Chapter 179: Turning the Tables
Pei Qian couldn't be certain whether the nearby shops had really banded together to run promotional campaigns specifically targeting Moyu Internet Café. After all, there was no hard evidence—he couldn't accuse people without proof.
What if they just happened to launch some regular promotions around the same time?
He also couldn't be sure whether this "President Li" had played a behind-the-scenes role in stirring things up—again, there was no evidence for that either.
But one thing was clear: President Li was definitely taking advantage of this opportunity and directly benefiting from the situation.
It did seem a bit rushed and underhanded.
But that didn't mean President Li was stupid—it was probably a tactic that mixed soft and hard pressure.
On the one hand, President Li wouldn't openly admit to targeting Moyu Internet Café. Instead, he would extend an olive branch with a friendly smile and a "we can all make money together" attitude—that was the soft part.
On the other hand, he was also implying: "If you insist on going head-to-head, we'll both bleed. I'll keep lowering prices, you'll lose customers. Even if you figure out I'm behind it, so what? With mounting losses, won't you still have to cave eventually?" That was the hard part.
If it were anyone else, they might be forced to accept his investment when they had no other options.
But Pei Qian was different.
Pei Qian originally wanted to reject the offer outright—but then he paused and thought again.
'If this President Li enjoys helping others so much, shouldn't I go along with it?'
If he rejected him too bluntly, President Li might quickly back off. After all, as the boss of an investment firm, the man was busy and wasn't going to waste time clashing with Moyu forever.
If President Li shifted his attention elsewhere, the nearby shops would likely stop burning cash as well. In that case, the café's customer flow would return to normal and he wouldn't be able to lose nearly as much money.
A sly smile formed on Pei Qian's lips as a new plan took shape.
"Old Ma, do you really think President Li is doing this for our benefit? That he's some kind of philanthropist?"
"Think about it—those shops are all coordinating promotions together... you seriously believe no one orchestrated that?"
A few simple sentences were enough to enlighten Ma Yang.
Well, not exactly enlighten—Ma Yang was always pretty easy to sway, and when two people tried to talk him into something, the one who spoke last usually had the upper hand.
Pei Qian added a bit of dramatic flair, deliberately exaggerating the dangers of being acquired, and sure enough, Ma Yang's attitude shifted instantly.
"What the hell! So this President Li had such a malicious plan all along?!"
"I'm gonna go turn him down right now!"
Pei Qian quickly stopped him.
"No need. If you reject him outright and he flies into a rage and drags us into an all-out war, that wouldn't be ideal."
"You tell him," Pei Qian instructed calmly, "that I'm extremely troubled by all the losses right now. I don't really want to accept the investment… but I'm a bit shaken, still wavering. If the café keeps losing money, maybe I'll change my mind…"
Ma Yang's voice came through the phone, hesitant:
"Brother Qian, are you saying we're just going to keep running at a loss? That doesn't seem smart. Isn't it a bit much?"
Pei Qian smiled slightly:
"If we're losing money, does that mean they're not?"
"Those shops are burning cash along with us. It's one against seven. What are we afraid of?"
"Besides, their continued promotions are drawing out a lot of potential customers from the area—and even from other districts in Jingzhou, all coming here because of the buzz."
"In the long run, this might even improve the entire commercial atmosphere here. So really, we're not losing out."
Ma Yang suddenly had a revelation:
"Ohhh! I get it now, Brother Qian!"
"Alright, I'll tell President Li exactly that…"
After hanging up, Pei Qian chuckled to himself.
"President Li, I bet you're feeling pretty proud of how you talked Ma Yang around just now, huh?"
"But you got it wrong—literally anyone could have tricked him…"
"Go ahead and try your sweet talk. I'll just spin it back again afterward."
The story Pei Qian told Ma Yang was a mix of truth and fiction—especially that nonsense about "improve the entire commercial atmosphere," which was complete and utter BS.
Creating a vibrant business environment depends on many factors. A few shops doing a couple of promotions? That's not going to magically transform an entire district's economy. Anyone who thinks that's plausible is just fooling themselves.
But to fool Ma Yang with that kind of logic? More than enough.
