Even before the event officially began, the computer company that committed to the first FaceNet giveaway had already gained worldwide recognition.
This left other companies—especially those who hesitated and missed the opportunity—kicking themselves in frustration.
Even globally renowned corporations were now carefully considering how to secure one of the nine remaining exclusive slots for the month.
It was clear that whichever company secured the second spot would also dominate headlines across the media in the world's wealthiest countries.
But the situation was escalating beyond expectations. For some ambitious companies hoping to break into the global market, money was no longer a barrier.
William, pleased with how the live Q&A session exceeded expectations, chatted casually with netizens for over two hours. The interaction continued until just past 10 p.m.
The exclusive broadcast rights earned by the independent TV station brought in nearly £50 million in direct revenue, not counting the massive advertising income and significant boost to their brand value.
Over the course of a single day, the independent TV station's market valuation soared by several hundred million pounds. Analysts expected it could double once William returned from Mars, especially if viewers formed a viewing habit during this period.
Meanwhile, William's own plans were taking shape. He intended to wait for the inevitable dip in viewership and stock prices once the Mars live streams ended. At that point, he could swoop in to acquire additional shares at a lower price, giving him greater control of the station.
In terms of FaceNet, the upcoming month of giveaway events—combined with its growing functionality, including friend chats, personal profiles, follower engagement, and comment sections—was designed to retain a significant portion of the platform's users.
With millions of registered users and over 40 million still online even after the live stream ended, FaceNet's potential value was becoming increasingly clear.
Now, William could likely demand a valuation of £100 billion if he sought funding. However, selling too many shares wasn't appealing to him. Selling too few, though, wouldn't provide enough capital to support the platform's rapid growth.
So, he decided to wait out the month to evaluate the campaign's success. If necessary, he could inject £1 billion of his own money to sustain the platform for another six months.
After ending the live stream, William casually checked on the potatoes growing on his ship.
Of course, after just three days, there wasn't much to see. The roots had likely started to develop, but any visible sprouting was still weeks away.
He thought about accelerating the growth process with some plant magic but decided against it.
Returning to his castle's underground lab via a portal, William maintained the illusion of still being on Mars. He tasked Abigail with starting the process of recruiting staff for FaceNet.
Although Sunday could efficiently manage the platform, FaceNet had now entered the public eye. It was poised for potential IPOs in the future, requiring it to look and operate like a legitimate, well-structured company.
As for why William considered going public, it came down to the fundamental nature of internet companies. Unlike traditional industries, internet platforms often burn through enormous amounts of cash during their growth stages.
Even if William didn't mind personally burning through billions of pounds, denying others a stake in the platform could inadvertently turn potential allies into competitors.
By letting others join, he could rally one faction to fend off another. Those who couldn't keep up or provide value would simply be ousted.
It wasn't uncommon for early investors in startups to find themselves excluded from the shareholder list once the company went public.
By the time William gave Abigail her instructions and returned to his quarters, it was already past midnight. After a quick shower, he went to bed, unaware that events elsewhere in London were unfolding.
At the same time, in his home, Professor Lai Jianguo, who had spent the past two years assisting Abigail with Chinese artifact authentication, was startled awake by the ringing of his phone.
Being a light sleeper, the elderly professor was irritated as he answered.
"Hello? Who is this?"
"Good evening, Professor Lai. I apologize for disturbing you at this late hour. I'm an official with the Chinese Embassy in London."
Hearing it was someone from the Chinese Embassy, the professor's mood improved slightly, though he remained cautious.
"What is it?"
"Here's the situation, Professor. Half an hour ago, we received a call from home requesting urgent contact with someone from the Devonshire family.
"But when we called the Devonshire Castle in Oxford, the person who answered told us that both Miss Abigail and Mrs. Lena Devonshire are currently unavailable to meet with anyone.
"Reaching out to the British government would take too long, so we're hoping you can help us arrange a meeting with the Devonshire family."
After verifying the identity of the caller, Professor Lai became curious.
"You're aware that William Devonshire is currently stranded on Mars, correct? Why the rush to meet with Abigail or Lena during such a sensitive time?"
"We understand the situation, Professor. However, several domestic companies are eager to secure exclusive advertising slots on FaceNet."
"You mean the $10 million, three-day giveaway slots?" the professor asked.
"Yes!" The caller's voice brightened. "It's good to know you've been following today's broadcast.
"Our domestic companies see this as an unprecedented opportunity to showcase their products to a global audience.
"They hope we can facilitate contact with the Devonshire family to discuss securing one of the slots."
"Hmm, not a bad idea," the professor mused. "But are these companies prepared to meet William's expectations? Are they offering $10 million, or $30 million?"
"If it's only $10 million," he continued, "I can tell you right now that William won't even bother considering it.
"The computer company that committed to 50,000 units essentially contributed products valued at over $40 million. For future slots, anything under $30 million won't even get you in the door."
The caller hesitated briefly before laughing. "Don't worry, Professor. Our domestic companies are well aware of the stakes.
"As long as we're talking about product giveaways and not direct cash payments, offering $20–30 million worth of products is well within their capacity.
"In fact, if William Devonshire is willing to personally introduce our companies to the world audience, they're prepared to raise the offer to $50 million."
"Stop, stop, stop," the professor interrupted, clearly annoyed.
"If I were you, I wouldn't mention money so blatantly.
"Instead, go straight to Abigail with a concrete offer—like, for example, 100,000 units."
(End of Chapter)
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