Chapter 11: Just Know How to Call for Reinforcements!

The next second, a hand holding tea leaves extended from behind the door, followed by Jiang Ming's chuckle, "Hehe, Teacher, it's been a few days; I've missed you greatly and came specifically to visit."

The middle-aged man in the room sipped his tea but paid no attention, focusing on his computer with an expression as if he had major state affairs requiring immediate handling.

How could Jiang Ming not understand? His teacher was angry.

He quickly darted into the room, placed the tea leaves he'd picked up on the way on the table, and leaned in close.

"Teacher?"

"My dearest Teacher Yu!"

"The most handsome and universally respected Professor Yu of our School of Economics and Management?"

"Pfft..."

Yu Qun nearly choked on his tea, looked at this eloquent student with a bad temper, and scolded with a laugh, "That mouth of yours... Speak up, what mischief are you plotting this time..."

"Speak up, you big busybody. Instead of guarding your little shop and that game streaming thing, what do you want from me this time!"

"Oh, it can't be that you failed a course and came to beg for leniency, can it?"

"How could that be."

"Besides, can't I come visit you even if there's no reason?"

"I just missed you! You are the anchor of our School of Economics and Management, the guiding light for student entrepreneurship..."

"Stop blowing smoke. As long as you don't fail a course and have to retake it, that's already doing me a favor."

"Oh, if there's nothing, then I'm leaving?"

"Yes, yes, yes, it's about my entrepreneurship matter."

Yu Qun was somewhat puzzled. "I recall your online store is doing quite well, gaining attention through live streaming and converting online fans into store traffic... The school can't really help you with that aspect."

As the entrepreneurship mentor for this favored student, he had deeply studied the other's business model.

After all, among the university student startup projects of milk tea shops, fruit shops, and Print shops, it was hard to find even one involving the emerging e-commerce field. He had even considered applying for a research project. Now that the store's revenue and development were in a positive state, this kid should be busy with perfecting the store's organizational structure, feet not even touching the ground; why would he have time to run over here with any problems?

Mentioning serious matters, Jiang Ming put away his playful expression and solemnly took a proposal document out of his bag. "Teacher, please take a look at this first."

"Operation of Esports Clubs and Future Outlook on Esports Socialization Under the Emerging Esports Industry"

The moment the title came into view, Yu Qun's eyes changed.

Time ticked away second by second.

Only the rustling sound of turning pages remained in the office.

At this moment, a storm was raging in the mind of this Dean of the School of Economics and Management at Jin Ling University; the man was constantly using his knowledge to verify the feasibility of the matter in his hands.

Yu Qun frowned at times and nodded at others, finally letting out a long sigh. "What an 'attention economy'! You kid are really going to make a flower out of traffic."

"Esports!"

"Professionalization!"

"Internet development, young people's social platforms."

"Traffic live streaming... E-commerce!"

One professional term after another came from this university professor's mouth, while Jiang Ming still stood before his teacher like a well-behaved student waiting for guidance.

Yu Qun raised his eyebrows. "E-commerce is no stranger to us; the School of Business established an e-commerce major back in 2001. But judging by this proposal you gave me, that group of people has studied for over ten years and probably hasn't understood it as thoroughly as you."

"I didn't quite understand before how your game streaming, video creation, and e-commerce were related."

Yu Qun put down the proposal in his hands and said, "Now I understand. To use a word from your proposal to describe it, it's the fan economy."

"No, 'fan economy' is too shallow—it should be called a combination of attention economy, creator economy, and influence economy."

Jiang Ming's eyes lit up. "As expected of a teacher!"

"It's influence economy under attention!"

One could only say that as expected of a big shot, he saw through the essence of esports and the commercial operations behind it at a glance.

Yu Qun took off his glasses and rubbed his temples. "Venues, qualifications, talent... these are all easy to discuss. But you need to think clearly; the gaming industry is currently at the center of controversy in our country..."

As a professor of economics and management, Yu Qun had gained considerable understanding of a completely new force that might rise in the social economy.

"So we need the support of our School of Economics and Management even more!" Jiang Ming quickly interjected. "Think about it; once our club makes a name for itself, it will be a model of combining industry, academia, and research..."

"Stop painting me pie-in-the-sky dreams!" Yu Qun scolded with a laugh. "However... this is indeed a good research direction."

"What, preparing to use this early on as your master's thesis?"

He really wanted to grab the proposal on the desk and use it like a Seven Wolves cigarette to hit this unfilial disciple. Why had his heart been clouded by lard last year, leading him to consider taking the other on for master's and doctoral studies because of a discussion on an open class issue?

Turning around to neglect his duties and get himself stuck with the title of entrepreneurship mentor was bad enough; now that he had finally produced something, the kid was leaving him with a pitfall.

"Hehe, one must have practical material first."

"In a few years, maybe I'll say this thesis requires no reference to other literature..."

"Get lost!"

"So you kid want to further deepen the influence you currently hold in the game streaming field and break into the so-called professional realm, right?"

"Yes, Teacher. In foreign countries, due to earlier internet development, video games have already advanced significantly on the path of competitive professionalization. Currently, the domestic scene is a blank slate, but from a broad direction, with technological progress and further popularization of computer networks, the nation will eventually step into this field."

"As early as 2004, our country's General Administration of Sport led the first National Esports Games (CEG), but due to limited internet popularization, a lack of proper commercial soil, and management systems, it failed to move forward."

"However, a while ago, Tencent Games took the lead, preparing to attempt a professional league starting with the game LOL,"

"So you want to use what you excel at to become one of those pioneers, adding a professional title to the influence of content creation?"

"Yes, Teacher. If I only engage in derivative creation related to games, I will ultimately be limited by that one game. If the game thrives, I thrive; if the game dies, I die."

"You can see these things, which is very good. The attention economy comes very fast and sometimes goes very fast; e-commerce lacking key traffic and collapsing suddenly is also a very normal occurrence."

"Considering moving from being an affiliate to trying to become a participant, or even a creator, saying you are applying what you learn is not wrong."

"Speak up, what do you need the teacher to help you with?"

Jiang Ming was overjoyed. "Teacher, you agreed?"

"What did you agree to? I've got no money!"

"No money, no money, I can handle it myself."

"Nonsense. Even at this stage, the average salary for game players is one or two thousand yuan, while your monthly net profit is at least seventy or eighty thousand. Money is certainly not the issue."

"As for the venue... the school definitely won't approve an internal venue for you, since esports is still somewhat ambiguous in public opinion. However, it's simple for the department to find connections to lease a cheaper one for you."

"Don't worry about business registration and qualification approval either. Prepare the documents and have someone deliver them to me; one of your senior brothers works there."

"For legal matters and risk control, go next door and find the senior students from the law department. Drafting contracts and other legal consultation work shouldn't be given to outsiders cheaply. When you encounter problems you truly can't handle, remember to let those useless things go cry to their own teachers. As for other esports clubs needing management talent, you can also find them among the graduating students in the school. I assume I don't need to teach you these things."

In short, it doesn't matter if you're bad at the game; just know how to call in reinforcements!