I Am Hollywood

by Cui Shi yi

1 - 702

28. 863

I am Hollywood #Chapter 863: Chapter 864: Another Butterfly Effect - Read I am Hollywood Chapter 863: Chapter 864: Another Butterfly Effect Online - All Page - NOVEL NEXT

[Chapter 864: Another Butterfly Effect]

After chatting for a while and listening to Larry Ellison eloquently describe the bright future following the acquisition of Apple, Eric suddenly thought of another matter. "Larry, there seems to be a very important question here. You want to hand over the management of Apple to Steve, but has he agreed to that?"

Larry Ellison paused, looking puzzled. "Of course, Steve would agree. Why wouldn't he?"

Eric shrugged. "As Steve's friend, you know his personality better than I do. I happen to know about his house in Woodside. I think Steve might prefer to see Apple disappear, just like that house."

Eric had accidentally heard about the quirks surrounding Jobs' house in Woodside, and it perfectly reflected the more obsessive and callous side of Jobs' character.

After becoming a billionaire from founding Apple, Jobs bought a mansion in Woodside. He was dissatisfied with the style of the villa in his mansion and wanted to tear it down and rebuild it. However, since that villa, built in the late 19th century, was considered to hold significant historical value by the Woodside government, Jobs' demolition request was denied. So, Jobs took a very extreme approach; he opened all the doors and windows of the house, completely neglecting it to endure the elements without any maintenance. Years later, the dilapidated villa was declared as being in disrepair, allowing Jobs to have his way.

Larry Ellison clearly knew about this matter as well. He immediately shook his head and replied, "Eric, that's a completely different issue. I know Steve. No one cares more about Apple than he does. Once I buy this company, he will definitely return."

"Well, if you can get a definite answer from Jobs, maybe I can consider putting up some money," Eric said.

If Firefly Electronics had no strong competitors, it would inevitably lead to a sense of complacency. Or, it could be seen as letting a dog chase a rabbit. Under the circumstances where Firefly Electronics had the upper hand, Eric was looking forward to seeing if Jobs could still whip up something world-changing.

Although Eric's promise was encouraging, Larry Ellison was still impatient, asking, "Eric, how much could you put up?"

The funds for Firefly Group and Firefly Investment were already earmarked for specific purposes. Eric recalled the $300 million investment in the Southeast Asia foreign exchange market and said, "I happen to have that amount. I plan to buy a Boeing 777 soon, so there will still be some left over."

Larry Ellison, clearly familiar with private jets, quickly responded, "Eric, you seem to be mistaken. If you place the order now, you only need to pay a deposit. The full payment is due when the plane is delivered in two to three years. So, you should have at least $300 million, right?"

Eric had forgotten that detail; private jets were not like luxury cars, which could be picked up immediately. Large Boeing aircraft required several years for delivery after placing the order.

"Well then," Eric clarified, "maybe by that time, I could have around $600 million."

"Wow!"

Larry Ellison exclaimed, looking up and down at Eric with a gaze reminiscent of someone who had not dealt with a mega-wealthy individual for years.

Despite being worth billions, Larry often found himself with only tens of millions of dollars at his disposal. He initially thought that Forbes had overestimated Eric's fortune this year, but at that moment, he couldn't help but dismiss his doubts. Perhaps only Eric Williams could casually come up with $600 million in cash.

However, Eric dampened Larry's enthusiasm a bit and said, "But, Larry, I definitely won't be putting all of that money into Apple."

Larry Ellison nodded immediately, realizing that his original thought was simply to leverage Eric's sharp investment vision in the IT field as a gimmick. If he could pull in some symbolic cash from Eric, it would make it much easier to raise funds from other investment firms under the banner of Eric's name. Larry never expected to gather $600 million all at once.

"Then, Eric, as long as you're willing to put in $300 million, I promise to gather all the funds within three months." Originally, he hoped for $50 million or even less; otherwise, Eric's influence wouldn't work as effectively. But at that point, he naturally raised the amount in hopes that the more Eric invested, the higher the likelihood other investment firms would follow.

Since he had decided to participate, Eric certainly didn't want to be a minor shareholder. Apple's current market valuation was $2 billion, and initiating a full acquisition would require a premium. However, $300 million would ensure that Eric's share would remain above 10%.

"Alright, $300 million it is," Eric nodded and added, "And don't forget the condition I mentioned earlier. If Jobs isn't willing to come back, then we'll just forget about this."

"Of course," Larry Ellison said, grinning and raising his glass toward Eric. "Then let's toast to our success in advance."

Eric smiled as they clinked glasses. He watched Larry down his drink in one go, while he took only a small sip in agreement.

After putting down his empty glass, Larry Ellison shifted topics. "Eric, how about we hit the casino for a while?"

Eric pointed to two girls on the dance floor. "Let's skip it this time."

Larry Ellison turned to glance at the girls and replied, "No worries, bring them along. I'm pretty sure no one will block you, the world's richest man, at the door."

Noticing Eric's gesture, Miranda and Christina thought he was summoning them. They immediately stopped dancing and came over, and Larry's partner followed closely behind.

Eric wrapped his arm around Christina's waist and jokingly said, "Actually, Larry, I'm quite afraid of losing, so I try to avoid places like casinos."

"Ha ha, alright then. Anouck and I will go play," Larry Ellison made a phone gesture, wrapping his arm around his partner. "If anything comes up, just call me."

...

Both had each other's contact information already, and Eric nodded with a smile. After watching Larry leave, he shifted his gaze back to find Miranda perched on a high bar stool near the bar, expertly signalling the bartender for a cocktail. The bartender glanced at her, then at Eric, and without saying a word, quickly prepared and delivered a drink.

Seeing Eric watching her, Miranda took a small sip from her glass, smacked her lips, and then pushed the cup toward him, cheerfully saying, "Eric, actually, I ordered this for you!"

Eric ignored Miranda's defense. The girl's cheeks were already flushed, indicating she had had more than one drink. He glanced at his watch and noted that the magic show had ended at ten o'clock. After chatting with Larry for so long, the time was already close to eleven.

"It's almost eleven o'clock. Are you tired? Why don't we head back to rest?"

Christina seemed indifferent, but Miranda chimed in, "Eric, I want to check out the casino." The girl had evidently overheard Eric's conversation with Larry Ellison and added, "We just want to look, not gamble, okay?"

Eric firmly shook his head. "Not a chance."

Miranda pouted but quickly brightened up, mischievously sidling closer and shaking Eric's arm. "Eric, how about going to see a late-night show? I just heard them talking about it."

"What late-night show?" Eric asked instinctively, but soon realized and chuckled as he tapped Miranda on the head. "Is that something you're allowed to see?"

Miranda quickly shook her head. "No, no, it's not like that. I heard them say it's a stage play. I think it's called... called..."

Miranda tilted her head, forgetting the name for a moment before Christina interjected, "It's a story about Helen from the Trojan War."

Eric had not heard of that stage play before, thinking perhaps it was an exclusive to Caesars Palace, given that the hotel was themed with Greek and Roman styles. Seeing the two girls look curious and excited, Eric agreed and called the private concierge for his suite.

...

In less than five minutes, the private concierge appeared, leading Eric and the two girls away from the party and toward a more lavish small theater at Caesars Palace.

The performance was set to begin right at eleven. After arranging a box for the three of them and presenting some snacks and drinks, the forty-something private concierge quietly exited.

However, as soon as Eric sat down on the sofa in the box and glanced at the dazzling stage lights, he realized this was clearly still "that kind" of performance -- far more extravagant than a typical strip club.

The lights in the theater quickly dimmed.

After a brief introduction, music began to play, and as a group of elegantly dressed women appeared on stage wearing only skimpy outfits, Miranda and Christina, who had initially been looking forward to the "stage play," gasped in surprise.

Gazing at the dazzling scene on stage, Eric suddenly recalled a movie from memory, Paul Verhoeven's NC-17 rated Showgirls. However, the extravagant stage performances in that film could hardly compare to the lavish display unfolding at Caesars Palace.

It seemed that the original Showgirls had been filmed in 1995, but now in 1997, Eric had not heard any updates regarding the film. It appeared to be yet another consequence of the butterfly effect. After all, that film had nearly led to the bankruptcy of Carolco Pictures and truly no longer had any reason to exist.

Chuckling, Eric covered Miranda's eyes with his hand and said, "Alright, are you satisfied now?"

The girls' earlier gasps might have been merely an expression of natural female modesty. After all, if one didn't react in such a setting, they would surely seem out of place.

Pushing Eric's hand away, Miranda curiously examined the performance on stage. It was a royal court scene, the story indeed based on the Greek myth of the Trojan War. However, the scantily clad performers on stage clearly drew attention away from the plot.

After watching quietly for a while, Miranda finally leaned closer to Eric, her eyes still on the stage, exclaiming, "How on earth are there so many girls willing to perform stuff like this? It's just so... so..."

Miranda stammered, struggling to find suitable adjectives.

Eric pinched her cheek playfully and replied, "You think everyone lives like a princess like you?"

"Ha ha, I'm not a princess!" Miranda quickly laughed, snuggling up to Eric. "Eric, can I be your Helen?"

Eric chuckled and nodded. "Sure, but I may have more than one Helen by my side."

"Ugh, you're so annoying," Miranda pouted again. "Can't you at least soothe a girl a bit?"

"I'm more inclined to show it through actions."

"Oh," Miranda teased, drawing out her words and playfully grasping something on Eric, bursting into laughter again. "Ha ha, I just confirmed something."

Eric brushed Miranda's hand away, chuckling, "No messing around."

"Eric, no one can see us here."

"That's their problem. I'm just not used to behaving like this."

"Alright, alright," Miranda purred like a kitten, rubbing against Eric again before leaning closer to his ear and teasingly whispering, "I wonder how long you can hold out."

Eric did indeed manage to last through the one-hour performance. Aside from the two restless little troublemakers beside him, constantly provoking his impulses, as a normal man, he still found enjoyment in such a visually stimulating show.

As they left the theater, the clock had struck past midnight.

For a city like Las Vegas, where there was no night, midnight certainly didn't signify the end of the day. However, after enduring a four-hour drive in the afternoon and partying hard all night, Eric and the two girls were too fatigued to pursue any other entertainment options and instead returned to their suite at the Palace Tower for some rest.

...

The next day, they woke up at eight o'clock -- not because Eric was exceptionally diligent, but because he needed to fly to Maryland on the East Coast. He would have a solid four hours to catch up on sleep during the flight.

