Chapter 19
Chapter 19
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: The Stingy Guy Wants to Become a Gacha Whale
-----------------------------------------------------------------
What is the most essential element when acquiring a company?
Typically, for an acquisition, you just need to review and prepare the legal, financial, and strategic aspects.
I slowly read the report that Im Yun-ah had prepared over the past week.
That's right.
We had pulled all-nighters to acquire this dogshit game company.
"Heh heh heh..."
"Hee hee hee..."
Sinister laughter leaked out.
The reason we were risking our lives like this?
Nothing else.
I had dumped 50 million won into this game, and surprisingly, Im Yun-ah had poured in half that amount—25 million won.
The two of us had shelled out a whopping 80 million won in total.
And that was in just three days.
The result? We got absolutely nothing for it.
"How's the financial analysis? It's an idle game, so it seems like it should have pretty good profit margins, right?"
Starlight.
The legitimate corporation that would soon become my company.
Surprisingly, Starlight was a solid business.
What did that mean? It had been run solely by the CEO without any outside investors. Not even a lick of debt. That made a standard acquisition procedure utterly impossible.
"The financials, legal status, business model, and profitability are all far superior to comparable companies. It's what you'd call a hidden gem."
Im Yun-ah adjusted her horn-rimmed glasses and muttered.
"But it's not what I'd call ethical business practices. Its profit margins are at least 300% higher than others in the same genre."
"How is that even possible?"
"Manipulation. Straight-up fraud."
Just as I thought.
Starlight's website listed different probabilities than what actually appeared in-game.
Even if users reported it to the Fair Trade Commission.
Why would bureaucrats bother lifting a finger?
Plus, the fact that Starlight's CEO was Chinese played a role. One wrong move, and they could shut down the servers overnight and flee overseas.
"This is bad. We can't count on the FTC at all, which means our only option is private sanctions..."
There was another reason I had my eye on Starlight. Even with its notorious reputation, the company's staff were elite talents.
Initial capital: 7 million won.
Last year's revenue: 41.7 billion won.
Growth rate over the past five years: absurd numbers.
Was this even possible?
'Plenty possible.'
This kind of thing happened occasionally in the mobile gaming market.
Im Yun-ah projected charts from the projector in the corner of the living room and pointed to one spot with her laser pointer.
"To acquire Starlight, we'll need at least 60 billion won in capital. If there's competing interest from outside bidders, it could climb as high as 100 billion."
"Because of their financial statements, huh."
She nodded at my words.
I wanted revenge, but it wasn't going to be easy.
"Another World Witch Raising has already been out for 17 months. Assuming the average mobile game lifespan is around a year, trying to acquire Starlight now would be insane."
She was right.
The risk was too high to dump that much cash just for payback.
However.
Quitting here wouldn't be like me.
"Let's say we go with a generous estimate of 70 billion for a standard acquisition price. How long would it take to recoup an investment that size?"
Im Yun-ah pondered for a moment before replying, her expression grim.
"...At least seven years. If we hit a jackpot, we could recover faster, but based on average market trends, it's a minimum of seven. If it tanks hard, we might not even recoup half..."
"Why?"
"The company's image is already tarnished. Even if they make a good game, it'll be harder to attract users than competitors..."
"In other words, we'd have to hustle our asses off?"
"Yes..."
Hmm, wasn't there some breakthrough method?
It felt like a waste to buy at full price.
Not that 70 billion was the issue.
It was a waste to give that potbellied bastard CEO a single won.
I wondered if there was a legal way to tank the company's value...
"What if we could devalue the company?"
Her face lit up immediately.
Her thoughts were transparent.
"If we can drop it below 10 billion, it'll be pure profit going forward. Plus, according to portal site articles, they have three games slated for launch within the next year."
"Copy-paste jobs?"
"Exactly. Still, they'd be hugely profitable."
That's how game companies operated.
They ran hard while the money flowed, then prepped the next title as revenue dropped.
Often something similar...
Corporations weren't charities; they chased profits. It made sense on the surface, but the sense of betrayal for players must be immense.
Tap tap tap!
The pen hitting the table echoed emptily.
Wasn't there a good way?
Something to minimize investment while screwing over Starlight's CEO.
"Oh?"
One idea flashed by.
This might allow an acquisition with minimal capital.
"What if we use internet broadcasting?"
"Internet broadcasting?"
That's it!
Streamers take money for game ads, right?
If we used the most famous one, Jin-seong, we could tank Starlight's value.
'Knowing Jin-seong's personality, the moment he plays, he'll unleash a torrent of curses.'
The ad money wouldn't come from Starlight.
The Big Spender Bukppudeupppu could provide it.
Then Jin-seong would have no qualms about speaking his mind.
Calling it trash.
Telling everyone never to play it.
Saying he'd rather hand cash to random kids and buy them treats.
"Heh heh heh..."
"D-Do-jun? Sir?"
Im Yun-ah looked flustered at my sinister laugh, her eyes darting nervously.
She knew this laugh meant trouble was brewing.
After living with me, she'd learned to read the room perfectly.
"Shall we get started? Let's acquire Starlight in record time."
