dognovel Chapter 38 Game Company
Chapter 38 Game Company
When it comes to technology and internet companies, Silicon Valley is undoubtedly the first place that comes to mind. But few people know that the San Francisco Bay Area is also a world-renowned hub for high-tech industries.
After leaving Google, Ernst came to San Francisco, a city with a large Chinese population. The flight from Mountain View took about an hour and a half, landing him at San Francisco's airport.
A white T-shirt as a base layer, topped with a navy blue suit jacket, exudes a stylish yet casual vibe. The outfit is completed with blue jeans and pure white sneakers, a perfect blend of youthful energy and vitality.
Sunny, handsome, and confident, Ernst now exudes a powerful aura—a testament to the changes brought about by success and status.
Along the way, she attracted the attention of many women, her head-turning rate was comparable to that of a Category III celebrity.
Outside the airport, Craig immediately spotted Ernst in the crowd, as if the man were a radiant being.
"Can you see clearly?"
I looked up at the gloomy sky; dark clouds loomed over the city, and a downpour was inevitable, it was just around the corner.
Wearing sunglasses in this kind of weather, Craig doesn't know what Ernst was thinking.
"You think I wanted to?" Ernst rolled his eyes.
He didn't want to, but for the time being, a baseball cap and sunglasses would be his standard attire.
Ernst underestimated his influence in California, especially the fame that The Hunger Games brought him.
While in Mountain View, he was constantly being photographed without his consent and asked for photos with others. This happened everywhere – in hotels, airports, and restaurants.
He didn't want this to happen again in San Francisco, so he had to pretend.
Once this period is over, things will be fine. Regarding Eric's personal security, things are looking promising.
Having gotten in touch with Eric, Craig no longer needed to hire bodyguards.
Ordinary security personnel can't provide the same sense of security as special forces.
"Tell me the specifics."
Once in the car, Ernst inquired about the game company. He had come to San Francisco specifically for this purpose.
Greg was quite efficient; he found a target in just a few days, making his $100,000 investment worthwhile.
Even if you don't take money, the other party will still do the job.
However, in America, all labor has a price tag; friends are friends, and work is work.
There's also the matter of rewarding them. They've followed me for so long, serving me faithfully, and even if they haven't achieved anything great, they've certainly put in the effort.
Since we're both spending money, why can't we let the other person earn some?
As Craig drove, he took out a detailed document and handed it to Ernst.
"This Leap Games Studio was founded in 1994 and made two PC games. Well, they didn't even make a splash and received a lukewarm response."
"Recently, their boss has stumbled in other industries and encountered difficulties with his cash flow. He is now looking for a buyer all over the world to take over this money-losing hot potato."
"As you instructed, the evaluation team we hired is evaluating this company, but due to time constraints, we can only provide a preliminary report at this time."
"It doesn't matter," Ernst said nonchalantly. "There's no rush to assess the accounts and assets. Just make sure this company is a fully staffed and operational gaming company, not an empty shell."
Craig was speechless; this was the first time he'd seen a company acquire so casually. Everyone else carefully calculates every acquisition, but this was like buying groceries.
"If that's all you're asking for, then there's no problem at all. In fact, if it weren't for the boss's cash flow issues, their third game would already be in development."
Ernst glanced at the information about the third game in the document, sneered, and his expression showed utter disdain.
"This kind of garbage is called a game? Are you sure it's not for kindergarten kids? Police fighting robots? Is this boss still living in the arcade era?"
The car drove all the way to the Bay Area and finally stopped in front of a three-story building.
Looking at this dilapidated old building with peeling paint, Ernst knew that the boss didn't have much capital and probably just entered the gaming industry with a speculative mindset.
Stepping inside, the situation became even more chaotic, with no clear division of areas, no front desk reception, and absolutely no sense of order.
Just as Ernst was frowning and observing his surroundings, a man walked up the stairs.
Ernst's first thought was, "Could it be that this company has secured investment and caught the eye of investors?"
This is not surprising, after all, the concept of the Internet has already begun to emerge.
"This is Belston, the owner of this game company."
It was only through Craig's introduction that Ernst realized that the man in his thirties, wearing a stand-up collar suit, was the real person.
If you didn't know, you'd think the other person was a top Wall Street salesperson promoting stock insurance.
It's quite rare to see someone dressed so meticulously for work at a tech company.
Belston, all smiles, extended his hand warmly. "Mr. Ernst, it's an honor to meet you."
Ernst knew in his heart that it probably wasn't a good reputation.
After shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries, the two went to the office on the second floor.
Unlike the chaos on the first floor, only half of the second floor was isolated for employees to work in, while the other half consisted of several small, independent offices for non-R&D personnel.
The company is not large, with only about forty R&D personnel. Although the number is small, it is barely enough to develop a game.
In Belston's office, Ernst flipped through more detailed information about the company, and after a while, he broke the somewhat oppressive atmosphere in the room.
"Two million dollars is a bit expensive."
Belston breathed a sigh of relief; the fact that the other party cared about the price meant they had a strong desire to buy.
Cheers come from idlers; praise and criticism are what truly matter to buyers.
He was overwhelmed by loan problems with his real estate company and desperately needed the money to tide him over; he didn't want to miss this opportunity.
Even if you urgently need money, you should still fight for what you can.
"Mr. Ernst, you need to understand that talent is fundamental to technology companies. Computer talent is scarce these days, especially graduates from top universities."
"Although our company, Leap, has not achieved any outstanding results in game production, our engineers' technical skills are absolutely top-notch. They are all high-achieving graduates from universities such as Stanford, Berkeley, and Caltech."
Ernst doesn't deny this. What he likes most about this company, Leap Motion, is its engineers, which is also the reason he chose the company.
However, this was not the reason why he spent two million dollars to acquire the company. After all, apart from these valuable talents, YueDong Company's assets were pitifully small, worth only a little over six hundred thousand dollars.
Even with the copyrights to the two games and the third game currently in development, it's still not worth this price.
"If it weren't for these engineers, I wouldn't have come to your company."
"But as you know, universities across the United States are increasing their investment in training computer talent, and in less than two years, there will be a continuous supply of talent in the market."
Even two years later, there was still a shortage of computer science graduates from universities.
The oversupply of talent will only occur after the internet boom and the bursting of the internet bubble.
Ernst knew about this, but the other party was unaware of the future trends of the Internet.
Belston tried to salvage the situation, saying, "But we still have a game in development, and if that game meets expectations, this acquisition will be a huge win for you. I wouldn't have sold Leap for two million dollars if my real estate company hadn't run into some problems."
Ernst sneered, his face full of disdain. "That idiotic game you guys developed, where the police fight robots? Maybe it'd have a bit of a high-tech feel if my grandma played it."
Seeing the other person's ashen face after being belittled in the game, Ernst knew the time was right.
"$160 million, accept it and we'll do the deal immediately. I can write you a check right now. If you don't agree, then Mr. Belston, you can continue to wait for a buyer who can offer two million dollars."
The other party has run into financial problems, which is the biggest fatal blow.
When it comes to payment methods, no one is more straightforward than Ernst, which is his greatest advantage.
Sure enough, after hesitating for a moment, Belston finally gritted his teeth and nodded in agreement, his face full of reluctance.