SWDnovel Chapter 255 Lu Ran's Overbearing Terms
Chapter 255 Lu Ran's Overbearing Terms
Upon hearing Lu Ran call him that, the dog immediately corrected him, "Mr. Lu Ran, you can call me Yitiao, or Xinquan (信犬). In Japan, we don't have a way of calling a dog by its name alone."
"Okay, Mr. Dog."
The dog didn't know if Lu Ran did it on purpose or by accident. He knew that his name was ambiguous in the Dragon Kingdom, but as the head of the East Asia region for Sakura Games, no one had ever dared to mock his name.
But the dog felt he should maintain his composure, so he suppressed his anger, smiled, shook Lu Ran's hand, bowed again, and then sat down.
The other two accompanying personnel also bowed, their movements so synchronized as if they had rehearsed.
Lu Ran silently thought to himself: This setup is much more formal than EA's. But after all, they are the nation of bowing, and their signature gesture is still quite standard.
After a few pleasantries, a loyal dog got down to business.
"Mr. Lu, we at Sakura Games are very interested in your company's products," he said bluntly. "Especially 'Seven Heroes' and the TUTU platform, which have achieved remarkable success in the Chinese market. We hope to establish a long-term strategic partnership with your company."
Lu Ran nodded, waiting for him to continue.
A dog took a document out of a briefcase and handed it to Lu Ran with both hands.
"This is our draft cooperation proposal," he said. "Please take a look, Mr. Lu."
Lu Ran took the document and opened it.
He wasn't actually interested in the content, but he still wanted to see what conditions the Japanese would offer.
He was stunned on the first page.
【Cooperation Plan Overview】
Sakura Games plans to invest US$50 million in Tutu Technology.
Shareholding percentage: 20%.
Investment method: cash injection, no interference in operations, no appointment of directors, and no participation in decision-making.
Additional conditions: The Japanese distribution rights for Tutu Technology's product "Seven Heroes Jianghu" will be preferentially granted to Sakura Games; TUTU platform and Sakura Games' game products will achieve account interoperability; both parties will jointly develop game products for the Japanese market, with profits shared according to shareholding ratio.
After reading it, Lu Ran closed the document and placed it on the table.
He looked up at a homing dog.
"Mr. Faithful Dog," he said slowly, "your terms are much more favorable than those offered by EA."
A loyal dog smiled humbly: "Mr. Lu, you flatter us. We have come with sincerity."
Lu Ran nodded, then asked, "I have a question I'd like to ask you."
"Please speak."
"Why did Sakura Games invest in Tutu Technology? With your company's strength, you could easily develop your own products to enter the Chinese market, or find larger partners like Tencent or NetEase. Why a small company like ours?"
A dog remained silent for a few seconds, then said seriously, "Mr. Lu, since you asked so directly, I'll answer directly too."
"First, we have studied your company's product line. TUTU's user stickiness is top-notch in the Chinese market. While its 50 million daily active users may not be as high as WeChat, its user activity and loyalty even surpass WeChat's. This kind of asset cannot be bought with money."
"Secondly, we've researched your company's founder." He looked at Lu Ran with a hint of admiration in his eyes. "Lu Ran himself is a rare genius in both the entertainment and internet industries of China. He has representative works in every field—songwriting, screenwriting, animation, and game development. This kind of ability can't be bought with money."
"Third—" He paused, his tone becoming serious, "Sakura Games needs a reliable local partner in the Chinese market. Tencent is too big; cooperating with them would make us dependent on them. NetEase is too stable and lacks the drive for innovation. Perfect World is too small to support our ambitions. Therefore, your company is the most suitable choice for us."
Lu Ran nodded after listening.
The dog's answer was so honest that it surprised him.
"Mr. Dog," he said, "I appreciate your sincerity. But to be honest, I cannot accept this cooperation proposal."
Lu Ran simply pushed the contract away.
The dog's previously smiling face suddenly froze: "Why? Are our offers not generous enough?"
"Yes and no." Lu Ran shook his head. "Fifty million US dollars, 20% shares, no interference in operations—to be honest, these terms are much better than those offered by companies in the United States."
"Then why did Lu Sang refuse?"
Lu Ran looked at him and said with a mocking expression, "Because I don't want to cooperate with your company."
A dog was stunned.
The other two accompanying personnel were also stunned.
The atmosphere in the coffee shop instantly became subtle.
"Mr. Lu," a dog took a deep breath, trying to remain calm, "may I ask why?"
Lu Ran thought about it and decided to tell the truth.
"Mr. Dog, you should know that there are some historical issues between our Dragon Country and Japan," he said. "Although relations between the two countries are now beginning to normalize and cooperation is frequent, I personally feel a sense of rejection towards things from Japan, as if I were looking at garbage."
A loyal dog suppressed its urge to fly into a rage.
His mission this time is to acquire several game companies, and he doesn't want the first one he's planning to acquire to fall through, so he's been extremely patient.
The other two companions exchanged a glance, their expressions revealing a hint of anger, but since the guard dog hadn't spoken, they couldn't voice their opinions.
After a long while, the dog finally managed to speak slowly, "Mr. Lu, I know about the historical issues you mentioned. But that happened a long time ago. The current Japan and the current China are partners. We've come with sincerity, hoping you can set aside your prejudices and consider things from a business perspective."
Lu Ran pretended to suddenly realize something and nodded: "Mr. Dog, perhaps you are right. Business is business, and emotions are emotions. Logically speaking, I shouldn't bring my personal emotions into business negotiations."
"But—" he paused, his tone becoming serious, "some things can't be simply thrown away."
A homing dog took a deep breath: "So, does Lu Sang mean there's absolutely no possibility of cooperation?"
Lu Ran changed his tone and said, "The Dao is not entirely impossible."
A trusting dog's eyes lit up: "So, what are your conditions?"
Lu Ran took a document from Zhou Mingzhe and pushed it in front of a dog.
"This is the cooperation framework I've drafted," he said. "Take a look."
A dog opened the document and read it line by line.
Then, his expression changed from anticipation to surprise, from surprise to disbelief, and finally to ashen.
[Suggested Cooperation Framework (TuTu Technology Version)]
Article 1: Sakura Games invests in Tutu Technology for US$100 million, acquiring a 5% stake.
Article 2: Tutu Technology obtains the exclusive distribution rights for all game products under Sakura Games in China for a term of ten years, with revenue sharing on a 70/30 basis (Tutu 70%, Sakura 30%).
Article 3: Sakura Games shall provide all its core technologies for Rabbit Technology to learn from and use. All related costs shall be borne by Sakura Games.
Article 4: Sakura Games shall not request the sharing of TUTU user data in any form. Tutu Technology retains full control over all cooperative projects.
Article 5: If Sakura Games violates any of the above terms, Tutu Technology has the right to unilaterally terminate the cooperation and confiscate all investment funds.
……