He Desheng and Meng Chang were both stunned by Boss Pei’s words.

  Meng Chang was about to continue speaking when Boss Pei’s words poured a bucket of cold water over him.

  Meng Chang’s expression changed from shock to confusion to lost.

  His usual calm and composed demeanor disappeared without a trace. He was so flustered that his words collided. “B-Boss Pei, why do you say that? You’re joking, right? You can point out what the cold-faced lady did wrong!”


  Meng Chang panicked.

  It was very important to get the money from Boss Pei today. However, it would not be too much of a loss even if he could not get the money since he had enough money to last for a while.

  Under such circumstances, it was always right to try his luck.

  However, Meng Chang never expected Boss Pei to withdraw his investment!

  This news was like a bolt out of the blue to Meng Chang!

  That was because what Meng Chang needed the most at the moment was not money but the confidence of the investors.

  It was all to increase the confidence of the investors whether it was taking investments from Boss Pei, burning money to make speeches or generating hype.

  The company’s valuation would continue to rise only if the investors were confident in the cold-faced lady and money kept rolling.He would then be able to continue playing the game, cash out and achieve financial freedom.

  However, on the other hand, Meng Chang wouldn’t be able to sustain it for long with its current burning speed once the investors’ confidence collapsed and no one thought highly of the cold-faced lady brand.

  Once Boss Pei left, the news would not be kept a secret. It was very likely that the cold-faced lady would collapse completely!

  Therefore, even Meng Chang, who had always been calm and composed and could handle all sorts of situations with ease, could not help but panic.

  Pei Qian smiled very politely. “There’s no problem with the Cold Faced Lady brand. I’m doing this purely because of Tengda’s internal affairs. It has nothing to do with you.”


  The corners of Meng Chang’s mouth twitched. He felt like his intelligence had been insulted.

  We had a good discussion when you just arrived, but you suddenly said you wanted to leave halfway through my PowerPoint presentation and then said it had nothing to do with me?

  However, Meng Chang had no other choice. He could not possibly point at Boss Pei’s nose and scold him now, right?

  Pei Qian sipped his tea. “Given Cold-Faced Lady’s current situation, there should be many investors fighting to invest. People will definitely buy the shares that Tengda wants to sell. The Cold-Faced Lady’s valuation will not be affected. What’s more, since it’s already profitable, there’s nothing to worry about, right?”


  Meng Chang’s mouth gapped, speechless.

  He could not refute what Boss Pei said since he made sense.

  Indeed, Tengda’s exit would not affect the cold-faced lady if everything was in accordance with Meng Chang’s bragging. There would be many people waiting to take over. However, the problem was why did Tengda want to leave?

  Wouldn’t it be better to keep holding onto shares and wait for the value to rise?

  Or could it be that Boss Pei had already seen through my plan and was playing with me on purpose?

  Was this sarcasm or humiliation?

  Meng Chang froze for a moment. He could not figure out what Boss Pei was really thinking even with his intelligence and cunning. He was at a loss.

  He Desheng, who was seated at the side, did not speak. Instead, he paid close attention to the subtle changes in Boss Pei’s expression.

  From his point of view, Meng Chang’s Powerpoint data did hide some tricks up his sleeve. It was obvious that he had played some numbers game in the finance department. However, this was a common phenomenon. The flaws could not hide the beauty of the moon. The cold-faced lady was still a company worth investing in.

  Boss Pei was not thinking about selling a portion of the shares to cash in and retaining a portion of the shares. Instead, he was thinking about leaving the game and cutting all ties with the cold-faced lady.

  Could it be that Boss Pei was still firmly implementing his previous investment strategy? Even a brand like the cold-faced lady was no exception?

  However…… Strictly speaking, the so-called ‘turning losses into profits’ of the cold-faced lady was actually very fake. It was the ‘turning losses into profits’ of the PowerPoint after moving a lot of the expenditure into the future and deducting a portion of marketing fees. It was not really making money.

  He Desheng felt that he had to remind him as his subordinate.

  He leaned close to Boss Pei’s ear and said in a low voice, “Boss Pei, the cold-faced lady has not really made profits yet. It is only showing signs of making profits. Should we strictly follow the previous investment rules and wait for the cold-faced lady to make a profit before withdrawing, or should we withdraw now?”


