Losing Money to Be a Tycoon

August 20th, Friday…

Qiao Liang felt quite good the first time he stepped onto Jingzhou soil.

The weather here was about the same as in Beijing. Both places were sizzling hot. However, it just happened to be a cloudy day today. There was a gentle breeze, and it felt much cooler than the past two days.

Qiao Liang very quickly found the staff in charge of receiving him. Before he got in the car, he booked his hotel.

The person in charge of receiving him was a young man with the surname 'Sun'. He was one of the chauffeurs hired by Tengda. He looked intelligent, his mannerisms were proper, and he was courteous.

Qiao Liang sat in the spacious back of the business car, feeling very comfortable. The driving was steady; it was obvious that the driver Little Sun had a lot of experience driving.

This was the first time Qiao Liang was experiencing being chauffeured around. His impression of Tengda improved that much in his heart.

He looked at the scenery outside the window and could not help but feel moved. "It's amazing."

This was his first time in Jingzhou. He did not have much expectation to begin with, but after he arrived, he realized that it was much more prosperous than he had imagined.

Qiao Liang stayed in Beijing for a long time, and he was an immigrant at that. However, he had lived hard-pressed for money. Although Beijing was prosperous, he had never enjoyed the best experiences there.

The most he did was watch modern dramas and attend concerts occasionally when it was convenient. Apart from that, Beijing was really no different from ordinary second-tier cities.

In fact, he felt much more relaxed when he arrived at Jingzhou.

Very quickly, they approached the hotel.

"Teacher Qiao, I'll check in for you first. Then, you can go upstairs and unpack. I'll park the car. In ten minutes, we'll meet at the entrance of the hotel. The company is just nearby. We'll just have to walk for about three minutes before we arrive." Little Sun was still being very courteous.

Soon, everything was settled.

Qiao Liang did not have to pay a single cent for his accommodation this time. Tengda was providing everything.

When he reached the sixth floor of the hotel, he realized that Tengda had booked a suite for him.

There was a mini-living room outside, with a coffee table, a couch, a study table, and a writing desk. There was a fruit plate laid out on the coffee table. Beside it, there was a coffee cabinet, with a coffee machine and coffee capsules on top. There was also a mini-fridge.

Inside was a spacious bedroom with full-length windows. There was also a spacious bathroom with a bathtub.

"Tengda's Boss Pei is too kind! It looks like I'm quite influential. Otherwise, he would not think so highly of me."

Qiao Liang was very proud.

Speaking of which, Qiao Liang did not expect Tengda Games to invite him to play its game in advance, too. He was going to get a chance to play a game that had not even been published yet.

Indeed, the influence of his videos was not bad. From The Lonely Desert Road, he had been keeping a close eye on Tengda's development as a company as well. However, to a game company like Tengda, there was no need to treat such a lowly UP Master like him well at all.

Thus, the sincerity that Boss Pei was showing was extra precious to Qiao Liang, and it genuinely moved him.

Not only were they giving him more than enough for his work, but they were also chauffeuring him around and providing such good accommodation.

Thus, Qiao Liang's impression of Tengda and Boss Pei was improving significantly.

"Who would have thought that the company which created such a horrendous game like The Lonely Desert Road could have undergone a complete change in less than a year and expand to such an extent now?

"Life is truly unpredictable."

Qiao Liang put his suitcases away, ate some fruits, and then got some rest on the couch.

He did not have many suitcases. Apart from his personal laptop and a few other digital products, he only brought clothes that he was prepared to wash and re-wear.

The hotel provided laundry services. He would just have to place his dirty clothes in a laundry bag, and room service would take them away. Later, they would return with the clothes washed.

Before he came, Qiao Liang had been worried about the standard of accommodation here. He wondered if it would be convenient for him to do laundry. However, from the looks of the current situation, he had worried unnecessarily.

He was extremely comfortable on the couch. However, it was a cloudy day, and there was not much sunlight. Otherwise, if he could feel the warmth of the sun from the couch, he would be even more comfortable.

Still, the cloudy weather did not affect Qiao Liang's mood. After resting for a while, he went downstairs and arrived in a huge hall. From there, Little Sun led him to Tengda Network Technology Co., Ltd.

The thought of being able to see Boss Pei soon really excited Qiao Liang.

Qiao Liang always thought that he and Boss Pei had an intimate understanding of each other. Only someone like him would be able to understand the deep meaning behind a game like Game Designer and performance-art-style marketing.

If not for him, one could only guess how long Boss Pei's intentions would be misunderstood.

Speaking of which, Boss Pei must be thinking the same way, right?

There was a saying: it's extremely hard to find someone who knew a person well. Boss Pei loved creating games with deep meaning; Qiao Liang guessed it had been extremely hard for him to find someone who knew him well, too.

That was probably why Boss Pei brought him in from Beijing, which was far away, to be among the first to experience the new game.

Qiao Liang kept fantasizing as he followed Little Sun into Tengda's office.

His first thought was 'how spacious!'

The work environment here was ridiculous. From the area that each employee got alone, one could tell that this company had no lack of money. What's more, the entire office looked lively and free. It did not look like many other companies—dead and gloomy.

Although Qiao Liang had not been to many companies, he did attend job interviews after graduating from university. He had also seen many videos of different offices on video websites. Most companies had stifling and boring environments.

However, this place was completely different.

Every employee looked relaxed. They ate snacks and sipped their coffee as they worked. However, when they worked, they looked focused. It was like their subjective initiative had been stimulated.

At first, Qiao Liang suspected that they were acting. However, on further thought, he was thinking too highly of himself. He was a minor UP Master. He was neither a supervisor nor a part of influential media. Would it be necessary for others to put on an act in front of him?

What's more, everyone looked so relaxed that it was almost impossible for them to be acting.

Qiao Liang was even more interested in Boss Pei now. The fact that the company could operate at such an optimum state meant that Boss Pei was not only an excellent designer but an excellent manager as well.

What were his true colors then?

When Little Sun arrived at Boss Pei's office, he knocked gently on the door.

"Boss Pei, Teacher Qiao is here."

…

Pei Qian had been playing Repent and be Saved, and he was feeling extremely frustrated. Strictly speaking, as long as he was playing Repent and be Saved, there was not a moment that he would not feel frustrated.

Each time he felt tortured, Pei Qian would question why he created this game in the first place. Then, he would retrieve his notebook and read the list of names, just to remember the feud he had with those listed.

When he heard that Teacher Qiao was here, he quickly tossed his controller onto the table. Then, he stood up.

He's finally here! I wouldn't be able to take it if you arrived any later!

Outside, Teacher Qiao heard the 'bam' in the office. He wondered what collided into what. A smile spread across Qiao Liang's face.

Boss Pei thinks so highly of me!

Back then, Cao Cao had welcomed Xu You barefoot. To put it simply, it meant that when Xu You arrived, Cao Cao ran out to welcome him without even putting his shoes on.

The current situation looked pretty much the same.

I don't know what Boss Pei was doing in there, but it sounds like he threw whatever he had in his hand down to welcome me. That shows how highly he thinks of me!

Qiao Liang even began to feel embarrassed.

What did I do to deserve this kind of treatment from Boss Pei? I'm ashamed, I'm ashamed.