Random Chapters of MTL Novel

Hu Xianbin continued, beaming with joy. "I heard from Jiang Yuan that even though Shen Renjie's research direction was mainly in the conventional application of artificial intelligence, it had also involved some research on game AI. There was a certain amount of technical reserves. However, the focus of the research was not on this side, so many of the research results were half set aside."

"Who would have thought that there would be results this time? This is a pleasant surprise!"

"According to Jiang Yuan, the artificial intelligence AI algorithm developed by the Nag laboratory this time is very advanced. It can be directly used in Mission and Choice!"

"I've already spoken to the other side. There's still half a month until the official release of the game. As long as we update the new AI, we'll definitely be able to make up for the last shortcomings and turn Mission and Choice into a perfect game!"

Hu Xianbin's eyes were no longer filled with excitement. Instead, they were filled with heartfelt admiration!

Before this, he had only heard that Boss Pei had bought over a company that researched artificial intelligence technology and established an artificial intelligence laboratory that belonged to Otto Technologies. However, he had no idea what this laboratory was for or what its research results were.

Now, he knew that Boss Pei had already seen that the AI in Mission and Choice was not mature enough. That was why he had created this artificial intelligence laboratory. On the surface, it was for Otto Technologies, but in fact, it was for Mission and Choice!

It had to be said that Boss Pei was really good at showing off. Others were only showing off their opponents. Boss Pei was no longer satisfied with only showing off his opponents. He had even made his teammates faint!

Pei Qian blinked, temporarily stunned.

What the hell?

My fault again?

Pei Qian had even asked Shen Renjie to help him get rid of a correct answer when he was building the Nag laboratory. He thought to himself that it would take at least a few months to produce results.

However, he did not expect the system reward to produce results within a week!

What's more, it was released at the end of the six months' period!

He was fooled big time!

Pei Qian could not help but feel speechless.

He heaved a sigh of relief and calmed himself down. Then, he stood up. "I'll get going first."

Hu Xianbin quickly stood up as well. "Alright, Boss Pei! I'll definitely cooperate with Nag laboratory to change the AI before the game is released. I'll make up for the last shortcoming and have a good clash with 'Fantasy Battle'!"

Pei Qian left Tengda Games without looking back. His back view was indescribably miserable.

Hu Xianbin watched Boss Pei leave and could not help but feel emotional.

"Why does Boss Pei look so lonely?"

"Could this be the legendary... loneliness of invincibility?"

Hu Xianbin regained his energy and returned to work confidently.

Suddenly, he thought of a problem.

"Boss Pei said that the release date of the game would be on the 14th of next month. He also said that this matter had to be kept a secret and not be mentioned to anyone."

"Then... should I inform the marketing department?"

"However, so far, none of the promotional plans seem to be related to the release date of the game. I don't think they need to know about this."

"What's more, Boss Pei told me to keep it a secret. I don't think I should tell him."

"Boss Pei must be very clear about the game's publicity plan. If he felt the need to tell the Advertising and marketing department, he would definitely say it himself. I don't have to say anything."

"Yes, I should just do my job well."

Hu Xianbin did not think much about it. He had Boss Pei to back him up anyway. Nothing would go wrong.

Thus, he quickly forgot about this episode and continued working.

...

...

March 30th, Friday...

Pei Qian was looking at the work reports of the various departments in the office. He looked like he had nothing to live for.

He had not fully recovered from yesterday's huge blow.

Who could he blame?

'Mission and Choice' was something he wanted to develop. He was the one who requested for the construction of the Nag artificial intelligence laboratory. While he was not directly involved in this research direction, it was indeed related to him.

The strange system did not make it clear?

It did not make sense... Strictly speaking, the system did not use any misleading words. The time limit and the notifications after the technological breakthrough were very clear.

It seemed like the biggest blame was on himself...

Who asked him to misunderstand the system?

That was the most unbearable.

Thus, Pei Qian was dealt a huge blow. For the past two days, the big television at home did not appeal to him and he was in no mood to play games.

He could only go to the office to look through the work reports submitted by various departments and look for good news that could make him happy. Only then could he barely maintain his life.

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the office door.

Pei Qian looked up and was surprised to see Meng Chang.

However, Pei Qian immediately recalled that today was March 30th, Friday, the last working day of the month. He should calculate Meng Chang's commission based on his performance this month.

Pei Qian opened his laptop and sent the analysis report.

Pei Qian had not been in a good mood for the past two days, so he had not opened it previously. However, based on Meng Chang's expression, the results this time... seemed pretty good?

He opened the analysis report and read it carefully.

As he read, Pei Qian's brows gradually relaxed.

The situation was indeed not bad!

The analysis report was mainly based on the amount of money and resources invested by the advertising department and the actual publicity effect of the game 'Mission and Choice' to determine the commission.

The better the publicity, the higher the commission.

Meng Chang obviously did very well this time. His commission was actually 1,500 yuan.

There was almost no publicity for Mission and Choice, but the problem was that the money spent was too little, so the commission was relatively low.

The report did not detail how Meng Chang did it because the relevant personnel were only responsible for evaluating the investment and effect of the publicity and determining a commission figure. The work content did not include evaluating Meng Chang's publicity plan.

It was fine as long as Meng Chang's publicity plan did not violate the rules.

Pei Qian finally smiled in relief.

Fortunately, there was finally good news. He could take a breather!

However, at the same time, he was also curious about Meng Chang's specific publicity plan.

"You did not spend much money but the publicity was pretty bad. It was very good!"

"How did you do it?"

Pei Qian handed the laptop to Meng Chang and asked.

Meng Chang reached out to take the laptop. When he saw the commission of 1,500 yuan written on it, he revealed a happy expression.

However, he did not answer Pei Qian's question immediately. Instead, he remained silent for a moment. "Boss Pei, can I... not answer?"

Pei Qian pondered for a moment. "Alright."

In fact, Pei Qian could ask the staff who evaluated Meng Chang's publicity plan or the other employees of the marketing department. He would immediately know what exactly Meng Chang's publicity plan was.

However, after some thought, Pei Qian decided not to ask since Meng Chang was unwilling to tell him.

That was because Pei Qian knew that he had an 'observer effect'. Many things would change if he took note of them even slightly.

Take this publicity plan for example. Perhaps, if he asked, this publicity plan that could have incurred a huge loss would suddenly fail?

