November 3rd, Thursday...
At Fish-Catching Internet Cafe, Handong University branch...
As Pei Qian sipped his coffee and browsed the web, he frowned.
He was puzzled.
Why was the public opinion on the internet changing every day?
Before this, everyone on the internet had been saying that Tengda was putting too much pressure on the clubs. The clubs had decided to quit, thinking that Tengda would most likely suffer and that it would not be able to run a GPL.
All in all, most of them either felt worried or felt bad. Some even felt indignant for the clubs.
Pei Qian had been quite happy at that time.
If everyone had continued moaning and groaning, no one would have wanted the clubs' GOG teams. Then, he would have bought them all. Wouldn't it have been wonderful to buy them all at a high price?
Yet, in less than two days, everything had changed!
For some reason, the news that the three clubs had decided not to sell their GOG teams, and that Shenhua Real Estate and Sun Strike Studios were also preparing to purchase GPL slots had spread. The public opinion then took a 180-degree turn!
"Am I seeing things? Shenhua Real Estate has entered the market? They want to dabble in E-Sports? This is a f*cking downturn! Can the other clubs compete with such money?"
"The GPL actually wants to have sixteen teams. How are they going to arrange the competition schedule?"
"One look and I can tell that this would be a huge investment!"
"It's over, I've been slapped in the face. I thought that the GPL would not be able to make it. Now, it looks like it's unstoppable. Just the slots alone are enough to drive everyone crazy!"
"They're only selling once? For three days? Hurry up and fight for it! Even if you get a slot for twenty million yuan, you'll still make a killing!"
"That's right. The entrance of large capital means that the entire market is optimistic about this prospect! Who knows, we might be able to earn millions or even tens of millions just by selling GPL slots in the future!"
The more Pei Qian read these comments, the more he felt that something was amiss.
Were there fake reviewers leading these discussions?
Two days ago, people had been saying that no one would want the GPL slots. How long had passed since? Had the public's opinion changed so quickly?
It was impossible to believe that no one was responsible for this.
However, even if he knew this, Pei Qian was helpless.
That was because Boss Pei had already fallen into a reverse Tacitus trap: once everyone saw him as the embodiment of wealth, people would take whatever he did as the secret to getting rich.
If Boss Pei said that the GPL would become popular, everyone would think that it would become popular.
If Boss Pei said that the GPL would not become popular, everyone would think that he was just being humble or trying to dissuade those with weak willpower.
All in all, as long as Boss Pei spoke, the GPL would become popular!
Thus, Pei Qian could only feel anxious and helpless. He could not do anything else.
However, on further thought, there were only a few days left until the auction. There was no need to struggle. He could sell them for as much as he wanted.
All he had to do after that was burst more brain cells thinking about how to spend money.
As he continued browsing the web, his cell phone rang.
He picked up his cell phone and saw that it was Old Ma.
"Brother Qian! I've already prepared the first episode. I'm planning to do a live-stream. Do you want to watch it live?" Ma Yang's excited voice sounded through the phone.
Pei Qian looked at the time, confused. It was 2 PM on Thursday.
After recovering from the initial shock, Pei Qian quickly nodded. "Alright, I'll be right there! Uh, where's the address?"
Ma Yang said, "I'll send it to you now!"
After hanging up, Pei Qian could not help but feel emotional again. Old Ma was indeed reliable.
Wouldn't it be better to choose a weekend for the first live-stream? Wouldn't it be better to choose a prime time of around eight in the evening?
Why did you have to choose an afternoon on a work day? Everyone's at work. How many people would watch your live-stream?
Still, this suited Pei Qian's expectations. After all, the smaller the number of viewers, the less likely it would become popular!
Pei Qian looked at the address on his cell phone.
Old Ma had rented a special office space for the live-stream this time. Chen Yufeng and the entire professional review team usually worked there.
Pei Qian immediately rushed over.
...
At the same time, Ma Yang was reading Chen Yufeng's script seriously.
Although he did not have to memorize it and could watch the teleprompter during the live-stream, Ma Yang was afraid that he would stutter. Thus, he wanted to read it twice through in advance. That way, the live-stream would be smoother.
Initially, Chen Yufeng had thought of hiring someone to do some makeup for Boss Ma, but Boss Ma rejected him.
Ma Yang was very repulsed by makeup and had no interest in wearing a suit.
At last, at Chen Yufeng's persistent insistence, Ma Yang went to wash his hair.
On the table in front of Ma Yang were piles of learning materials.
Plastic book covers, pencils, erasers, table mats, folders, solid glue, and so on. There were several sets of learning supplies, each with a different brand.
The other staff were busy with their own tasks. Some were checking the cameras, some were adjusting the lights, and some were preparing various emergency plans.
This group of people had been hired by Chen Yufeng one by one after he entered the company. They were talents in all fields. Now, the entire team was serving Ma Yang alone. Their task was to provide Ma Yang with live-stream content.
As for whether Ma Yang could really become an internet celebrity, it was hard to say. It would depend on fate.
However, at the very least, the live-stream content provided by these teams was accurate.
Boss Pei entered while everyone was busy.
Chen Yufeng rushed forward. "Boss Pei!"
Pei Qian nodded. At once, he spotted Old Ma reading his script seriously, as well as the mess of learning materials on the table.
Pei Qian was stunned. "This is...?"
Chen Yufeng quickly explained, "Oh, Boss Pei, there are the things that we prepared for Boss Ma's first live-stream: learning supplies evaluation."
Noticing that Boss Pei looked a little surprised, Chen Yufeng quickly said, "Boss Pei, you said that we could review anything earlier on. That's why we decided to start with some small things. If it doesn't work, we'll change it next time..."
