Seeing Lin Wan's eyes suddenly light up, Pei Qian was momentarily stunned.
Wait, what just happened? Did I say something special?
Why is she reacting so intensely?
Lin Wan took a moment to calm herself down before asking, "President Pei, does your company implement a bottom-ranking elimination system?"
Bottom-ranking elimination?
Pei Qian had heard of it, but he would absolutely never adopt such a thing.
If anything, he'd eliminate those who worked hard—not the slackers!
What he really wanted was a "top-ranking elimination" system instead...
"No, we don't have that," Pei Qian shook his head. "Every employee is like family to me. Even if a family member has shortcomings, we should grow and improve together, not discard them."
Lin Wan nodded thoughtfully, glancing briefly at Ma Yang.
Indeed, if even someone like Ma Yang could remain employed, then President Pei must truly mean every word he said!
She continued, "Does your company often require employees to work overtime?"
"Ah, that's something that really troubles me," Pei Qian sighed. "I've tried very hard to send them home early, but some still insist on staying voluntarily. All I can do is compensate them generously with overtime pay."
Lin Wan's eyes sparkled brightly. "Then, President Pei, when you make games, is it primarily to fulfill your personal dream?"
Pei Qian was momentarily at a loss and smiled awkwardly. "No, actually I'm... mainly doing it for the money..."
Lin Wan shook her head seriously, "President Pei, you're joking. If your goal was purely money, you could have easily increased Ghost General's prices tenfold, but you didn't. Clearly, you're someone with true ideals and passion."
Lin Wan seemed to have found the answer she was seeking. "I understand now. Thank you very much for taking the time to answer my questions, President Pei!"
With that, Lin Wan turned and left, leaving Pei Qian utterly confused.
Who exactly was this girl?
He vaguely remembered seeing her listening in during the experience-sharing meeting earlier.
She was probably a new employee at Tianhuo Studio…
Pei Qian didn't think too much about it.
…
Pei Qian and his group spent a total of five days in Guangzhou, visiting several different game companies.
But after the first day at Tianhuo Studio, the subsequent visits felt increasingly underwhelming.
The excitement Xiao Lu and the others initially had gradually faded into boredom.
What happened to broadening our horizons and learning from the industry's best?
Initially, they'd believed Guangzhou was a hub for leading game studios in China, but after seeing them first-hand, they felt nothing but disappointment.
Each company seemed worse than the last!
Ironically, Tianhuo Studio, the very first one they visited—initially considered disappointing—turned out to have the best conditions among all of them!
Every subsequent visit just lowered their expectations further.
By the fifth day, nobody cared about the next company visit at all.
Some were busy shopping, looking for local specialties to bring home.
Others focused on exploring all the famous Guangzhou snacks.
And a few simply missed Tengda terribly and couldn't wait to get back to work diligently for President Pei.
All in all, the intended goal of this exchange visit had completely backfired.
Instead of gaining new insights, it had turned into a depressing competition among Guangzhou game companies to see who was the worst.
Especially Tianhuo Studio, the once-prestigious image in everyone's hearts had been completely shattered.
Tengda's employees unknowingly received an education in appreciating just how fantastic their own workplace truly was.
Carrying bags filled with snacks and souvenirs, Huang Sibo and the others boarded the flight back to Jingzhou without hesitation.
Time to get back and crunch on Ocean Fortress!
…
Meanwhile, at Tianhuo Studio:
"Mr. Zhou, I've made up my mind. I'm resigning."
Lin Wan respectfully handed her resignation letter to Zhou Muyan with both hands.
Zhou Muyan froze for a second—then immediately felt a burst of inexplicable joy.
Could it be… she finally came to her senses? Had she realized that the gaming industry was just one massive pitfall, and was finally ready to go home and inherit her billion-yuan family business?
Wouldn't that mean that President Lin's instructions had been successfully carried out?
"So, are you planning to leave the gaming industry entirely?" Zhou Muyan asked hopefully.
Lin Wan shook her head firmly. "No."
Zhou Muyan: "???"
