Boss Li and the other investors-along with Chen Kangtuo and Hao Qiong-were chatting and laughing just inside the gate, waiting for Boss Pei to arrive.
"Boss Pei!"
Li Shi was the first to step forward and receive him. Everyone was smiling brightly, and two words were clearly written on their face: 'it's stable'!
Before Boss Pei took action, everyone felt fearful and uncertain because the publicity had not seemed good enough.
Yet, once Boss Pei took action, all their problems were solved!
The shared phone booths and 'Top Student, Come Quick' had marketed Thriller Hostel to the rest of the country at once. Coupled with the other investors' marketing campaign around Jingzhou and Handong Province, traffic flow in Thriller Hostel for the initial period was almost guaranteed!
Thus, everyone instantly relaxed. It was time for them to sit back and wait for the results of Thriller Hostel's first day of operations.
Since Boss Pei had effortlessly done what all the investors failed to do despite trying so hard, he became the moon among the stars for them.
However, to Pei Qian, the investors' smiles looked malicious. It made him feel like he was being forced to put a square peg into a round hole or like he was an emperor being forced to abdicate the palace.
Their passionate gazes made his hair stand.
Yet, there was nothing he could do. He had to look around. It would be best if he could do something to remedy the situation, but if he could not, he had to be mentally prepared at least.
The group surrounded Boss Pei as they walked towards the inner portions of Thriller Hostel.
The surrounding walls of the entire project were remodeled based on the old industrial zone's original walls. On the reddish-brown brick walls, the words 'Thriller Hostel' were written in Mandarin and English, in what looked like blood.
It created the effect of blood flowing downwards on the wall, which was inexplicably compatible with Thriller Hostel's logo and the vines that had been left there on purpose. None of the elements looked out of place.
Before arriving at the main door, they walked through a huge, empty space. On the right was parking, and on the left was the ticketing booth and bus stop.
The ticketing booth sold paper tickets. Of course, visitors could also choose to scan the QR codes at the entrance of each project to make payment.
Multiple buses with Thriller Hostel's name printed on them were neatly parked at the bus stop. All of those buses were to drive to the nearby transportation hubs at specific times each day to ferry visitors in.
After all, transport was inconvenient here. Apart from visitors who had their own cars, most people would have difficulty getting here.
If a train station could be built here in the future, it would be best. However, there were no plans for that at the moment.
As they walked further in, they arrived at the main entrance. It was not tall, big, or imposing. Instead, it was relatively low-profile, and it blended in perfectly with the rest of the industrial zone.
Pei Qian had chosen to do this not because he had been afraid to spend money, but mainly because he had been afraid that—if the main door was too beautiful and eye-catching-it would attract a lot of unnecessary attention.
What would he do if the main door looked too unique, and visitors took pictures of it and caused Thriller Hostel to become viral?
There were no ticket gates at the main entrance because Pei Qian did not intend to package all the projects in the Thriller Hostel. Each of the three projects would be charged separately.
There were joined tickets, but even those would be checked at the entrance of the individual projects.
After walking through the main door, they were officially on Thriller Hostel's premises.
There was a broad path right in front of them. On the other side of the path were the square, the fountain, and the Golden Maze.
The entire square was located in the middle of Thriller Hostel. It had also been re-done with new bricks in the ground.
In the center of the square was a fountain called the Healing Fountain. It was filled with warm water, and it had a faint and warm glow, which symbolized the elimination of ghosts and spirits and the healing of spiritual trauma.
After passing the fountain, they arrived at the Golden Maze. There were a lot of entrances and exits, just like a transport interchange, connecting the different areas of the Thriller Hostel.
The three entertainment projects of Thriller Hostel surrounded the Golden Maze, and each of them was a good distance from the others.
Pei Qian's initial thought had been to put the three projects as far away from one another as possible and to make them as hidden as possible. The abandoned factories in between were to split the path so that visitors would have to make detours to get from one project to another.
At the same time, each of them charged separately. That way, visitors would have gravitated towards the cheapest and most fun project—the first one. The other two would have been deserted.
However, what he had not expected was for Boss Li and the investors to join in and ruin the entire plan! Boss Li and the others used all the empty factories around the three projects. Some had been turned into restaurants, some had been turned into hotels... some had been turned into toy stores and clothing stores...
The most ridiculous thing was that the big factory in the center had been made into the Golden Maze. It was a huge shopping mall that sold everything, and it had exits facing every other region in the Thriller Hostel!
Now, while the three projects were still far away from one another, visitors could shop at various stores along the way. There were also long benches by the side for them to rest.
After walking out of a specific exit from the Golden Maze, they would arrive at the entrance of the other two projects. It was all very convenient.
What's more, there was a healing and comforting maid cafe near the third project. Visitors could easily and seamlessly go there to heal after being terrified.
Boss Li's prison restaurant and the other investors' stores selling ghostly and magic props were scattered around the area, making full use of the land. Not a single square meter was redundant.
This layout... was too freaking reasonable!
Pei Qian was speechless. At first, he had thought that Boss Li and the others were like a mob. He had expected them to fight for the best plot of land, and that it would be impossible for the shops to be arranged in such a logical fashion.
Yet, now, it seemed like he had underestimated those people. Pei Qian instinctively sighed.
The group made a big round around the square as Chen Kangtuo pointed and introduced each item to them. He looked extremely proud of himself.
Inside, he was elated. If I had not used my facial expressions to drop hints to the investors back then, would the entire layout have turned out this harmonious?
I deserve the most credit!
If not for the fact that Boss Pei doesn't like people who claim credit, I would be boasting and showing off in front of him right now!
All the investors, including Li Shi, were very happy with the layout. However, they knew full well that they owed it all to Chen Kangtuo's facial expressions. Thus, they felt too ashamed to claim any credit.
As a result, to this day, Boss Pei had no idea who to blame for all of this. He could only push everything to Boss Li, the most likely culprit.
Thriller Hostel's reasonable layout and complete facilities would give anyone a good first impression. Pei Qian could not help but frown as the cogs in his brain turned quickly.
Calm down. The biggest merits now are that the Thriller Hostel's layout is reasonable and that the initial traffic is guaranteed.
As long as I can minimize avenues to generate income, there would be a good chance to incur losses!
Quickly, think of something! I can't give up just like that!
After some consideration, Pei Qian realized that the first project was extremely cheap, and it would probably attract the most customers. Not many people would try the second and third projects, and he would probably not be able to earn much from the sale of their tickets.
