Chapter 1 Touring Jingzhou

In the afternoon, they toured the sights of Jingzhou.

In the evening, they feasted at Mingyun Private Kitchen.

Xia Jiang and the rest of the interview team munched on giant lobsters, deeply moved.

This level of hospitality was far too high!

As a reporter, interviews came in different tiers. Some were cushy gigs, while others were arduous slogs.

Generally speaking, if the interview was at the invitation of the subject, the level of hospitality would naturally be higher. The subject would cover travel and accommodation expenses and sometimes even give each person five hundred to a thousand yuan as a "transportation fee"—a red envelope.

But this time, the interview with Tengda wasn't at Tengda's initiative, but was organized by the authorities.

As a rule, Tengda wouldn't need to cover travel and accommodation.

But President Pei had proactively taken on these expenses!

Not only that, but whether it was travel expenses, accommodation, or even daily business vehicles and meals, everything was arranged at such a high standard, making everyone feel greatly valued.

Add to that this priceless feast, and Xia Jiang and the others were almost overwhelmed by the honor!

At the dinner table, Xia Jiang had been considering whether to chat with President Pei beforehand, to gather some material for the interview.

However, the dazzling array of rare and precious ingredients that were brought out immediately banished that thought from her mind.

She was too busy eating!

There were many delicious things she'd only heard of, never seen, and now they were right in front of her, how could she not try them?

Moreover, the rhythm with which the servers brought out the dishes had clearly undergone special training, timing each course perfectly, making for an incredibly pleasant dining experience.

After finishing the dessert, Xia Jiang touched her slightly protruding belly with some guilt.

Damn, President Pei was too attentive; she hadn't found an opportunity to interject!

Leaving Mingyun Private Kitchen, Xia Jiang secretly pulled out her phone and opened Dianping, the popular review app.

She was shocked by what she saw.

Wasn't this the previously super-popular Unnamed Restaurant?

It was said that reservations were booked two to three months in advance; it was so popular that even locals in Jingzhou couldn't necessarily get a table.

Everyone's gaze towards President Pei gained a few more hints of respect and gratitude.

This film had to be shot well; they definitely couldn't let President Pei's good intentions go to waste!

Xia Jiang was deeply moved. "President Pei, thank you for the hospitality!"

"We'll prepare a bit after returning tonight, and officially start the interview tomorrow morning, shall we?"

Pei Qian shook his head. "No, no, no, there are other arrangements for tomorrow."

"Tomorrow morning, I'll treat everyone to a visit to Moyu Internet Cafe. How can you not play games when interviewing a game company?"

"In the afternoon, everyone can continue to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Jingzhou."

"Jingzhou is a place of outstanding people and beautiful scenery; how can you see enough in just one afternoon? You have to experience it more!"

"Tonight and tomorrow night, everyone should rest well. After all, you've traveled a long way. We have plenty of time, so there's no need to be so tense. Let's officially start the interview the day after tomorrow morning."

Xia Jiang was stunned. "Ah? President Pei, wouldn't that be inappropriate?"

Pei Qian smiled and shook his head. "What's inappropriate about it! Isn't everyone here to make this interview as good as possible? When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Just relax and follow my arrangements."

...

October 18th.

In the morning, Xia Jiang and her team drank coffee and surfed the internet at Moyu Internet Cafe, amazed by this new type of internet cafe model.

After all, Moyu Internet Cafe was still limited to Jingzhou and hadn't expanded to other major cities.

In the afternoon, the group went on another half-day tour of Jingzhou, visiting some of the remaining famous scenic spots.

In the evening, President Pei arranged for everyone to dine at Swan Lake Restaurant.

As for why they weren't at the Unnamed Restaurant, President Pei simply explained that he couldn't get a reservation.

Swan Lake Restaurant was a buffet. Although the environment was still upscale and the dishes were still abundant, Xia Jiang could clearly feel that it was a far cry from the Unnamed Restaurant!

Whether it was the ingredients, the chefs' skills, the dining environment, or the service, the difference was palpable in every aspect.

But if you had to pinpoint exactly where the difference lay? It was hard to say.

You could only say that the accumulation of these details resulted in a significant gap in experience.

Xia Jiang wasn't dissatisfied because of this; on the contrary, she was even more moved.

The meal at Swan Lake Restaurant was already very high-end, but compared to the Unnamed Restaurant, it paled in comparison.

Then how high was the standard of President Pei's welcome feast yesterday!

Ordinary people coming to Jingzhou definitely wouldn't enjoy this kind of treatment, right?

President Pei was too generous, too awesome!

In the eyes of Xia Jiang and the others, President Pei's image became infinitely grander.

The thought of President Pei, who had developed so many classic games, being so low-key, made everyone feel a little heartache.

It was their dereliction of duty that they hadn't reported on President Pei in a timely manner!

They had to do a good interview, at least not to let last night's meal go to waste!

...

In the evening.

Xia Jiang returned to the hotel, took out her laptop, and quickly tapped away at the keyboard, organizing her thoughts for tomorrow's interview.

If she didn't work, she would feel a little embarrassed.

After arriving the day before yesterday, they first toured Jingzhou, then had a big meal, and rested in the evening.

Today, they sat at the internet cafe, then visited several Jingzhou attractions, and had another big meal in the evening.