Pei Qian raised his hand. "No need! This is good enough."
Obviously, Chen Yufeng was afraid of offending big manufacturers. He did not dare to evaluate popular digital products right from the start. Instead, he had chosen to review unimportant things first.
That was not bad to Pei Qian.
After all, being scolded could generate traffic as well.
No one would be interested or pay attention to these small things. Naturally, there would be no traffic. That was good.
Ma Yang noticed Pei Qian as well. He turned his long face around and said, "Brother Qian, you're here!"
"I'm busy, and so I won't have time to host you. Just watch my performance later!"
After Ma Yang finished speaking, he started reciting the script once again.
Pei Qian stood calmly by the side, took out his cell phone, and entered Old Ma's live-stream, waiting to watch the bullet screen comments.
He had to admit that Ma Yang had accumulated hundreds of thousands of fans over this period of time.
After all, he had been burning real money. Since Ma Yang had nothing better to do on Weibo, he had been posting about the Dream Fund every day and garnered a lot of attention as a result. Earlier on, he had also asked DGE's players to play games with him. That also directed a large number of fans to the live-stream.
What's more, Old Ma had shared his investment experience in the live-stream. He was regarded by the audience as an 'investor driven by interest' and had thus attracted countless fans.
Finally, the preparation work was almost done. They waited for the live-stream to begin.
Ma Yang read the script two more times, then raised his hand and made an 'okay' sign. "We can start now!"
Chen Yufeng nodded. "Alright, we'll officially start the live-stream then!"
Pei Qian could not help but feel emotional. It all looked quite legitimate.
After being packaged by a professional team, Old Ma looked like a real live-streamer.
However, there was something wrong with the goods he was reviewing.
Everyone else reviewed lipstick, cosmetics, and the like, but Ma Yang was reviewing learning materials.
Those who did not know anything would have thought that this was a live-stream meant for primary school students!
An image appeared on the live-stream, and a big group of viewers flooded in. However, since it was a work day, there were not many people.
"Boss Ma is starting the broadcast!"
"What has Boss Ma been busy with recently?"
"Boss Ma, do you know about the recent GPL matter? Do you have any insider information?"
"Eh, Boss Ma's live-stream background has changed. Why? Has the background been specially prepared?"
It had been a while since the fans saw Boss Ma live-streaming. All of them were very passionate, and sporadic gifts floated by.
Ma Yang quickly asked, "Who's sending me gifts?
"Manager Fang, permanently ban anyone who gives me presents, understand?
"I don't lack money. Please don't give me gifts. I'll fight anyone who does!
"Alright, almost everyone's here. Let's get straight to the point.
"Today, I'll introduce a few items to everyone."
Ma Yang brought the items that he had prepared in front of the camera.
A bunch of question marks appeared on the live-stream.
"???"
"Boss Ma is... advertising?"
"If Boss Ma is so rich, why is he advertising?"
"Are they promoting some high-end luxury goods?"
"What is this? It looks like a pencil, eraser, and solid glue?"
"What the hell?"
The audience was stunned.
They had not expected Boss Ma to introduce items at the start of the live-stream. What was that supposed to mean?
Ma Yang ignored the bullet screen comments and read his script.
"Today, I'll show everyone a few items that you must not buy.
"These pencils and erasers have high levels of polycyclic hydrocarbons; these table pads and folders are overpriced; these solid glues contain a large amount of formaldehyde; these plastic books have high levels of polycyclic hydrocarbons and benzodiazepines..."
Chapter 716: Another Recruitment Season
The professional team's script was very detailed. It included the brands of the learning supplies, the purchase method, the testing reports from the professional testing laboratory, and so on. Everything was complete.
The beginning of the live-stream was a simple summary.
However, every item would then be introduced in detail, with emphasis on the toxic and harmful substances that could cause harm to one's health.
Among these products, some did not have clear brand names but had corresponding sales channels, and had brands. Ma Yang spoke the names of the brands without attempting to hide anything.
Soon, the comments in the live-stream changed completely.
At first, everyone had just been watching for fun and not paying much attention. However, slowly, the bullet screen comments became serious.
"So, Boss Ma is not endorsing these brands, but exposing their fake and inferior products?"
"?? My child uses this type of eraser!"
"There are even big brands in here. Their products sell very well both online and at the stationery store outside the school. Yet, even they don't meet the standards?"
"These are all strong carcinogens meant for children's use! Do these merchants have any morals?"
"Boss Ma seems to be well-prepared. Thank you for exposing these rubbish products, Boss Ma!"
The viewers typing the bullet screen comments had had no interest in Ma Yang's live-stream at all.
Who would want to watch an endorsement of pencil erasers? There were no primary school students watching the live-stream.
What's more, most people subconsciously believed that things like pencils, erasers, book covers, and solid glue would not differ much even if their price and quality were different.
Even if people endorsed particular products, no one would go online just to buy them.
However, the audience had not thought that Boss Ma was not endorsing those goods, but exposing them!
What's more, he was honest, fair, and outspoken for small brands and large local stationery brands alike!
It would be meaningless to listen to endorsements, but interesting to listen to exposés!
There was a small number of people watching the live-stream, whose children had to use these stationery in school. When they heard that these stationery contained high levels of toxic and harmful substances, they became extremely anxious. Although most other people had no direct interest in this matter, it was easy for them to feel indignant about the harmful stationery as well.
It was one thing to sell poor-quality and expensive stationery, but quite another to cut corners to save a few yuan and endanger children's health in the process.
Was this something a human could do?
"I support Boss Ma!"
"Has anyone recorded this? Put it up on the internet! Expose these black-hearted and unscrupulous merchants!"
