"No!" Pei Qian rejected it decisively. Li Yada was a little worried. "But..." Pei Qian did not wait for her to finish but immediately interrupted. "There's no need to talk about it. This is a matter of principle that cannot be compromised.
"Work will never be finished. Would GOG exceed IOI even if I were to approve for you to go back to work a week in advance?"
Li Yada could not reply to him. "We definitely can't in a week, but..."
Pei Qian immediately took over. "That's the reason. If I approve of your request to go to work one week earlier, are you going to apply for overtime on weekends if you did not surpass IOI?
"If you are to work overtime this weekend but fail to surpass IOI, are you going to continue next week?
"You must understand... the dike of a thousand miles collapsed because of an ant's nest. You should understand the principle of preventing dysfunction.
"Where do you put the rules and regulations of Tengda if you were to continue doing this?!"
Li Yada, "Uh..."
Pei Qian said earnestly. "So, since two more days of overtime would not produce decisive results, then don't work overtime. Meaningless overtime wastes everyone's time and the fees I pay for overtime, why bother?"
Li Yada suddenly could not think of a good way to refute, but she felt something was wrong the more she thought about it.
as
"But Boss Pei, IOI had been launching new versions and the current momentum in Europe and the United States is going very strongly. GOG and IOI are direct competitors. One step behind means falling back many steps.
"One wrong move at this critical period will have unimaginable consequences!"
Li Yada's tone was very anxious.
Obviously, she had been paying attention to the situation of IOI during her holiday. She could not sit still seeing the quality of IOI improving rapidly.
Pei Qian could not help but sigh. Sometimes, the strong responsibility of employees was not good!
If GOG was doomed to fail from the start, then why spend such effort?
Working overtime and chasing progress yet finally failing, wasting their emotions...
It was better to do it casually from the beginning and spend money to finish it. Pei Qian coughed lightly and said. "I understand where you're coming from, but this is a matter of principle. It cannot be compromised at will.
"Yada, I think there is a little problem with your mentality.
"It is common to encounter problems at work, and yet your first reaction is to work overtime to solve them?
"Working overtime is not a panacea for everything. On the contrary, it is drinking poison to quench the thirst!
"Use it once, and you'll become dependent and will sink deeper into it. Use if often, and your other skills will degenerate. You'll use all skills other than 'overtime'.
"Think clearly, which is more important.
"Remember, the important thing is not to work overtime, but to do the right things at the right time.
"Being clear about what is right is always far more important than pure hard work." Li Yada, who was on the other side of the phone, fell silent. She calmed down after some time.
"Boss Pei, your remarks inspire the benighted. I did have the wrong thinking.
"I should not solve any problem at work through overtime. On the contrary, I should use methods outside of overtime to solve it.
"It is indeed my negligence as a person-in-charge if I only know to let the employees work overtime!
"Thank you, Boss Pei, I understand now! Wishing Boss Pei a very happy new year!"
Pei Qian listened to everything silently. "Um, happy new year." Pei Qian could not help but sigh after hanging up the phone. She was indeed his employee. She could make good arguments, drawing inferences from his words.
The idea of overtime was completely dispelled with a little guidance.
Hm, not bad!
"Finger Games, lend me some strength. Work harder during Chinese New Year and drive GOG to the ground..."
Pei Qian prayed silently.
February 10, the eighth day of the new year...
Work formally started, and yet school had yet to reopen.
Pei Qian still returned to Jingzhou the previous afternoon. His parents knew that Pei Qian was busy at Fei Huang Workspace especially with the new movie about to release. They did not get him to stay more than necessary.
They only urged him to stay healthy and never overdraw on his health.
Overdrawing on his health was very unlikely, Pei Qian thought in his heart.
His job was pretty good for his health. He would sleep until he wakes up naturally every day. He would laze around at work and eat good food at Ming Yun Private Kitchen from time to time.
Everything was rather comfortable, of course, except when getting backstabbed by his own employees.
17th floor, Tengda Games gaming department.. Cui Geng continued collecting material from Bao Xu.
The Zhongdian Chinese Network study class was to resume today. Cui Geng might be a member of the class, but he had an official position in Tengda-'special observer'. Therefore, he need not be locked up in the 'little black room'.
The other people in the gaming department quickly entered their work state, typing intently at the keyboard. It took too much time to even sip some water.
No choice, they had much to do!
Many people like Li Yada were paying attention to IOI's movement during the Chinese New Year. They wanted nothing but to rush back to work after seeing the updated version of the game.
They realized that Li Yada had been criticized and educated by Boss Pei when they vented to Li Yada. They could only wait patiently for the end of the holiday. They could not wait to start revising the game on the first day of work.
Everyone in the gaming department of Tengda Games worked with a vengeance.
We, Tengda Games, had always been the shape knife force that fought tough battles! Every game we made was popular under the guidance of Boss Pei. A golden brand like this cannot be destroyed in our hands, right?
They could not face that person if GOG were to lose out to IOI!
Everyone started working very hard.
Li Yada had handed over the 'work responsibilities' to the three generals before the new year. However, they were new after all and needed time to be familiar with the issues and to take over.
During this period until the end of the month, Li Yada must also transfer the work to the three of them as much as possible to ensure a smooth handover while ensuring the process of R&D was going well.
Li Yada took a short break, drinking coffee and thinking about the current situation after giving Hu Xianbin an account of the execution of the main policy recently.
She would constantly recall what Boss Pei said every time she became involuntarily anxious because she firmly believed that the way to success was in it!
"Remember, the important thing is not to work overtime, but to do the right things at the right time...
"Then, what is the right thing?
"Do R&D serious? That is what I should do within and is the safest way. It cannot be said to be 'right'."
Li Yada thought for a long time, but she still could not understand. She instinctively wanted to ask Bao Xu. Bao Xu had his own way of interpretation of Boss Pei's thinking after all.
However, Bao Xu was busy telling Cui Geng about Tengda's past as part of the material that Cui Geng was gathering for his new book. Li Yada was too embarrassed to bother him.
Who else could she ask if not Bao Xu?
Huang Sibo? It was not like she could not, but Li Yada knew that Fei Huang Workspace was preparing for the release of the new movie. Huang Sibo was probably too busy and had no time on his hands as well.
