Original subtitles

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

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

=Episode 2= (This story is purely fictional)

Be careful.

Dad, Mom, I told you.

We're moving into Jinchuan's Mingri Apartments.

It's fully furnished.

Just bring your bags over.

Get rid of this old furniture.

Many of them are still usable.

We need to be prudent

when it comes to spending.

Exactly.

Son.

How did you earn so much money?

Yeah.

That's simple.

I did a random project,

and it turned out to be so profitable.

Slowly.

Ma Yang!

Sorry,

but Tengda is gone for good.

I'll pay your severance, 10 times more than your salary.

Sames goes for Bao Xu.

Look how generous he is.

So generous.

Money transferred.

He's amazing!

(Manager Mei)

Hello?

Hello, Mr. Pei.

You came to view Mingri Apartments a while ago.

What do you think?

Want to pay the deposit now

to lock in your dream home?

I'll do that soon.

Okay, take care, Sir.

Who in the world

made this hellish game?

Ma Yang, what are you playing?

The Lonely Road.

(It's Raining Money) The Lonely Road?

You're playing that too?

I've been playing the whole night,

and I haven't even beaten Level Two.

You're just torturing yourself.

Me?

It's all Mr. Qiao's fault.

Everyone's torturing themselves now.

Last night, he uploaded a video.

See?

Look at his video.

He's thrashing this game, and now he's viral.

(Mr. Qiao) (In this driving simulation game,)

(not only can you drive,)

(but you can only drive.)

(The graphics are all stock photos.)

(All the bends are copied and pasted.)

(All the scenery is just, well, scenery.)

(I've been playing the entire night)

(and finally cleared the game.)

(At the end, the game showed a message)

(to mock me.)

(Guess what it is?)

(Thrashing Bad Games, Ep. 63) ("Congratulations.)

(I spent 8 hours on a bad game, and...) (You have wasted)

(eight precious hours of your life.")

(After playing this game, I realized)

(how precious time is.)

(Gaming is such a waste of time.)

(I heard Mr. Qiao has gone nuts) (If I had to rate the game's boredom,)

(Downloading it now)

(Where can I download it?) (it's a 10 out of 10!)

(Check out Mr. Qiao's video) (This game is a solid 100!)

520,000 likes.

This is crazy.

I need to know

which immoral company

developed this game.

It's preposterous!

Teng...

Qian, you made this game?

(The Lonely Road by Tengda) It's gone viral now.

Of course, I know how to slack off.

I've got so many rejected projects.

(Rejected Projects) I'll just choose one of them.

(Pick-up-and-play Games)

(Casual Games)

The worst game in history.

No.

Gamers tend to be

more rebellious now.

No one would play this, would they?

"This is

(Game Introduction) the best game ever."

Gamers nowadays

are easily attracted by false advertising.

No...

(Game Introduction) "Driving on a road."

Great.

It's the perfect beginning

to failure.

(Game: The Lonely Road Introduction: Driving on a road)

(The Lonely Road)

(Game Popularity Ranking Chart)

(Enter Livestream)

(What is this game even about?) This is Tengda's first game.

I don't get it.

Is this even a game?

Does that mean anyone can just paste some stock photos to make a game?

The graphics suck.

(Lonely? The comment section is crowded) Tengda is a horrible developer.

What is this stupid game?

They're a bad egg in the market.

(Gotta choose one road) Level Two is really hard.

I've been playing for hours but haven't gotten past yet.

Has anyone cleared it yet?

(Recommend a game, and I'll play) I've finally cleared this!

These levels only get harder.

But I'm getting rebellious,

and I'm going to beat every level.

(Another lonely day)

Honestly,

in the end,

I'm beginning to contemplate life.

(The Lonely Road)

(Profit: The Lonely Road)

(Total Assets)

The numbers must be wrong.

This game cost nothing to develop,

and it's raking in so much money?

This doesn't make sense.

To other developers,

this is a perfect start

worth bragging about for a lifetime.

What perfect start?

This is going to kill me.

Can we remove

this game right away?

I'll start over and do another one.

The contract clearly states in Paragraph One.

"Profitable games may not be removed for no reason."