"Is Boss Ma's conclusion reliable? Don't you think he's exaggerating things to scare us? People pay so much more for these branded products, and yet they're not that far off from third-rate goods? That seems a little ridiculous..."
"Boss Ma has test reports available already. He must have tested it seriously!"
"I'm a fan of Boss Ma now!"
"I used to think that Boss Ma was just throwing money away on Weibo. Now, it seems like Boss Ma is not only an investor driven by interest and a dream-fulfiller for ordinary people, but he is also the nemesis of fake and inferior products! I will not miss a single live-stream from Boss Ma from now on!"
"Boss Ma is so tough – he's a real man!"
As Ma Yang continued live-streaming, more and more bullet screen comments appeared.
Pei Qian read the bullet screen comments on Ma Yang's live-stream using his cell phone. For a while, he was speechless.
What the f*ck...?
The situation had completely exceeded Pei Qian's expectations. At first, he had thought that Ma Yang would just be exposing poor-quality learning equipment. Who would be interested in such content?
Never would he have expected the content of this episode to be so well-received!
On further thought, this was mainly because he had made a mistake.
Like many viewers, Pei Qian had subconsciously thought that even if the quality of some pencils, erasers, plastic book covers, and solid glue were not as good, they could not be that bad.
However, the test results revealed that his imagination could never keep up with the decline in manufacturers' moral standards.
It was precisely because these things seemed worthless and common that such a serious quality problem had been allowed to fester. Naturally, people felt indignant that children's health was being put at risk!
Pei Qian had a bad feeling about this.
From the looks of it, Old Ma's live-stream was going to be a success!
"Could Old Ma really become an internet celebrity?
"Wouldn't that stray too far from reality?
"No, calm down. Things shouldn't be that bad yet..."
After careful consideration, Pei Qian decided to wait and see.
That was because this was just the beginning. The further they went, the greater the resistance and problems would become.
This was only the first episode; the manufacturers that Ma Yang had exposed were not prepared at all.
However, as Ma Yang exposed more and more problematic manufacturers, they would surely work together to think of ways to take revenge and play some tricks.
What's more, most people's anger came and went quickly.
For ordinary people, the desire to spend money was endless. Real live streamers who endorsed products had very loyal fans as well. Their audience would view their live-streams and try to understand their content for no reason, even if had no intentions of buying the products.
Most people would not watch exposés every day either. They would only pay attention when they really needed the products.
Ma Yang was starting off well, but his success might not be sustainable. What if he suddenly stopped live-streaming after a month or two?
That was very possible!
That was because it was easy for people to get tired of Ma Yang's content. It would feel fresh the first time they saw it, but the more they watched, the more boring it would become.
What's more, Ma Yang was doing the right thing.
Pei Qian had always hated toxic and harmful products like houses with formaldehyde. Since what Old Ma was doing now could protect the interests and health of ordinary consumers, it was meaningful.
Even if he earned some money from it, Pei Qian could tolerate it.
Moreover, the possibility of earning money from it was not high at the moment.
Pei Qian had already warned the team not to accept any money from manufacturers.
Regardless of whether the manufacturer was offering money for them to say good things, bad things, or nothing about their product, they could not accept the money.
From the looks of the current situation, Ma Yang's live-stream had gained a certain amount of popularity and traffic, but there was no possibility of generating profits yet.
Thus, although Ma Yang's 'reverse endorsing' live-stream was off to a good start, Pei Qian had no intention of stopping him. Instead, he decided to let Ma Yang continue for a while longer and observe the situation.
Soon, the live-stream ended.
Ma Yang finally finished reading his script. A wide grin split his long face. "Alright, that's all for today's live-stream. See you next time!"
After the live-stream ended, Ma Yang received a glass of water from Chen Yufeng. He took two sips. Then, he impatiently asked, "How was it, Brother Qian? My performance was not bad, right?"
Pei Qian nodded. "Yes, continue working hard!"
...
At the same time, in a hotel in Jingzhou City...
Half a year had passed in the blink of an eye. It was a new recruitment season for Tengda.
Wu Bin and his colleagues from the HR department helped to maintain order at the examination venue.
The biggest feeling Wu Bin had was that more and more people were taking Tengda's entrance examination!
As more and more people signed up, more exam venues had to be arranged. The expenses for the entire recruitment season were also increasing.
Tengda's recruitment season, which took place twice a year, became one of the most important responsibilities for the HR and administrative departments. They always had to start preparing one or two months in advance.
This time, Tengda had booked more than ten large banquet halls in Jingzhou as examination venues. Wu Bin was in charge of maintaining order in one of the examination venues.
At noon, many foreign candidates returned to their rooms to rest. However, some other candidates remained in the examination hall, reading seriously and answering questions.
Many young men from Fish-Catching Take-Out rushed over to deliver the lunch that the candidates had ordered.
Many foreign candidates took this opportunity to taste the famous Fish-Catching Take-Out.
Wu Bin had been walking around the examination hall aimlessly when he suddenly noticed a few books on one of the candidates' table.
'Detailed Answers for Tengda's Entrance Examination'.
'Encyclopedia for Tengda's Entrance Examination:'
'Prediction of Various Professional Knowledge Questions in the Tengda Entrance Examination'.
Wu Bin was stunned.
"Guide books for Tengda's entrance examinations?"
Chapter 717: Guide Books for Tengda's Entrance Examinations
Wu Bin almost thought that he was seeing things.
These books were not big or thick, but the words 'Tengda Entertainment Examination' were written on the cover!
