The number one guild in the eastern region of the Star Moon Kingdom — just that title alone was enough to set anyone's blood racing and have them reach for their swords.
Perhaps it was these very words that had once lured Wei Wo Du Kuang into agreeing to partner with the
With the top-ranked player on the level honor roll as their figurehead, backed by the Underworld's covert support, the Dark Star Guild had rocketed to become a powerhouse second only to the Snake of the Body in both fame and influence.
"So that's how it all works."
He finally understood why Dark Star had risen so dramatically, why expert players had been flooding its ranks — the Underworld had been pulling the strings all along.
But now that
He had to give the Underworld credit — they were sharp.
Willing to abandon all their previous investment and start fresh backing a brand-new guild? To outsiders, that sounded like the move of either an idiot or a fool. But Shi Feng knew better. The Underworld had seen through to the truth in a single glance: the impact a guild stronghold could have on a guild's trajectory was immense. In their shoes, he would have done the same.
"Master Black Flame, you should understand — the entire eastern region of the Star Moon Kingdom encompasses over twenty cities. If you agree to this, you will become the undisputed overlord of all those cities. And while the Underworld would be taking a stake, we will not interfere with Zero Wing's operations. On the contrary, we will provide you with ample funding and talent." Feng Xuanyang spoke in a measured, tempting tone. "Our decision is already made. The moment you agree, Master Black Flame, we will inject one billion Credit Points immediately. On top of that — a weekly supply of one hundred gold coins, a hundred elite experts, and a full squadron of Divine Guards at your personal command. And if Zero Wing continues to thrive, there will be further investment down the line."
"What do you think, Master Black Flame?"
When Shi Feng remained silent, Feng Xuanyang took it as a sign that he was waning, and so he stoked the fire a little more. After all, wasn't the whole point of establishing a guild in the Divine Realm to make money and gain prestige?
For a newly founded guild, one billion Credit Points was an astronomical sum — even a major conglomerate based in a single city couldn't casually produce that kind of money. Yes, as the Divine Realm grew ever more popular and more financial groups moved in, the value of in-game guilds had surged. But even a third-rate guild of twenty to thirty thousand members would only fetch two to three hundred million on the open market.
Zero Wing had only a few thousand members. Granted, it had some fame and a handful of expert players, but that hardly justified such a valuation. With a guild stronghold in the mix, however, the value at least doubled — four to five hundred million was the ceiling. An offer of a billion gave Shi Feng absolutely no reason to refuse.
"Curious — how much of a stake is Chairman Feng looking to take?" Shi Feng asked with a smile.
"Nothing excessive. Fifty percent. But consider — fifty percent of shares in exchange for one billion Credit Points plus the backing of numerous expert players. I doubt any other financial group would offer anywhere near that much." Feng Xuanyang's confidence was unmistakable.
Shi Feng rested his chin in his hand and pretended to mull it over for a moment before speaking in an unhurried tone. "The proposal is tempting, but fifty percent is far too much. Ten percent — that's my ceiling."
Feng Xuanyang had thrown out fifty percent, making it sound like an equal split. It was a classic move to lower his guard. In reality, anyone who held fifty percent effectively controlled all of Zero Wing. After all, when Shi Feng had founded the guild, his own share wasn't one hundred percent — he had given a portion to Shui Se Qiang Wei.
If Feng Xuanyang then bought even one percent from Shui Se Qiang Wei, he would hold fifty-one percent, and every decision in Zero Wing would go through him. Shi Feng had been burned by exactly that kind of scheme in his previous life. There was no way he would let it happen again.
"Ten percent?" Feng Xuanyang could hardly believe his ears.
He was offering one billion Credit Points, and the man wanted to hand over just ten percent? Did he really think Zero Wing was the number one guild in the Star Moon Kingdom?