760 E-Sports Holy Land

November 27th, Sunday…

Pei Qian did not set the alarm this morning. He had wanted to sleep happily until noon, but he woke up at seven in the morning and was no longer sleepy.

He felt an inexplicable sense of panic and unease.

"Which department is causing trouble for me again…"

Pei Qian was speechless. He tossed and turned but could not fall asleep. He took his cell phone from the bedside and swiped it aimlessly.

Then, he accessed IOI's forum out of habit.

During this period of time, Pei Qian had been paying close attention to IOI. He hoped that the game would improve quickly so that he could legitimately burn money for GOG.

Two days ago, public opinion on IOI and Finger Games had not been very good. Pei Qian was very worried.

After two days, Long Yu Corporation should have made some moves, right? The players should have calmed down by now, right?

He hoped that IOI was alright.

However, just as Pei Qian clicked into IOI's forum, he saw a post that made his heart jump.

'Take a look at the comments on foreign websites. Let's see how bad the ultimate move of Finger Games is!'

"Before this, I thought that the veteran gamers of the local server had been infuriated by IOI's modifications. I didn't expect foreign gamers to be even more furious than us! That's because the price of the foreign server is twice or even three times that of the local server since IOI wants to compete in the low-cost zone locally!"

"The old gamers of the local server only made losses because they bought it in the past. They can still enjoy discounts in the future, but foreign gamers can only buy it at the original price. The world is really tough…"

"The low-priced region is still alright. Aren't many games platforms that implement low-priced regional strategies as well? What's more, GOG's local server skin seems to be much cheaper than overseas, right? I haven't seen foreign players rebel."

"GOG's situation is completely different. However, in terms of pricing, it's the same in China and overseas. The epic skins in China are 18 yuan and 45 yuan respectively. The epic skins overseas are 2.49 US dollars and 6.99 US dollars respectively. There's basically no difference."

"The reason why GOG is so cheap in the country is that it almost gives free skins. The key is that there is a creative community in the country! This is a benefit that we enjoy alone. Any player who provides creative skins for heroes would get a huge discount when they first sell them."

"Foreigners have no objections?"

"Very few of them have objections because not every foreign gamer knows about the creative community. The prices of all districts are the same from the original price alone. What's more, the prices of 2.49 US dollars and 6.99 US dollars are already low enough. What's there to complain about?"

"I think another reason is that GOG's skin has always been cheap from the beginning. Everyone is used to it, and there's not much room for them to lower their prices. However, GOG's skin was very expensive at the beginning. Moreover, too many veteran gamers have already bought a lot of skins. Now, their value was suddenly cut in half. No one can accept that."

"That's true. It's just like buying a house and a car where the prices halved not long after the purchase, and the price would not be maintained. It's a commercial act where most people would experience a mental breakdown…"

"Didn't you say that you were going to create a commemorative skin and a commemorative portrait for old players?"

"At first, it was supposed to be for local players, but the veteran players in foreign servers quit. That's why Finger Games changed its tune and said that all veteran players would have it. In the end, it did not have much of a calming effect…"

The more Pei Qian read the comments below the post, the more panicked he became. He sat up straight in bed.

"This is bad. IOI seems to have entered a vicious cycle."

"Damn, I'm so envious…"

Pei Qian thought that Finger Games would be able to quell the anger of gamers very soon. However, it seemed like it was not that simple!

That was because the gamers that IOI was targeting were obviously split into three.

The new players in the local server, the veteran players in the local server, and the players in the international server. IOI couldn't bear to let go of any of these three groups and wanted to curry favor with all of them, but the interests of these three groups were too different.

If Finger Games tried to please any group, it would trigger an intense backlash from the other two groups.

That would put them in a certain 'luxury car predicament'. When luxury car brands faced problems and their value fell and sales fell, many luxury car brands could only choose to reduce their prices in order to stop losses.

However, once the price was lowered, the loyal old car owner would not be happy. What's more, it would give people the impression that the car was not worth anything. That would further damage the brand's value, and no one would buy the car.

They could not raise the price or lower it. Everything they did was wrong.

Pei Qian began to panic.

Bro, I didn't do anything at all.

You can't possibly kill yourselves and hand the entire market on a silver platter to GOG, right?

I have already torn Shang Yang Games into two and gave you a handicap. You're crippling yourselves in the end? Don't tell me you don't even have the strength to fight back?

