Chapter 104 - Huang Sibo’s Friend from His Days of Hardship
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“Today’s shots were very good! Okay, let’s pack up!”
Following Director Zhu Xiaoce’s command, today’s shooting successfully ended. Pei Qian was already rather indifferent to this. He had gotten used to it! Today’s scene was filmed outdoors, on the streets. They had also casually used the Cayenne that Pei Qian had previously rented.
After all, if they kept on filming in the office, viewers would easily get tired of it as nothing was refreshing anymore.
However, regardless of how the theme or setting changed, the core content remained.
After speaking with Pei Qian the last time, Zhu Xiaoce and Huang Sibo evidently had bought Pei Qian’s thinking; they completely stopped caring about receiving sponsored partnerships that required hard-selling but focused all their energies on the videos!
Although not every episode could have a high climax and be perfect; at the very least, they could maintain it at a certain standard.
To date, the more popular videos had around six to seven hundred thousand views; the less popular ones also had four to five hundred thousand. As a short video series that had just been released, this was a very impressive achievement!
After packing up all the equipment, everyone got ready to head back to their homes.
Huang Sibo spoke to everyone, “You guys can head off first; I have some private matters to attend to.”
No one questioned further.
Huang Sibo waved down a taxi as he went to the coffee place that he had arranged to meet his friend at.
After ten-odd minutes, the taxi reached the place.
Huang Sibo got off the cab as he looked at the familiar and yet slightly foreign building in front of him almost as if he had been cut off from this world for a long time. This building had three words written on the second floor: Shang Yang Games. This was the game company that Huang Sibo had used to work in.
Previously, Huang Sibo had been working at the lowest level of the company, helping to do miscellaneous work and rough planning. He had suffered many grievances and hardships; he naturally didn’t make many friends.
Only with someone else who had been working in the gallows with him did he have a decent relationship with. After all, they were in the same predicament and had weathered hardships together; they more or less felt that they were in the same boat and had bonded.
When Huang Sibo had passed his interview and entered Tengda—although he occasionally kept contact with this friend, he didn’t mention his work much.
Why was that?
On one hand, Huang Sibo had always been doubtful whether he had made a wrong move and entered a swindle company; he didn’t dare to tell his brother about this. After that, realizing how good the company treated its workers while its games had gotten much success, he then felt it was a little awkward to talk about his work as if he was boasting.
He was afraid that his brother might become mentally unstable.
After a while, as Huang Sibo had been kept busy by the short videos and this brother of his had had to work overtime constantly, they didn’t manage to find a chance to meet. Finally, now that the New-Year holidays were over, the two had managed to find some time to meet and catch up.
Huang Sibo sat in the coffee place for a while, and before long, this brother of his arrived as well. He was around 1.7 meters, and he had gone a little out of shape due to the constant overtime. Although he looked a little self-absorbed, he had actually cleaned himself up rather well.
As for any special traits about him, his hands were very nice, white, and thin. It was obvious he hadn’t really had to work much when he was young.
“Yiqun, over here.” Huang Sibo raised his hand and waved. This brother immediately saw Huang Sibo and sat down opposite the table. His full name was called Ma Dubiao; however, no one would call him that normally. Everyone called him Ma Yiqun.
Ma Yiqun was in charge of plot planning in Shang Yang Games. He was a prim and proper Chinese Language and Literature university graduate; his family was all very cultured. This name had been given to him by his grandfather who was a classical literature professor at a university.
As for why he had made the fatal mistake of becoming a plot planner in a games company?
This story was long.
Ma Yiqun had been the same as Huang Sibo; they were both the lowest lifeforms in the company. However, Ma Yiqun had lived slightly more like a human than Huang Sibo. Huang Sibo’s job scope was a planner, and whenever the chief planner Old Liu wanted something done, he would pile it all up on Huang Sibo without caring if he could finish or not.
As a plot planner, Ma Yiqun also had to do much planning work. However, as he had much work to do regarding the plot, his share of the planning work had been lessened. Furthermore, with regard to the plot tasks, he could also dawdle and take his time.
For example, compiling a list of names, writing descriptions; these could be finished in three to four hours. However, Ma Yiqun would take two days to do these and hand it in only on the third day; Old Liu wouldn’t feel that something was amiss.
After all, when it came to naming, one’s efficiency depended solely on his condition and state of mind; Old Liu wasn’t going to push Ma Yiqun too much.
Hence, Huang Sibo couldn’t take it and had quitted in rage. While Ma Yiqun hesitated and dragged it out; he had successfully done so for another few months.
“Sibo, why do you look tanner?” Ma Yiqun sat down as he noticed that Huang Sibo’s complexion was slightly darker.
“Really? Perhaps it’s because I have been out doing outdoor scenes recently, and I’ve gotten a tan.” Huang Sibo handed the menu over. “I’ve already ordered my coffee. See what you want to drink; my treat.”
