Original subtitles

=No Pain No Gain= (Adapted from the Qidian novel)

("Losing Money to Be a Tycoon" by Qingshan Quzui)

=Episode 9= (This story is purely fictional)

Hello?

Dad, Mom.

Son, where are you?

Your new house?

How's the renovation going?

Show us.

I'm in the new house.

Let me show you.

Look.

I'm getting ready

to renovate the house.

See, I told you.

It's a huge project.

It's going to take some time.

You know,

Uncle Ge and Aunt Zhang

came to annoy your dad today.

They said, "Your son has bought a new house,

so why isn't he letting you move in?"

Your dad got so angry, and his blood pressure shot high.

Don't listen to your mother.

I won't stoop to the same level as Ge.

I'm telling you, I'm still exercising every day,

climbing up and down the stairs.

Later, I'm going

to take the trash out.

Look how healthy I am.

Right?

Dad, Mom, don't worry.

I will

get it done quickly

so you can move in soon.

Okay?

Son.

Don't worry about the house.

Don't worry about us.

Take care of yourself.

Don't over-exert yourself.

Yes.

Dad, Mom, I have work to do.

Bye.

Okay.

Sure.

Bye.

What did you tell him?

Why make him worry?

I need to branch out

to make more losses.

Go!

Save me!

Defend Mr. Ma!

Save me!

I'm on a 12-kill streak! I'm trying my best!

Go!

Sorry.

I'm a noob, sorry.

Start again.

It's okay.

Will you win for sure?

Dude, wait.

You're up next.

It's okay.

That's not a dude.

It's Mr. Pei.

- Hello, Mr. Pei! - Hi, Mr. Pei!

Hello, everyone.

Come on.

You're not playing anymore because the boss is here?

You cowards want to get involved in venture capital?

Relax.

Mr. Pei is not the kind of ordinary boss.

Sit down.

- Sit down. - Just sit.

Introductions are in order.

These people are new recruits

for DreamForge Capital.

They're from the same college as ours.

Huang Wang,

1,830 points on the Summit Ranking.

Jiang Huan,

1,780 points on the Summit Ranking.

Amazing, right?

No need to introduce the rest.

I've read your resumes.

All of you couldn't receive

any offers, right?

The counselor told me

to help these juniors

fulfill their dreams.

So, I decided

to let them join.

Ma Yang.

You're getting into the groove,

but you're neglecting

a crucial problem.

Everyone woke up early

to play games with Mr. Ma.

This can cause work-related injuries.

Everyone.

After work, you can claim five skins

as your reward.

Great!

Five skins?

Tang Yishu?

Tang?

Mr. Pei.

You...

What happened to you?

Nothing.

I slipped and fell.

(Tang Yishu,)

(my college junior.)

(Goddess of Bad Luck) (On the day she graduated,)

(Expert in Silence) (she lost her graduation degree.)

(On the day of her exam, she lost her exam slip.)

(Three years since she graduated, she's never found a job.)

Take care.

Ma Yang.

Ma Yang.

I'm telling you.

You did a great job

recruiting Tang.

She's going to be

our guardian spirit in DreamForge.

Okay.

Get her to do a full body checkup.

Sure.

Qian.

Well, the counselor said we don't need to hire all of them.

Do you think

there are too many people here?

You couldn't find a job back then, either.

Did that stop you from becoming

my most trusted partner?

They're all talented.

Okay.

Nurture them.

Sure.

Friends!

One more round!

Nice!

- One more round! - Come on!

Hi, Mr. Pei.

This is Bao Xu.

I'm in Italy.

Take a look.

Mr. Pei, this is Bao Xu.

I'm in Spain.

Take a look.

Mr. Pei, this is Bao Xu.

I'm in France.

Please confirm.

Mr. Pei, this is Bao Xu.

I'm in the US.

He's snatching my phone!

Bao Xu, are you okay?

(Typing...)

Bao Xu.

I won't forget your sacrifice.

Mr. Pei.

You're finally free.

No...

I just need five minutes.

Five minutes.

According to your demands,

you want a soulslike game

that combines core mechanics with ancient poetry.

I thought about it.

When the gamers fight,

during the anticipation period,

they can attack by shouting matching poetry lines.

Take a look.

You...

managed

to think of this?

Does this meet your expectations?

Yes.

Why not?

It's all thanks to you

for making me compile a list of failed games

in the past.

I did some research and got inspired.

It seems that adding elements of ancient poetry

is feasible.

Mr. Pei.

What's wrong?

My leg hurts.

Your leg hurts?

Lin Wan.

In a soulslike game,

we should set the difficulty

to Hell Mode.

