That afternoon, Luo Ming made a trip back to his alma mater.
As the only 211 university in Shanxi, Taiyuan University of Technology’s Computer Science and Technology program is ranked among the best in the country.
Luo Ming was a graduate of this very program.
Professor Li had been his teacher for Data Structures and Algorithms, and had been teaching for over twenty years.
Luo Ming knew the way to Professor Li’s office like the back of his hand.
Whether it was the Luo Ming from his past life or the one in this world, both were quite gifted in programming.
Back in the day, Luo Ming had often teamed up with Rong Mu to enter various competitions, winning prize money and credits, and they always managed to secure respectable rankings.
Among the competitions Luo Ming took part in, one was a national event, and Professor Li had been the lead instructor for that one.
Luo Ming clinched third place in that competition. Being able to secure a top-three finish among all those talented students from prestigious schools across the country was no small feat.
Professor Li had taken a real liking to Luo Ming because of that competition.
Unfortunately, Luo Ming had no interest in pursuing graduate studies. He felt his skills were already solid enough to jump straight into the workforce.
In a way, he let Professor Li’s hopes down, and so he was a little unsure how to face him.
“Senior Luo! What brings you back?”
Just as Luo Ming was mulling over what to say when he saw Professor Li, a familiar voice called out from behind him.
Luo Ming turned around and saw it was one of his junior fellow apprentices, a third-year student named Zhu Jiabin, who had been one of his teammates in that national competition.
“Binzi, long time no see.” Luo Ming greeted him with a smile.
“Senior Luo, you’re here to see Professor Li, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Perfect, I’m here to see him too. Let’s go together.” With that, Zhu Jiabin knocked on the office door.
“Come in!”
Zhu Jiabin pushed the door open and walked in, with Luo Ming following close behind.
“Professor Li, look who’s here!” Zhu Jiabin stepped aside.
“Professor Li, it’s been a while.” Luo Ming gave an awkward smile and greeted him.
“Luo Ming? What are you doing here!” The professor’s tone carried a hint of delight.
That helped ease the tension Luo Ming had been feeling.
After a few minutes of catching up, Luo Ming was completely at ease. Professor Li wasn’t upset that he hadn’t applied to be his graduate student—though, of course, there was a hint of regret in his words.
Professor Li genuinely believed Luo Ming had a real gift for programming and would have benefited from a few more years of study.
“Luo Ming, you didn’t come all the way here just to chat with an old man like me, did you?”
“Professor, you saw right through me!”
“Obviously! Do you think I don’t know you? You’re not the type to maintain relationships for the sake of it. You must have a reason for showing up.”
Luo Ming scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed.
“Alright, alright! Just spit it out.”
“Well then, I won’t beat around the bush. Professor, I was hoping you could recommend someone with serious technical skills.”
“Recommend someone technical? Did you start your own business?”
“Yeah. Rong Mu and I set up a studio together.”
“In what field?” Professor Li asked with interest.
“Games.”
“Games? Do you have a demo?”
“I do, I brought it with me. I was hoping you could take a look and give me some feedback.”
Without wasting any time, Professor Li opened a drawer and pulled out a laptop.
Luo Ming plugged in his USB drive and loaded up Plants vs. Zombies.
At this point, the game only went up to Level 3-2, and the hidden levels and fun bonus stages hadn’t been started yet.
Professor Li could tell from the placeholder assets that it was still a work in progress, but he didn’t mind. He jumped right in and started playing.
Zhu Jiabin grabbed two chairs, and he and Luo Ming sat down to watch the professor play.
About half an hour later, Professor Li finished Level 3-2.
He turned to look at Luo Ming with a complicated expression, while Zhu Jiabin wore a look of pure admiration.
“Senior Luo, that’s insane! This game looks incredibly fun. The data balancing is well thought out too—challenging enough to keep you hooked, but not so hard that it’s frustrating. It’s totally addictive.” Zhu Jiabin praised.
“Jiabin’s right. Luo Ming, your concept is excellent, and your programming fundamentals are rock-solid. This game is a perfect showcase of that.
So you’re looking for someone to help you finish this game, right?”
“Yes, Professor. Rong Mu and I just secured some funding for the studio, and we want to get our framework up and running as soon as possible.
Right now, we desperately need someone with strong technical expertise who can lead a development team.”
“Can’t you do it yourself? You managed to build this game mostly on your own. You shouldn’t need to look for a team lead.”
“Professor, I have another project on my plate right now. Besides, the production plan for this game is already set. We just need to follow the roadmap I laid out.”
“I see.”
“Professor, do you have anyone in mind?” Luo Ming asked.
“You’re in luck. I actually do have someone. He graduated from here in 2009 and went straight to work at Tencent. He also worked on games. Last month, he resigned for personal reasons and is currently looking for a new job.”
“Personal reasons?”
“Jiabin, could you step out for a moment?”
Zhu Jiabin nodded and quietly left.
After the door closed, Professor Li sighed and said, “Your senior got screwed over.”
“Screwed over?”
“Yeah, by his own girlfriend. You know Tencent’s headquarters is in Shenzhen, right?”
“Yes.”
“Your senior met his girlfriend through a colleague while working in Shenzhen. She wasn’t from Tencent—she worked at a different company.
They hit it off really well, and their relationship moved fast. Last December, they moved in together.
Then in June this year, his girlfriend suggested he jump ship and join her company.
He hesitated and turned her down. Her company is basically a rival to Tencent, and even if he left, jumping to a competitor wouldn’t look good—plus there was the non-compete agreement. So he said no.
She didn’t bring it up again. Then, one night last month, she got him drunk and managed to get access to some sensitive internal documents from Tencent.
Later, Tencent discovered a leak. When they traced it back, they found it came from the data your senior had access to. That’s when he realized he’d been set up by his girlfriend.
He confronted her, but she denied everything. They had a huge fight and broke up. Tencent fired him.
To make matters worse, because he was let go for leaking company secrets, a lot of companies are afraid to hire him now. In a way, his career has been ruined.
Otherwise, with his skills, there’s no way he’d still be looking for work after a full month.
Since you’re in need of talent, you might want to consider your senior.”