When Miranda and Christina saw Eric wake up, they too struggled out of bed, looking like two lazy and drowsy kittens. After breakfast, the two girls insisted on taking Eric to the airport.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 865: Dismissal]

Due to leaving Las Vegas, Eric didn't feel comfortable leaving the two girls alone in Sin City. So, he personally saw them onto a flight to Los Angeles at the airport before boarding a Gulfstream private jet owned by Firefly Group heading to Maryland.

After finally falling asleep around two in the morning, Eric took the opportunity to catch up on some rest once the plane took off. When he woke up again, the Gulfstream had already reached the skies over Maryland.

Maryland, located on the East Coast near Washington D.C., is not very large, only covering a few tens of thousands of square kilometers. Looking out from the airplane window, he could see vast areas of vibrant green woodlands and farmland. The terrain seemed more hilly than flat plains.

Although they departed from Las Vegas at around eight in the morning, they landed at Frederick Municipal Airport in northern Maryland four hours later, where the Eastern Time was already three in the afternoon.

Frederick Municipal Airport was small, without any fences, featuring a completely open layout, with only two runways and mostly tiny propeller planes parked nearby. After the plane came to a stop on the runway, Eric walked down the steps. Dressed simply and sporting a cowboy hat, Jeffrey was there to greet him, along with Chris and others. At first glance, Jeffrey seemed slimmer but looked much more energetic, appearing just like an old Western cowboy if he were riding a horse and holding a revolver.

As soon as they got close, Jeffrey didn't hold back and gave Eric a big bear hug. "Hey, Eric, you finally made it!"

"Yeah, there's always too much going on," Eric replied, giving Jeffrey a pat on the back. "You look younger."

Jeffrey laughed, clearly pleased. "Haha, everyone thinks so."

After some simple pleasantries, Eric embraced Chris, teasing, "It's just two days away. How are you feeling about it?"

"Numb," Chris joked self-deprecatingly, then introduced the two young men who were his cousins.

Eric shook hands with the two young men, who were probably about his age but seemed rather reserved. Chris remarked, "Everyone's waiting for you at the farm. Let's go."

Eric nodded and, along with his assistant Peter Rich and four bodyguards, left the airport in the four cars that Chris had brought.

...

As they drove north along the highway cutting through Frederick, the undulating hills around them became increasingly apparent, with alternating patches of woodland and farmland. It was early summer, and the lively greenery was refreshing. After half an hour, they exited the highway and traveled a little less than five kilometers east, finally arriving at a small farm with about a dozen households. Surrounding this farm was Jeffrey's property, which spanned approximately 2,000 acres, equivalent to eight square kilometers.

Jeffrey excitedly introduced the farm during the drive. He mentioned that only a quarter of the land was used for crops like wheat, while there was also a portion of dense woodlands and the rest was pasture. Many horses and cows could be seen grazing at a distance. The residents of the farm were mainly workers and tenants of Jeffrey's property.

At the entrance of the farm, there were about ten people standing near the asphalt road. When Eric got out of the car, he recognized over half of them: Joanna, Virginia, and Emily were grouped together. Of course, there were also three kids. Among the rest were John Chambers, Steve Case, Jorma Ollila, Ian Gurney, and other senior personnel from the Firefly organization. The others were likely relatives of Chris and Emily.

As everyone was about to exchange pleasantries, a small figure yelled "Daddy!" and ran over. Amid the laughter and various expressions, Eric didn't hesitate to pick up Emma and asked, "Have you been naughty lately?"

"Nope! Emma has been very good," the little girl responded, wrapping her arms around Eric's neck. "I even learned how to ride! Can we ride together, Daddy?"

"Oh, Emma, that's great, but not right now," Eric replied, complimenting her before handing her over to Joanna, then greeting everyone and getting to know Emily's parents and some of Chris' other relatives.

Most guests would arrive on the day of the wedding, so the number of guests at the farm wasn't too high yet. After chatting for about ten minutes, people started to disperse temporarily. Jeffrey's house was on the eastern side of the farm, and Eric and Jeffrey walked towards their accommodations together.

...

Holding Kevin, who had just been passed to him by Virginia, as they walked through the center of the farm, Eric noticed a group of individuals who were clearly agents inspecting something nearby. Curious, he looked towards Chris and John Chambers, knowing they would have some security, but it shouldn't be this conspicuous.

Without Eric needing to ask, Chris understood his confusion and explained, "The President and First Lady will be coming, and these are Secret Service personnel."

Eric raised an eyebrow. "You invited them?"

Chris shook his head. "I got a call from the White House three days ago. They said the President and First Lady happened to be free on the 20th, and since Washington is so close, you understand, I couldn't exactly say no."

Eric smiled and didn't press further.

Besides John Chambers and the other corporate executives who had already arrived, due to Chris's networking over recent years, there would surely be heavyweight figures from the business world, such as Warren Buffett, attending Chris's wedding. By then, the gathering would only contain Firefly executives controlling companies with a total asset value exceeding $200 billion. The two people from the White House could easily attend others' events with a political donation, so they wouldn't miss this chance to exert their influence.

While Eric would not completely distance himself from political interactions, he also wouldn't actively seek relationships with government officials. However, if they approached, he wouldn't refuse either. Maintaining a good relationship with the President couldn't hurt Firefly.

...

Many wealthy Americans cultivated a habit of buying land to become farmers; media mogul Ted Turner was one of the largest private landowners, with thousands of square kilometers under his control. Jeffrey's farm was also previously owned by a businessman who used it as a summer retreat. Consequently, the quaint farm included a beautifully designed stone villa with many rooms, easily accommodating ten to twenty guests.

At that moment, however, the villa primarily housed relatives from both Chris and Emily's families, while John Chambers and others were arranged in separate residences.

Since Eric was also considered family, he was assigned accommodations at Jeffrey's house.

...

After everyone settled in, it was already evening.

With the wedding just two days away and many preparations still required for the next day, the evening gathering was brief, and everyone retired early.

Although Eric wanted to escape the busy official duties momentarily, it wasn't an easy task.

...

Early the next morning, coincidentally the start of a new week, Eric had just woken up and hadn't had a chance to eat breakfast when Peter Rich delivered a document along with several marked newspapers.

It turned out that after nearly a month of review, the federal court in San Francisco, California, officially dismissed the request from Sony, BMG, and EMI to ban the sale of MP3 audio format players. A formal press conference was scheduled for 9 AM Pacific Time that day, but the news had already leaked and made it to the important pages of major newspapers across America.

In less than two months since its launch, Firefly Electronics' Fireflyer had sold an incredible 250,000 units, far exceeding the initial promotion rates of Walkman and MD portable players, and this was under limited production capacity.

Thanks to the Fireflyer's hot sales and widespread social impact from its hunger marketing strategies, everyone recognized the immense potential of the Fireflyer player to replace mainstream portable players. The entire music industry had kept a close watch on the possible reactions from the federal court in San Francisco since the lawsuit was initiated by Sony.

Chris was also up early and had received the news.

Just past seven o'clock, Eric and Chris were taking a stroll on the small roads surrounding the farm, reviewing the court documents regarding the dismissal of the lawsuit by Sony and others.

After finishing the thin stack of documents, Chris rolled the paper up and said to Eric, "Sony will definitely not be willing to give up. Although this case has been dismissed and they won't go to a higher court with the same lawsuit, they will certainly look for other breakthroughs."

With a market value exceeding $50 billion, Sony's fortunes were largely supported by portable music players and related industries, making it unlikely for Sony to easily abandon attempts to stifle Fireflyer.

Eric wasn't too worried, though, as the lawsuit showed that America was the home ground for Firefly. Even if Sony found a breakthrough, its inherent disadvantage would significantly weaken its attack.

"Honestly, if I were Nobuyuki Idei, I would immediately abandon this futile endeavor and decisively promote the development of digital music players. While we've gained a substantial advantage, if Sony is determined enough, they can still pose a threat to us."

Chris responded, "Perhaps Nobuyuki Idei thinks along those lines, but implementing any specific proposals is extremely difficult. Sony's corporate structure is too fragmented; the hardware department has its own interests, and the entertainment department has its own. If Idei wanted to sacrifice one department's interests to promote industry upgrades, he would just face a strong backlash from internal conservative forces. Therefore, this is essentially impossible."

Eric smiled at Chris and said, "Do you think I've spread myself too thinly with Firefly's strategies?"

Chris didn't answer directly and merely said, "Victor and Bill have brought it up to me more than once; they want to reclaim the online music store for Firefly Electronics."

Eric asked, "What do you think?"

Chris explained, "Yahoo currently has nearly 50 million registered users just in North America, with over 5 million users conducting online payments through the YahooPay platform. This is the foundation that allows the online music store to sell 1 million songs in just five days. If Firefly Electronics were to do it alone, it might take years to expand its user base and achieving stable revenue would be even more distant."

The registered user base for Yahoo had accumulated since the release of the first Internet Explorer browser and portals in 1992, growing to nearly 50 million over the course of five years. This vast registered user group was Yahoo's most valuable resource. If Firefly Electronics operated the online music store independently, there would be little reason for Yahoo not to share its user resources.

Chris clearly had a more profound understanding than Firefly Electronics' Victor McNally and Bill Olson. Alternatively, it could be that Victor and Bill were aware of these issues but, as managers of Firefly Electronics, they instinctively leaned towards securing more benefits for their respective companies, even if those benefits impeded the overall development direction of the Firefly system.

Taken to an extreme, selfishness is humanity's nature, a fact that wouldn't change even in the face of an apocalypse.

Shaking his head slightly, Eric said, "Let's not talk about this for now. How's the operation in Southeast Asia coming along?"

Chris replied, "The position building is nearing its conclusion; we should be able to establish a $3 billion short position, primarily consisting of six-month foreign exchange contracts."

It was already late May, with just over a month remaining before international speculative capital launched its attack on the Southeast Asian currency system. The total scale of short positions against the entire Southeast Asian currency system was likely over $100 billion. Building a $3 billion position with $700 million was about a four times leverage. While it didn't meet Eric's expectations, he understood that achieving this level under the scrutiny of competition was quite challenging.

Thinking about this made Eric recall the situation with Apple. "Oh, there's one more thing. I met with Larry Ellison the night before last. He's currently raising funds to acquire Apple, and I think this is a great opportunity, so I agreed to invest a portion, around $300 million -- this is the money from the forex market."

Surprise flickered across Chris's face briefly before he regained his composure since this wasn't Eric's first unexpected investment venture.

