Chapter 1 The Last Numbers

Watching the final numbers fixed on the projection screen, Pei Qian sighed silently and said to Zhang Yuan, "After the auction ends, take these bosses who have successfully bid for the slots to Wuming Restaurant for dinner."

Zhang Yuan was taken aback for a moment. "What about you, Boss Pei?"

Pei Qian shook his head. "I won't go. I'm tired."

Zhang Yuan quickly nodded to show his understanding. "Okay, Boss Pei, leave it to me!"

Although these people had driven up the price of the GPL slots so high that Pei Qian was very angry, Wuming Restaurant had already made preparations. If he didn't invite them, the ingredients would all go to waste.

Wasting food was definitely not a good thing.

Therefore, Pei Qian decided to let them eat, but he would no longer participate.

He could easily imagine what the scene at the dinner table would be like.

If Pei Qian were there, he would definitely suffer secondary, tertiary, and quaternary damage.

So, he left the matter to Zhang Yuan.

As for Pei Qian himself, it was best to return home and think carefully about how to spend this hundred million yuan.

Based on the principle of "whoever earns the money spends it," since the money was collected from the GPL league, investing it back into the GPL league seemed to be the best option.

But should he invest it in the GPL venue? Enhance GPL's event promotion? Cultivate the underlying league's ability to generate blood? Or should he get these clubs a better training base?

There were many places to spend money, and Pei Qian felt that he needed to calm down and think carefully, to come up with a plan with the lowest return.

After giving Zhang Yuan a few instructions, Pei Qian sighed silently and got up to leave.

All the auctions had been completed, and all that was left was to formally sign the contracts and pay the money.

Lin Chang immediately got up, shook hands with Li Shi, and exchanged business cards.

The other bosses who had bid for the GPL slots were also exchanging business cards and getting to know each other.

After all, these people were all well-known figures, and they had gathered here out of trust in Boss Pei. They all had mutual friends to some extent, so it was natural for them to get to know each other and expand their social circles.

What's more, they would have to work together in the GPL league in the future, and their interests were aligned.

Lin Chang was naturally the brightest star among them, surrounded by everyone like a moon.

After the greetings were over, Lin Chang looked around and was stunned. "Huh? Where's Boss Pei?"

He had thought that Boss Pei would definitely stay on the scene, but he had disappeared without anyone noticing?

Zhang Yuan hurriedly explained, "Everyone, Boss Pei is busy with work, so he left early. However, Boss Pei has decided to host a banquet at Wuming Restaurant for everyone, please follow me."

Everyone was a little disappointed to hear that Boss Pei had left.

But when they heard the second half of the sentence, smiles appeared on everyone's faces again.

They could go to Wuming Restaurant for dinner again!

It had to be said that Wuming Restaurant was delicious, but it was also really difficult to make a reservation.

Boss Pei had booked a place in advance to treat everyone to dinner, which was very sincere. Everyone understood that he was too busy with work to accompany them!

Under Zhang Yuan's guidance, the bosses who had bid for the GPL slots left the DGE club with laughter and chatter, heading to Wuming Restaurant.

The company representatives who had failed to bid also left.

The managers of the other two clubs were ashen-faced, looked at each other, and looked at Manager Li with anger.

Nine out of ten times, the current situation was Manager Li's fault!

They had been trying hard to think of countermeasures during the auction, but they couldn't think of any.

Now that things had come to this, what could they do?

They could only resign themselves to fate and be slaughtered.

However, before the two managers could settle accounts with Manager Li, they saw Manager Li take the lead to get up and follow the boss who had bid for the GOG branch of the SUG club.

Manager Li's face was full of smiles. "President Fu, I'm the manager of the SUG club, my surname is Li. I see that you bid for our club's GOG branch and the GPL slot, which can be considered fate."

"How about exchanging business cards? I hope we can have the opportunity to cooperate in the future..."

As a result, before Manager Li could finish speaking, President Fu politely interrupted him.

"Manager Li, to be honest, I didn't understand the inside story and accidentally bid for it. I thought others would raise the price, but no one did, so I could only take it."

"I spent more than 10 million and made Boss Pei unhappy. I have to find a way to make up for it! Tell me, am I at a loss?"

"Manager Li, don't act like you're getting a good deal. Boss Pei didn't push things too far because you were the earliest to support him. Although he's not happy, he still gave you an opportunity to buy low and sell high."

"As for cooperation, I don't think there's any need for that, right? Sorry, I have to go to Boss Pei's dinner party with everyone, so I'll take my leave first."

After President Fu finished speaking, he immediately turned around, took two quick steps to catch up with Zhang Yuan, Lin Chang, and others who were already walking away.

Manager Li opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end he was speechless.

…

…

November 7th, Monday.

The GPL slot auction had already spread on the internet and quickly became a hot topic, making it onto the hot search lists of various websites.

"GOG domestic league GPL slot auction sets a sky-high record!"

"A total of 180 million, will e-sports be the next big thing?"

"Shenhua Real Estate bids 26 million for GPL slot, announcing a strong entry into the e-sports industry!"

"The list of 16 teams in the GPL league is exposed online, with companies such as Shenhua Real Estate, Jindin Group, and Fuhui Capital on the list!"

"SUG and other three clubs are removed from the GPL league!"

Similar news came one after another.

There was no official confirmation here, all of them were "inside information" and "internal sources revealed," but various materials were very sufficient, and many sources could verify each other, so they seemed highly credible.

