Pei Qian rubbed his eyes and looked closely at the team logo on the big screen.
That's right, it is FV Club, it is that weakling club that I invested in!
Why would the commentator use the term 'All-Stars'?
Could the three players that no one wanted be considered celebrities?
It didn't make any sense?
The competition progressed as Pei Qian pondered.
The camera took close-up shots of the players preparing for the game. On the big screen, there were close-ups of the players. Their game ID, real name, age, game rank, position they played, and other information were displayed.
The players who noticed the cameras showed different reactions.
Some greeted the audience, some posed, and some remained indifferent as they warmed up their hands.
The two commentators were also introducing the details of these players to the audience, including the amount of time they played professionally, interesting things in their professional experiences, and interesting memes.
"Everyone is now looking at the top player of FV Club. He was one of the earliest star players in IOI. He had already made a name for himself in the international server before the local server was released. He has a lot of experience and is also known for his fierce playing style and strong suppression."
"Next is FV Club's mid-laner. He's very young, only 17 years old this year. He used more than twenty different mid-laner heroes to beat IOI's world server's number one. He's a true genius. We can't wait and see his performance today."
"The FV Club's jungler used to be a newbie who wasn't particularly famous. It's said that he met the mid-laner in Ranking competitions and they had been playing together. They have very good chemistry. We can look forward to the cooperation between the two of them today."
"The bottom laner duo of FV Club were originally the celebrity bottom laner of SUG Club. They are also known as the number one bottom lane duo of IOI's local server. There were rumors that the two of them seemed to have switched to GOG, but no concrete news had been released. I didn't expect that the first competition to take the stage would be a direct confrontation with their old boss. I wonder what sparks would fly between the two of them?"
"On the other hand, while the SUG Club's lineup revolved around the core of the bottom lane, the strength of the other three veteran players could not be underestimated. They might have some advantage in terms of tactics and tacit understanding."
"We don't know why the SUG Club wanted to switch their celebrity duo bottom laners. Perhaps they gave them to FV club because the new bottom laners are doing better than the original bottom laners?"
"In any case, today's competition is full of interesting things to look forward to!"
The boss of the SUG Club, Ding Gan, was also watching the battle below the stage. He gritted his teeth in anger after hearing the commentary.
The new bottom laners performed better than the original bottom laners?
F*ck you!
There was no news of IOI internationals at all at that point in time. Ding Gan felt that there was no point in keeping this IOI team, and the transfer fee offered from the SHG team was very high. That was why he sold the bottom laner duo!
He would not have sold them if he had known that IOI's international competition would start so soon!
Ding Gan knew in his heart that even though the new bottom laner duo was not bad, they were still incomparable to the original two. There was a huge gap in strength.
However, there was nothing he could do about it. He would not be able to take back the players that he had released.
Ding Gan was anxious, angry and panicking in his heart.
Pei Qian, who was seated not far away from him, was also panicking.
He did not have any prior knowledge of these players but the commentator had already explained in detail, giving him a clear and objective understanding of the strength of the entire team.
It was no exaggeration to call this team "All-Stars"!
The veteran top-laner, mid-laner, jungler were the top of their classes, and the celebrity duo at the bottom lane was the former tactical core of the SUG. This lineup looked ridiculous no matter how one looked at it!
Pei Qian only had one question: Where did Wu Yue, the boss of FV Club, obtain these people from!
Didn't he only give him three million yuan? He could buy one or two good players with that amount of money at best. What's more, the other clubs might not even be willing to sell.
They formed a Dream Team and gathered all the best IOI players in the country. That was ridiculous!
Pei Qian quickly took out his cell phone and entered the live-stream of the IOI Qualification Competition to see what the bullet screen said.
"What the f*ck? FV Club has made a comeback? The boss won the lottery? Why did they suddenly form an all-star team? Where did they get the money from?"
"An old FV fan of ten years is here uninvited!"
"Beating up their old boss? This will be a good show!"
"These two sides seem to form a sharp contrast. The members of FV Club are all tall and well-built against skinny monkeys from SUG."
"I remember that the duo bottom laners were quite skinny when they were in the SUG. Why do I feel like they have grown in size and have become better? Did FV hire a plastic surgeon? Or did they go through some secret training?"
"So why did the SUG end up giving up the duo bottom laners? Why did the best top laners in the country end up in another club? Logically, they should not be for sale, right? No matter how much the transfer fee is!"
"I'm not sure. There were rumors that they wanted to change to GOG because IOI was dying. There were even rumors that a team from GPL bought them off. I'm not sure if that's true."
"No wonder FV Club spent so much effort to publicize before the competition began. I was wondering why they spent so much money to help others. Now, I understand. They're trying to build momentum for themselves!"
The competition had not even started, but the bullet screen comments were already gaining heat.
The competition in the morning seemed to be quite popular but there were not many bullet screen comments. Perhaps it was because there were not many hot topics to discuss.
However, when FV Club appeared in the afternoon with the All-Star lineup, many old players and viewers of IOI could not contain their excitement and began to discuss enthusiastically.
After the publicity by FV Club and Long Yu Corporation, the IOI qualifiers were still not as popular as the GPL league. However, they had at least captured all of the old IOI players and viewers in the country.
Now, all of these hard-earned popularity was focused on FV, an All-Star team that had appeared out of nowhere.
The competition had not even started, but it was already very popular.
Pei Qian and Ding Gan were below the stage, watching the competition with fear.
...
"Let us congratulate the FV! They managed to win the competition without any mishaps even though there were some twists and turns during the competition!"
