The Red Era: Living in Seclusion in a Siheyuan as a Boss

Chapter 822 The Rise of Esports!!!
The phenomenal success of the online game "Legend" made Shengda Company a fortune.

Thanks to the game's phenomenal profits, company founder Chen Tianjiao made it onto the Forbes China Rich List, becoming one of the youngest billionaires in China.

This internet wealth-creation myth caused a huge sensation in the industry, igniting entrepreneurial passion in the domestic internet industry and gaming companies.

Faced with the astonishing money-making ability of "Legend", major internet companies are eager to follow suit.

Some companies have urgently established game divisions, some have poached game talent with high salaries, and others have spent heavily to acquire game studios.

For a time, the gaming industry became a new blue ocean that internet companies were vying for, and everyone wanted to get a piece of the pie in this field with unlimited potential.

A wave of capital has swept through the entire gaming industry, with major investment institutions turning their attention to this emerging market.

In Hangzhou, a startup called "Fengyun Interactive" secured $5000 million in angel investment from Sequoia Capital thanks to its unique 3D engine technology.

Meanwhile, in Bao County Special Economic Zone, Tencent has secretly established a game division to develop an MMORPG called "Penguin Fantasy," attempting to replicate the success of "Legend of Mir."

Competition within the industry is becoming increasingly fierce.

In order to consolidate its market position, Shengda Company spent 3 million yuan to acquire 58% of the shares of Actoz Soft, a company from South Korea, and obtained the complete copyright of "Legend".

At the same time, NetEase also accelerated the development of "Westward Journey 2", with Ding Lei personally overseeing the project and requiring the team to complete the public beta within three months.

Amid this wave of game startups, an interesting phenomenon is quietly emerging: internet cafes are springing up all over the country, packed with young people who are addicted to the virtual world every night.

These internet cafes not only became an important channel for game promotion, but also made personal computers more accessible to ordinary users.

With the booming development of the gaming industry, competition within the industry has entered a new stage.

With the continued popularity of "Legend", Shengda Company began to expand into the global market and cooperate with agents in Southeast Asia, Europe and the United States.

At an internal meeting, Chen Tianjiao proposed a "game ecosystem" strategy, planning to develop peripheral products, film and television works, and even prepare offline theme parks around the "Legend" IP.

At the same time, new competitors are constantly emerging.

After securing funding, Fengyun Interactive quickly assembled a 200-person R&D team. Its first 3D online game, "Sword of the Sky," attracted 50 pre-registrations during the closed beta phase thanks to its exquisite graphics and innovative combat system.

Penguin, leveraging its massive social user base, has deeply integrated Penguin Fantasy with instant messaging software, launching features such as "one-click in-game friend calling".

The industry boom has also driven the development of upstream and downstream industrial chains.

Major hardware manufacturers have launched "gaming-specific" PC configurations, causing graphics card prices to soar.

Network operators have launched value-added services such as "game acceleration packages"; even instant noodle manufacturers have started to cooperate with game companies to print game redemption codes on their packaging.

Behind this prosperous scene, some insightful people have also begun to think about the issue of sustainable development in the industry.

Ding Lei, CEO of NetEase, called for the establishment of a self-regulatory mechanism in the gaming industry at an industry summit, saying, "The gaming industry needs to establish a self-regulatory mechanism and cannot only pursue short-term interests."

These remarks sparked discussions within the industry regarding industry standards such as game rating systems and anti-addiction systems.

From 2000 to 2004, Legend of Mir led the development of a generation of online games, while e-sports also entered its infancy, with StarCraft, Counter-Strike, and Warcraft III standing as the three giants.

Internet addiction was first discussed around this time, and internet cafes gradually became known to people.

With the booming development of the gaming industry, the e-sports industry has also ushered in a golden age.

In 2004, the first WCG East China Regional Finals were held at the Liujiazhuang High-tech Zone Gymnasium, where top players from all over the country competed fiercely in games such as StarCraft, Counter-Strike, and Warcraft III.

