“You don’t have to reveal any information about your boss or disclose specific salary details. You can answer in very vague terms! Rest assured, this interview is completely anonymous, and I’m only taking written notes. There won’t be any video or audio recordings.”

Hu Yue seemed well-prepared. She took out a notepad and emptied her pockets to show she had no recording device.

Ma Yiqun was a bit surprised. “You’re dedicated, aren’t you? Is this necessary? Tenda is just an ordinary gaming company. Why do you insist on doing this special interview?”

“That won’t do!” Hu Yue said seriously. “I’m conducting this interview for the healthy development of the domestic gaming industry!”

Ma Yiqun was confused. “Huh? What do you mean?”

A gleam of light flashed in Hu Yue’s eyes. “If this were just an ordinary interview, I wouldn’t bother.”

“But Tenda is different!”

“I’m not interviewing Tenda for the modest compensation. I want to prove to the domestic gaming industry that such a conscientious gaming company exists!”

Previously, the domestic gaming industry has been constantly criticized by players for churning out shoddy products, focusing only on monetization, and lacking innovation… As someone working in gaming media, I’ve been deeply troubled by this, but felt powerless to change anything!”

“However, Tenda’s emergence showed me a different kind of company—one that meticulously crafts game quality, boldly innovates, views money as transient clouds, and treats games as art!”

“I believe the internal situation at Tenda must be completely different from other gaming companies!”

“If I can complete this interview, it will have an enormous impact on the domestic gaming industry.”

“I want Tenda to become a benchmark, a banner that guides the domestic gaming industry toward a better direction, and helps all players who love domestic games to continue trusting Chinese-made games!”

Ma Yiqun fell silent.

Originally, if Hu Yue was just trying to dig up gossip or create clickbait content, Ma Yiqun would have firmly refused without hesitation.

But now, Hu Yue’s words had somewhat moved him.

If Tenda could become a benchmark and somehow transform the overall climate of the domestic gaming industry, wouldn’t that be a good thing?

From this perspective, this interview should be accepted.

However, Mr. Pei had emphasized not revealing his true identity or disclosing specific benefits and compensation.

This created quite a dilemma.

After considering for a moment, Ma Yiqun said, “Let’s exchange contact information, and give me a day to think it over.”

“That’s fine.” Hu Yue knew this matter couldn’t be rushed and gave her contact information to Ma Yiqun.

…

…

After thinking about it for an evening, Ma Yiqun still couldn’t make up his mind.

After some consideration, he decided to ask Bao Xu’s opinion when he got to the company.

Although the interview would be anonymous, if this made Mr. Pei unhappy, it would be terrible, and Ma Yiqun would feel guilty.

Asking Mr. Pei directly seemed too abrupt.

Bao Xu had always been the person who understood Mr. Pei best, so asking for his advice would be the right move.

The next morning, Ma Yiqun found Bao Xu and briefly explained the situation.

After thinking for a moment, Bao Xu said, “I think we can accept this interview.”

Ma Yiqun hesitated. “But didn’t Mr. Pei explicitly say that we shouldn’t reveal his true identity or the company’s specific salary details?”

Bao Xu shook his head. “Don’t be so rigid. Try to understand Mr. Pei’s true intentions.”

Ma Yiqun perked up. “Mr. Pei’s… true intentions?”

Indeed, he had asked the right person!

Only a master like Bao Xu could comprehend Mr. Pei’s deeper meaning!

Following Bao Xu’s advice would be the right choice!

Bao Xu gathered his thoughts and analyzed, “Mr. Pei told us not to reveal his true identity or Tenda’s specific benefits. At first, I also found this strange and difficult to understand.”

“Who doesn’t want to be famous?”

“But gradually, I figured it out.”

“Why doesn’t Mr. Pei want us to reveal his true identity?”

“Because Mr. Pei is a modest person.”

“He’s a game developer with tremendous personal charisma. If his true identity were revealed, players might focus their attention on him as a person rather than on the games.”

“So, Mr. Pei would rather have players focus on the games he creates, not on himself.”

“He doesn’t want players to become mindless fans who blindly follow him. He hopes everyone can look beyond his charisma and evaluate the games fairly and objectively!”

Ma Yiqun suddenly understood. “I get it! It’s like what a writer once said: ‘If you eat an egg and find it tasty, why bother getting to know the hen that laid it?'”

Bao Xu nodded. “Exactly. That’s the principle. Yiqun, you deserve your Chinese literature background!”

Ma Yiqun felt slightly embarrassed. “You’re too kind, Brother Bao. I just happened to make that connection. It seems true masters are indeed humble and low-profile!”

“Then… why doesn’t Mr. Pei want us to disclose the company’s actual salary level and benefits?” Ma Yiqun continued.

Bao Xu sighed. “I believe Mr. Pei is considering the broader environment of the entire domestic gaming industry.”

“We all know that Tenda’s current benefits are probably unparalleled, and other gaming companies lag far behind.”

“What would happen if these benefits were made public?”

“The entire industry would likely be shaken!”

Huang Sibo was confused. “In that case, wouldn’t it be good if all the top talent rushed to Tenda?”

Bao Xu shook his head. “Your view is a bit one-sided.”

“Tenda has broken the unspoken rules of the domestic industry by giving employees such excellent benefits. Wouldn’t this provoke resentment from other companies?”

“Tenda might become a target of collective hostility. Although this possibility isn’t very high, we still need to guard against it.”

“Moreover, once these benefits are made public, it would also harm other small companies in their early stages! High benefits are certainly good, but not every company owner is as exceptional as Mr. Pei!”

“Companies that offer lower compensation aren’t necessarily exploitative. Some might genuinely be struggling through difficult times. Many startup teams have owners and employees working overtime together through hardships—such examples are abundant.”

“If Tenda announces its excellent benefits, teams that were previously functioning well might suddenly lose their cohesion. That would be a case of good intentions leading to bad outcomes!”

“The overall environment needs to change gradually. If Tenda suddenly sets the industry standard too high, it might have the opposite effect.”

Ma Yiqun suddenly realized. “Oh, I understand. It’s like the story of Zigong ransoming people!”

“?”

Bao Xu was a bit confused. Communicating with a Chinese literature scholar was indeed challenging.