September 13th, Tuesday...
Zhang Lixian brought the videographer from the Finance Channel with her and arrived at the unique-looking building in the Dawn of Prosperous City.
Li Shi was already waiting for them on the 11th story.
"Boss Li, how are you?!"
Zhang Lixian shook Li Shi's hand affectionately before Li Shi led her and the videographer in.
Once she stepped into the empty living room, Zhang Lixian became stunned.
Was this... the new house that Boss Li had just moved into?
The four walls were bare, and it looked like he had just been robbed. How was he living here?
Zhang Lixian was extremely confused.
Before this, she had heard that Boss Li wanted to be interviewed in the Dawn of Prosperous City. She had thought that they would be visiting Boss Li's home. After all, it was in this district, and so it could not have been an office.
Yet, after seeing this house, Zhang Lixian became even more confused.
How did this look like a house?
It did not look like it had been lived in at all.
Based on her knowledge, Boss Li was already married, and his son was already in junior high school. Yet, this place did not show any signs of having been lived in by his wife or son.
In other words, Boss Li did not take this place as his home. Had he just rented an apartment in Sloth Apartments?
Why?
What was so special about this place?
Before Zhang Lixian could begin the interview, her mind was already filled with many questions.
Sensing her confusion, Li Shi smiled. "I know what you want to ask. Don't worry, we can take our time to chat."
There were a table and two chairs near the balcony, meant for people to drink tea at. It served as the perfect spot for the interview. The light shining through the full-length window would have caused a backlight in the camera, but Li Shi had adjusted the smart glass and resolved the problem.
This was not a formal news interview—it was closer to a discussion on camera. The program was lengthier, and the flow of the conversation was less restrained.
Zhang Lixian ran through the questions she had in her head as she studied the squarish black box on the coffee table.
What was that?
It caught her attention. The house was so big, but there were hardly any furnishings. Naturally, the black box on the coffee table looked particularly eye-catching.
Li Shi smiled. "I'll explain this to you later."
Zhang Lixian nodded and then decided to carry out the interview as she had planned. In any case, if she turned out unsatisfied with the end result, they could always redo it.
After putting all the preparations in place, the interviews officially began.
Zhang Lixian had many questions, such as why Boss Li set this place as the interview location, why there were so few furnishings in the house, what the black box was for, and so on. However, she found it most appropriate to start with the questions that she had prepared beforehand.
"Boss Li, one could say that you're a veteran of the venture capital industry in Jingzhou—and perhaps all of Handong—and a witness to many finance legends. The establishment of your Fu Hui Investments has also helped many other businesses in Jingzhou, whether directly or indirectly.
"Recently, you have also responded to the call to invest a huge amount of money into the old industrial zone where Thriller Hostel stands.
"However, many businesses and investors in Jingzhou were so afraid that they steered clear of that place. What made you so determined to invest in it?"
Li Shi had a flashback. "Actually, I didn't think much of that place at first. However, one day, Boss Pei asked me which place investors in Jingzhou were most unwilling to get involved in.
"After some thought, I told him that it was the old industrial zone.
"At the time, the old industrial zone was still a desolate plot of land. There were abandoned factory buildings, and it was far from the city center. Its location was extremely deserted.
"At first, I thought that Boss Pei had been joking. However, without any hesitation, he invested in it!
"That's why I followed suit."
Zhang Lixian was dumbfounded.
It was that... rash?
He only followed suit because Boss Pei invested? What if Boss Pei's investment failed?
"Well... why do you trust Boss Pei so much, then?" Zhang Lixian asked.
Li Shi smiled. "If you research deeply into Boss Pei's Dream Realization Ventures, you would notice that his way of investing is worlds apart from other people's!
"When other people invest, they can only expect two outcomes: profit or loss.
"However, when Boss Pei invests, he has two other outcomes: profit immediately or in the future!
"If you ask me about Dream Realization Ventures's most successful investment, I would point you to their purchase of shares in Finger Games. They had reaped benefits at every single step and ended up making returns of more than twenty times their investment!
"To succeed in investing, one needs both guts and foresight.
"An outstanding investor must first be able to spot opportunities, then know how to grasp them, and finally dare to grasp them!
"Boss Pei does outstandingly at every one of those stages. That's why he always achieves great success in his investments.
"Of course, before I invested with him, Boss Pei repeatedly warned me that the project would have great risks. I thought about it. Risks were risks, and the old industrial zone had to be transformed sooner or later. Even if I had lost money, I would have taken it as my contribution to Jingzhou City.
"I was born and raised in Jingzhou and made my wealth here. It's only expected that I return to society."
Zhang Lixian nodded. "Boss Li, your mindset is very admirable. I noticed that you trust Boss Pei a lot. Does your trust come from Boss Pei's brilliant investment results or from some other place?"
Li Shi remained silent for a moment and then said, "Actually, in the beginning, it was only because of his brilliant investment results. At the time, I did not really understand why Boss Pei and Dream Realization Ventures would achieve such great success.
"However, I recently began to understand the reason for all of it. I think that I should share this experience with other investors, as well as all the young people aspiring to establish their careers.
"Boss Pei could only achieve such great results because of the way he thinks!"
Zhang Lixian's eyes lit up. "Please explain that."
Li Shi smiled subtly. "This is Sloth Apartments, Tengda's newest rented apartment arm. However, not many people know that Boss Pei lives here as well. He lives in the penthouse of this building. The furnishings in this house are exactly the same as those in Boss Pei's!"
Zhang Lixian was dumbfounded.
She had not expected that at all!
Everyone knew where Tengda's and Boss Pei's offices were, but very few people knew how Boss Pei looked like or where he lived.
"Boss Pei lives in a place like this? Isn't it too simple? How could anyone live here?" Zhang Lixian asked, confused.
Li Shi smiled. "That's what I thought at first, too.
"When I found out that Boss Pei lived here, I was very surprised. The furnishings here are too simple, to the point that they would affect regular life to a certain extent.
"People who live here would easily think that this place resembles a temple or monastery because there's no hint of life at all.
"That's why I was confused at first.
"Given Boss Pei's net worth, he should easily be able to afford a luxurious villa. Why would he live in such a place?
"With my mind full of questions, I stayed here for half a year. At last, I understood Boss Pei's intentions."
Li Shi purposely let the anticipation build up by pausing for a moment. Then, he said, "This place encourages focus and creative thinking. Boss Pei is only living here for so long to remain focused and think creatively!
"As opposed to saying that this is Boss Pei's home, it would be more fitting to say that it's Boss Pei's training room or brainstorming room!
"Boss Pei's success is no coincidence. It is the result of him thinking hard day after day.