The big screen displayed the scene of victory amidst the passionate commentary. The five members of the FV Club had a domineering air around them.
The players packed their equipment and left the stage. The players from FV Club did not look too excited. Instead, they looked very calm.
The qualifiers were more intense this time. There were a total of four teams in the group. It was a single set of 'best-of-one' matches loop. They would be done in one afternoon thus every small game was very important.
The strength of the SUG in this group was obviously higher than the other two teams. Thus, it was basically confirmed that FV would qualify after they won this round.
SUG could not make any mistake in the following competitions if they wanted to qualify.
The two commentators began to comment on the match.
"We saw that the members of the FV Club did not seem particularly happy after winning this match. Perhaps they were not particularly satisfied with their performance today, or perhaps they had higher expectations for themselves."
"Indeed, based on the performance in the game alone, we can clearly see that the FV Club's individual ability is higher than that of the SUG. However, there seems to be some flaws in the selection of players and the implementation of tactics. Otherwise, there might be even less suspense in this competition."
"Does this mean that the current FV team hasn't completed their team building?"
"I don't think it's all about teamwork. Their tactical system and understanding of the game seem to have some problems as well. We can see that their preferred heroes are not recognized as the strongest heroes of the current version. They prefer team-type heroes. Moreover, in terms of playing style and understanding of the game, they do not emphasize their individual abilities. They seem to be out of place with the mainstream playing style of other teams..."
"Does that mean that the team members had a different tactical understanding of this game version?"
"That's possible, but the game's understanding doesn't seem to be very mature yet. The main reason why the FV won the SUG today is because they are stronger individually. If they were to meet a foreign team whose individual abilities do not lose to FV, it would be questionable whether they will be able to win this competition..."
The two commentators were speaking the truth. From their point of view, the FV team's playstyle was indeed a little strange. It did not fit in with the current mainstream playstyle.
What's more, this kind of playstyle did not have a very good effect. It overly emphasized teamwork which had certain restrictions in choosing heroes and decision making in the game. That prevented the players' personal strengths from being fully displayed.
However, these words sounded like complete mockery to Ding Gan.
"What's the meaning of this? Are they using us to train?"
"Who are you looking down on?"
"How dare they put on such an ugly face after winning. Damn it, these people are too arrogant!"
Ding Gan was fuming with anger. It was alright to lose the competition, but using them to train seemed to him like FV was deliberately showing off the strength of their team in his opinion.
What? Not convinced? An All-Star team could do whatever they wanted!
That was the meaning.
Ding Gan was even more furious when he thought about how he was the one who released the bottom laner duo in the current FV Team. How could SUG have lost if this duo was still around?
However, even though he was angry, Ding Gan knew very well that winning or losing this round was not a big deal. In any case, two teams would qualify for each team. SUG would prevail no matter what. What he really had to worry about was the elimination round tomorrow.
The knockout round was a set of 'best-of-five' matches. It would depend on who was the unlucky one of the four teams to be eliminated.
...
At the same time, at the GPL competition venue in Jingzhou...
Zhang Yuan, Ye Zhizhou, Xiao Peng, and a few other people in charge were watching the opening battle of the GPL.
Both teams were currently the two strongest teams in the GPL. They were also the champion and runner-up of the previous international competition. The competition was extremely tense and exciting.
In the game system of 'best-of-three' matches, both teams had already reached 1: 1. They entered the deciding round, and the atmosphere at the venue had reached its peak.
Fans from both sides cheered for the two teams amidst the enthusiastic cheers, however, they did not forget to shout 'Go DGE' at the same time, forming a special competition culture.
Tengda Corporation's internal employees were neither at the front most nor the back most seats. Instead, they chose a slightly forward position in the center.
That was because the front row tickets were prepared for both teams' core fans and supporters. Internal staff's gift tickets should not affect the fans' viewing experience.
The deciding round was still on the BP interface. Zhang Yuan took out his cell phone and checked the comments of the players on the internet. He found that only a small group of people were discussing the opening battle itself. Most of the topics were focused on the comparison between the IOI qualifiers and the GPL opening battle.
"The difference in venues between both parties is too huge. Wasn't IOI organized by Long Yu Corporation and Finger Games? Why is the venue so shabby?"
"To be honest, the IOI competition feels like a complete copy of GOG. Even the settings and the BP in the game and the audience interface are very similar. Is there really no problem?"
"I think it's alright. They're all similar types of games; there's no need to be so harsh."
"Sigh, who asked IOI's competition to take place so late? GOG's competition is already doing very well. It's perfect in all aspects. IOI can easily give people the impression that it is imitating GOG, even though IOI was released before GOG."
"However, it's still a little lacking no matter how you learn it. The details are much worse. Take the image of the contestants for example. Look at the GPL's contestants. They are all tall and straight, and they look completely different. On IOI's side, however, other than the players from FV team who are not bad, the rest of them still look like internet addicts. Their image is much worse."
"Indeed, the accumulation of such details makes me feel like IOI's competition is a fake version of GPL."
"Tengda is still awesome. I feel like it has brought the entire E-Sports industry forward by itself!"
Obviously, most viewers felt that the GPL league was more exciting than IOI's qualifiers.
On one hand, it was because there were more gamers in GOG. On the other hand, it was because the details of GPL were done better.
One point that was repeatedly mentioned was the image of the contestants. Most of the GPL contestants had a standard figure, and there were a few muscular men. They looked very bright and handsome, giving people a positive feeling. On the other hand, IOI's contestants looked more like traditional internet addicts. They were at a disadvantage in terms of image.