Make games like Elden Ring

feel irrelevant

in front of this game.

We need to

make it the best game ever.

Of course.

Please tell me more

about the difficulty level.

So, how many players do you think

should be eliminated in early-game boss battles?

Let's set it to...

99...

99.99%.

99.9999%.

Yeah.

99.9999%

of our players

won't be hindered

by the difficulty level.

We need to believe in our players.

They are capable of overcoming these hurdles.

Set the difficulty as great as you can.

I'll work on the specifics myself.

Are you serious?

Of course.

We can even add

a mocking system.

A mocking system?

Yes.

This will be an exclusive

interaction between us

and the players.

You see.

When it's game over for the players,

our system

will mock them

ruthlessly

to improve the immersive experience.

This will be a paid game,

but let's set the refund period

as long as possible.

Also, set a reminder

so that the players

can refund on time.

Will this really work?

Of course.

This game

shall be called

Returning to Shore.

Not a single reader.

Not a single reader at all.

Huang, don't worry.

Our web fiction company has just begun.

It's always tough at the start.

We're not getting any views at all.

I'm carrying a heavy responsibility.

I feel like I'm letting Mr. Pei down.

I don't even deserve

a nice office like this.

Huang.

A veteran writer

named Russell once said,

if you think your work is important,

it's a sign that you're going mad.

You need to enjoy.

Look.

This office that Mr. Pei rented for you

fits your style.

Huang.

Don't be anxious.

Mr. Pei's wacky ideas

may deter readers at first.

I've given much thought about it.

Our unconventional ideas

may not be able to satisfy

Mr. Pei's demands for innovation.

We need to make it more unconventional than ever.

So, I wrote something like that.

I wanted to see whether this trailblazing writing style

would ever work.

In the end...

Not a single reader.

Huang, you're writing web fiction too?

Show me.

Well...

It's embarrassing.

A litterateur in the making, Huang?

Huang.

That's an interesting pseudonym.

(A Survey Report on Wage Slaves) Ma Dubiao?

You can read that? Impressive.

What a weird name.

It's a username I created

in my last job.

It's close to my heart.

Someone's reading it after all.

You have a message from him.

(You have a message from Niu Yanben) How do you read that?

Niu Yanben.

You know a lot of words.

Huang, why do you look like

you've found your soulmate?

Let's see what he wrote.

Hello, Mr. Ma Dubiao.

I am a novelist

and ghostwriter.

I'm not earning much.

I'm about to lose faith,

but after reading your work,

I felt the same way

and got motivated.

Even though no one's

reading your work, just like mine,

please don't give up.

Let's continue writing

and have faith in our talents.

It's so hard to be a writer.

I guess that's why

Mr. Pei wanted to create

Zhongdian Web Fiction,

so that he could protect

these grassroots writers.

What a visionary.

Send me your account details.

I'll transfer some money to you...

Huang.

Instead of giving him a fish, why not teach him how to fish?

Let him join Zhongdian Web Fiction.

That makes sense.

Huang.

I have an idea

about our web fiction company.

(Shenhua International)

(DreamForge Capital)

Qian.

These projects aren't working out, are they?

Ma Yang.

I've always known

that the investment market is full of odds,

but I didn't expect

it also has so many...

Talents.

Regarding investment,

you should talk to Ms. Xin.

She has a keen eye in investment.

If she sees these projects,

she'd say,

"These projects are too early-stage."

Early-stage?

"Do you have something

that's more complete,

that can be implemented right away?"

Right away?

There is.

As society develops,

public telephone booths

have been disused,

abandoned

and even destroyed.

This is a huge crack in cultural continuity,

causing precious memories to fade,

and a painful phenomenon amid development.

I shall

combine vending machines

and phone booths

to create

a vending machine

designed like a phone booth.

With art,

we shall reshape everyone's aesthetics.

With nostalgia,

we shall recall everyone's memories.

With convenience,

we shall change everyone's lives.

Parallel sentences.

He must have

at least graduated from middle school.

From what I heard,

it's just a vending machine, right?

I'm telling you.

This may be a small project,

but it sounds good.

It's good?

Let's think about it first.

Ma Yang.

If it's something everyone looks out for,

that's crowdfunding.

Taking risks

is the future.

How much

do you want us to invest?

200,000 yuan.

200...

2.4 meters high.

Made of steel.

Lacquered with spray paint.

Exquisite retro handles.

Wooden flooring.

It'd cost around 100,000 yuan to build.

Other than that,

we'd also need money

for the booth interior.

So, 200,000 yuan.

Well, go back and think

about what else

you can add inside the booth.