That means

we can't remove published games

or close down stores in operation.

How is this no reason?

I'm telling you,

this game is a hazard

to the gamers' mental health.

Look what's happening to them!

He's gained a lot of fans

thanks to this video.

I'd say he's healthier than ever.

By the way,

Mr. Sima wants me to tell you

that he's looking forward to seeing

you invest our current profits

into the next production

and bring us more surprises in the future.

No.

Why is Mr. Sima doing this?

No comments.

Mr. Pei, you should think about how you can

turn our profits into losses next time.

Ms. Xin.

Ms...

Bao Xu and Ma Yang

worked at the core of this project.

I want to pay them a bonus.

Didn't you develop this by yourself?

Of course not.

They worked on it, all by themselves.

Very well, then.

Give me a reasonable number.

I have another request.

I want to hire

more people to develop new projects.

Agreed.

If you need anything else, tell me.

Make sure we pay our new recruits the best salary ever!

Why do I feel like...

It's raining money now?

Yintang.

Yintang.

You're a lucky cat.

Wu Xi.

(Tengda Game) Your job as a receptionist is simple.

Just greet our visitors

and record their details.

I'm Wu Sheng.

I'm Wu Xi.

- Hello, how may I help you? - Hello, how may I help you?

Ms. Xin, these are the new receptionists.

They're working as receptionists?

Both of them worked as salesgirls in an apparel shop?

Mr. Pei,

you're planning to pay them

10,000 yuan a month,

along with a four-month bonus

as well as comprehensive accident and medical insurance?

Any problem with that?

You're hiring salesgirls as receptionists?

You see.

Working in sales involves a lot of communication,

so they would make good receptionists.

What about

the comprehensive accident and medical insurance?

Well,

the receptionist's table is badly designed.

It's easy to hit your toes on the edges.

They're working in a dangerous environment,

so we need to insure them.

Besides,

in Tengda, we believe in

human equality.

Since our programmers are insured too,

why not them?

Judging from the company's size,

you only need one receptionist.

No.

As you can see,

they've been together since they were conceived.

Two hearts beating as one.

A double blessing, isn't it?

Very symmetrical.

- Welcome to Tengda Game. - Welcome to Tengda Game.

- May I help you? - May I help you?

♪Get up, get down♪

♪Get your feet off the ground♪

♪Get up, get down♪

There are so many people.

I'm here for the interview.

Covering our transportation costs?

Excuse me.

Queue up!

I'm working here.

- Excuse me. - Excuse me.

I'm working here.

We're working here.

Excuse me.

We're working here.

Good luck.

They're offering such amazing benefits,

hence the stream of interviewees.

Mr. Pei said

he welcomes even primary school leavers, and no age limits.

Look.

They're obviously here to earn a pension.

That old guy.

Sorry for making you wait.

He's even holding a teacup.

We've called a taxi for you.

Sorry for the wait.

We don't mind.

Just give us a chance.

Sorry, we can't hire you.

We don't have

an HR department,

so Ms. Xin has to handle all of this.

If she didn't stop them,

those two old guys

might have been our future colleagues.

No way.

I think Mr. Pei is offering the best salary

to hire ruffians from all over the country.

Impossible.

We're not ruffians.

We're hidden talents.

Wait for me, hidden talent.

Good morning.

It's really

my honor to

have the opportunity for interview.

Niu?

Huang?

Niu.

Niu, what are you doing here?

Huang.

You see,

even though you've been optimized,

but this...

You've picked up some good habits from our company.

Keep it up.

(Toilet)

Niu!

Niu!

Niu.

Are you here for a business meeting?

Well,

Tengda invited me over

for a discussion...

Is Mr. Niu Yuanfeng here?

Mr. Niu Yuanfeng?

I'm here.

Sorry, Mr. Niu.

You didn't pass the interview screening,

but we will cover your costs,

including transportation and apparel,

provided that it's

a reasonable number.

Thank you.

Niu.

You've been optimized too?

No, Huang, I'm different.

I...

I quit my job.

Is Mr. Huang Sibo here?

Yes.

It's your turn to be interviewed.

Okay.

Niu, it's okay.

