Chapter 271: Teacher Qiao, You Can't Upload That Video
Although Pei Qian had agreed verbally, he knew perfectly well that this matter couldn't be rushed—it required careful, gradual planning.
Lin Wan was currently in an extremely confident state—and equally on guard against her family.
She must have realized that, now that her game had become a success, Old Master Lin would be even more restless and would try every possible means to drag her back home.
If Pei Qian acted even a little suspiciously, she would definitely catch on.
So, not only did he have to figure out a way to get Lin Wan to leave, but he also had to make her believe it had nothing to do with her family—that it wasn't some scheme cooked up by her grandfather or Lin Yu behind the scenes.
But… how could he pull that off?
Originally, the "Best Employee trophy" could've served as a perfect excuse—but the next round of evaluations was still a long way off.
If he made a special exception and held another round of voting soon, it would look fake.
Not to mention, there was no guarantee that everyone would vote for Lin Wan—people like Bao Xu were strong contenders, too.
To make sure Lin Wan won, he'd have to secretly rig the process—which was just too much trouble.
Pei Qian thought about it for a while. The best excuse was probably business expansion.
He could tell Lin Wan that Tengda was launching a new business venture, and as one of the company's most capable employees, she'd be in charge of overseeing the new operation.
Then, once she was in charge, he could raise the difficulty level to the point where she'd give up on her own.
…But how exactly should he implement that plan?
Pei Qian didn't have a clear idea yet.
So, for now, he simply agreed to take on the task, without rushing into it.
After all, there was only about a week left before Turn Back Before It's Too Late was set to launch.
His top priority at the moment was to ensure losses before the next settlement date.
. . .
September 29, Wednesday.
Pei Qian first went to inspect the progress of the new Moyu Internet Café branch.
Ma Yang and Zhang Yuan had followed his orders strictly—their top priority was to open as soon as possible.
As a result, they hadn't spent much time on interior decoration, giving the café a rather minimalist look.
Still, the furniture, computers, and other equipment were identical to the previous Moyu Café.
And with that familiar Moyu Internet Café logo at the entrance, the brand recognition was quite high.
Pei Qian walked around the new store and found himself fairly satisfied.
After removing the coffee and bar area, the main floor was filled entirely with rows of computers, making it more compact than the original layout.
There was a small lounge area and a projector—just like the mini viewing section in the other Moyu branches.
After all, in Pei Qian's eyes, the viewing section took up space and didn't make money—there was no reason not to cut it.
The computers and peripherals were still high-end, powerful enough to run even the most demanding games smoothly—perhaps even too powerful.
After his inspection, Pei Qian offered Ma Yang and Zhang Yuan a few words of praise for their efficiency and left.
The café's current state didn't matter—what mattered was whether, in a week or two, it would successfully lose money.
He'd check back later to make sure.
When Pei Qian returned to the Moyu Internet Café's Handong University branch, Turn Back Before It's Too Late had officially wrapped up development and was scheduled for release on October 1.
The final polishing and adjustments were nearly done.
That meant Teacher Qiao's historical mission was basically complete.
Over the past month, Teacher Qiao had made outstanding contributions to the game's balance and mechanics—and Pei Qian was deeply grateful for it.
However, there was one thing he had to say to Teacher Qiao—something from the heart.
"President Pei," Qiao Liang said earnestly, "thank you for taking care of me during this time. My stay in Jingzhou has been incredibly meaningful!"
"Turn Back Before It's Too Late is a game with profound spiritual depth. Once I return to Beijing, I'll release a video as soon as possible to share my thoughts and experiences from playing it!"
Qiao Liang looked full of energy.
Ever since arriving in Jingzhou, his mental state had been a roller coaster—up and down again and again.
There had been moments of joy, confusion, and even existential doubt.
But now, there was only one feeling left in his heart: a deep sense of fulfillment!
Not only had he received generous rewards, but he'd also seen President Pei's true face, dined at the legendary Nameless Restaurant, and—most impressively—cleared Turn Back Before It's Too Late ahead of everyone else.
Qiao Liang felt that compared to other content creators, he already had a significant head start. Whether in gameplay skill or understanding of the game's design, he could absolutely crush his competition.
Once he finished his review video for this game, it was guaranteed to be another viral hit!
Just thinking about it set his fighting spirit ablaze.
It's time to rack up more followers!
Pei Qian, however, fell silent—especially when he heard the words "as soon as possible." His hands trembled slightly.
He had experienced firsthand the devastating power of Qiao Liang's videos.
From Lonely Desert Road to Game Producer, every single one of his reviews had brought massive attention—and massive losses—to Pei Qian.
So this time, he absolutely couldn't afford to repeat the same mistake.
Pei Qian's expression instantly turned serious. "No, Teacher Qiao. You can't post that video."
"Huh? Why not?" Qiao Liang blinked, genuinely confused.
Wasn't he helping to promote their game?
