Original subtitles

=No Pain No Gain= (Adapted from the Qidian novel)

("Losing Money to Be a Tycoon" by Qingshan Quzui)

=Episode 14= (This story is purely fictional.)

You wanted to see me, Mr. Zhou?

Come in.

I read the Returning to Shore research report.

Very thorough.

The headquarters isn't happy with Bullet Mark.

This new project

needs to show progress fast.

I'm sure you know

what to do.

You mean

reskin Returning to Shore?

That's your word,

not mine.

We previously drew on

successful overseas games.

But going straight after Tengda,

isn't that

a bit risky?

Learn the essence.

Adapt it creatively.

Understood.

Mr. Zhou,

something interesting.

We asked a headhunting firm

to find experienced planners.

They found one.

But you'll never guess

who they recommended.

Pei Qian.

What?

Same name?

No.

It's Pei Qian from Tengda.

The headhunter

probably didn't know who he really is.

He thought he was just an ex-employee from Tengda

and contacted him.

I was wondering,

could Pei Qian have bribed them

and is putting on a show for us?

What would he gain from that?

Are you sure about this?

Maybe he's here

to talk about cooperation with Sky Fire.

No.

I checked.

He's here to apply for the job.

To be honest,

I also find this strange.

But whatever his motive is,

he must be up to no good.

I'll kick him out.

Wait.

I didn't tell you to brew tea.

Go with the flow.

Let him come.

Go with the flow.

Use the situation.

Give him a few days' probation

and see what he's

really up to.

Also,

we might even learn some of Tengda's secrets.

Brilliant!

That's wise, Mr. Zhou.

I'll arrange it right away.

All he knows is brewing tea.

(Special Assistant's Office)

Ms. Xin.

How long have you been here?

Just arrived.

He's been standing there for five minutes.

Put your hand down, please.

Have you seen Mr. Pei these past two days?

He hasn't been at the office,

hasn't gone home,

and doesn't reply to messages.

He called me two days ago

to borrow money.

Come on.

Where did you hide him?

I can pay the ransom.

Ms. Xin,

I can really pay the ransom.

Ms. Xin.

Guys,

Mr. Pei is out

handling a major project

and can't stay in touch.

Continue your work as usual.

He'll be back in a few days.

Mr. Pei is indeed

mysterious.

A major project, huh?

Is he on vacation behind our backs?

With him as my role model,

I'll definitely do well.

(The Divine Mountains and Seas Project Proposal)

What major project?

Why didn't he take me?

To think Mr. Pei actually comes here to work.

And you dressed

so casually.

You must be kidding, Mr. Zhou.

I'm not

Tengda's CEO anymore.

I'm just a planner at Sky Fire.

It's been a while.

You're still such a joker, Mr. Pei.

I'm not joking.

I'm serious.

Since you're so sincere...

Well,

I'll take it seriously, Pei.

Pei.

Mr. Zhou,

is your neck stiff or what?

Pour the tea.

I'm so sorry, Mr. Zhou.

I'm not familiar with these yet.

But don't worry.

I'll improve.

You must think

I come to Sky Fire

with ulterior motives.

No worries.

I swear on my character.

I'll never do anything

to harm Sky Fire.

I really need the money.

Pei.

Your character is well known.

Since you've decided to work here,

I won't ask more.

But Pei,

now that you're at Sky Fire,

you must follow company rules.

During probation,

do your job well.

Don't bring

Tengda's bad habits here.

Okay, Pei?

Say, Mr. Zhou.

Could you please do me a favor?

Could you not tell others

that I'm working here?

Sure.

Go get busy.

Darn that Pei.

(Planning Department)

Pei, this is the Planning Department.

During probation,

you'll follow me

and work on game design.

Ask me if you have questions.

This is your desk.

That's mine.

Easier for communication.

Easier for communication?

More like easier to monitor me.

Sky Fire and Mr. Zhou

value you highly.

Your workstation

takes up more shared office space

than others.

But that cost will be counted.

Once you're a permanent employee,

if the profit you create exceeds

your allocated office shared space,

the company will reward you.