You used to tell me

the failure is the mother of success.

Let's work hard.

Niu, I need to go now.

Wait.

So,

that person earlier was my former boss.

He has an impressive resume, but you rejected him?

What kind of person is your company looking to hire?

Tengda only hires talents that Mr. Pei admires.

Follow me.

Huang Sibo from Wanli Academy.

Yes, I'm Huang Sibo!

I will work hard!

If Tengda gives me the chance to shine,

I will give my all to Tengda!

I won't disappoint you!

Calm down.

Sit down.

I've read your resume.

In your previous company,

you've been in the same position for six years.

No promotion.

Was there a lack of opportunity for career advancement?

Is that why you quit?

No, I was optimized.

Mr. Lv, your resume states

that you have relevant experience in the Nobel Literature Prize?

Yes, I am a Nobel Literature Prize book reader.

"Senior purchasing experience in billion-dollar projects"?

I bought lottery tickets.

"A million-follower influencer"?

0.0001 million followers.

By the way,

your hiring notice says

you promise no overtime?

Weekends are always off,

and absolutely no working on holidays, right?

That's a lot of promises.

Can you really do that?

I guarantee we'll do all that.

I'll consider coming, then.

Hello, I'm Li Yada.

I'm a programmer.

You have a cat in the office?

Is your cat feed okay?

What?

What's the protein content?

And fat content?

And fiber, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, taurine...

Do they meet the requirements?

Well...

What about tinned cat food?

According to AAFCO's standards,

protein should make up at least 10% of a cat's diet.

Does your food meet the requirements?

Ms. Li,

are we interviewing you now,

or are you interviewing the cat?

Both can do.

You're telling me you got fired?

Sorry,

I know I can't say that in an interview.

I'm too nervous.

Let's do this again.

Wait!

Huang Sibo from Wanli Academy.

Since you're an honest man,

you

are hired.

So, you care about having days off, right?

You're hired.

(Li Yada.)

You're hired.

Kitty!

Hao Qiong.

Your resume says

you've been interviewed by 10 companies,

but none of them hired you?

Why?

I don't know.

This doesn't make sense.

Your resume looks okay, and so are your qualifications.

What could the reason be?

I've never thought about it.

What did you call her?

Hao Qiong. It's written here.

Her name is Hao Qiong (so poor), but she wants to work in finance.

This is so unfair.

You

are hired.

Mr. Pei, aren't you being too impulsive?

How so?

Look at their resumes.

"Intern at a language academy".

That means he used to be a Mandarin teacher.

Look, Huang Sibo never got promoted in six years.

What does this show?

Sorry about that.

Don't be sorry.

This shows that you

can accept mediocrity while staying true to yourself.

You're a perfect fit for this position.

What position are you interested in?

Product Manager?

Name your salary.

8,000.

8,000?

6,000 works, too.

6,000, seriously?

You see, renting a room in Jinchuan

costs around 5,000 yuan a month, right?

If you take a taxi to work every day,

that'd be at least 1,500 yuan a month.

Your daily expenses, let's say it's 3,000 yuan.

That still doesn't include

work gatherings,

team building costs and all.

That alone would've been 5,000 yuan.

Besides, as an employee,

you need to have savings.

I'm offering you 35,000.

What?

Too little?

Mr. Pei.

You're testing our limits.

How?

You see, he has six years of work experience.

I'm paying him 35,000 a month.

It's a great deal.

Sorry to interrupt.

This might sound rude,

but is this a legal company?

Are you going to make me pay before I can work here?

We are a legal company,

and you don't have to pay us anything.

I'm telling you,

there's no probation period here.

Once you sign the contract, you're a permanent employee.

By the way, we will also cover

your taxi fare today.

I took the metro.

See?

For a 40-year-old man,

he's a...

28.

It's on my resume.

(Huang Sibo, 28 years old)

My previous job was pretty taxing.

Well,

young man.

Such innocence

and quality.

We need to reward him.

So,

let's pay for

his apparel today.

That's settled.

(You have just received 5,000 yuan in your bank account.)

No wonder they insisted on giving me a base salary.

The contract was so long. It was literally 1GB.

