193: Chapter 193 Fang Hongsheng

Two days passed quickly.

On Friday afternoon, Chen Fan arrived at the cafe ten minutes early.

The shop was near the south gate of Jiao Tong University. It wasn't some trendy internet-famous spot, but an old place that had been open for many years, catering mainly to regulars.

He ordered a latte, barely touched it, and left it there while waiting for someone.

At exactly three o'clock, the door was pushed open.

The moment Fang Hongsheng walked in, Chen Fan spotted him immediately.

He was in his thirties, a little over 1.7 meters tall, wearing a gray suit jacket without a tie. The top button of his shirt was undone, and he looked neat and sharp.

His features were well-defined, and his brow carried the composure and aura unique to a corporate elite.

He glanced around the cafe, his gaze landing on Chen Fan. He paused for a moment and then walked straight over.

"You must be Junior Chen Fan? I'm Fang Hongsheng."

Chen Fan stood up and extended his hand. "Hello, Senior. I'm Chen Fan. Please, have a seat."

The two shook hands. Fang Hongsheng's palm was dry and strong, his grip firm—not the perfunctory, light touch of a 'dragonfly skimming the water.'

After sitting down, Chen Fan looked at Fang Hongsheng. "What would you like to drink, Senior?"

"A latte is fine."

Chen Fan raised his hand to call the waiter over. "A latte, please. Thank you."

The waiter took the order and left.

Fang Hongsheng turned his head, his gaze falling on Chen Fan. He sized him up and suddenly smiled.

"When Dean Zhou told me about you, I thought he was lying to me," he said with a hint of emotion in his voice.

"Why do you say that, Senior?" Chen Fan asked.

"Dean Zhou said you were young," Fang Hongsheng paused, "but I didn't expect you to be this young, Junior."

"Do you think I'm too young, Senior?"

Fang Hongsheng shook his head. "No, I'm just feeling a bit nostalgic. When I was your age, I was still in school thinking about how to chase girls."

Despite Chen Fan's young age, Fang Hongsheng didn't have the slightest thought of looking down on him.

Before coming, he had also looked into Chen Fan's company and knew they had produced two hit smartphone games.

A company established for less than half a year could achieve such results; he was full of admiration, so how could he look down on them?

As for age, it wasn't a problem at all. There would always be geniuses in this world who could achieve things in their youth that adults could not.

This was true of Huo Qubing and Gan Luo in ancient times, as well as Gates and Zuckerberg in modern society.

Chen Fan chuckled at Fang Hongsheng's sentiment, picked up his coffee, and took a sip.

"How many years did you spend in Shenzhen, Senior?"

"Eight years," Fang Hongsheng said. "I went there in 2002 and just returned to Chang'an a few days ago."

"Senior, can you tell me about your experience?"

"Sure." Fang Hongsheng nodded, leaned back in his chair, and began to speak unhurriedly.

He recounted his journey from his initial role as a department manager to becoming a director and eventually a vice president.

"When I first started, the team had about twenty people; when I left, there were over four hundred. We expanded the business from South China to the whole country, and revenue grew from tens of millions to billions."

Chen Fan listened, occasionally asking a question or two.

He now had a rough idea of Fang Hongsheng's capabilities, which were even stronger than he had imagined.

"Senior, what was the reason you gave up staying at your previous company?" Chen Fan asked.

Fang Hongsheng was silent for a moment. He picked up his coffee cup, didn't drink, and put it back down.

"Family was one factor," he said, pausing. "But mainly, I felt I had hit the ceiling. I'd done everything that needed to be done; the rest was just repetition. It wasn't interesting anymore."

Chen Fan didn't press further.

He understood. At the level of vice president, the next steps would be partner or CXO. But since Fang Hongsheng said he had hit the ceiling, it meant there was no further room for advancement.

In fact, a vice president is already considered a senior executive.

Some people in that position would choose to stay comfortably, enjoying a high salary and an easy life.

But Fang Hongsheng was only thirty-five, an age where one wants to get things done. How could he be content to waste away in one place?

This was exactly the kind of person the company needed now: someone unwilling to be mediocre, wanting to climb higher, with both experience and ambition.

Seeing that Chen Fan didn't continue questioning, Fang Hongsheng took a sip of coffee and took the initiative to speak. "By the way, Junior, I came today to see what the situation is on your end. Dean Zhou didn't go into much detail; he just said a junior who makes games was looking for help."

Hearing this, Chen Fan smiled.

He didn't intend to beat around the bush and gave a general overview of the company's situation: the founding date, team size, currently launched products, and the market performance of the two games.

Fang Hongsheng listened intently without interrupting, his eyebrows only twitching slightly when he heard specific numbers.

When Chen Fan mentioned that "defend the carrot" had a monthly turnover of over twenty million and "happy elimination" had also surpassed ten million, a flash of uncontrollable surprise crossed Fang Hongsheng's eyes.

Such results were rare, not just in Chang'an, but even in Shenzhen, where internet companies were everywhere.

Fang Hongsheng leaned back, tapping his fingers lightly on his knee, his mind clearly racing with calculations.

"So if I were to join your company," he finally asked the most crucial question, "what would I primarily be doing?"

Chen Fan leaned back, tapping his fingers on the table, not rushing to answer.

He had already thought about this question.

Ever since Zhou Mingyuan mentioned Fang Hongsheng to him, he had been repeatedly pondering what this person could do, should do, and what role would maximize his value.

"Senior, you've learned a bit about our company's current situation," Chen Fan began, speaking slowly but clearly. "Two products are live, and the data is decent, but the company's management structure is still at the 'small workshop' stage."

Fang Hongsheng listened without interrupting.

"If you join us, Senior, you'll primarily do a few things." Chen Fan held up his first finger. "First, build a management system. The company's regulations, processes, and performance evaluations don't exist right now. Or rather, they do, but they're incomplete. You've managed hundreds of people in Shenzhen, so you're more familiar with these things than I am. You build it, and I'll cooperate."

Fang Hongsheng nodded slightly but didn't state his position.

"Second, manage human resources." Chen Fan held up a second finger. "You were in charge of HR at a listed company before, so you're more professional in this area than I am. Recruitment, training, compensation, performance—all of these need a set of regulations."

"Third, when I'm not around, you will oversee everything. Daily operations, cross-departmental coordination, handling emergencies—these will all be your responsibility. You report the important matters to me, and you make the final call on routine ones."