  Pei Qian frowned and hesitated.

  He was afraid that he would kill a loyal subject if he were to withdraw his investment, however, if he did not withdraw his investment, he would be afraid that the valuation would become higher and higher. The later he withdrew his investment, the more he would earn. Then, he would be in trouble.

  After some consideration, Pei Qian decided to give Meng Chang his last chance.

  He looked at Meng Chang. “Don’t talk about those fancy things on the Powerpoint. Just tell me the truth. How high is the probability that the cold-faced lady would let me earn money and how much I would earn?”


  “Is there any possibility of incurring losses? What is the maximum loss we will incur?”


  “Tell me the truth and give me an accurate number.”


  Meng Chang saw He Desheng whispering in Boss Pei’s ear. While he did not know what exactly he said but he could tell from Boss Pei’s attitude that things had taken a turn for the better.

  Meng Chang was overjoyed as if he had found a straw to clutch at.

  In his opinion, Boss Pei was obviously trying to give him a warning to show his determination!

  Meng Chang could not help but feel slightly regretful because he felt that he had made a fool of himself earlier.

  Once Boss Pei said that he wanted to withdraw, his reaction was a little extreme. This showed that the cold-faced lady was indeed very reliant on Tengda’s financial support.

  The latter part of Boss Pei’s question was like asking how much benefits Meng Chang could bring to Tengda Corporation after accurately grasping their influence on Cold-Faced Lady’s life.

  At this point, Meng Chang had no other choice. He had to stand firmly on Boss Pei’s side and promise him bright prospects in exchange for Boss Pei’s continued support.

  At that thought, Meng Chang immediately became very serious and assured Boss Pei decisively. “Boss Pei, don’t worry. The cold-faced lady will definitely make you money! It’s just a matter of how much you earn!”


  “I can assure you that at least one of the two ways to make money can be realized.”


  “The first is that the cold-faced lady continues to generate profits. As the cold-faced lady’s major shareholder, you will receive dividends for a long period of time. You will gain long-term benefits if you hold on until we are listed. The second is that once more capital enters, you can leave whenever you want. The longer you hold, the higher the value, and the more you will earn!”


  “As for incurring losses, I promise you that this will not happen.”


  “Up until now, every step of Cold-Faced Lady’s development was in accordance to my plan. Your investment will definitely be able to reap rich rewards without any risk of incurring losses as long as we continue to develop step by step!”


  “Therefore, I hope that you can persevere for at least another three months, no, a month. You will definitely see a return! Of course, it would be even better if you could invest more money……”


  Pei Qian fell into a long minute of silence.

  Then, he picked up his teacup. “Send the guest out!”


  Meng Chang was shocked. “Eh? Boss Pei!”


  He looked at Boss Pei, then at He Desheng, his mind blank.

  He Desheng stood up. “Please.”


  Meng Chang refused to give up. He wanted to say something more to try and change Boss Pei’s mind. However, seeing Boss Pei’s resolute attitude, he hesitated again and again before giving up.

  That was because he knew that he would be on the losing end if he was concerned. If he lost his composure now because of his anxiety, he would easily expose himself in front of Boss Pei. Boss Pei would only be more determined to retreat.

  Retreat for now. Things might take a turn for the better in two days once Boss Pei’s emotions settle down.

  There was no other way.

  At that thought, Meng Chang could only nod reluctantly. “Alright, Boss Pei. Take your time to think about it.”


  He Desheng sent Meng Chang off and returned to the guest room.

  “Boss Pei, are you sure you want to sell all of Cold-Faced Lady’s shares? Are you not going to reconsider?” He Desheng asked.

  Pei Qian’s attitude was firm. “Sell! Sell them immediately!”


  “Are we going to make a lot of money if we sell them now?”


  Pei Qian was prepared for the worst.

  He Desheng shook his head. “Boss Pei, that’s hard to say. Cold-Faced Lady is not listed yet, and their valuation is very low. How much these shares are worth would depend on the negotiation between the two parties. We’ll see how much the buyer is willing to spend.”


