April 22nd, Friday...
In a cafe near Handong University, Pei Qian sipped his coffee and stared at his phone screen, trying to memorize the content displayed on it.
Yesterday, He An of Mengguo Games had agreed to make a trip to Jingzhou. However, whether he would agree to teach Pei Qian or not depended on how the latter did on his test.
As for why Pei Qian had selected this cafe instead of Fish-Catching Internet Cafe... it was quite obvious.
Pei Qian had gone to Fish-Catching Internet Cafe too many times so all the employees recognized him.
If he did not instruct them in advance, the employees would surely expose his identity. However, if he instructed them to keep his identity under wraps, then too many people would find out about this matter. The chances of news leaking would be higher.
What's more, the internet cafe was right across from Halo Workspace, and Ruan Guangjian went there to buy coffee daily. If they bumped into each other and Ruan Guangjian addressed him as 'Boss Pei', then things would spiral out of control.
Thus, after considering everything, Pei Qian decided to avoid his own businesses every time he met with He An. The fewer people who knew about him taking lessons from He An, the better.
In any case, he was only trying to spend money and acquire knowledge. There was no need to be too caught up in the details.
Until now, only Assistant Xin and the chauffeur, Little Sun, knew about this. They were trying their best to keep the secret under wraps for Boss Pei.
It was only 2 PM. According to Little Sun's report, Boss He had already gotten off the plane. That meant he should arrive in about forty minutes.
As for Pei Qian, he had been reviewing as much as he could since yesterday. He had not rested except to sleep. What was he reviewing if he had no materials?
After pondering very hard, Pei Qian had decided that he had had no choice but to spot the questions.
He had spent a significant amount of time yesterday researching on all the games that He An had worked on. Of course, he could not play every single one of them. Thus, he briefly watched related videos and then read the games' walkthroughs and reviews. He needed to acquire this basic knowledge. As long as he did not perform ridiculously and he expressed his sincerity by offering higher fees, he would probably be able to win Boss He over.
After researching on the games that He An had worked on, Pei Qian realized that this man was indeed an experienced and well-respected elder in the local game industry. He An was born in 1969 and was 42 this year. At a tender age of twenty, he had developed his first casual game. After that, he developed a standalone RPG that was well-known in the industry, and he rose to success. Then, he established his own company, Mengguo Games.
He had started working on his most recent game, a multiplayer war RPG, three years ago. Until now, it was still in operation and doing very well. However, after developing this game, he became very well-accomplished and went into semi-retirement.
A big boss like that had truly witnessed the ups and downs of the local game industry. He had also accomplished great success for multiple game genres and was well worthy of teaching most game designers in the country.
Ordinary people probably would not get to engage his services.
However, therein lay the problem.
There was way too much content for Pei Qian to memorize at last-minute notice!
There were so many games that Pei Qian could only afford to briefly learn about all of them. If He An asked him a deep question, he would probably not have an answer.
Pei Qian was extremely helpless, but he had not had much time and photographic memory. What's more, some games were extremely old. Although they had been famous in the past, Pei Qian had never heard of them. He was counting on pure memory, and so one could only imagine how much he remembered.
Still, he had no other option. He could only depend on his good luck and raw skills. As he tried to memorize the content, forty minutes passed in the blink of an eye.
"Boss He, this way." Little Sun pushed open the door to the cafe and entered. A middle-aged man, who looked to be in his forties, followed behind him.
Pei Qian immediately recognized He An. He looked younger than he did in his photographs. Although he looked slightly slovenly in dress and manner, he still subconsciously and effortlessly exuded the confidence of a successful middle-aged man.
Pei Qian stood up to welcome him and then shook his hand.
"Boss He, how are you?"
He An smiled warmly. "Are you Boss Ma? It's a pleasure to meet you."
Pei Qian smiled back and nodded. "That's right. I'm Ma Yang. Boss He, please take a seat."
Both men took their seats. After making sure that Boss He had settled down, Little Sun ordered coffee from one of the waiters and then went back out to wait in the car.
Pei Qian had already instructed Little Sun to take care of all of He An's transportation needs during this period. On one hand, he had to play the good host. On the other hand, he had to prevent his cover from being blown.
Pei Qian wanted to spend the 1.6 million yuan with as little obstruction as possible. He did not want to complicate the issue and generate weird rumors about himself.
Both men sipped their coffee and chatted nonchalantly.
He An looked calm as he said, "I wouldn't expect a young man like Boss Ma to have achieved so much with your investment business. Heroes were indeed cultivated from a young age."
Pei Qian laughed. "Boss He, you developed your first game and made a name for yourself in the country at twenty years old as well, didn't you?" He An's smile widened. Obviously, a little flattery about one's work still brought comfort and happiness.
"Boss Ma, you might be naturally talented at investing, but game design is completely different. Before I came over, I already said that I want to conduct a mini test. I hope you wouldn't mind, Boss Ma."
Pei Qian nodded. "Of course!"
He An retrieved a folded document that had about three or four pages from his bag and then handed it to Pei Qian. "Boss Ma, just answer these questions based on what you think. Don't be nervous. These questions should be quite simple for you."
Pei Qian heaved a sigh of relief when he heard the words 'quite simple'. If those questions were only testing his basic knowledge, then he should be able to pass without a problem, given everything that he had already reviewed.
Of course, Pei Qian couldn't let his guard down now.
He took the test paper and then retrieved a fountain pen from his shirt pocket. It was the same fountain pen that he had spent a lot of money buying earlier, but that he had only used a couple of times. Now, he was prepared to answer the questions.
However, he was stunned when he read the first question.
He briefly scanned them all.
'What mental state did The Lonely Desert Road take advantage of in its gamers, which led to its success? What was the designer's motive?
'Why does Ghost General's artistic style stand out among all the card games? How should the designer balance his own requirements with the expression of the concept artist's inspiration?
'What's the main reason that Ocean Stronghold's Red Kilin is priced at 888 yuan? Objectively, what kind of effect does that have?
'What was outstanding about Game Designer's sales technique? What's the central idea behind the game?
'What does the epitaph in Repent and be Saved reflect on the designer's thinking? Objectively, what kind of effect does it have?'