She thought it would be best to ask Lin Wan in the end! Lin Wan had her own set of interpretations of Boss Pei's thoughts as well.
Li Yada sent Lin Wan a message about her confusion. She even asked her. "What did Boss Pei mean by doing the right things at the right time?"
Lin Wan replied before long: "You've asked the right person! I have the correct answer to this question!
"Boss Pei told me something similar previously!"
Li Yada became interested as soon as she heard it. She hurriedly made a call.
"Quickly tell me, what is it all about?" Li Yada seemed to have caught a glimmer of light instantly
Lin Wan smiled and said confidently on the phone, "Do you remember us working on the Bloody Battle Song: The Powerful Version in Shang Yang Games previously?
"The game lost money since it went online so I asked Boss Pei what to do.
"Boss Pei said to wait for the right time. Everything would be fine when the time came.
"Think carefully. Was this sentence similar to others that he had said to you? Did they all emphasize on the 'right time'?"
It dawned upon Li Yada suddenly. "Oh! You mean..."
Lin Wan smiled. "That's right. Boss Pei stated it clearly. Working overtime is meaningless. You will only get half the results no matter how much hard work you put in. He meant that there were ways to solve the problem without overtime!
"I will not continue fighting head-on with IOI on client-side games if I were you. You'll lose the war no matter whether you win or lose the battle.
"I'll change a field, beat them to it, and then beat them up in that territory!"
Li Yada's eyes lit up, many of her confusions were resolved instantly!
As to what the 'right time' was, Lin Wan had found the right answer when working on the Bloody Battle Song. The upcoming wave of mobile games was the right moment!
Lin Wan changed the half-dead Bloody Battle Song into a mobile game because she understood this point. Moreover, she caught onto the fast lane-Shenhua's application store. That was how Bloody Battle Song soared into the sky and fought a beautiful turnaround!
If one would turn this into a standard answer...
That was to transform GOG into a dual-terminal game operated on both cell phones and computers!
Boss Pei said as well. IOI started early; they were not just a little ahead of GOG.
Such a gap was not something that could be closed by everyone working overtime in Tengda Games.
Therefore, Boss Pei did not want everyone to work overtime because he wanted to prevent everyone from doing wasteful work and depleting their energy. He hoped they would rather put their limited energy into more meaningful things.What if they were to make GOG into a mobile game? They would then directly overtake them from the corner!
Currently, there was no such mobile game. GOG would be able to dominate even if the gameplay was not so rich if it was transplanted into the mobile world.
If GOG were to quickly occupy a dominating position in the mobile games world, it would naturally affect the computer territory.
Imagine, if a player—who had played GOG on a mobile phone-were to play a similar game on the computer for the first time, would he choose GOG with the heroes and skins he had played on the mobile phone or the heroes that he knew nothing about in IOI?
The current consensus in the game industry was to turn successful PC games into browser games and then turn browser games into mobile games. Sinking one level at a time, they would make old games shine on another platform.
That was the current mindset.
However, things were not that absolute.
Who was to say that games could not be first offered on the mobile before going onto the PC even though there was no epic game that had yet dominated on both platforms?
Chapter 416 E-Sports Club
Pei Qian yawned in his office. The heater in his office was very comfortable, making one sleepy.
It might be inappropriate to laze around on the first day of work, but Pei Qian really had nothing much else to do.
It might feel as though there were much to do, as though countless blooded swords were pointing at his back. However, he really could not think of what he could do even as he thought hard.
He opened the TPDb website to see which other projects required 'improvement'.
Pei Qian's eyes were attracted to the Fish-Catching Internet Cafe immediately.
Come to think of it, I had always wanted to open an internet cafe near Dad and Mom's house!
I have to open one near the new house I bought. Have to plan ahead for the future.
In short, a Fish-Catching Internet Cafe should be nearby no matter wherever I live in the future.
Pei Qian immediately sent Zhang Yuan a text, asking him to come over.
Zhang Yuan was usually situated at the Fish-Catching Internet Cafe at Handong University. He handled matters relating to the internet cafe and ROF Computer-Installation. Today was no exception.
He, therefore, arrived in a matter of minutes.
"How is the handover going on?" Pei Qian asked directly as soon as Zhang Yuan sat down.
"Boss Pei, today is just the first day back at work..."
Zhang Yuan was a little speechless and a little reluctant.
Zhang Yuan received the Dream Fund of a million yuan after being selected as an outstanding employee. However, that meant he had to give up everything at Fish-Catching Internet Cafe and ROF Computer-Installation.
Zhang Yuan was of course not happy about it.
He was now rather competent when it came to the Fish-Catching Internet Cafe and the ROF installations. He was not willing to change to other positions even if his salary and benefits did not change. However, Pei Qian would definitely not agree.
The first-place-elimination system was set up to eliminate such people!
He had done a very good job since he was judged as an outstanding employee. To Boss Pei, that meant that he was one of the employees who had threatened him the most over the past six months. He had to arrange something great for him.
Therefore, he had to use the fastest method to end Zhang Yuan.
Pei Qian could see that Zhang Yuan was not willing so his face turned black. "Your efficiency is lacking. I'll give you three days to complete the handover. Put down all work at the ROF Computer-Installation and then submit the people to be promoted to the HR department."
Zhang Yuan had nothing to say. He could only nod. "Yes, Boss Pei."
Pei Qian continued. "By the way, tell the new person-in-charge during the handover to open two more Fish-Catching Internet Cafe 1.0 in two other places."
Pei Qian pointed out the location of his parents' house and his new house.
Zhang Yuan looked at the place, slightly confused.
One was a small county in Jingzhou. One was near a high-speed rail station that had yet to open in Jingzhou.
What was so special about these two places that Boss Pei felt he should open a Fish-Catching Internet Cafe there?
The last time Boss Pei asked about the Fish-Catching Internet Cafe was when a 'Fish-Catching Complex' was to be opened at Lincheng City. He invested tens of millions of yuan then. Boss Pei shouldn't have to bother about these two small internet cafes.
However, Zhang Yuan had long been accustomed to Boss Pei's unique site selection skills so he naturally did not ask much about it. He just noted it down in preparation to hand over to his successor.
"Have you thought of how you will spend the Dream Fund? Don't worry, if one million is not enough, I'll give you more," Pei Qian continued asking after he was done arranging for the Fish-Catching Internet Cafe.
