Chapter 159 Game Changer
Before Boring's grand entrance, Hilda had been content with a measly billion. Penguin Company had countered with a paltry eight hundred million. But now, he wouldn't settle for anything less than two billion.
Money was a slippery fish, but once one hooked a big one, one didn't let it wriggle free. Besides, this wasn't just about the money. It was about sending a message. By forcing Penguin Company to pay a premium, Hilda would cement his position. Even if they became majority shareholders, he wouldn't be just another cog in their machine.
"Don't overplay your hand, Hilda," Benjamin said, his voice laced with warning. "Penguin Company's reach is vast. We can make or break platforms like yours. Shark Streaming might be our first choice, but it's not our only option. LiveSync, LivePulse, LiveWave – they'd all be happy to work with us."
Hilda laughed, a sharp, humorless sound. "You think those pretenders can hold a candle to Shark Streaming? Please. LiveSync lacks vision, LivePulse lost their star streamer to me, and LiveWave? Oliver is a dilettante playing at business. He'll tire of his little toy soon enough and run back to daddy's company."
His assessment, though brutal, was accurate.
It left Benjamin silent for a while.
"You're quick to criticize," Benjamin said, his voice laced with ice, "but Shark Streaming isn't without its flaws."
Hilda shook his head, a slow, deliberate gesture. "No platform is perfect, Benjamin. But there are levels to this game. Levels of investment. Let me enlighten you."
He leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with shrewd intelligence. "The lowest rung, the most basic, is asset investment. You see something tangible, something with a proven track record, and you throw money at it. The returns are decent, but the competition is fierce. You're just another face in the crowd."
"And what's the next level?" Benjamin asked, intrigued despite himself.
"Project investment," Hilda said, his voice taking on a lecturing tone. "This is where you separate the wheat from the chaff. You identify promising projects, ventures with the potential to disrupt the market. ApexTech, for all their faults, excels at this."
"That puts you in the top ten percent of investors," Benjamin acknowledged. "But what about the third level? The one you seem to think you've achieved?"
Hilda smiled, a slow, predatory stretching of his lips. "The third level, Benjamin, is investing in people. Because, in the end, it's people who shape the future. Visionaries, disruptors, game-changers."
He leaned back, his gaze unwavering. "And I am that game changer."
The sheer audacity of his statement hung in the air. Benjamin, despite his irritation, felt a flicker of admiration. This Hilda, arrogant as he was, possessed a certain magnetism, a belief in himself that bordered on the messianic.
"You think you're some kind of visionary?" Benjamin asked, unable to keep the skepticism from his voice.
"I'm not just any visionary," Hilda said, his voice laced with quiet confidence. "I'm building an empire. Shark Streaming will become a star factory, churning out celebrities, influencers, tastemakers. We'll control the very fabric of entertainment."
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "And you, Benjamin, you want a piece of that. You crave it. Your precious Penguin Company has been sniffing around the entertainment industry for years. Adam and I share a vision. Why not join forces?"
He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Besides, you don't have a choice."
"That's where you're wrong, Hilda. Benjamin does have a choice."
The voice, calm yet commanding, sliced through the tense atmosphere. Hilda's face darkened as all eyes turned towards the source of the interruption.
A group of people strode into the conference room, their expressions unreadable. At their head stood Skyview, his gaze fixed on Hilda, a knowing smile playing on his lips.
Hilda had a bad feeling creeping in.
He thought, 'What is he doing here? This is not part of the plan.'
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