December 11th, Sunday.
It was the second day of the GPL preseason and the elimination round of the IOI qualification tournament.
Zhao Xuming arrived at the IOI qualification venue early, just like yesterday, supervising the staff as they tested equipment and prepared for the matches.
Today’s four teams had also arrived early at the competition venue. They would each play two best-of-five series, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The schedule was extremely tight, and the pressure was enormous.
Originally, including SUG, the three veteran teams didn’t feel much pressure, since the three qualifying spots were essentially guaranteed for them. With a weak team they could easily bully, advancing was virtually certain.
The first seed would start directly in the quarterfinals, so that was worth fighting for, but there was no need to compete for the second and third seeds—qualifying was enough.
But now FV Club had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Among the four teams in the elimination tournament, there were no longer any weak teams. Anyone who played poorly could be directly eliminated, and the pressure had instantly intensified.
In each club’s rest area, players were either earnestly preparing tactics or taking quick naps to conserve energy, hoping to maintain their best competitive state when the matches began.
At this moment, Zhao Xuming’s assistant hurried over with a grave expression.
“Boss Zhao, we’ve investigated FV Club!”
“These players were indeed sold to them by GPL clubs. With Wu Yue’s financial resources, he definitely couldn’t afford them, so they were probably half-sold, half-given.”
“Moreover, these players come from different GPL teams. Someone must have coordinated this, and Wu Yue, FV Club’s owner, doesn’t have that capability.”
“Only Mr. Pei from Tenda could make these clubs willingly give up these players!”
“So we can confirm that Tenda is behind FV Club, and it’s even possible that the club has already been bought by Tenda!”
“I even suspect that SHG and other clubs poaching IOI’s promising players from various clubs was also part of a premeditated plan—part of Mr. Pei’s strategy!”
Zhao Xuming’s expression grew serious as he nodded slightly. “Indeed.”
Yesterday, Ding Gan had already told Zhao Xuming about the suspicious aspects of FV Club, but since all of FV Club’s actions complied with the competition rules, Zhao Xuming was powerless and couldn’t do anything about them.
But being powerless didn’t mean doing nothing at all.
To be safe, Zhao Xuming had his assistant quickly investigate FV Club’s background to understand their true purpose.
The assistant was very efficient and had largely clarified things today.
Zhao Xuming made a mental note and asked, “Is there anything else worth noting?”
The assistant quickly nodded. “Yes, Boss Zhao! According to intelligence from our staff, a masked, mysterious person came to yesterday’s competition venue and also went to the FV Club’s rest area! Judging by Manager Lu’s form of address, it was most likely Mr. Pei from Tenda himself!”
Each club’s backstage rest area had staff from the event organizers. Although Pei Qian wore a mask, Manager Lu’s form of address had revealed his identity.
Zhao Xuming frowned in surprise. “Mr. Pei himself? Are you sure?”
The assistant nodded. “Based on the information we have, Mr. Pei looks similar to his body double, very young, and matches the physical appearance. Manager Lu addressed the masked mysterious person as ‘Mr. Pei’s very respectful. After leaving the rest area, Wu Yue escorted him away with great deference, also addressing him as ‘Mr. Pei.'”
“Additionally, I asked Mr. Ding Gan from the SUG Club, who has met Mr. Pei in person, and he confirmed that Mr. Pei was indeed at the studio.”
“Based on this information, the masked mysterious person was most likely Mr. Pei himself.”
Zhao Xuming frowned slightly. “Ding Gan knows about this?”
The assistant nodded. “Yes, but he didn’t voluntarily tell us. He only admitted it when I asked.”
Zhao Xuming snorted. “This Ding Gan still has some hard feelings about how I handled things earlier?”
“Never mind him. As long as we confirm that was indeed Mr. Pei.”
Zhao Xuming fell into deep thought.
Mr. Pei came in person?
What was his purpose?
Zhao Xuming felt an instinctive fear toward Mr. Pei.
This was because Mr. Pei’s previous achievements were too impressive. GOG had advanced rapidly, dominating both domestically and internationally with few worthy opponents. The executives at Daark Group had been dealt with so thoroughly that they couldn’t even fight back.
