FB: Chapter 41 – Investor Pressure And Officers

Faisal Bin Hamad Al Saud was a middle aged man, who had about 120 billion dollars in his bank account. With several contracts signed, 30 billion was moved into the control of the Fanged Fox Corporation in exchange for a 30% stake.

There were another three investors paying 10 billion each for a 6% share of the company each. Corporate rules allowed people to sell their percentage stakes, but I had first offer of refusal for ten times their initial purchase price. Shares could not be diluted below 1% at the present time.

Anthony, the investors who held shares, and myself were in a private conference room. “Everyone here will have a seat on the board of directors of our corporation. In game, this will translate to the position of Advisor. A non-paid officer position within the guild. You can take this position yourself or appoint someone else to the position. Each of you will be allocated one favored contract for each percent of the corporation you own,” I said explaining the benefits they would be getting. I handed out copies of the contract. Basically, the people could be part of our guild, without having to pay a percentage of their earnings to the guild.

“My personal wealth is separate from the guilds. This is being tracked carefully. If there are concerns about the choices I make in game, or if I am unfairly profiteering off the guild, then this can be brought up. For example, we will be taking a town to build the guild’s headquarters in. This will also boost my noble title, but I will have to personally invest over 100 platinum and my personal effort to pull it off. I will be taking the tax revenue directly, while businesses set up in the town and area will fund the guild. That is why they are being kept separate,” I explained.

“When will we see dividends?” Faisal Bin Hamad Al Saud asked.

“Preferably three years from now. We need to buy a lot of capsules and they aren’t cheap. Taking over prison and nursing home contracts will provide a nice cash flow injection. But we need to focus on growth. If we pull out money, then other guilds sponsored by other corporations or countries could overtake us,” I said.

“Keep the money as a cash reserve?” Anthony asked me and I shook my head. The money raised from the sale of stock would be going right back into the company. Well Anthony would keep the money he raised from the personal sale of his shares. If I had sold any of my shares, that would have damaged confidence and risked my future control of the guild. While control wasn’t ownership, it did come with advantages I planned to make use of.

“If you can make things go faster without spending excessively, I will leave that to you Anthony. Use any extra money to buy shares in Exponential. I have done the same as well for my reserve cash. We will hold onto the shares, since they are only going to go up,” I said. The price was around 5,000 dollars right now and steadily going up. The other investors promised to help Anthony grease the wheels to get prison and nursing home contracts and there would be monthly reports sent out about the real-world side of the guild.

“I want you all to be mentally prepared. I will need to be able to pivot quickly in game and some things need to be kept secret until they are resolved. Some things need to remain top secret. That includes the total financial wealth of the guild in game. Any leaks would be disastrous,” I said.

“We can’t know that?” one investor asked with a frown.

“That information needs to be kept top secret no matter what. The ability of a guild to win a war, is based primarily on their financial depth and top level combat power. Money is the equivalent to bullets. Letting enemy forces know how many bullets you have is never a good idea. Unlike other corporations in the real world, we are engaged in combat as well. As a concession, any monetary transfers by myself, a guild officer, or the guild to real world money will be reported. Also, the sale of any high value items in exchange for real world assets will be reported as well. The board can elect another Vice Leader to be appointed in game to represent the board’s interest in high level guild meetings, not just the staff meetings Advisors will be allowed in on. I will be staying out of that vote, unless the candidate is not qualified,” I said.

“What would make them not qualified?” Faisal Bin Hamad Al Saud asked.

“Misusing guild assets. Creating an internal faction within the guild. Leaking sensitive information. We will have enough pressure from external sources, that we can’t afford for internal power plays to split the guild. Factions will form, but we need to keep infighting to a minimum. All those people who didn’t get a share of the pie here will be forming their own guilds in the near future. So will countries and other large corporations,” I said.

“Really? Why would countries do that?” one of the investors asked. Some people had more money than common sense. Spending ten billion dollars without completely understanding the market, it was enough to make me want to shake my head at them, but I didn’t. Or they trusted their intuition and wanted to hear what I would say.