"He minimized the amount of material enjoyment he could have and kept only the necessities in his home. He has been committed to living such a minimalistic life to prevent random things from interfering with his thinking process!
"Without those random things, he's able to think in a more focused manner. Living in such an environment for a long time would cultivate better focus and more effective thinking.
"There's no such thing as an investment prodigy in the world. Boss Pei has just been using all the time that he's been given to think in a highly effective manner!
"That's why I'm trying to learn how to think in that manner by making the complex simple as well.
"I often come here to think quietly on my own. Often, I find solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems once I come here to think about them. That's because coming to this place rids me of all distractions. Nothing would distract or disturb me here."
A realization dawned on Zhang Lixian.
So that was why!
She had been puzzled about this before. Boss Pei was the boss of Tengda Corporation, who could earn close to five hundred million yuan in a single transaction. What kind of house would he fail to afford?
This house was not small, but it still could not match up to Boss Pei's net worth.
What's more, Boss Pei had decorated his own house in such a minimalistic fashion. There wasn't a single thing that was not a necessity. Naturally, one would think about ascetics and Daoists.
Did that make sense?
Who wouldn't enjoy convenience and comfort?
Boss Pei's Tengda Corporation was a huge business. It would be logical for him to choose to enjoy life.
Yet, Boss Pei did not make that choice.
Obviously, he had a special goal.
That riddle had been solved by Boss Li, an investor in a similar position as Boss Pei.
Now, it was clear that Boss Pei's success was no coincidence. It was the result of him thinking hard day after day.
Boss Pei could only think deeper and further than ordinary people because he lived such a strict and minimalistic lifestyle. He had created an environment devoid of every distraction so that he could focus!
While others were at home quarreling with their spouses and children, Boss Pei was here, thinking hard about Tengda Corporation's future direction. The accumulation of such thinking over time made a world of difference!
All of a sudden, Zhang Lixian thought of another question. She looked at the black box on the table and asked, "Well, what is this black box for, then?"
Li Shi did not say anything. Instead, he demonstrated it for Zhang Lixian.
He quickly pressed a couple of metal rods down, but the box's mechanism restored everything to their original positions.
Zhang Lixian was stunned. "This...?"
Li Shi began to explain. "It's an exquisite work.
"However, it's rich in philosophy. It helps me to think better.
"There's one that looks just like that in Boss Pei's house. I expended a lot of effort to find the official platform for it. I didn't expect to find that Dream Realization Ventures had invested in it as well!
"In other words, Boss Pei probably custom-made this.
"It is called the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine."
Zhang Lixian remained confused. "A Fully-Automated Bickering Machine? What kind of philosophy does it contain? How does it help us to think better?"
Li Shi handed the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine over to Zhang Lixian and allowed her to try it out.
Zhang Lixian played with it for a minute and asked, "What's... the meaning of this? It's a complete waste of time."
Li Shi smiled. "It's meaningless.
"The fact that it's meaningless is why it's so meaningful.
"It contains the traditional philosophy of Daoism: the use of uselessness.
"It helps one to understand that a meaningless action is meaningful in itself.
"This thing is called a Fully-Automated Bickering Machine because it models the process of bickering with people online.
"There are more and more contrarians appearing online now, resulting in more and more meaningless debates. Public figures, in particular, easily find themselves falling into those meaningless debates.
"We're so used to debating with others that, but most of the time, we don't care about who's right or wrong. We only care about who's more powerful.
"Nobody is really trying to understand what the other party is saying, and nobody will really reflect on whether they're wrong or not. Instead, they would try all ways and means to find loopholes in the other party's arguments.
"That's why we'll discover that debating with other people online would never lead to a consensus.
"Debating with people like that is akin to playing with this Fully-Automated Bickering Machine. No matter how hard you work, the mechanism will lift the rods back into their original positions. You would only be wasting your time.
"Thinkers would find it tempting to engage in these meaningless debates... because the more they think, the angrier they would become about other people's stupidity; the more they think, the more they would realize how stupid they themselves are and how much they don't know.
"Whether you're the former or the latter type, you're in danger. Thinking could bring wisdom, but it could also cause paranoia or arrogance.
"This Bickering Machine serves as a reminder that those debates are meaningless and that you shouldn't waste your time arguing with the contrarians online.
"Just think hard and do what you have to do—that's enough.
"Thus, every time I feel frustrated, I would play with this machine. I'll look at it fighting me endlessly and negating all of my efforts again and again. Finally, I would understand that I've merely been wasting my time doing useless work.
"With my negative emotions released, I would calm down and be able to continue thinking.
"Why does Boss Pei have no crafts or decorations in his house but this?
"That's because this is neither a handicraft nor a decorative piece. It's a machine that restores your thinking and emotions, and it fits in with the rest of the house because it helps one to settle down and think better.
"To me, this is the soul of this thinking space!"
Chapter 651: New Famous Painting
Zhang Lixian seemed to understand something. "I see. This is a gadget that helps to reduce stress?"
Li Shi shook his head. "You might think so, but there are still some differences between this and a gadget that helps to reduce stress.
"Ordinary gadgets that help to reduce pressure—such as bubble wrap, fidget spinners, and so on—use repetitive exercises to reduce your psychological pressure. The inertia of repeating exercises would keep one's mind occupied.
"However, that's not how the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine works. There's no pattern to its operation, and it does not make use of repetitive exercises. That's why ordinary people might find themselves getting addicted to it.
"Yet, that's exactly where the difference between the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine and pressure-reducing gadgets lies.
"Pressure-reducing gadgets only serve to channel one's emotions and divert one's attention, so that they would forget about their troubles temporarily. However, it doesn't have any practical effect on our ability to think. In fact, we might even become over-dependent. Each time we feel distracted or frustrated, we would need a pressure-reducing gadget to play with.
"On the other hand, the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine doesn't channel emotions. If you keep playing with it, you might become even more irritated. It serves to induce certain thoughts that make you aware of the meaninglessness of your behavior and force you to exercise self-control. That way, you would be able to maintain control in frustrating circumstances as well.
"That's why the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine can only be used by people with a certain amount of self-control.
"That's also why I keep emphasizing that it helps me to think. It doesn't numb you—it stings you. In the long term, the difference between the two would be very obvious."
Clearly, Zhang Lixian was now deeply interested in the squarish box. However, since she was still conducting the interview, it was inappropriate for her to ask where he had bought it from. Thus, she decided to leave it to the end of the interview.
Zhang Lixian looked around. The entire house was just as Boss Li had described. It was so simple that it reminded her of those practicing asceticism.
