I was reborn without dreams

Chapter 133 Say What Others Want to Hear

"Boss, my friends have almost finished negotiating..."

"Don't talk to me. You're the director. You go and negotiate. After you're done, just throw your resume and file to HR. I'm only responsible for paying you."

"..."

"What? You're not planning to follow the Indians and do something like 'salary kickbacks'?"

"..."

So speechless.

Old Fangtou has dreams now, but engaging in things like "salary rebates" won't make those dreams come true.

However, Zhang Da'an's indifference to his recruitment of scientific researchers has instead brought him immense pressure. This trip to Beijing University is also to recruit a development engineer.

Strictly speaking, it's a small team; they simply don't have the same funding as the big names, and their financial resources are quite limited.

There are many companies competing with Lao Fangtou, including plenty of companies in Beijing's "Zhongguancun" that are waving their checks around, not to mention Luzhou and Bao'an, two places with more money than they can spend.

This small team from Jinghua University was mostly composed of people from Northeast China. The leader had spent two years at the Tokyo Institute of Technology and then worked with Korean exchange students on what would later become known as the "Kimchi Online Game." The content was heavily influenced by Dungeons & Dragons and Diablo, but he wasn't a D&D fundamentalist.

Actually, he wanted to create a game based on the world of the mythological novel "Investiture of the Gods," something that could genuinely showcase Chinese culture.

As a result, the startup was killed before it was even halfway done.

It wasn't just players who were driven to despair by the outrageous Blood Lion; a huge number of game companies and studios that had already developed or were in development at the same time also went bankrupt.

They don't even care about your domestically produced single-player games.

The situation will be similar to that of the Chinese national football team ten years from now; all that can be boasted about is the market, with no substance or skill to speak of.

While pursuing further studies at Peking University, this guy decided to pull himself together and tinker with the things he and his Korean classmates had worked on back in Japan. He planned to grit his teeth, work hard, and make some money.

The "pig farm" was the first to come into contact with it, but it didn't think much of its stuff; by this time, the "Goose Factory" had already surpassed three million online users and was gaining momentum, so it also wanted to try its luck, but when it saw that it was a trashy single-player game, it lost all interest.

Even if you come from "Shilipo", you're still trash, you can't make any money.

Time-consuming.

If it were a domestically produced version of StarCraft, that would be more like it; it would have potential.

A domestically produced Half-Life game would also work; that could be a good project.

No internet technology company today would consider anything without interactivity, and they certainly won't in ten years; twenty years from now... they still won't.

Old Fangtou was interested because he felt that anything like Diablo was worth exploring.

They also held internal meetings, and Fang Daqiao listened to opinions from various parties and felt that it could be "game-like," but a single-player version was out of the question.

We'll just buy the code; how to turn it into an online game is a matter for later.

He also bought people; the price was negotiable. Once they arrived, he would wave his whip to get the cattle and horses to work; that was Fang Daqiao's business.

As for the algorithm, with Du Xiaoshuai's professional team, you can get a 30% discount on server purchases now.

Everything is ready now, just one final push is needed.

Fang Daqiao first had a meal with his old classmate in Beijing and asked him to help him scout out the situation at Jinghua University. His old classmate was also at the University of Finance and Economics, but not in Jiangning.

All the usual procedures were followed. After so many years of not seeing each other, when you finally come, you have to ask someone to help you find someone and invite you out for a meal. Shouldn't you at least show some appreciation?
He got a scrub at a legitimate bathhouse, and afterwards took some high-end silk from Wudu City and high-end cosmetics from Xinjiekou. These weren't for his old classmate; they were for his wife.

I also got a Dell computer, which is for my old classmate's son.

I also got two sets of silk pajamas and some high-end tea, which were for my old classmate's parents.

As for my old classmate himself, he mainly got hard from getting a scrub at a proper "bathhouse".

I don't care about smoking or drinking...

Once all these things are in place, it's all a matter of course. Of course, I'll also invite my old classmate to come south to Jiangning in the winter to give an economics lecture. All expenses, including travel and refreshments, will be covered, plus a 5,000 yuan tip.

I can't ask for too high a price. For non-famous professors, this is the only price I can offer. Any higher and the organizers won't be able to make ends meet.

Unlike Zhang Da'an, an extremely well-known and famous education expert, who just sits there, does nothing, and gives you two thousand first; the remaining seventeen thousand will be discussed later.

In other words, Zhang Da'an has not yet reached the point of having "students all over the world." However, if any doctoral graduates from Xindongweigang Middle School graduate eight years later, they will be qualified to invite Zhang Da'an, their "enlightenment teacher," to be their industry-academia-research "mentor."

Now, the wealth that Zhang Da'an's illustrious reputation brings is something that no disciples or followers can leech off or take.

I wonder how many people wish Zhang Da'an would age thirty years instantly...

It's all money.

After experiencing the various "drinking culture" in Beijing, Lao Fangtou finally met the dejected Li Jingwu. The poor guy's application for funding was still so meager that he wished he could sell himself to make money.

