My game, you have no right to award

Chapter 186 Beating
Hong Nianlong suddenly stood up, startling Yang Ji who was standing next to him.

"Brother Kuang, don't worry. Although our Red Dragon Studio has only been established for a short time, we are all veterans in the game industry!"

Hong Nianlong suddenly blurted out an English word without thinking, then quickly activated the Chinese system in his brain, almost choking himself on the spot.

It's fortunate that I remembered, otherwise the situation would have been somewhat awkward.

Hong Nianlong cleared his throat and said with a serious expression.

"We've been working on refining the project's planning documents, script, engine architecture, and so on these past few days."

He turned to his employees, gestured slightly in the air, indicating that it was all thanks to everyone.

"Everyone is working hard and wants to create a good piece of work."

"Brother Kuang's words today came at just the right time; they've given us all a real shot in the arm!"

Zhou Kuang smiled with satisfaction upon hearing this.

Who says people who come back from abroad don't understand social etiquette? I think Hong Nianlong understands it very well!

Very impressive progress!

No wonder he is.

In fact, anyone who has spent a few years abroad or had some contact with foreigners knows that they are the most socially savvy!

Some people didn't have access to it, more likely because they weren't qualified to have it.

Many foreign universities have their own alumni associations, and the schools encourage students to develop personal relationships as soon as possible so that they can help each other when they enter the workforce.

When applying for a job, if you have an alumnus working at the company who can help with a referral, the application process becomes significantly easier.

When you enter the workforce, you not only need to talk about alumni, but also about which state you're from and which year you joined the company.

From the perspective of the so-called exchange of benefits, this is a very rational approach.

It involves using various criteria to select the most reliable allies.

And such people are usually the most willing to lend you a hand.

Of course, it's not that I don't seek any reward, it's just that I don't expect any immediate reward.

It's about investing in your future.

"Good good!"

Zhou Kuang stood up, patted Hong Nianlong on the shoulder, and asked him to sit down and talk.

After the two of them sat down, Zhou Kuang slowly spoke.

"I was afraid you'd be anxious."

"But you need to know that the company values ​​you highly!"

I value you all!

Zhou Kuang pointed to himself.

We value you!

"That's why we recruited you elite soldiers and invested so much in this project."

"Take your time to polish the game's quality and don't rush to achieve results."

"That would be worse."

Hong Nianlong nodded in agreement.

Zhou Kuang naturally hoped that Hong Nianlong could unite the team and complete "Left 4 Dead" as soon as possible.

But you can't rush things.

Having no financial pressure, my expectation for Red Dragon Studio is simply to proceed step by step.

After Zhou Kuang finished speaking, he turned to look at the people at the table.

Hong Nianlong clearly agreed with him, while the remaining senior employees had different expressions.

Some fell into deep thought, while others seemed rather uncomfortable.

Some people's eyes lit up, eager for the project to start as soon as possible.

Some people, on the other hand, remained completely calm, showing no signs of emotional fluctuation.

There was a three-second silence on the table.

Seeing that no one spoke, Zhou Kuang simply stood up.

"You guys eat, have a good meal and drink well today, then go home and get some rest."

"Keep up the good work."

"Alright, Brother Kuang!"

"Ok."

Several employees of Red Dragon Studio gave varying reactions.

Zhou Kuang stood up and walked back, and Hong Nianlong immediately followed, his expression hesitant, his eyes darting around Yang Ji.

Zhou Kuang could tell that the other party had something to say.

So Zhou Kuang told Yang Ji to go back first, and then took Hong Nianlong to a quieter corridor.

"what happened?"

Zhou Kuang was slightly puzzled. What was it that couldn't be said at the table, and couldn't be said in front of Yang Ji?

Although I made up an excuse to send Yang Ji away, the other party complied and went back to eat cleanly and efficiently.

But Yang Ji wasn't stupid; he could clearly see the situation.

This is disadvantageous for Hong Nianlong.

If the other party isn't in a hurry, they should wait until they get back to the company to talk about it. Why bring it up here?

Hong Nianlong subconsciously rubbed his hands together, looking somewhat hesitant.

It took him several seconds to say it.

"Brother Kuang, you previously mentioned that the Red Dragon Studio would have a staff of fifty."

"Correct."

Zhou Kuang nodded; it was indeed what he had said.

Fifty people is more than enough for a project of the scale of Left 4 Dead.