Yet, at that moment, Zhang Lixian spotted the huge television in the living room.
Televisions of this size were hardly seen in houses in the city. Naturally, it caught her eye.
Curious, Zhang Lixian asked, "Boss Li, if you need a quiet space to think, you wouldn't place a television in the living room, would you?"
For most people, television sets were meant for entertainment. Dramas, movies, variety shows, and games were all unhelpful for thinking, right?
Li Shi smiled. "Ah, that. Actually, if you open the unassuming television cabinet underneath the television, you would see a gaming unit and a large number of game discs.
"That's only normal. Boss Pei wears many hats, but the biggest one will always be that of a game designer!
"GOG, the online game that Boss Pei developed, has already expanded into the Western market. It's accumulating billions of fans all over the world, and its advertisements are plastered around Times Square.
"Struggle, the standalone game that Boss Pei, is also proving to be very popular in China. The concept and depth of the game have earned unanimous praise from insiders of the industry and gamers alike.
"How can a game designer draw inspiration without playing games?
"I found a variety of games from top foreign manufacturers in the television cabinet. That goes to show that Boss Pei isn't proud or complacent. From start to end, he has been working hard to draw experience from foreign game designers and constantly reflecting on his progress. Otherwise, he would not have been able to develop an excellent game like Struggle."
Zhang Lixian nodded subtly and then noticed that something was amiss. She asked, "Well, why would Boss Pei make those games available for other tenants, then?"
Li Shi was already prepared for this question. He answered, "Obviously, that's Boss Pei's attitude.
"I've seen them. Those games are all AAA masterpieces from overseas. All of them are extremely artistic and have excellent systems. Boss Pei must have carefully selected those games.
"To Boss Pei, games cannot merely be entertaining. They must also be artistic and deep. Thus, when designing and conceptualizing the Sloth Apartments, Boss Pei must have wanted tenants to be able to relax when they were tired. These masterpieces were probably meant to provide inspiration and enlightenment.
"At the same time, he must also be fighting the saying that 'playing kills brain cells'. Boss Pei must be emphasizing that, while games allow people to relax, they can also invoke thought."
Zhang Lixian nodded. "That makes sense! I heard before that Sloth Apartments have many inhumane and unreasonable regulations. However, it sounds like Boss Pei is trying to spread his lifestyle using the Sloth Apartments.
"Why doesn't he expressly state that in the publicity material, then?"
Li Shi smiled. "How can he say these things himself? Is he expected to praise himself?
"The process of thinking is very personal. You won't necessarily be able to quiet down and think in certain environments. These things are affected by different factors. He can't guarantee results.
"What's more, Boss Pei never attempts to explain his own behavior. He would only do what he thinks is right very seriously. As for everyone else, those who can understand it... would; those who can't... wouldn't. Boss Pei would never force others.
"Why have the Sloth Apartments implemented so many regulations? Why was the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine made so exquisitely and with such expensive material? Why is it sold at such a high price?
"Clearly, Boss Pei produced it for people who understand what it's for. Those who understand its value would willingly pay for it, no matter how much it costs. Those who think it's too expensive wouldn't understand where its value lies and wouldn't snatch it from those who truly appreciate it."
...
Finally, the interview was over.
Zhang Lixian reviewed the content and realized that the interview had gone slightly off-track.
She had intended to interview Boss Li at first, but Boss Li had only talked about Boss Pei the entire time!
However, that was not a big deal. Other similar programs would not restrict conversations. Guests were free to share whatever they wanted, and Boss Li had shared very valuable information indeed.
Why did Boss Li insist on investing in the old industrial zone even though the majority of investors and businesses had not had high hopes for it?
On one hand, he had been following in Boss Pei's footsteps. On the other hand, he had an independent way of thinking.
What's more, that independent way of thinking had only been cultivated because of his ordinarily living conditions and mindset. His experience of being extremely focused while thinking would greatly benefit other investors, as well as mental workers who need to think without being distracted!
The transformation that Boss Li and Boss Pei achieved with the old industrial zone was also very impressive and commendable.
At that thought, Zhang Lixian stood up and shook Li Shi's hand again. "Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to be interviewed by me, Boss Li. I trust that your way of thinking would help many young and confused individuals."
The videographer stopped rolling. Zhang Lixian asked softly, "Boss Li, where can I buy one of those Fully-Automated Bickering Machines?"
Li Shi grinned. "Go online and search for its name, and you'll be able to find it. It's not that difficult."
Zhang Lixian nodded. "Yes, this is very interesting. I want to keep one at home as well. Alright, I won't disturb you any longer. Goodbye, Boss Li!"
...
...
September 13th, Tuesday evening...
Today was the last match of the first round of GOG's international invitational tournament. Tomorrow was a rest day.
After watching the matches, Pei Qian did not return home. Instead, he headed to Fish-Catching Internet Cafe and sipped his cocktails while working on his mind map of the relationship between various departments in Tengda Corporation.
It was not that Pei Qian did not want to return home. It was just that there was not much for him to do at home.
His house was too empty. He could play games, but he would get bored with them if he played too much. On the other hand, waiters were serving him in Fish-Catching Internet Cafe, and he could sip alcohol while listening to singers sing.
There were more and more lines appearing on the mind map. Pei Qian was beginning to feel like his brain did not have enough storage space.
Pei Qian very reluctantly connected the DGE Club, Tengda Games, and Deposit Fitness.
GOG's international invitational tournament was a fuse. The team members had been crazily 'blowing' DGE Club and Deposit Fitness from the very first day of the competition until now. Four days had already passed.
Pei Qian had seen it all and taken it all to heart, but he could not do anything about it...
He had intended to drop by Deposit Fitness to take a look, but on further thought, he concluded that it would only give him more to worry about. What was the point?
He could only quietly draw the line and announce the start of the next stage.
He could keep opening more branches. If he opened them fast enough, the profits would not catch up to him.
Pei Qian was beginning to realize that nothing was going smoothly this cycle. The physical shops, especially, were becoming increasingly popular. It had started with Fish-Catching Internet Cafe... and then Fish-Catching Take-Out. Now, even Deposit Fitness was getting out of control!
Fortunately, the Sloth Apartments were still holding on.
Otherwise, Pei Qian would be left with one straw to grasp at—Upwind Logistics. What would he do then?!
Pei Qian looked at the dense web of lines on his mind map, feeling like it was about time to give up on it.
Hidden connections between the departments aside, even the visible ones, were becoming hard to keep track of!
The dense web of lines had dense words attached to them as well. He would get dizzy just looking at it, and sorting it out would be a chore.