She wasn't leaving the industry—but still wanted to resign?
Did that mean she actually thought Tianhuo Studio wasn't good enough?
Wait a second, Tianhuo Studio didn't even complain about you—but now you're complaining about Tianhuo Studio?
Zhou Muyan suddenly felt a headache coming on.
Of course, while his heart was swearing furiously, he still kept a polite, smiling facade.
"What's wrong? Is there anything here that you're unhappy with?" Zhou Muyan struggled to put on a gentle smile.
If it had been any other ordinary intern, Zhou Muyan wouldn't even bother asking—he would've just waved goodbye immediately.
But Lin Wan was different; she had an influential father…
Zhou Muyan had been specifically tasked with the responsibility of making Lin Wan lose interest in the gaming industry. He couldn't just let her walk away like this.
Even if he couldn't persuade her to stay, at the very least he needed to know exactly why she wanted to leave and where she planned to go next.
Otherwise, when the inevitable call came from the President's office of Shenhua Corporation, it would be awkward to explain himself!
"I'm sincerely grateful for everything you've done for me, Mr. Zhou," Lin Wan said softly, gazing out the window, her expression determined. "But… I just don't feel I can truly pursue my gaming ideals here. I've decided to move somewhere else."
"Where to?" Zhou Muyan asked, confused.
Tianhuo Studio was already one of the top game companies in the country.
Was this girl planning on going overseas, perhaps to join an international gaming giant?
It wasn't impossible…
"I've decided to join Tengda," Lin Wan replied firmly, her eyes filled with determination, clearly having thought this through carefully.
"Tengda?"
Zhou Muyan was momentarily baffled—he couldn't even immediately recall which company this was…
Though he had received Pei Qian and Tengda's employees just a few days ago, the meeting had been fairly forgettable for Zhou Muyan, and he'd quickly put it out of his mind.
When he finally remembered, Zhou Muyan was bewildered.
Tengda… that was just a tiny startup company!
They'd made one successful mobile game—that was it! Compared to Tianhuo Studio, Tengda was absolutely insignificant!
If you really want to chase your ideals, I won't stop you; if you'd said you wanted to join a foreign giant, I could reluctantly accept it. But joining a startup company—what kind of game ideals can you possibly fulfill there?
Zhou Muyan coughed gently. "You might want to reconsider carefully. Their working conditions and atmosphere definitely won't match Tianhuo Studio's. You may end up very disappointed."
Lin Wan shook her head again, resolutely. "I trust President Pei. I saw something different in him—something I haven't seen in you or in any other designer. He seems to radiate an idealistic brilliance. I'm confident in my choice."
Zhou Muyan opened his mouth slightly, briefly wondering if Pei Qian had somehow cast a spell on this girl.
They'd only met once a few days ago, and he had already managed to poach his employee?!
Seeing Lin Wan's unwavering determination, Zhou Muyan realized that any further attempts to convince her would be futile—he didn't dare obstruct her, either.
He knew very well that this seemingly gentle girl could become extremely stubborn and terrifying when she set her mind on something.
Her father, CEO Lin of Shenhua Corporation, was nationally renowned as a powerful businessman. Even he couldn't control his daughter and could only resort to indirectly guiding her to inherit the family business. Zhou Muyan didn't stand a chance of forcing her to stay.
After thinking it over, he could only let her go.
Maybe joining a small company like Tengda could actually expose her to the darker sides of the gaming industry faster.
Then she might finally become disillusioned, return home, and fulfill her destiny—thus achieving Zhou Muyan's mission anyway.
Thinking of this, Zhou Muyan accepted the resignation letter with a smile. "Alright then, Lin Wan. I wish you the best of luck in achieving your gaming dreams. Tianhuo Studio will always be your home!"
"Thank you, Mr. Zhou!" Lin Wan turned and left without hesitation, leaving no hint of regret behind.
<+>
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[1] https://www.patreon.com/collection/1399284?view=expanded
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/losing-money-to-129248702
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/losing-money-to-129248702
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