Chapter 105

Quietly and stealthily, Shengquan acquired the shares from many small and medium shareholders of Polar.

What’s a bit unfortunate is that, except for a few shareholders who were not willing to accept the reality of losing power, everyone else was happy.

As soon as they went online, they could see netizens from all over the world cheering in various ways:

“Hurry, buy them all! Then let Polar become holographic!”

“So slow, who’s still resisting? We’re waiting to play holographic games!”

“Ah, ah, ah, when will holographic cabins be on sale? Even if I have to sell my pots and pans, I’ll buy them!”

“Known fact: VR can’t beat holography; also known fact: Polar’s highest technology is VR; Shengquan’s initial technology is holography; conclusion: Polar can’t compete with Shengdong; solution: Shengdong, quickly acquire!”

Looking around, it seemed like the entire internet was cheering for Shengquan, as if everyone had solid support for her.

To someone who didn’t understand the situation, it might be surprising to say:

“Isn’t Shengquan the owner of an entertainment company? Why does it feel like people around the world are supporting her?”

If Shengquan heard this, she would probably laugh to death.

It’s indeed global support, but only from global gaming enthusiasts.

They are not her fans, nor are they Polar’s critics. These people simply want to play holographic games.

With the dust settled, Shengquan invited Xu Man, who had just finished a major project and had a rare break, to soak in a hot spring together.

This time, she was really exhausted for many days.

Acquiring Polar’s shares was not done by 006 this time; Shengquan was the one planning and strategizing throughout the process.

On the one hand, since the last time she invested in the club’s entire team, the system’s rewards seemed to be getting higher with each cumulative amount. The prize pool seemed to refresh regularly, but refreshing Polar’s shares from it required time and task accumulation.

On the other hand, step by step, Shengquan, who barely had enough money to buy a pancake and fruit when she first arrived, now had enough cash flow and assets to take over Polar without relying on 006’s help.

Even though this sum of money almost depleted Shengquan’s majority of cash flow and required a lot of effort and networking to negotiate with those shareholders, she expended how much energy is unknown.

But when everything was finally achieved, it was all worth it.

This was different from 006 directly delivering Polar into her hands.

It’s like going to the grasslands to ride horses. The host family sends a cute and gentle little pony, naturally making one happy. Who wouldn’t be happy with a free pony? But if, instead, you conquered a wild and untamed steed and, in the end, brought back a magnificent horse, that feeling might linger for decades.

“I can tell you won’t forget it.” Xu Man extended five fingers. “Five times. I’ve only come back three times this year, and you’ve told me five times.”

That’s right, ever since Shengdong tamed an adult steed, her conversations in front of friends have been like this.

“Have you eaten?”

“How do you know I tamed a horse all by myself? I named it Lettuce.”

After soaking in the hot spring, Xu Man leaned back on the sofa. “I’m almost dead from being so busy. I finally came back once. Give me a clear answer: when will the holographic game be released? Ah, ah, ah, I’m so looking forward to it!”

Just like Shengquan, people of their age—who wouldn’t look forward to holographic technology?

To be precise, anyone who understands the concept of holography can resist the anticipation.

“It won’t be available for a while,” Shengquan didn’t beat around the bush and spoke frankly. “This isn’t like buying a pot lid, where you just put it on the pot, and it’s done. There’s still a lot to do—matching, rendering, display, control interaction, and so on. You know, right?”

Xu Man instantly felt disheartened. “So, we’ll have to wait.”

Shengquan took a sip of lemon water and said leisurely, “However…”

“I can open a back door for you. Although you can’t play games, you can still change your outfit or something.”

Xu Man immediately sat up straight and said, “Open it! Open it, come on, I’m ready!”

Conveniently located, Shengquan directly led her to the Hua Star Building. The elevator doors next to them opened, revealing staff inside transporting things. Xu Man took a glance and understood:

“The company has expanded again.”

“Yeah, we added a few holographic-related departments, plus the expansion of some other departments before, and we moved down two more floors. But we were prepared for it, so it wasn’t much trouble.”

They entered the dedicated elevator; the bodyguard stood by her side, and Jiang Lu stood on the outermost side. The elevator doors slowly closed, and even though people working in the same building as Shengquan were used to it, they couldn’t help but discuss in hushed voices.

“I heard that Starlight has added many holographic departments. What does the entertainment industry have to do with holography?”

“How can it not be related? I heard that the best player uses holographic projection to broadcast. Haven’t you seen how hot the tickets are for special scenes?”

“That’s right, I regret it so much. I should have bought a ticket for the special scene. Now, even scalpers are useless. Starlight has started to limit special scene tickets to those who have an identity card.”

“It’s comfortable to be a Starlight employee. They get tickets directly from the company. Do you think when the holographic game is released, Starlight employees will have similar benefits? Holographic cabins must be limited. They might be able to buy them internally.”