There's no way I can find a loophole.

Qian.

(Pillar of the Company)

These people you hired

are literally leftovers from other companies.

Like the product manager, Huang Sibo.

It's obvious he got fired from his previous job.

Then there's Lv Mingliang,

the programmer.

He's more of an abstractist.

He claims to have graduated

from both Tsinghua and Peking University.

He's worked 28 jobs in a year,

none lasting over a week.

One of his jobs was "supermarket food tester".

He's just eating food samples at the supermarket.

That's all.

Who are these people?

Do you still remember your resume?

I don't have a resume.

Take a good look at them.

Actually, all of them

are hidden talents shelved away by their previous companies.

Like him.

Lv Mingliang.

Lv.

He managed to come up

with an impressive resume,

but he never lasted long in any of his jobs.

You know why?

Because he lacks determination.

Nonsense.

Don't blame the youngsters.

Ma.

As a business, what's the most important thing?

Making money.

As a business, the most important thing

is to guide the lost youths.

Explore their interests.

Make their talents shine.

So that's how you understand it.

Look at him.

Huang Sibo.

Do you know why he never got promoted

after so many years?

Why?

Because of jealousy.

Jealousy?

That's why

we need to create

a fair, transparent environment for competition

so that these unfulfilled youths

can shine brightly in our company!

Finally, let's look at Hao Qiong from Finance.

She couldn't find a job.

Is it because she lacks qualifications?

Of course not.

It's because other companies

think her name is unlucky.

This is workplace bullying, isn't it?

This is outrageous!

Will we be like them?

Of course not!

What should we do, then?

Hire her!

Qian.

You're a visionary.

I can learn so much from you.

Actually, I've learned a lot from you too.

Learn, my foot! You idiots talk too much!

Pipe down!

Sorry.

Next up,

you need to help the new recruits

adapt.

Of course.

Okay.

Huang Sibo.

Lv Mingliang.

Hao Qiong.

A golden team.

(Tengda CAM)

(Tengda Game)

(Tengda Game)

Hello.

Huang Sibo,

product manager.

Lv Mingliang, programmer.

I reckon we'll be contacting each other often,

but keep it minimal.

Better yet, none.

That would mean we have less work.

We'll still be colleagues.

Colleagues?

How much is your salary?

I think that's confidential.

How so?

Mr. Pei mentioned

that Tengda's payroll is transparent.

If anyone feels unhappy

because they earn less than their colleagues,

they can ask for a raise.

Really?

That's Ma Yang, the Vice CEO.

Instead of having his own office,

he's sitting with us.

(One with the People)

He only earns 10,000 a month.

That girl.

Hao Qiong from Finance.

What's her name again?

Hao Qiong.

She's never entered college,

and she's earning 18,000 a month.

Those two from Design.

One can't tell red and green apart, and the other, blue and yellow.

Hey, your shirt looks cool.

Where did you buy it?

I love your blue shirt.

Wait, pal.

This shirt is green.

What's wrong with you?

Green?

They're earning this much.

What?

That's Yun from HR.

She was a housewife

who hadn't worked for the past 20 years.

That girl is Li Yada.

Another programmer.

Why is the company

hiring these people?

My guess is,

Mr. Pei is most likely

a rich kid who's never worked a day in his life.

Tengda's probably going bankrupt soon.

No.

It wasn't easy for me to get this job.

Then, make use of the company's resources

while you're still here.

What are you doing?

What are you thinking?

Mr. Pei is here!

Why has everyone gone quiet?

Don't mute yourselves

just because I'm here.

In Tengda, we encourage small talk

and ban leaders from big talk.

You are allowed to gossip

during meetings.

Actually, I didn't want

to waste everyone's time with this meeting,

but our values in Tengda

are very different from other companies,

so I wanted to explain first.

First.

Employees must use the company's

gym and entertainment facilities

for at least four hours a week

to maintain physical and mental health.

- Gym at work! - Gym at work!

Second.

The first day you return to work after a weekend or holiday,

you may decide what time to come to work.

No more return-to-work blues.

1:30 pm is still too early?

Third.

The most important rule.

Working overtime is strictly prohibited.