That meant that the biggest problem at the moment was the Golden Maze!
Although he had tried to keep visitors away from the goods as far as possible by creating a maze, the Golden Maze was in too good of a location. One could say that it was like a transport hub that was accessible from all directions.
It was not safe enough.
"Boss Pei, why don't we go into the Golden Maze to take a look," suggested Chen Kangtuo.
That was exactly what Pei Qian had been thinking. He immediately nodded. "Alright."
Publicity had already been rolled out, and there would be a significant number of visitors at the start. The income earned from sales in the Golden Maze would come close to income earned from ticket sales. He had to think of a way to lower that.
From a distance, the Golden Maze's factory looked like it was full of holes. There was a circle of entrances and exits on the first floor, and there were hollow descending stairwells made of glass on the second and third floor, which made the entire Golden Maze look like a strange, Cthulhu[1]-like, colorful beast with many legs—which would cause anyone to go insane.
On that point, it fit in well with the horror theme of Thriller Hostel.
Everyone chose an entrance at random and then arrived inside the Golden Maze.
The interior was decorated magnificently.
After all, Pei Qian had originally intended for Boss Li and the other investors to spend as much as possible. When Liang Qingfan designed this place, he had not considered a budget at all. From the outside, the factory building looked Cthulhu-like and dilapidated. However, once they entered, they immediately felt like they were in a palace. Of course, it was not a complicated, luxurious, and ancient palace... but a more modern one.
Liang Qingfan had picked this style, mainly to ensure that visitors would have a good shopping experience.
Obviously, this was a misunderstanding of Boss Pei's original intention as well.
The interior of the Golden Maze had been split into many small, individual spaces. Liang Qingfan had designed the spaces to look intricate and confusing. By staggering them, the space inside was also maximized.
More importantly, the resting areas stood at a height of seven or eight meters, giving people the impression of a wide and open space. From there, one could see where different shops were located and observe a part of the structure of the Golden Maze.
The shops were more than three meters in height, and there were various shelves set up for visitors to have an excellent shopping experience.
The ordinary passages were only about two meters tall. The routes were tortuous, and they could be closed off by a mechanism. The intricate and complicated structure made full use of the factory's space and allowed it to accommodate more customers.
In case of emergencies, people would also be able to find the nearest exit as quickly as possible. Each area had been decorated differently, giving hints on the kind of shops and goods one could find in that area.
Chen Kangtuo held the map of the Golden Maze in his hand. He stopped at almost every step to make sure that they would be able to reach the right destination.
Otherwise, they could walk and walk and suddenly realize that they were exiting the mall.
First, everyone arrived at one of the resting areas. Rows of benches were neatly arranged, and spaces by the sides were reserved for vendors to sell snacks, drinks, and so on.
The ceiling of the resting area was very high. They could see a few shops, but whether they would be able to get there depended on their own skill.
Chen Kangtuo said, "There's one problem now. We're not entirely sure what to sell in the golden zone yet."
The Golden Maze was split into five main zones. The types of shops and goods to be sold in the other four zones had more or less been decided. There would be souvenirs, clothing, toys, custom-made figurines, and so on. What's more, most of the stocks had already arrived in the city and could be delivered to the mall in the next two days.
However, they had not decided what to sell in the golden zone in the middle.
The investors all turned to look at Boss Pei.
Boss Pei had thought of the Golden Maze, and half of the income generated by the shopping mall would go to him. Obviously, his words were the most authoritative.
Pei Qian sniggered inwardly. If I could, I would hope that nothing would be sold here. I would give everything away for free...
Yet, that was impossible.
After some thought, Pei Qian asked, "What's the golden zone like exactly?" Chen Kangtuo looked at the map in his hands. "The Golden Maze has five zones, and each zone has one big shop. "They are the orange, blue, wine-red, purple, and golden zones. There are also small and moveable shops that can be configured according to the existing products in the mall.
"The plan for the first four zones has already been more or less decided. They would sell figurines, quality souvenirs, themed costumes with headwear, and interesting gadgets.
"The golden zone is located in the central, innermost area. We're not sure what can be sold there."
Pei Qian pondered for a moment and then said, "Take me there to see."
[1] This a beast created by H.P. Lovecraft and appeared to be a creature with the head of an octopus whose mouth area had a lot of tentacles.
Chapter 566 Being Stabbed in the Back with No Warning
With the guidance of the map, everyone arrived at the shops in the golden area.
It was very spacious, and it was not that different from the shops in ordinary shopping malls. However, the road that led here was so winding and twisted that the place felt like a silver lining of a dark cloud.
If not for the map that they had, it would have taken all of them eons to locate this space.
All the shelves had already been neatly set up, but they were all empty. What would be sold there had not been decided yet.
Pei Qian pondered for a moment and asked, "What are the other shops selling? Do we have a list of goods?"
Chen Kangtuo nodded. "Of course. It's right here."
As he spoke, he handed the list of goods that he had prepared earlier to Pei Qian.
Pei Qian took it and briefly flipped through it. Every type of good listed was accompanied by a picture and a price. What's more, they had obviously been purchased according to the four zones that Chen Kangtuo had spoken about earlier.
For example, the orange zone represented...
The blue zone represented...
Headwear and themed costumes were sold in the wine-red zone, and interesting magic props or gadgets were sold in the purple zone. A portion of those goods had been bought, and anything that looked slightly scary or horrific was included. The other portion had been custom-made using material related to Thriller Hostel and Be Quiet. Those included cell phone cases, pendants, and postcards which would be sold once the mall opened for business.
Pei Qian scanned all of those products and studied the prices closely. His mind worked very quickly.
The golden area was in the center of the Golden Maze. One could say that it was akin to a transport hub. The distance from any entrance to this place was the same. However, from another angle, it could be said that it was the innermost zone that was harder to find than all the other zones.
That meant that he could forget about selling luxurious goods here.
That was because all the goods were priced at a set percentage above their cost. The more expensive a good was, the more money Pei Qian would earn upon selling it.
The golden area was extremely difficult to find. If customers expended so much effort to get here, and they saw goods that were expensive but looked well worth their price, they would surely buy them.
After all, there was an ancient saying: "We've come all the way here anyway."
If more people bought those goods, Pei Qian would earn more income. On top of that, he could not sell products that were exclusive to the golden zone. According to Chen Kangtuo and the other investors' plan, a few goods from each of the other zones could be transferred to the golden zone to be sold there. That would ensure that no two zones would have the same goods.
