Qiao Liang was an old gamer of Game Designer. He had been playing this game ever since it was released.
In order to produce a new episode of Products of the Gods, Qiao Liang had gone through almost all the endings. He was very familiar with the various forks in the road. as though it was his own backyard.
However, after entering the game this time, he realized that Game Designer seemed to have changed significantly.
The most obvious point was that the original standalone game had become a standalone game with internet connection.
The previous downloadable content of the game had only been updated with new voice-overs and new settings. The gameplay had not improved much even though there were many new updates.
Strictly speaking, this game would only be fun the first time they played it. It could only become a collectible after playing for a while and knowing all the endings.
However, after this update, some online gameplay had been added to this game.
While web-based gameplay was not the main form of entertainment, it was still enough to surprise people.
There was a new message board function in the game, which was a closed mode. It could be activated after clearing the first level of the game. After opening this function and entering the game, one would be able to see the words left behind by other players in various rooms, corridors, and doors.
Qiao Liang tried writing a message as well. He realized that these messages were not randomly typed in. Instead, they were made up of some existing vocabulary. They could only express relatively simple and vague meanings.
This might be because they were worried that too accurate meaning would cause serious spoilers and reduce players' enjoyment of the game.
Using this type of message that was pieced together could easily create a 'reverse guidance' effect for players because the results would be different if they made the same choice under different circumstances.
That way, the new players would not only have to compete with the voice-overs, but they would also have to compete with malicious comments. There would be more obstacles on the way to success.
The second gameplay that was added was the contrarians mode. It could also be activated after completing the game play for a week.
In the original default mode, players would remain silent throughout the entire process while the voice-overs would speak to themselves throughout the entire process. Before players made their choice, the voice-overs would come up with bad ideas; after players made their choice, the voice-overs would make sarcastic remarks; and when the final outcome was out, the voice-overs would either mock the players or be stubborn.
All in all, it was mainly to attack players' mentality.
However, after activating the contrarians mode, the status of both parties immediately reversed!
Under the 'contrarians mode', players would no longer be helpless. Instead, there would be a 'little bickering assistant to fight back against the voice-overs'.
Before making a choice, the voice-overs would come up with a bad idea, and the little assistant would point out the drawbacks of players choosing that way and the benefits of choosing another option.
After making a choice, the voice-over would make sarcastic remarks, and the assistant would rebuke it, leaving the voice-over speechless.
At the end of the game, the assistant would comfort or congratulate the player. At the same time, the assistant would start to mock and despise the voice-over.
The voice-over was speechless and angry, but it could not do anything to the little assistant.
On top of that, if players followed the voice-overs' instructions in the contrarians mode, the assistant would mock the voice-overs in various ways, just like how the voice-overs mocked players in the past.
At first, Qiao Liang was not very interested. However, after playing for a while, he realized that it was quite interesting!
"Actually, the so-called bickering assistant is nothing more than another pre-arranged voice-over that can be triggered. These are all pre-arranged program settings."
"However, why does it feel so good to hear this little assistant bickering with the voice-overs?"
At first, Qiao Liang had thought that the voice-overs were not real so what was the point of insulting it?
However, on further thought, the voice-overs were not real but players would get angry when the voice-over dissed them!
Players had been fuming with anger because of the voice-overs on their first play. It was quite satisfying now that they had an assistant who was criticizing the voice-overs back, rendering them speechless.
What's more, this little bickering assistant had also indirectly pointed out the pros and cons of various choices for players. It might not directly point out what the right choice was but it also gave players more reference information when making choices. It was quite amiable.
The only regret was that the voice of the little assistant was emotionless. While it did not sound as annoying as the voice-overs, it was not much better.
When they cleared the game, the little assistant would tell the player its name: AEEIS. There was no other information.
There was also a new way of playing that was to show the care and concern to the new players.
Qiao Liang tried it out and realized that it was a heaven for the sarcastic people and people who loved to bait others.
Theoretically, the right way to play the game should be for the old players to guide new players who did not understand the game to make the right choice. That way, both the new and old players would be happy.
However, when he started playing, he realized that that was not the case at all!
After going through the voice-overs, the old gamers had become weirdos with their own unique styles.
Some old players would purposely lead the new players down the wrong path.
Some old gamers would not reveal any answers and would only start to mock the players after they had chosen wrongly.
There were also some old gamers who led the new players down the right paths at first to gain the trust of the new gamers. In the end, they would beat them down the wrong paths at the crucial moment.
The scariest thing was that this model was not one-on-one. A maximum of four old players could enter the game of the same new player at a go. They could display their avatars in the four corners of the screen respectively. The content of the words would be displayed in text bubble form.
Some of the four old players were speaking the truth, some were lying, some were trying to undermine each other, and some were working together to deceive others. Coupled with the original voice-overs, the new players could experience five times the joy.
Apart from that, the most exciting part was that there were many fake new players baiting the rest!
Many players had already cleared the game many times, but they purposely started a brand new game to lure the older players in. Then, they pretended to be newbies who knew nothing and fought with them, leading all of them in circles.
"These new modes are quite interesting. Ordinary players should be able to play for two or three days without getting tired of them. The elites should be able to play quite well, right?"
"For all we know, the UP Masters might start producing programs like 'Baiting in Game Designer' soon."
Qiao Liang played for a while and found it quite interesting.
The old gamers found a new source of entertainment after these two games were added to the internet mode. They had originally been left to collect dust in the game library, but after updating their downloadable content, they brought it out again for a new source of entertainment.
Games that had been played many times over were no longer interesting. With these changes, they could fill up the old bottles with new alcohol and refresh them a few more times!
