Zhang Lixian suddenly realized, “So that’s it. This thing works on the same principle as stress-relief gadgets?”

Li Shi shook his head. “You could think of it that way, but its usage differs from actual stress-relief gadgets.”

“Ordinary stress relievers, like bubble wrap or fidget spinners, alleviate psychological pressure through repetitive movements that occupy your mind through inertia.”

“But the Automatic Contrarian Machine doesn’t work like that. Its operation doesn’t follow a specific pattern or involve repetitive motion, so for some people, it might get them more worked up the more they use it.”

“However, that’s exactly what differentiates the Automatic Contrarian Machine from stress relievers.”

“Stress relievers only serve to channel emotions. They merely divert your attention, helping you temporarily forget your troubles. In reality, they don’t help us think much, and might even create dependency, making us scatter-brained and reaching for a stress reliever at the slightest sign of irritation.”

“But the Automatic Contrarian Machine doesn’t simply divert stress. If you keep using it, some people’s feelings of agitation might intensify. Its purpose is to induce you to think things through, to make you realize the pointlessness of certain behaviors, and to develop your self-control so you can restrain yourself even when you’re getting worked up.”

“Therefore, the Automatic Contrarian Machine can only be mastered by those with a certain level of self-control.”

“That’s why I’ve been emphasizing how it aids our thinking process. It’s not meant to numb you, but to prick you. In the long run, the difference between the two is significant.”

Zhang Lixian had developed a strong interest in this square black box, but since they were still in the middle of an interview, it wasn’t appropriate to directly ask where to buy one. She’d wait until after the interview.

Zhang Lixian looked around. The room was indeed extremely minimalist as Mr. Li had described, giving off an almost ascetic feeling.

But then, Zhang Lixian noticed the large TV in the living room.

The size of this television was rarely seen even in electronics stores, truly eye-catching.

Zhang Lixian found it strange and asked, “Mr. Li, if the goal is quiet contemplation, shouldn’t there be no television in the living room at all?”

For most people, televisions were used for leisure and entertainment, whether watching dramas, movies, variety shows, or playing games, none of which seemed related to thinking.

Li Shi smiled. “Oh, that. If you open that inconspicuous TV cabinet below, you’ll find gaming consoles and numerous game discs.”

“This is perfectly normal because although Mr. Pei has many identities, his primary identity will always be that of a game developer!”

“The online game GOG that Mr. Pei developed is currently expanding into European and American markets, accumulating millions of players worldwide, and has even had advertisements displayed in Times Square.”

“Meanwhile, Mr. Pei’s single-player game ‘Struggle’ has received enthusiastic response domestically, with the game’s thoughtfulness and depth unanimously praised by industry professionals and players alike.”

“As such a top-tier game developer, how could he gather material without playing games?”

“I found various top international games in the TV cabinet, which demonstrates that Mr. Pei neither rests on his laurels nor refuses to innovate. He constantly strives to learn from foreign game developers and reflects on their work. Otherwise, he couldn’t have created an excellent game like ‘Struggle’.”

Zhang Lixian nodded slightly, but then felt something was off. “Then why would Mr. Pei provide games for all the other tenants as well?”

Li Shi was well-prepared and answered, “Obviously, this reflects Mr. Pei’s attitude.”

“I’ve looked at these games—they’re all foreign AAA titles with both artistic value and solid gameplay, undoubtedly carefully selected by Mr. Pei.”

“In Mr. Pei’s view, games aren’t just entertainment; they can also express artistic elements and profound meanings. So clearly, Mr. Pei hopes that when tenants at Sloth Apartments get tired of thinking, they can relax and gain inspiration and insight from these premium games.”

“At the same time, he’s probably also opposing the notion that ‘playing with toys leads to loss of ambition.’ Mr. Pei emphasizes that games can provide food for thought while helping people relax.”

Zhang Lixian nodded. “I see! I’d heard before that Sloth Apartments has many seemingly unreasonable and inhuman regulations. So, from this perspective, Mr. Pei is using Sloth Apartments to convey this lifestyle?”

“Then why not explain this publicly about Sloth Apartments?”

Li Shi smiled slightly. “How could one talk about such things directly? That would be self-promotion.”

“Thinking is a very personal matter. It’s not guaranteed that you can calm your mind and think in a certain environment—it varies from person to person, and results can’t be guaranteed.”

“Besides, Mr. Pei never explains his actions. He just seriously does his own thing. As for others, either they understand or they don’t—Mr. Pei never forces understanding.”

“Why does Sloth Apartments have so many rules and regulations? And why is the Automatic Contrarian Machine made with such expensive materials, crafted so meticulously, and sold at such a high price?”

“Mr. Pei designs for those who can understand the deeper meaning. Those who understand its value know the price is worth it and are willing to pay. Those who think it’s too expensive won’t recognize its value and won’t compete for it with those who truly need it.”

…

Finally, the interview ended.

Zhang Lixian reviewed the interview content and felt that it had veered off course somewhat.

After all, she was supposed to be interviewing Mr. Li, but Mr. Li spent the entire time talking about Mr. Pei!

But this wasn’t a problem, as such interview programs didn’t strictly limit content—guests could share whatever they wanted. And the content Mr. Li shared was indeed full of valuable insights.

Why could Mr. Li persist in investing in old industrial areas when most investors and industries didn’t see potential there?

