I Am Hollywood

by Cui Shi yi

1 - 702

35. 1063

I am Hollywood #Chapter 1063: Chapter 1065: Eat More Nuts - Read I am Hollywood Chapter 1063: Chapter 1065: Eat More Nuts Online - All Page - NOVEL NEXT

[Chapter 1065: Eat More Nuts]

After signing an autograph for Poppy Delevingne, Eric picked up the box of nuts he had just set down. As he munched on a few, he continued chatting with Richard Branson about Virgin Records.

Poppy sat next to Eric, listening quietly to their conversation while her gaze curiously flitted between him and the ongoing discussions. Before meeting Eric, she had imagined that a man with a string of accomplishments, one that most people would find unattainable, would be incredibly proud and aloof. However, she was surprised to find that he was so approachable, exuding a naturally mature charm that made her want to be close to him.

After a while of discussing, the host announced that the show was about to begin. Eric's attention momentarily shifted to the runway when he caught sight of Poppy's eyes sparkling as she gazed at the box of nuts in his hand. He smiled and offered, "Want some?"

Poppy quickly shook her head and pointed shyly at a camera that had just swept over the audience.

"It's okay," Eric assured her with a smile, "if they catch you eating, I'll personally ask them to edit it out."

Hearing Eric's words, Poppy chuckled softly, her shyness melting away as she reached into the nut box to grab a few large almonds. She briefly glanced at the nearby camera before popping one into her mouth.

...

As the lights dimmed in the venue and the upbeat music started to play, the fifth Victoria's Secret Fashion Show officially commenced. The first segment's theme was Dreamy Fairies, with a backdrop of a new song by the Spice Girls.

As Cindy, the opening angel, stepped onto the runway in a beautiful angelic ensemble that resembled a fairy from a flower, the audience of six thousand erupted into applause and cheers. Poppy, sitting beside Eric, became mesmerized. Now entering her teenage years, she couldn't help but pay attention to the beautiful women on stage.

When the first act ended, Poppy blinked, unable to contain herself as she exclaimed to Eric, "They are so beautiful!"

"You'll be just as stunning as them one day," Eric replied.

Though Poppy was only twelve, her height had already surpassed five feet three -- definitely model material in the making. Yet she had always felt she wasn't that pretty. Upon hearing Eric's comment, despite feeling a rush of sweetness, she instinctively asked, "Really?"

"Of course," Eric nodded, handing her the box of nuts again with a grin. "Do you know why they are so beautiful? They eat more nuts."

"Hehe," Poppy giggled softly, growing bolder as she grabbed a handful from the box without hesitation.

However, just as she gathered a handful of nuts, a photographer capturing behind-the-scenes moments swept his camera over, making the well-mannered girl feel suddenly awkward and unsure in front of the lens.

Noticing the moment, Eric placed the nut box on Poppy's lap to help her catch her bounty. He then raised his hand, mimicking a throat-slicing gesture toward the photographer in a playful warning. The photographer, catching the gist of the boss's 'warning', quickly shifted his camera away.

"See? It's fine, just be careful not to spill them," Eric reassured her.

"Mm-hmm," Poppy nodded, instinctively scooting closer to Eric. She attempted to shift the topic, asking, "Eric, does your new movie still have that little girl with the stuffed animal?"

"Yeah, she does," Eric answered, not realizing that his small gesture had made Poppy feel more fondly toward him.

"But isn't that a space movie?" she pressed.

"Of course, you can have a little girl with a stuffed animal in a space movie," Eric replied confidently. "You'll see it next year."

"Next year? That feels so far away."

As they chatted casually, time seemed to fly by.

...

Unconsciously, when the last act started, Poppy Delevingne suddenly realized that she had to leave soon. She had begged her parents for a long time to be able to attend this show, and her parents would definitely not easily allow her to attend the after-party.

Thinking about it made her lose interest, even with the scene-stealing Michael Jackson dazzling the crowd. Hesitating for a moment, while Eric was engaged with Richard Branson, Poppy gently tugged at Eric's sleeve. "Eric."

The noise in the room was loud, so Eric leaned in closer, puzzled. "What's up, Poppy?"

Feeling the warmth of the man's presence, Poppy's cheeks flared slightly as she raised her voice a bit. "Eric, could you talk to my mom and dad and see if I can join the after-party?"

Eric glanced over at the Delevingne couple, smiling and replying, "Well, you still have school tomorrow, right?"

"I promise I'll only stay a bit! I want to get signatures from Ms. Cindy Crawford and the others."

"Okay, I'll give it a go, but if your parents say no, there's nothing I can do."

As Michael Jackson's performance concluded, the show came to a fantastic close.

The tickets for the after-party were ten times the show's regular prices, and due to limited spots, only a few guests received invitations. However, these constraints didn't apply to Eric. Sneaking in a couple of people would be no problem at all.

After relaying Poppy's request to her parents, Eric proceeded to speak on her behalf. The Delevingne couple agreed after a moment of hesitation.

...

This year's after-party was held in a different hall at the Earl's Court, and as the runway show wrapped up, most of the guests began to leave the venue, while those with after-party invites made their way to the party scene. Eric guided Poppy, who had become like an eager shadow, to the backstage area.

Given the significance of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show to the brand and the models' careers, everyone who participated felt immense pressure, worried about any hiccups during the procession.

With the show perfectly concluded, there was a palpable sense of relief among everyone backstage as Eric arrived, only to be caught by Cindy. "Eric, come on! We need to take a group photo. Who's this girl?"

"This is Poppy, Poppy Delevingne," Eric introduced with a smile. "I won't be in the picture with you. When I stand among you, I always feel like the men nearby want to kill me with their eyes."

Cindy merely asked about Poppy out of curiosity, but her attention quickly returned to Eric. "Well, you could sit like last year -- this is our last runway show together, and after this, we'll hardly see one another again."

Poppy, who had been excitedly following Eric, watched as other models still clad in sexy lingerie gathered around, playfully pulling Eric toward the photo area. Looking down at her own petite frame, she suddenly felt a surge of anxiety.

After the lively group picture, the angels scattered to change outfits, gearing up for the after-party excitement.

Eric approached Poppy, who had been waiting off to the side. "Let's go, Poppy. Who do you want to get signatures from? I can introduce you."

With a nervous expression, Poppy tentatively raised her small hand, and when Eric smiled and opened his arm, she cheerfully linked her arm through his. Before attending this show, Poppy had been eagerly interested in all the stars and supermodels present tonight, but now, her focus was entirely on Eric.

