Zhang Lixian seemed to understand something. “I see. This is a gadget that helps to reduce stress?”
Li Shi shook his head. “You might think so, but there are still some differences between this and a gadget that helps to reduce stress.
“Ordinary gadgets that help to reduce pressure—such as bubble wrap, fidget spinners, and so on—use repetitive exercises to reduce your psychological pressure. The inertia of repeating exercises would keep one’s mind occupied.
“However, that’s not how the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine works. There’s no pattern to its operation, and it does not make use of repetitive exercises. That’s why ordinary people might find themselves getting addicted to it.
“Yet, that’s exactly where the difference between the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine and pressure-reducing gadgets lies.
“Pressure-reducing gadgets only serve to channel one’s emotions and divert one’s attention, so that they would forget about their troubles temporarily. However, it doesn’t have any practical effect on our ability to think. In fact, we might even become over-dependent. Each time we feel distracted or frustrated, we would need a pressure-reducing gadget to play with.
“On the other hand, the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine doesn’t channel emotions. If you keep playing with it, you might become even more irritated. It serves to induce certain thoughts that make you aware of the meaninglessness of your behavior and force you to exercise self-control. That way, you would be able to maintain control in frustrating circumstances as well.
“That’s why the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine can only be used by people with a certain amount of self-control.
“That’s also why I keep emphasizing that it helps me to think. It doesn’t numb you—it stings you. In the long term, the difference between the two would be very obvious.”
Clearly, Zhang Lixian was now deeply interested in the squarish box. However, since she was still conducting the interview, it was inappropriate for her to ask where he had bought it from. Thus, she decided to leave it to the end of the interview.
Zhang Lixian looked around. The entire house was just as Boss Li had described. It was so simple that it reminded her of those practicing asceticism.
Yet, at that moment, Zhang Lixian spotted the huge television in the living room.
Televisions of this size were hardly seen in houses in the city. Naturally, it caught her eye.
Curious, Zhang Lixian asked, “Boss Li, if you need a quiet space to think, you wouldn’t place a television in the living room, would you?”
For most people, television sets were meant for entertainment. Dramas, movies, variety shows, and games were all unhelpful for thinking, right?
Li Shi smiled. “Ah, that. Actually, if you open the unassuming television cabinet underneath the television, you would see a gaming unit and a large number of game discs.
“That’s only normal. Boss Pei wears many hats, but the biggest one will always be that of a game designer!
“GOG, the online game that Boss Pei developed, has already expanded into the Western market. It’s accumulating billions of fans all over the world, and its advertisements are plastered around Times Square.
“Struggle, the standalone game that Boss Pei, is also proving to be very popular in China. The concept and depth of the game have earned unanimous praise from insiders of the industry and gamers alike.
“How can a game designer draw inspiration without playing games?
“I found a variety of games from top foreign manufacturers in the television cabinet. That goes to show that Boss Pei isn’t proud or complacent. From start to end, he has been working hard to draw experience from foreign game designers and constantly reflecting on his progress. Otherwise, he would not have been able to develop an excellent game like Struggle.”
Zhang Lixian nodded subtly and then noticed that something was amiss. She asked, “Well, why would Boss Pei make those games available for other tenants, then?”
Li Shi was already prepared for this question. He answered, “Obviously, that’s Boss Pei’s attitude.
“I’ve seen them. Those games are all AAA masterpieces from overseas. All of them are extremely artistic and have excellent systems. Boss Pei must have carefully selected those games.
“To Boss Pei, games cannot merely be entertaining. They must also be artistic and deep. Thus, when designing and conceptualizing the Sloth Apartments, Boss Pei must have wanted tenants to be able to relax when they were tired. These masterpieces were probably meant to provide inspiration and enlightenment.
“At the same time, he must also be fighting the saying that ‘playing kills brain cells’. Boss Pei must be emphasizing that, while games allow people to relax, they can also invoke thought.”
Zhang Lixian nodded. “That makes sense! I heard before that Sloth Apartments have many inhumane and unreasonable regulations. However, it sounds like Boss Pei is trying to spread his lifestyle using the Sloth Apartments.
“Why doesn’t he expressly state that in the publicity material, then?”
Li Shi smiled. “How can he say these things himself? Is he expected to praise himself?
“The process of thinking is very personal. You won’t necessarily be able to quiet down and think in certain environments. These things are affected by different factors. He can’t guarantee results.
“What’s more, Boss Pei never attempts to explain his own behavior. He would only do what he thinks is right very seriously. As for everyone else, those who can understand it… would; those who can’t… wouldn’t. Boss Pei would never force others.
“Why have the Sloth Apartments implemented so many regulations? Why was the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine made so exquisitely and with such expensive material? Why is it sold at such a high price?
“Clearly, Boss Pei produced it for people who understand what it’s for. Those who understand its value would willingly pay for it, no matter how much it costs. Those who think it’s too expensive wouldn’t understand where its value lies and wouldn’t snatch it from those who truly appreciate it.”
…
Finally, the interview was over.
Zhang Lixian reviewed the content and realized that the interview had gone slightly off-track.
She had intended to interview Boss Li at first, but Boss Li had only talked about Boss Pei the entire time!
However, that was not a big deal. Other similar programs would not restrict conversations. Guests were free to share whatever they wanted, and Boss Li had shared very valuable information indeed.
Why did Boss Li insist on investing in the old industrial zone even though the majority of investors and businesses had not had high hopes for it?
On one hand, he had been following in Boss Pei’s footsteps. On the other hand, he had an independent way of thinking.