However, that would make the goods in the golden area rarer and more valuable, right? Then, people would buy as much as they could, wouldn't they? Pei Qian could not allow that!
After conducting this simple analysis, Pei Qian quickly decided on several strategies for the goods that would be sold in the golden zone. They could not be too expensive. At the same time, people had to be able to buy them in other regions.
That way, consumers would not feel the need to buy anything there. They would be forced to pause and spend less money. Boss Pei would also be able to incur more losses.
That would really be beneficial to all parties.
Pei Qian scanned the entire list and randomly chose a couple of items that were neither expensive nor novel. "This blue jack-o'-lantern.
"This small, golden lantern.
"This... light-green lightstick. "I'll also add this glowing headwear with little devil horns."
Pei Qian chose one extremely cheap item from each of the four zones. Their prices ranged from five to fifty yuan.
The jack-o'-lantern was from the orange zone; the small, golden lantern from the blue; the light-green lightstick from the purple; and the glowing headwear with little devil horns from the wine-red.
Pei Qian had wanted to choose even cheaper items at first, such as postcards and small pendants. However, on further thought, while those things were cheap; they were also very universal in nature. Anybody could casually decide to buy them, and if too many people wanted them, Pei Qian would still be in trouble.
On the other hand, the four items that Pei Qian had chosen were neither here nor there. They were too low-quality to collect but too luxurious to be thrown away once they left the Thriller Hostel.
They would have a pretty good dissuading effect on consumers!
Chen Kangtuo and the other investors were evidently confused.
None of those things... were expensive!
Pei Qian had not chosen any of the more expensive and profitable things like the souvenirs from the blue zone and the custom-made costumes from the wine-red zone. Instead, he chose all the peripheral products with poor price-quality ratios that were just there to fill the shelves.
Of course, the Thriller Hostel's logo had been printed on all of those products. However, one could not expect visitors to mindlessly buy those items just because of the logo, could they?
Still, since Boss Pei had already spoken, nobody dared to raise doubts. All of them kept the question marks buried at the bottom of their hearts.
Chen Kangtuo asked, "Er... Boss Pei, we won't sell those items in the other zones, then, right?"
"Huh?" Pei Qian looked at him strangely. "You won't? Why not? Of course, you still have to sell them."
Chen Kangtuo opened his mouth, wanting to say something. Alas, he said nothing.
Obviously, that idea did not match the original intentions behind the mall's design at all!
The golden zone was the hardest to locate. It should be selling high-value and unique products that would trigger visitors' urge to buy. Now, all the items that Boss Pei had chosen were going to be sold in the four other zones, and none of them were of any sentimental value!
Yet, since Boss Pei had decided, Chen Kangtuo could not say much else. He silently took down notes.
"Alright, if you have no other questions, this is it for now." Pei Qian was quite satisfied with everyone's reaction.
Leaving the Golden Maze had not been that difficult. Everyone walked in random directions and managed to find a path that led to an exit. The entire process was very smooth. They did not even look at the map once. On the other hand, if they turned back and tried to trace their original footsteps back to the shop in the golden zone that they had been at, it would have been extremely difficult.
When they arrived back at the square, Pei Qian suddenly felt the urge to go to the washroom.
"Where is the restroom?" Pei Qian asked. Chen Kangtuo pointed in two directions and said, "There are public restrooms in both directions. There are also restrooms in the restaurants and hotels. Do you need me to lead the way?"
Pei Qian quickly waved his hand. "No, you can just wait for me here."
It would have been embarrassing if Pei Qian asked for company to the washroom. Pei Qian took a moment to estimate the distance and found that both restrooms were equidistant from the square. That was to be expected. After all, restrooms would ordinarily be located by the sides and not in the middle of the square or beside the fountain.
Would visitors wash their hands at the fountain after releasing their urge to pee? It seemed very unlikely.
Pei Qian walked towards one of the restrooms. While he was at it, he checked how well they had been renovated, whether they had stayed true to the Tengda spirit or not, and whether visitors would have a good experience there or not.
As he watched Boss Pei walk away, Li Shi immediately turned to Chen Kangtuo and asked, "Why did Boss Pei decide to sell all of those things? It doesn't seem appropriate!"
The other investors chimed in one by one. "That's right, it would not be profitable!"
Obviously, everyone was concerned about this problem. After all, they all had a share in the income earned by the Golden Maze. Of course, the more that they earned, the better.
No one had mentioned this earlier, mainly because Boss Pei had been present. It would not have been good to discuss this in the open because that would have made their suspicions about Boss Pei's plans very obvious.
Yet, Boss Pei was gone now. If they didn't talk about it then, what else would they be waiting for?
Chen Kangtuo had many questions about this. He frowned as he tried to think of a solution and figure out Boss Pei's deeper intentions using the Tengda Spirit.
"Boss Pei was the one who thought of the Golden Maze. He must know how important the golden zone is. Everything sold there must be very rare and valuable.
"Yet, he purposely chose common and worthless things!
"What did they all have in common...?"
Chen Kangtuo still had no idea, and he could do nothing but brainstorm. Turning to the investors, he said, "Do you think there's anything in common between the goods that Boss Pei selected? If we can find a common characteristic, we'll be able to move to the next step in our hypothesis."
Everyone exchanged confused looks.
"They are all averagely priced? They're neither expensive nor cheap?"
"They are all portable?"
"Er... they can all emit light?"
The investors took turns to chime in, but each guess seemed more ridiculous than the last.
All of a sudden, a light bulb switched on in Chen Kangtuo's head. "That's right! They're all portable and can emit light!"
Li Shi looked confused. Clearly not understanding, he asked, "So... What does that mean?"
Chen Kangtuo excitedly said, "That means they can bring them into Thriller Hostel's three projects, and they can be used as interactive props!
"Think about it carefully. Four of those objects emit light, but they have different shapes and colors. We can use them as props to divide the visitors even more finely.
"The blue jack-o'-lantern can help to distract the beasts.
"The golden lantern can help to drive most beasts away.
"The light-green lightstick can be used to attract the attention of surrounding monsters.
"The red headwear with little devil horns can be used to provoke monsters. All monsters would aim for it, creating the most terrifying experience!
"Wouldn't that amount to a further division of the difficulty levels?
"Timid people could buy the golden lantern to enter the projects. Hardcore players who want to experience everything a second time could then take the lightstick or wear the headwear with little devil horns in.
"The higher the difficulty, the better the reward!
"What better way of making sales is there than tying the goods in with the main content?"
