Chapter 18: Finally Free from Financial Worries

On February 15, William woke up early and put on the bespoke suit he had ordered from a private tailor on Oxford Street. With the help of his mother Lena, he neatly tied his tie. The Hilton Hotel staff had already sent a car to pick him up.

All of England was watching the auction of the game rights today. The Hilton Hotel, which couldn't pass up such a high-profile event, was eager to host it. After the previous incident involving a recording leak, the Hilton Hotel went all out to win William's favor by not charging him a penny for today's event. They even provided free transportation, security, and a complimentary reception after the auction. They also gave William a platinum card offering a 40% discount at Hilton hotels worldwide.

Not wanting to complicate matters at this critical juncture, William graciously accepted the benefits while mentally noting to repay the favor in the future.

The provided security was a blessing as it allowed him to leave his house without much hassle and get to the Hilton Hotel smoothly. Reporters were especially aggressive today, all eager to get a scoop directly from William.

Upon arriving at the Hilton Hotel, Anthony's law firm had already arranged for an auctioneer, and the hotel staff was making the final preparations. Today, William didn't have to say much on stage. The media frenzy over the past few days had made the auction well-known. Companies interested in the game would definitely send representatives, and the competition would be fierce, making it impossible for William to back out of selling.

Because he had already signed contracts with the law firm and the insurance company, the game rights would only revert to him if no one bid at least 100 million pounds, which was highly unlikely.

There were many more companies present today than there had been in the previous days. From what William had learned from Anthony, several medium-sized companies had teamed up to bid and then planned to divide the regional distribution rights among themselves.

William met many people in the hotel's event hall, and they all spoke highly of him. After all, this young man could hold his own against dozens of seasoned professionals.

At 9 a.m., the auctioneer took the stage, greeted the bidders, and officially started the auction.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I am Christie's Gold Gloves, here to serve you today. I am pleased to host this auction. Alright, ladies and gentlemen, the auction officially begins."

The auctioneer jokingly held up a file folder, saying, "This is a bag of paper worth over 100 million pounds. Each sheet is worth 3 million pounds. I hope the winner won't feel shortchanged."

The crowd laughed, understanding that the folder contained the rights documents, which indeed were just paper.

"Alright, joke aside. Gentlemen, I have here a joint commitment letter from three major London law firms, certifying that all rights to 'Plants vs. Zombies' are held by Mr. William Devonshire and that there are no copyright disputes. This transaction is underwritten by England's largest insurance company to ensure payment within seven days of the auction. In case of default, the insurance company will claim double the auction amount. Any questions?"

After a minute of silence, the auctioneer continued, "Ladies and gentlemen, the most exciting moment has arrived. The full rights to 'Plants vs. Zombies' start at 100 million pounds. The auction is now open."

"Please bid."

As soon as the auctioneer finished, someone raised their paddle. "100 million."

"Lot 19 offers 100 million pounds. Any other bids?"

"105 million."

"110 million."

After just a few rounds, the price had reached 110 million. William, sitting below, felt pleased with his strategy; his comments to the media had paid off.

"120 million." William saw the bid from Bystar's representative.

Disney's representative raised the paddle, "125 million."

At this price, the bidders started to hesitate. William rolled his eyes when he saw Carrefour's representative, who hadn't bid at all and seemed to be just spectating. Earlier, this man had confidently assured William that their board had authorized him to bid aggressively for the game rights.

"130 million." The Bystar representative glared at Disney's people.

Disney's representative hesitated for a while, with their assistant constantly on the phone, presumably reporting back to headquarters.

"Any more bids? Going once, going twice..."

"133 million." Disney's representative placed the final bid.

Everyone could see the Bystar people looking at Disney's representative with resentment, as Disney's participation had driven up the price significantly.

Bystar's representative gritted his teeth and bid, "135 million."

After repeated prompting from the auctioneer, Disney's representatives did not bid again, signaling their limit.

"Third call, sold!" The auctioneer's hammer fell with a decisive thud, marking the successful sale.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you. This auction is officially concluded."

William happily shook hands with Bystar's representative, took photos, and both sides appeared pleased.

Led by their lawyers, both parties sat down to sign the contract. William, guided by his lawyer, signed the agreement. William and Bystar then signed the formal insurance and financial contracts with the insurance company and the bank.

Bystar's payment would be divided into two parts: 40% to William's account in England and 60% to an offshore account in the British Virgin Islands. The total cost for insurance and banking guarantees was 4% of the sale price, plus 1% for the law firm, totaling 6.75 million pounds. William found this acceptable, as spending a few million ensured he'd receive the money within seven days. Delays beyond March could introduce too many uncertainties.

If Bystar failed to pay within the specified time, the insurance company and bank would directly compensate William and then pursue Bystar for the owed amount.

After signing the contracts, they celebrated with a reception at the Hilton Hotel. After mingling with some charitable organizations and unknown women, William finally found himself alone at the buffet, picking food. Hungry since he hadn't eaten that morning, he was enjoying himself when he heard a voice behind him.

"Hello, William."

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