In fact, candidates had started bringing their own guide books to the exam a while ago. Although they could not copy the answers, they could read them during the lunch break and revise their knowledge. That served to boost their confidence at the last minute.
However, the guide books that the previous candidates had brought with them were guide books for government officials' recruitment tests, and that was because the administrative aptitude portion could be applied universally.
Now, there were guide books for Tengda's entrance exam?
Wu Bin felt amazed.
To the candidate who was revising, he asked, "Can I take a look at this book?"
He pointed at the 'Detailed Answers for Tengda's Entrance Examination'.
The candidate saw Wu Bin's staff badge and knew that he was a staff of Tengda. He could not help but feel nervous as he nodded quickly and handed the book over.
Wu Bin reached out and took it. Then, he flipped through it briefly and scanned a few sets of questions.
They were real questions?
Wu Bin instinctively frowned. Could someone in the company have leaked the questions?
Tengda's recruitment examinations were as strict as government officials'. Once the examinations were over, not only would the exam papers be taken away, but any draft answers would also be taken away. The questions for the examinations would not be publicized through any channels either.
Logically speaking, the outside world should not be able to obtain these questions.
Wu Bin immediately became cautious. He could not afford to be careless about this.
He flipped to the answers portion and read the standard answer for the question.
This time, Wu Bin heaved a sigh of relief.
The standard answer was different from the standard answer set by Tengda.
When he flipped back to take a closer look at the questions in front, he realized that the descriptions of some of the questions were not accurate. This was especially so for longer questions – there seemed to be slight errors in them.
Although it did not affect the content and answers, it showed that the information had not been leaked from within Tengda.
"It's alright. I don't think it was an insider."
It seemed like the questions had been collated by training organizations in society.
The same happened for government officials' recruitment examinations. They were much stricter than Tengda's, and some questions contained classified information belonging to the country. Yet, the real questions could still be found online every year.
That was because many training organizations resorted to stupid methods like assigning their own trainers to take the examinations. Some would memorize the questions while others would copy the questions on their admission tickets. Even netizens would remember the questions and share them online.
All in all, there were too many ways to reproduce a set of questions, and these methods were all perfectly legal.
With these questions, training organization would then engage experts to decipher the answers. Finally, they would analyze the learning points contained in the questions and break them down to their students.
These answers were not necessarily correct or consistent with Tengda's standard answers. However, since they had been written by professionals, they were definitely better than ordinary candidates'. Thus, the books still offered some guidance.
Wu Bin heaved another long sigh.
It was impossible to keep the real questions a secret.
It was good enough to be able to confirm that it was not his own company that had leaked the information and that there were no spies invigilating.
The current situation only proved how popular Tengda's recruitment examinations were.
Wu Bin thanked the candidate and returned the book to him. Then, he made a mental note of the matter.
Specialized training organizations were already producing teaching materials for Tengda's recruitment examinations. What's more, they had even replicated the real questions.
Wu Bin had thought that something like this might happen, but he had not expected it to happen so quickly.
This made Wu Bin a little uncomfortable.
That was because Tengda had introduced the recruitment examinations to create a fair and just environment for all applicants.
Candidates could not be blamed for testing their administrative skills and improving their professional knowledge to increase their chances of passing the examinations.
However, many training organizations were in it for the money. By selling the real questions for Tengda's recruitment examinations, they had caused a stir among the candidates and profited from it.
As one could imagine, more and more people would be sitting for Tengda's recruitment examinations. The more candidates there were, the more benefits those training organizations would reap.
Then, if candidates did not buy the real questions from those training organizations, they would be at a disadvantage in the examinations. A vicious cycle would form.
This made Wu Bin a little unhappy.
However, Wu Bin could do nothing about it.
After all, training organizations had cast their shadow over most examinations in the world. They were not doing anything illegal. How could Wu Bin stop them from reproducing and attempting to decipher Tengda's real questions?
That was unrealistic.
Therefore, Wu Bin only made a mental note of the matter and prepared to send a report to Hao Yun when he returned to the office. Then, Hao Yun would report the matter to Boss Pei and let him decide what to do.
...
It was afternoon and almost time to knock off.
After finishing his work for the day, Wu Bin looked at his watch. It was about time for him to go home and rest.
At that moment, his cell phone rang. It was an unknown number.
"Hello?" Wu Bin picked up the phone.
A very polite voice fawned through the phone.
"Hello! Are you Mr. Wu from Tengda? Is it convenient for you to speak now?"
Wu Bin frowned slightly and did not answer the question directly. "What's the matter?"
The person on the phone smiled. "Oh, Mr. Wu, I'm calling from a professional training organization. We would like to discuss a partnership with you."
Wu Bin was stunned. "A partnership?"
The person on the phone replied, "Yes, Mr Wu, it's like this. We have long heard that there is a very important segment in Tengda's recruitment exam called the Tengda Spirit Test. Is that true?
"We've thought about supplementary material related to the Tengda spirit test that we can produce.
"To be honest, the demand for this material is huge. Many of our students want to buy it. However, we really don't have the means to obtain it."
"That's why I'm approaching you.
"If you can provide relevant channels to us and partner us in coming up with a guide book for the Tengda Spirit test, we can discuss how to split the profits later on.
"It would be even better if there are real questions! Even if you can't provide real questions, as long as the information is mostly accurate and no one would be able to see through it, that would be enough...
"Do you understand what I mean?"
Wu Bin frowned. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Where did you get my contact information?"
The other party seemed to sense that Wu Bin was angry. He quickly explained, "Don't think too much, Mr. Wu. We definitely had no intention to invade your privacy. We just wanted to form a connection so that we can strike it rich together. No, I should say we want to make a career out of it."