No way right, no way!

Pei Qian felt inexplicably frustrated as he brushed his teeth and continued scrolling through the forums.

Finally, his efforts paid off. He successfully found a relatively optimistic message.

"Rumor has it that IOI's world finals are about to be held! I heard that they have invested a lot this time. The prize pool will definitely surpass GOG's competition and it will be held in Los Angeles. It would definitely be huge!"

"It sounds good. IOI should be more competitive than GOG. If the competition is done well, it would definitely be able to increase its popularity. What's more, the storm this time would probably be successfully diverted."

Pei Qian had heard this news many times before. This time, it was probably true.

It could only be said that IOI's first world finals had been full of trouble and misfortune.

In fact, this competition should have been held a long time ago. However, during that period of time, Dayak Corporation had invested heavily in acquiring Finger Games. They did not have much funds, and GOG had pushed the prize pool to a new height. IOI's finals could only be shelved.

After all, it would be bad if they held it late but the prize pool was even lesser.

Now that Dayak Corporation and Finger Games should have already prepared the funds and venue since they were making their moves. They were confident that they could do better than GOG's international invitational tournament which was why they released the news to appease the players.

Pei Qian could not help but feel emotional. In a freak combination of factors, history seemed to have been moved forward by him.

In his memory, LOL's S1 Finals had been quite well done. A year later, as LOL developed rapidly, S2 moved to Los Angeles and became extremely influential.

IOI and LOL might be two vastly different games, Finger Games and Fist were completely different companies but, there was still some similarity in this matter.

Initially, Finger Games had only wanted to set up S1 and test waters.

In the end, they were forced to raise the amount of money invested into the project to the level two years later.

"Speaking of E-Sports… should I go to various clubs?"

"I haven't paid much attention to these clubs since the GPL quota was auctioned last time. I wonder how their teams are doing."

After washing up, Pei Qian prepared to head out for breakfast before heading to Ming Yun Villas to take a look.

It was said that the few clubs that had just joined the GPL had also selected their training bases at Ming Yun Villas. However, he did not know the current situation.

…

Pei Qian took a car to Ming Yun Villas after breakfast.

When they were about to reach Ming Yun Villas, Pei Qian noticed that the chauffeur, Little Sun, had deliberately turned a corner. He did not follow the same route as before. Instead, he changed his route.

"Boss Pei, it's Sunday today. That road might be particularly congested. I'll change to another road. It might be a detour, but it should save us some time."

Pei Qian did not mind and nodded. "Alright."

However, when Little Sun reached the fork in the road, Pei Qian suddenly felt that something was amiss.

He had taken the same route to Ming Yun Villas previously. It did not seem like there was much traffic.

Ming Yun Villas was located in the southeast of Jingzhou City. It was surrounded by mountains and rivers, and the scenery was not bad. However, not many people stayed in it because the facilities were not good at the beginning. That was why no one was interested in it.

Subsequently, Fish-Catching Internet Cafe and the nameless restaurant were opened there. The nameless restaurant became famous overnight and this place gradually became a gathering place for many rich businessmen and celebrities in Jingzhou. The surrounding streets also benefited from it, making it a small commercial center and food street.

Even so, Pei Qian had not encountered traffic jams before.

After all, the nameless restaurant could only accommodate so few customers. How many cars could there be even if the restaurant was filled every day?

Did he have to make a detour?

"Maybe it's because… it's Sunday today? Everyone just happened to be gathering outside? Yes, that must be it."

"Hm?"

Pei Qian was trying to counsel himself when he realized that something was amiss outside the car window.

That was because he saw an internet cafe with booming business. He did not seem to have any impression of it before he came.

"Eh? Who is so enlightened? Opening an internet cafe to spread Fish-Catching Internet Cafe's traffic?"

Pei Qian was pleasantly surprised to see that the internet cafe was doing well. However, upon closer inspection, he realized that it was a Fish-Catching Internet Cafe.

What's more, this was not the earliest branch of Fish-Catching Internet Cafe's Ming Yun Villas. It was only a few hundred meters away from the original Fish-Catching Internet Cafe.

This path had not been taken often before, so Pei Qian had no impression of it.

Pei Qian was shocked. He asked Little Sun, "Why is there a Fish-Catching Internet Cafe here?"

