I am the only one who practices magic: I practice magic in the city

Chapter 416 Real Trouble (4802)

Fang Yu didn't care about Robert's tragic experience at all, nor did he have time to care.

Just as Chen Shian said, obtaining the right to bid for Qianxun is only the first step, and the real trouble is yet to come.

Leaving aside the BlackRock factor, Qianxun is a Nasdaq-listed company. If Youzi Technology wants to acquire Qianxun, it must make a formal privatization offer to Qianxun's board of directors.

The prerequisite for a privatization offer is to formulate an acquisition plan and financing structure.

Although using "Transaction Insights" can find the most reasonable pricing for Qianxun, the SEC does not recognize the results of magic, but only the results of due diligence. It is necessary to hire a professional investment bank to come up with a reasonable valuation report based on many aspects such as financial status, assets and liabilities, market prospects, and regulatory risks.

There is no need to worry too much about the financing needed for the acquisition. For such a monopolistic business, countless banks and financial institutions will rush to provide money. At the very least, bonds can be issued, and there is no need to look for PE at all.

After formally making a privatization acquisition offer to the Qianxun board of directors, the Qianxun board of directors needs to form a special committee composed of independent directors and hire a third-party financial advisor (also an investment bank) to conduct an independent assessment to ensure the interests of small shareholders.

Then, Qianxun needs to convene a shareholders' meeting, and the privatization offer must be approved by at least two-thirds of the shareholders present. If there are shareholders who disagree, they will be regarded as nail households, and a solution will need to be negotiated with these shareholders.

After completing all these, the acquisition process is less than halfway completed, and the pain is still to come.

Documents required to be submitted to the SEC, such as 14A and 13E, may have to be repeated many times and must be approved by the SEC, the Ministry of Commerce, and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

Finally, only after all the money has been handed over to Qianxun shareholders can the company formally submit a delisting application to Nasdaq, and a lot of information must be submitted.

The entire acquisition process is completed only after Nasdaq's approval is completed.

These are just the general privatization and delisting processes for Nasdaq-listed companies. Qianxun is obviously not an ordinary company and its processes are several times more complicated.

Because Robert ran away.

Robert holds 15.4% of Qianxun shares. Among these shares, 11% are Class B shares, which have ten times the voting rights. In other words, Robert firmly controls more than % of the voting rights.

Even if he is wanted in the future, his rights as a shareholder of Qianxun Company will not be automatically deprived because of his fugitive status.

In most jurisdictions, including the United States, the exercise of shareholder rights is separate from the shareholder's individual criminal status.

Even if the excess voting rights of Class B shares will automatically become invalid according to the company's articles of association in this case, the voting rights of Class B shares themselves will not disappear.

If the Qianxun board of directors wants to resolve this issue, they can either ask the court to freeze its shares or apply for entrusted management.

Of course, if Robert Lee authorized an agent to manage his equity and proxy voting at this time, the situation would be more complicated.

However, for Fang Yu, these troubles are just a waste of time and are not real troubles.

The real trouble is in the main plane.
-
Loirac, Saint Egmont.

This is a city that looks unusually clean. There seems to be no garbage or a trace of dust on the streets or rooftops.

This city, which accommodates nearly 200,000 people, is laid out in a sun-radiating pattern, divided into five layers from the inside out. The two outermost layers are densely packed with residential buildings. Almost every house is exactly the same in size and style, except that the houses on the fourth floor appear to be larger than those on the fifth floor.

The third and second floors are obviously the residences of senior priests or certain institutions. The innermost mountain is the highest point and the center of the entire city.

The peak may be only three hundred meters high, but it is high enough for the Glorious Cathedral built on it to overlook the entire city.

In the very center of the Glorious Cathedral, a huge white tower with a diameter of dozens of meters and a height of nearly two hundred meters rises from the ground.

In the main plane where productivity is not well developed, this giant white tower can be regarded as the tallest building in the entire Norwen continent.

Legend has it that this is the place where the God of Light first performed a miracle, and it is called "the place where miracles descend." It was here that Alkain, the God of Light, spread his divine light all over the earth.

Eight wide stone steps lead directly from the foot of the mountain to the "Great Cathedral". Each step has 999 steps. On each step, there are countless pilgrims praying devoutly, bowing with each step, climbing up. The flow of people is winding like eight long snakes, crawling forward.

Although there were many people, they were all orderly and no one cut in line.

On one of the stone steps, a group of priests in white linen robes surrounded a middle-aged priest in a white cotton robe with gold thread trim and a golden hat, who was also climbing up the steps. When the pilgrims on the stone steps saw these priests, they automatically made way for them and knelt on the ground.

The middle-aged man in the middle, who looked like a senior priest, had a blank expression, looked arrogant and indifferent, but he would stop from time to time and touch the heads of some old and weak believers who were already exhausted. Then these believers would immediately recover their strength as if they had taken stimulants.

Surrounded by believers crying in gratitude, the middle-aged priest walked into the Glorious Cathedral. The low-ranking priests passing by in the cathedral all placed their hands on their chests and lowered their heads, performing standard religious etiquette for the middle-aged priest.