There were three pieces of paper in total, and all the questions were short-structured ones. What's more, blanks had intentionally been left for Pei Qian to fill in his answers.
Pei Qian raised his head and looked at He An, confused.
This is your test?!
I was f*cking studying so hard to memorize basic knowledge of games and the games that you designed!
Yet, you're testing me on the games that I created? What's the meaning of this?!
Had I known earlier, would I still have researched the games that you developed? I would have just watched all of Teacher Qiao's videos once through!
He An saw the weird and confused look on 'Ma Yang's face and smiled. "Hehe, Boss Ma, did you think I was going to ask you questions about your foundational knowledge of games or the games that I created?
"Foundational knowledge is very basic, and everything's already stated online. There's no point in memorizing it all. "As for the games that I created... I'm hesitating to admit this, but they are outdated now.
"If you want to learn game design now, you have to study the latest games.
"It's just as well that you're interested in games, Boss Ma. It's also just as well that you work in an investment company under Tengda Corporation, and you have a certain understanding of Tengda's game design.
"Learning more about Tengda's design concept would be very helpful to you. "So, was I right? The test isn't that hard, right?"
Pei Qian, "..."
Pei Qian looked at He An and then at the test paper in his hands, feeling all sorts of feelings in his heart.
Forget it. What else can I do? I have to answer it!
Pei Qian's pen moved very quickly across the paper as he scribbled and answered the questions.
He An sipped his coffee and waited patiently, looking nonchalant.
Half an hour later, Pei Qian was done.
Although he had not filled all three pages, he had made sure to write at least three to five lines of words for each question. It looked like he had done it well enough.
For short-structured questions-even if one did not know what he was talking about, they would still have to fill up most of the space. That was a good habit that Pei Qian had cultivated while he had been in high school.
He An sniggered as he took the test paper back. As he read it, his expression changed unpredictably.
"The Lonely Desert Road took advantage of gamers' masochism and argumentative nature to succeed. The designer's motive was to make gamers so bored that they would give up on the game altogether. 'Ghost General's epic ink oil painting style looked very special among the rest of the card games. It was an extra benefit that the designer was very creative. The designer should give up on his own requirements entirely and allow the concept artist to express himself freely.
'Ocean Stronghold's Red Kilin was priced at 888 yuan to dissuade gamers from buying it. Objectively, it looked like it ended up inspiring ballers to spend their money. 'Game Designer's sales technique was outstanding because its shoddiness unexpectedly inspired UP Masters to take over the marketing on their own. The game's central idea was that 'a speaker's fate was to be misunderstood'.
"The epitaph in Repent and be Saved reflected the designer's wish to dissuade gamers at all costs. Objectively, it had the opposite effect. It triggered gamers' rebellious nature." As He An read the answers, he frowned and relaxed intermittently.
Pei Qian quietly sipped his coffee, having mixed feelings inside. He had hesitated for a long time, thinking about whether he should write his actual thoughts or write Teacher Qiao and the others' over-analysis of his actions.
If he wanted to be honest, he should have written his actual thoughts. However, he was sure that Boss He would have boarded the first flight out of here if he had done that.
Thus, Pei Qian had no choice but to swallow his pride and use Teacher Qiao's over-analysis to answer the questions. In addition, he had made use of all of his experience he had acquired as a successful game designer thus far.
However, the problem was that Teacher Qiao had not created a video for every one of Boss Pei's games.While Teacher Qiao had not created videos for some of his games, Pei Qian had been asked about the 'designer's intent'. Since he had had no idea how to answer those questions, Pei Qian could only express himself freely. Although his answers looked ridiculous, Pei Qian had hardly had any other option.
He just hoped to pass!
He An read the three pages once again, his eyes filling with confusion.
"Some questions were very well-answered. Some were answered in layman terms, but you captured the right idea. However, some... were quite ridiculously answered.
"Honestly, I can't tell what your real standard is."
Pei Qian gave a polite smile.
You can't tell what my real standard is?
That sounds right. I can't f*cking tell what my real standard is either...
Chapter 496 Your Reasoning Skills are very Impressive
As he held the test, He An explained each question to Pei Qian.
"You answered a few questions well!
"For example, you referred to Ghost General's artistic style as 'epic ink oil painting style' and Game Designer's central idea as 'a speaker's fate was to be misunderstood'. They were both very accurate and appropriate descriptions, and they sounded very professional! "Some of your answers were quite misleading, but you've got the general idea.
"Take the last question, for example. You said that Repent and be Saved's epitaph reflected the designer's wish to dissuade gamers at all costs. I can't say that that answer is wrong, but it's not correct either.
"The correct answer is one level deeper. The designer wanted to dissuade gamers to play hard to get. You should have answered 'it reflected the designer's firm grip on the gamers' hearts'.
"A few other questions were answered very ridiculously.
"For example, you said that the designer should give up his own requirements and allow the concept artist to express himself freely. Of course, you cannot do that! That is, unless your concept artist is a real artist.
"Yet, who can guarantee that the random artist that you engage for your game has the standards of a professional artist? Thus, you have to ensure that your list of art resources is accurate and detailed enough.
"You also answered that The Lonely Desert Road was meant to make gamers so bored that they would give up on the game altogether, that the main reason that the Red Kilin was priced at 888 yuan was to dissuade gamers from purchasing it, and that Game Designer's sales technique was shoddy.
"All of those are ridiculously wrong!
"I've totaled up your score for all the questions. Although I still can't tell what your real standard is, I have a rough guess."
He An looked very confident as if he had everything under control. All of a sudden, Pei Qian felt curious about what he was going to say next.
Could this boss really see so deeply into Pei Qian with just a few simple questions? "Please go ahead." Pei Qian was very sincere because he really wanted to know what kind of standard he was at and how much he really knew about games.
He An rubbed his chin, looking every bit like a detective.
"It is not like an outsider who's focusing on the investment industry to be able to summarize the artistic style and central idea of games so accurately. That's unless you heard of those phrases somewhere and took them down.
ses som
"The misleading answers show that you don't have a deep understanding of games; you only have half the required understanding, and you are lacking in the spirit of delving deeper. Of course, you're not lacking in determination, but... you don't prioritize delving deep into things. You don't reap much benefit from doing so.