In his own brief encounters with Mr. Pei, Zhao Xuming had been completely outmaneuvered, unwittingly developing a “Pei-phobia.”
Now hearing that Mr. Pei had personally arrived at the scene, right in this studio, Zhao Xuming felt an instinctive panic.
But he quickly regained his composure.
“No need to panic. He’s just an ordinary person, not some killer monster. Even if he’s here, he’s just observing the matches. What can he do on our turf?”
The assistant nodded. “Boss Zhao is right.”
“Perhaps it’s because rumors have always circulated that Mr. Pei is elusive—once he makes a move, he’s guaranteed to succeed, and he never fights unprepared battles or ones he’s not confident of winning. That’s why we’re jumping at shadows.”
“So, Boss Zhao, what should we do now?”
Zhao Xuming frowned, deep in thought.
“Mr. Pei personally coming to Shanghai likely has two purposes. First, to scout the enemy, seeing our arrangements in person, to know both himself and his enemy. After all, much information is inaccurate when relayed by others—you must see it with your own eyes to confirm the details. Second, to oversee the battle, cheering on FV Club’s players, hoping they can successfully secure a qualification spot.”
“Therefore, he’s being low-key, coming alone and deliberately wearing a mask, not wanting to be discovered.”
“He thought no one would notice him since he’s never shown his face online, but he didn’t expect us to catch this information! If we use it well, we might be able to stage a beautiful comeback…”
The assistant could sense that Zhao Xuming had thought of an excellent idea and waited quietly beside him, not daring to interrupt his train of thought.
Suddenly, Zhao Xuming slapped the table. “Got it!”
“Mr. Pei is being low-key, not wanting to be conspicuous or attract attention, so we’ll do exactly the opposite—widely publicize the fact that Mr. Pei came to watch the IOI qualifiers!”
“Find out where Mr. Pei is sitting, and have the director give him a close-up shot. Inform the two commentators in advance, having them welcome Mr. Pei’s arrival!”
“Then, arrange for paid commenters online to create buzz. The content is simple: just say that Mr. Pei chose to watch the IOI qualifiers rather than the GPL league, proving that the IOI qualifiers are more entertaining than the GPL league and that Tenda feels threatened. This shows that IOI is starting to gain momentum and GOG’s domestic dominance is about to be challenged!”
“In short, transfer all the heat from Mr. Pei to the IOI qualifiers!”
The assistant’s eyes lit up. “Brilliant strategy, Boss Zhao!”
“Mr. Pei traveled to Shanghai, sneaking in like an assassin to scout the enemy, yet we’ll grandly welcome him, making us appear aboveboard while making Mr. Pei seem sneaky! We’ll gain the moral high ground in terms of bearing and character!”
“Moreover, since Mr. Pei came to watch the IOI qualifiers instead of the GPL league, if we make a big deal out of this point, we can steal a large portion of the GPL league’s buzz. It’s perfect!”
“I’ll arrange it right away!”
The assistant was about to leave when Zhao Xuming called him back.
“Wait!”
“That alone isn’t enough.”
“Do this—prepare two approaches. FV qualified as the first place in Group B, so they’ll play against Group A’s second place first, and we’ll know the result in the morning.”
“If FV Club wins overwhelmingly, don’t mention anything about FV Club—don’t give them any buzz.”
“If FV Club barely wins, they’ll likely lose to Group A’s first-place team and won’t secure the first seed.”
“If that happens, before the afternoon matches start, expose the relationship between FV Club and Tenda Group!”
“We can say: Tenda meticulously planned and spent heavily to create FV Club, but they were still beaten by our IOI clubs. Mr. Pei was watching on-site with a grim expression.”
“Wouldn’t that create another wave of buzz and traffic?”
The assistant nodded vigorously. “Boss Zhao is brilliant!”
Given FV Club’s personnel, if they secured the first seed, Zhao Xuming would have to play dead and not actively spread information about the relationship between Tenda and FV Club. But if FV Club lost, Zhao Xuming could kick them while they were down and capitalize on the buzz.
Of course, the specific approach would depend on the morning match results.
Zhao Xuming was in high spirits, his mouth curving into a smile.
“Mr. Pei, oh Mr. Pei, you’re not infallible or omnipotent after all—you also make mistakes!”