The One Million Yuan Dream Fund was a standard established in the early days of Tengda Group. It was not easy to squeeze out one million yuan then since Tengda was not as big as it was now.
However, one million yuan could only be regarded as a droplet in an ocean now that Tengda grew larger and was more profitable. It was peanuts to Boss Pei who was in urgent need of spending money.
Pei Qian, therefore, asked casually. He did not mind giving Zhang Yuan more money if his dream was outrageous.
Of course, he would not give another penny if Zhang Yuan's dream was too realistic.
Zhang Yuan gave it some thought. "Erm... Boss Pei, I gave it some thought during the holiday. My initial thinking is to create an E-Sports Club."
E-Sports Club? Pei Qian was quite surprised. He originally thought that Zhang Yuan would continue to do the installations he was good at, but he didn't expect him to be enlightened.
Pei Qian was very satisfied with this answer.
An E-Sports Club would burn money in no time, and there would be very, very little profits.
What was more, the e-sports industry was still very small in the year 2011. There was a lack of large scale competition around the world. Many professional players were still sleeping on the streets and eating instant noodles.
The current E-Sports was basically games that the rich second-generation heirs played. It was something that Pei Qian was into.
Pei Qian had long wanted to create an E-Sports club for fun before Zhang Yuan even mentioned it!
Pei Qian was all smiles immediately. He put out a thumb. "Good idea!"
Zhang Yuan was shocked. Why did he feel like Boss Pei was more excited hearing this news than when the RAM sticks increased in value?
"Is one million yuan enough? The team will have to train very hard for the game. They cannot suffer. We must give them the treatment they deserve! Ask me anytime for more money if you don't have enough!" Pei Qian said excitedly.
Zhang Yuan quickly waved his hand. "No, no. no, Boss Pei, I'll be testing the waters in the initial stages, especially since I do not have any experience in this area."
"Hmm... alright, let me know at any time if you need money," Pei Qian agreed reluctantly.
Obviously, Zhang Yuan felt like he was playing the lottery so he did not dare ask for more money.
If he really wanted to make his own building —complete with all the supporting facilities —and spend a lot of money to poach superstar players, then one million yuan would definitely not be enough.
However, most of the so-called e-sports club and game workspaces had yet to be completely segmented. People with a few rooms and computers would also dare call themselves an E-Sports club.
Zhang Yuan wanted to do something similar.
Pei Qian, of course, would not accept it. He had to add more money.
However, he could not be too eager about it. Zhang Yuan might feel pressured if he were to insist on giving him more money. He might instead feel that Boss Pei was really interested in this project and would do his best in it.
Any wrong step and encouragement in the wrong way by Boss Pei would bring unimaginable repercussions.
Therefore, Pei Qian did not force it.
When the clubs were to open, Pei Qian would definitely check them out. He would then give him more money after doing some nitpicking.
"Alright, go ahead. Remember, finish the hand over within three days. Put all your energy into this E-Sports club." Pei Qian repeated before sending Zhang Yuan away.
Something flashed past Pei Qian's mind right after. It was something he did not have the time to deal with before the year ended.
The 'Top Student, Come Quick' app!
Pei Qian gave He Desheng a call immediately. The other projects seemed to be in a dangerous state as well, but this project seemed to be having the most risk. Pei Qian updated the Top Student, Come Quick' app version before the year ended, completely cutting off the possibility of using this app as a social app. It caused the popularity and traffic of this app to plummet. Many of the previously spent publicity funds were wiped out.
He originally planned to make this project a complete failure, but he did not expect to attract more than seven million yuan in investments after telling these investors the truth.
He tried to dissuade them, but they did not take his goodwill. Pei Qian had no choice but to find ways to burn money!
As to how best to burn the money, Pei Qian had no idea. The methods were taken care of by He Desheng. He had to quickly ask him.
The phone got through in no time.
He Desheng seemed to be prepared as he replied to Boss Pei swiftly, "The money was spent in three large areas.
"The first was the development of other functions for the app. At present, the app only supports offline meetings. After developing new functions, it would be able to allow the top students and flunkies to use their cameras for interactions.
"They could also use the built-in question banks to search for the correct answers and explanations by taking photos. The functions would be more abundant. The target audience would also be wider.
"Next is publicity.
"Finally, it's in subsidies so that the flunkies could spend less money while top students could earn more.
"The good news is the Shared Top Student app has taken root in first-tier cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai with rich educational resources due to our promotion. The usage is constantly increasing!"
Pei Qian interrupted decisively. "I don't want to listen to good news; tell me only the bad news."
"Uh..." He Desheng had a series of good news to share, but he swallowed all of them back with one sentence from Boss Pei.
"The bad news is that the current model may be unsustainable. I'm afraid there would be nothing left once the craze dies down."
"In fact, the current 'Top Student, Come Quick' app had ignited intense discussions, and there were many people who were pessimistic about it."
Hm?
Pessimistic?
Then, I have got to hear it! Pei Qian searched for discussions on the Top Student, Come Quick' app while on the phone. He did find many discussions after a bit of searching, but there were not many pessimistic voices! "Top Student, Come Quick: the new age of education!""Top Student, Come Quick revision eliminates potential safety hazards. This move has to be praised!"
"Top Student, Come Quick, knowledge sharing on its way!" Pei Qian glanced through briefly and felt his heartbeat speed up and cold sweat forming on his forehead.
"Where are the pessimistic voices? Aren't all of these praises?" Pei Qian asked, perplexed. "Oh, Boss Pei, most of the reports you see are bribed. Some of them were also fake reviewers we hired. A portion of the seven million yuan was spent here..." He Desheng explained hurriedly.
"Boss Pei, I did not come up with this idea! It's the request of the other investors..."
He Desheng knew that Boss Pei did not like such a publicity method so he pushed the responsibility away decisively.
Pei Qian breathed a sigh of relief. So all these were fake reviewers! That scared me.
I thought that so many people actually gave good reviews for this project!
There was no need to worry so much since this enthusiasm was all fake images built up by burning money.
Chapter 417 Boss Pei in Good Times
Pei Qian asked about the other aspects in more detail and finally drew a conclusion: 'Top Student, Come Quick' was safe for now.
