Take a Gamble, Bicycle Becomes Motorcycle

Tao Chenggang was fully focused, reading and thinking at the same time.

It was a full half hour before he put down the A4 papers.

Chen Guiliang immediately took them back, folded them twice, and tucked them into his pocket.

Seeing this, Tao Chenggang couldn't help but laugh, then asked, "You have some great ideas here. Why aren't you looking for big companies?"

Chen Guiliang said, "Those big companies, I don't even know which way the door opens. Even if I found an executive, they'd probably just swallow the idea."

Tao Chenggang asked, "Aren't you afraid I'll swallow yours?"

"My cousin said President Tao is righteous and definitely wouldn't do something so low," Chen Guiliang said with a smile, flattering him, then added with a hidden jab, "If President Tao doesn't buy it, I'll go try the big companies again."

Tao Chenggang naturally understood the implied meaning; Chen Guiliang was threatening him.

If he truly decided to develop the game, he would have to worry about Chen Guiliang messing around and selling the idea to three different parties, which would be frustrating.

For Chen Guiliang, as long as he could get paid, there was no need to mess around.

In reality, the representative figure who made a name for himself with game ideas was the so-called "Father of China's Internet."

A junior high school graduate who worked odd jobs, because he participated in the internal testing of Journey to the West 2, wrote over 30 pages of feedback and improvement suggestions, and was appointed as the planner for Journey to the West 1, and then served as the core planner for Fantasy Westward Journey.

It was a time of pioneers.

But the premise for this was that this person had worked as a customer service representative for Journey to the West 1, and being arranged to participate in internal testing was part of his job. His opinions could be effectively relayed to NetEase executives.

If it were a high school student who abruptly went to a big company to sell game concepts, they would probably be kicked out by security on the spot.

Moreover, even if Chen Guiliang's game ideas were adopted by a big company, it would likely be difficult to get much cash in return. At most, he might be invited to work in the planning department, like the "Father of China's Internet."

What Chen Guiliang was seeking was not to work for a big company.

He wanted to start his own company in the future.

"You're studying at County No. 2 High School?" Tao Chenggang didn't talk business and instead chatted with Chen Guiliang.

Chen Guiliang said, "Third year of high school, liberal arts experimental class."

Tao Chenggang said, "A top student. My sister also studies at No. 2 High School, but she's just in a regular class."

"It's all about the same. If you can get into No. 2 High School, your grades must be very good," Chen Guiliang said.

They seemed to be chatting casually, but in reality, they had entered a negotiation state.

Tao Chenggang, in the tone of an elder, continued to probe, "Which district or county is your hometown in?"

Chen Guiliang said, "Fushi County Yaojia Township."

"There's an ancient town there, I've been to visit," Tao Chenggang asked, "When I drove past, I encountered a Yaojia Bridge along the way. Is it right there?"

Chen Guiliang said, "The township market is at the bridgehead. My junior high alma mater is on the mountain nearby."

Tao Chenggang smiled, "Next time I go to the ancient town, I'll ask you to be my guide."

"It would be my honor," Chen Guiliang said.

The two sat in the office, chatting idly.

Yang Yuhui dozed off for a while, then went to the studio outside, watching the internet-addicted teenagers grind and completing some game transactions along the way.

Seeing that Chen Guiliang kept chatting with him and didn't talk about the game at all, Tao Chenggang already knew that Chen Guiliang was not simple.

Whoever spoke first about business would be at a disadvantage.

Because this transaction was very unconventional, both sides were wary of each other, like two ends of a pole hitting a wolf, both afraid.

Tao Chenggang said, "Your ideas are very interesting, but I don't have any plans to make games."

"Even if the deal doesn't work out, the friendship remains. It was a pleasure meeting President Tao today," Chen Guiliang said, retreating to advance, "When the winter break comes, I'll take a trip to the coast. Modu, Yangcheng, Pengcheng, Hangcheng... these big cities all have game companies, maybe one of them will be interested."

Tao Chenggang said, "Those big companies are very conservative, and they only know how to act as agents for foreign games. Their executives don't even play games. Your idea of a free game is too bold, they won't risk investing in it."

"Who knows? Maybe a blind cat will stumble upon a dead mouse," Chen Guiliang said with a smile.

Tao Chenggang pretended to be indifferent, stood up, and said, "You sit for a while, I'll go check on the studio."

Chen Guiliang was left in the office.