Such details were constantly being added, causing IOI's competition to drop by a level compared to GPL. It made people naturally feel that IOI's competition was a knock-off GPL.
Zhang Yuan could not help but sigh. "Now that I think about it, Boss Pei is really good at devising strategies."
"GOG's success in the eSports field was in part due to the success of the game and in part due to the success of details. Who else could have predicted the importance of the player's image to the popularity of the esports competition apart from Boss Pei?"
"Boss Pei used the DGE Club to set the training standards. He guided the other clubs to focus on training the players' bodies. On one hand, he ensured that the players were healthy. On the other hand, he improved the image of the league..."
"That would be akin to creating a moat for GOG, gaming and E-Sports that would protect and complement each other."
Ye Zhizhou, who was seated at the side, said, "Speaking of which, we're already at the deciding game. Is Boss Pei really not going to watch today? This is the opening battle after all."
Logically speaking, it was the first day of the GPL competition, and was very meaningful. IOI had also created a qualification competition, which put a little pressure on the GPL side. He should really come and take a look.
Xiao Peng, who was seated on the other side, said, "Perhaps Boss Pei thinks that victory is already in his hands. IOI's qualifiers would not pose any threat to the GPL. That's why he did not come."
Zhang Yuan laughed and said, "You're all wrong. Boss Pei is not in Jingzhou now.
Ye Zhizhou was stunned. "He's not in Jingzhou? Is he on a business trip?"
Zhang Yuan lowered his voice and said, "Boss Pei went to Shanghai alone to watch IOI's competition!"
Ye Zhizhou and Xiao Peng looked surprised.
Boss Pei had gone to Shanghai alone and went deep into the enemy's lair to watch the game?
That was because Boss Pei had always given people the impression that he was a wise general who could devise strategies and win thousands of battles. He would be able to see everything that happened across the country as long as he stayed in Jingzhou.
Yet, Boss Pei had personally gone to Shanghai to attend the IOI competition... For some reason, everyone felt like he was heading into battle alone.
Xiao Peng felt a little confused as he sighed. "However, does Boss Pei have to go personally if it's just to get a closer look at the enemy?"
Zhang Yuan sniggered. "Of course, it's not just to spy on the enemy. How can Boss Pei only have one goal? He must have a complete plan!"
"Actually, Boss Pei had already invested in FV Club in private. He had planted a foreshadowing in IOI's team."
"I think Boss Pei is probably waiting for a suitable time. FV Club might become the deciding factor in IOI and GOG's eSports industry!"
"As for the specifics... I'm not sure either. Let's wait and see!"
Ye Zhizhou and Xiao Peng nodded in agreement.
...
"Let us congratulate FV Club and SUG Club for their qualification!"
"Tomorrow morning and afternoon, we will have two rounds of 'best-of-five' matches to determine the final spot for the World Series. Please wait and see!"
Ding Gan, who had been sweating profusely in the audience, finally relaxed slightly.
The afternoon group match was considered a close shave for SUG. Even though they had lost the first round to FV Club, they still won the next round without any mishaps to become second place in the group.
The schedule for tomorrow's elimination tournament was still full. The first and second place teams would each play one set of 'best-of-five' matches. The two winners would compete for the first seeded team while the two losers would compete for the last spot.
IOI's international competition schedule this time was protected by competition zones.
That was because Zhao Xuming knew very well that the current IOI team in the local server was not good enough. If they were to fight against foreign strong teams, they might be beaten up badly. They had to have a hand in the competition system to save face.
Thus, Chrétien and the upper echelons of Finger Games decided that the first seed of each division would start from the top eight, and the second and third seed would start from the group stages.
That would prevent all teams from being wiped out in the group stages. At the very least, it would keep the attention of domestic players to the top eight.
There would be no helping... if the strongest team in the country was still beaten after entering the top eight.
Ding Gan's emotions became much more stable after watching SUG torture the remaining two teams.
"It doesn't seem to be a problem with SUG. This FV is just too strong."
"On the bright side, it's also a good thing to meet FV in the group stages. It's almost impossible to meet them tomorrow."
"We have to play two 'best-of-five' matches tomorrow. We'll definitely qualify as long as we don't meet FV Club."
Ding Gan kept consoling himself. He finally calmed down.
It was already very late when the competition ended. The audience left the stage one by one. Ding Gan stood up and prepared to go backstage to comfort his team members.
However, just as he was about to leave, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure from the corner of his eye. He seemed to have seen him somewhere before.
Ding Gan was seated in the front row of the VIP seats. Many people had already stood up and left the venue. Most of the seats were empty except for a figure wearing a black mask who was still seated. He looked out of place.
Ding Gan frowned and took a closer look. This person's eyes and clothes looked familiar even though he was wearing a mask.
"Boss Pei?!"
Ding Gan specially went to Jingzhou to meet Boss Pei after SUG Club was removed from GPL. That was why he recognized him.
Many thoughts surfaced in Ding Gan's mind after confirming Boss Pei's identity.
All the plots seemed to connect at that moment.
Why did FV Club take the initiative to spend money on publicity?
Where did the celebrity players of FV Club come from?
Ding Gan believed that Boss Pei had many hidden tricks up his sleeve, but he had not seen through them yet.
All of this was obviously Boss Pei's plan. It was just a game of chess between GOG and IOI in the eSports field, while SUG and the other clubs were just pawns!
Boss Pei even personally came to Shanghai to the IOI Qualification Competition to enjoy his own set up.