This event not only attracted tens of thousands of spectators to watch live, but also generated millions of online views through emerging online video streaming platforms.

Astute investors quickly took notice of this emerging field.

Shengda Company took the lead in establishing an e-sports business unit and invested heavily in creating the "Legendary Professional League"; Tencent acquired the well-known domestic e-sports club "Royal Family" and began to lay out a professional team system.

At the same time, professional esports arenas have begun to appear in first-tier cities, equipped with top-notch hardware and professional commentary booths, bringing immersive viewing experiences to the audience.

This e-sports craze has also given rise to a number of star players and internet celebrity commentators.

Li Xiaofeng, whose ID is "Sky", became the first Dongda University player to step onto the international e-sports stage thanks to his outstanding performance in Warcraft III.

The commentator "Xiao Cang" has gained millions of fans on the "Tomato" video platform with her professional analysis and humorous style.

In this era full of opportunities and challenges, the Dongda Games industry is undergoing unprecedented changes.

From a simple entertainment product to a complete industry chain; from the questioned "Electronic No. 4" to the recognized "Esports Events"—this young industry is writing its own legend.

In recent years, internet cafes have gradually become a spiritual playground for students born in the 80s.

It's also a place that teachers and parents hate to the core.

In an era when PCs were far from widespread, this place buried the youthful years of countless young people, and filled restless young souls in various ways on countless nights.

At the same time, it was also the first opportunity for young people born in the 80s to come into contact with the internet and information technology.

In the mid-1990s, the first internet cafe in China was established in the "Roaming" internet cafe in Liujiazhuang High-tech Zone. At that time, the price was as high as 15 yuan per hour, and even so it was always full and it was hard to find a computer.

The emergence of "roaming internet cafes" signifies that the emerging internet cafe industry has ushered in its first peak of development.

Back then, internet cafes mainly served to browse the web or play single-player games such as Age of Empires, Red Alert, StarCraft, Counter-Strike, and Prince of Persia.

From 1998 to 2000, the internet cafe industry experienced its second peak of development, with a surge in the number of internet cafes. The internet craze strongly stimulated the nerves of the Chinese people, and the internet cafe industry entered an era of crazy profits.

Internet cafes were a spiritual paradise for those born in the 80s. In an era when personal computers were scarce, they allowed countless young people to experience the joy brought by the internet and witnessed the youth of countless people.

In the early days of reform and opening up, limited by technological conditions and the external development environment, the development of science and technology at Southeast University went through a tortuous path of exploration.

In the mid-1990s, the strategy of revitalizing the country through science and education was clearly put forward, which promoted the development of science and technology at Southeast University.

That year, a huge billboard outside Zhongguan Village left a deep impression on many netizens: "How far are Southeast University students from the information superhighway? 1500 meters ahead."

Internet cafes are a product of Southeast University's emerging internet technology industry, and especially a microcosm of internet development.

Back then, 16-year-old Li Dapeng from Liujiazhuang first came into contact with the Internet by "roaming" in an Internet cafe.

Since the first internet cafe in China was established in Liujiazhuang, the Dongda Internet Cafe industry has gone through a development process from scratch in just a few years.

Unlike a few years ago, internet cafes are now becoming more and more standardized and upscale, and in some places, internet cafes have even appeared.

"Back then, our internet cafe was very rudimentary. The tables were piled high with old-fashioned computers, and the power cords were scattered on the floor."

Xiao Zhang, who used to be the manager of "Roaming" Internet cafe, recalled, "Back then, nobody cared about the environment. The only thing everyone cared about was whether the internet speed was fast and whether there were any empty seats."

Xiao Zhang still clearly remembers the prices at "Roaming" Internet Cafe. When their internet cafe was at its peak, it cost 15 yuan per hour and 50 yuan for an overnight session.