  “However, don’t worry, Boss Pei. I’ll do my best to negotiate and fight for the highest price.”


  “Moreover, Meng Chang would not allow your shares to be sold at a low price. After all, this would affect Cold-Faced Lady’s valuation and the confidence of other investors. He would definitely work hard to facilitate a high transaction. If the two of us go together, we should have a 90% chance of success. However, it would be difficult to guarantee a specific number.”


  The corners of Pei Qian’s mouth twitched.

  Pei Qian had invested a total of eight million yuan into Cold-Faced Lady. Wouldn’t he vomit blood on the spot if he managed to earn twenty to thirty million yuan?

  He had to sell it cheaply. He had to sell them at a lower price than eight million yuan!

  Pei Qian pondered for a moment and said, “Can we…… sell them at a lower price?”


  He Desheng was stunned.

  What did he mean by selling them at a lower price? Did Boss Pei think that it was too expensive?

  However, he quickly reacted. “Oh, Boss Pei, are you saying that we should not negotiate repeatedly just to sell the shares at a high price but to sell them off as soon as possible? In order to sell them off as soon as possible, we can sell them at a lower price?”


  Pei Qian: “.……More or less.”


  He could not tell He Desheng that he was selling it cheaply, so he could only hint to him. However, it was not a big mistake for He Desheng to understand it this way. The outcome should be the same.

  He Desheng nodded. “I understand, Boss Pei. I will handle this matter properly!”
……

  December 14th, Wednesday……

  At the filming location of Mission and Choice.

  “Cut!”


  “Alright, this part is not bad. We’ll continue another part and then call it a day.”


  “Not bad, the situation has been getting better recently. The filming is progressing faster than I thought. I knew that we had the right person for the main lead!”


  Zhu Xiaoce was not stingy with his praise for Lu Zhiyao.

  Lu Zhiyao smiled embarrassedly. “Sigh, this is all thanks to Boss Pei’s good guidance and the script. I’m just adding flowers to the brocade.”


  Zhu Xiaoce patted him on the shoulder. “Why are you being humble? Here, this is the next part of the script. Take a look at the time and feel it.”


  Lu Zhiyao reached out to receive it.

  According to Director Zhu Xiaoce’s plan, the film for “Mission and Choice” had to be completed by March or so. That was because there was still a lot of time needed for post-production and special effects.

  Almost all of the scenes in “Mission and Choice” had special effects. It would be very time-consuming to create them. One had to reserve enough time for that area of work to ensure that it would be released in June according to the original plan.

  There was a lot of pressure on the filming portion as well.

  The current filming progress had not completely followed the script. Many scenes in the first part of the plot had not been filmed to their most satisfactory state. However, Zhu Xiaoce felt that Lu Zhiyao’s acting skills and state of mind had more or less been adjusted. Basically, he could perfectly take on the role of Qin Yi from the previous stage. He could almost give him the next stage of the script so that he could figure out the next stage of Qin Yi in advance.

  The filming was progressing smoothly. He had to thank Boss Pei.

  On one hand, Boss Pei had given Lu Zhiyao confidence and stimulated his potential. He had allowed him to figure out his own character, train his acting skills, and improve his acting skills without anyone guiding him. On the other hand, the Fully-Automated Intelligent Bickering Machine that Boss Pei had arranged for someone to create allowed Lu Zhiyao to act with AEEIS whenever he had the time. He could then immerse himself in figuring out his character.

  Lu Zhiyao was about to accept a new challenge now.

  Lu Zhiyao could not wait to open the script and read the rest of the plot.

  In the previous plot, Qin Yi had understood the inevitability of the previous commander and AEEIS commander. Lu Zhiyao could not wait to welcome the final battle between humans and Zergs……

  Qin Yi commanded the battles one by one expressionlessly and methodically. Countless starships were destroyed around him. Countless humans and Zergs were blown to smithereens. Not even their bones were left.

  He was like a perfect war machine, giving orders one after another and commanding battle after battle. The death of the soldiers was unable to stir up any more emotions in him.

  If the death of one person was a tragedy, then the death of many would just be a number.

