Chapter 628: Year-End Carnival
Qian Kun finally went through all the games' Spring Festival events with Chen Mo and then asked, "So, this is the final version, boss?"
Chen Mo nodded. "Yeah, let's go with this. We can start releasing teaser info now. After all, the players need a little time to prepare."
Qian Kun was taken aback. "Prepare for what?"
Chen Mo glanced at him. "Prepare their New Year's money, of course."
Qian Kun: "..."
Qian Kun thought about it and realized that was actually true. The earlier they announced it, the more time players would have to set aside their New Year's money and year-end bonuses, instead of spending it all on other games...
Once everything was arranged, Chen Mo stood up and said to the rest of the studio, "Alright, the pre-holiday work is pretty much all set. Finish up your tasks and then you can head off for the break. Come back on the eighth day after the New Year. If there's work you can take home, feel free to do so."
As soon as Chen Mo finished speaking, a wave of cheers erupted.
"Wow, boss is awesome! Long live the boss!"
"We can go home early!"
"Man, it's great having such a laid-back boss. We get an extra week of vacation just like that?"
There were some employees at the experience store who were from the capital, but they were the minority. The rest came from all over the country, and buying tickets to go home for the New Year was always a hassle. By letting them leave early, Chen Mo not only extended their vacation but also made their travel home much easier.
Lin Xiao reminded everyone, "Don't forget about the annual party! I'm telling you now, the boss has prepared a ton of prizes for this year's party. Even the participation prize is a big red envelope of 18,888. Anyone who doesn't show up is going to miss out big time. Don't say I didn't warn you."
Everyone chimed in, "How could we forget that? We're still waiting to win the grand prize! By the way, what is the grand prize?"
Lin Xiao smiled. "That... is a secret! You'll find out when you get there. I promise you'll be satisfied!"
Another round of cheers erupted.
Every year-end was a carnival.
Thunder Interactive Entertainment was growing bigger and bigger, with profits increasing all the time, and Chen Mo's generosity was growing along with it. This year's annual party was being held at a five-star hotel, with a professional performance team booked for the entertainment, and the prizes were even more lavish.
As a game development company, the party prizes were naturally closely tied to their games. Everyone attending the party would receive a red envelope of 18,888 as a participation prize. In addition, there were high-end phones, high-end laptops, rare in-game skins, in-game currency equivalents, VR game gift packages, and so on.
Also, since Thunder Interactive didn't have that many employees, everyone was guaranteed to win something beyond the participation prize. What exactly they'd win depended on their luck.
The grand prize was the highest-spec VR game pod currently on the market, with a price tag comparable to a luxury car.
These were all extra prizes at the party. The year-end bonuses for each project team had already been distributed. This year, Thunder Interactive's year-end bonuses were just as straightforward as in previous years. And since all projects were highly profitable, there wasn't much difference in bonus levels between different teams.
Overall, most core members had received bonuses equivalent to over twenty months' salary. Even some recent hires had gotten a decent year-end bonus.
For the vast majority of Thunder Interactive employees, the New Year was a very happy occasion. But Chen Mo didn't feel anything special about it.
To him, whether it was the game awards ceremony, the annual party, or the Spring Festival, they were all just formalities. He had no interest in these ritualistic activities.
At this moment, his mind was more occupied with another question: What should the development plan be after the New Year?
...
After finishing another round of *Warcraft*, Li Jingsi stood up and stretched.
In the PC experience area, over ninety percent of players were now playing *League of Legends*. Players like Li Jingsi, who stuck to other games, were a rare breed.
Although Li Jingsi was considered one of the most attractive players in the entire experience store, not many people tried to strike up conversations with her. On one hand, everyone knew about her relationship with Chen Mo. On the other hand... a girl who could beat 99% of male players at games was naturally seen as unapproachable...
In truth, Li Jingsi had a pretty easygoing personality. But being so good at games instinctively created a sense of distance between her and others.
Just imagine: when hitting on other girls, you'd say, "Hey, let's duo queue! I'm a Diamond-level pro, I'll carry you!"
But with Li Jingsi, being Diamond was basically just the starting point...
That was just awkward!
Li Jingsi checked the time and walked over to the lobby.
Seeing her arrive, Chen Mo put down the book he was reading. "Just a heads-up: don't forget about the annual party. You're a full-time employee of Thunder Interactive now."
Li Jingsi nodded. "Okay. Oh, by the way, my cousin is coming today to check things out. Don't let anything slip."
"Check things out?" Chen Mo was puzzled. "How? What do you mean, don't let anything slip? Do I need to receive her?"
Li Jingsi quickly shook her head. "No, no, no. Of course not. Receiving her would be what gives it away. You're the boss; personally greeting an employee's family member would be weird..."
"Oh, that's true." Chen Mo nodded. "Then I'll just act like nothing's happening."
"Exactly. You don't even need to show up. I'll have Jinyu or Qian Kun give her the runaround. Besides, it's not really a runaround—I really do work here now." Li Jingsi explained. "It's mainly because my sister is way too suspicious. She kept pushing me to find a job, and now that I have one, she doesn't believe it..."
Chen Mo said, "Well, you did get a job at an experience store where you spend all day playing games. That does sound a bit hard to believe..."
Last time, Li Jingshu had forced her to go for an interview at Dizhao Interactive Entertainment, which had really annoyed Li Jingsi.
So Chen Mo had simply given her a position at Thunder Interactive. Her official title was "Chief Game Experience Officer of Thunder Interactive." Yeah, Chen Mo had obviously made that up. In simpler terms, she was basically a player who spent all day gaming at the experience store...
Her salary and benefits were, of course, the kind that would make her family very satisfied. But precisely because everything was so good, it made Li Jingshu suspicious.
"Could she have been brainwashed by some pyramid scheme? Or is she just lying?" That was Li Jingshu's first reaction...
After all, Li Jingshu had been working for three or four years before reaching her current salary level, and she was still exhausted like a dog every day. Yet Li Jingsi, fresh out of school, was making more than her in her first job, with a daily task of playing games and very flexible hours. That was just hard to accept!
So Li Jingshu wanted to come to the experience store to check things out and confirm Li Jingsi's work situation.
Chen Mo suddenly remembered something else. "Oh, by the way, a few people will be joining us after the New Year. You might find them interesting."
Li Jingsi was surprised. "?"
Chen Mo said, "Jia Peng, Chang Xiuya, and Wen Lingwei. I've poached all of them."