Restart life

Chapter 363, 0350 [The Beauty Has Arrived]

The expert Xu Fengyin mentioned flew over that very afternoon.

This Shanghainese is impeccably dressed, with clothes and trousers perfectly pressed without a single wrinkle. He's not tall, wears frameless glasses, and has long hair styled in a bun at the back of his head.

Yes, it's a man.

"Mr. Chen, hello, my name is Cai Wei. This is my resume."

This sophisticated man was surprisingly direct in his actions, without any unnecessary words. He handed over his resume after saying just the first sentence.

Cai Wei, 32 years old.

He received his undergraduate degree from the China Academy of Art and his master's degree in Experimental Animation from the California Institute of the Arts.

After graduating in the United States, he participated in the development of Unreal Engine 3 (art aspect) and co-founded Impeccable Games (Shanghai) in 2006. In 2007, he served as the lead artist for the game Project Battery.

After reviewing the resume, Chen Guiliang asked curiously, "Is this 'Fortress' a self-developed game?"

Cai Wei nodded: "Yes. But after working on it for a few months, we gave up halfway through."

"Why give up?" Chen Guiliang asked.

Cai Wei said, "The bosses felt it was unnecessary. Yingpei set up a branch in Shanghai from the very beginning to sell Unreal Engine 3. But the price was just too high. When Chinese manufacturers develop games, they would rather develop their own engines than buy Unreal Engine 3. So last year they asked us to develop a game to showcase the power of Unreal Engine 3, and also to see if we could sell the game."

"And then?" Chen Guiliang asked with great interest.

Cai Wei said, “Last year, headquarters sent someone over and said our performance was not good. The Shanghai branch was required to be self-sufficient and fully transform into outsourcing, cutting all self-developed projects. The outsourcing business was very good, and just two months ago, they opened a branch in Suzhou. I was also transferred to Suzhou to be in charge of the art department. But I resigned.”

"Don't you want to do outsourcing?" Chen Guiliang asked.

Cai Wei nodded: "Inpei's branch in China has a lot of top talents in the industry. But they have all been wasted by the foreigners, who use us as outsourced laborers. After our self-developed game was canceled last year, 12 people resigned in just a few months."

Impe Games (Shanghai) not only handles domestic outsourcing but also takes on game projects from around the world. With a large pool of talented individuals, they deliver fast, high-quality outsourcing at relatively low prices (compared to developed countries), resulting in rapid growth in their outsourcing business.

Having tasted success, the company's senior management went further and further down the path of outsourcing.

Chen Guiliang said, "Can you recruit a few of those talented people who left the company?"

“It’s difficult. Most of them have already joined major domestic companies,” Cai Wei said. “I’m just staying home because my hometown is in Shanghai. I’m taking this opportunity to rest for a while and spend my days hanging out in anime communities, so I haven’t been looking for a job.”

Then, Cai Wei changed the subject: "But for those who haven't left yet, I can help poach a few. The more technically skilled someone is, the less likely they are to want to stay there."

Chen Guiliang took Cai Wei to Xu Fengyin's workstation and asked Xu Fengyin to bring up the original artwork for Yasuo.

"What do you think?" Chen Guiliang asked.

Cai Wei's eyes lit up: "Amazing! Miss Xu made this? That's amazing!"

At that time, the art styles of Chinese games were mainly "Korean greasy senior sister", "Warcraft Western fantasy style" and "Little Days Anime".

While the basic style of the Yasuo splash art is similar to that of Warcraft, it has already taken a different path.

Chen Guiliang gave a brief overview of the game he was going to make and asked, "If you were to be the lead artist, what would you think?"

Cai Wei said, "You've already established the art style. Besides project and team management, my main task is to figure out how to put it into practice. In particular, how to optimize it so that mainstream computer configurations can run it. If mainstream computers can't handle it, no matter how beautiful it is, it's just a castle in the air."

"This game is probably still two years away from being released, and by then the computer configurations should be better," Chen Guiliang said.

Cai Wei said, "Even in two years, it will be difficult to achieve the original artwork effect. We must make good use of textures, reduce model details, and design more efficient shaders. Once we overcome the technical difficulties, we can mass-produce new heroes."

Xu Fengyin listened intently. Although she was very skilled at drawing concept art, she wasn't capable of being the lead artist for a large-scale game. She still had a lot to learn.

Cai Wei continued, "I need to recruit someone to be my partner. This person is very capable; he understands art and is proficient in programming. His current monthly salary is 3 yuan; he can earn 3 yuan even if he only does outsourcing."

Chen Guiliang did not doubt that Cai Wei was lying: "We will recruit him with a monthly salary of 35,000 yuan and give him a one-time settlement allowance of 150,000 yuan."

"it is good!"