I'm just here to work.

What does the shared office space have anything to do with me?

Sit.

Let me introduce you

to our new colleague,

Pei Qian.

He's on probation.

Please look out for him.

Sky Fire isn't as loose

as Tengda.

You don't need a cap in the office.

Isn't that Mr. Pei from Tengda?

Yeah.

Why is he working here?

No idea.

What's going on?

Maybe just someone with the same name.

How could it be?

I've seen him

when he came here before.

Stop chatting.

Get back to work.

Pei.

Here.

Your ID badge.

And this

is the employee handbook.

Read it.

I'll assign work later.

You're Mr. Pei from Tengda, right?

No.

Just the same name.

But last time

you visited here,

I saw you.

You're Mr. Pei.

We should work together and boost the game industry.

Well said!

Mister,

how could I possibly be Mr. Pei from Tengda?

If I were,

would I be here as a planner?

Would Mr. Zhou allow that?

We just look similar.

Also,

you've been kneeling. Get up.

When did I knell?

Huang, ask Pei Qian to come over.

Yes, Mr. Zhou.

Hello?

Is this Yu from the Planning Department?

Mr. Zhou wants Pei Qian to come to his office.

Mr. Zhao, Mr. Zhou's secretary says Pei Qian from our department

should see Mr. Zhou.

Alright, noted.

Hello?

Wei,

where's Pei?

Mr. Zhou is looking for him.

Got it.

I...

Mr. Pei, Mr. Zhao just called.

Mr. Zhou wants to see you.

Are you going?

What choice do I have?

One moment.

Mr. Zhou,

Pei can go now.

Alright, noted.

Hello, Mr. Zhao.

Yes, Yu.

Pei is free now.

Could you ask if Mr. Zhou is available now?

Okay, I'll confirm.

Mr. Zhou, Pei Qian can come over now.

Is this a good time?

Yes, send him in.

Okay.

Mr. Zhou,

your company's efficiency is too low.

I waited outside for five minutes.

Pei,

write a report

and share your experience

making games at Tengda.

No problem, Mr. Zhou.

I've even thought of a title.

Let's call it

"Strengths and Weaknesses of Tengda Games".

Analyze every game

you worked on.

Why it succeeded and where it fell short.

The more detailed, the better.

When do you need it?

Tomorrow.

We need to be more efficient, right?

Two minutes have passed.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Tengda Games, seriously?

Might as well call it My Crime and Punishment.

How to Deal with Sub-Health?

Compensation for Sudden Death.

Wow, this computer sure has a rich history.

Before you took this seat,

I used to sit here.

(Strengths and Weaknesses of Tengda Games)

Good morning, Mr. Zhou.

Good morning, Mr. Zhao.

Today I'll be presenting

on the history of Tengda Games.

Wait.

Where are your slides?

I didn't have time for that.

Pei just joined.

He's not used to Sky Fire's

strict and efficient style yet.

We'll make an exception this time. Come.

Let me see the report.

Did you book the meeting room?

I...

I booked from 2 PM to 3 PM.

Did you book it

through the OA system?

I... I did....

Just go. Didn't you see Mr. Zhou is here?

Rebook it.

Okay.

Pei,

since the slides aren't ready,

the report

should be at least 50,000 words, right?

Fifty thousand?

The NCEE essay is even shorter than this.

Forget it.

I have another meeting soon.

Hurry up.

Just

give a verbal report.

I'll begin.

First, let's analyze

The Lonely Road.

Honestly, the fact that it went viral

was already ridiculous.

It was just one of many projects

that got rejected

back then.

In terms of production,

it was incredibly rough.

In terms of game mechanics,

it was torture for players.

It only became popular

because players these days have extreme tastes.

Pei, you said you sincerely

(Sky Fire) came to work here.

Is this your sincerity?

I'm telling the truth.

Pei,

talk about the Divine General Pact.

I knew it.

Mr. Pei came to train them.

I actually picked

an outdated card game.

Ma Yang designed it.

He read

some pirated Greek mythology book.

The character

didn't match at all.

He even did weird edits.

The art was by Ruan Guangjian.