“I admire your courage to come alone, but aren’t you just handing over the buzz? With such generosity, it would be impolite to refuse—I’ll gladly accept it!”
…
At the competition venue.
Pei Qian, like yesterday, wore a mask and sat in the front row to watch the match.
Yesterday, Wu Yue and Manager Lu had wanted to host a dinner for him, but Pei Qian had firmly declined.
FV Club’s players needed to urgently review yesterday’s matches, summarize their experiences, and rest well, as they had two best-of-five series tomorrow, which would be extremely physically demanding.
So Wu Yue didn’t insist and just escorted Mr. Pei back to his hotel.
Perhaps due to the change in environment, or possibly because Saturday’s matches had left Pei Qian with some unpleasant memories, he hadn’t slept well last night. Today, he was slightly lethargic, looking a bit deflated.
But it didn’t matter—after all, he was just watching a match.
The schedule was packed, with two best-of-five series in the morning and two in the afternoon. Each team would be directly eliminated if they lost both matches, while winning both would qualify them as the first seed for the world championship.
FV Club’s match was first, followed by SUG’s match. They would play against Group A’s second and first place teams, respectively.
FV Club’s players were full of energy, earnestly testing their equipment.
The two commentators were warming up the audience, analyzing the two teams’ playstyles and conditions from yesterday, and making predictions for the upcoming match.
But at this moment, a jib camera suddenly and unexpectedly moved to a position above Pei Qian’s head, and immediately, Pei Qian’s close-up appeared on the big screen!
At that moment, he was sitting very casually in the front row, with one leg crossed over the other, his right hand on his cheek, his gaze relaxed, and the black mask on his face quite conspicuous.
Suddenly seeing himself on the big screen, Pei Qian was startled. His whole body froze, and a question mark appeared above his head.
?
He panicked momentarily but quickly composed himself, making no movements.
Thankfully, he had come prepared, wearing a mask!
This was probably just the director randomly filming audience members before the match began—nothing serious. The shot would only last a second or two at most.
But… why would the director film a masked man instead of the many cute girls in the audience?
Pei Qian was somewhat puzzled but remained calm.
Soon, however, he realized he was mistaken.
Because the close-up shot seemed to last unusually long, the jib camera in the air showed no signs of moving away to film anyone else!
The audience noticed this too and began discussing.
Who is this?
Not a particularly pretty girl, and wearing a mask with no face showing—did the director need to give a 5-second close-up?
Then, the two commentators spoke up.
“Hey, we can see the director has focused on the audience—many might not recognize him, so let us introduce him: Tenda Group’s Mr. Pei has personally attended our competition!”
“Mr. Pei has traveled from Jingzhou to Shanghai despite his busy schedule, showing his appreciation for our tournament. Let’s give him a warm round of applause to welcome his arrival!”
As soon as the host finished speaking, thunderous applause and cheers erupted throughout the venue.
There were plants among the staff, professional applause leaders. With a little coordination between the host and these plants, they quickly got the entire audience applauding, instantly creating an excellent show effect.
Pei Qian: “What the f***…”
At this moment, Pei Qian was extremely grateful he had worn a mask, otherwise, his expression would certainly have been very awkward, broadcast live to all spectators and viewers in the streaming room.
The event organizers were causing trouble!
Pei Qian instantly realized this was deliberate, but anything he did now would be inappropriate. He could only maintain a calm and nonchalant expression until the camera above his head moved away.
The director, shamelessly, filmed for a full ten seconds. Seeing that Mr. Pei remained calm and unmoved, the director finally moved the camera away with some regret.
However, those ten seconds of close-up had the desired effect. The venue buzzed with discussion, and on the streaming platforms broadcasting the IOI qualifiers, a wave of bullet comments flew by.
“Mr. Pei?!”
“What’s going on? Tenda Group’s boss, Mr. Pei, is at the IOI qualifiers? Shouldn’t he be watching GPL? What’s the meaning of this?”
“This move… is the boss personally scouting the enemy?”
“And then getting caught on the spot?”
“Hahaha, does this mean IOI’s matches are more entertaining than GPL’s? Even Mr. Pei himself doesn’t watch GPL?”