Nonetheless, he said, "There have been rumors in the circle about Larry Ellison wanting to acquire Apple more than once, but he had yet to take any substantial action. He and Apple's co-founder Steve Jobs are very close friends and have been trying to get him to take the reins of the company again. However," Chris chuckled and shrugged, "Eric, I'm not sure how you view this, but I wouldn't recommend it. Although Microsoft won't completely annihilate Apple because of antitrust issues, given Windows' current dominant position, unless Apple voluntarily aligns with the Windows camp, it'll be challenging for them to expand significantly."

"I'm more optimistic about Jobs' return, which is why I agreed to invest the money. Perhaps you know, Jobs is quite the perfectionist, and I always believe that perfectionists are more likely to succeed than others," Eric explained. "Moreover, Apple has a considerable amount of fixed assets. Even if it goes bankrupt in the future, we still wouldn't lose too much."

Chris nodded. "Alright, I'll keep an eye on this matter as well."

Eric teased, "So, you really don't plan on going on a honeymoon with Emily?"

Chris gestured around with his eyes and smiled, "The scenery here is nice. After the wedding, we plan to stay here for two weeks, so it's like our honeymoon, and we can also spend time with Dad."

As they chatted, they had unknowingly reached the end of the small path, which led into a dense grove rumored to house wild boars. Clearly, they couldn't venture further. Just as they turned back, Joanna's sister, Ewa Pacula, waved to them from a distance, seemingly inviting them for breakfast, so Eric and Chris quickened their pace to return to the farm.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 866: Not a Cent Less]

The lawsuit filed by Sony Music, BMG, and Polygram against Fireflyer for facilitating music piracy was dismissed by a federal court in San Francisco. This ruling indicated that the electronic product now had an official legal market position, and it would face little to no risk of similar lawsuits in the future. With the unstoppable growth momentum of the Fireflyer player, traditional portable music player manufacturers were destined to face strong, even devastating impacts.

Stimulated by this news, as soon as the New York Stock Exchange opened that morning, the stock prices of traditional portable music player manufacturers, led by Sony, showed significant declines. By 9 a.m. Pacific Time, when the federal court in San Francisco held a press conference to announce the news, Sony's stock had already dropped 2.7%. In just a few hours, nearly $1.5 billion in market value vanished. Coincidentally, the authoritative financial newspaper, The Wall Street Journal, estimated that Firefly Electronics was worth about that same figure of $1.5 billion.

Although Firefly Electronics was not a publicly traded company, the news had indirectly manifested on the stock market. The company that had first developed the one-inch micro hard drive was Seagate Technology.

The original development agreement stipulated that Firefly Electronics would have exclusive rights for three years after the company launched its first product associated with the micro hard drive. In return, Firefly Electronics was required to prioritize purchasing micro drives from Seagate Technology.

As the largest mechanical hard drive manufacturer in the previous timeline, Seagate's strength at that time was far from comparable to traditional tech giants like IBM, Hitachi, and Toshiba. Last year, Seagate's shipment of mechanical hard drives only reached 5 million units, barely accounting for less than 10% of the total mechanical hard drive market share.

While the research and development of micro drives wasn't particularly difficult, established hard drive manufacturers like IBM and others with deep technological roots could likely produce mature products in just six months. However, due to their early lead and the priority supply agreement with Firefly Electronics, Seagate was destined to become the main supplier of built-in micro hard drives for Fireflyers in the years to come. The exact sales capacity of Fireflyer remained uncertain; although micro drives were much cheaper than traditional hard drives, Seagate's micro drive business might even match the scale of traditional hard drives due to sheer numbers.

After the day's series of announcements, while the stock prices of traditional portable music device manufacturers like Sony plummeted, Seagate Technology's stock skyrocketed, rising 12% in just a few hours. Aiming to further stimulate the stock price, Seagate's CEO held a press conference that afternoon, showcasing prototypes of their 2GB micro hard drives and stating that this product would potentially be utilized in the next generation of Fireflyer players.

As the market fluctuated over news related to Fireflyer, a surprising twist occurred: a newspaper in New York uncovered that Firefly Electronics had initially approached IBM in hopes of commissioning them to develop micro drives. However, due to IBM's arrogant and sluggish response, this collaboration eventually fell through.

Under the leadership of their new CEO Lou Gerstner, IBM had begun to show signs of recovery in recent years, but their situation was still far from their former glory. They were even at risk of being surpassed in market value by the very Microsoft they had once supported. Although hard drive manufacturing was just a fringe business for the IBM Group, the revelations from the news indicated serious internal issues within this traditional high-tech giant. Gerstner even had to personally appear before the media to defend this "minor issue."

...

Meanwhile, at Jeffrey's Farm in Maryland, despite occasional disturbances from external news, the small farm maintained an atmosphere of joy. The wedding was set to take place on the large lawn behind Jeffrey's house. To accommodate most guests' schedules, the wedding ceremony was scheduled for 11 a.m. the following morning, rather than the traditional afternoon time. The ceremony, surrounded by flowers, was undergoing final checks and preparations. The air was fragrant with flowers.

Eric and Chris welcomed guests as they arrived. Besides the guests due to arrive the next day, there would still be some long-distance guests arriving, like Katzenberg, Victor McNally, Bill Olsen, and Jeff Bezos.

Even though it was summer, the weather on the farm felt nothing like the scorching heat. Eric busily worked until around 2 p.m., had a light meal, and then took a break to join the schedule review on the lawn, mainly rehearsing the roles of the flower girl and ring bearer.

Although Eric had a good relationship with Emily, Joanna and Virginia were not suitable to serve as bridesmaids. Instead, Joanna's sister, Ewa Pacula, would partake in the festivities.

Eric considered the two women and declined the role of chief best man, passing it on to one of Chris's cousins. However, the three little ones would still serve as the flower girl and ring bearers.

On the lawn, in addition to Joanna and Virginia, Jeffrey and Emily's parents, Jack Brighton and Melissa Brighton, were also present. Around them were other relatives, all smiling and watching the performance of the five or six little ones.

After greeting Jeffrey and others, Eric sat next to Virginia and Joanna, watching the wedding officiant desperately trying to entertain a group of restless kids in the middle aisle. He smiled at Virginia and asked, "Wouldn't it be enough to just have a pair of flower girl and ring bearer? With so many little ones, won't things get chaotic tomorrow?"

"Even if a few small issues arise, everyone will just laugh it off," Virginia explained, then leaned closer to add, "With so many friends and family, it's hard to manage with just two kids."

Eric nodded, and taking advantage of everyone's attention on the kids, he wrapped his arm around Virginia's waist and playfully asked, "Are you envious?"

Virginia turned her head to look at Eric, smiling as she replied, "I'm so jealous! What are you planning to do about it?"

"Why don't we have a wedding too? I've never taken a wedding photo with three people before -- just you and Joan."

"Ugh, you jerk! I'm not going to mess around with you," Virginia grumbled, spitting lightly before leaning against Eric. She raised her left hand, shaking the rose gold ring encrusted with ruby on her ring finger, and added, "Joan and I discussed it; if you mistreat us in the future, we'll take Kevin and Elia to Europe and never see you again."

Eric laughed, "You two are secretly plotting this?"

"Yep," Virginia shot Eric a look, adding, "And you still have to pay child support -- $1 billion a year, not a cent less."

"Wow," Eric feigned shock, his voice trembling, "How did you come up with that number?"

Virginia was quite assertive, "I just made it up."

"What if I don't pay?"

"Then Joan and I will find Elia and Kevin a new dad."

Eric immediately raised his hands in surrender, "Okay, I give up."

Joanna, who had been listening to their light-hearted banter, playfully swatted at them and laughed gently, "You two stop joking around."

Virginia giggled, wrapping her arm around Eric, her eyes fondly looking toward their precious son in the crowd, "There's something I need to discuss with you. Kevin and Elia need to start school, and there aren't any suitable schools in Hampton."

Eric thought for a moment and suggested, "Why not move to Manhattan? There are more private schools there."

But Virginia shook her head, "Joan and I are used to living in Hampton. Manhattan is too noisy."

"Well, we can't just create a school just for the two kids, can we?"

Eric's casual remark, however, touched on a sensitive issue for Virginia. She said, "Why not? Rockefeller set up a school for his kids back then, Browning School in Manhattan. Your net worth is not much different from the Rockefeller family's back then, right?"

Eric shook his head, "Starting a school isn't just about the money."

Virginia insisted, "As long as you're willing to pay, Joan and I will handle the rest ourselves."

Eric had no choice but to concede. He knew Virginia and Joanna placed more importance on their children's education than he did, so there was really no need to worry. He nodded, "Alright, I'll fund it. You both can do whatever you want."

...

After a busy day of preparation, most people stayed up that night, and as dawn broke, the farm buzzed with energy once again.

After breakfast, guests who could only stay in the Frederick area began arriving. Although this wedding wasn't as extravagant as many wealthy individuals touted as "the wedding of the century," the number of guests added up to two or three hundred. Three hours before the ceremony, the farm was already bustling with activity.

Frederick City was just over sixty kilometers away from Washington, D.C., and at 9 a.m., the Clintons arrived by helicopter at the farm.

Though Chris may not have been a public figure, he had made a name for himself in North America's business community in recent years. The presence of numerous high-profile guests at his wedding garnered significant media attention.

Although the entire farm was private property, keeping journalists from sneaking in wasn't an easy task. Eric felt that the biggest advantage of the Clintons' arrival was that they could now rely on the Secret Service agents stationed around the perimeter of the farm to help deter prying media.

The plan was to keep the wedding entirely private without accepting any media interviews. However, since the Clintons were attending, the White House hoped for some media coverage.

After a brief discussion, Eric arranged for reporters from ABC News, the New York Post, and The Washington Post to attend the wedding. ABC News was part of the Firefly Group, the New York Post belonged to News Corp, and The Washington Post was introduced by Warren Buffett, who was a major shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway.

...

At 11 a.m., all guests had taken their seats. The music started, and the best man, bridesmaids, and flower children entered one after the other. Eric, sitting near the aisle, watched his two children walking ahead. Kevin held the ring pillow, looking quite serious, a result of Virginia's repeated coaching. Meanwhile, Hawaii was carrying a small basket of flowers, her curious eyes surveying the surroundings. Behind her, Emma was excitedly scattering petals, and by the time she reached the end of the aisle, it looked likely her basket would soon be empty.

The groom then stepped onto the platform, and everyone rose to welcome the bride.

Under everyone's gaze, the vows, the ring exchange, and the embracing kisses occurred in rapid succession. Once the ceremony concluded, Chris and Emily briefly left for photographs, and the guests started to depart for the adjacent outdoor banquet area.

...

Just as Eric stood up, a little Emma, dressed in a pink flower girl dress, rushed over to him. Compared to his two children, Emma seemed more attached to him. Seeing her reaching her arms up for a hug, Eric smiled and picked her up.