“Outdoor scenes?” Ma Yiqun took the menu over and ordered a latte without much thought. Hearing Huang Sibo’s words, Ma Yiqun was a little bewildered. He had never heard of game development to be done outdoors.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you. I am not in the game industry anymore; I am shooting my own short videos. Have you seen Boss Pei’s Daily Life? That’s what we’re shooting now,” Huang Sibo said.
Ma Yiqun’s eyes widened.
“Boss Pei’s Daily Life is being done by you guys? Damn! This short video series has been rather popular lately; I have been keeping up with every single episode! What is your role? Scriptwriter? Props? Why aren’t you a guest actor or something?”
Huang Sibo laughed and said, “I don’t have the gift for acting. My role is… I don’t want to say it specifically. In any case, I have to run here and there; I’m like a partner, I guess.”
“That’s good; it seems as if Sibo… you have found a suitable industry for yourself. Congratulations.” Ma Yiqun was truly happy for Huang Sibo.
“I think that you can as well. Your novel…” Ma Yiqun gestured as he interrupted Huang Sibo. “Aye, let’s not talk about that.”
He took another good look at Huang Sibo and realized not only did Huang Sibo look very good, but he seemed to be filled with drive and vigor. “It seems as if you have experienced much these few months? You look and feel quite different. Quick, fill me in.”
The coffee arrived very soon. Huang Sibo sipped his coffee, “Let’s talk about you first; how’s the company?”
“How good can it get? It’s the same as before; it’s rather dead and stagnant.” Ma Yiqun’s expression grew slightly pained. As he was meeting his friend that had gone through hardships with him, Ma Yiqun finally stopped suppressing his feelings and thoughts as he started to vent.
“A while back, Old Liu seemed to have gone crazy; he was adamant about fixing an 888-yuan price on a saber in the new edition of our game! The crux was… this saber wasn’t anything rare. If it was a limited edition and a one-and-only item, I’d agree with that pricing. However, there’s a hundred of them, and they are all selling for 888; isn’t that a little crazy?<
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“In the end, Old Liu refused to give in; not even one yuan less!”
“After that, we found out that he had been fixated on Ocean Stronghold and felt that if the Red Kilin could sell for that price, our saber could as well! In the end, when we released the new edition, as expected, we were scolded bloody by players! The boss gave Old Liu a severe dressing down. Even when we were at our desks, we could hear the shouting from the meeting room…”
Chapter 105 - Helping a Brother by Giving a Recommendation
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“This…”
Huang Sibo was a little flabbergasted as well. He had not thought that Ocean Stronghold could have achieved such an effect and led Old Liu to do this. However, after thinking deeper, Old Liu indeed was capable of doing such a thing.
The Red Kilin had sold for 888 yuan; not only did players not feel irked by that, but they accepted it rather readily. This indeed would give other game designers a misconception that their rare items could be sold at that price as well!
Old Liu must have guessed that he might be scolded by gamers; he did not care about that. He only cared if he could make money out of this highly-priced saber! If he could, he wouldn’t mind the players scolding him; that wouldn’t impact his boss offering him a promotion or raise.
However, the result was… not only did players scold him badly, but not many sabers had been sold as well. The boss had given him a dressing down as the game’s reputation had suffered a hit, and they didn’t manage to make money out of it.
“This was a foolish undertaking by Old Liu. Ocean Stronghold’s Red Kilin was part of the whole pricing strategy; Old Liu grew greedy after seeing that 888-price tag but failed to take into account the pricing strategy in its entirety. Of course, he was going to get yelled at.”
Huang Sibo couldn’t help but diss Old Liu as well.
Previously, when he had been working at Shang Yang Games, Old Liu was his direct superior. At that time, Huang Sibo had a rather complex view of Old Liu. Although Old Liu kept on suffocating him with work, Huang Sibo had thought that he could learn something from Old Liu.
Now, Huang Sibo did not think that way anymore. A chief planner like Old Liu had at most been in the industry for a couple of years; and hence in the eyes of newbies, these people were looked up to.
In reality…
One who wanted to accomplish great things would cherish himself while one who only cares about small profit would lose his life. Old Liu had—of all things—only mimicked selling an item at 888 yuan; how could this sort of person be a chief planner?
His thinking was not big enough, and he would not amount to much in his life.
Ma Yiqun savored his coffee and felt that Huang Sibo’s words made sense. “Sibo, why do you think Ocean Stronghold managed to sell the Red Kilin at 888?”
Huang Sibo smiled. “You asked the right person.
“Why did Ocean Stronghold manage to sell the Red Kilin at 888? This was actually the only payment necessary for the game! The game itself was in story mode, and its arts and gameplay were all well down. According to the market standard for such a game, it would be worth at least fifty, right?
“However, Ocean Stronghold is completely free, and only an 888 Red Kilin was sold in the entire game! This was a concession! To let all ordinary players enjoy 99.99% of the game for free; wouldn’t players be happy? Won’t they feel some gratitude and appreciation?
“Furthermore, the Red Kilin is different from that saber that Old Liu tried to sell. That saber had good stats, and a baller could kill ten people on his own. Ordinary players don’t even have any breathing space.