He was just like a psychopathic murderer who had to return to the crime scene after committing a crime. He would only be able to obtain a sense of satisfaction by observing the situation closely.
Ding Gan suddenly shuddered!
Chapter 778: Continue With This Fighting Style
In the end, Ding Gan did not muster the courage to speak to Boss Pei.
He's the knife while I'm the meat on the chopping board, what else can I say?
Ding Gan had dealt with Boss Pei before regarding the GPL quota. He knew Boss Pei very well.
Boss Pei was a strategist. He would not make a move unless he was 100% sure. At the same time, Boss Pei was a cold-hearted person. Once he made up his mind, he would not change it.
Now that Boss Pei had personally come to the IOI Qualification Competition, it meant that he was confident of winning. What's more, he would not change his mind even if anyone begged because he had already made up his mind.
Ding Gan knew that there was no point in saying anything now. Whether the SUG Club would be able to qualify tomorrow would depend on the players themselves.
Ding Gan turned around and quickly left the venue and headed backstage at that thought.
He did not want to be seen by Boss Pei nor did he want to inform Zhao Xuming.
At the moment, Zhao Xuming could not help nor did he care about SUG Club at all. In any case, there were only three spots for, it did not matter to him whether it was FV or SUG which qualified.
Since that was the case, everyone should deal with their own problem!
All Ding Gan wanted to do now was to quickly motivate his players. He wanted them to stabilize their mentality and fight their way out of the elimination round tomorrow to obtain a place in the international competition.
Pei Qian did not notice Ding Gan, who was seated not far away from him. He was still immersed in the sorrow of FV successfully entering the elimination round.
After sitting in his seat for a long time, Pei Qian stood up, intending to head to the backstage of the venue to check on the situation of FV Club.
It was originally a bottom rank team. How did it become an all-star team?
Pei Qian would not be able to sleep well if he could not figure this out.
The venue was only a recording studio in the shopping mall and was not very big nor formal. Therefore, Pei Qian found the backstage area for the players after he walked around twice.
Some fans gathered outside the backstage, waiting to meet the player they liked. The official staff were already busy with other things as the competition had already ended for a period of time. Only the club's leaders and managers stood outside to stop the passionate fans from affecting the players.
Pei Qian saw the FV Club's room. It was rather shabby as well, with only a miserable printout on the door with the words' FV Club lounge'.
Manager Lu stood at the door and made a call. He seemed to be contacting the chauffeur in charge of picking him up. FV Club players could be heard arguing in the room. They were probably discussing the competition today.
Pei Qian walked forward.
"I'm sorry, the players are reviewing after the competition. They don't have time to sign and take photos… Eh? You are…"
Manager Lu and Pei Qian had only met once. Pei Qian was wearing a mask, so he could not recognize him immediately.
Pei Qian pulled his mask down slightly. "It's me."
Manager Lu was very surprised. He quickly said, "Boss Pei? Why are you here? Please come in."
He might not know why Boss Pei was here but anything that could make Boss Pei come here personally was definitely not a small matter.
Pei Qian followed Manager Lu into the lounge. He immediately heard the players discussing battle tactics.
"Our playstyle is not good. Our hands and feet are still tied. The last two matches today were still alright, but the first match with SUG was so dangerous that we almost lost!"
"That's right. The elimination tournament tomorrow will definitely be much more intense than the group stages. There is a high risk that we'll fail if we are to continue playing like this."
"Why don't we resume our usual playing style? We can slowly adapt to GOG's playing style after we obtain the qualifications for the international competition."
"I think so too. We have to obtain the qualifications for the international competition first. Otherwise, everything would be in vain."
The players had their own opinions, and the debate was rather intense.
Manager Lu looked a little awkward as he said in a low voice, "Boss Pei, don't mind them. The players don't have any conflicts. They're just discussing the tactics in the game."
He was afraid that the scene in the lounge would leave a bad impression on Boss Pei.
Even though Boss Pei said that he would not interfere with the operations of the FV Club when he was investing, it was one thing for Boss Pei to not interfere. It was another thing for Wu Yue and Manager Lu to not care about Boss Pei's opinion.
Wu Yue and Manager Lu cared about Boss Pei's views from all sorts of angles.
Boss Pei gave both money and resources, which was the players. This All-Stars team was basically formed by Boss Pei now;
From the decision making point of view, Boss Pei had created the GPL league and was a producer of GOG. His understanding of game content and the E-Sports industry was much higher than Wu Yue and Manager Lu.
Therefore, even if Boss Pei said that he would not interfere with the operations of FV Club, Manager Lu and Wu Yue would still try to guess Boss Pei's intentions and try their best to run the club according to the way Boss Pei was satisfied with.
Pei Qian was not angry when he heard the players arguing. Instead, he was elated.
Why were they so angry after winning the competition?
This meant that there was a problem in the team. There was a hidden danger to exploit!
That was a good development!
There was still hope that they would be eliminated as long as they performed badly tomorrow!
Pei Qian became optimistic again at that thought. The corners of his mouth curled up under his mask.
Wu Yue was also in the lounge, looking worried.
Pan Ying was this team's support player and the team leader.
He was in charge of the entire team's tactical arrangements and instructions. He was the one who suggested that they play according to GOG's methods initially, including switching operations, lineup selection, tactical details, and so on. All of them were similar to GOG.
At first, the other players did not have any objections. However, the team's opinions differed after today's competition.
That was because they really did have a hard time during the competition today.