Especially since Turn Back Before It's Too Late was so difficult, and its plot so profound—didn't it need someone like him to help interpret and explain it?
Besides, hadn't President Pei invited him here specifically to do early coverage and generate buzz?
Pei Qian coughed twice. "Tell me, Teacher Qiao—when a new movie comes out, do you immediately post a review that spoils the ending?"
Qiao Liang froze. "…Of course not."
Spoilers? That would be pure evil!
It'd be like circling the culprit on the very first page of a detective comic—unforgivable.
Pei Qian nodded approvingly. "Exactly."
"For the audience, if they already know the spoilers before watching, the movie loses a huge part of its charm. The feeling of discovery is irreplaceable—the experience of the first watch and the second watch are completely different."
"And the same goes for games—especially special ones like this."
Qiao Liang was still puzzled, but he began to grasp the logic behind it.
Indeed, Turn Back Before It's Too Late was a very unique game. The first time he played it, he'd been mercilessly crushed—confused, frustrated, and yet strangely captivated.
Pei Qian continued, his tone calm but persuasive. "Think back to that very first moment you started playing. How did you feel?"
"Weren't you shocked, surprised, maybe even a little intrigued?"
"That's because you had no clear expectations before playing. That uncertainty—that sense of mystery—was what made the experience so magical."
"But if you release a video beforehand, telling players that it's an incredibly hard game with layers of hidden meaning, then they'll go in already prepared. Their mindset will be completely different. The experience will be spoiled."
"So what I'm saying is—don't be that person who spoils it for everyone else."
Qiao Liang blinked, thinking it over.
Now that he really considered it, President Pei's words… actually made a lot of sense.
Looking back, the first time he played Turn Back Before It's Too Late, even though it had been brutal and confusing—that confusion itself had felt… strangely beautiful.
It was just like with so many games—that magical "first time" feeling.
When you first start out, you're a total newbie, constantly getting beaten down, but somehow, that struggle feels fun. You might even get addicted to it.
But once you've mastered the mechanics and become a pro, the experience changes completely. That sense of wonder and challenge from the first encounter… never comes back.
If he released a full breakdown video of Turn Back Before It's Too Late, then before even touching the game, players would already know how difficult it was.
Wouldn't that change how they approached it?
Most likely, yes.
So, President Pei's reasoning was actually quite thoughtful.
But… what about the hype?
After a short pause, Qiao Liang sighed. "You're right, President Pei. My video could affect how players experience the game for the first time."
"But even if I don't post anything, other creators will," he added reluctantly.
He couldn't help but feel a little bitter—the first content creator to release a strategy or commentary would get an enormous boost. Was he really supposed to just give up that golden opportunity to gain subscribers?
Pei Qian, of course, had already predicted this line of thinking. He nodded calmly.
"I know. That's unavoidable."
"But you've already played the game longer than anyone else. You understand it better than any other content creator."
"My suggestion is—wait at least one week after the official release before posting your video. That way, the first batch of players can experience the game as intended, without outside influence."
"And even if you release it a week later, you'll still be ahead of the pack—your insights will be deeper, your analysis sharper."
"More importantly, players will finally get to feel the same suffering you went through."
Qiao Liang's eyes lit up in sudden realization. That's true!
When he'd first played this game, he'd suffered a lot. Every bit of progress was the result of painstaking trial and error.
How could he just hand over all those hard-earned lessons for free?
No—let the others struggle too!
Let them all get beaten into the ground before he came in to "save" them.
Once players had been thoroughly crushed, they'd flock to his video like drowning men grabbing a lifeline—showering him with gratitude and views alike.
Brilliant!
He nodded vigorously. "No problem! You're right—I shouldn't interfere with their experience. I'll wait one week before posting my video."
"President Pei, you really think of everything. Truly, only a great designer could understand the psychology of players this well!"
Pei Qian couldn't help but smile faintly.
Perfect. Fooled successfully.
In truth, his goal had nothing to do with "protecting player experience."
He simply wanted to minimize the impact of Qiao Liang's videos.
If Qiao Liang released his content the same day the game launched, players would enter it mentally prepared, more tolerant of its difficulty, and less likely to quit or refund.
That would make the game more profitable—an unacceptable outcome!
But if Qiao Liang held back for the first week, then players would crash and burn on their own.
By then, the internet would already be flooded with angry posts and refund complaints, and Turn Back Before It's Too Late would have a tanked reputation beyond saving.
After a week—once all the rage had peaked, refunds processed, and the hardcore players had finally started piecing together strategies—Qiao Liang could release his video, but the damage would already be done.
That way, the game's exposure and profits would be minimized to the greatest extent possible.
Pei Qian leaned back, feeling smug. See? Just a few words from me, and a whole crisis neatly defused.
Now, if only the players would all turn into raging, keyboard-smashing maniacs, then Turn Back Before It's Too Late would crash and burn within the first week—utterly and irrevocably.
By the time Qiao Liang posted his video, it would be far too late to save it.
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