The middle-aged priest walked through the church hall without looking around and headed towards the huge white tower in the center of the church.

When they arrived at the gate of the giant tower, the other priests in white linen robes all stopped, and only this middle-aged priest entered the tower alone.

The middle-aged priest went up to the third floor of the giant tower, walked through several corridors, and came to a not-so-big room. He bowed deeply to an old man in the room who was also wearing a white robe and a tall hat.

"The holy light is immortal. May your guidance illuminate the direction of the lost."

"Cecil Solas, the glorious herald of the Third Judgment Chamber of the Holy Office, pays a visit to Archbishop Caramon's Holy Redemption."

Archbishop Caramon, who looked to be in his sixties or seventies, had no beard at all. "May the Holy Light be with you, Cecil. You have had a hard time on this journey. I heard that the matter has been resolved?"

Cecil Solas lowered his head and said, "Yes, Archbishop Caramon, under the protection of the God of Light, the situation in the Umbria Diocese has stabilized, and the fallen Elias Morgas has been purified by the Holy Light."

"He deceived 12 clergymen and 139 believers. The 18 leaders have been executed, and the rest have been detained in the Umbria Judgment Camp, awaiting trial."

Archbishop Caramon nodded slightly, with a look of satisfaction on his face: "Well done, Cecil, your faith is still as firm as the Shield of Holy Light."

Cecil Solas showed a slight joy on his face. Archbishop Caramon was one of the twelve glorious archbishops of the Holy Council of the Temple of Light, second only to the Pope.

The twelve Glorious Archbishops are all ninth-level priests, the most powerful in the world.

To receive praise from Archbishop Caramon, it was undoubtedly a special compliment for Cecil, the seventh-level priest of the Temple of Light and the Herald of Light.

There seems to be only a difference of two levels between a seventh-level priest and a ninth-level priest, but in fact the gap between these two levels is like an inconceivable chasm.

Because there are only 12 places for ninth-level priests of the God of Light.

Unless one of them dies or is deprived of his priesthood for serious crimes, a new ninth-level priest will be promoted.

Otherwise, everyone will be assigned a position, and no matter how devout others are, they can only watch helplessly.

This is also the reason why the Temple of Light, as the strongest temple in the main plane, is not keen on expanding its territory.

Firstly, there are the constraints of the divine oath contract between the six gods and the thirty-two countries. Secondly, no matter how much the expansion is, the priesthood is limited. There are only so many places that can obtain high-level divine arts. No matter how much the expansion is, there is no practical significance.

But this does not mean that the temple can accept the loss of territory.

Cecil said respectfully: "Bishop Caramon, I think we need to strengthen the construction of the Umbria Diocese. I suggest that the four traditional dioceses of the Umbria Diocese be further subdivided into..."

Archbishop Karamon waved his hand and said, "Put aside the matter of Umbria for now. I asked you to return to the Holy Tower this time because I have an important matter for you to attend to."

Cecil was slightly stunned, then lowered his head again: "I look forward to the guidance of the light."

Archbishop Caramon looked a little serious: "I need you to go to Elbery as soon as possible to find out what happened there." "Elbery?" Cecil looked up, a little surprised, "Temple of Fortune?"

Archbishop Caramon nodded and said, "Yes, since you have also heard the news that the Temple of Fortune has moved here, I don't need to explain too much. I need you to go to Albery and find out why the Temple of Fortune has moved there."

"More importantly, we need to investigate what exactly happened to that 'divine punishment'. How did the former Pope of the Temple of Fortune, Pascal Arum, die? Was it a divine punishment or a natural disaster?"

Eight months have passed since the "God of Wealth" issued an oracle to move the Temple of Wealth to Elbery, and the news has already spread throughout the thirty-two countries of Norwen.

As a temple that has been passed down in the main plane for thousands of years, the Temple of Wealth still has a huge influence in Noven, even though it lacked a unified program before and was the loosest organization of all temples.

It is conceivable what a shocking event this was to all the countries and temples on the Norwen continent.

The most shocking thing was that the God of Wealth brought down divine punishment for the first time, depriving eight cardinals of their powers at one time and turning the former Pope Pascal Arum into ashes in full view of the public.

Cecil frowned slightly. "Archbishop, the highest level of the Cardinals in the Temple of Fortune is only a seventh-level priest, and they are basically trash. Their actual combat power is not even as good as our fifth-level priests. It's a bit difficult for us to solve it... Wouldn't it be faster to let the Lusen Diocese send someone to investigate?"

Archbishop Caramon shook his head slightly: "No, His Holiness the Holy See is also very concerned about this matter. The Court of Arbitration must conduct an investigation."

His Holiness is also concerned?

Cecil looked surprised.

The Holy See is the name given to the Pope within the Temple of Light.

Pope Elius XXXV of the Temple of Light has been in charge of the Temple of Light for more than thirty years. He is the only level 6 transcendent in the Temple of Light who can cast 11th-ring divine spells.