After playing for a while, Qiao Liang read the gamers' thoughts on the two games in discussion forums.
"Holy sh*t, Tengda is the conscience of the industry! How long ago was this game? The main body is free, and it's still being updated?"
"Compared to the content of the downloadable content, the price is still as cheap as a cabbage. I seriously doubt that they can even break even back from this."
"It's too worth it. I'll just buy it brainlessly!"
"Finally, I managed to be one up on the voice-overs in Game Designer. I don't need to be mocked by it anymore. Thank you, AEEIS, the little bickering assistant!"
"There are too many people baiting on the internet mode! They are all veteran gamers, why are they pretending to be newbies? I'm speechless!"
"However, the two downloadable content seemed to have hidden some Easter eggs this time. For example, The Lonely Desert Road gave a spacecraft and an extraterrestrial scene. Does that mean that Tengda's next game is a sci-fi-themed game?"
"A 3A level FPS game? That's awesome!"
"The Easter egg for Game Designer should be this little assistant, AEEIS, right? Are these two Easter eggs for the next game? Then what is AEEIS for?"
"Er... the robot teammate of the protagonist in FPS games?"
"I'm not sure, but I suddenly feel like I'm looking forward to it! After all, there are too few sci-fi games in the country at the moment. There are Xianxia and Wuxia everywhere. I'm sick of seeing them."
"That's because sci-fi games are a technical job. All sorts of details and settings are very important. They are not as complete as the settings for xianxia and wuxia. I wonder if Tengda can do it well."
"Tengda's products are always top-quality. I think there's no problem!"
Qiao Liang scrolled through the forum and found that the players were basically praising the updates.
It was rare for a company to spend so much time and effort updating unimportant old games and focusing on the gaming experience of old players after all.
Most games companies did not value the interests of old gamers at all. They would not do anything that wasn't profitable. They would even do things to hurt old gamers for the sake of profits.
However, Tengda was the exact opposite. They might not be able to make much money from maintaining these old games and might even incur losses, but they were still updating their downloadable content.
What kind of spirit was that!
The players expressed their gratitude. It was just downloadable content, buy it!
Would they still be humans if they did not buy the sincere downloadable content with new gameplay and new contents?
They could not let Tengda's sincerity towards old players go to waste!
Chapter 766: Too Many Windfalls Again!
December 2nd, Friday...
Pei Qian sipped his coffee as he read the work week reports submitted by various departments in the Fish-Catching Internet Cafe.
For some reason, he felt like he was writing a memorial.
Now, Pei Qian finally understood why those incapable rulers in the ancient times did not like to go to court or approve memorials. That was because this was indeed a very troublesome matter. How could it be as good as having nothing to do and having fun every day?!
Tengda had a lot of business areas recently. It would be difficult for the heads of every department to come and report their work. What's more, Pei Qian did not want to do that since he needed his freedom.
Thus, Pei Qian's current supervision of Tengda's various departments was mainly through two methods:
The first was for the various departments to submit their work week reports regularly. They would compress the work situation this week to a few dozen words. That way, Pei Qian would have a rough idea of what these departments were planning and take precautions in advance.
The second type was the Manage Loss Trainees' regular report that was held once every two weeks. These reports would be slightly more detailed, and at the same time, they could verify with the various department's weekly reports to ensure the accuracy of the information.
Pei Qian flipped through the weekly reports from various departments and stopped at Shang Yang Games.
"Eh? New downloadable content for The Lonely Desert Road and Game Designer were released yesterday?"
"That's a good thing."
"...I shouldn't be the last to know about this, right?"
Besides going to class, Pei Qian had also spent a lot of time revising these couple of days.
It was the exam week next month. The third-year curriculum was more difficult than the first and second-year curriculum. There were more exam subjects as well.
Pei Qian felt humiliated that he could not beat the slacker Ma Yang in the previous exams.
He would be able to redeem himself this time, right?
One had to know that Ma Yang was very busy at the moment. Not only did he have to do live-streaming 'live commerce', but he also had to spend money on Weibo. What's more, he had become the most popular person in the school. He might even be recognized on the streets. Many students had to address him respectfully as Boss Ma when they saw his long face.
Old Ma even had to spare some time to revise and prepare for his exams.
As for Pei Qian, even though everyone in Tengda Corporation thought that Boss Pei was ten times busier than Boss Ma, Pei Qian knew very well that he only had two hours of real work every day.
He was only truly busy one month before the settlement.
Thus, Pei Qian felt that it would be unreasonable if he could not win Old Ma under such circumstances.
What's more, Pei Qian had purposely borrowed the notes of a few girls in his class who were good at studying. It could be said that he had made ample preparations.
Pei Qian gave it some serious consideration as to why he could not beat Old Ma in the exams previously but after some serious consideration, he felt that it was mainly because his revision method was not right.
Borrowing Ma Yang's notes to revise would only bring him on par with Old Ma. How could he surpass him?
If the upper limit of Ma Yang's notes was 70 points, he would not be able to surpass 70 points no matter how much he revised!
Thus, this time, Pei Qian borrowed someone else's notes sneakily, hoping to overtake Ma Yang and beat him in terms of results.
Otherwise, it would be so embarrassing if he could not beat Old Ma the slacker every time he took the exam! It would make Pei Qian look like he could not even understand what he was doing.
Pei Qian, who had been focused on revising for the past two days, had not paid attention to the fact that the downloadable content of the two old games. That was why he only realized it the next day after the downloadable content was published by Shang Yang Games.
"Let me see the sales volume..."
"These two lousy games have been around for so long. Everyone is tired of them. Could someone really be buying their downloadable content? No way, no way, right?"
