Senior Management Meeting

The top floor of the Infinite Network Entertainment Building is the office of the chairman of the board.

This floor also symbolizes the highest level of power within the entire company.

Those who can attend meetings here are all influential people in the company who have a certain say.

At this moment, in the huge conference room...

Chairman Manager Liang was already seated in the main seat, without saying a word.

Behind him stood Supervisor Lian.

Below them are the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Operating Officer (COO), Chief Technology Officer (CTO), and others.

They were already sitting upright, waiting for the meeting to begin.

Supervisor Lian spontaneously poured tea for the senior executives, then stood aside, waiting for instructions.

The meeting officially began shortly after the president and CEO arrived.

Just when the senior executives thought they were about to discuss something important, Manager Liang's first words stunned them.

"Leo, who approved this termination agreement?"

Leo is the English name of COO Liu within the company.

In some medium to large companies, senior executives often choose a respectable English name or nickname for convenience.

Only in this way can we avoid addressing each other as Mr. XX or General Manager X.

Some foreign companies even require everyone from leaders to employees to have English names.

They claim that there is no distinction between superiors and subordinates.

Therefore, in some foreign companies and large corporations, ordinary employees also address their leaders by their English names, rather than by titles like "General Manager General Manager Li," which are terms used by outsiders.

However, at Infinite Network Entertainment, apart from the board members, no one dares to call Manager Liang by his English name or nickname.

Including the CEO himself.

"No one approved it; it was my own idea."

Upon hearing COO Liu's words, Manager Liang let out a sigh of relief, seemingly somewhat disappointed.

"You came up with this idea? What idea? A collaboration with Tiancheng Pictures to sell IP rights?"

COO Liu opened his mouth, but hesitated to speak.

He looked around and noticed that the other executives were all watching him. Feeling uneasy, he forced himself to calm down.

"Manager Liang, I think the cooperation with Tiancheng Pictures has great potential. This will not only allow us to sell the copyrights of our games, but also set a trend for adapting games into films and television series. Moreover, I believe that Tiancheng Pictures is capable of doing just that. Once they do it, other companies should follow suit, and then game copyrights won't be left untouched like they are now."

"What the market needs now is a capable leader."

Manager Liang looked up and gazed at COO Liu.

"I won't comment on your idea, but in order to cooperate with Tiancheng Pictures, you sold the game copyright of another company without authorization?"

"You even resorted to petty tricks like registering other people's trademarks to keep this business afloat? Don't you know that's illegal? Didn't the Ministry of Justice tell you?"

"How much impact will your actions have on Infinite Network Entertainment?"

"More importantly, you negotiated with Tiancheng Pictures, but terminated your Only Game!"

Manager Liang slammed the termination agreement on the table, making the already quiet meeting room even more deathly silent.

Upon hearing this, the senior executives looked slightly surprised and suspicious, and several pairs of eyes sized up Manager Liang and COO Liu.

But they weren't just watching the show; they were extremely serious, considering the gravity of the situation.

However, at the same time, several senior executives also became curious.

Who is this business partner? Is they that important that Manager Liang had to convene a high-level meeting?

Could it be some large foreign company?

At this point, COO Liu realized the problem and understood that Manager Liang valued that small company highly.

but why?

Is there anything special about that small company?

Or is the legal representative related to Mr. Liang?

"Manager Liang, there was absolutely no other reason for terminating the contract with Only Game; it was purely because the risk assessment was too high."

"Manager Liang, I'm considering this from the company's perspective. That's why I chose to terminate my contract with Only Game."

"To cooperate with them, we have to pay for promotion and publicity for their game. But in this case, if their game doesn't sell well, we won't be able to recoup our initial advertising investment. As you know, promotion costs are huge. If we fail in the market, it's acceptable if we have the copyright, but without the copyright, there's really no guarantee."

"Therefore, I don't see any benefit that this cooperation can bring to Infinite Network Entertainment. On the contrary, it is full of risks."

As COO Liu finished speaking, he looked at Supervisor Lian, directing his criticism at her.

