In an inconspicuous graduate dormitory on the Minhang Campus of Shanghai Jiaotong University.
Luo Yuhao, Cai Haoyu, Jin Zhicheng, and Zhang Qinghua were gathered together, looking dejected.
"What are we planning for our next game? Any ideas, brothers?"
Luo Yuhao asked, his gaze, however, more focused on Cai Haoyu, because Cai Haoyu was the technical expert of this team.
Cai Haoyu nodded,
"No ideas yet. Besides, doesn't what we make depend on how much money we have? A clever housewife cannot cook without rice."
"Dawei-ge will be back soon, let's see if he managed to get money,"
Jin Zhicheng added.
Zhang Qinghua, the artist and employee number 001, opened his mouth as if to speak but stopped.
He was already planning to submit his resume elsewhere to look for another job.
The reason the few of them looked so dejected was entirely because their game, "FlyMe2theMoon", which they developed some time ago, had dismal results after being launched on iOS.
At that time, games did not have a pay-to-win gacha model; the mainstream on the Apple Store was a buy-to-play system.
"FlyMe2theMoon" was launched for 18 yuan.
More than a month after its launch, the game had only sold over 3,000 copies.
Not to mention how profitable the work was, they almost lost their shirts.
Even the founding trio's salary was only 4,000 yuan per month, experiencing the employment environment of fresh graduates 12 years in advance, so to speak.
To survive, Dawei-ge had to actively participate in various university entrepreneurship competitions.
The concept of "FlyMe2theMoon" was inspired by the EVA ending song "Fly Me to the Moon," and it tells the story of "Magical Girl Kiana flying to the moon."
Therefore, some players also jokingly called it "Benghuai 0."
At this time, where was the survival space for buy-to-play copyrighted games?
Free-to-play games were prevalent.
The game sold three thousand copies, with a total profit of only 54,000 yuan.
After Apple took its cut, less than 40,000 yuan remained.
Adding their monthly salaries of 4,000 yuan per person, there was little left.
Without money, there was no way to develop new games.
To be fair, these guys were extraordinary.
Cai Haoyu, at only 11 years old in 1998, was selected as one of the first junior academicians of the China Youth Academy of Sciences.
Initially, they developed an open-source literary community and won an award in a competition, taking home a scholarship of 200,000 yuan.
For any university student, this was not a small sum.
An ordinary person might think of squandering it on dating, but they had bigger ambitions—they used the money to create a 2.5D game engine and named it after the EVA female character Katsuragi Misato.
At that time, Cai Haoyu was interning at a game company.
He put in a lot of effort to convince his boss, wanting to use this engine to lead the development of a game himself.
The boss was very moved and then expressed his refusal: When did it become an intern's turn to call the shots at the company?
So, the unconvinced Cai Haoyu, along with two companions, spent several months tinkering and created their first game, "Suopo Wuyu".
At the "Maqiu Flash Game Development Competition" hosted by Shengda Company, they won the campus group championship and the Intel Special Award, totaling 30,000 yuan.
They also got the opportunity to develop the expansion pack "Paopao Yingxiong" for "Paopaotang".
After several competitions, the idea of getting into ACG by starting with games gradually became clear.
In January this year, several people officially established "miHoYo Studio" in their dormitory.
During this period, they found their art director, cici Zhang Qinghua, and the team grew from 4 to 5 people.
Shengda learned that they had formed a studio and wanted to invest in acquiring it, but they refused.
These few people were quite resistant to external capital; they would absolutely not seek investment unless they were truly short on money.
This is also why miHoYo only raised one million yuan in funding from its inception until later.
Without sponsorship, they sometimes worked seven days a week, more than ten hours a day, just to develop "Fly Me to the Moon", but it ended in failure.
However, they didn't just fail with this one game; the subsequent "Benghuai 1" also failed miserably.
In its early days, "Benghuai Xueyuan" was banned from the Apple Store for violating review rules.
The game was modified three times before it was barely launched, but its performance after launch was still unsatisfactory.
This time, the game price was lowered to 6 yuan and in-app purchases for items were added.
But the number of players was small, and their desire to recharge was weak.
