Chapter 215: President Pei and Master Ruan, Truly Kindred Spirits
Just as Pei Qian was mulling things over, someone knocked on his office door.
Looking up, he saw it was Lu Mingliang.
"President Pei, a few of the concept art pieces are ready. Would you like to take a look?"
Previously, Lu Mingliang had handed all of Turn Back Before It's Too Late's concept design work over to Ruan Guangjian—scenes, characters, monsters, equipment, weapons, everything.
There was no way Ruan Guangjian could handle all of that alone, but he now had his own studio.
After graduating, riding on the reputation and network he had built, Ruan Guangjian set up a small studio in Shanghai, right next to his old campus at the University of Finance and Economics.
The studio was called Halo Studio. Thanks to the work he had done for Ghost General, Game Producer, and other concept design projects, it had already become quite well-known in the industry.
Ruan Guangjian had pulled in his old dorm mates to join him, and recently, with business improving, he'd even hired new staff. They'd gone from only being able to take on small jobs to now having the capacity for big ones.
As their reputation grew, more and more game companies came knocking, often needing to wait for an opening in the schedule.
And if someone wanted a piece drawn by Ruan Guangjian himself, the prices were climbing higher and the queue was getting longer.
But for Tengda Games, Ruan Guangjian had always been exceptionally generous.
No matter the request, as long as it didn't conflict with ongoing work, Tengda's projects would always be prioritized.
So once the story, worldbuilding, and artistic requirements for Turn Back Before It's Too Late were finalized, Lu Mingliang immediately reached out to Halo Studio and entrusted the heavy responsibility of concept design to Ruan Guangjian.
Now, the first batch of concept art has been completed.
Accompanied by Lu Mingliang, Pei Qian looked them over.
First came several scene concept paintings.
The perilous terrain of Ghost Gate Pass—tucked among endless mountains, flanked by jagged peaks, and facing a mist-filled abyss haunted by restless souls.
A tall, gray-green archway wreathed in bluish fog stood ominously, its carved ancient characters sharp and terrifying enough to send a chill through the bones.
Beyond the gate stretched the Yellow Springs Road, fading into the distance. Countless wronged spirits wandered aimlessly down its path, trudging forward without rest.
On either side of the road rolled dense, turquoise mist. From time to time, withered, yellowed hands emerged from the fog, clawing desperately at travelers to drag them down.
Spanning the Forgetting River was the Bridge of Helplessness, leading into a ghostly realm. A few soul-lanterns hung in midair as wandering spirits shuffled past. Some disappeared into the far-off haze, while others simply tumbled from the bridge into the river below, never to surface again.
Alongside these, there were sketches of scattered objects and monster concepts.
A dilapidated temple, broken statues of Buddhas and earth gods, common ghosts, shattered weapons, soul banners, and more.
As for monsters, there was Meng Po at the Bridge of Helplessness, the Four Great Judges of the underworld, and so on.
Though many of these figures had appeared in other games before, Ruan Guangjian would completely redesign them in his trademark style. His dark, atmospheric aesthetic was highly distinctive and deeply memorable.
After reviewing several of the artworks, Pei Qian couldn't help but sigh.
"Ruan Guangjian's performance really is too damn consistent."
In other words: could he, just once, not deliver at this level?!
From Ghost General to Game Producer and now Turn Back Before It's Too Late, his art skills only seemed to be improving further and further—which was absolutely disastrous news for him!
It was easy to see that Turn Back Before It's Too Late's concept designs were being completed faster, and the style was even more polished.
Compared to Game Producer, Turn Back Before It's Too Late's subject matter was also better suited to Ruan Guangjian's Epic Ink-and-Oil Painting style. That might be one of the key reasons why his work was becoming even more impressive.
Lu Mingliang wholeheartedly agreed with Pei Qian's words, nodding in praise:
"Exactly, a true master is always this steady! Handing the concept art to him really puts my mind at ease!"
Pei Qian: "…"
He very much wanted to blacklist Ruan Guangjian completely and never cooperate with him again.
But… he had no excuse!
The man's work was too good, his prices were discounted, the style was a perfect match—what possible reason could he use to terminate the partnership?
Still, fortunately, Turn Back Before It's Too Late wasn't meant to succeed based on graphics alone. The real player deterrent would be its gameplay. And since hiring Ruan Guangjian meant spending more money anyway, Pei Qian decided to endure it.
"Good, just keep going like this."
Pei Qian stared at the concept art for a long time, but found no flaws. They were just too damn good—no place to make a reasonable change.
When it came to concept art, he really didn't understand much anyway. He could only let himself be at the mercy of others.
Hearing Pei Qian's words, Lu Mingliang sighed with emotion:
"President Pei and Master Ruan truly are like-minded souls, kindred spirits!"
"Master Ruan mentioned that after this project wraps up, he might take a short break and possibly come to Jingzhou to visit our company—and of course, to pay a visit to you, President Pei."
"After all, you two have been kindred spirits online for so long, but have never met in person. It's a bit of a pity, isn't it? Surely you feel the same way, President Pei?"
Pei Qian's mouth twitched slightly.
Feel the same way my ass!
I don't want to see him at all!
On my little blacklist, first place is Qiao Liang, and second is this guy!
The key issue was that ever since the Ghost General collaboration, his relationship with Ruan Guangjian had gone beyond simple business.
Ruan vaguely regarded Pei Qian as a kindred spirit. Though one worked in games and the other in concept art, this sense of mutual appreciation had crossed industry boundaries.
Pei Qian's lips twitched again:
"Heh, when he comes, I'll make sure to give him a very warm welcome."
…
…
The progress of the two games was now clear in Pei Qian's mind.
At the moment, there weren't any serious issues that required immediate correction.
Pei Qian thought for a bit. There were still plenty of things to keep him busy.
With July about to end, three matters were particularly urgent.
First, according to his rules, the "Best Employee" selection was scheduled for August 1st.
Pei Qian felt rather uneasy about this selection.
Because the decision would come from company-wide voting, and he didn't plan on manipulating the results—he no longer trusted his own judgment.
The eyes of the masses were bright and clear. Whoever they voted for as "Best Employee" must have played an important role and been recognized by everyone. Pei Qian had no intention of sheltering or indulging anyone.
Even if it was his most trusted confidant, they would have to be eliminated without hesitation!
Second was the fine-dining restaurant and the Against the Wind Logistics project.
Preparations were still underway, but the person in charge needed to be confirmed.
Pei Qian remembered that last time, at the Moyu Internet Café, one of the managers had been a chef. Perfect—he could put that guy in charge of the fine-dining restaurant.
After all, the man hadn't accomplished much as an internet café manager, which proved he wasn't very capable. Sending him to run a high-end restaurant would look like professional alignment on the surface, but in reality, he'd just drag it down.
As for Against the Wind Logistics…
Pei Qian was considering asking whether the soon-to-be-voted "Best Employee" would want to take charge of it.
If they didn't, he'd simply give them a 1 million yuan "Dream Fund" to squander however they pleased. If they did, then they'd be put in charge of Against the Wind Logistics.
Finally, since he had already taken Lin Chang's money, it was about time he produced something to show for it.
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