As soon as Mr. Pei spoke these words, He Desheng and Meng Chang were both stunned.
Meng Chang had been confidently preparing to continue his presentation, but Mr. Pei’s words were like a bucket of cold water poured over his head, chilling him to the bone.
Meng Chang’s expression changed from shock to confusion, then to bewilderment.
His usual composed demeanor vanished without a trace, and he even stumbled over his words: “M-Mr. Pei, what’s this about? You’re not joking, are you? If Cold Face Girl has done something wrong, you can point it out!”
Meng Chang instantly panicked.
For him, getting money from Mr. Pei today was important, but not getting it wouldn’t be devastating either, as he had enough funds on hand to sustain operations for a while longer.
In this situation, trying his luck was always worthwhile.
However, Meng Chang never expected that Mr. Pei would want to withdraw!
This news was like a bolt from the blue for Meng Chang!
Because currently, what Meng Chang needed most wasn’t money, but investors’ confidence.
Whether getting investment from Mr. Pei or burning money on speeches and generating buzz, it was all to boost investors’ confidence.
Only when investors had confidence in Cold Face Girl and kept investing would the company’s valuation continue to rise, allowing the game to continue until they could cash out and achieve financial freedom.
But conversely, once investors lost confidence and no one believed in the Cold Face Girl brand, Meng Chang’s current rate of burning money couldn’t be sustained for long.
If Mr. Pei withdrew, the news couldn’t possibly be kept secret and would likely cause Cold Face Girl to completely collapse!
So even the usually composed Meng Chang, who handled all sorts of situations with ease, couldn’t help but panic.
Pei Qian smiled very politely: “There’s nothing wrong with the Cold Face Girl brand. I’m doing this purely because of some internal reasons at Tenda Group. It has nothing to do with you.”
Meng Chang’s lips twitched slightly, feeling that his intelligence had been insulted.
Like hell it has nothing to do with me. Do you think I’m an idiot?
Everything was going well when I arrived, but halfway through my PowerPoint presentation, you suddenly said you wanted to withdraw, and then claim it had nothing to do with me?
Are you kidding me?
Mr. Pei was doing this on purpose!
But Meng Chang had no options. He could hardly point a finger at Mr. Pei’s nose and curse him out.
Pei Qian took a sip of tea: “Given Cold Face Girl’s current situation, many investors must be fighting to invest. If Tenda sells its shares, someone will buy them, and Cold Face Girl’s valuation won’t be affected. Besides, since it’s already profitable, there’s nothing to worry about, right?”
Meng Chang opened his mouth but was momentarily speechless.
Mr. Pei’s reasoning was so sound that he couldn’t argue with it.
Indeed, according to Meng Chang’s hype, Tenda’s withdrawal wouldn’t affect Cold Face Girl, as there would be plenty of people waiting to take over. But the problem was, why would Tenda want to withdraw?
Wouldn’t it be better to keep the shares and wait for them to appreciate?
Or had Mr. Pei already seen through his plan and was deliberately toying with him?
Was this sarcasm or humiliation?
Meng Chang froze, and despite his intelligence and cunning, he couldn’t figure out what Mr. Pei was really thinking, suddenly becoming somewhat flustered.
He Desheng, sitting to the side, remained silent while closely observing Mr. Pei’s subtle changes in expression.
In his view, although the data in Meng Chang’s PowerPoint certainly had some tricks and played number games with finances, this was common practice. The flaws didn’t overshadow the merits, and Cold Face Girl remained a company worth investing in.
Mr. Pei wasn’t considering selling part of the shares to cash out while retaining some, but rather completely withdrawing and severing all ties with Cold Face Girl.
Could it be that Mr. Pei was still firmly executing his previous investment strategy? Even for brands like Cold Face Girl?
But… strictly speaking, Cold Face Girl’s so-called “turnaround to profitability” actually had a lot of padding. It was a “PowerPoint turnaround” achieved by spreading costs into the future and deducting some marketing expenses, not real profit.
He Desheng felt that as a subordinate, he should offer a reminder.