Tao Chenggang went outside, immediately took out a cigarette and lit it. He needed to think calmly.

He ran an internet cafe, had operated a Legend Private Server for a while, and was currently running a game studio. He understood the psychology of players very well. If he made a game based on Chen Guiliang's ideas, it was very likely to be a huge hit.

This kind of intuition was something that big company executives lacked.

The elites of big companies were not short of money, and they valued their time highly. They would only think that it was normal to pay for game time cards, and a monthly card was only a few dozen yuan. The pay-to-win model would instead disrupt the game balance.

But from the perspective of grassroots players?

Wow, this game is free, I don't need to pay for time cards or monthly cards, I can keep grinding monsters and playing.

Players in later generations would find grinding monsters very boring.

But at this time, for most players, being able to grind monsters without spending money was a kind of happiness!

Tao Chenggang had run a Legend Private Server, and he could imagine how many free players a free game could attract. With a massive influx of free players, the real paying players would also stay.

What's more, the large number of pay-to-win strategies Chen Guiliang provided made Tao Chenggang, a businessman, feel his scalp tingle.

But here's the problem: Tao Chenggang isn't a real big boss; he's just a small rich man in a remote city.

If he wants to develop a game himself, he has to bet his entire fortune, and initial funds are still tight.

Should he gamble?

What if he fails?

Besides that, he's also worried about Chen Guiliang messing things up.

He's worried that halfway through game development, Chen Guiliang will sell this set of ideas to a big company, and he can't compete with a big company's operational capabilities.

Seeing Tao Chenggang standing in the corner in a daze, Yang Yuhui asked, "Brother Gang, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Tao Chenggang said, "You're twenty-eight and still not married. Doesn't your family rush you?"

"You're not married either," Yang Yuhui said irritably. "I'm stuck in this crappy place all day. Where would I have time to find a girlfriend?"

Tao Chenggang muttered to himself, "Yeah, I'm not married either."

Eight internet cafes, if sold one after another, could fetch around three million.

A house and a new car, if mortgaged or sold cheaply, could also bring in two to three hundred thousand.

He still had nearly four hundred thousand in cash, which he had prepared to open another internet cafe.

It's far from enough.

Perhaps he could make a game, but he wouldn't have money for initial operations and promotion.

He'd have to find investors!

Finding a game development team is actually easy. Tao Chenggang knows those Legend Private Server technical experts. He can trick those experts into joining, and then have the experts bring in more people.

The game doesn't need to be fancy. Even a garbage game, relying on Chen Guiliang's ideas, can become popular!

Tao Chenggang has a strong gambling streak.

To put it nicely, he's daring and willing to fight.

His parents were just ordinary employees of a central enterprise in Longdu City. Although he never lacked food or clothing since childhood, they didn't have money to support him in starting a business.

This guy graduated from college in 1996, and his luck was really bad; he happened to encounter the time when college graduates were no longer guaranteed job assignments.

His parents used connections to arrange for him to enter a boiler factory (a central enterprise). At that time, they paid a full 5,000 yuan in bribes, and the leader promised to make him a full employee after he worked for a year.

As a result, Tao Chenggang only worked at the boiler factory for three months before voluntarily resigning and going to the coastal areas to make his own way.

He changed several jobs one after another. In the summer of 1998, he joined Starcom and promoted Xiaolingtong in the Yangtze River Delta region. Six months later, he resigned without warning and switched to selling IC Phone Cards as an agent in third and fourth-tier cities.

In just two years, by selling IC cards as an agent, Tao Chenggang earned seven to eight hundred thousand.

This business gradually became saturated, so Tao Chenggang returned to his hometown to open internet cafes. Then he got into Legend Private Servers, game studios, and even partnered with Feng Tao to sell computers.

He originally wanted to create an internet cafe chain brand, but then Chen Guiliang suddenly threw out a set of game ideas.

Tao Chenggang was tempted.

He even felt a bit hot-blooded!

This feeling was very similar to when he was working and promoting Xiaolingtong, but unexpectedly discovered that IC cards were a blue ocean in third and fourth-tier cities.

It's worth betting his fortune and future on.

Take a gamble, and a bicycle can turn into a motorcycle.

If the day comes when funds run out, he can still go to his old employer, Starcom.

This company has so much money they don't know where to invest it!

Walking back into the office, Tao Chenggang found Chen Guiliang messing around on forums.

And his actions were incredibly outrageous.

