Losing Money to Be a Tycoon

Chapter 173 Boss Pei Was Always So Heartwarming

Evidently, Huang Sibo and Zhu Xiaoce were very clear about what they wanted to shoot. The emphasis of this documentary was not to exaggerate the glorious and beautiful side of professional gamers; it wanted more to focus on their daily lives, to let everyone see the side of them struggling and facing difficulties.

“This is very well done.”

Pei Qian really meant this.

He had seen many good documentaries on eSports players before. This one from Zhu Xiaoce was considered a very outstanding piece in both content and technique.

Huang Sibo smiled a little helplessly as he said, “I am also rather pleased. However… I’m afraid that we won’t be able to get back our capital.

“We have found a few video websites; however, they are unable to provide us with enough proceeds. If we just participate in ordinary incentive plans—even if this clip had three million views, we would only make back a few thousand; that wouldn’t be much.”

Pei Qian nodded his head.

It was obvious that documentaries were not very lucrative; they were different from short videos.

Short videos could draw on a wide variety of materials; they could also do sponsored partnerships that would sustain production. For video websites, having short videos would bring much internet traffic to their sites.

However, documentaries were completely different.

Huang Sibo and the others had used very high-tech filming equipment and had run around Jingzhou, Shanghai, and Li Zhengwei’s hometown to shoot the documentary. Pei Qian had also required them to spend on their food and accommodation as per Tengda’s standards; they naturally had spent money like water.

For documentaries such as these, they were normally produced by the official sites to publicize and promote games or competitions. No matter how much money went into the documentaries, the sites could make this money back.

However, Huang Sibo and the others had done this documentary purely as a form of public service to the public interest; it was quite normal they wouldn’t be able to make back the money they had used.

Huang Sibo knew that this time, Lu Mingliang had led the development of the new editions of the current games; and the downloadable contents had all achieved great success. Lu Mingliang had probably already superseded him in the position as chief planner.

Fei Huang Workspace hadn’t made the slightest contribution this time. At gatherings like this, he more or less felt a little abashed.

Pei Qian smiled. “You guys are feeling bad because of this?”

Huang Sibo was a little shocked, “Boss Pei…”

Pei Qian raised his glass as he swirled it. His tone became rather indifferent, “Hadn’t I said long ago? Do not be calculative and focused on short-term profits and losses; do not care so much about money.

“Didn’t the short videos also start as something you guys did out of love without looking forward to gaining? Although you guys rejected low-class sponsored partnerships, you guys didn’t starve. In the end, you all managed to find a best-of-both-worlds way to make money, right?

“To me, the focus isn’t on if we can make money, but on whether we are doing something meaningful or not.

“Weren’t you guys already mentally prepared that you would make a loss when you all decided to do a documentary?

“You got the desired end-product you guys wanted; what’s there to be bitter about?”

Huang Sibo felt a little warmth in him, “Boss Pei, thank you…”

The two of them couldn’t help but sigh with emotion. If these words had come from someone else, they might have thought that the words were rather fake. However, when it came from Boss Pei, it felt so earnest and real!

Perhaps this was what distinguished Boss Pei from other bosses. He really had a heart bigger than ordinary people and great foresight and wide horizons!

Pei Qian smiled slightly, “Don’t doubt yourselves.

“So what if you guys were doing something you loved without looking forward to gaining? As long as this documentary can gain enough traction and a consensus from players, that would mean that Fei Huang Workspace was on the right track!

“Are you guys out of a filming budget for the next piece? Don’t worry, just tell me how much you guys are lacking!”

Pei Qian was delighted with his unexpected good fortune.

Huang Sibo and Zhu Xiaoce had probably almost used up the profits from before to film this documentary; they didn’t seem to have much left.

Pei Qian could use this as a reason to give them more money, for them to continue to spend!

Of course, this would be during the next cycle.

“Boss Pei, it’s not only that we don’t have a budget anymore for filming.” Zhu Xiaoce sighed slightly, “Actually, we had used all our existing funds and even our own money first; but we realized it wasn’t enough. We actually still owe our employees a month’s worth of pay…”

“Good!” Pei Qian said loudly.

Zhu Xiaoce was stunned, “?”

Pei Qian coughed two times. “You guys have done well. This shows that your employees are of one heart and one mind with you two! Under this tough situation, no one had thought of quitting. This shows that Fei Huang Workspace has become a mature team that can withstand challenges!