Moreover, Hong Nianlong hired experienced veterans, and the studio's average salary is definitely the highest in the entire game industry.

Neither Megvii Games nor Lightswallow Studio can compare to them.

This is mainly because Hong Nianlong brought in several big names he had worked with before into his studio.

Zhou Kuang knew about this and nodded in agreement.

Although it has a hint of nepotism, these individuals do indeed possess elite-level resumes.

Zhou Kuang believes that this decision was not heavily influenced by personal feelings.

Hong Nianlong paused for a moment, looked up at Zhou Kuang, and said earnestly.

"I was thinking, could we allocate more funding to the Left 4 Dead project?"

"You want to hire more people."

Zhou Kuang spoke in a declarative sentence.

In his view, that was clearly what the other party meant.

"Correct."

Upon hearing the affirmative reply, Zhou Kuang frowned.

I made it very clear to him beforehand that the first game I chose was not the open-world Left 4 Dead, in order to control the scale of the project and reduce project expenses.

This also reduces the company's risk.

However, the meaning that Hong Nianlong is revealing now is that he has greater ambitions and wants to test Zhou Kuang's attitude.

This made him a little unhappy.

Zhou Kuang disliked being tested by others, especially when it came to things he had already decided on.

This is not the first time he has emphasized the importance of controlling risks.

Moreover, he was very honest when he spoke, and he explained the necessity of doing so.

Most importantly, Zhou Kuang never denied the potential opportunity for the other party to develop larger-scale projects later.

Even if you think your boss is just making empty promises, you still don't have any control over the situation.

We have no choice but to believe.

It's not that Zhou Kuang didn't allow Hong Nianlong to work on big projects, but rather that he genuinely lacked experience.

If it were Feng Qi, he would definitely let him take on the 3A project without hesitation.

However, Hong Nianlong was only in charge of the combat system before, which is different from overseeing the overall situation.

People have self-knowledge.

Zhou Kuang believed it was time to give the other party a warning.

If Hong Nianlong thinks he is just a pushover, then he has misjudged him.

My previous indulgence stemmed from my belief in his potential and my recognition of his talent.

And what he asked for was something he was already going to do anyway.

But that doesn't mean I can't live without him!

Zhou Kuang subconsciously crossed his arms over his chest, and Hong Nianlong's heart skipped a beat when he saw this.

It's going to happen!

This is a psychological defensive posture on the other person's part. It represents a desire to protect themselves or to assert dominance, and is filled with hostility and distance.

Clearly, the boss was not satisfied with what he had said!
Before he could think it through, Zhou Kuang spoke up.

“Nianlong.”

Upon hearing this address, beads of sweat began to appear on Hong Nianlong's forehead.

You should know why I didn't approve your proposal in the first place, right?

Zhou Kuang's voice was very calm and his tone was not high, but it revealed an undeniable sense of authority.

Hong Nianlong became increasingly uneasy.

"The company is indeed rich. As you know, Qingyan Studio's recent release, 'The Clown Card,' was a great success."

"I suppose you're aware of this, which is why you've come to me."

Hong Nianlong opened his mouth as if to deny it, but he didn't.

You might be thinking that way without even realizing it.

Kuang Ge previously said it was to control risks, so with "Joker" selling so well, could the company invest more in Red Dragon Studio?

It was this subconscious thought that led him to test Zhou Kuang's thoughts today.

"But I need to consider issues from the perspective of the company as a whole. It's not that I have to invest every penny I have."

"Yes Yes……"

Hong Nianlong nodded quickly, subconsciously wiping the sweat from his brow.

My previous impression of Kuang Ge was that he was exceptionally approachable.

But the current Kuang Ge is absolutely terrifying!
Without uttering a single harsh word, he overwhelmed everything with his sheer presence.

“I have my own plans for Red Dragon Studio, and your current task is to do a good job on the Left 4 Dead project within the existing resources.”

"And the current staff size is very appropriate."

"If we were to increase the scale of the project further, I think that would be going too far."

Hong Nianlong looked up and saw Zhou Kuang's slightly aggressive and oppressive gaze, and his heart trembled.

Seeing that Hong Nianlong was so frightened that he lost his nerve, Zhou Kuang still tried to comfort him.

"I believe in you; you are definitely the best person to lead this project."

Hong Nianlong suddenly became quick-witted and immediately admitted his mistake.