"Dad, I still have petals! They smell so good," she said, wrapping one arm around Eric's neck while with the other hand she brought petals up to Eric's nose, "Smell this."

Eric sniffed them in her palm, nodding, "Mmm, they smell great. Emma smells great too."

"Hehe," Emma laughed joyfully, then covered her little belly and said, "Dad, I'm hungry."

"Just be good; we're about to eat soon," Eric replied, noticing the Clintons approaching, so he passed Emma to Joanna, who was nearby, and went to greet them.

...

Clinton glanced at the two women and the three little ones before returning his gaze to Eric, smiling casually, "Eric, you'll surely be staying in Maryland for a few more days, right?"

The leaders of various companies under the Firefly umbrella, including Firefly Group, Nokia, Cisco, Qualcomm, America Online, Firefly Electronics, and Amazon, had gathered in Maryland. Jorma Ollila even flew in from Northern Europe. With such a large gathering, they wouldn't just be there to eat and drink before leaving.

Eric had already planned out the next few days, as everyone would stay at the farm for at least three more days to discuss the development of the various Firefly companies and collaborative issues.

Not fully grasping why Clinton asked that, Eric nodded; after all, that wasn't a secret.

Seeing Eric nod, Clinton continued, "Well, I'm planning to host a high-tech entrepreneur dinner at the White House soon. I'm curious if you'd be interested?"

Though he couldn't be re-elected, the Clintons clearly had not given up on their political ambitions, which Eric remembered well. The companies under Firefly Investments gathered many of the most talked-about internet tech firms in recent years; attracting them could significantly bolster their future political aspirations.

Eric found the question a bit ironic; if we weren't interested, would the dinner even happen?

However, he certainly wouldn't engage in stirring up pointless tension with the President, so he quickly nodded and smiled, "Of course, Bill. I'll mention it to them, but we'll probably be in Maryland for three days."

"Oh, perfect timing," Clinton said, a hint of delight on his face, "By the way, you'll come to that, right?"

Eric hesitated a bit; he wasn't exactly a fan of the Clintons. He replied ambiguously, "Maybe. I have a lot on my plate lately and might not be able to squeeze it in."

Clinton seemed unfazed. He patted Eric on the shoulder and said, "I hope you'll be able to make it."

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 867: Unstable Factors]

Three days after the wedding, Eric held a three-day meeting with more than a dozen executives from the Firefly Group in an empty barn on the farm. The theme of the meeting was relatively informal; Eric initially presented a topic titled "Digital Life in the Internet Age," prompting everyone to prepare relevant speeches based on their respective fields of expertise for improvised discussions.

Under the umbrella of Firefly Investments, companies like Cisco, America Online, and Yahoo had already established a complete industry chain in internet technology. The future layout involving Qualcomm, Sprint, and Nokia was also taking shape. As long as these companies could achieve seamless cooperation and maintain strong market positions in their respective fields, Firefly would essentially control a massive and formidable high-tech business empire that would inevitably impact everything from the global political economy to the daily lives of ordinary people.

However, during these three days of meetings, Eric also identified some unstable factors within the Firefly system.

...

On May 24, the day after the meetings ended, John Chambers, Ian Gurney, and others headed to the White House for a banquet at Clinton's invitation from the wedding day. But Eric and Chris opted not to join the festivities.

Outside the barn, in a small pasture, Eric and Chris leaned against the fence and watched the scene unfold nearby. Jeffrey was walking a pony, with Emma joyfully waving her hands while riding, and Joanna carefully nearby. Emily and Virginia chatted with two other kids in the vicinity.

After quietly observing the heartwarming scene for a moment, Eric finally checked the thick meeting notes in his hand. These were the records taken by several assistants during the meetings. Among them, Steve Case's speech on "The Media Development Advantages of Internet Companies" was particularly troubling to Eric.

Initially, America Online, as part of the "Information Industry Alliance" plan, was meant to serve as an internet service provider. Its future direction was also aimed at developing into a comprehensive telecommunications operator like ATT. Eric had even discussed with Steve Case the possibility of acquiring either Verizon or Sprint, and potentially expanding into the cable TV sector.

Understanding the bubble-like boost that portal websites and online email services would give to America Online's stock price in the coming years, Eric had not placed restrictions on America Online's growth in these areas; he even provided substantial technical support. Currently, Yahoo commanded a 70% market share in the online service sector, with America Online trailing at around 10%, while latercomers like Microsoft shared the remaining 20%.

But perhaps spurred by the recent explosive growth of internet concepts, Steve Case's speech indicated a clear preference for America Online to shift towards being a content provider, even reminiscent of the formerly proposed acquisition of Time Warner, which would transform America Online into a comprehensive internet media group.

Despite ambitions to dominate Hollywood, Eric did not wish to see this scenario unfold.

No one understood better than he did that the currently thriving internet industry was merely an extravagant bubble. From memory, America Online had strayed from its path as an internet service provider and was among the first to fall after the bubble burst.

More importantly, if America Online deviated from its established trajectory, Eric's carefully crafted industry chain would face a significant fracture.

Reflecting on these thoughts, Eric spoke first. "According to yesterday's closing price, America Online's market value has already surpassed $20 billion, right?"

Chris nodded. "Yesterday's closing stock price was $138, with a total market cap of $20.7 billion. We have 45 million shares, which is still 30%. Oh, those over at Clover must have absorbed quite a bit, huh?"

Eric considered. "They probably hold around 3 million shares."

"That's about 32%. However, even though we're the largest shareholder, we don't have absolute control," Chris noted. "Based on America Online's current market value, we can't muster enough capital to pursue absolute control."

Eric grimaced, realizing that not securing America Online tightly was a misstep. When he initially invested, many elements were just taking off, and he never harbored such ambitions; he mainly acted on a speculative mindset, hoping to cash out when the stock price surged.

That initial decision had laid the groundwork for the current struggle over America Online's control.

It's clear that internet-related businesses were far more favored by investors than traditional telecom services. Thus, if Steve Case insisted on pushing America Online to develop its media business, Eric, even as the largest shareholder, couldn't ensure he could unseat Case as CEO.

Shaking his head in self-mockery, Eric asked Chris, "If we tried to oust Steve Case now and seize control, how certain could we be?"

Chris tapped against a nearby wooden post and thought. "Not even 40%. America Online's current momentum is strong; the board wouldn't agree to a shake-up."

With such favorable conditions surrounding America Online, Eric wasn't keen to stir up any news about discord between management and shareholders.

However, should Steve Case continue on his current path, focusing America Online on the inflated internet media business, the bubble's burst would hit the value of Firefly's America Online shares hard. While Yahoo had also focused a substantial amount of energy on internet media content, Eric had always seen Yahoo as a technology company. The search engine business it was quietly developing was Yahoo's future, whereas America Online's survival, based on its internet access service, was clearly insufficient to shift in that direction, and Eric would not allow it to.

After hesitating for a moment, Eric queried, "What if we decided to cash out in a few years?"

If he couldn't control America Online's direction, cashing out while the stock price was high would undoubtedly be the best outcome.

"We hold over $6 billion in stock value. Selling that amount in the open market would cause a major impact on stock prices. Ideally, we'd look for institutional buyers, but moving $6 billion is a tall order," Chris shook his head, then added, "Besides, based on the current landscape, America Online's stock price hasn't peaked yet. Over the next one or two years, that 30% stake could reach astronomical values."

In Eric's memory, America Online peaked at a market cap over $160 billion, and he believed the extent of that bubble exceeded 80%. Therefore, he would be content cashing out even 10% of his stocks during that high.

If he could net $16 billion, even after the internet bubble burst, he could use that to mitigate the damage from America Online's deviation from Firefly's information industry alliance plan.

Of course, if America Online could stick to the established route laid out by Firefly, even if it faced a bubble burst eventually, Eric would not choose to cash out.

But all that was likely a matter for a year or two in the future.

"Forget it; we're ultimately unsure of what Steve will do. Right now, it's best we focus on what we can control."

Chris nodded. "I'll take steps to rally support from other board members. If necessary, we'll attempt to get Steve Case replaced. Also, considering how tightly intertwined America Online and Yahoo are, do you think we need to limit that in any way?"

"No need; America Online doesn't pose a threat to Yahoo," Eric shook his head. "Limiting America Online would only affect our own interests and create opportunities for competitors."

"Okay, we'll leave it at that for now."

Even with 30% voting rights on America Online's board, Eric decided to let America Online "grow wild" for the time being, waiting to see what Steve Case ultimately chose.

If Case insisted on pursuing the media route, Firefly would try to replace him. If that attempt failed, Firefly would aim to exit as soon as feasible, before the bubble burst.

However, if Steve Case allowed America Online to develop on the outlined trajectory, the outcome would undoubtedly be mutually beneficial. After all, acquiring a traditional telecom operator would allow America Online to maintain a strong position in the internet service provider market even after the bubble burst, and it could also expand into mobile communications.

But if they followed the same path as in the original world by merging with Time Warner, America Online would be doomed to collapse quickly once the bubble burst, given its business model would not align with Time Warner's.

...

After spending two additional days in Maryland, Eric returned to Los Angeles on May 27.

By that time, the North American summer blockbuster season of 1997 had officially commenced.

This year's summer lineup kicked off with Luc Besson's long-prepared The Fifth Element, a sci-fi blockbuster that cost 450 million francs, approximately $90 million, making it the most expensive movie ever produced in Europe at that time.

Before its North American release, The Fifth Element had already premiered in Europe, Southeast Asia, and Latin America, receiving moderately promising box office results.

Due to their collaboration on Leon: The Professional, Gaumont Film Company had hoped Firefly would handle the North American distribution of The Fifth Element.

However, Eric wasn't optimistic about the film's commercial potential. He recalled that the movie had a completely polarized reception, likely translating into poor box office performance. Furthermore, the copyright was held by Gaumont, and merely taking on the role of North American distributor didn't align with Firefly's interests, so Eric chose to decline.

Ultimately, as a special effects movie, even though Firefly wasn't interested in the distribution rights, Eric still introduced it to Fox. With proper marketing, such a recently popular CG-animated film could easily gross more than $100 million at the North American box office. However, disagreements on the distribution split between Fox and Gaumont ultimately led to the rights falling into Sony Pictures' hands.

This left Gaumont in quite a predicament.

With Godzilla also slated for release in the summer, Sony dedicated almost all of its distribution resources to this highly anticipated monster flick. The Fifth Element missed out on valuable June and July slots, and its marketing scale fell drastically short compared to Sony's own release, Godzilla.

