Chapter 69: A Fool Unworthy of Strategy
Electronic Dynasty.
Snake swaggered into his arcade, an arm draped around a voluptuous woman. However, the moment he stepped inside, he was stunned.
The place, usually bustling with life, was eerily quiet. On any other day, there would be at least sixty or seventy people crowding the machines, but today, there were barely seven or eight scattered throughout the room. The difference was stark.
Frowning, he hurried into his office and called in Ding Three.
“What the hell is going on?” Snake demanded. “Why is business so bad?”
Ding Three quickly recounted the situation surrounding Chen Xue Wen, including the news of the Fighting Tournament he was organizing.
Snake was taken aback. “A Fighting Tournament? What the hell is Chen Xue Wen up to now?”
Ding Three chuckled. “It’s his strategy—using the tournament to attract customers. Everyone who used to hang out here heard about it and ran over to his arcade.”
Snake scowled. “That bastard is playing dirty. Snatching our customers like this—shameless!” He turned to Ding Three. “Come up with a way to bring them back!”
Ding Three had already thought it through. “We could host our own Fighting Tournament to draw them back. With the Electronic Dynasty name behind us, our event would be way more enticing than his.”
Snake’s eyes lit up. “That’s not a bad idea. Alright, do it.”
Ding Three scratched his head. “Only thing is… the budget.”
Snake narrowed his eyes. “How much?”
“About forty to fifty grand.”
Snake’s eyes bulged. “What!? Fifty grand just to run some dumb tournament? Are you insane?”
Ding Three explained, “Chen Xue Wen put up nearly thirty grand for his event. If we want ours to be bigger and better, we need to spend more. With about fifty grand, we can completely overshadow him.”
The woman beside Snake sneered. “Ding Three, have you lost your mind? Wasting fifty grand on some stupid tournament—is it even worth it?”
Ding Three’s expression stiffened, but he held his temper in check. “Brother Snake, the real goal is to bring our customers back. I think it’s worth it.”
She scoffed. “Do you even know how to do math? Chen Xue Wen is luring in a bunch of broke kids who barely spend anything. Even if they come here, how much are they really worth?”
She started counting on her fingers. “At best, we make thirty or forty grand a month from those cheap gamers. And now you want to drop fifty grand to bring them back? Even if they return, we’re still at a loss.”
She turned to Snake. “Brother Snake, our real money comes from the slot machines and the underground casino, not these penny-pinching punks. Chen Xue Wen can have them. They don’t matter.”
Snake nodded slowly. “You’re right. No matter what he does, at best he’ll make some pocket change. As long as my high rollers keep playing, I’ll earn more in a day than he does in a month. What’s he got to fight me with?”
Ding Three’s face darkened. He still wanted to argue. “Brother Snake—”
Snake waved him off. “Enough. That’s final. If the crowd is gone, so be it. Less noise, more peace. I don’t care about those broke gamers. If Chen Xue Wen wants them, let him have them.”
Ding Three sighed heavily and left the office. As he walked out, his face grew gloomier.
[What a fool,] he cursed silently, then turned and left.
Five days later.
Li Er Yong was finally able to walk without crutches.
That evening, Chen Xue Wen invited his brothers to a secluded hotel for a small victory feast.
In just a few days, business at his two arcades had skyrocketed, with daily profits soaring. His Brothers Game Arcade had become a household name among gaming enthusiasts in Peaceful City.
Lai Hou and Wang Zhen Dong beamed with joy. The past few days had been an entirely new experience—people recognizing them, flattering them, treating them with respect. Not long ago, they were nobodies, small-time crooks scraping by. Now, they were respected figures.
Li Tie Zhu, who had spent years doing backbreaking labor for scraps, was equally grateful. Under Chen Xue Wen, he was eating well, living comfortably, and gaining status. Their loyalty to him was unwavering.
Lai Hou tore into a chicken leg and laughed. “Brother Wen, at this rate, we’ll be making a net profit of fifty grand a month from both arcades! Even after deducting the thirty grand for the tournament, we’re still up twenty grand! Ha, we don’t even need the slot machines to make bank!”
Wang Zhen Dong nodded in agreement. In 2003, twenty grand was no small sum. After all, a teacher’s salary was barely a thousand a month, and an average worker made eight hundred.
Li Er Yong, however, looked concerned. “Brother Wen, with Electronic Dynasty losing customers, do you think Snake will copy us and start his own tournament?”
The question made everyone tense up. If Snake hosted his own Fighting Tournament, their arcade wouldn’t stand a chance against Electronic Dynasty.
Chen Xue Wen, however, remained calm. “He won’t.”
Lai Hou was surprised. “Brother Wen, how can you be so sure?”
Chen Xue Wen smirked. “I just am.”
His brothers were baffled by his confidence.
Reading their expressions, Chen Xue Wen chuckled. “Remember when you asked why I set the prize money at twenty grand?”
They all nodded.
“I told you then—it had to be that amount. That number wasn’t random; it was carefully calculated.”
Lai Hou and the others exchanged glances. “What’s so special about that number?”
Chen Xue Wen explained, “The total cost of our tournament—including the prize money, trophy, promotions, and other expenses—came to roughly thirty grand. If Snake wanted to compete, he’d have to spend at least forty to fifty grand to maintain face. He’d have no choice.”
His brothers nodded. That made sense.
“But here’s the key question—how much does Snake actually make from his arcade games every month? I’d say his max profit is around forty grand. Now tell me, with his personality, do you think he’d gamble his entire month’s earnings just to fight us for customers?”
The realization struck them like lightning. Lai Hou gasped, “Damn, Brother Wen, you planned this from the start!”
Wang Zhen Dong and the others were equally impressed. Chen Xue Wen’s meticulous calculations left them in awe.
Chen Xue Wen simply smiled. “This is just the beginning. The real show is about to start.”
He pulled out a bank card and handed it to Li Er Yong. “Er Yong, tomorrow, I need you to handle that task I mentioned.”
He leaned forward, his eyes gleaming. “In two months, it’ll be Chinese New Year, the peak season for slot machines. Before then, I’m going to steal every high roller from Electronic Dynasty and leave Snake with nothing.”
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation