Chapter 97 Impacts and Challenges

, Uncle Big would have had an even harder road ahead.Now, seeing how the other party was being polite but secretly wary towards Uncle Big, Su Can couldn't help but pay closer attention. Actually, base...Chapter 97: Impact and Challenges

Su Cen's interest in Blizzard's World of Warcraft is similar to his initial fascination with Facebook; both are groundbreaking, each set to alter numerous aspects of the future that people know. For many future male and female otaku, they might recall their first journey on the continent of Azeroth, their first experience with a world story that Blizzard traditionally reshapes by breaking down and reassembling the orthodox Western fantasy framework system. They would remember calling friends to join them in dormitories to take on countless dungeons. They would cherish the seductive voice of female commanders in battlegrounds, as well as the awkward moments when they made girls nearby play games alongside dreams of legendary heroes vanishing from江湖。

At that time, a bowl of instant noodles could fuel hours of battling; one might feel that friendship had never been so reliable. There was always an important buddy throwing in a cigarette and saying with a cool voice, "Let's log on."

Back then, there may have also been a girl nearby who didn't prefer the monotonous role of being a healer but rather enjoyed following boys' guidance and smilingly accepting her assigned roles, drawing ridicule from many envious players. There was excitement in slaying dragons for the first time, cold hands during the first PvP battle, thrilling team efforts with forty members, and everlasting friendships within epic quests.

Years flew by after that. Arthas betrayed the Alliance, Thrall ventured afar on an expedition, and Azeroth's warriors battled in droves against the Burning Legion's frontline forces. Yet dormitory nights filled with noise might be long gone for those who once battled over instant noodles while smoking cigarettes; they gradually distanced themselves from gaming due to work, family, and career—things as cliché but realistic as they were—and stopped playing. That senior with a raspy voice from years of smoking had his first child last year and became an office worker at the company. Nobody knew that he used to be a top-tier basketball player in his school before becoming the leader of an heroic guild, full of vigor and commanding presence.

The cool assassin who always loved playing damage roles is now working as a regular civil servant in a government agency; there's no trace of the game's ferocity on his face, only amiable warmth. Many individuals with shared memories of their era have dispersed like common folk across distant places.

That girl who used to always accompany them and never found it boring to play as a healer might not remember her appearance after many years.

This is just a game where Blizzard and Vivendi make piles of money, sustaining numerous operators and investors. Every agent that obtains its license becomes an influential company in the industry overnight. Life isn't solely about games; therefore, one shouldn't be overwhelmed by them. Sooner or later, there would come a day to logout and abandon it for good, as well as days dedicated to striving for career and family.

But it's not just a game; it also represents the countless days and nights, endless instant noodles and burnt cigarette butts piled up, the loneliness and fading youth of many. This kind of thing is like the alleys in old Beijing or the stone gateways in Shanghai, like Coca-Cola and McDonald's, marking an era.

Existing within the memory fragments of countless people from a certain time period. Therefore, Su Cen told Qiao Shuxin, Dustin, and Mark Zuckerberg that he wants to acquire equity. The simplest reason is this: just as Facebook will become something many women talk about in the future.

This statement was quite impactful for introverts like Zack and Dustin.

The vice president of Blizzard Entertainment, Bill Roper, secretly visited Shanghai during his China trip to meet with the local Facebook team. He had just concluded negotiations with Zhu Jun from Netease but the outcome wasn't optimistic.

Bill himself is a loyal user of American Facebook and developed interest in it when Sean Parker was closely associated with Facebook. Although Sean's deeper intentions were to wrest control for Zuckerberg, there's no denying that Sean played a significant role in promoting Facebook's image. When Bill learned that the Chinese company had an interest in negotiating equity deals, despite Blizzard’s stringent requirements—solid financial strength, good brand reputation, successful game operation experience, and connections with the Chinese government—the local Facebook team was more than qualified as Warcraft's equity transfer partner. Most importantly, they needed to have the funds.

Joining Bill was Vivendi's China manager Michael. On the side of the Chinese Facebook were Su Cen, Qiao Shuxin, and Dustin, who had flown over from America on behalf of Zack.

Michael appeared to be very particular, with an inherent arrogance typical of French people, clearly not impressed by the headquarters of the local Facebook company. When he arrived alongside Bill, he looked around curiously.