"Brother Kuang, I was confused."

"You're right. I just acted impulsively, only thinking about how to make the project a success, without considering the company's overall planning."

"I will definitely lead the team well and make Left 4 Dead a success!"

Seeing him admit his mistake and make a statement, Zhou Kuang's serious expression softened.

He smiled, patted Hong Nianlong on the shoulder, and said earnestly.

“I know you have confidence and drive, which is a good thing! I really appreciate that about you.”

"But the company is a big family, and we are all in the same boat."

"You can't just think about your own project and treat everyone else as your enemy."

"If other projects get more resources, does that mean you get less? If you think about it that way, you're wrong."

"We need to make progress together, rather than focusing on one thing at the expense of another."

"Such a thing is absolutely not allowed to happen under my command."

Hong Nianlong nodded quickly, indicating his agreement.

"I'm entrusting Red Dragon Studio to you because I value you and recognize your abilities. Don't let me down."

Seeing the smile on Zhou Kuang's face, Hong Nianlong knew that the matter was over, so he quickly straightened his back and said.

"Brother Kuang, don't worry, I will make sure that I, my crew... uh, the brothers, can stay calm and focus on developing the game."

Seeing that he almost got stuck halfway again, Zhou Kuang almost lost his composure.

"Ahem!" Zhou Kuang cleared his throat. "That's right. If you have any problems or ideas, feel free to contact me anytime. We'll work together to find a solution."

"Okay okay."

Hong Nianlong quickly agreed.

In an instant, the tension from before vanished.

Zhou Kuang suddenly gave a strange look and then said to Hong Nianlong.

"I'll familiarize myself with it a little more in the future and try to use English as little as possible."

Upon hearing this, Hong Nianlong looked embarrassed.

He had assumed no one would point this out directly.

"It's not that I don't want you to use it, it's just that it's hard for me to understand."

"I don't understand English."

Zhou Kuang said with a self-deprecating smile.

"sure!"

Hong Nianlong decided that starting today, he must suppress his bad habits.

I absolutely cannot let English words slip out of my mouth anymore!

If you can't do that, reward yourself with a late-night snack!

You'll gain weight after eating this!

He secretly made up his mind.

……

……

……

The Joker craze continues to grow.

The first week has passed, but sales growth has not slowed down at all.

As expected, sales exceeded four million in the first week.

Of these, overseas sales accounted for almost half.

Almost all of Kuangshi Games' pre-release marketing and promotion were targeted at the domestic market.

This means that the enthusiasm for "Joker" abroad was almost entirely based on zero promotion and word-of-mouth marketing.

If Megvii Games had successfully established marketing and distribution channels overseas, its sales volume might be even higher now.

That day, Niu Tieming called him.

The moment they opened their mouths, their tone was full of complaints.

"Old Zhou, you're such a jerk!"

"Me? What's wrong with me?"

"You've been secretly making a fortune again, haven't you!"

Zhou Kuang understood; the other party was referring to the "Clown Card" project.

"Hey, what money are you talking about? It's good enough if we don't lose money. It's just a small project, why are you worrying about it!"

"Hey! Showing off, huh! The game's selling like hotcakes, and you're even installing it on my device."

Zhou Kuang chuckled as he listened to the other person's annoyance.

"Do you know how many people have contacted me in the past week, trying to use their connections to communicate with Qingyan Studio?"

"How many?"

Zhou Kuang was indeed very curious.

"...A lot more!"

"Sigh, it's pointless to talk to you about it."

Life is tough, Niu Tieming sighed.

"So, when are you going to come and chat with our Xiao Cao?"

After hearing this, Zhou Kuang paused for two seconds before realizing who Xiao Cao was referring to.

It's Cao Qingli, the new producer from Antarctic Pioneers whom I met before, the one with "social anxiety"!

"You're just waiting for me here!"

Zhou Kuang laughed.

Goodness, when others ask you to pull strings, you don't say a word.

However, he came to him because of Cao Qingli, asking them to pass on their experience to the other party.

"Hehehe, we're like brothers."

Hearing the other person's laughter, Zhou Kuang shook his head helplessly.

"Okay, I'll bring Feng Qi and the others to see you another day."

"Hey! Don't forget to bring Ma Tu from Qingyan Studio too!" Niu Tieming quickly reminded him.

"it is good……"

Zhou Kuang was helpless.

(End of this chapter)