Last night, Mavi wore her out completely. It wasn't until nearly 3 a.m. that he finally let her sleep.
He had to admit, this Russian Mavi's body was incredibly useful. The sheer power he unleashed made him fully enjoy the thrill of conquest.
After getting up and putting on fresh clothes, Mavi left some money on the bedside table. This wasn't because he was heartless, but rather because this was simply how things worked in the circles of foreign billionaires. Everyone was in it for the fun—wealthy men enjoyed the beauty and service of women, while the women used their looks to make some extra cash.
It was a mutually beneficial arrangement, devoid of emotional attachments. Anyone who caught feelings in this game would ultimately lose—and lose badly.
When Mavi returned to his hotel with his convoy, he called his butler, Ivan, into the room.
"Young Master, you're back. Shall I have the servants prepare lunch for you?" Ivan asked with genuine concern.
Mavi nodded. "Yeah. By the way, how's the matter I asked you to handle?"
"The Google team has found a few companies willing to collaborate. Now, we're just waiting for you to personally meet them," Ivan replied honestly.
"Alright, good." Mavi stretched lazily, then prepared for his meal. His goal was to have Larry and Sergey help him scout suitable gaming companies so he could break into the industry.
A classic game like Counter-Strike had to be created. Moreover, its model needed to integrate trending elements continuously to ensure its long-lasting appeal.
After a simple lunch at the hotel, Mavi took his private jet to the United States. At the moment, he still had $300 million in his bank account. In the year 2000, as long as he didn't foolishly try to acquire fully developed corporate giants like Apple or Microsoft, he could basically do whatever he wanted.
His earlier investments in Amazon, as well as his acquisition of Google and V客视频 (V Guest Video), had all led to the establishment of subsidiaries in Russia. After all, Mavi was now a Russian citizen, and expanding locally was a necessary step.
However, aside from the energy sector, most Russian industries were in decline. So, for now, his best bet was to use his knowledge from his past life to acquire promising startups before they flourished. Then, he would establish branches not only in Russia but worldwide.
This strategy would stimulate Russia's economy, employment, consumer market, and overall quality of life. Once everything was set in motion, his contributions to the country would be undeniable. Who knew—maybe one day, he could even enter politics and secure an honorary government position...
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After the Gulfstream G200 took off, Mavi casually flipped through the game company profiles he had received in his email before boarding. Suddenly, he noticed something surprising in the list of six companies—one of them was Blizzard!
Based on his knowledge from his past life, every game Blizzard produced was essentially a masterpiece, widely acclaimed by players. Titles like Warcraft, World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, and Diablo had truly taken the world by storm.
If Mavi could acquire this company and leverage his invaluable knowledge of future gaming trends, he could potentially dominate the entire gaming industry—outshining Tencent, Microsoft, Sony, NetEase, and others.
Just the thought of it got him excited. In his past life, he had been a gamer himself. Compared to Amazon and Google, a gaming company felt much closer to his heart.
As soon as his plane landed, Mavi immediately went online to research Blizzard's current situation. He discovered that in this timeline, after being acquired by Vivendi, Blizzard had lost its creative spark. The only titles released so far were Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness and Diablo.
As for the critically acclaimed Diablo II, StarCraft, and Warcraft III, they had never been released—stifled by Vivendi's excessive interference and exploitation.
Mavi took note of all this. A gaming powerhouse like Blizzard, once overly restrained, would naturally lose its drive and creativity. It was like caging a tiger—stripping it of its wild nature.
"Have Larry's team contact Vivendi and discuss the acquisition of Blizzard," Mavi instructed his butler as he stepped off the plane.
Before 1996, Vivendi was just a French water services company. Then, it expanded into various industries—including television, print media, and gaming—primarily through acquisitions. Its business model was simple: buy promising companies, squeeze every drop of profit from them, and discard them once they lost their value.
---
Two days later, Google delivered an update—Vivendi was very interested in negotiating Blizzard's acquisition. The meeting was scheduled for Thursday at 3:30 p.m. at Blizzard's headquarters.
Mavi had already anticipated dealing with greedy French businessmen, who would undoubtedly try to inflate the price and treat him like a walking ATM.
To avoid being taken advantage of, he instructed Larry's team not to reveal his true identity. Instead, they claimed he was merely an interested buyer introduced by a mutual connection.
So, on Thursday at 3:25 p.m., outside Blizzard's headquarters, Vivendi's representative from France, Lyon, stood in a well-tailored French suit alongside Blizzard's president, Mike Morhaime, waiting for Mavi's arrival.
A misprinted sentence appeared:
_"No mistakes, no typos—read it all at 69 Book Bar!"_
Just then, a bright yellow sports car pulled up—no, wait!
A bright yellow American taxi came to a smooth stop in front of them.
From the cab emerged a young white man dressed in an outdated, ill-fitting suit, carrying an old-fashioned leather briefcase.
He wore large, clunky glasses, and from head to toe, he looked exactly like an insurance salesman—or perhaps someone coming in for a job interview.
His appearance was in stark contrast to Lyon's polished, high-class demeanor. As a result, neither Lyon nor Mike paid him any attention, assuming he wasn't the person they were waiting for.
Little did they know, this unassuming young man standing before them was, in fact, the one and only Mavi.
He had deliberately chosen to arrive alone—without his usual convoy or bodyguards.
The last thing he wanted was to be seen as a gullible billionaire, inviting outrageous price hikes. If he was going to buy Blizzard, he was going to do it on his terms, not as a fool being taken advantage of.
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