It should be the only one in the main plane at present.

For a quasi-high-ranking person like Cecil, the Holy See is the synonym and human body of the God of Light, an existence that cannot be seen clearly even if one looks up.

It is also an invincible existence.

Why is the Temple of Wealth so worthy that even His Holiness is paying attention to it?

"Besides..." Archbishop Karamon hesitated for a moment and said, "The Rusen Diocese has already sent people to investigate. Frankly speaking, I don't trust their findings."

Cecil was shocked: "Has a clergyman in the Russen diocese 'fallen'?"

Caramon waved his hands in denial: "That's not what I meant. It's not about falling. It's about..."

Caramon paused for a moment and said, "Don't worry about it for now. Take people to Alberi first. Other temples should have sent people there as well. It is said that they have installed a set of Woking mirrors there, which can see all the extraordinary people. You should pay attention to this aspect."

Cecil nodded in understanding, "I understand, Lord Caramon. I will be careful to conceal my identity."

Caramon shook his head again. "No."

Cecil was stunned. No? What does that mean?
Caramon showed a slightly arrogant smile on his face. "We are the Temple of Light. Apart from dealing with the evil gods, we can handle everything else in an upright manner. When you arrive, just go and visit their acting pope."

Cecil suddenly understood and couldn't help but smile.

Yes, they are just a bunch of greedy money-grubbers. If it weren't for the restrictions of the God's Oath Contract, they would have been destroyed eight hundred times already.

This is really strange. The God of Wealth is clearly not involved in the oath contract, so how can the Temple of Wealth be recognized as the temple of the "true god"?
It is simply blasphemy against the word "righteous God"!
After Cecil left the Holy Tower, he gathered the low-level priests who were waiting at the door again. Then, with the order of Archbishop Caramon, he went to the Knights Templar to ask for a team of thirty Knights Templar. After a little supply, he rushed towards Elbery at full speed.

Before reaching Elberg, just a few dozen kilometers away from Saint Egmont, Cecil felt the changes compared to a few months ago.

He had just walked this road half a year ago, and there were not so many caravans on the road at that time.

But now, he found that he didn't need to bring supplies at all, as there were endless caravans along the way, and even several supply point settlements formed along the way specifically for supplying the caravans.

You know, it's not spring yet. In previous years, there were few caravans on the road at this time because of the cold weather. Only after spring does the number of caravans increase.

I have never seen any supply point settlements before.

Originally, he thought that these caravans were going to larger cities farther away, such as Novian, but upon inquiring, he found out that all of these caravans were going to Elbery!
There were also many caravans heading in the opposite direction. Although not as many as those going to Elbery, they were more than double the number before.

Upon inquiry, we found out that these caravans also came from Elbery.

They are indeed a bunch of money-grubbers.

Thinking that the base camp of this group of money-grubbers was more than a hundred leagues away from Saint Egmond, and that the originally orderly road was now filled with chaotic caravans, Cecil could not help but frown in disgust.

Until he happened to see some of the goods that these caravans were bringing back from Albery.

Most of the goods brought back by these caravans were things he had never seen before.

Fine silk that is so fine that you can feel it fraying if you touch it, glass that is so clear that it won’t burst even if you put hot soup in it, chalk that can be used to write on a black board, black powder called cocoa powder that smells so good and can be mixed with milk, white sugar that is as white as snow…

What surprised him most were those exquisite weapons that seemed to be shining brightly.

Long sword, long knife, battle axe, armor...

Among them, there is a set of armor made of unknown material. It is very light, but its protective power is stronger than ordinary steel armor. Although it cannot be compared with the divine spell "Shield of Light", it can also be regarded as the strongest protection under the divine spell.

And those weapons were even more amazing. Several knights of the Knights Templar could not help but buy a few weapons from these caravans. The quality of these weapons was better and tougher than any weapons made by human craftsmen they had ever seen.

The team's knight commander, Savien, even used a long sword and released sword energy ten times in a row before the sword was broken.

You know, the weapons of the Knights Templar are consumables. The weapons made by ordinary human craftsmen can only withstand three sword energies from Sevian after he infuses them with fighting spirit, and then they will be scrapped due to metal fatigue.

But it is incredible that this gorgeous sword that looks like a sacred prop in a temple can withstand ten sword energies.

Are these things made by those money-grubbers?
Cecil found it a little unbelievable.

"In reply to the pastor, these are not sold by the Temple of Fortune, but by Wanfang Trading Company."

Facing Cecil who was riding high on his horse, a caravan leader took off his hat with earmuffs and said with a smile.

"Wanfang Trading Company?" It was the first time Cecil heard this name.

"Yes, Master Priest, the owner of Wanfang Trading Company is the Lord of Albery, who is also a druid. These are all gifts from nature."

The caravan leader bowed and held his hat.

A gift from nature?
When did Nima Ziran have these gifts?
Also, can a druid do business? Or is he the lord of Albery?

What is this for?
Extraordinary people cannot become lords and nobles. Don’t you know the agreement of the God’s Oath Contract?

(End of this chapter)