152 $60 billion
A month had passed since Matt officially joined Imperium Holdings, and things had been moving like there was no stopping.
In that ti, I had managed to find and stamp three more stamp holders. The system was still giving small fry but in total, I was able to accumulate a combined $7 billion. Most of that cash had been funneled back into Imperium to prepare for our coming expansion. But as always, problems are always never ending no matter how old or rich you are. With the progress we had been having, we were also getting new challenges.
Now, I sat at the head of the long glass conference table, surrounded by the Imperium Holdings executive team. We'd already gone through so of our problems and had discussed potential solutions but I had to admit that this new problem was sothing else.
At the front of the room, David Langford, the COO of Walk Shop, clicked a button on the remote in his hand, changing the presentation slide. The image that appeared was brutal. A steep downward trend in our user retention rate.
"This is the reality." Langford said, his voice clipped. "Our clients are leaving. And not just a few of them."
"We've lost 17% of our corporate accounts in the last quarter alone. Another 25% have either expressed concerns or are in talks with competitors. If we don't act fast, Walk Shop won't just be struggling."
He paused.
"It'll be obsolete."
His words sent a ripple of murmurs around the room as each executive shifted in their chairs. A $21 billion subsidiary shutting down? Over our collective dead bodies.
I leaned forward and asked the question on our minds. "Explain. Who's bleeding us dry?"
Langford adjusted his glasses. "A rising star out of Silicon Valley, MicroTek. They were founded around the ti that Walk Shop was also founded. But Wang Tae Bin was able to muscle them out of his space."
"However, they didn't give up and have made their coback. They've unveiled an all-purpose AI that's leagues ahead of anything we have. It's more efficient, adaptable, and scalable."
"They've already locked in multi-year contracts with several Fortune 500 companies. If we don't catch up, we'll be relegated to a second-rate player in the AI space."
Silence.
I could feel Matt shift beside , his mind working through the bomb that had just been dropped. The rest of the executives exchanged uncertain glances, looking at for direction. I didn't speak. Not yet. Instead, I waited. There was more. Langford wouldn't have pestered about this if he didn't have a solution to the problem.
Sure enough, he sighed and clicked another slide.
"Our current AI model is outdated. We've run the numbers, and to develop a competitive alternative, we'll need at least $60 billion in funding for research and training over the next three years. And that's assuming we maintain aggressive hiring and infrastructure expansion."
"Wait, what?" I looked around to figure out who had spoken before my brain caught up. It had been .
If you were in that room, you would've been just as shocked as I was. "Sixty billion?" Matt said incredulously a second later as if he just realized what had been said. "That's more than double the value of Imperium Holdings itself."
Langford nodded grimly. "It's an astronomical figure, I know. Even for us, that kind of expenditure is unrealistic without outside investnt or massive debt."
"Honestly, I think it's ti we seek outside investnt. From what I know, Imperium is a very attractive company and there are a lot of companies waiting for Mr. Voss to expand."
"Not yet." I shook my head. "We're not seeking outside investnt now. We still have ways to go. Why fly with the help of others when we can save that for later?"
"I see." Langford nodded.
I glanced around the room at the other executives before exhaling slowly, my mind running through my options.
Langford cleared his throat. "There is... an alternative." Another click. A new slide.
"Eidolon Interactive." I murmured, recognizing the na instantly.
Langford nodded. "We already own a small stake in Eidolon Interactive, but acquiring them outright and integrating their AI with Walk Shop could cut developnt costs significantly."
"We estimate that, instead of $60 billion, this route would require only $40 billion. With that, we'd be able to build a well rounded AI model."
Matt leaned forward, rubbing his chin. "We'd be consolidating industries. Video ga AI adapted for corporate use? It's risky. And it would take ti."
"True." Langford admitted. "But the core infrastructure is already there. With the right modifications, Eidolon's AI could be trained for comrcial applications far faster than if we built one from scratch."
"Their AI engine is already one of the most advanced learning models on the market, primarily used to create realistic NPC behavior in gaming."
"If we repurpose it for real world decision making, custor engagent, and business automation, we can rival and even surpass MicroTek without burning through $60 billion."
The room was silent as everyone digested the new suggestion. The decision wasn't just about numbers. It was about positioning. Control. If we moved forward with the acquisition, we'd be reshaping the AI landscape in multiple industries at once. It would put Imperium in a powerful position, but also in direct competition with so of the most well-funded tech giants in the world.
Langford continued, "There's another angle to consider. MicroTek's AI is impressive, but they're still reliant on traditional data pipelines. Eidolon's AI works differently. It learns dynamically through experience and adaptation, sothing even MicroTek hasn't perfected yet."
"We wouldn't just be catching up. We'd be offering sothing entirely different."
Matt crossed his arms. "And MicroTek knows this?"
Langford nodded. "We suspect they're aware of Eidolon's potential, which is why their AI division has been aggressively hiring top talent from the gaming industry. If we don't act now, they might make a move before we do."
I leaned back in my chair, staring at the screen. If we lost Walk Shop, it would be a blow. But if we lost Eidolon to MicroTek, it could cripple our AI ambitions for years and we might never recover.
"I need more data before making a call." I said finally. "Matt and I will assess MicroTek firsthand. I want to see exactly what we're up against before we commit to anything."
Langford nodded. "Understood. I'll arrange a full report on MicroTek's operations and known capabilities before your trip. I'll also have our legal team run a deeper analysis of Eidolon's valuation and possible regulatory hurdles if we push forward with an acquisition."
We continued with the eting and when it was finally over, Matt glanced at . "Are you sure about this?" He asked.
"Even if we'll be spending $40 billion after acquiring Eidolon, we'd still be spending at least $15 billion on the acquisition itself. There's also no guarantee that Justin Kale would sell the company to us."
He exhaled. "This is bigger than anything we've done before."
I smirked, standing. "Then it's exactly the kind of move we should be making."
Matt shook his head, but I saw the excitent in his eyes. "You really don't know how to play it safe, do you?"
I chuckled in answer. "Safe doesn't build empires."
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