"As for the questions that you got ridiculously wrong... they're worth ruminating over.
"Logically, even an outsider who knows nothing about the game industry would at least understand the relationship between the concept artist and the designer, right? Answers like 'the game was meant to dissuade gamers' would also seem very illogical. Those answers contain a lot of subjectivity."
He An's eyes were bright as he looked at Pei Qian craftily and confidently. "It looks like you've set a riddle for me as well, right?"
Pei Qian looked shocked.
Is he really that amazing?
Can he tell so much from my answers? Can he tell that I'm Boss Pei, the designer of the games?
Pei Qian's mind was filled with countless questions. At that moment, he was at a loss for words.
He An could not help but laugh. "I knew it! I was right!
"Boss Ma, I guessed that you and Boss Pei are good friends in real life. Your relationship is not as simple as that between superior and subordinate. Instead, you're more like friends or brothers, right?
"You probably heard the accurate summary of the games' artistic style and central idea when you were chatting with Boss Pei, and that was when you made notes.
"Delving deep into the game industry is not your priority because you're busy with the investment business. You can't afford to spare time and energy to find out more, and that's why your understanding is incomplete.
"As for your ridiculously wrong answers... perhaps he cracked a joke with you while both of you were talking and said that the game was meant to dissuade gamers; perhaps he was being modest and said that Game Designer's sales technique was shoddy. Yet, because your understanding of game design isn't deep enough, you were taken in!
"The fact that you and Boss Pei can chat nonchalantly and joke around shows that both of you are quite close.
"The fact that you were taken in by Boss Pei's jokes shows that you're excessively honest...
"Am I right? Boss Ma?"
Once He An finished, he looked at 'Ma Yang' confidently.
Without a doubt, Pei Qian knew that if He An had facial hair, he would be stroking his beard and looking pleased with himself by now. However, he did not have facial hair. Thus, he continued rubbing his chin. The look on his face said that he knew there was only one truth.
At that moment, Pei Qian had no idea how to respond.
There was one thing that He An did not know, and he had started on the wrong footing from the beginning. Yet, for some reason, he had arrived at an accurate conclusion...
He had guessed Ma Yang's special habits and characteristics correctly. He had even managed to guess that Ma Yang and Pei Qian were as close as brothers.
The accuracy of his hypothesis was very strange.
What's more, He An had started off on the wrong footing, and he had applied solid logic and reasoning
That was even more amazing.
Pei Qian could not help but feel emotional. "Boss He, your reasoning skills are very impressive."
He An sensed 'Ma Yang's sincerity and could not help but smile. "Back then, I worked on a detective game. This is just one of my negligible merits. It's not worth boasting about."
Pei Qian asked, "Boss He, did I pass the test, then?"
we
Still smiling, He An replied, "If you were an outsider, I would not bother wasting my time with you. Yet, Boss Ma is a good friend of Boss Pei's, and you are very sincere. There's no reason for me to reject you.
"I'll do my best to teach you. Boss Ma, how much you learn from this would depend solely on you."
Pei Qian, "..."
Pei Qian had not expected that, at the end of the day, he had passed the test based on his own reputation.
I counted on myself?
Pei Qian felt incredulous. The entire situation exuded dark humor from beginning to end. It was almost as if he had been wrong to decide to learn about game design, and things had only gotten worse from there...
Yet, since he had already reached this point, he decided to go ahead anyway!
If he could acquire knowledge about game design, he could take fewer detours in the future and generate fewer profits!
He An continued speaking. "Boss Ma, I have limited time. I can only come to Jingzhou once a month. What's your plan?"
Pei Qian cleared his throat. "Boss He, this is what I was thinking. It's not convenient for you to come to Jingzhou, and you would be imparting valuable lessons to me. To save your time, I'm thinking of having one long lesson each month.
"There'll be five lessons in total, and I'll pay you two hundred thousand yuan per lesson. Apart from that, I'll pay for all of your air tickets and expenses in Jingzhou!"
That was the maximum amount allowed by the system.
Two hundred thousand yuan per lesson sounded ridiculous, but it was very reasonable.
It was normal to pay Economics professors and outstanding people about two to three hundred thousand yuan just to give a speech.
He An was the boss of a games company, and he had developed many successful games. Although Mengguo Games was no longer doing as well as it used to, He An was still worth hundreds of millions of yuan.
In other words, if he had refused to come, he would not have changed his mind because of a few hundred thousand yuan.
He An's status in the game industry was far higher than Economics professors. What's more, he was not giving a speech to a room full of people. Instead, he was going to teach Pei Qian one-on-one. Pei Qian would be free to ask any questions and interact with He An as he pleased. Paying him two hundred thousand yuan per lesson would not be excessive.
Thus, Pei Qian expected to spend a million yuan on the lessons before settlement.
As for how he would spend the rest of the money... he would think about it in the future.
He An smiled and nodded. "Alright, that's a deal."
Although the remuneration was not particularly important to He An, it still represented Pei Qian's sincerity. Two hundred thousand yuan per lesson added up to a million yuan per class. He An would not be working in vain.
"Alright then, Boss Ma. That's all for today. It's my first time coming to Jingzhou, and I want to tour the city. I'll also prepare the teaching materials. How about this? Let's have our first lesson next Thursday, on the 28th.
"We'll set the remaining lessons on the last Thursday of each month."
Pei Qian nodded. "Alright, I'll accommodate your schedule."
After walking He An out, Pei Qian could not help but feel sorrowful. He wondered what he would learn from the big boss during his first lesson next Thursday...
April 23rd, Saturday...
Tang Yishu led a group of young and innocent students to the 16th floor of Shenhua View. After entering the dazzling office, the students tried hard to restrain their expressions and hide their shock. However, they still could not help but size up the office.
All their faces displayed unrestrained curiosity and a hint of shame.
After all, successful people dressed in suits were walking around the dazzling office in style, and they were only a couple of embarrassingly poor students.
Tang Yishu led all of them into the conference room. "Please wait here, everyone. Boss Pei will arrive in a while."I'm going to feed a cat first."