Pei Qian's strategy to keep track of inter-departmental relationships using a mind map was turning out to be a failure. The departments were coming up with 'combined events' frequently and from out of nowhere. It was completely unreasonable.
For example, Pei Qian had asked Coach Yaling to take pictures of DGE's members every day to ensure that they had less time for training. Who would have thought that those photos would later become advertising material for Deposit Fitness?
At that thought, Pei Qian could not help but heave a long sigh. For some reason, he felt particularly troubled.
...
At the same time, outside Fish-Catching Internet Cafe...
The internet cafe was brightly lit, and the light shone through the full-length windows. Everything inside was clearly visible from the outside.
Ruan Guangjian had just finished the concept art for a GOG hero and was walking out of Halo Workspace, intending to go home to rest.
However, as he walked past Fish-Catching Internet Cafe, he saw a familiar figure through the full-length windows.
"Eh, it's already so late. Why is Boss Pei still here, and not at home, resting?
"He's looking at his laptop. Is he still working?"
Ruan Guangjian was curious, and Boss Pei was seated with his back facing the full-length window. Ruan Guangjian walked forward, peeked past Boss Pei's shoulder, and saw the image on the screen.
Suddenly, Ruan Guangjian became inspired. The composition looked very good from where he was standing.
At once, he whipped out his cell phone and took a picture through the full-length window.
Click.
In the picture, Boss Pei's back was facing the camera. His right hand was supporting his chin as if he was deep in thought. His side profile was lit up by his computer screen. Although one could not see the screen clearly, one could tell that it was neither showing a game nor a movie.
"World famous painting: Boss Pei at Work.
"What's on the computer?
"A mind map?"
Ruan Guangjian zoomed in on the photograph. The camera on his mobile phone had very high megapixels. Although he had not taken a picture of the screen on purpose, he could still faintly tell that there was a mind map with countless dense lines and boxes on it.
There were boxes of various sizes. Ruan Guangjian couldn't read the words in the small boxes and on the lines, but he could read the ones in a few boxes. They said 'Tengda Games', 'Deposit Fitness', 'Fish-Catching Take-Out', 'Fish-Catching Internet Cafe', and so on. The dense lines extended from each of those boxes and connected to the other boxes around them.
Ruan Guangjian glanced at it, confirmed that there was no confidential information or business secrets, and then relaxed.
Everyone knew what businesses were under Tengda Corporation. That was no secret. He wouldn't cause trouble by uploading the image.
Ruan Guangjian uploaded the image on his Weibo and wrote a caption. "I've knocked off work, but someone is still working."
He had intended to greet Boss Pei in the internet cafe but then realized that there was no need to. Satisfied, Ruan Guangjian turned to leave.
Chapter 652: Death Notice and Precise Last Hit
Pei Qian worked hard for five minutes before dragging the mind map into the recycle bin.
I give up, this sh*t doesn't work at all!
Pei Qian was not an iron man. He had to give up decisively and think of other ways.
Pei Qian looked at his watch after he finished his cocktail. It was about time for him to go back and rest.
Wasn't it a great idea to play games on his big TV for a few houses before falling asleep?
He might have finished a few games, but games could never be finished.
Pei Qian got up and left, preparing to go home for his blissful me time.
...
Pei Qian was about to enter the 12th floor of Dawn of Prosperous City when he found a small note stuck on the door.
"Hm?"
"What's this?"
Pei Qian thought it might be a water bill or the like, but he realized that it should not be such a long bill. Moreover, the utilities were handled by the butler in Sloth Apartments.
He took it and looked at the string of letters on it. "Nine pm tonight Jingzhou TV Finance Channel."
Pei Qian was stunned right there and then.
What was the meaning of this?
Assassination notice?
Death threat?
What would there be on Jingzhou TV?
Pei Qian always felt that something was up whenever the TV was involved, no matter what it was.
There was no signature on this note, but it was too late to be concerned about who the culprit was.
He looked at his watch. It was almost nine; he might not be able to catch up if he were to delay any more at the Fish-Catching Internet Cafe.
Pei Qian hurried in, changed his shoes, and turned on the TV.
The interview section of the Finance Channel started on time a few minutes later.
"He is the person at the helm of the famous Fu Hui Investments in Jingzhou.
"He is regarded as the second indicator of the investment industry in Jingzhou.
"He resolutely invested a lot of money into the industrial zones, transforming it even though most companies and investors were not optimistic about it.
"While there are ups and downs in the investment circle, he—who had witnessed countless wealth myths... what unique insights did he have on the ways of investment? How does he keep his head clear and think rationally in the face of all the complicated work?
"What secrets of success does Li Shi, who had been through ups and downs in the business sea for half his life, have for the young in the era of national entrepreneurship and innovation?
"The financial story of tonight, 'Li Shi and the Thinker' will be shown soon!"
This interview column was filled with a sense of deja vu from 'XX has an appointment'. It was a popular interview column across the country. It was a normal thing to be imitated by Jingzhou TV.
Pei Qian knew exactly who the culprit that posted the note on his door was after watching the beginning of this TV program.
It was definitely Boss Li!
Pei Qian started to doubt his motives now that he had locked onto the culprit.
This interview obviously had nothing to do with him. Wasn't this Boss Li's interview?
Why did Boss Li want him to watch it? To see how handsome he was in the interview?
Was Boss Li showing off to me? Show off that he could get on the TV interview program, but I didn't?
Did you not know that the financial channel came to me first? They only found you because I rejected them.
Boast all you want.
Pei Qian suddenly changed his mind. That didn't sound right; Boss Li should not be that sort of person.
He continued watching on with confused feelings.
Pei Qian was shocked when they came to the interview.
Wasn't this Sloth Apartments!?
It was obviously Boss Li's room, but the layout was exactly the same as his room, even the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine was in the same place!
Pei Qian suddenly realized the crux of the problem.
Why was there a Fully-Automated Bickering Machine in Boss Li's room?
He did have one in his room, but that was specially sent by Zhang Wang to him. They did not give the other rooms.
Pei Qian calmed himself down and continued watching.
Boss Li spoke freely on the screen.
"...Boss Pei invested, therefore I followed his path."
"...Boss Pei does outstandingly at every one of those stages. That's why he always achieves great success in his investments."
"...As opposed to saying that this is Boss Pei's home, it would be more fitting to say that it's Boss Pei's training room or brainstorming room!"
"Boss Pei's success is no coincidence. It is the result of him thinking hard day after day..."
Pei Qian's expression changed from relaxed to dazed, to shock, and finally to becoming completely frozen as he watched on.
Boss Li's speech completely confounded him!
