Yue Shi sat in front of the computer, a Zhongzhou enterprise registration guide open before him.
After flipping through several pages on the Liming City government website, he found that the procedures for registering a company were simpler than he had imagined.
Thirty years ago, registering a company required visiting numerous departments, collecting dozens of stamps, and waiting a significant amount of time to receive a license.
Now, everything was handled online with electronic signatures, facial recognition, and intelligent approval.
He quickly finished filling out all the forms. He named the company the Tulip Security Company, a small way to commemorate an old acquaintance.
On the surface, the company's business scope included security services, risk assessment, sales of security equipment, and the transport of various hazardous materials.
First, he cleared the company name, then filled in the business scope, followed by submitting the information for the shareholders and the legal representative.
Yue Shi filled in the name “Chen Zhiyuan.” There was indeed a person named Chen Zhiyuan in Zhongzhou, but he had gone missing in a danger zone. After Ghost’s deepfake processing, he now served as the legal representative for the security company.
Soon, the Tulip Security Company was successfully registered, and an electronic version of the business license was generated.
Yue Shi clicked it open. A pale yellow electronic license appeared on the screen, printed with the company name, Unified Social Credit Code, legal representative's name, registered capital, business scope, and date of establishment.
The next step was recruiting employees.
Yue Shi posted a recruitment advertisement on the Liming City talent website.
The title was “Tulip Security Company Is Hiring,” and the content was written very simply: hardworking, not afraid of danger, generous pay...
The most important point was that Yue Shi subtly mentioned the company did not care about employees' backgrounds and would not conduct any background checks.
The job description included, but was not limited to, patrolling, guarding, escorting, and clearing dangerous areas.
The work location was in Liming City and its surrounding areas. Salary was negotiable, consisting of a base salary plus performance bonuses—the more you worked, the more you earned.
The resume submission email was his registered company email, which Ghost would automatically screen.
Once the recruitment information was posted, many people applied. Liming City had a population of ten million, a significant portion of whom were migrants unable to find stable work. The clause about not checking identities was enough to attract many.
Emails fluttered in like snowflakes.
Ghost quickly performed the screening, filtering out all the locals.
After all, the Tulip Security Company was prepared specifically for players.
Ghost selected the first batch of candidates and notified them to come to the company for an interview.
The company address was in an office building in the West District of Liming City. Yue Shi had rented three floors. The decor was simple, with a few desks, the company's business license hanging on the wall, and several blank photo frames.
...
The player 【Paper Plane】 saw a post on the forum saying a new security company had opened in Liming City with lenient conditions and good pay, so he wanted to give it a try.
He specifically changed into a set of clean clothes in the game so he wouldn't look like a beggar.
At this moment, he stood at the entrance of the office building. The door was an old-fashioned glass door that required a bit of force to push.
The elevator was slow; he had to press the button several times before it lit up.
The corridor was quiet. He found the door plaque for the Tulip Security Company.
The door was open, and inside was a small reception area.
Peeking in, he saw a long-haired man sitting behind a desk, holding a Snow Leopard.
【Paper Plane】 was stunned. He had seen photos of this NPC on the game forum. Previously, a player had received a quest to find a pet and even posted about it on the forum to show off.
Unfortunately, there had been no follow-up news from that player, and they hadn't come out to brag about what rewards they had actually received.
Looking at it now, it seemed this NPC had already found his pet.
He hadn't expected this NPC would start a company.
【Paper Plane】 walked in for the formal interview.
Yue Shi glanced at him, his gaze cold and somber.
【Paper Plane】 felt a bit uncomfortable under that stare.
Yue Shi took a form out of a drawer and pushed it over.
【Paper Plane】 took the form and found its contents were very simple: name, age, and contact information. No identity check, no questions about education, and no questions about work experience.
He filled it out quickly and handed the form back.
Yue Shi scanned it and hired him on the spot. Base salary plus commission, with specific work assignments to be arranged later.
【Paper Plane】 was overjoyed. It turned out the interview was actually this simple. In reality, people always complained online about how difficult and bizarre interviews were; it seemed they were all just being dramatic.
【Paper Plane】 asked another question he was very concerned about: “Does the company provide housing?”
Yue Shi replied, “We don't provide housing, but I can help introduce you to nearby rentals. The prices are cheap.”
【Paper Plane】 nodded, said thank you, and left.
He calculated in his head that although the base salary for this job wasn't high, it was much better than washing dishes in a restaurant.
After 【Paper Plane】 left, Yue Shi received several more applicants.
As long as they were players, they would be hired; the interview was merely a symbolic process. Occasionally, if he encountered an interesting local resident, Yue Shi would consider them as well.
...
【Paper Plane】 quickly completed his onboarding and walked into the Tulip Security Company, startled by the sight before him.
The office was crowded, and most people had names hovering over their heads.
Clearly, they were all players.
Dazzled by the sight, he found an empty seat and sat down. The people around him were chatting excitedly.
“Another player arrived.”
“I saw the recruitment info on the forum. What about you guys?”
“A friend introduced me. They said the boss here is easy to talk to—hires you directly without asking anything, not even checking your ID.”
“Don't you think it's strange? I feel like this company isn't doing anything legitimate.”
“What's there to be strange about? He's an NPC. His programming is probably just set up this way.”
【Paper Plane】 looked around and found that the office was almost entirely filled with players. Only a few ordinary NPC employees in work uniforms sat in the corners, looking completely out of place.
The players were discussing the game, sharing hidden locations they had discovered, and complaining that the game was too difficult.
Sitting in the middle of it all, 【Paper Plane】 suddenly felt like he hadn't come here to work, but rather to attend a player meet-up.
The absurdity of the feeling made him unable to help laughing out loud.
...
Inside the office.
Ghost drifted back and forth. “Why did you suddenly want to start a company?”
Yue Shi replied, “I've discovered the immense potential of players. They are simply the best cheap labor available.”
Players were willing to do anything. They weren't afraid of hard work, danger, or even death. If they died, they could respawn; if they were injured, they could recover. Pain was merely a numerical feedback to them.
Give them a small salary, and they could work around the clock for days. They would never complain about the workload, never ask for overtime pay, and certainly wouldn't quit on a whim.
Most importantly, they were full of enthusiasm and would never question orders. The bizarre requests of the clients would only be treated by them as game missions to be snatched up.
Because they thought this was just a game.
“By gathering the players together, I can also take the opportunity to observe them. Don't just sit idle; try your best to find a way to hack into their game system,” Yue Shi said to Ghost.
Ghost: “...”
“Fine. I guess I'm a workhorse too.”
Rate on N.U.