Hearing the sound of the dormitory door opening, several people looked over.
"Dawei-ge is back."
"How was it?"
The group immediately gathered around.
Liu Wei shook his head,
"Didn't make it into the top three."
Everyone showed disappointment on their faces upon hearing this.
Luo Yuhao said helplessly,
"Is it really true that heaven wants me to perish?"
Jin Zhicheng also asked,
"Should we talk to Shengda?"
Cai Haoyu shook his head repeatedly,
"No, they just want us to work for them. If I were to work, where couldn't I find a job?"
Liu Wei said,
"Let's think of another way. There's another entrepreneurship competition in half a month. I'll prepare and try to get a good result."
Everyone's hopes were now pinned on Dawei-ge.
Only if he won an entrepreneurship competition could the studio survive.
"I don't think we need to try anymore. We go to entrepreneurship competitions, but people don't understand two-dimensional culture. Even though our ideas are better and more feasible, we still can't win."
"Then what should we do?"
Cai Haoyu said in a deep voice,
"The first way is for us to take a gamble. In the next few months of developing a new game, everyone won't take a salary. The few of us have shares, only Zhang Qinghua doesn't. We'll give Qinghua more salary as a bonus then."
Hearing this, the other shareholders had no reaction yet, but Zhang Qinghua's face turned grim.
He was wondering how to politely resign.
The other shareholders could forgo their salaries because they had shares, but Zhang Qinghua didn't have a single cent of shares.
If he didn't take a salary and the game development failed, that money would probably be gone.
Liu Wei was meticulous.
He glanced at Zhang Qinghua, noticed his bad expression, and quickly kicked Cai Haoyu.
"The first method won't work, tell us the second one."
"The second method is for us to go find Chairman Chen Pingjiang of Renrenwang and Juzi Keji. After much thought, I believe he is the most suitable investor for our fantasy, and the most likely to invest money in us."
Jin Zhicheng's eyes widened,
"You really dare to think big. Who is Chen Pingjiang? He's thousands of miles away from us. Can we even meet him? Even if we do, why would he invest in us?"
Liu Wei waved his hand at Jin Zhicheng,
"Don't speak yet, listen to what Haoyu has to say."
Cai Haoyu explained,
"I saw news about a company called Dajiang Company online before. This company originally made helicopter flight control systems. They were quite short of money for a while last year, and then General Manager Chen invested a lot of money in them."
"That doesn't prove anything. Investing in Dajiang has no necessary connection with investing in us."
"It does have a connection. First, General Manager Chen is around the same age as us, even younger than some of us, so he can understand two-dimensional culture. Think about it, when we usually go for investment, as soon as we mention two-dimensional or otaku, others don't understand at all."
"Second, Renrenwang itself is making games, DNF and LOL are both very successful, so they won't reject games."
"Third, General Manager Chen is not only rich, but he also has a lot of resources. Think about it, if our new game could be launched on the Juzi Mobile App Store, wouldn't it be much better? There are no iOS fees, and Juzi Mobile phones are selling better than Apple in China now. On another note, we can use channels like Weixin, Renrenwang, and Weibo to help promote our game."
The few of them looked at each other.
Indeed, with Cai Haoyu's suggestion, Chen Pingjiang perfectly fit their ideal investor profile.
Rich, resourceful, understands games, and understands two-dimensional culture.
Liu Wei thought for a moment,
"The problem is, not only do we think General Manager Chen is good, but probably all startup companies in China think he's good. How can we impress him? Also, what if he, like Shengda, immediately wants to fully acquire our studio?"
"That's right, impressing him is one problem, and how to negotiate shares is another. If he just throws 2 million at us and says he wants a full acquisition, what's in it for us?"
Cai Haoyu continued to persuade,
"It's not like it's impossible to negotiate, we can talk. We just need enough funds to make the next game. We don't need any more money than that."
After saying this, he looked hopefully at his friends in the room and added,
"Everyone, think carefully."
Zhang Qinghua was the first to raise his right hand to show support,
"I agree. Anyway, trying doesn't cost an arm and a leg, and we're out of options now, aren't we? We can't just watch the studio close down, can we? And I've already graduated. If I don't get paid, I can't keep asking my family for money."