"Among them, Supervisor Lian bears the main responsibility. It was because of her oversight that Infinite Network Entertainment became someone who simply provided financial assistance. Her business acumen is really unprofessional, and Supervisor Lian must deeply realize her mistake."

"What!?"

Supervisor Lian's eyes widened in surprise, but she quickly covered her mouth and fell silent.

COO Liu ignored him and continued speaking on his own.

"The Only Game they're playing is completely exploiting us, relying on luck to succeed. Luck might work once or twice, but it can't last forever. I didn't know about this partnership before, but now that I've discovered it, I have to terminate it for the company's benefit."

Do you think I don't know?

Manager Liang's sudden interruption abruptly cut off COO Liu's eloquent speech, leaving him unable to utter the next words.

"Do you think I'm unaware of the terms of the contract? Do you think this is a collaboration that Supervisor Lian made on her own?"

COO Liu:

Isn't that so?

If you knew, would you still allow such an outrageous collaboration?

This completely puts Infinite Network Entertainment at the center of risk!

If you can't recoup your huge promotional expenses because the other party's game doesn't sell well, then you're just throwing money away!

You, Manager Liang, couldn't possibly be unaware of the stakes involved, unless...

It was intentional!

For a moment, COO Liu was at a loss for words.

Manager Liang looked at the silent COO and snorted coldly.

"Why should I agree to such a contract? Why should I agree to cooperate with Only Game? Didn't you think about that at all?"

COO Liu remained silent.

"You don't know? Okay, I'll tell you. It's because they have technology we don't! They have VR development technology that even other countries don't have! That's the reason! This technology makes their games rare VR Game on the market!"

Manager Liang was speaking, he suddenly stood up and looked down at everyone in the meeting.

COO Liu lowered his head even further.

"If they were just an ordinary game company, would we accept such a collaboration? It's because they are extraordinary that they have something that others don't."

"Before we initially partnered with Only Game, I tested them by asking them to provide a case study that would make our collaboration worthwhile. They did, and it's still available on our platform now, called ' 21 Points '!"

"VR has become as ubiquitous as mobile phones, belonging to the category of electronic consumer products. However, because it is not a game console, it has always been a weakness in the gaming field. It lacks suitable games, even overseas."

"But Only Game did it. They created a top-tier game in the VR field, where they couldn't even make a name for themselves overseas. Scarcity increases value. What does it mean that they have this technology? It means that they control a market with no competition! They have an entire market dividend waiting to be profited from!"

Upon hearing this, the CEO's eyes lit up.

Oh my god, is this for real?!

That company is incredibly capable!?

For a moment, the CEO's mind raced, considering the potential benefits and advantages of continuing the cooperation.

Previously, when Manager Liang notified the senior management of a meeting, he had approached him privately.

The main question was why he wanted to use this termination agreement.

The CEO at the time was completely bewildered and had no idea what was going on.

The termination documents submitted by the COO mentioned a risky partnership. After reviewing the documents carefully and finding the situation to be true, he approved them.

Logically speaking, there's nothing wrong with this.

Unexpectedly, Manager Liang called to inquire about this matter, which made the CEO realize that there was more to it than met the eye.

I just didn't expect it to be so special!

If Only Game has something that no one else has, then they can rake in profits in the market without any worries!

Because there are absolutely no competitors!

Working with them, even a small amount of soup can be quite profitable!

On the other side, the chief financial officer also seemed to be deep in thought.

As the person in charge of the company's finances, she had seen several applications for huge promotional expenses before.

And each time it's a game promotion.

Looking back now, it seems that the application form was filled out with the Only Game that Manager Liang just mentioned.

She still remembers one instance where the promotional cost was as high as 11 million yuan, so she didn't approve the application directly. Instead, she canceled the application and asked the applicant to provide sufficient reasons and a thorough analysis of whether it could be profitable.

Looking back, this whole thing seems a bit outrageous.

Because the company has never spent so much money promoting a game before!

But it's unbelievable that this has happened repeatedly with that Only Game.

Now, considering what Manager Liang said, it seems he really has a lot of confidence in that company.

only

Several senior executives turned their gazes toward the COO, their expressions complex.

