Chapter 23 The So-Called Business

Wu Ye was depressed, and Shui Shen's loud laughter only made him feel worse. He could also sense that the negotiation target this time wasn't sincere at all. It was the kind of "we'll see about cooperation," meaning if your conditions are good, we'll do it, if not, forget it. There was no desire to work together to get things done. Normally, one would avoid such a partner, but now, with the efficiency leveling method such a huge pie, only these two were known to be working on it. Giving up these two meant giving up a big deal.

So Gu Fei and Bai Shi Jing Lun could not care less, but Wu Ye couldn't. After thinking it over, he gritted his teeth and said, "Then how about this? You two can work with our market researchers to create a good prospect plan and evaluation for this project. Let's first predict a profit. Then 20% of this profit will be the bottom line for the commission. Even if we don't achieve that level of profit in the future, we will still pay the commission based on that amount. Surely you two can rest assured now?"

Wu Ye emphasized the words "you two," because this project was actually a collaboration with Bai Shi Jing Lun, but this Qian Li Zui was always messing around. Wu Ye couldn't control himself and revealed a bit of emotion here. He had seen it long ago. If it weren't for Qian Li Zui, Bai Shi Jing Lun might have been fooled with two million. Wu Ye regretted it! He shouldn't have rushed to contact these two together at the beginning. He should have learned more about them first and then contacted Bai Shi Jing Lun privately. It would have been so much better. But now, Qian Li Zui, this annoying fly, was buzzing around, impossible to shake off, which was really annoying.

Wu Ye proposed such an idea. Gu Fei wasn't sure, so he looked at Shui Shen.

Shui Shen smiled and said, "Does your profit refer to income, gross profit, or net profit? You need to be clear."

Wu Ye saw that he couldn't fool them with a loophole, so he had to say regretfully, "This... let's calculate it based on gross profit?"

"Is there any difference?" Gu Fei asked from the side.

"Gross profit is income minus the main costs. Net profit is income minus all expenses, including taxes," Shui Shen briefly explained, then looked at Wu Ye with a smile and said, "Gross profit? When did the studio have gross profit?"

Wu Ye now knew that the person Gu Fei brought this time wasn't just there for show, but someone who really knew the business. The concept of gross profit generally refers to income minus costs, and this cost generally refers to the purchase price of goods. For example, if you sell something for 1000 yuan and the goods cost 400 yuan to buy, then the 600 yuan can be called gross profit. Other labor costs, freight, and consumption of water, electricity, and rent during the storage process are subtracted when calculating net profit. But the studio is engaged in the buying and selling of virtual goods and currency in online games. These virtual items are automatically generated by the game system, so what cost is there? Therefore, the studio's business does not have a gross profit; it can basically be said to be a costless business.

If they encountered someone who only had a superficial understanding and treated gross profit as a normal situation, they could get the studio to fabricate an excuse or reason to produce a "cost." This "cost" would naturally have already fallen into the studio's pocket, and the remaining amount would be used to play the "20%," which would naturally be much less.

"Brother Wu Ye, we're all smart people, so don't do these messy things. The studio's business, the cost is nothing more than labor costs and point cards. Electricity can also be included. If you're even more shameless, you can include the depreciation of the game equipment. Of course, I know that Yingqi is a regular big company now, and you can't wait to include the cost of your office space, administrative expenses, and other expenses... If you really want to calculate it that way, then let's not play." Shui Shen spoke eloquently. Gu Fei definitely couldn't have said these things. Shui Shen's trip was finally meaningful.

Wu Ye saw that the other party really understood, so he had to be straightforward: "Of course, these will not be included, but this project will probably be very large in the end, and the labor costs will be relatively high. Our studio may not have enough staff, so we will temporarily transfer a batch from outside. So, should we appropriately include some labor costs? Of course, the amount of this cost can be determined when we jointly evaluate and plan this project. The profit used for the final sharing is the income minus this portion of the cost that we negotiate, how about it?"

