Losing Money to Be a Tycoon c1-883
Page 17
“Besides, you’re not even batting an eyelid at all the delicious food!”
Ma Yang gorged while he asked without being able to speak properly.
Looking at all the food, Pei Qian casually picked a few pieces of meat to eat – they ended up being tasteless.
Even though he was only a normal salaryman in his previous life, he had his fair share of high-end buffets in Beijing. AS such, all of these budget buffets no longer felt like anything to him.
Most importantly, he was in a bad mood and nothing tasted special at all.
He wanted to lose money! What was the best way to do it?!
At that moment, Pei Qian was particularly envious of Ma Yang.
This clueless fool had no idea about numbers at all.
Ma Yang thought that Pei Qian had earned a couple hundreds of thousands yuan since he had no clue about Pei Qian’s profit model.
In reality, Pei Qian had earned 500,000 in an entire year!
But it was a pity that he couldn’t spend a single cent of that…
“Ah, it’s nothing much. I’m just tired of working on the game for the past couple of days and need a break.”
“After all, opening a company is something that’s extremely exhausting.”
Pei Qian replied casually.
“Brother Qian, that’s something I’ve got to scold you about.”
Ma Yang stuffed another piece of cake. “You’re the boss of a company at the very least. How can you not take care of your body? You can’t do everything personally anymore. Hire an assistant and toss her all the work, how great would that be?”
“Hire an assistant?” Pei Qian froze momentarily.
Ma Yang nodded his head. “That’s right, hire an assistant. Isn’t that always the case on television? The domineering boss would always be driving a luxurious car to pick up girls. In any case, he just wouldn’t be doing any work while everything else is tossed to his assistant. Haven’t you heard of the saying… all work is done by the secretary? That’ll be dandy…”
“Eh? Old Ma! You’re a genius! Indeed, I need an assistant! Also, it should be a professional assistant that’s super capable!”
Pei Qian was hit by a stroke of inspiration!
Of course, what Pei Qian thought of was an entirely different thing compared to what Ma Yang had said.
Ma Yang’s thought of how bosses on television series would always have an assistant with them and that was why he had suggested it.
However, Pei Qian’s thoughts were about how he could toss all his money losing tasks to the assistant, such as renting an office space, hiring more employees and purchasing office equipment!
…
…
The next afternoon.
Pei Qian sat at the customer service center of Exxon Headhunting’s Jingzhou City branch, sipping on tea as he awaited the arrival of a consultant.
There were in fact quite a number of headhunting consultants in the center. However, Pei Qian had specifically mentioned that he wanted the most experienced consultant who was at least at a regional manager level and above!
That was why he had to wait for awhile.
In any case, Pei Qian was in no hurry.
He had decided earlier on that he wanted to hire an assistant.
In truth, he had many options on how he could have gone about hiring one.
For example, he could have arranged for an interview through announcing the position online or he could have looked for anyone in school.
However, none of those fit Pei Qian’s requirement.
One was too slow while the other one was too lowly!
It would be too troublesome for Pei Qian to interview them personally. Besides, it would have been difficult to hire particularly exceptional assistants online.
The person Pei Qian wanted to hire was someone who was an elite in the business world and could hold their own. The best outcome would be for the person to be able to understand everything he wanted and accomplish it swiftly with just a single order of his.
After pondering about it, Pei Qian decided that it would be most reliable for him to look for a headhunting firm.
Of course, the downside to that would be that he had to spend money.
However, he would be spending the System Funds! That was in accordance with Pei Qian’s wishes!
Bored of the wait, Pei Qian opened his phone and scrolled the internet.
Coincidentally, he came across a review on the games section of a portal website.
A glimpse into the future of mobile games through the game of conscience, Ghost General!
Chapter 29
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Pei Qian had not imagined that he would come across a review of Ghost General on a portal website!
Out of curiosity, he clicked on it.
“Recently, a game named Ghost General has taken over mobile games by storm. Despite the fact that the game’s creator had not intended to advertise it on his own accord, the download volume for the game in its first week had hit close to 80,000!”
“Based on the figures, be it in terms of active players or satisfaction level and retention level towards the game, it has far surpassed any other mobile game released at the same time. In fact, it has left them entirely in the dust!”
“In the past, industry watchers have analyzed that the mobile card games industry was sunsetting such that even the progenitor of it all, Qute Three Kingdoms, has met with a declining player base and profit margin. There was seemingly no good way of getting about it.”
“However, Ghost General has completely refuted that analysis and has proven that there is still a huge potential for growth within the mobile card games industry!”
“So, why has that game been able to go against the tides and position itself in the eyes of many players as the successor of Qute Three Kingdoms to be the next generation of mobile card games?”
“I shall start my professional analysis to unveil the secret to success behind Ghost General!”