What's more, once Pei Qian knew the details of the publicity plan, he might be tempted to give them some pointers. At that time, he might destroy the plan.

This had happened many times before.

Therefore, since Meng Chang was unwilling to say it, it was better not to ask. In any case, Meng Chang had already gotten his commission and spent the publicity funds. He would only continue this process next month to increase his spending.

Pei Qian did not care about the process. He only cared about the results. As long as Meng Chang could fulfill his requirements, that would be enough.

As for the specific plan, was it important?

At that moment, Meng Chang was both happy and suspicious.

He was happy because his plan was going well!

Meng Chang's idea was to stuff the game, Mission and Choice, into the "classic domestically-produced collection" and then advertise it crazily.

The publicity budget was spent on the compilation, which was naturally equivalent to spending it on Mission and Choice. However, as long as it was hidden deep enough and was discovered late enough, the publicity would not have any effect. That way, Meng Chang could happily get monthly commissions.

Meng Chang did not invest too much money in publicity this month. He only made a small fuss and tested the waters. He mainly wanted to test if this plan was feasible and if it would be exposed in advance.

If he invested a huge sum of money all of a sudden and exposed it in advance, wouldn't all his previous efforts be wasted?

After earning 1,500 yuan this month, he had finally changed the awkward history of raising it from zero. Now that he had confirmed that this plan was feasible, he could spend as much money and money as he could to advertise to Boss Pei next month and get a full commission!

Meng Chang pondered. Since the game was released on May 1st, it wouldn't be overboard to get a full commission in April, right?

The reason why he was so suspicious was because he was afraid that Boss Pei would secretly play tricks on him after he told Boss Pei about this plan. That would make all his previous efforts go to waste.

Not only was Boss Pei eccentric, but he also worked his bad intentions silently. Pei Qian had to be wary of him.

Of course, Meng Chang also knew that even if he did not say it, Boss Pei had many other ways to find out. Therefore, he did not use all his publicity methods this month but held back.

If Boss Pei guessed all of these methods, Meng Chang would admit defeat. However, if Boss Pei did not guess it... Sorry, he would get 100,000 yuan commission!

Both of them had their own ulterior motives and neither could guess the other's exact thoughts.

However, Pei Qian felt that this was not a big problem. As long as both of them had the same goal, that would be enough.

Meng Chang said, "Boss Pei, if there's nothing else, I'll go back and continue preparing the publicity plan for next month."

Pei Qian nodded. "Okay, good luck!"

He sounded extremely sincere, but Meng Chang obviously didn't believe him.

Meng Chang left Boss Pei's office and secretly made up his mind.

"Hmph, I've been tricked by you several times. I don't believe you can win every time!"

"I must get back at you this time and get a full commission!"

April 2nd, Monday...

Meng Chang did not pay much attention to the jokes and work of the various flamers on April Fool's Day. Instead, he devoted all his passion to work on his first working day in April.

"Brother Meng, the plan that you asked me to come up with is done. Take a look."

An employee said.

Meng Chang grunted, received the document from him and checked it carefully.

Meng Chang personally wrote a huge framework for the publicity plan this time and got his subordinates to perfect it. The contents of the plan basically revolved around the theme of "How to Promote 'classic domestically-produced game compilation'.

The publicity this time would be spread online and offline according to Meng Chang's plan.

The official platform would arrange a more valuable recommendation spot for this compilation online. "Classic domestically-produced games compilation" would also obtain large amounts of advertising resources on video websites, live-stream platforms, gaming media, and various other websites.

The recommendation spots were not the best. It was not because Tengda Games was not strong enough. The best recommendation spots required data support. This compilation did not conform to the official platform's regulations.

The official platform could only give the best recommendation spot within the scope of the rules.

On the other hand, Meng Chang would not hesitate to spend huge sums of money on advertisements in public transport stations, subway stations, billboards, commercial buildings, and public squares advertising the classic domestically-produced game compilation.

He could spend as much money as he could online and offline!

In addition, in order to play a better confusing role and not expose his tricks so early, Meng Chang had hidden another little trick.

He had already communicated with the official platform that the current "domestically-produced games compilation" was filled with old games from more than ten years ago. He hoped that the official platform could continue to add some outstanding domestically-produced games into this compilation.

That way, the number of games in the "domestically-produced games compilation" would continue to increase. Some new games would also be updated. It would be even harder for gamers to discover it after Mission and Choice was secretly replaced.

That was because the update content required players to open the game and download it. However, if no one played Mission and Choice, who would be so free to look at the update content?

They would add some new games to add on to the entire compilation. The more he hid, the better.

All in all, this was probably the plan. Hide it deeper and advertise more. He would hide it for as long as he could and complete the task once he obtained April's commission.

As for the commission in May, Meng Chang felt that it could only be summed up to: "Leave it to fate." It was unrealistic to hope that Mission and Choice would not be discovered until the end of May.

However, what if the game's sales were not good enough?

It would not be bad even if he could just get a commission of twenty to thirty thousand yuan!

The more Meng Chang thought about it, the more elated he felt. The corners of his mouth could not help but curl up.

After reading the entire plan, Meng Chang nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, let's do it according to this plan."

"That's right, we'll only spend a third of the publicity budget."

Meng Chang still hid an ace up his sleeve.

This time, Meng Chang took the initiative to apply for 30 million yuan in publicity fees from Boss Pei.

Boss Pei gave it to him without any hesitation. He even took the initiative to ask if it was enough and if he wanted more.

Greed appeared in Meng Chang's heart for a moment, but he ultimately restrained his inner demons and only asked for 30 million yuan.

In fact, 30 million yuan was relatively low according to the publicity budget for AAA games.

Most European and American AAA games' publicity budgets were about the same as the development budget. 10 to 20 million US dollars was the norm. 30 million yuan publicity budget for Mission and Choice was only four to five million US dollars. It was still far from the standard AAA games' budget overseas.

The reason why Meng Chang did not ask for much was mainly because he felt that there was no need to calculate the investment and output ratio.

That was because the actual publicity effect of "Mission and Choice" would determine his commission. According to Meng Chang's plan, as long as he was not discovered, 30 million yuan was enough for him to get a full commission. He would not get more commission even if he spent more money. On the other hand, if he was discovered, there was a high chance that the more money he burnt, the lower the commission he would get. It would only have the opposite effect.