He understood the meaning of every word, but he did not know what Boss Li was talking about when they were strung together!
Moreover, the more he listened, the more he felt a sense of absurdity.
Are you sure the 'Boss Pei' you were describing here is the same person as me?
Moreover, weren't they interviewing you? Why did you only talk about me?
Pei Qian originally thought that the title of this interview 'Li Shi and the Thinker' was referring to Li Shi as a thinker.
He only realized now that this Thinker was referring to himself!
The word 'and' was not an explanatory relationship but a parallel relationship!
Recall carefully, Boss Li was stabbing his heart in this column.
First, he spoke to the emcee about the Thriller Hostel and then portrayed himself and Pei Qian as the investors who cared about Jingzhou and supported the transformation of the old industrial zones without hesitation.
Then, he began to shift the topic to the Sloth Apartments, talking about the special layout and structure of the Sloth Apartments and how helpful it was for people to concentrate on thinking.
Finally, he spoke about the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine, touting that to be the finishing touches of the 'thinking space' and even had a touch of philosophy with it.
Pei Qian originally did not think much of it, thinking: 'You could do whatever you want with your interview, what had that got to do with me? Why did you deliberately post a note at my door to show off?'
Now, he understood... that was not showing off. It was a death notice!
Pei Qian began to feel unwell.
Sh*t, something terrible had happened!
The Sloth Apartments had already gone through several twists and turns previously. There was only one last wall left unbreached.
The recent formaldehyde houses cases had caused a large number of rental companies such as Home Corporation and Snail Apartments to be discredited. They were now busy apologizing and mending public relations. Only the Sloth Apartments had not been damaged in this incident; instead, they had profited!
However, there were still not many people determined to move into the Sloth Apartments. The underlying reason was still because of the 'Four Bare Walls'.
But now, Boss Li broke through all these and twisted the explanation of 'Four Bare Walls'!
The original 'impractical' immediately became 'good for thinking and mediation'.
Moreover, even such a useless invention like the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine did not escape the claws of Boss Li. He had now explained it as an art that allowed people to train their mentality and allow people to think.
A simple interview immediately brought up the status of the Thriller Hostel, Sloth Apartments, and the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine!
Pei Qian was now feeling regretful.
He had never thought that his refusal to be interviewed would cause a totally opposite effect from what he intended!
However, who would have thought of such a thing?
Pei Qian took out his cell phone hurriedly and checked the latest ratings of Sloth Apartments on Tengda Life App.
He could only hope that the crowd not be deceived by Boss Li!
Sloth Apartments would not help you in your thinking—don't be fooled!
The Fully-Automated Bickering Machine is really purely just a useless toy—don't buy it!
However, Pei Qian's heart turned cold, looking at the new comments below Sloth Apartments.
The original comments were generally about how inconvenient and impractical this place was.
However, the direction of the new comments was totally different now.
"I understand now! I found Sloth Apartments to be inappropriate previously because it wasn't the right method!"
"I'm an artist. I suddenly realize that the Sloth Apartments is the perfect place to stay after watching the interview. It is absolutely minimalistic; nothing will be able to disturb my thoughts."
"I'm an author; I also feel that this place isn't bad!"
"+1 as a programmer"
"Does Boss Pei's method really help? I'm convinced and am prepared to rent one unit!"
"Actually, there is a certain truth to it. There is currently a trend of 'breaking away' and 'minimalistic'; of course, this is not completely true as well. Everyone had to consider whether it was suitable for themselves or not. However, there were some undeniable facts to this theory. Everyone's energy was limited. If you want to make a huge breakthrough in life, there would be some distractions that you had to give up. Sloth Apartments is a place providing such an environment!"
"Then how do you explain that there is no place for storage and not being able to shift the furniture?"
"Do you not understand? That is to ensure that everything in the room will not be messed up by you! Think about it, if you have a lot of storage space, you would buy continuously and then stuff a bunch of useless stuff into the cabinets. If you can buy your own furniture, you will definitely do things according to your own preferences. That is completely contrary to the idea of the Sloth Apartments!"
"Yes, the layout of the entire house was designed by an impressive designer. The perfect harmony created originally would be messed up and there would be no more of that original aura."
"Yes, the Sloth Apartments has a butler and a cleaner, and you cannot touch the things inside it. Isn't that allowing you to not need to care for anything and concentrate on your own affairs?"
"It is normal to feel ungrounded because what the Sloth Apartments advocated was Boss Pei's own life philosophy. It is not suitable for everyone; it is specially prepared for thinkers."
"I heard that the largest units have been taken up by the investors in Jingzhou. There are still two lake-view houses and a set of commercial and residential houses. Everyone, hurry up, I believe they will be out of stock soon."
"These three house types happen to have three different price ranges. Is it to convince people of all wealth classes to experience the minimalist lifestyle?"
"Friendly reminder, you must equip the unit with a Fully-Automated Bickering Machine when you rent a Sloth Apartment!"
"I'm not renting, but I'm very interested in the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine. I have placed an order for it!"
"Have you noticed that the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine is simply amazing? It fits all the essence of mankind: repeaters, no-shows, converters, and contrarians!
"Doing meaningless things repeatedly = repeater...
"Stop playing with something after five minutes = no shows...
"Those that had the opposite opinions from everyone but became advocates after they tried it = converters...
"Play until you become a guru = contrarians...
"F*ck, it's really true. They say this is Boss Pei's invention. Could Boss Pei have foreseen this when he invented it?"
"Forget it, quickly order, order while you still can!"
"There is no need to hurry. Their official website says that there is sufficient stock, no hurry!"
Pei Qian was completely dumbfounded.
He completely did not understand what these lunatics were thinking!
I have no choice but to admit defeat if the Sloth Apartments become fully rented out. Why the f*ck would you buy the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine for?
I finally managed to only sell less than a fraction of the 20,000 units produced. I maintained it so well, but now, it was all over!
Pei Qian didn't know how many Fully-Automated Bickering Machines would be able to sell out, but it seemed like it was definitely not in small numbers with the interest generated from the netizens!
Pei Qian felt so helpless; wasn't there any one normal among the netizens?
Couldn't anyone see that Boss Li was just creating smoke for the entire matter?
He was being baselessly imaginative!
Pei Qian suddenly saw a comment and saw rekindled hope.
"Are you all dumb? Will extreme minimalism definitely help thinking? What evidence is there? Boss Pei has so many industries under him; each industry has a person-in-charge. How can he possibly take care of everything? Don't deify a person. Boss Pei might not even have the time to bother about these; they are all done by the person-in-charge of the departments!"
"Yeah, Tengda has so many industries now; how can Boss Pei be in charge of it?"