"Phew... I must have been overthinking.
"Shared projects like that should continue to burn money for a long time in the beginning. How could it start generating profits so soon? That's impossible.
"I have to let it burn more money during this period, so that I can break the capital chain as soon as possible!"
Pei Qian heaved a sigh of relief.
He felt like he was racing against time. Mainly, he had to see which of them would come first: the Shared Top Student project becoming popular or him spending all his money.
Once the capital chain broke and they ran out of funds to plug the gaps, the entire project would collapse very quickly. For all he knew, they might even incur huge debts. That would be a beautiful outcome.
Pei Qian stood up and prepared to leave.
At that moment, He Desheng's cell phone rang. He Desheng looked hesitant. Logically, he should walk Boss Pei out first. However, after seeing the number, he felt the urge to pick up the call immediately.
Pei Qian glanced at him and said, "Go ahead and answer the call; don't worry about me."
He Desheng nodded and did as he was told. "Hello? Boss Li?"
Pei Qian was speechless. A bad feeling washed over him.
He Desheng's expression turned somber as he listened. Then, he nodded profusely and said, "Alright, Boss Li! No problem, Boss Li! Thank you, Boss Li!" Pei Qian, "?"
An even worse feeling washed over him. He Desheng hung up and said, "Boss Pei, there's good news! Boss Li thinks that "Top Student, Come Quick' is becoming very popular, and its fanbase is rapidly expanding. He sees a lot of potential in the project and has decided to invest another three million
yuan!
"What's more, under his leadership, the other investors became more confident as well. We don't have to worry about not having enough funds in the short term!"
Pei Qian looked at He Desheng, confused. His mind was filled with question marks.
What the f*ck...?
Every time the situation improves slightly, Boss Li would appear! Pei Qian hated him to the core. However, on further thought, that seemed reasonable. Boss Li had only invested a million yuan to begin with.
Pei Qian had known that the project was bound to fail. Not wanting Boss Li to waste too much money, Pei Qian had good-heartedly persuaded him to only invest that amount.
However, Boss Li had been holding himself back!
He, who had only invested a million yuan, had been observing the current situation and thinking that he was losing out by stepping back. Thus, he had decided to invest more money and generate more profit. Pei Qian felt very tired.
All of you are creating problems for me again and again. When will all of this end?!
Pei Qian felt like he was in charge of a furnace. He had been filling it with charcoal, wanting to finish up all the charcoal, so he could knock off work and go home.
However, all of those people were bringing more charcoal to him by the truckload. No matter how hard he tried, he could not finish up all the charcoal!
That was not it. The more charcoal he put into the furnace, the faster they burned and the larger the fire got...
Pei Qian, who had gotten up to leave at first, quickly sat down again. His expression darkened, and the pressure mounted. He was at a loss as to what to do next.
He Desheng looked at Boss Pei's somber expression, and his eyes lit up.
He's here! 'Boss Pei in Good Times'!
Everyone knew that, during bad times, Boss Pei would automatically infect the people around him with his positive attitude. That would motivate everyone to overcome the difficulty together.
However, during good times, Boss Pei would look somber and occupied. That signified that Boss Pei was thinking about possible dangers. He was coming up with a long-term plan for the future, which would deal with threats that could surface during the good times.
Obviously, Boss Pei was now in the 'good times' mode!
Not daring to disturb him, He Desheng stepped back and waited in silence.
Perhaps a single word from 'Boss Pei in Good Times' after brainstorming would teach He Desheng a lot! Pei Qian felt hopeless and conflicted. Should he carry on and burn more money? Yet, what if the project became more and more successful? Should he retreat and sell all of his shares?
Yet, given the current situation, the profits he would reap could reduce him to tears immediately.
'Top Student, Come Quick' had undergone two rounds of financing. Dream Realization Ventures had already invested close to ten million yuan in the project. In reality, the amount of shares that Pei Qian held (including those from the entrepreneurial team and Dream Realization Ventures) had fallen from ninety percent to about sixty percent.
However, that also meant that 'Top Student, Come Quick's company value had ballooned to about 25 million yuan.
Of course, that was just a number. Whether it would change or not depended on if people would buy his shares.
Still, looking at the investors' confidence in the project, Pei Qian was sure that people would want to buy his shares as long as he was willing to put them up for sale. What should I do?! It's too dangerous.
Pei Qian felt like he was walking a tightrope. A single misstep could send him into a bottomless pit.
Calm down. Let me think. What's the most important thing for investors?
Confidence!
At the moment, 'Top Student, Come Quick's value is increasing rapidly because its investors think that Tengda is backing the project. That's why they have unrealistic confidence in it.
I have to think of a way to get rid of this confidence to get out of this predicament!
As long as everyone's confidence collapses, they'll start thinking about selling their shares and escaping. Once people lose confidence in the project, its value will crumble.
Yes, that's the only way.
After some consideration, Pei Qian found his
goal.
Yet, how could he shatter everyone's confidence? Should he conjure negative news?
However, the System's regulations would restrict him from using underhanded means like that.
What's more, everyone had invested a considerable sum. That symbolized their unflinching confidence in this project. Pei Qian could try and tell them that the project was unreliable, but nobody would believe him.
What a fix!
Pei Qian had found the right direction, but he had no idea how to go about achieving the
goal.
He had no other choice but to ask He Desheng. After all, he was the professional.
Pei Qian remained silent for a moment and asked, "What would you do to make the other investors lose confidence in 'Top Student, Come Quick'?"
He Desheng was stunned. Had Boss Pei been thinking about this while he remained silent for so long?
Why did he want to cause the other investors to lose confidence in "Top Student, Come Quick'? Shouldn't their competitors be thinking about that instead?
He Desheng looked at Boss Pei's expression. It looks like... he's testing me.
He Desheng immediately looked more serious. He thought that there must have been a hidden meaning behind this deceivingly simple question.
After two minutes, He Desheng still could not figure out the deeper meaning. Thus, he had no choice but to give a safe answer. "If it were me, I would keep trying to sell my shares.
"Increasing my shareholding shows my belief in this project. However, trying to reduce my shareholding would have the opposite effect. That's why trying to sell my shares would affect other investors' confidence."