As for whether this 30 million yuan was enough, whether it could be used for publicity, and whether it would cause the game 'Mission and Choice' to be ignored...

That had nothing to do with Meng Chang. He couldn't be bothered to consider it. He would be overjoyed if that situation really happened.

Therefore, Meng Chang planned to burn 10 million yuan first to see the situation. If everything went well, he would burn the remaining 20 million yuan. If something went wrong, he would think of another way.

The employee in charge of the publicity plan nodded. "Alright, Brother Meng. I'll arrange it immediately."

"By the way, Brother Meng, the publicity for 'Fantasy Battle' has been released. I heard that the release date is on the 14th of this month."

Meng Chang nodded. "Got it."

He was not very concerned about the remake of Fantasy Battle. He only knew that the release of this game would definitely have a very serious negative impact on Mission and Choice.

The only regret was that the timing was wrong. If Fantasy Battle Remake's release date was changed to be on May 1st, it would have been the best. Unfortunately, it could not be changed.

Meng Chang did not take "Fantasy Battle" to heart. He continued staring at the employees of the marketing department and went to work on the publicity plan.

...

...

April 3rd, Tuesday...

Meng Chang still came to work early in the morning and could not wait to check the netizens' reactions online.

Today, all sorts of online advertisements have been released. Video websites, live-stream platforms, gaming websites, and so on had all been updated with advertisements for 'classic domestically-produced games compilation'.

The publicity work offline was also in full swing. Soon, the promotional material for "Classic Game compilation" would appear on the subway stations, bus stations, and various billboards in various first-tier cities.

The advertisements for 'Fantasy Battle Remake' had already spread everywhere. There were more advertisements online than 'classic domestically-produced games compilation' as the publicity budget was also explosive.

He opened Potato Web and other video websites. All the advertisements related to games were basically advertisements for 'Fantasy Battle Remake' and 'Classic Domestic Game Compilation'. The two advertisements bombarded him one after another.

Players were already discussing on the various forums.

What surprised Meng Chang was that even though he did not think of using "classic domestically-produced games compilation" against the Fantasy Battle remake when he was working on the publicity plan, gamers still naturally brought them together for discussion.

"'Fantasy Battle remake' has already started advertising? I'm so excited, I can't wait!"

"Sales starts on the 14th. Of course, they have to start advertising."

"Actually, I don't think they need to advertise at all. Is there a need to advertise given the popularity of 'Fantasy Battle'? Many old gamers did not have the means at the time. Now that they have the means, shouldn't they make up for it and collect it?"

"I can understand why 'Fantasy Battle' is advertising, but what's going on with this 'classic domestically-produced game compilation'?"

"That's right. These two advertisements have almost filled up the entire video website's gaming area."

"Did the official platform pay for this publicity?"

"There's no reason for that, right? Why would the official platform pay to publicize the game?"

"However, the other companies have no reason to spend money on advertisements. These are games from more than ten years ago. They are no longer profitable."

"I heard that there will be new domestically-produced games in the future. Perhaps many companies are sharing the cost together."

"Sigh, I feel sad when I talk about this. Other foreign games companies created a game like 'Fantasy Battle' more than ten years ago. Ten years later, they produced a 'Fantasy Battle remake'. They are all top-notch good games. On the other hand, domestic games companies created trash like 'Mission and Choice' more than ten years ago. In the end, there was no good game after more than ten years. We can only reminisce about those old antiques from more than ten years ago. Sigh... how sad."

"That's right. Many domestically-produced games these days are gaming games with paywalls. In terms of gameplay, they are really not as good as the classic domestically-produced games from more than ten years ago. They are f*cking getting worse!"

"The foreign gamers are so lucky. Even a simple fried rice would taste good. How unlucky are we? We can't even make fried rice!"

"That's strange. Why aren't there any Tengda games in this compilation? If we're talking about domestically-produced games, I think Repent and be Saved and Struggle should be inside, right?"

"Perhaps it's because these are all old game compilations?"

"Perhaps it's because Tengda has too much influence and has already formed its own faction. That's why there's no need to promote it with other games."

"Speaking of which, it's been a long time since Tengda released a new game. Didn't they only release one game every few months? I've waited for so long this time. It's been hard."

"Teacher Qiao, that b*stard, has been using the excuse that Tengda did not release new games for a long time and left us hanging for some time..."

"Indeed, I didn't hear anything at all. It's strange. They're too good at keeping secrets."

"Perhaps Boss Pei is being held back by a big move and is facing some difficulties? Let's wait patiently. Boss Pei must know what to do. It's useless to be anxious."

"Sigh, forget it. Let's not chat anymore. There's no point. Let's wait for the release of Fantasy Battle Remake."

Players discussed all sorts of things, but they were still immersed in a rather melancholic mood.

The release of Fantasy Battle Remake was a good thing for domestic gamers, but they still felt a sense of melancholy when looking at the troll domestic games.

That was especially so for gamers who knew about the development of domestically-produced games. They began to talk about the calamity that had befallen domestically-produced games in the past and the current state of 'congenital deformity'.

Meng Chang felt relieved after reading the netizens' discussions.

The promotional materials for the "classic domestically-produced games compilation" had aroused some confusion and suspicion among gamers but it was not a big problem overall.

Fantasy Battle Version perfectly distracted players' attention so that everyone would not pay attention to the suspicious aspects of this "classic domestically-produced game compilation". This was a huge benefit to Meng Chang's plan!

Meng Chang felt relieved for the time being. He was very nervous as he looked forward to this month passing quickly so that he could get his commission and pocket money as soon as possible.

...

...

April 4th, Wednesday...

Shanghai, an independent game incubation base, also known as the Destitution Plan Eastern Workspace.

Qiu Hong was video calling Xi Hao, who was far away in Beijing.

"Boss Qiu, the incubation base in Beijing is doing well. The development of various games projects is progressing smoothly."

"The daily fitness training and game activities of independent game designers are also going well. Now, the designers' bodies are getting healthier and healthier. Some of them even developed some muscles."

"The current content of Black Ink and Clouds has been fully developed. We've contacted the official platform. It can be released officially in the next two days."

Qiu Hong nodded. "Yes, the officials seem to take 'Black Ink and Clouds' quite seriously. Not only did they arrange for recommendation spots, but they also want to hold an exclusive interview."