On one hand, he was following in Mr. Pei’s footsteps, and on the other hand, it was due to this independent way of thinking.

The development of this independent thinking style was closely related to one’s living environment and thinking methods. This experience of “needing absolute focus when thinking” wasn’t just applicable to investors but also to other mental workers who needed to concentrate without distractions!

The revitalization of old industrial areas by Mr. Li and Mr. Pei could serve as an exemplary case deserving praise.

With this in mind, Zhang Lixian stood up and shook hands with Li Shi again. “Thank you, Mr. Li, for taking time from your busy schedule for this interview. I believe your thinking method will guide many young people who are feeling lost.”

Since the filming had ended, Zhang Lixian quietly asked, “Mr. Li, where can I buy this Automatic Contrarian Machine?”

Li Shi smiled. “Just search for the name online and you’ll find it. It’s not hard to find.”

Zhang Lixian nodded. “Yes, it’s quite interesting. I want to buy one for my home too. Well, we won’t disturb you any further. Goodbye, Mr. Li!”

…

…

September 13th, Tuesday evening.

Today was the last day of the first round of group matches for the GOG Global Invitational, with a rest day scheduled for tomorrow.

After watching the matches, Pei Qian didn’t go straight home but first went to Slackin’ Internet Café, sipping cocktails while organizing mind maps of various Tenda departments on his laptop.

It wasn’t that Pei Qian didn’t want to go home; mainly, there wasn’t much to do there.

His home was too empty, with only gaming as an option, but even games get boring after a while. The café was different—there were waiters to serve you, and you could drink while listening to singers perform.

The lines on the mind map were getting more and more numerous, and Pei Qian felt his brain was becoming insufficient.

Very reluctantly, Pei Qian connected DGE Club, Tenda Games, and Tuoguan Fitness on the map.

The GOG Global Invitational was a catalyst—those team members had been frantically praising DGE Club and Tuoguan Fitness since the first day of group stages, continuing for four days straight.

Pei Qian watched with mounting anxiety but couldn’t do anything about it…

He had initially wanted to visit Tuoguan Fitness to check things out, but after careful consideration, he realized it would only add to his frustration. Why bother?

He could only silently draw the connection line, signaling that it could only move to the next phase.

Open more branches quickly—as long as branches open fast enough, profits won’t be able to catch up with me.

Pei Qian noticed this cycle seemed somewhat unlucky, especially for his brick-and-mortar stores, which were failing one after another. First Slackin’ Internet Café, then Slackin’ Takeout, and now even Tuoguan Fitness couldn’t hold on!

Thankfully, Sloth Apartments was still standing firm.

Otherwise, Headwind Logistics would be the only physical business left standing—what would he do then?!

Looking at the dense web on his mind map, Pei Qian felt he could abandon this tool.

Now it wasn’t just about inferring connections between departments—he could barely understand what he was looking at!

The dense lines and tiny text were truly dizzying and nearly impossible to untangle.

Pei Qian felt his strategy of “using mind maps to predict possible interactions between departments” had failed, as these interactions were so unpredictable and illogical.

For example, Pei Qian had originally asked Coach Ya Ling to take daily photos of DGE team members to ensure they didn’t have enough time for game training, but who could have predicted these photos would become promotional material for Tuoguan Fitness?

Thinking about this, Pei Qian couldn’t help but sigh quietly, feeling an inexplicable melancholy.

…

Meanwhile, outside Slackin’ Internet Café.

The café was brightly lit, visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows, making everything inside clearly visible from outside.

Ruan Guangjian came out of Light Ring Studio across the street, having just completed original artwork for a GOG hero and planning to go home to rest.

However, passing by Slackin’ Internet Café, he suddenly spotted a familiar figure through the windows.

“Hmm, Mr. Pei hasn’t gone home to rest yet at this late hour?”

“Looking at his computer… could he be working?”

Ruan Guangjian was curious. Mr. Pei was sitting with his back to the floor-to-ceiling windows, and over his shoulder, Ruan could see the laptop screen glowing.

Suddenly inspired, Ruan Guangjian thought the composition from this angle looked good.

He immediately took out his phone and snapped a photo through the window.

“Click.”

In the photo, Mr. Pei had his back to the camera, his right hand on his chin as if deep in thought, while his laptop screen glowed beside him. Although the screen’s contents weren’t clear, it definitely wasn’t a game or movie.

“World masterpiece: Mr. Pei at work.”

“But what’s on the computer?”

“A mind map?”

Ruan Guangjian zoomed in on the photo. His phone camera had high resolution, and although he hadn’t deliberately photographed the computer screen, he could vaguely see that it contained a mind map with countless dense lines and boxes.

These boxes varied in size. The text in the smaller boxes and on the lines was completely illegible, but the largest boxes had labels like “Tenda Games,” “Tuoguan Fitness,” “Slackin’ Takeout,” “Slackin’ Internet Café,” and so on, with dense lines extending from them, connecting to other boxes.

Ruan Guangjian glanced at it and confirmed there was no confidential company information, so he felt reassured.

Everyone knew about Tenda’s various departments—it wasn’t a secret, so there was no harm in posting it.

Ruan Guangjian posted the image to his Weibo account with the caption: “I’m off work, but someone is still working.”

He had initially thought about going into the café to greet Mr. Pei, but decided it wasn’t necessary, so Ruan Guangjian contentedly turned and left.