December 11th, Sunday …
The second day of the GPL pre-season competition, the IOI qualifier elimination stage.
Zhao Xuming arrived at the IOI qualifier venue early just like yesterday. He urged the staff to adjust the equipment and prepare for the competition.
The four teams today had also arrived at the competition venue early. They had to play a set of 'best-of-five' matches in the morning and afternoon. The competition schedule was very tight and the pressure was great.
Originally, the three veteran teams, including SUG, did not feel much pressure. After all, each of the three spots was a pit. With a weak team that could be bullied at will, they would be able to qualify no matter what.
The first seed could start from the top eight directly. There was still a need to fight for it. There was no need to fight for the second and third seed at all. It was fine as long as they could qualify.
However, now that FV Club had appeared out of thin air, there were no longer any weak teams in the four elimination teams. Anyone who did not play well might be eliminated directly. The pressure instantly came.
In the lounges of the various clubs, the players were seriously preparing their tactics or taking the time to take a nap and conserve their energy, hoping to maintain a better competitive state when the competition started later.
At that moment, Zhao Xuming's assistant walked over hurriedly with a stern expression.
"Boss Zhao, we've investigated the matter with FV Club!"
"These players were indeed sold to them by the GPL clubs. Wu Yue would definitely not be able to afford them given his financial resources. They were most likely half-sold and half-gifted."
"What's more, these players are from different GPL teams. Someone must be in the middle to coordinate. The boss of FV Club, Wu Yue, does not have this ability."
"Only Tengda's Boss Pei can make these clubs willingly hand over these players!"
"Therefore, we can basically confirm that Tengda is behind FV Club. Tengda might even have bought this club!"
"I even suspect that SHG and the other clubs have been trying to poach IOI's potential players from other clubs for a long time. It's part of Boss Pei's plan!"
Zhao Xuming's expression turned serious as he nodded slightly. "As expected."
Ding Gan had already told Zhao Xuming about FV Club's suspicions yesterday. However, all of FV Club's actions were in line with the rules of the competition. Thus, Zhao Xuming could do nothing about FV Club.
However, just because he could not do anything did not mean that he could not do anything.
For safety's sake, Zhao Xuming asked his assistant to take the time to investigate FV Club's background. He wanted to figure out their true motives.
The assistant's efficiency was also very high. Today, he had roughly investigated.
Zhao Xuming silently remembered this and asked, "Is there anything else worth paying attention to?"
The assistant quickly nodded. "Yes, President Zhao! According to our staff's intelligence, a mysterious person wearing a mask came to the competition venue yesterday and also went to FV Club's lounge! From how Manager Lu addressed him, he's most likely Tengda's Boss Pei himself! "
There were also staff from the competition in the backstage lounge of each club. Pei Qian might be wearing a mask, but the way Manager Lu addressed him had already exposed his identity.
Zhao Xuming could not help but frown. He looked surprised. "Boss Pei himself? Are you sure? "
The assistant nodded. "From the information we have so far, Boss Pei looks similar to his stunt double. He's very young and his appearance matches. Manager Lu addressed the mysterious man in the mask as' Boss Pei 'very respectfully. After coming out of the lounge, Wu Yue accompanied him very respectfully and also addressed him as' Boss Pei '."
"In addition, I also went to ask Boss Ding Gan of SUG Club. He has seen Boss Pei in person and admitted that Boss Pei was indeed at the recording studio."
"According to this information, this mysterious man in the mask is most likely Boss Pei himself."
Zhao Xuming frowned slightly. "Ding Gan knows about this?"
The assistant nodded. "Yes, but he did not take the initiative to tell us. He only admitted it when I asked."
Zhao Xuming snorted. "This Ding Gan is still a little emotional about how I dealt with him previously?"
"Don't worry about him. We just have to confirm that it's indeed Boss Pei."
Zhao Xuming could not help but fall into deep thought.
Boss Pei actually came personally?
What was his motive?
Zhao Xuming had an instinctive fear of Boss Pei.
That was because Boss Pei's previous achievements were too illustrious. GOG had been advancing triumphantly, killing everywhere in the country and abroad. It was difficult to find an opponent. The upper echelons of Dayak Corporation had also been dealt with to the point that they could not fight back.
Zhao Xuming had been tortured to the point that he did not have any temper during the simple exchange with Boss Pei. Unknowingly, he had developed a 'phobia of Boss Pei'.