"However... It's alright to interview the developer, Wu Zhicheng. Why do they have to interview me?"

Qiu Hong only knew about the interview the day before. He was still very surprised now.

Xi Hao said, "Boss Qiu, you're the investor and initiator of the Destitution Plan after all. Isn't it normal for the official platform to interview you?"

Qiu Hong thought for a moment. "That's right. Alright, let's leave it at that. Continue preparing the publicity materials for 'Black Ink and Clouds'. I have to prepare for the interview in the afternoon."

After ending the video call, Qiu Hong reviewed his work for the past few months while preparing for the interview in the afternoon.

Qiu Hong rushed to Shanghai after the incubation base in Beijing had stabilized. He continued to gather independent game designers and set up an independent incubation base in Shanghai.

Now, Shanghai's incubation base was finally on the right track.

At the same time, several games in Beijing had been developed one after another. The development of the pre-sales version of "Black Ink and Clouds", especially the DEMO that had been released previously, had greatly boosted the confidence of the incubation base in Beijing.

Now that there were two incubation bases, the incubation bases in Beijing felt pressured. All of them were full of energy.

The official platform had prepared a good recommendation spot for "Black Ink and Clouds" as the pre-sales performance was very good. They had also arranged an interview for the developer, Wu Zhicheng, and the founder of the "Destitution Plan", Qiu Hong.

Qiu Hong had been conflicted about this interview.

That was because he knew that he was just a tool. In fact, the entire 'Destitution Plan', from the concept to the funding, was all Boss Pei's idea. Qiu Hong was just an executor.

Qiu Hong felt very bad for taking credit from Boss Pei.

However, the official interview was a very good opportunity after all. This interview manuscript could increase the exposure of the incubation base and Black Ink and Clouds. If he rejected it, it would be equivalent to denying the official face and giving up on these exposure. He would lose a lot.

Therefore, Qiu Hong agreed to the interview in the end.

On one hand, he had to keep Boss Pei a secret. On the other hand, he could not be greedy and take all the credit. This interview was a very serious challenge for Qiu Hong.

However, Qiu Hong felt that he could complete this challenge. In any case, he just had to insist that the 'Destitution Plan' was supported by a mysterious person.

Chapter 962: It Wouldn't Be Strange If It Was Boss Pei!

The official platform's interview team arrived at the incubation base on time in the afternoon.

There were a total of five people in the interview team this time. The editor-in-chief leading the team was Xia Jiang. There was also an intern editor, a photographer, a cameraman and a business partner in the team.

It was not the highest standard interview team but this standard was not bad. It could be seen that the official platform attached more importance to this interview.

Xia Jiang was also a more experienced reporter on the official side. She had previously been in charge of an exclusive interview with Tengda Corporation. The effect was very good.

The 'empty spaces' technique' style of interview revealed Boss Pei's character through interviews with the other core employees of Tengda even though they did not directly interview Boss Pei. It was still key information used by many players to understand Boss Pei.

Xia Jiang had also become famous because of that interview. Her career had been smooth sailing.

"Chief Editor Xia, hello, hello."

Qiu Hong welcomed them warmly.

Xia Jiang was elated as well. "Boss Qiu! Nice to meet you!"

Everyone exchanged some pleasantries and walked towards the incubation base amicably.

Qiu Hong was a little embarrassed as he said, "We should have arranged for a higher standard of reception, but our conditions are limited. Please forgive us for any areas of neglect."

Xia Jiang waved her hand. "Boss Qiu, you're too kind. The Destitution Plan supports domestically-produced games and has benefited many independent game designers. You don't have to worry about such minor details."

Everyone arrived at the incubation base. After drinking some drinks and resting, Qiu Hong led Xia Jiang and the others on a tour.

The independent game designers were busy developing their own games. Qiu Hong introduced the operation mode of the entire incubation base to Xia Jiang and the others, including the daily diet, fitness, and game arrangements of the game designers. They also tried out a few game DEMOs, and the progress was very smooth.

The interview officially began after understanding the incubation base.

Xia Jiang was a professional journalist. Of course, she had done some research on the incubation base and Qiu Hong before coming and had a preliminary understanding.

The one thing that caught Xia Jiang's attention was Qiu Hong's professional experience in the gaming circle.

Qiu Hong had first joined the industry because of the call of many local classic games. He had devoted himself to standalone games. He had polished games for two years and he had even spent two months on it without gaining anything. In the end, the project fell through.

From then on, Qiu Hong started to make games with paywalls. He had made a lot of money but he had never made standalone games again.

It was this game designer who suddenly started working on the 'Destitution Plan' one day. He went to Beijing and Shanghai to set up an independent game incubation studio and started investing money to support the development of independent games!

How did his attitude change?

Where did he get his money from?

What kind of opportunity made him give up games with paywalls and focus all his energy on independent games?

Xia Jiang felt that this would be a perfect angle for the interview and was key to the interview.

The interview began. Xia Jiang first asked some questions about the incubation base.

For example, the daily work schedule of the incubation base, the requirements for independent game designers to join the incubation base, the successful games that the incubation base already had, and so on.

Qiu Hong answered them truthfully. He did not exaggerate or belittle himself.

Xia Jiang quickly made notes. Finally, she felt that the time was right. She changed the topic and entered the main topic of the interview.

"Boss Qiu, I believe our gamers are very curious about something."

"As far as I know, you entered the game industry not too late. However, you spent most of your time creating online games and achieved a certain level of success."

"However, from last year onwards, you suddenly turned your attention to domestically-produced independent games and launched the 'Destitution Plan' to provide financial support to independent game designers."

"May I ask what kind of mentality you had back then? Why did you change so much?"

Qiu Hong smiled in embarrassment. "I feel a little guilty about this."

"I might be the initiator of the 'Destitution Plan' on the surface, but in fact, this is not my own plan, and the funds are not from me. I'm only an agent and executor."

Qiu Hong chose to tell the truth. On one hand, it was because he did not want to be greedy. On the other hand, it was because he could not hide this matter at all.

Qiu Hong did not have that much money himself. Anyone could tell that he would not fork out his own money for the incubation base. Sooner or later, someone would ask about the source of the money.

He might as well admit it openly instead of being secretive so that he would not look like a thief after doing something good.

Xia Jiang nodded slightly. This was within her expectations.