As long as he could successfully bait President Li into continuing the promotions and keep the neighboring shops burning money, Moyu Internet Café could keep bleeding cash too. How could he not love a "self-harming, other-benefiting" scheme like this?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
After hanging up, Ma Yang rubbed his long face vigorously, trying to psych himself up.
Just thinking about how he'd nearly been tricked by President Li made his blood boil.
"Good thing I've got a smart bro—otherwise, I'd be toast right now!"
Ma Yang wasn't exactly a seasoned actor, but imagining how this "President Li" had tried to destroy his livelihood gave him enough rage to fuel his performance.
Anger transformed into acting!
When he returned to the table, his face was all smiles again.
"President Li, I just gave President Pei a quick call—tried to sound him out indirectly."
"He's definitely troubled by the losses, but he's still reluctant to let outsiders get involved. He said he wants to give it one more month, and if there's still no improvement, then maybe he'll consider other options."
President Li gave a small nod.
This was exactly what he'd expected.
He'd pegged this President Pei as a stubborn, headstrong guy. If he were the type to change his mind just because of a subordinate's suggestion, that would've been surprising.
'One month…'
'Burning cash for another month will sting a little—but it's still within acceptable limits.'
The expense was a bit painful, but Li Shi couldn't let it show. After all, it seemed like Ma Yang hadn't realized that the joint promotion among the nearby shops was all orchestrated by him.
President Pei might have figured it out, but he clearly hadn't told Ma Yang—probably because there was no solid evidence and he didn't want to speak without proof.
In any case, as long as the acquisition of Moyu Internet Café succeeded in the end, all the money burned now would be worth it—he'd make it all back and more.
With that in mind, Li Shi gave a calm smile.
"Of course, I'm in no rush at all. Mr. Ma, you don't need to pressure President Pei. A forced melon isn't sweet, right? It's best if he comes to the conclusion himself."
"However…"
"What I am worried about is your side. The amount you're losing each month is massive. What if you guys are the ones who can't hold on any longer?"
"I suggest trying again in a week or so. Maybe by then, President Pei will have changed his mind."
"Got it," Ma Yang nodded, then turned to the bartender.
"Another margarita! This one's on me—for President Li!"
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tengda Network Technologies Co., Ltd.
Pei Qian hadn't been around the office much lately, mostly occupied with Moyu Internet Café and the recent exam events. But today, on a whim, he decided to stop by and take a tour.
With the settlement date getting closer and closer, it was getting harder for him to split his attention between everything.
Fortunately, all the DLCs for Tengda's games had already been launched. Aside from the earlier revenue share fiasco caused by the platform's meddling, things had been calm since—nothing unexpected had cropped up. That was reassuring.
Just thinking about how well things were going at the net café—or rather, how terribly—Pei Qian couldn't help but feel delighted, strolling leisurely toward his office.
Meanwhile, in the open office space, Lu Mingliang and Bao Xu were whispering to each other.
"President Pei hasn't been around much lately… is he busy with something?"
"I heard things at Moyu Internet Café aren't looking good. He's probably focused on that."
"From the look on his face, it doesn't seem too serious."
"You can't say for sure. You know how President Pei is—he never shows his emotions. Things might be very serious, and he's just hiding it well."
"Then… should we report the situation with Ocean Fortress to him now? Or will that just distract him further?"
Bao Xu thought for a moment.
"Compared to the café issues, this doesn't seem all that urgent. We can observe it for a few more days."
"Besides, it was expected that account prices would get hyped up on the trading platform. These past few days, the game's player activity and in-game spending have both been increasing. That's a good thing—no need to report it like it's a problem."
Lu Mingliang nodded.
"True. We'll just wait until President Pei has more time before bringing it up."
<+>
If you want to see more chapter of this story and don't mind spending $5 monthly to see till the latest chapter, please go to my Patreon[1]
Latest Chapter in Patreon: Chapter 206: The Intel Released by President Pei[2]
Link to the latest chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/137696874?collection=1399284[3]
https://www.patreon.com/collection/1399284?view=expanded[4]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/collection/1399284?view=expanded
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/137696874?collection=1399284
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/137696874?collection=1399284
[4] https://www.patreon.com/collection/1399284?view=expanded