I Am Hollywood

by Cui Shi yi

1 - 702

23. 703

I am Hollywood #Chapter 703: Chapter 704: All Ears - Read I am Hollywood Chapter 703: Chapter 704: All Ears Online - All Page - NOVEL NEXT

[Chapter 704: All Ears]

After spending some time mingling with the guests, Edgar Bronfman and Michael Eisner moved away from Eric Williams, heading to another side of the party hall.

Watching Eric still surrounded by a group of admirers, Edgar felt the shift in the atmosphere beside him. It was noticeably quieter. Despite knowing that he couldn't catch up with Firefly Group in the near term, he couldn't help but feel a strong sense of envy. He turned to Michael Eisner and said, "Michael, after paying off the acquisition cost, Seagram Group has around $1.5 billion left in cash. Which direction do you think we should expand next?"

The funds for Seagram Group's acquisition of MCA mainly came from the $9 billion obtained from selling DuPont shares. After paying Panasonic $7.5 billion, they were left with $1.5 billion in cash.

Originally, Edgar had no plans to invest this money in Hollywood immediately. However, seeing Eric's shining presence stirred a desire within him to expand Seagram's reach in the Hollywood industry quickly. Michael Eisner could sense Edgar's emotions. He felt similarly, replying, "Edgar, you know that Fox and Firefly recently jointly acquired Blue Sky Studios, right? With Firefly already owning Pixar and Disney animation studios, they are still actively nurturing animation companies outside Firefly. Last year, Viacom spent a fortune acquiring Disney's hand-drawn animation team from Firefly. All of this shows the promising future of animated films. I think we should first establish Universal's animation department."

Edgar nodded, "Do you have a detailed plan ready?"

"We could mimic what they did with Blue Sky Studios and acquire a decent special effects studio. CG effects and 3D animation are similar in many aspects. Then, we could poach some skilled animators from Firefly's two studios. Although Pixar and Disney pay very well, if we offer competitive salaries and treat them well, I'm sure we can attract some key talent," Michael said, having thought this through thoroughly. However, this plan would require a significant investment, and Panasonic had been reluctant to spend that money in the past two years.

Michael added, "But, Edgar, I should mention that making animated films isn't easy. We might need to invest hundreds of millions up front, and I can't guarantee that our first animated feature will be a hit. We need to build up to it."

Edgar was not lacking in vision for long-term growth. Since much of Hollywood was focused on developing animated films, Universal certainly couldn't afford to be blindsided by it. He replied, "Funding isn't an issue. You can start preparing a proposal."

...

Meanwhile, Eric remained unaware of the conversation between Edgar Bronfman and Michael Eisner. Even if he had known, he wouldn't have been too concerned.

A successful 3D animated film relied on numerous factors. Creativity, technology, team, funding, and time were all crucial. In his past life, after the success of Pixar's Toy Story, several major studios had attempted to produce 3D animated films. Yet, aside from Disney, only Blue Sky Studios could be considered to have a modest success over the next decade or so.

The long production cycles and high costs associated with animated films were significant barriers to other studios venturing into this business. Even Time Warner quietly abandoned their attempts after investing in several unsuccessful animated films.

Fox, spurred by Toy Story's success, established its own animation department years ago. Elisabeth had even brought it up with Eric.

After the Blue Sky Studios deal was completed, Elisabeth suggested merging Fox's animation team with Blue Sky Studios. Initially, Eric did not object, but after seeing clips from Fox's animation film, titled Frozen Planet, he completely scrapped that idea.

Frozen Planet had nothing to do with Ice Age; it told the story of humanity entering the space age after a nuclear war, where a space military academy faced an attack from alien forces. The premise was interesting, but the quality of the animators' work was severely lacking. In Eric's view, the completed animation clips were below Disney's television standards. Upon hearing Eric's critique, Elisabeth promptly disbanded the entire animation department, resulting in a wasted few million dollars.

Fox's animation department faced similar issues as other studios attempting to launch animation films without a solid foundation.

With a glass of red wine in hand, and patiently engaging with overly enthusiastic guests around him, Eric realized that his presence had rather ungraciously overshadowed the host of this party.

Firefly's Burbank headquarters was just two miles from Universal Studios, separated only by a freeway. Eric had been discussing project details with the Matrix team at the Firefly headquarters until a bit past seven in the evening. When he left, he decided to pop by and join the festivities after receiving a personal invitation from Edgar Bronfman a few days earlier. He never expected to walk into this situation.

After about ten minutes, the crowd surrounding him gradually dispersed.

...

Diane Kruger had been anxiously waiting for the moment and, seeing that the bigwigs beside Eric had finally left, took a deep breath and forced herself to smile, lifting her skirt slightly as she made her way over.

However, just as Diane made her move, four other "mermaids" circulating the party simultaneously approached Eric. Their current high status had been built by none other than Eric himself. With so many people around just moments ago, they couldn't squeeze through, but now was the perfect time to greet him.

Seeing the five most glamorous women in the room embrace Eric and greet him, some of the ordinary guests, who thought it was their turn to get familiar, slowed their pace, resigned to wait.

"Hey, Eric, good evening."

"Linda, that outfit looks amazing on you tonight."

"Cindy, your black gown is fantastic, too."

"Oh, and Christy..."

After Cindy Crawford hugged Eric, she smiled and said, "Eric, why do you only compliment our outfits? Don't you think we're pretty?"

"Of course not, you are all my perfect selections," Eric said with a smile, clearly enjoying chatting with gorgeous women rather than being surrounded by a bunch of guys.

After greeting Linda Evangeline, Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, and Tyra Banks, Eric noticed Diane Kruger standing a bit off, seeming somewhat nervous. He reached out, asking, "Diane, what's wrong? Aren't you going to hug me?"

Diane quickly stepped forward for an embrace but realized that although Eric's attitude towards her remained friendly, just being friendly wouldn't make her stand out among the other four. In that brief moment, she made a bold decision. As Eric released her waist, she subtly shifted, wrapping her arm around his.

During the production of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, Cindy and the others had sensed Eric giving special treatment to Diane. Seeing her affectionate actions now didn't surprise them at all, but Eric raised an eyebrow, keenly taking notice.

Cindy Crawford, aware that she couldn't reach the same level of intimacy with Eric as Diane, felt a tinge of jealousy. She looked at Eric and playfully asked, "Eric, why did you come alone?"

Eric had decided to drop by the party on a whim, initially wanting to bring his female assistant along, but Kelly had to rush back home for dinner with her daughter, so he came by himself.

He had expected to bump into his woman there, like Nicole.

Due to their collaboration on The Mummy, Nicole maintained a solid relationship with Universal, and missing an event like this was unlikely. However, Eric missed the mark; Nicole had already attended a party a few days earlier and couldn't show up to every single event. Naturally, she wasn't there today either. Aside from Nicole, he had just scanned the room and hadn't spotted any other familiar faces.

But this was something Eric couldn't disclose to Cindy. Instead, he simply wrapped his arm around Diane Kruger and said, "Isn't she my date?"

Cindy, feeling bold, stepped up and linked her arm with Eric's other arm. "In that case, I'll be your date too."

Eric raised an eyebrow playfully and replied, "Sure, you all can be my dates."

Such an obviously double-edged statement elicited some playful pouting from the women, but none of them moved away.

...

In the midst of the crowd, Hasbro's CEO Alan Hassenfeld had not yet approached Eric. He stood patiently, waiting for the right moment.

However, after witnessing the close interaction between Eric and Diane Kruger, he began to piece together a few things.

After pondering for a moment, Alan grabbed a drink from a server's tray and made his way over to Eric.

The surrounding women noticed Alan making his way over and, while feeling slightly annoyed by his lack of social awareness, they made way for him. Diane tightened her grip on Eric's arm as he approached.

Alan nodded slightly towards Diane and extended his hand to Eric, saying, "Hello, Mr. Williams."

"Hello, Mr. Hassenfeld," Eric replied, shaking his hand.

Hearing Eric casually say his last name, although he had anticipated it, still surprised Alan. "Mr. Williams, you know me?"

Eric grinned and said, "I'm not in the habit of pretending not to know someone."

Alan chuckled heartily but was quickly calculating in his mind. If Eric Williams knew him, then the rumors were likely true.

Recalling Edgar Bronfman and Michael Eisner's little maneuver earlier, Alan turned to Diane Kruger. "Miss Kruger, I apologize. I didn't realize your relationship with Mr. Williams earlier. When Edgar and Michael introduced you to me, I thought you were single."

Diane, taken aback by Alan's sudden remark, responded politely, "That's alright, Mr. Bronfman."

Diane's surprise didn't mean Eric was also oblivious. Meanwhile, Cindy, who heard Alan's words, sensed the implication, even without knowing who Alan was. Edgar Bronfman and Michael Eisner had clearly introduced Alan to Eric's women in hopes of stirring up conflict.

Eric felt slightly displeased that Michael Eisner had stooped to such petty tactics to create a rift between him and Alan Hassenfeld. However, he remained composed. Michael hadn't successfully pitted him against Alan, but Alan's comments also seemed aimed at instigating conflict, potentially benefiting Hasbro if a tussle erupted between Firefly and Universal over the Transformers rights.

Those who managed to attain CEO positions at major corporations were rarely fools who would rush into action at the slightest provocation.

Alan Hassenfeld wasn't one of those fools, neither was Michael Eisner, and certainly, Eric wasn't either.

Seeing Eric's expression remain unchanged, Alan was unsure whether he was oblivious to the implications of his previous words or simply unaffected. After thinking for a moment, he probed again, "Mr. Williams, since you know me, I assume Firefly has been keeping an eye on Transformers for quite some time now?"

Eric replied, "Transformers, huh? It's indeed an interesting toy series. I played with Transformers when I was a kid."

"Oh? How do you view the prospects of developing a live-action film for this toy series?" Alan pressed further.

Eric shrugged, "I don't think there's much movie development value for Transformers right now."

Alan furrowed his brow, "Mr. Williams, can you elaborate on your reasoning?"

"Reason?" Eric chuckled, "Once I heard that someone was vying for the Transformers rights, I became very interested and had our tech team conduct some assessments. Do you know what the results were?"

"Please tell me," said Allen Hassenfeld, looking all ears.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 705: Let's Go Take a Look]

As Alan Hassenfeld finished speaking, another voice came from behind him. "Eric, would you mind sharing your thoughts on Transformers?"

Eric turned his head to see Michael Eisner and Edgar Bronfman approaching side by side. They had quickly noticed Alan Hassenfeld engaging with Eric and rushed over to prevent any potential negotiations over the Transformers rights.

Though Firefly appeared indifferent on the surface regarding the Transformers copyrights, no one could deny they were a formidable competitor. Alan Hassenfeld's proactive approach had created a sense of urgency for Michael Eisner and Edgar Bronfman. If they allowed Eric to walk away with the Transformers rights at a Universal party, they would become the laughingstock of Hollywood.

"Of course, no problem, Michael," Eric said with a smile, clearly not minding Michael Eisner's eavesdropping. In fact, he hoped his upcoming remarks would circulate throughout Hollywood.

As Michael Eisner and Edgar Bronfman moved closer, some guests from other studios, noticing the gathering, casually joined in, equally interested in the Transformers rights.

Standing beside Eric, Diane Kruger and Cindy Crawford observed in just a few short minutes how Eric had once again become the center of attention. The film executives, whom they usually found difficult to engage with, crowded around Eric, listening intently with no airs about them. While Diane and Cindy clung to Eric's arm without issue, Linda Evangelista and the other three women were unceremoniously pushed to the outskirts of the group, their gazes toward the two more privileged women tinged with envy.

Although Diane and Cindy realized these big shots were not particularly interested in them, they couldn't shake a feeling of strange satisfaction and pride.

Alan Hassenfeld, watching the crowd and Eric's confident demeanor, felt an uneasy sensation and regretted approaching Eric to chat. Eric certainly didn't seem like someone who intended to say good things about Transformers.

Moreover, given Eric's status in Hollywood, his words certainly wouldn't be easily brushed off. Alan Hassenfeld doubted Eric would simply make noise to suppress the value of the Transformers' rights.

...

Sure enough, after patiently waiting for everyone to gather around, Eric said, "Hearing everyone recently express interest in the Transformers movie rights sparked my curiosity about this toy franchise. I even contemplated some production ideas privately, but ultimately concluded that under current conditions, Transformers doesn't have much adaptation value. If a live-action film were forced, the cost and risks would be extremely high."

Had there not been someone indirectly tying the Transformers film rights to Firefly, this many people wouldn't have been involved in the scramble. When Eric spoke these words, nine out of ten people didn't believe him but were also in no hurry to contradict him.

Eric looked around and continued, "In my vision, if we were to make a live-action movie, the design of the Transformers should be a complex and intricate mechanical life form made up of hundreds or thousands of components, transitioning seamlessly between car and robot forms. After discussing my ideas in detail with the visual effects engineers at Digital Domain, the conclusion was that if we followed this concept, the difficulty of CG effects production would exceed that of Jurassic Park by more than ten times, resulting in astronomical costs."

After Eric's remarks, while Michael Eisner wore a friendly smile, he sharply asked, "Eric, I'm curious. How did you assess that the difficulty of making Transformers is more than ten times that of Jurassic Park?"

Previously, everyone had merely taken Eric's 'ten times' as a descriptive statement of the challenge involved in making Transformers. If Michael Eisner hadn't opened his mouth, no one would have painstakingly dissected his wording.

However, when Michael Eisner seized on this point to challenge Eric, despite their outwardly curious expressions, many in the crowd secretly reveled in the prospect of seeing how Eric would handle such a pointed question.

To their surprise, Eric showed no sign of irritation at all. Hearing Michael Eisner's query, his smile remained. "Michael, I assume you're not familiar with the specific software development, technical testing, and 3D modeling processes involved in CG effects. Let's use the critical aspect of image rendering as an example. Digital Domain's visual effects engineers informed me that if we want to achieve the CG effects I need, every frame of CG effects in the film would require the current state-of-the-art rendering workstation to run continuously for 630 hours."

Hearing gasps of disbelief from those around them, Eric chuckled, "You might find the 630-hour rendering time somewhat unbelievable, but if you don't believe me, feel free to call Digital Domain for confirmation. There's also another caveat: the large post-production rendering farm Digital Domain recently completed in Florida has 10,000 rendering servers. If fully operational, rendering a single frame could take just over three minutes, which might sound trivial. But remember, I'm only talking about one frame. Assuming this film had 30 minutes of special effects scenes, that would involve 43,200 frames. Even if all the rendering parameters were straightforward and required no testing, it would take Digital Domain's rendering farm running at full capacity 115 days just to complete the task. In contrast, Jurassic Park's post-production rendering took about a month, and utilized the nearly obsolete rendering farm at Venice Beach. If you factor in the significant upgrades in scale and equipment, Florida's rendering farm would be eight times the capacity of the Venice Beach rendering farm. Thus, my earlier claim that making Transformers is more than ten times more difficult than Jurassic Park is quite reasonable."

Michael Eisner fell silent, though Alan Hassenfeld pressed on, "Eric, can't the production specifications be reduced a bit?"

"Of course, but I wonder if audiences will buy that," Eric shrugged and added with a grin, "I tend to have a bit of perfectionism, which isn't a great habit when it comes to movie making. So you can ignore what I said earlier; there certainly are cheaper production plans available, including using models for shooting, which would definitely be much cheaper. But I will go see that at the theater."

Their expressions clearly reflected skepticism at Eric's words. If he said that, how could they possibly ignore it?

Eric, however, paid no attention to their burdensome thoughts and, feeling slightly hungry, left the group and headed toward the buffet table in the hall.

...

Cindy Crawford and Diane Kruger followed closely at Eric's side. Even Linda Evangelista and the other two women, who had been pushed out earlier, tagged along.

As they grabbed plates and selected food together, Cindy asked, "Eric, does it really require 630 hours?"

Eric nodded while placing barbecue shrimp on his plate. "Yeah, it involves very complex technical details, but the 600-plus hours of rendering time is real."

Diane added, "So, doesn't that mean Transformers can never be made?"

"Not at all," Eric replied, "According to Moore's Law in the semiconductor industry, computer processing speed doubles every 1.5 to 2 years. So, in ten years, rendering the same frame will just take a little over ten hours. By then, other technologies will develop alongside it, making my earlier thoughts much easier to achieve."

In 1995, the semiconductor industry had only recently begun entering the microprocessor era, with mainstream CPUs still utilizing 0.35-micron processes, leaving a considerable gap before the arrival of the nanometer age. The lowest-level instructions of a computer CPU amounted to millions of transistors emitting a collection of 0s and 1s, and as semiconductor processes advanced according to Moore's Law, the number of transistors on chips of similar scale doubled, effectively doubling the CPU's speed.

A task that could only take ten hours in ten years was now requiring over 600 hours; this limitation wouldn't be easily broken and would require patience as technology evolved. Consequently, now wasn't the right time to make Transformers.

Moreover, Eric's repeated mention of Digital Domain had sent another message: even if others wanted to undertake making Transformers in Hollywood, they couldn't bypass Digital Domain. Only Digital Domain had the capability to handle the special effects for Transformers. While Digital Domain had maintained its independent operation and had never rejected special effects orders from Firefly's competitors, that didn't mean they would always stay on the same side.

Regarding Industrial Light Magic, most of the CG effects blockbusters in recent years had been produced by Digital Domain. Their continuous stream of orders not only brought in substantial revenues but also provided enough financial strength for ongoing technology research and development. At that moment, Digital Domain had already surpassed Industrial Light Magic significantly in terms of technological capabilities.

For example, Firefly had invested $100 million in Digital Domain's rendering farm in Florida, and its powerful computing capabilities could support the rendering demands of all Digital Domain's orders. Even if Industrial Light Magic could scrape together $100 million to build a similarly sized rendering farm, the income from their current CG effects orders may not even cover the costs of maintaining and upgrading such a large-scale farm.

Considering these factors, Eric noted, Cindy Crawford chimed in, "In ten years, it would only be six times at most. How could it turn into just over ten hours?"

Eric paused, then shook his head and smiled, observing the puzzled expressions on the other women. He couldn't help but sigh at the mathematical skills of these beautiful women.

Diane Kruger was the quickest to clarify, "It seems it's not just six times. If it's continuously doubling, it should be two raised to the sixth power -- 64 times. Am I right, Eric?"

"Smart girl," Eric nodded, handing her a shrimp as a reward. "Here, for you."

"Hehe," Diane smiled brightly, glancing at the others, especially Cindy, her expression radiating a hint of pride. With Cindy's proximity to Eric, Diane felt a significant threat.

Cindy noticed Diane's gaze, inwardly scoffing dismissively. Silly girl, how many men actually prefer smart women? However, despite her thoughts, Cindy's expression revealed a touch of disappointment as she leaned closer to Eric, gently saying, "Eric, I want some too."

"Alright, alright," Eric replied, adding a shrimp to Cindy's plate. Noticing the other three women extending their plates as well, he joked, "How about we take this entire tray of shrimp with us?"

Watching Eric feign the act of lifting the entire tray, the women quickly interjected with laughter, "Haha, no, we'd be the talk of the party if we did that."

After eating for a while and dancing with a few women, Eric noticed Alan Hassenfeld, the CEO of Hasbro, had left the party shortly after speaking with him. Eric decided it was time to go as well.

However, looking at Diane Kruger and Cindy Crawford who seemed to be planning to leave with him, and even the expectant eyes of the other three women, Eric could only say: "Cindy, I'm heading home."

"Eric, I've never been to Liberty City. Will you take me there to see it?" Cindy Crawford boldly asked, entirely ignoring Diane Kruger on the other side.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 706: Can We Swim Here?]

In the hall, countless eyes were either intentionally or unintentionally fixed on him. If he took five stunning beauties away together, it would just be too obvious.

Faced with the tempting gazes of the women, Eric still had to decline. "It's too late today, but I'm off tomorrow. If everyone's free, you can come over and hang out."

"Really? Then it's settled," Cindy Crawford promptly replied, with the other women quickly chiming in.

Eric smiled and nodded, glancing at Diane Kruger, whose eyes reflected a hint of disappointment. "Diane, let's go."

Diane Kruger froze for a moment. She had thought Eric wouldn't take any of them back with him. Just as she was feeling uncertain, Eric's calm tone -- unmarked by any commands or requests -- made it all feel so natural, like an ordinary conversation.

While hesitating whether to play a bit coy, she felt the envious glances of the other women. Diane immediately dismissed any thoughts of false modesty and affectionately linked her arm with Eric, flashing a charming smile as she said, "Okay!"

Eric wrapped his arm around her and waved goodbye to Cindy Crawford and the others before walking toward the party host to say his farewells. Those social niceties were still necessary.

...

Watching Eric leave, the remaining four women felt a distinct lack of interest in the nearby men trying to flirt with them.

Having climbed to their current heights in the fashion industry, they were quite realistic. Most of the men around, despite their prominent positions in various industries, couldn't offer help that would compare to the effortless support Eric provided with a simple gesture.

They had just witnessed Eric's influence in Hollywood, and even in their own fashion-centered careers, the immense attention surrounding the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show had made all forty Victoria's Secret Angels prime targets for brands to chase after.

Many media outlets predicted that in the coming years, the Angels would monopolize the best endorsement opportunities in their circle. With six months left before the second Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, the runway slots for the forty Angels had already become the focus of fierce competition among major modeling agencies. Unless Eric interfered personally, the Angels from less powerful agencies would likely be pushed out entirely.

Even the positions of the five Angels were coveted, with tabloids reporting more than once about possible replacements among them. In this situation, the best way to secure their positions at the top of the fashion pyramid was undoubtedly to cling tightly to Eric's coattails.

Shooting a distant glance at Eric, who was saying goodbye to Edgar Bronfman and Michael Eisner before exiting the party hall, Cindy Crawford turned down a dance invitation from a would-be suitor. She looked at her exquisite Patek Philippe watch and said, "It's almost ten o'clock; I should be heading back. Maybe I'll go to Rodeo Drive and pick out something to wear tomorrow. Linda, are you coming?"

"Of course," Linda Evangelista replied, placing her half-empty glass in a passing waiter's tray. "The Chanel boutique should be closed, but I know their manager, so I can call and get in for a fitting."

With Eric leaving the party with Diane Kruger, the remaining women, who were not as harmonious behind the scenes, shared a sudden sense of camaraderie. Christy Turlington joined in, her tone slightly sour. "What's with the little girl? Doesn't he know older women are way more interesting?"

Cindy Crawford chuckled softly and leaned in to say, "Don't you know? He actually prefers older women."

"Of course we know," Linda Evangelista chimed in, laughing. "Maybe we just aren't old enough yet."

"Haha..."

Amidst the laughter, Cindy Crawford glanced at Tyra Banks. Due to her skin color, they hadn't been too close, but now Cindy said, "Tyra, I heard Naomi Campbell invited Edward Razek to dinner last week. You better watch out."

In a world rife with racial discrimination, the fashion industry couldn't accommodate two dazzling "black pearls" at the same time. Tyra Banks understood this well, but her experience was still somewhat limited. Hearing the seemingly teasing yet subtly tense conversation echoed insecurity. "I don't think we need to worry too much; we all signed contracts, didn't we?"

Cindy Crawford dismissed her concerns with a disdainful laugh. "Tyra, I signed with Warner for Fair Game last year, yet in the end, they replaced the lead actress."

Recalling that episode, a flicker of resentment crossed Cindy's face, but it quickly faded.

She had originally intended to transition into film, wanting to strike while her reputation in fashion was still strong. But after the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, which could have marked her retirement, she suddenly found herself at the peak of her career again. As long as she maintained her contract with Victoria's Secret, her endorsement income would far exceed that of most leading Hollywood actresses.

After chatting for a while, the four women bid farewell to the party, leaving many men regretting their departure.

...

As Eric drove Diane Kruger away, they had hardly exited Universal Studios when he unexpectedly received a call from Hasbro's CEO, Alan Hassenfeld, who wanted to schedule a meeting to discuss Transformers.

Eric had been juggling several film projects lately, and the upcoming weekend provided a small break before the 67th Academy Awards on March 27. He didn't plan to attend the ceremony but decided to meet Alan the next day at ten since he'd have the time.

He knew his earlier words at the party had made Alan thoroughly understand the reality.

Starting to film Transformers would require a significant investment and budget; second and third-tier studios in Hollywood wouldn't be able to manage such a project. Hasbro had only seven major studios to choose from, and only Firefly could provide reasonable guarantees for the Transformers movie iteration.

Although Hasbro could choose other studios, a disastrous outcome would ruin the world-renowned toy brand's image. Alan Hassenfeld understood the stakes clearly.

Despite initial plans to let Fox obtain the rights, given everything that had occurred, Eric decided it would be safer for the Transformers franchise to come under Firefly's wings.

...

The following morning, Eric woke up early as usual.

He didn't rush to get out of bed but lay on his side, propping his chin up as he admired the lovely face next to him.

Perhaps sensing his gaze, Diane Kruger fluttered her eyelashes, waking up.

"Good morning," Eric whispered, leaning in to kiss her on that inviting cheek.

"Morning, Eric," Diane replied bashfully, nodding slightly.

Eric pressed a button on the nightstand, and the spacious circular bedroom's curtains glided open, letting the morning sunlight pour in.

Outside, the landscape was shrouded in a light fog.

The sudden brightness made Diane feel even shyer, and she instinctively curled up under the covers, yet curiosity got the better of her, and she peeked out cautiously.

"Want to take a look?" Eric offered. "It's foggy, but you should still be able to see around; the view here is pretty nice."

Diane had seen photos of Liberty City in magazines and knew this bedroom was like a circular UFO perched atop a sleek villa. However, she never imagined she would wake up here one day.

Seeing her nod, Eric quickly dressed in long pants and a shirt. After checking around, he noticed Diane's maroon evening gown from the previous night was not in the room. Drawing from his experiences, he opened the closet and quickly found a white shirt and a baggy T-shirt, lifting them up to the girl still curled up in the sheets. "Which one?"

Diane scanned the clothes and pointed to the T-shirt Eric was holding. "That one."

Eric handed her the T-shirt, and Diane got up. With Eric's gaze on her, she blushed deeply as she slid the oversized shirt over her bare body; her outfit from last night had been left behind during her shower, and she felt too shy to ask Eric to fetch it.

After getting dressed, Diane looked down at herself, feeling how loose the T-shirt was. She gestured toward the closet, her eyes asking, "Can I?"

Eric nodded, "Feel free."

The girl quickly found a brown leather belt, adjusted it around her waist, and suddenly, the baggy T-shirt transformed into a stylish dress.

Eric observed her little transformation and thought, how fitting; she really was a former style icon, turning a simple T-shirt into a fashionable dress almost instantaneously.

...

The floor was cool, but walking barefoot felt quite pleasant. The two walked over to the south window, where the fog partially obscured the sea, yet they could still see the dark waters within a few kilometers. In the east, a hint of red pierced through the mist, promising another beautiful day ahead.

"Honestly, the evening views here are the most stunning," Eric said, holding Diane's hand as they moved to the north side of the bedroom. This part of the Liberty City Estate was already higher than the surrounding areas, and Liberty City accentuated that elevation, showcasing a view packed with buildings that filled their sight, except for mist-covered hills in the distance.

Diane leaned against Eric, gazing down at the cityscape filled with buildings beneath them; the height offered an almost omniscient perspective.

They stood there quietly chatting for a while, and Eric enthusiastically pointed out a few of their Hollywood neighbors in the view.

...

At nine o'clock, several luxury cars arrived at the entrance of the Estate, with Cindy Crawford and the others having left downtown Los Angeles early to reach the villa.

The women circled the estate's driveway to Liberty City, parked their cars, and walked toward the villa together.

Diane, still wearing the T-shirt from that morning, opened the door. Upon seeing her friends arrive, she felt a subtle sense of superiority that she didn't show outwardly. However, the astute Cindy and her friends certainly couldn't overlook that vibe.

After the initial warm hugs and greetings, Cindy couldn't wait to ask, "Diane, where's Eric?"

"We just had breakfast; he's on the terrace reading the paper," Diane intentionally emphasized the word "we" a bit more before leading Cindy and the others into the villa.

The others nodded in muted thoughts while maintaining their cheerful facades. Linda Evangelista casually put her arm around Diane's shoulder and sweetly whispered about how she felt last night. Diane, despite her usual confidence, felt her cheeks redden under Linda's teasing words.

As they chatted softly and strolled through the spacious foyer, the five women made their way to the terrace on the villa's south side.

The morning fog had mostly dissipated, and sunlight broke through the last remnants, glimmering on the swimming pool, which shimmered like a giant emerald.

Dressed in a white shirt and khaki pants, Eric lounged by the pool on a reclining chair, flipping through the Los Angeles Times. He stood up with a smile to embrace each of them as they approached. "I expected you all to arrive closer to noon. It's so early -- have you had breakfast yet?"

"Not yet, Eric. What do you think we should do?" Cindy Crawford recalled Diane's intentional mention of their breakfast together and asked.

Eric shrugged with a chuckle. "There's food in the kitchen; you can help yourselves."

Despite his offer, none of the women showed any interest in eating. They looked at the spacious pool on the terrace, and Cindy suddenly asked, "Eric, can we swim here?"

Eric nodded. "Of course."

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 707: When Will We Start Shooting?]

Women always had a knack for causing a scene, especially beautiful women.

With Eric's approval, Cindy Crawford and the others promptly entered the changing room behind them to put on their sexy bikinis. Red wine, drinks, and snacks were gradually gathered onto the terrace, and the women even brought out the sound system from the living room. As music started playing, the terrace turned into a mini party.

In late March, Los Angeles' temperature barely climbed to around 20 degrees Celsius, not exactly ideal for swimming. However, for women who cared about their appearance, temperature was never an issue.

Eric lounged lazily on a poolside chair, watching five gorgeous women frolicking in the pool, and he was very much enjoying himself.

After a while, Linda Evangelista swam over to Eric, propping herself up on the pool's edge, eyeing Eric, who still wore his shirt and pants, and said, "Eric, why don't you join us?"

Eric looked at her elegantly androgynous face from the short cut she sported and replied with a smile, "Do you have goldfish at home?"

Linda rested her chin on her smooth arm and shook her head in confusion. "Not at home, but Christy likes to have them."

Eric gestured towards the other stunning women in the pool, a mischievous grin on his face. "What do you think would happen if you put a shark in a goldfish bowl?"

Seeing Linda's movement, the other four women swam over, arranging themselves at the pool's edge in a row, just in time to hear Eric's comment. Amid their giggles, Cindy Crawford shot him a teasing glance, "Mr. Shark, you could come down and see if you can eat us."

Eric didn't expect her to be so bold; the implication was rather clear.

After calculating the time, he shook his head. "Not now, I have a guest at ten."

Cindy and the others looked puzzled since Diane Kruger had been by Eric's side last night. "Is it that Alan Hasenfeld?" she inquired.

"Yes, it is," Eric nodded. However, with the Transformers rights being a complicated matter, he didn't want to discuss it further and switched the topic. "Aren't you all attending the Oscars the day after tomorrow? How are the preparations going?"

The women realized Eric was steering the conversation away and wisely refrained from asking more questions. Linda said, "We're already set; honestly, I never thought I'd have a day on the Oscars stage."

As they chatted, noticing that Eric had no intention of jumping in the pool, the women decided to get out.

Eric admired the stunning bodies in front of him and thoughtfully handed each of them a towel to dry off. Once they dried off, he arranged the lounges on either side of him. The warm sun close to ten o'clock felt very comfortable, and the women quickly relaxed, resembling cats basking in their owner's affection.

Eric strolled over to the sound system to change to a more soothing playlist. Returning to his chair, he asked, "After the Oscars, what's next for you all?"

"Whatever the agency offers, we'll take it. However, up until September, we'll mostly be free," said Linda, who was lounging to Eric's left. "September is going to be busy with the four major fashion weeks and the Victoria's Secret Show, and then it'll get slow again until the fall/winter shows next February or March."

Cindy, unable to snag a spot next to Eric, leaned over from her position between the other women and asked, "Eric, do you have any job opportunities for us?"

To maintain the Victoria's Secret Angels' visibility, apart from the fashion show, Firefly Group continually provided them with media exposure opportunities. This was a primary reason why becoming a Victoria's Secret Angel had become highly competitive in the modeling world. However, these opportunities paled in comparison to what Eric could offer directly. So, sensing what Eric hinted at, Cindy eagerly inquired.

Eric certainly didn't disappoint, saying, "Yeah, when I was preparing for the Victoria's Secret Show last year, I started thinking about this. In short, it's a reality competition for models, where contestants face various challenges to compete for an invaluable Victoria's Secret Angel contract."

Diane remarked, "It sounds similar to the model competitions our agency hosts, doesn't it?"

"Not quite," Eric shook his head. "What I envision isn't just a competition; it's a reality show. If it's a show, we need to showcase what draws the audience in. My plan is to choose a well-established supermodel as the host, invite some well-known fashion figures as judges, and create various fun yet professional challenges each episode, using a competitive elimination format to crown a champion who earns the contract."

After Eric finished, Tyra Banks chimed in, "Are you saying it's like Survivor?"

Eric looked at Tyra with interest and nodded, smiling. "Exactly, just like Survivor."

Watching the excitement blossom in the women's eyes, Eric doused their enthusiasm slightly, stating, "However, this is a more professional reality show, and its ratings surely won't compare to Survivor."

Christy Turlington asked, "So, Eric, what kind of ratings do you think this... reality show will get?"

Eric shook his head. "I can't guarantee anything. No one can accurately predict a show's ratings until it airs."

Cindy followed up, "Will it air on ABC?"

"No," Eric replied. "Every TV show has a specific target audience. ABC mostly broadcasts shows for all ages. This... let's call it the America's Next Top Model for now, will target young viewers aged 16 to 28, especially women interested in fashion. Once produced, Firefly will sell the show to networks like UPN, WB, or MTV that cater to younger audiences."

The America's Next Top Model would likely air on the UPN and later CW, which was formed when Paramount's UPN and Warner's WB merged. However, even if history remained unchanged, that show would still debut a decade later.

Cindy, who had hosted a fashion program called House of Style on MTV a few years earlier, understood the state of those networks. Even if their ratings were generally low, their concentrated audience made them attractive to advertisers targeting specific demographics. Therefore, their hit shows also turned out to be quite profitable.

If the America's Next Top Model could achieve Survivor-level ratings on these niche TV networks, the show would undoubtedly create a stir. Securing the hosting spot would not only bring in substantial pay but also elevate her status to the top in the industry thanks to the exposure from such a reality show.

Reflecting on Eric's earlier mention of selecting a well-regarded supermodel as the host, Cindy's eyes sparkled with a hint of wariness as she glanced at Linda Evangelista beside her.

If there was anyone with the most seniority in the supermodel circle, it was undoubtedly Linda Evangelista. She was recognized as the first supermodel in the fashion world, while Christy Turlington's credentials appeared to surpass Linda's. Even though Tyra Banks and Diane Kruger seemed less competitive on the surface, it was uncertain what Eric might decide; after all, if he chose Tyra or Diane as the host, no one could stop him.

Cindy's thoughts ran deep, and the expressions of the other women reflected subtle changes as well.

Eric, oblivious to the shift in mood among the women, continued with enthusiasm, "While the America's Next Top Model won't compete with shows like Survivor or Who Wants to Be a Millionaire for viewership ratings, its production costs will also be very low. Most expenses will be for the host and judges' fees, and the shooting locations won't be particularly demanding. My rough estimate is that once we find our footing with the network, turning a profit through broadcast rights, tape sales, and international licensing will be quite easy. Moreover, the beauty of such a low-cost reality show is that as long as there's a market, we could keep producing season after season, whether it's ten, twenty, or even thirty seasons."

Hearing Eric's words, the hearts of the five women raced almost in unison.

The short-lived careers of models had always been a pressing dilemma for their community. Usually, even supermodels would begin to fade away once they hit thirty, replaced by fresh faces, regardless of how stunning they still were. Landing a hosting role on a long-running reality show meant securing a stable position, akin to holding an iron rice bowl. Even if the pay wasn't astronomically high, they could maintain their fame and continue earning through other avenues.

Eric took a few sips of juice, about to say more when the intercom on the wall beeped, signaling that Alan Hasenfeld had arrived.

Eric exchanged a few words over the intercom and turned to the lounging women. "You all keep enjoying yourselves. I'll go meet the guest."

Cindy quickly offered, "Eric, do you need me to help entertain him?"

"No, it's okay," Eric waved her off.

The women understood that Eric preferred them not to know too much about the Transformers matter, so they didn't press further.

However, the moment Eric stepped through the glass door, leaving, the atmosphere on the terrace turned noticeably colder.

Brief glances exchanged between the five women revealed the undercurrent of subtle hostility. There could only be one host for the America's Next Top Model. The reason they had managed to maintain a facade of camaraderie leaned heavily on their standing as Victoria's Secret representatives, as their current statuses were relatively equal.

But if one of them were to seize the role of host on the America's Next Top Model, that delicate balance would likely shatter in an instant.

...

Alan Hasenfeld parked in front of the Liberty City Shell villa and stepped out, taking in his surroundings, especially the villa that had been frequently joked about by the media as an alien spacecraft after last year's Men in Black. He gazed at it with envy.

While Hasbro was valued at two billion dollars, like many long-established companies, it had morphed into a publicly traded entity over half a century of development. Although the Hasenfeld family still controlled the toy company, they were no longer the majority shareholders. Their family wealth stood at merely five to six hundred million. Alan's personal fortune was even less than a hundred million, making it just a matter of light envy as he beheld this dream villa coveted by many wealthy individuals.

Perhaps this financial disparity subtly drained Alan's confidence, leaving him feeling somewhat unsettled about the upcoming negotiations regarding the Transformers rights.

As the villa door opened, Alan spotted Eric approaching and quickly went to meet him.

The two exchanged greetings, and Eric led him inside the villa, directly to the study.

Once seated on the sofa, Alan observed Eric going over to make coffee and remarked, "Eric, why not let the servant do that?"

"Ah, I prefer peace and quiet, and I'm not used to having people hovering around. So usually, they stay outside and don't come in unless needed."

Everyone has their unique preferences. Hearing Eric say this, Alan nodded slightly and didn't ask further.

Once the coffee was ready and poured for the two, Eric sat down on the sofa. "So, Alan, let's get straight to the point. What are Hasbro's final terms for collaborating on Transformers?"

"Uh..." Alan hesitated, putting down his coffee cup as he paused for a moment before saying, "Eric, regarding what you said last night, I want to ask first. If Transformers is handed over to Firefly, when can you officially start filming?"

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 708: TDelivered to the Door]

The optimal production time for Transformers would certainly be ten years later, but if Eric were to say that now, he believed Allen Hasenfeld would likely walk out on the spot.

"How about five years?" After a moment of consideration, Eric suggested to Allen Hasenfeld, his words not merely a way to placate him. Advancing the production to around the year 2000, there wouldn't be too many technical issues, just that costs might be a bit higher. "I have several high-tech companies backing me, so I'm quite knowledgeable in this area. Given the current pace of technological development, starting Transformers five years from now would keep costs within a manageable risk range."

Last night's comments didn't completely quash the enthusiasm of the film companies vying for the Transformers rights, but they had certainly had a noticeable impact. Before arriving that morning, Allen Hasenfeld had called several top executives from the film companies he had been negotiating with, and their enthusiasm was no longer what it had been just days earlier. Allen understood that these parties were not losing interest in the Transformers rights, but rather, they were apprehensive due to Eric's remarks.

Since Eric had openly suppressed the Transformers copyright at the party, it was almost certain that he didn't want others to vie for the rights. If he was doing this while the copyright battle was still ongoing, one couldn't rule out the possibility that he would act against them during the film production.

Thus, Hasbro's best potential partner at this point was Firefly. Of course, they could keep the Transformers rights tightly in their grip, but that wouldn't align with Hasbro's fundamental interests either.

Once Eric finished speaking, Allen Hasenfeld didn't hesitate, saying, "Eric, Firefly has always been Hasbro's most desired partner. We've discussed in detail that if you could personally direct this film, Firefly would only need to pay a $5 million licensing fee for the rights. However, Hasbro would like to make a joint investment; our request is modest, just a 30% investment stake."

