NOVEL NEXT CHAPTER 46: The Deal
Hong Sha gathered his production team around, the excitement thick like honey as they reviewed the footage. "Did you get all the shots?" he asked, his voice buzzing with anticipation.
"Every single one," Alyx confirmed, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "This is going to add incredible production value for social too. I'm posting it right away with the caption, 'And guess where we're going.'"
Within hours of the footage hitting social media, the internet exploded. The news of Team Portal Crushers' move to Calgary turned the city upside down. For years, Calgary had lived in the shadow of Edmonton, but now, with the sad, empty giant that was Home Fixin’ Centre being transformed into the brand-new home of Team Portal Crushers, everything changed.
Suddenly, the city had something to rally around. Fan pages and chat groups popped up overnight, proudly declaring themselves the "Official Calgary Crushers." The buzz around the team was electric, with excitement spreading like wildfire through the city and beyond.
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**dngcrushrkarl**: are u guys as excited as I am?
**Atlasfan**: Atlas is the GOAT! I can’t believe this.
**Imisspizzahut**: yo Atlas! Welcome to cowtown!
**Scarletjohannesnudes**: follow me for tips on how to bet at phish.betway.sponsored.com
**USER HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SPAM.**
**Buymypatreon**: who’s lining up for tickets?
**Berlinismycat**: meow meow
**Atlaswife**: hubby! I knew you would come to my city! I will see you soon. #callme
**Atlasteamlover**: yum. Is that Isabella girl single? Drool :p
**Writer**: yo! Check out my fan fic about this. Warning boy love.
**Hopethisworks**: where can I get more info about this?
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Atlas had his work cut out for him. His next step was setting up a dedicated website for Team Portal Crushers' new arena in Calgary. The company he hired had plenty of experience setting up ticket websites.
The key to this was preventing scalpers from grabbing all the tickets. Even though the season was three months away from starting, tickets were quickly put up.
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**PORTAL CRUSHERS VS TBD November 23**
- General seating $20
- Front section $40
- Arena side $100
- VIP BOX: $2000
**SEASON TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW!**
*(The season tickets include all the games, possible finals, and meet and greet with the team)*
- General seating $1000
- Front section $2000
- Arena side $5000
- VIP BOX: $100,000
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**audiobooktough**: did u guys get tix?
**Atlasfan**: for sure. A whole season too!
**Tacobell4life**: yeah season tix is the way to go. A friend of mine grabbed them for hockey when they first came out, decades ago, and now whenever they don’t want to go, they can sell the tix for profit. $$$
**Scarletjohannesnsfw**: follow me for tips on how to bet at nudes.betway.sponsored.com
**USER HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SPAM.**
**Patreonbuysmefood**: I’m poor, can someone take me? I will warm your bed.
**Berlinismycat**: meow meow
**Baller69**: above. Send me pics. Maybe we can work something out :p
**Patreonbuysmefood**: I’m very attractive but, pics no good. Meet in person at first game? XOXO :)
**Readyplayerone**: hahah bet the actual person is a fat guy called Chuck with a hairy back.
**Patreonbuysmefood**: I’m not! Very cute! Promise :) XOXO
**Atlasmissing**: wait! Where are these tix being sold? The season isn’t for 3 months.
**Coffeepluscigs**: dude. Check link above. Snooze and lose.
**Baller80085**: yo. Anyone else grab a VIP box? I grabbed a VIP box, but man it’s expensive. Sigh. ;)
**Calgarycrushers**: Ok. We will be setting up our first fan club meeting. If we buy a huge block of tix, who wants them?
**Atlas4evah**: me
Plus 1
Plus 2
….Plus 478
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Bill, who had been worried about the arena's future, was thrilled to see this level of interest. As the money rolled in, he felt a wave of excitement and relief. *I can’t wait to brag about this. Maybe I'll even grab some cheap tickets to send to my ex-wife as revenge. She’ll love that.* The thought made him smile. *This gamble with Atlas is really paying off.*
Meanwhile, the news hit Mohammed hard. He had assumed that Team Portal Crushers would fade away after being bought out, especially since they were no longer in Edmonton. However, their resurgence in Calgary, a city so close to his own operations, had thrown a wrench into his plans. The team's sudden popularity and the arena's ticket sales were a direct threat to his business, sparking anger and frustration as he realized that Atlas was not only surviving but thriving in the new location.
Meanwhile, across the globe in Hong Kong, Hermo Chu, a savvy businessman with ties to Hong Sha, was watching the developments with keen interest. His family had been in the garment industry for generations, amassing a fortune by always being one step ahead of market trends. When he saw the news that Portal Crushers had secured a new arena, he immediately saw an opportunity.
Hermo quickly dialed Hong Sha. "Buddy, are you in Calgary right now? Can you get me in contact with Atlas? I’ve got a business proposition I think he’ll want to hear."
As luck would have it, Atlas was standing right next to Hong Sha when the call came in. "I can take this right now," Atlas said, already intrigued by the potential deal.
When Hermo Chu heard Atlas’s voice on the other end, he wasted no time. "Mr. Atlas, sir, here’s what I’m thinking. I noticed during the draft that you and your team wear military-style uniforms, unlike the other teams who stick to medieval-themed gear mixed with football jerseys."
"That’s right," Atlas replied, recalling his deliberate choice to move away from the medieval theme. The whole notion was impractical and out of place for the dangerous realities of portal battles. "I’ve never liked the idea of the team wearing medieval themes just because we use weapons."
Hermo Chu was thrilled to hear this. "Exactly! What I’d like to do is set up a merchandise deal to produce world-class uniforms—similar to what your team wears, but designed for your fans. We’d create replicas with the team names on the back, sponsorship patches, everything."
Atlas paused, considering the proposal. He’d spent a significant amount on his team’s current uniforms, and while he wasn’t particularly concerned about who handled the merchandise, the idea of bringing in extra dollars caught his attention.
"How much are we talking?" Atlas asked.
“One million dollars,” Hermo replied.
“Hong Kong dollars?” asked Atlas.
"One million Canadian dollars, upfront, for the rights to the license merchandise for life. And 10% of profits," Hermo replied confidently, knowing this was a deal that could cement his brand’s presence in the entire SFB world.
Atlas mulled it over. The amount was substantial, and if the quality matched the vision Hermo was selling, it seemed like a win-win. "I’ll want to see the merchandise before it hits the shelves," he said, his tone cautious yet optimistic. "If the quality is up to par, you’ve got yourself a deal."
Hermo Chu’s heart leaped with excitement. "Fantastic! I’ll send over the contract right now, and we can get started immediately."
As the call ended, Hong Sha watched the exchange with a mixture of admiration and awe. "Deals for a million dollars, made in minutes," he muttered, shaking his head. It was impressive how quickly things were moving in the new world of SFB. *This project is going to be world-class,* he thought, even more excited about what lay ahead.
Atlas leaned back in his chair, a small smile playing on his lips. The momentum was building, and with every new development, the Portal Crushers were solidifying their place at the forefront of the SFB universe. The future was looking bright—and profitable.
*Money will be useless to me in less than two years, but it’ll definitely help with the preparation plans that I have coming up. And that’s all that matters. Crazy props, and micro dramas ain’t cheap. With my upcoming plans a million bucks will be a great ace in the hole. Even if I pass a big chunk to Bill to help with the arena.*
***
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