Chapter 1 Zhao Xuming's Confusion

Zhao Xuming was somewhat lost and puzzled.

Tengda released an esports promotional video?

Then… how was that related to what we were discussing?

Tengda releasing a promotional video was definitely to promote GPL, but the GPL broadcast rights had already been sold, hadn't they? Continuing to boost GPL's popularity wouldn't affect iCL, would it?

But judging from Zhu Yan's reaction, it seemed as if this promotional video would have a significant impact on iCL.

Zhao Xuming couldn't figure it out. He couldn't understand the reason for Zhu Yan's attitude at all, and felt that something was wrong somewhere.

Zhu Yan didn't explain much, but casually took out his phone, found Tengda's newly released promotional video "A Cocoon That Failed to Become a Butterfly," and handed it to Zhao Xuming.

Zhao Xuming reached out to take it and opened it to watch.

After watching the first half, the confusion in Zhao Xuming's heart deepened.

Wasn't this pretty normal?

The content of the first half of this video was very conventional, just telling the story of an internet-addicted teenager overcoming many obstacles to embark on a professional esports career. It had to be said that several scenes in the beginning were very touching, such as the father's kneeling, highlighting the bitterness of being a parent.

Similar stories were not uncommon in the esports circle. Many successful esports players had similar experiences when they were young. But after they became famous and achieved good results, they had already reconciled with their families.

This was the basic routine of general esports promotional videos: first describe how miserable and misunderstood the lives of professional players were, and then describe how they gained fame and success through their own efforts after embarking on a professional career, lived a better life, and even allowed their originally poor parents to live a prosperous life.

Zhao Xuming looked up at Zhu Yan, his face full of doubt.

Was he saying that this was just a very ordinary promotional video? It didn't seem to cost much money either, and was far inferior to iCL's promotional video.

Zhu Yan simply said, "President Zhao, keep watching."

Zhao Xuming had no choice but to continue watching the second half of the promotional video.

However, as he watched, his eyes widened and his mouth opened slightly, the confused expression on his face completely replaced by shock.

"What the hell is this!" Zhao Xuming almost blurted out.

The plot of the second half of the promotional video took a sharp turn. Although the protagonist fulfilled his wish and became a professional player, he couldn't get a chance to play at all. After wasting a few years of his youth, he had no choice but to go home and work as a construction worker!

In the last scene, the protagonist looked at his father's departing back, recalling his days at school, regretting and crying, which was even more heartbreaking and tearful.

Zhao Xuming was completely speechless.

He couldn't wait to smash his phone on the ground and shout: Are you crazy!

What kind of esports promotional video was this? This was clearly meant to discredit esports!

Esports promotional videos were meant for the audience and even the outside world, so shouldn't they promote typical cases? There were so many successful professional players who changed their lives, but they didn't promote them, instead choosing to promote those unknown bottom-level cannon fodder?

The point was, even if some things were true, you couldn't say them!

But Tengda not only said it, but also made a promotional video in a blatant way to publicize it!

What were their intentions?

If Tengda didn't have any esports-related business themselves, then doing this would be an area-of-effect attack on competitors, which would be understandable. But the problem was that Tengda also had the GPL league, and a large number of professional players under their command. Wasn't this promotional video discrediting themselves as well?

No.

Zhao Xuming suddenly realized that President Pei was definitely not someone who would make such a low-level mistake. Since President Pei released this promotional video, he must have completely calculated the subsequent actions!

He quickly opened the video's comment section to check.

As a result, his heart turned cold instantly!

"This video really made me feel so sad, reminding me of the past when I was caught by my parents for going to internet cafes when I was young. Sigh, I was ignorant when I was young, but now I regret it when I think about it. I really should have studied hard."

"In the past, the protagonists of promotional videos were all professional players who won world championships. This is the first time someone has filmed from the perspective of a passerby, right? I have to say, it still feels very shocking."

"World champions are indeed successful, but world champions are just a small group of people at the top of the pyramid. Over-promoting this small group of people is indeed easy to mislead people, making them feel that playing professionally is a win-win situation for fame and fortune, causing many internet-addicted teenagers to use 'playing professionally' as an excuse to avoid studying, which instead wastes their youth and narrows their future path."

"This promotional video is equivalent to shattering these people's fantasies, telling them that if you don't have the talent, you might as well study hard and find a job honestly."

"Previously, Flying Yellow Studio made a documentary called 'A Cocoon Becomes a Butterfly', and now they've made a new documentary called 'A Cocoon That Failed to Become a Butterfly', echoing each other with praise!"

"Yes, President Pei is equivalent to earnestly advising those internet-addicted teenagers not to be deceived by illusions."

"So President Pei is still the most responsible. Although Tengda also has esports industries under its umbrella, and its market share is very high, President Pei didn't blindly tout how bright the future of the esports industry is or deceive those internet-addicted teenagers into blindly joining the esports industry. Instead, he very sincerely revealed the current situation of the esports industry, allowing those internet-addicted teenagers to think twice before acting. I think this behavior is truly meritorious!"

"This promotional video is in stark contrast to iCL's promotional video."

"Yes, although iCL's promotional video is very perfect, very cool, and excellent in all aspects, its filming ideas are still stuck in the old calendar, which is to try to package the concept of esports very high-end, but in this way, it is a bit ungrounded and seems very unreal."

"On the other hand, the documentary 'A Cocoon That Failed to Become a Butterfly' completely wins in terms of ideological depth! Although it looks like there isn't much funding and the filming techniques aren't particularly fancy, it can still resonate and spark discussion. It can only be said that there is a gap between the two realms!"