In a low voice, Wu Bin said, "Only a small number of candidates would get to the Tengda Spirit compatibility test. Most would be rejected after the written tests. Not everyone would need the guide book, right?"
The person on the other end of the line said, "Mr. Wu, there are things you don't know about this. We can make the sales.
"The guide books for the written examinations, interviews, and Tengda Spirit test would be tied together for sale. Each book would be sold for about twenty yuan, and that would add up to sixty yuan. Most people would not mind spending another twenty yuan just to save time and energy.
"Indeed, very few people would find a use for it. However, that doesn't matter as long as everyone is a willing party."
Wu Bin understood.
The training organization that called knew very well that the guide book for the Tengda Spirit test would be useless to 99% of people who planned to take the Tengda recruitment examinations.
If one started studying for the Tengda Spirit test despite not being able to pass the written test, wouldn't that be akin to trying to fly before learning to walk?
What's more, those who were ultimately hired would be subtly influenced by their departments. Most of them would be able to pass the Tengda Spirit compatibility test successfully. Thus, they would not need the guide books.
That was why this training organization did not insist on having real questions for the Tengda Spirit test.
As long as they could fool their customers and not be exposed, they would be happy.
To put it bluntly, they wanted to collect as much IQ tax as possible.
If they sold the guide books for the written tests, interviews, and Tengda Spirit test as a set, everyone who walked by would think all three books were equally useful. Then, they would buy them all at once.
That twenty yuan would be pure IQ tax, but most people would not even realize that.
Wu Bin kept quiet for a moment, and then said, "This is Tengda's top secret. I advise you not to think about this anymore. Otherwise, nothing good will come of it!"
With that, Wu Bin hung up.
That was ridiculous.
The Tengda spirit was Tengda's top secret. It was the spiritual wealth that all employees of Tengda possessed. Wu Bin had only come up with guidelines to describe it after painstakingly summarizing Boss Pei's words and actions.
How could he use it to do business and earn money?
He could not tolerate being used by these training organizations to collect IQ tax from their students!
Wu Bin felt the need to take this matter seriously.
Since these training organizations could find his contact details, they could definitely find other employees' contact details as well.
Wu Bin was an employee of the HR department. He had the deepest understanding of the Tengda spirit and was the most determined. That was why he could resist such temptation.
However, what about other ordinary employees?
They might not understand the seriousness of this matter, or they might be bought over by money.
If these training organizations managed to produce a guide book for the Tengda Spirit test, they would form an industrial chain. Although they might not be able to make much money from it now, as Tengda grew in size, more and more people would take part in its entrance examinations. Then, the training organizations would reap more and more benefits.
This was obviously not in line with the Tengda spirit.
He had to report this to Boss Pei as soon as possible and deal with the hidden threat!
He looked at the time. It was time to knock off.
Wu Bin thought for a while and decided to report a summary of these things to Hao Yun tomorrow morning. Then, he would ask Hao Yun to report them to Boss Pei so that he could decide what to do.
Chapter 718: Modified Tengda Spirit Test
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
November 4th, Friday...
Pei Qian finished his breakfast at Fish-Catching Internet Cafe and walked towards the office.
Ma Yang's live-stream yesterday was rather successful.
Although it had not been particularly popular, the response had been very good. What's more, the live-stream had been uploaded to Aili Island and other major platforms.
Those toxic stationery brands were completely exposed overnight. Some of the more famous stationery manufacturers even released urgent notices saying that they would investigate the allegations thoroughly.
Although they had not given satisfactory answers or compensation, at least the matter had been exposed. Many people knew about it now, and that was a good thing.
However, for Ma Yang's live-stream, that was as far as its popularity went.
It had caused a wave of discussion within a small group of people, but it had not become popular on a large scale. It gained a little boost in reputation, but it did not earn much profit or traffic.
Pei Qian found this acceptable.
As Old Ma offended more manufacturers and released all sorts of exposés, Pei Qian would be able to see if this model could really incur losses.
He had not intended to return to the office at first. However, he received a message from Hao Yun during lunch, saying that she had something to report to him, and it was about Tengda's recruitment examinations.
Since Pei Qian had nothing to do, he strolled into the office, wanting to hear more from Hao Yun.
Hao Yun knocked on the door not long after he arrived.
"Boss Pei, our department detected some hidden threats during the recruitment examinations this time. We don't know if we should resolve them or how to resolve them. That's why we're reporting to you."
Pei Qian reached out to take the written report. As he listened to Hao Yun, he quickly scanned through it.
The more he listened, the more he felt like he was living in a fantasy.
Was an industrial chain really forming based on the guide books for Tengda's recruitment examination?
Were those training organizations really thinking about profiting from the Tengda Spirit test?
It looked like Tengda had become a very influential company indeed. More and more people wanted to join Tengda and become official employees, and that was why this new industry formed.
Pei Qian could not help but frown, feeling worried.
Those who bought these guide books and went for training classes would indeed be able to get high marks in the written test. There was no doubt about that.
However, wouldn't that also mean there was a higher chance of those candidates that Tengda recruited being impressive and hardworking?
However, there was nothing Pei Qian could do about it. Tengda's good reputation had already spread. Many people were trying their best to get in.
They could change the content of the examinations or the screening rules however they liked. Even if they did not end up hiring elites, they would definitely end up hiring all-rounders who were not the worst.
This was difficult to resolve.
What's more, Pei Qian abhorred the behavior of these training organizations. In essence, they were doing what many 'super high schools' were doing.
The quota was limited, but some people started the "arms race", thereby forcing others to follow suit. A vicious cycle was formed, in which everyone was tired, but no one was benefitting.