"I think so too, the biggest possibility is that Boss Pei has an eye for talent and arranged for a competent person-in-charge for the departments which is how he achieved the current success that he has. It would definitely have the opposite effect if he has to think of so many things."
Pei Qian felt warmth spread in his heart.
Brothers, you cannot be more right!
I really cannot be bothered with so many things!
It was indeed done by the various person-in-charge of the department; it has nothing to do with me!
However, the following comment immediately extinguished the small flame that was in Pei Qian's heart.
"You want evidence? Here it is. [Picture] [Picture]"
The first picture was the back view of Pei Qian in Fish-Catching Internet Cafe with his right hand on his chin as though he was deep in thought.
His image became famous previously in Fish-Catching Take-Out and Fish-Catching Internet Cafe, which was why this figure could be instantly recognized.
The second picture was a zoomed-in picture of Boss Pei in front of a computer screen. It was very blurry, but one could still make out that it was a mind map. The largest box had core department names such as Tengda Games and Fish-Catching Take-Out on them.
"This is evidence, satisfied?"
"Facts have proven that not only does Boss Pei grasp the direction of each department, but he also grasps the linkage between them! Look at these densely populated lines; most people may struggle to see it clearly but Boss Pei could see through this mind map and plan the linkage of each department!"
"I see! No wonder organizing a GOG International Tournament could help Deposit Fitness and their club publicity! It was all planned by Boss Pei?"
"Think about it this way, and all that genius publicity and combined event methods have all been explained!"
"Tch... how many times did Boss Pei ponder over these densely populated lines? Could his mind be a galactic computer? 100 million calculations per second?"
"I didn't quite believe in the content of the interview originally, but I do now! Boss Pei's thought process has much to do with his lifestyle! I'm going to order a Fully-Automated Bickering Machine now!"
Pei Qian looked at this picture, and his expression froze.
Wasn't... wasn't this just tonight?
It could even be just an hour ago?
Who did it?!
Which motherf*cker had so much time on their hands to take sneaky photos of me!
First, the interview; then, this about-to-become-famous picture.
Did all of you discuss beforehand to deliver this last hit to me?
Chapter 653: "Living Here will not Improve Your Mental Capability"
August 14th, Wednesday...
Pei Qian got up very early.
He took his cell phone and opened the Aili Island website and found that the interview section of the Jingzhou Finance Channel was now on the home page. Who knew just how many Fully-Automated Bickering Machines had been sold in one night?
Pei Qian could have called Zhang Wang last night, but he hesitated and decided against it.
He could not give his employees a wrong impression!
He had repeatedly emphasized not to work overtime under any circumstances. Wouldn't he be giving a wrong impression to them if he were to call his employees in private to talk about work matters?
Therefore, while Pei Qian knew there the interview and the picture would spread like wildfire in just one night but there was no way, the rule of working overtime could not be broken.
He could only make fighting fire his priority when returning to work.
However, Pei Qian had already found where the photo leaked out from last night.
Ruan Guangjian's Weibo!
He was originally a famous domestic artist who would often post some work on his Weibo. At the same time, he was the original animation and concept designer of Ghost General, GOG, Repent and be Saved, Struggle, and the like. He originally had a huge fan base. A large part of them were players of Tengda Games.
His post spread wildly on the internet soon after it was on Weibo.
It was the same with Boss Li's interview. It might only be broadcasted on the local finance channel, but it would be spread quickly as long as people saw it.
Pei Qian could hardly argue.
Therefore, he had to quickly think of remedies!
First, he went downstairs to search for Butler Song Kai.
Song Kai was not only the butler in this building. He was also the person-in-charge of the Sloth Apartments. He had divisions of labor with Liang Qingfan.
Liang Qingfan was mainly responsible for the design and quality control of the house while Song Kai was responsible for daily operation and maintenance.
"How is the situation with the other Sloth Apartments?" Pei Qian asked.
"It is very good! I can see from the platform that many houses were rented out this morning. I heard that there are queues for viewing. The units at Binhu District should be fully rented out within these two days. The residential-commercial building would probably see the same situation in about 10 days to half a month!"
Pei Qian could not help but become silent.
This was worse than he imagined!
The news just came out yesterday, and you were all grabbing it in the morning? Aren't you all too well-informed?
"Add an eye-catching line on the official website: staying here will not improve your mental capability," Pei Qian said.
"Huh?" Song Kai was stunned.
Song Kai also saw the interview on the internet as the person-in-charge of Sloth Apartments. He could not help but be astonished by Boss Li's interpretation.
So that was what happened!
Song Kai was a little ashamed. As the person-in-charge of the Sloth Apartments project, he had not thought about this at all. He was really not fit to have Boss Pei's trust.
Song Kai only realized it after watching the interview and was very convinced about the Sloth Apartments being about to improve mental capability
He thought back to his working environment on the first floor. He seemed to have better mental clarity after being in this place for an extended time!
However, what did Boss Pei's request mean?
"Living Here Will Not Improve Your Mental Capability"?
Could he want to refute what Boss Li said yesterday?
Pei Qian did not explain anything; he only emphasized: "Add it immediately."
Song Kai could only nod. "Alright, Boss Pei."
Pei Qian did not say anything more, afraid that he would make mistakes if he said more. He left hurriedly.
Little Sun was already waiting outside. Pei Qian got into the car and headed towards Dream Realization Ventures.
...
He Desheng, Ma Yang, and Zhang Wang were opening a bottle of champagne in Dream Realization Ventures.
The Fully-Automated Bickering Machine was selling like hotcakes!
They thought that it would be another boring day with no orders after work last night. However, they did not expect that the orders for the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine started flying off the shelf.
The orders are still increasing rapidly this morning. Something that originally had so little sales volume suddenly sold hundreds of sets. The express delivery guys from Upwind Logistics were all absolutely busy delivering them.
Zhang Wang sighed. "I had always wondered why Boss Pei rejected all my proposals for publicity previously.
"I finally understand it now! Boss Pei really had made his arrangements!
"If we really did what I proposed, it would form an impression on the consumers, letting them form their own meaning for the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine prematurely. That would be such a waste!"
Zhang Wang had a hard time previously trying to sell the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine. First, he wanted to put it in the Golden Maze for sale, then he wanted the DGE Club to give it away as a corporate gift to train hand speed... and other normal means of publicity.
However, they were all rejected by Boss Pei!
Not only that, but Boss Pei also emphasized that he must not do any publicity for the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine. He had his own arrangements.
Zhang Wang did not fully believe him then.
He was the inventor of the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine; how could Boss Pei have better ideas for publicity than him?