Zhao Xuming flipped through the comments below the video, his nose almost twisted with anger.

What the hell was this "realm gap"!

This opponent simply wasn't playing according to the rules!

From a commercial point of view, iCL's promotional video was perfect and impeccable. It invested a lot of money, and all the details completely surpassed "A Cocoon That Failed to Become a Butterfly."

But who would have thought that President Pei would change his thinking!

Not playing with skills, but playing with psychology!

"A Cocoon That Failed to Become a Butterfly" was equivalent to analyzing the internal problems of the entire esports industry, revealing the little-known but objectively existing side of the industry without mercy.

If the audience had to compare it to iCL's promotional video, they would definitely feel that iCL's promotional video was a bit fake and empty!

Of course, this comparison itself was unreasonable. iCL's promotional video was a seriously filmed commercial promotional video, and it didn't make any mistakes. Why should it be compared like this?

But there was no way, the audience had to compare it, and Zhao Xuming couldn't control it.

He looked at the release time of the video. "A Cocoon That Failed to Become a Butterfly" was only half an hour later than iCL's promotional video, almost back to back.

Being so close, the audience would definitely subconsciously take these two videos together for discussion!

Zhao Xuming's teeth were itching with anger.

This was a publicity stunt! A blatant publicity stunt!

President Pei must have already made this promotional video and was just waiting for iCL to release a promotional video to snipe it!

This trick was simply killing and punishing the heart.

Zhao Xuming was originally full of confidence and felt that this time iCL's promotional video would not lose at any cost. As a result, President Pei had already skipped the stage of burning money to improve the quality of the promotional video and directly started playing with psychology!

With a small investment and simple techniques, he directly eliminated the core of iCL's promotional video from the spiritual level, and stole all the attention and popularity!

The popularity of iCL's promotion was greatly reduced, which was a small blow to Zhao Xuming.

After all, the higher the popularity of iCL, the more bargaining chips he had in his hand when he came to discuss the price of broadcast rights with these live broadcast platforms.

But fortunately, it wasn't enough to hurt the bones and muscles just like this.

Zhao Xuming thought about it and felt that in the current situation, he should still have room to recover with his silver tongue.

However, he continued to scroll down the comment section and saw a few new high-praise hot comments.

"This video reveals a lot of industry problems. I don't know if everyone has noticed the details in the video, the living conditions of these professional players are actually very poor. Their sleep schedules are reversed, and they eat takeout for a long time, which are all accelerating the consumption of their physical health."

"Indeed, it's sad to see. Although I know that the esports industry is a young man's game, those who don't get to eat this meal are miserable, but those who do get to eat this meal are not treated much better!"

"Hey? That's not right, is it? Isn't it said that the GPL's treatment is very good? The DGE players are all strong and energetic, and they definitely can't get that kind of body by staying up all night and eating takeout, right?"

"Of course the GPL is fine! When President Pei made a strong entry, he had already determined the industry standards. All the clubs are uniformly managed, with standard contracts to protect the rights and interests of players, uniform meals from Touching Fish Takeaway, daily exercises arranged by the gym, and dedicated personnel in charge of nutrition and the players' physical health..."

"But in other fields outside the GPL, esports players are still living the same hard lives as before, with no change!"

"Indeed, other game companies are taking care of themselves, and it is unlikely that the clubs will take the initiative to bear such huge expenses. How many bosses are as forward-looking and responsible as President Pei?"

"Weakly asking, what's the situation with iCL?"

"What can the situation be? The same as other projects. Anyway, I haven't heard of Finger Company and Longyu Group taking any action to ensure the rights and interests of iCL players. If they did, they should have boasted about it long ago, right?"

"Alas, it seems that iCL is just doing lip service. Although the promotional video is pretty good, the details are far behind the GPL! It seems that the GPL is a more professional, more mature, and healthier league. iCL is still not good enough."

"I think one very interesting point is that this promotional video uses all the game footage of GoG, but the GPL is the best of all esports events! This forms a very wonderful contrast: it is clearly an AoE skill, but the GPL has perfectly immunized all damage, while other esports events have been beaten into sieves!"

"Hahaha, after all, Tengda only has the copyright of GoG, so it can't put the game footage of other projects, but it is actually hinting at something. Those who understand will understand."

After reading these few high-praise hot comments, Zhao Xuming was stunned.

He realized that there was a big problem!

If the discussions among netizens were only limited to the filming techniques and themes of the two documentaries, then the early popularity of iCL would only be affected to some extent, and it would not shake the foundation of the entire league.

However, the discussions among netizens had already delved into the most basic architecture of the GPL and iCL leagues, and this was a big problem!

Everyone guessed correctly. iCL really didn't have similar measures, such as standardized player contracts, or uniform sleep schedules and accommodation standards.

Like other esports projects, the health and rights of iCL league players were also not well protected.

But Zhao Xuming felt very wronged. We are the organizers of the competition, and this is not something we need to be responsible for!

These are all matters for the clubs, what does it have to do with us!

But the audience didn't care about that. They saw the gap between the GPL and iCL leagues in terms of basic architecture, so don't make excuses. It's just that your Finger Company and Longyu Group are not good enough, and iCL is not healthy enough and its development prospects are not good!

Zhao Xuming finally understood why Zhu Yan had that attitude.

Because Zhu Yan saw this hot topic and knew that iCL was about to be caught in a public opinion vortex, and its value would be severely hit.

Since this was the case, why rush to take action and be a sucker?

Of course, it was better to continue to wait and see, and cut the price hard, and strive to get the broadcast rights of iCL at the lowest price!