Li Shi pondered about this for a moment. "However, they don't seem very unique, do they? Those four props can still be bought from the other zones."
Smiling, Chen Kangtuo answered, "That's the best design! If the four props could only be bought inside the golden zone, then all the players would fight to enter the golden zone. On one hand, it would be hard for us to control the crowd. On the other hand, it would cause the other zones to be deserted.
"If the other zones have less traffic, fewer goods would be sold. That would do nothing to boost our revenue.
"The current design leaves those props scattered in the other zones as well. If customers only seek one type of prop, they can purchase it from the other zones. If they want to obtain all four, they could either visit all four zones or get to the golden zone. That would still maintain the golden zone's superior status."
The investors finally understood.
So that was why!
When put this way, everything made much more sense.
Not only would the golden zone's superior status be maintained, but customer traffic would not be taken away from the other zones as well. Items that would otherwise be difficult to sell had been made into props in the game. With a symbolic meaning, they would be much easier to sell.
What's more, those props were neither cheap nor expensive. Most customers would be able to afford them, thus guaranteeing revenue...
Li Shi could not help but raise his thumb. "You really are a genius from the games department. Your hypothesis is perfect!"
Chen Kangtuo quickly said, "You flatter me. I was just doing my best to analyze Boss Pei's intentions based on the hints that he dropped."
On the surface, Chen Kangtuo looked humble. However, inside, he was extremely proud.
Once again, I have resolved Boss Pei's difficult problem!
I'm so awesome!
The joy that comes from solving Boss Pei's riddles is really addictive!
While everyone continued their discussions, Pei Qian returned. From afar, he sensed something amiss in the atmosphere.
When he left, everyone had looked troubled and burdened. However, a mere few minutes later, everyone was chatting and laughing as if all of their problems had dissipated!
Seeing that Pei Qian had returned, Li Shi held up his thumb again. "Bods Pei! The goods that you chose for the golden zone are perfect! I really respect you!" Pei Qian: "?"
He confirmed that something was indeed amiss. The situation had changed!
Boss Li was suddenly praising him for no reason. Everyone seemed to have misunderstood what he had said!
Then, Pei Qian turned to look at the proud Chen Kangtuo. At once, the ominous feeling in his gut intensified. "What have you figured out?" All the investors turned to look at Chen Kangtuo. After all, he had been the one to figure out Boss Pei's intentions. No one else wanted to steal his credit.
Chen Kangtuo very arrogantly explained his hypothesis one more time.
"What do you think, Boss Pei? It's pretty close to what you had been thinking, right?" At that moment, Chen Kangtuo looked like a student who had just scored full marks on an exam.
Pei Qian was so shocked that he did not know what to say.
In the time that I took to go to the restroom, you conjured up so many things in your head?!
Does this skill of yours activate without any warning?!
Back then, Pei Qian had put Chen Kangtuo in charge of the haunted house to get rid of him. That was because the latter had been working overtime in the games department too much, and Pei Qian had to get rid of him.
Pei Qian would never have thought that Chen Kangtuo would not rest after that. In fact, he became even stronger!
Scanning Boss Li, the other investors, and Chen Kangtuo; Pei Qian was sure that they had agreed to collude with one another in private.
No matter what, he could not allow them to do whatever they wanted anymore! He had to severely punish them! After a moment of silence, he said, "Chen Kangtuo."
Grinning, Chen Kangtuo said, "Yes?"
Boss Pei looks so somber. Is he going to... reward me?
Pei Qian paused. "As the person-in-charge of Thriller Hostel, you should understand every detail of the Thriller Hostel before it opens for operations. That's a reasonable and natural expectation, right? "You haven't even experienced this place fully. How would you conquer the customers? "Before we open for business in a week, make sure that you experience every little corner of the Thriller Hostel. Pay special attention to the details in the second and third projects. You have to be so familiar with the entire process that you feel like you're walking through your own backyard."
Chen Kangtuo's smile froze on his face.
Chapter 567 Don't Report Good News Twice!
Pei Qian could not help but feel good, looking at Chen Kangtuo's helpless expression.
Who asked you to misinterpret what I meant? Go reflect on yourself in the haunted house!
Chen Kangtuo might know more about the haunted house than tourists as the designer, but that did not mean that he was not afraid.
It was just like Outlast 2, where the designer of Outlast 2 personally tried it and was so scared that he dropped the controller on the spot.
Of course, some designers were so well-versed in the game machines, playing horror scenes as though they were nothing. However, they were exceptional talents.
Ordinary people would be scared sh*tless.
Would someone not be afraid to enter the haunted house even if they gave that person the diagram of the haunted house, mark out all the scary places, and make the person memorize them all?
At the very most, the person would be prepared psychologically, and the degree of fear would be reduced. However, it was impossible to be not afraid.
Visual effects, auditory effects, and various psychological cues... even if someone was psychologically prepared, it was still difficult for their psychological defenses to keep up when they were truly immersed in it.
Of course, it was another matter altogether if it was a gifted person who had no sense of fear.
However, Chen Kangtuo was obviously not such a gifted person. His current expression was enough proof. Chen Kangtuo's expression changed from blank to stunned, to shock, and then collapse after hearing Boss Pei say that in an indifferent tone.
Are you trying to kill me, Boss Pei?!
The haunted house that Chen Kangtuo designed himself and customized it in his own style. He checked the semi-finished product during construction so he knew how terrifying it really was.
In fact, he never went in again after the third project of the Thriller Hostel was completed even though there was no staff acting as ghosts.
It was enough to scare people to death just by walking around in this environment!
But what did Boss Pei say just now? He wanted him to go through every single detail?
It was not something that could be completed by sheer willpower at all!
However, Pei Qian did not give Chen Kangtuo a chance to protest. He waved dismissively and continued. "Alright, continue the visit."
Chen Kangtuo had no choice but to continue leading everyone on the visit.
Industries such as the restaurants and hotels invested in by the investors were explained by the corresponding investors.
In addition, it also included some other reports, including the recruitment of staff required to maintain the entire operation of the Thriller Hostel.
This haunted house was neither big nor small, but it still required waiters, ticketing agents, cleaners, equipment maintenance, make-up artists, prop artists, and staff acting as ghosts.
Especially the staff acting as ghosts. They had been recruited a long time back and had been undergoing training. It was not only physical labor but also a technical job. If they were too far away from the tourists, the tourists would not be scared at all because it would be pitch-black and would not achieve any effect.
Be too near to tourists, and it might stimulate some stressful behaviors which may cause them to be injured by tourists easily.
