Losing Money to Be a Tycoon

Zhao Xuming was lost and confused.

Tengda had released an E-Sports promotional video?

What… has that got to do with what we're discussing?

Tengda's promotional video was definitely meant to promote GPL, but hadn't GPL's broadcasting rights already been sold? It wouldn't affect ICL even if it continued to heat up the GPL.

However, Zhu Yan seemed to be saying that this promotional video had a huge impact on ICL.

Zhao Xuming could not figure it out no matter how hard he tried. He could not understand Zhu Yan's attitude at all. He had a feeling that something had gone wrong.

Zhu Yan did not explain much. He took out his cell phone and found Tengda's new promotional video, 'Coming Out of the Cocoon Without Becoming a Butterfly'. Then, he handed it to Zhao Xuming.

Zhao Xuming took it and opened it.

Zhao Xuming became even more confused after watching the first half.

Wasn't that normal?

The first half of the film was very conventional. It was nothing more than a story about a young internet addict who had overcome many obstacles and embarked on the path of E-Sports. One had to say that there were a few scenes that were very moving. For example, his father's kneeling had highlighted a kind of parental sadness.

Similar stories were not uncommon in the E-Sports circle. Many famous E-Sports players had similar experiences when they were young. However, after they achieved success and obtained good results, they would understand each other with their families.

This was the basic routine of ordinary E-Sports promotional videos: first describe how miserable the lives of professional players were, how incomprehensible they were. Then, describe how they could rely on their own hard work to obtain fame, achieve results, live a better life, and even let their originally poor parents live a rich life.

Zhao Xuming looked up at Zhu Yan with a puzzled expression.

Didn't that mean that this was just a very ordinary promotional video? It didn't seem to have spent much money. It was worlds apart compared to our ICL promotional video.

Zhu Yan only said, "Boss Zhao, continue watching."

Zhao Xuming could only continue watching the second half of the promotional video.

However, as he watched, his eyes widened and his mouth opened slightly. The puzzled expression on his face was completely replaced by shock.

"What is this?!" Zhao Xuming almost blurted out.

The second half of the promotional video's plot had taken a sharp turn. The protagonist had become a professional player as he wished but he did not have the chance to play. After wasting a few years of his youth, he had no choice but to go home and work at a construction site!

In the last scene, the protagonist looked at his father's back as he left. He recalled his days in school. He was so regretful that tears streamed down his face. Those who heard about it would be sad, and those who saw it would shed tears.

Zhao Xuming was completely speechless.

He wanted to smash his cell phone on the ground and shout, "Crazy!"

What stupid E-Sports promotional video was this? It was obviously used to defame E-Sports!

The E-Sports promotional video was meant for the audience and even the outside world. Shouldn't it be used to promote the classic? There were so many successful and life-changing professional players, but instead of promoting them, you had to promote those unknown, low-level cannon fodder?

The key was that even if it was the truth, he could not say it out loud!

On the other hand, Tengda had not only announced it, but also created a promotional video to publicize it!

What was their motive?

It would make sense for it to create an AOE to attack its competitors if Tengda did not have any E-Sports-related business. The problem was that Tengda had its own GPL league and had a lot of professional players under it. Wouldn't the promotional video be criticizing itself as well?

No.

Zhao Xuming suddenly realized that Boss Pei was definitely not someone who would make such a low-level mistake. Since Boss Pei had sent out this promotional video, he must have calculated the subsequent actions!

He quickly opened the comments section of the video.

What he saw made his heart turn cold!

"I feel so sad watching this film. It reminds me of my younger days when I was ganked by my parents at the internet cafe. Sigh, I was young and ignorant back then. Now that I think about it, I really regret it. I really should've studied hard."

"In the past, the protagonist of the promotional video was always shot for professional players who won the world championship. This was the first time someone filmed it from a passer-by's point of view, right? I have to say, it gives people a very shocking feeling."

"The world champion is indeed successful, but the world champion is only a small group of people at the top of the pyramid. If you overly publicize this small group of people, it would easily give people a misleading feeling. It would make people feel like playing a profession is a win-win situation. It would make many internet addicts who are addicted to games use 'playing a profession' as an excuse to avoid studying. Instead, it would waste their youth and narrow their future path."

"This promotional video has shattered their fantasies. Tell them that you might as well study hard and find a job if you don't have the talent."

"Previously, Fei Huang Workspace had filmed a documentary called 'Coming Out of the Cocoon as a Butterfly'. Now, it has produced a new documentary called 'Coming Out of the Cocoon without becoming a Butterfly'. It has been well received!"

"That's right. Boss Pei is trying his best to persuade those internet addicts not to be deceived."

"That's why Boss Pei is still the most responsible. Boss Pei did not blindly advocate for the future of the e-sports industry and trick internet addicts into blindly entering the e-sports industry even though Tengda might also have an e-sports industry under it and it has a high market share. Instead, he exposed the current situation of the e-sports industry sincerely and made those internet addicts think twice before doing anything. I think this behavior is extremely virtuous!"

"This promotional video is a stark contrast to the ICL promotional video."

"That's right. ICL's promotional video might be perfect, cool, and outstanding in all aspects, but its filming idea is still based on the old age. It's trying hard to package the concept of E-Sports to be very high-class. However, this way, it doesn't seem down to earth and seems very unreal."

"On the other hand, the documentary 'Coming Out of the Cocoon Without Becoming A Butterfly' is a complete victory in terms of depth of thought! It might not look like it had much funding and there are no particularly fancy techniques for filming, it can resonate and be discussed. I can only say that there is a gap between the two standards!"