"Allen, I can't guarantee that I could direct this film, but I will definitely be personally involved as a producer. As for Hasbro wanting to invest, I'm open to considering it," Eric replied without hesitation. It wasn't that he couldn't direct, he simply didn't want to take on the role for Transformers.

For Eric, the Transformers films were best positioned as popcorn blockbusters filled with special effects and explosions, and that was good enough. In his previous life, the Transformers series had received poor ratings from both media and film critics largely because of this positioning, and Eric cared about maintaining his reputation as a director. Thus, he preferred to leave the directing role to someone less concerned about negative critiques.

They went back and forth in negotiations and finally reached an agreement. Hasbro would license the film adaptation rights of Transformers to Firefly for $3 million, with a term of ten years. Firefly committed to developing the film version in five years, with Hasbro able to participate in up to 25% of the investment.

Allen Hasenfeld wasn't really concerned about the few million dollars in licensing fees. So, when Eric lowered the price to $3 million, he didn't press the issue too much. Instead, Eric permitting Hasbro to participate with a 25% investment caught him by surprise. In previous discussions with other film companies, the main sticking point had been the investment ratio from Hasbro.

At first, Hasbro dreamed of splitting the investment for a live-action film right down the middle with their partner. But they quickly realized that such terms were out of the question for most film companies. Before arriving, Allen's bottom line had been 20%, and Eric's willingness to allow for 25% made him wish he had known that earlier, thus saving time with the others.

Seeing the expression on Allen's face, Eric couldn't help but chuckle inside. Even if that buried thought of getting one over didn't pan out, Hasbro would eventually experience the financial reality of Hollywood.

Certainly, the details of the contract would need detailed discussions between both sides. Yet, with the outcome now assured, Eric became even more enthusiastic and opened a bottle of champagne for a simple celebration.

Holding the champagne, Allen Hasenfeld and Eric looked ahead at the movie prospects for Transformers, and seemingly casually, he broached another topic, "Eric, if I may say so, Firefly has been falling short in the development of movie-related merchandise in recent years compared to those blockbuster films. Take Disney's 3D animated films -- Firefly produced a part of the merchandise but confined it to sales within Disneyland and Disney stores. For merchandise types that Firefly couldn't produce, your loose application-based licensing approach was also a significant waste of the brand."

Firefly had indeed recognized this issue, but in recent years, both Firefly and Disney had focused on film operations. After acquiring Disney, Eric had immediately pursued the acquisition of a television network, diverting much attention from taking care of this matter. Meanwhile, Katzenberg had begun seeking solutions. Recently, Eric had seen several related documents where the brand operations department was discussing a bundled licensing agreement with fast-food giant KFC, where KFC would pay $100 million annually for the rights to feature Disney cartoon characters on their restaurant merchandise. Once this partnership took shape, Firefly could expand on this model, establishing more efficient branding strategies.

However, Eric would not share such thoughts with Allen. He understood Allen's intent behind those comments, simply nodding in acknowledgment while other considerations flickered in his mind.

As expected, Allen continued, "Since we're on the subject, I think, why don't we cooperate more deeply in this area? Firefly is a media conglomerate, and I suspect you wouldn't be aiming for a broad expansion of Disney stores, as that's not Firefly's focus either. Hasbro can completely fill the market gaps outside of Disneyland and Disney stores. We not only possess a robust product distribution system in North America but also have significant reach in European and Asian markets."

Eric feigned intense interest yet lamented, "Allen, after hearing you say this, I would love for us to collaborate, but I must discuss this with management before making any decisions. Regardless of the outcome of that discussion, I'll get back to you as soon as possible."

Allen hadn't expected Eric to provide an immediate answer, but he was thrilled at the sentiment.

Throughout the rapid expansion of Hasbro in the '80s, they often took a clumsy route of acquisitions to enrich their toy offerings.

In recent years, Firefly's strong emergence in CG blockbuster films and 3D animated movies had unveiled a new development route for Hasbro. If a close partnership with Firefly could be formed, the CG films and 3D animated movies produced by Firefly would provide Hasbro with a continuous stream of toy designs. Hasbro had long coveted toys from films like Toy Story, Jurassic Park, and The Lion King; however, Firefly had always been very conservative in collaborations on this front, leaving them without opportunities.

With this intent developed, Allen heartily approved. He glanced at the time -- a little past eleven. Lunch was still some time off, and since Eric didn't extend an invitation to join him, Allen graciously took his leave.

...

After seeing off Allen Hasenfeld, Eric didn't return to the villa terrace to relax; instead, he dialed Katzenberg's number.

Allen Hasenfeld's cooperation proposal also opened his eyes to another opportunity.

The potential value of the merchandise surrounding Firefly's films could be seen from KFC's willingness to pay $100 million annually for Disney cartoon character licensing.

The idea Eric previously suggested to Fox to acquire Hasbro wasn't just about the Transformers rights; he was also interested in Hasbro's extensive toy production and sales system. Fox was hesitant to take the risk, prompting Eric to contemplate acquiring Hasbro himself. However, due to significant investments in high-tech industries in recent years, Eric lacked the necessary funds to seize Hasbro.

Now, Allen Hasenfeld's proposal felt like Hasbro was proactively coming to him.

As long as a close partnership with Hasbro could be established, given Firefly's commanding brand presence, this world-class toy giant would eventually develop a reliance on Firefly's brand image.

Additionally, all contracts come with expiration dates. Eric predicted that Firefly's investments could see a large return around 2000, coinciding with the peak of the internet bubble, at which point he would have sufficient strength to acquire Hasbro.

Thus, all Firefly needed to do was to sign a five-year contract with Hasbro. The closer their partnership became in those five years, the stronger Hasbro's reliance on Firefly would become. When the contract expired, Firefly would naturally initiate an acquisition offer, and Hasbro, now tightly bound to Firefly Group, would know exactly how to choose, or they would find themselves with little choice.

After sharing his thoughts over the phone with Katzenberg, who was quite enthusiastic and declared he would immediately gather the management team to discuss the matter, Eric hung up. He looked at the time -- 11:30 AM.

Gathering others for a meeting close to lunchtime was... well, complaints would certainly not rest on his shoulders.

Having secretly grumbled about a certain workaholic, Eric made a call to Elisabeth, briefly explaining the recent developments. Elisabeth had already heard about last night's events, and although there was a tone of regret in her voice, the situation unexpectedly winding up this way was probably the best outcome. After all, without Eric stepping in directly, the chance of Fox snatching up the Transformers rights was slim.

...

After finishing the two calls, Eric returned to the villa terrace, only to notice several women approaching him with curious looks. He smiled and said, "Everyone, it's noon; let's get ready to eat... wow."

With a splash, before Eric could finish his sentence, five women swiftly picked him up and tossed him into the swimming pool.

Gasping a bit, Eric steadied himself in the water.

Hearing the splashes, the five women laughed and jumped into the water, cheekily calling out, "Hey, Mr. Shark, leaving us hanging for so long is a punishment!"

Eric wiped the water from his face, feigning anger as he glared at Cindy Crawford, quickly swimming toward her. "In that case, you all should get ready to face a punishment too."

"Whoa, ah..."

"Ha ha!"

"Run, run!"

After splashing around for a bit, Eric finally caught hold of a soft, delicate body. To prevent her from escaping, he applied just enough pressure to lift her out of the water and pinned her against the pool's edge. Shaking his wet hair, when Eric opened his eyes, he found himself staring at Linda Evangeline.

Instead of acting as a 'captive,' Linda stretched her long, graceful legs, boldly wrapping them around Eric's body, her gaze fiery.

As Eric's hands began to move, he suddenly recalled something, locking eyes with Linda and asked, "Linda, if I remember correctly, you should be married, right?"

Linda had divorced her husband two years prior, but at that moment, she showed no inclination to explain. Instead, she provocatively licked her lips, looking at Eric and said, "What's the matter? Are you scared?"

Recognizing that the woman in front of him had no reservations, Eric dropped any pretense. The fire inside him only grew stronger as the other women nearby widened their eyes, gasping in either genuine or feigned shock.

Once the dam of desire was opened, it was hard to close. For the next two days, the five women did not leave and indulged in all kinds of shameless debauchery.

...

By Monday morning, with the Oscars coming up that evening, Cindy Crawford once again forgot to inform her agent about her whereabouts, leading to her agent nearly losing his mind trying to track her down.

Simultaneously, the five women realized they had a few important matters to wrap up before departing hastily from the estate.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 709: A Resounding Footfall]

After several months of excitement and fanfare, the 1995 award season finally brought its culmination with the 67th Academy Awards.

Under the influence of Eric, this year's Oscars looked significantly different from previous ones. The beloved classic known as Forrest Gump was delayed, while the groundbreaking indie film Pulp Fiction arrived early, and the iconic film that many deemed overlooked, The Shawshank Redemption, had yet to even be made.

Despite these changes, the interest surrounding this Oscars ceremony was just as strong as in any prior year. The rivalry between Saving Private Ryan and Braveheart had been heavily publicized by the media for months. The five supermodel ambassadors from last year's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show were set to present awards that night. Meanwhile, a certain short man with big glasses, who always appeared a bit eccentric and had previously been embroiled in scandals, was sweeping major nominations with his film Bullets Over Broadway. Of course, he would definitely not be in attendance.

Most importantly, this Oscars had the potential to feature the first-ever female winner for Best Director, with her nominated film being an exhilarating war movie.

...

On March 27, at 5 PM, the red carpet live broadcast by ABC began on schedule.

Outside the Shrine Auditorium, fans fortunate enough to get spots along the red carpet eagerly awaited to catch a glimpse of the stars.

Tom Hanks, Morgan Freeman, John Travolta, Tom Cruise, Helen Mirren, Susan Sarandon, Jodie Foster, Winona Ryder...

Each familiar face that appeared on the red carpet elicited cheers from the crowd.

A limousine pulled up slowly at the end of the red carpet. For Kathryn, this was her first time attending the Oscars. Though she had garnered industry attention before with films such as Point Break and Blue Steel, the controversial subjects of those films meant she had never received significant nominations.

The limousine, arranged by her agency, was a stretch Lincoln, and she sat alone inside, giving the space an almost empty feeling. Glancing nervously at the sea of people outside, she suddenly felt anxious.

She had always struggled with public appearances.

When the door swung open, Kathryn hesitated for a moment but eventually stepped out, nervously gripping her clutch as she walked onto the red carpet.

She ultimately chose to wear the light gray silk gown Eric had gifted her. The dress featured an irregular heart design embroidered on the chest and was cinched at the waist. Its long hemline was beautifully complemented by her tall frame, giving off an impressive impression of endless legs below the waist.

Though she felt momentarily flustered, she straightened her back instinctively, hiding any signs of unease behind a composed exterior. This aura of confidence struck a delightful silence among the spectators, most of whom were left to wonder, "Who is this stunning star?"

It wasn't until someone called out "Kathryn" that the crowd collectively snapped back to reality, cheering enthusiastically in response.

"Kathryn, Kathryn, Kathryn..."

The blinding flashes of cameras made her raise her hand instinctively to shield her eyes. She quickly realized that such a gesture was inappropriate and ended up waving gently to the crowd instead, her face breaking into an awkward smile. This only intensified the excitement in the air, and she even heard someone shout, "Kathryn, I love you, marry me!" which was hilariously shouted by a woman.

Standing at the perimeter of the red carpet, her agent gestured multiple times for her to move forward, prompting her to remember to start walking.

Feeling utterly alone.

She surprisingly missed that little guy. Even though he had scared her senseless that night, she thought that if someone like him were beside her now, holding onto his arm might somehow ease her nerves. A strong man always provided a sense of security; she used to think that was a ridiculous notion. Yet now, surrounded by a crowd, she suddenly recognized that she might actually need just a little bit of that support.

Her thoughts tangled, like a marionette completely following her manager's directions, she walked along the red carpet and joined the cast of Saving Private Ryan, finally letting out a breath. But she was quickly ushered away by her agent, who led her inside the auditorium to introduce her for an interview with ABC.

The content of the interview had already been briefed to her by her agent.

But when the female host complimented her on the stunning dress and asked which brand it was from, she found herself at a loss for words.

A certain shadow suddenly flitted back into her mind.

She heard he had caused some trouble at a Universal party a couple of days ago, allegedly trying to snatch some movie rights. He really was a handful.

Rumor had it, he was also tangled up with some women.

Sigh.

While she attempted to maintain her composure as an older sister worried over her little brother, she could not shake off certain emotions.

She just didn't realize that these feelings were resentment.

Since he wasn't attending the Oscars, she had no idea what he might be doing right now.

...

Early in the morning, after sending off the five women from the Manor, Eric hurried over to Firefly headquarters in Burbank.

Katzenberg was known for his high efficiency. Although it had been the weekend a couple of days prior, by the time Eric arrived at the office, Katzenberg had already prepared a rough collaboration proposal with Hasbro.

Eric wasn't well-versed in operational matters, so he listened patiently as Katzenberg and the head of the branding division explained things. They debated various points all morning.

Even during lunch, the discussions continued as Eric dined with Katzenberg, going over several film development details.

During their meal, Eric shared his vision for the America's Next Top Model, igniting Katzenberg's enthusiasm. Katzenberg jumped on him with fervor, extracting every detail from Eric's mind. He strongly recommended that the America's Next Top Model be placed under the Lifetime Entertainment Services owned by AE Networks.

AE Networks had originally been a subsidiary of ABC, but at that time it was jointly owned by Firefly Group and Hearst Group, with no controlling interest by either side -- each held 50% of the shares. The small network primarily featured basic cable channels, including a history channel, crime and psychology channel, and the Lifetime channel, which focused on content for women.

Basic cable channels, as opposed to premium channels like HBO and Showtime, were available to viewers who paid for cable, giving access to numerous programming options. However, different cable packages offered varying channels. Other channels under Firefly, like Disney and ESPN, were also classified as basic cable.

Typically, subscribers would have dozens to hundreds of basic cable channels in their packages, so even the smaller AE channels had a substantial viewership of 30 to 90 million. Yet, as they had to share audiences with all the other channels in their packages, their actual ratings could vastly differ.

Katzenberg suggested that Lifetime, even though it was still relatively unknown, had the potential for growth like a seed that needed nurturing. If you didn't water it or fertilize it, it would never flourish.

After lunch, this workaholic couldn't wait to get in touch with the AE station manager in New York. The team held a long phone meeting that lasted all afternoon, discussing how to further develop Lifetime. Given the professionalism of the television industry specialists in the room, it only took a few hours to draft a detailed development strategy and marketing plan.

The main strategy drew inspiration from last year's success of Survivor, focusing on transforming Lifetime into a channel predominantly featuring reality shows for women.

Prior to this suggestion, Lifetime mostly aired low-budget rom-coms and women's dramas, and lacked significant scale, primarily relying on purchasing rerun rights for popular shows from major networks, with minimal original production. Its programming barely qualified in comparison to the historical and crime channels available on AE Networks.

But putting this strategy into place was the best course of action; they wasted no time getting started.

First, the America's Next Top Model had to be secured.

Wow.

What a setup for the boss.

Although Eric silently criticized the idea in his head, he didn't lack the spirit of adventure. Seeing how driven everyone was after just an afternoon with Katzenberg, he was willing to take a chance too. After all, the America's Next Top Model had relatively low costs and simple format, meaning the chances of losing money were minimal.

Later, most of the reality shows that took off in North America could trace their roots back to one show: Survivor.

From his scattered memories, he recognized that the America's Next Top Model was essentially the modeling version of Survivor, complete with the same elimination mechanisms and the inevitable tearful moments every episode, which mirrored the elements that Survivor had utilized.

But that was what American audiences loved to watch; otherwise, Survivor wouldn't have set all kinds of astounding viewership records.

Then Katzenberg took it a step further, leaving Eric thinking that this guy was more than worth his multi-million dollar salary each year.

Not only did he request the AE manager to rush to Los Angeles tomorrow for more detailed discussions about this venture, but he also invited the heads of Firefly's television production department to join them in brainstorming the key production details for the America's Next Top Model.

By the time all these tasks were completed, it was already 8 PM, 8 PM, 8 PM...

It seemed like just a few days ago that Eric had complained about how some burdens wouldn't fall on him, yet ironically, in just a few days, he had become a burden creator himself.

But as the boss, Eric couldn't very well tell his employees to "let's not push so hard" or "let's head out early."

So he stayed until night fell.

...

As the Oscars ceremony reached its halfway point, Eric and Katzenberg finally exited the conference room, hurrying to the cafeteria in their headquarters.

Though they were scheduled to attend a party after the Oscars, Eric, feeling famished, realized there was no way he could last until then. After a long day of intense work, most people's first reaction was usually one thing: hungry.

They ordered dinner and immediately turned on the television in the cafeteria, fully aware of the occasion.

The announcement for the Best Original Screenplay was underway.

Both Saving Private Ryan and Braveheart had received nominations for Best Original Screenplay, yet Eric had won that award once before. He knew better than to expect another golden statuette so soon at his age. After getting a nomination, he entirely abandoned hopes for that award and decided not to attend the ceremony.

Listening to the presenter ramble on, he was initially distracted, but soon he perked up.

He heard a familiar name mentioned.

Of course, it wasn't Braveheart, Saving Private Ryan, or that eccentric man's Bullets Over Broadway. Okay, Four Weddings and a Funeral was out of the picture as well. While Eric had a vivid memory of the lead actress recounting her thirty-three romantic exploits in that film, he wasn't paying attention to the screenplay's writer.

What caught his attention was a film titled Heavenly Creatures.

This movie had two screenwriters, one named Fran Walsh, who was more of a side character and unworthy of mention. The other, however, had a name that rang out loud and clear: Peter Jackson.

Moreover, the two female leads in this film intrigued Eric. One, Kate Winslet, had managed to bravely navigate through the powerful butterfly effect to emerge in Hollywood again, while the other lead actress was Melanie Lynskey, whom Eric found memorable as the quirky neighbor and stalker, Rose from Two and a Half Men.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 710: A Historic Moment]

Peter Jackson had dreamed of making the Lord of the Rings series since childhood, but after a lot of ups and downs, he finally saw his dream come true as he approached forty.

Through the television in the Firefly Group headquarters' dining room, Eric saw a younger, slimmer Peter Jackson dressed in a poorly fitting black suit, with messy hair and a tense expression.

There was little doubt that the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay would go to Braveheart, and as soon as Peter's image was cut from the broadcast, it left behind only a silhouette of disappointment.

In fact, even if Braveheart hadn't won, it still wouldn't have been the turn of Heavenly Creatures, as the scripts of subsequent films like Saving Private Ryan, Four Weddings and a Funeral, and Bullets Over Broadway were all much stronger; Heavenly Creatures merely took advantage of its biopic subject matter.

To Eric, the reason for its nomination was quite simple: its distributor, Miramax.

Since they had successfully penetrated the industry, Eric believed that good things would eventually come their way, so he hadn't reached out to Peter Jackson.

After the Best Original Screenplay, a few inconsequential technical awards came and finally arrived at the climax of the ceremony; only the Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Picture awards remained.

Everyone in the restaurant perked up.

The nominees for Best Actress included Jodie Foster from Nell, Winona Ryder from Little Women, Susan Sarandon from The Client, Miranda Richardson from Tom Vis, and Jessica Lange from Blue Sky.

Jodie Foster and Winona Ryder definitely had no chance, while Miranda Richardson was another outside contender, given that Tom Vis was also distributed by Miramax. The Weinstein brothers weren't likely to change their nomination-selling strategy anytime soon.

The remaining contenders, Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon, both represented heavyweight acting talent in Hollywood; each had garnered at least three Best Actress nominations, making it a close race.

Eric recalled that Susan Sarandon's Oscar-winning performance had come in the following year's Dead Man Walking, meaning that this year's Best Actress was undoubtedly going to go to Jessica Lange.

As expected, after an introduction, last year's Best Actor, Daniel Day-Lewis, read Jessica Lange's name with grace, and the crowd erupted into applause.

After the Best Actress was announced, a few minutes later, last year's Best Actress winner, Holly Hunter, walked onstage in a stunning red gown to present the Best Actor award.

This year's Best Actor was nearly a foregone conclusion, as indicated by the audience's reaction. When Holly Hunter read off the nominees and reached Tom Hanks's name, the applause from the audience was noticeably louder.

At the same time, the television screen showed Mel Gibson's awkward, stiff smile; his nomination for Best Actor was purely the result of the Weinstein brothers' aggressive PR push, aiming to undermine his Best Director nomination.

Watching Tom Hanks embrace the members of the Saving Private Ryan crew while walking up to the stage amidst the audience's cheers, Jeffrey Katzenberg, sitting across from Eric, asked, "Eric, do you think we have it this time?"

Eric understood Katzenberg was referring to Kathryn's Best Director nomination and he nodded slightly, smiling, "If she doesn't win Best Director now, then the Academy really is beyond belief."

To promote Kathryn's nomination for Best Director, Eric had tapped into all the connections he had built over the years. Big names like Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola had privately supported Eric as well. As for the many directors who had worked with Firefly, they were undoubtedly on board.

With Saving Private Ryan's awards eligibility beyond question and the Weinstein brothers agreeing to step back from the competition, Kathryn's chances of winning exceeded ninety percent.

Of course, Eric also knew that he should only use this kind of influence for vote-pulling this one time; if he overdid it, the Academy would surely push back against him.

Feeling confident, Eric began instructing people to prepare the car for the celebratory dinner. ...

Meanwhile, Kathryn, seated among the Saving Private Ryan team in the grand auditorium, felt immensely anxious; her fingers gripped the armrests tightly as she focused on last year's Best Director winner, Robert Altman. Although Eric had taken her to several PR parties, he hadn't shared much more than that with her; she had no idea she was incredibly close to winning the award.

"And the nominees for Best Director in the 67th Academy Awards are Robert Redford for Quiz Show; Woody Allen for Bullets Over Broadway; Mel Gibson for Braveheart; Krzysztof Kieslowski for Three Colours: Red; and Kathryn Bigelow for Saving Private Ryan."

Robert Altman took his time introducing the five nominees for Best Director this year. He nonchalantly opened the envelope in his hand, glanced at it and, with a smile, raised his voice, "Well, the historic moment has arrived..."

At seventy, Robert Altman spoke at the pace of his film's gentle long takes, pausing significantly after his statement. Countless eyes turned toward Kathryn, who was desperately attempting to suppress her urge to cover her mouth with her hands, trembling slightly as she patiently waited.

After creating suspense, Robert Altman continued, "And the Oscar goes to Kathryn Bigelow for Saving Private Ryan. Let's congratulate this lovely lady, the first woman to ever win the Oscar for Best Director."

The applause erupted.

Noticing the tall figure in the fifth row, dressed in a light gray gown, covering her mouth and swaying as she stood, the applause grew even louder, and a few people also rose to their feet, cheering.

The Oscars, at its sixty-seventh ceremony, finally welcomed its first Best Director female winner -- a truly historic moment.

Even as Kathryn embraced the entire crew on her way to the stage, the applause did not cease, lasting almost two minutes. Only when Kathryn finally regained her composure, taking several deep breaths, did the applause gradually quiet down when she stood at the microphone.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you all," Kathryn said, her words somewhat disjointed as she expressed her gratitude. Once everyone settled down, she couldn't help but scan the audience, seeing countless familiar and unfamiliar faces, but she noticed one missing. As she saw the camera crane slowly turn toward her, she remembered that even if he weren't in the audience, he was likely watching on television. She instinctively turned her gaze to the dark lens.

...

Back at the Firefly headquarters restaurant, Eric also gazed at the wall-mounted television. In that moment, he could clearly sense the search in Kathryn's eyes; her emotion seemed almost too apparent. Even Katzenberg, sitting opposite him, gave a mischievous grin, beaming at him.

On the screen, Kathryn quickly regained her composure and began her acceptance speech. Although her tone was somewhat awkward, her excitement masked it well, Eric could still catch her rehearsed hints. He smiled, thinking it was somewhat unfair to put someone up on stage who didn't even know how to position herself.

The rest of the awards ceremony proceeded without much interest. Braveheart undoubtedly took home Best Picture, and Mel Gibson was able to take the stage this time as a producer, wedged between two other winners. The audience seemed drained of emotion from the earlier Best Director award, responding less enthusiastically.

As everything wrapped up, Eric watched the final shot of guests in the grand auditorium rising to leave, prompting him and the Firefly executives to stand. Saving Private Ryan had won five awards, including Best Director, Best Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, and Best Editing, so the Firefly executives still needed to be seen at the celebratory party.

...

On the other side of Los Angeles, over a thousand guests slowly exited the auditorium and made their way to waiting cars, scattering off. Older attendees might head straight back to hotels or their homes, but most would be off to various parties that night.

Due to the three-hour time difference between the coasts and to accommodate East Coast viewers, the Oscars had always started at six in the evening on the West Coast and ended at nine. Though it was already past midnight on the East Coast, it was still prime nightlife hours on the West Coast.

Firefly's celebration party was arranged at the Sunset Towers Hotel, where Eric and Katzenberg arrived early, finding the party hall still relatively empty.

However, within five minutes, Sunset Towers was buzzing with activity as countless luxury cars lined up outside.

Eric soon learned that Fox was also holding their celebration party at the same venue.

Because she needed to conduct interviews after the Oscars, Kathryn would arrive a bit later, but the rest of the members of Saving Private Ryan's crew had already shown up. Meanwhile, Elisabeth and the Weinstein brothers had also arrived early. The two parties were on different floors, and Eric understood that Fox's event would certainly be much livelier. Elisabeth didn't come over to say hello at that moment.

As more and more people filled the party hall, the Victoria's Secret Angels, who were there to present the Best Visual Effects award, gradually arrived, along with various members from other films that had received scattered Oscar nominations. Eric even spotted most of the crew from Leon: The Professional -- still petite Natalie Portman, who hadn't yet gained weight, and a casually dressed Jean Reno.

Leon: The Professional had been released last year but didn't fare too well in the U.S. box office. Critics had condemned Luc Besson for his overly sexualized portrayal of Natalie Portman's character.

However, the film had found great success in Europe and Asia, and Eric knew that in a few years, with the rise of the Internet, it would be increasingly cherished.

Even though Leon: The Professional had not gained the critics' favor and received no Oscar nominations, young Natalie Portman had indeed made her first real step in Hollywood. Following the film's release, she had even snagged a small role in Warner Bros.' ensemble film Heat, portraying Al Pacino's daughter. However, whether she would have future opportunities like landing the role of Padme Amidala in the Star Wars prequels was something Eric did not concern himself with.

...

About ten minutes later, Kathryn finally appeared at the door.

"Congratulations, Kathryn," Eric said, noticing the little gold statue in her hand, stepping forward to embrace her.

Kathryn, already feeling overwhelmed, became excited once more upon seeing Eric. She hugged him tightly and said, "Thank you, Eric."

"You're welcome," Eric smiled and nodded. With so many people around them, they didn't have time for a lengthy conversation, and Kathryn was soon surrounded by others.

As Eric watched the lively crowd, he turned to Katzenberg, asking, "Aren't Roger Allers and the others planning to come?"

Roger Allers was the director of The Lion King. While The Lion King hadn't received a Best Picture nomination like at the Golden Globes, it had garnered three for Best Original Song and one for Best Score, which turned out to be a decent showing. Although the hand-drawn animation department had transitioned to Paramount, the majority of The Lion King's rights still belonged to Firefly, which was unlikely to forget inviting them to the celebration party.

Katzenberg shook his head and replied, "They won't come, their celebration is over at the Four Seasons Hotel; they definitely want to go there."

Eric smiled and asked about the situation with Disney's animated film Monsters, Inc. After chatting for a bit, he spotted the young girl breaking through the crowd, making a beeline for him.

In such settings, she certainly couldn't miss out; Eric grinned as she nestled against him at first. He gently pulled her away and then nodded at the twin girls trailing behind her before asking, "How are your films coming along?"

"Ugh, so boring, why talk about work now?" she rolled her eyes in response.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 711: The Vibrancy of Outspokenness]

After politely saying goodbye into the phone's microphone and hanging up, Harvey Weinstein took a deep breath and turned toward the banquet hall, his face filled with satisfaction.

The call had come directly from Rupert Murdoch, Chairman of News Corp, all the way in New York. Though it was just a simple congratulatory message, the fact that it was already past midnight in New York spoke volumes about the importance News Corp placed on Miramax.

Tonight's Oscars ceremony truly marked the most glorious moment for Miramax in its sixteen-year history. After being acquired last year, bolstered by the financial strength of its parent company News Corp, Miramax had finally shaken off the constraints that had previously restricted its endeavors to small, inconsequential projects. Thanks to films like Braveheart, Bullets Over Broadway, The Piano, and The Crying Game, Miramax had unprecedentedly secured a total of 27 Oscar nominations across all the major categories, ultimately winning 9 golden statues.

Behind this glory was Miramax's annual net profit of over $200 million in 1994, a figure that approached the profitability of 20th Century Fox's main operations. Harvey Weinstein, proud and excited, couldn't help but feel a tinge of regret. If he hadn't sold the company last year or had retained more shares, he would have received a more substantial dividend from Miramax's annual profits. However, he quickly shook off that thought. Many things in this world had no "what if" attached to them. Just a few years prior, Eric Williams had even made an acquisition offer to Miramax. If that deal had gone through, even if he retained only ten percent or less of Firefly, it would still represent a fortune.

Shaking his head with a sigh, Harvey Weinstein had just returned to the party hall when a disheveled figure in a black suit approached him.

"Hey, Harvey," the man eagerly said, having clearly waited for quite a while, knowing Weinstein was busy. Without beating around the bush, he continued, "I heard Firefly's celebration is upstairs. Remember that thing I mentioned wanting to talk to you about?"

Harvey Weinstein made it a point to cultivate good relationships with talented filmmakers. Although this New Zealand director had come up empty-handed tonight, Weinstein didn't show any sign of neglect. He paused for a moment, recalling, "Peter, are you talking about The Lord of the Rings?"

Peter Jackson nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, Harvey, the film rights for The Lord of the Rings are with Flower Films, right? I was wondering if you could introduce me."

Due to a certain peculiar ostrich mentality, Harvey Weinstein now found himself reluctant to see yet another rising star shine so brightly in Hollywood. He hesitated slightly, saying, "Peter, look around, there are so many guests to attend to. I really can't leave right now."

Peter Jackson, undeterred, replied, "Harvey, it doesn't matter if you don't have time. Could you at least send someone to get us into that party? I tried to go up just now, but they wouldn't let me in."

"Oh, ha ha..."

Harvey Weinstein paused for a moment, then laughed heartily while patting Peter Jackson on the shoulder, "That's no problem at all, Peter."

With Weinstein's help, Peter Jackson was no longer stopped at the door and easily made his way into Firefly's party hall.

...

Although Firefly had only one heavy-hitting Oscar film this time around, the party was clearly more crowded than Fox's -- there were at least two hundred guests bustling about.

Weinstein's assistant Brad Grey escorted Peter Jackson into the party hall and left without any further introductions. Jackson didn't expect any more than that, and after toasting with a glass of champagne and milling around the crowd for a while, he finally spotted Eric Williams's figure. However, Eric was surrounded by seven or eight men and women who seemed to be fervently discussing something. Jackson understood it was not the best time to approach, so he patiently waited for Eric to become available.

Around Eric were Jeffrey Katzenberg, his former assistant Allen Fisman, the girl draped across his arm, and a group of Victoria's Secret Angels.

They weren't discussing anything too formal; on the surface, it appeared they were chatting aimlessly. However, the Angels seemed to catch a whiff of something and skillfully steered the conversation toward reality television while occasionally testing Eric's reactions.

Unbeknownst to him, the disheveled figure in a black suit caught Eric's eye as he watched him linger for over ten minutes nearby. Eric subtly tilted his lips upward and nudged the girl by his side, "Drew, could you do me a favor and grab a glass of champagne?"

Drew Barrymore blinked her bright eyes, understanding Eric was trying to shoo her away. Although she found the five towering beauties surrounding him quite annoying, she feigned willingness and stepped away, heading toward the long table laden with drinks.

...

Peter Jackson waited patiently for over ten minutes, noticing that the crowd around Eric showed no signs of dispersing. He was debating whether to keep waiting or to make a move when Drew Barrymore emerged from that group.

He instantly recognized this as a fabulous opportunity. While the rights to The Lord of the Rings were indeed held by Flower Films, Peter Jackson was aware that the ultimate decision-maker behind Flower was Eric Williams, with Drew merely a figurehead. But as he realized that there was no opportunity to speak with Eric directly, the prospect of engaging with Drew felt worth a shot.

Although Drew didn't understand why Eric had pushed her aside, she decided not to dwell on it. She noticed a tall figure in a light gray suit nearby that was equally surrounded by others, and as she prepared to approach this shy yet charming guy, she heard someone call her name, "Miss Barrymore."

Turning around, she saw a scruffy white guy in a disheveled suit, wondering whether his poor attire was borrowed or stolen; yet her baby face broke into a sweet smile. "Did you call for me, Mister?"

"Yes," Peter Jackson nodded quickly, extending his hand. "Hello, Miss Barrymore, I'm Peter Jackson, a director."

"Oh," she grasped his hand, nodding as she awaited him to continue.

Peter Jackson had contemplated many ways to spark a discussion, but faced with the moment, his thoughts scattered. Finally, he managed to say, "You see, Miss Barrymore, I have been a Tolkien fan since childhood, and becoming a director was always my dream -- to bring The Lord of the Rings to the big screen. I heard that Flower Films holds the rights, so I hope to secure a chance to direct."

Drew asked, "Have you directed anything similar to this before?"

Jackson shook his head, "Not yet, but I've been preparing for years, working on script adaptations, scouting locations, and character designs. If I could just get a shot, I'm sure I could convince you."

Drew blinked and replied, "Then tell me about your filming ideas; I want to hear."

Jackson cast a glance at Eric nearby, hesitating as to whether discussing these concepts with this golden-haired beauty was of any use. Drew noticed his change in demeanor and smiled slyly, asking, "You say you've prepared for this film for years, yet you lack the patience to even share your thoughts with me?"

Realizing his blunder, Peter Jackson knew he had to seize this opportunity. He straightened up and said, "So, Miss Barrymore, first off, I believe The Lord of the Rings shouldn't just be a single film. It should be a trilogy; otherwise, it would be a wasted opportunity to fully showcase Tolkien's grand world."

Drew nodded, in agreement. "Eric mentioned something similar."

Upon hearing that, Jackson felt energized. "In my proposed script, the story would start with Bilbo Baggins's 111th birthday. The One Ring, crafted by the Dark Lord Sauron thousands of years ago, eventually found its way to Bilbo. During his birthday party, he proudly showcased the ring, prompting Gandalf to recognize its power. At Gandalf's urging, Bilbo handed the ring to his nephew Frodo Baggins while Sauron, having awakened from centuries of slumber, dispatched the nine Ringwraiths to reclaim the One Ring..."

Noticing that Drew was engaged with the story, Jackson dove into the narrative, sharing the twists and turns of the plot with ease while answering her occasional questions. Half an hour had passed before he concluded his thoughts.

Though she had purchased the rights to Tolkien's works as Eric requested, Drew lacked the patience to read through all of them. Yet at that moment, she was thoroughly engrossed and, looking towards Eric, saw that the five tall beauties had disappeared. She turned back to Peter Jackson and said, "Come with me, I'll introduce you to the person you want to meet."

Peter Jackson felt a bit awkward upon hearing that, realizing his intentions had been guessed, yet he didn't hesitate and closely followed her.

...

"Eric, this is Peter Jackson. He wants to do The Lord of the Rings and just shared some ideas with me -- pretty good!" she succinctly introduced.

Eric smiled as he shook Jackson's hand, "Hello, Mr. Jackson."

"Hello, Mr. Williams."

"I saw you two talking for quite a while -- was it about this?"

Jackson nodded, "Yes, Mr. Williams. Miss Barrymore is a very patient listener."

Eric turned to Drew, asking, "So, what do you think?"

"He's put a lot of thought into this; I think he should have a chance to try."

Since the opportunity had presented itself, Eric didn't want to waste energy being aloof. He replied to Peter Jackson, "If that's the case, you can head to Flower Films headquarters tomorrow and talk with Amy Pascal. However, there's one more thing: even if it's negotiated successfully, the project won't be able to launch for a few years, so you'd better prepare yourself."

Upon hearing Eric's word, Peter Jackson felt a mix of emotions -- he was thrilled to see some light ahead but perplexed about what Eric meant by 'a few years.'

Fortunately, Drew asked for him, "Eric, when will it actually start? I have no shortage of funding here."

"Probably one or two years," Eric replied with a smile. "Once you have the independent distribution capability to release the film, it'll be around that time."

Understanding Eric's insinuation, Drew guessed that he meant after Flower Films secured MGM.

Given the current situation, it seemed like it wouldn't take long. MGM had been struggling for years, and the production department was almost nonexistent, with only the distribution side still intact. Flower Films needed MGM's distribution network.

...

After exchanging contact information and sending Peter Jackson on his way, Eric turned his attention back to Katzenberg and Allen, asking a different question, "Who do you think would be more suitable among those girls?"

Eric was referring to the candidates for the host of America's Next Top Model. His previous conversation with the Victoria's Secret Angels had also served as a sort of examination.

Allen glanced at Katzenberg, who replied without hesitation, "Eric, Diane Kruger wouldn't be suitable. Her age and that cutesy vibe wouldn't resonate with the nature of the show."

Hearing Katzenberg's quick dismissal of Diane Kruger, Eric shrugged, "Jeffrey, do you really think I'm the type to be stubborn and only favor my own?"

Katzenberg smiled, secretly wondering what Eric's thoughts truly were. He still felt that Eric's choice of the Wachowski brothers to direct The Matrix was a bit hasty; if Eric were to let Diane Kruger host America's Next Top Model, he wouldn't be too surprised. It would just seem rather chaotic.

"Additionally, Miss Turlington's high street fashion vibe is too strong, and she doesn't seem very articulate -- she wouldn't be suitable for a reality show requiring close interaction. That leaves Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, and Tyra Banks. Tyra's a bit young and inexperienced, and her skin tone may not be favorable, but she certainly has an exuberant energy that gives her a notable edge over the other two."

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 712: The New Wave of Technology]

Ultimately, the discussion surrounding the potential hosts for America's Next Top Model focused on Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, and Tyra Banks.

The title of supermodel had initially risen to prominence with Linda Evangelista, making her the most persuasive choice to host the show. Prior to the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, Cindy Crawford frequently appeared on television programs. Though, after the show, all five models held similar public recognition, Cindy still had the advantage of experience in hosting TV programs.

Tyra Banks brought a lively personality to the table, and it was evident that she would easily connect with the contestants, making her quite approachable. However, a glaring flaw stood out; Tyra was born in 1973, which made her just 22 years old at the time. While she gained significant fame from the Victoria's Secret Shows, her youth could be a challenge for the role. If not for this, Eric wouldn't even have to think about the host for America's Next Top Model in this timeline.

After quite the discussion, the final decision rested with Eric.

Honestly, despite what happened in the previous days, Eric didn't have a deep understanding of these five women. His memories from the past mostly came from various media outlets. Now that he found himself here, it would be foolish for Eric to take media information at face value.

The reforms for Lifetime Television and the plans for America's Next Top Model were just beginning, so Eric wasn't in a hurry; he intended to have a detailed discussion with the ladies before reaching a decision.

...

Before they knew it, night fell softly, and as Eric listened to Luc Besson share ideas for a sci-fi film, he heard Kathryn's voice beside him: "Eric, it's late. I think I should head home."

Noticing Kathryn approaching, Luc Besson raised his glass and smiled, subtly excusing himself.

Kathryn looked a bit embarrassed at the moment. "I didn't interrupt your conversation, did I?"

"Of course not," Eric shook his head.

Checking his watch, it was just past eleven. The party was still quite lively, with not many guests leaving. However, for Kathryn, who was known for her strict routine, it was undoubtedly quite late already.

Eric looked at Kathryn, who held her little golden trophy tightly in front of her, a hint of tension and panic crossing her face. He smiled and said, "Shall I give you a ride home?"

"No, no need," Kathryn instinctively shook her head, the hint of tension and panic spilling over her pretty face.

