*Chapter 212: A New Investment Project*

"Haha, Richard, congratulations! The number of paying viewers for this match has surpassed 800,000. The latest data shows 812,000 users, which means your popularity is growing, and so is the number of boxing fans. I think in another year, the average paying viewers per match could stabilize at around 800,000."

In a Manhattan café, Andy laughed as he held a newspaper.

This match was just an ordinary boxing challenge, and the opponent wasn't a famous person. However, to everyone's surprise, the number of paying viewers exceeded 800,000, reaching the level of top-tier heavyweight boxers.

If the opponent were someone like Roy Jones, James Toney, or David Tua, who are more famous boxers, the number of paying viewers could easily hit a new high, possibly reaching 1.3 to 1.4 million.

"Not bad. I guess it's because I haven't fought in a while, and the fans were looking forward to it. Plus, I'm an actor, so I also have a lot of kung fu fans. 800,000 isn't that much," Richard said with a smile as he put down the newspaper.

In this match, his opponent was British, so Richard got to keep all the domestic PPV (Pay-Per-View) revenue, while the opponent only received a base salary of $1 million. Richard took home both the base salary and the PPV share.

The gross income was estimated to be around $7 million. After deducting 20% for the agency's cut, he'd still pocket over $5 million, which isn't much less than a movie salary.

"For the first time, I think your approach of acting and boxing simultaneously is the right one. It's said that many boxers are considering following in your footsteps because of your influence," Andy said with a laugh.

Richard smiled lightly. "I've been acting and boxing at the same time for two years now. It's getting hard to keep up, so I hope they do better than me."

"It's going to be tough for them; they don't have your potential," Andy shook his head. "I also wanted to discuss something with you. Richard Hall from the WBO isn't willing to raise the purse and has refused to fight you now. We're applying pressure through the WBO. If he doesn't agree, he might have to give up the WBO belt."

Richard nodded.

Giving up a championship belt is quite common. For example, in 1992, during the World Heavyweight Championship qualifier in London, Lennox Lewis made it to the finals and earned the right to challenge Riddick Bowe for the WBC heavyweight title.

Not long before, Riddick Bowe had just defeated Evander Holyfield to win the WBC, WBA, and IBF heavyweight world titles. Fearing that he might lose and have Lewis take all three belts, Bowe refused to fight. The WBC eventually stepped in, and Bowe had to give up the WBC title. The following year, Lewis defeated Tony Tucker to win the vacant title.

This time, Richard Hall also feared losing and wanted to delay the fight. Since negotiations failed, it seems the matter will have to be resolved officially.

"No rush. I'll be busy for a while and don't even know if I'll have time to fight," Richard shrugged. He thought about how he had to go to New Zealand for filming soon and was even considering giving up the role. But the contract had been signed, so it wouldn't be appropriate to back out.

"No matter what Richard Hall decides, you still have another fight later this year—challenging Polish champion Dariusz Michalczewski. The fight will probably be at the end of the year, so don't forget to train while you're on set."

"Got it!" Richard nodded slightly.

"You only have one assistant right now, which is inconvenient. We've found you a boxing training assistant. Starlight Sports will cover the salary, so you don't have to worry about that," Andy said, waving his hand.

"I'm not worried about the salary. I just want to ask about the assistant. Male assistants can be careless; it might be better to have a female assistant. She shouldn't be too ugly or too beautiful—someone diligent, preferably with some culinary skills, and who can prepare nutritious meals. Can you find someone like that?"

"We can, but it might take some time."

"No problem, I'm not in a hurry," Richard said, sipping his coffee.

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After leaving the café, Richard drove to Wall Street, to Stralem Asset Management, where he knocked on Ellie's office door.

"Come in!"

Inside the office, Ellie was organizing documents.

"Ellie, busy?" Richard placed a cup of coffee and some pastries on the table.

Ellie glanced at him and smiled, "I've never met a business partner like you—bringing gifts every time you visit."