Ultimately, The Fifth Element opened on May 16 with a first-week box office of just over $22 million. Although its second-week drop was a mere 30%, given the impending wave of summer blockbusters in June, The Fifth Element's final North American gross would likely stall between $60 million and $70 million, far from Gaumont's expectations. Struggling in this crucial North American market made it exceedingly unlikely for Gaumont to recoup its $90 million production cost.

The fate of The Fifth Element illustrated one reason European commercial cinema struggled to gain traction.

The film markets in Europe, particularly in countries like Britain, France, and Germany, were limited and couldn't support the survival of a major film company. While Gaumont was the largest commercial film production company in France, in Hollywood, it would only be classified as a second or third tier player. Such a studio couldn't sustain the production and distribution of a film the scale of The Fifth Element, and as a foreign entity, the road to success became even more daunting.

Upon returning to Los Angeles, Firefly's first summer release, Con Air, was set to officially debut on May 30, facing off against Paramount's The Lion King 2.

Some media clearly hadn't forgotten the earlier reports of a joint blockade against The Lion King 2 by Firefly and Fox, and everyone was curious about the outcome of Con Air versus The Lion King 2.

However, before Eric's thoughts fully shifted to the film, he welcomed two visitors from San Francisco: Larry Ellison and Steve Jobs.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 868: Be Careful of Being Drained]

As Larry Ellison stepped back into Liberty City, he gazed at the sleek villa perched on the edge of the cliff, looking like a piece of art, with a mix of envy and desire in his eyes.

Unfortunately, at that time, he had even been willing to trade all his properties in Malibu to Eric for this estate, but his offer was flatly rejected. Now, Eric's net worth was nearly ten times his own, making the chance of acquiring this manor seem practically zero.

Eric led Larry Ellison and Steve Jobs into the villa's grand hall. Noticing Larry's expression, he teased, "Larry, it seems you've accumulated quite a few properties in Malibu. Are you still willing to trade them all for this place?"

Larry knew Eric was joking but nodded without hesitation, chuckling, "Of course! If you're willing, I could call my lawyer right now to arrange the handover."

"Ha! You really are something else, aren't you?" Eric quipped as he guided them to the sitting area by the glass wall. He casually asked Steve, who was sitting on the sofa, "What do you think of the place, Steve?"

Steve surveyed the surroundings, speaking frankly, "If it were up to me, I'd clear out all the mismatched furniture by the glass wall."

The villa's seaside glass wall was divided into three sections by the furniture arrangement: on the eastern end were two hanging space chairs, with a row of long sofas in the middle, and to the west, where Eric and the others sat, was a lounge area. If this villa were a public space, moving all the furniture would create a more open vista of the vast ocean. However, as a private residence, it felt bare and cold.

Steve's opinion stemmed from his extreme perfectionism. It was said that due to his extreme pickiness regarding furniture, many of his living spaces appeared stark and empty.

Eric chuckled, "If we move all the furniture, we'll have to sit on the floor to chat."

Steve shrugged, "That might not be so bad after all."

At that moment, the sound of footsteps echoed as twins approached, carrying coffee. One served three cups of brewed coffee to the three men while the other set a coffee pot and sugar cubes on the table. After that, Natasha, who was beside Eric, looked up at him and softly asked, "Master, do you need anything else?"

Eric shook his head, "Nope, you both can get back to your tasks."

He watched the twins' tall figures disappear before Larry Ellison exclaimed, "Eric, I'm envious of you now! Where did you find them?"

Eric joked, "You're an old man now, so it's best you don't entertain such ideas, or you might get drained dry."

"Hey, you really have no shame," Larry shot back, playfully throwing Eric's earlier comment back at him.

After exchanging a few jokes, Eric turned to Steve and brought up the real matter at hand, "So, Steve, have you decided to return to Apple?"

"No," Steve shook his head, stating, "I'm still considering it."

Eric lifted his coffee cup, not surprised, and pressed on, "Then why are you here today?"

"Well, Eric," Larry spoke, "Steve is eager to take the reins at Apple again, but he wants some guarantees."

Eric raised an eyebrow, "Larry, I don't quite understand."

This time, Steve replied, "Eric, Apple's PC business is in serious danger. After you acquired Apple, I hope to secure the patent for the MP3 player to expand Apple's product line, giving the company more of a buffer."

Eric had already developed a hunch about this, and hearing Steve's affirmation, he shook his head firmly, "I'm sorry, Steve, but I can't agree to that."

Steve retorted, "If that's the case, I might not return to Apple."

Eric laughed, "Steve, that's not my concern."

"No, Eric, I can see you're very interested in Apple, just like you were with Pixar back in the day. Otherwise, you wouldn't have set Larry's investment conditions like that."

"Steve, I admit I'm interested in both Apple and you," Eric replied, "But that's just interest. If the investment doesn't go through, I won't face any losses; in fact, I could invest that money in a company with clearer prospects."

Steve fell momentarily speechless and glared at Eric in frustration.

Larry understood his friend's personality well and worried he might say something offensive. He quickly intervened, "Eric, you should also know that if Firefly Electronics clings to the MP3 patent, they'll risk federal antitrust investigations. Just like Intel, which had its X86 architecture licensed to AMD and other companies."

"Firefly Electronics is still quite small. Even if there is an antitrust investigation, that won't be for a long time," Eric continued to shake his head, sipping his coffee. "Besides, Intel was forced to license its X86 architecture to other companies by IBM, not because it wanted to."

Larry and Steve didn't give up so easily and tried to say more. However, Eric waved his hand, addressing Steve, "Steve, the reason I offered Larry those investment conditions was that I believed you could save Apple. So, what you need to do is focus on reviving the company after Larry completes the acquisition, not busy yourself searching for other options. If you don't have confidence in revitalizing Apple and need certain guarantees to return, then I'll retract my investment promise from a few days ago."

Steve stared at Eric for a moment before abruptly standing up, saying, "Well, I suppose I should take my leave."

And with that, he walked straight out.

Eric remained seated on the sofa, smiling as he watched Steve leave.

Larry stood up helplessly, calling out, "Hey, wait! Why can't you show a little patience?"

Steve completely ignored Larry and continued to walk out of the villa.

Seeing Larry in a dilemma, Eric set down his coffee cup, stood up, and patted Larry on the shoulder, saying, "Alright, Larry, he agreed. So, you should go back and continue raising funds."

Larry knew that Steve was more prideful than most imagined. After Eric's provoking words earlier, it was clear Steve wouldn't set aside his pride and ask for the MP3 patent authorization again.

"Steve cares about Apple more than anyone, and I always knew he would go back. It's just that," he shook his head and smiled bitterly, continuing, "Eric, Steve holds grudges. You probably won't get any friendly faces from him going forward."

"Honestly, I don't mind. Getting a pleasant demeanor from that guy was always a challenge," Eric replied with a shrug. "What about you? There's a movie premiere tonight. Want to join me for some fun?"

"Maybe another time for dinner," Larry shook his head and replied, "I'll just head back to San Francisco with Steve."

Eric nodded, not pressing further. He personally escorted Larry to the parking lot, where Steve had already climbed into the car without bothering to say goodbye, acting like a petulant child. Eric didn't mind, sending both of them off before turning back toward the villa.

...

On his way back, Eric happened to encounter the twins; one was carrying a box as they walked in from the entrance.

As they approached, Eric casually asked, "Did you buy new clothes?"

Natasha on the left opened the box she was holding to show Eric, saying, "These are the clothes for you and the boss tonight. They just arrived from Givenchy."

Inside, Eric saw a black suit and nodded, "Take it inside. Oh, has Drew woken up yet?"

"Not sure. When we came out to grab these clothes, the boss was still asleep."

Eric checked his watch; it was just past two in the afternoon. The other day, he had attended Chris's wedding in Maryland, and Drew had flown to Europe a day earlier to deploy the distribution work for Casino Royale. She had just returned to Los Angeles a day earlier than Eric and was still adjusting to the jet lag, taking naps every afternoon for a few hours.

He had assumed that afternoon would be spent welcoming Larry Ellison and Steve Jobs, not realizing Steve would leave unexpectedly.

...

Taking the twins back into the villa, Eric didn't disturb Drew's sleep but rather slipped into his study to read the script for Iron Man, which Marvel had just completed.

...

Time flew, and by four o'clock, when Drew got up, the two changed into their clothes and set off for Hollywood Boulevard.

Tonight marked the premiere of Firefly's summer blockbuster, Con Air, which was set to release two days later alongside Paramount Animation's The Lion King 2.

In simple terms, Con Air told the story of a retired soldier imprisoned for manslaughter who gets trapped on a plane filled with the most notorious criminals. Despite the clever premise, the story still mirrored traditional action films like Die Hard.

Honestly, Eric wasn't too optimistic about the commercial potential of traditional Hollywood individual heroic films. Furthermore, since films like Charlie's Angels and Mr. Mrs. Smith had adopted more visually compelling action designs, North American audiences had clearly lost interest in conventional action films.

However, as Firefly Group continued to grow, it was becoming impractical for Eric to manage every film's production. Appropriately delegating production power to his subsidiary studios had become a necessity. This summer, Firefly's main production studio had three films, Con Air, Finding Nemo, and Ice Age, along with New Line's Bad Boys 2 and Final Destination 2. To be precise, apart from the initial project review, Eric didn't intervene much in the detailed production of these films.

Con Air was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, who had a solid box office draw in recent years, with Nicolas Cage taking the lead role. The production budget was well-controlled at $75 million, and with Firefly's powerful marketing and distribution push, the film should easily recoup its costs and turn a profit globally.

Recently, the media had been buzzing about the competition between Con Air and The Lion King 2. Although the two films hardly competed due to their themes, both Firefly and Paramount ramped up their efforts to generate buzz, ensuring that critical events like the movie premiere weren't overlooked.

In addition to the cast and crew of Con Air, many big-name stars close to the Firefly Group showed up to support the premiere, creating a star-studded red carpet event. Eric brought Drew along for the premiere of Con Air precisely for this reason.

Perhaps finding collaboration with Michael Bay easy, Jerry Bruckheimer opted to hire ad director Simon West for Con Air, and Eric had a hand in this decision. After all, without Eric's approval, Bruckheimer wouldn't appoint a newcomer to direct a big-budget film with a $75 million budget.

This choice was also due to Simon West being the original director of Con Air. With Eric lacking the energy to delve into all films under Firefly's banner, having the original crew was undoubtedly a safe bet.

...