Appearing too sudden and really giving the tourists a huge scare was a huge no-no as well.
In short, these groups of people must know how to play with different mentalities to scare different tourists to achieve the best results.
At the same time, these people had to know where the emergency exits of the haunted house very clearly, guide the tourists to leave if necessary. They must even master certain first-aid knowledge.
All in all, the goal of the training was to allow the staff to gradually and moderately frighten tourists, on the premises of protecting themselves so that the entire haunted house could operate normally.
Chen Kangtuo suggested: "Then, everyone, would you like to visit the three projects of the haunted house and give some suggestions?"
Pei Qian laughed. "No need."
Trying to fool me into going to the haunted house? Impossible!
Pei Qian was very relaxed now. His only concern was for the Golden Maze to be profitable. As for the Thriller Hostel... it was far from being the project that he needed to worry the most.
First, the fees were low, and there was a limit to its capacity. Therefore, it would not make much money even if it was full every day.
As for the second and third projects, there would certainly be not many people to play it if it weren't scary. He could also use it to deal with his smaller enemies if it was very scary.
Therefore, he would not be making a loss either way!
Pei Qian's attitude was very clear. Say all you want, but I would definitely not go to the haunted house. I'm a noble person with high-end taste. I'm busy at work and do not have time to experience such simple and crude entertainment.
Chen Kangtuo looked at the other investors. "Then, what about everyone else...?"
"No need!" Boss Li replied hurriedly.
"Brother Chen, don't get me wrong, it is not that we don't trust you. It's exactly the opposite. We trust you so much that we dare not go in. Our old bones are not suited for such excitement." Chen Kangtuo. "..."
Great, no one was willing to go in. This means that only I would be the one 'experiencing it to the fullest' right?
No one was willing to experience the Thriller Hostel project after going one big round. Just let it go.
The investors were very happy. The problem of the Golden Maze had been solved, and the chances of this project making money were greatly increased after all.
Chen Kangtuo sent everyone back to the door where everyone spoke merrily. He fell into melancholy.
The investors and Pei Qian entered their cars, ready to leave.
Chen Kangtuo remembered something suddenly
"By the way, Boss Pei! Zhang Wang came to be previously and said that he hoped the Golden Maze can also sell the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine. The Shared phone booth had promoted the Thriller Hostel so this request seems reasonable..." Pei Qian's expression changed immediately as he was about to close the car door.
"Definitely not!"
The Fully-Automated Bickering Machine might be a mystery with no practical use, but it was exquisitely crafted and set in a Golden Maze. What if people actually bought it?
Pei Qian was now hiding the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine like a baby. People must not find it.
Chen Kangtuo was taken aback. He did not think that Boss Pei would refuse.
Chen Kangtuo did not put this matter onto his heart when Zhang Wang came to find him previously.
Wasn't it just a small handicraft? It might be rather large and difficult to bring around, but there were so many shops in the Golden Maze, so wouldn't it be a small matter to just place it somewhere to sell it?
What was more, Zhang Wang arranged for a shared phone booth to advertise the Thriller Hostel. It should be reasonable if it was just to reciprocate the effort, right?
Yet, Boss Pei reacted fiercely and refused flatly?
"But Boss Pei—"
Chen Kangtuo wanted to explain further, but Pei Qian held up a hand to stop him.
"Definitely not! "I'll talk to Zhang Wang about it. In short, there will be other arrangements. There will be no selling of the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine in the Golden Maze, absolutely not!"
Chen Kangtuo could say no more seeing how resolute Boss Pei was. He would only nod.
Finally, Pei Qian could heave a sigh of relief after closing the door.
Lucky!
Lucky that Chen Kangtuo did not take actions without thinking first. He actually gave Pei Qian advance warning; if not, something bad would definitely happen. It looked like Zhang Wang did not take what Pei Qian said seriously and was still trying to secretly find ways to sell it. No, he had to emphasize to Zhang Wang to produce at full capacity first and not think about all these useless things.
The sapling, which was the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine, had to be preserved!
Boss Li closed the car door on the other side and prepared to leave as well. He did not hear very clearly what Chen Kangtuo and Boss Pei said, but he vaguely heard something like 'sell XX machine' which seemed to be some sort of investment.
However, Boss Li did not ask since Boss Pei did not say anything. He just jotted down this item silently, thinking it might prove useful in the future.
July 4th, Monday...
Pei Qian came to the office as usual.
At present, most departments had formed a tacit understanding that they should get Boss Pei on Monday if they needed decisions from him. That was because Boss Pei was generally in office on Mondays. As for the other timing, they would contact him via phone. The Manage Loss Trainees meeting was held as scheduled last Saturday. Two pieces of information caught his attention in addition to the information that he already had. First, Fish-Catching Take-Out's new high-end brand, Food Harmony, was currently undergoing intense preparation.
The Manage Loss Trainee from Fish-Catching Take-Out also gave a detailed report. The idea of this high-end brand was to produce a simplified version of the menu from the nameless restaurant and then package it all with beautiful food boxes to provide the customers with a high-end take-out dining experience.
Pei Qian felt that it was probably good news after he listened to the report. Fish-Catching Take-Out had been making losses because of its high prices. Wouldn't it make even more losses if they were to make something with even higher prices? This new brand would require the training of chefs, customized food containers, and specialized delivery personnel. No matter whether they were to sell more or less, these costs would be difficult to save.
It was possible to make a profit if they were to sell a lot. If they were to sell in very little amounts, then it would be worse than Fish-Catching Take-Out.
There seemed to be no reason to stop such a good loss-making strategy?
Then, the Manage Loss Trainee from Tengda Games reported about Zhang Zuting's acting. The danger of such a matter was obvious, but there was no helping it since it had already happened. Pei Qian could not do anything else.
He couldn't possibly cast a forgetful spell to make these actors forget what Zhang Zuting said.
He could only silently record Zhang Zuting on his small notebook and teach him a lesson when Thriller Hostel opened.
Pei Qian sat in his office for five minutes. As expected, someone knocked on the door. He raised his head up, only to see Xiao Peng.
"Boss Pei, looking at the working model of Live Esports Museum of Fish-Catching Internet Cafe 3.0, it should be a success, right? Then... can I open branches like what you mentioned before?"
Xiao Peng's face was filled with expectations.
Boss Pei said before—when they started to open the Fish-Catching Internet Cafe 3.0—that they would open branches for renovation, purchase of computers, and spend all their money without any money left if this store would make money.
