At noon, Pei Qian arrived punctually at Nameless Restaurant, waiting for Lin Chang’s arrival.
Nameless Restaurant reserved a table for Pei Qian every weekend, either for lunch or dinner. Today, it happened to be for lunch.
This timing was very suitable for Pei Qian. If “Mission and Choice” hadn’t been successful, he should come here for a feast to celebrate; and if “Mission and Choice” was successful, he should come here for an even bigger feast, transforming his sorrow into appetite to console his wounded soul.
Soon, Lin Chang arrived.
“Mr. Pei! Congratulations, congratulations!”
“Before coming, I just got updates from several theater managers. The major cinema chains are very pleased with ‘Mission and Choice’s’ exceptional performance and have urgently adjusted the screening rates for later showings. The box office will surely climb rapidly!”
“But what surprised me most was the game. How did you come up with the idea of hiding the remake of ‘Mission and Choice’ inside the old game? It was truly a stroke of genius! Many players are overjoyed, seeing it as a phoenix-like rebirth of domestic games!”
“Now among the top ten trending topics on Weibo, ‘Mission and Choice’ directly occupies five spots—three for the movie and two for the game! This marketing approach is simply stunning, directly saving tens of millions in marketing expenses! Admirable, truly admirable!”
Lin Chang’s expression showed genuine happiness.
As the head of Shenhua Films, Lin Chang regularly dealt with various producers and directors, handling many films.
So, he was very clear about the current state of domestic science fiction films, which could be described in four words: “extremely weak.”
It wasn’t that the directors or producers making sci-fi films were incompetent; rather, the entire industry had started late and had a weak foundation—this was an environmental issue.
So seeing Mr. Pei show such courage, investing heavily to produce a domestic sci-fi film that received excellent feedback, Lin Chang felt genuinely happy. This represented the domestic film industry developing in a very positive direction!
Pei Qian forced a slight smile: “Let’s talk while we eat.”
One could only say that human joy and sorrow aren’t always aligned. Every time Mr. Pei was silently suffering, those around him seemed to be very happy…
Soon, various delicacies filled the table.
Lin Chang wasn’t a first-time visitor, so he didn’t hold back at all, stuffing himself while giving endless praise to “Mission and Choice” with his thumbs up.
“I watched the midnight screening of ‘Mission and Choice’ yesterday and still can’t get enough of it.”
“Especially the part where ‘realistic elements’ were introduced, and Qin Yi’s command gradually relied on the AI’s suggestions. It was originally a somewhat uncomfortable plot point, but through clever handling, it made all viewers feel it was perfectly natural…”
“And that later part…”
Lin Chang completely failed to notice Mr. Pei’s somewhat pale face as he enthusiastically shared his thoughts on “Mission and Choice.”
Meanwhile, Pei Qian silently ate, thinking “WTF” to himself.
Getting spoiled again!
Lin Chang had spoiled several of the most exciting key plot points—what the hell!
The main issue was that Lin Chang never imagined Mr. Pei wouldn’t know the plot of “Mission and Choice,” so he had no idea he had become a shameful spoiler poster. Instead, he interpreted Pei Qian’s silence as a form of enjoyment.
Pei Qian picked up a crab claw and bit into it fiercely: “Alright, Mr. Lin, let’s get straight to the point. You mentioned that Old Man Lin’s attitude toward Lin Wan has changed somewhat?”
Lin Chang nodded: “Yes, I tried to gauge the old man’s thoughts again today and found his attitude has shifted.”
“Last time, the old man said it wouldn’t be bad for Ai Wan to gain some experience at Tenda. When I saw him this time, he asked about Ai Wan’s recent situation. I told him truthfully that Ai Wan is doing well here, and all the projects she’s worked on have been successful.”
“The old man clearly recognizes Ai Wan’s achievements here, but I could also tell that he misses her.”
Hearing this, Pei Qian’s eyes lit up.
Could it be that his plan was working?
Previously, Pei Qian’s idea was to have Lin Wan complete several projects at Shangyang Games, accumulating some experience. This way, when the old man saw Lin Wan’s achievements and realized she could stand on her own, he might let her return!
With this in mind, Pei Qian asked somewhat expectantly: “So, Lin Wan has gained enough experience, and it’s time for her to go back?”
Lin Chang was taken aback: “Go back? No, no, no. The old man’s intention is for Shenhua to invest in Shangyang Games.”
“This way, Ai Wan’s relationship with the family will definitely improve, and she can also visit home more often in the future.”
Pei Qian, who had been happily preparing a large crab, was stunned upon hearing this. His hands, which were about to break open the crab shell, stopped.
What the hell?
Invest in Shangyang Games?
Get lost!
Pei Qian was speechless. Is your whole family trying to mess with me?
Not only are you not taking Lin Wan away, but you want to give me money?
I can hardly spend all my own money, and now I have to work hard to spend yours too?
Pei Qian immediately put down the crab: “Absolutely not!”
Lin Chang was startled: “Why not?”
Pei Qian coughed lightly: “I have a better suggestion.”
