Three days later.
An acquisition operation that could only be described as lightning-fast was fully completed. From the moment Li De called Tianyue Headhunters to the finalization of the entire deal, the total time elapsed was six days.
Li De spent 80 million RMB to acquire the Sword and Shield Club, which had over 300 employees and had been deeply involved in the gaming industry for ten years.
At the same time, he paid Tianyue Headhunters a 12 million RMB service fee, making this the fastest and most effortless commission the headhunting firm had ever earned since its founding.
As a result, Li De became the most prestigious client of this top headhunting company.
That sweet-voiced lady was assigned to become Li De's 24-hour personal service assistant. Whenever he needed anything from Tianyue Headhunters, regardless of time or place, she would provide the most professional service at the first notice.
This policy fully demonstrated what it meant to be a 'lord', simply by having money.
Meanwhile, Li De's 3,000 Gold Pucks were snatched up by eager gaming guilds, bringing in a net income of 135 million.
Overnight, he stepped into the ranks of the ultra-wealthy.
After experiencing the authenticity and allure of Glory, all the gaming guilds realized the enormous potential behind it. One after another, they nearly went mad waving checkbooks to buy in.
One of the most aggressive guilds alone spent 30 million on Gold Pucks, believing that as long as they could secure an early advantage, the initial investment would be worth it. In the future, they expected returns of ten or even a hundred times.
After deducting the 80 million acquisition cost for the Sword and Shield Club, the 12 million service fee to Tianyue Headhunters, and the 4 million (3% fee) to the Sword and Shield Club for handling the Gold Pucks,
Li De still had 39 million RMB remaining.
He didn't hesitate at all and immediately injected 34 million into the Sword and Shield Club, whose accounts had been down to just a few hundred thousand, leaving 5 million as a contingency reserve.
The Sword and Shield Club, which had been in turmoil because of the acquisition, instantly quieted down when Li De announced with his characteristic extravagance that all core staff salaries would be raised by 30%.
Any resentment toward this new boss transformed into warm welcome.
Due to Chen Feng's prior cash flow problems, they hadn't seen raises in a very long time. No matter how nice words sounded, they could never compare to cold, hard cash, and Li De clearly didn't intend to play games.
The Sword and Shield Club was based in a high-tech park in Shanghai City, only about half an hour's drive from Li De's home.
After completing all the formalities, on the very first day Li De took over the Sword and Shield Club, he immediately convened a high-level meeting.
He intended to build a force that operated according to his will, and the Sword and Shield Club in its current state was clearly not up to standard.
"President Li, the Sword and Shield Club currently has twelve professional teams with a total of 150 players, competing in eight virtual games.
Among them, two games consistently bring in top-three rankings each year, which are our club's primary revenue sources.
There are 60 analysts and coaching staff, 70 people on the data collection and in-game task mining teams, 50 members responsible for organizing and selling in-game items, and 20 in logistics support."
On the way to the conference room, Zhao Yue, whom Li De had hired as his new CEO assistant, was using the time to brief him on some basic company information.
After the acquisition, Li De had chatted with this mature, shapely woman. Her perspective and insight had earned his approval, she was a capable subordinate.
And Zhao Yue herself hadn't wanted to leave the club she'd worked at for ten years. At Li De's invitation, she decided to stay.
Top-tier talent never lacked opportunities elsewhere, someone like Zhao Yue would be in demand anywhere. In fact, Tianyue Headhunters had already been recommending her to other companies.
Based on everything he'd learned about the Sword and Shield Club these past few days, Li De couldn't help but shake his head.
The club had a solid foundation, but its profitability was far too poor, relying every year on just two virtual games for income.
If they slipped in rankings even once, the club could fall into the red. This was basically a small workshop business model.
Furthermore, limited by former owner Chen Feng's inadequate capital, the Sword and Shield Club's growth had been very slow.
Without his takeover, the Sword and Shield Club likely would never have made much of a splash.
"We'll discuss the rest once we're in the conference room."
Li De cut Zhao Yue off as he looked ahead at the entrance.
"Yes, President Li."
Although she hadn't been working under him for long, Zhao Yue had already more or less figured out Li De's personality.
His word was law, no room for debate. He operated swiftly and decisively. If he gave a task, you completed it. There was never any room for negotiation.
This sort of decisive temperament made him both easy and difficult to work for.
Easy in that as long as you completed your assignments, there would be no issues whatsoever. Difficult in that if you failed or compromised the mission, you would definitely suffer for it.
And Li De's demeanor often left Zhao Yue feeling very unsettled.
Because he seemed, well, like a true aristocrat. Not the modern kind reduced to a hollow honorary title.
But the ancient kind, who controlled the fate of everyone within their domain.
Sometimes, the cold severity that flashed in his eyes made her heart pound with dread. She often suspected he must have once been a mercenary who had participated in wars. Otherwise, how could his presence be so terrifying?
Li De had no idea what Zhao Yue was thinking, if he had, he could only sigh at how keen a woman's intuition could be.
He was not merely an aristocrat. He was the master of a city, the king of a race. The power he held could unleash a large-scale war at any moment.
Bang~
At the entrance to the conference room, two young and beautiful girls helped push the doors open. Li De inclined his head slightly to them, then stepped inside.