Once Tang Yishu left the conference room, everyone began whispering to one another. "The working conditions are excellent. I thought that this was a set of a television show."
"Do all offices look like that?"
"What do you think?! This is Tengda, for goodness' sake!"
Obviously, some of the group understood Tengda's situation better than the others, and some had been more engrossed in learning and were thus less informed.
"What are we supposed to do as Management Trainees?" Someone asked a very sharp question.
No one knew the answer to that question. Even Tang Yishu could not explain the answer clearly to them.
That was because Pei Qian had no intention to clarify the matter with her either.
Chapter 497 Cultivating Subordinate Team with Absolute Loyalty
Everyone was discussing in low voices before hearing Tang Yishu's voice coming from the outside. "Senior, t-they are all here... in the conference room."
Everyone hurriedly sat.
Sure enough, the door of the meeting room was quickly pushed open. Pei Qian entered the conference room and sat at the head of the conference table. Tang Yishu in the empty seat on his left with a notebook in hand, prepared to take notes.
Everyone reacted differently seeing Boss Pei's true face.
Most of them had asked Tang Yishu about Boss Pei previously. They knew that he was a senior who had yet to graduate so they were mentally prepared. However, his youth was beyond everyone's expectations!
He was absolutely the same age as them!
At the same time, everyone felt a special aura from Boss Pei. He radiated strong self-confidence and a sense of carefree towards everything. It was as if everything was within his control.
In fact, Pei Qian's aura stemmed from two aspects.
First, this was his company. He was more familiar with this place than his own home.
Secondly, he did not have any pressure on the profitability of this company. That naturally gave him a sense of calmness.
Therefore, such an aura always successfully deceived the people around him.
Some of them were confused before suddenly realizing it.
Wasn't he the actor in Boss Pei's Daily Life?!
Boss Pei's Daily Life might be a drama from more than a year ago since Fei Huang Workspace did not film any more dramas after that. Its popularity dissipated gradually. However, the image of Boss Pei was deeply ingrained in the hearts of people.
His classmates treated him as an actor.
However, these Manage Loss Trainees knew now that the person who starred in the drama as Boss Pei was Boss Pei himself.
Pei Qian instantly understood the meaning behind their thoughts and raised his fingers in a 'shh' motion.
He then smiled. "It is the responsibility of every Tengda employee to keep my identity a secret. I trust you can do that, right?"
Everyone nodded immediately.
Pei Qian knew that his identity would be revealed sooner or later, but he could still manage to hide it at the present.
On the one hand, everyone who knew his identity did not want others to know. There were certain interests so they were all helping him to cover up. They included his teachers, Ma Yang, and Tengda's employees.
On the other hand, Pei Qian's identity as the boss of the company and a game producer were less prone to curiosity.
Most people would search on the net for such information if they were interested. They were not dying to know what he looked like even if they did not see the photo. Moreover, it was not something shocking even if his identity was revealed. There was not much gossip value.
In short, Pei Qian only had two wishes for now: not to have people gawking at him at school and not to let people close to him find out, especially his parents so that they would not create unnecessary associations.
Pei Qian was quite satisfied with the status quo. These Management Trainees should be able to keep secrets well.
According to Tang Yishu, these people were all in the same year as her. The one thing they had in common was that they were from poorer backgrounds and had received living allowances provided by Pei Qian. These poor students were also rather introverted. They usually kept to themselves and had uncomplicated relationships.
That was usually the case for people from poor families.
Pei Qian was very satisfied with that, such personalities were very good for the Secret Service!
Pei Qian scanned everyone and spoke. "First of all, I have three requirements for everyone. "First, keep my identity a secret. Just say hello when we meet at school.
"Second, just address me as Senior.
"Third, place my request unconditionally above the interest of all departments.
"Can you do that?"
Everyone nodded immediately and replied in unison, "Yes!"
Pei Qian's smiled. "Very good, no one raised any questions. Keep it that way.
"Your job is very simple. Enter the departments as Management Trainees and try to figure out the operation mode of the departments as much as possible. Keep abreast of the department's trends and plans.
"I will call for regular meetings on Saturdays. The frequency would be about once every two to three weeks. "Everyone should summarize the work of the department for a briefing before the meeting. I might be interested in certain tasks in the department. You better be able to answer the relevant details.
"One key thing that you should note is that your identity as a Management Trainee is public information. However, the fact that you are reporting directly to me and Tang Yishu is confidential
"You should not mention a word about the irregular Saturday meetings to anyone including the heads and colleagues of your departments.
"You need to sign an internship agreement and a confidentiality agreement. Please rest assured that we will provide higher internship salaries than other companies. At the same time, if you do well in your work, you can enter Tengda directly without taking the exam after graduation. "I'll give you a few minutes to think about it. Little Tang, show the agreement to everyone." Tang Yishu left the meeting room and brought the internship agreement and confidentiality agreement that was prepared beforehand. She distributed them to everyone.
Everyone read the agreements and signed them without any doubt after a few minutes. This was obviously a great opportunity that they would never have again if they missed it.
They could get a generous internship salary, enter Tengda Group for internship and understand the business operation model, and obtain an opportunity to enter Tengda after graduation. The most important thing was that they could also report directly to President Pei at regular meetings.
Where else would they be able to find such a good deal?
If they were to reject it now, he would obviously find someone else. It would be too late to regret it.
Pei Qian was very satisfied with everyone's performance. No one asked questions that would help cultivate a group of subordinates who were absolutely loyal to him.
No department would be able to escape from his eyes if they wanted to try anything funny again!
The reason why Pei Qian selected candidates from his juniors, let them address him as 'senior' instead of 'Boss Pei', and let them directly report to him was that they were aware of the particularity of their position. At the same time, he would draw them closer to him, so that they become his direct subordinates.
Everything seemed to be successful so far. Pei Qian began assigning them work after everyone signed the agreement.
"Next is assigning to a department. Think about your majors, hobbies, and objective abilities. Raise your hand if you think you are suitable for the department.
"Little Tang, you'll decide if there are multiple candidates for a department. "Tengda Games..." "Shang Yang Games..."