Little Sun said, "Ah, Boss Pei, it's just opened recently. There's also a branch in Deposit Fitness. Don't you know?"

Pei Qian: "?"

Little Sun continued, "Recently, all the major clubs have been moving in. The teams have also been formed. People from all over the country are coming over for training. Boss Xiao and Boss Guo felt that one internet cafe and one gym would not be enough, so they made early preparations to open branches here."

"Indeed, the internet cafes were filled to the brim as soon as they opened! I heard that the members of the various clubs are now going to Deposit Fitness to train. There are many hidden talents in these two internet cafes. You can see many experts even if you organize an internet cafe competition."

"Boss Xiao and Boss Guo discussed and felt that we could open one or two more branches based on the situation. We should be able to earn more."

"Of course, earning money is not the main goal. The main goal is to fulfill the functions and cooperate with the E-Sports environment here."

Pei Qian: "…"

Bad luck!

While two popular branches would not allow Pei Qian to make much more money but that was not a good sign.

It was a remote villa district that no one paid attention to. Could it be that it had been forcefully transformed into Jingzhou's new commercial district and the capital of e-sports?

Don't mess with me!

Pei Qian suddenly felt hopeless as he leaned back in his chair, feeling like life had forsaken him.

Soon, they arrived at Ming Yun Villas. Xiao Li stopped his car in front of DGE Club.

Pei Qian opened the door and alighted from the car. He saw Zhang Yuan and Manager Cui, the marketing manager of Ming Yun Villas, walking out of the club happily.

"Boss Pei?" Zhang Yuan did not know in advance that Boss Pei was going to come so he was a little surprised.

"Boss Pei!!" Manager Cui was delighted, his grin split from one end to the other.

He stepped forward and grabbed Pei Qian's hand, as though Pei Qian was closer to him than his family.

Pei Qian was stunned. He could not understand why Manager Cui was so happy.

Manager Cui said happily, "Boss Pei, you came at the right time. I brought a small gift to visit Boss Zhang just now. I wanted to pay you a visit, but Boss Zhang said that you were too busy. That's why I didn't go to Tengda's headquarters to look for you. I didn't expect to meet you here. What a coincidence!"

Pei Qian looked at Zhang Yuan, confused. "What's going on?"

Zhang Yuan smiled and said casually, "Oh, it's nothing much, Boss Pei."

"Aren't all the GOG clubs moving to Jingzhou recently? The villas here are quite suitable for the club's training base. What's more, all the clubs are together. It would be more convenient to arrange for a training tournament or to have daily interactions."

"After that, the value of the properties rose, including the shops and car spaces. Of course, Manager Cui is happy."

Zhang Yuan turned to Manager Cui. "However, Manager Cui, you don't have to take it to heart. This is a small matter to Boss Pei. It's not worth mentioning. It's not worth mentioning."

Manager Cui quickly said, "Hey, you can't say that. It might be a small matter to Boss Pei, but it's a huge matter to Ming Yun Villas!"

"Boss Pei, if you need our cooperation in the future, just say the word and we'll arrange everything for you!"

Manager Cui was beaming with happiness. There was no telling how much bonus he had gotten from his boss.

Pei Qian's expression stiffened as he forced a smile. "You're welcome…"

Manager Cui smiled and said, "Alright, I won't disturb you then. Boss Pei, Boss Zhang, take your time. I'll take my leave."

"Look for me if you need anything! Don't stand on the ceremony!"

Manager Cui left gratefully.

Zhang Yuan smiled. "Manager Cui, you're being too polite. It's not a big deal."

"However, it makes sense. Boss Pei, a simple decision from you could bring such huge benefits to Ming Yun Villas. If I were Manager Cui, I would wake up laughing even in my dreams."

"Er… Boss Pei?" Zhang Yuan then noticed that Boss Pei seemed to be distracted.

Pei Qian shook his head. "It's alright."

He might say that he was fine but his heart was bleeding.

Ming Yun Villas' prices had risen again?

Wouldn't that mean that the value of my fixed assets had increased again?

Of course, Boss Li should be the happiest. Pei Qian only had one house in Ming Yun Villas while Boss Li had several after all.

However, to Pei Qian, this was a nightmare of some scale.

Nonetheless, Pei Qian had experienced all sorts of storms after all. He quickly overcame this small setback and said, "I've nothing special today. I just want to see how the clubs are doing."

