for a long time. Thus, launching the event earlier meant being able to stabilize traffic on the website earlier as well.
"It's almost time. Post the official notice."
Ma Yiqun nudged Li Yada subtly, and both posted the notice at the same time.
The notice clearly explained all the details of the combined event.
Zhongdian Chinese Network would launch a seven-day login event. New users would only have to complete several simple tasks in order to get unimpeded access to all novels on the site, Repent and be Saved's Look-Changing Pills, and other rewards.
The official notice on Repent and be Saved notified players that their accounts had been linked throughout all of Tengda's sites. They could now use the same account to access Zhongdian Chinese Network and claim their rewards.
On top of that, Ma Yiqun also instructed his editors to notify all authors.
Traffic on the site would explode in the next few days; everyone had to work harder!
When Zhongdian Chinese Network was set up, Ma Yiqun began guiding the editors in their work. The editors had also been reviewing manuscripts non-stop since then. They already knew the better writers among the full-time, low-tier ones.
Later, Zhongdian Chinese Network offered to top up elite writers' remuneration so that they could earn as much as they would if they had been writing on larger sites. That move offered great motivation for the group of elite writers.
Now, since there was going to be more traffic on the site, writers would stand to earn more money if they wrote more chapters. Naturally, all the authors on Zhongdian Chinese Network became ecstatic and motivated to work harder.
A good number of authors had also written more chapters in advance. They kept these chapters, waiting to release them all during the combined event-in the hopes that their novels would race up the ranking charts and become popular!
"The website has traffic and a number of good novels on the shelves. Whether it succeeds or not depends entirely on this!"
Ma Yiqun was nervous but excited.
He had wanted to give up his career in online literature. Boss Pei was the one who renewed his confidence and put Zhongdian Chinese Network in his hands.
More than three months had gone by since then. Ma Yiqun had been working hard and pulling all stops. Finally, he had an opportunity in front of him-an opportunity to repay Boss Pei and turn the website's loss into profit!
[1] This is a slang for products that appear to be of high-quality but are actually low-quality and have low durability.
Chapter 294 Keep the Money and Don't Transfer it Back!
An announcement was posted on Zhongdian Chinese Network, Repent and be Saved's details page, and Tengda Games' official Weibo at almost the same time. Soon, they caught the attention of many players.
"Eh? Repent and be Saved's developers are working together with a small online novel website?"
"Isn't that the website which published Repent and be Saved's official novel?"
"The rewards for this combined event are so awesome! Not only can we get unimpeded access to the novel website, but we can also get rewards in-game items."
"Look-Changing Pills? They can change the characters' looks? Holy sh*t, don't stop me, I'm going to get them for sure!"
"The accounts have been linked? That's great; we won't have to register for a new account."
"I've been keeping up with this website. The books were trash in the beginning, but their more recent novels look quite good. They're not far off compared to the elite novels you find on Infinite Chinese Network. You can read them when you have nothing better to?do."
"For the sake of the Look-Changing Pills, let's go!"
Everyone seemed quite excited.
At the end of the day, one had to admit that the rewards were well-chosen!
The protagonist in Repent and be Saved was just an ordinary man. At the moment, players could not customize their characters. After all, Pei Qian had been trying his best to deter sight-seers from the game back then.
That made being able to change their characters' looks that much more important to players!
There were several NPCs in the gameespecially female ones—who looked quite similar to the protagonist.
Once players heard that they could turn their character into a female, they became more excited!
Of course, given the game's theme and design, female NPCs could not look that attractive. They were worlds apart from adult games, which prioritized the characters' looks.
Still, players of Repent and be Saved would be used to seeing monsters and corpses thanks to the game's background story. Any female NPC would look outstanding and attractive against such a backdrop.
Thus, hoards of players logged onto Zhongdian Chinese Network to finish their tasks, in hopes that they would obtain Look-Changing Pills at the end of the seven-day period.
They did not even have to spend money on an item like that-all they had to do was log in for seven days in a row. It would be an absolute waste if they gave it up!
At the same time, Zhongdian Chinese Network released a bunch of elite novels.
Under the editors' tireless guidance, there were bound to be a few lousy authors who would achieve breakthroughs and produce pretty good novels.