While Pan Ying's playing style was unique and had quite a good effect, GOG and IOI were still very different in terms of heroes and gameplay. What's more, such a playing style required a long period of practice and running-in. It was not something that they could become proficient in overnight.
Thus, the top two players wanted to play it safe. They wanted to play their individual strength first, obtain the qualifications for the international competition, and then slowly train for it.
However, Pan Ying felt that it was a good opportunity to train in the competition. The intensity of the training competition and the intensity of the elimination competition could not be compared at all. If he retreated every time he encountered difficulties, he would still not be able to train with such a style in the international competition.
What's more, the current tactical arrangements had already been arranged. Changing strategies to fight with individual capability might not be effective.
Both sides had their own arguments, and neither could convince the other. Wu Yue had no way of unifying his opinions, and could only worry.
At that moment, he saw Manager Lu leading Boss Pei into the lounge.
Wu Yue's eyes lit up as he quickly stood up. "Boss Pei! Why are you here?!"
Pei Qian had already taken off his mask. He felt stuffy after covering his face for the entire afternoon. "Nothing, I just came to take a look."
Wuyue nodded, feeling a deep sense of respect.
Boss Pei might say that he was just here to take a look but Wu Yue knew very well that Boss Pei must be here specially to watch the competition!
Boss Pei was very busy every day with work. Today was also the opening of the GPL competition. Yet, Boss Pei did not even watch the GPL's opening ceremony. Instead, he came here to watch FV compete. That was enough to show how much Boss Pei valued FV Club!
Boss Pei had only said that he was 'just here to take a look around' in order not to put too much pressure on the players. That was so considerate.
The players stood up and stopped arguing when they saw Boss Pei.
Wu Yue quickly said, "In my opinion, everyone should stop arguing. We won't be able to come to a conclusion even if we continue fighting like this."
"Whether it's the individual skills or GOG's tactics, they all have their advantages and disadvantages. No one can guarantee that either strategy will win."
"Since neither can convince the other, the most important thing now is to make a decision as soon as possible. No matter what method we choose, we have to hurry up and come up with a strategy when we get back. We cannot waste our time on meaningless debate."
"In my opinion, let's have Boss Pei decide on this! That way, everyone would be convinced, right?"
The players looked at each other and nodded.
Boss Pei was the designer of GOG and the organizer of the GPL league. His understanding of games and competitions must be very high!
If Boss Pei made the final decision, everyone would be able to accept it no matter the outcome.
It would be everyone else's fault, not Boss Pei's, even if they were to lose.
Wu Yue looked at Pei Qian. "Boss Pei, you should have seen the competition this afternoon. Can you give us an idea? The team will definitely listen to you."
Pei Qian could not help but feel elated. Such luck!
You asked me to make the decision, I didn't force you.
Pei Qian had already noticed that the players of FV Club were all very strong individually, and they could cooperate well when he watched the competition in the afternoon. However, their understanding of the game version and tactical execution were obviously different from other teams.
From the selection of players to the actual tactical execution and resource exchange, they all seemed out of place with the other teams.
Simply put, they were playing GOG, limiting their individual abilities to a certain extent.
If they were to compete purely on strength, SUG Club would lose without any suspense.
The commentator could tell, so could the players of FV Club.
Pei Qian felt that this was perfectly normal. GOG and IOI were two different games. There was such a huge difference in the game mechanism. Yet, they insisted on playing IOI according to GOG's playing style. It was just like reverse training. Even if they could make a name for themselves, they would have to train hard for a long time. What's more, they would never be able to defeat the top experts.
Everyone knew that 'best-of-one' matches and 'best-of-five' matches were two completely different games.
The intensity of the elimination tournament would increase tomorrow. Whether FV Club's playstyle would still be effective was a huge question.
At that thought, Pei Qian said seriously, "Just stick to your current playing style. There won't be a problem! No matter how difficult the competition is, you cannot give up!"
At that moment, Pei Qian, the movie king, looked extremely serious.
The support player, Pan Ying, was very moved. He said, "Thank you Boss Pei, for your trust! I will definitely perfect this strategy so that we can achieve better results tomorrow!"
Initially, he had been a little swayed by the results of this playing style. However, since Boss Pei had personally verified that there was no problem with it, then there was definitely no problem!
If they lost the competition, it would be because his team did not play or cooperate well. It would definitely not be Boss Pei's fault.
The other contestants looked at each other and did not say anything else.
Boss Pei had already come to a conclusion. What was there to be conflicted about? They just had to take the tactics seriously and complete their task.
There was no point arguing anyway since they had reached a consensus. Everyone just had to listen to Pan Ying's instructions.
Wu Yue could not help but click his tongue in wonder.
Is this Boss Pei's magic?
A few words and all the players are convinced!
While Wu Yue was the boss of the club and could suppress these players, forcefully suppressing them did not mean that they would be willing to listen.
That was because while Wu Yue was the boss, his understanding of the game was still lacking. Even if he said that he wanted to use a certain fighting style, the team members would still subconsciously think about whether a different fighting style would be better after encountering problems.
Boss Pei, on the other hand, was not only the boss but also had a deep understanding of the game. If he said that there was no problem, there would definitely be no problem.
Wu Yue could not help but feel emotional. Boss Pei was like a chosen one who could do anything.
How could he not win in life when he followed such a big boss?
Chapter 779: Making Use of Boss Pei to Garner Popularity
December 11th, Sunday...
The second day of the GPL season preliminaries, IOI's knockout stage.