“Medical nanites. The research has been published, but soon they will be integrated into the capsules. People will be able to sleep in them while keeping their bodies in good health. Also drone training and control. That feature will also be announced soon, which will drive military investment. Exponential is about to live up to its name,” I said. There were thoughtful looks at the information I had shared. I had no doubt most of these people had done their research on me like Anthony had.

“Everyone will want to join the game then, if their play is subsidized,” one investor muttered.

“Any way we can capitalize off of this?” another investor asked.

“We already are,” I replied, and they looked at me. “We are the largest corporate guild in game and will continue to grow. Already external recruiting is ongoing, and we are buying as many capsules as possible,” I explained.

Once I had massaged their questions and egos enough, I got back into my helicopter and flew off to get back into the game. A large landing pad had been set up next to my house. My main concern with the investors was that they would try and get clever where they shouldn’t. Managing a guild was different than managing a company in the real world.

Combat power was key going forward while corporations depended on friendly nations for combat power for the most part. Amazon or Microsoft didn’t have an elite fighting force to take out competitors, for example. I needed to be able to act decisively without getting held up by a committee.

The surprising thing was that Anthony had cashed out a large portion of his shares, earning back 30 billion dollars, which was a massive return. Most of the investors didn’t look like they had diamond hands and would sell when things got rough, and things would get rough.

Once nations started entering Exponential with their military forces, I would no longer have the top guild as much as I would like to. While the US took a more relaxed approach with only taking a small portion of the guilds that formed within the country, China, India, and Russia were the sleeping powerhouses. While India had a large population, China could mobilize its people in a single direction much more easily with how their nation was structured. Russians were just crazy in game. It was no exaggeration to say that Russian assault soldiers were the best and most fearless in the entire world. This was proven out by the statistics of several Russian guilds.

The best known example was dog piling, which was a technique they created. A crazy Russian would rush in and grab a high level opponent to create an opening for their teammates to use a suicide attack to kill their target. They kept the immersion on full as well for the most part. They were incredibly aggravating to fight against.

Of course, the elites couldn’t be bothered to go out and kill monsters themselves, or risk dying. They needed minions, a support structure, and hordes of people in the game to support their ambitions. There was a reason that super guilds used to only be made up of corporations and nations the last time. Breaking past the limit of a semi-super guild and the one million mark, would take a lot of effort and organization for someone like me with no background.

Also, the investors were smart enough not to push back on the number of shares I controlled. I could leave at any time, which would be a disaster. Even in the future, any super guild losing a highly ranked Champion was a big deal. For the founding member to leave who was also the Lead Champion, it would be an unmitigated disaster. They were investing in me, but I couldn’t make that the selling point. That was why keeping a lot of shares was important, to give confidence to these investors I wasn’t about to just walk away suddenly.

Another reason why I wanted investors was to spread out the support my corporation and guild would have. These investors would reduce the risk of government overreach in the future through their contacts and wealth. While I had no doubt the US would initiate its scam nationalization no matter what, limiting the damage of such an action was important.

I was in the big leagues now as a bit player. But I was in them. These were the types of people my boss’s, boss’s, boss’s, boss had to report to in the past. I didn’t have the wealth or connections to tangle with these people directly, which was why I needed their buy in to give me cover from various tactics that might be used to pressure me.

It was also why I had invested heavily in my personal security. There had been accidents in the past of top level people which had been incredibly suspicious. While I wasn’t into conspiracy theories, I couldn’t spend money if I was killed off. My security company had its headquarters in Switzerland, which gave me some confidence that they wouldn’t be unduly pressured or compromised from national interests. As for financial interests, I had people in my corner now. At least I got to fly in a helicopter for the first time, since I couldn’t afford to take time off from Exponential right now. Small benefits from being a billionaire now.