He also just rushed it.

I really don't understand

how a game like that had players.

Wrong.

From what I know,

the key to its success

is abandoning

the usual pay-to-win card game model.

You give benefits

and treat all players equally.

If the player purchases a basic ten-yuan membership,

they could draw 100 times a day for free.

They can enjoy drawing SSRs

without spending much.

Mr. Zhou,

did you play it, too?

Pei,

if you keep rambling like this,

how can Mr. Zhou feel your sincerity?

I mean,

how do you want me to show my sincerity?

- I sincerely... - Pei,

I have a meeting.

Well,

think it through before you give your presentation.

Mr. Zhou.

(Sky Fire)

Dongli.

Try mine.

It really packs a punch.

Alright. Thank you.

Dongli, you got a minute?

Can you take a look

at my slides?

Thanks for the opportunity.

This template won't work.

What?

I used this at Fuhui before.

Isn't it universal?

This style

may work there,

but absolutely not at Sky Fire.

Too plain.

Not presentable.

Try this.

Go check the VIP templates.

Find something clean and classy.

Seriously?

I have to pay

just to make slides?

I'm paying to do my job?

Of course.

If you use it every day, of course, you pay.

I'm already VIP Level 8.

You know what?

Your layout

is messy.

Not clean.

The colors are dull.

Not eye-catching.

Dull?

Not eye-catching?

I've left Fuhui for too long.

My skills are rusty.

Mr. Pei.

I knew it! I knew you were Mr. Pei.

Stop pretending.

You've got some plan, right?

My lips are sealed.

I won't tell a soul. Not even Lin Wan.

I'll buy you a meal if there's a chance.

Mr. Pei, you see,

I'm helping you sincerely.

So, when the day comes that you acquire Sky Fire,

could you not fire me?

I'm almost 35.

You're only 35?

Yeah, but I'm exposed to computer radiation every day,

of course, I look older.

My gray hair is genetic.

My dad's the same.

Mr. Zhou,

have some meat.

Pei Qian

is now working on his slides.

He's pretty good at pretending.

When we asked him earlier

to share his experience at Tengda,

he fobbed us off with a bunch of useless fluff.

Whatever he's plotting,

as long as he's at Sky Fire,

he has to hand over whatever you ask for.

Let's see how long he can keep acting.

Mr. Zhou. Mr. Zhao.

You may start.

(Analysis of the Strengths and Weaknesses of Tengda Games)

Based on Sky Fire's work style,

I reorganized

several games previously released by Tengda.

First,

we'll analyze the first game,

The Lonely Road,

from four dimensions.

The reason this game succeeded

is that, firstly,

we need to break down

its core logic.

During the design phase,

we enhanced user cognition

and defined clear target user profiles.

And through promotion and strategic positioning,

we expanded into broader audience circles

to achieve conversion.

The second game,

Divine General Pact.

What was its core gameplay approach?

That's to understand player psychology.

What was the entry point?

To interpret the player's mindset.

And the core competitive edge?

To align with player needs.

By the time we developed Returning to Shore,

we had completely mastered player preferences.

Through self-learning design,

we iterated on Soulslike content, upgraded the gameplay,

opened up multi-dimensional markets,

and systematically

built a three-dimensional IP matrix.

That's how it reached a broader public acceptance,

converting countless players into links

in a socially driven growth network.

Pei.

Do you have any other instructions, Mr. Zhou?

This presentation is an improvement.

But the part about marketing strategy

could be a bit more detailed.

Well, Mr. Zhou.

The slides were limited in length,

so I prepared more detailed

written reports as well.

Good.

Very good.

We have another meeting soon.

Pei, you can get back to your work.

Mr. Zhou, is there anything else you need from me?

You've worked on

many hit games.

The company needs

your rich experience.

And I

trust you very much.

How about this?

Make a proposal

for a new game

and show me.

Okay.

Given his work attitude,

for those who don't know him,

they'd really think

he came here just to earn a salary.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

You chose this road yourself.

Slides are easy.

Just add some made-up business jargon.

It's all meaningless anyway once translated.