As for holidays,

we implement a consecutive holiday system.

If a public holiday falls on a weekend, it will be replaced on weekdays.

Work days are not replaced.

Lv.

We have nine days off thanks to National Day.

I still can't get used to this.

I still have unfinished work,

so I'm secretly working overtime in the office.

You can continue after the holidays.

Huang Sibo, you're back.

Working outside of working hours is strictly prohibited.

Do not work after work hours.

Do not talk to your colleagues about work

outside of working hours.

Other rules

are listed down in the Employee Handbook

and sent to your email.

Today is Friday,

so I won't be assigning any work.

You may read the Employee Handbook,

or have a change of pace at the Entertainment Room

to get some inspiration for projects.

Dismissed.

That's it?

That's all?

The Employee Handbook says

Tengda employees

can make full use of the company's resources.

If we feel tired,

we can talk to our department head.

The company will immediately

hire new recruits to lighten our workload.

Does this company exist for real?

Tengda must be in deep trouble.

Why think so much?

It's an easy job, anyway.

Just cruising through the day.

We can talk about the future later.

I need to start submitting resumes again.

Mr. Pei, I'm going home.

Look at Lv.

He's a role model.

It's time to get off work.

Why are you still here?

Not only do you need to get off work with gusto,

but you also need to learn that work-life balance

and sufficient rest

are crucial to work efficiency.

Bao Xu.

Why are you playing

such an old game?

Old games are soulful.

I play this, too.

Bao.

Your game ID is...

B... B517?

You're the No. 1 player of Strongest of Kings?

Bao Xu

is our official game tester.

He's here for real.

He's a god-tier player

in every MMORPG out there.

He's cleared

every single PC game ever made.

If there's a game you need help with,

look for him.

Really?

Bao, look at this.

(Game Over)

Mr. Pei, I haven't gotten past this level yet.

Don't worry, though.

I'll work overtime to clear this level.

I know you talked about it in the meeting,

but I know very well that I'll do a good job.

I won't disappoint you!

Sibo.

Your previous company's bad overtime culture

must have rubbed off on you.

Remember this.

Overtime is strictly prohibited here.

Everyone!

Get off work!

That's it? Work's over?

I didn't do anything today.

You're too competitive.

You must have worked in Fuhui.

That's right.

I knew it, you reek of that place.

They love training work machines.

How do I keep my job, then?

You know, I was jobless for a year after graduation.

When I finally landed a job, they set up this optimization criterion.

I got to stay because I agreed to work overtime

with no pay raises, but they still fired me.

I can't lose my job again.

Bao.

Are you working overtime?

No, I'm playing games.

The Internet connection here is great.

(Shenhua International)

(Achilles and Pandora, together with Heracles, Athena...)

Ma Yang?

What the heck? You scared me.

Ma Yang, I have a question.

Why was "The Lonely Road"

such a huge success?

The Lonely Road?

Because gamers are rebellious.

They enjoy torturing themselves.

If we follow this train of thought,

what should we do next?

Make more sequels.

The Lonely Route.

The Lonely Highway.

Wrong. If we follow this train of thought,

we should make a card game next.

Card games...

What dumb idea is that?

Bao said that card games are outdated.

As you just said,

gamers are rebellious nowadays.

So, we're going to make a game

with no in-app purchases.

10 yuan for a lifetime pass.

Everyone gets 100 free card draws every day.

Well?

I'm even more confused.

Why charge 10 yuan?

You might as well make it free.

Who the heck would make a card game like that?

You think I didn't want that?

Ms. Xin refused my idea.

Ma Yang.

Are you questioning my decision?

Of course not.

It was you who made "The Lonely Road".

That's why I will support

your decision.

Ma Yang.

I want you to spearhead the development team for this project.

Me?

Me?

Mr. Pei.

I know

that many people are doubting

my ability to be the Vice CEO.

They say I probably saved you from an atomic bomb.

Don't worry, though.

After this battle,

I will make other people see

what you saw in me.

Good!

Mr. Pei.

What kind of game concept do you have in mind?

(Stories of Ancient Grease) Ancient... Grease.

A typo on the cover? It must be a pirated copy.

