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Chapter 106 Before the Nationwide Showdown Fever

The news was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples far exceeding expectations.

That morning, after Shen Yu'er conveyed the preliminary plan for the points-based competition system and her intention to cooperate through official channels, the official response was efficient and positive, indicating that a meeting could be arranged as soon as possible to discuss specific matters.

However, the real "storm" came from the business sector.

On the morning the announcement was issued, Shen Yu'er's phone kept ringing non-stop.

At first it vibrated, then I simply switched it to silent, but the screen still kept lighting up and flashing like a Magikarp that had been electrocuted, with unfamiliar numbers and familiar names scrolling alternately.

Her personal email inbox was also flooded with collaboration offers of varying wording within just one hour, ranging from cautious inquiries to enthusiastic business plans.

Even Lin Dao's cell phone, which almost exclusively receives internal calls and Sister Zhao's private line, received several unusually roundabout "greeting text messages," all pointing to event collaborations and hoping to "get the first taste of the benefits from proximity."

The person who was most at a loss for words was Li Hao.

During his lunch break, he barged into Lin Dao's office with a pained expression and his scalding hot phone in hand.

"Brother Lin! The vice president of the sportswear company I used to work with somehow got my new number. After going around in circles for half an hour, he just wanted to ask about the exclusive naming rights for our live event broadcast—I told him I hadn't dealt with that kind of thing for a long time, but he wouldn't believe me. He even said that if I just made the connection, the endorsement fee would triple and the contract would be renewed!"

Lin Dao was editing a technical document on his computer when he heard this, and without even looking up, asked, "What did you say to him?"

"I told them that I am now the head of the group's new media strategy department and will no longer accept personal endorsements."

Li Hao scratched his head, "But he got even more excited and said, 'Let's talk about departmental cooperation then—'"

Shen Yu'er pushed open the door and came in carrying her tablet and water glass. Her face showed a slight fatigue from staying up all night, but her eyes were bright and dazzling.

She clearly heard the second half of the sentence, and put the cup on Lin Dao's table, making a crisp clinking sound.

"It's not just you. My assistant just tallied it up: in the four hours since the announcement was released, over 120 companies and organizations have tried to contact the group to discuss cooperation through public channels, personal connections, and even by using the phone number of my university professor—I don't know where they got it from."

She spoke very quickly, "If this continues, we won't even be able to carry out normal office work."

Lin Dao rubbed his temples and looked at the several missed calls on his phone (which was on silent mode), and was quite surprised.

He anticipated the event would have commercial value, but he didn't expect the capital market to react so quickly and directly.

"It seems that people not only see the value of Pokémon Trainers (GG), but also the huge market potential that the 'Pokémon Trainers' community and the lifestyle they represent will bring."

"It's not just lively, it's absolutely insane."

Shen Yu'er swiped open the tablet and brought up the data.

"Among them are those genuinely interested in brand collaborations and optimistic about the long-term value of the Pokémon industry; those looking to ride the wave and make quick money; and even a few traditional companies that previously criticized Pokémon for its potential impact on social stability, are now indirectly expressing their willingness to support this emerging sport."

Her tone carried a hint of sarcasm, but quickly turned decisive.

"We can't let things continue like this. We must immediately standardize the process and set thresholds, otherwise just filtering this information will drag the project team down."

Lin Dao nodded: "You make the decision. The principles remain the same. Cooperation is fine, but it cannot affect the core experience of the event, and it cannot be low-quality."

"Understood." Shen Yu'er acted swiftly and turned to leave.

"I've asked the public relations and legal departments to work overtime tonight to release an announcement and a preliminary framework for soliciting cooperation intentions. We'll release everything together tomorrow for a public selection process, so they don't have to use their individual skills to scheme and maneuver."

Watching her hurried departure, Li Hao clicked his tongue in amazement: "Sister Yu'er's efficiency these days—"

"She's a seasoned CEO now."

Lin Dao smiled and looked back at the screen. "Let's not just sit idly by."

"The tech department has sent over the stress test plan for the matchmaking system. Take a look with me. It would be ridiculous if trainers from all over the country suddenly flooded in and the server crashed."

The official response was also faster than expected.

The special meeting, originally scheduled for two days later, was moved up to the morning of the day after the announcement was issued.

Zhao Lan called personally, her tone carrying an unusual sense of urgency.

"Xiao Lin, Yu'er, could you two spare some time this morning? Several heads of relevant departments are here and want to hear your complete plan for this points-based selection system as soon as possible. The higher-ups are taking it very seriously."

The meeting was held in a medium-sized conference room at the Bureau's office in New Town.

The oval table was filled with officials who had rushed to Xinyuan City after receiving the news yesterday. In addition to familiar representatives such as Zhao Lan and Commander Zhang, there were also cadres from various departments, including the General Administration of Sport, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

Each person had a printed outline of the plan spread out in front of them, covered with dense notes in different colored pens.

Shen Yu'er, as the main presenter, prepared a detailed PowerPoint presentation.

She not only explained how the points-based competition works, how to ensure fairness, and how to boost popularity across regions through "four-way matching within the same city" and "random selection nationwide," but also presented a preliminary data prediction model.

How will the boost to consumption in various regions, the potential job creation, and the valuable data collected through massive amounts of real-world combat feedback the trainer development system and ecosystem management?

She didn't overemphasize the commercial prospects, but instead focused on the points that the government was most concerned about: "social benefits," "cultural cultivation," and "technological application."

There was a few seconds of silence in the meeting room when the report ended.

An elderly man with gray hair from the General Administration of Sport spoke first, his voice loud and clear.

"Young man, you have a very bold idea. To turn the selection process for a single competition into a nationwide event that lasts for more than a month, that takes real courage."

"Let me ask a practical question: How do you guarantee that a trainer from a small county town, when matched with an opponent from a big city, will have a decent playing field? And how do you prevent people from taking advantage of loopholes to farm points?"

Shen Yu'er was prepared and answered calmly.

"Regarding venues, we recommend that each district or county ensure at least one public battle space that meets basic safety standards."

"This could involve converting stadiums, designating areas in parks and plazas, or even simply renovating abandoned warehouses. We have already drafted supporting plans for construction standards and subsidy procedures to assist various regions in implementation."

"Regarding anti-cheating measures," she switched to the PowerPoint presentation, showcasing the technical details, "the matchmaking system has a hidden reputation score" and a "match quality assessment" mechanism, and we require that each match at least have a referee, and that there be video recordings uploaded to the game's database."

"Furthermore, abnormal situations such as frequently playing against the same opponent in a short period of time, unusually fast win-loss rhythm, or being matched against opponents who have been offline for a long time will trigger system review and even manual review. The points are not simply accumulated from wins, but are weighted by a combination of opponent strength and match performance."

"More importantly, before the final offline main competition, the match videos of high-ranking players will be reviewed by relevant personnel. Lin Dao will also conduct random checks on the match videos of the selected players. If cheating is found, the player will be disqualified and the next player will be selected."

The heads of several key departments exchanged a few words in hushed tones and nodded in agreement.