Chapter 173: Huang Sibo's Documentary
"President Pei, do you remember Chen Sha? He wants a Barrett," Lin Wan got straight to the point.
Pei Qian's first instinct was to reject it outright.
What a joke—there are only 500 limited-edition Barretts. How could they be handed out so casually?
Give out one today, another tomorrow, and the next thing you know, they're as common as cabbage. That kind of precedent can't be set.
Even Pei Qian himself didn't have such privileges, so how could he give them to someone else so easily?
Of course, the reason Pei Qian didn't allow himself that privilege was mainly because he was terrible at FPS games. Even if he had the Barrett · Destruction in-game, he'd still get destroyed.
Sensing what Pei Qian was about to say, Lin Wan quickly added, "President Pei, I know his request is a bit unreasonable, but I think we should show a little consideration to our core players, right?"
"Even if we can't give it to him directly, maybe there's a compromise we can offer."
"Right now, we limit it to 500 units per month, and it's all about speed-clicking. That just ends up benefiting scalpers. Real fans of our game can't get the weapon, which is really disappointing."
Pei Qian thought about it.
That was a fair point.
Whether or not Tengda made money didn't matter to him, but he couldn't let the players down—and certainly couldn't let the scalpers benefit for free.
After all, the players were innocent, and scalpers were just leeches.
Pei Qian nodded. "That's easy. We'll soon update the account credibility system. It'll rate accounts based on multiple factors."
"Veteran core players like Chen Sha, who've contributed significantly to the game, will get extra weight in the scoring."
"Other accounts will be rated based on whether the user has engaged in toxic behavior, how civil their gameplay is, how active they are, and so on—like a credit score."
"Accounts with higher credibility scores will be able to pre-register to buy epic weapons. If their reservation is successful, the purchase will count toward that month's 500-limit quota. The higher the score, the higher the priority."
"Of course, among players with the same credibility score, it'll still come down to who's faster."
"Scalpers aren't hardcore players, so their priority will naturally be at the bottom. Even if they're fast, it won't matter—they won't even have the opportunity to compete."
Lin Wan's eyes lit up. "Brilliant idea! You're amazing, President Pei. I can't believe you came up with such a perfect solution! I'll go tell Chen Sha right away and let him know to just be patient."
Is it really that surprising?
Pei Qian was a bit stunned. It just seemed like common sense to him.
Then again, on second thought, Lin Wan's reaction was understandable. Most people still had a fairly outdated view of game development. Pei Qian, having years of future knowledge, naturally had an advantage in this area.
Of course, that advantage usually only came into play in these kinds of minor issues. As for relying on this experience to build a massive business empire like Shenhua Corporation?
Pei Qian felt that was a bit far-fetched—not very realistic.
Better to just focus on what's in front of him.
Besides, capping game revenue to create losses and thereby get free system funds to convert into personal assets didn't conflict with his long-term goals at all.
As he was thinking about this, a commotion erupted in the distance.
"Brother Huang is back!"
"Brother Huang, you're late—three drinks as punishment!"
Pei Qian's heart skipped a beat.
He's back—Huang Sibo has returned!
According to Pei Qian's instructions, Huang Sibo was supposed to finish filming by June 18.
If the video was released after the 24th, the system's settlement would be delayed—and that was absolutely unacceptable for Pei Qian.
He figured Huang Sibo must have already finished editing the video, and it would most likely be published within the next day or two.
However much money Huang Sibo's video made would directly impact his next moves.
From a distance, although Huang Sibo was smiling and greeting everyone, Pei Qian seemed to catch a hint of melancholy in his eyes.
Hmm?
Pei Qian's heart leapt with joy. Could it be… this time, Huang Sibo might actually bring me some pleasant surprises?
He looked behind Huang Sibo but didn't see Chen Lei.
After going to Shanghai, Chen Lei had become an employee of Feihuang Studio, though he didn't have any real duties—just a nominal title.
Now that Feihuang Studio had finished filming, it was natural for them to return to Jingzhou to edit the footage and join the group dinner. Chen Lei hadn't come along—probably had his own plans.
Huang Sibo and Zhu Xiaoce greeted everyone and then came to Pei Qian's table.
"Come, sit," Pei Qian said enthusiastically, inviting the two to sit across from him.
The two were pleasantly surprised to be granted the privilege of dining at the same table as President Pei—this wasn't something that happened often.
But internally, Huang Sibo felt a little choked up.
Why now, of all times?!
Why was it that back when Feihuang Studio signed with Aili Island and made a huge profit, President Pei was cold and distant, yet now he was so warm and welcoming?
Could it be… that President Pei already sensed our latest project didn't go smoothly and was trying to offer comfort?
Huang Sibo and Zhu Xiaoce exchanged a glance—clearly, they both had the same suspicion.
President Pei really is a considerate and caring boss!
Pei Qian, of course, had no idea what kind of inner drama was unfolding between the two. But based on their expressions, he guessed that Feihuang Studio's documentary might not have gone well.
That's fantastic!
Truly a blessing in disguise!
He had been under a lot of pressure to generate losses. Lin Wan suddenly saving a ton on rent had made things even worse—salt on the wound.
But now, if Feihuang Studio's efforts turned out to be a total flop, he could finally breathe a little easier!
Huang Sibo and Zhu Xiaoce didn't have much appetite, barely picking at their food. After exchanging another glance, they seemed unsure how to begin.
"What's wrong? The documentary didn't go well?" Pei Qian asked with apparent concern.
Huang Sibo pulled out his phone. "President Pei, why don't you take a look at the final cut first?"
"Alright."
Pei Qian didn't press further and simply took the phone and started watching the video.
Previously, Huang Sibo had briefly explained that this would be a documentary about an esports player—Li Zhengwei, a star domestic player of Counter-Terrorism Plan. But he hadn't shared the specific content.
The video began with a black screen and a voice-over:
"These days, I train at least 14 hours a day."
"I rarely see my family or friends. Holidays are pretty much nonexistent."
"To most people, that would be unbearable."
"But if you want to be a top player, you have to make these sacrifices."
"I remember the day I decided to go pro. My father was about to leave for a labor job. He locked the door and said if I went to pursue esports, I should never come back."
"After he left, I kicked the door open and ran off alone to Shanghai to start my career."
Then came an aerial shot.
First, it showed a rundown little county town.
Then the scene cut to bustling, vibrant Shanghai.
The title appeared on screen: "Breaking the Cocoon".
The documentary wasn't very long—only about ten minutes—but Huang Sibo and his team had spent over a month working on it.
Pei Qian watched it closely and was surprised to find it even better than he had imagined.
The story structure was fully fleshed out—from Li Zhengwei skipping school to play games, to leaving home to go pro, to making a name for himself and becoming known as the top domestic player of Counter-Terrorism Plan, and finally to his recent decline in performance. Along the way, there were interviews with his parents, people around him, his coach, and even fans. The transitions, background music, and pacing were all perfectly timed to evoke emotion and connection.
Even Pei Qian was moved by the story.
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