Zhang Qinghua actually liked Cai Haoyu and the others very much.
He believed that miHoYo would definitely succeed, it just lacked a bit of luck and money at the moment.
Bringing Chen Pingjiang in as a shareholder might be a good choice, and most importantly, his salary would also increase.
The equity, in any case, had nothing to do with him.
Liu Wei also nodded,
"Like a desperate remedy for a dying patient, let's just try. We can't just sit here and wait for death."
Cai Haoyu then turned his gaze to Luo Yuhao and Jin Zhicheng.
"What do you say?"
Jin Zhicheng said,
"No problem."
Luo Yuhao said,
"Let's be clear beforehand, we only want 1 million. Don't ask for a single cent more. If General Manager Chen makes an exorbitant demand, asking for 50% of the shares, we absolutely won't do it."
"Alright!"
"Then book the tickets, we'll leave tomorrow."
Early the next morning, the four founders, excluding Zhang Qinghua, got up and headed to Hongqiao Railway Station.
They would take the high-speed train G7002 from Hongqiao Railway Station to Dongjiang.
After getting on the train, the few of them chattered excitedly, discussing their future game concepts.
Cai Haoyu was a bit excited,
"Last night I barely slept, thinking of a lot of new game content, and some ideas popped into my head. The style is still two-dimensional. The game, simply put, is pretty girls fighting pretty girl zombies, designed in a Q-version cute style."
"Haha, I even designed an identity for Dawei-ge and gave him exclusive lines. Nicholas Dawei: Huh! Who's there? Let go! I, I am Nicholas Dawei, the master of the Benghuai world! My, my Valkyries will punish you."
Everyone else, including Liu Wei, burst into laughter, completely disregarding the puzzled looks from those around them.
The entire team exuded youthful energy.
They were both classmates and came together for the same hobby.
They were all ACG enthusiasts, very interested in anime, comics, and games.
They liked Hatsune Miku and two-dimensional culture.
To some extent, this philosophy was also embodied in miHoYo's mission: otaku technology saves the world.
A few hours later, the four stood at the foot of the Shuangzixing Building.
Looking at the grand and bright Renrenwang headquarters building and the white-collar workers coming and going, the few of them completely lost their previous composure, appearing somewhat reserved.
Jin Zhicheng swallowed,
"Damn, why are my calves trembling?"
Luo Yuhao also gave a wry smile,
"I'm pretty much the same. On the way here, I was still fantasizing that once we announced who we were, General Manager Chen would immediately look at us with surprise. Now it seems I was overthinking it. With such a magnificent headquarters building, I wonder if our company will ever have one like it."
Liu Wei, having seen more of the world, patted their shoulders and comforted them,
"If it works out, it works out. If not, there's no loss, just consider it a visit to Renrenwang."
After entering the lobby on the first floor of Shuangzixing Building A, Cai Haoyu stepped forward and asked the company receptionist,
"Hello, we are miHoYo Studio. We have a project and would like to speak with General Manager Chen Pingjiang. I wonder if you can take us to see him?"
The two receptionists at Renrenwang looked over simultaneously, curiously observing the group of four.
Their attire suggested they were university students.
"Hello, do you have an appointment?"
Cai Haoyu froze, then looked back at Liu Wei.
Liu Wei said,
"No appointment. Can we make one now?"
"Sorry, you must have an appointment to see Chairman Chen, and Chairman Chen isn't even in the company today."
Jin Zhicheng's face immediately fell.
They had traveled for several hours by high-speed train, only to come here to meet Chen Pingjiang, but they couldn't even get past the front door.
"Miss, can you help us? We've come from out of town and truly have a good project we want to discuss with General Manager Chen."
The company receptionist spread her hands helplessly.
"I understand you very much, but I also hope you can understand me. This is the company's meeting policy, and we must follow the rules. Furthermore, Chairman Chen is very busy. If anyone could see him whenever they wanted, he might not even have time to eat or sleep in a day."
Liu Wei knew that they weren't being difficult, and what they said was true.