At that time, business licenses for cultural venues were issued free of charge.

After deducting electricity, rent, and labor costs each month, I can earn nearly 30 yuan. I recouped my principal in less than two months.

“My dad would drag me home from the internet cafe every few days and beat me up for ‘not studying well.’”

Despite promising not to repeat the mistake, he would still head to the internet cafe the next day.

Even today, Li Dapeng, a resident of Liujiazhuang High-tech Zone, still clearly remembers his mischievous experience of sneaking into internet cafes a few years ago, unsupervised by his parents and teachers.

That year, 16-year-old Li Dapeng came into contact with the Internet for the first time.

At that time, a net cafe called "Wandering" opened next to the school. The room, less than 100 square meters, was dark and dilapidated. There were more than 40 computers in the hall and several ceiling fans creaking and turning on the ceiling.

Many young people sat in front of their screens, awkwardly but excitedly chatting with strangers on OICQ, occasionally opening web pages to browse all sorts of information in the forums.

Li Dapeng still remembers the racing heart he felt when he first logged into OICQ. The little blue penguin icon seemed to open a door to a new world, and with trembling fingers, he registered his first online account, "Flying Eagle."

When the system beeped to indicate "You have a new message," the boy truly felt the awe brought by technology.

From then on, computer number 39 in the internet cafe became his exclusive throne.

Every weekend, Li Dapeng would use his saved breakfast money to exchange for two hours of internet time.

Teaming up to fight monsters in "Stone Age", staying up all night to follow the latest chapters on the "Rongshuxia" literary website, and fighting alongside netizens in CS—these digital memories form the most vivid background of his youth.

Sometimes, Li Dapeng would get so engrossed in playing that he wouldn't realize it was already dusk outside the window until the internet cafe manager patted him on the shoulder and reminded him that "time's up."

In the summer of 2001, a game called "Legend" suddenly became popular in internet cafes.

Li Dapeng witnessed firsthand the "God of War" who sat continuously for 72 hours in front of machine number 38 next to him. That person survived on instant noodles and cigarettes, and when he finally got the "Dragon Slayer Sword" after two days and one night of hard work, the whole internet cafe was in an uproar.

This frenzy made Li Dapeng vaguely realize that the virtual world was reshaping real-world interpersonal relationships and value systems.

Meanwhile, "Roaming" Internet Cafe expanded its scale and quietly opened a "competitive zone" on the second floor, where a dozen computers labeled "WCG Training Dedicated" were always surrounded by people.

When the news of Li Xiaofeng's victory at WCG spread, the entire internet cafe spontaneously organized a celebration.

That night, Li Dapeng heard about the new profession of "professional e-sports player" for the first time. He stared at the image of Sky holding up a trophy on the promotional poster and seriously considered the possibility of working in e-sports for the first time.

Li Dapeng was truly tempted. He secretly signed up for the CS e-sports amateur league organized by the Liujiazhuang Internet Cafe Alliance without telling his parents.

On the day of the competition, Li Dapeng was so nervous that his palms were sweating, but he still managed to lead the hastily assembled team into the top eight.

After the match, the owner of the internet cafe patted him on the shoulder and said, "You're a very talented kid. Why don't you consider becoming a resident professional player?" This suggestion kept Li Dapeng tossing and turning at night.

At the same time, the domestic internet cafe industry is also undergoing its third wave of transformation.

LCD monitors began to replace bulky CRTs, the concept of internet cafes was introduced from South Korea, comfortable sofa booths replaced hard benches, and the aroma of freshly squeezed juice and freshly ground coffee overpowered the smell of instant noodles.

The once dimly lit and noisy "Wandering" Internet Cafe has been upgraded and renamed "Wandering Starry Sky Internet Cafe," with the walls covered with WCG tournament photos and autographed jerseys from players.

Last winter, 25-year-old Li Dapeng made the first major decision of his life.

