Chapter 130 Mutual Deception

Pei Qian couldn't be sure if the nearby shops were launching promotional activities together to target Ming Yun Internet Cafe. After all, there was no evidence, and he couldn't slander people without proof.

What if they just happened to come together and do some routine promotions?

Pei Qian also couldn't be sure if this President Li was fueling the flames from behind the scenes; there was no evidence of that either.

But what was certain was that President Li definitely saw this as a good opportunity and benefited directly from the incident.

This matter seemed a little hasty and a little unscrupulous.

But you couldn't say that this President Li was stupid, because this was very likely a combination of soft and hard tactics.

On the one hand, this President Li would not directly admit that he was targeting Ming Yun Internet Cafe. Instead, he offered an olive branch with a friendly attitude, posing as if he wanted everyone to make money together, so as not to excessively arouse the hatred of Ming Yun Internet Cafe. This was the soft approach.

On the other hand, this President Li was also implying to Pei Qian that if you continued to be stubborn, we would just keep at each other. I'll lower prices, and you'll have no customers. Even if you know I'm the one making trouble, so what? Under huge losses, wouldn't you still have to surrender obediently? This was the hard approach.

If it were someone else, at their wit's end, they might really accept his investment.

But Pei Qian was completely different.

You're willing to keep burning money to help me create losses, then I have to thank you!

Pei Qian originally wanted to refuse directly, but on second thought, that didn't seem right.

Since this President Li liked helping others, shouldn't he cooperate with him a little?

If he refused again very simply, maybe this President Li would give up soon. After all, he was also the boss of an investment company, and he had many things to do. He couldn't keep fighting with Ming Yun Internet Cafe all day long.

Once President Li's attention was no longer on this side, then the surrounding shops would probably no longer continue to burn money, and the traffic to Ming Yun Internet Cafe would probably return to normal levels...

Then there would be no way to lose so much money!

Pei Qian smiled slightly, an idea forming in his mind.

"Old Ma, do you really think that this President Li is doing this for our good? Is he here to do charity?"

"Think carefully, were those shops around us really working together to hold activities without anyone instructing them from behind?"

Pei Qian's simple words awakened Ma Yang.

Of course, it couldn't be considered an awakening. Ma Yang was originally a very easy person to fool, and when he was fooled by two people one after another, the person who spoke later obviously had the absolute advantage.

Pei Qian exaggerated a few words, deliberately exaggerating the harm of being acquired, and sure enough, instantly reversed Ma Yang's thinking.

"Damn! So this President Li has such sinister intentions!"

"I'll reject him immediately!"

Pei Qian: "No need. Rejecting him directly, he'll become enraged and fight us to the death, which is not appropriate."

"You tell him that I'm very troubled by the losses right now. I didn't want to accept investment in the first place, but now I'm a little shaken and still in a dilemma. As long as the Internet cafe can continue to lose money, maybe I'll change my mind..."

Ma Yang's voice was a little hesitant: "Brother Qian, do you mean we continue to lose money like this? That's not good for us, is it? It's not worth it, is it?"

Pei Qian smiled slightly: "We lose, but don't they lose too?"

"These shops are losing money with us. At least we're one dragging seven, what's there to be afraid of?"

"Besides, they're constantly burning money like this, stimulating many potential customers nearby and even attracting people from other areas of Jingzhou City to come and spend money."

"In the long run, it will promote the commercial environment here. We're not losing out at all."

Ma Yang suddenly understood: "I see! I understand, Brother Qian!"

"Very good, then you go and tell President Li that..."

After hanging up the phone, Pei Qian smiled slightly.

President Li, you fooled Ma Yang. You must be very proud of your rhetoric, right?

Actually, you're wrong. Anyone could fool him...

You guys can fool him as you please. Anyway, I'll just fool him back.

Pei Qian's words to Ma Yang were both true and false, especially "promoting the nearby commercial environment," which was pure nonsense.

