Chapter 105: Helping a Brother Get a Referral
Chapter 105: Helping a Brother Get a Referral
"This is…"
Even Huang Sibo was a bit stunned.
He never expected that Ocean Fortress would, as a side effect, end up screwing over his old company too.
But thinking about it more carefully—yeah, this totally seemed like something Old Liu would pull.
Selling the Fire Qilin for 888 yuan… Not only did the players not complain, they actually kind of accepted it. That definitely sent the wrong message to other game designers.
They’d start thinking: If he can sell a rare item for 888, why can’t I?
Old Liu definitely knew he'd get roasted by players. But he didn’t care.
What he cared about was whether this 888 yuan price tag would make money.
If it sold well, who cared if players cursed him out? That wouldn't stop the boss from giving him a raise or a promotion.
But in reality? The players tore him a new one, and the item barely sold. It tanked the game’s reputation and didn’t make a dime. That’s why the boss blew up on him.
“Old Liu’s just carving a mark on a boat to find a sword,” Huang Sibo muttered.
“The 888-yuan Fire Qilin in Ocean Fortress—that was part of a whole pricing strategy. Old Liu just saw the 888 and got greedy. He didn’t see the bigger picture. No wonder he got chewed out.”
Huang Sibo couldn’t help but go off a little.
Back when he worked at Shangyang Games, Old Liu was his direct supervisor.
And truth be told, his feelings toward the guy had always been complicated.
Sure, Old Liu squeezed him like a lemon, but at the time, Huang Sibo felt like he was still learning something useful.
Now? Not anymore.
A Lead Executive Designer like Old Liu? He was just someone who’d coasted a few more years in the industry. That’s why some rookies thought he had a glow around him.
But in reality?
He’d avoid risk in the big stuff and throw himself at crumbs. He didn’t learn the right lessons—just copied the 888 Fire Qilin and thought he’d get rich.
A guy like that… How is he even fit to be the lead?
His mindset’s too small. He’ll never amount to anything.
Ma Yiqun sipped his coffee thoughtfully, nodding along.
“Huang Sibo, then why could Ocean Fortress sell the Fire Qilin for 888?” he asked.
Huang Sibo smiled.
“Now that’s the right question.”
“Why could Ocean Fortress pull off selling the Fire Qilin for 888? Because—it’s the only monetization point in the whole game!”
“The game has a full story mode, high-quality art and gameplay. If it were a normal buy-to-play game, it’d easily be worth 50 yuan at least.”
“But Ocean Fortress is completely free. The only thing it sells is the 888-yuan Fire Qilin. That’s not a cash grab—that’s generosity!”
“All regular players can enjoy 99.99% of the game for free. Of course they’re happy. Of course they’re grateful.”
“Plus, the Fire Qilin isn’t like Old Liu’s overpriced sword. That thing had OP stats and let rich players solo ten noobs. No one else even had a chance.”
“But the Fire Qilin? Its stats aren’t much better than normal guns. It even gives bonuses like XP boosts to other players in the same room.”
“That means both whales and free players benefit. The gun keeps its value long-term, looks awesome, and gets you mad respect wherever you go. No wonder it sells!”
“That’s the thing—pricing is a holistic strategy. That 888 price tag wasn’t slapped on to milk players. It was a form of giving back!”
Ma Yiqun nodded furiously.
“That makes so much sense! I heard they sold a gun for 888 and thought, ‘Are players really that dumb and rich these days?’”
“Didn’t realize there was an actual strategy behind it. I get it now!”
“By the way, Brother Huang, you’re not even in the gaming industry anymore. How come you still know so much?”
Huang Sibo paused and took a slow sip of his coffee.
“This… is kind of a long story. I never told you before, mostly because these past few months I’ve been in a daze myself, didn’t know where to even begin…”
“Actually… Ocean Fortress? I made that. I was the Lead Executive Designer.”