"You've had a drink; driving yourself isn't safe. I wouldn't feel right about that," Eric said, gesturing toward the exit.

Kathryn shifted a bit, suddenly saying, "You've been drinking too."

"I have a driver, come on," Eric replied.

As Kathryn followed Eric towards the door, she murmured, "I can take a cab home."

"Do you think you can just wave down a cab like a heroine in a movie? It's the middle of the night; there aren't any cabs around," Eric joked, waving over to Katzenberg to signal him to handle the next arrangements.

...

When they reached the parking lot, Eric personally opened the car door for Kathryn and sat next to her after confirming her address with the driver.

The streets near Sunset Boulevard were still bright with lights, though the traffic and pedestrians had thinned out considerably.

As they drove through Sunset Boulevard, seeing Kathryn clutching her trophy, Eric couldn't shake the feeling that he was sitting next to a naive little girl. He smiled and said, "How's the script for The Thin Red Line coming along with Terrence Malick?"

"It's... going okay. There are some minor disagreements on details, but nothing major. Next month, we're planning a trip to Guadalcanal for a field study; Terrence wants to shoot on location."

Eric nodded. "Oh, have you thought about when you might start shooting?"

Although the film would be backed by Firefly, it didn't fall under Firefly's commercial film category, which allowed Eric to take a relaxed approach, enabling Kathryn and Terrence Malick to make their own decisions.

"Next year, I think I'd like to have more time to prepare," Kathryn said after a brief hesitation.

The two chatted casually, unaware until the car came to a stop outside a residence in Coldwater Canyon.

They stepped out, greeted by old street lamps, their yellow light illuminating a power pole covered in dark moss, looking quite weathered and about to collapse.

"Well then, good night," Eric said, opening his arms to Kathryn.

Kathryn cautiously moved closer, embraced him briefly, and then released him, saying, "Good night."

After she turned to walk toward the door, Eric recalled something and called out, "Kathryn?"

She froze, turning back, "W-what?"

Eric pointed at the trophy in her hand. "In the coming days, we might need you to participate in a few interviews. I hope you'll be prepared."

"Oh, I understand." She said, glancing at him. After locking eyes for just a couple of seconds and realizing he had nothing more to say, she hurriedly retreated into the yard.

Eric chuckled, returned to the car, and as Carter Moen started the vehicle, he couldn't help but tease, "Boss, this isn't quite your style."

"Just drive, I already feel like I'm imposing on a little girl here."

Carter Moen efficiently turned the car around, "Ms. Bigelow definitely feels something for you; otherwise, she wouldn't be acting so flustered."

"Always feels like something is still lacking," Eric quasi-answered.

...

The next day, the news of the first-ever female Best Director winner at the Oscars dominated major media outlets worldwide, triggering jubilation everywhere.

At the same time, Firefly took the opportunity to launch a new round of promotional efforts for Saving Private Ryan's videotape. Riding the waves of Kathryn winning Best Director, the following week, the North American sales of Saving Private Ryan's video quickly surpassed 1 million copies.

In Europe, since the release of this video came after North America, there was significant market demand; thus, with Firefly's promotional support, the weekly sales figures there easily surpassed North America, reaching nearly 1.5 million copies. In just a week, the videotape sales for Saving Private Ryan generated $75 million in revenue for Firefly. Internal forecasts suggested that the final videotape sales would exceed $500 million, possibly even surpassing the film's global box office receipts.

Since movie companies typically don't disclose videotape sales figures, most people remained focused on Kathryn's Oscar win.

However, inside Hollywood, the astonishing videotape sales of Saving Private Ryan stirred excitement. Major film companies promptly began seeking excellent war film scripts, leading to significant attention on Kathryn's upcoming project, The Thin Red Line, which even sparked a bit of a legal dispute.

It turned out that before Terrence Malick approached Eric, he had already engaged various production companies to make this film, including all six major studios. This wasn't the issue. The critical element was that during discussions with a small independent studio named Phoenix, Terrence had signed a letter of intent, authorizing Phoenix to raise production funds for The Thin Red Line back in 1988.

Given the film's high budget and significant risks, Phoenix hadn't managed to secure a single cent. According to industry practices, such a letter of intent would generally be considered null and void in such circumstances.

Ideally, the situation would simply pass on, and the project would smoothly transition to Firefly.

Yet after Kathryn won the Oscar for Best Director and Saving Private Ryan saw phenomenal success in the tape market, perhaps due to instigations from some, Robert Geisler, the producer from Phoenix, resurfaced, claiming that according to their original agreement, Phoenix had gathered sufficient funds for The Thin Red Line and demanded Firefly return the rights for the film's production and distribution.

Such ridiculous situations were common in Hollywood. Eric didn't overly concern himself, leaving the matter to Firefly's legal department.

He had read the script for The Thin Red Line and retained several details about it, knowing it was not destined to be a blockbuster.

Furthermore, he was aware that Phoenix might simply be trying to involve themselves in the investment. As long as it didn't interfere with the film's production, Eric was amenable to relinquishing a portion of the investment rights. However, if they didn't know their place, Eric wouldn't hesitate to let them experience Firefly's wrath.

...

Post-Oscars, Eric focused primarily on reforming Lifetime Television and preparing for America's Next Top Model.

Lifetime Television was established in the early 1980s following the merger of two small TV stations owned by ABC and Hearst, becoming part of the AE Network.

For the first several years, Lifetime consistently ran at a loss, only managing to break even by the late '80s.

At this time, Lifetime reportedly had 30 million users, including all theoretical users across various cable TV packages.

However, just like in Eric's memories of the under-watched law, educational, or foreign language channels, Lifetime had become a neglected channel, with even its more popular programs usually garnering fewer than 2 million viewers. Due to the consistently mediocre ratings, major cable providers often threatened to drop the channel because, much like with the internet, cable signal transmission also consumed bandwidth.

Before Katzenberg brought up Lifetime, Eric had nearly forgotten the channel was still part of Firefly's holdings.

Once plans commenced, Eric began learning more about Lifetime Television.

In the '80s, Lifetime reran programs produced by ABC Network, occasionally picking up a few inexpensive low-cost women's films. The programming could only be described as bland and unexciting.

It wasn't until the early '90s, with ABC's renewed performance buoyed by parent company support, that Lifetime began attempting to produce its own TV movies or mini-series. However, their annual output averages barely reached two films, which was minuscule compared to ABC's need to air dozens of new shows each year.

Thus, reforming such an obscure channel was no easy task.

Fortunately, the executives at Firefly were filled with confidence, drawing inspiration from ESPN's transformation from fewer than 300,000 local users to the nation's leading sports network. They quickly crafted detailed development plans.

On another front, while cable television emerged in the '80s, it didn't truly flourish until the latter half of the '90s. The rise of high-tech industries stimulated not only the growth of the internet but also led to significant expansions in the cable TV network.

Many classic cable dramas began surfacing prominently in the latter half of the '90s. Among these, the most renowned productions from HBO under Time Warner stood out. From Eric's perspective, the U.S. cable TV market was on an upward trajectory.

With the new wave of technology just beginning, while the major focus remained on internet companies, substantial investments also flowed into the television sector. Firefly boasted a solid internal funding chain, eliminating the need to constantly seek financing from external investment banks or foreign film funds. Still, the large investment influx into television indirectly provided Firefly with an expanded platform.

Concurrently, the regulations governing the U.S. cable television industry began to loosen rapidly; large-scale consolidations had already started the previous year. The reason Barry Diller and Sumner Redstone lost the battle for Viacom was primarily that the parent company, QVC, merged with ATT, which was a major cable operator.

In this context of the industry's resurgence, it was a prime opportunity to position themselves within the cable television sector. After all, according to Eric's memories, while public television might not entirely fade away, it would gradually be overshadowed by the more premium content offered on cable stations. Moreover, many cable channels hadn't yet taken stock of the opportunities about to arise, which meant if Lifetime Television could establish itself ahead of time, it could potentially replace some of those channels that might have otherwise thrived.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 713: One-Tenth]

Revitalizing a television network couldn't rely on just one hit show. However, a program that generated buzz and garnered widespread media attention could significantly enhance the channel's visibility, attracting more viewers. Once the momentum had built up, continuously producing quality programming could lead the network into a healthy cycle of growth.

That was precisely what Eric hoped for with America's Next Top Model.

The Firefly Group didn't have any major acquisition plans for the next few years, but that didn't mean they would cease to expand and develop. Prior to Eric proposing America's Next Top Model, Katzenberg had already begun ramping up investments in Firefly's music division. Though Eric wasn't fervently passionate about Katzenberg's plans, he didn't obstruct them either. Thanks to strict copyright protection laws, the music industry, while heavily impacted by the internet era, hadn't completely collapsed despite becoming increasingly sluggish.

In addition to the music business, developing more structured commercial operations around popular films was one of the key development plans for Firefly over the next few years. The upcoming toy collaboration talks with Hasbro were part of this plan.

Upon hearing the idea for America's Next Top Model, the spirited Katzenberg immediately suggested revitalizing the Lifetime network.

As mentioned earlier, even if America's Next Top Model achieved great success, sustaining a television network would require more than just one hit show.

After several brainstorming sessions, management quickly developed a detailed original programming, network resource reutilization, scheduling, and marketing plan. Firefly committed to investing $100 million each year for three years into programming, acquisitions, and marketing for Lifetime, aiming to create a dedicated women's network focused on fashion and high-quality living for young women.

Lifetime's parent company, AE Networks, was jointly owned by Firefly Group and Hearst Corporation. Thus, this reform plan for Lifetime needed to be discussed with Hearst for resource support. Hearst owned hundreds of daily papers, weeklies, and magazines worldwide, and these print resources remained indispensable for promoting a women-focused channel.

...

Post-Oscars, the awards season had finally concluded, and Eric had wrapped up most of the film projects that required his attention. Yet, before he could even take a few days to rest, a barrage of new tasks flooded in.

With Hearst's headquarters in New York and AE's also located there, if plans went forward, most of Lifetime's programming would be produced in New York. For numerous reasons, Eric needed to head to New York to engage in relevant discussions and planning.

At the same time, the birthdays of his two little ones were approaching, and Easter fell on April 16 that year. During such special occasions, he always made it a point to spend time with his women and kids.

Hasbro's headquarters in Rhode Island was very close to New York, so negotiations regarding their toy development collaboration would take place there as well.

Discussions regarding Firefly Investments and telecommunications operator Sprint had already begun, involving over a billion dollars in investments, and certain key events warranted Eric's personal attendance. Both Firefly Investments and Sprint had their headquarters in New York.

On the flight to New York, Eric briefly reviewed his schedule and realized that once he wrapped up these tasks, summer movie season would be upon him.

...

As soon as he stepped off the plane, he dove headfirst into work.

At the ABC headquarters in Manhattan's Upper West Hydee, a meeting was in progress involving senior executives from Firefly Networks, AE management, and representatives from Hearst Corporation. At Eric's invitation, William Hearst, the third-generation head of the Hearst family, was also present.

"...According to 1994 data, Lifetime had 31.5 million subscribers. Cable operators like Comcast, Time Warner, and TCI paid an average monthly subscriber fee of 15 cents per subscriber. Last year, Lifetime earned $56.7 million from operator fees, $33.5 million in ad revenue, bringing annual revenue to $90.2 million with a profit of $13.8 million. We plan to utilize three years to expand Lifetime's subscriber base to between 60 million and 90 million, increasing the operator fee to 25 cents, and we expect to surpass operator revenue with ad income through a series of quality programs, aiming for annual revenues of $500 million and a net profit of $100 million."

After delivering his brief report, as Katzenberg was ready to continue to the next topic, William Hearst raised his head, tapping on the documents in front of him. Without acknowledging Katzenberg directly, he looked across the table at Eric and said, "Eric, last year's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show generated direct profits and indirect stock value increases exceeding $1.5 billion for you. Doesn't this plan seem a bit modest in comparison?"

Leaning back in his comfortable leather chair, Eric twirled a pencil in his fingers habitually and smiled, "William, last year was entirely unexpected. We need to take things step by step. Given what Lifetime has in place, achieving that goal in three years is already an excellent outcome. Last year, Firefly's total profit from all television operations was over $600 million."

William Hearst scrutinized the young man seated across from him and said, "I'm not particularly focused on television, but something feels incomplete about this plan. Or rather, some aspects haven't been clarified."

Without directly confronting him, Eric replied in a roundabout way, "This is just a draft; it definitely requires revisions. Otherwise, we wouldn't be holding this meeting today."

William Hearst observed Eric's slightly relaxed smile, "Eric, I mean, regarding the production of original programming for Lifetime, this plan seems to lack clarity on how we're proceeding with that, doesn't it?"

Eric responded, "Oh, I believe there shouldn't be any disagreement here. Besides news programming, all other shows for the network would be produced by Firefly's entertainment division, following the usual practice."

As the two executives squared off, those present fell silent, patiently listening.

As industry elites, most attendees understood what the two were discussing. By this point, even the rather confused note-taker began to grasp the situation.

Eric and William were engaging in a discussion about the copyright ownership of Lifetime's original programming.

Typically, a television show's producer sells its broadcast rights to a network, receiving only a small portion of the revenues, often insufficient to cover production costs.

Most of a television show's revenue actually comes from the sale of VHS tapes and syndication rights after its initial broadcast, known as syndication. Shows distribute their content via syndication systems to numerous networks across the United States and more than a hundred other countries; the profits from these sales often far exceed that from the initial broadcast. In fact, the profits from popular shows' tape sales and syndication can sometimes reach ten times the production costs. That's also why many lead actors in television series earn such high salaries per episode; without those tape sales and syndication, networks would never be able to offer such exorbitant wages relying solely on advertising and cable division revenues from the initial broadcasts.

Most production and distribution departments in television networks operate as one unit, so they don't have to differentiate these issues.

However, the situation with Lifetime and AE was different. AE was jointly owned by Firefly and Hearst, with each holding a 50% stake. If Lifetime's original programming were produced by AE, Hearst would share in the profits from tape sales and syndication. Yet, if the shows were produced by Firefly's division, the copyrights would be unrelated to AE, which meant even though Hearst wouldn't need to bear production investment risks, they would also miss out on any profits from tape sales and syndication. That was the reason William had just called the plan 'stingy.' If ad revenues and cable fees alone could net $100 million in profit, that would be meager compared to what tape sales and syndication revenues could bring.

Though Hearst retained a giant presence in the print media world, they lacked enough confidence in television operations, and William recognized that Eric's invitation to this meeting was not as straightforward as it seemed. He decided to play along: "Eric, I believe it's more suitable for AE to handle the production of these original programs. Hearst can proportionally provide the production funding, and if there are needs for print media resources, we can try to accommodate."

A glimmer of interest sparked in Eric, and he straightened up, "Speaking of proportions, William, I think the shareholding ratio between Firefly and Hearst in ESPN aligns better. Don't you think?"

Even though he had been prepared for such a discussion, William almost tossed the documents in his hand at Eric when he heard that. He immediately shook his head, "Eric, that's not going to happen. Absolutely not."

Firefly and Hearst held equal shares in AE, but it was different for ESPN, where Hearst only owned 20% compared to Firefly's 80%. Initially, Hearst and the Metropolitan media group had equal stakes in ESPN, but in the 1980s, as ESPN was on the rise, Tom Murphy bought up most of the ESPN shares from Hearst and other minor stakeholders for less than $50 million. Now ESPN was the number one sports channel in North America, with revenues exceeding $200 million in 1995. The shares sold off by Hearst back then each generated profits beyond $50 million annually.

Given this past lesson, William was adamant that he wouldn't repeat such a mistake.

Hearing William's vehement refusal, Eric shrugged, "William, if you don't agree, so be it."

William fell silent for a moment before continuing, "Eric, I've heard your ideas about America's Next Top Model. This project requires extensive support from print resources. Firefly sold off all its print assets last year. Without Hearst, it would be challenging for you to grow this project significantly on your own."

"William, I see this as a win-win situation. We gain resources, and you receive more news material," Eric replied, shaking his head and flashing a confident smile. "Besides, you're mistaken, Hearst isn't the only player here; there's also Conde Nast and News Corp., with which Firefly has solid relationships. I even have Yahoo, which although not yet on par with traditional print media in influence, overlaps significantly with the young female audience Lifetime targets. I'm sure you noticed the media potential Yahoo demonstrated during last year's Victoria's Secret Show."

William opened his mouth but couldn't find the right words to counter.

Though reluctant to concede, he had to admit internally that while Hearst was a powerful player in the media sector, they weren't essential for Firefly, yet without Firefly, it would be hard for Hearst to grow AE further.

The current situation was that Eric had laid down his conditions: Firefly wanted majority ownership of AE. If Hearst opposed, they would lose out on most of the potential profits from Lifetime as it expanded. Conversely, if they compromised, Hearst could be in danger of repeating their past mistakes with ESPN.

After a round of internal conflict, William stated, "Eric, having Firefly aiming for 80% ownership is absolutely impossible. We could possibly relinquish absolute control, allowing you to reshape the network as you see fit. How does that sound?"

Eric shook his head, "William, Hearst's focus is on print media; I don't think you need to stubbornly cling to these television assets. How about this? I'll take a step back: Firefly will settle for 75%. That's my bottom line."

"No, no, no, Eric, the maximum is 55%. Any higher and I'd rather forfeit AE's production powers and maintain the status quo."

"Hey, William, did you know that last year's ER had a production cost of less than $30 million but garnered over $150 million in syndication profits from just the first season? We'll soon be releasing tapes, which will bring additional revenue. And then there's the advertising revenue: $45 million, with profits only a fraction of what syndication provides -- a fraction!"

William appeared exasperated, "But you can't expect that kind of windfall from every series, can you? Well, okay, Eric, 60%. Any more than that, and I might face inquiries from shareholders."

"You can't fool me, William; the Hearst family has always firmly controlled Hearst Corporation, and no one would oppose your decision. It's 70%, the highest Firefly can handle. If you can't accept it, Firefly might consider acquiring another cable network on its own."

"..."

"..."

As the attendees listened to the two bosses exchange rapid-fire commentary, reflecting keen minds and quick pace, inferring shrewdness and strategy from even their light-hearted remarks, they were taken aback, as people rarely engage in negotiations akin to market bartering.

After more than ten minutes of back-and-forth, both parties finally reached a compromise they could begrudgingly accept: Firefly would hold 65% ownership while Hearst retained 35%, with AE responsible for producing Lifetime's programs and Hearst providing ample support in print media resources.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 714: Split in Two]

"Eric, I think if you stand firm, it wouldn't be a problem for Firefly to acquire 70% of the shares from AE Network. The Hearst Group doesn't have any leverage in this matter," Jeffrey Katzenberg said with a hint of regret during their lunch after the meeting.

Holding his plate, Eric was at the buffet table with Katzenberg, picking out food. He turned to glance at William Hearst not far away, who was chatting and laughing with Tom Murphy. He said, "For Lifetime Television to develop, it definitely requires significant initial investment. The Hearst Group's involvement not only helps share the investment risk but their media channels worldwide are also crucial. Plus, we already have absolute control now, so the Hearst Group won't have any leverage going forward, right?"

Eric's tone hinted at some lingering thoughts. Katzenberg immediately caught on, grinning slyly, revealing a row of prominent teeth. Once Lifetime Television took off, as the majority shareholder, Firefly could easily dilute the Hearst Group's shares.

After they finished choosing their food, they found a table to sit at. Katzenberg asked, "I missed the kids' birthdays the other day and had Peter deliver gifts for me. Did you receive them?"

"Of course, they all loved them," Eric nodded, then added, "What about you? Are you planning to go back to Los Angeles for Easter?"

"Marilyn and the kids all came to New York this year to celebrate with my parents, so I'm luckily not running around," Katzenberg replied. He married early, and his wife's name was Marilyn Siegel; they had a pair of twins.

...

After a moment of casual conversation, the two men naturally drifted back to work. The higher-ups at the group had been focusing their energy on discussing the overall development plan for Lifetime Television lately, somewhat neglecting the specific production of programs.

During the morning meeting, after discussions with the Hearst Group, the final plan took shape. Now, Katzenberg started to worry about the host for America's Next Top Model. This had been a topic of discussion since the Oscars, yet it remained unresolved. Eric found himself vacillating between Cindy Crawford and Linda Evangelista, while Tyra Banks, the "original host," was excluded due to age concerns.

"Eric, there's less than half a year until the fall lineup in September. Reality shows need to be produced all at once; we don't have much time to waste. Have you decided which of Linda Evangelista or Cindy Crawford to go with?" Katzenberg pressed.

Eric hesitated, saying, "I've been thinking about this too. Both of them are incredible, so Jeffrey, what do you think about splitting them?"

Katzenberg frowned slightly. "Eric, you mean having them alternate as hosts? That's not a good idea. Switching hosts could easily distract the audience."

"No, what I mean is, since we now have a $100 million project budget, why not kick off two reality shows at the same time, with them as hosts?"

Katzenberg became interested. "Eric, do you have a good idea?"

"That's what I've been struggling with recently. I have some thoughts, but I'm not too familiar with this area."

Katzenberg wore a puzzled expression, not fully understanding what Eric meant.

"I'm saying," Eric continued, "this idea relates to last year's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. During the preparation period for that project, designers brought forth dozens of angel costume designs every week, but in the end, only about forty were selected. The elimination process was incredibly fierce, and several designers didn't even have any of their designs used. I've been thinking, since we can host a model competition, why can't we create a reality show that focuses on fashion design? The only problem is, I don't know enough about fashion design to know if this is a good plan."

What Eric was referring to was the competing show, Project Runway. The two programs were launched around the same time and were considered rivals with nearly equal ratings. Furthermore, as the hosts of these programs, Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum had both, at one point, topped Forbes' list of highest-paid TV actresses.

Unfortunately, Eric had never been particularly interested in fashion design in his former life; while he had skimmed a few episodes of America's Next Top Model just to see the models, he hadn't watched a single episode of Project Runway.

In contrast to Eric's hesitation, Katzenberg was quite optimistic. "Eric, often a successful project starts with a single thought. Walt Disney got the idea for Disneyland by watching his daughter play. He probably had no idea how to create a theme park back then, but now Disneyland exists all over the world. Plus, I think your idea might be even better than America's Next Top Model.

There are countless individuals in America who are very interested in design. Many slightly well-known celebrities love to launch their personal brands, but many lesser-known designers struggle to gain recognition. If we can provide a platform for a fashion design reality show, not only will it attract talented designers, but the audience, who cherish their design dreams, would love to watch it too.

As for the fashion design aspects, we can let professionals handle that. The Hearst Group has so many world-class fashion magazines; they could easily bring in an editor-in-chief to serve as the artistic consultant for this reality show, and Cindy and Linda, being supermodels for so many years, would surely have better taste in fashion than most ordinary designers -- they'd be excellent hosts."

"Well, they're in New York right now too. Since Easter is coming up, I'll take some time to think it over and discuss it with them," Eric conceded, reassured by Katzenberg's words. His initial hesitation stemmed from wanting to play it safe; after all, just as they began reforms at Lifetime Television, if they encountered failure with an original program, which could heavily impact future plans for the network.

Thinking it over, it made sense to start production and see how it went. If the show's quality didn't meet his expectations, they could shelve the project. Besides, the potential loss would only amount to a few million dollars.

...

Easter falls on the first Sunday after the spring equinox, and students usually had a week off for spring break, though it wasn't a national holiday.

Yet, it was still the weekend. Eric returned early to East Hampton on Long Island, planning to spend time with his women and kids. This year, Easter came much later than usual; it typically fell in March, but this year it was April 16.

At the same time, DreamWorks officially released Resident Evil, distributed by MGM, a week before Easter in 2,500 theaters.

The movie, which cost $30 million to make, was considered moderately budgeted.

Eric chose not to use the version he remembered from the movies, opting instead for a storyline based on the game. Compared to Milla's live-action role, he preferred the two 3D animated films produced by Capcom based on the game's narrative, especially the battle scenes featuring Jill Valentine and the president of Eastern Europe in Resident Evil: Vendetta. Those scenes were simply outstanding. Although it wasn't possible to start with Resident Evil: Vendetta, he could always change the villain, and since the script included Ada Wong, he could definitely work those action sequences into the film. So, during the scriptwriting process, Eric had even sketched out some storyboard scenes to share with the writers and invited action coordinators from Hong Kong for those fight scenes during production.

Undoubtedly, the results were excellent.

Once the film released, audiences most enjoyed the epic showdown of Leroy Washington against the Tyrant and the close combat between Ada Wong, portrayed by a rising star, and the main antagonist. Kelly Hu's performance propelled her into fame, making her a beloved action star among fans.

Although media reviews generally weren't high, the film's solid plot, well-developed setting, and sufficient highlights led to a strong $23 million opening weekend. Industry estimates predicted the film's North American gross could reach around $60 million, which would nearly recoup production costs. Eric knew well that Resident Evil's key market wasn't North America but overseas. In his previous life, none of the Resident Evil movies had exceeded $100 million in North America, yet the series became the first to break the $1 billion mark in global box office revenue for video game adaptations.

Despite some media personalities mocking the film as Eric's worst-performing Hollywood debut, when the opening weekend numbers came in, executives at MGM and DreamWorks quickly reached out to Eric, eager to start plans for a sequel.

...

At his villa in East Hampton, Eric hung up the phone with MGM CEO Frank Mancuso and stood up to head outside.

It was April 15, a Saturday.

On Friday, the box office for Resident Evil's second week was published, showing a 30% drop from the previous week's opening, which adjusted the total revenue back to $70 million. Hence, Frank Mancuso called once again, excited to share good news while discussing sequel plans. Eric had no objections.

April in New York saw the weather just warming up, and today was sunny and lovely with moderate temperatures.

In the backyard of the villa, Joanna and Virginia were seated at a table with the kids, decorating Easter eggs.

Eric walked out of the villa, bypassed the swimming pool, and approached the lawn. He picked up Emma, who was dashing over to show off her little colored egg, and came to the table, catching sight of Ewa Pacula, who had quickly appeared after just a brief phone call. He smiled and said, "What brought you here?"

Ewa, not pleased, poked him with a paintbrush. "Did my sister complain about me, and now you're doing it too?"

"Me? How could I complain about you?" Eric laughed as he dodged her poke and set Emma down on a small chair. The little one immediately reached for the paintbrush on the table, forgetting all about Eric.

Eric looked around; Virginia was holding Kevin's hand and carefully drawing patterns on an egg, clearly enjoying herself. When she saw Eric approaching, she raised the egg toward him as if to show off how great her son was, while Hawaii, sitting on Joanna's lap, held a marker with a bored expression on her face.

Eric leaned in to kiss his little son's cheek, pulled a chair over, and took Hawaii into his arms. "Come here, sweetheart. Did Mom paint badly? Let Daddy show you how to do it."

Joanna smiled as she watched Eric take their daughter, passing her the egg and paintbrush. "Hawaii's not interested in this, maybe I'm just too terrible at it, haha."

"Well then, let's start with a silly face," Eric said, holding onto Hawaii's little hand in the same way Virginia did.

Hawaii squirmed slightly in Eric's grasp, feeling the roughness of her father's big hand. Eventually, she relaxed with a sigh.

Ugh, why do I have to paint these silly things on a hard-boiled egg? So dumb.

The little girl mentally complained, glancing sideways at the small boy sitting in Vicki's lap, pouting. Wow, he got paint all over his face; how clumsy.

Her gaze drifted back to her mother, who rested her chin on one hand, wearing a warm smile as she looked at them.

Hawaii sighed again in her heart.

Oh.

However, seeing the look of happiness on Mommy's face as she watched Daddy teach her how to paint, she figured she'd pretend to be clumsy like Kevin for now.

But boy, this was so hard!

Geez, Daddy, how could you hold my little hand and still mess it up? Seriously?

The little girl couldn't help but remark, "Daddy, why are we drawing this stuff?"

"To celebrate Easter!" Eric explained.

"Then what's Easter?"

"Because people say Jesus will rise again on this day, and that's why it's called Easter."

"Who's Jesus?"

"The Son of God."

"Who's God?"

"I can't quite explain that."

"Then why do we celebrate the day Jesus rose from the dead?"

"Because Jesus is many people's faith."

"What's faith?"

"Faith is something a person needs to hold onto in their heart."

"Hold onto what?"

"Hold onto what you think is right."

"Daddy, what's your faith?"

"Oh, sweetheart, you caught me off guard there. But you could ask your mom."

"Mommy, what's your faith?"

"God."

"..."

The little girl blinked her large, pretty eyes, just like her mother's, and mentally sorted through this information, finding a loop.

Then, she realized that Daddy and Mommy were just brushing her off again.

Sigh. How could these grown-ups treat a little kid like this? I'm only two years old!

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 715: Contracting]

Two cars drove along the narrow asphalt roads of East Hampton, eventually stopping outside a mansion on the coast of Southern East Hampton. Cindy Crawford and Linda Evangelista stepped out of their respective cars, approached the mansion's front door, and rang the bell, patiently waiting for a moment until a woman's voice inquired who it was.

After announcing their names, the door swung open. They returned to their cars and drove into the estate.

They maneuvered through an S-shaped concrete driveway, stopping in front of an extravagant European-style villa.

A middle-aged maid approached them and politely said, "Miss Crawford, Miss Evangelista, please follow me."

The two women followed the maid, holding their handbags as Cindy Crawford asked, "Where's Eric?"

"Mr. Williams is with the ladies and children decorating Easter eggs," the maid replied as she led them into the villa's living room. She instructed a younger maid to prepare coffee for them and walked toward the backyard.

Upon hearing the maid's words, Cindy Crawford and Linda Evangelista exchanged a brief look, a flicker of tension passing between them as they tried to maintain their civility.

Since Eric informed them about coming to New York, it became clear that the hosting position for America's Next Top Model would likely be a contest between the two of them. Despite having three fewer competitors, the underlying competitiveness between them felt even more intense as they forced themselves to remain polite on the surface.

However, the maid's words somehow intensified the unspoken tension between them.

Cindy Crawford leaned in and whispered, "How much do you think this estate is worth?"

"Twenty million maybe? Who knows, we can't afford it anyway," Linda Evangelista answered casually, though her mind raced with thoughts about the size of the estate, which already spanned five to six acres just in the front yard. Given its coastal location, there must be a private beach too, adding up to well over 20 acres -- equivalent to around eight hectares.

Even though both were considered high-income individuals, affording such a mansion seemed impossible, let alone maintaining it. Moreover, the East Hampton estates weren't like buying a car; the unique neighborhood governance in the U.S. meant that the buyer not only needed to agree on a price with the seller but also needed the approval from the other residents in the neighborhood. Most of the residents in East Hampton were wealthy businesspeople or high-profile politicians, and it would be anything but simple for them to penetrate that elite circle.

After serving coffee, the maid politely inquired if they needed anything else. Seeing them shake their heads, she took her leave.

...

The living room fell silent for a brief moment. Cindy Crawford took a sip of her coffee and turned to glance at the glass doors leading to the backyard. After contemplating for a moment, she exchanged a knowing look with Linda Evangelista, got up quietly, and walked toward the door.

Linda raised an eyebrow at Cindy's behavior, sensing it might be inappropriate. However, her curiosity proved too strong to resist, and she followed suit.

They stood side by side behind the glass door, peering into the backyard.

The first thing that caught their eyes was a swimming pool, a staple of many American backyards. Further out, a white cement path was flanked by a small children's playground on one side and a lawn on the other. In the middle of the lawn sat a table covered with a variety of colorful items. Six or seven figures encircled the table, and the maid they had just seen today was nearby. Eric, dressed casually, leaned over the table, affectionately kissing a woman and one of his children.

Eric being a father was no secret, but this was the first time either of them had seen it in person.

From prior experiences, Cindy Crawford and Linda Evangelista expected Eric would be discreet about his illegitimate children, just like many billionaires who wouldn't even acknowledge their existence. Yet the scene before them challenged their preconceived notions. Even from a distance, the warm interaction between Eric and his children made it clear he truly was a devoted father.

After a moment of daze, Cindy Crawford pulled her gaze away, surveying the lavish European villa beside her, and sighed, "It's quite depressing, really. We work hard all our lives, but it's better to have a child."

The moment she spoke, Cindy suddenly snapped back to reality, glancing at Linda Evangelista. Their eyes met briefly, and she rushed to notice Linda's averted gaze flickering. Cindy instantly realized Linda must be contemplating the same thoughts, granting her some relief and easing her guilt.

Not daring to snoop any longer, they both silently returned to their seats next to the sofa.

...

In the backyard, Eric was painting eggs with his daughter, Hawaii. Upon hearing the maid's report, Virginia, sitting opposite him, rolled her eyes. "You're really busy! You haven't even finished a basket of eggs and have already run out several times."

"I just wanted to spend some more time with you guys at home," Eric chuckled, releasing Hawaii and observing Virginia's sulky expression. He leaned across the table with both hands, saying, "Come here, sweetheart, let Daddy give you a kiss."

He leaned in toward Virginia's cheek.

"You cheeky guy, always taking advantage of me," Virginia replied playfully, tilting her cheek for Eric to kiss. She then lifted Kevin for Eric to kiss as well.

Eric planted a kiss on his son's chubby cheek, then draw close to Emma, who bounced over, crying, "Daddy, Daddy! I want a kiss too!"

"Of course!" Eric kissed Emma's cheek, turned to Joanna next, making an effort not to favor anyone.

When it was Hawaii's turn, the little girl blinked rapidly, realizing this was her chance to escape from the boring task of decorating eggs.

Letting Eric plant a kiss on her cheek, she promptly tugged on his shirt sleeve, asking, "Daddy, can I go with you to see the guests?"

Before Eric could respond, Joanna rubbed Hawaii's head and said with a laugh, "Sorry, sweetheart, but Daddy has very important matters to discuss."

Hawaii recalled how Emma acted when being spoiled, tugging Eric's sleeve again with her innocent voice. "Daddy, I'm just a little girl. I don't know anything, I won't interrupt your talks."

"Uh..." Eric stared at Hawaii, appearing utterly baffled by her logic.

The room fell silent for a moment before Virginia, Joanna, and Ewa erupted into laughter at Hawaii's innocent declaration.

"Ha ha, sweetie, you just revealed your own secrets!" Ewa said, unable to contain her amusement as she pinched Hawaii's cheek playfully.

"Hey, Aunt Ewa! Stop that or I'll complain to Mom!" Hawaii protested, swatting Ewa's hand away, though her little voice carried little weight.

"Wow, that's a serious threat! Let Aunt Ewa squeeze you a little more!" Ewa laughed.

"Hey, let go, or I'll bite you!"

"That's enough! You two stop it! Hawaii, come over to Mommy, and don't bother Daddy!"

After some playful scuffles, Joanna stepped in to mediate, ushering her daughter to her side and waving at Eric, signaling him to get back to work.

After painting eggs for a while, Eric had a bit of dye on his shirt and hurriedly changed into clean clothes. After washing his hands, he finally entered the living room.

...

"Cindy, Linda, I'm truly sorry to have you come all the way here," Eric said, embracing the two women.

"No worries, we're not too busy anyway," Cindy Crawford replied with a smile.

Eric nodded. "Let's head to my office; we can discuss things there."

Once in the office, Eric retrieved two prepared documents from the bookshelf and sat at his desk. Watching the two women opposite him, who appeared slightly anxious, he laughed and said, "No need to worry now. Initially, I only had the production plan for America's Next Top Model, but I recently thought of another idea, so both of you will get a job."

Cindy Crawford tucked away her earlier distracting thoughts and perked up. "Eric, are you saying Firefly is planning to produce two fashion reality shows?"

"Yes," Eric confirmed. "Out of the five of you, I believe only the two of you are suitable for this. The only remaining question is which of you will take which role."

Cindy and Linda exchanged glances but said nothing, waiting for Eric to elaborate.

"You're already familiar with the details of America's Next Top Model, so let me explain the other idea. This is also a competitive show, but instead of models, it focuses on fashion designers. We're tentatively naming it Project Runway."

Linda Evangelista replied, "Eric, America's Next Top Model seems more feasible, but the expertise required for fashion design is much greater. Will people actually want to watch that?"

Without answering, Eric asked, "Have either of you thought about creating a personal brand named after yourselves?"

"Well, I've considered it, but I've always been too busy." Cindy replied.

"I thought about starting a perfume line," Linda Evangelista shrugged, the thought clearly bringing up past disappointments.

"That's precisely it," Eric said, smiling. "In today's entertainment industry, anyone with a bit of fame likes to launch their personal brand. So for many ordinary people, they definitely have dreamed about this. This show will align perfectly with their aspirations, and let's not forget, there's also a substantial audience of urban women who are very fashion-conscious because Project Runway will air on Lifetime under AE Networks, primarily targeting young women."

"Can... can we see the documents first?" Cindy Crawford cautiously suggested, pointing to the papers in Eric's hands.

Eric laid the two documents on the table. "These don't relate much to the show; they're just some rough budget plans. You'll need to find the exact format of the show yourselves."

Cindy and Linda were puzzled again; hadn't Eric mentioned they were to host?

"Well," Eric continued, "I initially had some ideas for America's Next Top Model, but now I've decided to entrust both projects entirely to you two, with just me overseeing everything."

"Eric, I don't quite understand," Cindy Crawford remarked, incredulity etched across her face.

Eric clarified, "What I mean is that you both will serve as hosts and producers for America's Next Top Model and Project Runway."

Though Linda was thrilled by the producer title, she recognized her limitations. "Eric, I...I have no idea how to even begin."

"Let's start with your compensation," Eric smiled. "As producers of both shows, you will each receive a 10% profit share from America's Next Top Model and Project Runway; how much that 10% amounts to will depend on how exceptionally you produce the shows."

"Eric, do we need to invest anything?" Cindy's eyes lit up as she asked.

"Not at all. Firefly will provide a $20 million production budget for each project, so you won't need to put in any of your own money."

"So, what will we need to do?" Linda Evangelista asked, feeling energized by the prospect of receiving a 10% net profit share. She was well aware that with Eric overseeing both projects, the risk of failure was dramatically reduced. Even if the shows didn't achieve the terrifying ratings and profits of Survivor, the commercial returns would still be seen as considerable.

"Here's the key," Eric said with a smile. "Don't think that this 10% profit share will be handed to you easily. The reason I'm giving these two projects to you is that I don't know much about the fashion industry, whereas you've both been entrenched in this world for years, familiar with all the rules, and possessing sufficient vision and experience. So while Firefly will provide some staffing, you'll need to assemble your own core creative team for the professional side of things."

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 716: Is That Too Stingy?]

The original success of America's Next Top Model and Project Runway can be largely attributed to the duo of Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum, who simultaneously served as hosts and producers, deeply involved in the show's production.

Despite having watched a few episodes of America's Next Top Model, Eric knew that even if he tried to replicate those ideas, the results would likely be completely off-base, as his knowledge of fashion was quite limited. He could identify a good model's makeup and walk but was far from being able to provide detailed critiques. However, those issues were easily managed by these two top supermodels who had been navigating the fashion world for years.

Yet Eric realized just having these two stunning women host wouldn't be sufficient to ensure their passionate involvement in the programs, which prompted him to consider the collaborative model from his past life -- allocating a small portion of the profit to incentivize their deeper commitment to the show, which would leave him more at ease.

Having explained his vision, Cindy Crawford pointed at the documents. "Eric, you're asking us to build our own core team, but with just a production budget, we don't know how to execute that!"

Linda Evangelista chimed in, "Yeah, Eric, you have to give us some guidance!"

"Let's start assigning some tasks first," Eric laughed, handing the documents to Cindy and Linda. "Given what I know about you two, Cindy is more suited for America's Next Top Model; Linda, you'll handle Project Runway."

Linda Evangelista hesitated as she took the document from Eric without instantly flipping it open. "Eric, you might not know me well enough. Otherwise, you'd realize I'm actually more fitting for America's Next Top Model, being the first supermodel."

From earlier conversation, Linda discerned that Project Runway was likely Eric's last-minute idea, whereas a supermodel competition was inherently more relatable. The prospects for Project Runway didn't seem as strong as those for America's Next Top Model. Although Eric's insistence left her no choice but to accept, she thought it best to try and contest it a bit -- what if Eric agreed with her?

