"This… Sorry, I can't comment on that," as she evaded confirming his guess, he decided to delay the answer for now. After all to explain this, he had to speak a little about his past.
In fact he didn't intend to expose his past anytime soon. A time would come when his true identity would be blown out in the public, but not now, not this soon at least.
"Oh, you are a sneaky little one indeed," she didn't push over this point, "but I can't agree to your offer. It's interesting though, a student in his first day here trying to make a cooperation with me, a shareholder in the same academy he is in. it's amusing, I can tell you that."
"It's beneficial to the both of us," Hao ignored everything she just said, even her refusal.
"How so?"
"First let's not talk about our mutual goal," Hao stood up, putting both hands in his pockets, slowly walking around the same way he used to lecture his former pro team members in the team headquarter.
"Ok," she nodded, looking at him with the same look of interest as before.
"The upcoming game isn't just a normal new game, it's a brand new world where many big forces will fight to gain a foothold at it," Hao said before adding in a calm tone:
"As a businesswoman, you have to seriously consider seizing this chance. After all, everyone will start with nothing at the beginning, right?"
"Continue," she didn't show any sign of getting along with what he said. And yet he kept talking:
"But as you are well aware, things will be determined with the one having the biggest pocket. The game resources are equally distributed, but there are many aspects to spend money at. This game is destined to change the entire concept of gaming in the world. Teams will change into guilds, pro players who used to fight in big tournaments will start to learn administrative skills, learning how to lead a large group of people and gain victory in the game."
"Speaking like someone who is from the future and played the game," the lady said, in a tone that partially held mockery and partially held a curiosity.
"I'm just stating the obvious," Hao didn't comment on her on the spot remarks, "Major changes will storm great names if they fail to adapt. Any player who fails to learn such new skills will be seen as a liability to the entire team… Sorry, I meant guild."
He stood in front of her. Even when she was sitting, she reached almost to his chest. Her bright brown eyes told him she was attentive listening, unlike the expression of mockery over her face.
"So you are the one behind such theories? Or one believing in them?"
"I'm just stating what you already are aware of," he wasn't fazed with her mockery, "and you don't have enough capital to build up a good guild, or even a small one."
"Speaking like this will need a lot of money."
"Indeed. Having a big headquarter, recruiting players, even purchasing materials from other players and guilds… This game is like a bottomless pit for money."
"Don't tell me you have such capital yourself," she finally gave in, threw away her fake mask and showed a serious look over her face.
"Don't lie," she pointed her index finger in front of his face in warning, "I already learnt about how you joined here. One million dollars? That's nothing compared to what any guild actually needs."
"I won't lie and say I have such a fortune," Hao didn't even flinch while adding, "but ask yourself this, why someone like me, knowing all this, having at least the gears needed to play the game this early on and one million dollar in his pocket, would come and join your poor academy?"
As he ignored her mockery, she also ignored his insult.
"I'm not a mind reader," she shrugged.
"People in the high up gaming circles are talking all day long about the expected costs of establishing guilds," Hao returned to walk again, not directly answering the question he mentioned before.
"One million dollars for a tiny guild, ten for a medium sized one, thirty for a big one. Even more for those who aspire to become a top worldwide class guild. The price for such guilds might even exceed fifty or even seventy millions," she stated the numbers she heard during the past few months.
And Hao nodded, as these were roughly close to the numbers he was aware of.
"So your one million dollars bribe you paid could have gotten you a small sized guild, right?"
"That if my purpose is to establish such a low levelled guild," Hao returned to his seat, placed one leg over another in front of her, declaring his authority and confidence.
"I want to establish something bigger," he didn't give her the chance to say anything, "but all of this is wrong."
"They cost much less than that?" she asked as if she would seriously consider her plans if this was the case.
"You are wrong, everyone is wrong" he shook his head before adding, "the most important value that will determine everything in this game isn't how deep your pocket is."
"Then…"
"It's the gamers themselves," Hao firmly said, "games are played by people. The games change, but gamers don't. Wasting time and effort over such useless debates and speculations about money won't bring anyone anywhere without having the right people."
"Are you boldly saying that they are all going to fail?" she said it in great doubt, a tone that told Hao she firmly believed in the opposite.
"Of course not," and Hao wasn't this delusional to think about such a thing, "with all the people joining any big guild, it's normal to find many talents in them."
"Then… What's your point here?" she suddenly felt at a loss.
"It's the opposite camp I was speaking about," Hao slowly explained, "the ones without big money to spend on anyone. Those aren't doomed to lose in such a race either. If anyone, like the two of us, made the best use of their abilities, planned everything right from the start, knew what to do and whom to recruit, then they will have an equal chance of winning this race just like any big spender."