“Firstly, Ghost General did not follow along the cartoonish art style that was started by Qute Three Kingdoms. Instead, it chose to redesign the characters of the Three Kingdoms in a complete overhaul that brought about a fresh experience for the gamers.”
“Most gamers have long grown tired of the repetitive cartoonish characters. The epic ink oil painting style allowed gamers to imagine a brand new Three Kingdoms and that caught their fancy from the get go.”
“Secondly, Ghost General’s gameplay is extremely simple. It removed all the bloated elements of existing mobile card games and merely retained the essence and fundamentals of the classic playstyles which served to remove the burden off gamers!”
“Qute Three Kingdoms and other similarly mature mobile card games have been constantly adding new elements to the game such that an initially casual game turned into one that was extremely exhausting and tiring for the gamers.”
“Since Ghost General has merely retained the fundamental gameplays, a gamer would only have to spend a mere hour or two daily. That earned the good graces of many casual gamers as they no longer had to fight against time like with other games!”
“Thirdly, Ghost General is simply a game of conscience!”
“Other than the purchase price of 10 yuan, the only purchasable item in the game is a 30 yuan permanent membership card. That means that all players are basically equal and without any paywalls, they are able to enjoy the full experience of the game!”
“These are the key elements of success for Ghost General and the reason why it’s been receiving rave reviews!”
“Perhaps, Ghost General might be the impetus for mobile card games to head in the same direction. I believe that in the future, there is going to be more casual and fair mobile card games just like this!”
Beneath the article, netizens were commenting furiously.
“Professional!”
“Amazing article!”
“Indeed, I started playing
Ghost General because it was fair and I didn’t have to spend cash in order to get a rare card!”
“Also, I really like the style of the game! Just collecting all the cards and achievements is enough to keep me playing for an entire year!”
Everything else was similar.
After reading the article, Pei Qian was starting to doubt life.
What the hell?
Is the Ghost General I created the same game that you guys are playing?!
The reason why I changed the art style was to deter gamers who liked the cartoonish styles!
Turning the gameplay simple? That wasn’t of my own accord! Those were the only functions that the templates I purchased had! I couldn’t even modify it with the game editor even if I wanted to!
A game of conscience?
That’s because I didn’t want whales to affect my goal of losing money!
How are these being interpreted as pros of the game now?!
Pei Qian truly wanted to die.
This was a mad world and something must be wrong with it!
Placing his phone down, Pei Qian contemplated life silently.
…
“Boss Pei, hi! Sorry for the long wait!”
A man in his thirties clad in a suit knocked before entering and shaking hands with Pei Qian.
“I’m Exxon Human Resources Corporation’s Handong Province’s regional manager, an experienced headhunting consultant at the same time. I’m pleased to be able to serve you. You can call me Lawrence.”
This consultant who started off with an English name was extremely polite because Pei Qian had already informed the receptionist of his identity right upon entering – the boss of Tengda Network Technology Co., Ltd.
A one to one service by a headhunting consultant of the managerial level would require additional fees. However, Pei Qian showed no hesitance at all and that was enough to tell of his generosity.
There was naturally no way the headhunting company would drag their feet around such a client.
But of course, Pei Qian’s main intention was to spend money from the system and that was why it did not hurt him at all and he could appear so casual about it.
“Hi, Manager Lawrence. I’m here with the sole intent of hiring an assistant,” Pei Qian started straightforwardly.
“Sure. Could I check with you on your general expectations?”
Manager Lawrence retained a professional smile.
“Hmms… the most expensive one!’ Pei Qian’s face was clear – he had no lack of money.
Since employee salary would be deducted from the System Funds as well, Pei Qian naturally wished to get someone with a higher salary – the more salary deducted, the more he would lose!
Manager Lawrence chuckled. “Alright, that’s one aspect. Noted. However, I’ll still need more details. For example, are you leaning towards a head assistant who’s like an administrative secretary or perhaps a hardworking young blood whom you’re looking to groom?”
Pei Qian was slightly stunned. “Is there a difference?”
Smiling, Manager Lawrence explained, “Of course there is.”
“An administrative secretary type of head assistant is usually an exceptional young woman who is all-rounded but focuses on the trivialities that the president is unable to spare time on. You can think of them as managers of superstars.”
“Their annual salary would range between 100,000 to 350,000. The ceiling cap for the extremely exceptional ones would be around 400,000.”
“Whereas for the young blood, they would normally be exceptional young men who would be groomed to be the backbone of the company. There’s a chance that they could be a vice-president or a successor for the president…”
“But of course, these qualities can coexist as well. What’s important is your requirements.”
Pei Qian did not hesitate at all. “The former.”
There was nothing to think about – Tengda Network Technology Co., Ltd. comprised of only two people at the moment. He must be crazy if he were to start contemplating about successors.
Besides, Pei Qian had no interest in male secretaries!