Although this did not prevent Pei Qian from incurring losses, it made him unhappy.
Seeing Boss Pei remain silent, Hao Yun's expression turned serious. "Boss Pei, have you noticed it as well?"
Pei Qian: "?"
What have I noticed?
Hao Yun continued, "Boss Pei, I think it's becoming more and more important for us to cleanse the internal atmosphere and resist external temptations!
"A publisher approached Wu Bin yesterday, wanting topay a huge sum of money for the Tengda Spirit test questions. Fortunately, Wu Bin was resilient and rejected them.
"However, this will definitely not be the last time. People in key positions in Tengda might not be able to resist the temptation. We have to take precautions against this risk!"
Pei Qian blinked.
Oh, you're talking about this...
He had not thought about it before. However, now that he thought about it, it did seem to be a problem.
"What do you think we should do?" Pei Qian asked.
Hao Yun had obviously thought about this question before. She immediately answered, "Boss Pei, I think there are two main ways.
"First, strengthen the supervisory power of the HR and administrative departments over the rest of Tengda's departments and people in key positions. That would prevent anyone from selling out the company's interests or using power for personal gain.
"Second, strengthen the ideological education of the employees. Make them realize the seriousness of this matter, and clarify the consequences and punishments.
"As for the specific punishments, I suggest establishing different punishment mechanisms for different mistakes. The lightest punishment would be the deduction of money, and the heaviest punishment would be retrenchment. There must be a clear distinction between the different levels of punishment for violating the rules. All violations must be reported immediately and should not be tolerated."
Pei Qian fell into deep thought once again.
Pei Qian had to severely punish anyone who broke the law or the rules because the system expressly prohibited it.
As for the employees making use of their position to earn some money... How should he deal with that?
Take what had happened yesterday for example. People from an external training organization had approached Wu Bin, hoping for his help in producing a guide book for the Tengda Spirit test. If Wu Bin had agreed, how would Pei Qian have dealt with the problem? How would Wu Bin have been punished?
That was what Pei Qian was conflicted about.
He definitely could not strengthen the supervisory power of the HR and administrative departments.
What if the slackers stopped slacking?
Yet, it did not seem right to ignore the problem completely.
Pei Qian cleared his throat. "How about this? The way I see it, we don't have to set up different punishment mechanisms. Whenever we find out that someone made use of their position for their own profit, no matter how much money he or she received and no matter how serious it was, he or she would be fired immediately. We would not accept such a person back again!
"Of course, we would have to compensate them if we want to fire them. After all, they are all employees who have more or less contributed to Tengda.
"As for ideological education, do as you see fit. If you want to do it, do it, but there's no need to be too serious about it."
Pei Qian was thinking that if such a thing really happened, he would just fire the culprit!
In any case, those who could make use of their positions for their own profit were those who held relatively important positions in the company. If such people could remain in their positions for so long, it probably meant that they were capable people. Pei Qian could take the opportunity to fire capable people, so that they could not obstruct him from losing money.
What's more, if he compensated them after firing them, he would be making the best use of his resources.
He had to spend as much as he could!
For some reason, Hao Yun felt moved. She nodded. "I understand, Boss Pei!"
Although Boss Pei spoke in a casual tone, Hao Yun felt that his words had a hidden meaning.
Boss Pei had rejected the suggestion to 'strengthen supervisory power'. This meant that, in Boss Pei's opinion, although strengthening internal management and preventing self-profit in the office were important, maintaining the free-spirited working environment within the company was even more important.
Why was there no need to come up with different punishment mechanisms?
Obviously, in Boss Pei's eyes, no matter how small the offence, the culprit had to be severely punished!
Other companies would think of ways to protect employees with outstanding abilities but who were morally flawed. Their concern was not humanity, but protection of the company's interests.
After all, if they were to replace those in key positions, the replacements might not necessarily be able to do the job well. What's more, if they were to do so, daily operations would definitely be affected.
However, leaving them in the company would also negatively affect the internal atmosphere of the entire company. It would not be completely fair and impartial.
That was exactly how Boss Pei was different from other bosses.
On one hand, he was impartial and did not care about past relationships. As long as one used his or her position for self-profit, he or she would be asked to step down from any position immediately, regardless of their past relationship with Boss Pei.
On the other hand, if it were just a work mistake, they would not be punished. Even if one was fired, he or she would be duly compensated as an expression of Boss Pei's gratitude and kindness to his colleagues. This showed how well Boss Pei treated his employees.
On further thought, this was the most appropriate way to deal with the problem according to the Tengda spirit!
Looking at Hao Yun's complicated expression, Pei Qian felt like he had been misunderstood again.
However, it did not matter. He was used to it now...
Hao Yun asked again, "In that case, Boss Pei, do we still need to deal with the fact that there are training organizations outside trying to profit from our recruitment examinations?"
Pei Qian pondered for a moment and shook his head. "There's not much impact for now. Don't worry about it. I'll think about it later."
The behavior of these training organizations had created a stir among Tengda's candidates. What's more, their use of Tengda's candidates for profit made Pei Qian feel disgusted.
Yet, the impact was relatively small at the moment, and Pei Qian had not thought of a good solution. He could only set it aside for now and wait for more good ideas to come to him.
Hao Yun turned to leave.
"Wait."
Pei Qian suddenly thought of a problem and stopped her. "The passing rate of the Tengda Spirit test has been at 100% recently. Do you have any views on this?"
Pei Qian had long been suspicious of this.
However, he could not think of a good explanation.
Logically speaking, the Tengda Spirit test was meant to be difficult. How could 100% of people pass it?
Yet, the reality was that majority of newbies had passed the test on their first try. The worst among them had passed the test within a month. None of them had been eliminated.