...

As they made their way to the after-party hall, Poppy asked hopefully, "Eric, can I dance with you for the first song later?"

"Sure," Eric nodded, jokingly adding, "But I can't dance well, so if I step on your toes, don't shout in pain."

Poppy raised her chin to admire Eric's chiseled profile. "I'm not much of a dancer either."

"Well, that's good," Eric replied with a grin. "Do you know what happens when two bad dancers step onto the dance floor?"

"What?"

"Everyone gets stepped on," Eric pretended to mime stepping heavily.

"Hehe."

As the two arrived at the after-party hall, the angels were still changing, and the festivities hadn't kicked off yet. Guests mingled in groups, chatting away.

Emily spotted Eric with Poppy and widened her eyes, pulling him aside. "You sly dog! I told you to chat more with the Delevingne couple, and you ended up tricking their daughter here?"

Eric felt somewhat helpless. "Come on, Emily, 'trick' is a bit too much!"

Emily shot a knowing glance over at the girl and reminded him, "Since you brought her here, remember to return her safely."

"Huh?" Eric was puzzled for a second before he caught on. "Did the Delevingnes leave already?"

Emily nodded. "They said they had an early flight to Berlin tomorrow, so they left early."

Eric raised his hand, resisting the urge to smack his forehead. What careless parents! No wonder they chose such unfortunate names for their kids.

Noticing Eric's stunned expression, Emily rolled her eyes, aware he wouldn't abandon Poppy. She swiftly shifted the topic and asked, "When are you planning to head back?"

"I guess I'll stay one more day at least."

Now that he was in London, he couldn't miss the chance to visit Olivia. Although Eric had a difficult time accepting the familial connection, since he occupied this body, he realized many things simply couldn't be cast aside.

Emily knew the situation with Olivia and nodded. "So are you going straight back to New York?"

Yahoo's IPO was officially set for November 20, just a week away, so Eric was certain he needed to attend this significantly crucial event for the Firefly network.

Eric shook his head. "I'm going back to Los Angeles first. You know, my film just entered post-production, and I need to oversee a lot of things. I'll probably head to New York a couple of days earlier."

...

As the angels finally donned their dresses and gathered for the party, the mood became lively.

Eric shared a dance with Poppy and introduced her to Gisele and a few other young girls to keep her entertained before he moved on to socialize with other guests.

After doing a quick round of the hall, Eric made his way to the buffet table to grab some food. He sat down with Cindy on a couch when Linda soon joined them. "Eric, who is that girl?"

As Eric became preoccupied with a shrimp, he followed Linda's gaze and responded with a smile, "Poppy Delevingne."

"Mm-hmm?"

"Poppy Delevingne."

"Come on, you!" Linda exclaimed as she snatched a peeled shrimp from him. "After all these years, you're still most interested in little girls."

"Well, if not, would you even be able to get within ten feet of me?"

Linda's sultry tone always carried a slight childish lilt, and upon hearing Eric's reply, she felt a surge of pride. She glanced at Cindy, as if setting a comparison.

Cindy barely lifted her gaze, too relaxed to care as she remarked, "Eric, I read in the papers about the pressure surrounding Yahoo's IPO. Do you think there will be any issues?"

After breaching the 2000-point mark, tech stock skeptics began increasing as NASDAQ soared higher.

Months passed, and the index had nearly reached 2500 points. Next week's Yahoo IPO would be pivotal in determining if NASDAQ could successfully breach the 2500-point milestone. Should 2500 points be surpassed, the span between 2500 and 3000 would become significantly unstable. Only upon breaching the 3000-point mark would the tech market succumb to sheer irrational exuberance.

These matters were far too intricate for quick explanations, and Eric simply nodded, "From the feedback on the roadshow, it looks fine. By the way, what's your stock value up to now?"

Cindy didn't respond immediately but instead wiggled two fingers in the air.

Linda, who was close to Cindy, knew about her tech stock investments and typically chimed in humorously about Cindy possibly bankrupting herself. Seeing her friend's two fingers now, confusion flickered in Linda's eyes. "Two million?"

Cindy shot her a glare. "If it were only two million, I would've wasted these years."

Linda's eyes widened in disbelief. "Two hundred million, USD?"

"Bingo," Cindy replied, an air of triumph in her tone. "To be precise, two hundred thirty-seven million six hundred thousand dollars, and it's still climbing."

"Wow," Linda squealed softly, nearly bouncing in excitement. "Eric, you selfish guy!" She wrapped her arms around his and shook him.

Erik looked bewildered, "How did I get pulled into this?"

Linda persisted, "Why didn't you help me invest back then? Now Cindy's richer than I am!"

"Cindy's always been richer and more capable than you," Eric chuckled, wrapping an arm around Linda's waist. Observing her disgruntled expression, he teased, "Well, think of it this way: even if Cindy has twenty billion, she still seems like a small fry to me, right?"

Linda swayed her freshly snagged shrimp, almost dramatic. "Then does that mean I'm less than a small fry?"

Eric fought a grin, solemnly nodding his head. "Looks like, that's the case."

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 1066: Stranded on the Streets]

Eric was chatting with Linda and Cindy in a corner when suddenly, the unmistakable voice of Madonna blasted from the party's speakers. This woman was clearly feeling it, announcing that she would personally sing for everyone and urging them to dance and join the celebration.

The party atmosphere was already electric, and with Madonna's encouragement, everyone began to congregate toward the center of the hall.

Eric was pulled up by Cindy and Linda, making his way into the crowd. A moment later, the staff adjusted the lighting, matching the pulsating ambiance of the moment with dynamic shadows and colors.

As the explosive rhythms started, Eric found himself sandwiched between Cindy and Linda, moving his body to the beat. He briefly scanned the crowd and noticed Helena Christensen dancing with a young man who clearly had some Middle Eastern ancestry, feeling a bit curious and glancing over a few more times.

Helena seemed to catch Eric's gaze; her expression hesitated briefly before she subtly let go of the young man's hand and walked over to Eric.

After a brief introduction, Madonna's song kicked in, sending the crowd into a frenzy -- the changing lights in the hall seemed to come alive with the rhythm.

Eric saw Helena approach him and appear to say something, though the surrounding music drowned it out. He didn't mind much, smiling as he reached out his hand. An alluring body immediately pressed up against him.

