Blake had already settled the Justin.tv investment and secured his foothold in the basketball streaming market.
With several months left in the offseason, there was plenty of time to get everything up and running.
As for how profitable it would be...
They would probably have their answer once the next season began.
On the way back, Austin said from inside the car, "Blake, if there were no risks involved, taking eighty percent of the profits would obviously be a great deal, but...
"This is still a new business venture. It's a new market, so there are bound to be risks.
"Is it really okay for Justin.tv to take on none of them?
"What if the whole thing fails?"
"It'll be fine."
Blake smiled calmly, completely confident.
During the negotiations, Blake had repeatedly emphasized the risks, putting plenty of pressure on Michael Seibel, while also assuring him that he would personally absorb any losses.
In the end, Blake secured a full eighty percent of the profits.
That was a very favorable deal.
Of course, if the venture failed, Blake would suffer a massive loss.
But in reality, there was no such risk.
The project was bound to succeed.
As someone who had lived through this era once before, Blake already knew that the basketball market would only continue to grow.
And with his own presence...
It would grow even faster.
So while it might look like Michael was getting a great deal, Blake was actually the biggest winner.
"I hope you're right."
Austin nodded, then asked, "So what are you planning to invest in next?"
"I'll have to think about it. If you come across any good opportunities, feel free to give me some suggestions."
"Sure."
Austin nodded.
Blake fell into thought.
Investments?
With memories from his previous life, there were countless things he could invest in that were practically guaranteed to make money.
As long as he wanted to and had enough capital, he could easily make a fortune.
He could.
But there was no need.
Blake only wanted to invest in businesses that were already certain to become highly profitable.
And even then, only if they didn't demand too much of his time and attention.
Ideally, he wanted to remain a hands-off owner.
Life was short.
He wanted to enjoy it.
As for why he had been so eager to invest in Justin.tv, much of it had to do with Mia's plans to become a streamer.
The livestreaming industry carried its own risks and uncertainties.
But Blake was now one of Justin.tv's major shareholders.
So once Mia started streaming on the platform, all he had to do was make their connection known to the right people, and her path would be much smoother.
They could give her enough exposure and traffic early on to help her build a following quickly, which in turn would give her a better chance of landing a good acting role sooner.
...
Blake left the remaining details with Justin.tv, along with the arrangements for commentators such as Hubie Brown and Dave Pasch, in Austin's hands.
As for Blake himself...
With the fan event finished and the business matters taken care of, he happily went back to being a hands-off owner.
At home, Blake asked, "Mom, remember what I told you before? Once you finished teaching this class, you were supposed to stop working.
"You resigned already, right?"
"I did."
Dolores smiled.
"If I hadn't, you probably would've dragged me over there and made me quit yourself."
"That's more like it."
Blake smiled.
"Your son has made something of himself now. You don't need to work anymore.
"Just enjoy life.
"Oh, and starting tomorrow, you, Mia, Charlotte, and I should all go on a trip together.
"After that, we'll all move to the U.S.
"We agreed on this before, remember?"
"Uh..."
Dolores pursed her lips.
"Moving to the U.S. is fine, but maybe we should skip the trip.
"It'll cost a lot of money."
"Come on..."
Blake waved his hand.
"Mom, your son makes plenty of money now. The cost of a vacation is nothing.
"Don't turn it down again.
"Mia and Charlotte have already agreed. If you're the only one who doesn't go, you'll ruin the fun for everyone."
"Really?"
"Really."
"All right, then."
Dolores only agreed after hearing that Charlotte had agreed to go as well.
In reality, that wasn't quite true.
Mia had simply used the same tactic as Blake to convince Charlotte.
Even though Blake was wealthy now, the older generation had lived through difficult times.
Their habit of being frugal wasn't something they could change overnight.
If they could save money, they would.
So Blake and Mia could only resort to tactics like this.
And so, Blake and Mia set off with their mothers for a relaxing vacation that lasted about half a month.
Hiking, sightseeing, good food, hot springs, and more.
They didn't plan things too carefully.
They simply rented a car and drove wherever they felt like going, stopping whenever they found somewhere interesting and eating whatever looked good.
During the trip, Blake also fulfilled a promise he had made to Mia long ago.
They visited the open grasslands, rode horses, practiced archery, enjoyed the fresh air, and took in the endless fields beneath the clear blue sky.
The trip lasted sixteen days.
The four of them had an amazing time.
And it made sense.
Being able to forget about money, set aside every source of stress, and travel completely at their own pace was incredibly relaxing.
By the time they returned, the four of them were still laughing and chatting, looking almost younger than before.
...
After the trip, Blake began preparing for the return to the U.S.
This time, it wouldn't be just him and Mia.
Dolores and Charlotte were coming with them as well.
That was something they had agreed on long ago.
Before leaving, however, Dolores and Charlotte planned to meet up with some friends one last time.
Meanwhile, Blake and Mia shopped online for livestreaming equipment.
A high-end computer, microphone, external sound card, monitoring headphones, webcam, and everything else they might need.
For gaming streams, all of it was essential.
And Blake certainly wasn't going to cut corners.
After doing some research, he bought top-of-the-line equipment across the board.
Once everything had been selected, Blake and Mia had essentially finished everything they needed to take care of before leaving.
Sitting together on the couch at home, Blake asked, "Mia, are you nervous?"
"A little."
Mia nodded.
"It is my first time, after all.
"It's not really the streaming itself that makes me nervous. I'm just scared I won't do well.
"You've prepared so much for me.
"If I mess it up, I'll feel really guilty."
"You won't."
Blake shook his head and smiled.
"Trust me.
"Just play normally and show people your actual skill.
"And while you're waiting for a match, if viewers send messages, just talk to them naturally.
"You can chat with them, sing a song to keep things lively, whatever you feel like doing.
"Basically, just relax.
"Mia, with your looks, your gaming skills, and your singing voice, I know you're going to stand out in the gaming livestream scene."
"Really?"
Mia still sounded a little doubtful.
"Absolutely."
Blake nodded firmly.
"Okay."
Mia gave a small nod.
"I'll take it seriously."
...
Two days later, Blake, Mia, Dolores, and Charlotte had everything ready.
The four of them boarded a first-class flight from Beijing to Phoenix.
...
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