The employees of Chinese Facebook saw these individuals and recognized that this was another strategic move by Su Cen given his escorting of Qiao Shuxin and Su Cen. Thus, they all became more focused—meticulously copying down information, the legal department worked overtime to sort things out, and no one knew what kind of contract would be coming their way next. The company’s logistics team provided attentive service; entering the lounge, several tall and beautiful women perfectly timed serving coffee and tea for everyone.

Michael's gaze greedily swept over several girls before finally settling back, at which point he seemed to show a hint of satisfaction. He said, "Allow me to be frank: your company looks too chaotic and disorganized, like it was directly converted from a mixed underground parking lot. I've seen many companies big and small in Vivendi Universal, but whether large or small, they all have a certain godlike appearance and a reasonable management system that enables their employees to work according to the rules rather than the current chaotic situation.", his gaze then lingered on the waists of several serving women, "A truly intelligent client wouldn't lose their judgment just because of your courteous exterior. Similarly, a company that appears good must have a rigorous working style." Su Can thought this Frenchman was quite hypocritical, praising himself for being gentlemanly and meticulous while exposing his true nature as a lecher. His arrogance when he entered had left a deep impression on Su Can; in his eyes, the Chinese-language Facebook office space, despite having an entire floor, appeared somewhat shabby.

"That statement can also be returned to you: many people like to observe outward appearances, but very few can see through phenomena and understand the essence. There are indeed problems with our company's management, but that is not the main issue. We prefer to bring people closer together so they can easily exchange ideas at any time. Gathering passionate and talented individuals naturally leads to creativity, which is the core of a company. If employees don't even like what they're working on, then success rate can be disregarded."

Michael's eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at Su Can, beginning to feel that this young man in front of him was unlike other Chinese people he encountered during investments.

The relationship between Blizzard and its parent company Vivendi was not as close-knit as outsiders perceived; there were disagreements and conflicts. For Michael, concerns about profitability outweighed the internal regulations of the gaming department.

WoW wasn't just discussing equity issues with secretive companies or those with clean backgrounds (at least none that would be competitors), but also starting to look for agents. The domestic battle over agency rights had already begun fiercely at this stage, with dozens or even hundreds of teams gathering, all hoping to secure the rights to World of Warcraft.

If it weren't for Facebook Chinese and Facebook's clean background, Blizzard's vice president Bill and Michael from Vivendi China wouldn’t have moved their focus here.

"Currently, we don't have plans to enter the online gaming industry, nor do we have experience in successfully operating games; we lack talent in this area," Su Can said. "So let’s forget about agency rights. It might be worth more to buy a portion of equity."

Michael showed a hint of disdain on his face and said, “That would cost much more than three million dollars.”

Bill glanced at Michael but didn't say much. Although Michael was his peer, being from the parent company made him somewhat arrogant, with a certain French haughtiness that occasionally bothered Bill. Before coming to China, Michael had even predicted that this bunch of Chinese couldn’t come up with so much money.

“I see,” said Su Cen, “you want us to make an offer first before we can proceed further.”

Michael and Bill exchanged a look and then replied, "We can only give you a provisional price. We plan to sell 30% of World of Warcraft shares, which amounts to 3 million shares. This will cost you $27 million. If you're certain about this, we'll internally discuss further and inform you of the final price three days later."

“$27 million!” Chao Shuxin and Dustin’s eyes widened in shock. The amount was more than what Facebook had raised and even surpassed all of Su Cen's existing wealth from Facebook Chinese, a figure that could be considered astronomical to them. No wonder many were reluctant to touch this hot potato, especially with no certainty about its future profitability.

Su Cen nodded and said, "I understand. I hope you can quickly finalize the pricing plan." A week after Michael and Bill left China, they returned to Shanghai this time bringing a genuine offer for World of Warcraft shares—Blizzard was selling 30% equity in exchange for $25 million in development funds. As the recipient, Facebook Chinese would pay $27 million over three installments, with the final installment due on February 14th of next year.

Raising $25 million during this period posed a significant challenge to Su Cen's entire business.

The road ahead was long and arduous, but they were already nearing the top forty, with the light at the end of the tunnel shining brightly for reaching number thirty.

You are reading Chapter 97: Challenges and Opportunities. If you find any errors, please contact us to correct them!ne will undoubtedly have內涵 and foresight, and you need to learn and think. When we pass through Tongcui Lin Rich District and Chunxi Road with its old prestigious shops, can you immediately tell which...