Eric was momentarily confused by what was happening, but Linda and Cindy, who had also noticed this scene, exchanged amused glances. Even Helena could barely suppress a smile, giving a playful pinch to Linda's waist as she danced against Eric.

Realizing something peculiar was afoot, Eric turned to Cindy with curiosity. She pointed to the young man not far away, the one Eric had stolen Helena from, and leaned in to yell two words: "Jealous-Daddy!"

Oh, Eric instantly understood. The unfortunate nickname "Jealous-Daddy" had stemmed from how he had interfered in Helena and Leo's relationship. Clearly, after noticing his gaze, Helena's response was influenced by the mental shadow from that incident.

After the song, Eric led Cindy and Linda back to where they had been earlier, with Helena following along.

Though things felt odd, Eric still smiled at Helena, saying, "Go have fun. I promise I won't interfere with your relationships anymore. But if you ever need someone to back you up, you can come find me."

Linda, who had grabbed two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter, handed one to Eric. Hearing his words, she teased, "That sounds just like a super uptight dad pretending to be understanding."

Cindy and Helena burst into laughter.

Eric, pretending to be angry, shot back, "And you, just forget about getting my wisdom. After the party, go home and don't go messing around."

At this, Linda leaned in playfully, "Eric, why don't we just go back to your place on Kensington Garden Street now?"

"Cindy and you can head over there first," Eric replied, not avoiding Helena's presence. "I need to drop someone off first."

Linda recalled Poppy Delevingne, asking, "The little girl?"

Eric nodded, "Yeah."

Linda seemed a bit sulky, glancing back and whispering something to Helena.

After listening to Linda, Helena seemed intrigued, yet her gaze towards Eric held a hint of shyness.

Eric stood to toast a guest who approached, exchanged a few words, and then returned to his spot. He had naturally noticed Linda's earlier gestures, smiling as he warned, "Hey, just think about the consequences before doing anything sneaky."

Linda leaned in closer, inquiring, "So, where's your villa key? Hand it over so I can go with Cindy."

Eric shrugged, "I don't have any."

Linda rolled her eyes and searched him, saying, "How do you get in then? Walk through walls?"

"Alright, enough searching, I really don't have it," Eric said, pulling her hand away. "Merissa Mayer is over there, and if you two head over first, tell the doorman to let her out to meet you."

Linda nodded in satisfaction, grabbing Helena's arm, signaling to Cindy, and then bidding Eric, "We'll see you later."

Eric reminded Cindy to keep an eye on Linda and prevent any trouble. Once the three ladies departed, he looked at his watch, realizing it was already 10:30. He wondered how far away the Delevingne household lived and decided to take Poppy home.

...

After searching through the crowd for a while, he finally found Poppy, now surrounded by Gisele, Qusie Gauff, and Fernanda Tavares, the new generation of Victoria's Secret Angels.

Though Poppy was enjoying the party, she still shot Eric a glance filled with a touch of disappointment when she saw him.

After tapping his wrist to signal the time, Eric said, "Poppy, it's time to take you home, or you might be late for school tomorrow."

Poppy nodded obediently and instinctively tried to link her arm with his.

Eric smiled, gesturing for her to wait. He approached Gisele, holding her slim waist, whispering, "You should head back to the hotel tonight. I'll be in New York next week, and we can go shopping then."

Gisele did not respond with disappointment; rather, her expression seemed a bit odd.

Eric noticed Gisele's reaction and cast an eye on the other girls, realizing they all held a similar enigmatic air. He asked, "What's going on?"

Gisele, slightly embarrassed, leaned closer, whispering with a grin, "Earlier, they said Daddy was upset; everyone has to go home after the party."

Eric's lips twitched, resolving to find a moment when he could properly address Linda calling him "Daddy."

Clearing his throat, Eric gently patted Gisele's slim waist, sensing that she had more to say but feeling reluctant to probe further, thus saying, "You all keep having fun. I'm heading out."

...

After taking Poppy out of the Earl's Palace and into the parking lot, Eric helped the girl into the car, sitting in beside her, and asked, "So, where do you live?"

"Belgravia."

Eric instructed the driver to head there and hesitated before asking, "Is that far?"

Poppy blinked her eyes mischievously, replying, "Not far."

Unsure what trick she was up to, Eric chuckled, "If I find out the drive's too long, I might just leave you on the roadside!"

"Hehe, you wouldn't!" Poppy giggled, eyeing the driver and bodyguard before leaning closer to Eric, whispering, "Eric, will you be leaving London soon?"

Eric nodded, "Probably the day after tomorrow."

Poppy looked a bit disappointed, leaning in a little more. "Well, if you come back to London, can I see you again?"

"Of course," Eric said, "But I can't come over that often."

Poppy sensed that as she inched closer, Eric leaned away towards the opposite door but gathered unnecessary bravery and wrapped her arm around his, saying, "Eric, when girls say things like this, you should take the initiative to invite me. But here I am, not even knowing where you live in London."

Eric felt he might be caught up with another little minx. Wanting to break free, but it was clearly impossible in the vehicle, not wanting to hurt her feelings either, he just awkwardly smiled, "The thing is, can you even be called a girl yet?"

Poppy confidently insisted, "Of course I am!"

"Alright," Eric relented, "I live on Kensington Garden Street. You should know that."

Poppy's eyes brightened as she nodded, "I do! So, how can I contact you?"

Eric completely surrendered, pulling out a business card from his pocket and handing it to her, adding, "But just so you know, I'm pretty busy and might not have time to hang out."

...

Late at night, the streets of London were sparse with traffic. After chatting for a few minutes, Eric quickly understood the meaning behind Poppy's series of expressions earlier.

Her home in Belgravia was at the southeastern corner of Hyde Park, less than three kilometers away from Kensington Garden Street on the west side of the park.

"Sir, it's the third house to the north through the garden," Poppy directed the driver and, adopting a lady-like tone, introduced Eric to the sorroundings, "Eric, there are many embassies around here; look, that's the Italian embassy, and north is the Romanian embassy."

The car navigated the irregular streets of London briefly before stopping in front of a white European-style villa.

The Delevingne couple hadn't gone to bed yet. Seeing Eric personally drop Poppy off, they warmly invited him in. Poppy, embodying the role of a clingy little girl, dragged him right into the villa.

The Delevingne couple were welcoming and engaging, possibly eager to befriend Eric. Before long, they found themselves deep in conversation until Eric's phone unexpectedly rang. Noticing it was Emily calling, Eric assumed there was no urgent business, and casually hung up, standing to bid the Delevingne couple goodbye.