"F*ck! What's going on?"
Pei Qian opened the platform and immediately lost his cool.
The two downloadable content released yesterday had sold 250,000 copies of The Lonely Desert Road's downloadable content, and Game Designer's downloadable content had reached 130,000 copies!
Going by the pricing of five and eighteen yuan, deducting the commission and tax, these two downloadable content would bring Tengda Games an estimate of more than two million yuan pure profit for the first day of sales!
What's more, this was just profit for one day.
In the next week or even the next month, these downloadable content would continue to generate profits. In the next few days, as their influence spread, sales might even show signs of increasing!
Pei Qian was confused.
What the f*ck was going on?!
He could not understand the current situation. How long had these two games been out for? They should have been all dusty in the gamers' game library, right?
What was the meaning of holding on to these two lousy games all the time? Why did you keep buying the downloadable content of the game? Are you crazy?!
Pei Qian decided to make downloadable content for these old games with two intentions:
The first intention was to disperse the manpower of Shang Yang Games so that Wang Xiaobin, who was not good at playing games, could make the downloadable content. That would allow GOG's overseas operations to slow down slightly and give IOI some breathing space.
The second intention was because he felt that no one would play the old game anymore. Thus, he had secretly updated the downloadable content so that he could spend money without generating sales volume. It was the best of both worlds.
The result was that he had completely mistaken the entire situation!
The sales volume was ridiculous!
Pei Qian's greatest feeling now was being confused and lost.
Didn't they say that Wang Xiaobin was not good at designing gameplay? Didn't they say that no one would play the old games anymore?
So what was happening now?
Pei Qian scrolled through the forum with confusion and saw a passionate comment from a certain player.
"Tengda Games: A perfect example of sincerity in creating a win-win situation!"
"When I heard that The Lonely Desert Road and Game Designer had updated their downloadable content yesterday, my first reaction was disbelief. These two games have been outdated for a long time. What's more, the games themselves are already free. Is there a need for another downloadable content? Can they really make money?"
"I'm a little confused. Tengda has GOG in its hands and is developing a new large-scale game project. Why take the time to develop downloadable content for these old games that have already completed their mission?"
"However, I understand now that Tengda is full of tricks!"
"Everyone knows that the two games, The Lonely Desert Road and Game Designer, have been free for a long time. That's why most people have downloaded it, right?"
"At first, I thought that this free promotion strategy was a very common one. After all, the game's lifespan is almost over and there isn't much sales left. Giving up on that bit of sales to expand the game's influence is a good choice."
"But now, I realize that selling the downloadable content for free is a good option! This is a trap!"
"It is precisely because the two games are free that the number of players in the game has greatly increased. That is why the new downloadable content is so good!"
"What's more valuable is that the downloadable content of the downloadable content was added to the original standalone gameplay. The potential of these two games was immediately activated, and old gamers found new joy! What's more, Tengda's new game's Easter egg was buried in the game this time. That gave them even more reason to purchase it!"
"That's why I said that Tengda Games is a model of sincerity in creating a win-win situation."
"If it were any other company, the old game would have left it to fend for itself. Players would have no choice but to leave the game in the game library to eat dust.
"However, Tengda is different. They are willing to update their old games every once in a while. On the one hand, they show a strong sense of responsibility so that gamers would think that Tengda would not give up on any game. On the other hand, they would use interesting gameplay and Easter eggs to link all the old games together, turning them into a part of Tengda Games' empire. They would give the game for free and then sell the downloadable content, that way they would reap good sales and profits."
"To be honest, this kind of sincerity is not something difficult to achieve. However, most companies are unwilling to do it because they feel that there is no profit to be made. Yet, Tengda is doing the opposite. It is enough to see how unique this company is!"
"Forget it, I'll buy these two downloadable contents first as a salute to the company!"
Pei Qian looked at the long review, and his expression became blank.
Make them free to sell more downloadable content?
Don't mess with me, I didn't mean that at all!
If the system had not stipulated that new products had to be priced, would you believe that I would give all the downloadable content free of charge?
Pei Qian had thought that the worst case scenario would be earning some reputation. He had not expected so many gamers to be willing to pay for it!
In fact, the proportion of gamers who were paying to buy the downloadable content was not high. However, both games were now free of charge. Too many people had downloaded and played them before. That was why so many people were willing to buy a downloadable content that could activate new gameplay!
"There's no time to lose. We have to spend this money as soon as possible."
"Should I make a trip to Dream Realization Ventures?"
Pei Qian felt terrible at the thought of earning money again.
There were still two months to settlement but these two downloadable content would continue to make money.
What should he do with this sum of money? He had to plan ahead.
After some thought, Pei Qian decided to make a trip to Dream Realization Ventures.
He should be able to roughly determine if the first batch of companies that he had invested in were going to be profitable or not. He should sell those that were profitable quickly, and he should invest more in those that were not profitable. That way he should be able to spend all this unexpected wealth.
...
Dream Realization Ventures, conference room.
He Desheng began to report the first round of investments to Boss Pei.
"Boss Pei, we have invested in a total of 11 companies. Two of them are profitable, one of them is showing obvious signs of profit. Three of them are quite popular and have attracted the attention of other investors. The remaining five companies are still quiet. However, there is still a lot of money in the company's accounts. We are not short of money for now."
"These are the details of each company. Please take a look."
Pei Qian reached out to take the documents and realized that they were filled with complicated financial reports. He could not help but feel an impending headache.
He put the information aside. "I don't read these things. Just follow my previous rules. Sell those that are already profitable immediately. Don't invest anymore in those that are showing signs of profit. Sell them when they are profitable as well. Keep observing those that are not profitable. Keep investing in those that have spent all their money."