He leaned close to Mr. Pei’s ear and whispered: “Mr. Pei, Cold Face Girl hasn’t truly achieved profitability yet, it’s just showing a trend toward profit. Are we following our previous investment rules strictly, waiting until Cold Face Girl is truly profitable before withdrawing, or are we withdrawing now?”
Hmm?
Pei Qian frowned slightly, then hesitated.
If he withdrew, he feared wrongfully killing a loyal minister; if he didn’t withdraw, he feared the valuation would keep rising, meaning the later he withdrew, the more he would earn, which would be troublesome.
After thinking for a moment, Pei Qian decided to give Meng Chang one last chance.
He looked at Meng Chang: “Forget all that flashy stuff on the PowerPoint. Just tell me straight, what’s the probability that Cold Face Girl will make money for me, and how much?”
“Is there any possibility of a loss? What’s the maximum possible loss?”
“Be honest and give me an accurate number.”
Meng Chang saw He Desheng whisper something to Mr. Pei, and though he couldn’t hear what was said, judging by Mr. Pei’s attitude, the situation seemed to have taken a turn.
Meng Chang instantly grabbed onto this lifeline like a drowning man, overjoyed.
In his view, Mr. Pei was testing his determination!
Meng Chang somewhat regretted his earlier reaction.
When Mr. Pei mentioned withdrawing, his reaction had been a bit extreme, actually revealing that Cold Face Girl was indeed very dependent on Tenda’s financial support.
And Mr. Pei’s subsequent questions seemed like they were precisely pinpointing Cold Face Girl’s vital weakness and asking Meng Chang exactly how much benefit he could bring to Tenda Group.
At this point, Meng Chang had few options left. He definitely needed to stand firmly on Mr. Pei’s side and promise a bright future to secure Mr. Pei’s continued support.
Thinking of this, Meng Chang immediately became very serious and solemnly guaranteed: “Rest assured, Mr. Pei, Cold Face Girl will make money for you! It’s just a question of how much!”
“I guarantee you, of the two ways to make money, I can help you achieve at least one.”
“The first way is for Cold Face Girl to continue being profitable, with you as a major shareholder receiving dividends by holding shares long-term until we go public, gaining long-term returns. The second way is that when more capital enters and you want to exit, you can leave at any time—the longer you hold, the higher the valuation, the more you earn!”
“As for losses, I guarantee that will not happen.”
“So far, every step of Cold Face Girl’s development has been according to my plan. As long as we continue developing step by step, your investment will yield substantial returns without any risk of loss!”
“So, I hope you’ll hang on for at least three more months—no, one month—you’ll see returns! Of course, if you could invest some more money, that would be even better…”
Pei Qian fell into a silence that lasted a full minute.
Afterward, he picked up his teacup: “Show him out!”
Meng Chang was instantly shocked: “Huh? Mr. Pei!”
He looked at Mr. Pei, then at He Desheng, his mind blank.
What was going on? Hadn’t things just taken a turn for the better? Why did Mr. Pei’s face suddenly drop?
What did I say wrong?
He Desheng had already stood up: “This way, please.”
Meng Chang wasn’t ready to give up and wanted to say something more to try to change Mr. Pei’s mind, but seeing Mr. Pei’s resolute attitude, he hesitated repeatedly before finally giving up.
Because he knew that anxiety clouds judgment, and if he lost his composure now out of desperation, he would only expose more flaws in front of Mr. Pei, making him even more determined to withdraw.
It was better to retreat for now. After Mr. Pei’s emotions settled down, in a couple of days, things might take a turn for the better.
This was the only option available.
With this thought, Meng Chang could only nod very reluctantly: “Very well, Mr. Pei. Please take your time to consider.”
He Desheng escorted Meng Chang out, then returned to the reception room.
“Mr. Pei, are you sure you want to sell all of Cold Face Girl’s shares? No further consideration?” He Desheng asked.
Pei Qian’s attitude was resolute: “Sell! Sell immediately!”
“If we sell now, will we make a lot of money again?”
In Pei Qian’s heart, he was already prepared for the worst.
