An Office Building Perfectly Suited for Su Bai

To be honest, ever since binding the Indulgence System, Su Bai had visited quite a few internet-famous restaurants. How should he put it? After all, expensive dining establishments always carried a bit of that trendy, viral vibe.

In Su Bai's eyes, there were two incredibly frustrating things about the so-called innovations of these viral dishes.

First, they loved to force associations, coming up with a bunch of high-sounding concepts that were actually nothing but pretentious fluff.

Second was the completely random fusions. No matter how delicious Jiangcheng's lotus root soup was, mixing it into a clay pot porridge just tasted weird...

Either way, Su Bai wasn't a fan.

The expressions on the faces of everyone else at the table only proved his point.

Fortunately, it was just breakfast, so they hadn't ordered much. Coupled with Su Bai's bottomless pit of a stomach, very little went to waste. In fact, he wasn't even full by the end of it.

"Are you heading to class, junior?"

"Not quite. I have some errands to run off-campus later, so I'm heading back to my dorm first."

"Alright then. Drop by the Anime Club when you have some free time! Those two rooms have been tidied up quite nicely."

Senior Xiaoxiong didn't try to claim too much credit and only mentioned it in passing. However, from her tone and the slight upward curve of her lips, it was obvious she was extremely proud of how much the Anime Club had evolved this semester.

For a university club to evolve, it either needed to catch the school's attention for some official reason, or suddenly receive a massive, luxurious sponsorship.

The amount of money Su Bai had pumped into the Anime Club was beyond just massive; it far exceeded the level of sponsorship any ordinary club could ever hope to see.

Of course, compared to the fortunes Su Bai spent buying companies and luxury cars off-campus, it was just a drop in the bucket, barely worth mentioning. Still, one had to learn to be content.

Walking back to his dorm, Su Bai played a top-tier, premium buy-to-play niche anime mobile game, casually enjoying a morning sunbath near the stadium along the way.

To be completely honest and fair, without any exaggeration or prejudice.

Even though the game had a bizarre business strategy and practically zero marketing, it was genuinely fun to play.

It couldn't compare to the highly acclaimed, massive IPs produced by major international studios, but as a little game to kill time, it more than delivered.

Furthermore, upon closer inspection, he found that while the combat system seemed simple and lightweight, it actually had a surprising amount of depth.

Compared to its eighteen-yuan price tag, it was an absolute steal. He just didn't know if the developer was too poor or what, but there was hardly any marketing, and its sales numbers were downright dismal.

Su Bai sat on a bench outside his dorm building, playing the game until Wang Haoran came downstairs at their agreed time.

"Holy crap, Brother Bai, you started playing this too?"

"Yeah, it's surprisingly addictive."

"If our studio could make a game of this caliber... never mind, let's not think about making games right now."

"Why not?"

"I'm afraid of losing so much of your money that you'd go numb to it."

Wang Haoran's mindset was definitely that of a true bro. Creating an indie game that perfectly matched one's own aesthetic was the ultimate dream for many geeks. However, from a profitability standpoint, game development was a near-suicidal endeavor, and it burned through cash like nothing else.

Ninety percent of game developers burned through their funds without even making a splash.

In the eyes of many entrepreneurs, you were better off opening a bubble tea shop. At least with a bubble tea shop, you were guaranteed to have bubble tea to drink. With a game, could you even guarantee a finished product?

Most projects never even resulted in a playable build before being completely axed.

Wang Haoran already felt like he had hit the jackpot with Su Bai willing to take him under his wing in business. As for making games... haha, yeah right.

"It's fine, I'm not afraid of losing money. Rather, once you make money, you have to find a way to spend it, especially on things you actually enjoy," Su Bai said casually.

He loved playing games himself. With the Indulgence System being as overpowered as it was, how could he resist giving it a shot? Besides, any money burned on game development would just be refunded through the system anyway.

"...Alright then. Whatever you say, Brother Bai."

"Let's go, let's go. We need to check out the office space first. I was looking at that building in the industrial park, and the entire sixteenth floor is empty. The last remaining company is moving out soon too. If there are no major issues, we'll lease the whole floor. If we can buy it, we'll just buy it outright."

As everyone knew.

Buying commercial real estate was a favorite pastime of the wealthy.

It wouldn't seem strange at all.

Su Bai had already spoken with the property manager yesterday, so he knew the situation regarding Building C of the Jiangda Industrial Park like the back of his hand.

A property manager was essentially just a real estate agent. Perhaps those dealing in commercial real estate felt agent sounded too lowly, so they coined a slightly fancier title.

There wasn't much of a difference.

Upon meeting up, Su Bai had the manager show them around while providing a detailed introduction.

"As the boss of Shengxi Technology, you should already be fairly familiar with this building... Let me just focus on the sixteenth floor. To be completely honest with you, this floor has always been a bit tough to lease out. The main issue is that the renovations are quite upscale, making the rent rather pricey, but the rooms are generally on the smaller side and the floor plan is quite fragmented."

"Ah, I get it," Su Bai immediately understood. "Big companies find the layout impractical and won't bother renting it, while small companies simply can't afford it."

"Exactly. You're a smart man, Mr. Su."

The property manager gave a bitter smile.

When companies rented office space, they usually prioritized cost-effectiveness. An impressive, high-end office space left a completely different first impression when partners came over to discuss business.

Just think about the contrast. On one side, you have an ancient office building with buzzing, dilapidated air conditioners, peeling walls, and battle-damaged furniture that looked like it belonged in your grandmother's thirty-year-old house.

On the other side, you have sleek, tech-inspired workstations, spotless premium floor tiles, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a fully imported, top-tier ventilation system...

All other things being equal, anyone would obviously prefer to do business with the latter.

But that was only in an ideal world. In reality, running a company meant watching the budget. Premium office spaces came with premium rent, especially in the area around Jiangcheng University. Throw in the high-end renovations, and the price tag was practically maxed out.

If it were a student startup, they could apply for substantial subsidies, which would make it manageable.

But an ordinary corporate company out in the real world would never rent a place like this...

"By the way, Mr. Su, you won't have any issues applying for the university's support policies, right?" the property manager added.

"Incorrect. I will not be applying for any support policies." Su Bai held up a single finger, his gaze suddenly turning profound. "As far as I'm concerned, only things sold at full price are worth buying. Any sort of discount is an insult to my aristocratic aura."

The property manager: "..."

"Haha, I'm just messing with you. The truth is, the nature of our business makes it impossible to apply for the university's support. Do you really think Jiangcheng University would fund an online gaming studio? It's not prestigious enough; they'd find it embarrassing."

"True."

"But honestly, even though this floor might seem like a useless dud to a traditional company, it's absolutely perfect for a game studio..."

"Why is that?" the property manager asked, slightly confused.

"The rooms are small but exquisitely designed, making them perfect for the socially anxious introverts of the gaming industry. Whether we're running a studio or developing games, doesn't it sound great? The only downside is the lack of large rooms, but there are still a few. Since I'm leasing the entire floor anyway, having just a handful of large rooms for meetings is more than enough."