A netizen named absolut (Liu Jiajun, an ancient platinum author on Qidian) posted on the Mengya Forum angrily calling Guo Xiaosi a sissy, triggering a passionate war of words between the "Anti-Guo faction" and the "Pro-Guo faction."

What was Chen Guiliang doing?

Adding fuel to the fire the whole time!

Because Tao Chenggang hadn't come back for a long time, Chen Guiliang was really bored and temporarily registered several forum accounts.

The first account posted: "All of you who are cursing Xiaosi are doing it out of jealousy. Xiaosi is a great contemporary literary master, his talent surpasses Li Bai and Du Fu. Even if you add up the Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties, they can't compare to a single hair on our Xiaosi's dick."

These words stimulated the "Anti-Guo faction," instantly attracting a large number of angry responses.

Chen Guiliang quickly switched accounts: "A plagiarizing dog still has the nerve to call himself a literary master? If I self-published 'Three Hundred Tang Poems' and changed the author's name, would I become the Immortal Poet?"

After hitting enter, Chen Guiliang switched accounts again.

Tao Chenggang stood by and watched for a while, his expression a mix of laughter and tears. What kind of lunatic is this?

Chen Guiliang even turned around and asked him, "Mr. Tao, want to play for a bit? It's very interesting, like blowing up shit with firecrackers when you were a kid."

What a vivid analogy...

"Ahem!"

Tao Chenggang cleared his throat. "How much are you planning to sell these game ideas for?"

"Three hundred thousand," Chen Guiliang demanded boldly.

Tao Chenggang said, "Do you know what the average salary in Longdu City is?"

Chen Guiliang replied, "A few hundred yuan."

Tao Chenggang asked again, "Do you know the highest price per square meter for housing in Longdu City?"

"Not sure," Chen Guiliang answered.

"Only 1300," Tao Chenggang said. "The newly built residential areas in Longdu City this year have a maximum price of 1300 per square meter. You're asking for 300,000 yuan right off the bat, which could buy two high-end apartments over a hundred square meters each. My internet cafe only cost three to four hundred thousand to invest in!"

Chen Guiliang said, "Then 250,000. I promise that after I sell those few pages to you, I won't approach any other large companies."

"It's worth at most ten thousand yuan," Tao Chenggang haggled from the ankle.

While posting, Chen Guiliang said, "200,000. I'll also give you some detailed suggestions; those few pages aren't clear enough. For example, game shills and such."

"Game shills?" Tao Chenggang's first reaction was that it was similar to medical shills or bar shills.

Typing away rapidly, Chen Guiliang switched accounts and posted another inflammatory thread.

He let go of the keyboard and said, "Don't disband your studio. Have them act as shills in the game. Some of them can pretend to be girls and get into online relationships with rich players. Others can act as followers for the rich players, stirring up hatred and fights among themselves. With women, brothers, and enemies, fill them up with love, hate, and grudges. Are you still afraid that rich players won't spend money to increase their combat power?"

Tao Chenggang looked at the inflammatory and provocative posts in the forum, then carefully considered the game shills Chen Guiliang mentioned.

Different approaches, same result.

That makes so much sense!

How did this high school student's brain work?

But it still wasn't enough to make Tao Chenggang willingly pay. He looked at Chen Guiliang, who was still posting, and asked, "Do you have any other good ideas?"

"Lottery, of course."

Chen Guiliang hit the enter key and said, "Before private lotteries were restricted, there were lottery stalls everywhere on the streets. Even farmers who came to the city to sell vegetables couldn't resist buying a couple of tickets."

"You can create a lottery system in the game. Regardless of whether players have topped up, they can draw a lottery ticket for free once a day. Attract players with the free daily draw, and then they'll have to spend money for subsequent draws. Set up some ultimate equipment and display it in the lottery interface. The more consecutive draws, the higher the probability of winning good items. You can also have ten consecutive draws, twenty consecutive draws, and set a good item as a guaranteed prize for consecutive draws..."

Tao Chenggang recalled the crazy scenes of street lotteries in the 90s and thought to himself: Just this lottery system alone could make game players addicted.

"Anything else?" Tao Chenggang continued to inquire.

But Chen Guiliang stopped talking. "It's the same as the game lottery. Those two ideas just now were freebies. The rest will cost money. As long as Mr. Tao pays, I will tell you everything I know and hold nothing back."

Tao Chenggang fell silent, thinking.