Mythology.

Mythology?

Great minds think alike.

Mr. Pei. I told you I was going to read a book, right?

Yes.

I couldn't read any.

But I downloaded a book

about Greek mythology.

A web novel?

Yes.

There's a lot of material inside

we can use in the game.

Look.

There's this guy called Achilles.

Achilles?

I'm telling you.

This Achilles guy

has a box.

The gods told him not to open it.

Never open it.

But he did.

And then the world turned chaotic.

Ma Yang, do you know about Pandora?

Pandora?

She appeared later in the story.

She's a heroine

clad in golden armor.

But she has a fatal weakness.

What is it?

Her heel.

Just pull her ankle,

and she's dead.

Ma Yang.

Did you write this book?

I can't write books.

I'm saying we can use these Ancient Greek characters

as heroes in our game.

We can turn Pandora

into a dragon-slaying lolita.

She can carry a 40-meter blade.

Have scars on her face.

As for Achilles,

we can turn him into a mechanical puppet.

His weapon would be a box.

There's also this character in the story, the god of sun.

His name is...

His name is

Apineapple.

We can turn him

into a retro pixel character.

What do you think?

These ideas are golden, right?

Ma Yang, I knew I found the right person.

You're a genius!

What a bizarre game.

Let's name it

Divine General Pact!

♪I'mma dial my connects♪

♪Yeah I'mma send it in a text♪

♪We about to get social♪

♪Focus♪

♪Don't wanna miss♪

♪'Cause the kids are in town♪

♪I've got a vibe♪

♪Book a flight♪

♪Pull up the landing gear♪

♪Feelin' good♪

♪Feelin' light♪

♪It's in the atmosphere♪

♪It's what we make it♪

♪No matter how we shake it♪

♪'Cause when we all participate♪

♪The party always celebrate♪

♪Good days♪

♪Good times♪

♪Let them roll♪

♪Sun's up♪

♪Alright alright♪

♪It's time to make off♪

♪What will we do♪

♪What can we think of♪

♪'Cause you know♪

♪We have fun♪

♪Surf's up♪

♪Do what it do♪

♪Better keep up♪

♪Know how to move♪

♪Gotta school ya♪

♪'Cause we gotta have♪

♪Fun♪

♪Listen♪

♪I need a getaway♪

♪I need an intermission♪

♪Like a tidal wave♪

♪Become an expedition♪

♪Hey what do people say♪

♪I'll take a holiday♪

♪Hey baby what's the play♪

♪I'm tryin' to slide♪

♪Put the pedal to the metal♪

♪Step it up another level♪

♪Gonna clock out♪

♪And lock in♪

♪With all my close friends♪

♪Let loose♪

♪Let it fly♪

♪Jumpin' in♪

♪Take a dive♪

♪Give me ten♪

♪What will we do♪

♪What can we think of♪

♪'Cause you know♪

♪We have fun♪

♪Surf's up♪

♪Do what it do♪

♪Better keep up♪

♪Know how to move♪

♪Gotta school ya♪

♪'Cause we gotta have♪

♪Fun♪

♪Listen♪

♪I need a getaway♪

♪I need an intermission♪

♪Like a tidal wave♪

♪Become an expedition♪

♪Hey what do people say♪

♪I'll take a holiday♪

♪Hey baby what's the play♪

♪I'm tryin' to slide♪

♪Put the pedal to the metal♪

♪Step it up another level♪

♪Gonna clock out♪

♪And lock in♪

♪With all my close friends♪

♪Let loose♪

♪Let it fly♪

♪Jumpin' in♪

♪Take a dive♪

♪Give me ten♪

♪With a friend♪

♪Buckle up♪

♪Ride again♪

♪Good times♪

♪Let them roll♪

♪Sun's up♪

♪Alright alright♪

♪It's time to make off♪

♪What will we do♪

♪What can we think of♪

♪'Cause you know♪

♪We have fun♪

♪Surf's up♪

♪Do what it do♪

♪Better keep up♪

♪Know how to move♪

♪Gotta school ya♪

♪'Cause we gotta have♪

♪Fun♪WEBVTT

♪Fun♪