"Fish-Catching Internet Cafe..." "Fish-Catching Take-Out..."
Some people raised their hands for every department. Tang Yishu would assign them based on their majors if there were too many people who wanted to enter the same department.
Tang Yishu had considered this point when searching for the candidates. She looked for people with different majors so that they were easy to allocate.
Soon, a total of 17 Manage Loss Trainees were allocated to the 17 departments. The 18 of them, including Tang Yishu, established the Secret Service. The number was just right.
Of course, they would need to increase the number of Manage Loss Trainees if there were new departments in the future.
"Alright, everyone, prepare yourselves to report for work to the department heads next Monday if there is nothing else.
"I've asked the HR department to coordinate with the various department heads. Report to Little Tang immediately if they do not cooperate with you."
Pei Qian was very satisfied as he watched these Manage Loss Trainees leave.
They had no work experience and were still relatively simple in their thinking. They would completely obey his instructions. They would most likely be able to become his right-hand men in the future with some training.
At the same time, Pei Qian could not help but look forward to the first regular Manage Loss Trainees' meeting.
Who would be able to secretly stab me in the back as long as I have these eyes and ears around?
April 24th, Sunday...
Pei Qian strolled towards Deposit Fitness.
Sunday was the peak period for the gym. The gym project would be halfway through success if there were many people. Also, he would hurry and find a solution if there was any serious hidden danger.
He took out his phone on the way and took a look at the 'Top Student, Come Quick' app. It seemed to be well controlled so far. Pei Qian had a huge headache previously when Dream Realization Ventures did their maneuver on 'Top Student, Come Quick'. Yu Pingan-who was originally from Xude Education-seemed to be a good candidate, but he stabbed Boss Pei in the back within a month of entering
'Top Student, Come Quick' was making a fortune as an educational application. Its popularity had fallen recently, but its content had been diverting popularity to the other departments of Tengda. It had achieved certain profitability in itself.
Boss Pei could only adopt the old method of spending money by the people who earned them. He got Yu Pingan to spend all the money on advertisement, development of new features, subsidize users, and so on.
In short, it basically reached a balance of payment.
There was no point in hoping to turn the profits into a loss. Pei Qian was afraid that he might do something wrong burning money. He would rather burn the money little by little, in a controlled manner.
Even so, more than three educational corporations had already put forward their request to invest or acquire 'Top Student, Come Quick' at a high price. Pei Qian's attitude was very firm, of course: reject!
To the others, selling a profitable project was akin to killing the hen to obtain the egg. Pei Qian, however, did not mind killing the hen, or rather, he was dying to kill the hen. However, he could not stomach the huge egg coming out of the hen after killing it.
It would be almost impossible to make a loss for this cycle according to the current valuation of 'Top Student, Come Quick'.
Anyway, it was impossible to get rid of it now. They could only take it step by step now then.He kept his phone and came to Deposit Fitness. A beautiful sign had been erected outside like he wanted. All the trivial rules of the gym were written out in detail, which satisfied Pei Qian.
However, Pei Qian realized that something did not seem quite right once he pushed open the door.
There were quite a number of clients?! It was not crowded, but the number of people obviously increased. It was totally different from the previous situation!
Many clients were viewing the fitness equipment and asking about specific rules in the resting area. Some customers had already started exercising inside.
Coaches like Guo Licheng and Yaling were giving intimate one-on-one services to help customers correct their postures and correct their fitness concepts.
Pei Qian could not help but feel his heart sink.
Are things going to go downhill this fast?
No, impossible!
Chapter 498 I Knew I chose the Wrong Person!
Pei Qian had one word to describe Deposit Fitness' current situation:
Unacceptable!
He had already displayed all the requirements at the entrance, prohibited Deposit Fitness' trainers from roping customers in, and set unreasonable prices by collaborating with Fish-Catching Take-Out to sell packages...
He had even transferred the gym's original customers to another gym. Why were there still so many customers? Why?!
Pei Qian was extremely indignant. He wanted to look for Guo Licheng for an explanation. Guo Licheng had just finished teaching a student when he saw Boss Pei walk in. He quickly stepped forward to welcome him.
"Boss Pei!" Guo Licheng smiled brightly.
Could he help himself? The gym used to be so empty before, and no one had bothered about it. Apart from training himself, Guo Licheng could not do anything else but sit in the resting area. He had been very bored. Yet, what about now? There was work to do!
This was the first time Guo Licheng felt that it was worth celebrating the work he had to do.
While he had been working at other gyms, his schedule had always been packed. However, he had not felt accomplished. Instead, he felt exhausted.
The exhaustion was mainly due to three reasons:
First, as a personal trainer, his job was mainly to supervise and accompany his trainees. After customizing a training plan for his students, he had to watch his students do the prescribed number of reps or sets. Once the students got the hang of it, the personal trainer would only have to watch. It was pure manual labor, which did not require any skills. Of course, one would not feel a sense of accomplishment. Second, a personal trainer had to endure the pressure of making sales throughout the lesson.
Third, since Guo Licheng's schedule had always been packed, he had had no time to work out during working hours.
Thus, he had always had to stay behind for an hour after the gym closed, so that he could train himself. Since he had not had set meal times either, he had become increasingly exhausted over time.
Now, however, Guo Licheng did not feel a hint of that exhaustion anymore!
Deposit Fitness' business model did not result in customers being completely neglected. Instead, it was more flexible.
When newbies entered the gym, trainers could help to correct their form. However, once the newbies adjusted, the trainers would not be required to stand around, doing nothing.
That way, trainers would have additional time to guide others, train themselves, or rest. At the same time, trainers did not have to think about making sales. Thus, their relationships with the students were no longer transactional. Trainers stopped guiding the customers as a burden, and customers stopped feeling defensive towards trainers trying to make sales. Interactions between both parties became much more comfortable.
On top of that, Fish-Catching Take-Out was providing fitness meals, and Deposit Fitness did not allow trainers to work overtime. All trainers had adequate rest, and they were no longer suffering at work. Now, they could enjoy the joy that fitness brought to them during working hours.
Thus, Guo Licheng and the other trainers were feeling extremely energetic and motivated.