Based on the backend figures, Ma Yiqun picked out these good seedlings and topped up their remuneration using the sum of money that Boss Pei had transferred to him. The payment that these authors received was comparable to what they would earn if they had written for other large websites; thus, they became very motivated.
Many authors began to update their novels quicker during the event period, causing readers to become hooked more easily. Thus, Zhongdian Chinese Network had both the right quality of novels and the right number of readers. A virtuous cycle had been established!
Many gamers who had been reading novels on Infinite Chinese Network were happy to add another novel website to their list. They could read different novels on each site concurrently.
With the revenue earned from readers, the website would no longer need to rely on Boss Pei for subsidies in the future. Slowly, it would be able to turn losses into profit.
As Ma Yiqun watched the backend figures on the website increase, he felt pleased and comforted. "I'll report this good news to Boss Pei!" Ma Yiqun dialed Boss Pei's number, feeling increasingly proud of himself. "Hello…?"
Boss Pei's voice sounded very nasal over the phone.
Ma Yiqun paused. "Boss Pei, do you have the flu? I'm sorry, I shouldn't be disturbing you now."
Every Tengda employee was extremely concerned about Boss Pei's health. After all, he was like a mentor to all of them.
Pei Qian answered, "It's no big deal. Is there trouble with the website? Quick, tell me."
Ma Yiqun was not sure if he was just imagining things, but there always seemed to be a hint of hopefulness in Boss Pei's voice.
Did he hope that there would be trouble with the website?
That's impossible. Boss Pei must sound like that because he's sick. I must be hearing things. Ma Yiqun could not help but grin. "Boss Pei, I have some good news! "Starting next month, you won't have to provide so much money to top up our authors' remuneration! At the end of this month, I intend to return a portion of the money you transferred to me as well. In three or four months, Zhongdian Chinese Network might become self-sufficient!"
Boss Pei remained silent for a long time before he responded. "Huh?"
Ma Yiqun continued, "Boss Pei, you've directed a huge amount of traffic to Zhongdian Chinese Network through Repent and be Saved. It's proving effective!
"We saw many gamers visiting Zhongdian Chinese Network during this period. It made our website much more popular than it was. "Thus, I thought about organizing a combined event with Li Yada. It looks like we're seeing some results!
"There's been an increase in the number of registered users and active users on the website. On top of that, more readers seem to be following various novels. This means that gamers are not just visiting Zhongdian Chinese Network to browse through the official novel. They're staying behind and reading other novels on our site!
"With the revenue generated by these readers, the website would probably earn much more during this period. That's why I don't think we'll need to spend as much money to top up our authors' remuneration.
"That's also why I'm thinking about returning a portion of the money you transferred to me. That way, we can spend the money more meaningfully…" Before Ma Yiqun could finish speaking, Boss Pei turned his suggestion down.
"There's no need! Don't do that!"
Ma Yiqun was confused. "Huh?"
Pei Qian cleared his throat, trying to calm himself down. "The money is not important. Repent and be Saved is selling so well; why are you still worried that Tengda would lack funds?
"In any case, the money would be better spent on Zhongdian Chinese Network!
"What stage are we at now? We're only seeing signs that our losses could be turned into profits. We're still a long way from becoming giants in the online literature industry, like Infinite Chinese Network!
"Keep the money and don't transfer it back.
"No matter what, you have to think of ways to spend all that money this month! Shouldn't we be giving our new readers some benefits?
"Shouldn't we give our authors a greater bonus, given that they've been working so hard over the past few months purely for the sake of their passion?
"Our employees have been working extremely hard as well. Shouldn't we organize some team-building events and bring everybody closer?
"We could also look for more programs and improve our website and mobile application. Are our server and bandwidth still good enough now that we have so many new readers? Otherwise, spend money to upgrade them.
"There are still so many avenues to spend money. Why are you always thinking about holding back and saving on capital? It's not your own money that you'll be spending; don't be so stingy.
"Spend as much as you want! If you don't have enough money, ask me for more!"
Ma Yiqun felt ashamed upon hearing Boss Pei's words.
He was such a letdown!
Ma Yiqun had only thought about turning the website's losses into profits and saving money for Boss Pei.