He just gave a wry smile.
Were they to fail before even beginning?
"What do we do?"
"We don't do nothing. We came all this way; it's impossible to leave without seeing anyone."
"But we can't just stand by the door all the time, blocking it, can we?"
Just as they were talking, they heard the company receptionist respectfully call out to a middle-aged man,
"General Manager Tian."
The middle-aged man, General Manager Tian, merely nodded faintly and then walked towards the turnstile.
Liu Wei had an idea and quickly walked over, blocking General Manager Tian's path.
His speed was so fast that the receptionist didn't react.
When she did, her face immediately paled, and she quickly waved to the security guards at the door.
The security guards also reacted quickly.
In a few seconds, two security guards surrounded them.
"Who are you?"
Tian Hongrui asked curiously, then waved his hand at the people around him, signaling them to go back.
The other three onlookers finally breathed a sigh of relief.
They had been terrified when they saw Liu Wei rush up directly, and the security guards arrived before they could even react.
"Hello, General Manager Tian, I've seen your news online. Let me introduce ourselves. We are miHoYo Studio, mainly developing mobile games, and we've won first place in multiple competitions. Currently, "Fly Me 2 the Moon" on the iOS App Store was developed by us."
Tian Hongrui looked at the few of them, then nodded,
"Hello. Uh, what can I do for you?"
Liu Wei said,
"We want to see General Manager Chen, but we can't get through."
"Chairman Chen is not in the company these days. He went to Shanghai to attend a project groundbreaking ceremony."
Upon hearing this, the others were stunned.
If they had known Chen Pingjiang went to Shanghai, why would they have eagerly rushed to Dongjiang?
Tian Hongrui added,
"If you can't find him, you can tell me what you need, and I will relay it to him when I see him."
"We still want to talk to him in person, mainly about funding."
"Oh, alright then. I'll make a call for you and ask what Chairman Chen thinks,"
Tian Hongrui considered and replied.
Although talking to Li Xi would be the same, since Li Xi was currently the CEO of Renrenwang.
However, there was an unwritten rule within Renrenwang that all company investment matters had to be approved by the chairman.
Because only Chen Pingjiang's judgment was accurate enough; no one else's was.
"Thank you very much."
The few of them finally breathed a sigh of relief.
After several twists and turns, thankfully, things had taken a turn for the better.
...
"What did you say their name was?"
Chen Pingjiang didn't react for a while after receiving the call, reaching out to nudge Cong Nini, whose head was nodding like a chick pecking rice.
Cong Nini then changed from pecking to licking, her movements gentle.
She had arrived in Shanghai three days ago, hearing that Chen Pingjiang was bored, so she specifically came to keep him company.
"miHoYo!"
Tian Hongrui's voice came from the other end of the line.
"Hmm, alright, you must keep them there, don't let them leave. I'll rush back as soon as possible."
After hanging up the phone, Chen Pingjiang directly patted Cong Nini's little cheek.
"You stay here for now. I'm going back to Dongjiang for something, and I'll be back tomorrow or the day after."
"Oh, okay!"
Cong Nini was particularly well-behaved.
After changing his clothes, Chen Pingjiang called Li Fu to prepare the car, then walked out quickly.
He hadn't expected it; he was sitting at home, and wealth came from heaven.
How could there be such a good thing?
If miHoYo hadn't taken the initiative to come knocking, Chen Pingjiang might have truly forgotten about this awesome studio.
Thinking of how "Yuanshen" would dominate the overseas market in the future, earning huge profits, Chen Pingjiang felt a little excited.
miHoYo's future was that of a super unicorn with a market value of hundreds of billions, carving out a bloody path against the onslaught of two giants, Tencent and Netease.
In particular, "Yuanshen" consistently occupied the top three spots on game charts in various countries, leading foreign gamers to erect monuments in its honor.
"Yuanshen" alone could bring in four to five billion US dollars in revenue, and with "Bengtie", that number was even more staggering.
Li Fu's actions were swift.
By the time Chen Pingjiang went downstairs, the Maybach 57S was already parked at the hotel entrance.
"Depart, back to Dongjiang!"
(End of chapter)