Original subtitles

=Episode 1= (This story is purely fictional)

(Adapted from the Qidian novel "Losing Money to Be a Tycoon" by Qingshan Quzui)

Hello.

Finally here.

Why are airports located so far away these days?

I fell asleep on the way here.

I'll sleep more on the plane.

We've still got a long way to go.

It's been a long time since I traveled this far.

Still, you're more experienced than I am.

Welcome aboard.

Nice outfit you've got there.

I bought it on my last trip.

Wei, is that a new model?

Let me take a look.

Mr. Pei.

Hurry up.

You've got the least luggage and you're still slow.

Mr. Pei.

Hurry up, Mr. Pei.

Yeah, hurry.

(Stay true to our mission, succeed for the greater good.)

(Recently,)

(Tengda Group invested heavily)

(to acquire a vineyard in Burgundy, France,)

(covering 1.3 hectares.)

(The appellation where the vineyard is located)

(has produced numerous wines, all awarded Grand Cru status.)

(This means)

(that beyond gaming, real estate,)

(food and beverage, film and television, and logistics,)

(Tengda is once again exploring a new field.)

(Tengda's founder, Mr. Pei Qian,)

(independently developed his first game many years ago)

(in the bedroom of his shabby rental apartment.)

(It became a smash hit upon release,)

(leading Tengda to its first step toward success.)

(In the eyes of others,)

(Pei Qian achieved success at a young age)

(and became a legend.)

Try this. It's good.

Thanks.

Qian.

Tang told me. That magazine contacted you over thirty times,

and you didn't go once.

Skipping interviews is one thing,

but you should attend the forum.

At least show them some courtesy.

You...

Qian.

Mr. Pei.

Mr. Pei.

(The man at the helm, Mr. Pei Qian,)

(is extremely low-key,)

(with unpredictable behavior,)

(making Tengda)

(a one-of-a-kind case in local business history.)

(That's right.)

(I'm Pei Qian.)

(The founder of the Tengda Group that everyone's talking about.)

(The eternal honorary chairman in my employees' hearts.)

(Outsiders always praise me for my early success.)

(But I feel)

(this is all just a dream.)

(And this dream)

=No Pain No Gain= (began eight years ago.)

(2022)

Pei Qian,

how many years have you been at Fuhui?

I...

I remember he joined right after graduating from college.

(Fuhui) Time really flies.

Pei Qian's

thinking is very active,

but sometimes it's too active.

And that's not necessarily a good thing.

Fuhui has been established for many years.

From time to time,

there will naturally be internal issues.

That's perfectly normal.

I've read what you wrote here.

You're entitled to your own views,

but circulating them in writing

is far too serious.

How about

taking a break at home?

Take some time to readjust.

I understand.

So in this situation,

am I getting severance pay?

In this situation...

No compensation.

Then can I get my things back?

(Fuhui Job-Security Survival Manual)

Okay, I'm coming over right now.

(Stay true to our mission, succeed for the greater good.)

(Stay true...)

(Fuhui: One Big Family, Happiness Comes First)

Get lost!

Hey, just because you don't like it, doesn't mean you can bully it.

Look at you, being all kind.

You can barely feed yourself,

and you're playing saint?

Kitty!

Come here, kitty!

You poor thing.

How about I take you home?

(You poor thing.)

(I'll take you home with me.)

Mr. Sima.

Are you sure this is the person you're looking for?

What's so special about him?

Fuhui Job-Security Survival Manual?

Isn't it basically a rant list?

But honestly, Fuhui these days

doesn't have anything new either.

And are we at Jinghong any better?

(Pei Qian)

(I'm sorry.)

(Our headcount is full for this year.)

(We've found a suitable candidate.)

(It's 30 percent lower than your expected salary.)

(Would you be able to accept that?)

(You've asked me this so many times.)

(I'll be honest with you.)

(Your resume is fine.)

(But you should probably smooth things over)

(with your last company.)

(Cosmos Restaurant)

(Drop your worries, make life a little sweeter)

Hello, Mr. Pei Qian.

I'm Jinghong Group's

chairman's special assistant,

Xin Hailu.

Our chairman would like to speak with you.

Please get in the car.

My milkshake!

Mr. Pei, please come with me.

- Hello, Ms. Xin. - Hello, Ms. Xin.

Welcome, Mr. Pei.

(Jinghong Group)

(Fuhui Job-Security Survival Manual)

I mean... it's just a small thing.

You're not going to kill me, are you?

Been watching too many movies, Mr. Pei?