I couldn't hide the grin creeping up my face.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Streamer Jin-seong had a lot on his mind lately.
He'd founded a college team around the old game Starcraft.
But viewers were getting bored of the overexposed game.
'Sigh, what should I do?'
JNU had 25 streamers on roster.
With drop-ins and floating viewers declining, two had quit just yesterday.
"You've worked hard."
"No, I'm the sorry one for not helping you out, Jin-seong."
Today, another streamer had left the same way.
He needed buzz.
Internet broadcasters couldn't go without issues like this until retirement.
Something big enough to blow up socially...
'I need aggro.'
Aggro that steals souls!
Ding!
Jin-seong frowned at the incoming message.
Lately, malicious DMs complained his streams were boring.
This was probably another one.
But it wasn't.
[Hello? I'm Bukppudeupppu. Would you be open to meeting offline? No pressure if you're free.]
Huh?
Bukppudeupppu—the big spender in the rankings?
With drop-ins lacking and people leaving, this was great news.
Jin-seong replied without hesitation.
[No problem at all. Anytime works for me.]
[Then let's meet this weekend.]
He pumped his fist three times in front of the Taegukgi flag in the corner.
Despite appearances, Jin-seong was a descendant of a war veteran.
His grandfather had earned merits in the Korean War; the family had deep roots in tradition and history.
A staunch patriotic conservative, he couldn't tolerate anything harming his country. Back in his pro Starcraft days, he wouldn't concede a single loss to foreign players on the world stage—preparing harder than for domestic leagues.
"Hahaha!"
If Bukppudeupppu sponsored them, JNU could make a comeback.
Maybe even attract more streamers eager to join.
"N-No time to slack."
He had to impress the whale.
Book a haircut, makeup, ditch the sloppy clothes for a sharp suit.
"Where's my phone?"
Jin-seong bustled around the house with a happy smile.
Dreaming of a second heyday.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A quiet afternoon.
Basking in the cool breeze, Jin-seong arrived at the cafe 30 minutes early. He grabbed a window seat with a good view outside.
'Whew, I'm nervous...'
Even the president of internet broadcasting was meeting a whale for the first time.
Streaming meetups often led to remote-controlling drama. Streamers dreaded "cock-mic" stuff—aka cronyism.
Of course, this was different.
Ting-a-ling!
It was 3:00 PM sharp.
A unfamiliar woman entered.
She scanned the room, locking eyes with Jin-seong.
'Wow...'
Even he, who'd met many, was awestruck. Her finely toned muscles suggested survival training—different from gym rats.
'Ex-military? Damn, check out that body. Slim but stacked.'
Black coat.
Sleek, easy-movement clothes clinging tight.
Tactical, security vibe.
Yeah.
Outfit like a bodyguard...
"Are you Jin-seong?"
"Yes. But are you Bukppudeupppu by any chance?"
Pfft!
She chuckled lightly at the name.
Her smile had a unique charm.
"My employer is waiting. Let's go."
"Pardon? Not meeting here?"
"Too many eyes. And he prefers quiet."
"Ah..."
For a second, he worried about being dragged to some shady spot for organ harvesting like in movies, but he relaxed.
Parked outside: a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, something you'd hear about.
Not rare anymore if you had cash, but base price was 600 million won—over 800 with options.
No one with a supercar like that commits crimes.
"Where to?"
"He's over there. Follow me."
They arrived quickly.
Following her, Jin-seong spotted a man on a distant bench.
But.
'Huh?'
The man wore a huge mask hiding his face from view. Like a 007 secret agent.
"Hello? I'm streamer Jin-seong. Honored to meet you."
He bowed politely and eyed the extended hand.
Surprisingly, the other man offered a shake first.
"Bukppudeupppu here. You look just like in your cams. Nice to meet you."
From the bench, he seemed not too tall. Short military-style hair, voice warm like a spring breeze.
Jin-seong, caught off guard, sighed in relief.
"I usually prefer phone calls, but that felt rude, so I asked to meet in person. This might take a while—have a seat."
"Th-Thank you. If you insist..."
Jin-seong sat gingerly on the bench, fidgeting awkwardly.
The awkwardness didn't last.
Bukppudeupppu handed over a thick envelope of documents.
"The reason I wanted to meet is to recommend you try a certain game."
"An ad?"
"No. Just play it on stream and tell your viewers your honest thoughts."
"Pardon? What do you...?"
This was why he'd come all the way here?
Disappointment flickered, but Bukppudeupppu smiled with his eyes.
"Two weeks of broadcasting. Three sessions a week, 60 hours total, and I'll give you 2 million Bubble Gifts."
"Pardon? H-How many?"
60 hours of gameplay and review for 200 million won in cash.
Jin-seong was genuinely shocked.
"Not just that—I'll become JNU's team owner. You've been stressing over your recent streams, right?"
"..."
"Nail this, and I'll sponsor a 150 million won Starcraft tournament."
"!"
"What do you say?"
No need for long thought.
With rewards like this, he'd summon his soul if he had to.
Jin-seong shot up and bowed 90 degrees.
"I'll accept your offer, Bukppudeupppu."