He Desheng shook his head: “Mr. Pei, it’s hard to say. Currently, Cold Face Girl isn’t listed, so the valuation is very theoretical. How much these shares are worth depends on the negotiation between both parties—how much the buyer is willing to pay.”
“But don’t worry, Mr. Pei, I’ll do my best in the negotiation to secure the highest possible price.”
“Besides, Meng Chang won’t let you sell your shares cheaply, as it would affect Cold Face Girl’s valuation and other investors’ confidence. He will work to facilitate a high-value transaction. With both of us negotiating, it should be almost certain, though it’s hard to guarantee a specific figure.”
Pei Qian’s lips twitched slightly.
Try to sell at a high price?
That won’t do!
Pei Qian had invested a total of 8 million in Cold Face Girl. If he made 20-30 million back, wouldn’t he spit blood on the spot?
He needed to sell cheap, preferably for less than 8 million!
After thinking for a moment, Pei Qian said: “Can we sell a bit… lower?”
He Desheng was stunned for a moment.
What did he mean by selling a bit lower? Did Mr. Pei think the money was too much?
But he quickly understood: “Oh, Mr. Pei, you mean not to repeatedly negotiate for a high price, but to offload it quickly? For a quick sale, selling a bit lower is acceptable?”
Pei Qian: “…Something like that.”
He couldn’t explicitly tell He Desheng to sell cheap, he could only hint like this. But He Desheng’s interpretation wasn’t too far off; the result should be the same.
He Desheng nodded: “I understand, Mr. Pei. I’ll handle this matter perfectly!”
…
…
December 14, Wednesday.
On the set of “Mission and Choice.”
“Cut!”
“Good, that take was nice. We’ll keep one more later, and then we can wrap up for today.”
“Well done, your performance has been getting better and better lately. The filming progress is faster than expected. We knew we didn’t choose the wrong lead actor!”
Zhu Xiaocai didn’t spare any praise for Lu Zhiyao.
Lu Zhiyao smiled somewhat embarrassedly: “Oh, it’s all thanks to Mr. Pei’s guidance, and the script is good too. I’m just adding a finishing touch.”
Zhu Xiaocai patted his shoulder: “Why so modest? Here is the script for the next phase. Take some time to read it and get a feel for it.”
Lu Zhiyao reached out to take it.
According to Director Zhu Xiaocai’s plan, the filming of “Mission and Choice” had to be completed by around March, because they would need a lot of time afterward for post-production and special effects.
Almost every scene in “Mission and Choice” involved special effects, which were very time-consuming. They had to reserve enough time to ensure the film could be released in June as originally planned.
The pressure on filming was quite high.
Currently, the filming progress doesn’t completely follow the script. Many scenes from the previous storyline hadn’t been fully shot to the most satisfactory state, but Zhu Xiaocai believed that Lu Zhiyao’s acting skills and condition had improved enough. He could perfectly handle the role of Qin Yi in the previous phase, so it was about time to give him the script for the next phase, allowing him to contemplate the next stage of Qin Yi in advance.
The filming progress was quite smooth, thanks to Mr. Pei.
On one hand, Mr. Pei had given Lu Zhiyao confidence and stimulated his potential, letting him contemplate the character and refine his acting skills on his own, improving his performance even without guidance. On the other hand, the fully automated intelligent debate machine arranged by Mr. Pei also allowed Lu Zhiyao to rehearse with AEEIS whenever he had time, enabling him to immerse himself more deeply into the character.
Now, Lu Zhiyao was about to face a new challenge.
Lu Zhiyao eagerly opened the script to check the upcoming plot.
In the previous storyline, Qin Yi had already understood the necessity of the previous commander and AEEIS’s command. Lu Zhiyao was eager to welcome the final battle between humans and the insect race.
…
Qin Yi expressionlessly and methodically commanded one battle after another. Around him, countless starships were destroyed, countless humans and insects were blown to pieces, leaving no remains.
He was like a perfect war machine, issuing one command after another, directing one battle after another. The death of soldiers seemed to hardly cause any emotional ripples in him anymore.
If the death of one person is a tragedy, then the death of too many people is just a number.
During this long shot, AEEIS had an emotionless voice-over that seemed to be addressed both to Qin Yi and to the audience watching the screen and the players playing the game.
