297 Your Mind is like the Sea of Stars in the Sky

Xia Jiang quickly finished taking everything down and then said, "Boss Pei, we know that every game Tengda has created so far has been very profitable and reputable. That's very rare.

"Many game developers only focus on profits and choose to sacrifice games' reputation. As a result, potentially amazing works normally fail midway through.

"Other game developers focus more on the quality of their games and refuse to cut corners. As a result, they have good reputations but not enough profits. Some don't even earn enough to fund their daily operations.

"One has to admit that both of these are sorry situations to be in.

"Can you share with us how you achieve both profit and reputation at the same time?"

Pei Qian let out a soft sigh. "Actually, I'm not at all interested in making profits.

"I have never thought about how to balance building a reputation and making profits. However, for some reason, as Tengda's reputation improves; sales would increase, and we would generate more profits.

"We're earning so much now that it's becoming suffocating."

"I don't understand why gamers would keep praising our games and stuffing their money into our hands. This troubles me deeply."

Xia Jiang nodded with a serious expression as she furiously took notes.

'A designer who has stopped finding pleasure in the material world but has a greater desire for spirituality and mental strength.

'A soul whose burdens do not ease off a single bit no matter how much he earns.

'He is satisfied with just a bit of material pleasure, but his thirst for spiritual and mental improvement is insatiable.

'He never worries about his goals being unattainable. Instead, he keeps reflecting on himself.

''Have I not achieved that level of spiritual and mental strength?' He often asks himself this.'

After taking these down, Xia Jiang spoke again, "Boss Pei, you've already achieved such outstanding results. What's your next goal?"

Pei Qian cleared his throat, his face a mask of seriousness. "My goal has never changed. My aim has always been to make a loss-incurring game."

Xia Jiang paused, nodded, and then started writing once again.

'Was this because he had already won so much in life?'

'Most designers spend their entire lives working towards creating a successful game. Yet, he secretly hopes for and seeks failure.

'Perhaps victory is a bore to him now. Maybe one unexpected failure could provide him with more of a challenge.

'He makes failure his goal and can put down what he takes up.

'Many people work hard to succeed, but a rare few seek failure.

'One can hardly imagine what kind of perilous situations he had been through in order for him to have such strong mental capacity, that he isn't even afraid of great losses.'

Xia Jiang felt the words flowing smoothly to her. The sound of her pen scratching the surface of her notebook continued for a long time.

Pei Qian, who was seated opposite her, began to seriously question his life. Question after question surfaced in his mind as he began soul-searching.

Why doesn't she seem shocked by my answers?

What exactly is she writing?

Why does she look like she understands what I'm saying?

Pei Qian felt increasingly uncomfortable.

Director, there must be something wrong with the script!

I've been running my mouth off. Why isn't this reporter expressing any doubts? Instead, she's taking down notes very seriously as if I'm giving her golden advice…

Pei Qian stole a glance at Xia Jiang's notebook, but the words looked like scribbling. He could not recognize a single word.

Should I ask?

Yet, that seemed inappropriate.

Which interviewee would ask his interviewer what kind of notes the latter was taking? That would be akin to doubting the interviewer's professionalism and skills. It would be too rude.

Pei Qian appeared calm and nonchalant as he smiled. However, his heart was filled with confusion. He could not help but feel like something was wrong.

Soon, Xia Jiang asked the next question. "Let's talk about your latest work, Repent and be Saved.

"Everyone knows that you work on a different game genre each time. What internally motivates you to continuously venture into different territories?

"Is it because you're brave and you want to push yourself outside your comfort zone? Is it because you want to learn as much as you can? Or is it because you have a superior attitude towards games and the world?"

Pei Qian was speechless.

This was getting increasingly ridiculous!

The earlier questions were more objective. However, this one made Xia Jiang's bias very obvious!

Pei Qian shook his head, denying it at once. "None of the above. I purely want to venture into uncharted territory, so that I can increase my chances of failure."

This time, Xia Jiang did not write anything down. Instead, she smiled and said, "I understand."

Pei Qian's mind was filled with question marks.

What the h*ll do you understand?! I hate know-it-alls like you the most!

Pei Qian was completely speechless. He was now a hundred percent sure that this reporter had misunderstood him. What's more, it was probably a grave and ridiculous misunderstanding.

Pei Qian was frantic. Yet, his good sense told him to remain calm.

Whether this reporter had misunderstood him or not, Pei Qian could not forget his original motive.

He had to try his best to reduce his popularity! He had to make himself look bad among gamers so as to reduce his sales volume. It would be best if he could even cause his next game to fail!

At that thought, Pei Qian regained his composure and gestured for Xia Jiang to carry on with the interview.

Xia Jiang asked, "Many professional critics have commented on Repent and be Saved. Did you expect the professional critics to say whatever they did about the game?"

Pei Qian shook his head profusely. "Not at all!"