Before Eric could speak, Cindy Crawford retorted, "Linda, I also was the first supermodel to host a television show, so I'm clearly more suited to America's Next Top Model!"

"What's the point of being a fashion show host for years? Honestly, Cindy, I think the taste of your outfit today isn't that great, and I just didn't say anything earlier."

"Oh, thank you for your input, Linda," Cindy Crawford settled back into her office chair, unbothered, looking at Eric with a smile. "Eric, Linda's taste in outfits exceeds mine, so she's more suitable as the producer of Project Runway!"

Caught off guard by how she'd unintentionally undermined herself, Linda sniffed with annoyance, looking at Eric.

"Hey, enough fighting! It's settled then," Eric remarked as he saw the competitive looks between the two women, chuckling. "My faith in both of you has just gone up!"

"Oh? Why's that?" Cindy Crawford asked, sensing a mischievous glint in Eric's smile.

"Do you know what the most important element in reality TV is?" Eric countered, not answering directly.

Both women looked up at him, and Eric continued, "The most important aspect of reality shows is Drama! Your earlier exchange could be seamlessly integrated into a reality TV segment without any editing."

Both Cindy Crawford and Linda Evangelista felt a bit embarrassed, but Eric was unfazed as he continued, "Both of your projects have equally good prospects; it all boils down to how well you execute. In Project Runway, if you can capture the essence of reality TV, even if viewers aren't initially versed in fashion, they'll find enjoyment in the designer rivalries."

Having caught a recent episode of Survivor, Cindy turned to Eric and asked, "Eric, I've always been curious -- does Survivor have a script?"

"Yes, absolutely!" Eric replied with a nod.

Cindy suddenly felt like she'd been deceived; Survivor had long promoted itself as completely unscripted, and she used to enjoy that show. "So, all the things we see on television are pre-planned?"

"You'll be creating your own show soon enough, so it's essential for you to understand this," Eric explained, "Reality shows have scripts, but they're not like traditional film scripts centered around dialogue. They focus on show format. Besides a few signature lines for the hosts, the other parts are mostly tailored around the contestants' personas to create potential narratives. However, these scenarios aren't mandatory for contestants; the production team subtly guides the actions they wish for."

As he explained, Eric's smile grew wider as he turned to the two women and added, "For instance, let's say I want to create a little conflict between you two, so I assign both promising projects to one of you, leaving the other dissatisfied. That's how you both just ended up in such a situation."

Linda Evangelista responded with a playful glare, "Eric, you're so naughty! Are you making fun of us?"

"I only speak the truth," Eric replied with a laugh. "Another key point is motivation. Contestants in a reality show are intelligent enough to recognize what the production team desires. With the lure of hefty prizes, they'll likely take actions that fulfill those expectations. In the minds of ordinary viewers, a 'script' usually refers to a dialogue script, while in reality shows, 'scripts' focus more on actions. Hence, when reality shows claim there's no script, it isn't outright falsehood."

Cindy then wondered aloud, "Eric, what if we crafted a narrative but the contestants refuse to follow along?"

"There are numerous contestants in one reality show, so during filming, the production team can capture hours of footage, while the final edited episodes typically only last about 43 minutes. Thus, you can always select the best footage that meets your needs from the pile. If nothing works, the issue undoubtedly lies with you. Moreover, for particularly stubborn contestants, the straightforward solution is simply passing them. And as the show progresses and contestants dwindle, you won't have to worry, as those who stay will be the ones familiar with the rules and willing to cooperate."

"Wow, it feels like... my entire outlook on life has been reshaped! Is this still a professional reality show? I mean, will our expertise come into play?" Linda Evangelista exclaimed dramatically.

Eric nodded. "Of course! If in your show, the fashion designer's creations are stunning enough to amaze everyone, you have to keep them on board to ensure fairness. That principle of skill eclipses everything else means that those with such talent will less likely participate in reality shows."

Cindy, however, was more pragmatic in her thinking. "Eric, I'm just thinking, can you lend us a few experienced producers from the Survivor project?"

"Absolutely! Even if you hadn't mentioned it, I would have arranged it. I stated earlier that Firefly would provide some staff; that includes them."

"Then, Eric, can you share your vision for Project Runway? I can't go in completely blind," Linda Evangelista insisted.

Although Eric hadn't seen Project Runway, he could gauge its basic format, recognizing it as a follow-up to America's Next Top Model. "Firstly, your creative team will be essential. Firefly will assign a few professionals who've worked on Survivor to assist you. But if you directly mimic Survivor's setup, I can foresee that this show will fail. So while starting from Survivor's success, you need to develop your own style.

For Project Runway, you should starts choosing a few judges; three full-time judges, including yourself, plus an established fashion designer and a chief editor from a fashion magazine. You could probably get support from Hearst Corporation for this. If you have individuals in mind, you're welcome to follow your vision."

Linda tilted her head, considering this. "Eric, what do you think about Anna Wintour?"

Eric gave her a perplexed look.

Cindy then laughed out loudly, sarcastically chiming in, "Linda, I reckon Karl Lagerfeld would suit it even better. Just invite the old guy to rule over everything!"

Upon realizing her whimsical suggestion, Linda quickly backtracked but still tossed back, "I was just throwing ideas around! No need to get so excited!"

"Alright, stop bickering," Eric found amusement in the spat but felt it was not the right time to indulge.

Once the two women turned their attention back to him, Eric continued, "Linda, understand that you are the core and face of this program. Therefore, the most prominent figure in the show has to be you; even I won't appear on any producer lists. When selecting guest panelists, ideally, the two fixed guest judges can't have a greater profile than you, and any guest appearances must consider sustainability. Even if you have the connections, you can't expect anyone to attend for free; you need to pay them a guest appearance fee. Given the show's budget of $20 million, you can only occasionally invite a big star for special episodes; that would offer viewers a surprise. More often than not, it's best to invite those with a certain level of fame but who aren't too big."

Linda Evangelista nodded. "What about the other details? I've seen Survivor, so should we have a competitive group mechanism similar to that?"

"You and your team will need to hash that out internally; I can only offer my thoughts. Group competition doesn't work because each designer is an individual with their own style. Hence in the show, you may implement group competitions occasionally, but most of the time, a more individual-focused approach works best. I think each episode could feature a theme and give them a set time to create. You can judge their works and eliminate contestants one by one until a champion emerges. That will be the general structure for each episode."

Cindy Crawford asked curiously, "Are we rewarding the champion with a prize of one million dollars too?"

"Not feasible at all; we're a niche TV network offering niche programs, so it's only $100,000," Eric clarified.

"$100,000? Isn't that stingy?"

"Do you expect everyone to earn as much as you two? The average American salary is less than $50,000; for most, $100,000 is significant. To keep this show authentic, the selection of contestants must strictly be from the working-class levels. Models should be fresh faces from small towns, and designers can't be too professional. Moreover, the final reward can't solely be monetary. The ultimate prize for America's Next Top Model should offer the model the resources required for pursuing a career, such as an opportunity to grace the cover of a top fashion magazine; Hearst Corporation would provide that support. Additionally, there would also be chances for contracts with modeling agencies; I believe your management companies would eagerly embrace that collaboration."

"And for me? What about my compensation?" Linda Evangelista questioned.

"Yours would also be a $100,000 cash prize, plus ideally, a chance to collaborate with a fashion company. You can reach out to them, and I'll speak with LTD as well," Eric casually waved his hand. "In summary, they're entirely your business. Don't expect too much assistance from me; I'll just ensure the quality of your work."

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 717: Did I Say That?]

Before they knew it, they had been talking for over an hour when the door to the study was gently tapped. Ewa Pacula peeked in.

"Eric, Vicky asked me to see if you're keeping guests for lunch," she said.

Eric knew as soon as he heard Virginia's name that she had sent Ewa to rush them along. Glancing at the clock, which was nearing eleven, he realized that since Virginia didn't want both women to stay for lunch, he shouldn't insist. He told Ewa, "No need, we've finished discussing everything. Cindy and Linda can head back to New York just in time."

"Oh, then I'll let Vicky know," Ewa said with a sly wink, sticking her head back out, and the door quietly closed behind her.

"In that case, you all can leave now. I'll treat you to lunch another time," Eric said after Ewa left, rising to his feet.

Cindy Crawford and Linda Evangelista understood exactly what just transpired. If the tables were turned, they felt they would have done the same thing, but they certainly felt a bit disgruntled.

...

After saying their goodbyes to Eric, Cindy and Linda got into their cars and left the seaside estate.

They drove along the serene roads for a few minutes until they reached downtown East Hampton. Linda noticed as Cindy parked her car in front of a restaurant, and she followed suit.

The two women walked into the restaurant with their bags. With lunchtime approaching, the dining area was already bustling with guests. Their striking presence caught the attention of many, and while most guests merely discreetly stole glances, a few even called out friendly greetings. Two casually dressed girls eagerly approached them, with one asking, "Linda, Cindy, can we get your autographs?"

"Of course," Cindy said, feeling lifted by the attention. She gladly took the paper and pen from the girl, signed quickly, and handed them to Linda Evangelista.

As they signed, the girls chattered excitedly, "We didn't expect you guys to be here! Jill even said we might not run into any celebrities. Oh, we're here on vacation, and the white beaches of East Hampton are so beautiful! It's a pity it's a bit cold right now; we can't really swim."

Upon hearing the girl's opening remark, Linda paused, quickly finishing her autograph. She returned the paper and pen, losing a bit of interest in continuing the conversation with her eager fans.

After a few brief exchanges, the two women were guided to their seats by a waiter. Cindy took the menu from the server and grimaced at the prices, which were even higher than those at Manhattan's finest restaurants. In a bit of a defiant mood, she ordered several of the most expensive items.

When the waiter left, Cindy complained, "What does he mean we just happen to be able to rush back to New York? Doesn't he realize it takes two hours to drive from East Hampton to Manhattan? By the time we get back, we'll be starving!"

Hearing Cindy's mix of envy and frustration, Linda felt less upset. She rummaged through her purse, pulled out the documents Eric had given them, and casually replied, "Why didn't you just point that out to him? Then he would have felt awkward about rushing us out."

"I couldn't care less," Cindy scoffed softly, adding randomly, "She's acting all high and mighty just because she had a child. Does she really think she's the boss?"

Linda flipped through the documents without looking up, saying, "We need to come up with a proposal in two weeks, prepare in May, and that barely leaves us three months for production. Plus, we have to make time for the fall fashion week, and then it's immediately the Victoria's Secret Show. I'm genuinely worried about whether I'm going to lose my mind from everything on my plate."

Seeing that lunch would still take a while, Cindy dug into her bag for the documents. "No one is forcing you. If you say you don't want to do this anymore, those bitches will definitely come at you shouting. Just make sure you don't regret it in the future. Look at what Naomi Campbell has been doing lately; you can tell she's regretting turning down the Victoria's Secret Show from last year."

Linda recalled the rumors circulating about Naomi Campbell trying to leverage connections to oust Tyra Banks from the Victoria's Secret campaign. She shook her head, disdainfully saying, "I think she's completely missed the point. The Victoria's Secret Angels brand was built by Williams, and he's a major shareholder at LTD. Without his approval, no one will just swap out Victoria's Secret representatives."

"Do you think she doesn't get that? She simply hasn't had the chance to connect with Williams, and even if she did, it might not help. Plus, she's way too greedy. There are six themes for the Victoria's Secret Show but only five models. If it were me, I'd aim to snag an opening slot for one of the themes to maintain my standing in the industry."

Linda envied Cindy's sharp business acumen. Hearing this, she said, "If you've given it so much thought, why didn't you give her a heads-up?"

"What would I get from alerting her? Friendship? Ha," Cindy dismissed, laughing derisively as she glanced toward the kitchen before turning her focus back to the documents.

Linda flipped through a few more pages of the files before looking up suddenly. "Cindy, I have a great idea! Hear me out."

"Oh, let's hear it. If it's good, I'll use it without hesitation," Cindy replied absently as she thought about which guests she could invite in the future. She felt that Linda's intelligence probably wouldn't land a great idea.

Unfazed by Cindy's lack of enthusiasm, Linda excitedly proposed, "You know our shows will air concurrently. My show needs models, and yours definitely needs designers. Why don't we do a crossover episode? It would be a huge draw!"

"Wow, that's not a bad idea," Cindy acknowledged, but then shook her head, saying, "I don't want to cross over. What if your show flops and pulls me down with it?"

Linda retorted, "Hey, I'm talking about something serious here! And why can't it be the other way around -- what if you drag me down?"

Cindy tilted her chin slightly and replied, "Because that's just not going to happen."

"You're so full of yourself."

"You're wrong; this is confidence."

"Forget it. I'm not going to argue with you," Linda conceded but then couldn't help but ask, "So, if we did a 10% split, how much would we make?"

"Last year's Victoria's Secret Show cost about $20 million to produce. I'm not expecting too much; as long as the show's profit is not less than a tenth of the Victoria's Secret Show, I'll be satisfied."

Linda recalled the profit figures from the Victoria's Secret Show and remarked, "Well, you'd only end up with about $3 million; that's pretty low for five months of work."

Cindy chuckled but didn't feel the need to explain anything further to Linda.

The media loved to boast about how much these top models earned every year, but the actual figures often differed dramatically from the reports.

Take Cindy herself, for instance; some media outlets exaggerated her earnings last year to $25 million, but that just wasn't accurate.

While it was true that she grossed about $25 million, that figure was like a company's revenue -- it represented earnings, not profit. Of that $25 million, $10 million was from her Victoria's Secret endorsement. The remaining $15 million primarily came from new advertising contracts gained through the influence of the Victoria's Secret Show. Those contracts required very little from her; mostly, she just needed to show up at events and film some ads, so their rates were far lower than Victoria's Secret's, but the average contract lasted about three years. With those contracts in hand, she'd have to avoid taking on many more endorsements in the coming years.

To break it down, her Victoria's Secret contract lasted five years, averaging $2 million per year, while her other contracts had an average length of three years at $5 million annually. Combined, that brought her earnings to $7 million per year.

But even that wasn't the end. At her income level, she had to pay a 35% personal income tax, plus her agency took a 10% cut. In the end, she was left with just about $3.85 million, which was her actual annual income.

Moreover, the modeling industry was known for its rapid turnover, and even for someone like her, a supermodel, her income would certainly decline as she got older and new talents emerged. That's why Cindy cared much more about job security than Linda, who was far less sensitive to money. She distinctly remembered Eric saying that as long as this reality show performed well, it could sustain production for dozens of seasons.

Dozens of seasons -- Cindy didn't dare wish for that. However, if it could run for ten years, she'd be able to save a substantial nest egg before hitting forty, allowing her a dignified retirement.

As her thoughts wandered toward the future, Cindy inexplicably recalled the sprawling estate on the East Hampton coastline that she had spotted earlier in the day, along with a few fleeting figures nearby. Remembering the guy whose wealth Forbes reported at $46.5 billion, she realized that even if she maintained her current income of over $3 million a year, she would never come close to even one percent of his net worth, which left her feeling a sense of helplessness as she stared up at the stars. She murmured, "Sigh, maybe it'd be better to just have a kid."

Sitting across from her, Linda Evangelista caught that last remark and suddenly looked up, "Cindy, what did you say?"

Cindy wore a puzzled expression. "Did I say something?"

Linda nodded with certainty, "You did, and this is the second time."

A brief flicker of panic crossed Cindy's eyes, but she quickly regained her composure, lowering her gaze back to the documents and lazily countered, "What did I say?"

"You know what you said."

"Oh, I forgot."

Linda then playfully threatened, "Watch out, or I might tell him what you were thinking."

Cindy shrugged nonchalantly. "Go ahead; who's to say whether that thought was yours or mine?"

Linda widened her eyes in shock, instinctively raising her voice, "My... thought? How dare you pin that on me!"

Cindy gestured around them, asking, "Shush! Do you want these people to laugh at us?"

Noticing that other patrons were already glancing their way, Linda lowered her voice. "Anyway, I heard what I heard."

"Fine, whatever," Cindy shrugged, not worrying much about it. She felt that this idea was like a contagious virus, and she was sure Linda had caught it; otherwise, she wouldn't have fixated on that little detail just now, seemingly intent on proving something.

...

The purchasing power of women far exceeded that of men; this was a consensus everyone shared. Thus, Lifetime Television possessed this potential consumer base since advertisers would definitely prefer targeting female audiences.

The US cable television market had been brewing for over a decade and was on the brink of explosion. This intense phase of industry upheaval often provided the best opportunity for oligopolistic enterprises to emerge.

While no singular female network had dominated the landscape in this timeline, no one doubted that cable television held that potential. If they could seize the opportunity and launch a network comparable in scale to ESPN, it wasn't out of the question.

The fundamental factor for a television network's success was still its outstanding programming. Though they already had America's Next Top Model and Project Runway, a network could not rely solely on reality shows to maintain viewership. Television series were indispensable. Eric had a considerable advantage here; while considering the two reality shows, he had already thought of a drama perfect for Lifetime Television.

However, Lifetime's annual budget was only $100 million. Although Eric held high expectations for it, he couldn't push things too quickly. Over-investment could lead to losses, which would not only be demoralizing but could also hinder future development plans.

Of the $100 million budget, $40 million was already allocated to the two reality shows. Additionally, the network needed to order a range of television programs to fill various time slots, along with setting aside enough for marketing expenses. Therefore, the remaining $60 million is simply not enough to squeeze out the budget for producing a TV series.

Of course, if America's Next Top Model and Project Runway performed well during the fall season, Lifetime Television's budget would significantly increase.

After Easter, Eric temporarily reduced his focus on the Firefly Group, channeling most of his energy into negotiating the Firefly investment in Sprint.

On another front, the collaboration talks between Firefly and Hasbro concerning toy merchandise were progressing smoothly. Both sides showed a strong desire to cooperate. By the end of April, a detailed proposal had been prepared. After Jeffrey Katzenberg represented Firefly Group to sign the partnership agreement with Hasbro, he didn't rush to leave New York. Instead, he relied on Lifetime Television's next phase of development planning to lobby various cable networks, hoping to secure more subscribers for Lifetime before the fall season.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 718: Speculative Mindset]

Throughout May, Eric and Chris were busy working on Firefly Investment Company's acquisition of a stake in the telecommunications operator, Sprint.

Both parties had reached a rough agreement on the transaction in early May, with Sprint planning to issue 400 million shares of stock to Firefly Investment for a capital injection of $1.32 billion. After the deal was complete, Sprint would increase its total share capital to 4 billion shares, with Firefly Investment owning 10% and securing two seats on Sprint's board of directors. If this deal succeeded, Sprint would likely adopt Qualcomm's CDMA technology, thanks to the push from Firefly Investment.

However, the process was far from over once they drafted the deal. Though the barriers to entry in the communications industry were gradually loosening, getting a foothold in such a tightly regulated sector required navigating through layers of approval.

Firefly and Sprint first needed to submit their plan to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for antitrust review. Along with owning Qualcomm, which was involved in the research and development of mobile communication technology, Firefly Investment also held controlling shares in Nokia, a manufacturer of mobile communication base stations and terminal equipment. If they successfully acquired a stake in Sprint, they would essentially have a grip on the entire mobile communication industry chain, drawing strong suspicions of monopolistic intentions.

If this had been ten years prior, the FTC would have immediately rejected this transaction. However, in recent years, the federal government continued to ease legal restrictions on the telecommunications sector, giving this transaction a possibility of approval.

After Eric and Chris attended several FTC hearings regarding the deal and engaged in behind-the-scenes lobbying, by the end of May, the FTC finally approved the transaction.

While dealing with the FTC, Firefly Investment and Sprint also submitted relevant applications to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). With the FTC's unpredictable approval obtained, the remaining two agencies were much simpler to navigate. Within a week of the FTC's approval, both the SEC and FCC also granted their approval for the deal.

...

On May 26, the signing ceremony for Firefly Investment and Sprint took place at the Sprint Group headquarters in Manhattan.

At the press conference following the signing, senior executives from both Firefly Investment and Sprint publicly announced that Sprint would collaborate deeply with Qualcomm to build a nationwide mobile communication network utilizing CDMA technology.

Just a month earlier, Verizon had joined the CDMA camp after securing $300 million in targeted bond financing from Firefly Investment. Now, with Sprint -- holding nearly half of the A and B class mobile communication licenses -- announcing its entry into the CDMA arena, it marked the resolution of disputes over mobile communication technology standards in the United States. CDMA technology not only escaped being entirely sidelined but also captured more than half of the U.S. mobile communication market.

As soon as the conference ended, Qualcomm's stock price began to surge, skyrocketing by 8% during trading hours to close at $31.5 per share, comfortably above the $30 mark. Compared to approximately $17 per share at the end of the previous year, Qualcomm's market cap had increased by 85% in just six months, making it only a matter of time before it doubled.

...

"I remember the last time I was in San Diego, Qualcomm's communications equipment manufacturing plant was just starting to select a location. They wouldn't be able to scale production until at least the end of the year," Eric mused. "Although Sprint committed to using CDMA technology, they can't wait six months, so they've decided to temporarily implement a GSM network in the Washington area. Additionally, Qualcomm initially planned to partner with Sony to build the factory, but I vetoed that plan. If we're going to collaborate, it should definitely be with Nokia. This is a prime opportunity for Nokia to enter the U.S. market. Before we took control of Nokia in 1991, Qualcomm had already granted Nokia a complete set of CDMA technology licenses. While Nokia focused on GSM development, they do have some foundation in that area and can provide a number of management personnel for Qualcomm's manufacturing facility."

The next day was Saturday. After a busy Friday, many tasks had finally concluded, and Chris brought Emily to East Hampton.

However, the two quickly retreated to Eric's study to discuss business. Naturally, the conversation started with Qualcomm. Chris understood very well that Eric's recent strategic moves were largely aimed at benefiting Qualcomm.

Leaning back in his chair, Eric listened to Chris and replied, "When it comes to GSM and CDMA, I'd think that for the time being neither side could effectively push the other out of the market. Therefore, the best route is actually the integration of both technologies. It's similar to this DVD format dispute; the two major DVD technology standard camps were very smart about not wasting another decade fighting over R and R-, choosing instead to support each other."

It had been a few years since the DVD standard was established, and Hollywood had been doing everything to delay the launch of DVDs due to concerns over the cheaper cost of DVD piracy.

However, it was no longer possible to delay further. Following the experience with the Sony Betamax lawsuit, Hollywood could not rely on litigation to block the emergence of DVDs. It was expected that major DVD manufacturers would release DVD players after the summer blockbuster season.

Chris, also informed on this topic, chimed in, "The standards held by the two DVD technology camps still belong to the same generation of technology, so supporting each other wouldn't be difficult. But GSM and CDMA are two completely different generations of technology standards. The integration will mostly be impossible."

Eric clarified, "I'm not talking about integration at the operator level but rather at the terminal level. Nokia has GSM technology, Qualcomm has CDMA technology, and both have significantly deep technical accumulations in these standards. Therefore, launching phones that support both GSM and CDMA networks shouldn't be hard at all."

Dual-mode and full-network phones supporting multiple network standards were very common in later years. In 1995, however, the new generation of digital communication technology was just beginning to become widespread. The major tech camps were fully focused on squeezing one another out of the market and had never considered coexistence or integration. Therefore, a multi-network compatible phone was a brand-new concept.

Chris's eyes lit up. "Eric, that's a brilliant idea! How about we hold a conference call tomorrow with Jorma Ollila and Irwin Jacobs to discuss this? A phone that can support both GSM and CDMA networks might not have a huge market in Europe, but in North America, where GSM and CDMA coexist, there's definitely potential!"

"Go ahead and arrange it. Jurassic Park 2 is releasing on June 2, and I might be able to stay in New York for another week," Eric replied. He was also planning to have an in-depth discussion with Nokia's CEO, Jorma Ollila, soon.

Nokia was one of the first manufacturers to bet on GSM technology, which was key to its rapid rise in recent years. While it didn't monopolize CDMA patents like Qualcomm, Nokia had the most GSM-related patents among major telecommunications equipment manufacturers.

Months ago, when news surfaced that Firefly Investment was acquiring shares in Qualcomm, Jorma Ollila expressed confusion over Eric's strategies in emails. He believed that blocking Qualcomm's CDMA technology would better serve Nokia's interests. Now, Eric not only supported CDMA technology but also captured half of the mobile communication market in the U.S., which surely stirred some tension, even if Jorma's public reaction remained calm.

Although Eric had explained the intentions behind his actions over the phone and via email, more communication would surely be beneficial.

Only through maintaining open dialogue and understanding each other's intentions could Eric comfortably delegate the management of his enterprises. This would free him up for other pursuits.

Chris habitually pulled out a small notebook from his shirt pocket to jot down this matter seriously before turning back to Eric. "Once we settle this, I think we should discuss Yahoo."

"I've been in contact with Ian and the others, and I have a good grasp of their general thoughts," Eric nodded.

The employee stock option plan was set to expire this year, and Firefly Investment's team began evaluating the performance of Yahoo's senior management to determine their stock rewards.

Originally, Eric planned to initiate Yahoo's IPO after this stock incentive program ended. However, recently, the top executives unanimously expressed the desire for Eric to delay Yahoo's IPO. Their reasoning was quite sound. The capital market was overly profit-driven, and once Yahoo went public, it would face performance pressures, undermining its current strategy of cautious, steady growth.

After repeated persuading from Yahoo's management, Eric began to reconsider this matter.

A few years back, Eric had originally intended to take Yahoo public in 1995, aiming to cash in on the rapidly inflating Internet bubble. Once his Yahoo stocks moved past the lockup period, he hoped to net a substantial sum as Yahoo's stock price soared.

In hindsight, Eric's plan had a very obvious speculative mindset, subconsciously focusing on cashing out rather than nurturing Yahoo's growth.

Through these years of reflection, Eric recognized that if he maintained such a mindset, his career would inevitably reach a bottleneck at some point in the future.

Seeing Eric lost in thought, Chris asked, "So, Eric, what are you thinking now?"

"I suppose you agree with their idea, right?" Eric smiled, countering his question.

Chris nodded candidly. "The capital markets are currently very favorable toward Internet investments. So, I believe if we delay going public for a few years until Yahoo has a clearer profitability outlook, we can certainly reap greater rewards."

Eric recalled the timeline from his previous reality, where the Nasdaq index began to soar in 1998, skyrocketing from just over 1,000 points to over 5,000 within two years.

If Yahoo went public after 1998, the funds gathered in the initial public offering would have unquestionably been several times those available now. However, under a stringent financial regulatory system, that money would predominantly be allocated to Yahoo's own development rather than completely belonging to Eric. While there were ways to transfer some of those funds, doing so carried legal risks. It certainly paled against the safety of simply offloading personal shares.

Cash out, cash out, cash out...

Eric repeated the word in his mind, suddenly realizing that he wasn't lacking in money anymore -- no matter how much he cashed out, it would still go towards investment.

This sudden clarity brought Eric a sense of enlightenment. He turned to Chris and said, "Let's do it this way; we'll delay the IPO plan, but in any case, we'll aim to complete the IPO before our contract with Microsoft goes into effect."

"Of course," Chris chuckled, relieved, that if Eric had insisted otherwise, he wouldn't have known how to persuade him. "Speaking of which, Microsoft's Windows 95 is set to launch in August. I assume you've already started using this system, right? Microsoft's stock has been on the rise lately; the market seems very optimistic about this new operating system."

While Microsoft confirmed that Windows 95 would launch in late August, several testing versions had already been released, and piracy of copies had spread widely outside the U.S.

Eric most certainly used this now-familiar operating system, stating, "I feel this system could allow Microsoft to monopolize the operating system market, which likely means we're going to be butting heads with them in the coming years. Microsoft has firmly established its dominance in the operating system market. They will undoubtedly look to penetrate the Internet market now. I can't even confirm whether Bill Gates might forcibly tear up our agreement; after all, Microsoft may not want to wait until 1999."

"I feel Microsoft has already begun to show signs of restlessness," Chris replied with a smile. "Steve called me a few days ago, mentioning that Microsoft had reached out to him, hoping he would leave Yahoo to join their upcoming Internet division."

The Steve Chris referred to was Steve Mitnick, who was responsible for Yahoo's technical department and a good friend of Chris from college. In Eric's view, of Yahoo's top management -- Ian Gurner, Jeff Locke, Steve Mitnick, and Tina Brown -- Steve Mitnick was the most critical for Yahoo because he oversaw the core technical RD for most of Yahoo's major Internet products. If he were poached, Yahoo would undoubtedly face a protracted period of turmoil.

Thus, this news shocked Eric, leading him to instinctively ask, "Really?"

Chris nodded. Seeing Eric's worried expression, he added with a smile, "But you really don't have to worry. I know Steve's character very well. Since he called me, he surely isn't going to leave Yahoo."

Eric couldn't completely set his worries aside, asking, "What about the others?"

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 719: Misleading the Entire Industry]

Chris had it a lot easier than Eric. He remarked, "Based on the initial assessment, Ian and Steve will receive 3 million shares each, Jeff Locke will get 2 million shares, and Tina Brown will receive 1 million shares. According to Wall Street's current valuation of Yahoo at 5 billion dollars, with this stock incentive plan, they're set to jump straight into the 100-millionaire club. The likelihood of the four of them leaving is very low. Besides them, a significant group of mid-level managers and exceptional employees will also receive stock options ranging from a maximum of 200,000 to a minimum of 10,000 shares. There might be some losses from this group being poached for high salaries, but it won't have a major impact on Yahoo."

Yahoo's total stock was around 100 million shares, and based on Wall Street's valuation of 5 billion dollars, the share price equated to 50 dollars. After implementing this stock incentive plan, Yahoo would instantly create dozens of millionaires internally.

The challenge for competing portal sites was minimal. To maintain a long-term lead would require massive investments in tech RD to build patent barriers and an effort to prevent core employee turnover as much as possible. This was the primary reason Eric had formulated the stock incentive plan in the first place. If they failed to keep these strong managers and exceptional employees, those who had accumulated valuable experience at Yahoo could easily replicate the Yahoo model with the support of competitors once they left.

While Chris wasn't overly worried about Microsoft's attempts to poach talent, Eric held a different view. It was clear Microsoft was aware of Yahoo's stock incentive plan yet still chose to probe Steve Mitnick. This indicated they were prepared to make a greater sacrifice.

The final details of the stock incentive plan wouldn't be settled until the end of July, but there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world. These shares rewarded Yahoo's management for their work over the past years but also meant that the employees accepting the rewards would be tightly bound to the company.

According to the initial agreement, if employees who accepted the stock rewards chose to resign within five years, Yahoo would forcibly buy back their shares at the original grant price. The resigners would also be restricted from engaging in any internet-related jobs during the subsequent five years, or face huge penalties. Given the rapid advancement of the internet industry, being away from it for five years would almost guarantee being eliminated.

Eric believed July would be a significant turning point for Yahoo. The internet industry was just beginning to rise, with countless opportunities for overnight success. Thus, before the official implementation of the stock incentive plan at the end of July, he knew some Yahoo employees would be tempted by more lucrative offers and might decide to forfeit their valuable stock options in favor of joining other companies or even starting their own ventures.

After thinking for a moment, Eric slowly realized that while he couldn't stop employee attrition, he could leverage Yahoo's leading position in the industry to manipulate events. After all, Yahoo was already a benchmark for many emerging internet companies. Some of Yahoo's internet products had already attracted imitators, but no one had yet posed a credible threat to Yahoo's market position.

Since every move Yahoo made would be analyzed and imitated, it could potentially mislead the newcomers into a different path. The portal site model couldn't last forever, but like the forthcoming internet bubble of the next few years, Yahoo could excessively package the portal model on the surface, painting a much brighter future than its actual potential, thus distracting their major competitors into focusing solely on the portal business. In private, Yahoo could pursue the correct path, as numerous historical examples had proven that a giant company's rapid rise and fall hinged more on strategy than on funding or technology.

If they couldn't tread the right path, then even burning through 10 billion dollars yearly would be futile. Nokia had encountered a similar fate when they were dethroned by Apple in the smartphone market; their investment in RD still far exceeded Apple's that year, yet they ultimately had to exit the market in failure.

Having outlined his primary thoughts, Eric said, "Let's talk about the plan I just thought of. Isn't Boston planning to hold a Yahoo Tech Alliance and Advertising Alliance conference? I've decided to move that up to early July and to make it as extravagant as possible. We'll also hold a Yahoo product launch during that time and promote our soon-to-be-released YahooPay payment tools and other products via television broadcast."

"Eric, I'm not too sure about that. Yahoo is already under the lens of so many people. If we make a big splash, it could be detrimental for us. Why would we do that?"

"Because," Eric said with a sly smile, "I want to mislead the entire industry."

Chris was about to continue questioning him when there was a knock on the study door. Joanna walked in and, noticing Eric's peculiar grin, remarked, "What sneaky scheme are you plotting now?"

Eric wiped his expression clean, shook his head seriously, and replied, "Nothing. Chris and I are just discussing a charity plan to donate some money to African buffaloes, trying to help control their population. Managing millions of them migrating every year can be quite an operation."

Joanna rolled her eyes gently, knowing Eric was joking. "Alright, we can talk more about this later. It's time to eat."

As Joanna left, Chris couldn't help but chuckle, "African buffaloes? How did you jump from the internet to this?"

"Elia hid the remote last night, and we were forced to watch an hour-long documentary on the African savanna," Eric laughed, getting up. "Let's head to dinner and we can discuss what we were just talking about afterward."

Chris stood up too, laughing, "Elia is so smart. She'll definitely be just as outstanding as you in the future."

"Too outstanding can be a problem," Eric replied, gesturing around their villa. "Her starting point in life is higher than any child in the world. I worry that little lady might have no dreams and might want to rule the world or something."

"Haha."

...

The two laughed as they walked out of the study. As they entered the living room, they saw little Hawaii running in, the sound of her small boots pattering on the floor, her eyes wide open, her face displaying an unusual mix of excitement and anxiety. Spotting Eric, she immediately rushed into his arms.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" Eric asked, stopping in his tracks and embracing Hawaii, who clung to him like a sloth. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, he remembered the expression on Hawaii's face and immediately looked toward the door.

Chris was puzzled, thinking it was the first time he had seen such a rich array of emotions on Hawaii's face.

Before she could answer, a voice echoed from outside, "Hey, Elia, why do you run away when you see Aunt Drew? You've made me so sad that I won't read you bedtime stories anymore!"

Right after that voice, a girl in a light yellow coat entered, rushing to Eric, giving him a warm hug before planting a kiss on Hawaii's cheek before she turned to greet Chris.

Everyone opted for a BBQ lunch that day, and the smell of grilled meat wafted through the living room. Eric picked up Hawaii and continued outside, saying to the girl following them, "You've now become Elia's nemesis. No more reading her scary stories, alright?"

Despite saying that, his tone carried little about holding her accountable.

With Hawaii's exceptional intelligence, both he and Joanna worried she might only focus on logic and miss out on emotions. The girl's earlier mischievous act had added a touch of normal childhood emotions to Hawaii, and Eric knew the girl would never genuinely harm his daughter, so once recognizing this matter, he didn't think much of it.

The girl made a silly face towards Hawaii, who turned her head to bury it in Eric's shoulder, giggling before linking arms with Eric and saying, "By the way, Hanks is also in New York. He didn't come over, but he asked me to send his regards."

...

While Eric was busy investing in Sprint, the summer blockbuster season in North America had silently begun, with the big opening film being Fox's Die Hard with a Vengeance set to premiere on May 19.

This sequel had cost Fox 90 million dollars, but audience reactions during the test screenings hadn't been great. With the formidable competition posed by blockbusters like Jurassic Park 2 and Batman Forever, hopes for box office success in North America looked grim. Luckily, Bruce Willis, along with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone, retained strong box office appeal internationally, which led Fox to decide to move up the North American release of Die Hard to align with the summer blockbusters.

Die Hard with a Vengeance indeed did not live up to expectations, taking only 29 million dollars during its opening week. Given its 90 million budget, this performance was nothing short of disastrous, and Fox was already certain they would shelve the series for the long run.

Yesterday, May 26, marked the second week of the summer season with Warner's Fair Game -- a film Eric had had a hand in -- debuting. This action movie had a budget of 50 million dollars and had replaced Cindy Crawford with Claudia Schiffer as the female lead. Rumors indicated significant changes to the script, but Eric had yet to follow up on box office information to see how it had performed.

Forrest Gump was slated for June 9, and Eric had entrusted its distribution to Flower Films, with Drew traveling to New York to lead the promotional tour, which, in terms familiar to Eric's previous life, was akin to a road show.

...

"Be sure to say hi for me," Eric said as they walked out of the villa, handing Hawaii over to Joanna before rolling up his sleeves to help with the grilling, turning to the girl beside him. "When are you all leaving New York?"

"Hanks is recording The Late Show today. We leave for Washington tomorrow, then Miami, and then back to the West Coast starting from Seattle," she explained, standing beside Eric grilling a skewer of chicken wings. "By the way, Amy heard that Kirk Kerkorian has started negotiating with MGM again. One of her friends saw Kerkorian with Frank Mancuso at a party last week."

Eric paused for a moment while flipping the meat before shaking his head and smiling. "Let's eat first. Don't worry about him. I'll call Frank Mancuso tonight. You guys just focus on distributing Forrest Gump."

"Sure," the girl nodded, just giving Eric a reminder. As long as he was aware of it, she wouldn't need to worry about it more.

For MGM right now, aside from the 007 franchise, other profitable series like Charlie's Angels and Resident Evil were under Eric's supervision. The rights for the upcoming summer release of Night at the Museum also rested with Flower Films. Without Eric's approval, no chance that the bank would sell MGM for a good price.

As for Kirk Kerkorian, Eric wasn't about to let him stir up trouble in Hollywood again.

...

After lunch, Eric and Chris discussed in detail the plan to mislead competitors using Yahoo.

The current internet environment belonged to what future generations referred to as Internet 1.0. During this time, users were just beginning to engage with the web, filled with confusion and curiosity about everything online. This made portals, who acted as content guides, seem like they had significant potential on the surface. However, this period was merely the initial phase of users' understanding of the internet, and as they became more familiar with the online landscape, the allure of portals, which could essentially provide only tailored content, was bound to weaken significantly as users began to desire personalized experiences.

Thus, as internet content accumulated during the 1.0 era and became richer, the dawn of the 2.0 era unfolded, marked by services catering to users' unique needs. While portals hadn't been entirely eradicated, they had become less relevant as search engines catering to information retrieval and blogs satisfying social needs started to thrive.

What Eric aimed to do was leverage the resources and advantages of Firefly Group and Yahoo's media presence to amplify the public perception of the portal model's potential. He intended to keep their main competitors' focus drawn to the portal business for as long as possible.

In the meantime, he would work to maintain Yahoo's industry advantage in the portal space throughout the 1.0 era while preparing for the transition to 2.0.

Yahoo had temporarily shelved its IPO plans, necessitating no public disclosures of any details for the coming years, thus rendering this plan quite feasible.

In this grand inflation of the bubble, even if some individuals managed to stay clear-headed, unless Eric found himself unlucky enough to run into a persistent opponent like Microsoft, Yahoo had enough strength to either win over those clear-headed individuals or obliterate them.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 720: Tenfold]

Over the weekend, Eric and Chris discussed in detail the prospects for expanding the portal site's development. On Monday, they held a conference call at the Firefly Investment headquarters about the partnership between Nokia and Qualcomm, after which Chris headed to Boston to set plans in motion.

It was May 29, and the release date for Firefly's first summer blockbuster, Jurassic Park 2, was set for June 2. Eric only needed to make it back to Los Angeles in time for the premiere, so he could linger a few more days in New York.

May was the prime month for television series pitching and ordering, with countless producers and networks converging in New York to promote or buy new shows for the upcoming year. Firefly boasted three flagship series: Survivor, ER, and Friends. Therefore, the selection of new shows was a calmer process for them. The television department focused much of its energy on the soon-to-expand Lifetime network. Aside from the upcoming productions of America's Next Top Model and Project Runway, the Lifetime network had also ordered a quality workplace drama focused on women and several TV movies during May's pitch meetings, reworking its program lineup according to the series release plan.

...

