Rebirth is fine, but I get eight hundred dollars right from the start?

Speaking of public opinion management.

The previously scattered gazes in the room instantly converged.

You might not be very interested in the pros and cons of policies that don't affect our industry, but if you're talking about the issues discussed at today's meeting, then that's something worth exploring in depth.

The comrade from the Sports Department said loudly:

"First, the professional esports industry has an extremely high barrier to entry, which can directly shatter the fantasy of teenagers that they can 'easily make a living by playing games'."

"Professional athletes' daily training consists of an average of ten hours of professional training, physical rehabilitation, tactical review, and psychological counseling. Their age and competitive window are strictly controlled, and their stress resistance in high-intensity competitions is completely consistent with the logic of traditional professional athletes."

"We just need to clearly demonstrate to the public the fierce competition, injuries, and elimination mechanisms faced by these professional players, and teenagers, or rather, those angry parents, will naturally understand: esports is a high-intensity professional sport, not unrestrained online entertainment, thus reducing the impulse to skip classes and stay up all night to become addicted."

"Second, establish tiered, time-based, and scenario-based guidance standards."

"Major official competitions are required to include age ratings and viewing tips for minors, along with public service announcements on appropriate gaming and anti-addiction measures; government-enterprise collaboration is needed to differentiate between two scenarios—commercial game promotion is strictly prohibited on campuses, but digital esports clubs and information technology interest classes can be offered to guide young people's interest in games towards developing logical thinking, strategic calculation, and teamwork skills."

"The Sports Bureau and the Education Commission can leverage formal e-sports events to conduct digital literacy classes, teaching children to distinguish between leisure and entertainment and professional competition, establishing self-time management awareness, and transforming their interest in games into motivation to learn about computers, programming, and data."

Third, establish positive professional role models.

"Compliant professional athletes, coaches, data analysts, and commentators all present a standardized public image, conveying the spirit of perseverance in training, teamwork, respect for opponents, and representing the country. This is completely different from the fragmented and unrestrained live streams on short video platforms."

"The values ​​of hard work and self-discipline conveyed by official esports events can provide a healthy and positive spiritual support for teenagers who love games, and reduce addictive behaviors such as mindless scrolling through short videos and staying up all night playing online games."

At this point, the colleague from the Sports Department nodded behind him, and a PTT (Publication and Telegram) page was displayed on the conference room's large screen.

"For example, the Emperor that a comrade just mentioned!"

"..."

"Let's put aside the discussion about setting professional benchmarks and role models in the esports industry for now."

As he spoke, his gaze shifted to the colleagues from the Public Security Bureau and the Human Resources and Social Security Bureau. He turned another page of the document in his hand, and his voice quickened:

"The above content, combined with government-enterprise collaborative management of publicity boundaries, regulatory authorities restricting the scope of esports promotion and prohibiting large-scale publicity to primary and secondary schools; enterprises providing supporting anti-addiction systems and recharge restrictions, and relying on the standardized management of professional esports, will build a buffer zone for the protection of youth online through the collaboration of the government, schools, and enterprises."

"I think it can basically solve the public opinion problems we are currently facing."

After the sports department representative finished speaking, the leader of the government's directly managed department finally spoke:

"Here I want to talk about a dimension that everyone overlooks: people's livelihood and employment, which is also the most down-to-earth aspect."

"Young people who enter society immediately after graduating from junior or senior high school have limited job options, lack professional skills, and lack emotional support, making them prone to idleness and trouble. The entire e-sports industry chain can absorb this group of people at multiple levels, serving both an employment placement function and the game medium itself, which also has a social calming effect."

"Low-threshold, basic practical positions, such as on-site event execution, venue operation, event security, live broadcast control, short video editing assistant, peripheral store operation, club logistics, offline event volunteer, and peripheral warehousing and sales, only require basic communication and execution skills, absorb a large number of junior and senior high school graduates, provide stable income, and reduce the number of idle and unemployed young people."