That was because even though Qiu Hong was considered a successful game designer and his income was much higher than ordinary people, it was far from enough to support these two incubation bases.

What's more, anyone with a brain would not use their own money to raise the incubation base.

Thus, Xia Jiang had long suspected that Qiu Hong had other investors behind him to provide him with financial support.

Qiu Hong's answer confirmed this point.

Xia Jiang asked, "Can you reveal who your investor is and which organization he is from?"

Qiu Hong shook his head. "I'm sorry, I can't reveal his identity."

Xia Jiang was a little surprised. "This investor doesn't want to take credit for the good deeds he did? But is there a need to hide such things?"

No matter how she looked at it, it was a huge contribution for the 'Destitution Plan' to support an independent game in the country. If someone else were to do such a thing, they would definitely spend money to advertise it. After all, burning money to do good deeds was just for a good reputation, right?

However, this investor had invested money and done a good deed, but he did not want others to know his identity. This was really... different.

Qiu Hong sighed. "I'm not sure why exactly, but I can roughly guess from his words and actions."

"I once asked him, what's the purpose of the Destitution Plan?"

"He asked me, why must I have a purpose for it?"

"In other words, he doesn't want fame or profit. He doesn't want to rely on this to earn money, and he doesn't want others to say that he's fishing for fame. He just wants to do something meaningful for this industry in silence."

"Take the name 'Destitution Plan' for example. It's purely to help independent game design companies and producers who have reached the end of their road and are about to collapse.

Xia Jiang could not help but be moved. "I didn't expect there to be someone who cares so much about domestically-produced games. Such a noble character is really admirable!"

"Of course, Boss Qiu, even though you did not invest directly, you managed the two incubation bases well. You are also this investor's right-hand man. I think he will be very grateful to you."

Qiu Hong smiled. "I'll definitely be more grateful to him."

"Strictly speaking, the 'Destitution Plan' not only saved many domestically-produced independent game designers, but also me."

Xia Jiang's eyes lit up. "Huh? What do you mean?"

Qiu Hong explained, "I'm not afraid of being laughed at. Actually, the reason why I've been creating online games and games with paywalls was mainly because I was angry."

"When I entered the industry, I was filled with a passion for domestically-produced games. However, this passion was completely wiped out in the two years that I worked on the first standalone game. The chaos and poverty in the domestically-produced games industry gave me a reverse psychology of hatred born from love."

"At that time, I was still young. In a fit of anger, I created games with paywalls. All I could think about was how to earn more money.

"After that, I no longer had to worry about food and clothing. That reverse psychology had long disappeared without a trace. However, I did not dare to return to the field of standalone games because online games had already become my comfort zone."

"Life becomes more stressful when one reaches middle age. I don't have the courage to leave this comfort zone and chase that unreal dream of a standalone game."

"However, this investor of mine should be considered a good friend. His words touched me deeply. I should not let the sorrow of the times become my own sorrow."

"The Great Depression of domestically-produced standalone games back then was the result of many factors. My passion might have been let down, but I should not resent anyone."

"I actually already knew this in my heart. I just didn't want to admit it in the comfort zone of the online game."

"The 'Destitution Plan' also gave me a second chance. It allowed me to help independent game designers fulfill their dreams. They were like me when I was young. They were filled with passion, but they had no experience or money. I felt genuinely happy to be able to help them."

"Therefore, I should be the one most thankful to this friend and investor."

Xia Jiang took notes seriously, feeling inexplicably moved.

If it was really as Qiu Hong said, this investor who did good deeds without taking credit was too noble!

Not only did they provide timely assistance to independent game designers who were struggling financially, but they also supported the development of domestically-produced games for free. They also rescued Qiu Hong, the game designer who had lost his way, allowing him to pick up his dreams and set off again.

Yet, such an investor was still unwilling to reveal his name despite doing so many good deeds.

What kind of spirit was this!

Xia Jiang was still unwilling to give up. "Boss Qiu, can you really not reveal the identity of this investor at all? It's good to give us some hints."

Qiu Hong shook his head very firmly. "I really can't."

Xia Jiang felt a little regretful. However, she could not probe further since Qiu Hong was so determined.

There were so many big shots and big companies in the games industry. There were also many investment institutions and funds in the country. It was very difficult to guess the investor behind Qiu Hong without having too many clues.

Xia Jiang was curious but she did not have any good ideas. She could only set it aside for now and complete her job.

After interviewing a few more questions and filming a lot of information about the incubation base, Xia Jiang and the interview team prepared to leave.

The interview team had been to Beijing once before. They had interviewed Wu Zhicheng, the creator of Black Ink and Clouds, and had also filmed a lot of information.

After organizing the information on Beijing and Shanghai, and then integrating Wu Zhicheng and Qiu Hong's interviews, the interview for the incubation base of the 'Destitution Plan' project would be considered complete.

Previously, during the pre-sales of Black Ink and Clouds, the 'Destitution Plan' had already become popular once and attracted the attention of many players. Once the official exclusive interview was released, it would definitely be able to advance and attract more attention!

"Boss Qiu, that's all for our interview. Thank you for your cooperation." Xia Jiang prepared to leave.

"No, no, that's what we should do."

Qiu Hong exchanged a few more pleasantries. He had wanted to ask Xia Jiang and the others to stay for a meal, but they were politely rejected.

Qiu Hong did not insist further. He sent the interview team into the car before returning to the incubation base to continue his work.

Xia Jiang flipped through the content that she had quickly recorded and looked at the photos and videos taken by the photographer in the car.

She frowned slightly as she flipped through, a special feeling lingered in her heart.

"Strange, why do these two incubation bases give me a sense of deja vu?"

"The work desks are very loose and the working environment is excellent. Everyone's passion for work is very high."

"Arrangement for designers to play games regularly to accumulate inspiration. Arrangement for Deposit Fitness to exercise."

"Why is it so similar to Tengda's style?"

"Could it be that... the incubation base of the 'Destitution Plan' is related to Tengda? The friend and investor that Qiu Hong mentioned is actually Boss Pei?"

For some reason, Xia Jiang recalled what she had seen during her interview with Tengda. It matched the situation at the incubation base!

She herself was shocked by this thought. However, once she accepted this setting, she realized that everything seemed to make sense!

The investor that Qiu Hong mentioned seemed a little too noble. It even made people doubt his authenticity and wonder if he really existed.

