wavenovel Chapter 467 is showing promise.
Chapter 467 is showing promise.
On his way home from the internet cafe, Lu Ran kept thinking about the competition.
The autumn wind blew in from the Huangpu River, making the hem of his coat flutter, but he didn't feel cold and walked much faster than usual.
I had a really good time playing those games in the company's internal competition, but that's not enough. These kinds of competitions only have real value when they're scaled up and become more formal.
The scene of tens of millions of people watching the World Championship online at the same time in his previous life kept replaying in his mind, like a projector that could not be turned off.
When he pushed open the door to his home, Shen Yuege was curled up on the sofa watching a variety show.
A thermos bowl sat on the coffee table, its lid slightly ajar, allowing the aroma of pork rib soup to waft out and warm the entire living room.
She heard the door open but didn't look up. She just pointed towards the coffee table and said the soup was still there, and offered to serve herself.
Lu Ran changed his shoes, went to the kitchen to get a bowl, poured out the soup, and sat down next to Shen Yuege with the bowl in his hand.
He scooped a spoonful and put it in his mouth. The ribs were stewed until they were tender and fell off the bone, and the radish chunks had soaked up the broth and melted in his mouth.
He chewed twice and swallowed, then said, "The company's internal competition is over for today."
Shen Yuege spared half her attention from the variety show to ask him: "You won?"
"We won. The enemy mid laner was Zhou Mingzhe, and I had a 50-CS lead over him."
"Poor Lao Zhou, you beat him up in front of the whole company. Won't he hold a grudge tomorrow?"
Lu Ran thought for a moment and said that it was unlikely, as he was not that petty.
However, after he lost, he did say that he would put me in the referee group next time and not let me participate, but he was probably just joking.
After finishing his soup, he put the bowl on the coffee table, leaned back on the sofa, and stared at the ceiling for a while.
The idea of the competition in his mind became clearer and clearer, as if someone was writing down the key points line by line on his forehead with a pen.
Seeing that he hadn't spoken for a while, Shen Yuege kicked his leg with her foot: "What are you thinking about? You finished your soup and then shut up."
Lu Ran looked up from the ceiling and turned to look at her. "I was thinking about the competition. I only confirmed it after the company's internal competition was over. This can't be delayed any longer; we need to push it forward as soon as possible."
He sat up straighter and began to tell her his thoughts.
There has never been a formal, large-scale event in the world that can be watched by the whole world.
If he does it, he'll be the first. The first person to do it can set the rules, standards, and procedures, and everyone else can only follow him.
Shen Yuege turned the TV volume down a bit, listened attentively, and then asked, "So, what are you planning to do? Where do you start?"
Lu Ran said that Chen Mo had been working on the internet cafe league, and that registration channels and offline venues in various regions had already been coordinated.
The hype also needs to be built up: a prominent spot on the TUTU homepage, in-game announcements, and social media buzz – a full-fledged effort to make players feel that this is more than just a competition.
After listening, Shen Yuege said, "That sounds pretty loud," then picked up the remote and turned the TV volume back up, adding, "Then you go ahead with your work. Anyway, my soup is ready and there, you can drink it anytime."
Lu Ran knew that what she meant was "Go do your thing, you don't need to worry about things at home." He replied with "Okay," leaned back on the sofa, took out his phone, and sent a message to Chen Mo.
"Mr. Chen, the company's internal competition is over. I have a few ideas about the internet cafe league and the subsequent tournament system. Could you come to my office tomorrow morning to discuss it in detail?"
Chen Mo replied instantly: "Did you get addicted to beating Zhou Mingzhe today? Do you want to keep playing after you're done?"
Lu Ran replied, "It's not about continuing the fight, it's about making the scene bigger," then added "See you tomorrow" before putting his phone down.
The streetlights outside the window cast a dim, yellowish line across the ceiling through the gaps in the curtains. The variety show Shen Yuege was watching was still playing, with the host leading the guests in games, and waves of laughter emanating from the television.
Lu Ran leaned back on the sofa, mentally reviewing what he needed to discuss with Chen Mo the next day: how to organize the internet cafe league, how to connect with official events, how to arrange the promotional pace, and how to coordinate TUTU's resources with Chen Mo's channels. He could explain every single detail.
When he arrived at the company the next morning, Chen Mo was already waiting for him at the door of his office with a teacup in hand.
"You've finally arrived," Chen Mo stepped aside to make way for him in the doorway, and followed him into the office. "Last night you mentioned 'making a big splash,' and I've been thinking about it all night. How exactly do you mean to make it big?"
Lu Ran sat down behind his desk, opened his computer, pulled up a document, and turned the screen towards Chen Mo: "Take a look at this first. This is the general framework I put together last night. Internet cafe leagues cover the grassroots level, official tournaments form the top level, and online ranking matches connect the middle—a three-tiered structure that covers players of all skill levels."
"A three-tiered structure," Chen Mo stared at the screen for a while, then looked up, his tone much more serious than before, "I've been following up on the internet cafe league. The registration figures for various regions are in, and they're much better than you expected. The registration rate in first-tier cities is over 90%, while it's slightly lower in second- and third-tier cities but still around 70%. This shows that players have a strong desire to participate, and the foundation is there."
"What about building momentum?" Lu Ran asked.
Chen Mo put down his phone and said that he had already asked the operations team to start preparing for the promotion. The GG spot on the TUTU homepage was scheduled for half a month, the login announcement in the game was also drafted, and several big influencers on social media were contacted to develop a seeding plan.
He paused, then added, "However, there's a problem. This kind of competition is unprecedented in the world. Won't players feel that it's just empty promises from the organizers, all talk and no action?"
