Chapter 360: Money Is Everything

Seeing the people here, Yue Hua immediately rushed over in excitement. She grabbed Duan Fei and Jinghong’s hands and said, “So you guys came too! That’s wonderful. I was worried about what I’d do if there was no one I knew. I get really shy around strangers.”

“This is the first I’m hearing that someone as goofy as a Husky can be called ‘shy’,” Duan Fei said with resignation.

“That’s not important. The important thing is, I’m really happy to see you.”

It had been a while, but Yue Hua hadn’t changed a bit.

She was dressed in a dark gray sweatsuit, which had instant noodle broth stains on it.

A pair of large, black-framed glasses hid her delicate features.

To be fair, Yue Hua was a beauty with flawless features, but she was just a little too lazy.

In stark contrast to her was the other company representative, Wang Er.

This twelve-year-old boy was only half Yue Hua’s height, but his aura was completely different from hers.

Having been exposed to the family business from a young age, he had the air of a domineering CEO. With the occasional roguish smirk, he could have easily played the part of a domineering CEO or the son of one.

He walked forward, greeted the five players with a polite bow, and then said to Duan Fei, “Mr. Duan, didn’t Bystander A come?”

Although they had only met a few times, Wang Er still remembered his former Servant and asked where he was.

After learning that Bystander A was doing well, Wang Er nodded slightly and said, “I haven’t properly introduced myself before, so allow me to do so now. I am the heir to Wang’s Enterprises, which has always maintained a close partnership with the Merlin Company. Moreover, I recently became Mr. Merlin’s apprentice, which is why I was invited to be a representative this time.”

“I see. So what kind of company is this Knight Order we’re up against?”

“A pretty big idol group.”

That one sentence left Duan Fei completely stunned.

“The Knight Order’s main business is modeled after male idol groups; they love to sell sex appeal. Whenever they enter a new market, they use male idols to create a celebrity buzz and quickly establish a foothold. However, most of their products are outsourced, and their quality control is poor, making them a second-rate company at best. This time, however, they’ve been spurred on by the Madhouse, so they’ve started competing with the Merlin Company for business. Here’s their profile; you can take a look ahead of time.”

Wang Er had prepared seven files on their opponents in advance and handed them out to everyone there.

This alone showed just how thorough Wang Er’s preparations were.

Not only that, but once everyone had finished reading, he clapped his hands lightly. The crest on his glove lit up, projecting a huge slideshow onto the wall behind him.

Pointing at the data on the screen, Wang Er said, “According to past data, the Knight Order’s initial performance in new markets is always striking. They hold meet-and-greets with their idol groups in new territories and sell related merchandise to break into the market. For the first month, the Knight Order’s performance is always incredibly eye-catching.”

“After a month, however, the quality defects start to show. The Knight Order doesn’t have its own factories; all their products are outsourced. By then, they’ve already made their quick buck and will rapidly move on to the next market to do it all over again.”

“The outcome of this Holy Grail War will be judged on factors like market share and brand impact. Of course, the most important factor is net profit. We must mount an effective defense against the Knight Order’s initial assault.”

He might only be twelve, and his name might have been chosen rather casually, but Wang Er’s business acumen was truly outstanding.

He had a firm grasp on intelligence about his opponents, and he hadn’t forgotten to prepare his own side’s information either.

Allowing everyone to digest the information, Wang Er continued, “Our starting capital is ten million. It’s the same for both sides. Ultimately, we need to make as much profit as possible, so how we generate that profit is crucial. This money can also be used to purchase various weapons, items, and Magic Power, which is another important aspect of managing our funds.”

Just then, the Lone Ranger raised his hand and asked, “How about we just take them out directly?”

“Of course we can, but the Knight Order’s people are no pushovers. Their Servants from the Madhouse are a powerful bunch, and defeating them won’t be easy. Besides, in this virtual Holy Grail War, your Servants can be revived with money if they die, so we have to plan our tactics carefully.”

“What’s our flagship product?” Duan Fei asked.

“Magic Stickers,” Wang Er said, pulling out a palm-sized sticker.

It looked like one of those temporary tattoos for kids. You just had to stick it to a flat surface and peel off the backing, and it would leave an image on the surface of the object.

This image could draw Energy from a distance. Any object with the sticker applied would no longer need an external connection to the magic grid; it could draw Magic Power directly from the Merlin Branch.

After explaining the stickers, Wang Er continued, “This is the Merlin Company’s core business, so we’ll need to purchase magic pools, which are what provide the Magic Power. Given our product’s nature, we must expand our user base as quickly as possible. The more users we have, the more magic pools we can establish. This means greater initial profits, making it easier for us to expand our own strength.”

“And what’s the Knight Order’s product?”

“Magic Smoke. It’s an extremely addictive product. Just one puff gets a person hooked. The effect comes from an overdose of Magic Power that leaves the user with a hangover-like feeling. It’s expensive and very difficult to quit.”

Learning what the other side was selling, Duan Fei sucked in a sharp breath. “Holy hell, that’s shameless!”

Sighing, Wang Er continued, “Otherwise, why do you think I called them a despicable company? They aren’t knights, they have no morals, and they certainly don’t follow the law. Those guys are birds of a feather with the lunatics from the Madhouse. We absolutely cannot let them win. If we do, they’ll stop at nothing for profit and will sell that stuff everywhere.”

Duan Fei nodded in agreement, acutely aware that he now had one more reason to make sure the other side didn’t win.

Having explained the general background, Wang Er closed the projection and led the others downstairs.

The office building, empty just moments ago, was now filled with employees. These were all virtual employees generated for this instance, capable of providing tireless service.

Furthermore, these people also had to be paid. The higher their wages, the higher their morale.

They could also be poached by the competition. Every detail was set up just like real-world corporate warfare.

Unlike Servants, if these employees died, they would be removed from the instance and could no longer provide their services. Therefore, if they were threatened, their safety was the top priority.

After explaining the company’s situation, Wang Er added, “On top of that, there’s a security system, which also requires financial backing. Employee salaries also have to be paid out of our starting capital. Any spare cash can be used to purchase various services, but we have to be careful not to buy too much. If our profits can’t keep up and we go bankrupt, it’s game over.”

Hearing this, Duan Fei immediately asked, “Can we bankrupt the other side first?”

“Of course. After all, in here, money is everything.”