20: Chapter 20: Persuasion from Ma Ran! "Your son has opened a hot pot restaurant!"

At 5:30, Su Yang walked out of the gym entrance, found Ma Ran's car, and got straight in.

"Boss, I need to take some time off!"

"What's wrong?"

"I have an interview tomorrow morning!"

"Sure thing!" Su Yang said with a smile. "Good luck!"

"Thank you!"

"Is it a gaming company?"

"Yes!"

Perhaps because the hot pot restaurant had successfully opened and he was momentarily free, Su Yang suddenly became interested. "Where is the gaming company you're interviewing with?"

"In the High-tech Zone. There are a lot of gaming companies there!" After answering Su Yang, Ma Ran suddenly glanced at him through the rearview mirror. "Boss, you aren't interested in gaming companies, are you?"

"I'm a bit interested!"

Su Yang nodded.

"Which aspect? Game development or game publishing?"

"Game development, I suppose!"

Su Yang thought it over and decided that game development was better suited for utilizing his golden finger ability.

Programmers' salaries in the country were quite high!

"Boss, game development isn't that easy. It's practically gambling; it's very easy to lose everything. Only platforms and distribution channels can guarantee a profit!" Ma Ran advised. "I know many talented game developers who mortgaged their houses to make games, only to end up on the list of judgment debtors!"

Su Yang: "Starting a company always carries risks!"

Ma Ran gently tapped the brakes, slowing the car down, and continued to persuade him. "To do game development, you must have sufficient capital. In the early stages, you need to recruit staff, pay for venue rent, utilities, internet fees, purchase desks, chairs, stationery, as well as various game development equipment!"

"Once a project starts, it cannot stop. You need money every month for venue rent, staff salaries, software usage, and all sorts of developer membership fees, licensing fees, resource production costs…"

"Some projects take a few months, others take a year or two. During this time, your company won't have any revenue until the game is developed. If you give up halfway, all your previous efforts will be wasted!"

"Even if the game is developed, you might not necessarily make money. It's just like making movies; many movies never even make it to theaters. Games are the same; many games can't even get a license number!"

"Even if you're lucky and the game makes money, you won't be the one taking the lion's share. It will be the publishers, channels, and platforms. You might only get 20% to 30% of the revenue!"

Su Yang was silenced by Ma Ran!

He realized that he had indeed been taking things for granted.

Game development really wasn't suitable for him.

The main issue was that there was no income during the game development period.

That meant pure monthly losses!

Even if the system refunded all the staff salaries to him, he would still be losing money!

For example, if he paid one million in salaries to his game company employees every month, but the game company's monthly loss was 1.2 million, the system would refund him one million, but he would still be down 200,000!

Unless he could develop a game that actually made money.

But projects that could make money were definitely quite rare!

Su Yang sighed. "I understand. I will consider it carefully!"

Seeing that Su Yang was listening seriously, Ma Ran breathed a sigh of relief.

As the saying goes, one doesn't fear a rich second-generation kid spending money on fun, but one fears a rich second-generation kid trying to start a business.

Having spent over half a month with Su Yang, Ma Ran really didn't want him to stumble in the gaming industry!

There was no other reason than the fact that Su Yang treated him very well.

Since he was in gaming, he had to give him a proper warning!

"If you really want to enter the gaming industry, you could first set up a small game studio, hire four or five employees to make small games, spend a few hundred thousand, and test the waters first. If you lose money, just consider it tuition!"

"Alright then!" Su Yang thought for a moment and said, "If you come across any projects with low investment and a game development plan of under ten months, you can introduce them to me. If I choose to invest and it loses money, I won't blame you!"

In Su Yang's view, game development within ten months was a controllable risk.

After all, he had the bug-like Business Deduction skill!

"Alright, Boss. I'll keep an eye out for you!"

Ma Ran readily agreed to this request.

Rather than letting Su Yang find gaming industry professionals himself, it was better for him to help.

At least he felt he was more reliable than Su Yang, an outsider!

The car stopped steadily, and Su Yang said goodbye to Ma Ran before getting out.

Just as he turned around, he saw Chen Li standing at the entrance of the small alley, seemingly... waiting for him.

"Sister Chen Li?"

Chen Li feigned naturalness. "I just happened to be off work and heading home!"

"Alright!"

Su Yang didn't quite believe Chen Li's words.

He felt he should consider moving out soon.

After over half a month of effort, he owned a large gym and a hot pot restaurant.

Next month, the system would likely refund him over 500,000.

With an income of over 500,000 a month, renting a nice place shouldn't be too much to ask, right?

Still, when he thought about it, it felt dreamlike.

Last month, his salary was only a little over 5,000!

"Sister Chen Li, have you gone to the gym to get a membership?"

"I've been quite busy with work lately, so I haven't had the chance."

"..."

The two chatted aimlessly like this until they returned to the rental house.

Su Yang entered his room first and then casually closed the door.

At 11:30 PM, Su Yang received a call from the hot pot restaurant manager, Guo Fang.