After working out—when they had nothing else to do, they would think about how to provide better service to the customers or passionately guide the newbies.
Of course, at that moment, Pei Qian could not tell that all of that had been happening. He could only sense that Guo Licheng was looking healthier, both physically and mentally
Now, Pei Qian was only concerned about the profits that the gym was generating.
"Why are there so many people in the gym? Didn't I tell you not to rope customers in? Where did they come from? They couldn't have walked into this place on their own, right?" Pei Qian looked very cautious.
Confused, Guo Licheng explained, "Boss Pei, we really didn't do anything. They really walked in on their own.
"Didn't you expect this?"
Now, Pei Qian looked confused.
Guo Licheng continued speaking. "It's mainly because of the sign that you told us to set up!"
"What did the sign do?" An ominous feeling overwhelmed Pei Qian. Excitedly, Guo Licheng answered, "Your sign made us look very proper!
"Before this, we all thought that the sign would dissuade passers-by. However, the exact opposite happened. Not only did it fail to dissuade passers-by, but it also drew in a large group of customers!
"A few students from Handong University walked past our shop and were dissuaded by the prices. However, when they read the sign, they became intrigued. Thus, they took pictures and sent them to their friends.
"Our gym's rules invoked interest in them. Thus, a huge group of young people started paying attention to us!
"Of course, most people were only interested in observing and not in spending money. However, a minority—who were not sensitive to price-came to experience our gym. Those are the customers you're seeing right now!"
Pei Qian was stunned.
It was then that he realized he had committed an empirical mistake!
He had set up a sign in front of Fish-Catching Internet Cafe before, which had indeed worked to dissuade customers from entering. For a long time, many people walked away after seeing the prices, and no one bothered about Fish-Catching Internet Cafe.
Later, Fish-Catching Internet Cafe became popular mainly because of Chen Lei, and Chen Lei had only been hired as the resident singer because of Zhang Yuan. All of those had nothing to do with the sign.
Thus, Pei Qian had always been under the impression that putting a sign up at the entrance was a good way to dissuade customers from entering.
However, he now realized that Fish-Catching Internet Cafe and the gym's signs had different contents!
Fish-Catching Internet Cafe's sign had its prices written on it, including the cost of drinks and surfing the net. After reading it, customers had only one thought: 'expensive'. They did not become curious; neither did they have the desire to investigate more or spread the news.
However, Deposit Fitness' sign had its sales model. It wasn't just expensive, but it also included fitness meals, a strict and custom-made fitness plan, and the like.
Customers' first thought after reading it would not be that it was expensive, but that it was interesting! That was because no other gym was doing the same.
Of course, unique regulations like Deposit Fitness' would ignite discussions. Curious people would naturally come over to take a look.
In other words, Fish-Catching Internet Cafe's sign was alright, but Deposit Fitness' sign was problematic. In fact, it was very problematic! Pei Qian's face drained of all color when he realized his mistake. After a moment of silence, he said, "Take down the sign."
Guo Licheng pondered for a moment and then said, "Boss Pei, news of the sign has already spread, and we've already attracted the nearby customers. Do you want to take down the sign to attract more people?" Pei Qian: "..."
I can't leave the sign up, and I can't take the sign down. What the h*ll should I do then?!
Finally, Pei Qian decided not to be hung up over this matter. Sorrowfully, he said, "So... you're not going to tell me that the gym's losses have been turned into profits, are you?"
Guo Licheng was stunned. After he recovered from the shock, he shook his head. "Losses have been turned into profits? Boss Pei, you're being too optimistic. Where are we at now?
"I mean Deposit Fitness is doing alright for now. After all, we've made some improvements. However, it's still too early for our losses to turn into profits.
"It looks like there are many people here, but don't forget that it's Sunday.
"Sundays are the peak periods for gyms. If this were a workday, the gym would be much more deserted."
At that point, Pei Qian heaved a sigh of relief. There was always a way out. All is good, all is good. That scared me a little!
I almost thought that we were making profits now. Really... that was a false alarm.
Pei Qian really wanted a drink, but the gym only had pure water, and not tea or coffee. Thus, Pei Qian had no choice but to drink a cup of tea to calm himself down.
On further thought, it seemed acceptable if there were only this many people on Sundays, or the gym was otherwise empty.
After all, the gym was filled with good equipment and responsible trainers. Even if the price seemed unreasonable, there were bound to be people who were not sensitive to prices who would become paying customers.
As long as those customers were few and far between and the revenue earned was not enough to cover the gym's expenses, everything would be alright.
Pei Qian relaxed slightly.
However, he soon became cautious again.
Although they were still a long way from making profits now, it was still significant that there were so many people in the gym over the weekend. It could create the impression that the gym was very popular.
That wouldn't do!
Pei Qian felt like the gym was not dissuading customers well enough. Thus, he needed to work harder and take more precautions before he could relax.
Yet, what should he do...? Pei Qian did not have any ideas for now.
He decided to ask Guo Licheng.
"Is there a way to reduce the number of people in the gym on weekends?"
Guo Licheng paused. "Boss Pei, do you mean you want to optimize the customer flow and carrying capacity of the gym to maximize usage of the resources and improve customer experience?"
Pei Qian remained silent for two seconds and then said, "I guess so." Guo Licheng looked surprised. "I was just about to report this to you. I didn't think you would ask me about it instead! It looks like you have a deep understanding of the gym's operations as well.
"Actually, this is a common problem across all gyms."
Pei Qian asked curiously, "Oh? How do they solve it, then?"
Guo Licheng answered, "They don't. That's why I'm hesitant about whether to report this problem to you or not. "Other gyms don't care about customers after bluffing them into buying memberships. They don't care about the carrying capacity of the gym at all. Sometimes, during peak periods like the weekends, the gym would be completely filled. There would be queues for the weights machines, treadmills, and even showers.
"That's when the customers would make their own adjustments. They would either take the initiative to queue or choose an off-peak time to work out. Still, most customers have no choice but to come on the weekends.
"Some customers don't come to the gym because of the crowd, but that's ideal for the gyms. In any case, those customers would have already paid the membership fee. The gyms wouldn't mind if they never saw them again.
"Thus, it's a very difficult problem to resolve for all gyms alike."