"Invest the money that you gained from the sale directly into the companies that are in the order of the queue. We can also retract the finance personnel that we sent out and send them out again to take charge of the other companies."
Chapter 767: Secure The Losses
He Desheng hesitated for a moment. "Boss Pei... what if we use the money earned from selling those profitable companies to invest in the companies in the queue and these companies lose money?"
Pei Qian said, "I'll pay for it."
He Desheng nodded. "Alright, Boss Pei."
He Desheng did not ask too much. Boss Pei had set this rule long ago. It might seem unreasonable, he still had to follow it firmly.
To Pei Qian, investing in this way could ensure that the funds in his hands were consumed quickly.
The downloadable content of these two games had been selling very well. Now that another unexpected sum of money had been transferred to his account, what better to do with them than to fill holes up?
However... which hole should he fill?
Pei Qian looked around. It seemed like these five companies with not much movement were the best choice. However, the problem was... they still had a lot of money in their accounts.
It was normal thinking about it. The reason why there was no movement was because they could not bear to use money for marketing. If they were willing to spend money, there would have been movement long ago.
For a company like that, Boss Pei would have to think twice about giving money.
What's the use of giving you if you were to spend money so slowly?
Thus, he had to choose from the companies that could spend money.
"Which of these companies spend the most money in the shortest period of time?" Pei Qian asked.
He Desheng answered immediately. "Of course, it's Meng Chang's Cold-Faced Lady."
Pei Qian continued asking, "How's the management going over there?"
He Desheng thought for a while and said, "I went to the capital once to take a look. I also went to the shop to eat their roasted cold noodles. How should I put it... The current situation in the shop is quite explosive."
"When I went there, there was a long queue outside the shop. It looked like business was doing well. Some online media seemed to have reported about it."
"However, some of these reports were done because he paid for them, the Cold-Faced Lady spent a huge portion of marketing expenses on this. I'm not sure how much of the information is hidden in this line."
"However... the food tastes alright. It's about the same as the average high-end noodle restaurant. The environment, quality, and ritual feel are better. Some of the signature dishes are being subsidized."
"What we can be sure of is that most of the people in the queue were real customers, but some of them could be fake."
Pei Qian: "There are subsidies for meals?"
He Desheng nodded. "That's right. For example, the Best Seller Roasted Cold Noodles were actually sold for a loss of one or two yuan. That's because the raw materials used were the most expensive in the supply chain. Coupled with manpower and transport costs, there's not much profit margin."
"Of course, whether the customers are able to taste the difference is another matter altogether..."
"According to Meng Chang, this is called 'from point to area'. It is to increase the quality-price ratio of some of the signature products by using the best raw materials and put money on it to lower the price. It would make customers feel that these signature products are absolutely worth the price. That way, they would be able to increase their visibility and increase their market share faster."
"These subsidies can be earned back by launching new dishes in the future."
"However, to generate profits in the short term is almost impossible."
"Therefore, all expenses added together would allow the Cold-Faced Lady to spend money very quickly. Of course, their popularity would also increase the fastest."
"Hmm..." Pei Qian fell into deep thought.
He had heard about this Cold-Faced Lady project many times. He had learned a lot about this project from hearing about it.
He had to admit that Meng Chang was an expert at spending money. Other companies were careful with their investments, spending two to three million yuan in half a year or a year. However, Meng Chang dared to spend all of it in a month.
To Pei Qian, this was a genius at spending money.
The reason why Pei Qian hesitated was mainly because he was hesitant about which company he should spend his money on.
He could not continue investing in companies that had made money. He had to sell them immediately. There was nothing much to say.
Companies that did not make money and did not make a splash looked very safe, but they were not necessarily safe in reality. This was because such companies were often meticulous in their calculations. They were silent because they had not started marketing. What if they were potential stocks and others continued to invest heavily?
What's more, these companies were spending too slowly. Pei Qian felt uneasy about investing in them.
On the other hand, companies like the Cold-Faced Lady might be loud but they spent money quickly.
There was a saying that went "secure the profits". To Pei Qian, it was transformed into "secure the losses". He would only feel at ease after these companies spent their money. Otherwise, he would feel like they were time bombs that would explode at any moment.
From the looks of it, choosing the Cold-Faced Lady was indeed a good choice.
If the popularity of the Cold-Faced Lady was forcibly created and could not generate profits in the end, the investment would be wasted.
He would sell the Cold-Faced Lady if it really started making profits.
Pei Qian pondered for a while and finally made up his mind. "Invest one or two million yuan in those companies that are not profitable and have yet to spend all their money. Don't invest too much."
"Invest six million yuan in the Cold-Faced Lady."
He Desheng did not ask much and nodded. "Alright, Boss Pei."
Pei Qian suddenly thought of something and said, "That's right, add a condition for the six million yuan investment in the Cold-Faced Lady. It has to be kept a secret so that Meng Chang cannot reveal that Tengda was the one who paid for it under any circumstances."
He Desheng was stunned but still nodded. "Alright."
He did not know how many rounds of consideration Boss Pei had during this period of time or how many layers of thoughts he had been thinking about. However, since Boss Pei had already decided to invest, he must have planned everything and had absolute confidence in winning.
Pei Qian flipped through the information in front of him symbolically again, thinking that this should be foolproof.
Continue to invest in the companies that did not earn money. Invest more in those with higher risk and less in those with lower risk. It was very reasonable.
The main reason why he emphasized on keeping the six million yuan a secret was because he was worried that situation with 'Top Student, Come Quick' would happen again. If investors heard that Dream Realization Ventures had invested six million yuan into the Cold-Faced Lady wouldn't they invest in the company and increase the company's valuation?