"Is that against the rules?" Richard chuckled.

"No, but it's fattening," Ellie smiled as she handed him a stack of documents. "These are the materials I’ve put together. Using the company's channels, I found 22 suitable investment targets. The company has rated their investment potential as A-grade or higher, though many of them also have A-grade risks."*Translation:*

"If the investment turns out well, you might become a shareholder in the next Yahoo. But if it doesn't, and they can't survive this period, your investment will go down the drain. You can take a look."

"Alright!"

Last time, Richard noticed an issue after reviewing some materials. Although the prices of tech and internet stocks were plummeting, unlisted tech companies seemed like good investment opportunities.

At this time, capital investments in these kinds of companies were cautious, leading to many internet companies going bankrupt or facing severe funding shortages. If one were to invest now and pick the right company, there could be substantial profits in the future.

He had discussed this with Ellie several times, and after receiving her support, she began researching the relevant information.

Richard flipped through the materials. Ellie had compiled detailed information, including basic company information, founder details, product features, growth potential, Stralem's evaluation, and risk forecasts.

After going through a few pages, he came across a familiar company name: Google.

This company was founded in 1998 by Stanford students Larry Page and Sergey Brin. They also applied for the patent for the "Google PageRank" web ranking algorithm in the same year. Currently, it is still a private company, but due to a lack of development funds, they are looking to raise capital.

The materials also included photos and information about the two founders. Richard felt a surge of excitement. He had often read about Google while studying other successful figures, and it was frequently mentioned alongside Microsoft, Apple, and Amazon—clearly a company with great potential.

He had previously asked Ellie about Google, but at that time, Google had said they didn't need funding, so he had to wait.

Thinking it over, he opened his computer and searched for Google's website and information. The site was still under construction, looking rather crude compared to Yahoo, and there wasn't much content available. The only notable feature was Google’s search ranking.

"Ellie, are all the companies listed here available for investment?" Richard asked, turning around.

"Yes, if you wish to invest, our company can assist with it."

As a client of Stralem, his investments were made under the name of Stralem Capital, not personally. As long as a client wanted to invest, the company would make appropriate arrangements. That’s the power of capital.

Ellie glanced at his computer. "Are you looking to invest in Google Search?"

"This site is quite interesting. Is there a way to acquire more shares?"

"Yes. Google is focused on content search and intends to take a different approach than Yahoo. It's a good idea but requires more funding. How many shares are you looking for?" Ellie said as she looked through the documents.

"How much can we get?"

"20% shouldn't be a problem. But taking more might not be good, as it could affect the founders' motivation. Before the 2000s, the internet industry was booming. Even a small website could attract investment, which led to many entrepreneurs losing their drive after making some money."

Ellie explained slowly.

"20%? How much would that cost?"

"The company information department's valuation is included in the materials. They have the 'Google PageRank' patent, which was valued at $300 million last year, but it's around $100 million this year. However, this company has great potential, and we're not the only ones interested in investing. If there's competition from other capital firms, it might require more money."

"Alright, let's make Google our first target."

"Got it!"

Ellie made a note.

Richard continued flipping through the materials and found a few other names that seemed familiar but wasn't sure if they were worth investing in.

"Ellie, do you have any suggestions?"

"When investing in these unlisted companies, you need to think long-term. It might take years, decades, or you may never see a return. So don't spend all your money. You’ve got your eye on Amazon, Apple, and AOL, right? Once the stock market stabilizes, we can reinvest in those."

"You're right."

Richard nodded and continued reviewing the materials, hoping to find a familiar project. But every time he recalled those memories, his mind felt muddled. Some projects seemed familiar but uncertain, making him unsure if he should proceed.

He decided to think it over more and wait until he had a clearer idea before investing.

"Ellie, can I take these materials with me?"

"Yes, but keep them confidential. This document represents the collective effort of several departments and is worth millions."

"I'll be careful."

Richard smiled.

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(End of Chapter)