Chapter 31: Large-Scale Procurement!

Manager Zhang never would have thought that in the past, other companies considered the rent too expensive because the rent in other office buildings was generally two or three yuan, while Shenhua Haohua was four yuan, almost double.

Yet, surprisingly, Mr. Pei found it cheap?!

Was he being sarcastic?

Or did he have no concept of money?

Pei Qian frowned slightly, calculating quickly in his mind.

His original psychological expectation for the place was around five yuan.

Based on 5 yuan/day/square meter, for a 3000-square-meter office space, the monthly rent would be 450,000 yuan.

Losing 450,000 yuan a month without doing anything – where could one find such a good deal!

As it turned out, the price was a whole yuan less than he had estimated.

This one yuan saved him more than 90,000 yuan in losses every month!

It was still a bit troubling.

However, this was within an acceptable range.

Pei Qian was in such a hurry because "Ghost General" was making money for him every day!

After all, "Ghost General" was still in its rising phase, with more and more recommendations from the gaming platforms, increasing popularity, and a large influx of players every day, naturally leading to rising revenue.

Losing all that money wasn't an easy task.

Pei Qian had to step up his game!

...

"I'll rent this floor, prepare the contract," Pei Qian said decisively.

Manager Zhang was momentarily stunned, then smiled broadly, "Alright! Please follow me."

Such a decisive customer was indeed rare!

Pei Qian and Xin Hailu went to Manager Zhang's office, made the payment, signed the contract, and quickly completed the series of procedures.

With the deposit and the first month's rent paid, 700,000 yuan was spent in an instant.

Pei Qian didn't even frown, but felt secretly pleased.

As the saying goes, "When the wind blows, the eggshell is gone, and the wealth is gone, people are at ease."

How could he turn the system's money into personal property if he didn't spend it all early?

As for the contents of the contract... Pei Qian didn't need to worry about that, he had Assistant Xin to handle it.

Xin Hailu was also proficient in financial and legal matters, so with her in charge, Pei Qian felt very at ease.

"Welcome to Shenhua Haohua! If you have any problems in the future, feel free to contact me, and I'll solve them for you as soon as possible," Manager Zhang said with a beaming smile.

Pei Qian exchanged a few pleasantries, took the lease contract from Manager Zhang, and handed it to Assistant Xin to keep.

Then, Pei Qian and Xin Hailu left Manager Zhang's office and returned to the 17th floor.

...

Pei Qian walked around the empty office area, planning the company's layout.

This was also an important part of losing money!

"A good working environment can boost employees' efficiency and enhance our company's image!"

"Assistant Xin, take note, and prepare a procurement list for me later."

"Office desks and chairs must be expensive – well, not just expensive, but high-end and unique, unlike other companies!"

"Computers must be top-of-the-line, with mechanical keyboards and mice, and high-quality monitors – two per person. We're in the information age, and as a gaming company, computers are our productivity!"

"We must have some green plants. When you're tired from work, looking at green plants can help you relax. However, maintaining green plants is not easy, so we'll need to hire a dedicated caretaker for them."

"I think that space over there would be perfect for a small gym. There are many occupational hazards in the gaming industry, so regular exercise is necessary to stay healthy and perform better at work."

"For the reception area, we can't skimp on the sofa and coffee table. It would be best to invest in a high-end tea set and buy seven or eight types of premium tea leaves. In case of business negotiations, we can't just offer our guests purified water."

Pei Qian spoke enthusiastically.

All of this will be funded by the system, so let's go all out!

Anything the company needs will be of the highest quality.

Even things the company doesn't need will be of the highest quality!

As Pei Qian spoke, he observed the system's reaction.

There were no changes or warnings from the system, which meant Pei Qian's actions were not in violation of any rules!

Xin Hailu quickly took notes with a small notebook.

"Alright, Mr. Pei, I'll get everything arranged for you soon."

"What's the approximate total cost you're willing to accept?" Xin Hailu asked.

Pei Qian thought for a moment: "Somewhere between 500,000 and 800,000 yuan. Try to lean towards the 800,000 side."

Xin Hailu nodded: "Understood."

Pei Qian didn't dare to go overboard; he wanted to be extravagant but not exceed the company's needs.

Take, for example, the computers needed for the office.

