014 Probably Not the Female Lead
“I never should have gotten into the milk tea business! Even if I did, I shouldn’t have franchised with a chain like this and paid those huge franchise fees. Even if I opened a franchise, I shouldn’t have chosen this location…”
As he spoke, the manager slapped his own head hard, as if trying to knock out all the water that had gotten in back then.
Seeing him like this, Wang Heng didn’t have the heart to press for details.
The manager was still rambling on. “I only knew that the profit margin on a cup of milk tea was high, but I didn’t know this damn shop would eat up so much cash flow, and that the shelf life of all the ingredients was so short! The rent wasn’t high, but the reason it wasn’t high was because there wasn’t much foot traffic! And the first batch of employees I hired were all full-time. They weren’t as honest as you and Little Xuan. Can you believe they even stole money from my register…”
This topic should never have been started. To talk about it was to tell a tale of bitter tears.
Wang Heng asked, “Since you’re not running the milk tea shop anymore, what will you do in the future?”
The manager covered his face with his hands, utterly dejected. “I’m realizing more and more that I’m just not cut out for business, not cut out for entrepreneurship. I can’t even run a milk tea shop…”
Wang Heng comforted him, “It’s okay. Don’t start a business for now. Just find a job.”
“Find a job?” The manager’s voice was still thick with dejection. “I don’t need to do that. My family still has three properties.”
Wang Heng was speechless.
The manager sighed helplessly. “In the future, I can only be a useless bum who collects rent.”
Suddenly, all feelings of sympathy vanished.
**
Meanwhile, thousands of kilometers away, the headquarters of the Penguin Group was as busy as ever.
The internet empire that had risen from this core had swept through the country’s gaming and communication sectors, and had even carved out a significant territory in the global internet landscape. Any employee who could gain a foothold here generally enjoyed an enviable salary and benefits.
And Lu Qi, in a company like this, had become a core member of the gaming department in her twenties. In the entire internet industry, she could be considered an SSR-level character. As a programmer, not only was her coding foundation solid, but she was also energetic and exceptionally intelligent. At the same time, she maintained a strong curiosity for games. While not a hardcore gamer, she had experience with various game genres, was of the same generation as the current mainstream players, and could find common ground with artists and planners… Such a game programmer was truly a rare find.
Of course, Lu Qi’s appearance was also delicate and pretty, her looks quite formidable. But compared to her outstanding professional talents, her looks weren’t that important in the eyes of her superiors. Besides, the shelf life of a programmer’s looks was often hard to say…
Lu Qi walked into her supervisor’s private office and knocked twice. “Boss, you were looking for me?”
Looking at this trusted and favored subordinate, the supervisor asked with great anticipation, “Are you interested in mobile games?”
Lu Qi was taken aback. “What?”
“The higher-ups recently approved a mobile game project. They want the strongest person to lead it. I thought about it for a long time, and you’re the most suitable.”
Compared to the PC game projects she had worked on before, mobile games were undoubtedly much simpler. But Lu Qi didn’t let her guard down. She asked, “What type of mobile game?”
“Something like LOL.”
“A mobile version of LOL?”
“Yes, but we can’t infringe on the copyright, so while the model is the same, the specific gameplay and hero characters need to be original. And to adapt to the phones on the market and cater to mobile gamers, there will definitely be a lot of work to do.”
The supervisor wasn’t very detailed, but from these few simple sentences, Lu Qi sensed something unusual.
“This project… how important is it?” she asked in a low voice.
“Very, very important.”
Lu Qi nodded. “Okay, I’ll go.”
“I’m glad you’re willing… But the studio responsible for this project isn’t here. It’s in Rongdu.”
“Rongdu?”
Lu Qi had no impression of this city. She had grown up in the capital, then studied abroad for a few years. When she returned, she directly joined Penguin and lived in Shencheng. She had never been to an inland city like Rongdu.
Seeing her slight hesitation, the supervisor immediately added, “Your salary will be increased by another 30%, and you’ll be following this project from the very beginning. The bonus you’ll get in the future will definitely be the largest!”
Lu Qi was still a little hesitant. “But I still have some unfinished work on my hands…”
“That’s not a problem. The official transfer is next month. You can use this month to hurry up and have your subordinates work some overtime.”
A hint of reluctance appeared in Lu Qi’s eyes. “Boss, they’ve already been working overtime for more than two months. Three of our colleagues haven’t even had time for their girlfriends. Little Liu, for example, is single again.”
“Then hire some freelancers!”
“…Alright.”
After discussing the job transfer, Lu Qi left her supervisor’s private office and walked back to her desk.
Just as she sat down, a tray appeared before her.
“Sister Lu, here are the lychees for afternoon tea. I saved a portion especially for you.”
The one holding the fruit tray, lying in wait, was none other than Little Liu, who had broken up with his girlfriend just last month. Although he called Lu Qi ‘Sister Lu,’ he was actually older than her. But since his position was lower, his posture naturally had to be a bit more humble.
Lu Qi took the tray and said casually, “Thanks. Oh right, how’s the debugging on that hitbox coming along?”
Little Liu’s expression froze. “I…”
Lu Qi glanced at him. “What’s wrong?”
“Sister Lu, I don’t want to work overtime this week…”
“Do you have something on?”
Little Liu looked bitter and lowered his voice. “To be honest, I want to find a girlfriend. But with all this overtime, only a ghost could find someone!”
Lu Qi pursed her lips. “How is romance more important than games? How is it more important than work? Don’t forget, you’re a guy.”
Little Liu was unconvinced. “Guys can want to be in a relationship too!”
Lu Qi: “You can, and I don’t think overtime affects that, does it?”
Little Liu: “Whether it affects it or not depends on the person! For example, you, Sister Lu, if you wanted to find someone, you could find a whole soccer team in minutes. But for a fat otaku like me who dies upon exposure to light, well…”
Looking at her subordinate’s pained expression, as if he were swallowing a bitter melon, Lu Qi couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy. She softened her tone and said, “The game is about to be updated. Everyone’s bonus is tied to this, including your own. It’s fine if you don’t work overtime this week, but can you finish it if you don’t?”
Little Liu: “…Can we use my bonus to hire a freelancer?”
Lu Qi adjusted her glasses, closed her eyes, and sighed. “Why are you all always thinking about pushing work off on others?”
Little Liu: “Because there really is too much work.”
Lu Qi: “But the quality of freelance programmers can’t be guaranteed.”
Little Liu slapped his thigh. “Sister Lu, that’s where you’re biased! I just saw a freelancer’s page. He’s young, but the code he posted is very smooth!”
Lu Qi scoffed. “If he’s really a talented and young programmer, would he be doing freelance? He would have been snatched up by a big company long ago.”
Little Liu: “But he’s only 18 and still has to go to university, so he can’t officially join a company…”
Lu Qi’s eyes widened. “What did you say? Say it again, how old?”
Little Liu scratched the back of his head. “Eighteen…”
***
