American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness

Chapter 257 Huge Extortion! (Bonus chapter for the 80th anniversary of the victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan!)
"In conclusion, my client, Mr. Lin Yu-an, remains open to becoming your company's brand ambassador."

"The price isn't expensive either."

"All I need is for you to pay for each of these three reasons."

“We think you should first consider the parent company’s stock, so to make up for the greater losses you will face, we need seven million.”

"To fend off your competitors, we'll need seven million. To compensate my clients for the official damages you've caused, we'll need three million."

Marty's voice was calm and even, as if he were calculating a simple math problem.

Marty paused, then calmly announced the number that would stop anyone's heart.

"Total, $17 million per year. Before taxes."

"absurd!!"

This time, it wasn't the CFO who cried out in disbelief, but the General Counsel, Helen!

She could no longer maintain her professional composure, abruptly standing up, her voice shrill with anger, "Mr. Singh! This is extortion! Seventeen million?!"

"Do you know what this number means? It's higher than the quarterly marketing budget of our company's biggest competitor!"

The CFO, his face pale, added, "The board will absolutely not approve this price! Marcus, we can't..."

Marcus raised his hand, stopping him. His expression had shifted from shock to a numb calm. He knew the real war was just beginning.

“Why is it impossible?” Marty looked coldly at Helen, who was so agitated that she lost her composure. “Every price I just mentioned was based on your own data evaluation logic.”

"Seven million to buy out a one-of-a-kind, hardcore idol image that Justin Bieber personally endorses, so that he doesn't choose Climbing Rat's equity, do you think it's expensive?"

"Add another seven million to buy out a cultural totem that can shake the entire Chinese market, so that he won't accept the mountain with the old man's head. Do you think that's too expensive?"

“The last three million,” he said with a hint of sarcasm, “is to buy back the brand reputation you almost completely destroyed because of your own stupidity.”

"Protect your parent company's stock price, and the jobs of everyone here. To be honest, I think this price is too cheap."

Marty leaned back in his chair, his fingers interlaced, like a king who had victory in his grasp.

"Seventeen million is not only a buyout of Mr. Lin's commercial value for the next three years, but also a buyout of Arc'teryx's brand reputation for the next ten years. I personally think this price is very fair."

A new, suffocating silence fell over the conference room.

Marcus remained silent; he was engaged in a profound internal struggle.

He knew that the seventeen million figure was a figure deliberately thrown out by that old fox Marty, an unacceptable number intended to humiliate them.

But he also knew that he had no bargaining chips left. Everything the other side held was a Damocles' sword hanging over their heads.

He began to calculate rapidly in his mind that the maximum authorization the board of directors had given him was around ten million.

But the current situation has completely gone beyond the scope of conventional business negotiations. This is a war to stop the bleeding.

He had to secure a seemingly victorious result for himself and the entire team, one that he could present to the board of directors.

“…Mr. Singh,” Marcus finally spoke, his voice hoarse and weary, “Seventeen million is impossible, you and I both know that.”

He raised his head, looked directly into Marty's eyes, and began his difficult, step-by-step bargaining.

“However, I admit that our previous offer lacked sincerity. Within my highest authority, I can raise the offer to nine million, which is a figure I can approve immediately.”

Upon hearing this, Marty Singh merely smiled dismissively, not even bothering to haggle himself. He gave a wink to the young lawyer behind him.

“Mr. Weber,” the young lawyer said in a cold voice, as precise as a quote machine, “we refuse. The first price we can accept now is sixteen million.”

“Ten million and five hundred thousand!” Arc'teryx’s chief financial officer immediately countered, trying to hold onto their last line of defense.

“Fifteen million,” Marty replied without hesitation.

"Furthermore, any personnel transfers requested by Mr. Lin must be copied to my office via internal email within 24 hours of the contract being signed."

Marcus's heart was bleeding! He looked at Helen, the general counsel beside him, who shook her head helplessly.

“…Okay, we agree to the terms of the personnel transfer,” Marcus said with difficulty, “but fifteen million is still unlikely. We really need to apply to the board of directors…”

“Then go apply.” Marty seemed to feel the time was right. He slowly stood up, straightened his suit, and made a gesture as if he was about to leave.

"It seems our differences are still too great. We can end today's negotiations here. I'm sorry, Mr. Weber. However, this may also be a good thing."

He walked to the door, turned around, and a playful smile appeared on his face.

"This way, I'll have plenty of time to book a flight to Stockholm."

Marcus knew this was an ultimatum!

"Wait!" Marcus suddenly stood up!
He knew that if Marty Singh were to walk out of this office today, Arc'teryx's brand reputation, and the resulting chain reaction, would lead to the stock price's utter ruin!