"Oh…" she finally realised what he was speaking about, "but you can't overlook the importance of money in this game."
"I'm not," Hao slowly shook his head, "I'm just saying that one doesn't need to start with big money to win. After all there are more ways to be wealthy in the game to count. Plus…"
He paused, intentionally pausing for a few long seconds before slowly adding:
"You are the best one knowing that money can't buy all the talents in the world. Money is important, but it's not everything, right?"
And from the widening of her eyes at this moment in response to his last phrase, Hao knew he got her exactly where he wanted.
She would accept his offer, and he would still own his team but with much more chances in achieving what he was dreaming of.
"Speaking like someone with a plan," as she got startled by what he said, she was also capable of controlling her shock so fast as well.
"If I don't have one then I wouldn't have come here."
"Then tell… What's this big plan of yours?" she returned to her normal self, seemingly enjoying the talk now more than ever.
"It's not the time yet for you to know," unlike what she expected, he shook his head and refused to tell.
"Oh, such an old fox in young skin you are," she chuckled as if she wasn't dejected with his refusal.
"It's just that secrets remain as such as long as they are kept inside," he pointed to his mind.
"I can't sign on a blank page, right?" she leant slightly forward before seriously adding, "you can't stop here, not after giving me such an awesome presentation."
"Well… I can talk with you about the part you will handle in the near future," Hao didn't totally give in to her desire, and smartly evaded revealing anything major about his big plan, "this will keep you busy and interested."
"You should ask for demands after giving up something," she slowly shook her head but he wasn't fazed.
"I already paid my price of sincerity," he pointed towards the boxes filling the room before adding, "by now you must be aware that I'm not a normal student."
"I bet."
"Then you should have also realised that I'm not a fan of wasting my time."
"That's something you only would know," she didn't agree, "but… If you reveal your life story to me, I can accept your offer."
"Out of question," Hao didn't even blink while directly refusing her request.
"Such decisiveness, huh? Seems like you got a hell of a nightmare behind you," she chuckled, while giving him a deep gaze filled with the dangerous curiosity of any lady.
"It's my life," Hao simply shrugged, "and I got all the right to hide or reveal it."
"Sounds fair," she said, "but you have to give me something, or else I can't agree over a few empty words no matter how inspiring they were."
"Time…"
"Excuse me?"
"Give me time and I'll prove my worth to you," Hao wasn't even smiling when he said that. The lady also kept her face strict and directly gazing up at his eyes, trying to dig deeper into the thick mask of his.
"How long?"
"One month."
"Too long."
"I need enough time for my plan to work."
"But if you failed, I'd end up losing more valuable time than ever," she shook her head without even thinking about his offer. "One month is too long… One week is enough."
"I'm not David," Hao bellowed instantly in her face.
"Yet you dare to claim to be one of the giants," she gave him such a look that told him she already weighed him and believed he was as talented as he claimed.
"Then what about…" Hao intentionally paused his eyes over his boxes, feigning his struggle to make the next decision, "if I failed, you get all this equipment from me?"
"Oh, you aren't joking, right?" her eyes shone brightly at this moment, telling him that she finally took the bait.
"I'm dead serious."
"Sounds fishy…" she started tapping with her fingers over the arms of her seat.
"We can sign a contract," Hao simply said, "a legit one that can protect your rights and also… mine."
"Proposing a contract? With which identity? With your real or fake one?" she chuckled, yet her eyes were dead serious.
"I have only one identity."
"So if I checked it via my connections… I won't be met with a surprise, right?"
"I'm clean," he raised both arms in the air, "I'm not a criminal."
"I was just joking," she laughed, one that wasn't like a real laugh, "even if you are, there are ways to get you away from the trouble. But… messing with me means messing with the devil."
"I don't fear devils," Hao returned the serious words and gaze with the same. The two kept glaring at each other for a long minute.
"Alright, I'll let my attorney prepare the papers then," she said with the intention of standing up.
"Wait, where are you doing?" Yet Hao hurriedly stopped her.
"What? Didn't we end our talk here or what?" she gave him a weird look, one that made him helplessly smile.
"I agreed on the contract, but we still didn't agree on your part in this deal."
"I'm the boss," she gave him such an innocent smile that could have fooled him if he didn't see her ferocious business side, "I don't need to do anything."
"If that is so then I have to do nothing as well."
"But if you don't, you'll lose everything," she moved her eyes around, referring to his boxes and gears.
"Can we stop this silly game now?" he had no other way but to be blunt and slightly rude, "if you really wanted to build something fantastic here then you should cooperate with me. Or else, you'll regret such a moment for the rest of your life."