Arriving at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood at six o'clock, Eric and Drew completed the red carpet walk just as Jerry Bruckheimer approached with Simon West for a greeting. While Simon West wasn't prolific, he had directed profitable hits like Con Air, Tomb Raider, and The Expendables.

As they all chatted at the end of the red carpet, Eric had arrived relatively early and couldn't stay there forever. He was about to head inside the theater when a faint stirring caught his attention. Turning, he spotted a tall figure in a red gown striking poses on the red carpet.

The model was Helena Christensen, also a Victoria's Secret model, who played Nicolas Cage's wife in Con Air.

Under Emily's management, the operations of the Victoria's Secret brand became increasingly mature in recent years. The number of models in the brand did not fluctuate as it had in the past. Even if ordinary Victoria's Secret Angels didn't receive the same treatment as the five main spokesmodels, they still had significantly more resources and exposure than other industry models. As a result, even if the pay for walking in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show wasn't regarded as high, very few supermodels voluntarily gave up their Angel status.

With the members of the Victoria's Secret Angels becoming fixed and with Firefly's cooperation, the brand's influence increased beyond the annual fashion show.

In recent years, appearing frequently in Hollywood films and TV shows was one of the perks that Victoria's Secret Angels enjoyed.

Compared to the relatively narrow fashion industry, the film and TV fields held a much greater influence. Even small roles in blockbuster films created more impact than appearing on the cover of a fashion magazine.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 869: No Touching Models for Leo]

Although Helena Christensen was a top Victoria's Secret model, she couldn't quite create a buzz at the Hollywood premiere of Con Air. The red carpet was a star-studded affair, but it seemed she was overshadowed by the presence of Leonardo DiCaprio.

After Titanic, Leo had skyrocketed from being the charming artsy kid into a major Hollywood superstar. Just looking at the scene, it was clear that the newly minted megastar was eager to chase after supermodels now.

As Leo and Helena walked hand in hand toward the crowd after posing for photos, Eric immediately felt a sinking feeling. There were thousands of blonde, leggy models in the industry. If Leo was dating someone else, Eric wouldn't mind, but when it involved a Victoria's Secret Angel, that was a different story. He had spent a whole year curating this group of beautiful women. Although he wouldn't treat them like his personal possessions, as a man, he subconsciously resisted the idea of his flowers being picked by someone else. And when that someone was named Leo, it felt even worse.

At that moment, Leo was only dating Helena, but it was obvious he wouldn't stop there. He would likely be going after other Victoria's Secret Angels as well. Of course, since Eric had seen it happening, he was determined to ensure it wouldn't continue.

As they approached, Helena's face lit up when she saw Eric. She walked over, opened her arms, and embraced him. "Oh, Eric, I'm so glad to see you tonight."

Eric hugged her back, smiling, "You look stunning tonight as well."

"Thank you," Helena nodded, and then she warmly greeted Drew, Jerry Bruckheimer, Simon West, and others.

As Leo watched his girlfriend effortlessly break away from him to go towards Eric, it was clear he was not pleased. He followed and greeted Eric's group, but his expression was noticeably indifferent.

Typically, Hollywood A-listers like Tom Cruise, Mel Gibson, or Harrison Ford were the kinds of stars that production companies sought to woo and charm. Leo's subtle arrogance now was probably a result of that recent attention from studio bigwigs.

Firefly had never coddled any Hollywood superstar and likely wouldn't start now.

After shaking hands with Leo, Eric turned to Helena and said, "Make sure you come find me at the party later. I have something to discuss with you."

While Eric's voice wasn't loud, everyone heard him clearly. Jerry Bruckheimer and Simon West exchanged confused glances, while Helena continued to smile and hold onto Eric's arm, making Leo's discontent more apparent.

Helena paused for a moment, glanced at Leo, then obediently nodded.

After Eric spoke, he didn't linger and turned to walk into the theater.

...

Following the bustling red carpet event, the premiere officially began. Inside the screening room, having seen the previews multiple times already, Eric and Jerry weren't focused on the screen, watching Cage and a group of prisoners face off. Jerry leaned in closer and asked, "Eric, how much do you think this film might make globally?"

"Haven't you seen the box office forecast from the distribution team?" Eric chuckled. "I tend to agree with them; over a hundred million in North America, about three hundred million worldwide."

Jerry suggested, "I just think that after Titanic, it should be able to do even better, right?"

"Jerry, Titanic was a total fluke. I can confidently say that films trying to replicate its success typically don't fare well."

Jerry shook his head. "Hey, you're being too definitive. What about you? Can't you do it?"

Eric smiled, "I'm not sure I can either. In reality, neither can you. We're essentially movie businessmen. We can guarantee our films achieve commercial success, but creating box office miracles like Jim is unlikely since we have to consider a lot of factors -- budget, costs, marketing, and so on. Jim only has to focus on the movie itself, so he can pour his heart and soul into creating a cinematic masterpiece."

Nodding thoughtfully, Jerry considered this.

Sitting next to Eric, Drew leaned in and asked, "So, Eric, how much do you think Paramount's Lion King 2 could earn at the box office?"

Eric shook his head. "Honestly, I have no idea. But Lion King 2 does have its disadvantages."

Drew chimed in enthusiastically, "Are you talking about marketing?"

"That's one important factor, but there's another point as well."

Drew tilted her head, struggling for an answer.

Jerry grinned and revealed, "I think it's about the costs, right?"

Eric nodded. "Yes, when Paramount signed the pay agreements with the traditional animators, they basically doubled their costs. Lion King 2's production took almost an extra year compared to last year's Pocahontas. Although Paramount hasn't disclosed the budget, we estimate it to be around $120 million. In contrast, our Finding Nemo had a production budget of just $90 million, and Blue Sky Studios' Ice Age was even lower at only $59 million, less than half of Lion King 2's costs. This means Lion King 2 would need about $360 million just to break even. Comparatively, our Finding Nemo's break-even point is $270 million, and Ice Age's is just $170 million."

Drew thought for a moment before saying, "The first Lion King had a worldwide box office of over $900 million, so reaching $360 million for the sequel shouldn't be that hard, right?"

"Of course, it shouldn't be too difficult. Even with our marketing team practically pinning it down, the influence of the first animated film can still help Paramount make a significant profit," Eric nodded. "But don't forget, Viacom bought Disney's animation division for $2.5 billion. Even if each animated film they produce after that can earn over $300 million in profit, they'd need to produce seven or eight films just to recoup that cost. Plus, I don't think 2D animation can maintain its popularity much longer, especially not with the rise of 3D animation."

Just like Blockbuster, the animation studio Eric sold to Viacom was destined to tank, and given that Firefly and News Corp's marketing efforts effectively boycotted Lion King 2, whispers of Viacom looking to acquire CBS had surfaced, another colossal misstep. Compared to Murdoch, Redstone's business acumen was severely lacking.

...

After the premiere and a press conference, most of the guests headed to a nearby hotel for the after-party. Eric and Drew had just walked into the ballroom when they were intercepted by Cage and Bridget Fonda.

As veterans of Hollywood, Eric thought the two made a perfect pair. Their chemistry in Ghost was evident. Although in recent years, Cage hadn't settled down with ex-wife Patricia Arquette, his friendship with Bridget hadn't shown signs of evolving into romance.

Occasionally bumping into each other over the years, Eric enjoyed teasing them about it.

Just as they found a spot to sit down in the banquet hall, Cage eagerly spoke up, "Eric, hasn't Firefly kicked off the Iron Man project? Why didn't I hear about it?"

Eric smiled while accepting the glass of red wine Drew handed him. "What news are you looking for?"

Cage straightened up. "Don't you think I'd be perfect as Tony Stark? I've always been a huge fan of Iron Man comics. Hey, Eric, if you hand me this role, we can negotiate the salary. I've heard about Marvel's cinematic plans, and I'd be willing to sign a long-term contract."

Eric didn't reply to Cage immediately but turned to Bridget Fonda. "So, Bridget, are you planning to play Pepper Potts too?"

"Ha, yes, I'm pretty interested in that role," Bridget smiled brightly.

"Well then, why don't you both get married tomorrow, and we can sign contracts afterward?"

Bridget replied mockingly, "Eric, you're meddling in other people's business again. Nick and I have always just been friends."

"Yeah, can you be serious for once?"

"Alright, alright," Eric raised his hands, turning back to Cage. "Nick, this isn't a simple decision. If you truly are suited for the role, I wouldn't hesitate. But honestly, you're better suited to play, well, that rugged wanderer type. I want Tony Stark to be a playboy, a bit wild, perhaps slightly neurotic and even a little deranged."

As soon as Eric finished, Drew began to 'shoot' comments in a playful manner, "Just like Eric, right?"

Since the Marvel executives hoped Eric would consider playing Iron Man, Drew had been all in on this, even proposing to play Pepper Potts herself, planning for Natasha's sisters to play Black Widow, saying they wouldn't even need to change names, and the two sisters could easily spawn some side stories about clones.

Eric found that the idea was nice but overly chaotic.

However, Cage and Bridget didn't seem to take Drew's comments solely as a joke. They looked surprised at Eric and asked, "Really?"

"Not really," Eric pinched Drew's rosy cheek. "They're just making a fuss to create a laugh."

Bridget, still alert, smiled and said, "Eric, I suddenly feel that you might just be perfect for this."

"Of course, I think so too," Eric replied with a chuckle, "but making it a reality is another matter. Now, back to movies: Nick, you must like other comics apart from Iron Man, right?"

"Absolutely, a lot! You know, my stage name is derived from the superhero Luke Cage."

"So, Iron Man is definitely off the table for you, but I think there's another character you'd be very interested in. Unfortunately, it might not happen for a while," Eric replied.

Cage seemed a bit disappointed but asked, "Oh, what character?"

Eric grinned and announced, "Ghost Rider."

In the original timeline, Cage starred in two Ghost Rider films, though neither was particularly successful. This certainly illustrated his affection for the comic series.

However, Ghost Rider was quite popular within the Marvel superhero roster, and with a bit of revamping, using the Marvel Cinematic Universe's popularity could lead to successful returns in the future.

As expected, Cage perked up again and exclaimed, "Wow, I'm definitely interested in that! No, I'd say I'm even more interested than in Tony Stark! Eric, since Firefly is kicking off both Spider-Man and Iron Man, why not make Ghost Rider at the same time? By the way, I'm also willing to sign a long-term deal."

"Because the Marvel film production schedule is phased. This series will be laid out in the second phase, probably about ten years down the road."

Eric's vision had the first phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe focused on Earth, leaning toward superheroes like Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, and the Hulk. However, from the second phase, the MCU would dive deeper into fantasy and cosmic themes. At that point, characters like Ghost Rider and Doctor Strange would hit the big screen alongside cosmic groups like the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Eternals.