Zhao Xuming arrived at the IOI Qualification venue early in the morning just like yesterday and urged the staff to adjust the equipment and prepare for the competition.
The four teams had already arrived at the competition venue early today. They had to play a set of 'best-of-five' matches in the morning and afternoon each. The schedule was very tight and the pressure was boiling over.
Originally, the three veteran teams, including SUG, did not have much pressure. The three slots were made for them after all. They could easily bully teams with a weak stomach. They could have qualified no matter what.
The first seeded team could start from the top eight directly. There was still a need to compete for it while the position of the second and third seeded teams could be bought.
However, there was no team with a weak stomach now that FV club had appeared out of nowhere within the four teams to be eliminated. Anyone who did not play well would be eliminated directly. The pressure was instantly felt.
Players were seriously preparing for battle tactics or taking the time to take a short nap to conserve their energy in their respective club lounges. All of them were hoping that they could maintain a better competitive state when the competition started.
At that moment, Zhao Xuming's assistant rushed over with a serious expression.
"Boss Zhao, we've investigated the situation with FV Club!"
"These players were indeed sold to them by the GPL clubs. With Wu Yue's financial resources, he would definitely not be able to afford them. Most likely, they were half sold and half given away."
"What's more, these players are from different GPL teams. There must be someone in the middle to coordinate with them. The boss of FV Club, Wu Yue, does not have that ability."
"Only Tengda's Boss Pei can make these clubs willingly hand these players over!"
"Therefore, we can basically confirm that Tengda is behind FV Club. In fact, Tengda might have already bought this club!"
"I even suspect that SHG and the other clubs went to each club to poach IOI's potential players because of a plan they had all along. It was part of Boss Pei's plan!"
Zhao Xuming's expression turned serious as he nodded slightly. "As I expected."
Ding Gan had already told Zhao Xuming about the suspicious points of FV Club yesterday. However, all of their actions were in line with the rules of the competition. Thus, Zhao Xuming was helpless and could not do anything about FV Club.
However, being helpless did not mean not doing anything.
For safety's sake, Zhao Xuming asked his assistant to quickly investigate the background of FV Club and figure out their true motives.
The assistant was very efficient as well. He had more or less figured it out today.
Zhao Xuming noted it down in his heart and asked, "Is there anything else worth noting?"
The assistant quickly nodded. "Yes, Boss Zhao! According to our staff's intel, a mysterious person wearing a mask came to the competition venue yesterday. He also went to FV Club's lounge! From the way Manager Lu addressed him, he's most likely Tengda's Boss Pei himself!"
The club lounges in the backstage also had staff from the competition organizers around. Pei Qian might be wearing a mask but the way Manager Lu addressed him had already exposed his identity.
Zhao Xuming frowned and looked surprised. "Boss Pei himself? Are you sure?"
The assistant nodded. "Based on the information I have, Boss Pei looks similar to his stand-in actor and is very young. Manager Lu addressed the mysterious masked man as 'Boss Pei' and was very respectful. After coming out of the lounge, Wu Yue left with him very respectfully. He also addressed him as 'Boss Pei'."
"On top of that, I also asked SUG Club's Boss Ding Gan. He met Boss Pei in person and admitted that Boss Pei was indeed at the studio."
"Based on this information, the mysterious person wearing the mask is most likely Boss Pei himself."
Zhao Xuming frowned slightly. "Ding Gan know about this?"
The assistant nodded. "He knows, but he didn't take the initiative to tell us. He only admitted to it when I asked."
"Hmph!" Zhao Xuming snorted. "This Ding Gan seems to be a little upset with the way I handled things previously?"
"Don't worry about him. Just make sure that it is Boss Pei."
Zhao Xuming fell into deep thought.
Boss Pei was here personally?
What was his motive?
Zhao Xuming had an instinctive fear of Boss Pei.
That was because Boss Pei's previous achievements had been too outstanding. GOG had advanced triumphantly, making waves domestically and overseas. It was hard to find a worthy opponent. The upper echelons of Dayak Corporation had also been dealt with without being able to fight back.
Zhao Xuming had been tortured to the point of losing his temper during his simple exchange with Boss Pei. He had unknowingly developed a fear of Boss Pei.
Zhao Xuming began to panic now that he heard that Boss Pei was at the recording studio in person.
However, he quickly calmed down.
"There's no need to panic. He's just an ordinary person. He's not a killing demon. He would only be here to supervise the battle even if he is here. What can he do in our territory?"
The assistant nodded. "Boss Zhao is right."
"Perhaps it's because the outside world has been spreading rumors that Boss Pei has always been elusive. Once he makes a move, he has absolute confidence in winning. What's more, he has never fought a battle without preparation or confidence. That's why we're being paranoid."
"Then, Boss Zhao, what should we do now?"
Zhao Xuming frowned and fell into deep thought.
"I think Boss Pei came to Shanghai personally for two reasons. First, he wanted to spy on the enemy. He wanted to see our arrangements at the venue since it is not accurate to rely on others to convey information after all. He had to see it for himself to confirm the details. Second, he wanted to supervise the battle and cheer on the members of FV Club. He hoped that they would be able to win the qualifiers."
"Therefore, he kept a low profile and even wore a mask when he came alone because he did not want to be discovered."
"He thought that no one would recognize him since he had never shown his face on the internet but did not count for us to catch on to this information unexpectedly! If we can make good use of it, we might be able to make a beautiful comeback..."
The assistant could feel that Zhao Xuming seemed to be hatching an excellent idea. He waited quietly by the side, not daring to interrupt his train of thought.