"Skill-based jobs that allow beginners to enter the field can be trained – game streamers, esports commentators, tournament data recorders, short video content creators, tournament broadcasting assistants, and club youth training assistants. Practitioners can learn editing, camera language, and data analysis from scratch based on their interests, improve their skills through industry training, and earn a professional income without a higher education."

"For mid- to long-term professional advancement positions, such as senior event planners, esports agents, data analysts, club coaches, and virtual content producers, one can achieve salary and position promotions after three to five years of entry-level work... All of the above have built an advancement path that does not solely rely on academic qualifications but emphasizes practical skills."

"Providing emotional and mental support is also crucial."

The middle-aged man remarked, "I think the comrades in the public security department are the most qualified to speak on this point."

"Games can provide a large part of society with a place for young people with low levels of education who are not yet employed."

"However, because this group lacks long-term positive interests after entering society, they are prone to becoming addicted to unrestrained online games, venting their anger in online violence, and even gathering to cause trouble offline."

"The esports industry, however, can guide their interest in gaming towards standardized career paths—stable jobs, established social circles, and fair competitive goals, allowing them to channel their leisure time into training and work."

"Offline events and club communities build healthy peer-to-peer social interactions, replacing the negative patterns of disorderly online arguments and staying up all night alone. In short, it helps to channel excess emotions and reduce the risk of conflict."

"..."

"Finally, it serves as a safety net and buffer."

"The number of junior and senior high school graduates is too large every year, and the manufacturing and service industries are already highly saturated. Esports and cultural creation, as an emerging tertiary industry, have expanded new tracks and diverted young labor from grassroots levels. Especially in cities like Shanghai, which are rich in cultural and tourism resources, esports events can supplement the employment gap in the service industry and alleviate the pressure of maintaining employment stability. Legal and compliant esports employment gives young people stable income and a sense of social belonging. With fewer family conflicts, petitions and public opinion will naturally decrease as well."

He closed the document, raised his head, and looked steadily at the leader at the head of the meeting seat;

Therefore, in summary, the short-term economic benefits include boosting cultural and tourism consumption and increasing labor income, while the long-term benefits include cultivating the digital cultural and creative industries, optimizing the structure, and revitalizing infrastructure.

"Technologically, the pursuit of extreme demands drives the iterative development of communication hardware, software, and cloud computing, with the spillover effects empowering the digitalization of the entire industry."

"In terms of guiding teenagers, we rely on standardized professional competitions to distinguish them from disorderly addiction and set positive role models; in terms of people's livelihood, we cover multi-level grassroots employment, absorb young people with low education levels, provide interest support and stable income, and play a role in social appeasement and stability maintenance."

"Once this logic is followed, the negative public opinion reports from the Cyberspace Administration of China are not reasons to completely deny esports."

After he finished speaking and sat down, the colleague from the Economic and Information Commission immediately chimed in, "This analysis matches the data we collected earlier. I suggest we use it directly as a reference framework for developing subsequent plans."

The topic was handed over again.

The leader, dressed in a Zhongshan suit, summarized:

"Yes, the analysis is very thorough."

"What we need to do is not to shut down the industry, but to control the negative aspects such as excessive inducement of minors and unrestrained entertainment, while preserving and amplifying the positive values ​​of the economy, technology, and people's livelihood. Only by regulating publicity and improving supervision can the industry achieve sustainable development, and only then can social benefits and urban development dividends rise together."

"Alright, stop worrying about it."

"Based on this framework, each department should go back and refine it into actionable steps. The plan should clearly list the economic aspects, technological aspects, youth guidance measures, and the specific number of grassroots employment positions. Report back in three days. I want to see the figures, the key milestones, and the responsible units."

In closing, he joked, "The esports fire has already been lit, and what we need to do is to put the fire in the stove and not let it burn down the house—we're still waiting to use it to cook."

(Actually, I kind of regret setting the protagonist as an orphan at the beginning. Without a background or even a university to rely on, it's impossible to quickly accumulate political resources.)