“Are we sure this is Mr. Pei? How can you tell with a mask on?”
“Judging by the hairstyle, clothes, physique, and some details, it’s quite possible. The event organizers surely wouldn’t make such a basic mistake—they must have confirmed Mr. Pei’s identity before giving him that close-up.”
“Awkward for the GPL clubs—we’re fighting tooth and nail, using every trick in the book, and the league organizer goes to watch someone else’s tournament?”
“SHG: We are about to fight to the death. Why has Your Majesty surrendered first?”
Similar discussions appeared in the streaming room and on forums. Many of these comments were from water armies arranged by the Dragon Yu Group. Though seemingly joking, they effectively set the tone.
Once the “Mr. Pei doesn’t watch GPL but came to watch IOI qualifiers” meme spread, even if it was just banter, it would subtly influence the masses.
This little episode quickly passed, but online discussions gradually began to ferment.
The match between the two teams began, and the audience was soon immersed in the intense competition.
These two teams were already at the top domestic level, making for an exciting back-and-forth match.
Sure enough, as Pei Qian had requested, FV Club’s players strictly followed GOG’s playstyle, from character selection to in-game operation concepts, which contrasted sharply with conventional strategies.
In yesterday’s group stage, FV Club had a very intense match with SUG, with their victory having some luck involved.
Today’s opponent had studied FV Club’s playstyle overnight, making targeted adjustments in character selection and tactics, so FV Club was having an even harder time.
But even so, FV Club showed no intention of playing conventional lineups, instead continuing with their previous strategic approach.
The two sides battled fiercely for all five games. Though the morning was supposed to include two best-of-five series, FV’s match alone lasted until after 11 o’clock.
…
Backstage in the studio, the assistant quickly approached Zhao Xuming.
“Boss Zhao! Everything you asked for has been arranged.”
“We’ve prepared several articles covering the relationship between Tenda Group and FV Club, Mr. Pei’s attendance, and so on. We’ll spread this news at noon, buy trending topics, and create buzz—it will generate significant attention across the internet!”
Zhao Xuming nodded in satisfaction. “Very good!”
He had watched FV Club’s morning match against Group A’s second-place team. The match was extremely close, going all five games, with a very hard-fought victory.
From yesterday’s group stage, it was clear that Group A’s first-place team had no trouble against the second-place team, winning methodically.
This indicated that even if FV Club had won a five-game series and secured a World Championship spot with great difficulty, they definitely couldn’t beat Group A’s first-place team to claim the first seed.
Not only that, but they might even get crushed by Group A’s first-place team!
Given these circumstances, exposing FV Club’s relationship with Tenda Group and adding some criticism would generate a lot of buzz for IOI.
Mr. Pei spending heavily to create a team for the IOI qualifiers, personally attending to oversee them, only to see them get crushed?
Once such news spread, Zhao Xuming’s goal would be achieved.
Of course, the premise was that FV Club had to lose. Attacking into the wind was inadvisable—only with the wind would the impact be maximized.
Zhao Xuming could have chosen to spread this news after the match ended, but that would have been too late.
Today would feature four best-of-five series—an extremely dense schedule. The first best-of-five had already lasted until almost noon, and subsequent matches would have to be delayed.
Roughly estimating, all four best-of-five series might not finish until after 10 PM.
Such discussions had a time-sensitive nature and needed time to develop. If these messages were spread after the matches finished late at night, many people might not see them, failing to achieve the best dissemination effect and the goal of attracting massive heat and traffic.
Conversely, spreading this news at noon would make people follow the FV Club’s evening match. When FV Club was defeated, Dragon Yu Group could ride the public opinion wave to step on Tenda—perfect timing.
Zhao Xuming couldn’t help feeling smug.
People say Mr. Pei is a strategic mastermind, but when faced with things beyond human control, isn’t Mr. Pei also helpless?
Now it was obvious to everyone that FV Club’s current strength fell short—they couldn’t compete for the first seed. Zhao Xuming was counting on precisely this, planning to use criticism of FV Club and Tenda to generate buzz for IOI.
In this situation, how could Mr. Pei possibly turn the tables?
Zhao Xuming felt he had victory in the bag.