Relax.

Mr. Sima only wants to give you

a new job offer.

Mr. Pei,

I hope you'll accept my investment

and start a company.

What Mr. Sima means is,

this company must launch projects.

We'll settle accounts based on each project cycle.

If the project makes a profit during the cycle,

you'll only receive a base salary of 5,000.

But if the project loses money, however much it loses,

that amount will be your bonus.

So you're saying

you give me startup capital,

I set up a company,

and if it succeeds, I don't get paid,

but if it loses money, you pay me instead?

(Police) You know what I ran into today?

Some old guy actually

rented a private jet,

with a beautiful secretary,

saying he wanted to invest in my company

like some kind of angel investment.

Tell me,

in this world...

That's her.

- How could anything that good happen? - Over here.

Thanks for your cooperation.

Not at all. Thanks for your hard work, officer.

You're the one who called the police, right?

We've verified the situation.

What Ms. Xin and Mr. Sima said is true.

As for this "angel investment" thing

they said they want to do with you,

we don't know the details either.

But that's fine.

As long as it's not illegal,

there's no problem.

Alright. You can go.

A "beautiful secretary," huh?

He's a con artist.

So young,

and telling lies.

No morals at all.

♪I'm moving♪

♪Out to dreamland♪

♪My own brand♪

♪New reality♪

Stop checking.

It's a real plane.

♪No more confusion, my worries all gone♪

♪Every day♪

♪Free as I was before♪

♪Take your breath away♪

♪And if you can't find me♪

♪Dreamland is where I'll be♪

Sorry about that just now.

So how much are you planning to invest?

(Confidential Cooperation Agreement)

One...

Two...

Three...

Four...

Five...

Six zeros.

That much?

For a startup,

that number isn't much.

No, Mr. Sima...

This is way too easy.

Startups are startups.

Out of ten projects, nine will lose money,

and one

will start losing before it even begins.

This job is so good, I'd do it even without a base salary.

I suggest you take it.

Maybe someday you'll realize the base salary matters.

All the terms are in there.

Mr. Pei, please read them carefully.

(Confidential Agreement) One gigabyte of terms...

Chapter 1, Article 1.

You may not, by any means,

disclose or hint at the contents of this cooperation.

Article 2.

Company formation...

Rich people really have the weirdest hobbies.

Is Sima just so rich he's bored out of his mind?

Could there be some kind of trap?

The chairman of Jinghong Group

set up this huge scheme for you?

What does he want?

At this stage,

if HR does a background check with Fuhui,

they won't say a single good thing.

I can't get into a big company,

and small companies don't pay enough.

Might as well take this to get by for now.

Then, when I job-hunt again,

I can add Jinghong to my resume.

Honestly, these terms

are pretty reasonable.

No large-scale real estate purchases or property speculation.

No buying cryptocurrency.

(Law Code) No illegal activity.

(Supply and Demand) No disrupting markets.

So basically, everything's banned.

And it says they'll add more terms later

depending on the situation.

And the final approval for every project

lies with Mr. Sima and Ms. Xin.

That means we have zero autonomy.

But did you notice?

There's no penalty for breach of contract.

So for us, there's no downside at all.

True.

But anything that would lose money fast is off-limits.

We can't do charity donations,

and we can't invest in stocks.

Then what can we do?

Pagers.

Who even knows what a pager is anymore?

Guaranteed losses.

The terms say

the industry we go into

must benefit market development,

and it has to be profitable.

How am I supposed to tell them

pagers can be profitable?

Then do art.

Price our self-portraits at one million.

Who's going to buy that?

The terms say

the company may not

pay far above market value

to purchase production materials,

rent venues, hire staff, and so on.

Bike-sharing?

Not allowed.

A farm?

Not allowed.

(Insurance Policy) Insurance?

Not allowed.

A car dealership?

Not allowed.

Let's start with games.

This is what I do.

I know what kind of games can lose money.

If we lose money in other businesses,

we'd have to sell off fixed assets.

But games?

It's just a bunch of code that's worth nothing.

A total loss.

Pull this one job, take the loss, and walk away.

(Pay Slip) Worst case, I get a 5,000 base salary.

If I win the bet, I'm set for life.

(Confidential Agreement)

I've decided.

I'm making a game.

Since you've decided to start with games,

then I wish you success

in losing your way to the top.

Then, Mr. Pei,

please sign and leave your fingerprint.

Mr. Sima has assigned me to be involved throughout.