What if it really became popular?
Spending six million yuan on the Cold-Faced Lady when he only invested one or two million yuan in other companies would definitely arouse suspicion and lead to uncontrollable consequences.
That was why Pei Qian had specifically requested for Meng Chang to keep this investment a secret.
Of course, Pei Qian did not expect this information to be completely covered up and be airtight. He only hoped that it could be hidden for as long as possible and minimize the impact.
In any case, based on Meng Chang's spending speed, he would definitely be able to spend all his money before the news spread. That would do.
...
After Boss Pei left, He Desheng began to call the founders of several companies.
"Hello? Boss Zheng, it's like this. Tengda is preparing to transfer all of your company's shares. The other shareholders have the right to buy first. You can discuss and see if you want to introduce third-party capital..."
Boss Zheng's company was one of the two companies that had made profits.
On the other end of the line, Boss Zheng was stunned when he heard that He Desheng wanted to transfer their shares.
According to the law, the company's shareholders could not withdraw their funds at will. That would constitute a capital evasion and they had to transfer shares through normal channels.
However, the problem was... why was Tengda selling their shares?
Boss Zheng felt very confused. That's not right. Didn't our company just earn money? Didn't we just see the light at the end of the tunnel? Yet, Tengda lost its cool and decided to sell all their shares?
Boss Pei should not be so short-sighted.
What's more, this could not be considered short-sighted but stupid. Normal people would not do something so stupid.
Was Boss Pei stupid? Of course not!
That was why Boss Zheng was so confused.
After a moment of silence, President Zheng said, "Boss He, to be honest, if the other shareholders and I could buy back all of Tengda's shares we would wake up laughing even in my dreams."
"However, I don't want to do that because I won't forget my roots."
"Tengda lent us a helping hand and provided us with life-saving funds when our company was experiencing the most difficult time. Now that the company's financial situation has improved and we can see the light of day, we can also make profits. We can all develop very well no matter whether we are to seek other funding or to slowly develop by ourselves."
"Then, Boss He, why do you want to transfer shares now? Even if you transfer shares now, you won't be able to earn much money, right? You have to trust us. If you continue to hold shares, you will definitely be able to earn more..."
He Desheng smiled. "Boss Zheng, it's not that I don't trust you, that's definitely not the case here. However, this is Boss Pei's rule. We will transfer our shares and withdraw from a company that earns money. As for why, I don't know. You don't have to ask. I'm just an executor of his will."
There was a long silence on the other end of the line.
After a long time, Boss Zheng sighed. "I see. I understand."
"Boss Pei is giving us timely help! He lent us a helping hand when we were at our most difficult time, and then retired after we had overcome our difficulties. His magnanimity is admirable!"
"Whether Boss Pei's goal is to build good karma or simply to help others, we will remember this kindness!"
"Don't worry, Tengda will be our eternal friend from now on. We will definitely find a way to repay this favor!"
Anyone who could be the boss of a company was not stupid. After some consideration, they figured out the reason.
It was reasonable to say that investing in a start-up company was the most risky investment because most companies would close down and go bankrupt. Only a small number of companies would make it to the end.
As for those investors who were passionate about investing in start-up companies, they hoped that one of the ten companies would be able to expand and make up for the losses of the other nine companies.
Once a company with good prospects appeared, they would definitely try their best to keep their shares and find the most suitable opportunity to sell them at a high price to maximize their profits.
The situation with Boss Zheng's company had just improved, it did not look like it was at the highest point.
Now that Tengda had decided to transfer shares back, it was no different from doing charity!
Helping others in times of difficulty, turning around to leave after seeing the light of dawn, how noble was that spirit!
Of course, Dream Realization Ventures had also profited from this investment. It was just that they had not earned that much. However, to Boss Zheng, this was a form of sacrifice, a form of contribution!
He Desheng was also embarrassed by the praise. He quickly explained, "Actually, you don't have to take it to heart. This is Boss Pei's rule. It's the same for other companies..."
Boss Zheng said, "That's exactly why it's so touching! Boss Pei helped us not out of personal relationships but out of righteousness and faith."
"Boss He, you don't have to say anything. We will remember this kindness. If you have anything you want to work with us in the future, feel free to ask!"
After calling two profitable companies, the two bosses were equally grateful.
He Desheng called the companies which had spent quite a bit of money but with still no sign of profitability.
"Hello? Boss Liu, how are you? It's like this. Dream Realization Ventures is planning to give you another million yuan, I'm calling to let you know in advance."
Boss Liu, who was on the other end of the line, was stunned as well. He was in disbelief. "Huh? Invest another million yuan?"
He Desheng nodded. "Yes, is there a problem?"
Boss Liu quickly said, "No problem, of course there's no problem! I'm just a little surprised. Our current business situation is not very good. We're far from making profits. We spent money but did not see any results. I was just thinking hard on how to go about telling you this..."
"I didn't expect you to trust us so much! Thank you, thank you so much!"
Chapter 768: Boss Pei's Aloof Methods
Boss Liu had been worrying about funds recently.
He had been working hard to make every cent count but he did not have enough money.
Thus, the problem became where should he get the money from.
He had already received a sum of money from Tengda but had not achieved much. He was too embarrassed to ask for more.
However, if he did not get money from Tengda, it would be even more difficult for him to get money from other places.
In the end, he did not expect He Desheng to take the initiative to approach him when he was feeling conflicted. That was so heartwarming!
This meant that Tengda had high hopes for this project. Be it in terms of funding or confidence, it had given everyone a boost.