During the meeting, Manager Liang continued to speak in a cold voice.

"We at Infinite Network Entertainment don't currently possess VR technology like Only Game, but we can invest in them! We can use their technology to profit from untapped markets. In other words, partnering with Only Game is equivalent to a high-value, high-return long-term investment!"

"You keep talking about risky partnerships, so as the company's COO, you should know that investment itself carries risks. After a year, it has been proven that the partnership was the right decision. Look at how much profit and benefit Only Game has brought us."

"Now, in order to cooperate with Tiancheng Pictures and earn that 20 million, you personally terminated the contract with Only Game? You even registered their trademark and sued them, trying to offend them to the death?"

"Tell me, what should we do now? Hmm?"

In the conference room, the senior executives remained silent.

They didn't gloat, nor did they have a "watching the show" mentality; they didn't even go to see the COO.

Instead, they were thinking about how to salvage the partnership.

This high-level meeting, on the surface, seemed like an interrogation, but in reality, it was a gathering of people to come up with a solution to continue cooperating with Only Game.

The people present weren't stupid; they could all see through the surface to the essence.

If the real issue was simply to blame Leo, there would be no need to bring the higher-ups to the 42nd floor.

Just give him a private call.

Therefore, seeing the COO remain silent, the CEO frowned in deep thought, and then broke the deadlock.

"Manager Liang, I also bear responsibility for how things have turned out this way, because it was I who approved the termination agreement. Leo, did you send this contract to Only Game?"

COO Liu shook his head, indicating no.

This made the CEO's expression relax.

"That's OK. This means that Only Game is unaware of this matter yet. We can have the legal department destroy this contract."

"Also, Manager Liang, is it possible for us to acquire Only Game?"

Manager Liang frowned, said nothing, and simply looked at Supervisor Lian.

The latter understood and immediately spoke.

"I'm not entirely sure either, it might not work. But I'll ask President Meng if they're interested."

The CEO nodded.

"Okay, then. If we can't acquire them, then we should sincerely apologize to them for this. I think I should be the one to say it. Once they accept the apology, we'll include them in our list of key partners."

"I will discuss the trademark squatting issue with them. The most likely outcome is that we will transfer the trademark to them, which will also serve as a way of showing our sincerity in apologizing."

At this point, the CEO looked at the CFO and the CTO.

"Then there's the financial support. They definitely need money to develop a game, and we can provide initial funding to help. We can also provide technical support to complete the game development. What do you think?"

The CFO and the technologist exchanged glances, pondered for a moment, and then spoke.

"Regarding the funding issue, as long as the company allows it, just remember the bill of lading."

"Our technical department may not have enough manpower, and they all have mastered VR development, so I don't think we can be of much help. At most, we can provide some production experience."

The CEO nodded. Since all departments were cooperating, the rest could be resolved.

"Finally, there's the collaboration with Tiancheng Pictures. Leo, you're still in charge of this. We can forget about the copyright for the Only Game; now we need to smooth things over with them. So you should ask Tiancheng Pictures if they'd be willing to switch to another game? I think the game the company is currently developing should meet their requirements."

"In addition, you must explain the situation truthfully and make sure they understand and accept our difficulties. If you can't reach an agreement, you know there will be penalties for breach of contract, and that's your personal reason."

"Manager Liang, is this method feasible? If so, I will personally go and apologize to Only Game."

Manager Liang glanced at him, then looked at COO Liu, and spoke.

"I've spoken with President Meng from Only Game a few times, so I know what kind of person he is. Although he's young, he's not stupid, and he's clearly the type who responds better to gentle persuasion than force. When you go to apologize on behalf of Infinite Network Entertainment, put aside your pride and speak politely, understand?"

"Also, Leo, you're too busy to be COO on your own. I'll find you a helper."

COO Liu's expression immediately changed, and he looked at Manager Liang in disbelief.

The latter simply walked out of the conference room without looking back.

"So, the COO who made the mistake received this kind of punishment?"

In the Only Game office, Meng Shu leaned back in her chair and spoke calmly.

A steady male voice immediately came from his phone.

