At a Michelin-listed private dining room in Manhattan, Daniel, CEO of Infinity Media, was enjoying a late-night drink. Seated across from him were Ethan and Edward.
Of the three, only Daniel looked genuinely relaxed. Ethan and Edward wore smiles, but anyone paying attention could tell they were forced. Their once-thriving company had been wiped out in a matter of days. After liquidation, there was barely anything left in their hands. It would have been strange if they were in a good mood.
Ethan raised his glass toward Daniel, his tone polite but restrained. "President, thank you for helping us finally get some revenge."
Daniel clinked glasses with him, smiling calmly. "No need to thank me. If anything, I should thank you. Without your information, I wouldn't have had such a clean entry point."
He took a sip and continued leisurely. "Once New Vision Media collapses, no other MCN company in this space will be able to threaten us."
That had always been Daniel's real objective. Crushing New Vision Media was only step one. The real goal was to acquire it at rock-bottom price once it was drowning in lawsuits, scandals, and cash-flow problems. Even if the acquisition failed, dragging New Vision down would still eliminate a rising competitor—and poaching their top streamers afterward would be effortless.
Just imagining Jason suffering was enough to lift Ethan and Edward's spirits. Even if they could never recover their losses, seeing Jason bleed would at least soothe their humiliation. They drank, the atmosphere smug.
Then a secretary approached and leaned close to Daniel, whispering urgently. Daniel's smile faded slightly.
Ethan noticed immediately. "President… did something happen?"
Daniel nodded, setting his glass down. "Yes. New Vision has launched a counterattack."
Ethan's heart tightened. "So fast?"
Daniel chuckled dismissively. "Relax. It's nothing special. Public-opinion pressure, legal filings, the usual defensive moves. Frankly, it would be strange if they didn't fight back."
Ethan nodded, regaining some confidence. "We analyzed Jason's takedown of us. Honestly, it wasn't particularly sophisticated. His real strength was overwhelming capital pressure. But after that, he acquired multiple luxury brands and poured money into their promotion. His cash flow must be under enormous strain. Without a capital advantage, there's no way he can compete with you."
Daniel laughed out loud. "Once New Vision Media is done, the two of you will finally get your satisfaction."
The three continued drinking, already savoring victory.
Halfway through the meal, the secretary returned—this time visibly tense. She whispered again. Daniel's expression changed instantly. He stood up so abruptly his chair scraped the floor. "What?"
Ethan and Edward both froze. Ethan asked quickly, "What is it, President?"
Daniel's face darkened. "You said Jason's capital was tight."
Ethan replied immediately, "He earned some money shorting us, yes—but acquiring several luxury brands alone would've burned through it. Add brand development, marketing, runway shows, livestream integration… the expenses are massive. There's no way he has much left."
Daniel cut him off coldly. "Your intelligence is outdated. Jason is currently launching a bond-market assault against us. And it's not symbolic. It's a large-scale capital operation."
Ethan's heartbeat spiked.
Ethan explained quickly. Edward's expression stiffened. Then Edward shook his head and said "President, I don't believe he still has that level of capital. This is likely a bluff—designed to pressure your shareholders. Infinity Media isn't CloudMode International. Your balance sheet is stronger, your shareholders are far more influential, and your internal structure is stable. There are no obvious weaknesses. Even if Jason has some capital left, it's nothing to fear."
Edward's words weren't wrong. Infinity Media was leagues above them in scale and influence.
Daniel didn't respond immediately. He simply stared at his phone, eyes narrowing slightly. For the first time that night, a trace of unease crept into the room.
Daniel was not easily shaken. But the intensity of this counterattack had already exceeded his expectations.
He set his glass down and said calmly, "I need to respond immediately. I won't be able to finish this meal. Let's reschedule."
With that, Daniel stood up and left the restaurant without another word, returning straight to Infinity Media's headquarters. The moment he arrived, he ordered the emergency response team into action.
His top priority was countering the bond-market assault. Public-opinion pressure and legal counterclaims? Those were slow burns. He could afford to let them drag on. But the bond market was different. Once confidence collapsed there, the damage would be immediate—and irreversible.
However, it would have been better if he hadn't fought back at all. The moment Infinity Media attempted to stabilize its bonds, Daniel realized something was deeply wrong.
The opposing capital flow was overwhelming. Every defensive move they made was instantly drowned out, as if they were trying to block a flood with their bare hands. The other side spent money as if it were meaningless, as if cash were just numbers on a screen.
For the first time, Daniel felt a chill crawl up his spine. This didn't feel like facing a media company smaller than his own. It felt like standing before a capital magnate.
His unease grew. Worse still, during internal analysis, a terrifying pattern emerged. The opponent wasn't only crushing the bond price. They were silently accumulating shares.
Daniel abruptly stood up from his chair. "No—this isn't just a counterattack. He's attempting a hostile takeover of Infinity Media."
Hostile acquisitions were nothing new in the capital markets. Usually, large corporations swallowed smaller ones, leaving the latter powerless to resist. But this situation was absurd. New Vision Media itself was valued at only around four hundred million and wasn't even publicly listed. Infinity Media's market value exceeded three billion.
The idea that the smaller party could acquire the larger one was so outrageous that Daniel had instinctively dismissed it—until now.
Of course, strictly speaking, it wasn't New Vision Media making the move. It was Jason. He was using personal capital to challenge an entire listed corporation. And judging from the scale of capital flooding the market, Jason wasn't testing the waters. He was going all in.
Before Daniel could issue further orders, the secretary rushed in and handed him a tablet. "President… this just came in."
Daniel glanced at the screen. His pupils shrank violently. In an astonishingly short period of time, Jason's private equity fund had already acquired over 10% of Infinity Media's outstanding shares.
Even worse, a formal tender offer had been released. Ten percent above the current market price. The announcement was public. Legally binding. Meaning Jason genuinely had the funds to acquire all of Infinity Media if he wanted to.
Daniel finally panicked. This time, it was real panic. He had kicked an iron wall—and shattered his own foot in the process. That earlier feeling—that he hadn't offended a small company, but a true capital tyrant—was no illusion.
Outsiders might say, "It's your company. Just refuse to sell. What can he do?" But reality wasn't that simple.
Jason's attack was systematic and all-encompassing. Resisting would only cause Infinity Media's stock to shrink further, tightening cash flow and magnifying internal pressure. Worse still, the premium offered was simply too tempting.
For shareholders, emotions didn't matter. Only profit did. On one side: mounting risk and shrinking value. On the other: instant profit at a premium. The choice was obvious.
If two-thirds of shareholders approved at the next meeting, Infinity Media could be forced into a sale. If Jason crossed certain ownership thresholds, mandatory acquisition clauses would be triggered, stripping management of control entirely.
Once a company goes public, the founder no longer holds absolute authority. Daniel understood this better than anyone.
His hands trembled slightly as he picked up his phone. He began calling the founder. Then other major shareholders.
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