Now that he heard that Boss Pei was personally in this recording studio, Zhao Xuming instinctively panicked.
However, he quickly calmed down.
"There's no need to panic. He's just an ordinary person. He's not a murderous demon. Even if he's here, he's just here to supervise the battle. What can he do in our territory?"
The assistant nodded. "Boss Zhao is right."
"Perhaps it's because there have been rumors in the outside world that Boss Pei has always been elusive. Once he makes a move, he has the confidence to win. What's more, he never fights battles that he is unprepared and unconfident. That's why we're a little paranoid. "
"Then, Boss Zhao, what should we do now?"
Zhao Xuming frowned and fell into deep thought.
"I think there are two reasons why Boss Pei came to Shanghai personally. The first is to spy on the enemy and come to the scene to see our arrangements. He wants to know himself and the enemy. After all, it is not accurate to rely on others to relay a lot of information. He has to see it for himself to confirm the details. The second is to supervise the battle and cheer on the members of FV Club. I hope that they can successfully obtain a spot in the qualifiers. "
"That's why he kept a low profile. He came alone and even wore a mask because he did not want others to discover him."
"He thought that no one would notice him since he had never shown his face online. However, he did not expect us to catch this information! If we can make good use of it, we might be able to turn the tables beautifully … "
The assistant could feel that Zhao Xuming seemed to have thought of an excellent idea. He did not dare to interrupt his train of thought and waited quietly at the side.
Zhao Xuming suddenly slammed the table. "I got it!"
"Boss Pei keeps a low profile. He doesn't want to show his face and attract attention. We'll do the opposite and spread the news that Boss Pei is here to watch the IOI qualifiers!"
"Find Boss Pei's seat. The director will give him a close-up shot then. Then, inform the two commentators in advance and ask them to welcome Boss Pei!"
"Then, buy fake reviewers in advance and create momentum online. The content is very simple. Say that Boss Pei is not watching the GPL league but the IOI qualifiers. This means that the IOI qualifiers are better than the GPL league. What's more, it has triggered Tengda's sense of crisis. This means that IOI is starting to exert its strength. GOG's dominance in the country is about to be threatened!"
"All in all, transfer all the attention on Boss Pei to the IOI qualifiers!"
The assistant's eyes lit up. "Good plan, Boss Zhao!"
"Boss Pei came all the way to Shanghai to spy on the enemy like an assassin. However, we're welcoming him with great fanfare. That would make us look like we're open and aboveboard while Boss Pei is sneaky! He would have the upper hand in terms of breadth of mind and temperament! "
"What's more, Boss Pei is here to watch the IOI qualifiers and not the GPL league. As long as we make a big fuss about this, we can snatch a large portion of the GPL league's popularity. It's perfect!"
"I'll arrange it now!"
The assistant was about to turn around and leave when Zhao Xuming stopped him.
"Wait!"
"That's not enough."
"How about this? Be prepared. FV is the first in Group B to qualify. We'll fight the second in Group A first. We'll see the results in the morning. "
"If FV Club wins by a landslide, don't mention FV Club. Don't bring popularity to FV Club."
"If FV Club wins with difficulty, they probably won't be able to beat Group A's first place. They won't be able to compete for the first seed."
"If that happens, we'll expose the relationship between FV Club and Tengda Corporation before the competition starts in the afternoon!"
"We can say this: Tengda had schemed and spent a lot of money to build FV Club, but they were still beaten up by our IOI club. Boss Pei's face was livid as he supervised the battle."
"Wouldn't that be another huge wave of popularity and traffic?"
The assistant nodded profusely. "Boss Zhao is brilliant!"
Zhao Xuming could only pretend to be dead if they obtained the first seed based on FV Club's personnel allocation. He would not take the initiative to spread the relationship between Tengda and FV Club. However, if FV Club lost, Zhao Xuming could hit them while they were down, step on them a few times, and freeload on their popularity.
Of course, how he would do it depended on the competition in the morning.
Zhao Xuming was in a good mood. The corners of his mouth could not help but curl up.
"Boss Pei, Boss Pei, you're not invincible and omnipotent. You'll also reveal flaws!"
"I admire your courage to face the enemy alone, but aren't you just handing over the attention to yourself? Such great hospitality, it would be impolite to refuse. I will kindly accept it! "
…
At the competition venue …
Just like yesterday, Pei Qian wore a mask and sat in the front row to watch the competition.