He took the prize money from the Yanjing Internet Cafe Esports League with him and boarded a train bound for Shanghai.

At this moment, the first Dongda Esports Games are about to be held in Shanghai, and scouts from professional clubs are searching for promising talents like him in various internet cafes.

As the train slowly pulled into Shanghai Station, Li Dapeng saw the dazzling lights of this city that never sleeps through the train window.

The giant electronic screen on the platform was playing a promotional video for the e-sports games on a loop. Familiar game characters moved in the light and shadow, making his heart race again.

Li Dapeng dragged his luggage into the budget hotel he had booked and found several young people carrying keyboards and mice staying on the same floor.

Even late at night, you can still hear them discussing tactics in dialects from all over the country in the corridor.

Li Dapeng lay on the bed, tossing and turning, recalling the internet cafe owner's parting words: "You're leaving now, don't look back. Make us Liujiazhuang players proud."

On the first day of the competition, the Shanghai International Convention and Exhibition Center was bustling with activity.

As Li Dapeng passed through the security gate, his eardrums vibrated from the cheers of the 30,000 spectators.

He took a deep breath and gripped his competition certificate tightly.

On the giant LED screen inside the venue, a fierce StarCraft match was being broadcast live, with the professional players' smooth and skillful maneuvers eliciting gasps of amazement.

In the players' rest area, Li Dapeng saw many IDs that he had only seen in gaming magazines before. Those once unattainable masters were now sitting a few meters away, adjusting their equipment.

Before the match began, staff handed out a form expressing interest in a professional club.

With trembling fingers, Li Dapeng selected "Star Team"—the team that won the Asian championship last year, which was the home he had always dreamed of.

In the first round of the competition, Li Dapeng, playing Night Elf, achieved a stunning comeback despite being at a resource disadvantage, prompting the commentators to excitedly shout, "Li Dapeng, the dark horse player from Liujiazhuang, has advanced!"

After the match, the managers of the three clubs came to him at the same time, including Wang Lei, the coach of the "Star Team".

“Your micro-management is very intuitive,” Wang Lei said, looking through the match data. “But our professional esports league isn’t like playing in an internet cafe amateur tournament; you still need systematic training.” He handed Li Dapeng a youth training contract with a monthly salary of 5000 yuan including room and board.

After becoming a professional official player, the club also pays for "five social insurances and one housing fund" and provides huge rewards based on the competition results.

The enormous prize money made Li Dapeng dizzy; it was far better than what college graduates of the same age could achieve.

When signing the contract, Li Dapeng stared at the clause "penalty of 50 yuan" for a while and hesitated. Finally, at the signature section of Party B, he solemnly wrote down the name that would shine in the e-sports circle in the future - LP.FlyingEagle.

Back at the hotel that evening, Li Dapeng made a phone call home.

The mother hung up immediately when she heard that "you can make money playing games," while the father called back half an hour later. After a long silence, he only said one sentence: "Don't come back if you don't make something of yourself."

After hanging up the phone, Li Dapeng stood by the hotel window for a long time, unable to calm down.

The neon lights outside the window cast a long shadow of him, and for a moment he felt as if he were back in front of computer number 39 at the "Roaming" internet cafe.

That hungry boy who tried to save money for breakfast is now really going to embark on a professional esports career.

The next morning, Li Dapeng specially changed into a club T-shirt.

As I entered the training base, I bumped into A-K, one of the team's main players, who was jogging in the morning.

"You're a newbie, right?" A-K flicked his silver-white bangs. "The youth training camp is in Building B, don't go to the wrong one!" He pointed to the glass curtain wall building in the distance.

Life in the youth training camp is a hundred times tougher than I imagined.

Nine hours of intense training every day caused Li Dapeng's fingers to cramp, and the professional terminology in the tactical analysis class made him dizzy.

By the third week, three of the ten trainees in the same batch had already left.

(End of this chapter)