We'll start mass production as soon as possible.

We'll flood the streets of Jinchuan with your booths.

Okay.

I'll do my best.

I won't let you down, Mr. Fei...

It's Mr. Pei.

I won't let you down, Mr. Pei.

Now,

let us sign

a strategic cooperation agreement.

If you have any good projects

and ideas in mind,

you must present them

to DreamForge Capital.

(Project: Genius Inventor Reason for Pass: Loss Guaranteed)

(Tengda Games)

Other than the phone booth project,

Xin Hailu rejected every other one.

As long as Zhang Wang is around, loss is guaranteed.

Then there's Ma Yang.

With two of them around,

disaster is imminent.

Speaking of Ma Yang,

if anyone else loses money, you might see it as a betrayal.

But if it's Ma Yang,

you'd think it's an honest mistake.

Only Ma Yang can attract

people like Zhang Wang.

Our phone booth project is guaranteed to lose money.

DreamForge Capital has infinite potential.

M&Y is still ruthlessly profiting,

but the private restaurant is consistently losing money,

while Returning to Shore is on hiatus.

Zhongdian Web Fiction is bound to fail.

In conclusion, our prospects

are bright and optimistic.

Look.

What's wrong...

What's wrong with Mr. Pei?

(How to lose money: Staff management, Venture Capital, Games, Zhongdian Web Fiction)

(When you teach at Washington University,)

(you can enjoy the view of Mt. Rainier.)

(Therefore,)

(many professors)

(are willing to give up better opportunities)

(just to work here.)

(This is the Rainier effect.)

(It means)

(a company can create)

(a conducive work environment)

(to satisfy its employees' emotional needs)

(in order to retain talent.)

Mr. Pei, you wanted to see me?

What is it?

You're the one who said you had something to discuss.

I remember now.

Lately, I found out that an employee

is secretly working overtime.

What does this mean?

It means they're stressed out.

We can't ignore our staff's well-being.

Ms. Xin, you see.

Our employees are introverts.

They have no social life.

At this rate, their lives would be affected.

I suggest that we hold

a matchmaking event

to create a platform

that breaks social boundaries

and improves team building.

Mr. Pei, you want them to fall in love

so that they get distracted from work, right?

How could you think so badly of me?

It's just that Zhongdian Web Fiction

is finally off the ground,

so I wanted to let everyone get to know one another.

They're all single.

This would help them work better, too.

Fine, I understand.

According to

Chapter 126, No. 72,

such events may not last for more than a day.

No problem.

Ms. Xin.

If you're free,

you can join, too.

Do I look like I need matchmaking?

Zhongdian Web Fiction authors

and Tengda Games employees'

first-ever matchmaking event

officially begins!

Actually, this event

is meant to encourage everyone

to use your working hours

to solve your personal issues.

So, don't get stressed out.

If things don't work out,

at least you met a new friend.

If it's a match,

we will cover

all your wedding costs!

Good luck, everyone!

- Thank you, Mr. Pei! - Thanks, Mr. Pei!

Come on.

Introduce yourselves.

Let's start with you.

Okay.

Hello.

I'm Cui Geng,

pen name...

No.

Introduce your name in the board game.

I'm the Beauty.

Mr. Pei.

This seat is for you.

Lin Wan, look.

It's a matchmaking event,

but now

everyone's either playing games

or talking about work.

I can't feel love in the air.

(Roses and you spell romance)

Did you tell me

that Returning to Shore is almost done?

Yes.

Mr. Pei, you said we shouldn't discuss work, right?

Yes.

No discussing work.

Hello. Let me add you on WeChat.

Hello. Your WeChat.

Excuse me for a while.

Ma Yang is almost

losing control of himself.

I need to stop him.

Okay.

Mr. Pei!

What are you doing?

I'm socializing.

Hello.

Hello.

You must be Lin Wan, Tengda Games' game planner.

Yes, I am.

I am

a contract writer in Zhongdian Web Fiction,

The Smart Idiot.

Hello.

Were you on a date with Mr. Pei?

No.

It's okay. I saw you

telling Mr. Pei off.

No.

Actually, I admire

a girl with grit and perseverance.

I've been into poetry since young.

You like poetry too?

Whether it's sonnets or limericks,

I've written some impressive ones.

What is he doing?

One of them is about a beauty.

It suits you well.

Let me read it out for you.

"Hold my hand..."

Excuse me.

We have work to do.

Excuse me.

Excuse me.

Saving a damsel in distress?

Hao Qiong?

Why are you here, all alone?

Yeah.

Sibo, if you're not busy,

you can sit here

and talk to me.