This news quickly sparked heated discussions among netizens!

Most netizens were naturally sensitive to numbers, and the two numbers of 180 million and 26 million instantly stimulated the netizens' enthusiasm for gossip.

The domestic and even the world's e-sports circles had never heard of such large numbers before!

The domestic e-sports circle originally did not have a league, let alone the concept of "league slots." There were only so many clubs in the country. When organizing competitions, the organizers couldn't wait to arrange all the teams that signed up, so they naturally wouldn't limit the number of slots.

As for spending money to buy slots, it was even more absurd.

But now, the GPL league had not even started yet, and the mere participation slot had already been auctioned for 26 million. This was a unprecedented event for the domestic e-sports circle.

These companies participating in the GPL slot auction were all well-known companies in the country, which further made the onlookers aware of the wealth and generosity of the GPL league.

In addition, the news of the removal of SUG and other three clubs also aroused close attention from the onlookers.

"It's terrible, the organizers of other games have to beg these clubs to participate in the competition, but Boss Pei is good, the GPL league hasn't even been started yet, and he has already sold the slots!"

"The slots have been sold for 180 million, isn't this going to be on par with football in the future?"

"On par with football? You're thinking too much, it's still far behind. Even if the slot is auctioned for 26 million, it's still a younger brother."

"But you have to think, how long has football been developing? How long has e-sports been developing? GOG has only been born for less than a year and it has already become so popular. If it can really be held for three, five, or even ten years, maybe it can really compare with football by then!"

"Have you ever seen any game that can be popular for ten years? GOG definitely won't work either! I think this is another trend blown up by capital, it will only be lively for a year or two, and soon it will become deserted."

"What's going on with the removal of the three clubs, SUG, etc.? Did they commit something?"

"I heard that it seems that these three clubs took the initiative to sell the GOG branch. As a result, they only sold it for less than 15 million! No one knows exactly what the situation is, but they seem to have offended Boss Pei..."

"What do you mean? Is this gossip true? The pure GPL slot is sold for 26 million, but the slot and the entire team are only sold for 15 million? Does that mean the value of this team is negative 10 million?"

"I heard a new gossip today, saying that it's related to the standard contract that Boss Pei wanted to promote some time ago. These clubs didn't want to accept the standard contract, so they joined forces to put pressure on Boss Pei... As a result, the facts proved that they were thinking too much. Boss Pei couldn't wait for them to leave and replace them with other richer companies to run the GPL!"

"Serves them right! It's wrong to trick professional players with contracts in the first place. Boss Pei gave them a step down, but they didn't know what was good for them? Anyway, the SUG players are still there, just change the team name, and they can change to a better boss. I support this wave with both hands!"

"To be honest, the domestic e-sports environment has always been smoky, because these clubs are messing around with their part-time operations! Now that Boss Pei has come forward to standardize the entire industry environment and protect the interests of the players, I am more optimistic about the GPL!"

"Hehe, now the remaining clubs probably don't dare to make small moves under Boss Pei's nose..."

The onlookers had a great time eating melons.

Either they were praising Boss Pei, who had handled such a difficult thing as the e-sports league so simply and neatly;

Or they were discussing the big financial backers who had newly entered the e-sports industry, and were extremely optimistic about the future of the GPL;

Or they were combining previous events and scolding these three clubs.

Even the SUG fans were so angry that they were madly complaining under the club's Weibo account.

On one side, someone bought a GPL slot for 26 million;

On the other side, these three clubs sold the GPL slot and the entire GOG branch for 15 million.

Tell me, how brain-dead do you have to be to do such a thing?

The key is that the SUG club was scolded by fans and ridiculed by onlookers, but they couldn't refute it, and even couldn't explain it!

How to explain?

Who would have thought that it would turn out like this in the end?

To the onlookers who didn't know the truth, they didn't know the ins and outs of the matter, they just saw that the SUG club sold a GPL slot worth 26 million for 15 million, and even included the entire branch.

But the ins and outs of this matter can't be explained at all.

Because even if they were explained, no one would think that the club was scammed, but would think that the club's operation was even more brain-dead.

Therefore, they can only lie down and let themselves be ridiculed, and can't even come out to explain it.

As for what kind of storm these three club managers will have to endure after returning, that is unknown.

The only thing worth rejoicing is that they are all relatively young, and it shouldn't be too late to switch careers now.

…

Inside a certain office building.

Someone was browsing the recent GPL bidding gossip on his mobile phone, and the computer screen showed the investment page of Yuanmeng Venture Capital.

He touched the small mustache on his lips and said to himself, "Tengda's reputation is so useful? Its appeal is so strong?"

"It's simply a call to arms!"

"The GPL league hasn't even been held yet, and there's no hope of making a profit at all. Just a blank check has attracted more than 100 million yuan in funding."

"What's even more terrifying is that everyone spontaneously boycotted those three clubs, preferring to buy a pure slot for more than 20 million rather than touch the 15 million bundled sale of the team, just wanting to send the money to Tengda!"

"This is really unheard of."

"It just so happens that Tengda's Yuanmeng Venture Capital is currently investing in companies in society. I signed up with the mentality of trying my luck before, but I didn't expect to be selected."

"With my ability to draw cakes, if I get Tengda's investment again, causing other companies to follow suit..."

"Wouldn't I be able to immigrate abroad and enjoy my old age in two or three years?"