Eric's main focus remained on the two reality shows, America's Next Top Model and Project Runway. The two shows had been in preparation for a month and a half. In April, Cindy Crawford and Linda Evangelista, with help from the producers of Survivor, came up with a detailed production plan. Throughout May, the two had been busy with the pre-production and selection of contestants, and now all preparations were nearing completion.

"This is the official competition venue. According to the script, I'll announce the competition details here at the start of each episode, and in the latter half, the contestants will showcase their creations in this spot. The designers will sit in the chairs you're in, alongside the judges, to enjoy the fashion show presented by the models. Additionally, there are rest areas behind that can provide some footage of contestants preparing for the competition and waiting for results..."

In an ABC studio in New York, a simple fashion show set was built, but without an audience, just a tiny runway with a few chairs on either side. Linda Evangelista stood on the stage, demonstrating the show's format to Eric and the others seated below. This was Eric's last task in New York; once confirmed, he would return to Los Angeles.

After a few minutes of explanation, Linda looked at the audience below, waiting for Eric to make a decision. Eric was flanked by Emily Brighton and Anne Sweeney, along with a handful of other assistants. Cindy Crawford sat beside Emily. A few special judges and producers responsible for Project Runway were seated at the evaluation table on the opposite side.

LTD planned to sponsor these two reality shows, securing a portion of ad placements. Anne Sweeney, the president of AE, was about thirty-five with brown hair. Initially responsible for Disney Television, Sweeney had been moved to this post after confirming Lifetime's expansion plans by Katzenberg, who believed a woman could better capture the essence of a female network. Of course, everyone understood the underlying motivations behind such a decision.

Eric had been following up on this matter since the preliminary production proposal was put forth at the end of April. Now, he was only conducting final checks to ensure every detail was flawless, so there were no major issues.

He whispered to Anne Sweeney and Emily before looking up at Linda Evangelista. "Linda, is that runway made of wood?"

Linda hesitated for a moment, lightly tapping her high-heeled boot on the runway, producing a thud against the wood. "Yeah," she replied with a nod.

Eric pointed to the screen at the start of the runway. "Why don't you walk down it so I can see?"

Linda was puzzled but complied, strutting out from behind the screen.

A series of dull thuds echoed in the room.

Before Linda finished her walk, everyone noticed the problem. The sound of leather boots hitting the wooden catwalk is almost the same as the noise. If the audience abruptly heard those sounds during the program, it would surely take them out of the experience.

Upon reaching the end of the runway, Linda reluctantly took a few cautious steps back. Embarrassed, she said, "Eric, I didn't think of this. We'll get that runway replaced quickly."

Eric nodded and turned to Emily and Anne. "I'm good on my end. How about you?"

Emily shook her head, noting she was primarily there to observe the details of the ad placements for LTD's products and felt it wasn't her place to get involved in the show's production.

Anne Sweeney did have a few more questions. It wasn't until Linda started to look overwhelmed that she finally relented because of Eric's presence.

This executive, who had switched from Fox to ABC a few years back, was ambitious. She wanted to leverage the Lifetime network to achieve a significant outcome, aspiring to reach the heights of women in Hollywood like Sherry Lansing and Amy Pascal.

The previous president of AE was from Hearst, and after gaining control, Katzenberg adjusted the position, reasoning that a woman could better grasp the essence of a female-targeted network. Eric privately supported this decision, even though he didn't have much information on Anne. But he vaguely remembered that she had had a hand in a very famous series called Desperate Housewives. From this perspective, she certainly had much in common with Amy Pascal, who had a penchant for women-centered films. It made perfect sense to place her in charge of Lifetime.

Using the entire morning, the group toured several key filming locations for Project Runway and listened to Linda explain the entire process. The afternoon activities would certainly focus on America's Next Top Model.

Both reality shows chose Manhattan's Midtown as their main filming area, with the contestants' apartments just a street apart. So, the walk-through didn't require much effort.

...

By 5:30 PM, after finishing up all the work, Emily, Anne, and the others wrapped up for the day and headed home. However, Eric was intercepted by Cindy Crawford.

"Eric, are you free for dinner tonight? Let's eat together," Cindy said, already stepping forward to affectionately link her arm with his.

Linda Evangelista emerged from a makeup room with her belongings just as this scene unfolded. She smirked slightly and approached Eric, teasingly chiming in, "Eric, since we're having dinner, why don't I join too?"

Eric joked, "If I take you both to dinner, someone will surely try to kill me with their eyes."

"Then come to my place. I cook pretty well, and we can continue discussing America's Next Top Model. I think there are many places I could improve," Cindy said, throwing a threatening glance at Linda out of Eric's sight, warning her not to cause mischief.

Linda initially intended to tease Eric but felt annoyed by Cindy's glance, which inadvertently seemed provocative. Boldly, she took Eric's other arm, saying, "Then let's go to Cindy's! We haven't hung out in ages."

Cindy couldn't hold back any longer and lightly pinched Linda under her ribcage from behind Eric.

"Ouch, that hurts!" Linda exclaimed, tears welling up, looking at Eric with a pout. "Eric, Cindy pinched me."

It took two hours to drive from Manhattan to East Hampton, but Eric intended to stay in town. With the ladies inviting him, he graciously agreed, wrapping his arm around Linda's waist and comforting her as he said, "Alright, we'll go to Cindy's. If you're going, we can eat what she cooks. If not, then next time I'm in New York, I'll invite you for dinner."

"Okay, I'll do as you say," Linda replied in a playful voice, which wasn't exactly baby-like but a bit raspy, carrying a youthful innocence that felt just right.

Seeing Linda's response, Cindy could only give her a pointed look, with no way to counter Eric's decision.

...

They went downstairs to the parking garage and squeezed into Cindy's car. Though her apartment in the Upper East Hydee wasn't far, it was rush hour, likely making the drive around ten minutes.

Aware that her plans might be disrupted by Linda, Cindy quickly shifted the conversation back to America's Next Top Model. While driving, she asked Eric, "So, Eric, how do you think we're doing with preparations?"

"Everything's great! I'm really looking forward to seeing what you both come up with," Eric replied simply, feeling worn out from the day, not in the mood for anything too in-depth. In truth, he had already formed a comprehensive assessment of the two shows throughout the monitoring process.

Cindy, in charge of America's Next Top Model, had a rather imaginative show format filled with creative details. It emphasized the host's interaction with the contestants, and she herself had a significant presence on-screen. In contrast, Project Runway's format was more fixed, each episode lasting 43 minutes, structured in several set modules that focused on showcasing the contestants' skills.

Eric was generally quite satisfied with their work and couldn't say one was better than the other; plus, he preferred they didn't mirror each other's formats too closely.

Linda leaned in to listen, and remembering something else, she asked, "Eric, I heard Survivor's second season just wrapped up, and I heard the season finale's viewership climbed to 50 million! How much do you think ABC is making off that?"

Eric shook his head and chuckled, "That's company confidential, so I can't share that with you. However, if your shows can reach even a tenth of Survivor's success, it would be enough to fill your wallets."

To be honest, Eric wasn't too clear on the specific revenue from Survivor's second season either. Having just concluded, only preliminary ad revenue data was available so far. According to ABC's statistics, the average ad revenue per episode for Survivor's second season had already hit $27 million, with total ad revenues exceeding $350 million. The production cost for each episode was only around $5 million, and thanks to post-production video distribution and share in syndication, Firefly could expect to gain at least a tenfold return.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 721: What Are We Going to Buy?]

Early in the morning, in a high-rise apartment in Manhattan's Upper East Hydee by the East River.

Linda Evangelista stood leisurely at the kitchen counter, slicing an apple. She wore only a tight black tank top and denim shorts, with a Walkman clipped to her waist. Her tall, slender body gently swayed to the music coming from the headphones, occasionally humming a few notes. She seemed to be in a great mood.

After finishing her apple, as she turned to grab some salad dressing from the fridge, she noticed Cindy Crawford, who had somehow appeared in the kitchen doorway, casually leaning against the door frame. With her thick brown hair cascading down and her mysterious gaze, she looked like a witch.

"Oh, you startled me," Linda said, instinctively stepping back and leaning against the fridge. After a moment of panic, she quickly pretended to be calm, took off her headphones, and laughed awkwardly, saying, "Good morning, Cindy."

Cindy Crawford crossed her arms and scrutinized Linda from head to toe, speaking in a haunting tone, "That's my tank top."

"Ah, ha, we have the same figure, hehe, it really suits me," Linda replied.

Cindy's gaze shifted down. "And my shorts."

Linda waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, I'm a little heavier, but it's fine."

"And my Walkman."

Linda felt as if Cindy was like a mother leopard ready to pounce, and she instinctively pulled her neck back, saying, "You, you can't be that stingy. Next time you come over to my place, feel free to use my things."

Cindy smirked, straightening up and walking into the kitchen. Linda realized this was a bad situation; just as she was about to dodge, Cindy pressed her against the fridge. Though they had similar body types, Cindy's strength far exceeded Linda's due to her regular fitness routine. Linda tried to push away but found it futile.

"I don't care about those things," Cindy said, staring at Linda. "But why do you have to mess things up for me?"

"I, I," Linda stuttered. "I, I'm just looking out for you. We did drink last night, you know. I heard that babies conceived after a night of drinking have a high chance of being... well, let's say, not very bright."

Cindy picked up a small pot used for warming milk and waved it threateningly. "Do you believe I could turn you into an idiot right now? You were clearly trying to stir up trouble last night."

"I wasn't!" Linda retorted, though her gaze dropped nervously, shifting slightly to the pot Cindy was waving.

For some reason, the initial fear of Cindy transforming into a dark queen faded as Linda saw the pot, and she couldn't help but start to laugh.

"Haha..."

Cindy tightened her grip, growing angrier. "You still dare to laugh?"

After laughing, Linda gained a bit more courage. "Cindy, let me go! If Eric wakes up, I can't guarantee he won't say something!"

Cindy's arm slightly loosened but then tightened again as she waved the small pot. "I don't care whether you want to eat or not, but if you dare break this pot, I'll make sure you regret it."

"Alright, alright! I won't say anything," Linda pleaded, putting her hands together as a gesture of surrender. She didn't want to really provoke Cindy. A whack from that small pot would certainly hurt.

Seeing her relent, Cindy loosened her grip.

Once Cindy let go, Linda rubbed her chest and sniffed, teasing Cindy with a grin. "I think what you really need right now is to brush your teeth."

Cindy felt the small ember of anger inside her flare up again at Linda's words, recalling the moment from last night when her so-called friend had grabbed her by the back of her head right when it mattered most. If it hadn't been for Linda, she might have succeeded.

"Yeah, but before brushing, I think we should get close like best friends do," Cindy said, tossing the small pot aside and moving forward, swiftly cupping Linda's head to prevent her from escaping.

Linda realized what Cindy intended to do and struggled. "What are you doing? Stop, Cindy! I'm sorry, I... mmm..."

...

Eric had just walked out of the bedroom when he heard the muffled sounds of a struggle from the kitchen. He hurried toward the noise and happened to catch the scene of Linda being kissed against the fridge by Cindy.

After a moment of watching, Eric chuckled, saying, "Hey, girls, don't you think this is a bit of a waste of resources?"

Cindy noticed Eric's voice and released Linda, who quickly spat into the sink before rushing out of the kitchen and heading for the bathroom.

Cindy tidied her disheveled hair in just a couple of movements, restoring her glamorous appearance, then turned to Eric with a seductive smile. "Good morning, Eric."

"Morning," Eric replied, indicating the door through which Linda had disappeared. "What were you two doing?"

"Oh, she wanted to try the taste of yogurt," Cindy casually shrugged, suddenly realizing something and dashed out of the kitchen, shouting, "Hey, Linda, I have spare dental supplies! You're not allowed to use my toothbrush!"

After all the fuss, breakfast was finally ready, and it was already nine o'clock.

...

Eric set his milk and plate down at the table, spreading out that day's newspaper. He ate breakfast while reading.

A few minutes later, Cindy and Linda entered with their meager breakfasts. They had taken a while in the bathroom, and by the time they emerged, Eric had already brushed his teeth and started preparing his breakfast.

As Linda sat down, she realized she still had the Walkman clipped to her waist. She took it off and placed it on the table, picking up her utensils to dig into the fruit salad on her plate. Noticing Eric's newspaper, she curiously asked, "Eric, what are you reading?"

"Last week's box office stats," Eric answered casually.

"Oh, that reminds me!" Linda suddenly perked up, glancing at Cindy. "Fair Game came out last Friday -- did it make it to the top of the box office?"

Cindy's complex gaze turned to Eric, who looked at her and shook his head. "Nope, the top spot went to Universal's Casper."

"Oh, so it must be second, then?" Linda quickly asked, her eyes glinting with mischief as she looked at Cindy.

Eric shook his head again. "Second was Fox's Die Hard with a Vengeance."

"Ah, then... never mind. I'll just check for myself," Linda said, shaking her head as she reached for the newspaper, flipping through the striking chart on the entertainment page, and gasped. "Wow, how could it be so low? Just $6.8 million, and it's ranked sixth? It's a new release!"

"No one ever said audiences had to like new releases," Eric noted, catching Cindy's glance while he spoke to Linda, inadvertently catching sight of the Walkman Linda had set on the table. His eyes fixed on it, and he reached over to pick up the sleek black music player, stroking it in his hands.

At the mention of Fair Game, Cindy felt a rush of anxiety. The lead role should have been hers, and if the film were successful, it would have meant a big step into leading-lady status in Hollywood. But upon hearing Linda mention the box office figures, she finally felt relief.

$6.8 million for the opening weekend and ranked sixth certainly didn't spell success for the film.

Taking a quiet breath, Cindy looked up to see Eric pondering the Walkman, a peculiar expression on his face, making her a bit confused. She asked the question that had been nagging at her, "Eric, did you know this film was going to fail from the start?"

Eric continued to examine the Walkman, shaking his head as he casually replied, "I'm not that clairvoyant. Joel Silver told me about the project, and I thought the script had real issues. I heard they made significant adjustments after that, so the current result really has nothing to do with me."

"Impossible! Claudia Schiffer is the lead!" Linda chimed in. "I heard you helped her secure the role!"

Eric replied, "Claudia doesn't need my help to get roles. The offer from Warner was just too appealing."

"Now that sounds terrible; the production cost is $50 million!" Linda continued. "With only $6.8 million for the opening weekend, what do you think the final box office will be?"

"About $30 million, probably, which isn't too disastrous. They might even break even in post-release. But next week, Jurassic Park 2 is coming out, and most other films will be wiped off the map."

Eric spoke as if it were a foregone conclusion, and neither woman questioned Jurassic Park 2's potential to dominate the box office. Cindy was still a bit caught up in her feelings about the film, pressing, "Eric, why do you think this one failed?"

Eric answered, "I just skimmed some reviews. Primarily, it's due to the film's low storytelling quality. While Joel Silver made adjustments to the script, that issue stems from production, as the director wasted too much time on the early setup. When the story finally turned, it rushed to an end. It seems this was restricted by the budget, and the director couldn't shoot what they wanted to."

Though he hadn't seen the actual film, Eric could roughly guess that the issues were similar to Michael Bay's box office flop, The Island, evoking a feeling of having not even begun before it ended. One major pitfall of the North American film industry was that, in most cases, if a film truly stank, audiences wouldn't be swayed to see it just because of its big budget or big stars.

Cindy felt relief that she had dodged a bullet; even if she had starred in this film, the failure wouldn't have been her fault, but her stint in Hollywood would have surely ended before it even began.

Yet she felt a twinge of envy; if she had starred in this film, her burgeoning acting career might have been ruined, while Claudia Schiffer would undoubtedly come out unscathed. With the resources Eric had, getting Claudia a lead role in any major production would effortlessly restore her fame.

Casually munching on her breakfast, Cindy noticed that Eric was still toying with the Walkman and curiously asked, "Eric, is there something wrong with that portable music player?"

"No, it's perfect; it's a real work of art."

"Then you..."

"I suddenly thought of something," Eric mumbled, glancing up at the two women. "What are you two planning to do after breakfast?"

Cindy replied, "My team and I are heading to the Hudson River for a shoot, preparing to record some VCRs for the contestants."

"I don't have much work today; the production crew needs to buy some props, and I don't have to be there. Well, I could go swap out that runway piece from yesterday," Linda Evangelista said, suddenly realizing something. She turned to Eric and asked, "Eric, is there anything we can help you with?"

"Come shopping with me," Eric reluctantly put down the Walkman, smiling. "I suddenly want to see if I can buy some things. Of course, if you want to personally swap that runway piece, then forget it."

"Ah, no need for that! For something so small, let others do it!" Linda quickly shook her head, tossing a triumphant glance at Cindy.

Cindy felt a bit bothered; having already told them she had work today, she felt she couldn't slack off in front of the boss. With some reluctance, she asked, "Eric, are you coming by tonight?"

"Depends on how things go. I'm not returning to Los Angeles until the day after tomorrow. If there's nothing else, I might come over tonight," Eric replied uncertainly.

After finishing breakfast, Cindy hurried off to work.

Eric had been delayed for half an hour because of Linda Evangelista, who had put on makeup that made him hardly recognize her. After another half hour of her applying more cosmetics, they finally left the apartment.

Eric's car was parked outside the apartment, and as they got in, Linda Evangelista suddenly remembered to ask, "Eric, what are we going to buy?"

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 722: Can I Take a Look Inside?]

"I don't know what to buy, let's wait until we get there," Eric said, running his fingers through his tousled hair, which Linda Evangelista had intentionally messed up. He asked the driver in the front seat, "Is there a Best Buy around here?"

Carter Moen had recently taken some time off, so the driver was another bodyguard from Eric's security team, coincidentally a New Yorker. Upon seeing Eric's drastically altered appearance, the driver initially questioned whether his employer had been replaced. Hearing him speak confirmed his identity as he replied, "There's one on Fifth Avenue, right by Bryant Park."

"Let's go there," Eric nodded and instructed the driver to head out.

Best Buy was the largest electronics retail chain in the United States, and Linda recalled the Walkman that Eric had fidgeted with during breakfast. She knew it likely had something to do with this trip.

It was past business hours, and the roads were surprisingly clear. The sedan made it from the Upper East Hydee to the Best Buy near Bryant Park in under ten minutes.

Eric and Linda got out of the car. Since there was no parking nearby, he told the driver to leave.

It was a workday during business hours, so there weren't many pedestrians on Fifth Avenue. However, once the sedan drove off, the two of them caught a few curious glances from passersby. It wasn't that anyone recognized Eric and Linda; Eric didn't even recognize himself thanks to Linda's remarkable makeup skills. The main reason for the attention was the stark contrast in their appearances.

Eric's hair was a mess, and although his face had been handsome once, Linda's touch made him look young and ordinary. At just twenty-five, he appeared more like he was in his early twenties. Today, he wore a slightly wrinkled light gray shirt, giving him the look of a disheveled college student.

In stark contrast, Linda had her hair styled into an elegant bun, wearing large sunglasses and sporting striking red lips that made her radiate glamour. Her black knee-length dress hugged her curvaceous figure perfectly, and she carried a Prada handbag, draped with a decorative fur shrug that added a touch of aristocracy. More importantly, she was wearing high heels, which accentuated her already tall stature, making Eric appear almost like a lackey carrying her bags.

Noticing the somewhat envious yet disdainful gazes from people around them, Eric chuckled at Linda's mischievous expression and said, "You seem pretty pleased with yourself right now."

Linda thought Eric was upset and quickly linked her arm through his, laughing, "Ah, I want that kind of makeup too, but I just can't pull it off!"

Eric didn't buy her excuse but shrugged it off. Having gone through two lives and reaching the current position he had, outside opinions didn't bother him much anymore.

Allowing Linda to hang onto his arm, Eric pushed through the glass doors of Best Buy. Inside, the spacious layout was filled with large home appliances. After glancing at the store directory, he led Linda inward while saying, "You know, our situation is quite fitting with a certain trend from the European court days."

Linda, like Eric, ignored the looks from others and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Back in those days, wealthy European dames often kept talented young men as lovers, and those young men enjoyed living off their riches."

Linda laughed, "I've never heard of that; you must be making it up!"

"Not at all; many historical figures benefited from this arrangement."

Still skeptical, Linda asked, "Who specifically?"

Eric thought for a moment and replied, "Rousseau."

Linda nodded, "I think I've heard that name."

"Balzac."

Her eyes widened under her sunglasses, "Wow, really?"

Eric nodded, "And Tchaikovsky."

Linda's mouth dropped in disbelief, but then she suddenly seemed to be 'in character', dramatically waving her Prada handbag and declared, "Little Eric, pick out whatever you want; I'll buy it for you."

"..."

Linda seemed a bit too excited and momentarily forgot to keep her voice low. A few other customers and staff in the store had already noticed the mismatched couple, and her words drew another wave of condescending glances toward Eric.

As they walked through the appliance area, Eric spotted the Apple brand display and led Linda over.

After browsing, Eric found himself uninterested in Apple's retro Macintosh computers and PowerBook notebooks. His current laptop was an IBM ThinkPad, and without Steve Jobs, Apple's product designs looked pretty shabby.

However, a small tablet-like device caught Eric's attention.

He gestured for the cashier, who had been shooting Linda judgmental glances, to retrieve the tablet from behind the counter. Eric examined it, and upon seeing the "on" label, he recalled that it must be Apple's early Newton tablet.

The cashier, seeing Eric clumsily fiddling with the tablet and poking at the screen, couldn't hide his contempt. He was annoyed that Eric had a stunning beauty like Linda on his arm. After watching Eric futilely poke the screen with his finger for a moment, he finally handed him a stylus, saying stiffly, "Sir, this tablet requires a stylus for use."

"Oh, I completely forgot about that," Eric mumbled, taking the stylus, and this time he was able to use it without any trouble.

"This is Apple's latest Newton MP110 series, featuring advanced handwriting recognition, great for high-end businesspeople. It's priced at $799," the cashier emphasized the price, aware that for most average people, $799 was pretty steep, especially for such a basic device, which could even be deemed luxury given its meager capabilities. To his disappointment, Eric showed no reaction at all.

Linda, concealed behind her sunglasses, raised an eyebrow and wore a mischievous grin.

After trying out the tablet's notepad, memo, and calendar features, Eric finally looked up at the cashier and asked, "What material is the screen made of?"

"What?" the cashier looked taken aback.

"I mean, is the touchscreen made from STN or TFT?"

The cashier finally understood but was unable to answer. Noticing Linda's smirk, he felt even more flustered. "I'm not quite sure about that."

Eric asked again, "What type of battery does it use?"

The cashier was clearer on this: "It uses the latest lithium-ion battery developed by Sony, with a capacity over twice that of the standard nickel-metal hydride battery."

"Oh," Eric nodded before continuing, "What's the storage capacity and what type of storage chip does it use?"

The cashier was left speechless, caught off guard. He sensed Eric was just trying to make him squirm and, feeling embarrassed, replied angrily, "Sir, I'm just a salesperson, not an engineer. Please don't cause a scene."

Before Eric could interject, Linda was unwilling to let that slide. "Hey, if you don't know anything about the product, why are you even working as a salesperson? And with that attitude? Be careful, or I'm going to file a complaint!"

The cashier adopted a dismissive demeanor. "Lady, please don't wave your phony Prada around in front of me. My girlfriend has one just like it, bought from a proper retailer. Yours looks like a fake. I suspect you two are scammers, and if you keep causing a ruckus, I'll call security."

Linda's handbag was an internal limited edition model, vastly different from the regular styles sold in shops. It caught her off-guard to be accused of having a counterfeit. She turned to Eric, her expression one of helplessness.

Eric shrugged slightly, not wishing to escalate the situation. As he was about to lead Linda away, a middle-aged white man wearing glasses hurried over, asking the cashier, "Jack, what's going on here?"

"They..." the cashier named Jack started to whine in a low voice.

After hearing him out, the middle-aged man waved him off and turned to speak with Eric and Linda. However, when he got a good look at Eric, his eyes narrowed in scrutiny. Unable to confirm but instinctively feeling cautious, he said, "Sir, I'm the manager here, Ritter Jackman. You can call me Ritter. May I assist you?"

"Sure," Eric replied with a smile, moving closer to the counter again and resuming his inquiry about the Newton tablet.

Ritter Jackman differed from the earlier cashier; he was knowledgeable and replied with a smile, "This tablet utilizes the latest TFT LCD screen, with 1MB memory and 4MB storage, employing Toshiba's flash memory chip."

"Do you have other electronics here that use flash technology?"

"Absolutely, our phones, digital cameras, and computers all incorporate that technology."

Eric continued asking, "What's the maximum storage capacity for these types of chips?"

Ritter Jackman thought for a moment and said, "The largest capacity would belong to the CF memory card developed by SanDisk. This product was launched last year and is primarily used in digital cameras, with a maximum capacity of 16MB. If you're interested, I can show you."

Sixteen megabytes was barely enough to store four MP3 tracks. Eric felt disappointed but decided to check it out anyway. "Let's go take a look. Also, prepare five of those tablets for me; I'll take them with me."

Linda asked, puzzled, "Eric, why are you buying so many?"

Eric smiled, "Gifts."

Linda still didn't quite get it, but Ritter Jackman raised an eyebrow, sensing that although this couple appeared mismatched, they weren't what they seemed. His suspicions were further confirmed.

He instructed the cashier at the counter to prepare the items for Eric while Ritter Jackman patiently led Eric toward the digital camera section with his ever-present smile.

At another counter, Ritter Jackman handed Eric a storage card no larger than a postage stamp. "Sir, this is the CF card, with 16MB storage, capable of holding up to 100 pictures. Do you need me to demonstrate it with a digital camera?"

Eric examined the card, then shook his head, "No need; it's too large for such small capacity."

Ritter Jackman remained unfazed, smiling, "Sir, this is the current technological limit. Five years ago, when flash chips first appeared, they only had 1MB of storage. Larger capacities are only achievable with hard drives."

"Oh," Eric's tone rose slightly as he suddenly recalled, "Are there hard drives that match the size of this CF card?"

"Can't say I've seen one," Ritter Jackman shook his head. "The smallest hard drive right now is Toshiba's 1.8-inch model, used in their portable handheld computers."

"Do you have any of those computers here?"

"Yes, please follow me," Ritter Jackman said, guiding Eric to the Toshiba product display. He presented a Toshiba Libretto 20 handheld computer to Eric. "This features a 6.1-inch TFT screen, 8MB memory, and 270MB storage, utilizing an internal 1.8-inch miniature hard drive."

That morning, after seeing Cindy's Walkman, Eric quickly thought of MP3 players. At this time, the MP3 audio format patent was held by Yahoo. Due to their open licensing policy, it had become the most widely used audio format, not only online but also appearing in some CD music albums.

Last weekend, while discussing Yahoo's future strategies with Chris, they explored the possibilities of Yahoo venturing into hardware products, and now Eric realized that an MP3 player would be the ideal fit.

If he could gain control over all the related MP3 player patents, Eric could leverage Yahoo to create an online music store, effectively controlling the entire music sales supply chain from internet to hardware. North America's strict music copyright laws and the common willingness to pay for music indicated a significant potential for an online music store, especially if Yahoo established a monopolistic sales platform, potentially yielding better profits than hardware sales.

Additionally, MP3 players could be integrated into Nokia phones, presenting another growth avenue.

As he mused over all this, Eric briefly tested the Toshiba handheld computer as like a mini-laptop. Unconsciously, he asked, "Can I take a look inside?"

Ritter Jackman hesitated for a moment but quickly replied, "Of course, sir, but we don't have the tools here. Would you like to come to my office?"

Eric was about to decline, considering the request seemed a bit excessive. But upon hearing Ritter's response, he suddenly realized and smiled, "You recognized me, didn't you?"

Ritter Jackman chuckled and replied, "If you hadn't asked that question, I wouldn't have been able to put all the pieces together, Mr. Williams."

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 723: Rocket Man]

In an office above a Best Buy store, a pricey Toshiba handheld device lay dismantled into a disarray of parts.

Eric examined the Toshiba mini hard drive in his hand, about the size of a credit card, and said in confusion to Rhett Jackman, "1.8 inches? It shouldn't be this big. I think this hard drive is at least 4 inches."

With Eric's identity revealed, Rhett Jackman was filled with more respect and patiently explained, "Mr. Williams, the size of the hard drive doesn't refer to the external casing but rather to the diameter of the internal disk platters."

As Rhett spoke, he took the mini hard drive from Eric's hand, expertly using a disassembly tool to open the back cover. He showed Eric the silver disk platter inside, which was slightly larger than a coin. "These aluminum alloy platters are coated with countless tiny magnetic powder particles. The magnetic head arranges them in patterns representing 0s and 1s to record data."

Linda Evangelista had been quietly listening all along and, surprised by Rhett's succinct description, exclaimed, "That's amazing! I just heard you mention CF cards, and this one has a capacity several times bigger. Does that mean it can store over a thousand photos?"

Rhett Jackman appreciated Linda's enthusiasm, smiling as he replied, "Based on current mainstream digital camera resolutions, it can store roughly 1,600 photos."

Linda asked, "Then why do digital cameras use those tiny capacity CF cards instead of this hard drive?"

Rhett explained, "There are many factors to consider, such as technology, costs, market positioning, and even company strategy. For example, if I were the CEO of Kodak, I would try to limit the development of digital cameras that use hard drive technology. Even though Kodak manufactures photography equipment, over 70% of their revenue comes from film sales. The emergence of high-capacity digital cameras would be a disaster for the company."

Eric grabbed the mini hard drive again, contemplating the MP3 situation. Hearing Rhett's words reminded him of the shocking news about Kodak's decline during his previous life, and he nodded in appreciation, surprised by Rhett's foresight.

In fact, Eric's current role was already leaning towards being a guardian of the old order. As a major stakeholder in Firefly Group, it was in his best interest to halt the emergence of new media and technologies. But Eric recognized that if he truly did that, he would ultimately be driven out of the market.

Sony's downfall was the best example. In the early MP3 era, Sony's technical accumulations and music rights far surpassed Apple, yet they continuously retreated in the MP3 market. The fundamental reason was that Sony hesitated for too long over whether to fully abandon the CD realm. They even attempted, using their dominant position in the recording industry, to stop the development of MP3s and internet music sales. This counterproductive approach led to the once-dominant music player industry king being completely pushed out of the market in just a few years.

Eric knew that if he proposed the MP3 player plan, he would certainly face resistance from major record labels, and even the record department within Firefly Group would raise objections. However, not doing so would mean surrendering the market to outsiders, placing him in a more passive position later.

After two hours at Best Buy, Eric left with two large boxes filled with electronic products that seemed like antiques when viewed through a future lens but were equipped with the most advanced technology at that moment.

Not heading back to Cindy's apartment, Eric took Linda to his home on Sixth Avenue.

...

After a simple lunch, Eric began organizing the spoils from his shopping spree. Linda wandered around the luxurious duplex apartment overlooking Central Park, savoring the sights. When she stepped downstairs, she spotted Eric arranging a brick-like IBM mobile phone amidst the numerous electronic products in the living room. Occasionally, he tapped away on his open laptop.

Linda curiously approached him and asked, "Eric, does anyone still use such a big mobile phone?"

Eric was holding the IBM Simon mobile phone. Initially surprised by the size, he found it odd that, despite being much larger than today's phones that fit in the palm of your hand, it fully operated via a touchscreen. Apart from making calls, it also provided a notepad, memos, calendar, and other functions, essentially making it a smartphone -- and possibly the world's first smartphone.

"It's 1995," Eric remarked. This again proved that technology had never been the issue; strategy was. If IBM had persisted in research and development along this line during his previous life, Apple wouldn't have become so prevalent.

Shaking the IBM Simon in his hand, Eric asked Linda, "If this phone were shrunk to fit in your palm, would you be willing to use it?"

Linda picked it up and examined it for a moment but shook her head, "I'm not interested. A phone is just for making calls. All those notepad and memo features aren't useful. A notebook that costs a few cents can do those things. Who would spend a thousand dollars?"

Eric nodded with a smile. From Rhett Jackman earlier, he had learned that the bulky IBM phone, along with Apple's Newton tablet, Sony's electronic notepad, and Toshiba's handheld device, were all selling poorly. The fundamental reason echoed Linda's sentiment. These seemingly high-end electronic products lacked features and therefore didn't have much market potential.

"Let's make another assumption," Eric said, picking up the Newton tablet. "What if this tablet could serve as an electronic reader and hold hundreds of books? Would you buy it?"

"I'm not much of a reader," Linda replied, then added, "But as long as it's not too expensive, I imagine people who enjoy reading would be keen to buy it."

"Okay, sale failed," Eric chuckled as he put down the Newton tablet and picked up the Toshiba mini hard drive. "According to the MP3 audio format developed by Yahoo, this hard drive can hold over 50 songs. With a few more years of technological advancement, it would be able to hold 100 to 200 songs without any issue. So, if there was an MP3 player the size of a cigarette pack that could store hundreds of songs in your pocket for on-the-go listening, would you buy it?"

"Of course I would!" Linda nodded eagerly, gesturing at the scattered electronic products in the room. "Eric, you bought all this stuff to develop the music player you just mentioned, didn't you?"

"Exactly."

Eric nodded. The expensive and impractical electronics he had purchased primarily aimed to understand the current level of technological development in liquid crystal displays, flash storage, hard drives, lithium-ion batteries, and more. By having a hands-on experience, he hoped to confirm the feasibility of his thoughts.

Although flash storage capacity had yet to reach a practical level for MP3 manufacturing and the micro hard disk technology that once dominated MP3 storage wouldn't appear until later, developing a cigarette-pack-sized MP3 player was still doable with the existing mini hard drive and lithium-ion battery technology. While it wouldn't be as compact as the mini devices compared to chewing gum from his previous life, it would certainly be more cutting-edge than Sony's Walkman. Additionally, Eric wanted to secure the complete patent technology for the MP3 player, ensuring situations like the confusion over patent ownership that led to a flood of MP3 manufacturers from his previous life wouldn't happen.

Spending the entire afternoon, Eric tore apart most of the purchased electronic items, meticulously assembling a detailed memorandum for developing e-reader technology, the MP3 player, and even smartphones.

As he came down from his work mode, he noticed dusk setting in outside. Eric originally intended to send this memorandum to Yahoo's executives and Nokia's Jorma Ollila, but reconsidering Chris's warning about Microsoft's intentions to poach from Yahoo, he decided to hold off for now. He thought it best to wait until July when everything settled down, giving him time to prepare.

Eric retrieved two paper boxes he had used to carry the electronics and sorted through them, placing the relevant parts into one box while tossing the rest into another. He dusted off his hands, suddenly recalling that Linda should still be around.

...

In the adjacent living room, the television was playing a show. Eric walked in to find MTV airing a fashion program, but Linda was curled up on the couch, cradling a pillow and fast asleep. Her curvaceous figure resembled a lazy kitten, rising and falling gently with her breaths. Strands of her blonde hair covered her face, her red lips slightly parted, giving her an air of charming allure.

After silently admiring the perfect creation of humanity for a while, Eric didn't have the heart to wake her. He settled softly in the corner of the sofa near Linda's feet, inhaling the faint fragrance of her presence while quietly watching television.

...

Despite sleeping lazily all afternoon, Linda had actually woken up the moment Eric entered the living room.

Curious about Eric's reaction to her sleeping presence, she kept her eyes closed but waited patiently. When she felt him sit nearby, quietly watching television, she felt satisfied that he didn't lose control and pounce on her. However, she also thought it unusual for a man to react so calmly.

So, she decided to continue pretending to be asleep, but her eyes secretly peered open. As the light dimmed in the living room, she could only catch glimpses of his sharply defined profile in the flickering television glow. Having washed off her makeup from the morning, her natural features now exhibited a certain appeal that she found nice about him.

A moment later, the program on TV suddenly changed, and the host began introducing a music video.

She packed my bags last night, pre-flightZero hour, 9 a.m.And I'm gonna be high as a kite by thenI miss the Earth so much, I miss my wifeIt's lonely out in spaceOn such a timeless flight

...

...

It was the famous British singer Elton John's "Rocket Man." She loved this song; Elton's voice carried an air of sadness, resignation, helplessness, and ultimately, a hint of hysteria.

The lyrics told the story of a rocket man drifting through space, missing home and his wife, but to her, it felt more like a parable about a wayward soul longing for stability yet unable to attain it. Such stories often unfolded in movies, where retired bodyguards, spies, or soldiers were inevitably sent on one last mission, only to tragically die -- usually these characters were side characters. The heroes continued their adventures, stretching a movie franchise to its sixteenth installment without concluding it.

Earlier, MTV had also aired a trailer for the sixteenth James Bond film. What was it called again? Ah, GoldenEye! It seemed to be coming out in July.

Lost in thought for a moment, Linda glanced at the man sitting across from her. She didn't comprehend the phrase "high places are lonely," nor did she understand the feeling of "no one to hear the strings break," but instinctively felt that perhaps he was a rocket man too.

Feeling her body stiffening from sleep and a bit hungry, she didn't want to feign sleep any longer. She opened her eyes, instinctively stretching her long body, her delicate foot resting on his leg.

"You're awake," Eric turned his head, smiling as he held her slender ankle, placing it on his leg to make it easier for her to stretch.

Linda tossed the pillow aside and nodded. Feeling a slight tickle from Eric holding her ankle, she blushed and playfully nudged it. "I had a dream that you gifted this entire house to me, and then I woke up laughing."

"Ha, well, waking up is good. If I had stayed in your dream, I'd certainly be crying."

Though she felt envious, she never fantasized about Eric actually giving her the multi-million dollar mansion. If it truly happened, she wouldn't dare accept it outright. While not the sharpest tool in the shed, she knew everything in this world had a price. In the afternoon, her dream accurately captured that sentiment, and the dim evening light allowed her to candidly share it.

Eric's words left her slightly disappointed. She kicked her feet playfully and said, "In such situations, even playboys seeking to avoid giving gifts usually know how to fake a bit. You're just too lazy."

Eric pretended to look helpless. "Alright, let me think of something to say."

Linda, her eyes sparkling in the flickering light from the TV, looked at him with a playful expression as if saying he better come up with something.

After a moment, Eric slapped his forehead, his face lighting up in realization. "Oh! I remember now; this house isn't mine!"

"Ha! No creativity at all; aren't you a Hollywood gold medal screenwriter?"

"Just enjoy my creative ramblings," Eric chuckled, then asked, "Are you hungry? Shall we go out to eat?"

"Sure," Linda nodded. She was far more familiar with Manhattan than Eric and had just begun to suggest a place when the phone rang in the living room.

"I'll take this call, just a moment," Eric said as he got up to walk outside.

Linda watched him leave the lounge, too lazy to rise. She wiggled her body, peering out from behind the sofa's armrest. She saw him sitting on the couch with the phone to his ear, vaguely hearing him discuss the premiere arrangements for Jurassic Park 2.

The conversation stretched for nearly ten minutes before Eric hung up. As she was about to pull back and get up, Eric's phone rang again.

"Hello? Oh, Cindy! It's you!" Eric replied, noticing Linda's peering. He waved his hand at her.

She smiled, having guessed Cindy's intent for the call. Pulling her head back, she felt lazy and didn't want to hear anymore. Suddenly, she recalled Eric's serious tone during that earlier work-related conversation -- it was earnest, meticulous, and focused.

And what about her?

She had a decent background, no financial pressures, had grown lazy with education as an adult, and relied on her good looks to model.

It all began at sixteen.

Fourteen years later...

Step by step to the present.

Life seemed simple.

Work and play.

Not getting out of bed for less than ten grand a day.

Marrying too young.

Meeting the wrong people.

Not wanting to settle anymore, so she divorced.

Couldn't handle her boyfriend, so she broke it off.

Living on her whims, without boundaries.

Suddenly, she realized she was the rocket man.

No wonder she liked Elton John's song so much.

Straining to catch the conversation outside, she found Eric still speaking gently with Cindy, exuding endless patience.

Perhaps while he too floated in space, he controlled everything, like a space shuttle pilot.

But wait -- he didn't control everything; at least he didn't know what her ambitious faux-friend was thinking.

She suddenly felt a sense of responsibility to do something. Her mind buzzed for a moment before she jumped off the sofa and headed toward the living room.