This was truly a case of being well-fed and full of energy.

"President Pei's itinerary is quite reasonable, thoughtful."

"Jingzhou is so big that you can't see it all in one day, so he deliberately split it into two afternoons. The weather is warmer in the afternoon, suitable for walking around outside, and the amount of exercise each day isn't too much, so it doesn't make people feel tired."

"And I really did get some material that can be used in the interview."

Xia Jiang recalled what she had seen and heard these past two days. All the good things she had eaten at this moment turned into nourishment, flowing into her brain and triggering a burst of inspiration.

Especially this morning at Moyu Internet Cafe, after playing several of Tengda's games on the highest-end computers, Xia Jiang had a completely different gaming experience, which gave her a deeper understanding of President Pei's game design philosophy.

In that moment, her writing flowed like a spring.

Xia Jiang believed that President Pei's game design philosophy, which was ahead of its time, combined with her first-class writing, would definitely spark intense fireworks, making this exclusive interview a hot topic in the gaming circle!

...

...

Early the next morning, the interview team arrived at Tengda's offices.

Although the spacious and impressive office space shocked the members of the interview team, the group had already witnessed enough surprises in the past two days, so they tried their best to remain calm.

There would be an interview with the employees later, and such a good office space was definitely an important piece of material and topic that couldn't be missed.

Today's main focus was the interview with President Pei. The interview location was arranged in Tengda's reception room.

The main cameraman set up the main camera and gave an "okay" gesture, indicating that they could start at any time.

Two roaming cameras were carried by two other cameramen, filming other angles for later editing.

Xia Jiang sat on the sofa and found that she was actually a little nervous, which was a very rare thing.

Pei Qian saw the three cameras outside the reception room and instantly felt like he was facing a formidable enemy. He quickly pulled Assistant Xin aside and gave him a few simple instructions.

Two minutes later, Assistant Xin came to the reception room and relayed President Pei's meaning to Xia Jiang.

"Chief Editor Xia, President Pei hopes that we don't use cameras during his interview, and that we only publish a written transcript. When interviewing other employees, we can release the video footage."

Xia Jiang was stunned. "How can that be? President Pei is the main character of this interview!"

They had filmed a lot of the scenery of Jingzhou, Tengda's working environment, and done very detailed interviews with the employees, but the main subject never showed his face. This was a bit inappropriate.

Assistant Xin smiled. "Chief Editor Xia, to be honest, our President Pei is a very low-key person and doesn't like to show his face too much."

"President Pei originally wasn't planning on accepting the interview."

"However, President Pei considered that the honor doesn't belong to him personally, but is the result of the joint efforts of all Tengda employees, and he hopes that the employees will be given this opportunity for recognition."

"So, President Pei hopes to leave more content for the employees, and as for himself, a simple written interview is enough."

"But Chief Editor Xia, don't worry, the employees we've selected this time are all key employees, each of whom can handle their own responsibilities and are equally topical."

Xia Jiang instinctively felt a little reluctant.

They had come all this way, but the most important President Pei wasn't filmed. This exclusive interview wouldn't feel right, would it?

Without video footage, just a written transcript, the interview effect would definitely be greatly reduced.

But President Pei was so generous to the interview team, and his sincerity was overflowing.

President Pei himself was indifferent to fame and fortune and didn't want to show off too much, so it wouldn't be good to force him, would it?

Xia Jiang considered for a moment and nodded. "Okay, since President Pei is indifferent to fame and fortune, then let's follow President Pei's wishes. I'll improvise and try to ensure the effect of the exclusive interview while following President Pei's intentions."

All three cameras were turned off, waiting to be turned on later when interviewing the employees.

Only then did Pei Qian enter the reception room and sit on the sofa to accept the exclusive interview.

Although Xia Jiang felt a little discouraged that all the cameras were turned off, she was, after all, an experienced professional reporter who had experienced many interviews, so she quickly regained her composure and quickly reviewed the key questions she wanted to ask in her mind.

"President Pei, we all know that since its establishment, Tengda Games has released many well-received and commercially successful masterpieces, and players love your games."

"So, why did you choose the gaming industry instead of other fields? Was there a special opportunity?"

Pei Qian was silent for a moment. "It was completely a spur-of-the-moment decision. I've always regretted this decision. I wish I had chosen another field back then."

Xia Jiang: "Ah?"

She smiled. "President Pei, you're joking. You've made so many critically acclaimed games, which obviously reflects your deep accumulation. Without accumulation, how could you have made such meaningful and profound games like *Game Designer* and *Repent and Be Saved*?"

Pei Qian revealed a slightly bitter smile. "It's true; I still haven't mastered the use of the official editor."

"As for why I was able to make these games..."

"There's no way around it; my employees are too 'excellent.'"

President Pei's words were somewhat tinged with gritted teeth.

Xia Jiang's expression was serious, and she began to take notes quickly in her notebook.

"A talented designer with a wild and unconventional mind."

"He hasn't systematically studied any related game design knowledge. Is this what they call innate talent?"

"He has never been bound by traditional game design ideas, but instead casts aside those restrictions and lets his ideas fly freely."

"He fully trusts his employees."

"Humble, open-minded. He attributes all the credit to his employees, not greedy for merit, not asking for credit, extremely low-key!"