As soon as the Human Emperor Banner came out, I became the Lord of the Old Ones

Chapter 140 Strategy During the Downward Phase
Xiong Ruyue's gaze towards Xu Yan changed dramatically.

Not just because of Xu Yan's meticulous analysis.

Furthermore, Xu Yan's temperament underwent a complete transformation overnight.

Is it because of the significant increase in the life index? Xiong Ruyue felt that she no longer recognized this unassuming spirit card maintainer.

In the past, Xu Yan was certainly outstanding in his professional field, but he was not keen on interfering in things outside of his work.

Xiong Ruyue's deepest impression of him was that he was focused on protecting the sealing card, or he would stare with wide, bright eyes, like a curious spectator, silently observing the Kuang Tie Club and even the entire Dawn City.

But today, he became very talkative, giving the impression of being confident and full of... aggression?
Indeed, Xiong Ruyue felt that Xu Yan had transformed from a spectator in the audience into an actor in the center of the stage, his gaze becoming brighter and sharper, like a drawn sword.

"So you think we don't need to do anything for things to be resolved satisfactorily?"

Nevertheless, Xiong Ruyue still felt that Xu Yan was oversimplifying things. "How could that be?"

"Of course, it's not about doing nothing, but there's no need to panic."

Xu Yan thought it over carefully and said, "If Sister Xiong trusts me, then put your mind at ease. Let's observe today how many members want to get a refund and how many employees will resign. I estimate that the number will be far less than you expect."

"However, regardless of the situation, I do not recommend that Kuangtie Club continue to follow its original business strategy and engage in close combat with the three major clubs to seize the mid-to-high-end market."

"During an economic downturn, the lower-tier market is the most crucial battleground. Whoever can capitalize on the benefits of consumption downgrade will at least survive the long economic winter."

"Therefore, I suggest that Sister Xiong take stock and sell all the advanced training facilities in the club that have high operating costs. Also, get rid of all the equipment and devices that have just been ordered but not yet delivered. It's better to lose the advance payment than to stubbornly continue."

"We also need to find ways to renovate the newly renovated steam room, recovery room, rest room, and other spaces into training grounds that do not require maintenance, in order to minimize operating costs and follow a strategy of low profit and high volume."

"However, there is one sum of money that cannot be spared. I suggest you find a lawyer today and file a lawsuit against Chu Zhifeng and the Shattered Star Club."

The ace players and senior coaches of the Kuangtie team have all signed long-term contracts with the club; they can't just come and go as they please.

"Go to court?"

Xiong Ruyue said with difficulty, "Ayan, I'm afraid we can't win the lawsuit. Even if we do, the other party's losses will be very small. My dad has never treated his old brothers and Chu Zhifeng and the others as ordinary employees. When the contract was signed, the penalty for breach of contract was set very low, which is not a binding force at all."

"It's okay. The purpose of the lawsuit isn't to win. As long as we can firmly link Kuangtie Club and Suixing Club together, making people feel that the two clubs are competitors of the same level, that's enough."

Xu Yan smiled and said, "In the next few months, the 'Dawn Cup' will be the hottest topic in the entire Dawn City. Since the Shattered Star Club has gone to great lengths to poach players, it is clear that they also want to achieve something in the Dawn Cup and will not be stingy with advertising expenses."

"As long as our lawsuit with the Shattered Star Club appears on the front page of major media outlets every now and then, it's like we're hitching a ride and getting some of their traffic."

"When the Shattered Star Club goes bankrupt, we will naturally be the biggest winners."

"What did you say?" Xiong Ruyue wasn't stupid. "Since the Shattered Star Club dared to poach our members, they must have made thorough preparations. They have a good relationship with the Spirit Card Association and Dawn Heavy Industry, so it's impossible for us to bring them down."

"I didn't say that Shattered Star Club would lose the case; I said that Shattered Star Club is doomed."

Xu Yan said calmly, "Sister Xiong, don't be fooled by the fact that the Shattered Star Club is deeply rooted, at its zenith, and seems invincible."

"Didn't I just analyze it? The economic crisis in Dawn City has hit the three major Spirit Card Clubs the hardest. Do you think their membership hasn't plummeted, their cash flow hasn't broken, and they haven't felt the heavy pressure and enormous anxiety?"
"If I'm not mistaken, the Shattered Star Club is the most difficult to operate and under the greatest pressure to survive among the three old-established Spirit Card Clubs in the city. Otherwise, it wouldn't have taken the risk of launching a surprise attack on the Mad Iron Club."

"But doing so would be like killing eight hundred enemies while losing a thousand of your own."

"In order to poach Chu Zhifeng and his senior coaching team, the Shattered Star Club must have offered conditions far exceeding their value, which made their already fragile financial chain even worse."

"How do you view the fact that such a large no-card team has suddenly switched to the Shattered Star Club, and the Shattered Star Club's own multi-card team?"

"The integration issues between the old and new teams; the unequal treatment between them; the question of who should be the core player between the arrogant Chu Zhifeng and the original main force of the Shattered Star team... Every aspect has its problems. If we are not careful, it will explode from within and shatter the Shattered Star club to pieces."

"Even if the management of the Shattered Star Club can solve all the problems and sweep all the gold and silver medals in all the upcoming Spirit Master competitions, including the 'Dawn Cup', what good will it do?"

"Investing heavily in training an elite team to achieve excellent results in the Spirit Master Competition and attract more high-quality customers—this approach targeting the mid-to-high-end market is only effective during periods of rapid economic development."

"But during an economic downturn, even if you win a hundred championships in the Spirit Master Competition, how can you solve the problem of consumers not having money in their pockets?"

Xu Yan felt that the Shattered Star Club had completely missed the point.

If you're going in the wrong direction, the more you do, the faster you'll fail.

With the addition of players like Chu Zhifeng, the Shattered Star team might be able to achieve some impressive results.

However, the better the record, the more high-end the Shattered Star Club is.

The more high-end the Shattered Star Club, the more expensive the membership fees and various service fees will be.

In an era where everyone is living hand to mouth and no one knows if they will have a job tomorrow, the more upscale the card club, the less attractive it becomes and the more difficult it is to survive.

Chu Zhifeng and Suixing Club are currently in a honeymoon period, and even if there are conflicts, they can be overshadowed by their outstanding performance.

When the management of the Shattered Star Club realizes that the impressive results in the Spirit Control Tournament cannot be converted into profit figures on the financial statements, this bomb is about to explode.

At that time, a large portion of the members who left the Shattered Star Club after its collapse might choose the Crazy Iron Club instead.

(End of this chapter)