"Oh, George's Jean restaurant -- where's that?" Eric was speaking with Cindy about the restaurant's location when Linda approached him, tossing her hair over her shoulder with a commanding gesture. She leaned closer, playfully pushing Eric back against the sofa.

As Eric listened to Cindy share the address, he was abruptly pushed back onto the couch by Linda. He shot her a questioning look.

Cindy on the other end had just finished giving the address when Linda went over to Eric, standing in front of him. He watched as she pulled down the zipper on her dress, skillfully slipped the shoulder straps down, and leaned in to give him a light nibble on the neck.

"Cindy, I...oh, I've got it. Linda and I will be there in about fifteen minutes."

"No, my dear Cindy, let's wait for an hour," Linda said loudly into the phone, snatching it from Eric's grasp and hanging up.

Eric helplessly reached for Linda's soft waist and chuckled, "Okay then, what state of mind are you in? Did something bite you?"

"Certainly not," Linda replied, cupping Eric's face in her hands, leaning in to kiss him wildly, her voice husky as she said, "I plan to squeeze you dry."

Well, Cindy darling, let's see how you handle that tonight.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 724: Continuing the Glory]

For Hollywood, the summer blockbuster season of 1995 kicked off with the release of Die Hard with a Vengeance on May 19. However, since the trailer for Jurassic Park 2 premiered during the Super Bowl at the beginning of the year, the eyes of media and fans around the world had been firmly focused on this long-awaited blockbuster.

June 2, the day Jurassic Park 2 hit theaters, marked the official start of the summer movie season in the minds of most moviegoers.

The massive success of the original Jurassic Park two years earlier wasn't just evident in its record-breaking global box office of over a billion dollars; it established the Jurassic Park brand deeply in the cultural psyche, almost forming a cultural phenomenon. While the Jurassic Park series might struggle to reach the heights of the Star Wars franchise of the 1970s in an increasingly effects-driven era, the potential commercial value of the brand remained in the tens of billions.

With such powerful influence, the premiere of Jurassic Park 2 attracted intense attention from hundreds of media outlets around the globe.

Eric flew back to Los Angeles from New York on the morning of May 31, preparing for the premiere of Jurassic Park 2 the following day.

The premiere took place at the Los Angeles Music Center at five o'clock on June 1.

For this new iteration of Jurassic Park 2, Eric hired director Joe Johnston, who had previously collaborated with Disney on multiple films. Johnston, a former visual effects artist, had produced the family comedy Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, which had been a tremendous box office success in the late 1980s.

On the original timeline, Johnston was supposed to direct Jumanji and Jurassic Park 3. Eric chose to hand Jumanji off to another director, allowing Johnston to join the Jurassic Park franchise earlier. If the second film succeeded, it could lead to him helming the third installment as well.

...

The star-studded red carpet event lasted two hours, as media QA sessions were scheduled after the film screening. At seven o'clock, after a brief opening speech, the film began to play in the theater.

The original Jurassic Park 2 was essentially a pet project for Spielberg. Its plot was weak and disorganized, following the first film's trope of characters making foolish decisions. In fact, later on, Spielberg himself admitted it was his worst film. Despite its global box office grossing over $600 million in the original timeline, the series' reputation took a major hit, leading the third film to only earn a mere $300 million worldwide.

The new Jurassic Park 2 kept the general concept of the original but, to avoid repeating its mistakes and maintain the franchise's good reputation, Eric completely reworked its framework.

In the new script, Eric minimized the subplot of exploring Dinosaur Island, eliminating several subplots and scrapping the mindless "do-nothing" character tropes. Instead, the story focused on the company behind the disaster, which bribed the park's computer administrator for dinosaur embryos in the first film. This company aimed to construct a new Jurassic Park to rake in massive profits by kidnapping various dinosaurs from Dinosaur Island. After a grueling effort, they successfully captured a Tyrannosaurus Rex. However, during transportation, the T-Rex managed to escape, leading to catastrophic results as it invaded the city.

In the film, the hunt for the now rampaging T-Rex in the metropolis not only stunned audiences worldwide but also elicited gasps from the thousands of viewers in the cinema. There was no doubt this setup was highly successful; the resurrection of dinosaurs in modern society already provided an immense thrill, and the T-Rex's urban invasion was undoubtedly far more relatable than an isolated Dinosaur Island.

The tightly woven storyline made everyone forget the passage of time; the two-hour viewing experience flew by. As the T-Rex, responsible for a series of devastating consequences, was finally subdued, the credits rolled, accompanied by thunderous applause in the concert hall.

...

As the audience and guests began to disperse after the premiere, at the subsequent press conference, the invited journalists didn't discuss the film's quality or box office forecasts. Instead, they unanimously reserved the first question for a topic they had been eager to discuss for over a year.

"Mr. Williams, I'm a reporter for the Seattle Times. First, I want to say this is an outstanding sequel, but we still don't understand why you chose not to direct the Jurassic Park series?" A lucky female journalist who got the opportunity to ask focused intently on Eric, unable to contain her curiosity.

Eric took the microphone handed to him, a subtle smile on his face as he said, "I know everyone has been curious about this for a long time, but my answer isn't vastly different from the previous announcements from Firefly Group, and I have no intention of brushing anyone off. On one hand, I'm not a fan of doing the same job repeatedly. More importantly, I'm very busy now and find it challenging to carve out a few months to go overseas to shoot a film."

"Mr. Williams, does that mean you won't be directing films yourself anymore?" Seizing the moment before anyone could take the microphone away, the female reporter quickly followed up.

Eric thought for a moment and replied, "Honestly, the first Jurassic Park marked the pinnacle of my career two years ago. It's incredibly difficult for someone to remain passionate about something once they've achieved the utmost zenith in it. Will I continue to film another movie? The answer is certainly yes; I'm still young with plenty of time. However, when my next film starts is something I don't quite know myself."

The microphone passed to another journalist who asked, "Mr. Williams, I'm from The New York Times. Under what circumstances would you consider making your next film?"

"There are many factors. For instance, a project that I feel could challenge me or a script that captures my strong interest. Of course, there's another situation; a friend once joked that I'm like a chef running a restaurant and could easily step in to execute if the head chef is absent. That's true; if Firefly Group needs me for a project, I could jump right in."

"You mean you can direct any type of film project under the Firefly banner?"

Faced with this subtly loaded question, Eric shook his head slightly and chuckled, "Oh, I'm not entirely sure about that, but you could look back at the various types of films I've produced over the years."

Laughter arose from the audience. After a moment, another questioner said, "Mr. Williams, I'm from The Hollywood Reporter. Your films have achieved a level of commercial success that others can hardly match. When do you plan to aim for the Oscar for Best Director?"

Eric contemplated countering with, "If you had already become the President, would you still care about a Scouts medal?"

However, such a response would surely be interpreted by the press as Eric Williams openly dismissing the Oscars, though he genuinely held that sentiment; he would never express it publicly.

After a brief pause for effect, Eric spoke into the microphone, "Alright, that's the last question about me personally. I won't be answering any more questions not related to Jurassic Park. Regarding your inquiry, I believe it's bound to be a very long story."

The room fell silent for a moment. Then, everyone realized Eric's subtle jab at the Academy and burst into laughter.

As everyone knew, Eric was only twenty-five years old. In over half a century of Oscar history, no director had won the golden statuette before turning thirty. So, if Eric hinted at pursuing the Best Director award, he and the Academy would undoubtedly engage in a drawn-out chase for years to come. It's easy to imagine the Academy becoming even more stringent with Eric's potential Oscar bid, eager to maintain their authority and demonstrate that they would not yield merely due to the accolades surrounding Eric.

One could speculate Eric might even oust Leo from being the perennial punchline at the Oscars.

Leo had already followed the trajectory of history and boarded that ill-fated ship, so it was best to leave the laugh-making to him.

...

After the premiere, Jurassic Park officially opened in theaters across North America, once again breaking records with the number of screens reaching 3,500.

Taking over the sequel to a film that once set box office records was undoubtedly pressuring for Johnston. He wasn't going to treat this sequel with the nonchalant attitude of his predecessor. He invested a tremendous amount of effort into this installment. While he ultimately went slightly over budget, it all proved worth it.

"With a tighter plot and more refined special effects, audiences unknowingly enjoyed two thrilling hours in theaters. Undoubtedly, Johnston delivered a satisfactory answer for this sequel." - Los Angeles Times

"The T-Rex rampaging through the city was absolutely brilliant; even while watching the crowd being chased by the T-Rex on screen, I couldn't help but feel my heart race, experiencing a sense of panic as if I needed to flee." - Hollywood Daily News

"I initially thought this would be a standard sequel, yet the film surprised me with its breakthroughs in plot and special effects while continuing the style of the first. The city-invasion plot compelled me to think more about whether we should treat nature with greater respect and inflict less damage." - New York Times

Unlike the overwhelmingly negative reviews received by the sequel in the original timeline, this new version garnered generally positive feedback. With good word-of-mouth and 3,500 screens, the film earned $31.7 million on its first day, effortlessly breaking all single-day box office records.

The following day had earnings of $33.5 million, with Sunday bringing in $29.8 million.

Ultimately, with the premiere's midnight showing grossing $5.6 million, everyone was astounded to discover Jurassic Park 2 grossed an astounding $106 million, setting a new box office record for a first weekend.

Meanwhile, thanks to the powerful distribution channels of Firefly Group, Jurassic Park 2 opened simultaneously in 22 countries and regions overseas, grossing $60 million over its first weekend.

Three days' global box office totaled $160 million, easily surpassing the entire production and distribution costs that Firefly had sunk into this sequel.

Many people could hardly fathom the heights this film would achieve.

For Eric, seeing this box office report, the last remnants of his anxiety melted away. He was also completely certain that the original Jurassic Park sequel truly had been mishandled by Spielberg.

In truth, for Eric, this outcome wasn't too surprising. The massive fanbase built from the first film, coupled with the second film's impressive quality and the expanding North American and global film markets, ensured that while its box office might not match the first film's staggering heights, it wouldn't fall far behind.

Moreover, the past revival of Jurassic Park, after years of being shelved, with Jurassic World's $600 million North American and $1.6 billion global box offices further proved how strong interest in this dinosaur franchise remained.

...

In Culver City, Los Angeles, at the Columbia Pictures film studio.

A black Lincoln slowly stopped in front of an office building. Howard Stringer of Sony's American division had just exited the vehicle when Bill Mechanic, the new head of Columbia Pictures, welcomed him.

Mechanic was also a veteran of Hollywood, having worked at Paramount, Disney, and Fox. In the mid-1980s at Disney, he spearheaded the video release of classic animated films and achieved impressive sales figures. After moving to Fox and serving as vice president towards the end of the 1980s, he began to consider his next career move when Fox appointed Joe Roth as president.

Following Sony's decision to abandon the plan of having Michael Ovitz lead Columbia, they spent several months looking for a suitable replacement. Ultimately, this position fell into Mechanic's hands.

In fact, Columbia had better candidates, but after the incidents involving Peter Guber and Jon Peters, Sony grew increasingly cautious about empowering studio heads. Consequently, a number of potential Hollywood executives withdrew from the competition to lead Columbia during contract negotiations due to Sony's many restrictions.

Stringer embraced Mechanic warmly, exchanging pleasantries as they walked toward the office building.

Mechanic kept pace with Stringer and said, "Howard, I assume you've seen the box office report for Jurassic Park 2?"

"Of course," Stringer nodded. "I came over today specifically to discuss this matter. The headquarters just sent me a project, which I think has nearly as great potential as Jurassic Park 2."

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 725: The Right Approach]

Bill Mechanic brought Howard Stringer into his office. As they both sat down, Howard pulled a document from his briefcase. "Bill, take a look at this first."

Bill Mechanic received the document and opened it, where a photo immediately caught his eye. The image displayed a giant beast with armor-like scales reminiscent of a dinosaur. Without thinking, Bill exclaimed, "Godzilla?"

"Yes, Godzilla," Howard Stringer nodded. He set aside the coffee handed to him by Bill's secretary and waved the assistant away. "Mr. Nobuyuki contacted me yesterday and sent this material. Sony headquarters has already started talks with Toho, and we should be able to get the rights soon. He wants us to bring this monster to the big screen using Hollywood's most advanced CGI effects."

Since the first Godzilla film debuted in 1954, the creature -- born from Japanese fears of nuclear devastation -- had gained worldwide recognition and amassed a huge following. Besides the over twenty films produced directly by Toho, Godzilla-related comics, cartoons, and merchandise flourished across the globe. The monster even significantly influenced many films dealing with giant creatures.

Bill Mechanic understood that Sony executives were likely inspired by the box office success of Jurassic Park 2 and had become impulsive about making a CGI version of Godzilla. Given that Jurassic Park served as a reference point, he expected a project budget of no less than a hundred million dollars. However, pursuing this project conflicted with the development strategy he had designed for Columbia.

After a moment's hesitation, Bill asked, "Howard, what are Mr. Nobuyuki's specific plans for this project? Columbia isn't in the best shape right now."

"I know your concerns, Bill," Howard Stringer said with a smile. "Budget-wise, there are no issues. Mr. Nobuyuki stated that as long as we can execute this project well, Sony is willing to bear a production budget of up to $150 million and invest $50 million in marketing because he hopes the first film makes a splash, leading to a series like what Toho has done."

Upon hearing this, Bill Mechanic felt no joy.

If Sony invested $200 million into this project, they would need at least $500 million in global box office receipts to break even. Although Jurassic Park had already pushed the highest global box office record to $1 billion two years prior, Bill, who had spent twenty years navigating Hollywood, knew making a movie with global earnings of $500 million was no easy feat, even with the overall expanding market.

Last year's Hollywood market was remarkable in its success, but only six films surpassed the $500 million mark worldwide. Bill feared if this $200 million project failed, it could deal a devastating blow to Sony's confidence in film operations, possibly leading it to withdraw from Hollywood like Panasonic did. Each change in ownership at major studios meant management upheaval, putting Bill's own future as CEO in jeopardy.

After some consideration, Bill said, "Howard, I mentioned upon joining that if Sony wanted to operate the film business long-term, it should focus on producing medium to low-budget films in the next few years. This conservative approach would help stabilize Columbia's nearly collapsed production and distribution system. At that time, both you and Mr. Nobuyuki agreed with my approach, so why take the risk now?"

Howard Stringer patiently explained, "Bill, Mr. Nobuyuki's exact words are that Sony hopes Columbia will have a highly representative film series."

"Howard, I just think this decision is foolish. They should know what failure on this project would mean. If the Japanese want to maintain their dignity, the Men in Black and Jumanji series are already enough," Bill shook his head. "I believe we should persuade Mr. Nobuyuki to abandon this idea. If it must be done, it should be postponed for another two or three years until Columbia regains its footing."

Howard Stringer came from a media background, and he understood that Mr. Nobuyuki appointed him CEO of Sony Pictures specifically to revitalize their entertainment business. Not only the executives at Sony headquarters, even Howard himself felt a surge of excitement after seeing Jurassic Park 2's stellar box office performance. Thus, when Sony headquarters pitched the Godzilla project, Howard perceived a significant opportunity.

Yet, he hadn't anticipated his eager arrival would turn into continuous friction with Bill Mechanic.

"Bill, we need to separate from the situations faced by Men in Black and Jumanji. We need to pursue this project independently. Once we have our own flagship film series, we won't have to rely on anyone else."

Bill Mechanic wanted to say more but, noticing Howard Stringer's serious expression, he realized it was best not to push further against his direct superior. His tone softened. "Alright, Howard. We can proceed with this project, but I think it would be best to delay it a year. We're all aware of Columbia's situation. Since Peter Guber's departure last year, our production and distribution operations have been almost at a standstill. While things have improved somewhat in recent months, if we could have another year..."

"Bill, this is a decision from headquarters. There's no room for negotiation. What we need to do is execute it," Howard Stringer finally lost his patience, interrupting Bill. "Also, I don't want to prolong our disagreement. The board absolutely does not want Columbia to have another management crisis. If you don't cooperate, I'll have to report our situation to the board."

Bill Mechanic felt taken aback. He had been at the company since late April, and the rapport between them had seemed pleasant. He even thought of Howard Stringer as an easygoing person. But he hadn't anticipated this side of him -- so obstinate and threatening. Inwardly seething, Bill thought Sony had just gotten rid of two incompetent executives, only to hire a fool ignorant of the film industry.

Howard Stringer had been a journalist and later served as the president of CBS News. While he was in the media field, he had never dabbled in the film industry. Hollywood was filled with executives from non-traditional backgrounds, but the top figures -- Jeffrey Katzenberg, Michael Eisner, Sherry Lansing, and himself -- had all climbed their way up through the Hollywood ranks.

While it wasn't unheard of for outsiders to oversee professionals, it had led to the downfall of Paramount ten years prior when Martin Davis, an outside investor, frequently interfered in management, causing rapid decline and eventual acquisition by Viacom.

"Alright," Bill Mechanic said with a slight shrug. Although he felt highly resistant, he didn't want to search for a new job just yet. Since this project was a Sony headquarters decision, even if it flopped, he wouldn't shoulder too much responsibility. If it succeeded, it would only benefit him further. "Howard, given this, where do you plan to start?"

Despite outwardly conceding, Howard Stringer sensed Bill's clear negativity. He thought for a moment and said, "How about this, Bill? I'll take direct responsibility for this project, and we can assign the production to TriStar Pictures. You can continue to manage the company as you see fit, coordinating only when necessary."

Deep down, Bill Mechanic believed that Sony's executives and Howard Stringer had clearly become deluded by Jurassic Park 2's box office triumph, thinking they could effortlessly create a billion-dollar film.

He had originally contemplated how to completely remove himself from this high-risk project, and while a successful project would boost the company's overall strength and benefit him, if it failed, he wouldn't carry a significant stain on his record when seeking his next position.

"Of course, no problem. It would be wonderful if you were directly involved," Bill nodded without hesitation, smiling.

Seeing that Bill Mechanic no longer resisted the plan and willingly delegated authority, Howard Stringer felt satisfaction but also thought he had been a bit harsh in tone. He was not a particularly obstinate person; his previous statements were based on Mr. Nobuyuki's instructions. The Sony board genuinely wanted to avoid another uncontrolled management scenario at Columbia.

However, both he and the Sony executives failed to realize that while letting loose the reins might cause chaos, tugging them too tightly could lead to disaster.

"So, Bill, who do you think would be the best director for this film in Hollywood?" With the intent to ease the atmosphere, Howard Stringer asked in a mild tone.

"I think we should first address the special effects issue," Bill Mechanic said, still determined to exclude himself from the matter. He wasn't going to recommend any directors. He merely noted, "If we want to use CGI technology to bring Godzilla to the big screen, the only feasible option in Hollywood for this project is Digital Domain. But after earlier events, our relations with Firefly Group aren't very smooth, although they claim that Digital Domain is a separate operation, no one can guarantee they won't deliberately create obstacles for us."

"Didn't Universal's The Mummy also have special effects done by Digital Domain?" Howard Stringer pondered before responding, "Michael Eisner and Eric Williams' relationship was far worse than that between Firefly and Columbia."

"I believe it was mainly due to the leading actress, Nicole Kidman, mediating," Bill Mechanic remarked. "She's Eric Williams' partner, and she reportedly received a $30 million salary for the first Mummy film; that's a price Universal paid for their success with the Mummy series."

"If Godzilla can succeed, we certainly won't have trouble affording that," Howard paused to consider. "So, do you think we could implement a similar strategy as Universal?"

Bill Mechanic shook his head. "I don't believe so. Warner Bros.' Fair Game, which was released at the end of May, starred Claudia Schiffer, who is also Eric Williams' partner. However, this $50 million action movie only grossed less than $10 million during its opening week. Last weekend, in the wake of Jurassic Park 2, it fell 57% to just $3 million. Originally, forecasting had it reaching $30 million, but it seems now it'd be fortunate to hit $25 million."

"I heard about that at a business cocktail party a few days ago," Howard Stringer mentioned. "I was told during the film's preparation, Eric Williams predicted this project would fail. Joel Silver made significant changes in an attempt to salvage it, but unfortunately, it didn't work. I didn't hear anything about the leading actress."

Bill Mechanic thought to himself that at formal business gatherings, people wouldn't blabber about such gossip. But with a slight focus on Hollywood, these matters were hardly secrets. "In any case, Howard, we first need to resolve the special effects issue. Moreover, for such a big project, finding a reliable director is crucial. Ideally, this director should have successfully directed a blockbuster with special effects."

Although intending to remain uninvolved, Bill Mechanic still tried to guide Howard Stringer toward the right approach.

Howard Stringer almost immediately thought of the recent hit Jurassic Park 2. "Perhaps we could try to reach out to Joe Johnston?"

"If we could succeed, that would be great," Bill Mechanic nodded in agreement, though he didn't hold high expectations. Firefly Group had likely secured Joe Johnston with a stringent option agreement after having him direct Jurassic Park. Unless someone was willing to pay a substantial penalty, or if Firefly graciously released him, Johnston's chances of directing for other companies in the coming years were extremely low.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 726: No Hidden Cards]

After a record-breaking three-day weekend box office of $106 million, the day-to-day earnings of Jurassic Park 2 fell to the millions as it entered the workweek. Although this represented a 60% decline compared to the weekend, there was no doubt that the film's first-week ticket sales would easily surpass the historical high of $140 million. It took the top spot on the 1995 film box office charts without any competition. Most box office analysts predicted that Jurassic Park 2 had essentially locked in the position of annual box office champion.

Amid the dazzling brilliance of Jurassic Park 2, not many people noticed that a film called Forrest Gump was about to quietly release on June 9. Although the film received unanimous praise from critics during its early screenings, this acclaim made a few media outlets, which had begun to take notice, pessimistic about its box office prospects. After all, films that critics loved tended to be more artistic and often performed poorly at the box office.

Moreover, if there was any expectation for Forrest Gump's box office, Eric Williams certainly wouldn't allow Firefly Films to set its release date on June 9. In the eyes of the media, this was akin to placing a defenseless little animal under a T-Rex's foot -- it was bound to be crushed.

It's important to note that in order to avoid being overshadowed by Jurassic Park 2, other major film companies had all collectively decided to release their summer films at the end of June and in July. Time Warner even abandoned its previous strategy of aiming for a late May release, only leaving behind one poorly performing film, Fair Game, as the sacrificial lamb.

Once the first-day box office figures for Jurassic Park 2 rolled in, Eric shifted most of his attention to handling company affairs that had piled up during his time away from Los Angeles. Although he maintained an observer status regarding Forrest Gump's release and let Drew and Amy Pascal take charge, in this world, perhaps only he remained confident in Forrest Gump's box office fate.

Despite the film gaining a lot of positive buzz during the promotional phase, Amy Pascal ultimately only prepared 1,500 screens for Forrest Gump's opening. Eric didn't oppose this decision; as long as the movie generated the same buzz it had in the past, the box office was sure to have a long run. Starting with fewer opening screens could even create an effective hunger marketing strategy.

Due to its low profile, even though Drew had pulled Eric and Steven Spielberg over for the premiere, and the film's director, Robert Zemeckis, was a renowned director behind hits like Back to the Future and Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump still opened quietly.

Fortunately, the lead actor Tom Hanks and director Robert Zemeckis had established a solid reputation after their previous successful films. As a result, Forrest Gump managed to achieve a solid $6.7 million on its opening day across 1,500 theaters in North America.

When Amy Pascal reported this figure to Eric, her tone was filled with relief. With $6.7 million on the first day, she felt that reaching $25 million in the first week was not a major issue. Given the film's excellent critical reception and long-term screening strategy, the total box office could potentially approach $80 million before it left theaters.

Forrest Gump's production and distribution costs amounted to $70 million. If North American box office revenues hit $80 million, Flower Films could recoup a significant portion of their costs.

The film was positioned as an award contender. With its current critical acclaim, it could even make a push for Best Picture at the Oscars. As long as it secured a few prestigious Oscar statuettes, the subsequent overseas distribution and video sales would yield substantial returns. Although the cash return period would be prolonged, Flower Films would still profit sufficiently from this venture.

Amy Pascal's analysis of Forrest Gump's profitability was reminiscent of a thrifty housewife's approach. It was understandable why she felt this way; even though Forrest Gump was personally championed by Eric and he had created a series of box office miracles, the fear of movie risk had sunk deeply into the instincts of Hollywood executives. The film's total budget of $70 million was seen by most as far exceeding what it could commercially deliver as an art film.

However, the dramatic unfolding of events far exceeded most people's expectations.

...

After the massive first day launch, most media outlets that had only planned a brief notice about the new film were surprised to discover that Forrest Gump far exceeded their expectations.

"The movie is told through the eyes of a man with an IQ of only 75, perfectly showcasing the evolution of American society over the thirty years post-war through stunning effects."

"The three main characters in this film embody the three mainstream American spirits from twenty years ago. Forrest represents the essence of the American spirit -- simple, hardworking, sincere, and committed; Jenny represents the rebellious generation of the '60s trying to break away from tradition to find themselves, only to end up wandering into the depths of despair; Lieutenant Dan belongs to those who question society; they have their own beliefs but remain lost, unsure of the value of their convictions. In the film, the wayward Jenny ultimately chooses to return home, while Lieutenant Dan follows in Forrest's footsteps, symbolizing the reunion of three facets of the American spirit returning to its roots."

"Admittedly, at first glance, it's a seemingly absurd 'anti-intellectual film.' Yet, during the two-hour and twenty-minute viewing, I found myself inexplicably moved. It made me reflect: this nation's power is recovering, the economy is advancing, and technology is progressing rapidly, but while we pride ourselves on being smart, we fall further into materialism, completely neglecting the spiritual values we should uphold."

"What struck me most about Forrest Gump was that rain-soaked night when Jenny brought the slow-witted Forrest back to her room, dreaming about becoming famous, only to ask him what he envisioned himself becoming. Forrest, puzzled, replied, 'Why would I want to be someone else? Can't I just be me?' Ultimately, Jenny's dream shattered, leaving the world in sorrow, while Forrest, staying true to himself, gained everything that ordinary people yearn for."

As the years of the turbulent '60s and the liberated '70s passed, conservatism began making a comeback in the '80s, peaking in the '90s. Simultaneously, the excessive materialism led to a growing void in the spiritual realm, with moral decay and fading humanity becoming increasingly severe. Thus, the conservative persona represented by Forrest and his inherent qualities of kindness, sincerity, and simplicity resonated with more and more Americans longing for a richer spiritual life.

With the media's overwhelming and spontaneous promotion, a growing number of people began to take notice of the film and flood into cinemas.

"Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get."

This line, destined to be a classic etched into film history, quickly spread among the audience.

Most people didn't truly grasp the profound meaning behind it; they simply left the theater feeling inexplicably touched and satisfied, quietly repeating the phrase in their minds, making it impossible to forget.

...

The explosive attention on Forrest Gump was most obviously reflected in its box office numbers.

Following the opening day's $6.7 million, the next two days saw daily increases of more than 20%, bringing the weekend total to $22.9 million. Compared to Jurassic Park 2, this box office figure may seem negligible; however, as an art film, this breakout projection invigorated everyone. After all, just two weeks ago, a similarly budgeted film, Fair Game, had only managed to pull a pitiful $6.8 million over its opening weekend.

Once workweek began, Forrest Gump's box office momentum did not wane. Though it saw a slight decline from Sunday's numbers, the daily earnings still hovered around $6 million.

In the end, Forrest Gump's first-week box office performance surpassed $47 million, leading to widespread astonishment among media outlets. This figure was nearly double or even triple what many had predicted for the film's weekly earnings. However, after the shock, many couldn't help but feel that under the circumstances of Forrest Gump becoming a cultural symbol in America, this box office number somehow felt entirely reasonable.

...

At Venice Beach, in an Italian seafood restaurant, Amy Pascal smiled as she looked across the table at Drew, who was whispering excitedly to Eric, her coffee cup in hand, sipping from it occasionally.

With the box office and critical acclaim for Forrest Gump both exploding, Amy had been in a state of palpable excitement for the past few days. She was now 100% sure that her decision to leave her position as Vice President at Columbia for this 'little workshop' at Firefly Films was the right one. If her upcoming meetings went smoothly, she would follow Sherry Lansing as the second woman to head one of Hollywood's top seven studios.

Not sure what Drew said, Eric playfully pinched her ear, pushing her away with a chuckle, then turned to Amy and asked, "By the way, how's everything going with Peter Jackson?"

Amy replied, "Although he doesn't have experience directing big-budget films, there's no denying his talent in film. We've gone through his complete vision for the Lord of the Rings series, including the script, storyboard, character design, and locations he scouted in New Zealand. We're unlikely to find anyone in Hollywood who's as passionate about the Lord of the Rings as he is. It would be perfect for him to direct this epic fantasy series. Eric, do you want to have a chat with him when you have time?"

"Not for now. Let him direct one or two films first and get familiar with how Hollywood operates. Once the timing is right, we can kick off the production for this series."

Amy nodded; she understood when Eric mentioned "the right timing" and wasn't in a hurry. The projects at Flower Films currently kept her and Drew busy for quite a while.

As they spoke, Drew chimed in excitingly, "Eric, the photos Jackson took show how beautiful New Zealand is! Shouldn't we take a vacation there sometime?"

"Sure, and let's buy a big farm and keep a few horses too."

"Ha, I don't believe you'd be interested in raising horses," Drew teased. "Maybe you could just exile some less favored models there, make them your pets on the farm?"

Without Drew bringing it up, Eric had almost forgotten about that. He hadn't heard anything about Heidi Klum in half a year. He scratched her side playfully to hush her, then asked, "How are those projects, Mean Girls and Scream, coming along?"

Drew replied, "They're already filming! Wes Craven's not keen on heading to Canada for Scream, so they're shooting at a high school in Santa Rosa, Northern California. I'll be heading there soon to film the initial scenes. Also, the Mean Girls crew went to Vancouver. Filming in Canada will save over a million dollars, and Tina went along too."

When Eric last left Los Angeles, those two films were still in the planning stages. Although it had been more than a month since then, he still felt rushed.

Amy seemed to pick up on Eric's thoughts and explained, "Eric, both films involve many high school scenes that need to be wrapped before summer vacation ends. That's why we're keeping the schedule so tight."

Having been away from school for too long, Eric had become fuzzy on the concept of student vacation dates. Although he had a clear idea of the summer box office season, it mainly leaned towards commercial terminology. Thus, it was only upon hearing Amy's explanation that he finally recognized that if they didn't shoot those school scenes before summer break, it would become a major hassle once students returned to class.

...

The three were deep into conversation when a waiter led a middle-aged man in his fifties into the restaurant. It was the current CEO of MGM, Frank Mancuso.

"Sorry, Eric, I'm late," Frank Mancuso said apologetically as he reached out his hand to Eric.

Eric stood up to shake hands and laughed, "Not at all, Frank; we just arrived early. I assume these two don't need my introduction?"

"Of course not," Frank Mancuso said, shaking Drew and Amy's hands. He complimented, "I recently made it a point to see Forrest Gump; it's truly an outstanding film that leaves a lasting impression."

"Thank you for the recognition, Mr. Mancuso," Amy smiled and nodded.

Once Frank Mancuso settled into his chair, he added, "Just call me Frank. Amy, we know each other reasonably well now, don't we?"

Amy nodded, "Of course."

"Let's order first, Frank. I've had lunch here before, and their pan-seared bass is quite good; you should give it a try." Eric took the menu from the waiter and made the recommendation while reminiscing about the first time he had dined there two years ago, alongside Nicole and a fresh-faced waitress whose gaze had made him feel a bit uneasy.

After placing their orders, and as soon as the waiter left, Eric got straight to the point, "So, Frank, has Kirk Kerkorian made an offer on MGM yet?"

Frank Mancuso nodded, "$1.5 billion, and Kerkorian seems quite eager -- he wants to finalize the deal before July. However, Credit Lyonnais hasn't responded yet. They seem to be waiting to see how GoldenEye and Night at the Museum fare at the box office in July. I've also heard that the French company Vivendi has been in touch with Credit Lyonnais, but I don't know their offer."

While Credit Lyonnais was a universal bank in France, they never intended to be involved in the entertainment industry. Years ago, a twist of fate led them to become the majority shareholder of MGM due to a financial scam perpetrated by an Italian consortium. The court confiscated and used MGM shares to repay the enormous debts owed by the Italian consortium.

Since the bubble-like expansion that began in the late '80s, Credit Lyonnais had temporarily become the largest bank in Europe. However, after the financial bubbles burst in recent years, they suffered massive losses due to bad debts, amounting to hundreds of billions, and they had almost reached bankruptcy.

Despite MGM showing signs of recovery, under pressure from the French government and shareholders, Credit Lyonnais was still anxious to divest its shares in MGM and convert them to cash to alleviate its financial shortfalls.

Eric guessed that $1.5 billion was likely higher than the amount Kerkorian paid to regain MGM in his previous life, yet it still seemed reasonable.

Although MGM appeared to be on the verge of revival, it was apparent to anyone with insight that beyond the James Bond series, control of lucrative franchises such as Charlie's Angels, Resident Evil, and the upcoming Night at the Museum didn't belong to MGM. While MGM's operation had stabilized over the last two years, the massive debts left by Kerkorian didn't seem to diminish significantly.

"Frank, you could reach out to the relevant people at Credit Lyonnais. Our offer is also $1.5 billion; let them send someone to the negotiation table. I know they are in desperate need of funds, and we can pay the entire acquisition amount in one lump sum."

Frank Mancuso looked over to Amy and Drew as he said, "Eric, is it Firefly Group?"

Eric shook his head and replied with a smile, "No, it's Flower Films. Firefly Group won't get involved with MGM in that way."

Eric's casual remark sent a shiver down Frank Mancuso's spine. Eric didn't want Firefly Group to get entangled in MGM's ownership disputes, which was easy to understand; he was cautious about encountering monopolistic barriers due to future expansion by Flower Films with the stake from Firefly Group.

Given the current scales of Flower Films and MGM, to reach the level of a monopoly would typically require a decade or more of rapid development. But in this world, miracles weren't lacking. That little 'Firefly' had managed to grow into a giant in just seven years.

After considering his words carefully, Frank Mancuso asked, "So, Eric, how does Flower Films plan to run MGM post-acquisition?"

Eric didn't answer but simply gestured towards Amy.

Amy smiled, knowing Frank Mancuso was concerned about the arrangement for the original management team following the merger. "Frank, after the merger, I hope you can continue to stay on and primarily oversee the distribution of our films in North America and globally."

Frank Mancuso was primarily responsible for distribution at MGM, as the company hadn't produced any significant films in recent years besides the Bond series. He didn't yearn to replace Amy as the CEO of the new company, so he was satisfied with this arrangement. He nodded and turned to Eric, "Eric, while a $1.5 billion offer isn't low, I think if Vivendi and Kerkorian join in the bidding, the final price could potentially rise to $1.8 billion. In principle, Credit Lyonnais will certainly sell MGM to the highest bidder."

Eric shook his head with a smile, "Frank, I don't think Credit Lyonnais has any principles. They have no trump cards; they can only choose to accept or decline the deal. If they insist on selling MGM to someone else, I'll immediately terminate all collaboration between Firefly Films and DreamWorks with MGM. Without rights to distribute films like Charlie's Angels, Resident Evil, and Night at the Museum, MGM would immediately revert to being an empty shell like a few years ago. At that point, I don't believe anyone will still want to offer them $1.5 billion."

Just imagining such a scenario created an intense sensation of helplessness within Frank Mancuso. He knew all too well that this situation was absolutely untenable for Credit Lyonnais. Although MGM had already signed distribution contracts with DreamWorks and Flower Films, there were countless methods in Hollywood for Firefly to achieve its goals without 'violating' those contracts.

At the same time, Frank Mancuso also definitely didn't want Kerkorian to regain control of MGM. That gambling tycoon was merely a vampire with no serious interest in filmmaking. Like Ron Perelman of Wall Street, he was focused on financing through bond issuance whenever MGM had a healthy-looking operation. Then he would find ways to line his pockets until MGM was teetering on bankruptcy again, at which point he would sell it off without a second thought. The massive debts weighing down MGM now were merely the aftermath of Kerkorian's repeated opportunistic practices in the '80s, with huge interest payments making it impossible for MGM to carry on.

Currently, he wasn't aware of the state of Paris-based Vivendi, but he believed teaming up with Firefly Films was probably MGM's only way out.

Once merged with Flower Films, he trusted Eric would likely integrate DreamWorks into the new company as well. Given the ownership of profitable franchises such as Mission: Impossible, Charlie's Angels, Night at the Museum, Resident Evil, and the James Bond series, MGM would soon regain its vitality and once again become a powerhouse in the film industry.

Feeling a pang of excitement at the thought of personally participating in MGM's revival, Frank Mancuso said to Eric, "Eric, I'll convey your message to Credit Lyonnais."

Eric nodded in satisfaction before the pleasant mealtime continued.

...

An hour later, after Frank Mancuso left the restaurant, Eric, Amy, and Drew remained, diving into discussions about Eric's detailed plans for Flower Films' future.

Unbeknownst to them, the afternoon rolled into sunset with the beach aglow in orange hues. Just when Eric was about to lead the two out, his phone, which had been sitting on the table, rang.

"This is Williams," Eric picked up the phone, chatted for a moment, nodding occasionally. Moments later, a playful smile spread across his face as he looked at Amy and Drew opposite him and asked, "Do you guys know Godzilla?"

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 727: Breaking Free from the Shadows]

The call came directly from ICM's Kepler Hyde.

After Columbia decided to produce a Godzilla film, they eagerly began searching for a director. Joe Johnston, who had just successfully helmed Jurassic Park 2, was undoubtedly the best choice. On the other hand, many actors, directors, and producers who worked closely with Firefly had most of their contracts through ICM. Due to antitrust laws, although there were no direct financial ties between the two, ICM had always enjoyed a very close relationship with Firefly among the three major talent agencies.

Thus, news that Sony was trying to poach talent quickly reached Eric.

Bill Mechanic was a seasoned Hollywood manager, and details about him weren't hard to come by. His management style tended to be conservative, and he had a cautious personality. After Sony appointed Bill Mechanic as Columbia's CEO, Eric briefly thought that Sony would abandon their exorbitant spending strategy and instead adopt a more cautious approach. However, as soon as he learned that Sony planned to launch Godzilla, he knew they would return to their old ways.

In the original timeline, although they had fired Peter Guber and Jon Peters, Sony still maintained their reckless money-splashing strategy, seeking recognition. They not only offered Jim Carrey an unprecedented $20 million salary but also blindly invested in numerous big-budget flops, with the 1998 version of Godzilla being one of the most notorious failures.

With Godzilla's immense global popularity, Sony ambitiously aimed to turn the film into a trilogy from its early development stages and brought on board Roland Emmerich, who had achieved great box office success with Independence Day.

However, often the greater the expectations, the bigger the disappointments.

From memory, the 1998 version of Godzilla was criticized for its simplistic and absurd plot, as well as its lack of logic. Fans were particularly vocal in their critiques of Godzilla itself.

Godzilla was known as the "King of Monsters" primarily due to its formidable combat abilities. In its Japanese versions, Godzilla possessed indestructible skin and powerful attacks like atomic breath, capable of withstanding even nuclear blasts, occasionally emerging to fend off alien invasions as well. That was the true King of Monsters that dominated its realm.

In stark contrast, the 1998 Godzilla saw most fans reacting post-viewing with disbelief, often thinking, "Are you kidding me?" The iconic monster had ditched its classic image for a Tyrannosaurus rex with fins, and to have its power reduced to being ensnared by a bridge cable was almost laughable. Was Godzilla really that weak?

That wasn't the worst of it; the most infuriating aspect was that this fin-backed Tyrannosaurus fell victim to a few strikes from the U.S. military's missiles, dying with no struggle or fight. In its final moments, it exchanged a poignant gaze with the lead character, filled with a sense of longing and unfulfilled dreams, leaving behind a subtext that read: "You got his body, but I got his heart." After this emotional farewell, it simply passed away, leaving behind an audience bewildered and lamenting: "It was a pathetic 'Godzilla,' and dying like that just isn't enough to quell public outrage! And you still had to act like King Kong at the end? What kind of joke is that?"

Eric recalled that while Godzilla wasn't a total box office disaster, its reputation was so poor that even years later fans would bring it up in conversation just to criticize it.