After all, the website had been burning money on the editors' salaries, the website's operating expenses, the authors' remuneration, and the like for the past couple of months
This made Ma Yiqun deeply uncomfortable. He couldn't stop thinking about how to earn all that money back for Boss Pei.
Now, Boss Pei's words had shaken him awake.
It was important to generate profits, but the website's development was even more important!
Zhongdian Chinese Network was one part of Boss Pei's larger plan. It was still considered small-scale at the moment. Even if Ma Yiqun could turn the losses into profit, the website would probably only generate a small profit. One could not compare Zhongdian Chinese Network to a giant like Infinite Chinese Network.
Tengda Games was already way ahead of Zhongdian Chinese Network. It was almost as if that latter was the younger sibling, trailing behind the older sibling and copying everything it did.
At a time like that, the younger sibling should be thinking about sharing the older sibling's burdens and maturing as quickly as possible. Ma Yiqun was deeply moved, not only because Boss Pei seemed to already have a bright plan for Zhongdian Chinese Network's future, but more so because he seemed to trust Ma Yiqun a lot as well!
"Alright, Boss Pei. I'll spend the money on developing the website. Don't worry!"
After hanging up, Pei Qian silently switched on his laptop to study Zhongdian Chinese Network's situation.
Although he could not see the backend figures, there was another way to check how popular the website was.
He could click on a random novel on the homepage and browse the comments section.
Before this, the comments sections had either been cold and deserted or filled with criticism. Either way, they always looked tragic.
However, the situation was different now. Pei Qian clicked on various books on the homepage, and all their comments sections looked normal!
Some rushed authors to update more regularly, some gave positive feedback, and some discussed the plots.
It was also obvious that more people were recommending, voting for, and saving all of these novels.
This was not the case for just one or two novels but for nearly all the novels on the homepage!
Pei Qian knew very well that Zhongdian Chinese Network was not faking these figures. In fact, it would remove any novel with artificially-boosted figures from its recommendation spots immediately. There was no way that such novels would remain on the website's home page. In other words, all the figures Pei Qian was seeing for the novels on the homepage were real! They were becoming more popular among readers!
That was not the worst part.
To Pei Qian's surprise, the novels on the homepage were much better than before, in terms of content, rhythm, and language.
Pei Qian had read several novels on Zhongdian Chinese Network before. Basically, all of them were some of the lousiest novels he had ever read. He could never decipher the plot. They were the kinds of novels that ordinary people would give up on after one or two chapters.
However, the novels he was reading now looked like something else!
Their titles and synopses were much more attractive. They also had a better pace and more satisfying storylines.
All in all, the novels were more tasteful!
It was no wonder that the figures were improving
The higher traffic was only part of the problem. The root of the problem was that the books were getting better. That was why the readers were sticking around.
Of course, the books were not that great either. At best, they could be considered top-tier books on Infinite Chinese Network. Still, they were very readable.
"What's happening?"
Pei Qian frowned after discovering the problem.
I thought Ma Yiqun didn't understand online literature. After all, every single novel he released failed. Clearly, he deeply misunderstands the world of online literature. If that's true, the editors he trained should be equally clueless. If all the editors in Zhongdian Chinese Network do not understand online literature…
How did they decide to place these better-than-average novels on the home page? Did they base their decision on the backend figures?
Hmm, that seems possible…
Pei Qian was beginning to suspect that he had misunderstood Ma Yiqun's true standard.
However, on further thought, he realized that the readers were the greatest decision-makers. Although Zhongdian Chinese Network did not have that many readers yet, their choices were still dependable.
Ma Yiqun did not have to read every single book. He only had to pick out the books with better backend figures and place them on the recommended list.
"Forget it, forget it. I'll stop thinking about these things. "Settlement is right around the corner. Zhongdian Chinese Network just has to finish spending that sum of money on my behalf. I don't have any more energy to look into these details."
Pei Qian tossed his phone towards his bed and went into ostrich mode.
He did not want to be bothered by anyone now. He just needed each business to spend all the additional money they had earned to ease the pressure off of himself.
He was just about to take an afternoon nap when his cell phone rang again. He picked it up and saw that it was Assistant Xin.
"Boss Pei, the official platform wants an exclusive interview with you to find out about your thought process behind the creation of your games." Pei Qian remained silent for a moment. "… I'm very busy now. Can I turn them down?"