Luo Ming trusted Professor Li completely. The professor wasn’t the type to speak without good reason, and since he’d laid it out so plainly, the truth about his senior’s dismissal was most likely exactly as he’d described.
Luo Ming didn’t have to worry about his senior’s professional ethics.
And anyone Professor Li specifically brought up had to have earned his approval in terms of expertise.
So Luo Ming asked directly, “Professor, what’s my senior’s name? And where is he now?”
“His name is Zhao Ningyuan. He’s currently job hunting in Hangzhou. If you’re interested, I can have him come back.”
“Professor, what’s his expected annual salary?”
In the internet industry, top-tier technical talent doesn’t come cheap.
The going rate is usually in the six figures, and with bonuses or equity incentives, it can easily exceed a million.
“Given your senior’s situation, just finding a decent job would be a win for him. What he needs most right now is an opportunity.
If your company takes off down the road, whether he stays on as a founding member or moves on to something else, that’s fine either way. You could say that hiring him would be saving his career. Plus, your company is still brand new—around 200,000 to 300,000 a year should be about right.”
Luo Ming was a bit surprised when he heard that. A talent who’d worked at Tencent for three years and had access to core project information—getting him for just 200,000 to 300,000 a year would be an absolute steal.
“Professor, is that really okay?”
“Yeah! I’ll talk to him. You don’t need to worry about that part. Just leave me your company address.”
Luo Ming nodded and handed over one of his business cards.
Come to think of it, Rong Mu had just had these cards printed yesterday. He never expected to hand one out so soon—and to his own professor, no less.
Professor Li took the card, ejected the USB drive from his laptop, handed it back to Luo Ming, and said, “Luo Ming, head back and wait for news.”
“I’ll leave it in your hands, Professor.”
Professor Li smiled and nodded.
The next day, Luo Ming received a call from an unfamiliar number.
“Hello, is this Junior Luo? This is Zhao Ningyuan.” As soon as Luo Ming picked up, the other side introduced himself.
“Yes, it’s me. Hello, Senior Zhao.”
“Hi, Junior Luo. I’m back in Bingzhou. Are you free to meet up?”
“Sure!”
“Then let’s meet at your company. Teacher sent me your address yesterday.”
“Great! I’m at the office right now. Just let me know when you arrive.”
“Will do. I’m on my way.”
Half an hour later, Luo Ming met Zhao Ningyuan.
Born in 1986, Zhao Ningyuan was 28 years old. He didn’t look like a programmer at all—his hair was actually thicker than Luo Ming’s, and he stood about 5’7″. He was decent-looking, but not as handsome as Luo Ming, and certainly not as striking as Rong Mu.
While Luo Ming was sizing him up, Zhao Ningyuan was doing the same.
Looking at Luo Ming, Zhao Ningyuan couldn’t help but think back to the phone call he’d had with Professor Li the day before.
At that time, Zhao Ningyuan had just been turned down by another company and was feeling pretty lousy about it.
Then Professor Li’s call came in. As soon as Zhao Ningyuan picked up, the professor got straight to the point: “Ningyuan, I’ve found you a job.”
Zhao Ningyuan was taken aback for a moment, then his eyes lit up. What he needed most right now was a job opportunity—the longer this dragged on, the worse it would be for his career.
“Teacher, tell me about it! What kind of job is it?”
“One of your junior apprentices started a game company. He came to see me yesterday and asked me to take a look at his game. I took the chance to bring up your situation.
He was a bit hesitant at first, so I told him your character is beyond reproach and that I’d vouch for you personally. I also said he wouldn’t need to offer you a high salary—just giving you a chance to work would be enough. That’s when he agreed.”
“A game company? Teacher, what did you think of the game?” Zhao Ningyuan asked after a brief pause.
“It’s very good. In every aspect, it could be considered a quality title.”
Zhao Ningyuan’s eyes grew even brighter. Professor Li was always strict, so if a game earned such high praise from him, it was bound to be something special.
If this game took off, his current troubles would become a thing of the past.
Whether he stayed on as a founding member or moved on later, both options would be open to him.
After thinking it through, Zhao Ningyuan said directly, “Teacher, I’m willing to go. Please give me my junior’s contact information.”
After getting Luo Ming’s details, Zhao Ningyuan booked a flight back to Bingzhou that very night.
The next morning, he arranged to meet Luo Ming—and that’s how the two of them ended up face to face.
“Junior Luo, you already know my situation. I really appreciate you giving me this chance. I’ll do everything I can to help you finish this game.” Zhao Ningyuan got straight to the point.
“Don’t be so formal, Senior Zhao. If Professor Li trusts you, then so do I. As for the game development, we’ll work on it together.”
Zhao Ningyuan smiled and nodded.
Luo Ming then brought out the contract. Zhao Ningyuan skimmed through it quickly, and when he saw that Luo Ming was offering him a monthly salary of 25,000, his feelings were mixed.
On one hand, his monthly pay at Tencent had been 40,000, and with project bonuses, he’d pulled in over 600,000 a year. Having his salary cut in half was definitely a letdown.
On the other hand, he hadn’t expected Luo Ming to offer 25,000 at all. This opportunity had come through Professor Li’s recommendation, he had that “history” hanging over him, and Luo Ming’s company was still in its infancy. Offering 300,000 a year was already incredibly generous.
That made Zhao Ningyuan feel a real sense of gratitude toward Luo Ming.
After the contract was signed, Luo Ming extended his hand and shook Zhao Ningyuan’s. “Senior Zhao, welcome aboard. The technical team is yours to lead.”
“Don’t worry, Luo—uh, Mr. Luo. The technical team will be in good hands.”
“Then take some time to get to know your team members.”
“Sure. Oh, and Mr. Luo, I haven’t seen our game yet. I’d like to give it a try.”
“No problem.” With that, Luo Ming opened Plants vs. Zombies on his laptop.
Zhao Ningyuan took the computer and, just like Professor Li, played through to the latest level, 3-2.
At that point, he had only one thought: “Teacher’s eye for quality is spot on! This game is top-notch. As long as the marketing isn’t a disaster, it’s bound to be a hit!”
With that confidence in his back pocket, Zhao Ningyuan was buzzing with energy. He asked Luo Ming, “Mr. Luo, when will our office equipment be ready?”
“We’ve already ordered the furniture—it’ll start arriving tomorrow. We’re going shopping for the computers and other electronics this afternoon. Everything should be in place by Monday at the latest. You can all come in and start work then.”
“Mr. Luo, do you have a development roadmap for the game?”
“Yes. Senior Zhao, I’ve got another project on my hands, so I’ll need you to keep a close eye on the game’s development going forward.”
“Don’t worry, Mr. Luo. I’ve got this covered.”
Luo Ming nodded with satisfaction. With Zhao Ningyuan on board, the studio’s framework was finally in place.