Shui Shen heard this and knew that Wu Ye had finally softened and wasn't playing tricks anymore. This idea was basically fair to both parties, so he immediately sent a secret message to Gu Fei: "Almost there."

Unexpectedly, Gu Fei frowned again: "Do a prospect evaluation? And calculate costs? We don't know anything about these things!"

Wu Ye almost blurted out that's exactly what he wanted, but of course he held back. This wasn't a trap. Everyone was working together, and considering that this part was linked to the final share, the studio would definitely increase the cost to the highest and estimate the income conservatively, while Gu Fei and his team would do the opposite. It was a competition to see who was more familiar with the business. Wu Ye hoped that these two who didn't understand would personally take the field, but he thought that the other party wouldn't be so stupid. This matter might depend on the guy he brought who was very familiar with the studio to participate.

"Who is this person? I asked his name just now, but he didn't say it. Is there something inconvenient?" Wu Ye couldn't figure it out. If he was from a studio of the same size as Yingqi, he would definitely be trying to win these two over to their side like crazy. Why was Wu Ye so anxious and acting so quickly? Wasn't it because he was afraid that other studios would get there first? How many studios were staring at the efficiency leveling method since its sudden emergence! Wu Ye had reached this point, and he was both surprised, scared, and happy, fearing that a dark horse would appear halfway. This guy was actually negotiating with him at the table, so he shouldn't be from a competitor's house. Since he wasn't one of those people, then why was he inconvenient to mention his name?

Gu Fei and Bai Shi Jing Lun didn't understand market research and evaluation, and Wu Ye was very happy that they were like this, so he wouldn't give them any more ideas. Both of them looked at Shui Shen. Shui Shen also sighed: "I really want to continue to help you, but I'm afraid I can't help you with what's coming."

"Why?" Gu Fei asked.

"Because I am Shui Shen!" Shui Shen smiled.

"Shui Shen!!!" Wu Ye suddenly stood up, not knocking over the table, but the glass of wine in front of him spilled out, splashing into the grilled meat on the table, causing it to froth. Wu Ye clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and glared, looking like he was ready to eat Shui Shen alive.

Rarely, Shui Shen was still smiling at this time, and said to Lu Ke beside him: "Seeing him like this now, this trip was really worth it."

Lu Ke glared at him, but didn't speak. Obviously, she also knew that Shui Shen had some entanglements with this Wu Ye in the past.

Seeing this, Gu Fei quickly knocked on the table to appease Wu Ye: "Don't be angry, don't be angry. If we fall out and fight now, it will be very detrimental to you..."

"Hahaha, yes, very detrimental!!" Shui Shen said, squeezing closer to Gu Fei, feeling particularly safe.

Ao Huang and Za Cao certainly knew Shui Shen's name, but it was because of the former title of one of the Five Little Strong. Neither of them knew what grudges Shui Shen had with Wu Ye, but seeing that Shui Shen seemed to know the studio quite well, they both guessed that this person had probably worked in Yingqi or some other studio before, and had formed a feud with Wu Ye. The two of them watched Wu Ye nervously, fearing that he would impulsively ruin the deal. Although the big share had already been snatched by this boss, there would still be some bones and soup left after the meat was gone. If it was really ruined, then there wouldn't even be a fish bone left. And if it was ruined because of Wu Ye's personal grievances, then the two of them would be too wronged.

Ao Huang and Za Cao looked at each other, both hoping that the other could stand up and dissuade Wu Ye, but at the same time, they were afraid that this persuasion would be inappropriate and anger the boss, so neither of them dared to move. But then Ao Huang's eyes became a little harsher, and Za Cao instantly burst into tears. Well, if he didn't go now, he would have already angered the boss. Was there any need to worry about the future?

Helplessly, this guy was biting the bullet and thinking about going over to persuade him, but who would have thought that Wu Ye could become the Six Cities Director of the studio, and he was indeed not an ordinary person, at least he knew the overall situation. He had just lost his composure in anger, but at this time he had already recovered. He casually picked up the wine glass on the table, no longer looked at Shui Shen, but only said to Gu Fei and Bai Shi Jing Lun: "Then, let's preliminarily finalize the cooperation? I will immediately set up a special team to conduct market research and evaluation for this project with you two. I will draft the contract immediately and then send it to Brother Bai Shi, how about it?"

