America's No. 1 financial conglomerate

Chapter 339 The Spoils Division Meeting

On May 2nd, the sky over New York was a clear, deep blue, and the sun generously shone down on the earth, with even the air carrying a hint of early summer heat.

However, this sense of ease vanished entirely at New York International Airport.

Fifteen minutes before nine o'clock in the morning, this normally orderly aviation hub had already become a battleground for global media.

Looking around, the plaza outside the terminal was densely packed with reporters carrying cameras. The lenses of those professional equipment were like countless vigilant eyes, all pointed towards the tarmac.

Even more outrageous, three live broadcast signal vehicles bearing the TV station's logo were parked directly across the roadside, their satellite antennas erected high, receiving signals from afar.

Passersby had never seen anything like this before. Many people stood there with their suitcases, their faces filled with confusion, looking like a group of extras who had accidentally wandered onto the set of a Hollywood blockbuster.

"Is the president about to arrive in New York?" A middle-aged man wearing a plaid shirt and a baseball cap tugged at his companion's sleeve, his tone full of doubt.

As soon as he finished speaking, he shook his head. In New York, even if the president really came, the reporters would mostly be professional and businesslike, and would never be like this, with even their breathing filled with eager excitement.

His companion, clearly more knowledgeable than him, adjusted his glasses and slowly said, "You forgot? Tomorrow is May 3rd."

"Oh! No wonder!" The middle-aged man slapped his thigh, looking as if he had suddenly solved a long-standing problem.

May 3rd is neither America's Independence Day nor any anniversary, yet it has become the hottest date in the United States for the past two weeks.

If you've opened a newspaper in the past ten days, whether it's a mainstream newspaper like The New York Times or a tabloid you can easily buy at a convenience store on the street corner, you've almost always seen the words "May 3rd," along with keywords like "YueDong Games going public."

This company, which has become famous worldwide with several hit games, is about to ring the bell on Nasdaq. This news has been widely reported by the media, and even the waiters in the coffee shop downstairs can chat with you about it.

"I can't believe they've arrived in New York today." The middle-aged man stared at the seemingly endless crowd of media in the distance, unable to contain his astonishment. "This is quite an extravagant display!"

Just as he was feeling sentimental, a slight rumble came from the end of the airport runway.

Two gleaming private jets, like two giant silver birds, landed smoothly on the runway, the air currents they created causing the fallen leaves on the ground to swirl.

Not long after, the cabin door of the first plane slowly opened, and Ernst walked out calmly, followed by several core management members who were also dressed in suits.

Immediately afterwards, the door of the second plane opened, and a group of staff members in uniform filed out. Their clothes had the eye-catching LGC logo printed on them, making it clear that they were employees of Leap Games.

These individuals are specially selected employee representatives from YueDong Games, who will stand together on the Nasdaq bell-ringing platform tomorrow to witness this important moment for the company.

"I heard the situation outside is quite frightening?" Ernst adjusted his sunglasses, his tone slightly teasing.

Actually, the team had received news before boarding that there would be many reporters outside the airport today, but they didn't expect it to be this exaggerated.

It is said that some reporters set up camp outside the airport last night in order to get a good spot.

Standing next to Ernst, Ryan Ruiz was far from relaxed.

His eyes were bloodshot, and he had faint dark circles under his eyes, clearly because he was too excited and hadn't slept well.

But no one thought there was anything wrong with it. Anyone else would probably find it hard to sleep at night thinking about the wealth that was about to be in their hands.

Based on YueDong Games' current valuation, if its market value reaches $200 billion after listing, the 50 original shares held by Raine would be worth as much as $8000 million.

Not to mention that he will also receive up to 50 original shares later, bringing the total to 100 million shares, which is equivalent to 0.8% of the company's total share capital, or 1.6 million US dollars.

$1.6 million!

In the United States in 1998, billionaires were not people you could just bump into on the street.

For two years, I worked myself to the bone, arriving at the company early every day and not leaving until late at night. I had to do everything in the company myself, big or small.

Why is he working so hard?

Isn't this the moment?

Ernst certainly didn't treat him badly, making him feel that he had followed the right big brother in his life.

"Aren't you going out to show yourselves?" Renn looked at Ernst, his tone unconsciously becoming more respectful.

Lately, he's been feeling that when he talks to Ernst, his back is bent by half an inch more than before.

"Forget it, that's your stage." Ernst waved his hand, refusing decisively.

He doesn't even plan to appear at the airport, let alone skip tomorrow's bell-ringing ceremony.