Pei Qian nodded. That's right! Trying to reduce my shareholding would be a very clear expression of my confidence level: I think this is the most that this project would give me, and I want to run now!
On the other hand, if I keep holding onto my shares, no matter how hard I try to tell others that I don't believe in the project; no one would believe me!
However... doesn't that mean that I would have to reap profits?
Even if I don't sell all of my shares at once but sell them bit by bit, I would still reap profits for sure.
Of course, if I sell a bit at a time, the money I earn would still be considered acceptable.
More importantly, I would be able to shatter the others' confidence and cause the project to become less popular. In the end, I would be able to burn more money and incur more losses.
At that thought, Pei Qian made up his mind. "We'll sell, then!"
He Desheng was stunned. Sell now? The project's doing well. We can try to earn more from it now, right?
However, seeing Boss Pei's resolute gaze made He Desheng perk up at once. There was a wise saying in the investment circle: never try to earn the last cent.
Everyone was seeing a lot of potential in 'Top Student, Come Quick' now. If they sold their shares now, they might not sell at their peak price, but they would earn a lot.
If they continued to wait and the share prices started to fall, others might lose confidence in the project as well. Then, it would be too late!
He Desheng could not help but feel emotional. Boss Pei lived up to his name indeed. Even in such good times, he could think so clearly!
"Boss Pei, I understand! Leave it to me!" He Desheng patted his chest confidently.
February 11th, Friday...
At Zhongdian Chinese Network's authors' class...
It was lunchtime. The atmosphere here was slightly different from before. Everyone at the table normally spoke as they pleased about anything under the sun. Many of the topics they touched did not even have anything to do with online literature.
That was to be expected. Even in their own chat groups, authors only talked about writing occasionally. Most of the time, they talked about everything else.
However, today was different.
Everyone held onto their phones, seriously reading a novel as they ate their Fish-Catching Take-Out.
"I've caught up."
"Brother Cui's new novel is really awesome! Nothing can beat it; nothing can beat it." "That's right. Brother Cui's new book has found the right path. He always wrote Xuanhuan novels in the past. Although he wrote well, many people wrote even better than he did. Now that he has found new material, he has immediately become superior! I've never seen anyone write a story set in the city like that!"
"He's been listed on the new novels chart for a week now. Ever since he released his book on the eve of Chinese New Year, his figures have been jumping rapidly. He's really awesome!"
"It's a refreshing way of writing, and he's pinned down the rhythm as well. We can learn from him!"
"I can tell that even the website is supporting him. I have a feeling that Brother Cui's book is going to become very popular. For all we know, he might break many of the website's records!"
"He's been uploading ten thousand words a day. If he keeps this up, he can probably make the novel pay-to-read by the end of the month. Then, we'll know how awesome he really is!"
"Speaking of which, Ming Yu's book has been improving as well. I read a few of his readers' comments. All of them were saying that his plot has become more well-written recently."
The writers kept sharing their personal opinions.
Whenever a popular book that had the potential to start a new trend appeared on the website, the writers would study it, discuss it, and try drawing learning points from it.
Cui Geng was not around. He was in Tengda Games, gathering material.
On the other hand, Ming Yu was there. He was also reading Cui Geng's new book, The Butterfly Game, with the others. When he heard them mention his name, Ming Yu felt emotional. "That's right. I have to admit-learning about the Tengda spirit has really helped me a lot!
"It's not just me. Little Chong, Long Ye, and Cong Xin have attended the class on the Tengda spirit as well, right? All of you have seen improvements in your figures, right?"Little Chong nodded. "Yes, I've been getting more subscriptions."
Long Ye stroked his beard and said, "My figures are improving, but I've also written a satisfying mini-plot recently. I don't know if the improving figures can be attributed to the Tengda spirit class. As for the other aspects. I've been writing more smoothly for sure."
Without looking up, Cong Xin said, "My figures haven't changed much, but I think it's because my plot hasn't been very well arranged recently. I'll make some changes, and then I should see some improvement."
The other writers looked at them admiringly.
"The class sounds very useful!" "That's right. Brother Cui was the first to go, and he was even made a 'special observer'. He's improving so quickly because he can look deep into the Tengda spirit. Ming Yu, Little Chong, Long Ye, and Cong Xin are all seeing improvements after learning about the Tengda spirit as well! The improvements are not huge, but at least they're steady!
"It looks like the class is really effective!
"I'm starting to itch. I'm reserving Monday's lesson on the Tengda spirit. Don't fight me for it, everyone!"
"No way! I want to go, too! Let our skills do the choosing!"
Chapter 418 Wu Bin's Summary
In the evening...
On the 16th floor of Shenhua View, at the HR department of Tengda Corporation...
It was time to knock off. The writer from Zhongdian Chinese Network who had come to be educated on the Tengda spirit stood up reluctantly and said goodbye to Wu Bin.
"Thank you very much!
"I've learned a lot from today's lesson about the Tengda spirit.
"I think you speak exceptionally well. When I get back, I'll try writing slower and adjusting the pace of my story! After that, I'll try writing a few new plotlines to break out of my boundaries!"
Wu Bin smiled subtly. "Don't mention it. It's every Tengda employee's responsibility to pass down the Tengda spirit."
At that moment, the setting sun shone through the window and illuminated his body, seeming to give him a multi-colored, Buddha-like glow. After sending that writer off, Wu Bin began to pack up his things and get ready to leave the office.
Tengda was to hold recruitment drives twice a year. Thus, the HR department normally did not have much work to do. Wu Bin had already become the designated 'trainer of the Tengda spirit'. He was in charge of teaching Zhongdian Chinese Network's writers about the Tengda spirit and using it to guide them in their writing process.
While guiding the writers, Wu Bin realized that he had developed a deeper understanding of the Tengda spirit!
This feeling could be likened to what senior monks felt when they taught their disciples about Buddhism. The more they experienced, the deeper their understanding of Buddha's teachings would become.
If he had not been used to teaching the Tengda spirit to Cui Geng before, then he had definitely gotten the hang of it now. He could summarize everything that he had learned in nineteen words:
Make hinting the norm, use inducement as encouragement, teach according to aptitude, and achieve the goal through different routes!
While teaching, Wu Bin had realized that those authors faced vastly different issues.
For instance, Cui Geng mainly lacked direction and motivation.