He only realized now that Boss Pei really had something up his sleeve! Moreover, it's something this awesome!
Such a publicity method gave the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine a special philosophical and symbolic meaning, adding on to its intangible value.
No wonder Boss Pei did not allow him to use other methods of publicity because they would only give the consumers the impression that this was a boring small thing. It would be difficult to change their impression from that to 'this machine has a philosophical and symbolic meaning'.
Boss Pei said that these publicity methods would cause the opposite effect; he was right!
The decision to make the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine with more expensive material and to set the price high all now seemed to be a masterstroke.
First, it ensured that it had a quality feel so that it did not look cheap. Second, they were selling the meaning behind the machine rather than the machine itself so the consumers were not so sensitive to price. Moreover, this price ensured their profitability.
Of course, even so, the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine's profit was considered to be very little as compared to that of other art pieces.
Zhang Wang did not dare produce anymore because they had so much in stock previously. However, Boss Pei was unwavering in his efforts and would rather rent more warehouses to continue production than to stop producing just to ensure there were stocks available!
Many people did not think much of the storage. They always felt that they could just produce once there were orders. They would be able to produce a whole bunch in a matter of 10 days.
However, could the consumers be able to wait?
The attention and memory of a human were limited. However, if the impulse to buy could not be satisfied immediately, most people would have forgotten it soon enough.
Therefore, his crazy storage finally saw its rewards!
Boss Pei required them to produce 20,000 units. The cost per unit was less than 400 yuan, and they would sell for 488 yuan. If they were to sell all of them, they would be able to earn two million yuan easily!
Moreover, judging from how popular it was now, how could 20,000 units be able to last? It could probably only last for the first wave.
They had to start making more now or risk not being able to fulfill the order.
In short, the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine was another great success!
Zhang Wang could not help but feel proud. "What did I say, my invention—together with Boss Ma's judgment, Boss He's operational power, and with Boss Pei injecting soul into it—would definitely be profitable!"
"Of course, the main credit has to go to Boss Pei. If Boss Pei did not inject the soul into it, then the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine would not be able to be reborn!
"What a pity that Boss Pei's not here since we opened the champagne."
He Desheng was also feeling emotional.
He did not have a good feeling about the project at the beginning. He was very clear that Zhang Wang's and Boss Ma's brains were not wired in the same way as other humans. The Fully-Automated Bickering Machine was something that would have been a 100% loss.
However, the deciding factor was on Boss Pei!
He remembered that Boss Pei decided in a very short time after he saw the sample of the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine to increase its production!
He Desheng then felt incredible.
However, thinking back, it was obvious that this plan formed in Boss Pei's brain the moment his eyes fell onto this machine. He arranged everything after!
Boss Pei was really deep and unfathomable!
He Desheng was now completely convinced and felt happy wholeheartedly.
The undefeated myth of Dream Realization Ventures would continue on without a doubt!
The three of them were celebrating when Pei Qian arrived.
"Brother Qian!"
"Boss Pei!"
They were all elated, speak of the devil!
Ma Yang took a new wine glass from the side immediately and poured a glass of champagne. "Brother Qian, how did you know we are preparing to celebrate? You're just in time, come, come, come, cheers!"
Pei Qian saw the three of them with a face full of happiness when he entered. He felt that the entire Dream Realization Ventures was filled with vibrancy, which was totally different from his feelings.
It did not seem right to take that glass of champagne...
Pei Qian still took the glass of champagne after he hesitated and clinked his glass with the other three.
Pei Qian continued to his main point after he took a symbolic sip.
"Go to the website of the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine and add an explanation immediately... write this:
"It is very expensive and boring, and it will not improve your mental capability. You may spend the money somewhere else on something more meaningful."
Ma Yang was a little taken aback. "Huh? Brother Qian? Are you serious?"
Zhang Wang and He Desheng were in shock, too.
What was Boss Pei doing?
Wouldn't that be denying the greatest value of the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine officially?
The one who emphasized the philosophical and symbolic meaning of the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine was Boss Pei...
The one who insisted that the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine did not possess such meaning was also Boss Pei.
Wasn't that contradictory?
Was Boss Pei having a fever?
Or perhaps... he had something else planned up his sleeves?
Chapter 654: A Clue
"Add it immediately!" Pei Qian emphasized once again seeing how there were all frozen.
He Desheng was the first to react. "Alright, Boss Pei." He nodded.
It was easy to add a line of text on the publicity page since it was doable through Photoshop.
He Desheng had no suspicion of Boss Pei's actions, but Zhang Wang and Ma Yang were heartbroken. Their spirits were broken almost immediately.
However, Pei Qian turned to leave immediately without another word.
There was no choice; that was how Boss Pei took revenge.
Boss Pei could not give up on them even though these customers seemed to have lost all rationality to rent the Sloth Apartments and buy the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine, backstabbing Boss Pei with their money.
Add these words and save whatever he could!
...
At the same time, Sloth Apartments, Block 9 of the Binhu District...
Qiao Liang signed the contract and moved to the penthouse of this building.
He actually wanted the penthouse of Block 8, but it seemed to have been rented out to a fanatic of Chen Lei.
Therefore, he could only go for the second-best option, which was the penthouse of Block 9.
However, he had to count his lucky stars to be able to rent the penthouse of Block 9 as well. Any later, and he would probably have to settle for the lower floors.
There were already crowds of people downstairs waiting to rent the place. It was definitely not enough with these houses.
Qiao Liang felt refreshed looking at the vast lake scene outside the window.
He hung all the clothes he brought by suitcase into the closet of the master bedroom and put the suitcase into the cabinet of the second bedroom.
There might be only such a small amount of storage space in the entire room, but it was still enough for Qiao Liang.
There were some handicrafts in the huge living room and the decorative bookshelves could not be used as storage space but that also allowed Qiao Liang to concentrate on enjoying the 180-degrees lake view.
Qiao Liang felt that all was worth it as he nestled in the sofa to edit his video on his laptop!
For some unknown reason, his thoughts suddenly calmed down. He really wanted to think about some problems and then make a video!
Was that the magical effect of the Sloth Apartments?
It really seemed to help in his thoughts here...
Hold on, that wasn't right.
It seemed that something was missing.
Qiao Liang suddenly realized that the Sloth Apartment that he rented seemed to be lacking its soul: the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine!
Yes, he had to get it!
He really wanted to buy it last night, but he decided to buy it directly in the Sloth Apartments, considering that he would have to carry it with him when he moves otherwise.
The Sloth Apartments might not allow them to add their own furniture or change the layout in principle, but the butler would tacitly approve of the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine.