“You guys shouldn’t use your own money first at all. Go look for Assistant Xin. However much you guys are lacking or need to be repaid, it will all be given.”

“No, wait. That might not be sufficient. Delaying the payment of wages is not a good thing; we’ll pay them their wages with interest as well. We cannot mistreat our supportive brothers!”

Huang Sibo was stunned. “Boss Pei, this isn’t appropriate, right? I have never heard of people paying late wages with interest before…”

Pei Qian shook his hand, asking Huang Sibo to stop talking

“Huang Sibo. What films you guys want to shoot or how you guys want to fight and challenge yourselves, I do not care. However, I cannot allow anything that might sully the image of our company!

“For employees that went through hard times together with Tengda, we cannot allow them to be discouraged, understand?”

Boss Pei spoke so righteously.

Huang Sibo was so touched tears welled up in his eyes.

This was… the warmth of a family!

Regardless of how much one might have suffered or how many setbacks one might have experienced outside, returning to Tengda was like returning home. One would never need to worry; Tengda and Boss Pei would be their backing!

Seeing Boss Pei looking and not seeming to mind that they had used up so much money, Huang Sibo and Zhu Xiaoce felt like a huge burden had been lifted off their shoulders.

Pei Qian asked, “Are you guys still intending to do a documentary for the next project?”

Huang Sibo shook his head, “As for this, we haven’t decided yet. We’ll wait for this documentary to be uploaded and see the response first. However, we probably wouldn’t continue with this theme. It’s not because we can’t make money from this but because we have already shot many things we wanted to showcase.

“We might change a new theme to shoot.”

Pei Qian nodded, “En, go ahead and experiment. If you guys are out of money, just say the word.”

After chatting for a while longer, Pei Qian suddenly thought of something.

“Oh, right, how’s Chen Lei doing?”

Although Pei Qian had already sent Chen Lei to Shanghai, Pei Qian was still a little worried. Chen Lei was really talented and Pei Qian was very afraid that he might pull a stunt, and so he thought of asking.

“I’m not so sure. As per your request, I have helped him to settle his food and accommodation. However, as we have been busy shooting and he had been running around in Shanghai, we haven’t interacted much.

“We had wanted to ask him to sing the closing song for the documentary. However, as we didn’t have enough budget and couldn’t find an appropriate song, we didn’t raise this up with him.”

Huang Sibo tried to make conversation as he elaborated.

Pei Qian’s heart had skipped a beat, and then it went back to normal very soon.

That scared me a little!

Fortunately, Huang Sibo had not discussed with Chen Lei to pay him to sing the closing song. If Chen Lei had really done so, there might have been trouble!

Although this documentary wouldn’t make money, its theme and the effort put into the filming were definitely going to attract many viewers!

If that happened and Chen Lei suddenly grew famous over the web and was talent-scouted and that had a positive effect on Fei Huang Workspace…

The consequences would be unimaginable!

Luckily, none of this had happened.

Of course, it wasn’t that Pei Qian didn’t want Chen Lei to do well. He just wanted Chen Lei to wait a little while and not become famous in this cycle, so that Chen Lei wouldn’t implicate Pei Qian.

You can become famous in your own time and on your own; please do not bring that fame to me!

“How about now?” Pei Qian continued to ask.

Huang Sibo thought for a moment, “He is probably still looking for opportunities now in Shanghai. If Boss Pei wants to know more, I could call him to ask.”

Pei Qian raised his hand, “There’s no need for that; I’m just casually asking.”

As long as Chen Lei wasn’t going to affect the settlement this time, everything else was fine.

On the side, Zhu Xiaoce sighed with emotion.

Boss Pei was really so caring for each of his employees!

Regarding Chen Lei, Zhu Xiaoce had heard some things about him.

Chen Lei had been a resident singer in Fish-Catching Internet Cafe; he had actually generated much profit for the cafe. If it was any other boss, they would have kept a firm hold over Chen Lei, treating him like a chicken laying golden eggs and not allowing him to leave.

However, Boss Pei had done the exact opposite. He had not restrained and stopped Chen Lei from pursuing his dreams by keeping him at Fish-Catching Internet Cafe but had forked out money to send him to Shanghai so that he could look for better opportunities on a bigger stage!

This probably would not benefit Boss Pei at all in any way; it was completely altruistic.

Even now, Boss Pei still cared about Chen Lei who was far away in Shanghai; what a caring

spirit!

Boss Pei was always so heartwarming.