None at all1
Manager Lawrence nodded. “Alright. Hold on for awhile. I’ve got a couple of resumes that you could perhaps screen through and shortlist from.”
After awhile, the resumes were placed before Pei Qian.
All of them were beautiful young women who had similar resumes.
They were all elites of the education system.
Not only were their English fluent, there were even those who had mastered a couple of languages.
When it came to past employment, a few of them had taken on the role of a head assistant with some of the top rated domestic corporations.
There were even some with additional skills such as accounting skills and law knowledge et cetera.
Manager Lawrence added, “These candidates are the most exceptional talents for head assistants in the Handong Province. Our headhunters have been in contact with them before and we guarantee that be it in terms of conversation, handling relationships or matters, they are all wise and savvy.”
After flipping through everything, Pei Qian took out the resume with the highest expected salary.
Chapter 30
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“This Xin Hailu… She was initially the assistant for the vice-president at a famous enterprise. Why did she leave it? Her reason for leaving doesn’t seem to be stated on the resume.”
Manager Lawrence smiled. “I suppose you don’t really watch the news, Boss Pei? After getting tipsy, the vice-president acted inappropriately towards her and was met with resistance. The end result was the firing of the vice-president and Assistant Xin resigned on her own accord.”
“That incident caused a huge impact on the reputation of the enterprise and in fact, there were still heated discussions about it up till recently.”
Pei Qian was a little stunned. “So this person is truly a hero amongst women?”
Manager Lawrence nodded. “I suppose you could say that. Perhaps the experience of being in a large company has tired her out so she doesn’t mind joining a small… no, newly established company. By logic and an operational standpoint, this is the best candidate.”
Manager Lawrence’s mention of ‘operational standpoint’ was a clear indication that she might not be equally ideal for other considerations…
Pei Qian was decided immediately. “Alright, she’s the one then!”
“However, I have a request.”
Manager Lawrence nodded once more. “Please go on. As long as the request does not cross the line, I’m sure it can be negotiated.”
“She can only offer me suggestions when I ask her for it. Under other circumstances, no matter what happens, she must remain silent and not question overly,” Pei Qian said.
Manager Lawrence smiled. “That’s of course. Even if you did not mention it, that’s one of the professional requirements of being an assistant.”
…
…
Three days later, Monday.
A Cayenne came to a stop at the lobby of the most luxurious office building in Jingzhou City – Shenhua View.
“Boss Pei, we’ve arrived.”
Xin Hailu opened the car door for Pei Qian and led him to the office building ahead.
Thanks to the headhunting firm, Xin Hailu was officially the third employee of Tengda Network Technology Co., Ltd. – the president’s assistant.
Xin Hailu was the standard successful woman of the corporate world. With immaculate features and class, even her figure which was hidden beneath her blouse and business skirt was impeccable.
In every single aspect, this was the perfect candidate that Pei Qian wanted.
Educated with class and fluent in three foreign languages, she was beautiful and elegant with a poised manner of speaking. She knew her way around people and handled things with patience while attending to business with restrain with
out asking anymore than she had to.
They had only spent a couple of days together and already, Pei Qian had a feeling…
Reliable! Efficient!
Pei Qian did not hesitate at all as he poached her over with a 30% over her initial salary, fixing it at slightly over 30,000 per month.
This was 2009 and most of the graduates from Handong University were fighting to obtain a salary of 3,000 monthly.
There were two reasons why her salary was so high.
Firstly, Pei Qian’s Tengda Network Technology Co., Ltd. was newly established. Compared to Xin Hailu’s past experiences, there wasn’t much growth prospect available. That was why he could only poach her with a higher salary.
Because she was extremely capable to begin with, her initial salary was already extremely high. With the additional 30%, that was the reason why her salary seemed exaggerated.
Secondly, Pei Qian’s goal was to burn money fanatically and it was only natural that he would hire someone expensive. For a talent such as Xin Hailu with such capabilities, it wasn’t considered a violation within the system to give her a slightly marked up salary.
After all, Pei Qian even gave someone like Ma Yang a monthly salary of 3,000…
The Cayenne was rented under the company’s name.
Pei Qian had initially wanted to purchase a car under the company’s name but he was denied by the system.
It was possible for him to purchase a car. However, the sum required would depend on the company’s current funds and he couldn’t purchase anything overly expensive.
Pei Qian pondered over how it would be meaningless to purchase a cheap car.
Eventually, he settled on renting the Cayenne to boost his image.
Even though the cost of renting the car didn’t amount to much, every bit counted when it came to spending money.
Pei Qian was not going to let any opportunity slip.
His intention of arriving at Shenhua View was to rent an office space.
That was the most luxurious office building in the entire Jingzhou City where Pei Qian estimated the cost to be at 5 yuan per square metre.
5 yuan per square metre per day.
It was 2009 in the parallel world and the provincial capital of Handong Province, Jingzhou City, was a second tier city.