On the other hand, Ming Yu was filled with motivation, and he was a hard worker. However, he was working hard and not smart.
Today's student faced different problems as well. He had no confidence in himself and wrote very conservatively, not daring to try new content.
Wu Bin had observed all of those problems while chatting with the writers. Of course, the writers also knew their own problems. After all, every writer hoped to become a novel god one day. Often, they reflected a lot on their own flaws and shortcomings. All Wu Bin had had to do was offer some guidance. Then, the writers had gotten a clear picture of where their shortcomings were immediately.
During this process, Wu Bin discovered that all of their problems could be resolved using the Tengda spirit!
Obviously, this was no coincidence.
That was because the Tengda spirit was a methodology. Now that Wu Bin had understood it on a philosophical level, he could apply it almost universally!
The Tengda spirit could teach people how to regulate themselves and achieve the highest level of productivity. Of course, it would be effective for anyone who wanted to establish a successful career!
'Make hinting the norm, use inducement as encouragement, teach according to aptitude, and achieve the goal through different routes!' That was what Wu Bin had come up with, to sum up how to impart the Tengda spirit to others.
Through hinting and inducement, Wu Bin could point out where others were lacking in terms of creative writing or working. Then, he could treat the root of each problem by using the Tengda spirit to resolve their confusion. Finally, he could direct everyone to the common goal of working in perfect condition!
Wu Bin had also summarized what the 'perfect working condition' was. That mainly consisted of three points: First, maximizing productivity using the limited working hours available and by having sufficient rest and entertainment...
Second, maintaining an adequate level of motivation to work by having a clear reward mechanism...
Third, learning from the pursuit of one's own interests and establishing a career out of passion!
After summarizing those three points, Wu Bin compared them to all the regulations that Boss Pei had in place at the moment and found that they matched perfectly.
Boss Pei had provided an ideal environment for rest and entertainment, as well as complete welfare benefits for all his employees. That matched Wu Bin's first point.
Boss Pei had established TPDb for ratings, thus providing a reward mechanism for employees. That matched Wu Bin's second point.
Boss Pei encouraged internal transfers and gave the best employees Dream Funds for them to fulfill their own dreams. That matched Wu Bin's third point. All the above showed the perfect working condition that Boss Pei advocated for!
Wu Bin was now helping all the writers reach that perfect working condition. At the moment, he was achieving remarkable results. If this method was proving effective on the writers, then it would probably be equally effective on all the other employees of Tengda!
Wu Bin seemed to have found his mission moving forward.
February 14th, Monday...
The weekend had not been good for Pei Qian. He kept feeling like a problem was going to spring up out of nowhere. What made Pei Qian the most fearful was the 'Top Student, Come Quick' application's situation. He was burning more money and keeping advertising up, and the application was becoming more and more popular. However, He Desheng was already beginning to sell shares bit by bit. To Boss Li, that was a clear signal.
Once Boss Li and the others got the signal, 'Top Student, Come Quick' would take a great hit...
Then, Pei Qian would have achieved his goal.
Pei Qian had guessed that Boss Li would have made a move over the weekend by trying to dig for more information from him or He Desheng.
Pei Qian had always been honest with Boss Li before, but Boss Li had never believed him.
This time, Pei Qian had decided to lie. He would say that he was trying to back out of the project because he did not see any potential in it!
Boss Li would believe him this time, right?
On top of that, Pei Qian had also been keeping a close eye on Zhongdian Chinese Network's online authors' class. To his surprise, he had discovered that the writers were uploading fewer chapters per day. It even looked like they were competing to see who could upload fewer chapters!
Before this, the authors' class made use of inhumane methods like a 'lockdown state' to ensure that the writers uploaded about eight thousand words each day. However, after Pei Qian put in some hard work, the writers quickly retreated.
This was undoubtedly exciting news!
Monday was Valentine's Day. In the spirit of being humanitarian, Pei Qian thought about giving his employees half a day off, so that they did not need to work in the afternoon.
Furthermore, he wanted to give each employee a rose. There wouldn't be any special meaning to the rose, other than that they were more expensive on Valentine's Day.
Roses were cheap on most days, and Pei Qian wouldn't be bothered with them.
After lazing around in bed for a while, Pei Qian reluctantly got up. He planned to walk around the office and then head to Thriller Hostel to take a look.
He had received a message from Chen Kangtuo in the morning, saying that the last three mini-projects for the Thriller Hostel had been completed. That meant that the second major project was done.
Pei Qian thought about finding a lab rat to try out the effectiveness of the mousetrap.
Ruan Guangjian had been the best candidate, but he had already returned to Shanghai. Thus, Pei Qian had no choice but to look for an alternative.
Boss Li, who was always creating trouble for him, seemed like a good option.
Pei Qian arrived at the office and realized that the roses had been delivered. Everyone had a bunch of fresh, colorful roses on their table, which made the entire office area look like springtime. A subtle flowery fragrance filled the air as well.
Pei Qian had conducted secret checks earlier and confirmed that no one in the office was allergic to flowers. That was why he could relax and send them to everyone.
As he walked into his own office, Ma Yiqun sprung up from the side and stopped him. Then, he held out a huge bouquet of roses towards Boss Pei.
"Boss Pei, this is for you!"
Behind Ma Yiqun were Li Yada, Bao Xu, Lin Wan, Tang Yishu, Huang Sibo, and the others. Assistant Xin was standing by the side, smiling subtly.
Pei Qian was stunned. This bouquet of flowers was obviously two times bigger than the ones he had given to his employees. They must have especially custom-made it.
Pei Qian's expression was strange. "What's the meaning of this?"
Ma Yiqun smiled and explained, "Boss Pei, this represents all your employees' love for you!"
The corners of Pei Qian's mouth twitched. "I don't have anything against all of your love, but why must you be the one giving this to me...?"
Ma Yiqun laughed. "We wanted to get a girl to give it to you, but they were fighting too much. Nobody wanted to give in. Since we couldn't find a suitable candidate in the end, I had to be the one."
Pei Qian's mind was filled with question marks.
It was rare that Pei Qian got gifted flowers on Valentine's Day, but a man was the one giving it to him now!
Speechless, Pei Qian took the bouquet. Then, he said, "Thank you all..."