“Look, since Lin Wan has already achieved quite good results in the gaming field and can stand on her own, is it appropriate for her to continue working for me at this point?”
“Shenhua Group is a major corporation. I think Old Man Lin can absolutely allocate a large sum of money to establish a Shenhua Gaming Department!”
“This way, Lin Wan can fulfill her dream, the old man’s goal of having Lin Wan inherit the family business will be achieved, and Shenhua Group can expand its business empire. It’s beneficial in three ways—why not do it?”
Pei Qian felt his reasoning was absolutely sound; he was almost convincing himself.
Lin Chang hesitated: “Well… to be honest, Mr. Pei, I actually met with Ai Wan before coming to lunch.”
“Ai Wan feels that although she has achieved some results, most of the credit doesn’t belong to her. On one hand, the key direction you set was crucial; on the other hand, her team worked together wholeheartedly. She merely played a coordinating role.”
“So, if Ai Wan were asked to return and take charge of Shenhua’s gaming department herself, she would likely refuse…”
Pei Qian: “…”
Everything about Lin Wan was good, except for one problem—she was too lacking in confidence!
Even though these were clearly Lin Wan’s own accomplishments, she insisted on giving credit to Mr. Pei. That’s too much!
The scene fell into an awkward silence.
But Pei Qian clearly didn’t want to give up so easily. Old Man Lin’s attitude had finally softened; if he didn’t take this opportunity to send Lin Wan away, when would be a better time?
Every additional day Lin Wan stayed at Shangyang Games meant one more day of risk!
Pei Qian’s brain rapidly processed ideas, and he quickly came up with an excellent solution.
“Mr. Lin, I have an idea.”
“Shenhua Group and Tenda establish a strategic partnership.”
“Shenhua Group forms a gaming department, Lin Wan returns to take charge, and the Shenhua Gaming Department jointly develops games with Shangyang Games. If the game development succeeds, we share the profits; if it fails, we jointly bear the losses.”
“What do you think?”
Lin Chang was taken aback: “Uh… that sounds feasible, but the key is whether Ai Wan would agree. She has always felt her abilities are insufficient and is concerned about being responsible for a department.”
Pei Qian smiled slightly: “On one hand, she’ll be collaborating with Shangyang Games, so she won’t be fighting alone, and the risks are controllable. On the other hand, I can reason with her and appeal to her emotions.”
“I’ll tell Lin Wan that she has been in charge of Shangyang Games for a long time, and it’s about time to give Ye Zhizhou and Wang Xiaobin opportunities for advancement. She should understand.”
Pei Qian couldn’t help but admire himself.
This plan was perfect!
Currently, Lin Wan was reluctant to leave mainly because she felt her abilities were insufficient and had many concerns. But if she continued to collaborate with Shangyang Games, it would greatly alleviate her worries.
Moreover, Lin Wan had been in charge of Shangyang Games for a long time, giving Wang Xiaobin and Ye Zhizhou no opportunities for promotion. Encouraging Lin Wan to make way for younger people should be something she would understand.
More importantly, this was a triple-win situation for Pei Qian!
First, with Lin Wan gone and Shangyang Games under new leadership, the risk of making money would decrease. No matter how small the decrease, even 1% was still a decrease.
Second, if the games co-developed by the Shenhua Gaming Department and Shangyang Games made money, it would completely eliminate Lin Wan’s thoughts of returning to Tenda Group, allowing her to focus on serving the old man and inheriting the family business.
Finally, if the game lost money, that would be even better! Pei Qian couldn’t ask for more!
Lin Chang nodded in realization: “In that case, it might actually convince Ai Wan!”
“But…”
“Mr. Pei, this seems too disadvantageous for you. I can’t accept it with a clear conscience!”
“After all, Shenhua is just putting up some money to establish a gaming department. Later, when developing games, Shangyang Games will have to provide guidance for a whole series of matters, and even share the risks if the game fails. This is too unfair to you!”
“How about this: Shenhua will fund the establishment of a subsidiary and allocate some shares to Tenda. If it makes money, we’ll happily share; if it loses money, we’ll bear the losses entirely. That’s fair!”
Lin Chang spoke very sincerely.
Pei Qian quickly raised his hand: “Absolutely not!”
Well, well, trying to compete with me for the opportunity to lose money?
I can compromise on other matters, but when it comes to losing money, there’s absolutely no room for negotiation!
“No need to be polite about this. Let’s do it my way.”
“We’ve known each other for a long time. Mr. Lin has helped me a lot before, like when you helped arrange for ‘Beautiful Tomorrow’ to be submitted for international awards, and when you helped with selling GPL league slots. Being polite with me now would be treating me like an outsider!”
Although Pei Qian still held grudges about these two incidents, it didn’t prevent him from using them as pleasantries.
Lin Chang was deeply moved.
“Mr. Pei, you’re so generous!”
“Alright, I won’t say more. Here’s to a successful partnership!”
They clinked glasses, and the cooperation was settled.
Pei Qian let out a long sigh of relief.
Fortunately, although “Mission and Choice” had caused problems, he had taken the opportunity to arrange for Lin Wan’s departure. Not a bad outcome after all!