Boss Pei's mood seemed to be not very right when he said that, but Xiao Peng understood that this sentence in itself still showed the trust of Boss Pei towards himself.
However, having said that, he still felt that he should ask for directions and confirm again. Such power was great, and Xiao Peng was afraid that he would be wrong so he wanted to double-confirm it.
What if Boss Pei said it casually without being serious?
What if Boss Pei became angry when the time came when he really spent lavishly? Who was he to speak to then?
It would be better to speak clearly in advance to make a huge splash. Pei Qian was speechless.
Do not report good news twice!
Pei Qian waved his hand helplessly. "When did I ever break my promise? Open up as many branches as you can, and remember to spend all the money. Don't report this little thing over and over again."
Anyway, Fish-Catching Internet Cafe originally invested a lot in the early stages. It might have made money, but it took a long return cycle. Profits would not be able to catch up to him as long as they expanded fast enough.
Chapter 568 Finally Proving that the 'Top Student, Come Quick' Project was a Mistake all Along
Someone knocked on the door again about half an hour after Xiao Peng left. Pei Qian raised his head. It was Ma Yang. "Brother Qian!" Ma Yang seemed to be in good spirits. "I'm here today to report two matters!"
Eh?
Pei Qian could not help but feel surprised. Old Ma's brain could actually handle reporting two matters at a time?
Not bad, not bad, Old Ma, you're improving a lot!
"Um, it's okay to report." Pei Qian was very happy.
Ma Yang smiled happily and deliberately kept him in suspense. "Also, Brother Qian, these two matters are related to each other!"
Pei Qian: "?"
He was instantly alerted when he heard the word 'related'. Pei Qian was now most afraid of the departments forming relations. A single department was not able to make something horrific. However, the problem would become huge if relations formed and produced a domino effect!
Pei Qian's smile disappeared immediately. "Tell me."
Ma Yang was completely unaware of the change in Pei Qian's expressions. He continued cheerfully. "The first matter is that the DGE club is ready. They can set off officially today or tomorrow to go up against local GOG clubs in mock competitions!"
Pei Qian nodded. That could be taken as good news.
Flying everywhere in the country would require expenses for accommodation and meals. Moreover, they would not participate in official competitions even if they were playing mock competitions. They would, therefore, not become famous and would naturally not be any bonuses or popularity.
Ma Yang continued. "I will also set off with the DGE club and cooperate with Zhang Yuan and Coach Yaling to provide logistical support for the players!"
Pei Qian nodded. Yes, I'm more assured now!
One more person meant one more mouth to feed. Old Ma had such a good appetite; he could consume two peoples' share so he would definitely be able to spend more money.
Moreover, Old Ma had such a 'deep' understanding of the game. He might be able to affect the players subtly and indirectly lower the average of the team.
Ma Yang continued. "The second matter, uh... what was it again?" He scratched his head, trying hard to recall.
Pei Qian was in awe.
You could actually forget 50% of what you wanted to report? Old Ma, your skills are really improving! "Oh, right!"
Ma Yang clapped. "I discussed with Zhang Wang and will be bringing a few Fully-Automated Bickering Machines with me. On the one hand, it will train the hand speed of the members of the club. On the other hand, it can also serve as a gift to other clubs.
"I think that the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine is very suitable for players who make a living through fast hand speed!" Pei Qian: "?"
Why hadn't it ended yet? This Zhang Wang, you're really unscrupulous to find a sales channel for your Fully-Automated Bickering Machine eh! You would probably succeed if I was even a tiny bit negligent!
Pei Qian now understood why the shared phone booth could become a success. This Zhang Wang might look like bronze on the surface, but there was at least a diamond in him. He did not look scheming, but he had been trying to find a sales route secretly!
Obviously, Pei Qian was very satisfied with Zhang Wang as a great inventor. However, the enthusiastic salesman side of him made Pei Qian very dissatisfied with him!
"No!" He rejected the idea decisively.
Ma Yang was taken aback. "Huh? Brother Qian, it's just a Fully-Automated Bickering Machine. It's not expensive; it shouldn't be too much to be given away as a gift?" Pei Qian laughed hollowly inside. Should not be too much?
Do you know how much loss I have made because of too many 'should not be too much'? I would definitely not take it lightly this time!
Pei Qian knew that he had to fix things now. However, it was no longer enough to let Zhang Wang think that there was 'no need to be too bothered about marketing'; it was time to adopt a tougher stance.
Otherwise, Zhang Wang would continue to find new sales routes when more Fully-Automated Bickering Machines were produced!
Pei Qian coughed lightly. "I cannot divulge the reason temporarily. However, the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine is indeed related to a large and long-term plan. It is the most critical part of the entire plan.
"Moreover, it can only be viewed as necessary by the consumers at a particular point in time. It will not achieve my intended effect once it is exposed prematurely. "In other words, promoting the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine at the wrong time would lose its effectiveness and disrupt my overall plan.
"Therefore, both you and Zhang Wang have to remember to keep your lips sealed about this. Don't spoil my plan!"
Pei Qian did not know what the 'plan' he kept repeating was actually. Anyway, 'long-term plans' could stretch from three years to ten years.
Don't ask. There is a plan for it, but it must not be publicized. The only thing to do was to wait patiently.
Ma Yang showed a dazed expression but nodded immediately. "I see! I'm assured now since Brother Qian you have some plans for it.
"Alright, Brother Qian, I'll go and pack my luggage and prepare to set off then!"
Pei Qian nodded. "Okay, take care of the team members. If you meet with any problems, call me immediately. You must not let our members be bullied outside, alright?"
Ma Yang promised immediately. "Don't worry, Brother Qian, wait and see!"
Pei Qian did not know why, but he felt confident when Ma Yang banged his chest with assurance.
After another hour, someone knocked on the door again when Pei Qian was thinking if he should get off work. It was a rare guest this time.
Yu Pingan, the person-in-charge of 'Top Student, Come Quick'.
Pei Qian immediately became cautious. The problems were usually huge with these rare guests!
"Is there some problem with 'Top Student, Come Quick'?" Pei Qian asked nonchalantly.
Yu Pingan looked a little embarrassed. He only spoke after thinking for another two seconds. "Boss Pei, the current state of 'Top Student, Come Quick' is not very optimistic, I... I would like to have your advice."
Eh?
Pei Qian became alert all of a sudden.
'Top Student, Come Quick' was not optimistic? That was great news!