Zhao Xuming flipped through the comments below the video, his nose almost crooked from anger.

What the f*ck was the difference in standards!

This opponent was not playing by the book!

The ICL's promotional video was perfect from a commercial point of view. It was invulnerable and had invested a lot of money. All sorts of details were better than 'Coming Out of a Cocoon Yet to Become a Butterfly'.

However, who would have thought that Boss Pei would change his mindset!

He was not playing with techniques, he was playing with psychology!

Coming Out of the Cocoon without becoming a Butterfly was equivalent to dissecting the chronic illness within the entire e-sports industry. It exposed the less well-known but objective side of the industry mercilessly.

If the audience insisted on comparing the ICL promotional video, they would definitely think that the ICL promotional video was fake!

Of course, this comparison in itself did not make sense. The ICL's promotional video was a legitimate commercial promotional video. It did not make any mistakes. Who did they offend to be compared like this?

However, Zhao Xuming could not do anything about it since he had no choice. If the audience insisted on comparing.

He looked at the time when the video was released. 'Coming Out of the Cocoon Without Becoming A Butterfly' was only half an hour later than the ICL promotional video. It could be said to have been released before and after.

Since they were so close to each other, the audience would definitely discuss the two videos together!

Zhao Xuming gritted his teeth in anger.

This was a scam! A blatant scam!

Boss Pei must have prepared this promotional video long ago. He was just waiting for the ICL's promotional video to be shot!

This was a killing move.

Zhao Xuming had been full of confidence. He had thought that the ICL promotional video would not lose, even if it cost a lot of money. Yet, Boss Pei had already skipped the stage of burning money to improve the quality of the promotional video. He was playing mind games!

He had used a few investments and simple methods to eliminate the core of the ICL promotional video from the spiritual level. He had stolen all the attention and popularity!

The popularity of ICL's publicity was greatly reduced. This was a huge blow to Zhao Xuming.

After all, the more popular the ICL became, the more bargaining chips he had.

Fortunately, that was all, it wouldn't hurt your nerves and bones.

Zhao Xuming pondered for a moment and felt that there was still room for him to salvage the situation with his glib tongue.

However, he continued scrolling down the comments section and saw a few new high praises.

"This film shows a lot of the industry's chronic illness. I don't know if everyone has noticed the details in the film. These professional players' food and accommodation are actually very bad. Their working hours are reversed, and they eat take-out frequently. All of these are expending their health."

"Indeed, it makes me sad to see it. I know that the E-Sports industry is a youthful rice, those who did not survive on this are miserable, but those who survive on did not receive much better treatment!"

"Eh? That's not right, right? Didn't they say that GPL's treatment is very good? The members of DGE are all well-built and full of energy. They are definitely not figures that can be eaten by day and night upside down."

"Of course, there's no problem with the GPL! Boss Pei had already set the industry standards when he entered the venue forcefully. All the clubs are managed uniformly. There are standard contracts to ensure the rights of the players, the unified meals of Fish-Catching Take-Out, the daily training of the Deposit Fitness, and people who are in charge of nutritional meals and the health of the players…"

"However, in the fields other than GPL, e-sports players are still living the same bitter life as before. There are no changes!"

"Indeed, the other games companies are all taking care of their own businesses. It's unlikely that the various clubs would take the initiative to bear such huge expenses. How many bosses with foresight and responsibility like Boss Pei are there?"

"Can I ask what's the situation with ICL?"

"What could it be? It's the same as other projects. Anyway, I've never heard of Finger Games and Long Yu Corporation making any moves to guarantee the rights of ICL players. If they had, they would have boasted about it long ago, right?"

"Sigh, it looks like ICL is just a superficial article. The promotional video might be quite good but their details are far from GPL! This way, it looks like GPL is the more professional, more mature, and healthier league. ICL is still not good."

"What I think is interesting is that the promotional video are filled with GOG's game graphics, however GPL is the best among all the E-Sports competitions! This creates a very strange contrast: It's obviously an AOE skill, but GPL is perfectly immune to all damage. Instead, other E-Sports competitions are being beaten into sieves!"

"Hahaha, only Tengda has GOG's copyright after all. It cannot display the game graphics of other projects. However, it is actually hinting at something. Those who understand would understand."

Zhao Xuming was stunned after reading the praises.

He realized that something was wrong!

If the netizens' discussions were limited to the filming techniques and intentions of the two documentaries, then it would be nothing more than the initial popularity of ICL being affected. It would not shake the foundation of the entire league.

However, the netizens' discussion had already reached the basic structure of the GPL and ICL league. That was a huge problem!

Everyone guessed correctly. The ICL really did not have any similar measures. There was no standard contract for players, no uniform schedule, and accommodation standards.

Similar to other E-Sports projects, the health and rights of ICL league players were not guaranteed much.

However, Zhao Xuming felt very wronged. We are the organizers of the competition. This is not something we need to be responsible for!

This was the club's business, what had it got to do with us!

However, the audience did not care about this. They saw the gap between the GPL and ICL in the lower levels of the structure. There was no need to find excuses. Finger Games and Longyu Corporation were not good enough. ICL was not healthy and had bad prospects!

Zhao Xuming finally understood the reason for Zhu Yan's attitude.

That was because Zhu Yan had seen this hot news and knew that the ICL was about to be sucked into the vortex of public opinion. Its value would be severely affected.

Since that was the case, why was he in such a hurry to be a sucker?

Of course, he had to continue watching and haggling. He had to obtain the ICL broadcast rights at the lowest price!