552 May I Ask How I Should Cut My Losses if My Internet Cafe is Getting too Popular?

Although Xiao Peng had disclaimed that everything he was going to say about the 'Great Esports Ecosystem' was his personal view and not representative of Tengda Corporation's official stance, no one in the audience took him seriously.

No one had been expecting an official speech to be given at this opening ceremony.

Instead, most people were just interested in listening to what Xiao Peng had to say. If it made sense, they would take it in. Otherwise, they would let it go. Nobody would take those speeches too seriously.

Many high-level company executives ran their mouths off. Those were more rampant in the mobile phone industry. Everyone had already become used to it.

If they really took Xiao Peng's word for it, they would be eaten alive.

Of course, Xiao Peng was quite serious about this.

Boss Pei had not told him those exact words. However, from the way that he was setting up businesses, it was obvious that he thought the same way!

Xiao Peng felt that he was only beautifying those concepts by wording them nicely.

"Next, I will briefly describe the Great Esports Ecosystem from three main aspects.

"If one views the esports industry as a pyramid, then top-tier competitions would be its spire; various mid-tier competitions and esports clubs would be its middle; and a wholesome esports community culture would form its base.

"If any part goes missing, the esports industry would collapse.

"Obviously, the most important of those three parts is the base. That's because it forms the foundation of the esports industry and directly feeds the esports industry with outstanding new players, massive audiences and consumers, and other professionals related to the industry.

"If the esports industry develops into a huge commercial league in the future—similar to football, then the internet cafe would be akin to a bar where fans gather, as well as a stadium for children to train.

"So, Fish-Catching Internet Cafe 3.0 strives to build an esports live museum, attract the base-level esports talents in the region, and deliver fresh blood to the esports industry.

"At the same time, it would provide a place for young people who love esports to gather together because of their common interest. This community would become a social platform and even a part of their lives!"

As Xiao Peng spoke on stage, everyone in the audience nodded. Obviously, everyone was buying into Xiao Peng's fancy speech.

On the other hand, Pei Qian could hardly stop himself from raising his arms and shouting, "Don't believe him, everyone! He's trying to bluff you!"

Xiao Peng clicked his remote control again, moving onto the next slide in his slideshow.

"Next, I want to show everyone the hard work that Fish-Catching Internet Cafe has put into welcoming the Great Esports Ecosystem.

"In all Fish-Catching Internet Cafe branches, gamers would be able to try a portion of the skins in GOG and IOI for free. What's more, they would enjoy discounts on their per-hour charges based on the length of time they spend in those games.

"Fish-Catching Internet Cafe 3.0, in particular, would host regular competitions in GOG to encourage gamers to form teams of five and play the game. The competitions would be live-streamed in the internet cafe. At the same time, the winning teams will own their own training room in the internet cafe.

"The strongest of all teams will get to train in the highest seats in the internet cafe. They would represent the highest standards in the GOG arena, which is a great honor!"

Xiao Peng lifted his finger and pointed to the five highest and connected seats, which were arranged in a V-formation. At once, everyone gasped in amazement.

Obviously, the majority were imagining how awesome it would feel sitting in those seats. However, some people scoffed as well.

Xiao Peng was being too optimistic.

At the moment, esports was still relatively niche in China and around the world. Although there were many internet cafes at the moment and one could say that they were still looking everywhere, few people followed esports competitions.

What's more, almost all the esports Competitions were hosted in first-tier cities like Shanghai or Beijing, and gamers were only familiar with the few competitors who were ranked among the top few.

Fish-Catching Internet Cafe was hoping to make esports as huge as football? Were they even hoping to create a wholesome esports environment in second- and third-tier cities?

It seemed like a foolish dream.

Without sufficient players to support this so-called 'esports live museum', no one would watch any of the competitions. The beautiful dreams would fall to naught, and Fish-Catching Internet Cafe would ultimately be reduced to an ordinary and slightly-more-expensive internet cafe in the end.

Xiao Peng smiled as if he had expected everyone to react in this manner.

Fortunately, he had a back-up plan!

"I know that most people seated here have not watched large-scale competitions and cannot understand how people can appreciate or get so excited over esports competitions. Next, I would like everyone to enjoy a game between top GOG teams.

"Together, let's experience the esports live museum, that is Fish-Catching Internet Cafe 3.0. We'll experience what kind of change this internet cafe would bring to our lives!"

Once Xiao Peng finished speaking, the team members of DGE E-Sports Club walked up the stage from the sides. One by one, they entered the sound-proof room.

Zhang Yuan walked up to Xiao Peng and picked up a microphone. He looked like he planned to narrate the game. The screen no longer displayed the slideshow. Instead, it displayed the game, which was about to begin.

Whispers could be heard off-stage.

"There's a show!"

"Where did they find these teams from?"

"They don't look like professionals. They all look a bit too handsome."

"They're going to play a game of GOG right now?"

"Ai, did they even mention IOI? It seems like the competitions in this internet cafe would only be in GOG."

"It doesn't matter. I don't think many people are playing IOI now anyway."

At the same time, a lot of noise could be heard coming from outside.

"Please excuse me, everyone! Excuse me! Set up the chairs here!"