Under normal circumstances, ordinary computers would suffice.

In order for Pei Qian to lose money, he must use a high-end computer.

Ordinary computers won't cause any trouble with the system. However, if Pei Qian were to spend millions on a supercomputer, the system would deem it a violation.

Thus, Pei Qian couldn't spend money without restraint; setting the budget around 800,000 yuan was already pushing the system's limits.

...

...

One day later.

"Here's the procurement list I've compiled based on our previous discussion. Please take a look."

Xin Hailu handed a document from the folder to Pei Qian.

The list included office desks, chairs, computers, plants, fitness equipment, sofas, tea tables, tea leaves, and much more.

Everything Pei Qian could think of was included.

After a quick scan, Pei Qian couldn't help but be slightly surprised.

It was incredibly expensive!

The prices of the plants were a clear indication.

A single pine bonsai cost 988 yuan.

But it wasn't the type of expensive that felt like a rip-off. From the pictures, the bonsai was indeed of superb quality, likely cultivated and pruned by a master, even making one feel that spending 988 yuan was worth it!

Ten money trees, priced at 188 yuan each.

Ten trees were purchased because having just one by the floor-to-ceiling windows would look too lonely; they needed to be displayed in a row.

Buying ten symbolized perfection.

There was also a high-end sofa set for 60,000 yuan.

A handcrafted pure silver tea set for 22,000 yuan, a natural Duan inkstone tea tray for 13,000 yuan, to be used in rotation.

And several types of expensive tea leaves.

Pei Qian looked at the long list of zeros and felt his eyelids twitch.

Pretending to be very serious, he flipped to the end of the list.

The total was 780,000 yuan!

The majority of the cost was allocated to the workstations.

Each employee was provided with a high-end office desk, a top-of-the-line gaming chair, a high-spec computer, two high-refresh-rate gaming monitors, and a mechanical keyboard... This entire set-up cost over 20,000 yuan.

With 30 workstations, that was over 600,000 yuan.

With some additional expenses here and there, the total reached 780,000 yuan.

After looking at the prices of the items, Pei Qian had an illusion.

Only 780,000 yuan? So cheap???

The number of 30 workstations was determined after careful consideration by Pei Qian.

Pei Qian aimed to lose money, but under the system's rules, he had to engage in normal business activities. He couldn't just hire a few people who didn't do any work and spent all day gaming in the office.

That would be a clear loophole exploit, and the system would issue a warning.

With the current cloud editing technology, 30 people could barely manage to develop a large-scale game, but the quality wouldn't be top-notch.

As for the office space being too vast for just 30 workstations, that was an easy fix.

Pei Qian planned for a pool table, an entertainment room, an audio-visual room, a water bar, a snack area, a lounge, and more.

The actual office area would only occupy a small portion of the space.

Moreover, each workstation would be spaced far apart to ensure ample personal space for every employee.

The desks would be the largest available, providing plenty of room for anything the employees might want to display. Even if they bought an excessive number of collectible figures, there would still be enough space.

With this plan, the 30 workstations wouldn't fill the entire space, but they would come pretty close.

Pei Qian looked at Xin Hailu with a face full of admiration, as if to say, "You're amazing."

This is professionalism!

Xin Hailu maintained her professional smile and reported, "All the items have been sourced from legitimate channels and purchased at the lowest internal prices. The company will not waste a single cent."

Pei Qian nodded.

He believed Xin Hailu could achieve this.

Since all the items were sourced from legitimate channels and at the lowest prices, the system had no reason to warn Pei Qian.

Pei Qian was very fond of this assistant.

She fully understood her leader's intentions, had strong execution, and there was nothing to criticize about her performance in any aspect.

Working with smart people was just so refreshing!

"Great, I'm very satisfied. Let's proceed with the procurement according to this list," Pei Qian praised generously. "Starting next week, I'll be interviewing applicants in the small conference room. I'll need your help in preparing the materials."

Xin Hailu smiled and nodded, "Of course, that's part of my job."

Pei Qian felt that everything was starting to look up.

Recruitment was crucial; whether the task could be completed hinged on this step!

Seeing Pei Qian's determination, Xin Hailu smiled and reminded him, "It seems you've forgotten a crucial matter."

"Shouldn't you prepare your wardrobe as well?"