The film received multiple nominations from the Golden Raspberries, including for Worst Remake, Worst Director, Worst Screenplay, and Worst Supporting Actress, drawing ire from moviegoers worldwide.

Originally, Godzilla's rights holder, Toho, planned to completely retire the franchise after the 22nd film in 1995. However, after the release of the 1998 Godzilla, in an attempt to salvage the monster's image, they had to reboot the series, eventually releasing a total of 28 films before putting it to rest. In the end, the 1998 Godzilla even dropped the "God" prefix and was simply titled Zilla.

Upon learning that Sony planned to push ahead with the Godzilla project, Eric began considering how to steer this in the direction he wanted.

Under his influence, Hollywood was undergoing significant changes. Eric wasn't sure if the film would repeat its previous fate if a new director took over Godzilla. So, he quickly resolved to guide it down the same path as before.

While Sony's commitment to film production exceeded Panasonic's, Eric doubted they could remain persistent if they faced a string of big-budget failures. Furthermore, it seemed clear that Sony could no longer rely on the Spider-Man franchise as a lifeline.

Currently, there weren't many suitable directors for Godzilla in Hollywood. Cameron and Spielberg could be considered, and Eric himself would certainly be a possibility. Besides them, there were Joe Johnston, Roland Emmerich, Jan de Bont, and Paul Verhoeven - a select few, with most having ties to Firefly. After all, many of Hollywood's most successful special effects blockbusters in recent years had emerged from Firefly, with directors like Cameron and Emmerich gaining substantial experience through their steadfast support.

To replicate the success of Godzilla, pushing Roland Emmerich towards Sony was undoubtedly the most straightforward approach.

Thus, Eric's task was clear: block Sony from searching for other directors.

In this matter, he didn't need to worry about Cameron; he was busy making Titanic, leaving Sony with no options there. Joe Johnston had signed an option contract with Firefly before taking on Jurassic Park 2, so even if Sony could afford $20 million, they would have to pay hefty penalties for breach of contract, freeing him from their concerns. As for the others, Eric didn't think they would settle for second best before ruling out the bigger names.

The biggest wildcard, however, was Spielberg. The classic Jaws, which had catapulted him to fame, could also arguably be seen as a monster movie.

There was no doubt that even if Eric tried to make room, Sony would likely favor Spielberg over Emmerich.

Of course, nothing was absolute, and at that moment, Emmerich found himself with an ample opportunity to bolster his own "competitiveness." Independence Day surely marked the pinnacle of his directorial career.

...

While Eric closely monitored Sony's Godzilla preparations, the summer box office in Hollywood continued to blaze a trail, with Forrest Gump being particularly eye-catching.

On its first week, it grossed $47 million, which was impressive given it was playing on 1,500 screens and had an average of $30,000 per theater, far exceeding the standard $10,000 average expected from blockbuster films.

Then on June 16, Firefly's Toy Story 2 debuted, topping the box office with an impressive $69 million first-week gross. Jurassic Park 2 followed up with $77 million in its second week, taking a 45% hit and bringing its total earnings to $217 million. Its third-week gross saw a 49% drop to $39.25 million. Comparatively, Forrest Gump, in its second week, saw only an 18% drop, raking in $39.2 million, and Jurassic Park 2 narrowly held onto second place with just a $50,000 lead.

By June 23, even though Warner's Batman Forever split opinions, comic fans flocked to see their beloved villains on the big screen, while Forrest Gump's momentum truly began to shine.

After the box office figures for the week of June 23-29 came in, despite Batman Forever's impressive $78 million earnings at the top, all eyes turned to Forrest Gump's $35 million score -- a significantly minor drop of just 10%. Meanwhile, Toy Story 2's second week earnings fell to $33 million, landing it in third, and Jurassic Park 2 continued its pattern of commercial declines with a 40% drop to $23.5 million, finishing fourth.

Unnoticed, in just three weeks, Forrest Gump's box office drew together an unexpected total of over $122 million, fully entering the realm of the blockbuster.

Moreover, based on its growing buzz and marginal weekly revenue decline, box office forecasting agencies repeatedly revised Forrest Gump's expectations upward. By the time the third-week earnings were released, everyone was surprised to find that most forecasting agencies and media had subconsciously pegged Forrest Gump's box office at a staggering $300 million.

Although Jurassic Park 2 had reached $279 million by its fourth week, closing in on $300 million, few doubted that Forrest Gump was quietly emerging as a contender for the year's box office crown alongside Jurassic Park 2.

...

The production company Flower Films was undoubtedly ecstatic about Forrest Gump's box office success, while the party with the most complex feelings had to be Sony-Columbia, who lost the distribution rights to Forrest Gump and Night at the Museum due to the earlier disputes over Men in Black and Jumanji.

When Sony realized they were likely only going to scrape by on the two films they'd banked on - both of which had skyrocketing costs - while forgoing at least a $100 million profit from Forrest Gump, some shareholders openly criticized the U.S. division's decisions. Had it not been for Idei Nobuyuki's personal endorsement of Howard Stringer, the newly appointed U.S. division head might have faced calls to resign.

As winds shifted, Howard Stringer became ever more determined to escape the shadow of Firefly and turn Godzilla into a blockbuster franchise.

After his invitation to Joe Johnston to direct Godzilla was turned down, Howard Stringer quickly set his sights on Spielberg.

However, Howard Stringer was at least more astute than certain German film investors who only focused on big-name stars without considering their relevance. Given that Eric had pulled Jurassic Park from Spielberg, many of his recent films, while performing decently at the box office, hadn't been particularly groundbreaking. His box office hits Jaws and E.T. were relics of a bygone era.

Moreover, a few years back, Columbia's collaboration with Spielberg on Hook ended in an unremarkable box office disappointment despite initial praise. In recent years, Spielberg had maintained close ties with Universal, where he had partnered on the successful summer hit Casper; that fantasy family comedy had surprisingly achieved over $80 million at the box office despite being overshadowed by massive blockbusters like Jurassic Park 2.

Rumor had it that he was also about to establish a new production company in collaboration with David Geffen under Universal, which made Stringer less confident about inviting Spielberg to the project.

Amid this uncertainty, Independence Day premiered.

...

Debuting on June 30, Independence Day brought in $56 million over its three-day opening weekend. Thanks to the July 4th holiday landing on a weekday, ticket sales soared, resulting in an explosive opening of $85 million due to its strong marketing and word-of-mouth. In just one week, it more than recouped its $75 million production cost, and typically, production and distribution partners took away 90% of first-week gross, meaning, theoretically, Firefly had already recouped all its costs in its opening week.

With the success of Deep Impact, Roland Emmerich emerged as one of the top directors, and Independence Day's box office results further skyrocketed his reputation.

Moreover, Howard Stringer was pleasantly surprised to learn that Roland Emmerich had none of the contractual entrapments that held Joe Johnston back.

This meant that as long as Sony was willing to pay the price, they could hire Roland Emmerich to direct Godzilla.

The question now was, what would Firefly's response be if Sony reached out to Emmerich?

While Stringer aimed to break free from Firefly's shadow, he was acutely aware that completely escaping its influence was impossible. At the very least, this film would undeniably require technical support in digital effects.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 728: Strategic Error]

"Twenty million in salary and a 15% share of the North American box office? Ha, Firefly can't offer that," Eric laughed and shook his head as he spoke to Roland Emmerich, who sat across from him.

It was July 7, and the two were having breakfast at a diner in Beverly Hills. Roland had fully disclosed to Eric the conditions Sony had offered him to direct Godzilla. Howard Stringer was also a smart guy; rather than directly approaching Firefly, he proposed an irresistible offer to Roland to lure him away from Sony Pictures. After that, getting Firefly's understanding became Roland's responsibility.

If Godzilla's future box office could match the $300 million level of Independence Day, Roland would be looking at a whopping $65 million from this project. Even if the film flopped, Roland's earnings would still exceed $20 million, ensuring a safety net. Firefly surely would not come close to offering such terms.

Of course, Firefly was not being stingy, either. Independence Day had a massive box office success, and in addition to the original $8 million fixed salary, Roland could rake in over $20 million from the film's subsequent earnings due to the applicable profit-sharing agreement. So, ultimately, Independence Day could bring him in $30 million. Directors who could earn $30 million from a single film were few and far between in Hollywood.

This was the collaborative approach Eric had always promoted: keeping fixed salaries low and tying creative profits to box office revenue to share risks together. Sony's approach, offering such an exorbitant sum with high box office share even before the film was underway, seemed almost reckless, driven solely by financial might.

Seeing that Eric did not appear angry upon learning of his plans with Sony, Roland felt a bit more at ease. Although he had never seen Eric genuinely angry, he wasn't naive enough to believe that Eric was without temper. Their collaborations on Deep Impact and Independence Day had been very enjoyable, and Roland knew those films had propelled him to his current position. He wasn't one to forget his roots; usually, even without a contractual obligation, he would be eager to continue working with Firefly. However, this offer from Sony was indeed hard to pass up.

"Anyway, I'm really sorry, Eric. I don't think I can direct The Day After Tomorrow," Roland said, though he felt lighter inside. He still wore a regretful expression. Even though Firefly was on a hot streak, Eric's influence in Hollywood was only growing. Roland definitely didn't want to anger Eric unless absolutely necessary. After some thought, he added, "Eric, everyone is looking forward to your new work. Perhaps it would be a good idea for you to direct The Day After Tomorrow yourself."

"Let's see how things go," Eric replied, smiling noncommittally.

Sony was ambitious in wanting to turn Godzilla into at least a trilogy. Theoretically, Roland wouldn't be available to return to Firefly's films for several years.

Eric felt a bit uneasy about the situation. Roland's decision to step away from directing The Day After Tomorrow would necessitate adjustments to Firefly's filming schedule.

When he had first invited Roland to direct Deep Impact, they had only signed a two-film contract. After completing Independence Day, their contractual obligations had been fulfilled. Although Firefly had the right of first refusal for a renewal, it was unlikely they could offer anything close to Sony's sky-high salaries. Blocking someone's financial path is tantamount to committing a crime against their family; in that light, it would be tough for Firefly to insist on keeping Roland.

Despite this, Eric felt relaxed about letting Roland depart, primarily due to plans he was laying groundwork for years down the line.

At the moment, representatives from Credit Lyonnais had arrived in Los Angeles and were in acquisition talks with Amy Pascal of Flower Films. If they secured MGM as a distribution platform, Flower Films could rapidly expand.

On the other side, while Sony had substantial financial backing, amid massive losses due to Peter Guber's management, they couldn't continue to prop up Sony-Columbia indefinitely. If Sony's ambitious Godzilla series faced failure, it would deal a devastating blow to their confidence in maintaining the film business. At that point, Flower Films could seize Columbia and further Eric's plans to expand his Hollywood empire.

Roland was unaware of Eric's thoughts and felt a bit guilty seeing how easily Eric let him go.

The atmosphere during breakfast inevitably grew awkward. They exchanged dull pleasantries while quickly finishing their meal. Roland offered to pay the bill and then excused himself from the diner.

Although Howard Stringer had hoped Roland could discuss the special effects responsibilities for Godzilla with Eric, Roland felt increasingly guilty. This was something he found hard to bring up, firmly deciding to leave the headache for Sony to handle.

...

Once Roland left, Eric didn't hurry back to the office. He instructed the waiter to clear the plates, ordered a cup of coffee, and leisurely read the day's newspapers.

In the entertainment section of the Los Angeles Times, the weekly box office report highlighted Independence Day's staggering $85 million, followed by Universal's new release, the much-anticipated Apollo 13. Despite the absence of Tom Hanks, the film's exceptional quality and reputation still brought in over $43 million during its opening week, placing it second.

Considering the tumultuous acquisition earlier in the year, Universal had nevertheless maintained impressive box office results during the summer. The modestly budgeted films like May's Casper and this Apollo 13 showed far better performance than one would expect. Michael Eisner's volatile nature wasn't appealing, but after taking over Universal, he seemed to regain the sharpness he had during the '80s with Disney. Eric recalled that Universal would be facing tumultuous changes over the next decade, but it was uncertain just how much upheaval Eisner could withstand.

Following Apollo 13 was the second week of Batman Forever, raking in $42 million, placing third. The ever-reliable Forrest Gump was still holding strong with over $28 million, slightly down 20% from the previous week, putting it in fourth, with a total of $150 million over four weeks. Toy Story 2 earned just over $28 million, ranking fifth, with a total of $130 million, beginning its long run, though it certainly wouldn't have the same staying power as Forrest Gump, and was expected to finish around $200 million.

Additionally, Jurassic Park 2 had reached a total of $280 million after four weeks but brought in only just over $14 million in its fifth week. It was projected to surpass $300 million the following week. However, box office receipts were also expected to fall below the $1 million mark as it entered its winding down phase.

In just a month, weekly box office receipts dropped from $140 million to just $14 million. Newspaper articles couldn't help but echo criticisms of Firefly's distribution strategy, suggesting they had overextended Jurassic Park 2's box office potential by releasing it on 3,500 screens during its opening week. If Firefly had employed a more conservative release strategy, the box office curve would undoubtedly have been more attractive.

Eric simply smiled at these comments. Any perceptive individual could see that Firefly had effectively dominated the June release period over recent years, leading other studios to preemptively shift their major releases to July. Beginning from June 30, Universal's Apollo 13 and Independence Day resulted in an almost weekly run of two major new releases throughout July. For example, on July 7, Fox's The Cable Guy starring Jim Carrey and Warner's Waterworld debuts. On July 14, there was Night at the Museum and Eraser. The following week saw GoldenEye and Heat. Under this deluge of new releases, if Firefly did not extract as much box office as possible from Jurassic Park 2 in June, they would quickly find their space encroached by an overwhelming flood of new films.

Eric quickly skimmed through several major newspapers for the day, noting that Kevin Costner's Waterworld would be released today. He picked up the phone and dialed Amy Pascal, reminding her to monitor developments with Waterworld and to choose a suitable time to initiate salary negotiations for Mission: Impossible 2 with Kevin Costner.

Although the final product had not yet been revealed, Warner's $175 million aquatic dystopia was destined to tank. After the dismal performance of last summer's Western film, Wyatt Earp, this marked Kevin Costner's second major filmmaking failure. With that, Flower Films would wield considerable leverage in negotiating salaries for Mission: Impossible given the circumstances.

Even with Eric's strong support, Flower Films would still have to manage some financing along the way in the process of acquiring MGM. The first Mission: Impossible had shattered the global box office, surpassing $500 million -- a remarkable feat. Securing a deal for the sequel would undoubtably provide Flower Films with substantial additional financing leverage.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 729: No!]

Burbank, Firefly headquarters.

As the iconic duo, one tall and one short, walked into the office building, passing employees greeted them warmly.

"Caroline, Melanie, good morning."

"Renee, good morning."

"Mr. Weissman, good morning."

"Jean, good morning."

The petite Caroline Wilson politely greeted everyone she brushed past in her distinctive accent. Americans often had complicated feelings toward the British; if someone spoke in a tone reminiscent of a proud British aristocrat, it could lead to strong aversion. However, the petite girl's innate purity and sincerity lightened the mood and inspired no negative feelings. Many younger male employees even made it a point to learn the girls' work schedules just to hear her simple "good morning," looking for opportunities to run into her.

Melanie Gleason, standing next to Caroline with breakfast in hand, pretended to be busy, merely nodding with her eyes while munching away at her sandwich. She shot an exaggerated eye roll towards a guy from the distribution department named Jean. These timid guys just stood around every day, greeting Caroline, but because of rumors involving Caroline and Eric, they didn't dare to engage in deeper conversations.

Having worked in Eric's assistant's office for nearly a year, Melanie had gained a thorough understanding of her boss. The more she knew, the more she felt that there was no possibility of Caroline and Eric being together. In her attempts to divert Caroline's affections away from Eric, she had even tried to set her up with boyfriends, but each effort ended in vain.

Eric's assistant's office was situated on the sixth floor. To finish breakfast before reaching the office, Melanie pulled Caroline to take the stairs, just in time for Melanie to finish her breakfast as they arrived on the sixth floor.

A paper towel was offered to her from the side, and Melanie ungraciously took it, wiped her mouth, and laughed, saying, "You sure know how to take care of me, Caroline."

"If you sleep in again, I won't help you make breakfast," Caroline playfully threatened.

Melanie tossed the napkin into the trash without a second thought, tidied her hair, and cheerfully remarked, "If I hadn't covered for you at the party last night, it would have been you who couldn't get up today."

Caroline retorted, "You practically dragged me there! I didn't even want to go. I hardly knew those people."

"I did it for your own good. You're turning into a little nun, working all day long without a break, daydreaming about someone!"

Caroline felt her cheeks flush from Melanie's last comment but still defended herself, saying, "I think my current lifestyle is just fine."

Being a simple girl, Caroline was content with her life. She had a good-paying job that didn't require her to rely on her family. Plus, she had some caring friends around her. Most importantly, she not only worked for Eric but could occasionally see him too. Though naive, she wasn't foolish; she was even smarter than most people. Deep down, she knew this unrequited love wouldn't lead anywhere, yet she didn't want to force herself to adjust for anyone else. She just thought that when she no longer felt the same way about him, she would leave.

Eric's assistant's office had a unique position within the Firefly Group. Though located in the Firefly headquarters building, it served as a vital communication hub between Eric and all his enterprises.

As per Eric's arrangement, Caroline and Melanie were responsible for matters related to Yahoo, Cisco, and America Online, leading a small six-person team that included both of them. Thanks to her special relationship with Eric and her outstanding work abilities, Caroline had been promoted to team leader by Kelly at the beginning of the year.

Although this caused a potential candidate for the role to leave the company, in the past six months, Caroline had gained everyone's recognition. After all, the most crucial quality for the position was not social skills but exceptional information gathering, organizing, and coordination abilities. With her capability to absorb vast amounts of specialized knowledge effortlessly, no one could claim to be better than her at this.

The two girls entered the office, greeted their fellow colleagues, then Caroline settled at her desk and turned on her computer, ready to start the day's work.

...

Yahoo's annual conference was set to take place from July 10 to July 14, featuring key events like the Yahoo Network Product Launch, Yahoo Advertising Alliance Conference, and Yahoo Technology Alliance Conference. Recently, their team had been receiving daily prep updates from Boston for the conference, compiling the information to send to Eric for review. They even relayed some of Eric's special instructions back to Boston. On top of that, Eric had assigned them additional tasks, making them incredibly busy.

The East Coast was three hours ahead of the West Coast. Caroline opened her email inbox, which was already flooded with twenty unread messages.

After thoroughly reading all the emails, Caroline just opened the sending and receiving interface, intending to forward two important emails to Kelly Haynes when she heard the sound of high heels clicking towards her. Looking up, she saw Kelly walking in her direction.

"Good morning, Ms. Haynes," Caroline stood up from her cubicle.

"Morning, Caroline," Kelly smiled and nodded, handing Caroline a file folder.

Caroline recognized the folder as the schedule for the Yahoo conference that she had just organized yesterday. Feeling a bit anxious, she asked, "Ms. Haynes, is there something wrong?"

"Of course not," Kelly shook her head and said. "I need to head to Playa Vista immediately for an impromptu meeting. Eric will be here at ten to review these documents, so please deliver them to him. Since you organized these materials, if he has any questions, he can ask you directly."

"But, Ms. Haynes..." Caroline began to protest, but Kelly had already grabbed her handbag, saying, "No buts, Caroline. I need to go. I'll see you later."

As soon as Kelly left the office, Melanie leaned over from her cubicle and, seeing Caroline lost in thought while holding a folder, teased, "Caroline, do you want me to report to the boss for you?"

"No," Caroline instinctively rejected that idea but quickly realized Melanie was just joking, which made others in the office chuckle.

Giving Melanie an embarrassed glare, Caroline sat down, hiding in her cubicle. She glanced at the clock; there were still fifteen minutes until ten, so she quickly flipped through the document, intending to review the information she was already familiar with -- just to be safe.

...

At ten o'clock, Eric had just settled into his office when a few minutes later, a small figure was shown in by the secretary.

"Hi, Caroline," Eric looked up upon seeing Caroline enter and was not surprised; the secretary had already informed him that Kelly had to rush to Playa Vista.

"Hi, Eric," Caroline walked over and handed him the file. "This is the schedule for Yahoo's events from the 10th to the 14th."

Eric smiled as he took the document, gesturing for Caroline to sit casually. He then instructed the secretary to bring them two cups of coffee before he began to review the papers.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 730: Amazon]

Initially, the management team at Yahoo intended to quietly hold the Yahoo Tech Alliance and Advertising Alliance Conference, introducing new web technology products and discussing commercial collaborations with Yahoo partners.

After Eric devised a plan in New York to mislead competitors, the scale of the annual meeting was significantly enlarged. An exclusive budget was allocated for the event, which was ultimately divided into two major segments: a Yahoo web product launch aimed at users and the Yahoo Tech and Advertising Alliance Conference targeted at partners.

In line with Eric's vision to maximize influence, Yahoo sent invitations to executives at several high-tech companies, including Microsoft, Cisco, and America Online. The influx of media invitations was countless. After over a month of buildup, media speculation suggested that Yahoo aimed not only to make the annual conference an industry highlight but also to further cement its position as a leader in the internet business.

While Yahoo's stature as a leader paled in comparison to giants like Microsoft and Cisco, and could not compete with legacy tech companies like IBM, HP, and Apple, Wall Street had already valued Yahoo at $5 billion within just over three years of its establishment. Thus, no one could overlook Yahoo's tremendous growth potential. Consequently, top executives like Bill Gates of Microsoft, John Chambers of Cisco, and Steve Case of America Online confirmed their attendance at the annual meeting. Jeff Katzenberg, as an executive representative of Yahoo's important media business partner, Firefly, also planned to make time to attend. Jorma Ollila from Nokia would take the opportunity to meet Eric in the U.S., alongside Qualcomm CEO Irwin Jacobs and Sprint company executives. This event could be seen as a gathering of the core figures in Eric's economic empire.

Thus, although the Yahoo annual meeting spanned five days, Eric's schedule was filled to the hour.

After glancing through his agenda, Eric flipped open the planning document for the Yahoo web product launch.

This marked the sixth time in over a month that Eric had seen this draft. After Eric decided to hold the product launch, the first plan from Yahoo was painfully lacking compared to what he recalled of mature product launches. Ultimately, Eric had to carve out personal time based on his memories to create a simple plan, which was then modified repeatedly according to real-world considerations until they arrived at the polished version he had in hand today.

Due to the live television broadcast, this launch event was compressed to just 30 minutes. This meant no celebrity guests and no time for executives to ramble. Eric wouldn't take the stage himself, opting instead to leave all the time to a few key Yahoo executives. In the past month, Yahoo's advertising planning department had devoted most of their time to figuring out how to maximize the limited 30 minutes to showcase the content Yahoo wished to present to television viewers, while also sparking interest in potential users.

In addition to a brief review of Yahoo's existing products and the promotion of key partnerships like ABC News and Amazon, the launch would primarily introduce two new offerings: the Yahoo personal homepage and the Yahoo online payment tool, Yahoopay.

During this first wave of the internet era, information online was scarce. Similar to how movies and TV shows served the media industry, expanding online content was essential for the growth of the internet sector. Yet, such a task could not be accomplished solely by specialized media websites. Tina Brown's Yahoo news department, despite numerous expansions, had fewer than 1,000 employees, which was insufficient to provide adequate content for the current 25 million Internet users in the U.S.

Thus, launching personal homepages akin to blogs and leveraging millions of users for this task would undoubtedly yield greater results. Everyone craves attention; if just one-fifth of those 25 million American users set up personal homepages and each contributed an average of 20 pages of new content annually, that would generate a staggering 100 million new content pages online.

Moreover, if each of those pages generated 10 cents in advertising revenue for Yahoo each year, it could rack up $10 million annually. Eric understood that in the coming years, those figures would skyrocket beyond imagination. Back in 1995, there were only a handful of companies in the entire internet industry that generated over $10 million in revenue. But as long as they maintained a strong position and given the impending explosive growth of the internet, Yahoo's ad revenue would also experience exponential growth.

On the other hand, internet e-commerce was just beginning, and even the behemoth Amazon was merely a seedling back then. Most e-commerce platforms couldn't support a complete online payment system, making it the perfect time for Yahoo to enter the online payment segment. If Yahoo could successfully establish itself now and everyone became accustomed to using Yahoopay for online transactions, the potential profits -- without accounting for any other revenue opportunities -- just from the interest on the hundreds of billions in user deposits would be substantial.

When he considered Yahoopay, Eric couldn't help but think of Amazon. After Yahoo launched its $100 million angel investment program, Eric quickly spotted Jeff Bezos's name among the project applications and specifically instructed Yahoo's angel investment department to greenlight the project.

However, Jeff Bezos was willing to part with only 10% of his shares in exchange for Yahoo's $500,000 investment as seed money. It was clear that without special follow-up, Yahoo's 10% stake would be gradually diluted as Jeff Bezos sought further funding.

Eric understood the proverb about not taking on more than one could chew; therefore, he wasn't going to let Yahoo become bloated. Whether in the present or future, Yahoo's core business would focus on portal sites, search engines, and email -- fundamental internet services that would primarily rely on advertising for revenue, steering clear of heavy involvement in e-commerce. Even the planned Yahoo music store would operate as a separate electronic products division. Despite Yahoo not delving too deeply into e-commerce, investing in it was still a sound strategy, especially since he encountered the budding Amazon; Eric certainly couldn't let this opportunity slip away.

He marked Amazon's name in the document with a pencil, and when he looked up, he noticed Caroline hurriedly averting her gaze.

Seeing Caroline's flushed face, Eric realized she had just been sneaking a peek at him. As a normal man, he didn't lack that kind of vanity from being noticed by the opposite sex. He simply smiled, knowing Caroline was shy and chose not to tease her.

"Caroline, prepare a dossier on Amazon for me, and also make a copy of their original proposal," he said. "Oh, you know Amazon, right?"

Caroline, relieved that Eric was serious and hadn't teased her, nodded. "That's the online book-selling site created by Jeff Bezos, right?"

"Yes, and also schedule a time for me to talk directly with him."

As Eric spoke, he glanced down at his itinerary for the coming days. His days were certainly packed, leaving only evenings open. On the night of the 10th was a gala for tech company executives attending the annual meeting, while the 11th evening was reserved for executives within the Firefly system. Scanning down, he found that after 8 PM on the 12th, he had no other engagements, so he looked up at Caroline. "Let's set it for the night of the 12th, from 8 to 9 PM, at the hotel where I'm staying."

"Sure thing, Eric," Caroline nodded, pulling out her memo pad to jot it down. Although her memory was excellent, she still prepared a small memo, in line with most people's working habits.

After making the note, Caroline looked up and asked, "Eric, are there any other issues with this information?"

"None," Eric shook his head, setting the folder aside. "By the way, how are the materials I asked you to prepare on the electronic player and e-book?"

"Almost done, but regarding the microdisk development collaboration..." Caroline hesitated before continuing, "I've been calling IBM every day this week, but they haven't responded. They just said their upper management is still discussing."

While they were leaning towards using the small drives developed by Toshiba for storage, Eric still planned to commission IBM to begin immediate development on the microdisk. In this timeline, IBM was the first to introduce microdisk technology.

Eric frowned and said, "It's been a week; even if they aren't planning to collaborate, there should be some response."

Observing Eric's frown, Caroline thought for a moment and said, "Eric, I don't think IBM is a good collaboration partner."

"Hmm?" Eric looked up, signaling Caroline to elaborate.

Caroline explained, "IBM has long been a very bureaucratic company. Their decision-making committee has as many as 38 members. Three years ago, they appointed Louis Gerstner to implement a series of reforms, which proved effective. But these corporate ailments can't be resolved overnight. Even in collaborations with partners of similar standing, IBM has consistently shown a very lackadaisical attitude. Even if they eventually come to a conclusion, with their arrogance, I doubt they would agree to our terms."

The battery, LCD screen, and other technologies for developing electronic players and e-books were already relatively mature; the only remaining challenge was the storage medium. Current flash memory had too small a capacity, leaving only the microdisk as an option.

Currently, top hard drive manufacturers hadn't developed any micro-disks yet, but given their substantial technical foundations, miniaturizing hard drive technology wouldn't be too challenging. Eric originally planned to pay IBM's hard drive department to develop the microdisk and secure exclusive rights for a few years after successful development, delaying any potential competition by two to three years. Considering Caroline's comments, Eric remembered some data about IBM.

It was said that IBM had an extremely strict hierarchy; during meetings, each executive was assigned a seat equivalent to their rank, and even the company work attire reflected their hierarchy. Such a rigid system inevitably stifled management, which explained the lack of response to their proposal for an entire week.

At this moment, Eric realized IBM wasn't a good partner after all. What he sought was exclusive rights to the microdisk, allowing Firefly to dominate the market for the coming years after IBM completed the development. As such agreements were common among tech companies, the odds of Firefly securing exclusive rights from a giant like IBM were slim.

"I should have thought this through," Eric said. "So who do you think we should collaborate with instead?"

"Seagate or Western Digital. Both hard drive companies are based in California, making collaboration very convenient, and they have strong technical capabilities," Caroline suggested. "Moreover, while Japanese hard drive companies have more advanced technology, firms like Toshiba and Hitachi are involved in manufacturing electronic products, which may lead to future competition with us on similar products."

Eric recalled that after 2000, Japanese electronics firms fell into decline due to slow adaptation, eventually becoming upstream component suppliers. However, Japanese electronics still held a commanding global position at that time.

"In that case, let's reach out to Seagate and Western Digital. You take charge of this and aim to secure results before the end of July."

"Sure, got it," Caroline nodded earnestly as she recorded the instructions. When she looked up, she caught Eric watching her, making her cheeks flush. "Eric, what's up?"

"Nothing, just wondering if you really need to write all this down?"

"It's best to keep a record, just to be safe."

Eric replied, "Still, if you have some time, you might want to chat with Buffett. I think he'd really appreciate you. He's the type who can store everything in his head. Back when Capital Cities acquired ABC, they invited an entire investment banking team, but only Buffett was on the Capital Cities side, having all the acquisition data in his head. While others needed computers to crunch numbers for hours, he could just spit it out."

"Oh, how could I compare with Mr. Buffett?" Caroline shook her head, feeling embarrassed.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 731: The Gap]

"Becoming someone like Buffett is indeed tough. In reality, for most people, if they could attain his level of status and wealth, it would be nearly impossible for them to maintain the same undivided focus on one thing for decades," Eric said, gazing at Caroline's lovely face. "However, I see certain qualities in you that are similar to Buffett."

Ordinary people often grapple with too many distractions and desires, which can actually become the biggest obstacle preventing someone from making progress.

Yet, Eric hadn't seen any of that in Caroline. From their first meeting two years ago until now, her simple and pure nature hadn't changed much. Coupled with her exceptionally bright mind, Eric believed that if Caroline dedicated herself to developing into an investor like Buffett, she would undoubtedly achieve remarkable success in the future.

Feeling a bit shy from Eric's praise, Caroline wasn't as familiar with Buffett as he was; she didn't see the similarities he pointed out. Fidgeting with the hem of her professional outfit under the desk, she hesitated to ask and finally said, "Eric, if there's nothing else, I need to get back to work."

A grin spread across Eric's face as he teased, "Don't you want to chat with me?"

Although she knew Eric was joking, Caroline couldn't help but shake her head seriously. "But it's work hours now."

Eric found her somewhat old-fashioned demeanor amusing and continued, "You're my assistant. Anything I need can become part of your job, including chatting."

"That's not how it works," Caroline shot back, blinking her eyes.

But as she protested, thoughts of Kelly -- a capable and charismatic senior colleague of hers -- suddenly popped into her head. She recalled the playful affection displayed between Kelly and Eric, as well as their not-so-hidden relationship, which sparked a rather absurd notion in her mind: was that also part of a female assistant's job description? If so, what if Eric proposed...

As this thought deepened, Caroline's cheeks flushed bright red without her realizing it. She stole a quick glance at Eric but quickly looked away.

Noticing Caroline's inexplicable blush, Eric chuckled and asked, "What naughty thing are you thinking about?"

"N-Nothing," Caroline stammered, shrinking her neck before standing up. "I'm going back to work now."

With that, she turned and hurriedly left Eric's office, as if fearing she might be restrained by a wicked overlord if she lingered a second longer.

Ah, daring to be so negligent with her boss, Eric mused, maybe it was time to dock her pay as a punishment.

Amused by his own thoughts, he pressed the call button for the desk phone and instructed the secretary outside to deliver the notes Caroline had left on his desk.

...

In July, most companies started tallying up their revenues for the first half of the year, and Firefly was no exception. With the rapid recovery of the American economy, Firefly's businesses -- including films, television, theme parks, and retail stores -- were experiencing a strong growth compared to the same period last year. Though the relevant data was still being compiled, it was already certain that the Firefly Group's overall revenue for the first half of the year would exceed $10 billion.

Meanwhile, Fortune magazine released its first global 500 rankings in July, previously only counting American companies' top 500.

Despite enduring a bubble burst in the early '90s, Japan still claimed six spots in the top ten of the global 500. General Motors, ranked first among American companies, held only the fifth position on the list, with the top four entirely comprised of Japanese conglomerates. Firefly's annual revenue of around $20 billion seemed rather insignificant when compared to the leading Mitsubishi Corporation's $175.8 billion.

While Eric pondered the vast gap between his company and these world-class corporate giants, he didn't belittle himself. He believed that once all companies within the Firefly system grew to full potential, they would undoubtedly become behemoths that everyone else would look up to. With rapid advancements in high technology, he knew that day wasn't far off.

...

At the Liberty City Shell Manor, Eric lounged on a sofa by the curtain wall, flipping through Fortune magazine when Natasha walked in with Amy Pascal. After preparing coffee for the two of them, the twins quietly headed upstairs. It was July 9th, with the Yahoo annual meeting starting the next day. Eric was soon flying to Boston, and Drew and the twins were upstairs helping him pack.

Amy settled on the opposite sofa, took a sip of her coffee, and glanced at the magazine in Eric's hand, saying with a smile, "Eric, I think you'd prefer Forbes more."

Eric understood that Amy meant the Forbes billionaire list. "Keeping an eye on those often makes it easy to lose ambition. I need to face reality and motivate myself."

Amy shook her head, exclaiming, "You've already made yourself someone others aspire to. It's hard to imagine where you'll be in the future."

"Ultimately, I don't have a habit of stopping to wait for others," Eric smiled and asked, "Drew said you talked to Kevin Costner about the Mission: Impossible sequel yesterday. How did it go?"

The $175 million film Waterworld had premiered two days ago, bringing in only over $6 million on its opening day. Although this number was similar to that of Forrest Gump, the weight and reputation of both films were worlds apart. Adding to that, Waterworld had received scathing reviews and it faced fierce competition from both currently released and upcoming blockbusters, making its future look bleak.

After the dismal opening day box office, Kevin Costner's last shred of hope shattered. He proactively reached out to Flower Films, wanting to initiate the Mission: Impossible sequel to maintain his popularity.

"We only had preliminary discussions," Amy replied. "I hope to secure contracts for both sequels at once, but Kevin only wants to sign for one and they aren't willing to make significant concessions on the salary."

Even with the flop of both Wyatt Earp and Waterworld, Mission: Impossible had just tasted great success last year and was still riding high on its popularity. It wasn't surprising that Kevin was reluctant to compromise too much.

"But the initiative is still in our hands, so let's take it slow," Eric said after hearing her out.

Amy nodded and continued, "I ran into Joel Silver yesterday. He asked me if last year's agreement still stood."

Amy's tone held a hint of confusion, clearly indicating that Joel hadn't explained things to her fully.

Last year, at the wrap party for True Lies, Eric encountered Joel Silver, who happened to be a former producer for The Matrix. Eric had thought about bringing Joel over to oversee that project. He briefly outlined the situation to Amy, saying, "Though Fair Game failed, it's undeniable that Joel Silver is highly skilled at making action films. I think he'd be perfect for handling The Matrix series."

After hearing that, Amy shook her head, "Eric, I don't think it's a good idea."

"Why is that?" Eric asked, puzzled.

"Do you remember Peter Guber and John Peters?"

Eric nodded. After leaving Columbia, the two faded from the Hollywood scene. Very few were willing to invite these two spendthrifts back to be producers. However, Hollywood still remembered their 'illustrious record' of flushing away over $2 billion of Columbia's assets.

Amy continued, "Sony had initially poached Peter Guber and Jon Peters from Warner Bros. to serve as CEO and president at Columbia. They were under contract with Warner at the time, but Sony paid $200 million to acquire their production company, who were still linked to Warner. Later, they also had to compensate Warner $800 million. Joel Silver's connection with Warner is even tighter; his production company is also affiliated with Warner, and he's still under a long-term contract. For years, he hasn't produced any films outside of Warner. Warner is currently in a tough spot, and if Firefly attempts to poach him, they certainly won't just let him go without a fight. The cost for Firefly won't be any less than what Sony paid."

Eric begrudgingly shook his head after listening to Amy. While he wouldn't mind paying Warner a reasonable termination fee if Joel Silver could transition to Firefly, he wouldn't pull a stunt like Sony did.

Although the summer blockbuster season hadn't ended yet, Eric thought Warner's strategy of substituting quantity for quality to improve performance was bound to fail.

They had released three out of five planned films, but aside from Batman Forever, which performed decently, both Fair Game and the recent Waterworld had bombed.

Though they still had Arnold Schwarzenegger's Eraser and the star-studded Heat coming out in the next two weeks, Eric recalled that neither film had particularly high box office potential.

The box office results for Eraser were likely to be similar to Fox's Die Hard with a Vengeance, belonging to the type of old-school action films that perform modestly domestically and a bit better overseas. While Heat was a classic, its nearly three-hour runtime would vastly limit its box office potential.

Considering none of the five movies had that overseas blockbuster appeal and Batman's international box office allure had dimmed compared to North America, the combined global total they could hope for seemed to be around $1 billion. This figure was just a tad above Firefly's Jurassic Park 2's global earnings.

With its outstanding reputation and accumulated fanfare from the first film, Jurassic Park 2 might not reach the first film's billion-dollar mark but it would be very close. Moreover, the total production and marketing cost for Jurassic Park 2 was approximately $150 million -- its box office alone already ensured massive profits for Firefly.

In contrast, Warner's average production cost was already nearing $100 million, with total production and marketing expenditures hitting a staggering $700 million. Securing around $1 billion in global box office revenue would be far from enough to cover those immense costs.

Compared to last year's minor loss of $90 million, Warner's losses this year would only deepen due to the drain from their movie business.

Perhaps it was time to test if there was any possibility of the Warner board splitting its business.

With the second-largest cable operator in the U.S., several well-known cable channels had varying degrees of stakes with Warner. That was a sector where the Firefly Group had gaps.

"Eric, what are you thinking?" Amy's voice interrupted his train of thought.

Snapping back to reality, Eric offered an apologetic smile. "Nothing, let's talk about MGM."

They had touched on a few topics casually earlier, but Amy's main purpose for being there today was the acquisition of MGM by Flower Films. Taking advantage of Eric's break from Los Angeles, Amy made a special trip to discuss these matters with him.

Amy nodded, refraining from asking why Eric had been distracted, and said, "The potential offers from our trio -- Viacom, Kirkorian, and us -- hover around $1.5 billion for MGM. After the rumors about Flower Films and DreamWorks possibly ending their collaboration with MGM, the other two haven't put in new offers. Both Viacom and Kirkorian's executives reached out to me. They hope to meet with you as they know Flower Films lacks sufficient funds for acquisition, so they're interested in collaboration. Credit Lyonnais had put down an offer of $1.8 billion, and everyone is currently at a standstill."

Eric quietly listened to Amy and calculated quickly in his mind.

Even if the final acquisition price remained around $1.5 billion, it wouldn't be easy for Flower Films to scrape together the necessary funds.

He had planned for Firefly Group to set aside $300 million to buy out the overseas, video, and television rights for Forrest Gump. The income from the Mission: Impossible released last year would serve to repay previous film financing, while the upcoming Night at the Museum had been collateral for regaining the Marvel superheroes' rights, yielding limited revenue for Flower Films. Besides, the earnings from Night at the Museum wouldn't be settled until the end of the year.