Pei Qian nodded. "How do you think this problem can be solved, then?"
Guo Licheng hesitated, and then said, "Honestly, I've thought of a solution. It just costs more, and customers might find it unacceptable..." Pei Qian's eyes lit up. Why didn't you tell me about such a good idea earlier?
"Tell me!" Pei Qian tried hard to keep his expression relaxed.
Guo Licheng paused. "Every gym has a limited carrying capacity. That can't be changed. Thus, to ensure that customers have a good experience, we have to impose a cap on the number of people allowed to enter the gym.
"I think we can develop an application that allows customers to book a slot each day, based on their own schedules. Once a particular slot is filled, nobody would be allowed to book that slot anymore. "That wouldn't work for other gyms because everyone has a membership. If those gyms forbid customers from coming, the customers might think that they are losing out. Of course, they would not agree to it. "However, our gym charges by the day, and we put together detailed fitness plans for our clients. Thus, while putting together those plans, we can roughly follow the clients' schedules and try to spread everyone out as much as possible.
"If the gym will be filled on weekends, then we can restrict ourselves to accepting clients who can work out on other days.
"However, it'll cost us money to develop an application.
"Even if we outsource the work, it might not be reliable. We might end up with a bunch of bugs, and the application might be extremely difficult to use. What's more, the customers might not understand our strategy and might even start dissing us.
"On top of that, we need someone to be in charge of consolidating and planning the clients' workout schedules. The arrangement must make sense, or the clients might get upset..."
Pei Qian raised his hand. "Alright, that's enough."
Guo Licheng thought that Boss Pei was going to reject his proposal since it was so impracticable. Thus, he shut up.However, Boss Pei's eyes were bright. "Do it! Do it at once!
"It's just one application, right? I'll arrange for it!"
Guo Licheng's solution made Pei Qian very happy.
Creating an application would cost money; forcing customers to use the application to reserve slots and come to the gym would dissuade a big group of people. Hiring someone to consolidate and plan the various slots and put together clients' fitness plans would allow Pei Qian to pay one more portion of salary.
After doing so much work, the crowd at peak time would only be dispersed. The customers who normally come to the gym during peak hours would save a bit more time and have a better experience.
The price-quality ratio of such a project would be extremely low!
Pei Qian looked into Guo Licheng's eyes and could not help but feel appreciative. He was a talent worth nurturing indeed!
I knew that I was right to choose you as the branch manager for this gym!
Chapter 499 Lower Standards for Good Employees
April 25th, Monday... Pei Qian pondered for a long time in the office, but he ultimately stared at Otto Technologies for a long time.
Yesterday, Pei Qian had decided to incorporate Guo Licheng's suggestion and create an application for reservations of slots at Deposit Fitness.
That way, not only would Deposit Fitness be much more expensive than the other gyms, but it would also have many more inhumane regulations.
One would be forced to buy fitness meals from Fish-Catching Take-Out.
One would be forced to use Deposit Fitness' application, or they would not be able to reserve slots to go to the gym.
One would have to stick strictly to the fitness plan. Although there was a little room for flexibility, it would still be quite rigid and inflexible compared to the other gyms.
That would have a massive dissuasion effect.
Pei Qian thought that if someone dared to suggest that a gym like that would generate profits, he would dare that person to try it out on his own.
Take the application, for example. Which gym made their customers book slots on an application?
Adding one step would serve to dissuade a lot more customers.
However, Pei Qian had to think about which department would be working on the application.
At the moment, many departments under Pei Qian had the capability to develop and maintain an application like that. The game department aside, Zhongdian Chinese Network, TPDb, and Fish-Catching Take-Out all had applications.
Although not many people used those applications and the functions were relatively simple, the applications still existed. It went without saying that the application for 'Top Student, Come Quick' was of even higher standards.
On top of that, Otto Technologies was obviously well-equipped to develop an application as well. However, that would be akin to overkill.
Pei Qian thought hard about which department he should hand the project to.
Whichever department he chose would have to develop a usable application.
However, Pei Qian had been backstabbed time and time again by multiple departments. Now, he felt like he had to consider the interdepartmental relationships well before he made a decision.
Only then would he be able to prevent miracles from happening and things from becoming unpredictable when two departments worked together.
He briefly scanned through all the departments.
"I can't choose the game department, for sure. It's filled with imaginative freaks, and they might apply their game-designing mindset on this project as well. Who knows what terrifying events would happen if I put them in charge of this project?
"The same group of people is working on Zhongdian Chinese Network and TPDb, and I think they wouldn't do either. What if TPDb specifically recommends Deposit Fitness or something? Wouldn't the situation be terrible?
"How about 'Top Student, Come Quick'? That would be even more ridiculous. That project's so popular, and it has so many customers within Jingzhou. If it organizes an event that promotes a healthy body for a healthy education, I would be done for. "Fish-Catching Take-Out... doesn't seem good either. Both departments have been in contact for a long time, and they're working very closely now. If I allow them to deepen the relationship and work on the application together, the consequences would be dire. "This is horrible. For some reason, I have become surrounded by hidden threats..." Pei Qian considered all the departments again and realized that Deposit Fitness could not collaborate with any other department. Otherwise, he would be put at an even more unpredictable risk. None of his options were safe!
Lastly, Pei Qian considered Otto Technologies. Making Chang You develop an application for Deposit Fitness seemed like overkill, but wasn't that exactly what Boss Pei wanted?
He would treat the most threatening business as an outsourcing company to him and allow them to develop a completely irrelevant application so that they would have no time left for anything threatening. That would weaken Otto Technologies' power without having to do much.
Of course, Otto Technologies could also organize a combined event with Deposit Fitness' application.
Thus, Pei Qian would have to repeatedly remind Chang You not to install Deposit Fitness' application into Otto's cell phones and not to recommend the application on the cell phone's application store or anything else.
All in all, Otto Technologies would just have to develop the application. Apart from that, it would be forbidden from interfering in anything else. Otto Technologies would just act as a support or tool for Deposit Fitness.
That would solve all the problems, right?
After further consideration, Pei Qian decided that this was a reliable option. He made a mental note to meet and inform Chang You after putting everything in place.