Qiao Liang immediately found the purchase page for the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine.
He was shocked when he entered the page.
He saw a bold line on the purchase page.
"It is very expensive and boring, and it will not improve your mental capability. You may spend the money somewhere else on something more meaningful."
Qiao Liang was stunned.
What did that mean?
It would not improve mental capability?
Did they officially deny the deep meaning behind the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine?
Qiao Liang remembered very clearly that this line wasn't on the page when he looked at it last night.
Why did they specifically add this sentence?
Qiao Liang checked the comments of the netizens hurriedly, only to find that, other than this additional line of words, there was also a line of eye-catching text on the website of the Sloth Apartments: 'living here would not improve your mental capability'.
The tone was neutral as if emphasizing an objective fact.
Qiao Liang was even more confused now.
What did that mean? I just moved in, and Boss Pei toy with me in this way?
What was his intention for emphasizing this? To deny himself?
However, this place indeed helped in mental capability!
Qiao Liang could clearly feel that this environment was very simple and artistic, which was really helpful for calming down and for inspiration.
Why then did the official website emphasize that it would not be able to improve mental capability?
Qiao Liang immediately comprehended the meaning behind it in less than two minutes.
"So that was it!
"I understand it!"
"Just that... I wonder if the netizens could discern it."
Qiao Liang flipped through the comments of the netizens after having his answer in his mind. A gratified smile soon appeared on his face.
"What does the new explanatory texts added to the Sloth Apartments and the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine mean? Is it possible that what Boss Li said previously was all fake?"
"Yes, they are all fake; don't rent, don't buy! Leave everything to me!"
"I've already moved in. This environment can indeed help in your thought process. Moreover, this Fully-Automated Bickering Machine definitely can make one ponder."
"Why add the two explanatory texts? Wouldn't that be contrary to the effect?"
"These two sentences actually contained a kind of dialectical thinking. What is the connotation of the Sloth Apartments and the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine? They allow you to think independently without believing in what others say or following the trend. If you were to just blindly live in the Sloth Apartments and buy a Fully-Automated Bickering Machine, wouldn't that go against the connotation of independent thinking?"
"I understand now! These two sentences are reminding us: if you don't use your brains to think but just believe in what others say, then it will be useless even if you stay in the Sloth Apartments and use the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine. It is impossible for them to change one's way of thinking. In other words, don't over-exaggerate and deify the meaning of these two things."
"At the same time, it is also hinting to us that we cannot just rely on foreign objects to change the way we think."
"Yes, that makes sense! It is useless staying in Sloth Apartments if you just blindly follow a trend."
"Having said that, the Sloth Apartments creates the environment, and the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine provides the carrier—which is helpful to our thinking. There is no doubt that they are only catalyst functions... and not a panacea for all diseases."
"As expected of Boss Pei, he is able to make things so much more philosophical with just two lines of explanatory text!"
"I want to buy it even more now!"
Qiao Liang nodded slightly after reading these comments.
Yes, the netizens were now getting more used to Boss Pei's way of thinking; there was no need for him to jump out to explain it.
Perhaps in the near future, the netizens would be able to comprehend Boss Pei's deep meaning every time he gave a quiz. That was enough for him to complete his mission!
Boss Pei's quiz was very simple this time. Everyone understood it in an instant.
Qiao Liang ordered the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine happily as he waited patiently for it to be delivered.
He took out the laptop that he brought with him on the sofa. He read that long Weibo post over and over again as he watched the lake.
As expected, he had new comprehension every time he read.
Qiao Liang had not given up even to this day. Boss Pei once told him that he would be able to obtain the real answer to the video of Thriller Hostel as long as he gave up interpreting 'Struggle' with Products of the Gods.
Therefore, Qiao Liang had been using He An's long Weibo as the key to his understanding.
Qiao Liang felt that He An's long Weibo post on 'Struggle' should be perfect in its own way. It was impossible to get something new out of it no matter how much more he delved into it.
What about outside the game 'Struggle' then?
Qiao Liang vaguely felt something after the recent incident with the Sloth Apartments and the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine, but he found it difficult to grasp.
He could feel that he was now just one clue away from stringing everything together.
All his confusion would be solved once he managed to find this clue!
Qiao Liang tried to think about all the contents during this period, including the Thriller Hostel, Fish-Catching Take-Out, 'Struggle', Sloth Apartments, Fully-Automated Bickering Machine, Deposit Fitness, Tengda Life App, etc. He searched for these key phrases while looking up this information online.
Qiao Liang's eye suddenly lit up.
He found a post with the title: 'Boss Pei shared the Full Text of His Speech on Wealth Outlook in the Science Hall' in the internal forum of Handong University.
That was a popular post in the internal forum of Handong University. There were many replies, but it seemed like it was not widely reposted on the internet.
Qiao Liang was not a student of Handong University so he could not reply to it, but he could read the entire text.
"Boss Pei's speech?
"It seemed real.
"It is actually not reposted?"
Qiao Liang originally had doubts about the authenticity of this manuscript since everyone should know if a celebrity like Boss Pei were to give a speech in school, right? How can he be so low profile that his manuscript was not circulated?
However, looking carefully at the replies below, Qiao Liang realized that Boss Pei did not give the speech personally, but he got someone else to read it.
"No wonder it wasn't made popular online. However, the contents of the speech seemed to have moved the students.
"Hmm... there is a need to read into the speech since it was written personally by Boss Pei."
Qiao Liang started reading the text.
This speech was targeted at all the needy students funded by Tengda. The topic was 'view on wealth'. The full text was actually only on one thing, which was Boss Pei's outlook on wealth.
Obviously, the speech was in hope that the needy students could use the money donated by Tengda to them wisely.
However, what surprised Qiao Liang was that Boss Pei did not emphasize for the needy students to be frugal or save money. He explained it from another angle.
Many needy students had a misunderstanding about the outlook on wealth, that was to equate 'wealth' with 'money' at their disposal and mistakenly believe that the correct outlook on wealth was to do everything possible to spend less and consume less.
However, Boss Pei proposed a new concept in his speech. To young people like them, the most precious wealth was not the money they had at their disposal, but their attention.
Therefore, they shouldn't save all their money without spending them; neither should they buy meaningless things just to satisfy their vanity, let alone spend it on distracting and indulgent entertainment activities.
Where should their money be spent on?
It should be spent on places where one could concentrate and think... use their money to create leverage with their attention so that you can maximize your wealth.
Qiao Liang suddenly felt like this, the clouds in front of his eyes dissipated.
He seemed to have finally grasped that thing he was searching for!