Therefore, Boss Liu was very touched and thanked He Desheng profusely.
He Desheng smiled. "Oh, you don't have to thank me. I'm just following Boss Pei's instructions."
Boss Liu quickly said, "I understand. Anyway, thank you so much! Thank you for your support and trust in our company, Boss Pei and Boss He!"
"My employees and I will work harder!"
He Desheng called the other two small companies that had no hope of making profits in the short term to inform them of the additional investment. These companies were also overjoyed and moved.
To them, Tengda and Dream Realization Ventures' actions were too heartwarming!
These small companies were in different situations and there were those with good and bad chances of succeeding but most people really wanted to complete the project.
That was also because the finances of these companies were under Tengda's supervision. They could not come up with any tricks. Everyone's interests were aligned. If the project succeeded, not only would the investors be able to earn money, but the bosses and employees would also be able to earn money.
Under such a shortage of funds, Tengda's generosity was very touching.
Finally, He Desheng called Meng Chang.
"Hello? Boss He!" Meng Chang's passionate voice sounded from the other end of the line.
He Desheng could not help but feel emotional. To others, Meng Chang was a perfect, perfect entrepreneur.
He had an excellent image, was eloquent, able to infect others with his speech, good execution, long-sighted vision, and always full of energy. He would pour 100% of his energy into work at any time...
These merits were all concentrated on one person. Even if there was a small flaw, most investors would subconsciously ignore it.
He Desheng said, "Boss Meng, congratulations. Boss Pei has decided to invest another six million yuan into Cold-Faced Lady."
Meng Chang was stunned for a moment before he became elated on the other end of the line.
Finally!
He had finally gotten Boss Pei's additional investment!
Ever since he established the Cold Faced Lady brand, Meng Chang had been putting in a lot of effort. From the initial PowerPoint presentation to the press conference, to the most recent stores and various marketing events...
He had done so much to move the investors!
Of all the investors, Meng Chang was most concerned about Boss Pei. Boss Pei was a talented investor. As long as he could get Boss Pei's investment, he could easily get others' investment!
Actually, up until now, many investors had approached Meng Chang in private to invest in the cold-faced lady.
However, Meng Chang did not agree to them.
To him, the conditions of these investors were too harsh.
Some wanted too many shares, some wanted to sign a valuation adjustment mechanism agreement, and some wanted to sign investment terms. Some wanted investors to preferential selling rights and restrictions on the transfer of the founder's shares.
The so-called preferential selling rights referred to the investors and founders agreeing that if a third party's founders bought shares, under the same conditions, the investors would have the preferential selling rights; and the restrictions on share transfer meant that the founders were not allowed to sell their shares before a certain stage (such as before IPOs or mergers).
To put it simply, it was to restrict the creator from selling his shares.
This was actually a very common phenomenon. To investors, investing in projects was akin to investing in people. If they invested money, pushed up the company's valuation, and the founder left the company with cash, how could they ensure that the company continued to develop rapidly?
Of course, investors wanted their founders to live a hard life forever. That was the only way they could work hard on their business and make money for their investors.
To Meng Chang, this was an unacceptable condition.
I put in so much effort just to cash out yet you wouldn't allow me to cash out?
Am I really going to work hard for you for the rest of my life?
Therefore, Meng Chang did not accept this condition. Instead, he was waiting for an opportunity to increase his right to speak.
If the company developed too quickly, it would be in high demand. Countless investors would want a share of the profits. Naturally, there would be investors vying to invest in it. Meng Chang would no longer need to sign these restrictions.
Boss Pei's investment was a good opportunity.
That was because Boss Pei was an investment guide in many people's eyes. If Boss Pei had invested six million yuan into the Cold-Faced Lady. That was a clear signal that someone would follow suit and sign looser terms.
This was a crucial step for Meng Chang!
That was because he was burning money very quickly. If he ran out of money halfway, he would be in an awkward situation.
Fortunately, Boss Pei made his move!
Meng Chang suppressed the joy in his heart. "Thank you, Boss He. Thank you, Boss Pei. I will definitely..."
Before he could finish speaking, He Desheng interrupted him. "Hang on, Boss Pei has conditions."
"The condition is that you must keep Tengda's investment of six million yuan a secret. You cannot divulge any information to the outside world. This will be covered under the confidentiality clause in the investment agreement. You cannot violate it."
Meng Chang: "?"
He was originally in a state of ecstasy, but hearing this, he felt like he had been hit in the head and was knocked unconscious.
Keep it confidential?
Why?
Meng Chang was confused.
If it were other investors, they would normally restrict their founders from selling their shares to cash out. However, Meng Chang boldly judged that Boss Pei would not do that because Boss Pei had never arranged for a similar clause when he invested.
That was why he valued Boss Pei's investment so much.
Reality proved that his guess was right. Boss Pei had indeed not raised such restrictions. However, he had not expected Boss Pei to have such requirements for confidentiality!
This hit Meng Chang's soft spot. It was not fatal, but it was very uncomfortable!
Did Meng Chang need this sum of money? Of course he did. However, his goal was not just to make the Cold-Faced Lady burn more money for a month or two. Instead, he wanted to stir up more investors' funds and push up the company's valuation.
In other words, this matter had to be spread to the investors in order to be valuable.
Otherwise, the six million yuan would only be enough for the Cold-Faced Lady to spend more money.
However, Meng Chang had no reason not to accept the money.
That was because Boss Pei's money did not restrict the founders from selling their shares. Compared to the other investors' conditions, it was much better.
What's more, the Cold-Faced Lady's reputation had to be maintained. Money had to continue burning. The capital chain could not be broken. Once it was broken, the show would not continue.