From now on, I'll be transferred

(Party B: Pei Qian) from Jinghong Group to your startup

as your special assistant.

Everything you do,

I will report to Mr. Sima in real time.

All major decisions

require our approval before you proceed.

(Party B: Pei Qian)

All signed.

Then you can start thinking

about your new company's name.

Wait.

(Confidential Cooperation Agreement)

(Jinghong Group)

(Tengda)

We'll call it Tengda.

"Flying High to Prosperity."

(May Tengda crash and burn fast!)

Today is Tengda's first day.

You've got such a "lucky" color.

I'll call you Yintang.

Qian.

This is the cat you messaged me about on WeChat?

I was only home for two days,

and it already feels bigger than in the photos.

Yintang, this is Uncle Ma.

From now on, he'll raise you with me.

Its name is Yintang?

Well, it's certainly black.

Ma Yang!

Where are you? My hands are dying here!

Are you healing under the tower?

Fight!

No...

No, Ma Yang!

Why'd you push him back?

He's got his ult!

Why'd they go quiet?

I feel like I'm about to get flamed.

They rage-quit early.

Classic you.

Let me play with it.

Yintang.

You can't call me "Uncle Ma."

You have to call me "Grandpa Ma."

I'm older than your dad.

Let's see whose hair is darker.

Whose hair is darker?

Your hair is darker than mine.

Qian, did you bathe him?

(Ma Yang) (My best buddy.)

(Manager of a fruit stall.)

(A daytime dreamer, Ma Yang.)

(A "genius" who's achieved nothing)

(for years.)

Number one, hold that lane!

Come back!

You guys are terrible.

Someone here has died eight times!

Who is that?

It's you, Ma Yang.

I'm done.

♪Upon my hill♪

Hey.

My nephew caused trouble again today.

This time it wasn't forgetting to display the payment QR code.

The customer wanted him to round down,

and out of 150.5,

he rounded off 50.5!

And you always pick the most expensive stuff to eat.

It's fine.

Yeah, it's fine.

(A partner candidate, found.)

Ma Yang, want to start a business with me?

Just help me out.

Normally, I wouldn't ask,

but the situation's special.

Qian,

is something bothering you?

Talk to me.

I quit Fuhui.

Fuhui's such a great company.

You just quit like that?

Why?

I actually got pulled into a plan.

They want me to run a company.

You?

Running a company?

I'm really starting a company.

This thing is actually...

Actually, I...

Actually, you

are a rich kid!

Qian.

We've known each other for years.

If you really trust me,

then tell me the truth.

Are you a rich kid or not?

- I could tell back then. - I...

When we were kids,

you were always the one buying me food.

When people borrowed money from you,

you never made a big deal out of it.

And at work, even more so.

You dared to speak your mind to the boss.

Everyone says

Pei Qian is just sticking to his guns.

But only I

figured out your secret.

You're actually a rich kid.

So you're done pretending, and you're coming clean!

I've been waiting for this day.

And you kept it from me all this time.

But it's fine.

Now that you've picked me,

we're like Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang,

like Sherlock Holmes and Watson!

Watson...

Classic you.

Anyway,

just don't tell anyone else.

I've got startup funding.

Startup funding?

Do you even have ten grand?

Pei Qian.

I may look dumb,

but I'm not actually stupid.

If you're starting a company,

what am I supposed to be?

BA.

BA? Like security guard?

You think I've been living under a rock?

Fine.

General manager.

I want to be the chairman.

General manager.

Vice chairman.

General manager.

Vice chairman, final offer!

(Unity, Efficiency, Win-Win)

Qian, we're working here?

The decor's kind of old-school,

but it's fine. I can live with it.

Is this our office?

How do we split it?

You take the bigger side and put up a divider.

It's a little too open, isn't it?

This is Mr. Pei.

Hello, Mr. Pei.

Mr. Ma.

I'm Cui from the agency.

Just call me Cui.

High-floor units in the Shenhua International office tower

rarely become available.

Take a look.

The environment is great, the floor is great,

and the view is great too.

There's only one downside.

The rent

is a little on the high side.

As you can see,

the previous tenant's layout

wasn't optimal,

so it only seats fifty-something people.

But with a little adjustment,

it can seat at least seventy.

I think this is great.

You two are in luck.

The last tenant was in debt, and the boss ran off.

The landlord said

all the office furniture you see here

can be used for free.

That's great.

Throw it all out.

This place looks fine.

Why hasn't it been rented out?

Actually, it rents easily.

It's just that the last few tenants

all went under due to poor management.