However, it would not be strange if this person was Boss Pei!

Chapter 963: The 'Empty Spaces' Interview Method Once Again

Xia Jiang sorted out the contents of the interview first once she was back at the hotel.

The content of the interview with Wu Zhicheng in Beijing was almost done. It should be released within a few days after they add on Qiu Hong's part.

However, Xia Jiang could not focus her attention on the content of the interview. Instead, she could not help but want to pay attention to the 'mysterious person' behind the incubation base.

After having initial doubts about the identity of this mysterious person, Xia Jiang sorted out all sorts of clues, such as the game list for the incubation base, the computer equipment used for the incubation base, the Fish-Catching Take-Out that they usually ate, the Deposit Fitness...

Coupled with the unique atmosphere of the incubation base, she was certain that the mysterious investor was Boss Pei!

After all, Tengda Corporation's working environment was so unique. It was like a firefly in the night, unforgettable.

Wu Zhicheng and the other independent game designers had not been to Tengda and had not seen Tengda's working environment. Thus, they could not guess it. However, Xia Jiang had seen Tengda's working environment and had done interviews with many companies. A company with an environment like Tengda could be said to be unique. It left a deep impression on her.

"If the incubation base was really funded by Boss Pei, then Boss Pei's actions would be akin to a role model and the savior of domestically-produced games."

"Could Boss Pei be the light of domestically-produced independent games?"

"Boss Pei has done so much, but we have not expressed anything. I'm really ashamed."

"How should I help Boss Pei? I can't let good people shed blood and tears."

"Arrange an interview for Boss Pei?"

"Hmm... not very good."

Xia Jiang wanted to do something with her meager strength.

It was the official platform's duty to support the development of domestically-produced independent games after all. However, due to various complicated reasons, the official platform did not have the ability to support all independent game designers.

On the other hand, Boss Pei was an outsider who had nothing to do with it. He had already contributed to the development of domestically-produced games by creating so many outstanding games. Now, he had to 'bring wealth before wealth'. He had to do his best to help independent game designers with poor conditions. That was equivalent to greatly helping the official platform.

It would be too chilling if the official platform did not express anything!

Xia Jiang's first reaction was to arrange an interview for Boss Pei. This was her job after all.

However, she quickly dispelled that thought. That was because Boss Pei was a very low-profile person to begin with. He had barely accepted to write a script during the interview and did not even want to show his face. This incubation base was kept completely secret and he did not intend to let anyone know.

If Xia Jiang went to interview Boss Pei, she would most likely be rejected. She was not such an insensible person.

"In that case, I'll apply for more recommendation spots for games related to the 'Destitution Plan'."

"'Black Ink and Clouds' is about to be released. We can add it to the compilation of 'classic domestic games'."

"'Domestic Classic Games Collection' seems to be an event with Tengda and the official platform as well? Hmm... the recommendation spots are the best within the scope of authority but I think I can extend the time."

"But then again, I can't make the decision. Even if I report it to my colleagues, it's hard to say if they'll approve it."

"Should we... interview someone else?"

Xia Jiang thought of several ways, but she was only an editor-in-chief after all. Recommendation spots were not within her scope of authority. She could make suggestions, but they might not be approved.

Thus, Xia Jiang felt that she could interview someone else.

It was just like the interview with Tengda previously. It did not give Boss Pei much screen time but the interview with the other employees of Tengda still perfectly brought out the protagonist, Boss Pei!

The question was, who should she interview?

Xia Jiang also kept the contact details of a few Tengda employees. However, according to what she knew, the old employees that she had interviewed back then had basically been promoted to become department heads. Most of them were no longer working in Tengda Games.

There was nothing much to interview if one wasn't in the gaming department. After all, the official platform only focused on the game.

Xia Jiang looked through her contacts for a long time and finally decided to call Bao Xu.

He was a veteran of Tengda. He should have a wide network and should understand the situation in the games department. It would be right to look for him.

...

At that moment, Bao Xu was wearing a safety helmet and inspecting the construction site of the food market with Liang Qingfan.

The renovation work of the entire snack market was in full swing. Liang Qingfan came every day to guide the work.

In fact, Bao Xu was still an employee of the gaming department but he was actually very free to come to the snack market to help out. He could come and go as he pleased.

However, Bao Xu still came here every day. The main reason was that he did not want to leave the impression to his colleagues in the games department that he had nothing better to do. Otherwise, he would be called out to accompany them during the next Outstanding Employee Selection.

In any case, Liang Qingfan would not chase him away. Bao Xu continued to hang around, occasionally offering his own views from the game's perspective.

Sometimes Liang Qingfan would accept it, and sometimes he would not. However, Bao Xu did not care. He had nothing to do anyway, so he just wanted to make his presence known.

Everything went smoothly after walking around.

At that moment, Bao Xu's cell phone rang.

"The chief editor of the official platform, Xia Jiang?"

Bao Xu could not help but be stunned when he saw the caller ID. It had been a long time since the interview. If not for the caller ID in his contact list, he would not have remembered who this person was.

Bao Xu picked it up immediately.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Xia Jiang asked Bao Xu about Tengda Games. However, she did not expect Bao Xu to not be in charge of the gaming department for the time being. Thus, she asked for Hu Xianbin's number.

After hanging up, Bao Xu was a little puzzled.

"Chief Editor Xia, can't you just look for Boss Pei directly? Why did you come to me in a roundabout way?"

However, Bao Xu did not pay much attention to it. He continued to follow Liang Qingfan to work on the snack market.

...

After calling Bao Xu, Xia Jiang called the current person-in-charge of Tengda Games, Hu Xianbin, to understand the situation.

She asked about the 'classic domestically-produced games collection' in detail.

"The plan for this classic domestically-produced game collection was not Boss Pei's idea but the new head of the marketing department, Meng Chang's idea?"

"This Meng Chang is actually the Meng Chang who bankrupted the Cold-Faced Lady previously..."

After understanding this information, Xia Jiang suddenly found a perfect candidate for the interview.

Wouldn't it be perfect to interview Meng Chang?

From a certain perspective, Meng Chang seemed to be the same type of person as Qiu Hong. There were many similarities, but Meng Chang's situation was much more complicated than Qiu Hong's.

Why did Meng Chang choose to join Tengda after failing to create the Cold-Faced Lady and also start to work on the publicity of domestically-produced games?

