Chapter 40: The Interview
Combining all these requirements, Chen Mo was looking for someone like this:
Young, with potential to develop.
Relatively versatile, capable of handling assistant work.
Has a basic understanding of games.
Reliable character, trustworthy.
Based on these criteria, Chen Mo screened all the resumes that had come in today.
The result was regrettable.
No one met Chen Mo's requirements.
Of course, Chen Mo had already mentally prepared himself for this outcome. His standards were very strict, and since this was only the first day, there was no need to rush at all.
...
Three days later.
At 10 a.m., the experience store opened as usual. Chen Mo was at the front desk, using his laptop to continue writing the design document for the new version of *Plants vs. Zombies*.
The several major features this time were relatively simple, all built upon the existing framework, and the rules were very clear. So the writing went smoothly, without much need for repeated deliberation.
The main framework was mostly set up. The next tasks would mainly involve refining the documents and production.
Over these three days, Chen Mo had received many resumes from applicants and had arranged four or five interviews. But he wasn't satisfied with the results, failing to find the assistant and front-desk staff he wanted.
The few people who came for interviews either lacked inspiration or had overly obvious ulterior motives. Each had their own flaws, and Chen Mo wasn't pleased with any of them.
After all, there was still a difference between reading a resume and conducting a real interview. Speech, behavior, every word and action—some subtle details could reveal a lot.
Chen Mo's standard was: unless he encountered someone who truly satisfied him, he wouldn't consider anyone else.
He definitely wouldn't settle.
"Hello, I'm here for the interview," a voice said.
Chen Mo looked up. Outside the door stood a girl, about twenty-three years old, with short hair and a straight fringe. She looked very cute, with a genuine smile on her face that was quite infectious.
"Oh, hello. Please come in."
Chen Mo stood up and took out a resume he had already printed.
He led the girl into the meeting room and poured her a glass of water.
Su Jinyu, 23 years old, a senior student majoring in fine arts at a prestigious key university in the capital. During her time at school, she had won various awards so many that her resume could barely fit them all.
However, Chen Mo could roughly judge that Su Jinyu wasn't the type of assertive club backbone like Wen Lingwei. Instead, she leaned more toward the hardworking model. The various awards on her resume were mostly for tough, thankless tasks that others were unwilling to do.
In other words, she wasn't the type of student who schemed for opportunities. On the contrary, she was more down-to-earth and capable of getting things done.
So far, Chen Mo had a pretty good impression of Su Jinyu.
"I've already read your resume and have a basic understanding of your situation. The interview is just a casual chat, so don't be nervous," Chen Mo said.
Su Jinyu nodded. "Mm!"
Chen Mo felt he had worried unnecessarily. Su Jinyu showed no signs of nervousness at all. She had probably encountered this kind of situation many times at school. Or maybe she was just naturally thick-skinned.
"You wrote on your resume that you're open to both front-desk and assistant roles. Why?" Chen Mo asked.
Su Jinyu said, "Ah, because I thought if I couldn't become an assistant, I could work the front desk. I figure I could still learn something from that."
This was a very pragmatic answer. Chen Mo could tell that Su Jinyu had a relatively humble attitude, probably because she had tried to become a game designer on her own before but hadn't succeeded.
"Since you're a fine arts major, why didn't you become an artist instead of choosing to be a game designer? I've seen your hand-drawn work; it's very high quality. You're fully capable of being a concept artist," Chen Mo asked further.
Su Jinyu replied, "Mm... On one hand, being a designer still allows me to use my drawing skills. On the other hand, I think game designer is a more creative profession."
Chen Mo said, "But you've also tried developing some indie games and never managed to get a designer identity. Do you think you lack talent?"
Su Jinyu said, "Well, maybe my talent isn't that great, but I'm not giving up!"
Chen Mo nodded and moved on to the next question: "What do you think is the most important quality for a game designer?"
Su Jinyu frowned slightly. This was obviously a relatively vague question, and she needed a moment to think.
"Mm, I think the most important quality for a game designer is to stick to your beliefs," Su Jinyu answered.
Chen Mo was taken aback. "Beliefs?"
Su Jinyu explained, "Ah, don't misunderstand. I don't mean it in the traditional sense. I mean, a game designer should always stay true to their original intention, create games that move players, and bring them joy and inspiration."
Chen Mo thought for a moment and asked, "If there was an opportunity for you to make a game that had a bad reputation but made a lot of money, would you do it?"
Su Jinyu looked puzzled. "If it has a bad reputation, how would it make money?"
Chen Mo said, "It's just a hypothetical."
Su Jinyu thought about it. "Mm... I don't know. All I can say is, if I felt the game was a bad game, then no matter how much money it made, I wouldn't make it."
Chen Mo continued, "What if I wanted to make a game like that?"
Su Jinyu was stunned. "Huh? You're the designer of *Plants vs. Zombies*. If you can make a game like that, how could you ignore your reputation for money?"
Chen Mo said, "To be honest, there's a good chance I'll develop games that make money but have a bad reputation in the future. If you can't accept that, then we can't work together."
Su Jinyu frowned slightly. This choice was clearly making her conflicted.
After thinking for a moment, Su Jinyu said, "I probably can't change your mind. To be honest, I really love *Plants vs. Zombies*. I think someone who can develop a game like that must be a brilliantly talented genius designer. Working as your assistant would definitely teach me a lot."
"I'm relatively slow-witted. I tried to become a game designer on my own before but didn't succeed, so I want to start as an assistant and learn."
"How about this: I'll work the front desk, but you can also assign me some assistant tasks. If I encounter a game I don't like, I can choose not to do it."
Su Jinyu's attitude was very sincere. She neither abandoned her own principles nor tried to influence Chen Mo's views.
If she became an assistant, she would have to completely follow Chen Mo's orders in game design, even if he asked her to make a game she didn't like. That was the professional ethics of a game designer's assistant.
So Su Jinyu wanted to work the front desk while also serving as an assistant. This was a relatively compromise solution.
Chen Mo thought it over.
Su Jinyu was the most satisfactory applicant he had encountered so far. The main reason was that she had a natural love for games, and she was full of positive energy, had a proactive attitude, and was very capable of inspiring others. Working with someone like her should be very pleasant.
But what worried Chen Mo was that Su Jinyu's philosophy didn't fully align with his.
Clearly, Su Jinyu was the type of person who had to "stand tall while earning money," while Chen Mo was different.
The game industry was very treacherous. Ahead of Chen Mo were behemoths like Imperial Dynasty Interactive and Zen Mind Interactive, along with countless newcomers eyeing him hungrily. To become the sole winner in this environment, relying solely on a few high-quality games from his past life wasn't enough.
Chen Mo wanted to develop large-scale, high-quality games, which required a lot of money. So for him, the only goal now was to make as much money as possible, even if it meant temporarily sacrificing some reputation.
This would inevitably clash with Su Jinyu's philosophy.
Chen Mo thought for a moment and said, "How about this: until you graduate, you can work here as a front-desk staff member and also serve as an assistant. If you're ever dissatisfied with anything and want to leave, you can do so at any time. If you're willing to stay when you graduate, we'll sign a formal contract then. What do you think?"