No, I still need

to check on everyone.

Well,

I'll get you a bright young fellow.

No.

Let's see...

Huang, over here.

Bo.

Come on.

He's a fine lad.

Sit down.

Have fun chatting.

Have fun.

(Hu Yue, Zhongdian Web Fiction writer)

Hu...

Yue?

You're on the list,

so why aren't you joining everyone?

I signed up because I thought

it was compulsory.

Actually, I don't do well in events like this.

I get it.

Me too. That's why I asked Mr. Pei

to let me decorate the site.

It's okay.

If you don't like it, just stay here and read.

It's okay.

Okay.

That's a lot of food.

Sorry to trouble you.

Not at all.

I'm hungry too.

Here.

Thanks.

I remember your name.

You seem to be new here.

How is it?

I've been writing novels,

but I don't have a lot of readers,

so I was about to give up.

Then, a writer from Zhongdian

encouraged me,

and I decided to join.

I thought I could learn something,

but I haven't done any real work.

My first task

is to join this matchmaking event.

Your boss is so weird.

That's not it.

Mr. Pei

is worried that we don't have time

for dating,

so he created this event.

Mr. Pei is a great boss.

He's concerned that our work would affect

our social lives.

Anyway, he cares for his employees.

You don't believe me, right?

It took me some time to realize

that Tengda is a dream factory for employees.

I feel like

I'm brainwashing myself.

It's okay. You'll understand in time.

You said

a writer from Zhongdian

encouraged you?

He's a nice guy.

He replied to my messages and motivated me.

Also,

he writes about the working people,

and it's very realistic.

I suspect

he must have been a corporate mule

to be able to write that.

Is that so?

What's

his name?

He's got a cute name.

An unusual one.

Ma Dubiao.

An amazing name.

(You're welcome to join Zhongdian Web Fiction.)

(Message from Niu Yanben) (Perhaps this may help you.)

(You may contact)

(the person-in-charge,)

(Ma Dubiao.)

So, your username is?

It's a cool name, too.

It's

Niu Yanben.

(Shared Phone Booth)

What is this?

A phone booth?

Pay to enter?

So expensive?

20 yuan for 10 minutes?

What a rip-off.

Darling, look.

What is this?

A phone booth?

Scan to pay?

20 yuan?

What's inside?

Isn't this a phone booth?

I don't see a phone.

Let's go.

Dumb ideas are everywhere.

Good booth.

Good work in losing money.

Keep it up.

When I earn big,

I'll give you a makeover.

(Shared Phone Booth)

Great location.

Not a single shared bike around.

Time to upgrade my transportation.

(Jinchuan Automobiles)

I hope he buys it,

or else I'm getting fired.

Boss.

Boss?

Well,

what do you think of the car?

It's a nice car.

I think

I'll take this.

Get the invoice ready.

Mr. Pei.

You were just browsing earlier,

so I didn't remind you

that, according to Chapter 12, No. 76,

you may only purchase business cars for office use.

Racecars?

No.

Why can't I get a racecar?

This car

represents our company's image.

When I drive a racecar,

our partners

would trust me more.

I'm afraid racecars can't convince everyone

that you are a mature businessman.

How is a racecar immature?

Look.

Look at

the huge bonnet.

And this.

The rear wing.

And the door.

And this practical base.

How is it immature?

Buying a car doesn't even meet our requirements in the first place.

I only approved it

because you insisted it was for business.

If you keep using our money for personal gain,

I'll add another clause

that stops you from buying cars.

You...

I'm telling you,

you don't have to be harsh on me, Ms. Xin.

Let me make this clear.

If I can't buy this car, I...

I...

Boss.

Why don't you look at...

(Jinchuan Automobiles) That car?

That car is almost

similar to this racecar

in terms of functionality.

You're right.

I'll buy that car, then.

Really?

Thank you, boss!

I'll do anything

to make this deal work!

You don't have to...

Thank you!

It's okay.

Here...

Who's still working at this hour?

Outrageous!

Lin Wan!

Mr. Pei?

What brings you here?

Didn't I get Wu Sheng and Wu Xi

to cancel your overtime permission?

How did you get in?

I asked the security guard to let me in.

Impossible.

Why would they let you in?

It's not like your family owns the building...

(Shenhua Property)

Lin Wan.

As a rich kid,

you should behave like one.

I've already approved your leave,

so why are you still coming to work?

You need to get rid of your bad habit of working overtime,

got it?

Repent.

I've already completed the proposal,

which you haven't approved.

So, I wanted to improve it.

No, I...

I didn't approve it

because I...

Because I'm too busy lately.