Just as he started to walk away, Li Yada jumped in front of him to stop him.
"Boss Pei, thank you for the surprise you prepared for all of us this Valentine's Day. We have a special surprise for you, too! "All of Tengda's and Shang Yang Games' games have been updated with a Valentine's Day event at the same time. It's proving to be very popular among gamers, and this follows straight after the Chinese New Year event!
"Today's income alone would probably exceed last week's total income!"
Lin Wan stood by the side with a proud grin on her face.
Shang Yang Games' Bloody Battle Song had also organized a Valentine's Day event. Just like Ocean Stronghold, it would be one of the main reasons for the increase in revenue. Of course, it was worth being proud of.
Pei Qian, "...?"
What the f*ck! That was the surprise that you so carefully planned for me?! That's returning my kindness with evil!
Pei Qian felt like the thorns of this huge bouquet of roses had pricked him in the heart.
However, seeing how passionate everyone was, Pei Qian had no choice but to force a smile and act like he did not care.
"Hehe, not bad. Thank you all!"
At Dream Realization Ventures...
"Boss Li, come, have some tea."
He Desheng served Li Shi a cup of tea and smiled as he sat down across from him. Before this, he had worked at Fu Hui Investments for some time as Li Shi's assistant.
However, as the saying went, life was full of ups and downs. Now, whenever He Desheng saw Li Shi, he could stop being overbearing or servile.
That was because now that He Desheng was learning about investing from Boss Pei and picking up things as he went along, he felt of a higher status than Li Shi. Naturally, he viewed Li Shi—his previous superior and an elder in the investment industry-as more of an equal.
Li Shi sipped the tea and said, "Desheng, can you tell me more about why Dream Realization Ventures is beginning to sell Top Student, Come Quick's shares? What are all of you thinking?"
He Desheng grinned and asked, "What do you think?"
Li Shi set his teacup down, feeling melancholic. "If others did this, I would think they're trying to run away, but... "Since Boss Pei is the one doing this, I can't figure it out."He Desheng sincerely answered, "Boss Li, if you can't figure it out, I all-the-more wouldn't be able to either...
"Honestly, I'm just obediently following Boss Pei's instructions. I can't seem to figure out what he's thinking.
"Boss Li, if you really want to know, you should just ask Boss Pei yourself." Of course, He Desheng could guess what Boss Pei was thinking. However, he could not explain this to Boss Li. After all, these were business secrets. He had to put Dream Realization Ventures' profits on top.
Everyone was only guessing Dream Realization Ventures' plans for now, but none of them could be sure because it was not selling a lot of shares. It was difficult for observers to tell if Dream Realization Ventures was trying to run or if Tengda Corporation was moving funds around.
If it was the latter, there would be nothing worth freaking out about. Instead, the others should continue investing more money into the project.
However, if it was the former, they should be cautious.
Thus, Li Shi specially made a trip down to try and find out what was happening. Yet, since He Desheng was loyal towards Boss Pei, he naturally kept his lips sealed.
Knowing that Boss Li wouldn't give up, He Desheng decided to direct him to Boss Pei. Boss Pei was a genius. He would definitely be able to manage the entire situation perfectly.
Chapter 419 Boss Li's Plan
February 15th... Thriller Hostel...
Pei Qian had yet to recover from being stabbed on the back by his beloved employees on Valentine's Day. He had even thought of arranging a Thriller Hostel experience for all his staff.
However, he dismissed the idea since the project was not yet completed.
Let them go for the time being and settle the records with them once and for all after the Thriller Hostel was completed! Revenge was a dish best served cold.
When the time comes, he would arrange for all his employees to feel the love Boss Pei harbored for them!
At this time, Chen Kangtuo was telling Pei Qian about the completion of the second major project of Thriller Hostel.
"Boss Pei, the six small projects planned at the initial stages had been completed. The pulleys under the container can be randomly combined and moved, so that the players cannot guess which project they were going to enter next.
"The second big project is moderately difficult. It is mainly used to test a player's psychological endurance. You must fully memorize the requirements of the project before entering. You must then accurately complete all the requirements even if the order of the small projects is disrupted. Only then will you pass it and qualify for the third major project challenge.
"Of course, the players will be able to experience the entire project even if they fail the requirements unless they give up themselves.
"The fee for the second large project is set at 30 yuan according to Boss Pei's requirement. It is equivalent to only five yuan for each small project. I personally think this price may be a little too low.
"Plans for the first and third projects are being worked out quickly. It is expected that the construction will start this week. However, we optimistically estimate that it would be ready only in May or June next year since the construction period of these two projects would be longer. "There is a possibility of further delay if the quality of the project at that time cannot meet the requirements."
Pei Qian nodded. "En, not bad.
"Also, there is no need to worry about the price. Thriller Hostel is generally going to profit from the third project.
"We'll officially start business once all three projects are completed. Don't worry, we'll give priority in ensuring the quality and safety of the project."
It seemed like the haunted house project would not be able to be completed within this settlement cycle. It could only be pushed backward.
Fortunately, this settlement cycle allowed one unfinished project. If not, it would affect the settlement.
This way, Pei Qian could put his excess funds into the Thriller Hostel project which could greatly ease the pressure of excess funds before the settlement.
Of course, it might seem to be limitless on the surface, but there was actually still a limit.
The delayed project had to be done before the next settlement which meant that the project should not be too massive.
Take this Thriller Hostel for example. Pei Qian could well spend all the excess system funds on it, but the more money he spent, the greater the amount of work and a correspondingly longer time for completion.
If the next settlement cycle was in three months, the delayed project would be settled even if it had not started operations by then.
Therefore, Pei Qian had to consider the invisible restrictions when he would spend money at the Thriller Hostel. He could not just look at the present and ignore the long term effects.
In addition, since the Thriller Hostel had been selected as a project not to be completed in his cycle, all other projects including the cell phone, games, etc. must be completed.
Pei Qian looked at the time. The lab rat should be here soon.
As expected, Boss Li's car arrived outside the Thriller Hostel not long after.
"Boss Pei." Li Shi came over and shook hands with Pei Qian with happiness.
Pei Qian invited him to visit Thriller Hostel yesterday. Li Shi agreed without saying a second word.
