Becoming the richest man starts with the game

Chapter 10: The First Employee

Pei Qian suddenly felt as though his financial future had brightened considerably.

Previously, with just 50,000 yuan of system funds at his disposal, the idea of hiring an employee had seemed almost laughable. But now, with 300,000 yuan in hand, wasn’t it perfectly reasonable?

After some self-reflection, Pei Qian identified the root causes of his earlier failures:

First, sheer bad luck.

Who could have anticipated that his casually thrown-together trash game would catch the attention of a somewhat famous gaming streamer? If not for that meddlesome Qiao Laoshi, wouldn’t the game have flopped spectacularly?

Second, he began to question his own abilities.

Could it be that his intelligence was working against him, making his attempts to lose money too effective? Some people, despite their best efforts, always end up losing money. Others, no matter how hard they try to squander it, can’t seem to fail.

Pei Qian was starting to think he belonged to the latter group.

This realization led him to a simple conclusion: he needed help.

Hiring someone seemed like the logical next step.

If he could just recruit a few slackers to handle the work, wouldn’t it be easy to burn through the money comfortably?

With this epiphany, Pei Qian found himself no longer angry with Ma Yang, despite having just been inconvenienced by him.

“Ma Yang is practically a gift from the heavens!”

“A genius slacker like him is the perfect employee I’ve been dreaming of.”

He briefly considered recruiting other classmates as well. After all, whether it’s one sheep or a flock, herding them costs the same. Paying more salaries might even help him lose money faster.

But he quickly dismissed the thought. “No, no! The others are far too competent.”

Although Handong University was a prestigious institution, and its students were generally intelligent, Ma Yang was a rare exception—a truly special case.

Hiring anyone else might inadvertently lead to actual success, and Pei Qian couldn’t afford that kind of disaster.

Resolute in his decision, Pei Qian pulled Ma Yang aside from their dorm room.

“What’s up, Qian’er? Got some secret gaming strategy to share?” Ma Yang’s face lit up with anticipation, assuming it was gaming-related.

“I’ve started developing a game and need extra hands. Interested?” Pei Qian cut straight to the point, knowing Ma Yang’s straightforward nature didn’t lend itself to nuanced persuasion.

Ma Yang blinked in surprise before shaking his head. “Are you kidding? With our packed schedule this semester, how would I have time for that?”

He paused, then added, “Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for that whole indie game hype? That stuff’s full of lucky breaks, like that Lonely Desert Highway game. Besides, game development is a money pit. Where’s the funding coming from?”

Pei Qian coughed lightly. “To be honest, I’m a secretly wealthy heir. My family gave me 300,000 yuan to play with. Is that enough?”

Ma Yang’s jaw dropped, and it took him a moment to stammer, “Wait, you’re serious? You’re not messing with me?”

Although he wasn’t familiar with Pei Qian’s family background, Ma Yang knew his friend wasn’t the type to make tasteless jokes.

After regaining his composure, Ma Yang hesitated. “But money isn’t the only issue. Do you know anything about art? Programming?”

Pei Qian shook his head. “No, but does it matter? I can just buy assets or hire freelancers online.”

Ma Yang stared at him, speechless.

This is too reckless, isn’t it?

Pei Qian patted Ma Yang’s shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t overthink it. I just need a simple answer: will you join? If you’re in, I’ll save you a spot on the design team.”

Ma Yang wavered. “Qian’er, we’re close, and I’d love to help, but neither of us knows a thing about game development. Even if it’s your family’s money, you should think twice before wasting it. I can’t, in good conscience, join this.”

Pei Qian was speechless. He hadn’t expected Ma Yang’s integrity to become an obstacle.

Still, he couldn’t reveal the true source of his funds and had to stick to the “wealthy heir” narrative. Unfortunately, this made Ma Yang even more reluctant, fearing he’d cause Pei Qian financial harm.

Pei Qian resorted to showcasing his “success.” “Actually, I’ve already developed a game and made a profit.”

Ma Yang was stunned. “What game?”

Pei Qian coughed awkwardly. “Lonely Desert Highway.”

“Pfft!” Ma Yang nearly choked.

“You’re the one who made that ridiculous game?!”

He had even complained to Pei Qian about the game’s creator, not realizing he was ranting to the very person responsible.

Pei Qian sighed. “Yeah, it was me.”

After an awkward silence, Ma Yang suddenly gave him a thumbs-up. “Amazing, Qian’er! I had no idea you were so talented! No wonder I felt a strange connection to that game—it all makes sense now!”

Pei Qian rolled his eyes. “Alright, enough flattery. I’m offering you 3,000 yuan a month. Whether the game succeeds or fails, you won’t have to worry about a thing. So, are you in?”

Ma Yang’s attitude did a complete 180. “Count me in! You know me—I’m not great at much, but I’m reliable!”

Pei Qian nodded, feigning sincerity. “Exactly! That’s why I chose you. Just keep this between us, okay? Out of all my classmates, you’re the only one I trust with this.”

Elated, Ma Yang agreed and promised to stay quiet.

“Alright, that’s settled. There’s still a lot of prep work to do, so go about your day. I’ll let you know when there’s progress.”

Ma Yang eagerly nodded. “Got it. I’ll head to the bookstore later to pick up some game design books. Don’t worry—I won’t hold us back!”

As Ma Yang left to prepare, Pei Qian hesitated.

Actually, there’s no need to study…

But he kept silent.

Despite his concerns about Ma Yang’s reliability, Pei Qian consoled himself with the thought that, given Ma Yang’s history, even with extra effort, he probably wouldn’t accomplish much.