My old memories at Fuhui are coming back.

If I want to pass the probation,

I need to write this proposal well.

Even though the games I made at Tengda

all ended up succeeding,

my original goal was always

to lose money.

Guys,

if I want to write a good proposal now,

should I aim to lose money

or make money?

Obviously, make money.

If it's clearly going to lose money, how would Zhou Muyan approve it?

You have to aim for losses.

You made money before precisely because the underlying logic was built

around losing money.

That's how you succeeded by going against the grain.

If you put it that way,

does that mean I succeeded

because I actually had some real talent?

That was just weird luck.

But Tengda got to where it is today

because those employees

really carried out your ideas.

You're always calling them backstabbers.

Maybe you wronged them instead.

Yeah.

Actually,

I share a lot of the blame.

I shouldn't put it all on them.

I wonder what they're doing now.

- Happy! - Happy!

What's wrong?

Look, doesn't that person look like Ms. Xin?

No way.

Look. Isn't that her?

That pink hair.

She does look a little like Ms. Xin,

but with that makeup, she looks more like Cleopatra,

whom I saw at the Egyptian museum.

I'm going to grab a drink with her.

Let's not disturb her.

She probably doesn't want to run into colleagues

on her day off.

Yeah.

She's usually so uptight.

Rare chance for her to relax.

Mr. Pei isn't around.

Isn't it kind of bad

for us to come out and have fun?

Huang, loosen up.

It's after work.

Life is about work and life,

life, life, life, life

balance.

Speaking for Mr. Pei,

we haven't seen him in a long time.

What do you think

he's doing right now?

Probably the same as us.

He's enjoying himself.

Come on.

- Come on. - Come on.

- Cheers! - Cheers!

(Sky Fire Tower)

(The Underdog's Rise Project Proposal)

Hey.

What are you doing?

I didn't tell you to pour tea.

Explain this to me.

Are you designing games

to make the company money?

Here's the situation, Mr. Zhou.

This is Plan A.

It's more aggressive

and unconventional.

I know it'd be hard to execute,

so I made

Plan B.

It's much safer.

It fits our current style

and your company's needs.

I looked at Plan B, too.

It's easy to execute.

But it's too conventional

and not innovative enough.

It's hard to create emotional resonance

with players.

Also, it doesn't feel like your usual style.

Be honest with me.

Do you have concerns?

I don't.

If there's any difference

between the games I made

before and now,

it's that before,

I used reverse thinking in my design,

which might not fit your company's style.

That's why I prepared two plans.

So he does have concerns.

I... I really don't.

If you insist there's something,

then maybe because the games before

weren't made by me alone.

They were the result

of Tengda's whole team.

Mr. Zhou,

please have some tea.

Pei,

how about this?

Try to figure something out.

Our new project needs people anyway.

Why don't you bring

your old teammates over?

You can join forces again

and shine here at Sky Fire.

Well,

they might not be willing to come.

Why not?

Because...

Because they're flowers raised in a greenhouse.

They wouldn't be able to handle this harsh environment.

Guys, let me tell you a joke.

Someone actually called just now,

trying to poach me to Sky Fire.

Sky Fire?

Are they insane?

Bao, did you get the call too?

Me too.

They said they were headhunters.

And that Sky Fire specifically asked for me by name.

What kind of new scam is this?

(What's going on?)

(Unknown Number)

Hello?

Hello,

is this Ms. Lin Wan?

I heard you've been asking around lately

about moving from Tengda to Sky Fire.

Both Tengda and Sky Fire are well-known game companies.

It's normal for them to poach from each other.

Take you, for example,

as far as I'm concerned,

weren't you at Sky Fire before joining Tengda?

Tengha has great benefits.

Still, you can't treat perks like they're your daily bread.

Well, we can.

Our boss runs a private kitchen

just for employees.

We can eat there for free anytime.

Tengda also gives us

free gym memberships, company apartments,

and lots of vacation days.

How could Sky Fire possibly offer benefits

and paid leave that good?

Ms. Lin,

those perks

are minor things.

What really matters in a job is value for your effort.