“Ha—what?” Ma Yiqun nearly choked. Had he heard that right?
Ocean Fortress? Lead Executive Designer?
That meant he had completely blown Old Liu out of the water—by ten whole streets!
What kind of game was Ocean Fortress, anyway?
It was the only one daring to go head-to-head with Tianhuo Studio!
Leaving aside foreign games like Counter-Terrorism Plan, when it came to domestically-developed FPS titles, Ocean Fortress might not say it’s number one, but no one else would even dare to claim that top spot. That’s how dominant it was.
Some even speculated that, based on its current player count, if they added some basic marketing and monetization mechanics besides the Fire Qilin, their monthly revenue could easily multiply two or three times.
Nobody outside really knew the exact revenue, but by rough estimates, monthly gross was around 6 to 7 million yuan, with net profits likely topping 3 million.
And this was just one month post-launch.
For an FPS title, which typically has a long lifespan, breaking past 10 million yuan per month in the future was basically a given.
It was a money tree—no, a baby money tree just starting to sprout.
Being the Lead Executive Designer on this kind of game? That was next-level.
If he walked into any big-name game company, the boss would personally come down to greet him at the door!
A few months ago, this guy had been hauling bricks alongside him… Now? Industry elite.
Ma Yiqun was having trouble processing it.
Not that he didn’t want to see his bro doing well—it’s just… this leap was insane.
Huang Sibo didn’t hold back anymore. He laid it all out: how he interviewed at Tengda, how President Pei subtly guided him toward creating Ocean Fortress, how he became a Top-Ranking Employee and earned a 1 million yuan investment to start a short video project…
As Ma Yiqun listened, he drifted further into stunned silence.
This kind of good fortune… actually existed??
With Huang Sibo’s resume, even landing an interview at a company that was rich was already wild enough.
But he didn’t just get hired—he was instantly promoted to Lead Executive Designer?
And actually made Ocean Fortress?
And got 1 million yuan in dream funding?!
At this point, the story was edging into straight-up fantasy.
“I know… everything I’m saying probably sounds a little unreal. But it’s all true,” Huang Sibo said, eyes full of sincerity.
Ma Yiqun went quiet for a long moment.
“…Brother Huang, can you refer me?”
“I’ll submit my resignation to Old Liu first thing tomorrow.”
Yup. Quitting on the spot—that was the only thought pounding in Ma Yiqun’s head now.
Just look at how his buddy had been living these past few months… and then look at himself…
‘Comparison is the thief of joy, huh.’
Huang Sibo described Tengda’s working environment and employee benefits in detail. Every single point left Ma Yiqun practically drooling with envy.
“Of course I can refer you,” Huang Sibo said. “But… I honestly don’t know what criteria President Pei uses to pick people.”
“Whether you pass the interview or not—it’s all on you.”
Ma Yiqun nodded immediately, “No problem. Brother Huang, tell me—what was your interview like? What do I need to prepare?”
“Back then?” Huang Sibo thought for a moment. “To be honest, I really thought I was gonna get rejected. I only brought a simple resume, listing all my work history exactly as it was.”
“Exactly as it was?” Ma Yiqun looked surprised.
With a resume like that, how bad would it look on paper?
And that still got him hired?
Huang Sibo nodded. “Yeah. No fluff. And get this—Old Liu interviewed at the same time as me. We were practically back-to-back. He didn’t get in.”
Ma Yiqun: “…”
Now that really left him speechless.
Huang Sibo paused for a moment, then said seriously, “From what I know about President Pei, he has a very unique way of seeing people. He’s not just looking at resumes—he’s looking for something deeper. Hidden qualities.”
“So I think… don’t fake anything. Don’t try to polish your resume too much. That might actually count against you.”
“Of course, in the end it’s your call. I can’t guarantee anything.”
Ma Yiqun nodded firmly, “Got it. No problem. I’ll start working on my resume tonight!”
Comments (0)
Please login or sign up to post a comment.