Therefore, this sum of money was just slightly higher than Meng Chang's bottom line. It was a pity to give it up, but it was tasteless.
On the other end of the line, He Desheng asked, "Is there a problem?"
Meng Chang reacted quickly and quickly said, "No problem!"
He Desheng did not say much and only encouraged him to work harder before hanging up.
Meng Chang heaved a sigh of relief as worry surfaced on his face.
After his previous experiences, Meng Chang knew very well that there was no point in haggling over such matters. Boss Pei was a man of his words. There was no way he would give him a chance to bargain.
If he did not take the money now, he might not be able to get it in the future. Compared to the other restrictions on selling shares, it would be more comfortable to take the money.
Meng Chang could not help but feel emotional. Boss Pei was indeed unfathomable. From the time they had interacted until now, Boss Pei's every move seemed to make him very uncomfortable!
When Meng Chang first received the investment, he had no choice but to accept Tengda's decision on the finance department. Now, the second investment had to be kept a secret.
If he were to give a score of satisfaction, Meng Chang's satisfaction would be around 60.
If this score had been any lower, Meng Chang might have given up. There would have been no Cold Faced Lady brand.
Boss Pei could make this score just right, step on Meng Chang's bottom line, and let him start his own business. However, he would always make some restrictions in seemingly unimportant areas, making Meng Chang very uncomfortable.
What worried Meng Chang the most now was whether Boss Pei had seen through his thoughts or not.
Did Boss Pei set these restrictions on himself or on all investors?
Meng Chang knew very well that Boss Pei had sent Boss Ma to teach him a lesson at the last news conference. Expert players like that were like playing Tai Chi. They would not go overboard, but neither would they be able to scratch an itch through their boots.
Boss Pei's series of actions made Meng Chang feel like an extremely calm wolf, following him from afar.
He looked nonchalant, but it made one's hair stand.
This wolf might just be passing by and would not hurt him. However, it could also suddenly jump out, push him to the ground and tear his throat.
Boss Pei's method of keeping a distance from Meng Chang had not harmed his core interests nor given up on threatening him.
He felt a chill run down his spine, but he still doubted himself. He did not know if it was an illusion.
It was very contradictory.
However, at this point, Meng Chang felt that he was only one step away from success. There was no reason to give up.
At that thought, Meng Chang calmed down and made up his mind to continue with his original plan.
Boss Pei might have set some restrictions on him but he did not completely restrict him. There was still some room left for Meng Chang to operate.
Chapter 769: Buy an IOI Team With Bottom Ranking
December 5th, Monday...
Pei Qian arrived at the office as usual. He read the weekly reports from the various departments while waiting for the person-in-charge to report on work.
Before long, there was a knock on the door. Pei Qian looked up and saw He Desheng.
"Boss Pei, I'm here to report on Dream Realization Ventures' new investment."
Pei Qian continued flipping through the weekly newspaper. "Hm, speak."
He Desheng reported truthfully. "Boss Pei, the shares of the two companies that made money have been negotiated to be sold! We made a total of two million yuan in total, while it was not much, we've earned enough reputation!"
"The shareholders of those two companies said that Tengda was of timely help. We lent a helping hand when the company was at its most difficult, and left when the company was about to turn about, such magnanimity is touching!"
"Compared to other investment firms whose minds were filled with money, Tengda's investment has left a deep impression on them. I believe that more companies will soon know that Dream Realization Ventures is a real investment firm!"
Pei Qian could not help but look stunned as his mouth twitched. "Two million yuan?"
He made so much money in just a short while?
Two million yuan might not seem like much and was nothing compared to the current investment quota. However, they had invested very little in these two companies!
They invested a total of less than three million yuan in these two companies. Yet, they had doubled their investments so easily?
He Desheng nodded. "That's right, Boss Pei. A company that can generate profits in such a short period of time must be in high demand in the eyes of other investors. The price would naturally be higher if we raise the price!"
"Why, is Boss Pei not satisfied with this price? If we continue holding it for a while, we would definitely be able to earn more, but..."
Pei Qian raised his hand to stop him. Then, he took a sip of tea to calm himself down.
"This amount is within my expectations." Pei Qian could only say this in order not to mislead He Desheng.
However, it was alright from another perspective.
It was a good thing that they had sold early. Wouldn't they have earned more if they had sold it later?
As the saying went, it was better to deal with painful things quickly. The two companies had only made two million yuan in total. That was already an acceptable result.
He Desheng continued to report. "Boss Pei, we've also put additional investments in those companies that did not see any possibility of profits. The bosses and employees of these companies have all been encouraged and expressed that they will do their best to achieve profits as soon as possible. They will not let you down!"
Pei Qian laughed bitterly within.
He Desheng added, "There's also the Cold-Faced Lady."
"After receiving the remaining six million yuan, according to the investment agreement, Meng Chang did not disclose any information to the outside world. No one should know that we have increased our investment in Cold-Faced Lady."
"However, Meng Chang is spending more money on marketing this weekend."
"He announced that he was going to open a second branch of the Cold-Faced Lady and continue with a series of promotional activities, including buying advertising space in a movie;"
"Some web programs and television programs have reported on the cold-faced lady and praised this brand new business model, calling it 'the perfect combination of tradition and modernity, catering and the Internet'."
"Also, Meng Chang spent hundreds of thousands of yuan to rent a venue for a thousand people to give more than ten high-intensity business speeches, meant for students, young people, and entrepreneurs to share his experience when he created the Cold-Faced Lady brand..."
Pei Qian had been reading the weekly reports of the various departments but could not help but look up when he heard this.
Eh?
This brother is good.
He spends as much as I give him?