Xia Jiang still remembered the Tengda employees that she had interviewed previously, including Huang Sibo, Bao Xu, and the others. They all had one thing in common: they were basically all grassroots. Some were basic game designers who earned one or two thousand yuan a month, while others were internet addicts who frequented internet cafes.

When these people joined Tengda, the company was still in its initial stages. Under Boss Pei's nurturing, they all became Tengda's pillars.

After Tengda expanded, Boss Pei seemed to have cast his sights on people like Qiu Hong and Meng Chang, who had achieved certain results in the related fields but had gone astray. He wanted to recruit them for his own use.

Did this mean that Boss Pei's way of using people had changed as the company developed?

Xia Jiang immediately decided to interview Meng Chang!

What's more, she had also thought about how to help Boss Pei.

She would first release the exclusive interview about the incubation base and Qiu Hong. Then, she would publicize the release of Black Ink and Clouds.

Then, she would upload Meng Chang's interview and publicize the story behind the "classic domestically-produced game collection".

In the end, she would add "Black Ink and Clouds" into the "classic domestically-produced game collection", maxing out the hints!

If the two interviews were separated, gamers might not realize anything. However, if the two interviews were released one after another and Black Ink and Clouds joined the compilation, gamers would definitely be able to get this hint, right?

Xia Jiang did not have direct evidence to prove that the investor behind the incubation base was Boss Pei. What's more, Boss Pei was a low-profile person. It would be inappropriate to directly point it out.

However, Xia Jiang could use this method to hint. It was up to the players to understand.

"Hmm, that would be the best I can do!"

The more Xia Jiang thought about it, the more perfect she felt the plan was. She immediately decided to call Tengda's marketing department and ask for an exclusive interview.

...

Tengda Corporation's marketing department.

Meng Chang was dumbfounded when he received Xia Jiang's call.

"You are the chief editor of the official platform?"

"You want to interview me?"

Meng Chang fell into silence and felt a little conflicted after receiving an affirmative answer.

Should he accept the interview or not?

Logically speaking, Meng Chang had no reason to reject her.

The reporters from the official platform wanted to do an exclusive interview and post it on the live-stream platform to help promote the "classic domestically-produced game" episode. It was equivalent to giving Meng Chang's marketing plan a free boost in popularity. How could they reject it in the eyes of outsiders?

However, Meng Chang knew that the more popular this thing was, the lower his commission was!

Moreover, Meng Chang did not want to be too ostentatious.

He was in Tengda Games and working under Boss Pei after all. Strictly speaking, he was living under someone else's roof. In order to repay the huge debt he had to bear as soon as possible, he had no choice but to lower his head.

In fact, Meng Chang had no interest in promoting classic domestically-produced games at all. He had no respect or loyalty for Boss Pei either. He could not wait to ruin Tengda's businesses and get more commission.

However, it was obvious that Xia Jiang had misunderstood. The entire interview had to revolve around 'prodigal son turning back' and 'returning from the wrong path'. How could Meng Chang withstand that?

When he thought about the questions Xia Jiang wanted to ask, Meng Chang felt uncomfortable all over.

Of course, with Meng Chang's eloquence and acting skills, it would not be a problem if he was just putting on a show. However, he still felt awkward.

He could not accept it, but he would look very stiff if he rejected it directly.

After much consideration, Meng Chang said, "Chief Editor Xia, it's like this. I'm too busy with work even though I really want to accept this interview!"

"How about you interview the other core employees of our department?"

Meng Chang did not want to let go of the popularity of this interview, but he did not want to do it himself. He could only push it to the other people in the department.

Without interviewing the person in question, the interview this time would definitely not be popular and would not affect Meng Chang's plan. At the same time, it would not embarrass the official platform.

Xia Jiang was silent for a moment. Obviously, she found it a pity that she couldn't interview Meng Chang directly.

However, after some thought, she still said, "Alright, then arrange to interview the others in your department. I hope that you can cooperate with us when the time comes."

Meng Chang was very happy. "Alright, Chief Editor Xia, don't worry!"

Xia Jiang hung up the phone and thought to herself, It looks like the 'empty spaces' technique' in the interview they used on Boss Pei previously would be put to use again!

Chapter 964: The Perfect Enhancement Of The New Artificial Intelligence Technology!

After the call with Xia Jiang, Meng Chang held a small meeting with a few core employees of the advertising and marketing department and decided on the matters of the interview.

That was because Xia Jiang had to complete the interview with Wu Zhicheng, Qiu Hong, and the incubation base first. She still needed some time. Therefore, her exclusive interview with Meng Chang was scheduled for next Tuesday.

Meng Chang had already used the excuse that he was busy with work to push it off. However, he had to push a few core employees of the same department up to take charge and go through the motions.

Of course, he did not give them any special instructions because Meng Chang had always felt that the employees in the marketing department were very obedient tools. They had worked together for so long and had been more pleasant to work with. They were all trustworthy.

No one in the marketing department knew about Meng Chang's intentions. Naturally, they were not worried that the interview would cause any trouble. They just had to complete the interview process normally.

Meng Chang returned to his desk and continued playing Mission and Choice after making arrangements for the interview.

He had been playing hard during office hours and had finally completed 70-80% of the test version's plot.

Meng Chang did not have any RTS game experience before, but Mission and Choice was not a RTS game in the traditional sense. The requirements for operations were very low, so it was not that difficult for Meng Chang to play it. He could play it to this stage as long as he used his brain slightly.

However, in the later stages of the game, the difficulty would still increase. They would need a deeper understanding of the game and better operations to clear the game.

In fact, Meng Chang's current game progress was more or less enough to understand the game.

It was just like many AAA games. Generally, when the main game content reached sixty to seventy percent, most of the mechanisms and gameplay of the game had been unlocked. The only thing left to play was to see the plot ending.

Therefore, Meng Chang felt more at ease. From his point of view, this game didn't seem to be that fun.

In particular, the main AI system in the game did not seem to be that smart. This greatly reduced the fun brought by the core gameplay.

Meng Chang did not understand the profound game design theory, but as an ordinary player who had never come into contact with RTS games, he could actually represent the opinions of many "foreign players".

Given the huge investment in Mission and Choice, if this game could only please RTS gamers and domestically-produced standalone gaming circles, and not break the circle, it would be very difficult to recoup the cost if many gamers who originally did not like RTS games bought it.

