Drawing from memory, Pei Qian found Bao Xu in an internet cafe near the university's west gate.
He was easy to spot.
Although it was already autumn and others were wearing long-sleeves and pants, Bao Xu was dressed in a thick sweater, with an even thicker coat draped over his chair.
It wasn't because he felt cold; it was simply because he'd been wearing this same outfit since last winter—
No one else but Bao Xu could pull off something like this.
Right now, the said man, Bao Xu, was staring blankly at his computer screen.
The character on screen rode a flying mount, aimlessly wandering around the main city.
Pei Qian approached from behind and caught a faint scent of greasy hair.
Thankfully, it wasn't too strong—probably because Bao Xu's hairline had significantly receded, leaving him with very little hair.
Yes, if Pei Qian convinced him to leave the cafe, he'd definitely need to hand over some money for Bao Xu to clean up and change clothes.
"Bao Xu?" Pei Qian tentatively called out.
Bao Xu froze for about ten seconds before slowly turning around, revealing two massive dark circles beneath his eyes. Blinking blankly, he asked, "Are you looking for me?"
Confirming he'd found the right person, Pei Qian sat down in the seat next to Bao Xu.
"I have a job offer. Interested?" Pei Qian asked directly.
Bao Xu slowly turned back to stare blankly at his computer screen again. "Internet cafe attendant? Not interested."
"No, not a cafe attendant—I'm hiring designers. You'd design a game yourself," Pei Qian explained.
Bao Xu turned slowly again, sizing Pei Qian up and down suspiciously.
In the end, he decided Pei Qian looked like nothing more than an ordinary student.
"Stop messing with me," Bao Xu replied skeptically.
Pei Qian felt helpless. If he'd been wearing his new outfits, things might have gone differently.
Unfortunately, the suits hadn't arrived yet.
Not wanting to waste more time, Pei Qian reached into his pocket and directly pulled out five hundred yuan.
"If you're willing to join, consider this your salary advance."
Seeing the five bright-red hundred-yuan bills, Bao Xu's eyes immediately lit up.
This finally convinced him Pei Qian was serious.
If this were some scam, Pei Qian would surely be asking him for money—not giving it away.
And he was generously offering five hundred yuan!
In 2009, for someone like Bao Xu, five hundred yuan was quite a large sum—especially considering that internet cafes cost just two or three yuan per hour at most.
"Not only that," Pei Qian continued decisively, "but the company will provide top-spec computers with dual monitors, and you can play games as much as you want."
Bao Xu's eyes brightened even more.
Unlimited gaming on top-end PCs without paying for internet fees?
Wasn't that far more comfortable than staying in an internet cafe?
It was like tossing a handful of dried fish in front of a starving cat.
"Are you really not fooling me? Then...what exactly would my job be?" Bao Xu asked doubtfully.
"Your job will literally be playing games! Your official position is called Game Experience Tester."
"You'll play and experience other companies' games as well as our own. Whenever you find any issues, report them to me immediately."
"Of course, you can also join the design discussions and offer your own insights."
"I believe you're absolutely perfect for this role—right?"
Pei Qian smiled warmly, his voice persuasive.
Bao Xu licked his lips slightly, throat bobbing up and down nervously.
Wasn't this the life he'd always dreamed of?
Getting paid for gaming—what reason was there to refuse?
"I accept— Um, I mean, I'll consider it first. If things are exactly as you say, I might...come out of retirement."
Bao Xu originally blurted out, "I accept," but immediately became cautious—what if this was some elaborate scam?
Better to leave himself some wiggle room. He'd confirm everything once he saw the actual work environment.
Pei Qian knew he'd convinced him already.
With conditions this good, there was simply no reason to refuse.
"Then here's what you should do first:"
"Take this five hundred yuan, get yourself cleaned up properly—take a bath, get a haircut, and buy some clean clothes."
"Our company is located at Shenhua Luxury Mansion. With your current appearance, I'm afraid the security guards might mistake you for a homeless person and stop you at the entrance."