Didn't it enjoy back-stabbing me previously? It even helped Thriller Hostel do its advertisement. It wasn't that long ago; why was it... not optimistic so soon?
Pei Qian tried to force his mouth from turning upwards. "Meaning?" Yu Pingan sorted his thoughts and said. "Boss Pei, I think the development of this software has reached a bottleneck so far.
"Originally, the positioning of this app was as a platform for top students and flunkies to communicate and help each other, and we charged a small fee for it.
"However, the reason why 'Top Student, Come Quick' could become successful so soon was because of the use of capital, investment, burning money, chasing after investments to create enough popularity... "Then, we used the user base left behind by Xude Education and Tengda's other industries as well as the transformation of the app's own function to achieve a new level of popularity and had even become profitable temporarily.
"However, recent data had shown that it had become less optimistic.
"I think the root of the problem is that the communication requirements of top students and flunkies were in itself a pseudo-demand. Related functions are also finding it difficult to support the current user base..."
Pei Qian listened quietly without saying anything. However, he was agreeing with joy in his heart.
That's right! You are so right! Yu Pingan, you have such a clear view of the problem!
The demand for this software was a pseudo-demand from the start!
What did I say... the world was wrong, not me!
Pei Qian finally felt like the world had returned to normal.
How many flunkies would require one-on-one tutoring? How many top students would tutor these flunkies for that little amount of money?
The key feature of a pseudo-demand was that everyone found it interesting and useful at first, but it would be boring once the freshness passed.
The reason why this project was so hot during its early stages was that investors were desperately burning money, and it gained false popularity.
Moreover, when Xude Education took over at a high price, a series of wrong operations only accelerated the failure of the 'Top Student, Come Quick' application.
When Pei Qian decided to buy back this project, Yu Pingan made a mistake by bundling 'Top Student, Come Quick' with Tengda's other industries and developed functions such as video teaching and teaching materials to achieve its popularity.
However, at the very crux, the 'Top Student, Come Quick' application did not solve a key problem-that was its irreplaceability.
If it was only used as an educational software, then at least 40-50% of its current user base would shrink since a large number of users were young people. Its popularity was quickly losing steam now that the problem surfaced.
Pei Qian was delighted with his unexpected good fortune. He thought that Yu Pingan would report bad news, but it turned out to be a fantastic piece of good news!
Could it be that... I'm finally going to see the light at the end of the tunnel?
I'm finally going to prove that the 'Top Student, Come Quick' project was a mistake all along! Could this project finally lose money for me?
Pei Qian nearly burst out laughing and celebrated! However, he could not make it so obvious, considering that Yu Pingan was still here. The corners of his mouth rose ever so slightly, almost out of control.
Yu Pingan did not understand.
What did Boss Pei's expression mean?
Were the issues in my report something that he had expected in advance? He was feeling proud of his foresight?
Or was he laughing at my inability?
Boss Pei was kind; it was probably not the latter... "Boss Pei, what should I do? Can I have your advice please?" Yu Pingan panicked seeing how Boss Pei remained silent without saying anything Pei Qian: "..."
Sh*t, I was overwhelmed with happiness.
The question was... how should he reply to Yu Pingan? Give him some opposing advice?
No, who knew what the hell he would comprehend? He might bring it back to life.
Say nothing?
It seemed like there wasn't such an option. He would definitely think that Boss Pei had some other deep meaning behind his actions and then analyze something from his actions, expressions, behaviors, etc. God knows what kind of conclusion he would draw.
Let him believe in his own decision?
No, that would equate to a buff; his universe would definitely break into pieces.
Pei Qian suddenly realized he had very few options. Finally, Pei Qian decided to use reality to destroy his expectations.
Pei Qian restrained his smile and used his most sincere tone to reply to him. "It does not matter; the 'Top Student, Come Quick' project has completed its mission.
"There were only two goals for this project from the beginning. One was to benefit from the capital injection; the other is to drive the other industries of Tengda.
"These two goals have now been achieved. The 'Top Student, Come Quick' project can now come to a graceful end.
"But you can rest assured that Tengda will continue to allocate funds to 'Top Student, Come Quick' and promote the other industries. "You've done very well and have worked hard throughout. Have a good rest."
Chapter 569 DGE Esports Club, Unfriendly Opponent!
Yu Pingan felt dizzy. He never thought that Boss Pei would say something like that!
'Top Student, Come Quick' had completed its mission?
It can now come to a graceful end?
You can have a good rest?
That meant to leave the project this way? Don't try to save it anymore?
Yu Pingan had thought of such a possibility before, but it came as a complete surprise to him for those words to come from Boss Pei.
Wasn't Boss Pei invincible?
Yu Pingan was shocked. He came to Boss Pei because he thought he would be able to obtain a lot of useful experience from Boss Pei to stop the decline of the 'Top Student, Come Quick' application.
However, after careful consideration, Boss Pei's attitude was very clear. Moreover, it was indeed a way to accept reality.
The 'Top Student, Come Quick' application had indeed served its purpose very well. Boss Pei had made at least tens of millions of yuan in the capital operations. The advertisement revenue it generated was immeasurable.
For it to come to a graceful end would not really be a pity either.
It was just that Yu Pingan found it a little hard to accept emotionally as the person-in-charge of this project. He was silent for some time before he finally nodded. "Okay Boss Pei, I understand.
"Then... Boss Pei, what do I need to do now? Work on other projects?"
Work on other projects? No, no, no, definitely not.
Pei Qian knew deep down that Yu Pingan was capable. The 'Top Student, Come Quick' application had good application development capabilities. What would happen if he were to work on other projects and made another hit?
Pei Qian coughed lightly. "Stay in 'Top Student, Come Quick' and guard its corpse to provide nourishment for Tengda Corporation. We do not need to do much more, but to continue regular updates and debugging. We cannot abandon our users." Yu Pingan nodded. "Alright, Boss Pei."
Pei Qian sent Yu Pingan on his way with contentment.
Time to get off work!
July 6th, Wednesday...
The DGE Esports Club arrived officially in Shanghai! Many domestic clubs had established GOG divisions as well; most of them were in Shanghai.
That had a historical reason.
In the early days, a few members formed a team without bosses, without sponsors. They were casually competing in internet cafes; rewards were very low as well. Sometime later, some manufacturers organized tournaments, and some bosses invested in teams. These slowly became clubs. However, the initial clubs were very immature. The training venue might be rented computers in the internet cafe or in a rented flat.