Wu Yue and Manager Lu wanted to host a banquet yesterday, but Pei Qian rejected them decisively.
The members of FV Club had to make the best use of their time to review after the competition, summarize their experience, and then rest well. After all, there were still two more matches tomorrow. It would be very taxing on their stamina.
Thus, Wu Yue did not insist and only sent Boss Pei back to the hotel.
Perhaps it was because of the change of environment, or perhaps it was because Saturday's competition had left some unpleasant memories in Pei Qian, he did not sleep very well last night. He could not lift his spirits today and was listless.
However, it did not matter. He was just watching a competition anyway.
The competition schedule was very full. There were two 'best-of-five' matches in the morning and two 'best-of-five' matches in the afternoon. If each team lost two matches, they would be eliminated directly. If they won two matches, they would be able to enter the international competition as the first seed.
FV Club's competition was the first match, and SUG's competition was the second match. They were playing against the second and first teams of Group A.
The members of FV Club were all full of energy and were seriously debugging the equipment.
The two commentators were warming up the venue, analyzing the two teams' playstyles and conditions yesterday, and making predictions for the upcoming competition.
However, at that moment, a rock-arm camera suddenly appeared above Pei Qian's head without any warning. Then, a close-up of Pei Qian appeared on the big screen!
At that moment, he was casually sitting in the front row with his legs crossed. His right hand was placed on his cheek, and his eyes were relaxed. The black mask on his face was rather eye-catching.
Pei Qian could not help but be shocked when he saw himself on the big screen. He froze, and a question mark floated above his head.
？
For a moment, he panicked, but Pei Qian quickly calmed down and did not do anything.
Fortunately, he was prepared and wore a mask!
This was most likely a random shot of the audience before the competition started. It was not a big deal. The entire scene would only last for one or two seconds at most.
But … why did the director choose to film a man wearing a mask instead of so many cute girls?
Pei Qian was slightly confused, but he remained calm.
However, he soon realized that he was wrong.
That was because the close-up seemed to last for a long time. The rock-arm camera in the air had no intention of moving away to film anyone else!
The audience in the stadium also noticed this and started to discuss it.
Who was this?
She was not a particularly beautiful young lady, and she was wearing a mask and did not show her face. Did the director have to give her a five-second close-up?
Then, the two commentators spoke.
"Eh, we saw that the director has turned the camera to the audience. Many people might not know him, but let us make a grand introduction: Tengda Corporation's Boss Pei has also come to our competition venue!"
"Boss Pei came all the way from Jingzhou to Shanghai despite his busy schedule. It's obvious how much he loves our competition. Let's applaud together and warmly welcome Boss Pei!"
Thunderous applause and cheers sounded in the venue just as the host finished speaking.
Obviously, there were staff members who had prepared the support, the kind that professionally received applause. With a little cooperation between the host and the support, the audience would clap together, instantly creating an excellent program effect.
Pei Qian: "What the f * ck …"
At that moment, Pei Qian was very glad that he was wearing a mask. Otherwise, his expression would have been very awkward. The live broadcast would be shown to all the audience present and in the live-stream room.
The organizers of the competition were causing trouble!
Pei Qian instantly realized that the organizers were doing this on purpose. However, it was not appropriate for him to do anything at that moment. He could only maintain a calm and indifferent expression until the camera above his head moved away.
The director shamelessly filmed for a full ten seconds. Seeing that Boss Pei remained calm and unmoving like a mountain, he finally moved the camera away regretfully.
However, these ten seconds of close-up footage obviously had a very good effect. The venue was filled with discussions. A large number of bullet screen comments floated past the live-stream platform that was broadcasting the IOI Qualification Competition.
"Boss Pei?!"
"What the hell? Tengda Corporation's boss, Boss Pei, went to the IOI Qualification Competition? Shouldn't he be watching the GPL? What's going on? "
"This time, the boss personally went to spy on the enemy?"
"And then he was caught on the spot?"
"Hahaha, does this mean that IOI's competition is better than GPL? Even Boss Pei himself doesn't watch GPL? "
"Are you sure that's Boss Pei? How did you recognize him with a mask on? "
"Judging from his hairstyle, clothes, figure, and some details, it's indeed possible. The organizers of the competition shouldn't have made such a low-level mistake. They must have confirmed Boss Pei's identity before giving him a close-up. "
"The GPL clubs are in an awkward position. We're fighting to the death here and doing our best. In the end, the organizers of the league went to watch someone else?"