Cai Wei made a phone call in front of Chen Guiliang: "Hey, Lao Zhang. Monthly salary of 35,000, plus a one-time settlement allowance of 150,000... Game Science's new project, the art style is particularly impressive... When will you finish your current project? Hmm... Okay, goodbye."

Cai Wei put away his phone and said to Chen Guiliang, "He still has a month before he can leave. He has a French outsourcing project in hand."

Chen Guiliang laughed and said, "Let's go, I'll treat you to dinner."

"Me too?" Xu Fengyin asked.

Chen Guiliang said, "The people you helped recruit should of course go together."

The three left the company.

As Cai Wei walked by, he attracted many female employees who peeked at him.

Although this guy isn't as handsome as Chen Guiliang, he has a great presence and a very eye-catching sense of style. He doesn't even need to change clothes; he can go straight to shooting a print ad.

A sophisticated Shanghai boy.

On the other side of the company.

Feng Ji knocked on Meng Zicong's office door.

Meng Zicong said irritably, "What are you doing here?"

Feng Ji smiled apologetically and said, "Brother Cong, I don't have much social or work experience. After graduating from university, I spent a year working in internet cafes, and after coming to work at Youke for more than half a year, I was only focused on making games. Later, I was busy preparing for 'Wulin Gaiden', and I haven't really learned how to deal with people."

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Meng Zicong asked irritably.

Feng Ji said, "I reflected on it at noon and realized I was wrong. Although General Manager Chen agreed to select people from various departments, I should have consulted their supervisors first. Otherwise, it would have been very impolite. I was wrong about what happened before, and it won't happen again. I came here specifically to apologize to Brother Cong."

Although Meng Zicong was petty, he wasn't really that cunning; all his emotions were written on his face: "You know you're being rude?"

"I'll treat Brother Cong to dinner. If Brother Cong ever needs any help in the future, I'll be there whenever you call," Feng Ji said quickly.

Meng Zicong felt a little better: "Let's talk about dinner another day, I'm busy tonight."

“Okay, let’s make another appointment when Brother Cong is free,” Feng Ji said.

Meng Zicong put on airs and said, "I have other things to do."

Feng Ji stood up with a smile: "Work is important, I'll come back another day to ask Brother Cong for advice."

Meng Zicong admonished him, saying, "When you first joined the company, you worked under me. I promoted you to planning. You're still young, and there are some things you need to be more careful about, especially in your interactions with others."

"Brother Cong is right, I will definitely pay attention in the future," Feng Ji said.

Meng Zicong then smiled and said, "You should go ahead and get busy. Focus on making the game. You came from Future Studio, so don't mess it up and embarrass me."

Feng Ji carefully withdrew, and only breathed a sigh of relief after closing the door.

He came to apologize sincerely.

In the morning, Meng Zicong gave him a cold shoulder, which Feng Ji found inexplicable. After reflecting on it seriously at noon, he realized that he had indeed done something wrong.

Besides Meng Zicong, he also had to apologize to others, even though they didn't give him a hard time. People have to grow up gradually, and Feng Ji was still quite immature in some ways.

……

To cater to Cai Wei's tastes and prevent him from being used to other cuisines, Chen Guiliang chose a Western restaurant.

This guy has a real sense of ritual when eating Western food. He slowly and methodically sits on the tablecloth and stands up straight when cutting his steak.

Chen Guiliang was much more casual, even asking the waiter to bring him a pair of chopsticks. After cutting the steak into small pieces with a knife, he ate it directly with his chopsticks, and also used the chopsticks to pick up other food.

Xu Fengyin carefully compared the two handsome men and felt that they each had their own merits.

She had gotten quite familiar with Cai Wei through chatting in the anime community before, but this was their first time meeting in person. Her first impression was that he was refined, but too refined, which made Xu Fengyin feel a little uneasy.

It's still more comfortable being with the boss, but the way he uses chopsticks to pick up the steak seems a bit too casual.

"Waiter, give me a pair of chopsticks too," Xu Fengyin called out.

Cai Wei was speechless for a moment, then smiled.

Xu Fengyin took a sip of red wine. She didn't like the sour taste and asked curiously, "Why is all wine sour?"

She felt that Cai Wei should know a lot about this.

Cai Wei was indeed an expert: "There are sweet wines too. But when pairing with foods like steak, it's best to drink a sour wine. The flavors of the two can complement each other, just like how people in northern China dip dumplings in vinegar. If you pair steak with a sweet wine, it will taste too greasy."

Chen Guiliang suddenly had a brilliant idea: "So, drinking sweet wine to relieve the spiciness when eating spicy hot pot should be a good idea. Hmm, hot pot with wine, I can try it next time."

Xu Fengyin smiled and said, "Take me with you then."

Cai Wei imagined himself eating hot pot while drinking wine. It was a rather unsettling thought.

Moreover, he learned for the first time today that Western restaurants can provide chopsticks.