Standing under the spotlight and being stared at by countless cameras is no different from being made a fool of; it's really meaningless.

After saying that, he turned around and got into a black car that was already waiting inside the airport.

The car slowly started moving and gradually drove out of sight under the watchful eyes of a group of executives and employee representatives.

Only after the car had completely disappeared around the corner did Ryan Ruiz take a deep breath, straighten his tie and suit jacket, turn to the crowd behind him, and say in an impassioned tone, "Let's go, everyone! Today is the most glorious moment of our lives, so everyone, cheer up!"

To bring glory to one's ancestors!

This phrase flashed through almost everyone's mind, and they couldn't hide the excitement on their faces.

But this excitement didn't last long before it turned into a state of bewilderment and frustration.

When they reached the airport exit, they found themselves surrounded by reporters.

With countless microphones and cameras shoved in front of me, reporters bombarded me with questions like a machine gun, making it virtually impossible to move.

More than half an hour later, Ernst's car came to a smooth stop in front of Goldman Sachs' headquarters building.

As he entered the building, the television screens in the lobby were still broadcasting live footage of Rennes Ruiz's convoy being stuck at the airport.

The reporters clearly hadn't finished their interviews and were unwilling to let them leave easily.

In Goldman Sachs's top-floor conference room, Henry Paulson chuckled as Ernst entered, "Look how popular our LGC is! Even during a presidential election, we've never seen reporters in New York this enthusiastic!"

Ernst stepped forward and gave Paulson, who had risen to greet him, a warm hug. Then, without any hesitation, he turned to Paulson's secretary and said, "A latte, please."

The secretary was taken aback. This was the first time he had ever encountered someone who dared to give direct orders to the Goldman Sachs CEO's secretary.

But he quickly realized what was happening, nodded, and turned to leave the meeting room.

Only after the secretary disappeared through the door did Ernst turn to Paulson and slowly say, "What's popular isn't LGC, but the incentive of money."

After saying that, Paulson paused for a moment, then burst into laughter, and everyone in the conference room joined in, instantly easing the somewhat serious atmosphere.

At this moment, the spacious and bright conference room is filled with distinguished guests, including representatives from the three underwriters of YueDong Games, heads of major financial institutions on Wall Street, and members of many well-known fund organizations.

Ernst glanced around and saw that there were at least thirty or forty people present, each dressed in a sharp suit and a fine tie, exuding an aura of elite status.

Paulson politely ushered Ernst into a seat, glanced at his watch, and gestured to Ernst, "Shall we begin?"

""

Ernst shrugged nonchalantly, his tone as casual as if he were remarking on the weather. "You know, I'm just here for the ride today."

Tomorrow is the day when YueDong Games will be listed on Nasdaq. The core of today's meeting is to determine the final offering price.

The price was already a foregone conclusion; it was definitely $50 per share, and no one present would object.

Ernst couldn't help but feel guilty for losing out when he thought about it.

The contract signed with the underwriters was an underwriting agreement, and the issue price was locked in.

Stock underwriting is generally divided into two types: firm commitment underwriting and agency underwriting. Agency underwriting means that the underwriter helps the company sell its stock, and the unsold stock can be returned.

Underwriting, on the other hand, involves the underwriter directly buying all the shares, and regardless of whether the shares sell well or not, the risk is borne by the underwriter.

Given the current popularity of YueDong Games, the initial offering price range was set at $42 to $50. If subscriptions are too popular, there is a good chance to raise the price before listing.

However, the agreement signed at the time was an exclusive distribution agreement, and the price was locked in within this range. The key point is that Ernst did not expect that YueDong Games' first-quarter financial report would be so outrageous.

Therefore, being able to acquire shares in the primary market is like getting a huge bargain.

Of course, Ernst knew perfectly well that if it weren't for this, why would these bigwigs on Wall Street be so eager to hype up YueDong Games and push its stock price to an exaggerated level?

Ultimately, it all comes down to the fact that it's profitable.

Because underwriters cannot hold onto shares and wait for the price to appreciate, they are required by regulations to sell all of them.

To whom should we sell it?

Of course, they are the long-term clients of the three underwriters, as well as the Wall Street giants present here.

They buy the shares from the primary market at $50 per share, and once the lock-up period ends, they can easily resell them for a huge profit.

This is why even those who are not shareholders of YueDong Games will still contribute to driving up the stock price.

So what appears to be a formal underwriting meeting today is, in reality, a spoils-sharing session for these Wall Street giants.

They've put in a lot of effort to build momentum over the past period, and now it's finally time to reap the rewards.

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