Zhang Yuan nodded immediately. "Alright, I'll bring you around."

While some clubs chose other places in Jingzhou for their training, most of them chose places near Ming Yun Villas.

There were five or six young people strolling by the roadside. When they saw Pei Qian, their eyes lit up and they walked over.

"Eh, isn't this Boss Pei's actor? Hello, hello, can I take a picture with you?"

"Alright." This was not the first time Pei Qian had encountered such a situation. He had often encountered people asking for a group photo when he had been drinking coffee at Fish-Catching Internet Cafe. Thus, he had put on his signature fake smile and taken a photo with them.

The young men left gratefully after they were done.

Zhang Yuan pretended to be a passerby the entire time. He only continued to lead Boss Pei towards the club after Boss Pei was done taking photos with these passionate young people.

Pei Qian felt strange. "What are these people here for? Why do they look like they're here for sightseeing?"

Zhang Yuan smiled. "Boss Pei, they are just sightseeing. All the E-Sports Clubs are gathered here now. Many gamers who like to play GOG would come and take a look. They might not be able to enter the club but they might meet players who come out to eat and work out."

"That's why they are here to eat and play in an internet cafe. At the same time, they could take a look at the bases of the various clubs. It's not bad."

Pei Qian frowned. "Would Manager Cui and the others be willing?"

Zhang Yuan said, "What's there to be unwilling about? The buildings in the nameless restaurant are meant for both commercial and residential purposes. There are also shops there. Now that the traffic has increased, Manager Cui can't be happier!"

"You don't have to worry about the club's training either. There will only be more people here during the weekend. What's more, the club is under closed management. The members won't be affected."

Pei Qian remained silent for a moment. "Alright."

For some reason, Pei Qian had a feeling that everyone was happy and had gotten what they wanted. He was the only one with burdens on his shoulders.

"Boss Pei, this building and that building belongs to SHG, Shenhua's club.

Zhang Yuan pointed at the villa in front of him and then at the one beside it.

Pei Qian was stunned. "Which building?"

Zhang Yuan said, "Both buildings. Boss Lin thought they looked good. What's more, he said that the club should have more backup players. If the GPL team had ten people, the GDL team would have ten more people. Wouldn't twenty people need two villas?"

Pei Qian: "Wouldn't he think it's a waste?"

Zhang Yuan smiled. "I asked Boss Lin the same question. Boss Lin said that it's not expensive. Shenhua Football Club's venue and building were built on their own. Their foreign star players live in terraced villas as their hostel. It wasn't too much money to buy two villas."

"Boss Lin was still worried that staying in such a villa would not be grand enough. After all, we have to film some publicity films for the club during the competition, right? If the publicity film shows that the training base is lacking in reputation and affects Shenhua's corporate image, it would not be worth it."

"It would give off an image that Shenhua is going bankrupt if the training base is too bad. They couldn't allow it."

Pei Qian remained silent for a moment. "Yes, what he said makes sense. I can't refute him at the moment."

Shenhua could easily squeeze out some annual investments from football to play eSports, unlike other clubs which had to skimp. They probably even felt like they had too much money to spend.

Two buildings! They bought two buildings!

They bought twenty players!

They really stood out from everyone else.

These clubs were managed in a closed manner. The main reason was that they did not want the audience to be too enthusiastic and run into the clubs to affect their team members' training. Thus, the doors were tightly shut.

Zhang Yuan made a call. A moment later, Lin Chang walked out of the villa and opened the door.

"Boss Zhang! Eh, Boss Pei, what a rare guest!"

Zhang Yuan was stunned. "Eh, Boss Lin? Didn't you leave Jingzhou a few days ago? When did you come back?"

Lin Chang smiled and nodded. "Oh, I went to Shanghai with the other club owners to buy a few players. I just came back yesterday."

Zhang Yuan was stunned. "Huh? Again?"

Lin Chang nodded. "That's right. Buy a few good seedlings with potential. In any case, if they can't play GPL, they can play GDL. If they can't play GDL, they can go to the green bud training or watch the water dispenser. If they really can't make it, I can still sell them to other teams."

"Our team started late and has a weak foundation. We have to work harder. In the long term, talent is the most important. It's always right to buy more talents."

"What's more, these are newbies who don't have much value. It won't cost much to buy them now."

Lin Chang said it all very lightly.