"As for when to start working, it'll probably be within the next couple of days. I'll call you when the time comes."
"So be ready at all times."
After finishing, Pei Qian turned and left.
Bao Xu stared at the five hundred yuan in his hands, suddenly overwhelmed with emotion as tears streamed down his face.
"I… I've finally been recognized by someone…"
Holding tightly onto the money, he buried his head in his arms and wept uncontrollably at the computer desk.
The pale reflection from the monitor gently illuminated his thinning hair, casting a warm glow.
People around him couldn't help but stare curiously. What just happened?
Did he get some insanely rare item? Why was he this excited?
. . .
Having successfully recruited Bao Xu, Pei Qian was in an excellent mood.
Another capable right-hand man secured.
With Ma Yang and Bao Xu at his sides, his two pillars were in place, and future tasks would be much easier.
Pei Qian wasn't worried about Bao Xu backing out, as the anticipation in his eyes couldn't have been faked.
With such excellent conditions, Bao Xu couldn't possibly refuse.
Unfortunately, people like Bao Xu were extremely rare.
Therefore, Pei Qian still needed to recruit people online.
He spent about five minutes typing out a few simple job requirements on his phone and sent them to Xin Hailu, instructing her to publish them online accordingly.
This recruitment targeted three positions.
The first was for a Game Designer.
Requirements: Passionate about gaming; proficiency with cloud editors preferred.
The second was for an Art Coordinator.
Requirements: Basic aesthetic sense; able to clearly understand designer intentions and communicate effectively with outsourcing teams.
The third was for Administrative Assistants.
Requirements: Female, attractive appearance, elegant demeanor.
Salary was set above the industry average, with specific compensation negotiable.
He didn't recruit programmers, as creating games could now be achieved with cloud editors and templates. Using these cloud editors was primarily the designers' responsibility at the execution level.
Any special programming needs could be custom-ordered directly through cloud editors, completed remotely by dedicated programmers who billed according to workload. Hence, there was no need to hire internal programmers.
The art coordinators would mainly handle communications. The cloud editor contained ample art assets, and one could directly liaise with specialized art teams for customized requests. However, effective communication requires someone with a basic understanding of art concepts—otherwise, conversations would be inefficient and ineffective.
As for administrative positions…
With the office so lavishly furnished, hiring a few attractive receptionists wasn't unreasonable, right?
Assistant Xin wasn't just Pei Qian's personal assistant; she also handled various company operations. It made sense to assign several administrative staff members to assist her with routine tasks.
Pei Qian deliberately kept job descriptions vague.
Take the Game Designer position as an example—he only wrote, "Passionate about gaming; proficiency with cloud editors preferred."
This essentially lowered the entry barrier significantly.
If the requirements were too stringent, only industry elites would apply—exactly the opposite of what he wanted.
By setting lower standards, he could attract a larger pool of candidates, allowing him plenty of room to select suitable slackers.
With these steps complete, the preliminary preparations were nearly finished.
The office space had been secured, furniture and equipment would soon arrive, and Pei Qian's new wardrobe had been ordered.
His two reliable assistants, Ma Yang and Bao Xu, were ready.
Assistant Xin was managing the company in an orderly and professional manner.
Once the upcoming interviews brought new employees onboard, the company could officially start operations—thus beginning the lightning-speed process of losing money!
Imagining this bright future, Pei Qian smiled contentedly.
- - - - - -
If you want to see more chapter of this fic for free, please go to my Scribblehub Account[1], I cross-poted this fic in there too.
Link: https://www.scribblehub.com/series/1589938/losing-money-to-become-a-tycoon-starting-with-games/[2]
[1] https://www.scribblehub.com/series/1589938/losing-money-to-become-a-tycoon-starting-with-games/
[2] https://www.scribblehub.com/series/1589938/losing-money-to-become-a-tycoon-starting-with-games/