"Captain Sarah, please introduce your team to me."
John felt a bit awkward, recalling what his mother had said before leaving the house. What did she mean by 'use them harshly?'
"Boss, my name is Sarah Evans, and I'm the team leader of Edge Horizon. I'm mainly responsible for numerical design."
"Numbers? Well, that's a very important role."
John nodded. Game designers focus on ideas, but the final product depends heavily on the game team's execution. Even with the same idea, the results can vary dramatically based on the production team. If the balancing of Pokémon stats went wrong, it would ruin the gameplay experience.
Sarah stepped aside to reveal two more team members. "This is Emily Wang, and behind her is Bella Smith. They handle the original artwork for the game."
"Hi, boss," Emily greeted.
"Hello, boss!" Bella added with a playful smile.
Bella's well-proportioned figure, especially her long legs, stood out from the group. Emily, on the other hand, had a more petite stature, standing only about 1.5 meters tall, giving her a more youthful appearance.
John nodded and smiled at them, continuing to look over the team.
"And this is Jessica Tang, responsible for the art modeling in the game," Sarah introduced.
"Hello, boss," Jessica greeted with a warm smile.
"Next, we have Olivia Su, in charge of game copywriting and event planning," Sarah added.
John's eyes narrowed for a moment. Olivia's calm demeanor didn't seem to match what he expected from someone handling in-game events—often the most devious money-making schemes.
"And finally, these are Alice Yan and Sophie Williams, who handle game programming," Sarah finished.
"Hi, boss," Alice said softly, her appearance more reserved and pure. Sophie, with her shy smile and twin ponytails, didn't quite fit John's mental image of a typical programmer.
John was a bit taken aback. Am I interviewing employees or walking through a modeling agency?
Despite their small size, Edge Horizon seemed to cover all the core aspects of game production. Other roles, like music and voice acting, were typically outsourced.
Suddenly, a thought crossed John's mind: "What kind of conflicts did you have with your previous game designer?"
Attractive or not, John didn't need vases—he needed people who could get the job done. If they couldn't work, it would only create more problems.
Immediately, John noticed the tense expressions on some of their faces. There seemed to be more to the story.
"There's no need to sugarcoat it," Sarah stepped forward, calm and direct. "He wanted to sideline us."
"Sidelined? Why?" John asked.
In the gaming world, production teams like this one usually had contracts that restricted them from taking on outside projects, which meant their reputation in the top ranks was built slowly over time. If they suddenly stopped working, their recognition would fade quickly.
"What else could it be? Physical reasons," Sarah said with a smirk.
John: "…"
That's quite the excuse.
"Aren't you worried I might sideline you for similar reasons?" John asked, raising an eyebrow at the team.
Sarah stared at him for a moment before laughing. "If that happens, we'll just accept it. After all, the penalty clause in the contract your mom signed is even better than our last one. No one's bailing us out of this deal."
"Boss, you're young, just graduated, rich, and powerful. I wouldn't resist if things went that way," Bella teased.
"To be honest, marrying into a wealthy family has always been a dream of mine," Jessica added with a wink.
"That's right, boss. Should we get a little closer?" Bella stepped toward John boldly, her playful tone still intact.
John: "???"
Am I being set up here?
As John processed the bizarre situation, the team broke out in laughter, and a black line appeared across John's forehead as he straightened up and declared:
"Stop laughing! Let me remind you, I'm more focused on your work abilities. If you can't perform, I won't hesitate to fire you."
"Don't worry, boss. We got here because we know how to work," Sarah reassured him, the laughter settling down. She then asked the question that had been on her mind. "Boss, did you really design the entire Pokémon game by yourself?"
"Yeah, of course."
John shrugged, a little bored by the topic. "You see how big my house is?"
"But there are so many assets! The Pokémon stats, their moves, designs, art, modeling… How long did it take you?" Sarah pressed.
"About ten days, maybe," John replied nonchalantly.
"Ten days?" The entire team was in disbelief.
"Come on, boss, we're all in this together. Tell us the truth," Sarah urged.
"It really only took ten days," John sighed, realizing how hard it was for them to believe.
Looking around at the group, John thought back to what his mother said. If you're going to hire a team, might as well hire a good-looking one.
"You don't understand. I'm a genius!" John added with a wink, making the team laugh once more.
A/N: If you enjoy the chapters, leave some power stones, we are finally in the rankings so let's climb them fast. If we reach top 50 then I will upload 2 extra chapters. Enjoy ✌️.