...

However, just as Eric settled into the car, his phone rang again.

He looked at it and saw it was Merissa Mayer on the line. Raising his hand to signal the driver to start the car, Eric answered, hearing Merissa Mayer's hurried voice shooting out a few words, instantly causing his expression to change. "So, they've all gone to my place?"

"..."

Eric slapped his forehead, realizing why Gisele had said earlier that "Daddy was upset" and that everyone had to return home after the party. Just moments ago, all forty-six Victoria's Secret Angels participating in the show had invaded his house on Kensington Garden Street.

From Merissa Mayer's tone, Eric felt that the word "invaded" was indeed the most fitting.

At that moment, these forty-six enchanting wildlings were plotting to throw an all-night party in his villa under Cindy and Linda's leadership.

But that wasn't even the most pressing issue.

More critically, the entrance to Kensington Garden Street was already packed with eager paparazzi.

Just think about it.

Eric Williams gathering the Victoria's Secret squad for a private bash, forty-six stunning beauties, wasn't that explosive enough?

...

After quickly instructing Merissa Mayer a few things, and just as he hung up the phone, Emily's phone rang again. Picking up, a clearly frantic voice came through, sternly warning Eric to stay as far away as possible tonight -- not to return home.

Hanging up again, Eric gestured for the driver to stop, stepping outside, shaking his head in wry amusement.

In light of the current situation, Eric undoubtedly would not be returning, for he was more invested in the public image of these wildlings than even Emily and the others, which could be seen as a fatherly inclination.

Thus, he not only couldn't go back but also had to make sure everyone knew that he wasn't at Kensington Garden Street tonight.

Standing at an unfamiliar street corner, Eric donned his overcoat, scanning the surroundings.

Given the attention the Victoria's Secret show had garnered that night, Eric knew that as soon as he left the Earl's Palace, paparazzi would undoubtedly be following.

Without needing to search, a white Toyota sedan trailing him stopped not far behind his vehicle, along with two motorcycles, while a blue Passat passed his car and also came to a halt. A few paparazzi spotting Eric at the street corner, despite their confusion, eagerly raised their cameras to snap photos.

Eric allowed the paparazzi to take a few shots before signaling to the closest one in the white Toyota to approach.

The paparazzo hesitated but then exited his car, approaching Eric with a cautious yet respectful demeanor. "Mr. Williams."

Leaning against his Mercedes, Eric queried, "Which newspaper are you with?"

"The Sun."

Why did that not surprise him at all?

A smile crossed Eric's face as he replied, "Perfect timing, is there a 24-hour cafe nearby? Let's get you coffee and chat about your article for tomorrow."

The Sun was a publication under News Corp, and the paparazzo was aware of Eric's connection with the boss's youngest daughter. He was merely doing his routine, knowing that even if he brought back an exciting scoop, it would likely just be some trivial gossip printed in their column.

Hearing Eric's words, the paparazzo, without hesitation, saw this interaction as a significant opportunity, "Mr. Williams, if you don't mind, please follow me."

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 1067: A Carnival of Bad Fun]

Waking up in the early morning, the gloomy weather outside made it hard to tell the time. However, the gentle scent of feminine fragrances in the cozy bedroom compensated well for the discomfort of the dreary weather.

This was Elisabeth's villa by the Thames River.

After last night when the place was overrun by a group of wild party-goers, Eric had received numerous calls from friends in London inviting him to stay over, all of which he politely declined. Eric was the kind of person who was very uncomfortable staying at someone else's place.

In the end, it was Elisabeth, knowing his character well, who somehow got the word and sent someone to find Eric directly on Kensington Street, bringing him here. After all, his woman's residence didn't count as borrowing.

Other than his lunch appointment with Olivia that day, he had no other plans.

As he felt the weather outside, Eric reached for his watch on the bedside table, planning to indulge in another hour of sleep when his phone rang.

...

Upon checking, he saw it was an unfamiliar number. Eric pressed the answer button and a polite woman's voice came through. After chatting for a bit, he hung up, got himself energized to dress and wash up, and headed downstairs just as the doorbell rang.

Eric walked over to open the door to find a young woman in her thirties with curly red hair, dressed appropriately in a camel-colored coat, holding a bag of breakfast in one hand and a stack of newspapers in the other.

"Hello, Mr. Williams, I'm Rebekah, Rebekah Wade. We just spoke on the phone."

"Hi there," Eric said as he took the breakfast bag from her. "Let me help you with that. Please, come in."

"Thanks," Rebekah Wade replied, handing over the bag and walking into the living room with him. She placed the newspapers on the coffee table. "I happened to be in the area, and Liz called to say you might need these."

"Much appreciated," Eric nodded, gesturing for her to sit down. He looked around and pointed towards what he assumed was the kitchen, smiling. "Would you like something to drink? I can get it."

"No, thank you, Mr. Williams. When Liz is not here, I take care of this place, so there's probably nothing in the kitchen."

"Oh, well then," Eric chuckled and didn't press further. He sat on the sofa and asked, "Are you a friend of Liz's?"

"I work at The Sun," Rebekah Wade replied, pulling out a business card and handing it to him. "Mr. Williams, if you need anything while you're in London, feel free to give me a call."

Eric glanced at the card, surprised to find that this woman in her early thirties was actually the deputy editor of The Sun. Although it was primarily a tabloid focusing on social news, it was also the largest newspaper in the UK. Achieving the role of deputy editor at such a young age showcased Rebekah Wade's remarkable abilities.

As he pondered this, Eric suddenly remembered another name. Looking up at the woman who was now arranging the breakfast from the bag, he noticed that her signature curly red hair matched perfectly with the memory in his mind.

Rebekah Brooks, one of the key figures involved in the phone-tapping scandal back in the original timeline, was referred to by the UK media as the "Queen of Tabloids." Murdoch, who relied heavily on her, even publicly praised her as "like a daughter" at times. The name change was likely due to her marrying and taking her husband's surname.

Rebekah Wade didn't notice the change in Eric's expression as she set up the breakfast, moved to the kitchen for utensils, poured the milk, and carefully tidied up the bag and wrappers before turning to him. "Mr. Williams, will you still be staying here tomorrow? I can bring breakfast again."

Eric shook his head. "I'll be leaving by noon, no need for that. Just call me Eric."

"Sure thing," Rebekah Wade smiled and nodded. "Then, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."

...