Xia Jiang smiled. "Had you originally thought that the game's meaning was extremely well-hidden, then? Were you prepared for people not to understand it?"

"Huh? No." Pei Qian shook his head again. "I didn't think people would over-analyze the game to this extent."

"Over-analyze it?" Xia Jiang picked up her pen again.

Pei Qian nodded. "That's right, they've gone overboard.

"The storyline they are praising was not created by me. I just found random literature graduates from school and made them come up with whatever they could.

"The game was not made difficult for immersiveness either. I only wanted to torture players with that game. Seeing players suffer is my guilty pleasure.

"Do you understand what I mean?"

Pei Qian looked very serious.

Xia Jiang nodded, equally seriously. "I understand, I understand."

Pei Qian was speechless. "…"

Xia Jiang picked up her pen and began writing some notes. However, sensing that something was missing, she asked, "What's with the Pudu, then?"

Pei Qian answered truthfully. "It was a weapon I created for myself to cheat. Players found out about it by accident."

Xia Jiang nodded. "So you played the game as well."

Pei Qian was silent.

What should he say? He didn't play it?

There was no need to lie about such a simple question, right? What's more, nobody would have believed him.

Should he say he did, then?

Yet, that seemed inappropriate as well. He had already said that the game was created to torture gamers. If he said he played it as well, wouldn't others mistake him for a masochist?

Thus, Pei Qian found himself momentarily at a loss for words.

Xia Jiang gave him a knowing look and continued writing in her notebook.

'Boss Pei's sense of humor has left a lasting impression on me.

'Perhaps successful and mentally strong men like him all have an innate sense of humor. Even a normally boring and formal interview could become fun and amusing with him.

'Boss Pei had straightforwardly admitted that Repent and be Saved was meant to torture gamers.

'However, before he tortured others, he tortured himself first. While players suffered through the game, most would not guess that the creator of the game had gone through the exact same experience as they did beforehand.

'He said that the Pudu was meant for himself, but who's to say it was not meant for everyone else?

'He had to produce a way to save everyone before he could be viewed as a savior.

'If not for the great mercy and sacrifice of someone like him, how could Repent and be Saved have been created?'

Pei Qian had already put everything plainly. However, looking at the serious Xia Jiang writing diligently in her book, he suddenly felt helpless.

It's useless! She's not listening! She doesn't understand me at all! We're on completely different frequencies!

Pei Qian had no idea how to answer the next question anymore.

Xia Jiang finished taking notes and prepared to ask the next question. However, Pei Qian quickly lifted his hand to stop her. "Chief Editor Xia…"

"Yes? Go ahead, Boss Pei." Xia Jiang looked earnest.

Pei Qian tried hard to find the right words. "Don't you think that you could have… misunderstood whatever I just told you?"

Pei Qian had thought he had already done a good job of expressing doubt in Chief Editor Xia's abilities. Yet, Xia Jiang did not look mad at all. Instead, she smiled as she nodded.

"Boss Pei, I understand.

"Your thinking is too deep. As hard as I try to guess the true meaning behind your words, I can only be partly correct at most.

"This can be likened to the sea of stars in the sky. No matter how far we try to look, we will only be able to see specks of light. Still, an entire galaxy of beauty exists behind the darkness, and we fail to appreciate it.

"I'm sorry, Boss Pei. I'm trying my best."

Pei Qian was confused. "?"

Did I doubt how hard you're trying? You are trying hard indeed—you're trying hard to misunderstand me!

Why can't I get through to you?!

No, this interview absolutely cannot carry on any longer. If this carries on, who could say what the final product would look like?!

Pei Qian was just about to think of an excuse to leave when his cell phone rang. He retrieved it and saw that it was his 10 AM alarm to get out of bed.

Normally, if there was nothing to attend to in the office, Pei Qian would sleep until 10 am. Since the interview had been set for 9 am, Pei Qian had set an additional alarm to get out of bed earlier today.

Now, the 10 AM alarm was ringing.

Pei Qian quickly switched it off and then raised his phone to his ear, acting like he was answering a call. "Oh, okay. Give me a while. I'll be there as soon as I can."

After putting his cell phone away, he acted apologetic and said, "Chief Editor Xia, it's really unfortunate. I have to tend to some work matters.

"Can you interview my employees instead? I have to make a move."

Chief Editor Xia nodded quickly. "Ah, alright, Boss Pei! I've already gained a lot from today's interview. Please do what you have to."

Pei Qian silently turned and left.

Forget it! If I can't fight, I'll take flight!

If I continue with the interview, I might be made into a god to worship. I have to leave as quickly as I can!

As Xia Jiang watched Boss Pei leave, she quietly wrote another line in her notebook.

'The scariest thing in the world is a genius who works even harder than ordinary people.'

Once she was done, Chief Editor Xia gestured for the camera crew to grab their cameras.

"Let me see who we should interview first."