"Mr. Allen, what do you think of the terms we've proposed?" Shi Yuzhu's slightly stiff English flowed out as the recording began to play.
"Mr. Shi's terms are naturally very good, but I wonder if you know that Huang He is actually here as well!" Allen Adahan chuckled.
"What, Huang He is here!" Shi Yuzhu was clearly startled.
"That's right. To be frank, he was just here chatting with me, discussing the Frozen Throne!" Allen Adahan said with a smile. "Compared to Mr. Shi's terms, although Huang He's offer isn't significantly worse, we've collaborated for so long, and there are bound to be feelings. So..."
Allen Adahan's words trailed off, but the implication was clear.
"What terms did Huang He offer you?" Shi Yuzhu asked very directly. "Mr. Allen, since we've reached this point in our discussion, let's be frank. I believe I can offer you terms you can't refuse!"
"Alright, Huang He previously agreed to let me purchase the operating rights for the Frozen Throne at a price of $20 million. While that's $5 million less than your $25 million, as I said before, I have feelings for Jiangnan Group. Furthermore, Jiangnan Group has made significant contributions to esports promotion. I will keep these merits in mind."
"But Mr. Allen, my bid and Huang He's are a full $5 million apart. Isn't that enough?" Shi Yuzhu couldn't help but ask.
Shi Yuzhu had initially thought that Allen Adahan might be bluffing, as who knew if Huang He had actually offered $20 million.
However, upon closer consideration, it seemed unlikely. If Allen Adahan truly intended to use this as an excuse to bluff him, he should have quoted a price higher than his own, or at least the same price. Why would he offer a lower price, let alone $5 million lower?
So Shi Yuzhu believed him. He believed Allen Adahan, this old fox who understood human nature, had never anticipated Allen Adahan pulling such a stunt.
"I can add another $1 million!" Shi Yuzhu held up a finger.
"No!" Allen Adahan shook his head. Before Shi Yuzhu could speak, Allen Adahan continued, "Mr. Shi, please return. After much thought, I believe it's best not to disrupt our current good cooperative relationship."
"Nonsense, if you really thought that, you wouldn't be meeting me today. It's just that you think my price is too low!" Of course, this statement was not on the recording; Huang He had provided the voice-over for Shi Yuzhu.
However, Huang He guessed that Shi Yuzhu would likely think the same.
It was a pity that even if Shi Yuzhu understood this, he could only obediently fall into Allen Adahan's trap, because Warcraft III had an astonishing case of generating over $100 million in profit (a result Shi Yuzhu had calculated based on his own collected data).
And with him holding the sequel, the Frozen Throne, he could at least make a profit of $50 million. Therefore, $25 million was far from Shi Yuzhu's bottom line.
Thus, seeing Allen Adahan seemingly trying to dismiss him, Shi Yuzhu gritted his teeth and said, "30 million, I can offer $30 million!"
"Well..." Allen Adahan sat back, lost in thought, appearing hesitant and conflicted.
"40 million, I can offer $40 million to be the agent for the Frozen Throne!" Shi Yuzhu suddenly said.
"What?" This time it was Allen Adahan's turn to be shocked. He looked at Shi Yuzhu in disbelief, as if he couldn't believe the price the other party had quoted.
Allen Adahan had initially intended to pressure Shi Yuzhu a bit more, hoping to get him to raise his bid by another million or two. He never expected the other party to increase it by $10 million all at once. This completely shocked Allen Adahan, and he almost agreed immediately.
"Mr. Shi, you must have other requests!" Allen Adahan was not foolish; he quickly asked.
"That's right!" Shi Yuzhu also nodded. "I know Blizzard has another online game in development called World of Warcraft. I can spend $40 million to purchase the Frozen Throne, but the agency rights for World of Warcraft must also be bundled and sold to me. I can also offer $40 million in agency fees!"
"So you've set your sights on World of Warcraft!" Allen Adahan suddenly understood. After a moment of thought, he said, "World of Warcraft is an online game we are meticulously developing. However, it's different from Warcraft III."
"As a standalone game, Warcraft III having a lifespan of three years is already exceptional. With the continuous development of technology, the latest games will constantly replace Warcraft III."
"But World of Warcraft is different. As an online game, we will continuously update new content and ensure the release of a new expansion pack every two years to constantly add new content, guaranteeing World of Warcraft a game life of at least 10 years."