"Tsk tsk tsk, look at him, he deserves to be someone who does big business! He can control himself so well. He's not what he used to be!!" Shui Shen ridiculed again, and Lu Ke pinched him hard: "Say a few less words!!!"

Right now, such a large business deal was about to be concluded. If it was really because Shui Shen's provocation angered Wu Ye and caused the deal to fall through, Lu Ke felt that she would be too sorry to Gu Fei and Bai Shi Jing Lun, and she was also a little annoyed that Shui Shen was playing around without any sense of propriety.

But Shui Shen actually wasn't unaware of the seriousness of the situation. He had learned from Gu Fei in a message that he didn't want to cooperate with this studio anymore, so he was relieved and bold enough to come and make trouble. Who would have thought that the planning proposal Wu Ye came up with next would be so proper, and the deal would be revived after a few talks. Shui Shen didn't want to come in vain, so he announced his name, wanting to see Wu Ye's crazy look after knowing it was him.

The look was quite satisfactory, but Wu Ye quickly restrained his emotions and didn't act impulsively, but continued to talk to Gu Fei and Bai Shi Jing Lun about serious matters in a clear and orderly manner, so Shui Shen added another sentence, feeling unsatisfied.

Wu Ye snorted coldly and glanced at Shui Shen and said, "We'll have plenty of opportunities to settle our accounts."

Shui Shen said nervously to the left and right: "I'm afraid, so scared!"

Wu Ye didn't say much, and said to Gu Fei and Bai Shi Jing Lun: "Then we'll go and get busy first, we'll contact you later."

After saying that, Wu Ye took Ao Huang and Za Cao and left in a hurry.

As soon as they left the door of the barbecue restaurant, Ao Huang leaned over: "Do you want to call the Fire Team to clean up Shui Shen?"

The Fire Team was a special team in Yingqi Studio that was specifically responsible for combat-related tasks in the game. The people in this group were excellent in terms of level, equipment, and skills. Such teams existed in all major studios. If some bosses were gaming enthusiasts themselves, the combat team in the studio would become the boss's personal soldiers, and the boss would do whatever they said. They didn't create much profit on a regular basis, but they were the boss's favorite group of guys.

It was relatively unlucky to encounter such a boss. Fortunately, the boss of Yingqi Studio was a serious businessman, and making money was the top priority, so he valued those who had business acumen and were good at organizing and communicating. Therefore, Yingqi's Fire Team was not very strong, but they wouldn't be afraid of dealing with some players, even someone like the Five Little Strong. Sometimes, when the people in the studio were upset when dealing with players, some people with bad character would ask their colleagues in the Fire Team to help them mess with the other person in the game to vent their anger. As for those in leadership positions, it was even more common to abuse their power for personal gain.

But Wu Ye glared at Ao Huang after hearing this idea: "Do you know why I was in such a hurry to leave just now? Didn't you see those two, Qian Li Zui and Bai Shi Jing Lun? These two are not very interested in this cooperation at all, so their sincerity is also limited. Just now in the room, Qian Li Zui's intention to favor Shui Shen was very obvious. If we were pushed down by that Shui Shen again, those two guys might have gotten impulsive and broken the deal with us on the spot. So we must not touch that Shui Shen now, understand?"

"Then we're not there now? What if he persuades Qian Li Zui and them not to cooperate with us?" Ao Huang said.

"It shouldn't be that bad. His intention for coming here is quite clear. He is mainly there to check for those two. I don't think he would ruin his friend's business because of his personal grudges with me. So don't provoke Qian Li Zui and Bai Shi Jing Lun to get impulsive."

Za Cao interjected after hearing this: "Actually, to deal with Shui Shen, we don't have to touch him from the studio. I can just choose a few ordinary players from our guild and clean him up without him knowing who it is."

