By mid-November, Lin Baicheng once again set foot in the United States.
This time, he wasn't traveling alone. Accompanying him were several bodyguards and five employees, including An Yuan, who were in charge of futures trading.
As always, the group was greeted at the airport by Eric Davis, the head of Galaxy Games' Los Angeles branch.
Since Lin had carefully planned the trip, they landed in Los Angeles at around six in the evening local time. After dinner, everyone went straight to rest to adjust to the time difference.
The next day, Lin instructed Eric Davis to arrange for An Yuan and the others to enjoy some sightseeing around Los Angeles. Meanwhile, he himself, accompanied by a few bodyguards, went to meet Phil Smith.
Lin had already contacted Phil before flying over, so the latter wasn't surprised at his arrival.
"Lin," Phil greeted with a grin as they sat down at a quiet café, "what brings you to L.A. this time?"
Lin smiled. "This trip is mainly for financing. I'm here to meet with Goldman Sachs or other investment banks."
Phil raised an eyebrow. "Financing? Don't tell me your game company needs funds?"
If Galaxy Games was looking for capital, Phil would be eager to get involved—and even willing to seek support from his father's connections.
But Lin shook his head. "No, no. Galaxy Games is doing perfectly well—profits are strong."
He leaned back, lowering his voice slightly. "The truth is, I'm optimistic about the future price of gold. I plan to go long on gold futures, so I'm seeking financing from Goldman Sachs or another investment bank."
Phil blinked in surprise. "You're speculating on gold futures?"
He hadn't expected Lin to dabble in financial markets. Concern flickered across his face as he offered a friendly warning.
"Lin, we're not finance guys. As a friend, I'd advise you to think this through. Be careful. Manufacturing and entertainment are already very profitable—look at how well your game business is doing."
Lin chuckled. "Relax, Smith. I know what I'm doing."
From that, Lin could tell Phil probably had no intention of joining him in the gold market—and that was fine by him. The gold market was enormous; one more or less participant wouldn't affect his own profits.
Phil nodded. "Alright then. As long as you're confident."
The two chatted for a while longer, then Phil suddenly leaned forward. "By the way, Lin, there's something I want to discuss with you."
"Go ahead."
"You know Christmas is just around the corner—barely over a month away. It's a huge deal in the West, and consumer spending explodes around that time."
He smiled faintly. "Your games, Hong Kong Blocks and Pac-Man, have been selling incredibly well. I'm planning a Christmas promotion—a temporary price cut to boost sales even further. But there's one problem."
Phil paused, taking a sip of coffee. "My inventory's running low. Pac-Man isn't too bad, since your side still has pending shipments, but Hong Kong Blocks is another story. I'll need to place a new order—say, ten thousand units."
Lin's eyes lit up. "That's great news!"
A ten-thousand-unit order meant a profit of roughly eight million U.S. dollars—definitely something to celebrate.
Phil, however, looked serious. "But I need as much stock as possible before Christmas. I'm worried that other distributors in different countries will also rush to order for the holiday season. I want you to prioritize my order—can you do that?"
Lin thought for a moment. Given how much Phil had helped him in the past, he didn't hesitate long.
"Alright, Smith. Normally, my factory allocates twenty percent of its daily arcade production for your orders. I'll raise that to thirty percent—that's about 180 arcade units per day instead of 120. With around forty days left before Christmas, even if there's a two-week shipping delay, you should still have about four thousand units stocked in time."
Phil smiled but shook his head. "Lin, that's not how it works."
He appreciated the increased production but explained patiently, "I'm selling machines every single day. By Christmas, I won't have four thousand sitting in warehouses. And don't forget, that number's split between two titles—so that's only about two thousand each."
Lin raised an eyebrow. "Two thousand per game should still be enough to get you through Christmas, shouldn't it?"
Phil chuckled and sighed. "You don't understand, Lin. You have no idea how strong Christmas spending is here. If these were cheaper products, sales in the millions—tens of millions, even—wouldn't be unusual during the holidays."
Lin gave a wry smile. "Alright, you know this market better than I do. I'll take your word for it."
He shrugged. "But Smith, that's really all I can do. I have contracts with other distributors too. And if Christmas demand is as crazy as you say, the European and American agents will definitely be placing their own large orders soon. Increasing your share to thirty percent is already pushing my limits."
Phil sighed, then nodded. "Fair enough, Lin. I appreciate you trying. Really. And if I do run short on stock, I'll just have to pay for air freight."
Lin waved it off casually. "Don't mention it. You helped me connect with Goldman last time—this is nothing."
Business was a give-and-take, after all. No one gives without getting something in return.
The two men talked a while longer before Lin took his leave, heading to his next appointment—with a senior executive from Goldman Sachs.
This time, there was no need for Phil to make introductions. They already knew each other well enough.
Besides, Lin wasn't meeting Goldman only for financing—he also wanted an update on Microsoft and Apple's investment deals that Goldman had been handling for him.