"Moreover, World of Warcraft will adopt a time-card system for fees. If combined with China's unique blind box system, it will allow for dual revenue streams. This is definitely not a price that can be secured for just $40 million!" Allen Adahan stated very frankly.
"But this is still a game that hasn't been tested by the market. No one in the world would dare to pay a $40 million agency fee for a game that hasn't been market-tested, wouldn't you agree?" Shi Yuzhu said.
This time Allen Adahan fell silent. Indeed, unlike the brilliant achievements of the Warcraft standalone game series, no one could make an accurate judgment about the future of World of Warcraft, a brand-new online game.
"How about this, let me propose a revised suggestion. We will still pay $40 million for the Frozen Throne, but only $10 million for the agency rights of World of Warcraft."
"However, once our profit from World of Warcraft exceeds $20 million, all subsequent profits will be shared equally with Blizzard. For every two we earn, we give one to Blizzard. The settlement will be done once a year. What do you think?" Shi Yuzhu proposed.
"..." Allen Adahan remained silent for a moment, then said, "I will present the same terms to Huang He. If he agrees, I will continue to cooperate with him. If he doesn't agree, I will cooperate with you!"
"Okay, I understand. But I believe Huang He won't offer the same terms as me! I know him; he's a very stingy fellow!" Shi Yuzhu said, followed by some meaningless small talk. The negotiation between Allen Adahan and Shi Yuzhu thus concluded.
"This Shi Yuzhu is completely making money for Blizzard! He's become their puppet," Huang He grumbled. He was fighting tooth and nail in the US, only for this guy to undermine him. It was outrageous.
"Boss, what should we do next?" Hu Jing asked.
"What else can we do? Continue negotiating!" Huang He grinned. "Since Shi Yuzhu and Allen Adahan want to talk to us, let's talk!"
The next day, although Blizzard invited Huang He for negotiations early in the morning, Huang He deliberately delayed until the afternoon before arriving at Blizzard and meeting Allen Adahan.
"Huang, have you considered yesterday's terms?" Allen Adahan asked.
"I can buy the Frozen Throne for $30 million!" Huang He said very decisively. "But I have a condition."
"What condition?" Allen Adahan asked with great interest.
"World of Warcraft must be entrusted to me as its agent!" Huang He stated very resolutely. "For the same price of $30 million."
"This, isn't it a bit too low? I believe the game life of World of Warcraft is far beyond..." Allen Adahan repeated what he had told Shi Yuzhu earlier.
"In that case, how about an annual agency fee of $20 million?" After listening to Allen Adahan, Huang He immediately offered another answer without hesitation.
"This..." This time it was Allen Adahan's turn to hesitate.
Two different plans involuntarily surfaced in his mind.
Shi Yuzhu's plan was to sell the Frozen Throne for $40 million and World of Warcraft for $10 million, but with a 50% profit share.
Huang He's plan was $30 million for the Frozen Throne and $20 million for World of Warcraft, but annually.
Upon careful consideration, both plans were incredibly difficult to judge.
Firstly, both plans would directly bring in $50 million in cash. As for subsequent income, Huang He would have a fixed income of $20 million annually, a visibly tangible income.
Shi Yuzhu's proposal was full of imagination, suggesting an annual income of $30 to $40 million, but these were merely imagined figures. Who knew how much profit there would ultimately be?
Therefore, Allen Adahan fell into a dilemma. On one hand, he felt Huang He's plan was good and practical, given their long-standing relationship and mutual respect; he should prioritize Huang He.
On the other hand, he felt Shi Yuzhu showed more sincerity. Warcraft III alone could generate over $100 million in revenue in China annually, so World of Warcraft's revenue should not be less than this figure.
However, Jiangnan Group had a vast sales network in the Chinese market, which allowed them to achieve such terrifying speed. But Shi Yuzhu's Giant Network seemed like an empty company. What if they couldn't even generate $20 million in profit in a year?
What if the Chinese people didn't like games like World of Warcraft?
If that were the case, then Jiangnan Group would at least have a constant monthly income of $20 million!
Allen Adahan pondered endlessly, unable to make a decision. Huang He then proactively suggested that Allen Adahan take more time to consider, and he left to rest at his hotel.
"Go and invite Mr. Shi Yuzhu over!" After Huang He left, Allen Adahan decided to summon Shi Yuzhu again, hoping to squeeze more profit from him.