His visit was mainly for two purposes. One was to examine the investment environment around the haunted house, and the other was to test Boss Pei's tone and the attitude of Dream Realization Ventures towards Top Student, Come Quick'. Were they really going to exit?
Pei Qian smiled and waved at Boss Li. "Boss Li, have some tea. You've come a long way."
Chen Kangtuo and Hao Qiong had been supervising the progress of the project here so a small office was built in advance. There were naturally snacks, drinks, tea, etc. It was very in line with the Tengda spirit.
Boss Li sat down on the sofa for one and sipped his tea while exclaiming. "I remember Boss Pei mentioned that you wanted me to be the first customer of the haunted house. I did not expect the progress of the haunted house to be so fast. It's very in line with the Tengda efficiency."
Hmmm... strictly speaking, you are not the first customer of Thriller Hostel since Ruan Guangjian had already experienced three small projects within it. Pei Qian thought silently.
However, Boss Li, you will be the first to experience the second big project in its entirety. There is no problem in saying you are the first customer.
Pei Qian drank his tea and corrected Li Shi's phrasing. "This is only the second big project of the Thriller Hostel. More than half of the work has just started so it cannot be formally operational just yet. "Moreover, this is not Tengda efficiency. Tengda never seeks speed but strives for constant improvement within a limited time."
"Constant improvement..." Li Shi pondered for a moment before asking very seriously. "So, is this project scary?" "Ahem, ahem." Pei Qian coughed lightly and glanced at Chen Kangtuo who was standing at the side. "How do you say this? It varies from person to person. You'll only know after experiencing it."
Chen Kangtuo handed the list with the content of the project to Boss Li. "This is an action to be completed in the project. Please go through it and memorize it."
Li Shi took this piece of paper. His eyes scanned the content on it, and his eyebrows could not help but be raised.
There are a few simple explanatory texts on it:
'Guests can ask to terminate the challenge at any time when they feel unwell.
'Keep in mind the various steps and execute them accurately during the challenge. You will be eligible for the third project of the Thriller Hostel when you successfully clear the process.
'You can continue to experience the entire process even if you took the wrong steps.
There is no time limit for items you have to memorize.
'Special note: The order of the following six items will be randomly disrupted during the challenge. Please do not memorize them mechanically.'
Next were the names of the six projects and the challenge items that needed to be achieved in each project.
There were basically five to seven challenge items each and had certain relevance to each other so it was not difficult to remember.
Take the bathroom project for example. It went like this:
Lock the bathroom door.
Pick up the red candle on the ground and light it.
Put the candle in front of the mirror and shut your eyes for three seconds before looking into the mirror.
Turn on the tap and wash your hands.
Lie in the bathtub and press the timer; blindfold your eyes until the timer stops.
The challenge items basically focused on the entrance, the bathroom mirror, and the bathtub. The order was from outside to the inside. It would take only two to three minutes to remember it with a clear mind.
Of course, it would take at least half an hour to learn all the items considering that the order of the small projects would be disrupted.
Li Shi quickly browsed through the requirements of all the small projects and fell silent.
It seemed... like it would not be as scary as he thought.
Li Shi came with the mentality of rushing to his death. That was because he knew Boss Pei strived to be perfect in everything he did. The haunted house project would definitely be terrifying!
However, it was slightly different from what he expected after seeing the list.
At present, the scariest haunted house had two characteristics. One was a long process; the other was having numerous staff interact with the guests.
However, this Thriller Hostel project was exactly the opposite.
Moreover, it could be seen from the paper that each of these challenge items were not too long. They might end in five to eight minutes so the total time taken would be about half an hour to 40 minutes.
Moreover, it seemed as though there would not be any staff pretending to be ghosts. That gave Boss Li some relief.
It seemed as though this project was mainly used to qualify for the third project so the level of terror was moderate.
Li Shi had some expectations after thinking about it.
He originally thought that if this project was too scary, then he would not experience it. He would then think of another way to get an answer from Boss Pei.
He could make an issue out of it now since it did not seem to be too scary.
"Boss Pei, can I have another reward if I stick to the complete process? The qualification for the third project is meaningless to me," Li Shi asked.
Pei Qian nodded. "Sure, what kind of reward would Boss Li want? Shall I give you a lifetime VIP for Thriller Hostel for you to come and experience it for free?"
Li Shi's face turned black. "What do I want that for?! Do you think I don't cherish my
life?
"Ahem, ahem, how about this? Boss Pei, if I can persist in this project by chance, would you tell me the truth about 'Top Student, Come Quick? Is Dream Realization Ventures going to cash out?"
Pei Qian laughed in his heart. Boss Li's request was exactly what he was looking for. Pei Qian was about to give him some advice even if he did not take the initiative to ask.
"No problem," Pei Qian agreed.
Li Shi raised his thumb. "Good! Boss Pei is indeed straightforward! I'll go and experience it. Boss Pei, don't break your promise."
Both of them had an ax to grind. Li Shi carefully recited the requirements written on the paper. After about a quarter of an hour, he recited them out loud again. He remembered them all.
"I'm ready." Li Shi stood up. Pei Qian nodded. "Boss Li, please go ahead."
Li Shi walked to the entrance of the second project with full confidence.
"He said he was afraid, but his pace is rather firm. Is Boss Li the same as Ruan Guangjian, pretending to be weak?"
Pei Qian suddenly felt a little uncertain about the Thriller Hostel project. However, he heard a tragic screen from within as soon as he walked to the front of the surveillance cameras.
"Ah!!!"
Boss Li, who had entered for less than a minute, fell to the ground with his hands wiping the back of his head frantically.
Boss Pei noticed that the first project that Boss Li entered randomly was the 'ceiling'.
The guest had to bend down to pick up a broken notebook under the table when he entered the room. A drop of water would drip from the ceiling onto the back of the guest's neck.
The guest would subconsciously raise their heads at this point in time to see that a board had been removed. A head with a pair of wide eyes shedding bloody tears would be looking down at the guest.
Obviously, Boss Li raised his head only to see this head. He was so scared that he screamed and retreated. He subconsciously wanted to wipe away the 'bloodstain' at the back of his neck after he fell to the ground.
Pei Qian was relieved upon seeing that.
"It seemed like there was no problem with the level of horror at Thriller Hostel. The one with the problem is actually Ruan Guangjian..."