Soul Returns to Hong Kong: From Tailor Shop to Richest Woman

Three days later, He Fangqin invited Tanaka Masaki to the conference room on the third floor of the administration building.

Lin Ying arrived ten minutes early and flipped through the materials prepared by He Fangqin. Wen Xu had already gone back yesterday and told her not to work too hard before leaving. Lin Ying agreed verbally, but then filled her schedule with activities.

The conference room door was pushed open, and He Fangqin entered first, followed by Tanaka Masaki, who looked younger than in his resume photo. He bowed as he entered and said, "President Lin, hello."

Lin Ying's slight accent in Mandarin didn't hinder communication. She stood up and shook hands with him, saying, "Mr. Tanaka, please sit down."

After the three people sat down, He Fangqin poured tea and sat down next to them; her role today was to listen in.

Lin Ying skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point: "Mr. Tanaka, you worked in the game industry in Tokyo for twelve years. I saw the reason for your resignation on your resume, but I'd like to hear it from you."

Tanaka adjusted his glasses: "My wife is from Shenzhen. Her father is in poor health and needs someone to take care of him. After discussing it, we decided to come back and settle down here."

Do you regret it?

Tanaka smiled and said, "I don't regret it. In the working environment in Tokyo, overtime is the norm. A project can take three to five years to complete, and people are exhausted. By the twelfth year, my health had started to suffer. I had problems with my cervical spine, stomach, and sleep."

"After returning, I rested for more than half a year, and my health has recovered a lot."

Lin Ying nodded: "So what do you want to do now?"

Without hesitation, Tanaka said, "Let's make a game." He then pulled a handwritten document from his briefcase and handed it to her. Lin Ying took it and opened it. It contained a general project plan written in both Chinese and Japanese, with neat handwriting.

"After observing for half a year, I found that the domestic game market is still in its early stages. The console market can be disregarded for the time being, as the hardware penetration rate is too low; however, there is potential in the PC market."

Lin Ying flipped through the document: "What type do you suggest we start with?"

Nakata replied, "Strategy or role-playing games. Both of these genres have a large audience in the global market, and the production threshold is relatively controllable, so you don't need to start with a team of hundreds of people."

Lin Ying continued, "For the first product, how many people do you think you'll need?"

Tanaka held up one hand and gestured: "Start with five people to make a demo; if the demo goes in the right direction, expand to fifteen to twenty people to make a full version."

"What about the cycle?"

"A demo takes three to four months, while a full version takes one to one and a half years."

Lin Ying was doing the math in her head: a team of five people, plus equipment and venue, wouldn't require much initial investment; the key was whether each person could actually produce the product.

"How are the sales of those games you made in Tokyo?"

Tanaka confidently stated, "The last console game I worked on sold 1.2 million copies worldwide."

Lin Ying put down the document: "Mr. Tanaka, let me be honest with you. I'm interested in the game industry. If you come to me, I'll give you a platform, people, and money; but I need to see results. It doesn't have to be a huge hit with the first game, but at least I need to see that we're on the right track."

Tanaka nodded: "I understand."

"There's one more thing," Lin Ying said, looking at him. "You're working on console games in Tokyo, which has a different technical approach than PC games. Are you able to adapt?"

Tanaka: "I've also done PC development, and the underlying engine principles are similar. Moreover, the hardware configuration of PCs in China is improving, and the graphics performance will be much better in two or three years."

After asking about the technical aspects, Lin Ying then asked about management: "How many people have you led teams of before?"

"At its peak, there were thirty people."

"Can you manage thirty people?"

Tanaka thought for a moment and said, "I can manage both the technology and the people if there are fewer than twenty people. If there are more than twenty people, I need a producer to help me with project management."

Lin Ying felt that this person neither boasted nor shrank when he spoke; he said what he meant.

"Okay." Lin Ying made the decision. "You'll officially start next Monday. First, spend a month writing a detailed project proposal, including the project type, technology selection, personnel requirements, development cycle, and budget."