“However, the Red Kilin stats aren’t actually that much higher than other guns. Furthermore, it could also accelerate the experience points gained by other players in the same room, as well as other benefits.”
“If both the ballers and the ordinary players’ interests are aligned, this weapon would forever maintain its value. Its outstanding appearance in the game as well as the worship it would get wherever this baller walked in the game; of course, it sold well!
“Hence, a pricing strategy must be considered in its entirety; it is something resulting from a holistic assessment. Selling the Red Kilin at 888 yuan is not a black-hearted way of profiting; it is actually a concession!”
Ma Yiqun listened as he kept on nodding his head. “I see! I have heard that Ocean Stronghold was selling a gun for 888. I had thought… so many people are that rich and willing to spend now? So this was the reason. I understand now.
“Brother Huang, you’re no longer in the game industry anymore, and yet you still know so much about them?”
Huang Sibo paused as he drank his coffee.
“This… is a long story. I haven’t told you yet, but that’s because these few months have been like a dream for me. I don’t even know where to begin…
“Actually, Ocean Stronghold was my creation; I was the Chief Planner.”
“Ha?” Ma Yiqun thought he had heard wrongly.
Ocean Stronghold’s Chief Planner? Wasn’t that a complete slap in the face to Old Liu from Huang Sibo?
What standard of game was Ocean Stronghold? That was a game that had defeated even Sun Strike Studios! Putting aside the overseas Counter Strike—among the FPS games developed internally in the country, Ocean Stronghold was considered number-one; it was that impressive!
Someone had even predicted that based on Ocean Stronghold’s current player numbers, besides selling the Red Kilin, if the creators just casually did some other sales here and there that required a paywall; their earnings could even be doubled or tripled!
While outsiders didn’t know Ocean Stronghold’s income—based on rough estimates, it should be around six to seven million a month while profit could be around three million.
This was the result of a game that had only been online for slightly more than a month. Based on the longevity of FPS games, for its income to hit ten million a month in the future was not in question. This was a money tree that had just germinated!
How formidable would this game’s Chief Planner be? If it was a bigger-scale games company, even the boss would have to be polite and respectful to this person!
A brother that had been suffering with himself a few months ago; in the blink of an eye had become an industry veteran.
Ma Yiqun found this a little hard to accept.
It wasn’t he didn’t want Huang Sibo to do well; the crux was this was a little too ridiculous!
Huang Sibo also didn’t want to hide anymore. He started from his interview to enter Tengda, to how Boss Pei’s hint had led him to create Ocean Stronghold, and finally how he had gotten the best employee award and a million yuan to invest in short videos.
Ma Yiqun heard all of this as he became a little weak and sluggish.
Such good things existed?
Based on Huang Sibo’s history and experience, to enter such a baller game company was already a mean feat; it was actually quite unbelievable.
Furthermore, he had immediately taken on the Chief Planner position? He had also created Ocean Stronghold?
As for getting a million yuan Dream Fund… this was absolutely ridiculous!
“I know that you might feel a little stunned hearing all these. However… everything I said is true.” Huang Sibo looked very earnest.
Ma Yiqun was quiet for a long while. “Brother, could you recommend me? I’ll tender my resignation to Old Liu tomorrow.”
To quit immediately was Ma Yiqun’s most pressing thought. Seeing how his brother had been living the past few months and comparing it with his own…
He couldn’t take it!
Huang Sibo had explained Tengda’s work environment, company benefits, etc. in detail. Every single aspect made Ma Yiqun very envious.
“Of course, I can recommend you. However… I also don’t really know what Boss Pei’s selection criteria are. Whether you can pass the interview, it is all in your hands.”
“How was it like?” Huang Sibo recalled what had happened. “To be honest, I felt that I wasn’t going to do well. I had only brought my resume that wrote my work experience, honestly.”
“Honestly?” Ma Yiqun was a little surprised. If he was going to be honest, how ugly would his resume be?
Huang Sibo had been hired like that?
Huang Sibo nodded, “Yes, honestly. Furthermore, I’ll tell you something else. Old Liu had also gone for the interview then. He had been right before me; he wasn’t hired.
Ma Yiqun, “…”
He was utterly confused.
Huang Sibo then thought for a moment and said, “Based on my understanding of Boss Pei, he has a unique way of looking at people. He can look at things beyond one’s resume, everyone’s hidden potential. I feel that you should not fake or exaggerate things; don’t make your resume too nice. This might actually work in your favor with Boss Pei.
“Of course, how you plan to do it, you have to decide for yourself; I can’t guarantee this.”
Ma Yiqun hurriedly nodded, “Alright, no problem. I’ll go and prepare my resume when I head back!”
Chapter 106 - He Must be Destined for Great Things!
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
March 16th, afternoon…
In the guest room…
Pei Qian looked at the name on the resume and felt quite confounded. He did not think that people could have such a name. That’s alright. He considerately pronounced the name accurately.
“Ma Dubiao1?” Pei Qian looked up at the plot planner whom Huang Sibo recommended.
Losing Money to Be a Tycoon c1-883 Page 57