  During this long shot, there was an emotionless voice over by AEEIS. It seemed like it was meant for Qin Yi, but it was also for the audience in front of the camera and players in the game.

  “Command is the most important part of the war. It gathers countless soldiers together to form a powerful force.”


  “Command can also be divided into two aspects: the handling of information and the decision of action.”


  “In war, information processing is especially important because wrong information means wrong decision. Both sides will obtain a huge amount of information at every moment. How to process this information and determine its authenticity and severity often determines whether the final decision is right or not.”


  “Information can be regarded as a ‘transmission chain’: whether a message is uploaded or issued, it has to go through various levels and channels like a chain. The transmission chain determines the efficiency of information.”


  “Messages transmitted under any circumstances are ‘selective’. Otherwise, both the commander and his subordinates would be drowned by the massive amount of information and become overwhelmed.”


  “Such selectivity is the most basic logical setting. Therefore, deception has always existed with war.”


  “In ancient China, there was a story of ‘looking at plum blossoms to quench thirst’. In the modern war, the Japanese army deliberately hid the truth of the war after the Battle of Midway Island.”


  “The truth of the Battle of Midway was not revealed to the public nor to the senior officials. Instead, it was announced that the war was ‘a battle to determine the overall situation’. The citizens who were deceived even celebrated ‘victory’ with bright lights and colorful decorations.”


  “‘Deception’ is not ‘telling falsehood’ but ‘deliberately hiding part of the information’ in most circumstances.”


  “Very few superiors would directly give orders to the soldiers to give up their lives. That would not give the soldiers any sense of honor, but would also deal a fatal blow to their morale.”


  “In commanding war, the commander would usually only issue a clear mission. For example, hold a position for two hours and then retreat. However, the commander would never say anything unnecessary like: ‘There is a high chance that this operation will wipe out the entire army.’”


  “Therefore, deception is not a hypocritical trick. More often than not, it is the most efficient way to deal with information transmission chains. It is to improve results, reduce losses, and obtain greater victory.”


  Qin Yi began to command one battle after another with the voice-over from AEEIS.

  These battles were mixed with real battles and virtual battles because of the existence of simulated elements.

  If Qin Yi failed in a certain battle or was dissatisfied with the results, he could ask AEEIS to review and simulate the battle. It would restore the initial deployment of the forces of both sides’. However, a series of random events would still occur during the war because of the system’s calculations. Each review would be different.

  In such a situation, Qin Yi could tell that this was an AEEIS simulation and not a real battle because in reality, these people had already died because of the initial failure.

  The battles that Qin Yi had encountered for the first time were also mixed with real and fake battles. According to AEEIS, sometimes he was commanding the real army, and sometimes he was commanding virtual battles.

  However, regardless of whether these battles were real or fake, Qin Yi would use 120% of his focus to command. That was because he was already used to treating every single unit on the screen as a living person.

  It was precisely because of this mentality that Qin Yi began to rely more on the various data provided by AEEIS.

  That was because Qin Yi realized that most of the time, data was more reliable than people. If a soldier’s morale had already fallen to rock-bottom, then commanding him to carry out important tasks would result in obvious results.

  During this long process, Qin Yi gradually became numb.

  Apart from the necessary sleep every day, Qin Yi was continuously giving instructions one after another, operating the machinery.

  If they succeeded, they would continue with the next battle; if they failed, they would review the game countless times until they won.

  The cycle repeated endlessly day after day.

  There was no day or night in the command cabin. Only AEEIS which accurately calculated the time for Qin Yi to sleep or wake up.

  Qin Yi did not remember how many times he had slept or how many days had passed. That was because the decisive battle was coming at any moment. He had to make the best use of his time to prepare.

  Finally, one day, Qin Yi was awakened by AEEIS in his sleep.

  Qin Yi saw the overwhelming swarm of insects moving in and out of the nest on the holographic image around him. The human stronghold on the planet and the starship floating in the starry sky were ready for battle.

  The current situation was self-evident. A new round of large-scale battles was about to begin.

  This battle might last for a long time, or it might collapse and end quickly because of an insignificant mistake.

  Qin Yi walked towards the console. He felt an unprecedented sense of calmness when this day finally arrived.