In theory, competitive esports only required internet connection. It did not matter where they set up, but Shanghai was an economic center. It had the best financial, network, information, and media resource. It was more convenient to go abroad for competition, but the condition of the internet was good as well so most clubs gathered in Shanghai. In this process, more clubs gathered in Shanghai. It was inevitable for it to become the center for esports. Many of them were veteran teams who had already gained initial fame domestically.
For example, the first club that they were visiting this time, H4 Esports Club, was an old club that existed since the Starcraft time. It was also the place where many internet-addicted teenagers aspire to join.
The exact meaning of its name was HERO4, which literally meant four heroes. They only had four members when they first established. They mainly participated in single-player esports events.
Taking into account everyone's level of English by then, such a name was considered relatively well-thought-out. Many club names were more casual than this.
The DGE Esports Club had 13 members. Zhang Yuan arranged for a minibus for transportation to different clubs, considering that they would be staying for some time in Shanghai.
The fatigue of the members was wiped out after a night of rest. It was replaced by the excitement of fighting the H4 Esports Club and other clubs.
Jiang Huan and Huang Wang were the captains of DGE Team One and Team Two respectively.
They had completely opposite personalities. Jiang Huan was silent and cherished his words. When he spoke, he gave very concise instructions. To describe him in Huang Wang's words would be 'a dog that bites does not bark'. He was the kind who played tactics with the enemy.
He would completely suppress his counterpart and pay attention to everything on the field, commanding the Nakano twins and those in the lower lane when he was obviously a top-laner. He was a 'real abnormality' in Huang Wang's words. The members of Team One placed great trust in Jiang Huan and carried out his tactical arrangements unconditionally. The entire team was very united.
Huang Wang, on the other hand, was an active and talkative person. He was talkative no matter whether he was commanding or not. Huang Wang appeared quiet when he first arrived at DGE Club, but his nature was exposed when they became familiar with each other.
However, he was obviously inferior to Jiang Huan in terms of tactics. As a mid-laner, he often needed Old Zhou, who was playing a command position (auxiliary), to help to share the responsibilities.
The auxiliary in GOG was called 'command' simply to improve the status of the auxiliary players and let more people play it. In fact, the person with the most aptitude for command would command in the end.
This position might be the most suitable for commanding, but there were fewer operations for auxiliary heroes and required them to constantly wander around to observe the movements in the field. However, not everyone who played auxiliary had the commanding ability.
If some of these players had poor reading ability and could not seize the timing, it would distract the commander and their own operations. It would be a disaster for the entire team if they forced him to command. The election of Captain and commander was the natural result of a certain mock competition. Huang Wang and Old Zhou commanding together was still not enough to defeat Jiang Huan. Therefore, Team Two had significantly more training than Team One. No significant results could be seen in the meantime, but the difference in muscle mass was obvious once time took its course.
It could be seen purely from their appearance. Team One basically maintained a slim figure while some members of Team Two were already ripped.
It was now summer; they were all wearing T-shirts. Huang Wang felt even more similar to a personal trainer now. He had the most extra training as the Captain after all.
Jiang Huan was resting while Huang Wang and Old Zhou were discussing their excitement to compete with the H4 Esports Club in the back row.
"Actually, I heard about the H4 Esports Club when I skipped class for gaming sessions. I was so excited when I saw the members of H4 obtaining glory in international arenas. I dreamed of joining this club to be a professional player one day."
"To be able to look at the H4 Club is like fulfilling my dream." Huang Wang's face was filled with excitement.
Old Zhou nodded. "Indeed, the H4 Club is an old brand here; they can rival many foreign clubs as well. Many people want to join."
Huang Wang said expectantly, "I wonder what their training base looks like. People on the net say that it seemed to be rather big and was more formal than most clubs here."
Old Zhou: "We'll know when we see it. However, I think most of our members and coaches want to use this opportunity to observe and learn the management concepts and experiences of old brands like H4. Why else would we all come here in person when we can compete online? Waste of money."
Huang Wang nodded. "Yes, there is definitely such a consideration. We're a newly established club after all."
They arrived at H4 Esports Club while they chatted.
H4 Esports Club was housed in an apartment in the suburbs of Shanghai. To be precise, it was a villa. The entire community was quiet and had complete supporting facilities. The H4 Esports Club often organized fitness activities like basketball matches to keep fit.
The bus got through the guards and went into the compound of H4 Esports Club.
Esports clubs during this period were basically housed in rented apartments or villas. Those who built their own buildings and training bases were things that happened only after many venture capitalists entered the market. A club housed in a villa like this was already very respectable.
Zhang Yuan and Coach Yaling got down the bus first, followed closely by Ma Yang. The leader of H4 Esports Club, Xiao Su, was waiting downstairs for them.
Zhang Yuan went up to him immediately.
"Leader Su! Nice to meet you, let me introduce them to you: this is our personal trainer, Ms. Li; this is..."
Zhang Yuan was a little stuck when introducing Ma Yang. He did not know what position was suitable for Ma Yang.
Strictly speaking, Ma Yang was a calefare without any title. However, he was one of the experienced leaders of Tengda. It would probably not be giving him face if he said that he was a calefare, right?
"This is our special tactical coach, Coach Ma." Zhang Yuan thought up on the spot. Leader Su was in awe. This DGE Esports Club was a new club, but their entire support team was rather complete! A team leader, a personal trainer, and a special tactical coach?
In contrast, the GOG division of the H4 club was just established. There were only one team leader and five members. As for the personal trainer... sorry, that was not popular among domestic clubs yet.
The team leader was basically responsible for ordering takeaways. Even if there were mock competitions, the team leader was responsible for commanding, reviewing, and summary.
As far as the current environment went, the team leader was only responsible for ordering takeaways without doing anything else. By doing that, he was at least better than 70% of his counterparts. Many team leaders did not do anything or bring their members out for entertainment. Some of the more excessive ones even brought their team to play cards, which had no positive effect at all.
Therefore, someone like Team Leader Suwho ordered takeaway conscientiously and did not engage in other stuff—had a good conscience.
They shook hands warmly.
Team Leader Su felt something was wrong. Why was the strength of this sweet-looking female coach with a long-sleeved thin jacket so strong?
He did not know why, but he could feel a suffocating sense of oppression from Coach Li. As a female and as a personal trainer of this team, she must possess a unique understanding of this game! How else would she be able to train them?
However, this Coach Ma did not look very smart. Was he really able to coach them on tactics? Or was he a person who hid a knife in his smile whose strength was completely hidden?
This team... looked really unfriendly!