Therefore, Meng Chang felt that there was still a possibility that the game would not be able to recoup its costs if it did not sell well after it was released. Furthermore, it was very likely!

That way, even if his publicity plan failed, he could still get a commission!

That encouraged Meng Chang.

However, once bitten, twice shy. Meng Chang did not dare to let his guard down. In the following period, he still had to spend a lot of time playing this game every day just in case.

Every time the employees of the marketing department passed by, they would see Meng Chang playing Mission and Choice. They could not help but be encouraged and moved by Brother Meng's professionalism.

...

...

April 5th, Thursday...

Hu Xianbin, Min Jingchao, Jiang Yuan, Shen Renjie, Wang Xiaobin, Chang You, and the other heads of departments were gathered in the old artificial intelligence laboratory to check the results of the new artificial intelligence technology in the game 'Mission and Choice'.

Shen Renjie first explained the fundamentals of the breakthrough in artificial intelligence technology to everyone. Even though most people were confused, they at least understood that the game AI produced by artificial intelligence this time was the biggest feature of the previous AI.

The new technology this time could allow AI to randomly simulate every step of each individual on the basis of the game's basic rules. The winning plan score would increase. Through hundreds of thousands or even more game deductions, from the movement of a single unit to the overall strategy selected during the entire game process, it could be quantified by artificial intelligence to a specific change in the winning rate.

This way, artificial intelligence could control both sides to play a game of its own at every moment. Moreover, after the winning rate could be quantified, it could adjust itself so that the entire game's development would remain in the hands of AI.

There were two most outstanding characteristics of this technique after it was applied to Mission and Choice.

First, in battles with the 'realistic elements', the performance would be more realistic and the difficulty would be more linear.

Originally, using computer AI to display the 'realistic elements' was rather stiff.

A certain unit would not listen to orders or the entire unit would scatter and escape in a battle. The specific way of performance would also give the players a completely different impression.

He An, Meng Chang, Hu Xianbin, and the others had tried the game before. It generally reflected that the AI's performance was not perfect because the performance of the "realistic elements" was very difficult to satisfy.

Due to the lack of AI, the retreat of a certain army sometimes seemed unreasonable. This greatly reduced the reality.

After the application of the new technology, the simulation of the 'realistic elements' produced by the AI was based on the existing win rate. Every unit's actions when they disobeyed orders had a certain degree of rationality as support. The simulation of the elements was greatly enhanced.

Simply put, if the original army did not listen to orders, players might think that it was crazy. However, if the current army did not listen to orders, players would think that they had met a stupid subordinate.

The difference between 'crazy' and 'stupid' was the change brought by the new artificial intelligence technology.

In fact, in the plot after the protagonist's speech, the human troops were inspired to fight. At that time, the AI could make smarter decisions than humans.

Such a decision would significantly improve the overall performance of the battle, but it would not make players feel like they were cheating. There would not be any numerical improvement but a tactical improvement. This would most likely weaken the unrealistic feeling that players would feel.

Secondly, as time passed, the upper limit of human and computer games would increase infinitely. It could support the release of more relevant gameplay.

Mission and Choice was an RTS game after all. Even though players like Meng Chang, who did not understand RTS games at all, might be stuck, it was not difficult for some veteran players to clear the game plot. After clearing it, they would lose the motivation to continue exploring the game's deep gameplay.

The other RTS games' solution to this problem was to open ranking battles. They would automatically select experts through the ranking battles among the players.

Players would constantly improve while fighting against experts. They would always pursue higher goals and the lifespan of the game would naturally be extended accordingly.

However, Mission and Choice's approach was completely different from traditional RTS games. In order to lower the threshold, they greatly reduced the amount of operations that players needed to do. Moreover, there were only two races so it had no balance.

The PVP ranking could be made, but the effect would definitely not be good. The strength of the regular PVE was not enough. Experts would quickly lose interest.

Now, the new artificial intelligence technology could provide a gameplay for 'Eternal War', which was' Endless Mode '. In this model, the combat power of AI would continue to increase, and the difficulty curve would be very smooth. The experts who liked this game could rush to the top of the ladder through PVE and obtain a long-term goal.

Of course, PVP and Multiple-Player games could also be done. However, these games only existed as entertainment models because of their poor balance.

In addition, the original battle model would also benefit.

The design of the stages of the battle was originally completed by the designer. The difficulty curve might not be smooth. Sometimes, if the difficulty level was not increased enough, players might not feel anything even after completing a few stages. If the difficulty level increased too much, players would be stuck.

With the help of the new artificial intelligence technology, the designers could not only optimize and adjust the original stage design, but they could also make dynamic adjustments to the difficulty of the stage according to real-time winning ratio, making it easier for players to play the story mode.

After this series of changes, Mission and Choice finally made up for the last shortcoming. The last small flaw was perfectly resolved!

Tengda Games' designers would adjust the design and details of the stages of Mission and Choice until it was released to ensure that the game would reach a perfect state.

'Mission and Choice' was the first game to benefit from it. The reason why he called Wang Xiaobin, Min Jingchao, and the others over was so that the artificial intelligence technology could be applied to more games.

Especially Fitness Battle and GOG.

In the Fitness Battle, the characters in the game would frequently talk to players. This new technology could improve the deep learning ability of the characters in the game. It could make the characters in the game more inclined to the players' preferences through the feedback of players' actions towards AI.

In other words, the original nurturing only included figures, clothing, and so on. However, after adding artificial intelligence technology, the character in the game would also change as it got closer to the protagonist.

That way, every gamer of 'Fitness Battle' would be able to cultivate the characters they liked in the game into a state of mutual understanding with them.

In GOG, this technology could also be used to develop the more difficult PvP system.

Of course, GOG already had a large number of professional players. All sorts of tactics and tactics were already very rich. With the current artificial intelligence technology, it was impossible to understand these tactics and exchange blows with professional teams. There was still a long way to go.

However, at the very least, it would not be a problem for a computer of this level to compete with players below platinum.

It was only a prototype but it had great potential for development. There might even be a day where artificial intelligence and professional teams would compete on the same stage.

In other words, even though the artificial intelligence technology this time did not directly increase the competitiveness of AEEIS artificial intelligence on Otto Technologies' cell phone, it had a profound impact on many games departments under Tengda!