Knock, knock
Someone knocked on the office door.
Pei Qian looked up to see the current man in charge of Fish-Catching Internet Cafe and ROF, Xiao Peng. Xiao Peng had only been in charge of Lincheng's Fish-Catching Internet Cafe branches before. However, since he had taken over Zhang Yuan, he had moved to Jingzhou a while ago. Pei Qian instinctively frowned. What was he doing here?!
Every time he saw department heads of the profit-generating businesses outside his door, Pei Qian would get a headache.
It must be more bad news. He probably made more money and is coming to ask me how to spend it all!
"What's the matter?" Pei Qian tried his best to remain calm.
This was Xiao Peng's first time in Boss Pei's office, and he looked a bit nervous. He said softly, "Boss Pei, ROF has accumulated a lot of cash in its account. I'm thinking about upgrading the business, and so I've come to ask you what ROF's next step should be."
Pei Qian: "..."
Look! Look! What I said was true!
I knew that the heads of the profit-generating businesses could not have anything good up their sleeves. They're always coming to make me burn my brain cells and think of ways to help them spend money!
Pei Qian sighed softly. "All of you... it's time you took some initiative. You earned the money; can't you think of your own way to spend it?
"Don't ask me about every little thing. Work harder! You just have to spend money, right? What's so difficult about that? Just spend as much as you can. Don't worry, I won't blame you."
Xiao Peng quickly nodded. "Ah, alright, Boss Pei. I'll... work according to my own plan, then?"
Pei Qian remained silent for a couple of seconds and then said, "Forget it. You're already here anyway. Tell me about your plan."
At first, Pei Qian had wanted to ask Xiao Peng to spend all the money on his own. Pei Qian had no intention to interfere.
It's impossible that all of my subordinates are business geniuses who would always generate profit and never incur losses, right?
However, on further thought and based on his experience, that did not seem that unlikely.
Thus, Pei Qian decided to ask some questions. Still, he couldn't go overboard, and he had to let his subordinates work hard on their own.
Xiao Peng said, "Boss Pei, I think ROF is now a very popular computer installation brand, but our image isn't good enough. We can't display our brand's value adequately.
"I think that we can spend a sum of money to hire manufacturers of system units. They can help us create cooler-looking system units and custom-make good-looking fans or coolers. That would improve our aesthetics."
Pei Qian pondered for a moment and said, "Alright."
Spending all that money would surely improve ROF's branding. It was impossible to expect there to be no effect.
However, compared to advertising and promotions—which would have unlimited negative consequences, improving the system units' aesthetics seemed like the most harmless option.
What's more, Pei Qian did not have a better way to reduce profits. He did not even dare to think of one either, for fear that anything that he came up with in the spur of the moment would only serve to increase ROF's profits.
Xiao Peng was elated that he had Boss Pei's approval. "Boss Pei, there's something else. Fish-Catching Internet Cafe's business is at its peak now, and it has a lot of spare cash. Should we... keep opening more branches?"
Pei Qian: "..."
Why are you speaking in incomplete sentences?! Can't you tell me everything at one go?!
Why did you tell me two pieces of bad news, one at a time?! Are you trying to kill me?!
Pei Qian really wanted to say no, but he needed to find a reasonable excuse to reject Xiao Peng's proposal.
Fish-Catching Internet Cafe had become popular in Jingzhou and Lincheng. It was often fully-booked. Why should Pei Qian object to expanding? It wouldn't make sense. If he delayed things any longer, his employees would surely get suspicious. However, the problem was that he had already succeeded in two types of business models. If he continued expanding the business, he would only earn even more profits.
Wouldn't he be creating more problems for himself, then?
Pei Qian had refused to be superstitious before. He had thought that Fish-Catching Internet Cafe had only become popular in Jingzhou by accident. Thus, he had decided to set up a few branches in Lincheng, a poor city. Yet, he had ended up unintentionally venturing into a sinking market.
Should he try his luck in Beijing or Shanghai?
Of course not! Fish-Catching Internet Cafe was a high-end internet cafe to begin with, and inhabitants of first-tier cities drew high incomes. If he expanded his business there, he would be shooting himself in the foot. Since everything else was unacceptable, Pei Qian only had one option left. After some thought, he helplessly said, "Go ahead. You can choose the locations, but you can only choose Jingzhou or places with lower economic development than Jingzhou.
"What's more, you must set up Fish-Catching Internet Cafe 3.0 this time. There must be fewer seats, more space, higher prices, and better locations."
Pei Qian thought that setting up an ordinarily-priced internet cafe would not be viable since the System had restrictions for prices. What's more, if he set average prices but used the Fish-Catching Internet Cafe brand, success would be almost guaranteed.
Thus, he had no choice but to stick with the high-end market.
No matter what, he had to think of a way to keep increasing prices. One day, customers' purchasing power would fail to keep up, right? There couldn't be that many ballers in the world.
"Alright." Xiao Peng did not ask many more questions. Since Boss Pei had already given him instructions, he would consider it and execute them seriously without asking too much.
That mindset had been inculcated in every employee of Tengda.
Pei Qian pondered more and said, "If the store continues to make money... "Then think of a way to spend all that money on your own. Set up new branches, renovate them, and buy computers. At the end of the day, just make sure that you spend every single cent!"
Pei Qian decided that he had to be well-prepared.
What if Fish-Catching Internet Cafe continued to generate profits?Then, he would strategically give up.
He would get Xiao Peng to spend money setting up more branches if he could. No matter how many branches had to be set up, how many computers had to be bought, and how many employees had to be hired; Pei Qian would be alright as long as the company bank account was emptied and Xiao Peng left him alone.
At the moment, Pei Qian's definition of a good employee was slipping.
In the past, Boss Pei had thought that a good employee would help him to incur losses. However, he now realized that that standard had been too high. No one had been able to reach it. He had to lower his standards.
Now, Boss Pei's definition of a good employee was someone who could spend all the money that he had earned without affecting settlement!
As for what they spent the money on...
They could spend it on anything they wanted.
Xiao Peng nodded profusely. "Alright, Boss Pei! I will fulfill my mission!"