Your proposal is more than enough.

So, you think my proposal

is good enough?

Yes, it is.

Is that an okay from you?

Can Lv and I proceed?

Yes.

But,

proceed slowly.

Slow and steady wins the race.

The graphics and mechanics

have to be on par...

No.

They have to exceed top-tier games.

Okay.

Before that,

follow me.

Where are we having a meeting?

(Xingniao Gym)

Back then, I let you work overtime

to work on the list.

Now that it's done,

it's back to no overtime.

If you need to use up your energy,

come to the gym

every day

after work.

Okay, got it.

I'm telling you,

I checked the records.

You've never used

our entertainment facilities during work.

You've also never been to the gym,

even though we paid for your membership.

This is the closest gym to the office.

You're not paying attention to rest.

Health is not a trivial issue.

Look how weak you are...

Don't worry.

I just want

to speed up our project.

My health is fine.

Well,

if you're so healthy,

did your parents raise you

to work overtime in Tengda?

So,

from now on, take a photo

whenever you go to the gym.

Send it to me.

Okay.

Is it that light?

(Tengda)

Self-made amphibious refrigerator.

Semi-automatic wooden fish beater.

Automatic three-handed arm to flick three foreheads at once,

perfect for families with three kids?

Are these product ideas

from Zhang Wang?

Yes.

They're awesome.

I love them all.

I can't even choose a favorite.

Yeah.

But it won't be easy to get Ms. Xin's approval.

You know, she's too old-fashioned.

Why do we need her approval?

She doesn't have dreams.

All she does is roll her eyes.

(Lin Wan)

Mr. Pei,

I'm not trying to skip gym,

but the gym has closed down.

(Lin Wan)

Come on, Mr. Pei.

You don't trust me at all?

You had to video call me to confirm?

No.

I believe in you.

I just wanted to confirm

if the gym has closed down for good?

(Xingniao Gym)

Look.

I called them to ask.

They said their membership fees

couldn't compete

with nearby gyms,

and their members don't have time for exercise.

They've been losing a lot of members.

The only steady source they had was from Tengda.

Is that true? They don't have other clients?

It's true.

Got it.

Don't slack off, though.

Go home and rest.

(Tengda Games) Just because the gym is closed

doesn't mean you can slack off and work.

Okay.

The signal here is bad.

I need to end this call.

Ma Yang.

This is your opportunity

to become a god-tier investor.

Why are you getting so hyped up after a video call?

Why pull my shirt like that?

(Perpetual Fitness Club)

Hello.

Want to know more

about our swimming program?

(Steely Gym)

(Lift to Second Floor Commercial Street)

Hello. Want to know more about our swimming program?

Swimming...

Hello.

Do you want to know

more about our swimming program?

(Perpetual Fitness Club) Thank you.

(Steady Fitness Club) Want to know more...

It's an all-out price war.

So much competition here.

(Xingniao Gym)

No wonder Xingniao Gym closed down.

Hello.

Want to know more about swimming...

Swimming...

Swimming...

Swimming...

Swimming...

How did she manage to make everyone ignore her?

Want to know more about our swimming program?

That's the kind of talent I'm looking for.

How lucky.

Swimming...

Want to get a gym membership?

15% off for new members.

Weren't you working in the car shop?

You're the boss who bought a car from me!

Hi!

You're not selling cars anymore?

Why are you distributing fliers here?

My sales record didn't make the cut,

so I got fired.

You didn't make the cut?

You just sold a car two days ago, right?

That's the only car I've sold.

Understood.

Are you interested

in a new job?

♪Moonlight brushes the balcony awake♪

♪Clouds drift in, leaving things unclear♪

♪All the glitter fades and slips away♪

♪Shadows mingle, falling into line♪

♪Laughter keeps on ringing♪

♪The wind starts to rise♪

♪Even the stars seem to sigh♪

♪Neon lights gather round to watch♪

♪Careful not to turn my dreams into sails♪

♪Let courage push the waves back from the bay♪

♪The galaxy shimmers as the city dims♪

♪Leaving me standing here alone♪

♪Who overturned the fairytale boat♪

♪The night breeze wavers, restless and tired♪

♪Dark clouds spread across the shore♪

♪A quiet hope lifts a tiny sail♪

♪The sea I dreamed of is nowhere in sight♪

♪Only waiting♪

♪Glows on the far-off shore♪

♪Even stranded light can still feel warm♪

♪Become a lighthouse and shine brighter♪

♪Just another return to land♪

♪No longer afraid of being alone♪

♪This is my fairytale boat♪WEBVTT

♪This is my fairytale boat♪