They all went under?

We'll take it.

If you're really interested,

I can give you a discount

on my fee.

No discount.

You deserve it.

Then I'll go prepare the contract.

Ms. Xin,

the contract only says

we can't rent an office above market price.

If I don't ask for a discount or negotiate,

that's not a violation, right?

Technically, no.

But that only lets you burn a small amount of money.

We're a game company.

Employees are prone to occupational injuries.

So all our facilities

need upgrades.

Look,

we need to use the most expensive chairs.

For everyone?

Of course,

there's no hierarchy at Tengda,

so the chairs should be the same.

And also,

look at these desks.

We should switch them all to automatic sit-stand ones.

And since we're a game company,

every computer should come with

an RTX 4090 graphics card.

The CPU must be an i9,

and throw in

two 128GB RAM sticks.

Swap all drives to SSDs.

And fill these empty spots with plants.

Like dracaena, alocasia...

Whatever's the most delicate, that's what we get.

For guests, we'll serve...

Premium Lao Ban Zhang tea.

Alright.

I'll assign someone to handle procurement.

Qian,

is she from your previous company?

No. Her name is Xin Hailu.

She's the special assistant.

From now on, you two are coworkers.

A big office

and a nice assistant.

What a dream start.

But I'll admit, I'm the weak spot in this setup.

I don't have much experience.

I don't even know if I can help you.

Helping your grandpa

run a fruit stall.

In a way,

isn't that basically

operating a family-owned business?

Who says you don't have experience?

You're an indispensable partner

on my entrepreneurial journey.

Together, we're unstoppable.

Let's get Tengda off the ground as soon as possible.

Mr. Pei, you want to pay Ma Yang

a 50,000 monthly salary?

What's the problem?

After graduating,

he hasn't had a single

proper job.

In school, he failed every subject and had to retake them.

And under "Certificates,"

(Certificates) he didn't even list CET-4.

That's because he didn't want to show off.

So he never passed CET-4.

He wanted to go straight for CET-6,

so he didn't take CET-4.

Keep it low-key.

Anyway, I have my reasons for hiring him.

And according to the contract,

I have hiring authority.

That was my oversight.

But everyone has a cap.

For Mr. Ma,

the most you can pay him is 5,000 a month.

5,000? That's the same as me!

Why does he get to be on my level?

At least 20,000!

8,000.

10,000.

Deal.

Ma Yang,

why'd you buy so many books?

For our future.

Qian,

I never thought

I'd ever make 10,000 a month.

Starting today,

I'm going to prove myself!

(Little Therapies, Big Health. Neck Rehab Guide. How to Be a Programmer.)

(Can't learn a thing.)

Ma Yang, eat first.

Study later.

Qian...

Why are you so good to me?

Qian...

Ma Yang.

You're the best gift heaven ever gave me.

I wish I could clone you a hundred times.

Stop it.

Too bad

there's no one else

as talented as you

from our class.

There's a legend from our class.

Who?

The guy who used to carry us in games.

Xingle Internet Cafe, Zone B, seat 517!

What was his name again?

Xingle Internet Cafe, Zone B...

Bao Xu.

Right, Bao Xu.

(Xingle Internet Cafe)

Careful, don't peek. You'll get one shot.

Like I need you to tell me.

This game's ancient. You still play it?

I'm sentimental.

Fair.

Old games have soul.

(Bao Xu.)

(Bao Xu) (Full-time net cafe camper.)

(Master of sedentary living.)

(The campus trendsetter.)

(The idol of shut-ins.)

(Has never left the internet cafe since graduation.)

(Work experience,)

(zero.)

What are you two doing here?

Queue up with me. I'll carry you.

Hey, staff!

Come on, I'll carry you.

Why are you here, then?

It's like this, Bao Xu.

Ma Yang and I

started a game company together.

We have no idea how long it'll last,

but we still want to invite you

to be our game tester.

A startup?

Yeah.

Not interested.

How about this?

You can play whatever you want,

and the salary's up to you.

How much are we talking?

(Tengda CAM)

♪I've been sitting at the wheel♪

♪Fighting with my closing eyes♪

(Tengda: Stay true to our mission, succeed for the greater good.)

♪There's about twenty miles that remain on this drive♪

♪Working overdrive♪

♪Working♪

♪Working♪

♪The whole time♪

♪Working♪

♪Working♪

Qian.

Is this really the same office we saw before?

This is so fancy!

And the office area is huge!

Don't worry, everyone.

I spent the money where it counts.