In total, the funds available to Flower Films were limited to the domestic box office receipts from Forrest Gump and the buyout revenues from Firefly -- roughly around $400 million -- not nearly enough for the $1.5 billion target.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 732: The Dream Is About to Be Realized]

A cash gap of approximately $1.1 billion wasn't a problem for Firefly, which had ample cash flow. If Firefly Group decided to step in, all issues would naturally be resolved.

However, Eric never intended for Firefly to be involved in this acquisition from the start. Besides, Eric had already planned to invest all of Firefly Group's excess funds into high-tech companies like Yahoo. Diversifying attention onto this matter would definitely delay progress in other areas.

After considering for a while, Eric took out his phone and dialed Emily Brighton.

LTD Group had performed exceptionally well over the past two years and operated a retail network with Victoria's Secret, which could generate substantial cash flow. Eric had seen in LTD's financial documents that Emily intended to pay off a long-term debt of the group early. With that in mind, getting LTD involved in this acquisition seemed like a good idea. Although Eric was a major shareholder in LTD, those shares were held by Firefly Investments, so at least in terms of equity, any future connection between MGM and Firefly Group would be nonexistent.

When the call connected, Eric greeted her and asked directly, "Emily, are you interested in investing in Hollywood?"

Amy Pascal sat quietly on the sofa as she listened to Eric and Emily discuss for over ten minutes. By the time Eric hung up, she had a good idea of the outcome.

"$600 million," Eric said to Amy after ending the call. "LTD can probably come up with $600 million, but there's still a gap of about $500 million."

"If the box office of Night at the Museum performs well, we could leverage the copyrights of a few films from Flower Films to secure the rest of the funding through debt financing," Amy replied. "But that cycle will take at least another three months, and Credit Lyonnais Bank won't have any leverage on the deal price anymore. They definitely won't budge on the payment deadline."

Eric thought for a moment and said, "If Vivendi is willing, let's bring them in. As for Kirkorian, it's best to leave him out; bringing in someone like him would only stir up trouble."

Just then, Drew came downstairs with the twins, each pulling a suitcase.

After hugging Amy, Drew nestled closely against Eric, linking her arm with his, and asked, "What did you guys discuss?"

With a firm grip on the little girl's restless arm, Eric laughed, "We talked about financing. I'm planning to involve LTD and Vivendi; what do you think?"

"Sure, it's your call," Drew nodded, showing no signs of questioning Eric's decision.

Amy interjected, "Eric, I think Vivendi won't be satisfied with just the $500 million remaining share."

"That's all it is. If they're unwilling, we'll reach out to Wall Street investment firms. I think it's unlikely they'll refuse. Both Vivendi and Kirkorian know that trying to seize MGM from us will leave them with a mess when Flower Films and DreamWorks withdraw, so cooperation is the only way to join this acquisition," Eric replied. He paused and added, "After acquiring MGM, we still need to integrate DreamWorks. If they're really unsatisfied, Firefly could always transfer its 30% stake in DreamWorks to them."

Amy nodded, but Drew asked, "Eric, wouldn't that weaken our control over the company even more?"

With a valuable portfolio of copyrights worth around $1 billion, Flower Films and DreamWorks were significant players. MGM, burdened with high debt, was persistently hovering on the brink of bankruptcy. Credit Lyonnais Bank owned about 75% of shares, worth around $1.5 billion, while MGM also had 25% in circulation, making the total market value about $2 billion.

Eric wasn't entirely certain about MGM's total share capital. However, looking at the market values of several companies, $4 billion could be accounted as 40 shares, with Flower Films completely under Drew's control, representing 10 shares. In this acquisition, Flower Films would invest $400 million, and LTD would invest $600 million, securing 10 shares. Therefore, upon the merger's completion, Eric would still retain 50% of the new company's shares, enough to maintain firm control.

After analyzing these numbers with Drew and Amy, Eric said, "Although there may be a large shareholder like Vivendi, the future company's equity will still be quite dispersed. Other minority shareholders would find it difficult to impact the business operations. The shares we hold will give us absolute control. Moreover, after the merger, the company can issue an additional 10% of stock to raise operational funds without impacting our controlling interest."

...

For these past days, Bill Gates felt an increasing sense of oversight, which became more pronounced over time. This all stemmed from the contract signed with Yahoo last year.

Though Microsoft secured an agreement to acquire 30% of Yahoo's shares in 1999, as Windows 95's beta version gained popularity and rival Apple faced a sales slump, Bill Gates gradually realized that Windows 95 could very well dominate the operating system landscape. The clearer this thought became, the more he felt he had lost out on the contract.

A year ago.

If he had been more cautious and more confident in the market prospects of Windows 95, perhaps today's situation would not be this way.

As the release date for Windows 95 approached, Microsoft's stock surged, doubling its total market value compared to last year, surpassing $40 billion. Bill Gates was not insecure enough to think that Microsoft wouldn't be able to buy the 30% stake in Yahoo in 1999; he just felt that the agreement had shackled Microsoft's development strategy for the next four years, creating a sense of being trapped.

After all, four years remained.

The internet industry had already begun to show signs of fanaticism, and in this scenario, Microsoft could hardly just sit back and hold on to its dominant position in the operating system industry without taking any action.

But what could they do?

Originally, Bill Gates valued browser software highly, but last year's contract made Yahoo's browser the default on the Windows platform. Furthermore, the agreement prohibited Microsoft from launching a standalone browser for several years, depriving them of significant leverage in this critical internet interface.

Bill Gates had considered tearing up the contract; he had even tasked Microsoft's legal team to conduct a risk assessment on the matter. If he were to forcefully breach the contract, Microsoft would only need to pay around $300 million in penalties -- an amount well within its means. Worst case scenario, they could tussle with Yahoo in court for a few years.

However, from last year to now, although a year might not seem long, it was sufficient for Yahoo to further strengthen its technological and patent barriers across various internet products, including browser software.

Take the browser as an example; if Microsoft had immediately developed its own browser a year ago without signing that contract, leveraging its considerable advantage in operating systems, it could have forcefully taken market share from Yahoo's browser using bundling strategies and promoted a proprietary internet technology standard.

Now, though, Microsoft faced not just a superficial loss of time; compared to a year prior, it had not only missed the train in browser technology but also lost ground in a variety of web standards like I.E.S. script language, GIF image format, and even MP3 audio format -- technologies that strongly depended on the decoding capabilities of Yahoo's browser software kernel. With over 90% of websites now adopting these standards, without Yahoo's patent licensing, other software developers could barely parse most mainstream web pages.

To prevent accusations of monopolization, Yahoo maintained an open licensing policy for these technologies and Microsoft had already received part of the browser software patent licenses.

However, it was evident that if Microsoft were to breach the contract, those patent licenses would surely be voided, and Yahoo would definitely not grant any further licenses.

With over 90% of internet enterprises and users already accustomed to Yahoo's technology standards, even if Microsoft achieved domination of the operating system market, it would be impossible to forcefully establish an alternative standard.

Seated in the front row of the hall, Bill Gates listened with complex emotions as Yahoo's COO, Jeff Locke, passionately explained how to utilize YahooPay.

This conference was held at a student hall temporarily rented by Yahoo from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for their product launch on July 10 at 6:15 PM.

In the past fifteen minutes, Yahoo's CEO, Ian Gurner, provided a brief overview of Yahoo's development over the years and introduced several of Yahoo's popular internet products again, including Yahoo Browser, Yahoo Mail, Yahoo Instant Messaging, and the Yahoo portal -- all of which surpassed ten million users. Bill Gates realized that these products also represented vast groups of technical patents.

In North America, where intellectual property protection was extremely stringent, these patents were not something that could be freely utilized. Without proper authorization, even a giant like Microsoft couldn't recklessly use them. While Microsoft certainly could afford heavy fines for patent misuse, it could not withstand the consequences of violating business rules. After all, Microsoft also held a wealth of patents in the operating system sector, and if competitors learned from Microsoft's ways of rule-breaking, survival would become impossible.

Meanwhile, Jeff Locke was introducing Yahoo's online payment tool, making Bill Gates feel increasingly astounded.

Though he didn't know much about finance, he realized that this payment platform could, in fact, become indistinguishable from a bank. Given America's relatively open financial regulatory system, obtaining a banking license wouldn't be too difficult for Yahoo if they desired it.

The potential for a fully monopolistic virtual bank was staggering to imagine.

With these thoughts, Bill Gates leaned slightly forward, instinctively glancing at Eric, who was conversing softly with Cisco CEO John Chambers a few seats away. Noticing Bill's gaze, Eric gave him a slight nod.

Bill nodded back, his peripheral vision catching a camera sweeping over, promptly straightening his posture and flashing a professional smile.

This conference reminded Bill Gates of serious matters, especially given its television broadcast format.

Out of caution, the event wasn't broadcast live; instead, it was recorded and set to air three hours later on ABC at 9 PM. Even so, it meant millions of viewers would witness this event, undoubtedly providing strong promotional effects for Yahoo.

The launch date for Windows 95 was confirmed for August 24, and Microsoft's marketing department had already devised a plan to satellite broadcast the product debut, expecting hundreds of thousands of viewers to tune in.

However, at this moment, compared to Yahoo's moves, Bill Gates suddenly felt Microsoft's launch event appeared rather modest. He resolved to talk to Eric afterward, hoping to have Windows 95's launch also broadcast on ABC. Of course, Microsoft could afford the associated costs, but without strong upper management support, obtaining such broadcast opportunities on the big three television networks was no easy task.

...

On stage, after Jeff Locke finished introducing YahooPay, he took a moment's pause amidst applause from the thousands of guests in the audience. He took a sip of water from the podium, allowing everyone to digest the information shared.

After a brief moment, Jeff Locke picked up the remote control again and pressed a button, revealing a fresh image on the big screen along with two bold words: Yahoo-Blog.

"OK, next, I am solemnly introducing another new internet product from Yahoo, the Yahoo Personal Homepage."

With a gentle smile on his face, Jeff Locke gestured to the large screen behind him and continued, "The internet is still a very new world for the vast majority of people. We have enabled access to a massive amount of information on the Yahoo portal, communicated with friends thousands of miles away via Yahoo Mail and YCR, and debated current hot topics in Yahoo forums. Now, moving further, many might wonder if there's a network tool that can allow us to showcase ourselves to everyone. Well, today, your dream is about to be realized."

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 733: The Wrong Path]

"Before this, while various personal websites had already emerged on the internet, these all required a foundation of professional computer skills to be realized. Yahoo's personal homepage service would break through this limitation. Whether you were a student, a chef, a painter, a singer, a model, a plumber, or a homemaker, as long as you wanted to, you could create a personal homepage through Yahoo and showcase yourself," Jeff Locke remarked as he clicked the remote control in his hand, displaying users of personal homepages from various walks of life on the large screen behind him. These users were all invited participants from the testing phase of Yahoo's personal homepage service, including social celebrities from politics, business, Hollywood, and the tech industry.

After briefly outlining the general concept of personal homepages, Jeff Locke switched the screen and continued, "Yahoo's personal homepage connects users from across the United States and around the world through two main categories: interests and locations. This invisible web allows you to showcase yourself to everyone while enabling us to find like-minded friends from all corners of the globe, all through a personal computer, without having to travel or engage in frequent social activities..."

As thunderous applause resonated in the auditorium, Bill Gates snapped out of his deep thoughts. He glanced at Jeff Locke on stage, who was nodding to the audience, and made up his mind.

Although he had already missed the last opportunity to enter the browser software market, Microsoft could still venture into the portal website business, which was relatively easier to imitate. Over these days, Microsoft had probed much of Yahoo's senior management. Bill Gates was also aware that other tech companies interested in the internet industry were making similar moves.

Among Yahoo's four main executives, CEO Ian Gurney oversaw the big picture and was responsible for overall corporate development strategy. Jeff Locke managed Yahoo's portal and related software products, Steve Mitnick handled Yahoo's technical research and development, while the last one to join Yahoo, Tina Brown, led the Yahoo News division.

Having decided to develop the portal website business, digging Jeff Locke from Yahoo would unquestionably yield twice the results with half the effort, given his familiarity with the operation rules of portal sites. Moreover, during preliminary inquiries, Bill Gates realized that of the executives, Jeff Locke had been the most receptive to Microsoft's poaching efforts, largely due to his dissatisfaction with the stock equity reward he was about to receive.

Once the press conference ended, guests began to exit, and Yahoo prepared to hold a reception at a nearby hotel. Bill Gates waved over an assistant who had been sitting nearby, quietly instructing him to set up a meeting time with Jeff Locke, before smiling and walking over to Eric and others.

...

The television broadcast of Yahoo's network product announcement created quite a stir. The subsequent two days of technology and advertising alliance press conferences in Boston attracted even more media attention.

While attending related events, Eric's time was crammed with various responsibilities. Yahoo was rapidly expanding, and the original office space was becoming increasingly shabby. Due to confidentiality needs, Yahoo also could not continue staying in its previous office location.

Both Yahoo's executives and Eric hoped to establish a proprietary corporate campus, but such plans couldn't be realized overnight. After searching, Eric ultimately settled on a thirty-story office building on Massachusetts Avenue. The building had just been completed and was still available for lease, so Eric decided to rent the entire building for Yahoo's temporary headquarters until the corporate campus was constructed a few years later.

Additionally, even though Yahoo had temporarily shelved its IPO plans, Steve Case still hoped America Online could initiate its own IPO. Jorma Ollila also wished for Nokia's stock to list on the New York Stock Exchange, which would not only raise some funds but also help Nokia enter the American market. Eric had to allocate time to discuss these issues in detail with them.

Aside from these matters, Eric also conducted one-on-one discussions with several of Yahoo's senior executives regarding the stock equity reward plan's outcomes. Although some individuals showed inclination to leave Yahoo, Eric hoped to retain as many as possible.

The most unexpected part of this process was Jeff Locke. In the preliminary equity reward plan, the four main executives -- Ian Gurney and Steve Mitnick were set to receive three million shares of Yahoo stock, while Jeff Locke would receive two million shares and Tina Brown one million shares. As a manager from the original three companies before their merger, it was predictable that Jeff Locke would feel discontented with receiving a million shares less than Ian Gurney and Steve Mitnick.

However, Eric didn't perceive this arrangement as unfair. Ian Gurney oversaw Yahoo's overall development and personally managed the establishment of Yahoo's technology and advertising alliances. Many of Yahoo's advertising partners and clients were secured by Ian Gurney himself. Meanwhile, Steve Mitnick, as the Chief Technology Officer, was responsible for the technical development of all products under Yahoo, bringing in genius-level talents. Their contributions undoubtedly exceeded those of Jeff Locke, who only managed Yahoo's portal operations.

After all, Yahoo was no longer what it once was. It had evolved from just a standalone portal site into a multifaceted business that included instant messaging software, browsers, and more. While the portal site was clearly Yahoo's most dazzling division, Jeff Locke had inevitably fallen behind Ian Gurney and Steve Mitnick in importance.

...

Five days passed in the blink of an eye, and it was already July 14. Yahoo's annual meeting concluded that afternoon, with most guests having departed Boston. Although Eric had initially planned to leave that afternoon, he was forced to extend his stay until the following morning due to unresolved matters.

It was now 7:30 PM as Eric and Chris left Yahoo headquarters, walking side by side along the sidewalk on Massachusetts Avenue, followed closely by their assistants and bodyguards.

"So, he's confirmed to join Microsoft?" Chris kicked a small stone off the sidewalk as he asked Eric.

Eric nodded. Although he had raised the offer to 2.2 million shares, he still couldn't convince Jeff Locke to stay. The latter insisted on equity matching Ian Gurney and Steve Mitnick with three million shares to remain, which Eric simply couldn't accommodate. With a helpless smile, he remarked, "Actually, this isn't too bad. It gives Microsoft a direction to focus on, and Gates won't come meddling with us."

Despite having established a robust technological and patent barrier, Eric's trepidation towards Microsoft hadn't diminished at all. After all, many of Yahoo's software would need to operate on Microsoft systems. If Microsoft felt cornered and decided to break off relations, Yahoo would undoubtedly be in serious trouble. While such a possibility seemed slim, it still existed. Based on Eric's past experiences, Microsoft's approach to competitors was often ruthless after securing dominance in the operating system sphere.

Chris understood Eric's concerns and nodded. "Now that everything's done, how do you think it went?"

The scene in Boston had stirred quite a commotion to lead other competitors astray. Although Eric had explained this to Chris, he remained unsure whether it had indeed been effective.

"Didn't you see it yourself?" Eric appeared more relaxed as he answered, "Since Microsoft chose to poach Jeff Locke, at least for the next two years, he won't pose much of a threat to us."

Based on prior experience, later versions of Yahoo and Google became two fundamentally different internet entities. Rather than a tech company, Yahoo functioned more like a media company, whereas Google, which focused on search engine technology, was a bona fide tech firm.

While media companies face various thresholds and barriers in the real world, the barriers in the realm of the internet were terrifyingly low. Eventually, individuals could operate internet media businesses on their own, giving rise to what became known as "self-media."

In such a context where entry barriers were incredibly low, websites primarily focused on media information were likely to proliferate. It was nearly impossible for any company to become an internet giant solely through content advantages. The future of internet enterprises belonged to platforms like Google that specialized in the integration of vast amounts of online information as a search engine.

Yahoo's failure to escape the trajectory of decline, even after multiple reforms, stemmed from its inability to make a decisive choice between its media attributes and tech attributes. In the end, while it managed to outlast America Online by over a decade, it still couldn't evade its destined fate.

Eric's series of maneuvers in recent days aimed to guide other competitors to focus on developing internet media businesses, namely, portal sites. He even spoke whimsically at an industry exchange conference two days prior, drawing vivid analogies between portal sites and the three major television networks. He described the relationship between portal sites and their advertising partners as akin to that of television networks and affiliate stations, greatly praising the sector's growth potential. He predicted that once internet user numbers reached half of television viewers, portal site revenues would surpass those of traditional television networks.

From the reaction on-site, it was evident many believed him. After the conference, Steve Case expressed interest in ramping up America Online's investment in its portal business. Although initially, based on Eric's persuasion, Steve Case had determined that America Online would prioritize its role as an internet service provider, Eric hadn't asked America Online to abandon portal operations. This sector could significantly boost America Online's stock price during the internet bubble a few years later.

Eric had been accommodating to Steve Case, readily agreeing to his request and offering technical support.

While many gravitated toward the inevitable decline of portal sites, most likely, they had no idea Eric was most concerned about the seemingly inconspicuous Yahoo search tool at the top of Yahoo's homepage. Over the years, he had subtly invited Steve Mitnick, responsible for technical research, to intensify the development of intelligent search engine technology.

As they chatted, they soon reached the hotel's exterior. Chris glanced up at the brightly lit restaurant on the second floor and told Eric, "Jeff Bezos must already be up there. He wasn't pleased when you suddenly canceled the meeting the other day. I had to work really hard to finalize the terms with him."

Eric had initially planned to meet with Jeff Bezos the night before to discuss increasing investments in Amazon. However, he became delayed by other matters and ended up arriving back at the hotel around 8:30 PM, making their meeting impossible. In the absence of time, Eric could only rely on Chris to connect with Jeff Bezos. Fortunately, that turned out well.

According to the agreement Chris reached with Jeff Bezos, for the next few years, Firefly Investment would be directly responsible for financing Amazon's e-commerce platform. Firefly committed not to interfere in Amazon's operations, and to show goodwill, the investment would provide funds in exchange for Amazon's convertible preferred shares.

Preferred shares typically do not hold voting rights but have priority over dividends. The convertible preferred shares held by Firefly Investment would automatically convert to common shares with voting rights after Amazon's IPO.

This arrangement could encourage Jeff Bezos to postpone Amazon's IPO as long as possible, allowing Firefly Investment to acquire a larger stake. Chris anticipated that before Jeff Bezos formally decided to take Amazon public, Firefly could secure around 40% of Amazon's shares. Even after the IPO, Firefly's holdings would likely remain over 30%.

...

Once inside the hotel, they ascended to the restaurant on the second floor. Although Eric hadn't arrived late this time, Jeff Bezos was already waiting there.

Eric had intentionally delayed leaving until the following morning to ensure he could meet with Jeff Bezos. Since the agreement was already in place, both sides didn't delve deeply into collaboration issues. The atmosphere was quite pleasant as they casually chatted for about an hour to familiarize themselves before going their separate ways.

...

Before stepping into his hotel room, Eric told Kelly, "Let's head to New York in the morning and then back to Los Angeles. I need to check on the two little ones and also follow up on the production progress of America's Next Top Model and Project Runway."

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 734: The Right Moment]

New York, on a yacht along the Hudson River, the crew of America's Next Top Model was busy filming the latest episode.

Eric stood casually on the edge of the set, wearing sunglasses, accompanied by Linda Evangelista. Ahead of them, Cindy Crawford was explaining the rules of the upcoming competition to the last six contestants.

Finishing up business in Boston, Eric had arrived in New York three days ago. He had spent the weekend on Long Island with women and children before heading to Manhattan.

After a month and a half, the shooting for both America's Next Top Model and Project Runway was already halfway through, with expectations to wrap up around September. Eric had spent the previous day reviewing the production results of both reality shows.

Because he had the memories of his past life as a reference, and Cindy had several years of experience as a TV host and sufficient experience in TV program production, Eric was very satisfied with the edited footage of the first two episodes of America's Next Top Model.

However, the results for Project Runway were disappointing. Although Linda was putting in her best effort, she simply didn't have the extensive experience that Cindy possessed. While America's Next Top Model had two edited episodes ready, Project Runway barely had one unsatisfactory rough cut.

Since Project Runway had come around as a follow-up to America's Next Top Model, Eric decided to bring Linda along to learn from Cindy.

It was clear that during Eric's absence, there had been little communication between the two women. Eric understood that getting two equally proud and beautiful women to work together seamlessly was unlikely; opposites attract, but with similar types, it simply didn't work out.

"I can't possibly do what Cindy does," Linda said as she leaned closer to Eric, watching Cindy Crawford from the set. "The audience is interested in details about modeling training, photo shoots, and even personal lives. But for fashion designers, their interest decreases significantly. The chances of drawing inspiration from Cindy's edited footage seem slim."

Eric chuckled, "I didn't ask you to copy Cindy's ideas. I just want you to see how she grabs the audience's attention with this material. Project Runway definitely has its own angles to explore."

Curious, Linda asked, "What angles?"

Not expecting her to understand right away, Eric pointed out as Cindy approached after finishing the competition rules, "I've thought it out; we can work on the pacing. If viewers feel a disconnect from fashion designers, let's bridge that gap."

As Cindy walked out of the filming area, she grabbed a bottle of water from a crew member and overheard Eric's suggestion. "Eric, how do you plan to bridge that distance?" she asked.

"Take a guess," Eric responded with a smile.

Cindy shrugged, showing no interest in guessing. But Linda was quick to voice her discontent. "Eric, Cindy can be quite mean. Last week, I faced some minor issues during shooting and called to ask her for help. She offered none and laughed at me. Plus, she's unwilling to cooperate with my ideas for crossover episodes."

Cindy immediately rebutted, "Hey, Linda, I have my own work too. I'm not your mother, you know. I'm not obligated to help you with everything."

"Alright, no fighting," Eric waved his hand to diffuse the situation. "The crossover idea is great, but there's no rush. Let's save it for the second or third season as a promotional gimmick. Pouring all good ideas into one season can initially deliver impressive results, but if we don't build gradually, the audience will lose interest after a few seasons."

Cindy nodded in agreement, proudly humming a few notes before glancing at Linda. "Hmm, I wonder if there will even be a second or third season for Project Runway."

Linda hooked her arm around Eric. "If Eric says there will be a second and third season, then there will definitely be. Do you have a problem with that?"

"I have no problem," Cindy said, giving a sly smile. She didn't believe that if Project Runway's ratings were lacking, Eric would continue producing it.

Linda seemed to catch that vibe too and nudged Eric. "Eric, what did you say earlier about getting closer to the audience?"

Recalling the rough cut of Project Runway he had watched yesterday, Eric explained, "From what I saw, the pacing feels a bit slow. This is mainly because the clothing design process can be quite dull to watch. However, we can't cut more from the footage, or else the competitive process becomes incomplete. Therefore, I think we should add a lot of voiceover. On one hand, this can create a faster pacing feel. On the other, it can provide viewers with more explanations, helping them understand the reasons behind contestants' actions. You and the production team should have a meeting about it tomorrow. I'll be there too."

"Sounds good," Linda nodded and glared at Cindy in a show of defiance.

Cindy pouted slightly, turning her gaze towards the contestants posing for photos. "What about my show, Eric?"

"You're doing perfectly fine. Just continue at this pace; no need for any changes," Eric replied.

Cindy paused, not feeling too excitable over Eric's praise. Instead, she felt a little lost.

Linda burst into a carefree laugh, making a silly face at Cindy while Eric wasn't looking.

Cindy did such a great job that she ended up losing many opportunities to engage with Eric. Initially anxious about her performance, she now felt a bit smug instead.

Eric returned his attention to the set where he noticed the two women expressing strange looks toward each other. "What's up with you two?" he asked.

Linda immediately shook her head. "Nothing, Eric. How about we head back now? I don't see the point in wasting time here. We might as well try out that method you just mentioned this afternoon."

'You little bitch.'

Cindy cursed her under her breath, observing that Eric seemed genuinely inclined to leave. She put on a wistful expression and tugged at Eric's sleeve. "Eric, it's almost noon. I completed my work so excellently; I can't be denied a reward, like a meal."

"Here's a secret, Eric: Cindy's expression means... ah, ouch! You think I wouldn't dare fight back?"

Eric separated the two women. "Alright, no more playing around. There are so many people here."

Noticing the crew members and contestants on set glancing curiously in their direction, the two 'cats' that almost scratched at each other quickly resumed their aloof demeanor.

Cindy styled her voluminous wavy hair, turning to Eric. "Eric, let's wait to eat together later. I've got a guest coming in. She's a stunning beauty and will be a special guest this episode."

"You already invited someone and still..." Linda began, but seeing the threat in Cindy's glare, she cut herself off.

Eric wrapped an arm around Linda's waist and gently patted her, signaling her to stop causing trouble. Nodding to Cindy, he asked, "Alright, but you have to tell me who your guest is first."

"Elizabeth Hurley," Cindy announced, observing as Eric's expression remained unchanged. "Eric, don't you know her?"

"I do," Eric nodded.

Elizabeth Hurley, a well-known British supermodel and actress, had become familiar to Eric through a series of tabloid headlines. He was unclear about the entire flow of her romantic history, but from the snippets in his memory, it seemed that the British supermodel had dated multiple men at once. Additionally, her personality... she was always trying to latch onto wealthy men and 'luckily' ended up with an Indian mogul.

Eric remembered that Elizabeth Hurley was currently dating British actor Hugh Grant.

After Hugh gained fame from Four Weddings and a Funeral, she had leveraged his publicity to build her own career in Hollywood. According to Eric's memories, Hugh was due to face a scandal later that year, which would decrease his popularity significantly. But for now, it was July, and since the incident hadn't occurred yet, it seemed that the butterfly effect resulting from Eric's influence in Hollywood had changed many things.

Thinking it over, Eric asked Cindy, "I'm just curious, how did you decide to invite her as a guest?"

Cindy explained, "I met her at a Chanel party last month. We hit it off. When she heard I was doing this show, she wanted to come in as a special judge. She's been wanting to break into Hollywood for a couple of years, but it hasn't gone smoothly, so she thought this opportunity could boost her exposure. It's a win-win situation for both of us."

...

After spending over an hour at the set of America's Next Top Model, once the crew wrapped up for lunch, Cindy quickly led Eric and Linda to a quieter restaurant in a large building along Sixth Avenue in Manhattan, which offered excellent privacy with separate booths and required a membership card.

As the three were settling in, a tall woman in a black long dress approached them.

"Hi, Liz," Cindy stood to greet Elizabeth Hurley, embracing her briefly before apologizing, "Sorry, Liz. Two friends unexpectedly joined me today, so I couldn't let you know beforehand."

As the two women chatted, Eric felt Elizabeth Hurley's gaze fixated on him, sparkling with an unknown intensity.

"Let me introduce you; this is Eric Williams, and this is Linda. You definitely know her," Cindy waved her hand playfully in front of Linda, making her feel slightly annoyed.

"Mr. Williams, hello," Elizabeth said, her eyes lingering, wearing a polite smile as she reached out her hand to Eric.

"Just call me Eric," he replied, shaking her hand. The brief contact felt like a teasing brush, making him think, wow, this woman is bold.

After the formalities, as they sat at the table, Elizabeth Hurley directly asked, "So Eric, are you here for America's Next Top Model?"

"Yeah," Eric nodded, casually flipping through the menu handed to him by the waiter.

Elizabeth quickly realized she might be acting a bit too eagerly and refined her demeanor, elegantly browsing her own menu. Once the orders were placed and the waiter had left, she continued, "I thought you'd still be in Boston; I heard it's quite lively there lately. By the way, I've set up my own personal homepage on Yahoo, but I'm not too good with it."

Eric replied dismissively, "Oh, that should be simple. Just a bit of tinkering, and you'll figure it out."

After its rollout, Yahoo's personal homepage had garnered over 7 million users in less than a week, showing rapid growth.

Thanks to Eric's influence in Hollywood, many celebrities opened their own personal pages, further enhancing the appeal of Yahoo's personal homepage. With mobile internet still a far-off concept, Yahoo's personal homepage primarily focused on long-form blogs, given the real-time microblogging had yet to catch on. However, Eric had already instructed the Yahoo department handling personal homepages to emphasize the social aspects.

As this topic floated around, Cindy's eyes also lit up.

Her thoughts drifted back to a photo she had seen in The New York Times a few days earlier. It featured Eric posing with several business moguls like Jeffrey Katzenberg from Firefly Group, Jorma Ollila from Nokia, John Chambers from Cisco, Steve Case from America Online, among others.

In the photo, everyone stood centered around Eric. The accompanying article predicted that due to the rapid development of the companies mentioned, along with Eric's significant ownership stakes in them, his personal fortune could rise by more than 50% this year. At the beginning of the year, Forbes estimated Eric's personal assets at $46.5 billion. A 50% increase could potentially skyrocket his wealth to an astonishing $70 billion.

What did $70 billion even mean? With Microsoft's stock soaring, the second richest man, Bill Gates, had just reached a net worth of $12.9 billion this year. Eric's wealth alone was nearly equivalent to the total net worth of the others in the top ten of the Forbes list combined.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 735: Return to Canada]

Due to an unintentional conversation, the women, despite their differing thoughts, cleverly refrained from showing any signs of disturbance in front of Eric.

Cindy proactively changed the topic, asking Elizabeth Hurley, "Liz, weren't you recently seeking a collaboration with Estee Lauder? How did that go?"

Elizabeth Hurley shook her head with a hint of regret. "Estee Lauder plans to renew their contract with Paulina Porizkova, so I won't have the opportunity."

After saying this, she subtly glanced over at Eric.

"I wasn't aware that Paulina still had a contract with Estee Lauder," Eric casually remarked. Paulina Porizkova had been one of the Victoria's Secret Angels the previous year, and Eric always thought she bore a resemblance to Audrey Hepburn.

From Elizabeth Hurley's reaction, it seemed that Estee Lauder's contract with Paulina was set to expire that year. Originally, Estee Lauder had intended to change their spokesperson, but Paulina's popularity from last year's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show had led them to reconsider. For high-end, mid-range, or fast-moving consumer goods brands, the most important factor in choosing a spokesperson was often their popularity. The models who had participated in last year's fashion show were undoubtedly among the most well-known in the industry.

Linda joked, "I have quite a few endorsements myself, Eric. Want to hear about them?"

"Oh," Eric shrugged. "Not really interested, but it's safe to say you definitely have a Victoria's Secret endorsement."

Linda laughed and replied, "Well, of course! You're the one who set that up."

Hearing the discussion shift to Victoria's Secret, Elizabeth Hurley seized the moment to ask, "Eric, will you be involved in producing this year's Victoria's Secret annual show?"

"I won't be participating this time," Eric said, looking at Cindy and Linda. "Do you feel relieved to hear that?"

Linda, being straightforward, nodded and added with a faux sense of relief, "Yeah, yeah! You tyrant! It's nice to know you can't torture us this time!"

In reality, since the beginning of the year, LTD had been working continuously to prepare for the upcoming Victoria's Secret show. With Eric stepping back from the project, not only would the supermodel accountable for the show be affected, but they would also have to find their own background music, which had been another highlight of the show.

Many prominent musicians were keen on collaborating with the Victoria's Secret show due to the immense popularity garnered last year.

Cindy and Linda had already been informed that the show was under new direction this year, led by an MTV director who had previously shot Victoria's Secret ads for them. However, he was still in Los Angeles working on his own film and wouldn't be able to come to New York to take over the Victoria's Secret show project until next month.

As a top British supermodel, Elizabeth Hurley had also had the chance to participate in last year's Victoria's Secret show. Unfortunately, at that time, she had been engaged in the filming of a UK production and had felt, like Cindy, that she was approaching the age limit for modeling. Both women had begun to shift their aspirations toward acting.

By the time the Victoria's Secret show garnered worldwide attention, Elizabeth found herself regretting not participating, especially since the film she starred in barely made a splash. As a judge on America's Next Top Model, she hoped to connect with Cindy and find a way to step onto the Victoria's Secret stage this year.

The surprise for her came during lunch when she encountered Eric, the young Hollywood mogul. She knew all too well that if she wanted to make her way onto the Victoria's Secret stage, becoming best friends with Cindy wouldn't have the same impact as having conversations with Eric.

As they continued their chat, a server quickly arrived with their meals, poured wine for everyone, and quietly stepped away.

Elizabeth casually sliced her steak, turning to Eric and saying, "Speaking of, I regret missing the Victoria's Secret show last year due to scheduling conflicts. Do you think I have a chance of participating in this year's show?"

The Victoria's Secret Angels lineup was essentially complete, having formed several tiers. The group of five clearly dominated the top tier, followed by a batch of equally hot models, and finally, a larger number of potential candidates waiting for their moment. Even though the production for the second Victoria's Secret show hadn't officially begun, the roster for Angels was already determined. Plus, considering Elizabeth's standing in the second tier of popularity, foisting her into the show would disrupt the established production and marketing strategies.

Just as Eric was about to dodge her question, he felt a small leg brushing against his under the table, playfully nudging against him.

He looked up to see Cindy beside him and Linda across from him, with Elizabeth sitting diagonally. Cindy appeared unbothered and flashed a charming smile as Eric looked her way, and when he turned to his left, he caught Elizabeth lightly winking at him.

That leg stretching over was certainly a bold move, putting him in a ridiculous position of wanting to lift the table to see their arrangement beneath it.

He had witnessed her daring behavior earlier, so he wasn't too surprised. Sticking with his previous line of thought, he said, "I don't think that's possible, Liz. The lineup for the Victoria's Secret show has already been set."

"Eric, as long as you speak up, they'd definitely be willing to switch people, don't you think?" Elizabeth pursued, not sensing any need for reservation in front of a big shot like him. Any hint of favor from him would be a precious opportunity for her.

Eric smiled and nodded, "Of course, that's why I can't do that. It would throw everything into chaos. Didn't you start shifting towards acting? I think you should focus more on that."

While Eric intended to change the subject, looking at her somewhat untamed yet pretty face reminded him of the movie Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.

Though Elizabeth was merely eye candy in that film, it was likely her only noteworthy work.

He recalled that Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery was a parody film similar to a few years earlier with Hot Shots!, which parodied many films. However, Austin Powers specifically spoofed the James Bond series. While many jokes only resonated with American audiences and had limited international commercial potential, its low production cost allowed the company to reap significant profits.

The writer and star, Mike Myers, wasn't an unknown either; he had produced another parody series, Wayne's World, a few years prior, earning an even higher box office figure than Hot Shots!. Unfortunately, similar themes often fell prey to the sequel fatigue trope where the first film enjoyed immense success, but Wayne's World 2 suffered after a $60 million budget, resulting in it flopping. As for Mike Myers, he had faded into quietude over the past two years.

In another timeline, Austin Powers managed to produce three films, making it a rare trilogy among parody comedies. The box office numbers must have been quite impressive; perhaps he could find time to check if Mike Myers had picked up the script.

Seizing the opportunity to steer the conversation toward films, Elizabeth quickly chimed in, "Eric, I really love acting too, but I just haven't found the right opportunity. Does Firefly have any movies suitable for me?"

Before Eric could answer, Linda jumped in, "Eric, I want to act in a movie too."

Caught off-guard with how to respond to Elizabeth's persistence, Eric almost felt like kissing Linda's cheek as she conveniently redirected the topic, although he forced a look of impatience. "You should focus on Project Runaway, and if you can't do that well, I'll send you back to Canada."

Linda pouted, showing no signs of remorse at all. "Why be mean? I don't need to act if I don't want to."

Cindy then spoke up, "Eric, your next film still doesn't have any prospects. Are you really planning on retiring?"

"I just can't find the right project," Eric casually replied.

Linda urged, "So what kind of project would excite you?"

"I can't shake the feeling that I've been asked that before," Eric quipped, contemplating, he said, "Perhaps a project that could top the box office of Jurassic Park."

"Ha, surpassing Jurassic Park? That's not so easy. Everyone says the box office was a complete surprise."

Eric smiled and said, "Every film's box office is a surprise because no one can accurately predict the numbers before a film is released."

Linda countered, "I think you shouldn't set your standards so high. I really liked the early films you shot; Sleepless in Seattle, Pretty Woman, and yes, even Running Out of Time. I loved that film! I even thought about auditioning for the Yoyo role. While later ones like Twister and Jurassic Park were thrilling, their storylines lacked."

The two women played off each other perfectly, subtly usurping Elizabeth Hurley from the center of attention and leaving her with no chance to interject.

...

Their meal wrapped up quickly, and after leaving the restaurant, they stepped into the elevator. Elizabeth looked at Cindy, who seemed somewhat reluctant to say goodbye to Eric and Linda before driving off. Elizabeth then slid up beside Eric, taking the spot where Cindy had just vacated, and asked, "Eric, are you guys going to the set of Project Runaway this afternoon?"

"Yeah," Eric nodded.

"Can I come along to take a look?" Elizabeth asked, then added, "I've watched Survivor and have always been curious about how reality shows are made."

"Liz, that might not be convenient. These kinds of shows require a high level of confidentiality."

"I just want to observe; I promise I won't disclose anything. Really," Elizabeth said, then casually wrapped her arm around Eric's.

Eric looked at Linda, who gave him a look that communicated 'you decide.' She turned aside, knowing that if Elizabeth approached them, she certainly couldn't serve as an effective barrier, especially considering she wouldn't even qualify as Eric's girlfriend.

"Well, alright," Eric decided, sensing Linda's lack of any objection and feeling Elizabeth gently nudging against his arm, he agreed. After all, very few people could resist the advances of a stunning beauty.

...

The three of them headed towards Eric's luxury car, where the driver opened the door. Eric ushered both women inside and drove off to the set of Project Runaway.

Even though Eric had taken Linda to the America's Next Top Model set earlier that morning, Project Runaway's production had not ceased.

Arriving at the filming location for Project Runaway a few blocks away, the crew had already begun working. The pace here was slower compared to the America's Next Top Model set, and due to the different program format, Project Runaway's filming locations were mostly fixed, comprising a sewing room, contestants' dormitories, and a competition stage within the studio.

While the finished episodes made it seem like the contestants had very tight competition timelines, in reality, the shooting time for each episode could stretch up to a week.

Upon arrival, Linda merely informed the production team to reconvene in the morning to reconsider the editing direction of the show, and then did not disrupt the crew's work, instead standing by as a mere observer alongside Eric and Elizabeth.

Elizabeth's thoughts were definitely not on the reality show. Throughout the process, she remained glued to Eric's side, feigning curiosity with multiple questions and presenting herself as eager to learn.

While managing the persistent attention of the beautiful Elizabeth, Eric took a moment to call Kelly, who had already returned to Los Angeles, asking her to look into Mike Myers' background for any scripts related to Austin Powers.

https//Sayonara816.