You need your own career planning.

You're still young.

You can't just coast at Tengda.

Think about it.

You just joined.

How many years would it take

before you become a lead planner?

Mr. Wu,

you don't look that old either.

How long will it take you to get promoted

from headhunter to manager?

At Tengda,

we have a lot of creative freedom.

As long as you have good ideas,

the boss will support you.

Ms. Lin,

I'll be straightforward.

Sky Fire promises

that if you're willing to come back,

they'll offer you double

your current salary.

Do they even know

how much I make at Tengda?

Of course.

We have years of experience in the gaming industry.

We have a good idea of the average salary in the field.

Yes,

your pay is high.

What if Sky Fire offers double?

That figure

is way below the industry average.

That's the monthly salary.

Monthly?

Ms. Lin,

I've been a headhunter for many years.

I've never seen anything like this.

Never.

This makes zero sense.

Our boss

really is different from everyone else.

Ms. Lin,

may I ask,

does Tengda still have openings?

I made it clear to the headhunter.

No matter how much people make at Tengda,

we'll double it.

But not a single person accepted.

It must be Pei Qian.

He has to be pulling strings behind the scenes.

Otherwise, how could this happen?

What did Pei Qian say?

I confronted him directly.

He was

completely speechless and ashamed.

He can't even produce a single solid game proposal.

And none of his people are coming.

He's clearly determined to oppose us.

There's no way he'll reveal his true intentions.

It won't be easy for us to figure him out either.

Anyway, we've obtained

Tengda's previous game marketing plans.

It's a little of a pity,

but keeping him around might cause even more trouble.

We must think of a way

to send him away.

His probation period is almost over.

I'll make sure

to send him off properly.

(Sky Fire)

Pei.

Mr. Zhao.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Have you eaten?

Not yet.

What time is it now?

8 AM.

You're late.

You're late.

Late. Late. Late.

What time is it now?

8:01 AM.

Company rules say no being late.

One minute late means half a day's pay is deducted.

Zhao Xuming?

Mr. Zhao, this is your full name?

What about you?

Pei Qian.

I'm asking,

where is your badge?

All employees must wear their badges at work.

Forget it once means half a day's pay deducted.

So I came to work for nothing today?

(Men's restroom)

Thank you.

All employees may not use the restroom

for more than ten minutes.

Every extra minute means half a day's pay deducted.

Half a day?

(Zhou Muyan)

Pei,

Xuming has told me about

some of your recent behavior.

HR has also given

a lot of feedback.

I know you've got personality.

If you want to keep your current attitude,

that's fine.

However,

you need to understand this.

You choose your own path,

and you bear the consequences.

Excuse me.

All employees must reply within ten minutes

of receiving a message from their superiors.

Each delay means half a day's pay deducted.

No playing with phones during work hours.

Caught on camera once

means half a day's pay deducted.

All employees must submit a daily work report

before 10 PM.

Missing it once means half a day's pay deducted.

No talking about non-work topics during office hours.

Caught once means half a day's pay deducted.

Employees must strictly follow

the company dress code daily.

Violating once means half a day's pay deducted.

No signing during work hours.

Do not spread negative emotions.

(Profits: Private Kitchen, Sloth Gym, Shared Phone Booth, Returning to Shore)

(Four Wall Apartments) (Loss: Zhongdian Web Fiction)

(Tengda Total Assets)

(Work Log) Heavens!

I can't earn money as fast as they deduct my pay.

I'm basically paying to come to work.

They won't let me use my phone,

and they don't assign me work.

I can't even write a work report.

Everyone to the meeting room now.

Project meeting for Eternal Reincarnation.

New project!

This task is urgent.

Making a game on such a short timeline

is completely unrealistic.

Tell me about it.

You can't go yet.

How can I help?

Go buy coffee.

Half lattes,

half Americanos.

One Americano hot,

the rest iced.

Three with less ice,

the rest normal.

Two iced lattes,

the rest hot.

One iced latte at 30% sugar,

one extra shot.

For the hot ones, one with oat milk,

the rest regular milk.

Two at 30% sugar, one at 50%,

the rest standard sweetness.