After walking Rebekah Wade out, Eric returned to the sofa, picked up the cup of milk, tested its temperature, and enjoyed a sip. He casually grabbed a newspaper from the stack, and it just happened to be The Sun. Glancing at the breakfast on the coffee table, Eric couldn't help but smile.

Their first meeting contained no attempts at ingratiating or establishing a rapport; instead, she had quietly figured out his eating habits and organized everything neatly. While he wasn't sure about her abilities at work, her emotional intelligence and knack for handling situations were certainly impressive and not something many could match.

At the very least, Eric felt that if he needed assistance next time, it would be easy to think of her.

Momentarily setting aside these thoughts, Eric recalled last night's events and flipped open The Sun.

"Victoria's Secret Angels Take Over Garden Street Mansion, Eric Williams Left Stranded."

The striking headline was quite sensational and effectively captured readers' attention.

However, as he continued reading, the content subtly clarified that there was no big party when the Angels burst into his villa on Garden Street: he had merely lent it to them for an all-night bash. The article even included explanatory photos.

Now that the largest local tabloid had set the tone, smaller outlets couldn't possibly stir the pot further regarding last night's events.

With his mind eased, Eric began eating his breakfast and flipping through articles in other newspapers.

It was undeniable that the British media carried a somewhat hypocritical and righteous nature.

In the past few years when the Victoria's Secret fashion shows first gained traction, many British outlets slammed the brand with harsh criticisms, some even claiming that this "attention-grabbing lingerie brand" was nothing short of a mockery of the Victorian era.

Now, however, almost every paper praised last night's London show, treating Victoria's Secret as a quintessential British brand. The various British elements from past shows were chronicled, and the unprecedented scale of the latest event had even become a point of pride for the media.

...

The LTD team planned an event at the Victoria's Secret flagship store in London that afternoon. Emily had personally raced over to Kensington Garden Street that morning to round up the party-goers who had partied all night in preparation for the afternoon's event. It was then that Eric could finally take some time to head back.

Although the villa hadn't been left in a terrible state, the caretaker Merissa Mayer looked rather put out, perhaps feeling unfairly burdened by the antics of those party-loving guests.

Using a few clever tricks to evade the media, Eric had lunch with Olivia, staying at her gallery until the evening.

...

The next morning, he boarded a plane back to Los Angeles.

While various papers in the UK were still in a frenzy over the Victoria's Secret news, the North American media was buzzing with excitement because, on November 13, Ted was released.

By the late 90s, while the Raunchy Comedy gang had started to emerge, over-the-top absurdist comedies like those starring Jim Carrey were still the trend in Hollywood.

So when audiences and critics witnessed the no-holds-barred, outrageous humor in Ted, everyone was shocked. And when all this unfolded through the lens of a stuffed toy embedded in many people's childhood memories, the shock value skyrocketed, rendering them speechless.

On its first day alone, the media was ablaze with discussions about Ted. Most outlets felt that such unprecedented crude humor had crossed a line, and some overly emotional reporters even called for the film to be banned.

Yet unexpectedly, the critical reception from film critics towards the movie wasn't as harsh. Ratings showed that Ted scored over 7 out of 10 among critics, who found the film refreshingly original.

At the same time, despite its vulgar storyline, the film tackled a warm theme about adult choices between friendship and love.

As for other Hollywood studios, they were astonished by the level of digital effects.

Aside from a few shots utilizing toy models, most of the teddy bear scenes were achieved through motion capture, making the bear appear surprisingly lifelike -- almost indistinguishable from real human movement.

It's worth noting that this was not ten years later, Gollum from The Lord of the Rings hadn't even made his cinematic debut.

The original Ted, penned and directed by Mike Sethfern, was heavily steeped in North American television elements. These localized traits limited the film's overseas commercial potential and were often unappealing to the less TV-oriented younger demographic in North America.

While Eric could have replicated the original script from memory, he didn't consider it necessary since he recognized the flaws in the original. Now that he found himself in the film industry, it made sense for his object of parody and humor to be broader films that had a wider audience acceptance -- many of which became films Eric had directed over the years, such as Home Alone and Pretty Woman.

...

On the morning of the 14th in London, as Eric boarded his flight at Heathrow, news of Ted's "sensation" in the media back home had already reached him.

However, it was still late at night on the 13th in Los Angeles, so ticket sales data for the film wasn't available yet.

Due to the shift in media sentiment, executives like Katzenberg expressed their concerns, believing the film could flop. Eric himself felt he might have overstepped, overestimating the North American audience's tolerance for raunchy comedies.

However, as the Boeing 767 landed at Ventura Airport, Eric had not yet exited the aircraft when he received an excited call from Kenneth Horne. To mitigate the impact of Ted on the Firefly brand, Eric decided to let New Line take on its distribution, even though the film had reached a staggering final cost of $50 million.

With an opening scale across 2,700 theaters in North America, Ted raked in an astonishing $17.87 million on its first day -- figures that exceeded everyone's expectations.

A first-day income of $17.87 million hinted that the film's opening weekend box office might surpass $50 million, with total first-week earnings potentially exceeding $80 million.

An $80 million opening week was comparable to a blockbuster in terms of first-week numbers.

Although the investment in Ted reached $50 million, it could now only be classified as mid-range in recent years, and its promotional scale starkly paled in comparison to the 100-million-dollar blockbusters of larger studios.

Coupled with the fervent media controversy, the first-day take of $17.87 million could certainly be classified as an explosive success.

Strictly speaking, even if it were forced out of theaters after its first week, $80 million would still be quite a respectable figure for the film. Yet in the North American market, a movie -- especially a successful commercial film -- would rarely be yanked from theaters due to critical backlash.

In other words, an $80 million first week presented Ted with merely a starting point.

...

Upon hearing this news, Eric bypassed Liberty City Manor and headed directly to the Firefly Group headquarters in Burbank via helicopter from Ventura Airport.

As Eric entered the conference room, he found Katzenberg, Frank Wells, Kenneth Horne, and other executives engaged in a discussion over a few documents. When they saw Eric walking in, they all looked up.

Motioning for everyone to continue sitting down, Eric found a place at the large conference table and smiled, asking, "So, what's the current situation?"

"We just conducted a survey at several theaters in Los Angeles," Katzenberg said as he handed over a document. "The audience for Ted is primarily concentrated among those under 28, and contrary to most media criticisms, many viewers found it to be a really entertaining film."