“Command is the most crucial element of warfare. It brings countless soldiers together to form a powerful collective force.”
“Command can be divided into two aspects: information processing and action decision-making.”
“In war, information processing is particularly important because incorrect information leads to incorrect decisions. Both sides of the conflict receive massive amounts of information every moment. How to process this information, judge its authenticity, and prioritize it, often determines whether the final decision is correct.”
“Information can be seen as a ‘transmission chain’: whether a piece of information is being uploaded or issued, it needs to pass through various levels and channels like links in a chain. And the transmission chain determines the efficiency of information utilization.”
“Under any circumstances, the information transmitted is ‘selective’; otherwise, both commanders and subordinates would be overwhelmed by massive amounts of information and become disoriented.”
“This selectivity is the most basic logical setting, so deception has always existed alongside warfare.”
“In ancient China, there’s the story of ‘quenching thirst by thinking of plums’; in modern warfare, after the Battle of Midway, the Japanese military deliberately concealed the truth about the war.”
“The truth about the Battle of Midway was not told to the public or senior officials. Instead, they announced that this war would ‘determine the entire situation with one battle.’ Deceived citizens even celebrated the ‘victory’ with lanterns and decorations.”
“In more cases, ‘deception’ is not ‘telling the wrong truth’ but ‘deliberately concealing part of the information.'”
“To ensure soldiers obey orders, superiors rarely directly order soldiers: ‘Go sacrifice your life.’ That would not only fail to give soldiers any sense of honor but would also deliver a fatal blow to morale.”
In war command, commanders often just issue a clear task, such as holding a position for two hours, after which they can retreat. But commanders never digress to say: ‘This operation has a high probability of resulting in the complete annihilation of the entire unit.'”
“So, deception is not a false trick, but in most cases, it is simply the most efficient handling of the information transmission chain, aimed at expanding results, reducing losses, and achieving greater victory.”
Accompanied by AEEIS’s narration, Qin Yi began to command one battle after another.
Due to the presence of simulation elements, these battles mixed real battles with virtual ones.
If Qin Yi failed in a battle or was dissatisfied with the results, he could ask AEEIS to review and simulate the battle. It would restore the initial deployment of forces on both sides, but a series of random events would still occur during the war due to the system’s calculations, making each review somewhat different.
In this situation, Qin Yi could tell that this was a simulation by AEEIS rather than a real battle, because in reality, these people had already died due to the failure of the initial battle.
The battles that Qin Yi encountered for the first time were also a mix of real and fake. According to AEEIS, sometimes he was commanding real troops, sometimes he was commanding virtual battles.
But whether these battles were real or fake, Qin Yi would command with 120% focus, because in the mix of real and fake, he had become accustomed to treating every unit on the screen as a living person.
It was precisely because of this mindset that Qin Yi began to rely more and more on the various data provided by AEEIS.
Because Qin Yi found that in the vast majority of cases, data was more reliable than people. If a soldier’s morale had dropped to freezing point, then ordering him to carry out an important task would have predictable results.
In this long process, Qin Yi began to gradually become numb.
Apart from the necessary daily sleep, Qin Yi was constantly conducting one command after another, performing mechanical operations.
If successful, move on to the next battle; if it fails, review countless times until victory.
Day after day, the infinite cycle, the infinite repetition.
There was no day or night in the command pod, only AEEIS accurately calculating the time, telling Qin Yi when to sleep or wake up.
Qin Yi also didn’t bother to count how many sleep cycles he had gone through or how many days had passed, because the decisive battle could come at any time, and he had to make the most of every moment to prepare.
Finally, one day, Qin Yi was awakened from sleep by AEEIS.
In the holographic images around him, Qin Yi saw swarms of insects densely moving in and out of reorganizing hives, while human bases on the planet and starships floating in space were on high alert.
The situation was self-evident—a new round of large-scale battles was imminent.
This battle might drag on for a long time, or it might collapse instantly and end quickly due to a trivial mistake.
As Qin Yi stepped toward the console, when this day finally arrived, he felt unprecedentedly calm.