While it might seem like a private jet would be faster, it would also be a lot more vulnerable to sabotage. With two helicopters assigned to me, I could switch between them, using one as a decoy. Also driving from the airports would add on more time, making the travel length the same as by helicopter to New York City.

Once I was back in my capsule, my character had already arrived in Halfenbrook town. I immediately rented out the largest inn for the next ten real world days for my guild officers only. They had already been alerted that a meeting was going to happen and were told to come prepared.

All my officers showed up and I noticed Anthony was in game as well, with the name Don Anthony. While he was only level 1, he was already appointed as Vice Leader of the guild in game.

“Alright, let’s go around and introduce ourselves and our role in the Fanged Fox guild before we get into various issues that need to be sorted. How a guild operates is different than how a company will operate. Only the Vice Leader and Guild Leader position will be acting as bridges to the real world while the remaining roles are kept separate on purpose and there will be no overlap. Now to start off, I am Guild Leader and Lead Champion Foxy Blight. I manage the general direction of the guild in game and have overall command of combat operations as our strongest combatant,” I said. I looked at Anthony on my right.

“Vice Leader of Coordination Don Anthony. I am responsible for the activities of the Fanged Fox Corporation and overseeing operations and investments. I am here to help coordinate anything that might need to be done in the real world with our in game actions and internal recruitment,” he said.

“I am Officer of Recruitment, Grinning Blade. I am in charge of external recruitment and scouting of talent for officer level positions,” he said.

“I am Officer of Advancement, Hex Smith. I am in charge of ensuring that new members have a smooth time leveling up, getting skill shards, and forming initial teams that complement each other,” she said.

“I am Officer of Intelligence, Joker Seven. I am in charge of collecting in game information regarding other guilds,” he said.

“I am Officer of Counter Intelligence, Joker Nine. I manage our information security in game. I have to report that information on the guild quest has leaked,” he said, and I nodded at this.

“That is something we will discuss shortly, let us continue our introductions,” I said.

“I am Number Crusher, Officer of Accounting. I oversee the guild’s finances and make sure we stay in the black,” my father said. I gave him a smile which he returned.

“I am Officer of Knowledge Jacklyn Fox. I am responsible for getting information about skills, quests, NPCs, and other in game information,” she said. In time there would be staff members under these officers with more specific areas of responsibility, but right now the officers needed to get the structure of their primary area of responsibility set up.

“I am Storm Sword, a Champion of the Guild. Responsible for leading in large combat operations and being a high-level combatant,” the man said. I had been able to recruit him with my dominant display in the Tournament of Champions.

“I am Kill Blade. Officer in charge of Operations,” he introduced himself as the last officer. “I am in charge of making sure teams run smoothly and dispatching them to where they are needed.”

“Excellent. In time we will have an Officer in charge of Combat, which will be a more of a military general role responsible for large scale coordination. Keep an eye out for team leaders who are good at making quick decisions and understanding the flow of large scale combat in Exponential. They don’t have to be able to fight at the level of a Champion, but they need to understand the flow of large scale combat, which is different from individual or team focused combat. For now, I will be taking up this responsibility as Lead Champion,” I said. I would also be looking for an Officer of Development, but I already had some ideas about who I wanted for that position.

“In addition, we will need an Officer in charge of relations to meet with other guilds and high ranking individuals at an official level,” I said.

“I have a suggestion for that position, Isabella would be quite adept at such a role,” Don Anthony said. He wanted to place his wife in a key position. I considered her poise, and she was clearly capable and would not be easily intimidated.

“That is fine. It will be an acting position like all the other Officer positions,” I said and sent her the invite through the guild interface. “That includes everyone else as well. I don’t care for excuses. I am concerned about success and not creating more problems,” I said. Isabella entered the room, and we all shuffled our chairs to make room for one more. Don Anthony didn’t hesitate in the slightest. We had talked about this appointment before, so it wasn’t a surprise that he made this move now.