As Eric examined the document Katzenberg provided, Frank Wells added, "However, Eric, I think we should immediately implement some precautionary measures. Just yesterday alone, our customer service department received over 3,000 complaint calls. Although it's labeled R-rated and we provided sufficient warnings in the trailers, some viewers who weren't paying attention seemed to have misunderstood it as a family film, and well, you can guess the outcome."

Eric nodded, "In that case, let's get the distribution department to draft a plan immediately. We need to do what's necessary."

After several hours of discussion with the executive team, they quickly mapped out follow-up promotional strategies before Eric finally left the Burbank headquarters.

...

In the following days, the ripple effects from Ted continued to grow. After the initial $17.87 million ticket sales, the film soared on Saturday, its single-day intake breaking the $20 million barrier, hitting $20.58 million. While sales began to slip on the third day, it still racked up $16.95 million.

By the end of the first weekend, Ted's box office earnings crossed over the break-even point, reaching $55.41 million.

The fierce critical backlash against this film had not only failed to dampen ticket sales; in fact, it ignited a perverse sense of thrill among young audiences. Many even felt Ted posed a threat to the upcoming release of Mission: Impossible 3.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 1068: The Year-End Release Schedule]

In the North American market, three new films premiered on November 13: Ted, Star Trek: Insurrection, and The Faculty.

Ted enjoyed significant attention thanks to its cuddly teddy bear character and a script penned by Eric himself. Star Trek: Insurrection was a staple franchise for Paramount Pictures, while the script for The Faculty came from Kevin Williamson, who created the Scream series. All three films boasted strong potential at the box office.

However, with Ted's explosive success, Star Trek: Insurrection and The Faculty saw a noticeable impact on their opening weekend earnings. Over the first three days, Ted grossed a staggering $55.41 million, while Star Trek: Insurrection, which landed in second place, only brought in $22.05 million -- not even half of Ted's earnings. This sci-fi movie had the highest production budget of the three at $58 million.

Due to the stark differences in public reception and audience preferences, the film The Horse Whisperer, which was already into its second week, remained relatively unaffected by the new releases. Its second-weekend drop was a respectable 32%, garnering another $21.86 million. After ten days in theaters, the adaptation of the bestselling novel reached a cumulative total of $68.25 million. As long as it could withstand the pressure from Mission: Impossible 3 the following week, the film had a solid chance of crossing the $100 million mark in North America.

Kevin Williamson's latest script, The Faculty, did not replicate the acclaim and box office success of Scream, only managing a meager $11.63 million after its opening weekend, landing it in fourth place.

From every possible analysis, this horror film only had a North American box office potential of about $40 million. Considering its $30 million production budget and a $10 million marketing budget, Columbia could only hope to recover its costs through overseas distribution.

...

Culver City.

In a screening room at Columbia Pictures, staff prepared for a film's showing while Eric chatted with Columbia Pictures' CEO, Bill Mechanic, about The Faculty.

"You know, there's always been substantial market potential for teen horror films. The key is finding the right script and a reliable production team -- also, controlling costs. Unfortunately, The Faculty was a mess from the get-go. People don't enjoy seeing a bunch of delinquents saving the world for no good reason. They want to see those delinquents get picked off one by one by a psychotic killer -- the more brutal, the better.

Kevin Williamson had signed a deal for five films with MGM, but last time, MGM opted for the summer release of Scream and passed on The Faculty for that reason. Scream crossed $70 million in the North American box office and hit $125 million worldwide, keeping its production costs under $17 million. It was a huge win. But now, The Faculty only has about $40 million potential in North America, and with production and marketing costs to match, it's a disaster. Bill, I won't hold the past against you, but I hope this never happens again."

As Eric spoke, the screening room door swung open, and the fresh-faced Anne Hathaway entered, balancing several cups of coffee in her hands, her big eyes gleaming as she looked at the two men seated in the front row.

Seeing her, Eric halted his conversation, waved at her, and Anne Hathaway sweetly walked in, handing a cup of coffee to Eric and Bill Mechanic before sitting quietly next to Eric with her own cup.

During this time, Anne Hathaway often felt like she was dreaming. Hearing Eric's no-nonsense reprimands to Bill Mechanic reminded her of her man's power in Hollywood. Naturally, a swell of pride rose within her.

However, she kept these thoughts to herself.

Eric wasn't concerned about her inner musings. After sipping his coffee and noting the film wasn't ready yet, he returned to his conversation with Bill Mechanic. "By the way, the director for The Faculty is quite good; I remember he's a good friend of Quentin, right?"

Bill Mechanic didn't take offense at Eric's previous remarks. In fact, Howard Stringer and the executives at Sony Japan had been far less courteous to him than Eric. He understood that Eric's comments were merely business-related and not personal.

Upon hearing Eric's question, Bill Mechanic replied, "Yes, before The Faculty began filming, I watched his debut film, which he made for just $7,000, called El Mariachi. He's a very talented young director."

"Then Columbia should definitely continue exploring a collaboration with him," Eric suggested, recalling Robert Rodriguez's uniquely stylized works from his own timeline. "And by the way, don't let my earlier comments make you overly fixated on cost control; when good projects come along, it's still important to spend money. I just don't want to see needless waste. You can gauge the balance there, and for Columbia, I trust you to exercise autonomy, but I hope to see corresponding returns."

Bill Mechanic nodded. "Eric, actually, I'm talking to Robert about a project right now. It's a children's sci-fi movie about a pair of retired spies' kids bravely fighting back against a villain seeking revenge. The script is still being written, and I'll send it to you as soon as it's ready."

Eric immediately thought of Rodriguez's more unconventional series, Spy Kids, inspired by Bill Mechanic's description. Although he was unsure of the series' box office performance, it had successfully produced three installments and must have been commercially viable.

Furthermore, Eric felt that the series would be better suited for Disney to handle. However, this thought passed quickly; Columbia needed quality projects to regain its footing. Now was not the time to divert the film Bill Mechanic was personally scouting to Disney.

Even if he didn't participate in production or distribution, if the series succeeded, the surrounding merchandising could still be managed by Disney's experienced team for maximum profitability.

"Get the screenplay to me as soon as it's done," Eric said, nodding. He noticed the staff finally announcing that the movie was ready to screen. He waved his hand casually and continued, "Speaking of which, the film we're about to see had a production cost that was $1,000 less than Robert's El Mariachi. The entire process only cost PS3,500, about $6,000. It's said the director worked on it for a year, filming on Saturdays when he had time off. In September, it won Best First Feature at the San Francisco Film Festival."