As soon as this was said, others no longer just envied; they wished their eyes could emit green light. “If it’s true, I’ll immediately go interview at Starlight.”

“Me too. I’d change my major for that.”

What? Is work important, or is the game important?

Of course, work is important.

But this is holography!

Shengquan had no idea that a group of people below were passionately discussing She directly led Xu Man to her office and let her play in the holographic cabin while she started working.

Learning is indeed useful. Initially, the work seemed complex and difficult for Shengquan, but with a few years of learning and a heap of experience, it remained as complex and difficult as ever. The difference was that Shengquan could handle it now.

Of course, there were also some simple tasks. She was currently looking at the list of employees being dismissed this month.

As the company grew, there were more and more tasks. Don’t be fooled by Starlight’s good treatment and high benefits. Every year, Starlight fired many employees who neglected their duties.

After looking at Starlight’s list, she turned her attention to Polar.

There hadn’t been any employees dismissed at Polar yet, and although there was a lot of turmoil among the shareholders, it didn’t affect the employees much.

Some employees were initially worried, but when Shengquan took over and the entire company became exceptionally busy, no one was concerned about losing their job anymore.

Since Polar had changed hands, the headquarters could no longer be located abroad, and the employees couldn’t all be from the original Polar team.

Shengquan spent an hour and a half dealing with these matters, threw the pen on the desk, and said to the two assistants in the same office:

“Arrange recruitment.”

***

For most people, Shengquan’s acquisition of Polar and the integration of holography were joyful events.

Just ask a random passerby on the street, and they would happily say, “It’s a good thing! I used to think holographic games would take at least fifty or sixty years to appear. Now, it’s great—soon, we’ll be able to play.”

But for those in the gaming industry, the emergence of holography was not so friendly.

They might face “learning from scratch” and “unemployment.” The arrival of the first holographic game meant that the gaming market would be basically replaced by holography in the future.

So, would those in the industry who learned their knowledge from “old-school games” also be replaced?

They sometimes looked forward to the vast world of holographic games, but at other times, they worried about being left behind by the times—almost like having a split personality.

Then they received news of Shengquan recruiting.

Recruiting wasn’t the focus; the focus was that the positions were for “Polar Domestic Headquarters Staff.”

Gaming industry professionals in Huaxia:

What worries, what speculations? Who has time for that now?

Polar was already a top-tier game, and now, with the addition of holographic technology, anyone could see that it would only get better.

Moreover, Shengquan was known for treating excellent employees well.

Now, they either seize the opportunity or wait for what?

Shengquan had noticed early on that everyone, whether in the entertainment industry or any other profession, was enthusiastic. She originally planned to take two months to recruit enough people, but in just one month, the headquarters staff was almost recruited.

Whether it was the headquarters or the branches, they all had a “Holography Department.”

Including Starlight Entertainment’s Holography Department, these departments were undoubtedly the most mysterious under Shengquan’s control. Employees of these departments signed confidentiality agreements and underwent extensive training.

They clocked in and out on time every day. After work, they absolutely did not discuss work content. The salary was a mystery, but just thinking about it, it must be high.

Starlight Entertainment’s large-scale holographic stage, currently under design, is managed by a holography department. However, after working together for several months, they managed to avoid dining with colleagues from other departments or engaging in conversations after work.

During working hours, they talked eloquently, but after work, they transformed into mute individuals, eager to maintain an eight-meter distance from others.

The head of the project once complained, “If I didn’t know the technology wasn’t at that point yet, I would think they were all robots.”

Despite the complaints, everyone recognized their work capabilities. The holographic stage gradually took shape, and even during small tests where no one was currently dancing, the excitement among the staff who had personally arranged the setup was palpable.

There are relatively few stages in Huaxia, but no one objected to Shengquan’s decision to use holographic technology for the first time on a stage.

When the news about the holographic cabin was confirmed and she used her inconspicuous small stake to conduct a rapid takeover, Shengdong was almost deified in the hearts of some people.

“However, there are indeed a few stages domestically. Maybe they considered the smaller competition.”

An employee working on the stage’s edge casually remarked, immediately drawing laughter from colleagues around him. “Does Starlight still need to consider competition?”

“Right, it’s a holographic stage. It’s the world’s first.”

“You watch; when this stage is completed, idols from all over the country will be vying to perform on it.”

This sounded confident, but Starlight Entertainment indeed has the confidence now.

However, the holographic stage was being unveiled for the first time, and everyone was exploring its possibilities. Numerous tests had to be conducted to avoid accidents inside the venue, making progress quite slow.

It had not yet appeared in front of the public.

Shengquan directly posted a teaser on Weibo:

【Start selling holographic gaming devices.】

The era of holographic entertainment officially begins.