God's Imitator

[Now, please have Company 17 Limited choose a business field.]

In the outer area, a new round of market research began.

Li Renshu leaned close to the microphone, ”Social.”

[If a pancake stall at a certain alley entrance decides to set up, they would generally choose two specific time periods: 6 AM to 10 AM and 4 PM to 9 PM. Under generally busy business conditions, how many pancakes could this stall owner sell per year?]

Seeing this question, Li Renshu’s eyes lit up.

Because this question also contained a piece of known data.

[Most pancake stalls operate for about 300 days per year.]

The number 300 was crucial. If she didn’t know this data and incorrectly calculated the operating days as 365 or 240, it could produce deviations large enough to lose the game.

Of course, the number 300 might not be accurate in reality and could be affected by regional factors, but since this was data given in the game, it could be considered absolutely accurate.

Although Li Renshu was alone and couldn’t have two people calculate and verify each other’s work, this wasn’t a major problem since there was plenty of time for her to calculate several times.”Operating 9 hours per day, making one pancake takes about 2 to 3 minutes, and under generally busy business conditions, there would inevitably be some idle waiting time.

”Assuming 3 minutes per pancake, 40% waiting time, 300 operating days per year...

”60/3960%*300=32,400.”

Li Renshu calculated repeatedly several times, filled in the answer 32,400 in the input box, considered for another moment, then made an additional investment of 10,000 minutes of visa time.

Since she came alone, she could carry a maximum additional investment of 10,000.

[Company 17 Limited’s market research results are closer to the actual situation, seizing this business opportunity and earning a reward of 30,000 minutes of visa time.]

[Due to Company 17 Limited’s additional investment of 10,000, they will receive an extra reward of 10,000 minutes of visa time.]

[This market research activity has ended. Please both parties exit and wait for the next business opportunity to appear.]

Li Renshu let out a long breath. Fortunately, with the data available, this question was relatively stable to solve.

Actually, even with this data it wasn’t necessarily secure. The phrase ”generally busy business” in the question was rather vague, and using 30% or 40% waiting time could produce significant errors.

To completely determine exactly how much idle time ”generally busy business” meant would require more professional and in-depth research of pancake stalls.

Moreover, for questions like this that required simultaneously estimating three pieces of data, sometimes if two data points were estimated as one large and one small, they might actually offset each other and produce more accurate results.

So having virtual employee data didn’t necessarily guarantee a win.

Fortunately, it was a close call without real danger.

Tian Fan sighed silently and came to Li Renshu with Yang Hui.

”Alright, you’re indeed very capable. I admit I underestimated you at first.

”I’ve opened several companies and done some market research. Yang Hui is an actuary and is very familiar with these types of problems.

”I thought we could win easily, but I didn’t expect you to calculate so accurately too.

”Are you also an actuary?”

Li Renshu shook her head, ”No, I’m just an ordinary civil servant.”

Tian Fan said, ”Now I have to admit that your approach is indeed the optimal solution.

”We each win one round and make additional investments each time. That’s a good plan.

”Moreover, we can use this opportunity to lay off all employees and significantly save company costs.

”Starting from the next round of market research, let’s cooperate.”

Li Renshu nodded. Indeed, in this type of game, you still needed strength to earn respect.

If she had given up just because the opponent was an actuary, then with no threat from her side, the opponent would never give up half their profits.

”Then we’ll see each other in the next game.

”But I need to remind you that this is a judgment game. Operations like laying off all employees must be done carefully, as they could very likely trigger the game’s punishment mechanism.”

Tian Fan looked meaningfully at Li Renshu, ”Oh? Is this a reminder, or a bluff?

”Between our two companies, as long as one goes bankrupt first, the other wins.

”With profits split evenly, if you conduct layoffs and we don’t, then we would definitely lose.

”Do you think I would believe you?

”Of course, if you really don’t conduct layoffs, I would be very happy to see that situation.”

...

...

Returning to the company, Fu Chen immediately came out to greet her.

”How did it go?”

Li Renshu made an ”OK” gesture, ”Don’t worry, this time it was a question about a pancake stall. We got one piece of data and won steadily.

”However, since I went alone, I could only make an additional investment of 10,000.

”But there’s good news. The other side agreed to cooperate.

”Starting from the next game, we can each win one round.”

Fu Chen was very happy, ”That’s great, but... is the other side sincerely cooperating? Could there be a possibility they’re deceiving us?

”After all, we’ve gradually caught up in the marketing segment. They can’t lock in victory through conventional means, so they might resort to some underhanded tactics.”

Li Renshu considered for a moment, ”Yes, that risk does exist.

”If we execute the plan and they change their minds midway, it would instantly create a 50,000 economic gap.

”In the late game, every penny is crucial.”

Fu Chen thought for a moment, ”Have we encountered other players from Community 8 before? If we’ve established cooperation before, it could better establish mutual trust.”

Li Renshu shook her head, ”We didn’t encounter any in ’Blood Poker.’ In the ’Blind Date Game,’ Lawyer Lin and the others met Jiao Hongtao from Community 8. There should have been other Community 8 players too, but they didn’t have much presence.

”Smart people like Tian Fan should have plenty of visa time and probably didn’t participate in the ’Blind Date Game.’

”Overall, I think this risk is worth taking.

”When it’s our turn to win, we should still do careful estimates and try to fill in similar values. That way, even if they change their minds, we won’t necessarily lose.”

Fu Chen nodded, ”Alright, let’s do that.”

Li Renshu paused slightly, then said, ”There’s one more thing. After we reach cooperation, Tian Fan will most likely lay off all employees, leaving none behind.”

Fu Chen was somewhat surprised, ”Lay off everyone? What about those with work injuries? Well, they’d definitely be laid off too.

”But this is a judgment game after all. Isn’t he afraid of triggering some special mechanism?”

Li Renshu’s expression became grave, ”That’s exactly the problem.

”If he lays off all employees while we keep some, we’ll spend an extra 40,000 to 50,000 each round.

”If we can both last until the economic winter ends, then everyone would be happy.

”But if we can’t last, then we’d be the ones who lose in the end.”