The formation of a commercial environment is the result of the combined effect of various factors. How could it change the commercial environment just because a few shops are running promotions? It's unlikely even to think about it.

But using this reason to fool Ma Yang was more than enough.

As long as he could successfully hook President Li and keep the surrounding shops running promotions, Ming Yun Internet Cafe could continue to lose money. How could Pei Qian let go of this kind of thing that benefited himself at the expense of others?

...

After hanging up the phone, Ma Yang rubbed his long face vigorously to get himself into the right state quickly.

The thought of being fooled by President Li just now filled Ma Yang with anger.

Luckily, my brother is smart, otherwise I would have been tricked by you!

Although Ma Yang wasn't an acting powerhouse, the thought that this President Li was trying to ruin his livelihood with careful planning made him determined not to let this enmity go so easily.

Turning anger into acting!

Returning to the table again, Ma Yang instantly put on a smiling face.

"President Li, I just made a phone call with President Pei and probed his intentions a little from the side."

"He is indeed very troubled by the recent losses, but he is unwilling to let outsiders intervene just like that. He said that he would persevere for another month and see if things improve by then, and then think of other ways."

Li Shi nodded slightly.

This was completely consistent with what he had expected.

According to his estimation, this President Pei was obviously a very stubborn person. It would be a ghost if he changed his mind because of two words from his subordinate.

One month...

Continuing to burn money for a month was a minor injury, but still within an acceptable range.

It was a little painful, but he couldn't show it, after all, this Ma Yang didn't seem to know that he was the one who authorized the surrounding merchants to run joint promotions.

President Pei might have seen it, but he shouldn't have told this Ma Yang, after all, there was no evidence, and President Pei should have been considering not speaking carelessly.

In short, as long as he could successfully acquire Ming Yun Internet Cafe in the end, then the money burned would definitely be earned back.

Thinking of this, Li Shi smiled calmly.

"Of course, I'm not in a hurry at all. President Ma, you don't have to keep urging President Pei. Forced melons are not sweet. President Pei has to figure this out for himself."

"However..."

"I'm more worried about your side. With huge losses in a month, what if you can't hold on first?"

"I think President Ma can wait a week and try again. Maybe President Pei will change his mind by then."

"Okay." Ma Yang nodded and said to the bartender, "Another Margarita, my treat, President Li!"

...

...

Tengda Network Technology Co., Ltd.

These days, Pei Qian hadn't come to the company much because of Ming Yun Internet Cafe and the exams. Today, on a whim, he came to inspect.

The date of settlement was getting closer and closer, and Pei Qian was temporarily a little unable to cope with both.

Fortunately, the DLCs of several games on Tengda's side had already been launched. Apart from the official messing around and changing a wave of dividends before, there had been no other problems for the time being, so he could rest assured.

Thinking of the current situation of Ming Yun Internet Cafe, Pei Qian couldn't help but feel great, and leisurely went to his office.

In the office area, Lu Mingliang and Bao Xu were discussing in low voices.

"President Pei hasn't been coming to the company much lately. Is he busy with something else?"

"I heard that the situation at Ming Yun Internet Cafe is not optimistic. He should be busy with that."

"Looking at President Pei's expression, the problem shouldn't be serious."

"That's not necessarily the case. You know President Pei's character, he doesn't show his emotions. Maybe the problem is very serious, but President Pei hasn't shown it."

"Then... should we report the matter of *Sea Fortress* to President Pei? Will it distract him?"

Bao Xu thought for a while: "Compared with the matter of Ming Yun Internet Cafe, this matter doesn't seem so urgent, we can observe for a few more days."

"What's more, the price of accounts being炒高 (chao gao, driven up) on the trading platform is an expected thing. The number of active players and recharges in the game have been increasing these days, which is also a good thing. There's no need to specifically report it."

Lu Mingliang nodded: "You're right, then we'll wait until President Pei has time to report to him."