He took a deep breath and almost forced out the number that made his body ache: “…13.5 million.”

“Mr. Singh, this is the only price I can offer, the final price! It exceeds all the authorization the board has given me! I need to take a huge personal risk for this!”

Marty Singh stopped and turned around to look at the German man who was on the verge of collapse. He knew that the man's psychological defenses had been pushed to their limit.

Fifteen million was his bottom line.

He slowly walked back to the conference table, but instead of sitting down, he looked down at Marcus.

“Mr. Weber, I’ve seen your efforts.” For the first time, his tone softened slightly. “Alright, considering your sincerity, I’m willing to compromise further.”

“Fourteen million, that’s my final offer. If you agree, we can initial the agreement now. If not…” He pointed to the door.

In the conference room, a final, suffocating decision was being made.

Marcus's mind raced. Fourteen million... five hundred thousand more than his bottom line of thirteen million five hundred thousand, which required taking on enormous risks.

This $500,000 is like an insurmountable chasm.

In order to keep everything he had, he even had an incredibly crazy and absurd idea: should he... should he personally make up for this damn 500,000?
The thought flashed through his mind only briefly before he dismissed it. It was not only foolish, but also pointless. This wasn't about money; it was about principles and delegation.

But the mere thought of this was enough to prove the desperate situation he had been driven to.

He needed a reason, a reason that would convince the board to accept the fourteen million. A reason that would save himself and the entire team from being stigmatized.

Just then, Marty Singh, who had been silent all along, seemed to see through his thoughts and casually offered a way out, as if in casual conversation.

“Of course, Mr. Weber,” he said slowly, “there is one thing I think you have the right to know.”

“My client, Mr. Lin Yu-an, has officially signed a global exclusive brokerage contract with CAA this morning.”

Marcus's pupils suddenly contracted!
Marty continued, as if sharing some trivial good news: "CAA has a very clear plan for Mr. Lin's future development. This includes securing him important roles in A-list Hollywood productions."

“So…” A devilish smile crept onto Marty’s lips.

“What you, Arc'teryx, have signed today is not just an outdoor influencer. You have signed a Hollywood star who may soon appear on the big screen around the world.”

"Imagine when a blockbuster movie that grosses billions of dollars worldwide is released, and the tough guy character in it is your global ambassador..."

He didn't say anything more, but the explosive commercial value contained in that sentence had been injected into Marcus's heart like the most powerful stimulant!
That's it!

Marcus understood instantly! All their previous assessments were limited to the realm of influencer marketing. CAA's involvement, however, had elevated Lin Yu'an's value to a whole new level!
This information, this Hollywood bargaining chip, was exactly what he had been searching for—the perfect reason to give to the board!

"……make a deal."

He blurted it out almost without thinking, his voice even carrying a hint of relief, as if he had just escaped a disaster.

He knew he had lost. He had lost completely.

But from another perspective, he seems to have won. He not only successfully reduced the opponent's absurd seventeen million to fourteen million.

More importantly, he found a reason to justify this astronomical contract that was convincing enough to anyone!
He was even somewhat grateful to Marty Singh, that old fox, for thoughtfully leaving him a way home after robbing him of everything.

He will never know that thirteen million was the true bottom line for Matty Singh from the moment he sat down at the negotiating table.

That evening, in Wiseman, Alaska.

The fire in the fireplace burned brightly, illuminating the entire cabin with a warm, spring-like glow.

On the large bed in the first-floor bedroom, Lin Yu'an had just finished celebrating the good news with his family. Alia and Emily still had lingering blushes on their faces.

The satellite phone rang again; it was Matti Singh.

"Lin, it's all taken care of." Marty's voice carried a hint of relief after a victory in the war.

"The final price is $14 million per year for three years, and they've agreed to your personnel transfer request. The final version of the contract has been sent to your email."

"Fourteen million?" Lin Yu'an's breath hitched involuntarily. This number still exceeded his wildest imagination.

“Thank you, Marty. You have completely exceeded my expectations,” Lin Yu’an said sincerely.

“This is my job,” Marty said, a hint of a smile in his voice.

"Now that the farce is over, let's talk about the more interesting part: how to keep this money in your pocket in a reasonable, legal, and legitimate way."

"Of course, now is the time for me to start billing."

Lin Yu'an immediately perked up, realizing that legal tax avoidance is always the most valuable lesson.

"No problem, Marty, I'd like to hear more."

Marty's voice became like that of a persuasive professor: "You must understand a fundamental principle: the money Arc'teryx pays must never be deposited directly into your account in the United States."

(End of this chapter)