"It's better not to," Wu Ye said. "A gentleman takes revenge, ten years is not too late. The most important thing right now is to do this project well, so let's not create any more trouble. Tell everyone in the city to take care of Qian Li Zui and Bai Shi Jing Lun these days, and at the same time, pay attention to the movements of other studios. I'm going to get the contract now. I still don't feel confident until this contract is signed. Alright, everyone, get busy!"

"Oh..." Ao Huang and Za Cao wanted to help their leader vent their anger but ended up hitting a wall. They cursed inwardly and then dispersed. Wu Ye was really thinking about business, so he hurried to log off and start working. In the barbecue restaurant, Shui Shen was boasting again: "How about it, was this trip worth it? I helped you win the business, a deal worth tens of millions!"

"It's really incredible that you can make so much money in games..." Gu Fei and Bai Shi Jing Lun exclaimed.

"You guys just have too small of a vision." Shui Shen shook his head repeatedly. "It's like the players in the past, always looking at those professional players around them busily doing the same things over and over again, and they think that it doesn't seem like there's much money. Why don't they think about how much they can see? A player can see at most one server. A studio's business operates on all servers, and the little bit they see is multiplied by hundreds or even thousands."

Gu Fei nodded, then said: "Then is there any problem with this contract this time?"

Shui Shen said reluctantly: "Although I hate him very much, I have to say that this guy didn't play any more tricks in the end. The contract is still fair. In the next step of cooperation and market evaluation, you two find someone who knows the business. It's just a process of negotiation. But this person must be someone you are familiar with and trust. In the studio industry, sometimes peers protect each other. If you find someone from another studio, don't think that they are competitors on a normal basis. At this time, they can join forces and mess with you without discussion, fooling you out of a lot of commission, and people can just take a tenth of it."

"Where can we find such a person? I think you should go? That Wu Ye may not be kind, but I think he's still rational. He's sincere about this business. If you go, even if he hates you in his heart, he will endure it," Gu Fei said.

Shui Shen nodded and said, "He's fine, but I'm afraid that I'll be working with emotions and won't do a good job. If you follow my nature of dealing with studios, I would have contacted the next studio and let them bid up the price. Hehe, do you two have any intention of doing that? You are now a rare commodity."

"Let's forget it!" The two wiped their sweat together.

"Hey! What's there to be afraid of? Doing business is actually like this, deceiving each other. The people in the studio are not good things anyway. Why not take advantage of them!" Shui Shen said.

"Why do you hate studios so much?" Gu Fei asked strangely. There is no reason for hatred in this world.

"This is a long story," Shui Shen said.

"What a long story, aren't you just suspecting that the collapse of your guild with Jian Gui and them was caused by the studio behind the scenes?" Lu Ke said.

"Oh? There's such a thing? Tell me about it!" Gu Fei said.

"You want to hear about the collapse of the guild? That's a long story, and I can't remember it that clearly now. Being messed with by the studio is just this guy's guess. Jian Gui and Young Master Han have different opinions. Anyway, this guy has been messing with studios ever since. Take that Wu Ye just now, don't dislike him and think that he used some bad tricks to be at odds with Shui Shen. That's really wronging him," Lu Ke said.

"Of course not," Gu Fei said with a smile: "Just looking at their reactions just now, you can tell who bullied who."

Just now, Wu Ye was angry and wanted to eat someone, and Shui Shen was still smug, even a blind person could see that Shui Shen must have tormented Wu Ye in the past, which caused him to hate him so much.

"This guy is not a good bird anyway," Shui Shen said.

"Which one of these guys running business in the studio isn't like this?" Lu Ke reprimanded Shui Shen.

"That's why I hate studios the most!" Shui Shen said.

"Get lost!" Lu Ke said angrily.

"Is this also a long story? If you remember it clearly, tell me about it!" Gu Fei said.

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Originally, there was nothing to say today, but I was afraid that if I didn't say anything, everyone would think that this chapter wasn't over yet... In desperation, I will end it here!