To ascend, I had no choice but to create games

Fang Cheng Studio.

Huang Ping sat anxiously in the reception room, occasionally tugging at his collar to catch his breath.

He had joined Tianyi right after graduation and hadn’t moved on for nine years, so he didn’t have much experience with interviews.

Now he was at his former competitor’s place, naturally feeling some nerves. Since his reputation wasn’t great at the moment, Huang Ping was even prepared to take a pay cut.

Not eighteen thousand, not twelve thousand, just ten thousand—take home a nine-year veteran game planner.

While waiting for Fang Cheng, he took the time to observe the surrounding environment.

Fang Cheng Studio was expansive. Mr. Shen, the first-generation gaming figure in the country, had tremendous clout, securing an entire floor for the studio on his own.

Moreover, Mr. Shen was particularly sought after by the president of Tianyi, who claimed that if Mr. Shen joined, Tianyi would definitely provide a studio and not interfere at all.

As a proud disciple of Mr. Shen, Fang Cheng proved the adage that a master leads to great apprentices, so it was only logical for him to have access to so many resources.

He didn’t have to wait long before the studio door was pulled open and producer Fang Cheng walked in.

Seeing Fang Cheng again, Huang Ping was momentarily dazzled.

Not just by Fang Cheng’s appearance but also by his aura.

Two highly attractive free games, one with sales exceeding 300,000 and still rising, and three games had established Fang Cheng as a cutting-edge producer, imbuing him with a divine aura.

Especially with “Princess Dungeon,” he didn’t play on nostalgia or pull at heartstrings; rather, he showcased his strength with the game’s quality, proving his mettle as a rare talent in recent years.

Standing up, Huang Ping nervously shook hands with Fang Cheng and then took out his resume and portfolio of past works, saying, “Here are my previous works, please offer your guidance.”

While Huang Ping had nine more years in the industry than Fang Cheng, he didn’t dare put on airs in front of such a dynamic producer.

But Fang Cheng just skimmed through them quickly, did some mental calculations, and nodded in satisfaction.

Setting the resume aside, Fang Cheng asked, “Mr. Huang, may I know what your previous salary was?”

Since he had already left, the previous salary confidentiality agreement no longer applied.

And in this private setting, Huang Ping wasn’t worried about Fang Cheng sharing the information, so he promptly replied, “Eighteen thousand.” “Eighteen thousand, huh…”

Noticing Fang Cheng’s thoughtful look, Huang Ping was about to offer to take a pay cut when he saw Fang Cheng turn to the attractive employee at the door and say, “Xu Qingling, how much is Xiao Douzi’s salary again?”

“Twelve thousand, why?”

“Can we increase Xiao Douzi’s salary to thirty-six thousand?”

“Why would you do that!” Xiao Douzi, who was adjusting figures at the computer desk, looked up in astonishment at Fang Cheng.

“Because I saw online that when employees jump ship, their salary is supposed to double, right? Mr. Huang was at eighteen thousand before, so it’s normal to double it to thirty-six thousand, isn’t it?”

“What does that have to do with me?” Xiao Douzi continued.

“The internet says when a new employee comes in earning more than existing employees, it hurts the veterans. So, I’ve decided to raise your salary a bit—no issues with that, right?”

“But you’re talking about something from the internet; can that be considered normal? Xu Qingling, tell the boss not to waste money!”

“The increase isn’t too much; I think it’s fine,” Xu Qingling said, puzzled.

“Are you a second-generation rich kid?”

And just like that, with the addition of a new member, Xiao Douzi’s salary inexplicably doubled.

Even though his main income was still from bonuses, the sudden hike in salary still left Xiao Douzi laughing for a long time.

Even more astonished was Huang Ping.

He had been ready to accept a lower salary, only to find it doubled in a matter of minutes.

Had Fang Cheng’s reputation not been so prominent, he would have suspected being caught in an internet scam, about to be sent off to some southern country for who knows what.

Dizzy, Xu Qingling settled down beside Xiao Douzi, and another employee welcome pack was brought over.

After drying Spirit Grass into tea leaves and pressing Spiritual Energy into essential oils, Fang Cheng gave two gifts to Huang Ping and then said to him, “Your desk will be next to Xiao Douzi. You’ll be the lead planner, responsible for adjusting the gameplay of the new game with Xiao Douzi.”

“A new game!” Huang Ping was shocked, “You all develop games this quickly?” “Because the boss made it,” Xiao Douzi said earnestly.

Looking at the serious Xiao Douzi, Huang Ping was deeply shocked.

Having not worked outside for a long time, had the studios out there evolved to this extent?

An omnipotent producer, an heir apparent executive, and fanatical statistics followers – why is this studio so weird?

Steadying his spirits, Huang Ping waited for Fang Cheng to leave before asking Xiao Douzi, “There are many things I didn’t ask earlier, when do we clock in for work?”

“Normally, work starts at 9:30 AM and ends at 5 PM, with a break from 12 PM to 1:30 PM. If there’s nothing special, it’s okay to leave during these times. If you’re not in the mood, working from home is also allowed.”

Huang Ping gasped, “It’s so relaxed? Don’t you do overtime?”

At the mention of “overtime,” Xiao Douzi sighed.

The familiar response put Huang Ping at ease.

After all, which game company doesn’t do overtime?

Games are basically a mental endeavor; the boss can’t measure by piecework but only by how long employees work to judge if they are diligent.

Not to mention, some workers exacerbate the situation, leading to insane competition, turning old employees to consider overtime hours as a form of honor.

Huang Ping’s requirements weren’t high; 996 was common, and he could also endure 007.

After sighing, Xiao Douzi said gloomily, “No overtime…”

“I knew it… how could there be no overtime? Without it, how could you lot be so fast!”

“I would like to overtime. Staying beside the boss everyday, admiring his grandeur is my hobby. But… the boss doesn’t allow it.”

Looking at the despairing Xiao Douzi, Huang Ping felt that something wasn’t quite right with him.

“Exactly, exactly.”

Xu Qingling, the executive, suddenly appeared behind them, “I think every day about how to make up excuses for the boss to do overtime, but he just won’t. With that appearance, wouldn’t staying around for people to admire him longer be a good thing?”

Complaining about the boss can strengthen relationships among employees.

But Huang Ping never knew that the boss not doing overtime could also be a point of complaint.

While Huang Ping was still stunned, Xu Qingling said to him, “Huang Ping, could you provide me with a bank card number to use as your salary card?”

“Oh, sure.”

After providing the card number, it wasn’t long before Huang Ping received a bank notification of a deposit.

“[Rong City Bank] Respected customer: Your account has received a transfer of 36,000 yuan, balance…”

Upon seeing this message, Huang Ping was numb.

Standing up, he ran over to Xu Qjngling and pointed at the message, asking, “Is there a mistake with the money?”

“No mistake, it’s the boss’s request. He thinks you’re rare talent, and he feels you’ve been a bit short of money recently, so he told me to transfer your salary in advance.”

“You don’t deduct taxes?”

Xu Qingling looked at Huang Ping in confusion, “Our salaries are all after-tax.

Oh, I get it now, I forgot to give you your joining bonus. Sorry, please don’t tell the boss.”

With an apologetic smile, Xu Qingling transferred another four thousand yuan. Sitting back at his desk, clutching the bank card, Huang Ping touched his waist.

Well…

A person could live without a kidney, right?