91: Chapter 91 The Awards Ceremony Officially Begins

Pony was not alone.

Standing beside him were several Great Xia celebrities whom Qin Mo recognized at a glance; their fawning smiles as they looked at Pony were undisguised, their postures extremely deferential.

That was to be expected. Although these people had many fans, when facing someone like Pony, it was difficult for them to even get a word in. Having finally secured an opportunity for contact, they naturally had to seize it.

At this moment, Pony looked at Qin Mo with a smile that struck just the right balance of propriety.

He continued, "I didn't expect to meet you here."

Qin Mo also sized up Pony, whom he was meeting in person for the first time.

From the start of Douyin to the later league of legends, Inspur Technology and Tencent Group had clashed more times than could be counted.

However, in Pony's eyes, his conflicts with Tencent were only regarding Douyin. He didn't know that league of legends, which had been causing him the most headaches lately, also belonged to Inspur Technology.

Qin Mo smiled and responded in kind, "President Ma, you have a sharp eye to recognize me at a glance."

Pony smiled and said, "Although we haven't met, I have seen your photo a few times."

He looked Qin Mo up and down. Although he was slightly surprised that the other party was younger than he had imagined, he didn't show any ripples on the surface.

If it weren't for the fact that the battle between Douyin and Weikan had been so fierce and inseparable, completely tearing off their masks, he would have genuinely wanted to ask how someone so young managed to build Douyin's big data algorithms.

You have to realize that a year and a half had already passed. Tencent's team was still unable to replicate Douyin's big data algorithm; it would take at least a few more years.

By then, even if he had the algorithm, he wouldn't be able to compete with Douyin, which had already firmly established its market presence.

Pony continued, "What, are you interested in the gaming industry too? To think you actually came to this Global Game Influence Awards."

Qin Mo nodded. "I have some thoughts on getting involved."

Hearing this, Pony was taken aback, and then his smile deepened.

Originally, he was just making polite conversation. After all, this awards ceremony wasn't exclusive to people in the gaming industry; it was normal for people from other major internet companies to want to come and take a look.

But he hadn't expected that this young man before him was actually interested in the gaming industry.

He then sarcastically remarked, "Douyin is developing quite well. This single piece of software is enough to make Inspur Technology one of the top ten internet companies in Great Xia."

"Why do you need to risk venturing into other fields? A single Douyin is enough to keep you well-fed and comfortable for a lifetime."

He paused, his tone carrying a hint of advice from an experienced veteran. "Do you know that many internet companies fail because they lack self-awareness, blindly venturing into unfamiliar industries, and end up with broken capital chains and bankruptcy?"

"Not to mention the gaming industry."

"I can only tell you this," Pony shook his head, "the waters in this industry are very deep."

Qin Mo smiled. "They are indeed quite deep."

After a few polite exchanges, Pony turned around to continue chatting with the artists beside him, ignoring Qin Mo.

Although the Douyin in Qin Mo's hands had significant influence, this single piece of software wasn't enough to make him pay too much attention. The products under Tencent Group already had an unbreakable ecosystem.

In Great Xia, the only person he could look at with respect was Old Ma, who had also built an indestructible ecosystem. From beginning to end, the only opponent he considered was Old Ma.

It was just a pity that both of their internet empires had taken root too deeply; they would likely never be able to determine a winner in this lifetime.

Meanwhile, Qin Mo was about to turn and leave.

However, an actor beside Pony, having confirmed Qin Mo's identity from Pony's words, walked over quickly.

His attitude was quite sincere. "President Qin, hello, I am Dehua."

Qin Mo shook his hand. Dehua. A veteran film star in the Great Xia entertainment industry, holding a high status in the hearts of several generations of audiences.

The two exchanged a few polite words, and Qin Mo asked casually, "What were you talking about just now?"

Dehua smiled. "I am here to seek investment. President Ma is preparing to invest in my next new movie."

Qin Mo glanced at Jingchu next to Pony, then at Dehua, and instantly understood something. He knew that Pony liked to invest in various movies privately.

Qin Mo then asked, "What movie?"

Before Dehua could speak, Pony turned his head. "Switch."

Qin Mo's heart settled; his guess was indeed correct.

This movie was so bad it ranked among the worst in Great Xia's film history. Both its reputation and box office flopped, and the investors lost everything; not a single cent of the hundreds of millions in costs was recovered.

Pony looked at him with a smirk. "What, is President Qin also interested in investing in movies?"

Qin Mo shook his head. "I'm more interested in sci-fi movies."

Pony was stunned for a moment, then laughed out loud. "Great Xia cannot produce good sci-fi movies."

He raised his hand and pointed in another direction. "Look at that director over there."

Qin Mo followed his finger and looked over. In a distant corner, a middle-aged man was sitting in a seat, with no one beside him, his expression looking somewhat dejected.

Pony's voice carried a hint of undisguised mockery. "He wants to make a sci-fi film, but so far he hasn't secured a single investment."

"He can't even afford to hire actors."

Qin Mo looked at the director, the man's appearance gradually becoming clear in his eyes, and then he murmured, "Guo Fan."

The moment he recognized him, he understood what kind of investment he was looking for. The Wandering Earth.

In his past life, there was no need to speak of this movie's status in Great Xia's film history. From special effects to box office, from reputation to influence, it completely refreshed everyone's perception of Great Xia's sci-fi films.

And at this moment, Guo Fan was running into walls everywhere trying to find investment. No one believed that Great Xia could produce good sci-fi movies.

Qin Mo turned his head and whispered a few words to Zhao Lei behind him.

Although Pony had seen Zhao Lei earlier, he didn't think much of Qin Mo, let alone Zhao Lei, and didn't even spare him a glance. Naturally, Zhao Lei didn't try to force a conversation.

Zhao Lei nodded and walked quickly toward Guo Fan.

Pony watched Zhao Lei's back, stunned for a moment, then laughed. "You're actually planning to invest in that sci-fi movie of his?"

He withdrew his gaze to look at Qin Mo, shook his head, and there was truly a hint of pity in his eyes. "Be careful not to lose every cent."

After saying this, he patted the shoulder of Dehua beside him. "My movie, Switch, doesn't just star Dehua and Jingchu; there are several other big names. The box office will definitely be stable."

"The influence won't be bad either."

Qin Mo didn't say anything, just smiled.

Just then, the venue lights slowly dimmed.

The image on the ring-shaped LED giant screen on the dome froze, then slowly faded away. A spotlight lit up in the center of the stage.

The Global Game Influence Awards ceremony officially began.

The live streaming rooms on major global platforms opened simultaneously at this moment.