Everything we used is

F4-rated,

eco-certified materials.

Solid wood.

No one's breathing in a single whiff of formaldehyde.

They're all executive chairs.

Are these sit-stand desks?

Ma Yang, didn't I tell you?

Every employee is an owner at Tengda.

Mr. Pei,

they say lucky cats attract wealth.

So why'd you get a black one?

It's name is Yintang. It is our company cat

and Tengda's Chief Motivation Officer.

I found it by the roadside when I quit

my last job.

After I found it,

I founded Tengda.

So it's clearly a good omen.

Be nice to it, everyone.

"Everyone"?

There are only four of us.

What do you mean by "everyone"?

In the future,

we'll definitely be hiring more, right?

Qian, why isn't this room done?

Is it a storage room?

This room is my office.

The renovation budget went over,

so my room was...

But don't worry.

As the boss, I think

the best stuff should go to the employees.

These office supplies

were left by the previous tenant.

They were going to throw them out,

but I called to have the agent bring them back.

Such an amazing boss.

Our workspace looks amazing,

but you're so hard on yourself.

Qian, I could kiss you.

So, are you satisfied with your office setup?

- Yes! Super satisfied. - Yes! Super satisfied!

Ms. Xin.

Look,

that room is your office.

Smart glass?

(Tengda Game)

Yintang...

Slow down.

Yintang...

We're doing the streamers.

Stop messing with Yintang.

Don't tell me what to do.

Come on.

Mr. Pei, this is the first time I've heard of

cutting a yellow ribbon for an opening.

Isn't that bad luck?

That's right, yellow means "go bust."

I meant cutting off the projects that "go bust."

Then naturally we'll soar to prosperity.

I never thought of it that way.

Impressive.

Nice one.

So clever.

Ready?

Ready?

Ready.

♪I'm gonna be♪

♪Who I wanna be♪

♪I shine on my own♪

Look at the camera.

Three, two, one...

- Here's to a great opening! - Here's to a great opening!

(Tengda Game)

(Office rent)

(Profit: 0 Loss: Office rent. Renovation. Supplies. )

(Total assets)

(One Month Later)

Mr. Qiao,

what should our next video be about?

Games these days

have zero creativity.

Even the bad ones are all bad the same way.

I can't even roast them anymore.

Why make videos at all?

The banality of evil, I'm telling you.

But...

your likes have been

dropping lately.

You've got to do something about it.

Alright, alright. Let me see.

There is a new release.

(The Lonely Road) This looks roast-worthy.

Is it?

This one.

What kind of game is this?

The Lonely Road.

With this trash icon?

And it's only one yuan. Can it even break even?

Try it.

Do it.

(The Lonely Road)

Just look at my character's design.

I've got to see

how trashy this game can get.

Isn't it running already?

You just hold down the direction key.

That's it?

This game is way too slapdash.

Zero effort.

The cutout work is awful.

Even I could do it.

And there's no choice

of car.

Exactly.

Look, everything on both sides of the road

is static.

It's been a straight line forever. Are there no turns?

We just keep going like this?

No way. Who makes a game like this?

Isn't this just insane?

(Level Cleared)

- This thing is insane. - Insane...

(Loading next level)

There's a second level?

This game is so boring.

There's nothing new at all.

It's just driving straight and sightseeing,

and the scenery is all pixelated.

Turn...

Brake...

Brake!

Why are there no brakes?

No...

(Game Over)

Okay, there's something here.

Time to turn.

I know.

Nice.

Can't trick me a second time.

Turn this way!

(Game Over)

What is this?

This game doesn't follow rules at all.

It's totally unhinged.

Again!

(Series of turns)

(Game Over)

(Series of turns)

(Game Over)

Focus.

Left-left-left.

Right-right-left.

Left-left-right.

Right-right-left.

Left-right-left. Right-left-right.

Right-right-left.

Left-right-left. Right-left-right.

Left-left-right-right. Left-right-left.

We made it.

(Game Over)

Again.

Ready?

Ready.

I'm ready to go to war with this game.

No way I can't beat it.

Left. Left.

Right.

Left.

Right.

Left.

No, right!

Left. Right.

Left.

Right.

Right-right-left. Left-right-left-right. Right.

Left-left-left.

Left-right. Right.

Right. Left.

Left.

Left-left-right-right.

Left.

(Level Cleared)

(Congratulations, you've wasted)

(eight precious hours of your life.)

What kind of company made this game?

(Congratulations!)

(Produced by Tengda Game)