Chapter 137: Stop Talking, Let Me Take Over!
Very quickly, the development plans for the new versions of all the games were finalized.
As for the implementation details, Pei Qian didn't bother with them and handed everything over to Lu Mingliang.
He was in a pretty good mood about this matter.
Pei Qian knew that these new versions and DLCs were definitely going to make money—probably quite a bit, though not an overwhelming amount.
Since making money was within expectations, it didn't bother him too much.
And if, by some miracle, they actually lost money? That would be a pleasant surprise!
Sure enough, after adjusting his mindset, life felt a lot happier.
Once the meeting ended, Pei Qian prepared to head to Moyu Internet Café to get the new branch opening project moving. His goal was to finalize the locations and start renovations right after the May Day holiday.
One month for renovations, another month to lose money—just in time for the next system settlement. The timing was perfect.
Just as he was about to leave the meeting room, Ma Yiqun called out to him.
"President Pei, can I have a quick word with you in private?"
Pei Qian was slightly surprised, but nodded. "Sure. Let's talk in my office."
Pei Qian actually liked Ma Yiqun quite a bit.
It was rare to find such a good company mascot.
Up to now, Ma Yiqun had stayed obediently in the company, learning President Pei's "advanced" game design concepts every day—and hadn't done a single meaningful task.
Pei Qian was quite satisfied with that.
If every employee could be like Ma Yiqun, his job would be so much easier!
"What's the matter?" Pei Qian asked as he sat back in his boss chair and gestured for Ma Yiqun to sit in the chair across from him.
Ma Yiqun looked a bit hesitant, but after some hesitation, he spoke up: "President Pei, it's like this. A friend of mine recently ran into a bit of trouble…"
Pei Qian smiled. "This friend of yours—is it actually you? It's fine. If you've got a problem, just tell me. I'll approve three days of paid leave for you. Take care of it and come back when you're ready."
Ma Yiqun quickly shook his head. "No, no, you misunderstood, President Pei. It really is a friend."
"Both Huang Sibo and I used to work at Shangyang Games—you probably know that."
"After Huang Sibo left, they needed someone to fill his role as the Lead Executive Designer, so they hired someone new."
"Now that person is unemployed, and he asked me if I could help introduce him to a new job…"
Hmm?
Pei Qian took note of the term Ma Yiqun used: "unemployed."
Normally, "unemployed" implies a passive situation—someone who was laid off, not someone who quit.
So, he didn't resign, but was actually fired by Shangyang Games?
Pei Qian mentally did the math.
Huang Sibo joined Tengda in November last year, which meant this replacement guy was hired by Shangyang Games around late November too.
And now, just six months later, he was fired?
This guy must be really talented!
Definitely someone he had to recruit!
But then again, Pei Qian thought it through more carefully. He needed to ask for details.
What exactly was the reason he got fired?
If it was due to incompetence, Pei Qian wouldn't hesitate for a second—he'd hire him on the spot.
But if it involved leaking company secrets or some kind of criminal activity, then Pei Qian couldn't touch him.
If the guy broke the law, and Pei Qian hired him, the system would hold him responsible—because the system strictly forbade any illegal activity within the company.
"So, why exactly was your friend fired?" Pei Qian asked.
"Fired? No, no!" Ma Yiqun shook his head quickly. "He's unemployed because Shangyang Games is shutting down."
Pei Qian: "…"
So he misunderstood. He got excited for nothing.
Pei Qian was familiar with Shangyang Games—they were Huang Sibo's former employer. Besides, there weren't many game companies in Jingzhou, and Shangyang was actually a fairly well-known name.
But… he had heard they were doing okay. How did they end up going bankrupt?
How enviable.
"Shangyang Games... how did it end up going bankrupt?" Pei Qian asked, genuinely concerned.
He truly was concerned—after all, this might be a valuable learning experience for him!
Ma Yiqun also looked somewhat emotional. He had worked at Shangyang Games for quite a long time, and it was impossible to say he had no attachment at all.
"Sigh… it's a long story."
"Actually, there were warning signs early on. As far back as last October, many people at Shangyang Games were already quietly looking for new jobs. Even our Lead Executive Designer, Old Liu, was trying to jump ship. That just goes to show how pessimistic things had become."
Pei Qian thought back and realized that this was true.
Back in November last year, Old Liu and Huang Sibo had come in for interviews one after the other. Because Old Liu had more experience, Pei Qian had decisively rejected him.
Looking back now, the fact that a company's Lead Executive Designer was secretly job hunting said a lot about how dire things had gotten.
Ma Yiqun continued, "But back then, even though the company was going downhill, we could still barely hold on. At least the games we were running still brought in some stable revenue."
"But the financial pressure kept mounting."
"As far as I know, Old Liu always wanted to leave, but he couldn't find a better opportunity, so he just stayed."
"Then he saw the success of Ocean Fortress—how that Fire Qilin skin sold for 888 and was still a hit—so he tried to run a similar promotion. He priced an in-game sword at 888 too."
"I suspect he had already given up, thinking the company was doomed, so he just let himself go."
"The boss actually approved it too. At that point, the company was barely operational. If they could pull in a quick wave of revenue, they could at least breathe for a bit."
"But it totally backfired! Players were furious! Not only did they not make money, but the game's reputation was ruined. Player activity plummeted, revenue tanked!"
"After that, even limping along wasn't possible. They dragged on until now, but they can't even make payroll. Last week, the boss gathered everyone and told them the company's funds had dried up. He advised everyone to quickly find new jobs."
"That's why my friend came to me."
Pei Qian listened in silence.
Wait a second… this is my fault too??
Ocean Fortress had, without Pei Qian even realizing it, given Shangyang Games a final push off the cliff—speeding up their demise.
All he could say was, what a coincidence.
Also, Jingzhou's game development circle was really small...
For a fleeting moment, Pei Qian actually felt a tinge of envy toward Shangyang Games' boss.
Look at that guy—when he wants to lose money, he loses it!
And not just a small loss, but straight-up bankruptcy!
Hmm? Wait.
Pei Qian's eyes suddenly lit up.
Why should he be envious?
He could just take over!
Why envy the boss of Shangyang Games when he could become the boss himself?
A company that had already successfully lost money? If he took it over, wouldn't that basically be his own loss too?
What a gold mine!
Seeing that Pei Qian hadn't immediately agreed, Ma Yiqun quickly added, "President Pei, I know Tengda has high standards for its employees. I'm just hoping you'll give my friend a chance to interview."
Pei Qian nodded. "Don't worry. Your friend won't be unemployed."
Ma Yiqun was stunned, then overjoyed. "Really? Thank you, President Pei! Thank you so much!"
So President Pei meant—even if his friend didn't qualify for Tengda Games, he'd still help him find another job?
What a righteous man! So loyal!
Ma Yiqun hadn't expected President Pei to agree so readily. It really felt like President Pei treated every employee as a friend, a brother!
Full of gratitude, Ma Yiqun left.
Pei Qian was quite pleased too.
Whether Ma Yiqun's friend met Tengda's hiring standards or not no longer mattered.
He'd just buy all of Shangyang Games. Problem solved.
Buy it out, let it keep running the way it always had, and any losses it incurred would be counted directly under him.
Where else could you find such a good deal?!
<+>
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