I Just Want Players to Save Money, They Insist on Giving Me!
Chapter 319 - 121: The storm on the eve of the award ceremony! The ultimate game of all parties!_2

Chapter 319: Chapter 121: The storm on the eve of the award ceremony! The ultimate game of all parties!_2

"However, online voting only affects 30% of the final selection results; the real decisive key is still in the hands of the nine judges." On the NAA forum, after the first phase of the battle had ended, players began discussing the second phase of the selection process.

"Does anyone here know any of the nine judges? Best case scenario, ’one of the judges is somebody here’s dad’—that level of solid connection."

"Stop kidding, even if we did know someone, it would be more likely that you were the judge’s father, and a judge being your father can’t change the voting outcome; there are too many layers of interests involved."

"Indeed, the stage with the biggest exposure of the year is something every artistic industry is dying to get on and win an award."

"I remember last year’s Best Art seemingly went to a music piece, ’Love Across the Galaxy,’ and after winning the best of the year, the digital sales seemed to have increased by more than 20 times... It was really outrageous; both the singer and their management company made a killing."

"It seems we also have a chance, right? Our gaming circle has a judge participating in this year’s selection, apparently someone from Tengjing. It feels like Tengjing, as long as they have a brain, would definitely cast their precious vote for ’Infinite,’ right? After all, winning an award would be beneficial for the entire gaming industry."

...

Meanwhile, at the headquarters of Tengjing game company.

Ling Zhetao had just hung up the phone with Huang Guangxu.

As a veteran game judge,

Huang Guangxu had been heavily invested in by Tengjing, fostering his reputation with various campaigns.

In the end, he had secured a foothold at the Annual Arts Festival, gaining a valuable vote.

Having one vote of their own, and then winning over a few obscure art judges,

wasn’t without a chance of getting their game to win an award.

However, in previous years, the resistance was too great, as there really were no works that could match the level of artistry required.

Big companies, although they handled things under the table, still needed to maintain a façade of integrity.

As such, in past years, they mostly just went through the motions and coasted along.

But this year was different.

This year, a game truly capable of competing with other art forms had emerged within the gaming circle.

Therefore, Ling Zhetao gave it special attention.

He directly instructed Huang Guangxu to cast his vote for someone else.

As long as it wasn’t the top player, he could vote for whomever he wished.

It would indeed be good for the development of the entire gaming industry if ’Infinite’ were to win the Annual Best Art award.

But for game companies that made money from inflated prices like his own, it would be a disaster.

If the whole nation came to accept the pricing of stand-alone games at two or three hundred yuan, his own massive stand-alone game market would also be forced to lower prices.

Ling Zhetao would never allow that to happen.

After hanging up the phone, a cold gleam flashed in Ling Zhetao’s eyes.

"Heh, dare to mess with the game market’s payment rules? You, the top player, still want to eat in the gaming circle?"

"I have a thousand ways to limit you."

"And how many ways do you have to break free of my constraints?"

"And this is just the beginning of me putting pressure on you; with every step I take next, I will be going after your life!"

...

As the time for the final annual selection drew closer,

Apart from the netizens squabbling and enjoying the drama,

There was also a flurry of activity within the arts industry, as everyone demonstrated their magic tricks.

There were dance groups that had gone on vacations with their wealthy patrons, subtly making their requests while frolicking in the water,

And there were deals sealed over drinks at dinner tables, where benefits were exchanged in the clinking of glasses.

No matter how aboveboard or underhanded the methods were, every industry was trying its best, looking for connections and backing wherever possible.

Chang Detai was no exception.

This year, the gaming industry was closer than ever to the Annual Best.

At least in terms of the quality of ’Infinite,’ it had decisively thrashed the competition’s art pieces of the year.

But Chang Detai also knew the depth of the cultural circle’s waters was unfathomable.

In the web of human relationships, a work’s quality alone didn’t guarantee a win at the award ceremony.

In order for the gaming industry to advance further,

Chang Detai also began to exert efforts.

However, considering he had neither good looks nor money,

He couldn’t resort to unconventional methods,

So he ended up thickening his skin and dialing Tang Shenghua’s number.

As the Deputy Director of the China Broadcasting Bureau, Tang Shenghua’s words carried significant weight.

If he could speak on behalf of the gaming industry, then the Annual Best was almost certain.

Although this backer was incredibly powerful, in previous years, the China Broadcasting Bureau would not intervene in the Cultural Arts Festival.

Who won the awards and whether the winning works genuinely deserved the honors had nothing to do with the Bureau.

Its establishment was just to supervise virtual/art/cultural derivative industries.

As expected,

After a few pleasantries, Chang Detai subtly conveyed his purpose.

But Tang Shenghua on the other end of the line also used ’we should let a hundred flowers bloom’ as a pretext, skillfully dodging the issue with ambiguous language.

Chang Detai sighed silently in his heart,

Knowing there was little hope, he merely exchanged a few polite words about the weather getting cooler and advising the ’Director Tang’ to take care of his health, before ending the call.

"Director Tang, whose call was that just now?" the male secretary beside him asked with a smile.

"Little Chang." Tang Shenghua sipped from his teacup lightly.

"That completes the nine major arts circles." Upon hearing this, the male secretary chuckled.

It turned out that Chang Detai wasn’t the only one who had called Tang Shenghua asking for help in reaching out to the officials of the Cultural Festival.