Got it?

Mr. Zhao,

can you repeat that again?

No.

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

In most novels,

should it be Mr. Pei's wife who runs away?

Why is it the male lead this time?

He's been gone for so long.

(Tengda Games Zhongdian Web Fiction)

Lin Wan, you came today.

Mr. Pei still hasn't come in today?

Yintang,

are you upset, too?

Missing Mr. Pei?

(Mr. Pei...)

(Moments)

(Wei Dongli: Haven't looked up) Why is he making another post like that

(at the moon in a long time.) to show how overworked he is?

Zhou Muyan never even checks them.

Mr. Pei?

(Tengda Games)

(Sky Fire Tower)

Mr. Pei!

Heavens!

You're really here.

Stop calling heaven.

Just tell me

why you are here.

Bao Xu!

Mr. Pei,

don't run!

I've found you.

You have to explain

why you're here.

Mr. Pei.

Pei Qian!

Goodness.

Jackie Chan.

When I saw that post on Moments,

I couldn't believe it.

Why on earth did you come to Sky Fire?

What are you doing here?

Well...

You see,

it's a long story.

(Coffee on tap is my lifelong dream) Why are you carrying all that?

We just started a new project.

Everyone's been working overtime every day, so I bought them

some coffee and snacks.

You're buying these

for Sky Fire employees?

You know what?

I'd heard Sky Fire was intense before,

but now I've seen it for myself.

Compared to Fuhui,

this is on another level.

Yeah. Typical Sky Fire.

They're not just unethical with their games,

and they treat their employees terribly, too.

I never got off work

before midnight.

Exactly.

At two or three in the morning,

we still have to reply to messages from our superiors.

You know what? They force us to clock in at eight in the morning.

It's all overtime

with no overtime pay.

That so-called compensatory time-off is a total scam.

You can't get leave approved.

Let me tell you.

Just this badge alone,

I've forgotten to bring it three times.

Every single time,

they dock half a day's pay.

I've been staying up so late these past few days,

my brain's all foggy. I can't remember anything.

I've got an idea.

Go to HR and get a few extra badges.

They're fifty each.

Keep one with every set of clothes.

That way, no matter what you wear to work,

you won't forget.

You really are a veteran.

Look,

there are still so many people working at this late hour.

I should go.

I need to get this coffee to them.

Alright, go ahead.

Wait a second.

Mr. Pei never told me

why he's at Sky Fire.

Mr. Pei!

Mr. Pei!

♪We're dancing on a broken beat♪

♪Exhaustion written all over us♪

♪Watching as the colors fade away♪

♪Your silence♪

♪It's a fortress and I'm running out of ways to get to your heart♪

♪It's harder to see you when I get too close♪

♪The buzzing in the air♪

♪The static's getting louder♪

♪Shadows dancing♪

♪Say you've had enough♪

♪I say I've had enough♪

♪I struggle on, holding back the clouds♪

♪With the city inside♪

♪Say you're holding on♪

♪I say I'm holding on♪

♪Can you see the weight behind this pain, this smile I'm wearing♪

♪I'll never let it show♪

♪Curating the highlights in my story♪

♪Filter out shaky frames from my glory♪

♪All this noise and mess♪

♪Needs some stillness♪

♪Say you're holding on♪

♪I say I'm holding on♪

♪If you need to say goodbye, just let it out, baby♪

♪I'll get by♪

♪Say you've had enough♪

♪I say I've had enough♪

♪If you're bearing the ache of every single breath you take♪

♪And I'm watching him escape♪

♪I'm falling through the space into the silence you make♪

♪Just a flicker in the dark and saying out your name♪

♪All this noise and mess♪

♪Needs some stillness♪

♪Say you're holding on♪

♪I say I'm holding on♪

♪Darling♪

♪I'll gently feel your face♪

♪I'll reach you before dawn♪

♪I want you to keep believing♪

♪Darling♪

♪Let's take it slow and play our parts♪

♪And fool our hearts♪

♪In this static, this buzzing air♪WEBVTT

♪In this static, this buzzing air♪