[Besides this, we were also fined. However, this is an internal matter for Infinite Network Entertainment, and it's not convenient to say more. The main reason I'm telling you this is to demonstrate the sincerity of our apology; I hope you won't disclose it to others.]

[This was indeed our fault at Infinite Network Entertainment. We will provide systematic training to our senior management. We have also deleted Weibo Weibo posts online and reposted a new one to explain the situation and mitigate the impact.]

[This matter originated from Infinite Network Entertainment, and naturally, it will be resolved internally. I'm truly sorry, President Meng.]

[Furthermore, regarding the proposals I mentioned earlier, do you accept and understand them? We at Infinite Network Entertainment sincerely hope to continue our cooperation with you. Considering our year-long partnership, please forgive our mistake this time.]

Hearing this, Meng Shu sighed.

After the notice was posted on Weibo, he expected that Infinite Network Entertainment would step in to resolve the matter, so he didn't pay much attention to it.

I just didn't expect it to be resolved that very night, which is now.

That's pretty fast.

Even the CEO himself called, so there's some sincerity involved.

As for the punishment of the COO, Meng Shu, having been through it all, knew exactly what it meant.

If someone who was originally in an important and independent position is suddenly given a helper, the intention behind it is obvious.

He thought that Infinite Network Entertainment would suppress the matter and not punish the other party because they were a senior executive, but he didn't expect that Manager Liang was a straightforward person.

But this also shows that they value this cooperation quite a bit.

Since that's the case

The idea of setting up my own distribution department can be put on hold for now.

After all, the VR version of Dark Forest is almost finished. Breaking off relations at this point would create some distribution problems.

Although he is now capable of publishing on his own, time constraints prevent him from doing so, and the recruitment of new employees also requires careful screening.

So let Infinite Network Entertainment handle the distribution for now.

However, to prevent such a thing from happening again, he must establish a distribution department no matter what, but he will have to take it slowly.

Once things are on track, we can publish entirely independently and no longer rely on Infinite Network Entertainment.

When will you hand over the trademarks?

[Supervisor Lian will explain this to you in detail. I'm not entirely sure about it, I'm really sorry.]

"Are there any time limits for the financial and technical support you mentioned?"

[No, as long as you remain an important partner of Infinite Network Entertainment, we will continue to provide support.]

"What's the difference between this important partner and the previous ones?"

[Supervisor Lian will explain everything to you in detail, so please rest assured. The compensation will not simply be the same as before.]

Meng Shu nodded. Okay, I didn't expect this misunderstanding to end while I was busy developing the game.

It was both fast and swift.

Fortunately, I didn't get too distracted by trivial matters, and Infinite Network Entertainment's efficiency was also acceptable.

The key point is that he saw Manager Liang's attitude, which made him very satisfied.

"Okay, I understand. I just hope this misunderstanding doesn't happen again. I don't have time to play these games."

[We are truly sorry, President Meng, and thank you for accepting our apology.]

Meng Shu picked up her water glass and took a sip.

After giving a few more instructions, he hung up the phone.

Now, because of the Weibo notification incident during the day, his private messages have exploded again, which was originally at 99+.

And within a single day, more than 10 unknown numbers called.

Nine times out of ten, they were from various companies, but he didn't answer any of them.

The problem is that the aftermath of this incident could be exploited by those with ulterior motives.

Even though Infinite Network Entertainment deleted its Weibo and issued a new announcement to mitigate the impact, the fact remains that what happened has happened, and it's still being discussed online.

Conspiracy theories have even started to emerge.

However, precisely because of this, the Only Game's popularity has increased even further.

Now everyone knows that Infinite Network Entertainment apologized to Only Game.

However, in order to prevent the increase of negative news, Meng Shu decided to issue a notice to shift the focus.

As for what to post, he already has an idea.

Now, it's time to tell players what the next game is.

Whew, it's finished. The plot deviates slightly from the original outline, and the original ending has also been revised. This ending is alright for both companies; the incident downplays the protagonist's role, preventing him from getting involved in various situations. The COO's own ending has also been changed, sparing him from any further involvement.