Chapter 367: The Noose

"In my opinion, in terms of overall strength, St. Merken High School is far superior to Lynden Academy. This can be seen from their matches. Even against Dern High School of Albany, Lynden Academy took over twelve minutes, and one of their sixth-level magic warriors was judged to have lost combat effectiveness after just three rounds. Dern High School is widely regarded as the weakest among the sixty-four teams in the team competition. But now there is a variable: Andre Lee Willenstein, who has never participated in team battles."

"Before we begin our discussion, let's take a look at the odds offered by major bookmakers today."

"Wow, 3.42, 3.45, 3.49—all over three times? Many are not optimistic about Lynden Academy."

"Andre has never participated in team battles so far; he may not be good at cooperating with others. St. Merken High School, on the other hand, is like an army, and they have two Divine Grace users."

"According to inside information, Andre hardly participated in team battle practice before October."

"Yes, I've heard that too. He rarely interacts with his club classmates; he looks down on his teammates."

"This is interesting. Do you think this Andre will be the next Di Suwen? Strong in individual competitions but a liability in team battles."

Mandiven Ferguson grew impatient upon hearing this and turned off the TV with the remote control.

"Later, go tell Russell that his program this time was too blatant. Andre's strength is beyond doubt. Even for advertising revenue, they don't need to bow so much to the bookmakers' will. The foundation of a combat commentary program is first and foremost credibility. If the audience doesn't trust our program and ratings drop, those advertisers won't invest in us."

"Understood! But Chairman, I have to say a fair word for Mr. Russell. In his regular shows, Mr. Russell has always been impartial; his stance has never leaned toward the bookmakers, and he has often praised Andre. But today was different—it was a guest panel format."

Beside Mandiven was a female assistant: "It's ridiculous that at times like this, our ratings always increase by 0.1 to 0.3 points."

Mandiven shook his head: "We still need to be careful. Can't we invite more reliable guests? I told him to suppress that brat's momentum, but he didn't have to be so obvious."

"It's not your fault, boss. It's because the team battle between Lynden Academy and St. Merken High School is about to start. Now, not only the bookmakers but also companies like Arcadis Sports Goods and Ante Equipment are making moves. The guests invited by major TV stations all have the same tone."

The female assistant explained: "Voices questioning Andre are about to become overwhelming. They want to label Andre as aloof, selfish, lacking team spirit, and unfit for team sports."

"It seems they are very confident."

Mandiven narrowed his eyes, then chuckled: "They indeed have reason to be confident. After all, having two Divine Grace users—it's not easy to assemble such a lineup. Beyond that, they probably have some hidden strengths."

"I asked some professionals, and their assessment is that Lynden Academy has a very low chance of winning. Their coordination, chemistry, and even overall strength are more than one level below St. Merken."

The female assistant smiled in response: "Lucky Andre might still dominate in individual competitions. But the team battle could become the most criticized point in his future career."

"We can look forward to it, but don't be too optimistic. After all, behind this guy stand three conglomerate-level sponsors; they won't sit idly by."

After speaking, Mandiven asked with a serious expression: "I heard that among the advertisers cooperating with us, only six have decided to terminate their partnership with the Georgia Post, right?"

"Yes, sir."

The smile on the female assistant's face gradually faded: "We are still applying pressure. In the coming days, two more might side with us. But frankly, I think the rest are unlikely; they are mostly long-term partners of the Georgia Post. Moreover, Andre's cash flow is very abundant. Both his endorsement income and the revenue from Sunrise Electric Retail Company can sustain losses. There are rumors now that this lucky Andre is the son-in-law chosen by Michelle Medici."

"Nonsense! If he really were, the Medici family in the Old Continent wouldn't let him live for a week."

Mandiven sneered: "I know the Michelle Group has invested in Sunrise Retail Company. You might think my move against this lucky Andre is just because I have my eye on the Georgia Post? This is the will of many big shots in Atlanta, understand?"

He tapped his knee with his finger: "I know that this advertising revenue means nothing to that guy; he can easily afford it. So the focus is still on Sunrise Electric Retail Company. We must make sure our reporters pay attention: whoever finds a major scandal involving this company, the company can offer a reward of over two million gold shields."

"Understood!"

The female assistant thought this would be difficult. Sunrise Company is just a distributor, not a manufacturer. As long as they don't sell counterfeit goods, it's hard to put them out of business.

Of course, if you want to find leverage to hit the company, it's still possible.

"Then, regarding that gentleman's comic, should we continue to interfere? We've achieved remarkable results on this matter. Thanks to our sales team's efforts, we've reduced Sunrise Publishing's distribution points from 3,200 bookstores and newsstands to 1,100, and 300 more have promised to place the comic in inconspicuous corners. However, we've spent over nine million gold shields in public relations fees for this. Boss, I doubt the significance of this."

After all, even if that comic sells a million copies in Georgia, that's only twelve million gold shields in revenue.

"Of course it's significant, Lina. Your professional skills are beyond doubt, but you often seem foolish. We are weaving a noose, understand? But if there's a loose spot in the noose, how can we strangle the enemy?"

Mandiven looked out the window: "Ms. Drew is very capable. Andre's comic might sell well under her management. We must reduce her chances of success. Moreover, after this incident, if we go to full-scale war with Sunrise Publishing in the future, how many of these bookstores and newsstands do you think will side with us?"

The female assistant fell into thought: "They've already offended Sunrise Publishing."

"So our chances of winning increase, don't they?"

The corners of Mandiven's mouth lifted: "This is just the prelude, Lina. The real war will begin ten days from now. Of course, it would be even more perfect if Lynden Academy loses this team battle. I hope that guy will forever remain a second-rate combat star."