As Eric spoke, the lights dimmed in the screening room.

...

On the big screen, the film began without a title sequence, opening with a pair of hands putting on gloves. After a few disjointed shots, the screen finally displayed the film's title: Following.

Christopher Nolan, Following.

Many things in the world appeared quite strange. For instance, when Eric had someone in the UK collect scripts, he initially sought Guy Ritchie's Snatch but stumbled upon another once-famous script, Memento, written by brothers Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan.

The British division's notes indicated Christopher Nolan's debut, Following, was currently screening. The data showed not only the strong reception it received at the San Francisco Film Festival but also at many other independent film festivals.

In his original timeline, Eric had seen almost all of Nolan's works, with the most distinctive being the Dark Knight trilogy.

As for his initial films like Memento, Insomnia, and The Prestige, even though Eric, once a director, could feel the meticulous effort Nolan poured into those works, he struggled to enjoy them as deeply as the dedicated fans did.

Nevertheless, since he had the opportunity to see Nolan's work, Eric wasn't going to pass it up. Furthermore, over the past few days, Eric had developed a comprehensive plan revolving around Batman.

In his original timeline, Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy was breathtaking in both box office performance and quality.

At the same time, the success of Nolan's trilogy profoundly impacted Warner Bros.' DC movie universe. While the Marvel cinematic universe was on the rise, DC struggled to break free from the shadow of Nolan's trilogy. As they attempted to counter Marvel with a series of films, they veered into a dark direction, often delivering a cold and obscure tonal quality.

Although films like Man of Steel weren't strict failures commercially, it was evident that DC lost its way post-Nolan's trilogy.

After last year's box office debacle, Batman Robin, Warner Bros. would undoubtedly experience a lull in DC adaptations. However, if any studio had the potential to compete with Marvel in the comic adaptation realm, it was undeniably Warner Bros. and its DC universe.

As Marvel's upcoming films, such as Iron Man and Spider-Man, gained momentum, it was predictable that Warner Bros. would quickly follow suit.

If this time there weren't the constraints of Nolan's trilogy, even though internal execution issues would prolong the DC adaptations' progress, as long as Warner's higher-ups recognized the need for intervention and increased control over comic adaptation films, the DC cinematic universe could still become a significant threat to Marvel.

Historically, as Marvel and DC engaged in fierce competition, Hollywood's comic adaptations reached a point of oversaturation. Audiences grew weary, resulting in a decline in the comic adaptation market.

Now that Marvel's cinematic universe was already in motion, Eric decided that in light of any potential development in the future, he would urge Nolan to produce the DC Batman series.

As long as DC ensured its cinematic universe bore Nolan's signature, given the ongoing disputes within Warner Bros., Eric believed that it would take a good ten years for DC to find its way back to the right path.

Of course, Eric also had no intention of doing this for free.

Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy grossed nearly $2.5 billion worldwide, and while DC, backed by Warner Bros., would not easily relinquish the Batman rights, the disaster of Batman Robin left room for Firefly to participate in investment without seeking copyright claims.

Surely, anyone at Warner Bros.' upper echelons would not consider Eric's strategy of sharing investment risks without entangling rights, while also pulling the Batman franchise from the brink as digging a deeper hole for the studio.

How could anyone be that malicious?

...

As Eric pondered these matters, the 70-minute film Following wrapped up quickly.

When the lights came on, it was nearly noon.

Eric, accompanied by Anne and Bill Mechanic, headed to Columbia's internal dining area. After ordering lunch, Eric turned to Bill Mechanic and asked, "So, Bill, what did you think of that film?"

"A very interesting non-linear narrative," Bill Mechanic replied. "However, it seemed somewhat overemphasized on technique; upon closer analysis, there wasn't much about the plot worth reflecting on."

Eric nodded in agreement, chuckling, "But that's a form of talent. Not just anyone can produce a film with decent quality on such a low budget. For novice directors, lacking the resources to invite stars or create grand scenes forces them to invest more effort in storytelling techniques. Isn't that what Quentin did with Pulp Fiction?"

Bill Mechanic chuckled, "So, Eric, what's your plan after making me watch this film?"

"I have another screenplay titled Memento, which has a narrative style similar to Following but is more refined and complete," Eric said directly. "I didn't bring it with me since I'll be flying to New York shortly. However, I had my assistant send the script to your email. My request is to locate this director, sign an exclusive long-term deal with him, and tie him firmly to Columbia Pictures. As for his film style, achieving commercial success may not be easy, but with the right marketing strategy, a director with a strong personal style can easily gain a loyal fanbase."

After saying this, Eric added with an ambiguous smile, "As for the future, we can address that later."

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 1069: The Green Shoe]

After having lunch with Bill Mechanic, Eric boarded the plane to New York. It was November 18, a Wednesday. To ensure he had enough time to formulate targeted strategies based on the stock's performance on its first day, Yahoo's IPO date was deliberately set for the next day, Friday, the last trading day of the week.

Inside the Boeing 767 cabin, Anne Hathaway, who had grown up in a wealthy middle-class family, was taking her first ride on a private jet. To avoid appearing as a naive country girl, she remained reserved in the lounge after the plane took off.

Over thirty minutes passed as she flipped through a magazine meant for distraction, not really taking in anything. Glancing around, she noticed Eric's female assistant was deeply engrossed in her paperwork, seemingly oblivious to her presence. After a moment of hesitation, Anne stood up and walked toward the front of the cabin.

Eric had just mentioned he was headed to the study. Did they really have a study on this plane? Well, a jet this size could surely have a study, no surprise there.

Feeling a little self-conscious that her thoughts might be observed by the assistant, Anne glanced back before quietly leaving the lounge.

As she passed a meeting room and a restroom, she gently pushed open the third door, finding Eric seated behind a desk. When he looked up at her, she quickly gave a harmless smile and said, "Eric, I, um, just wanted to see if you were here."

Eric gestured for her to come over and grinned, "Do you think I would sneak off the plane without anyone noticing?"

"Of course not," Anne realized she had said something silly and stuck out her tongue in playful defense.

As she approached Eric, who reached out to her, she naturally sat on his lap. Curious, she glanced at the laptop on the desk. Feeling a strong hand wrap around her waist, Anne leaned back slightly. Remembering something from a few days ago, she whispered, "Eric, I went to see Ted with some friends last Saturday. Was that really your script?"

