At eight in the morning, Chen Ba woke up with a splitting headache. He picked up the phone he had been using as a pillow all night and breathed a sigh of relief after turning on the screen.
Thankfully...
It's a good thing this Pineapple phone has a metal body; it's not easily damaged by pressure. If it were plastic or ceramic, it would be a different story.
Last night, he talked with Yang Dong for a long time, starting with industry gossip and ending with astronomy and geography. The two of them managed to finish off the seven bottles of soda in the fridge, not returning to their rooms until 1 a.m.
"What time did you wake up?"
On his way to the bathroom, Chen Ba saw Yang Dong fiddling with the router in front of a computer in the living room. He greeted him and asked, "Where's Zhang Xiaojun? I haven't seen her."
"She went downstairs to get the package. I heard the graphics tablet has arrived."
"Oh!"
After quickly washing up, Chen Ba walked out of the bathroom to Yang Dong's side, looking at the bright computer monitor in front of him. "Did the new guy we talked about yesterday contact you today?"
"Not yet, I'll call him."
Yang Dong put down the router, picked up his phone, and tapped a few buttons. Soon, the voice of a young man, anxious and surrounded by the sound of honking, came from the receiver.
"Sorry, I'm stuck in traffic. I'm on my way, apologies, apologies..."
The young man kept apologizing to Yang Dong, seemingly worried that being late on his first day would leave a bad impression on his colleagues and boss, so his tone was very anxious.
"It's okay, no rush."
"You know the address, right? If you can't find Building No. 4, feel free to ask the security. We're waiting for you..."
Compared to the young man's anxiety, Chen Ba and Yang Dong appeared very calm. After all, they had been in Jiangchuan for many years, and those familiar with the city's traffic congestion during morning peak hours can surely understand.
Fifteen minutes later, with sweat on his forehead, Lu Jing arrived at the Tianba Game Studio headquarters.
Lu Jing was the young man on the phone stuck in traffic, and he was the game planner Chen Ba had found for the studio.
Although Lu is quite young, he's quite capable. He can handle programming, art, and writing scripts, and he's self-taught in new media operations—a true all-round player!
Of course!
Lu also has his shortcomings.
His biggest shortcoming is his lack of formal qualifications; having only a vocational school diploma, finding a job in this era is difficult.
If Chen Ba wasn't in urgent need of someone and took interest in every applicant's unique skills and experiences, Lu might not have had the chance to join Tianba Game.
"Wow, self-taught prodigy?"
After Chen Ba finished introducing Lu, both Yang Dong and Zhang Xiaojun were stunned.
So people like this still exist these days? Despite poor academic performance, he taught himself to a level comparable to "professional" graduates, driven purely by passion?
"No, with that diligence, why didn't you put in more effort in your studies back then?" Yang Dong asked, pained.
Lu's experience was just too unbelievable.
He's only a vocational school graduate and yet so versatile. If he had properly attended a good university, his future achievements could at least make him a big shot, right?
"I was too playful during my school days."
Talking about himself, Lu felt a bit shy: "Back then, besides going online, I was just obsessed with various games. It just so happened that someone next door was a game client programmer, and I bugged him to mentor me, insisting he teach me game-making..."
No wonder they say, interest is the best teacher!
Out of his immense love for games, Lu, despite having no foundation initially, quickly progressed under the thorough guidance of that neighbor.
Later, after leaving school and entering society, whether as a waiter or working in an electronics factory, he never neglected this skill nor severed ties with his "mentor."
He never gave up on his game-making dream until he saw the job posting from Chen Ba a while ago and resolutely decided to quit his job to chase his dream.
"Many thanks to Chen for giving me this opportunity, I really appreciate it!" Lu said gratefully.
"Why thank me? Gold will shine eventually. If you're talented, you don't need to feel inferior about your degree."
Chen Ba waved his hand, indicating there was no need for thanks on this matter.
He hired staff because Lu's abilities suited the job, with the only issue being lack of experience. So he was hired.
That simple!
After clapping his hands to draw everyone's attention to himself, Chen Ba spoke up: "Now that Lu is here, we're almost complete at the studio, so let's get to business!"
"This is the production plan for our second game. Each of you take a copy, and feel free to speak your minds without holding back..."
After distributing printed documents to the three, Chen Ba sat in the newly-bought ergonomic chair, eagerly waiting for everyone to express their thoughts.
As the sound of flipping pages filled the room, Yang Dong, Lu, and the others soon saw some basic information about the studio's new project.
Living Under Someone's Roof Simulator!
The naming continued in the characteristic "Chen Ba" style—simple and straightforward—and it retained the tradition from the previous game, Cold Window Study Simulator, making it immediately clear that both were from the same studio.
The difference this time lies in the game's details, which will be more comprehensive than in the previous game, while the art style is set for a major upgrade.
Cold Window Study Simulator was pixelated mainly due to Chen Ba's limited artistic skills and financial constraints, so it could only be made that way.
But this time it's different.
With money in the pocket, Chen Ba not only gave all characters beautiful 2D illustrations but is also planning to hire a professional outsourcing team for scene and character design.
"That must cost a lot, right?"
Lu was the first to speak up: "Our studio... uh, do we have that much money?"
"Don't worry! We're not short of it."
Since Lu was new, he wasn't yet aware of how much Cold Window Study Simulator had earned for Chen Ba, so it was very normal to have such concerns.
To dispel his doubts, Chen Ba didn't mind sharing the sales data of the previous game with him.
He gestured a "ten" and then, with a smile, said: "The sales of Cold Window Study Simulator have now surpassed 100,000 copies. Although what we actually receive isn't much, it should be more than enough for outsourcing."
"So many?!"
Lu's eyes widened, a look of astonishment all over his face.
Don't be fooled by those AAA blockbusters boasting millions or even tens of millions of sales with exorbitant prices, looking down on the 100,000 copies of an 18-yuan game.
Bear in mind, Cold Window Study Simulator is an indie game, all crafted by Chen Ba alone.
For a solo-produced indie game, crossing 100,000 in sales is already a significant success.
Seriously?
Is there really anyone who believes indie games can easily achieve hundreds of thousands or even millions in sales, outclassing game companies?
Naive!
Games produced by companies usually come with massive marketing promotions. Where would an indie game developer get the confidence to compete with game companies?
It's not unheard of for an indie game to become a dark horse, but those instances are incredibly rare, so much so that the entire industry might not see one in a year.