The foldable chairs had arrived.

The audience outside, who had been watching the big screen, looked pleasantly surprised as they took their seats.

Inside the hall, many people had already switched on their computers, entered GOG, and began playing.

When writing the invitation, Xiao Peng had deliberately chosen the old players of GOG. Otherwise, the people on-stage and off-stage would be playing different games, and it would be an utter mess.

Even if he were to allow people to play games, he wanted as many people as possible to be playing GOG. That would make the video look neater.

However, those people were obviously uninterested in the upcoming GOG competition. Instead, they much preferred playing the game by themselves and seeing the legendary RGB lighting effects.

The young internet addicts of DGE Esports Club had already been training their bodies for a certain period. However, they only managed to normalize their once-abnormal posture. In T-shirts and jeans, their muscles did not look obvious.

They were not as eye-catching as a group of fitness trainers. The audience only felt that those men looked too healthy to be esports professionals. Their impression of esports professionals was skinny or obese individuals with particularly-active fingers.

In short, everyone in the internet cafe switched on their computers and started playing while everyone outside the internet cafe played by ear. They were prepared to leave if the competition was not exciting.

As for Pei Qian… he had no idea how to describe how he was feeling.

The opening ceremony was going completely differently from what he had expected! Shouldn't ordinary opening ceremonies start with the leader giving a speech and cutting a ribbon, before everyone ate, drank, and played merrily?

How did Fish-Catching Internet Cafe 3.0 manage to give a live demonstration of its future competitions?

In fact, the two teams on-stage were battling intently in the ranked mode!

It was no wonder that Zhang Yuan and Coach Yaling had not scheduled any training for all of them—they wanted the team to rest up to put on a good show!

…

Soon, the competition began on the big screen.

It was the best of five—the same as what the two teams from DGE Esports Club was used to for training.

The system units off-stage were lighting up in all sorts of colors, catching the audience's eye.

"Is that the first kill?"

"Eh, the lighting effect is different! Interesting!"

"The lighting effect for becoming legendary seems to be quite long."

"D*mn, this is too cool!"

The gamers in the hall immediately noticed how amazing the system units were. There were special RGB lighting effects that flashed along with developments in the game!

Actually, that was not hard to do. The question was who was meant to see those effects.

If one was at home, no matter how much the system unit flashed, only they would be able to see it. Soon, it would become boring. What initially seemed exciting would be reduced to pure light pollution.

However, things would be different if one was in an internet cafe!

That was because internet cafes were noisy and lively to begin with. What's more, everyone was playing GOG. Having the system unit flash would be akin to showing off in front of everyone else. In fact, it would be hard not to get other people's attention.

Even for the many others looking through the door, seeing the RGB lighting effects inside the internet cafe made them itch to try out a system unit themselves.

The gamers inside the internet cafe felt like they had some sort of buff thanks to the RGB lighting effects. They were filled with renewed motivation, which only intensified as they continued playing. They wanted to fight for as many kills and continuous kills as possible, just so that their system units would light up and others would pay attention to them.

If a beautiful lady just so happened to be sitting next to them… then things could develop out of their control.

Many of those people also came in groups. At the start, everyone was focusing on their own game, and no one was paying attention to the competition on the big screen. However, soon, the situation started to change.

"They're already trying to trap others at their first level?"

"It's obvious that he's a professional from his positioning!"

"The other party was prepared and didn't fall for it."

"Holy sh*t, look! That Ruan's movement is so impressive! How awesome!"

"All of them are very skilled and fast. They're no ordinary team for sure. I think they must be Great Masters at least!"

"That's impossible. I'm a Great Master myself. Even Great Masters would not be able to play like that."

Soon, more and more people were discussing the competition.

Many gamers had originally intended to focus on their own games. However, they became distracted by the applause and cheers around them and ended looking up from time to time.

In the end, after seeing how exciting the big screen was, they became completely immersed. By the time they turned back to their own screens, all they saw was black and white and their teammates typing question marks at their corpses.

By the end of the first round of the competition, close to sixty percent of the people in the hall were gaming.

By the end of the second round, close to twenty percent were gaming.

By the time the third round started, no one in the hall was gaming anymore. Everyone was sipping their drinks and looking intently at the big screen. Every time something exciting happened, they would instinctively shout or cheer.

During the breaks, everyone would discuss the game, wishing for a replay of the most exciting moves in the competition.

The three cameras in the internet cafe recorded all the audience's reactions down. The atmosphere there was extremely lively.

Even the crowd outside was getting bigger!

At first, only people who had heard that Fish-Catching Internet Cafe 3.0 was opening today came to stand outside. All of those people were already seated on the folded chairs at the entrance of the internet cafe.

However, slowly, more people were drawn over from the shopping mall. As they asked around about what was happening, they whipped out their cell phones and recorded the scene.

Those who had just been curious slowly dispersed, but a significant number of GOG players remained behind. More and more people were gathered outside the internet cafe.

Pei Qian, who was seated at the innermost portion at the resting area, quietly retrieved his cell phone and opened Qiandu.

My newly-opened internet cafe seems to be getting too popular. How should I cut my losses? I'm waiting online because this is urgent!