From gaming to becoming the richest man, it all started with his counterattack against XunTeng.

"Hmm, this game is kind of interesting!"

Yang Yi took off her headphones and looked at Zhang Tao, the indie game producer who had just stepped forward to stop her, looking flustered.

It has to be said that this little game with its unique art style and novel gameplay unexpectedly appealed to him, and its playability far surpasses that of most of the poorly made copycat games on the market.

The only thing that piqued his curiosity was the game's absurd yet logically sound background setting.

"I'm a little curious, why did you set the gym as the core religion of the protagonist's faith?"

When praised by his most admired industry idol, Zhang Tao blushed instantly, his voice trembling with excitement as he quickly and clearly explained his design ideas.

"Mr. Yang, I truly believe that a gym is essentially a modern church, and my reasons are particularly compelling:"

First, there is a group of loyal believers in the gym who are regular, devout, and regularly check in.

Secondly, they always actively and enthusiastically promote the benefits of fitness to those around them, just like proselytizing.

Third, every weekend, the number of people in the gym increases dramatically, comparable to a church service.

Fourth, too many people come here with a sense of guilt after binge eating, essentially to atone for their sins;

Fifth, even if you only stay inside for a short while, your guilt will be greatly reduced;

Sixth, gyms have their own playlists with a fixed atmosphere, no different from church hymns;

Seventh, people who stick to fitness have their own strict dietary habits, which are equivalent to religious rules;

Eighth, there are indeed fanatical believers in the circle who worship the gantry with utmost devotion, as if they were kowtowing in reverence.

Don't tell me, really don't tell me.

After Zhang Tao's clear and logical breakdown of the whole thing, Yang Yi was stunned. The more she thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed, and she couldn't even refute it.

Standing to the side, Shen Xiao was dumbfounded and couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "Holy crap, this is practically a muscle-training master."

After venting my frustrations, I remembered the foreshadowing at the beginning of the game. The game developer's imagination is quite unique; it's probably something strange and unusual.

"So what are these Twelve Knights? The beginning is already setting the stage."

Zhang Tao scratched his head, a little embarrassed to speak, but seeing Yang Yi also casting a curious glance at him, he couldn't help but speak up.

"They are the twelve Knights of the Round Table."

"These are: Regional Knights, Educational Knights, Origin Knights, Gender Knights, Orientation Knights, Race Knights, Ability Knights, Appearance Knights, Age Knights, Faith Knights, Status Knights, and Income Knights."

……

……

Yang Yi and Shen Xiao were truly at peace with Bengbu at this moment.

This guy is way more awesome than the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse; he's attacking everyone every single moment!

What is your purpose?

What are you trying to say?

What are you alluding to?

What is your motivation?

Yang Yi nodded inwardly. This Zhang Tao not only had a unique and imaginative mind, but also a high level of game completion and solid details. Most importantly, he had his own complete creative logic. He was definitely a hidden talent.

Oh no, he really wants to get his hands on this guy.

With a little training, he'll be able to stand on his own.

Yang Yi looked at the still excited young man in front of him and extended an olive branch directly: "After Gamescom, if you're willing, you can join Hive. I'll set up an independent game studio for you, and you'll be in charge of it all."

Zhang Tao's excitement froze instantly, and a clear hesitation appeared in his eyes.

While making indie games may result in unstable income and constant setbacks, the advantage lies in absolute freedom. You won't be exploited by the rules and regulations of big companies, nor will you have to work like a beast of burden, toiling away all night.

He resigned to start his own business because he couldn't stand the cutthroat competition and mindless exploitation in big companies.

Yang Yi saw through his concerns at a glance and couldn't help but feel a little regretful. Forced relationships are never sweet, and he didn't want to force him to do something against his will.

But then I thought, it would be a shame not to say it all, so I might as well reveal my hand and maybe it will move the other party.

He coughed lightly, softened his tone, and went straight to the point, stating the straightforward and honest benefits:

"Studio manager, base salary starting from 20,000, working from 9 am to 6 pm with no overtime unless necessary, 5 days on, 2 days off, full weekends off, seven insurances and two funds paid in full, triple pay for statutory holidays, fixed 15 to 18 months' salary at the end of the year, and if the game becomes a hit, there is no upper limit to the additional year-end bonus."

Zhang Tao, who was still weighing the pros and cons and struggling with the choice between freedom and stability, had his brain shut down completely after hearing about this set of god-like treatment that crushed all the major domestic companies.

The next second, he rushed forward and grabbed Yang Yi's hands tightly, his knuckles turning white. His voice trembled uncontrollably, and he was so excited that he almost cried.

"Boss! I think I can start tomorrow!"

Yang Yi looked at Zhang Tao, whose cheeks were flushed and whose eyes were filled with fervor, and struggled to pull her hand out of his tight grip. She couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"No rush. First, launch your game on our Qunfeng platform under your personal name. After you've sorted out the game's listing issues, you can come to the company to report for duty."

It's best not to put this game setting in the office; it might cause unnecessary trouble.

"I understand! Absolutely no problem!"

Zhang Tao nodded heavily, his expression solemn as if he were making a vow.

From that moment on, he was a member of Swarm Technology.

With such exceptional sincerity and treatment from his boss, he would remain loyal for life and have no other intentions.

Just as he made up his mind, Zhang Tao suddenly seemed to remember something important. His expression faltered for a moment, but he still gritted his teeth and stammered out his words.

"Boss, I have a few friends who are still working at big companies, and their skills are absolutely top-notch. They were involved in the design and development of this game from start to finish. If I could persuade them to quit and come work for us, would your company... be hiring?"

After a moment's thought, Yang Yi readily nodded in agreement.

"Sure. The base monthly salary is 12,000 yuan. After joining the company, you will participate in project development. I will adjust your salary and promote you based on your actual ability and performance."

Instead of building Zhang Tao's team from scratch and going through a period of adjustment, it would be better to simply take over his existing, mature small team. If there are enough people, they can start working right away, and if they need more, they can gradually add more.

Moreover, Zhang Tao's creative ideas and execution ability are very much to his liking, and his development process is mature and experienced. He is a talented person who deserves to be cultivated and allowed to take charge independently.

Seeing Zhang Tao immediately take out his phone and eagerly contact his old friend, Yang Yi already knew that the matter was settled.

He left Zhang Tao Xia He's contact information and then left with Shen Xiao without lingering any longer.

As the leader of a company, you can be approachable and friendly with ordinary employees, but you must always maintain a proper distance from the management and core leaders who will be in charge in the future.

Being too intimate can easily lead to a loss of authority, making it difficult to establish rules and manage effectively in the future.

Maintaining proper boundaries between close and distant relationships is the key to long-term success in managing people.

Of course, this is not an absolute statement.

If this manager is attractive and outstanding enough, then all the rules can naturally be disregarded.

After all, who can say that a well-timed attraction to beauty isn't a more effective way of controlling people, unique to those in power?

It can only be said that Yang Yi understood the ways of manipulating desires.