Zhao Xuming suddenly slammed the table. "I got it!"
"Boss Pei kept a low profile, he did not want to show his face and attract attention. Yet, we'll do the exact opposite and spread the news that Boss Pei came to watch the IOI qualifiers!"
"Find Boss Pei's seat. The director will give him a close-up shot and inform the two commentators in advance to welcome Boss Pei!"
"Then, we'll hire fake reviewers in advance to create hype online. The content is very simple. We'll say that Boss Pei did not watch the GPL league but came to watch the IOI qualifiers instead. This means that the IOI qualifiers were held better than the GPL league. What's more, it triggered Tengda's sense of crisis. This means that IOI is starting to show its power. GOG's dominance in the country is about to be threatened!"
"In short, transfer all of Boss Pei's popularity to IOI's qualifiers!"
The assistant's eyes lit up. "Good plan, Boss Zhao!"
"Boss Pei came all the way to Shanghai to spy on the enemy like an assassin. However, we will welcome him with great fanfare. That would make us look honorable while Boss Pei appears to be sneaky! We'll have the upper hand in terms of breadth of mind and temperament!"
"What's more, Boss Pei is here to watch the IOI qualifiers and not the GPL league. As long as we make an issue out of this, we will be able to steal a large portion of GPL's popularity. It's perfect!"
"I'll arrange it right now!"
The assistant was about to turn around and leave when he was stopped by Zhao Xuming.
"Wait!"
"That's not enough."
"How about this, you make two preparations. FV will fight the second team of Group A as the first team from Group B. We'll know the results before noon."
"We'll not talk about FV Club nor bring the heat to FV Club if they were to win hands down."
"If the FV Club wins with difficulty, they probably won't be able to beat Team A's first team. They won't be able to get the first seed."
"If that happens, we'll expose the relationship between FV Club and Tengda Corporation before the competition starts in the afternoon!"
"We can put it this way: Tengda had schemed and spent a lot of money to build FV Club, but they were still beaten up by our IOI clubs. Highlight Boss Pei's ashen face at the scene."
"Wouldn't that become another wave of popularity and traffic?"
The assistant nodded profusely. "Boss Zhao is brilliant!"
Given the FV Club's personnel configuration, if they obtained the first seed, Zhao Xuming would have no choice but to play dead and not take the initiative to spread the relationship between Tengda and FV Club. However, if FV Club were to lose, Zhao Xuming could kick them while they were down, step on them a few times, and take advantage of their popularity.
Of course, the specifics still depended on the morning's competition situation.
Zhao Xuming was in a good mood and could not help but smile.
"Boss Pei, Boss Pei, you are not omnipotent and flawless. You also show your flaws!"
"I admire your courage to come to the battle alone, but aren't you offering your popularity to me? It would be impolite to refuse such a generous offer. I'll gladly accept it!"
...
At the competition venue.
Just like yesterday, Pei Qian wore a mask and sat in the front to watch the competition.
Yesterday, Wu Yue and Manager Lu had wanted to hold a banquet to welcome him, but Pei Qian had decisively rejected them.
The players of the FV Club had to make use of the time to review the game after the competition, summarize their experience, and then rest well. There were still two more matches the next day, which would consume a lot of energy after all.
Thus, Wu Yue did not insist and only sent Boss Pei back to the hotel.
Perhaps it was because he had changed his environment, or perhaps it was because the competition on Saturday had left some unpleasant memories for Pei Qian. He did not sleep well last night, and he was a little listless today.
However, it did not matter. He would just be watching the competition.
The competition schedule was very full. There would be two sets of 'best-of-five' matches in the morning and another two sets of 'best-of-five' matches in the afternoon. Any team would be eliminated if they lost the two rounds. However, any of the teams would be able to enter the world competition as the first seed if they were to win two rounds.
FV Club was fighting in the first match while SUG was fighting in the second match against the first and second team of Group A respectively.
The members of the FV Club were full of energy and were seriously adjusting their equipment.
The two commentators were warming up the atmosphere, analyzing the playstyles and state of the two teams yesterday, and making predictions about the upcoming competition.
However, at that moment, a camera suddenly appeared above Pei Qian's head without warning. Pei Qian's close-up shot appeared on the big screen immediately!
At that moment, he was casually sitting in the front row with his legs crossed and his right hand on his cheek. His gaze was relaxed and the black mask on his face was rather eye-catching.
Pei Qian could not help but be shocked when he suddenly saw himself on the big screen. He froze as a question mark floated above his head.
?
He panicked for a moment, but he quickly calmed down and did not do anything.
Fortunately, he was prepared and wore a mask!
This was probably a random shot of the audience before the competition. It was no big deal. The entire scene would only last for one or two seconds.
However... Why would they film a man wearing a mask instead of the many cute girls ?
Pei Qian was slightly confused, but he remained calm.
However, he quickly realized that he was wrong.
That was because the close-up seemed to last a little too long. The camera in the air had no intention of moving away to film anyone else!
The audience had obviously noticed this as well, and they started discussing.
Who was this?
This person was not a beautiful lady. What's more, this person was wearing a mask which hid his face. Did the director have to give him a close-up of five seconds?
The two commentators spoke immediately.
"Aye, I see that the director had directed the camera to the audience. Many people might not recognize him. Let us make a grand introduction here: Tengda Corporation's Boss Pei is also present at our competition venue!"
"Boss Pei traveled all the way from Jingzhou to Shanghai despite being so busy. It's obvious how much he loves our competition. Let's give him a round of applause to warmly welcome him!"