Guo Fang told him that today's turnover had exceeded 17,000!

17,000?

Honestly, Su Yang was shocked by this number!

Turnover exceeded 17,000?

Doesn't that mean that if there wasn't a 50% discount promotion, the hot pot restaurant's daily turnover could reach 34,000?

But after Su Yang calmed down, he laughed at his own silliness.

If it weren't for the 50% discount, his hot pot restaurant wouldn't have attracted so many customers!

Su Yang laughed into the phone. "This is a very good start!"

"Yes, Boss!"

"Have the hot pot restaurant employees been sent back to the dormitory?"

"They've all been sent back!" Guo Fang replied. "Tan Jiaxin will take count of the women, and Jian Wei will keep an eye on the men!"

"That's good!"

The hot pot restaurant provided room and board for all hires.

Meals were generally eaten at the restaurant.

As for housing, the boss rented apartments for the employees.

The hot pot restaurant employees naturally got off work quite late, at least at 10 PM.

There were many female employees in the shop.

Although Rongcheng's public security was decent, Su Yang was still worried about their safety late at night.

He had Guo Fang arrange three cars every day to pack up all the employees who needed to stay in the rental apartments and send them back together.

Even though he knew business would be booming, hearing the manager's report with his own ears made Su Yang quite happy.

Lying on the bed, he stretched his limbs again, feeling completely at ease!

The next day at noon, Su Yang took a taxi to the hot pot restaurant.

Seeing the restaurant bustling with customers, with even five of the six outdoor tables occupied, he took out his phone and snapped a few photos of the busy restaurant, sending them to his mom via wechat.

In these photos, he didn't capture the opening promotional activity display stand at all!

It was all the same anyway; he believed his business would make money!

Ever since he came to Rongcheng, his mom often called him to ask about his work situation.

Occasionally, she would also ask about his love life!

Su Yang naturally only reported the good news and not the bad.

As for love life questions, he almost always brushed them off.

He didn't want to talk about that!

He had been keeping his resignation from the Advertising Company hidden from his family all along.

Because he knew very well that he definitely couldn't disclose the matter of the system.

Telling his family he had resigned would serve no purpose other than making them worry!

But things were different now!

His "startup" was a success!

His parents might not understand opening a gym.

If they went to the Baidu gym, it might actually make them more worried...

But opening a hot pot restaurant was different; whether the hot pot restaurant business was good or not could be understood at a glance!

Soon, Su Yang's mom replied to the message.

Mom: "Is this a hot pot restaurant? Business seems to be doing quite well!"

Su Yang: "Yes, this is one I opened!"

Mom: "Are you sure? Did you go to work at the hot pot restaurant? Are you not working at the Advertising Company anymore?"

Seeing this message, Su Yang was helpless.

"What I mean is, the boss of this hot pot restaurant is me!"

Mom: "How do you have the money to open a hot pot restaurant?"

Su Yang: "When I was working at the Advertising Company, I met a big boss in the catering industry. We got along quite well. He happened to be opening a hot pot restaurant and asked if I wanted to invest and work with him, so I joined in and invested a little money on the side!"

Mom: "How much money did you invest?"

Su Yang: "150,000, I guess!"

Mom: "Where did you get 150,000?"

Su Yang: "I saved up 50,000 myself and borrowed 100,000 from the bank!"

Mom: "What if you lose money?"

His mother's reaction was completely within Su Yang's expectations.

After all, among his relatives and friends, very few did business!

Older rural people were quite afraid of risk.

They hoped their children could have a stable job, preferably one with an official establishment!

Su Yang: "I already received 60,000 in dividends from the hot pot restaurant last month. I estimate I'll be able to pay off the loan this month!"

Mom: "Huh? You're already breaking even?"

This was Su Yang's method for dealing with his parents so they wouldn't worry too much...

Before they could react, he would break even first!

Risk?

There was no risk anymore!

The rest was pure profit!

Su Yang: "You know about Rongcheng's consumption level. Our hot pot restaurant is opened in Feida Plaza, the taste is good, and it's very popular with customers. Often there are no empty seats, and customers have to queue!"

Su Yang: "Do you know Rongcheng's Feida Plaza? Many young people like to go there. It's the same as the Hongshan Plaza in our county, but with many more people than Hongshan Plaza!"

Mom: "I know. How could I not know? Do you really think I don't go online?"

Su Yang: "That's good!"

Mom: "But do you know how to run a hot pot restaurant?"

Su Yang: "That boss helps me find chefs and hire employees. I help manage the hot pot restaurant, keeping an eye on suppliers and the account books!"

Mom: "Why is that boss so good to you?"

Su Yang: "He has too many catering shops and can't manage them all. I help him watch the shop and manage the accounts. I get up earlier than the chickens and sleep later than the dogs every day, while he just lies around waiting for dividends... Come to think of it, I'm actually the one at a disadvantage!"

Mom: "Disadvantage my foot. He appreciates you, which is why he's helping you. Don't get cocky just because you've had a little success..."