“Isabella Bloodscythe, you are appointed as the Relations Officer of the Fanged Fox guild. You are to communicate with other guilds and high ranking individuals. If they have queries, they will go to you first. You act as our primary external contact for the guild,” I said.

“I understand Guild Leader,” she said, and I gave her a nod. She sat down as everyone gave her a nod. Things were moving quickly, which was why Anthony hadn’t gotten her appointed previously. He might also be wanting to pressure me at a high level meeting to see how I would respond. A minor power move, but one I wasn’t concerned about as long as she was capable of fulfilling the role.

“Let me remind everyone that everything discussed in these meetings is considered top secret. Do not speak of anything that is discussed in these meetings outside of them. Things that are done publicly or you are responsible for, you may discuss with your subordinates, but the larger direction and status of the guild is top secret. I take this very seriously. Information on the number of members, combat potential, guild reserves, and guild assets are never to be shared with anyone under any circumstance outside of these meetings. Is that understood,” I said, and I got affirmatives from everyone.

“Good. Now onto our first order of business. Champion recruitment. I have seen several applications from people, but they are sub-par,” I said while glaring at everyone. “If they can’t win a lot in the arena, then they have no business submitting an application. Also, I want targeted recruitment of any new Champions that might arise. We should be the first guild making an offer the moment they hit 100 wins.”

“What about leadership qualities, are they important as well?” Grinning Blade asked. I could tell he was wondering about his role in the Guild.

“For Champions, personal combat ability is the most important. Champions are exactly what the name implies. Powerful combatants that can stand alone. While they can have personal teams as well to support them, their individual combat prowess should not be in doubt. The easiest way to prove this is winning in the arena,” I explained.

“How does our guild hierarchy work exactly? I know you are at the top, then the Vice Leaders, then the Officers, but then it gets confusing with Team Leaders and Champions,” Kill Blade said.

“Champions are combat officers. They hold the same rank as other officers, which is why Storm Sword can sit in on this meeting. In time a Lead Champion will be appointed who will hold the same rank as a Vice Leader, so I don’t have to wear two hats. It is important that we separate the combat side and the non-combat side of the Guild. While there is overlap, having someone give orders in battle who isn’t qualified is a recipe for disaster. Having greater depth in our top level command staff is also useful. While everyone is expected to be able to fight and protect themselves, your jobs are more important than your combat ability unless you are a Champion. In that case your combat ability is your job,” I explained.

“Team Leaders will report to the Officer of Operations and are responsible only for their team. During large scale conflict Officer of Combat will handle their deployment orders. As for staff members that we will hire to support you in your roles, they have no authority to order guild members. Only officers have the authority to order guild members. This will prevent possible abuse in the future and if anyone abuses their position, they will be held directly accountable,” I said and there were nods at this.

“What about increasing benefits we offer to Champions?” Isabella asked. “That seems like the best way to recruit more high level combatants.” She was already picking up the lingo and flow of the meeting.

“They are offered a salary, benefits, and favored guild contracts for members of their personal teams. Unfortunately, there aren’t that many to recruit from. I have gotten word that Cat Dance would be interested if we could rescue her?” Grinning Blade said.

“She is effectively worthless. Getting off the Island Fortress is impossible right now and with her title, any dealings with her would be too dangerous. I know some people might be tempted to focus on more criminal elements of the game, but we don’t mess with the NPCs, which she did. That Outcast title is incredibly toxic,” I ordered.

“I will be happy to work with Grinning Blade on Champion outreach in the future,” Isabella said.

“That is fine. I expect all of you to work together. We have a tremendous amount of external pressure coming towards us. You can secure your positions by doing your job well and producing results,” I said.

“Will we get the chance for shares or dividends?” Joker Seven asked.

“To get a share in the guild would require a massive contribution. Not just doing your job. As for dividends or bonuses, yes that will happen if people do well enough. But let us get the guild working first and we can discuss specifics more at a later meeting. Why don’t you put together a framework for me to review Joker Seven,” I told him. You ask annoying questions, you get annoying work.