The conversation gradually shifted from food to anime, and finally to making games.

The restaurant is getting more and more customers.

get off work.

Xu Fengyin suddenly winked at Chen Guiliang and quietly pointed towards the gate.

Chen Guiliang turned his head and saw that Xie Saobang had brought a beautiful woman to eat Western food.

quite pretty.

That son of a bitch actually started dating secretly without telling his old friend.

The two were led to an empty table by the waiter. As they passed by, Xie Yang spotted Chen Guiliang at a glance.

He winked at Chen Guiliang and then gestured towards the toilet.

After Chen Guiliang finished ordering, he got up and walked towards the restroom, and Xie Yang followed him there.

"How about it? Pretty, right?" Xie Yang said proudly.

Chen Guiliang said, "She looks a bit like Zhou Jing, but she's prettier. You're still thinking about Zhou Jing, aren't you?"

Xie Yang didn't deny it and continued to boast: "A student from Beijing Dance Academy, just finished my first year."

Chen Guiliang cautioned: "Students in art schools, you'd better think twice, they face many temptations."

Xie Yang said, "I'm not stupid. I know I'm not handsome, and if I don't have money, finding someone this beautiful is just a pipe dream. Let's keep seeing. If she's wild, we'll just have a fling. If she's willing to settle down, I'll marry her."

Chen Guiliang didn't talk about that: "Are you going back to your hometown in a while? I'm going back to be an Olympic torchbearer."

"The campus network and overseas network are going to hold Olympic events. Do you think I'll be able to get away then?" Xie Yang said irritably. "Damn it, I'm exhausted these past two or three months. Graduation season followed by the Olympics. I also have to contact academicians and famous teachers to give lectures, cooperate with universities, middle schools, and training institutions all over the country, and invite athletes to join the website..."

Chen Guiliang's online classroom has already invited two academicians to give lectures, and he plans to invite another one next month.

New Oriental has also partnered with ByteDance, offering free introductory courses online to attract users to purchase paid courses. ByteDance, in turn, takes a cut from those paid courses.

This collaboration model also utilizes targeted advertising. Only users who have searched for keywords or joined relevant groups will see the corresponding free courses.

ByteDance is actively expanding its various profit models.

Chen Guiliang asked, "Has Liu Xiang been invited?"

Xie Yang said, "Invite him my ass. He's incredibly popular right now, and we haven't been able to see him in person for months. He says he's busy with closed training and can only contact his agent. The agent is asking for an exorbitant amount, so there's no way we can negotiate."

"It's normal, they're busy preparing for the Olympics. We can invite as many well-known athletes as we can, but there's no need to force it. Our focus should still be on the Olympics for all, and on interaction between users during the Olympics," Chen Guiliang said.

Xie Yang asked, "Do you have any connections to get Olympic tickets? I haven't been able to buy a single one, and I was planning to take my girlfriend to the games."

Olympic tickets have been on pre-sale since last year.

The first batch of pre-sales involved a lottery system, with participants randomly selected.

The second wave involved a rush to buy tickets online and at physical ticket outlets. Online ticketing platforms were overwhelmed and crashed. Long queues formed at physical ticket offices; even camping out in the middle of the night to wait in a tent didn't guarantee you a ticket.

The third batch of tickets was released this year, and there were still long queues; tents were everywhere along the roadside.

Tickets for the Olympic opening ceremony with good locations have even been scalped for hundreds of thousands of yuan each!
Chen Guiliang said, "I only managed to get a few shows, a total of twelve tickets. I can give you four of them, and they're all in relatively good seats. If that's still not enough, you can buy scalped tickets yourself."

"Do you have Liu Xiang's tickets?" Xie Yang asked.

Chen Guiliang laughed and said, "Do you think I'm the one who organizes the Olympics? The schedule hasn't even been announced yet, how could I possibly know which race Liu Xiang will be in?"

"That's true." Xie Yang nodded.

Pre-ordering Olympic tickets is like opening a blind box; you only know the event, time, and location, and nothing else is certain.

After chatting for a while and then smoking a cigarette, the two went back to their respective restaurants.

Xie Yang's girlfriend asked, "Was that Chen Guiliang just now?"

Xie Yang nodded and said, "Yes, I need to talk to him about something."

"You guys are amazing, you've built such a successful career at such a young age," the girl complimented.

Xie Yang smiled and said, "It's alright."

Xie Saobang had long since evolved; he'd heard too much flattery and wouldn't get carried away by a few compliments. He'd smoothly passed his inflated ego phase thanks to his older brother's scolding.

"You've known Mr. Chen since high school? Was he already very capable back then?" the girl continued to inquire about Chen Guiliang.

Xie Yang was a little unhappy. If this happened a few more times, he planned to change girlfriends.

-

(I recommend a novel: *Bright Sword: A Player from PUBG*.)
(End of this chapter)