Ten years was an undeniably long wait.

Cage clearly wasn't patient enough. He chatted with Eric a bit longer, urging him to alter some plans, but Eric was unlikely to acquiesce easily. Yet, regarding Bridget's interest in playing Pepper Potts, Eric promised to consider it carefully.

After several conversations, following the departure of Cage and Bridget, another tall figure clad in red approached.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 870: You Are the Devil]

Helena Christensen walked over with a glass of red wine and sat down beside Eric. She naturally leaned in closer and playfully asked, "Eric, how did I do?"

Sensing the totally different scent of a woman beside him, Eric smiled and nodded, "Well, it was pretty good."

"Just pretty good?" Helena seemed a bit dissatisfied with the compliment. She wanted to say more, but her gaze unintentionally caught Drew Barrymore's devilish smile on her doll-like face. Seemingly coming to a realization, she immediately reined in her flirtatious demeanor and, in a noticeably flattering tone, asked Drew, "Drew, when are you coming to New York again? We should hang out!"

"Sure!" Drew replied with a beaming smile, looking innocent, then yawned and snuggled against Eric, stretching her arms. "Eric, I'm so tired. I'm going to head back and get some sleep."

Eric could feel that Helena Christensen was a bit intimidated by Drew. Although he was curious, he didn't mind. He lovingly supported Drew's slim waist to help her stand. "I can't leave just yet. There are so many people I still need to greet. You go ahead."

"Okay," Drew leaned in to peck Eric on the corner of his mouth, glanced at Helena Christensen, and said with a laugh, "I'm heading back to Trausdale Manor. Whether you want to come over is up to you!"

"Go ahead, I'll come by later," Eric patted Drew on the waist, watching her leave with the twins, then smiled at Helena Christensen and asked, "Did Drew give you a hard time?"

Once Drew was gone, Helena relaxed immediately. Remembering the events that happened during the Met Gala charity ball at the beginning of the month, she shook her head and said, "No, we little ladies wouldn't dare provoke Drew."

"It seems you still got put in your place," Eric chuckled but didn't press any further. He trusted that Drew handled things with a good sense of propriety. Even if she lost her cool, that was no big deal. Scanning the room, Eric changed the topic. "So, has he left?"

Helena nodded with a bit of resignation. "Yeah, he got mad. I'll smooth things over tomorrow."

Eric shook his head. "No need to smooth things over. Just break up with him."

"What?" Helena instinctively replied, her expression shifting to one of grievance and sorrow. "Eric, I think this is a personal matter."

Eric always found it strange that most of the Victoria's Secret models would adopt that sad demeanor in front of him. Did they coordinate this behavior?

Thinking such a notion was a bit exaggerated, he shrugged off the thought. "Of course, it's your personal matter. I'm just making a suggestion. Besides, since you happen to be here, help me spread a little rumor among the Angels."

Helena, unable to follow Eric's sudden change in topic, asked, "A rumor? What kind?"

"Oh, it goes like this: any supermodel who dates Leo will be kicked out of the Victoria's Secret Angels, even the five spokesmodels won't be exceptions."

Helena widened her cat-like green eyes, hesitating as she stammered, "Is this... a rumor?"

Eric nodded. "Yep, you can try it if you don't believe it."

"But..." Helena hesitated a bit, clearly deflated now. Her expression turned back to one of melancholy as she narrowed her eyes like a disgruntled kitten and said, "Alright, alright, Eric, I'll break up with him tomorrow, and I'll help you spread the... rumor. But you have to tell me why!"

Eric replied, "Just obediently do as I say. Women shouldn't ask too many questions."

"Such a male chauvinist," Helena said, leaning back against him again, her expression returning to a flirtatious demeanor. "Eric, you don't want all of us to keep our purity like saints in the church for you, right? That's too much; you're not God."

Eric felt Helena's soft body almost against him and, without hesitation, extended his hand to gently caress her delicately made-up face. "You are mistaken. I am your God; I have never forced anyone's faith. But if you abandon this faith, you will be cast down to Earth, no longer an angel."

"Oh, Eric, you are not God. You are the devil," Helena murmured, her body feeling a little weak as if electricity flowed through Eric's fingertips. Forcing a grin, she tilted her head and playfully bit Eric's finger, flashing her bright white teeth with a threatening look.

After teasing her tongue with a few gentle strokes, Eric effortlessly pulled his finger back and patted her waist. "Let's go mingle with some guests and then hit the dance floor together."

...

The premiere of Con Air occurred on May 28, and the next day, The Lion King 2 held its grand premiere at the same theater.

Thus, on May 30, Con Air and The Lion King 2 officially hit screens across North America.

Since the North American media were closely observing the competition between the two films, many newspapers provided reviews on their opening day.

However, this time the situation appeared very unfavorable for Firefly Group.

Preliminary statistics showed that Con Air received a meager score of just 6, barely scraping by on newspaper and internet reviews. In contrast, the well-awaited Lion King 2 from Paramount Animation, which had undergone three years of development under Roger Allers, surprisingly garnered nearly a 9 rating, receiving rave reviews. The story of Lion King 2 focused on Simba's life as an adult, a shift that clearly catered to slightly older audiences.

...

After a long day, on the evening of May 30, even though it was a Friday, many top executives gathered at Paramount's headquarters in Hollywood. Viacom Chairman Sumner Redstone sat at the head of the conference table, maintaining his composure. However, beside him, Paramount CEO Sherry Lansing and Lion King 2 director Roger Allers looked anything but calm.

While everyone casually discussed trivial matters, the film was already out. At this point, dwelling on any issues was futile, as they could only await Lion King 2's final box office results.

Despite the overwhelmingly favorable reviews from internet media and today's evening papers for Lion King 2, Viacom remained skeptical about the film's box office prospects due to the significant limitations imposed by Firefly and Fox during the initial marketing efforts.

At 74, Redstone was still quite healthy but rarely stayed up late like today. After finishing his coffee, he signaled the secretary for a refill, glancing at his watch to see it was just past midnight, technically June 1.

While he had a rough idea of the outcome, Redstone couldn't help but ask Sherry Lansing again, "Sherry, when do you expect the preliminary box office numbers?"

"Most theaters hold their last shows around 11 PM, so some chains begin their preliminary box office tally then. However, to get the results, we might have to wait until around 1 AM," Sherry explained. "If you'd like, Sumner, you can head home for some rest, and I'll call you with the results."

"No, it's fine; I'm not too old to move around yet," Redstone stubbornly shook his head. Remembering recent events, a flash of anger crossed his face as he addressed his assistant sitting nearby, "Jack, have we heard back from Larry Tisch?"

"Mr. Redstone, I called this afternoon. Tisch is currently in Europe and won't be back for about a week."

"Hmph, still playing hard to get," Redstone muttered.

Larry Tisch was the primary shareholder of CBS, and the network had been struggling for years. Tisch had often considered selling the network.

A couple of years prior, Tisch tried to negotiate for a buyout with Barry Diller's QVC. The deal was nearly finalized but fell apart when Diller's backer, Comcast, disapproved of the transaction, withdrawing financial support at the last minute.

Recently, Viacom had been on a buying spree, acquiring Blockbuster, Paramount Pictures, and Disney's animated studios. Many of Viacom's shareholders hoped Redstone would take a breather from expansion. However, after the marketing challenges Viacom suffered with Lion King 2, Redstone resolved to pursue a buyout of CBS to address Viacom's deficits in marketing channels.

Yet, due to the recent technological wave sweeping over the television industry, CBS found itself less inclined to sell. After Viacom expressed interest in acquiring CBS, Tisch, who had initially been eager to offload, became more reserved.

The late hours felt long as time crawled by, and after seeming like an eternity, it finally struck 1 AM.

Suddenly, the fax machine in the corner of the conference room began rattling, jolting everyone into attention, their expressions filled with anticipation and anxiety.

Brian Buckley, the head of Paramount's distribution department, sat next to the fax machine. Seeing that Redstone and the others were still motionless, he stood up, pulled out the freshly faxed data sheet, and glanced at it.

Unsurprisingly, Lion King 2's box office figures topped the list.

$12.8 million.

Seeing that number, Brian's mind quickly began calculating.

Based on typical weekend box office trends, with an opening day of $12.8 million, Saturday's figures were likely to rise a bit, with Sunday dropping again. Summarizing the day's earnings, Lion King 2's overall weekend box office projected to reach around $40 million.

Before he could consider even further, Redstone's light cough snapped Brian back to reality. "Hey, Brian, how did it go?"

Brian immediately regained his composure, noting the eyes of everyone in the room on him. He quickly smiled and said, "Very good! Opening day was $12.8 million, and the weekend total should approach $40 million."

As he spoke, Brian passed the box office data to Redstone and the others.

Redstone eagerly leaned toward the fax paper, while Sherry Lansing and Roger Allers crowded in to see.

Having already heard Brian report the numbers, the three immediately lowered their gaze to find Con Air's opening day box office figure, spotting it right away: $7.7 million.

Sherry murmured, "Opening day $7.7 million, maximum weekend $25 million. We won."

While the other company executives couldn't see the data, it was clear to them that Sherry was referring to the figures for the other film, leading them to excited whispers.

Roger Allers didn't pay much attention to Con Air's box office; many understood that the two films were not truly comparable given their vastly different genres. Instead, he was more focused on how Lion King 2 compared in its box office to the first installment.

With projections of $40 million for the opening weekend, that was substantially lower than the original Lion King's first weekend gross of over $49 million -- a drop of nearly $10 million that was decidedly disappointing.

Listening to Sherry explain the potential box office trends for Lion King 2 based on its opening day performance, Redstone had a pleased expression.

Noticing Roger Allers's disappointed face, Redstone placed a hand on his shoulder and said, "Roger, don't feel down. You've done a fantastic job. Everyone knows that the reason Lion King 2 might underperform compared to the first installment isn't due to its quality; with sufficient promotional resources, its box office figures could certainly match or even surpass the first film."

"Exactly, Roger," Sherry chimed in. "Additionally, based on the reception for Lion King 2, it's even possible for its second week to see a reverse drop. There's no rule saying only Firefly can produce a blockbuster like Titanic."

As Sherry's words left her mouth, many people immediately thought of Godzilla, which was set to premier next week. With Sony Pictures' aggressive marketing campaign, almost no one doubted it would be a box office 'monster.' However, nobody dared to rain on their parade at that moment.