"SHG: We're about to fight to the death. Why did Your Majesty surrender first?"
There were similar discussions in the live-stream and on the forum. Many of these comments were posted by fake reviewers arranged by Long Yu Corporation. On the surface, they looked like they were mocking, but in fact, they had the purpose of leading the tempo.
Once the meme of 'Boss Pei not watching GPL but watching IOI Qualification Competition' spread, it would bring a subtle influence to the audience even if it was actually a form of mockery.
This small episode passed quickly, but public opinion on the internet gradually began to ferment.
The competition between the two teams began, and the audience quickly immersed themselves in the intense competition.
These two teams were already at the top level in the country. It was very exciting to be able to fight back and forth.
The members of FV Club were indeed playing strictly according to GOG's gameplay, just as Pei Qian had requested. From the selection of players to the operation of the game, it was a little out of place with the usual playstyle.
FV Club and SUG had fought very anxiously in the group stages yesterday. There was a certain element of luck in their final victory.
On the other hand, today's opponent had obviously studied FV Club's playstyle last night. They had made certain countermeasures in terms of selection and tactics. Thus, FV Club had a harder time fighting.
However, even so, FV Club did not have any intention of playing a conventional lineup at all. Instead, they continued to implement their previous playstyle.
Both sides fought for five rounds. Originally, they had arranged for two 'best-of-five' matches in the morning, but FV's competition ended at 11 PM.
…
The assistant walked quickly to Zhao Xuming at the backstage of the recording hall.
"Boss Zhao! I've arranged everything that you asked me to do. "
"We've prepared several manuscripts, including the relationship between Tengda Corporation and FV Club, Boss Pei's personal presence, and so on. We'll spread this news at noon, buy trending searches, and hype it up. We'll definitely be able to create considerable popularity on the entire internet!"
Zhao Xuming nodded in satisfaction. "Yes, very good!"
He had watched FV Club's competition in the morning. They were in a stalemate with the second team in Group A. It was not easy for them to win all five rounds.
From yesterday's group stage, the first team in Group A did not have much pressure against the second team in Group A. They took it out step by step.
This meant that even if FV Club played all five rounds and painstakingly obtained a spot in the international competition, they would definitely not be able to defeat the first team in Group A. They would not be able to fight for the first seed.
Not only that, but they might also be beaten up by the first team in Group A!
Since that was the case, they could take the opportunity to throw out the relationship between FV Club and Tengda Corporation and then step on it. That would bring a lot of popularity to IOI.
Boss Pei had spent a lot of money to build a team to participate in the IOI qualifiers. Boss Pei was supervising the battle live, but they were still beaten up?
Zhao Xuming's goal would be achieved once this news spread.
Of course, the premise was that FV Club had to lose. It was not advisable to go against the wind. Only by going with the wind could the impact be maximized.
In fact, Zhao Xuming could choose to spread this news after the competition ended. However, it would be too late and he would not be able to make it in time.
They had to play four sets of 'best-of-five' matches today. The competition schedule was too dense. It was almost 12 PM after the first set of 'best-of-five' matches ended. The remaining matches could only be postponed.
Based on his rough estimation, it might be after 10 PM after the four sets of 'best-of-five' matches were played.
Such discussions were time-sensitive and would take some time to ferment. It would be late at night by the end of the competition. Many people might not be able to see this news when it was spread. It would not be able to achieve the best dissemination effect and attract a lot of popularity and traffic.
On the contrary, he would spread this news at noon and let everyone pay attention to FV Club's competition at night. Then, FV Club would be defeated. Long Yu Corporation would be able to use public opinion to step on Tengda. That would be the perfect timing.
Zhao Xuming could not help but feel smug.
It was said that Boss Pei was a strategist, but wasn't Boss Pei also helpless when it came to something that could not be controlled by humans?
Now, anyone with a discerning eye could tell that FV Club was currently lacking in strength and could not compete for the top seeded spot. On the other hand, Zhao Xuming had grasped this point. He wanted to create popularity for IOI by stepping on FV Club and Tengda.
Could Boss Pei still turn the tables in such a situation?
Zhao Xuming felt that victory was within his grasp.
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