Lu Ran leaned back in his chair and thought for a moment, saying that he felt as long as the first match actually took place, there were rewards, and people watched, the doubts about the empty promises would dissipate on their own. The key was not to set up too big a show and then back down.
He raised his hand and gestured in the air: "The worst thing about competitions is starting strong but ending weak. If you're going to do it, do it thoroughly."
After hearing this, Chen Mo remained silent for two seconds, as if weighing the words "go all the way" over and over in his mind several times, before nodding and saying that he would keep a close eye on the internet cafe league.
Next week, we'll start a pilot program in Shanghai and Guangzhou to test the process. Once everything is running smoothly, we'll roll it out nationwide.
Lu Ran added, "The pilot tournament should have live streaming, commentary, and a trophy. Even if only two teams are playing, it should feel like a formal match."
"A trophy?" Chen Mo's eyebrows twitched. "A trophy for the pilot competition?"
"Do something small, the point is to give everyone something to look forward to. A little praise for the winner, a photo posted on social media, is more effective than a hundred announcements."
Chen Mo thought for a moment and said, "Okay, then I'll go find a supplier to make a batch."
The two went over the specific timelines and resource allocation again, and set the pilot competition for the beginning of next month.
When Chen Mo left, he took the printed framework diagram with him, saying he would distribute it to the operations team.
After closing the office door, Lu Ran leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling.
The pilot competition, live broadcast, commentary, and trophy—each of these is something that has never been seen before in the world.
If all goes well, the League of Legends World Championship will be the first page he has written.
And gaming tournaments are just the beginning.
He was about to stand up to get a glass of water from the tea room when his phone on the table suddenly vibrated.
He picked it up and saw three words displayed on the screen: Wang Jianguo.
He pressed the answer button and held the phone to his ear: "Director Wang, it's been a long time since we last talked. How have you been lately?"
Wang Jianguo's voice came through the receiver: "Teacher Lu, there's been progress on the matter you asked me to inquire about last time. Regarding the government investment, I've connected you with a suitable person. He's at a high level, specializing in cultural industry connections, and quite familiar with your situation. He's also heard about your proactive desire to cooperate with the government and is very welcoming. I spoke with him briefly, and he's very interested in your case and thinks we can discuss it further."
Lu Ran tightened his grip on the phone slightly.
When he mentioned this to Wang Jianguo last time, he didn't have high hopes, thinking that this kind of thing might take several rounds of back and forth before a preliminary attitude could be reached.
I didn't expect them to respond so quickly.
"Director Wang, thank you so much. What do you think I should do next?" Wang Jianguo said on the other end of the phone that the other party wanted to move things forward as soon as possible, and if it was convenient for Lu Ran, he could help arrange a time for the two of them to sit down and talk.
Lu Ran said he was free anytime and that Wang Jianguo could decide, and he would send it to him once it was decided.
Wang Jianguo agreed, saying he would arrange a time and call him back once it was arranged.
After hanging up the phone, Lu Ran sat behind his desk for a while.
The official investment went much more smoothly than he had expected, but the smoother it went, the less he could afford to be complacent.
He stood up and walked to the window, looking at the traffic flowing down the street below. The October sun in Shanghai was no longer so glaring.
He thought for a moment, then took out his phone and sent a message to Wang Jianguo: "Director Wang, could you briefly tell me about the other party's situation? I'd like to make some preparations in advance."
Wang Jianguo replied after a while, typing a long message: "The other party's surname is Zhao. He's the deputy director of the National Cultural Industry Development Fund Management Office, in charge of investment and financing for cultural enterprises. He's not low-ranking, but he's approachable and pragmatic. He's reviewed your company's information and is quite satisfied with TUTU's development trajectory over the past few years. He's also heard about your initiative to seek official support. In short, he's not a difficult person to talk to; just do your job normally."
Lu Ran read that passage over and over again, and then replied with a "good".
He put away his phone, stood by the window, and looked at the street scene below for a while. He went through Wang Jianguo's words and the upcoming meeting in his mind, and had a general idea of what was going on.
When he got home that evening, Shen Yuege had already prepared dinner.
She made stir-fried vegetables and a tomato and egg soup today, and Lu Ran sat down to eat a bowl of rice.
Shen Yuege sat opposite him, biting the end of her chopsticks as she glanced at him: "You seem to be in a good mood today?"
"It's alright." Lu Ran picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks, chewed it, and swallowed it. "Director Wang arranged a meeting for me with someone to discuss government investment. We'll meet next week."
Shen Yuege put down her chopsticks, her expression becoming more serious: "Do you think it's possible to reach an agreement?"
"I think there's a chance," Lu Ran said. "Director Wang said his side is welcoming, especially since it's much more respectable for me to take the initiative to approach them than for them to approach me. Besides, TUTU has quite a bit of influence now and can help me handle a lot of things, so they probably won't refuse."
Shen Yuege picked up her chopsticks again, bent down to place a piece of green vegetable into her bowl, and said in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, "Then let's have a good talk. If we succeed, your company will be even more secure."
Lu Ran glanced at her and said, "I understand."
The night outside the window had completely darkened, and the streetlights downstairs shone with a dim yellow light in the cool October breeze.
Lu Ran lowered his head and ate a couple of bites of rice, his mind already racing with all sorts of details about meeting next week.
This big shot is different from Wang Jianguo. After all, Wang Jianguo has his father-in-law's connections, so he can do whatever he wants.
But this is the first time I've met Director Zhao, so I should still give him the respect he deserves.
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