What’s more, that independent way of thinking had only been cultivated because of his ordinarily living conditions and mindset. His experience of being extremely focused while thinking would greatly benefit other investors, as well as mental workers who need to think without being distracted!
The transformation that Boss Li and Boss Pei achieved with the old industrial zone was also very impressive and commendable.
At that thought, Zhang Lixian stood up and shook Li Shi’s hand again. “Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to be interviewed by me, Boss Li. I trust that your way of thinking would help many young and confused individuals.”
The videographer stopped rolling. Zhang Lixian asked softly, “Boss Li, where can I buy one of those Fully-Automated Bickering Machines?”
Li Shi grinned. “Go online and search for its name, and you’ll be able to find it. It’s not that difficult.”
Zhang Lixian nodded. “Yes, this is very interesting. I want to keep one at home as well. Alright, I won’t disturb you any longer. Goodbye, Boss Li!”
…
…
September 13th, Tuesday evening…
Today was the last match of the first round of GOG’s international invitational tournament. Tomorrow was a rest day.
After watching the matches, Pei Qian did not return home. Instead, he headed to Fish-Catching Internet Cafe and sipped his cocktails while working on his mind map of the relationship between various departments in Tengda Corporation.
It was not that Pei Qian did not want to return home. It was just that there was not much for him to do at home.
His house was too empty. He could play games, but he would get bored with them if he played too much. On the other hand, waiters were serving him in Fish-Catching Internet Cafe, and he could sip alcohol while listening to singers sing.
There were more and more lines appearing on the mind map. Pei Qian was beginning to feel like his brain did not have enough storage space.
Pei Qian very reluctantly connected the DGE Club, Tengda Games, and Deposit Fitness.
GOG’s international invitational tournament was a fuse. The team members had been crazily ‘blowing’ DGE Club and Deposit Fitness from the very first day of the competition until now. Four days had already passed.
Pei Qian had seen it all and taken it all to heart, but he could not do anything about it…
He had intended to drop by Deposit Fitness to take a look, but on further thought, he concluded that it would only give him more to worry about. What was the point?
He could only quietly draw the line and announce the start of the next stage.
He could keep opening more branches. If he opened them fast enough, the profits would not catch up to him.
Pei Qian was beginning to realize that nothing was going smoothly this cycle. The physical shops, especially, were becoming increasingly popular. It had started with Fish-Catching Internet Cafe… and then Fish-Catching Take-Out. Now, even Deposit Fitness was getting out of control!
Fortunately, the Sloth Apartments were still holding on.
Otherwise, Pei Qian would be left with one straw to grasp at—Upwind Logistics. What would he do then?!
Pei Qian looked at the dense web of lines on his mind map, feeling like it was about time to give up on it.
Hidden connections between the departments aside, even the visible ones, were becoming hard to keep track of!
The dense web of lines had dense words attached to them as well. He would get dizzy just looking at it, and sorting it out would be a chore.
Pei Qian’s strategy to keep track of inter-departmental relationships using a mind map was turning out to be a failure. The departments were coming up with ‘combined events’ frequently and from out of nowhere. It was completely unreasonable.
For example, Pei Qian had asked Coach Yaling to take pictures of DGE’s members every day to ensure that they had less time for training. Who would have thought that those photos would later become advertising material for Deposit Fitness?
At that thought, Pei Qian could not help but heave a long sigh. For some reason, he felt particularly troubled.
…
At the same time, outside Fish-Catching Internet Cafe…
The internet cafe was brightly lit, and the light shone through the full-length windows. Everything inside was clearly visible from the outside.
Ruan Guangjian had just finished the concept art for a GOG hero and was walking out of Halo Workspace, intending to go home to rest.
However, as he walked past Fish-Catching Internet Cafe, he saw a familiar figure through the full-length windows.
“Eh, it’s already so late. Why is Boss Pei still here, and not at home, resting?
“He’s looking at his laptop. Is he still working?”
Ruan Guangjian was curious, and Boss Pei was seated with his back facing the full-length window. Ruan Guangjian walked forward, peeked past Boss Pei’s shoulder, and saw the image on the screen.
Suddenly, Ruan Guangjian became inspired. The composition looked very good from where he was standing.
At once, he whipped out his cell phone and took a picture through the full-length window.
Click.
In the picture, Boss Pei’s back was facing the camera. His right hand was supporting his chin as if he was deep in thought. His side profile was lit up by his computer screen. Although one could not see the screen clearly, one could tell that it was neither showing a game nor a movie.
“World famous painting: Boss Pei at Work.
“What’s on the computer?
“A mind map?”
Ruan Guangjian zoomed in on the photograph. The camera on his mobile phone had very high megapixels. Although he had not taken a picture of the screen on purpose, he could still faintly tell that there was a mind map with countless dense lines and boxes on it.
There were boxes of various sizes. Ruan Guangjian couldn’t read the words in the small boxes and on the lines, but he could read the ones in a few boxes. They said ‘Tengda Games’, ‘Deposit Fitness’, ‘Fish-Catching Take-Out’, ‘Fish-Catching Internet Cafe’, and so on. The dense lines extended from each of those boxes and connected to the other boxes around them.
Ruan Guangjian glanced at it, confirmed that there was no confidential information or business secrets, and then relaxed.
Everyone knew what businesses were under Tengda Corporation. That was no secret. He wouldn’t cause trouble by uploading the image.
Ruan Guangjian uploaded the image on his Weibo and wrote a caption. “I’ve knocked off work, but someone is still working.”
He had intended to greet Boss Pei in the internet cafe but then realized that there was no need to. Satisfied, Ruan Guangjian turned to leave.