Fang Daqiao's arrival cheered him up, and during the meal, he showed that what he had was still valuable, as the "pig farm" was asking for 200,000 yuan.

Fed up with the drawn-out discussion, Fang Daqiao said directly, "Let's stop testing the waters. I'll buy your code for 300,000. But I can't give it to you directly. You're coming with me to Jiangning, and you can bring anyone you want, even a dog. I'll cover its monthly food. As for the 'milestone agreement,' don't feel like you're losing out. The 300,000 is for your code; you'll be paid for whatever work you do."

"An annual salary of 300,000?"

"Nonsense, 300,000 is for buying the code. Salary and bonuses are separate!"

"..."

"In short, if you're willing to work, go back and pack your things and come to Jiangning with me; if not, I'll go back to Jiangning tomorrow too. I only have seven or eight days of vacation, and I don't have time to waste with you. My boss has too many projects on his plate, and he really doesn't have time to waste on dinner parties and drinking sessions."

"I'll think about it..." "Bye."

"I need to tell my girlfriend first, right?!"

"Girlfriend?! Holy crap, you're not married at your age?!"

"It's because we don't have a house..."

"Do you want the house in Jiangning?"

"Houses in Jiangning..."

"140 square meters, garage not included."

"Hey, how about we go somewhere else for lamb skewers? I know a place where the owner's grilled lamb kidneys are absolutely delicious..."

He called him "Brother Fang" with perfect authenticity.

Li Jingwu isn't an idiot. If the "pig farm" really wanted to spend 200,000 yuan to buy his stuff, he would have sold it long ago. Why wait until now?

He earns a little over four thousand yuan a month from all sorts of miscellaneous expenses, which isn't a small amount. But to say that this is enough for him to create a decent domestically produced game is basically a pipe dream.

You still have to have dreams, just in case some investors get possessed by evil spirits.
This is not impossible.

In short, like "Brother House," Li Jingwu, now in middle age, still wants to realize his personal value.

As a scholar, how can you not have some aspirations?
That evening, after having barbecue with Li Jingwu and the first-year graduate student Li Jingwu brought, Lao Fangtou called the boss who was still strolling through the night market in Jinan City: "Boss, it's settled, 300,000... Hello? Hello? Boss?"

The boss didn't want to talk and hung up the phone. It was midsummer, and he was too lazy to yell and curse...skr~~
"Damn it, this guy is an idiot..."

Zhang Da'an hung up the phone and turned it off, but he didn't remove the battery, leaving the old man some dignity.

"Boss, who is it?"

"A two-stringed bowed instrument."

"..."

The young nanny, who grew up in the Chengdong District of Jiangning City, blushed and then declined to comment.

On such a beautiful summer night, we barely even got to explore the "Number One Spring Under Heaven." Wouldn't it be ridiculous to ruin the fun over a mere 300,000 yuan?

As for why the nanny is here?
That's because the nanny excitedly reported to Zhang Da'an on the phone a couple of days ago that her development had reached the required standard and asked the boss to personally inspect it!

Coach Zhang perked up immediately upon hearing this and issued an important instruction: Please come to Jinan City, Shandong Province as soon as possible!

Then, write "basically agree" on the letter, sign and stamp it, and the nanny will take the "admission notice" to Jinan City to report for duty.

Whether we can get the "certificate of qualification" depends on tonight.

However, Jinan is known as the "City of Springs," and its summer nights are always lively. There are also many unique restaurants. After strolling around the lake with its crowds and seeing the bustling Mingquan Spring, you can head to the famous shops that are packed with people.

"Please come in, gentlemen. There are window seats upstairs for couples. We have a 'Summer Night in Jinan' event today, and you can get a 20% discount if you bring your girlfriend..."

The waiter was quite polite, which Zhang Da'an thought was good. This is the provincial capital of Shandong, so isn't the service awareness usually pretty good?

Their hospitality is no less than that of Jiangning.

However, Zhang, when he's in the business world, always sticks to his principles and doesn't let anyone take advantage of him, nor does he take advantage of others.

He really liked the 20% discount, but the condition was that he had to bring his girlfriend, and he didn't have one.

Even though the nanny was holding his arm, he still asked in a low voice, "If she's not my girlfriend, can I still get a 20% discount?"

"Huh? This...isn't this your girlfriend, handsome?"

“I am his maid.”

Shi Yelu answered the question with a smile.

Even after the two went upstairs, the waiter still looked disoriented and somewhat bewildered.

A maid?!

Wow, Southerners really know how to have fun!

But it doesn’t matter!
Maids get a 20% discount!

Shi Yelu was happy to be sitting with Zhang Da'an in the window couple's seat instead of across from him, as it made her feel useful.

Moreover, they can whisper to each other and report in detail to the boss about the other two nannies.

"Boss, let me tell you, one day Wang Douyan and I were taking a shower together..."

"Clam?!"

"I wanted to see if she was really capable, so I..."

"what……"

Coach Zhang breathed a sigh of relief and let the nanny, Shi Yelu, continue speaking.

He loves to hear it.

(End of this chapter)