Thunderous applause and cheers rang out the moment the emcee finished speaking.
There were obviously staff within that were prepared in advance to provide professional applause. The emcee and the staff cooperated slightly and led the audience to clap together, instantly creating an excellent program effect.
Pei Qian: "What the f*ck..."
At that moment, Pei Qian was very glad that he was wearing a mask. Otherwise, his expression would have been extremely awkward. The live broadcast would have been broadcasted to everyone in the audience and live-stream.
The organizers of the competition were causing trouble!
Pei Qian immediately realized that the organizers had done this on purpose. However, it was not appropriate for him to do anything now. He could only maintain a calm and indifferent expression until the camera above his head moved away.
The director shamelessly filmed for a full ten seconds. However, he finally moved the camera away in pity when he saw how calm and collected Boss Pei was.
However, the close-up shots in these ten seconds had a very good effect. The live-streaming platform of the IOI qualifiers was now filled with bullet screen comments.
"Boss Pei?!"
"What the hell? Tengda Corporation's Boss Pei is at the IOI Qualification Competition? Shouldn't he be watching the GPL? What is he doing?"
"This wave, is the boss going to personally spy on the enemy?"
"And getting caught at the scene?"
"Hahaha, does this mean that IOI's competition is better than GPL? Even Boss Pei doesn't watch GPL?"
"Are you sure this is Boss Pei? How did you recognize him with a mask on?"
"From the hairstyle, clothes, figure, and some other details, it is indeed possible. The organizers of the competition shouldn't make such a low level mistake. They must have confirmed Boss Pei's identity before giving the close-up."
"The GPL club is in an awkward position. We were fighting with all our might here, and in the end, the organizers of the league went to see someone else?"
"SHG: We are about to fight to the death, why did Your Majesty surrender first?"
Similar discussions were taking place in the live-stream and on the forums. Many of these comments were posted by the fake reviewers arranged by Long Yu Corporation. On the surface, they looked like they were teasing each other, but in fact, they had a motive.
Once the saying 'Boss Pei did not watch the GPL but came to watch the IOI Qualification Competition' spread, even if it was actually a form of ridicule, it would also subtly induce the bystanders.
This little episode passed very quickly, but the public opinion on the Internet gradually began to ferment.
The competition between the two teams began, and the audience was soon immersed in the intense competition.
These two teams were already at the top level in the country. It was very exciting for them to fight so well.
FV Club still played strictly according to GOG's gameplay as Pei Qian had requested. They still did not fit in with the usual play styles from the selection of players to the operations of the game.
FV Club and the SUG had a very intensive match in the group match yesterday. The victory was partly due to luck.
Today's opponent had obviously studied FV Club's playstyles last night. They had made certain targets in the selection of players and tactics. Thus, FV Club was having a harder time.
However, even so, the FV Club had no intention of playing a regular lineup. Instead, they continued to follow their previous strategy.
Both sides had been fighting for five rounds. They had originally arranged for two matches to be played in the morning, but the match with FV ended at 11 PM.
...
The assistant walked quickly to Zhao Xuming at the backstage of the recording studio.
"Boss Zhao! Everything has been arranged according to your instructions."
"We have already prepared a few manuscripts. The contents include the relationship between Tengda Corporation and FV Club, Boss Pei's presence at the scene, and so on. We will spread this news in the afternoon, buy hot searches, and hype it up. We will definitely be able to generate considerable popularity on the internet!"
Zhao Xuming nodded in satisfaction. "Yes, very good!"
He watched FV Club's competition in the morning the entire time. They were in a deadlock with the second team in Group A. It was not an easy win.
From yesterday's group competition, Group A's first and second place did not seem to have much pressure. They took things in their stride.
This meant that even if the FV Club managed to win painstakingly and obtained a spot in the international competition, they would definitely not be able to beat Group A's number one team. They would not be able to get the first seed.
Not only that, there was a high chance that they would be beaten up by Group A's number one team!
Since that was the case, he could take the opportunity to reveal the relationship between FV Club and Tengda Corporation. He could step on it and bring IOI a lot of attention.
Boss Pei had spent a huge sum of money to create a team to participate in the IOI qualifiers. Yet, they were still eaten up with him supervising the competition.
Zhao Xuming's goal would be achieved once this news was spread.
Of course, the prerequisite was that FV Club had to lose for the maximum impact.
In fact, Zhao Xuming could also choose to spread the news after the competition ended. However, that would be too late and he would not be able to capitalize on it.
There were four sets of 'best-of-five' matches today. The schedule was too packed. It was almost 12 PM when the first game ended. The later matches could only be postponed.
He estimated that it would be after 10 PM when they finished playing all four sets of 'best-of-five' matches.
Such discussions were timely, and it would take some time for them to ferment. It would be late at night by the time the competition ended which would impair the effect of the spread and would not attract a lot of attention and traffic.
On the contrary, by spreading the news in the afternoon, everyone would pay attention to FV Club's competition at night. Long Yu Corporation would then be able to use public opinion to step on Tengda after FV Club was defeated. The timing would be perfect.
Zhao Xuming could not help but to gloat.
It was said that Boss Pei had everything under control. However, wasn't Boss Pei helpless as well when faced with such a situation where he could not control?
Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that the FV Club was still lacking in strength and could not compete for the first seeded spot. Zhao Xuming was certain of this and wanted to create popularity for IOI by stepping on FV Club and Tengda.
How could Boss Pei turn the situation around under such circumstances?
Zhao Xuming felt that victory was within his grasp.