Looking at Con Air's $7.7 million opening, many believed that if there was an impact next week, its audience, similar to Godzilla's, would find Con Air in an even worse predicament.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 871: Last Chance]

Beverly Hills. Eric had been staying at the mansion belonging to Drew at Trausdale Manor these past few days. Unlike many of the high executives at Paramount who stayed up half the night, he woke up on time on this Saturday morning as well. He went through his usual routine of washing up, exercising, having breakfast, and reading the day's newspaper on a terrace that overlooked all of Los Angeles.

It appeared that Paramount, eager to make some sort of counterattack, couldn't wait to publish Friday's single-day box office rankings in the papers.

The twins quietly cleared the table of dishes. The girl sat across from Eric, also perusing a copy of the Los Angeles Times spread out on the table. She exclaimed, "The opening weekend is expected to be 40 million; isn't that going to push the first week past 60 million -- almost the same as the first movie? Doesn't that mean our plans to suppress it have failed?"

Eric smiled and shook his head. "Your method of calculating the weekday box office as half of the weekend for typical movies isn't wrong, but animated films are different, especially 2D animation, since most viewers are children who need their parents' company. The box office on weekdays is even lower. The first weekend of The Lion King raked in almost 70% of the first week's total, so this sequel will likely follow suit. It probably won't surpass 60 million in its first week but should be around 55 million."

"55 million for the first week? What will be its total box office then?"

Eric read a review of Con Air and thought about it. "That's hard to say. The total box office of The Lion King 2 will mainly depend on its box office performance over the first four weeks. After this week, we have Godzilla next week, followed by Finding Nemo and Contact the week after. Then there's Batman Robin later on -- all movies that could pose a significant threat to The Lion King 2. If those films do incredibly well, The Lion King 2 will surely be affected. Conversely, if they don't perform well, it wouldn't be impossible for The Lion King 2 to come close to the first film's box office."

In fact, Eric had a gut feeling based on his knowledge from his past life.

The upcoming films over the next three weeks, Godzilla and Batman Robin, had a high likelihood of flopping. The only real competitor to The Lion King 2 was Finding Nemo.

However, as for Con Air, it seemed to be trending towards underperforming at the box office, pulling in 7.7 million on its first day and likely to finish around 35 million for its first week. Given the barrage of blockbuster releases in the following weeks, it was doubtful whether its North American box office would even hit the 100 million mark. The poor performance of Con Air made Eric question the box office prospects of Finding Nemo as well. He had seen the completed 3D animated version several times; while it was no less impressive than the original, being released six years earlier posed uncertainty regarding its ability to generate the same explosive box office it once did.

Hearing Eric's thoughts, the girl looked down at the entertainment section, flipped through it until she found the summer movie release schedule. After a moment, she looked up and said, "Well, it seems like the only films that might reach nearly 1 billion globally this summer are Godzilla and our Casino Royale."

"Seems like you've also been a bit swayed by Titanic, huh? Reaching a billion globally isn't easy at all. If Hollywood manages to churn out one surprise hit making a billion each year, that's lucky. This year... hmm," Eric hesitated, not mentioning Finding Nemo, before pausing again and adding, "This year, maybe there will be some, but it definitely won't be Godzilla or Casino Royale."

"Ah, you don't have confidence either?"

Eric analyzed, "Look, the last Bond film, GoldenEye, pulled in 350 million globally, and without accounting for inflation, that was the best performance for 007. This actually demonstrates the franchise's potential. As for Casino Royale, I'm uncertain if audiences will appreciate the changes we made to the story structure. But considering the 007 brand, my personal box office draw, and the allure of the spy movie universe, this film likely won't have much trouble exceeding 500 million globally. If it does achieve some explosive results, it might even reach 700 million, but hitting a billion would need quite a stroke of luck."

The girl's eyes sparkled. "So, is there a chance it could reach a billion when the three main spy organizations face off against the Spectre?"

Eric recalled that in his original timeline, after the release of the first Avengers film, the sequels for Captain America and Thor, which had mediocre box office results, practically doubled their intake, while the already popular Iron Man crossed the billion mark. This occurrence was largely attributed to the gathering of multiple superheroes, boosting the box office potential of each individual hero.

The popularity of the Bond franchise, Mission: Impossible, and Charlie's Angels was already high. Casino Royale managed to be the first film where all three franchises had intersecting plots, ensuring that fans from the three series would likely merge after this film. Even if Casino Royale didn't enhance the original series as much as the Avengers did, as long as the following sequels maintained cohesive story connections, it was very possible they could see a billion-dollar film before the final showdown with Spectre.

"Definitely possible, and we might not even need to wait until the final showdown."

Eric nodded, suddenly striking upon another thought. He set down his newspaper and opened a blank document on his laptop, typing away as he spoke. "However, I just remembered; for the upcoming series, you guys should pay attention to some issues. I'll write you a memo."

The girl leaned over, curious. "What about?"

Eric kept typing, explaining, "About supporting characters. Look, whether it's 007, Mission: Impossible, or Charlie's Angels, each has standout supporting characters like M, Q, and so on. After Casino Royale, creating another ten films in the spy movie universe isn't an issue, but managing to have main characters from the three series cross over will ramp up production costs significantly. At that point, having supporting characters fulfill these crossover roles would be much more cost-effective. Moreover, in Mission: Impossible, Kevin Costner's fee keeps rising. If it comes to a point where collaboration becomes unmanageable, we could always utilize originally popular supporting characters to continue leading the series."

The girl watched him type the memo with swift strokes and finally understood, nodding cheerfully. "Just like how you promised Christina that Angela Lynd's role from Casino Royale would star in that car racing film?"

Eric's fingers paused momentarily on the keyboard as he smacked the table. "Exactly! I almost forgot about that movie. I've been so busy lately, I'll find some time in the next few days to write the outline. You can go find a couple of suitable screenwriters to fill in the script."

"Hehe," the girl chuckled. "You're still giving us some, huh? Liz will surely be more upset. I bet Jeffrey will have his opinions too."

Eric had certainly pushed too many blockbuster projects onto her over the years. Not to even mention the spy movie universe, with hits like Night at the Museum, Resident Evil, and Forrest Gump attracting everyone's attention. The upcoming LOTR franchise could keep a production company afloat for a decade.

It appeared that Drew herself hoped Eric would stop being so obvious in his favoritism.

He pecked her cheek affectionately and said, "Let's set all that aside this time. You keep that going. I hope this racing series can connect with the spy movie universe. While it might be possible to have plot crossovers with other studios, given the notable divergence in themes, it could seem forced and lead to convoluted copyright issues. The Firefly Group never lacks projects. Over at Fox, they're currently working on the Star Wars prequels, Miramax has been performing remarkably as well, and with Julia as the box office queen backing them, their projects are nothing lacking compared to yours -- minus a few major productions, of course. Besides, Fox has a much stronger foundation than MGM."

Fox had been under the ownership of News Corporation for over a decade. While their film business wasn't stellar during those years, the solid backing of News Corp ensured Fox's operations remained stable.

In contrast, MGM's business still relied predominantly on films. Although it had begun to regain its vitality thanks to a slew of popular blockbusters, its overall strength still ranked at the bottom among the majors.

The girl knew well that Eric hoped for MGM to grow stronger and have a larger role in the Firefly media network.

Nodding, she refrained from refusing again. "By the way, Eric, Amy mentioned she wanted to discuss something with me. We actually have a chance to acquire a cable television network."

To further progress, MGM would definitely need to expand into television. Eric's initial idea had been for MGM to acquire CBS and Columbia Pictures from Sony, but due to the resurgence of new technologies, CBS's value had soared past 20 billion, and Sony was also unwilling to part with its film division, making both ideas currently unfeasible.

Therefore, expanding into the cable television industry became a promising option. For the next twenty years, public television in North America was expected to decline, while the cable television sector was poised to thrive.

Eric sent the memo he had just drafted to MGM CEO Amy Pascal's inbox and asked the girl, "Which network is it?"

"E! Entertainment."

Eric raised an eyebrow, instantly recalling that in the original timeline, it was the channel featuring the Kardashian family.

Nodding, Eric said, "Ah, I've heard of that network, though I didn't pay much attention to it."

The girl elaborated, "I've seen the materials; E! is primarily focused on programming related to fashion, movies, television, and music. Oh, and Hollywood gossip too."

Instinctively, Eric asked, "They don't do reality shows?"

She tilted her head. "It seems not, but if we buy it, we can definitely produce our own reality shows."

"A network like this, not airing reality shows would be a waste of resources -- but it needs a solid plan," Eric replied, then inquired, "Who's holding ownership of E! currently?"

"It's a bit complicated. E! was initially founded by a consortium of Comcast, Continental Cablevision, Cox Cable, TCI, and Warner Cable. Over the years, they've integrated several times, with Continental and TCI stepping out. Now, Time Warner is looking to exit as well and is searching for interested buyers. We might be able to buy about 40%, but the word from Comcast is that if we take over the shares of Warner Cable, we could secure the operating rights of E! Entertainment."

Cable television in North America really began to rise in the 1980s, and to mitigate investment risks while pooling resources effectively, most ventures were formed as consortia -- similar to how Firefly and Hearst Group still co-owned AE and ESPN to this day.

"Let's buy 40% first. We can look to acquire the whole network later."

"However, I feel it might be expensive. E! and a few sub-channels currently have less than 50 million subscribers, last year's revenue was only 370 million, and it lost 13 million dollars. The price for less than 40% is quoted at 750 million; Amy said we could negotiate, but it will ultimately not be below 600 million."

For a pay cable network, around 50 million subscribers should see shareholders rolling in profits, but E! clearly relied on advertisements and operator sharing as its main source of revenue.

In recent years, much like CBS, whether public networks or cable stations have seen surging prices due to the influence of new technology.

If this were a few years ago, based on the current financial status, E!'s total value wouldn't exceed the 750 million that Warner Cable quoted. However, now that Warner's 40% stake in E! was being asked for at that price, it wasn't wholly outrageous. Time Warner's financial health had suffered too over recent years, and it appeared Warner was aiming to cash out at a high point along with shedding burdens.

"Let's try to acquire it as much as we can," Eric contemplated before saying to her, "In a few years, even if we wanted to buy, others might not be willing to sell."

Recently, the North American media industry was nearing its final moments of integration. Once everything settled, the development momentum for cable networks would only grow stronger. The giant media conglomerates would certainly not part with their holdings easily. It could be said that these years were essentially MGM's last chance to expand into the television sector.

The girl had no doubts about Eric's judgment and nodded. "Okay, I'll call Amy right now."

Just then, Natasha came out of the villa, holding a cordless phone, and handed it to Drew. "Boss, it's a call from Miss Hudson."

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