Cold-Faced Lady had been burning money through marketing previously but the burning speed was not fast enough. He managed to increase his burning rate after getting the six million yuan investment?
After some thought, Pei Qian asked, "How's the response?"
He Desheng said, "The response is very strong!"
"That's because the cold-faced lady had already obtained a certain amount of popularity and attention based on internet marketing. It can be considered an internet celebrity food and beverage brand. The popularity has increased with more investment now."
"The entire marketing campaign has been upgraded, including many television and online shows. This has greatly improved the brand image of the Cold-Faced Lady in the eyes of ordinary consumers."
"Initially, many people thought that this was just roasted cold noodles and snacks. However, after webshows and television stations introduced the business model, everyone realized that 'cold-faced lady' was very new and popular. Naturally, they had the urge to understand it."
"What's more, Meng Chang is fully utilizing his eloquence. These speeches would definitely attract widespread attention. More and more people would think of Meng Chang as a 'business mentor'. Then, everyone's understanding and trust in the brand 'cold-faced lady' would naturally increase significantly."
This was what they meant by marketing could make up for the lack in quality of products.
What Meng Chang was doing now could be summarized as marketing, but it was targeted at several different aspects.
Opening shops, buying trending searches, buying placement advertisements, and so on were all to continue expanding their popularity. Letting online programs and television stations report them could be considered to be using these news programs to promote them. It would make more consumers trust the 'cold-faced lady' more. As for making speeches, it was to tie himself and the brand 'cold-faced lady' together.
He had to admit that Meng Chang's thinking was different from ordinary people.
Ordinary people's thinking was to first create a successful enterprise, and then package themselves as successful entrepreneurs.
However, Meng Chang's idea was to package himself as a successful entrepreneur first. Then, his business would naturally be regarded as a successful enterprise.
Meng Chang was very eloquent. He could fool investors, much less ordinary audiences. If he were to tell a few stories, upload the video online, and buy the hot searches, he would definitely be sought after by many people. He would be regarded as a genius with a business mind.
A project of the business genius would definitely be a reliable project!
Ordinary customers quickly went to eat, discuss, and provide popularity. As investors quickly invested money, Meng Chang's goal was achieved.
Of course, there was another important reason why Meng Chang was burning money at such a fast rate. He wanted to hint to other investors.
Boss Pei's investment agreement had indeed stated that he could not reveal the source of the funds to the outside world.
What Meng Chang was doing now was sending messages to other investors without revealing the source.
If he suddenly sped up the burning of money, it would definitely attract the attention of other investors.
The original investment was almost finished, but Meng Chang suddenly increased the burning speed. Where did the money come from?
Someone must have added a lot of investment. Otherwise, Meng Chang would not have been able to spend as much as he wanted!
Thus, other investors who were still observing would guess who the investor was. At the same time, they would definitely make concessions and relax their requirements to provide Meng Chang with more funds.
Of course, Pei Qian knew nothing about these twists and turns.
Pei Qian's expression was very serious because he was very worried about the popularity that Meng Chang had created by burning money.
This Meng Chang was simply a super popularity-manufacturing machine. He was really the best when it came to spending money to buy popularity.
Sometimes, popularity could be converted into money. Pei Qian had suffered quite a bit in this area.
Meng Chang was really a troublemaker. Wouldn't it be perfect if he made a smaller splash?
He had to keep an eye on him and not let his guard down!
Pei Qian said, "Keep an eye on the cold-faced lady. Let me know immediately if you meet any problems."
He Desheng nodded. "Alright, Boss Pei!"
After briefly reporting the situation of the other companies, He Desheng turned around and left.
Pei Qian continued to read the weekly reports of the various departments aimlessly.
Suddenly, his hand stopped. A message caught his attention.
"The local clubs are reorganizing IOI's teams?"
"...Why reorganize? What about their original members?"
In the weekly report submitted by Shang Yang Games, Lin Wan clearly wrote about the movements of IOI's local server. One of the key messages was: Finger Games and Long Yu Corporation were preparing for the qualifiers for the IOI World Competition in China. Each club had to choose three teams to participate in the World Competition.
The clubs, led by SUG, had been in contact recently. They were trying to poach each other's outstanding IOI players to compete in IOI's world finals.
Of course, Pei Qian supported the club's actions.
It was a good thing that they wanted to play IOI's finals to increase its popularity.
In any case, Boss Pei would definitely support GOG's competitor, IOI, with both hands.
However, Pei Qian really could not help much with this. His status was special now. He could not possibly spend his own money to buy fake reviewers and support IOI, right?
All of a sudden, an idea struck Pei Qian.
"I can't help much, but I can buy an IOI team!"
"Buy a bottom-tier team and support them without making it to the International Finals this year. Looking at IOI's attitude, I don't think we can count on the league. In other words, there won't be any attention or popularity!"
"I'll raise an IOI team and get all sorts of benefits. Wouldn't that be burning money?"
"There won't even be any popularity or attention. It's a steady loss and no profit. Perfect!"
Pei Qian suddenly perked up. The more he thought about it, the more he felt like it was worth it!
DGE Club only had a GOG Division. However, GOG was becoming more and more popular, and DGE Club had started early. That was why it was so popular that it could not be brought down.
However, at this critical juncture, anyone who bought IOI would definitely lose money, right?
The only risk was that this team would win the qualifiers and enter the global finals.
However, the strength of the players could not be raised in a week or two. How could the bottom-tier team win the qualifiers?
It was impossible no matter how he thought about it.
Thus, Pei Qian immediately called Zhang Yuan.
"Book two high-speed rail tickets, you'll go to Shanghai with me!"