That was strange.
Hao Yun was stunned. She quickly said, "Perhaps... everyone has a deeper understanding of the Tengda Spirit? After all, the atmosphere in the company subtly influences these new employees."
Pei Qian nodded subtly.
There was indeed such a possibility.
"Alright, there's nothing else for now," said Pei Qian.
Hao Yun heaved a long sigh of relief and turned to leave.
Once again, Pei Qian accessed the Tengda Spirit test's platform and took a good look at the questions that had been changed many times before.
Actually, Pei Qian changed those questions often. Sometimes, he would change keywords of a question, and cause the answers to change. Other times, he would simply come up with new questions.
However, no matter what, the new employees would always pass the test.
Pei Qian had secretly checked on the employees who were in charge of these functions many times. Indeed, there was no possibility of any questions leaking.
Therefore, it was more likely that the employees truly understood the Tengda Spirit and passed the test based on their own ability.
Then, therein lay a problem: If the employees understood the Tengda Spirit and prided themselves in being lazy, why was he still earning money?
Pei Qian could not figure out what exactly was going on.
"No, something must be wrong here!
"I can't let this go!"
The more Pei Qian thought about it, the more he felt that something was amiss.
Perhaps the Tengda spirit had been misinterpreted.
These people might have come up with another explanation by pure accident and matched my answer perfectly.
It was entirely possible!
At that thought, Pei Qian began to think of a plan.
A moment later, he sent a message to the employee in charge of the TPDb website.
"Modify the Tengda Spirit test. Finish it before the new batch of employees enter.
"Reduce the number of questions and extend the duration for each question. Under each question, insert a box for candidates to write their own input. Get them to explain in detail why they chose this option!"
Chapter 719: The Auction Venue
Pei Qian still felt that something must have gone wrong with the Tengda Spirit test. Thus, he decided to use this method to find out.
The Tengda Spirit test was the last segment of the recruitment examinations. Only new employees could take part in it. What's more, Pei Qian would not need to read everyone's answers; he would only need to read a few exam papers to find some clues.
Pei Qian only wanted to see how these people were choosing the right answer.
Had they really developed a lazy attitude?
Of course, the answers on the test papers might not really be what those people thought.
It was also possible that some people would be thinking of slacking, but would not dare to say it aloud when answering open questions. Instead, they would try to cover it up.
There was no way for Pei Qian to resolve this. After all, he could not read minds, and he could not decipher the employees' true thoughts.
However, if he were to ask the employees to explain why they chose this option, and the employees' answers were not sincere, he would at least be able to detect some flaws.
Since recruitment was taking place this week, new employees would be hired next week. The next Tengda Spirit test would be next week at the earliest.
Thus, Pei Qian asked the staff to modify the Tengda Spirit test's programme. Then, he would be able to use the new version for the next Tengda Spirit test.
...
...
November 6th, Sunday...
At DGE Club...
The cleaner had just finished cleaning the place, and the entire training ground was now clean and spotless.
The ten new members of the two teams in the club were participating in a mock competition. Although they looked focused, they actually felt distracted.
That was because something big was going to happen today.
All bidding for the GPL would be held at DGE Club!
The thought that a major event that would decide the future of the entire industry was going to take place right here made everyone feel antsy.
The living room on the second floor of the club's villa had always been used as a large conference room. Now, it had been cleaned up and was very tidy. There were a total of thirty chairs around the large conference table and outside the conference room.
It was a little crowded, but it was alright.
However, Zhang Yuan felt that something was still lacking.
Who were the people coming today?
Shenhua Real Estate's Boss Lin, Sun Strike Studios' Boss Zhou, Xue Zhebin, Boss Li, and so on.
They were here to buy spots in the GPL. Each spot would cost more than ten million yuan. Yet, they were going to discuss business in DGE Club's conference room?
Wasn't that a little unbecoming?
Although there had been a time limit of three days, more than twenty companies and organizations had expressed interest in the GPL two days ago.
The representatives from more than twenty companies, the managers of the three clubs that were going to be sold, Pei Qian, Zhang Yuan, and staff from Tengda Corporation's legal department added up to more than thirty people.
The future of the entire GPL league was about to be decided in this conference room.
本来张元是打算到外边租个大点的,体面点的场地,但裴总表示不用了,就在这开就行.
Zhang Yuan had no choice but to hire someone to clean up the entire base and tidy it up, hoping that he would not leave a bad impression on the investors.
Pei Qian sipped his tea as he waited for the bidders to arrive.
He had already done a lot of preparation beforehand. Now, he only hoped that the offers would be low!
As for why he chose DGE Club...
Wouldn't he be able to spend more money by choosing a bigger venue?
Obviously, Pei Qian wanted to leave a bad impression on the bidders.
If he had chosen a high-end venue, everyone would assume that Boss Pei was extremely sincere. They would think that he was willing to spend a lot of money for the sake of the GPL, and that they would not lose out if they bought a GPL spot!
If everyone kept pushing the price upwards, wouldn't Pei Qian have a huge problem on his hands?
He could not afford to incur such a huge loss over something so small.
Thus, Pei Qian had not looked for high-end venues. Instead, he had decided to conduct the bidding at DGE Club's base. He wanted everyone to bid more conservatively in a relatively simple environment so that Tengda could earn less.
Pei Qian could not predict how much the GPL slots would be sold for later, nor could he interfere. If they fought to raise the price, Pei Qian could not stop them.
He could only resort to such methods to subtly influence the companies that were bidding.
Today was Sunday, and they could eat in the biggest private room in the nameless restaurant tonight.
