Hearing the other party using money to pressure others, even the veteran Xibotu was speechless. He could be arrogant, wanting to bully an outsider, bullying his superiors, using his position as an employee to oppress his boss—it was a very satisfying thing in itself. But he didn't expect to hit a wall, which was truly painful.
"Now pack your things and get out of my company!" Zhao An said with a triumphant air, only paying attention to the other party with one-fifth of his gaze. This was a look of contempt, a hint of disdain.
"Me!" Xibotu, upon seeing Zhao An's gaze, felt a surge of fear, his head flinching. Then, as if realizing he had been frightened by a child, a teenager had scared him away?
"Get out! Take your belongings and get out before I call the police!" Zhao An snorted, not giving the other party a single ounce of respect. He knew exactly what the other party was thinking. And he still wanted to buy it back at a low price? He was dreaming!
Xibotu was furious, but he didn't dare offend Zhao An. He could only leave in disgrace, returning to his seat and taking his belongings. He vowed to teach this bastard a lesson!
After clearing out the eyesores, Zhao An looked around the room. "I'm fully aware of all employees who have previously worked at or even had contact with other game companies. I won't object. You can leave at any time. I won't stop you, nor will I try to keep you. As long as we part ways amicably and don't leave me with a mess, I'll always welcome you."
"The headquarters will remain unchanged. All future R&D will be conducted at headquarters. Those willing to work outside can apply, and my secretary will make all the arrangements. Zhao Fei, she's my secretary, and her word is mine."
"Okay, let's focus on two key points. Currently, all limited resources are being focused on the development of Wrath of the Lich King. I want you story planners to write out all the foreshadowing. Whether it's for future expansions or this one, work diligently. I'll prepare a one-million-yuan year-end bonus for your department, and each of you will share this money proportionally. Remember, I want results, not your nagging." Zhao An said slowly, looking at the planning staff.
"Yes! Got it, boss. Don't worry, we'll get it done!" the planning manager stood up and assured.
Zhao An nodded and looked at the other employees. "You can come up with a rough outline for the promotional animation, build a mockup yourself, and write down all the detailed optimizations. I'll find someone to complete it. Just lay a solid foundation."
"Another thing. Many of the company's legacy single-player games need to be reworked. Perfectly remaster them and optimize the details. Remember, strive for perfection."
"That's all for now. Follow these two directions and strive to meet my targets. Promotions and raises won't be a problem. I'll book a floor at the Hilton Hotel for an employee dinner tonight. Everyone, come there after get off work. I'll treat you all. You can also consider coming to headquarters. The branch will be responsible for promotions and hosting the North American Carnival in the future." Zhao An laid out his plans without hesitation.
The reason for moving back is to facilitate management. At the same time, this brand can develop many other things: offline game competitions, figurines, and film adaptations.
Zhao An spent the entire day at the company, holding meetings with the core leadership of each department. Using his penetrating skills to identify their weaknesses, he persuaded these key technical personnel to work for him. He would first stabilize these individuals, and then slowly develop his own talent.
Meanwhile, Xitu, a well-known gaming company, was also producing highly successful games, and its overall business strategy was developing very well. Chairman Osiad's plan was shrewd. Last time Blizzard publicly sought financing, no one showed up. Now, who could afford to ask for two billion?
They only made tens of millions in profit a year, and now they were asking for two billion—what difference did they make from madness?
Osiad's plan was brilliant: he simply waited for the next potential buyer to give in and then take over at a low price. He even commissioned a traitor, Xibotu, to sabotage and incite employees. Everything was planned flawlessly. Then, he could buy Blizzard Entertainment, worth $1.5 billion, for just $200-300 million, or even less. It was a surefire win!
Then, suddenly, some damned outsider showed up and disrupted his plans. He bought all of Blizzard and was even planning to relocate the company! How could this be? This was clearly a plot to disrupt his financial resources!
"That's what happened. That little bastard had it all planned out," Xibotu argued, but before he could even make a move, Zhao An saw through him.
"Hmph, that's your own problem. No one can snatch this from me, not even this outsider!" Osiad said, then started making calls, notifying the review department to hold up the other company's game approval. A hold would mean the other company would lose revenue, and the promised promotional date would be pushed back. This would be a breach of trust for the game company!
While Zhao An was still in the meeting, a company employee came in and told him that their expansion pack was stuck, saying there was a problem and that they should call back for further revisions.
"Boss, that's impossible. We've always produced according to the game's production standards. There's no reason for this rejection; it simply wasn't up to standard. It could be that there's something wrong with them. The reviewers want money, or someone is targeting our company." Percy, who was in charge of public relations and had extensive connections, saw the core of the problem immediately.
"Give them some money and see if they can get approved. If not, just wait and release a public announcement. The expansion pack will be rectified according to the review department's requirements. Players, please be patient and pass the blame on them." Zhao An said calmly, unmoved. The overseas market is indeed a profitable area, but it's clear that mainland China is the highest consumer market. As for the US, if the game passes review, it passes. If not, just wait and see. It doesn't matter.