"I will review the report personally, and once it's approved, we'll get started."

Tanaka stood up and bowed: "Thank you, Mr. Lin."

Lin Ying added, "After you join the company, if you need anything, just ask Manager He. I'll buy you anything I can get, including equipment, software, and materials."

He Fangqin immediately replied, "Mr. Tanaka, an office has been reserved for you. It's the innermost room on the third floor of the R&D building; it's quiet."

After Tanaka left, He Fangqin came over and asked, "Boss, what do you think of this guy? Is he reliable?"

Lin Ying flipped through the handwritten document Tanaka left behind again: "Someone who can stay at a game company in Tokyo for twelve years and become the lead programmer must have good technical skills. And look at this document, he's not someone who just talks the talk."

He Fangqin nodded: "Then I'm relieved."

Lin Ying took a sip of tea: "By the way, where's Chen Zhiyuan? Tell him to come over this afternoon."

"Okay, I'll inform him right away."

At 2 PM, Chen Zhiyuan knocked on the door and came in. He was tall and thin, and looked like a tech guy. He greeted Lin Ying with a smile as he came in: "President Lin! It's great to finally meet you in person. Manager He was the one relaying your message before."

Lin Ying glanced at him and said, "Sit down, Chen Zhiyuan. I heard you've managed those new recruits quite well."

Chen Zhiyuan sat down in his chair and replied, "It's alright, mainly because these kids are willing to learn. I've managed teams that were much harder to manage before. One advantage of domestic programmers is that they are obedient, hardworking, and won't leave until the deadline."

Lin Ying sensed the confidence in his voice: "What stage has the internal management system reached?"

Chen Zhiyuan pulled a USB drive from his pocket and placed it on the table: "The database design documents, system architecture diagrams, and front-end prototypes are all in here. If you have a computer, I can demonstrate it to you right now."

Lin Ying pointed to the computer in the corner: "Go."

Chen Zhiyuan rushed to the computer, plugged in the USB drive, and began the demonstration. A prototype interface popped up on the screen; although there was no formal art design yet, the functional modules were already clearly divided.

"This is the production module, which records the production schedule, materials, processes, and yield for each batch of products; this is the warehousing module, which updates in-warehouse and out-of-warehouse data in real time..."

Lin Ying looked at the screen; each module had detailed descriptions and flowcharts.

"Will it be available before the end of the year?"

Chen Zhiyuan patted his chest confidently: "The first version will definitely be online before December 31st. There may still be bugs, but the core functions will definitely work."

Lin Ying was satisfied: "Okay, you keep an eye on it. If there are any problems with manpower or equipment, just contact Manager He."

Chen Zhiyuan put the USB drive away, stood there hesitating for a moment, and said, "Mr. Lin, there's something else I wanted to ask you; I heard that someone who makes games is coming to the next room?"

The news came pretty quickly. Lin Ying looked at him and asked, "What, you want to make games too?"

Chen Zhiyuan quickly replied, "No, no, I'm more interested in enterprise software. I was just asking out of curiosity."

Lin Ying saw through his little scheme: "Are you afraid that I'll focus all my resources on the game and neglect you?"

Chen Zhiyuan realized he'd been caught red-handed and awkwardly scratched the back of his head: "It's not that I'm afraid... I just wanted to confirm."

"Enterprise software is the foundation of the company, while games are a new direction. We'll each pursue our own path, and resources won't conflict," Lin Ying stated clearly. "Just focus on yours and don't get distracted."

After hearing this, Chen Zhiyuan felt reassured: "That's good, I'll go back and keep working hard."

Lin Ying sat alone in her office, going over the day's events. She had been thinking about the software industry for a long time.

Hardware development has its limitations: equipment depreciation, rising raw material costs, and increasing labor costs are unavoidable issues. Software is different. Developing a system and selling one copy or ten thousand copies doesn't change the cost; enterprise management software provides stable cash flow, while games offer high risk and high reward...