Pei Qian had already booked it in advance. Once the auction was over, he would invite everyone there for a meal. In any case, everyone was here, and the timing was just right. They would just have a meal to share some of Boss Pei's burdens, and then leave after.
He glanced at his watch. There was less than half an hour until the agreed time. The investors who were preparing to bid for the GPL spot should be arriving soon.
Zhang Yuan suggested, "Boss Pei, should we go to the entrance to welcome them?"
Pei Qian nodded. "Yes, let's go."
The two of them walked to the entrance of the club and waited for everyone to arrive.
Boss Li and another Jingzhou local investor were the first to arrive. Speaking of which, DGE Club's villa belonged to him in the first place, so it was like he was returning to his own home.
After Li Shi greeted Boss Pei, he went upstairs to wait. There were special waiters there to receive him, guide him to his seat, and serve him tea.
Not long after, Lin Chang arrived.
Pei Qian was a little surprised because Shenhua Real Estate was bidding this time. Logically, Lin Zhou should have come instead.
Lin Chang smiled. "My second brother is too busy, and he has no time. Don't worry, I can make the decision for him! Boss Pei, just watch!"
After speaking, Lin Chang winked at Pei Qian.
Pei Qian: "..."
He suddenly had an ominous feeling.
Lin Chang also went to the conference room to wait.
Not long after, Zhou Muyan, Xue Zhebin, and the other "Crown Prince" of Jinding Corporation, Yao Bo, who wanted to bid for the GPL spot, arrived.
Xue Zhebin and Yao Bo were both rich second-generation heirs and had known each other for a long time. On the other hand, Zhou Muyan's Sun Strike Studios had always been involved in games with paywalls and had a certain connection with these rich second-generation heirs who loved to play games. It just so happened that they had bumped into each other.
Pei Qian shook hands with the three of them and exchanged some pleasantries.
"Everyone, please come in. Someone will receive you on the second floor," said Pei Qian.
Pei Qian was actually quite resistant towards and repulsed by these people who had come to bid for GPL spots. After all, these people were here to stuff money into his pockets and not to help him spend money. They could not possibly receive good treatment from Boss Pei.
However, since they were guests from afar, Pei Qian could not be that impolite. Thus, he still greeted him politely.
Zhou Muyan looked at his watch. "Boss Pei, there's still about fifteen minutes to go. Can we walk around inside?"
Pei Qian nodded. "Of course, feel free."
He did not mind too much. If they wanted to look around, so be it. DGE Club's so-called training base was nothing more than a dilapidated villa. There were no secrets. They could see whatever they wanted.
The three of them entered the villa while Pei Qian and Zhang Yuan waited outside for the others to arrive.
Once Zhou Muyan, Xue Zhebin, and Yao Bo entered the villa, they surveyed the training room in the hall instead of rushing to the second floor.
This was Yao Bo's first time in Jingzhou. He could not help but frown when he saw the surroundings. "We're going to bid for the GPL spot in such a place? That's not proper! It's a business worth tens of millions, after all. They're making it look like rural tourism."
Zhou Muyan also felt that the venue was inappropriate, but he did not say anything.
The villa was too personal and not formal enough. What's more, they had agreed to hold a meeting and bid. Yet, the team members were still competing in a mock competition on the first floor's training hall. How could they do that?
Xue Zhebin looked around and smiled. "Don't you understand? This is what makes Boss Pei different!"
Yao Bo was stunned. "What do you mean?"
Xue Zhebin deliberately paused for a moment before saying, "Boss Pei has always been generous. If he wanted a good venue, he could have rented a five-star hotel. Do you think Boss Pei couldn't bear to part with the money? Impossible.
"Obviously, there's a deeper meaning behind this arrangement!"
As he spoke, he gave a pointed look at the ten players in the hall who were training seriously. "He's showing us the glory of the E-Sports Club!"
Yao Bo and Zhou Muyan were shocked. "You mean...?"
Xue Zhebin continued speaking. "Let me put it this way. Other companies that host auctions feel the need to rent high-end venues. They would rent hotels, organize meals, and prepare all sorts of benefits.
"However, who would show you the lowest level of things?
"You might get scared once you do!
"Boss Pei is hosting this auction at DGE Club, not because he's stingy, but so that everyone who comes to bid can see what DGE Club looks like!
"Look at these players. They are all muscular and full of energy. That means that the club's daily training is very scientific and strict.
"The entire club is spotless, and everything is neatly arranged. We can even film a documentary here.
"Even the players' bedrooms and beds are neatly packed.
"What does that show?
"It shows that Boss Pei is treating the E-Sports industry as a proper, mature and regulated industry. DGE Club is not like other E-Sports clubs. To put it bluntly, the rest are huge internet cafes.
"As the saying goes, one can learn from the smallest details.
"Since DGE Club has such scientific and regulated management, the other clubs would naturally follow suit. If all the clubs can achieve this level, how could the GPL not be successful in the future?"
Yao Bo and Zhou Muyan were enlightened. "I see!
"It's no wonder that Boss Pei decided to host the auction here. He's showing us his sincerity!"
Xue Zhebin nodded. "Yes, Boss Pei's attitude is very clear. He's openly showing the club's details to everyone without hiding anything. What could be more practical than this?
"The scale is so small now, and yet Boss Pei could go to such lengths. As the GPL develops further, and the the clubs get richer, Boss Pei might very well construct a building as a training base.
"With Boss Pei's attitude, what's there to worry about? Don't worry about the bidding. As long as we provide the funds, Boss Pei can take care of everything else!"
Yao Bo stopped underestimating DGE Club and began to seriously assess its situation.
Obviously, this would affect all bidders' judgment of the GPL league's value!