"It was," Eric closed the laptop screen and shifted it aside, asking, "So, what did you think?"

"Very," Anne hesitated, trying not to laugh, "very amusing."

"Oh, that's not something a good girl should be saying," Eric teased as he lifted her waist and placed her on the desk across from him. "I thought you'd tell me you couldn't handle it and ran out after 15 minutes."

Anne kicked off her high heels and placed her nylon-clad feet on Eric's legs, adding a hint of seduction to her gaze. "But it's your movie."

Eric held down her restless calf and noticed she wore a mid-length magenta trench coat today, its hem revealing her long legs. Curious, he tugged at the coat's delicate belt, revealing only a thin blouse and OL-style black pencil skirt underneath. He couldn't help but laugh, "Do you know what the temperature in New York is right now?"

Fearing Eric might have something mischievous in mind, Anne leaned slightly back, bracing herself on the desk surface. Caught off guard by his question, she stammered, "Yeah, but you won't let me freeze, right?"

Eric nodded, his eyes lingering on her tempting appearance as his fingers found the zipper of her skirt, pulling it down. "Well, since you've seen Ted, I want to test your limits."

Anne lifted her body slightly, obediently allowing Eric to peel off her skirt. Nevertheless, her eyes carried a hint of reproach as she half-heartedly said, "You've already tested that."

With a mischievous grin, Eric replied, "Do you think that was the limit? So naive."

...

Three hours later, the Boeing 767 landed at Eric's private airport on Long Island. Night had fallen along the East Coast, and the temperature in New York was similar to London, marking the onset of winter.

That night, Eric had a party to attend. After making a call to East Hampton, he boarded a helicopter bound for Manhattan.

Around 8 PM, the helicopter touched down on the rooftop of Eric's high-rise residence at the entrance of Sixth Avenue in Manhattan. A group of seven descended from the still-black VH-60, with his assistant, Merissa Mayer, leading a few bodyguards downstairs to arrange for their cars, while Eric took Anne back to his place.

Once inside the luxury apartment, Eric activated the air conditioning and looked over at Anne, who had settled on the sofa. He walked over, gently pinching her chin and asked, "Do you want to join me for the party later?"

"Is that okay?" Anne perked up, only to realize her excitement didn't match her earlier state. She grabbed a nearby cushion and hugged it, saying, "But Eric, I don't know anything about this."

"These parties are perfect for someone who knows nothing," Eric laughed. "It's settled then; you'll come with me, and I'll take you back to Millburn tomorrow morning."

This time Anne traveled with Eric primarily to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas with her family. Her home was in Millburn, New Jersey. Eric wasn't exactly clear on the specifics, but from Anne's description, it was probably near Jersey City, just across the river from Manhattan, still part of the New York metropolitan area.

Hoping for a little more time with Eric, she said, "Actually, I didn't tell my parents I was coming back these past few days. Can I stay in Manhattan a bit longer?"

Eric shook his head, "I'm too busy these days; I won't have time to hang out with you."

Anne looked at Eric with a pleading gaze for a moment, but seeing him unmoved, she reluctantly gave up her wish.

After a while, Merissa Mayer returned with a few outfits with a cold expression. Watching Anne change into a dress that fit her very well, and seeing Eric leaving with that girl, the assistant felt like a cat whose owner had abandoned her at home and felt resentment. She tossed around the apartment in a mad fit and drank up the most expensive bottle of red wine in Eric's wine cabinet.

...

The term IPO stands for Initial Public Offering, the first supply of stocks to the public market. Many often mistook a company's listing date as its IPO, but in reality, the IPO is a funding process, not confined to a single day. Generally, when a company publicly announces its listing date, it means they have completed the IPO process of gathering funds from institutional investors.

That night, the party Eric attended with Anne was a thank-you event hosted by Yahoo for its institutional investors who subscribed to the company's stock.

Thanks to the recent hype surrounding Yahoo's tech stocks, the Nasdaq index surged past 2500 points on Monday, moving into the volatile range that Eric considered most precarious. By the end of trading today, the Nasdaq reached 2567 points, a significant increase that heightened the uncertainty around Yahoo's IPO and the Nasdaq index.

In the banquet hall of the Plaza Hotel, Eric had mingled with some important guests of the night. Chris, Ian Grinell, and Morgan Stanley President John Mack gathered around him.

Eric entrusted Anne to Emily and stood with the other men in a corner of the hall, where the other guests tactfully didn't intrude.

While Yahoo's upcoming IPO suggested it had completed its first public capital raising, the aftermath brought about far more serious concerns for both the Firefly Group and its underwriter, Morgan Stanley, alongside other Wall Street firms.

Everyone present held a large amount of tech stock investments. The exact figure wasn't clear, but Eric was certain the major investment banks on Wall Street owned just as much tech stock as the Firefly Group's Clover Fund. Furthermore, these banks had entered the market much later than Clover Fund. To secure profits, they had to ensure that after Yahoo's IPO, Nasdaq wasn't adversely affected by stock price fluctuations.

As the largest pure Internet company undertaking an IPO so far, if Yahoo's stock were to face significant downward pressure or be heavily shorted after the IPO, the domino effect it might trigger would be more severe than for any other tech company.

"Because the number of subscriptions after the roadshow exceeded our expectations, according to the green shoe mechanism, we sold a total of 172.5 million shares this time, including 22.5 million shares as green shoe options, accounting for 15% of the set issuance ratio. Once the IPO leads to a downward trend in the stock price, Morgan Stanley can use $735.75 million to support the market."

In the crowd, John Mack briefly explained some measures taken by Morgan Stanley to Eric once more.

The so-called "green shoe mechanism," formally known as the overallotment option, allows underwriters to sell up to 15% more shares than initially planned during the subscription process.

However, these shares aren't formally delivered but treated as an option transaction for the purchasers. Because they have already paid cash like other equity buyers, institutional investors cannot back out of this option subscription, essentially constituting a form of betting-style venture capital.

Confirmed green shoe options mean that if the company's stock surges after the IPO, underwriters can buy back shares from the issuer at a favorable rate to sell to option buyers. If the stock price declines -- especially if it dips below the offer price -- the underwriters can use the funds gained via option sales to buy back stock from the open market and resell to the institutional investors who bought the options.

The green shoe mechanism allows flexibility for the issuer to raise additional funds during times of public interest in the company's shares while still providing a fruitful investment experience for an added group of institutional investors. However, the most critical benefit is that should the post-IPO stock price disappoint, underwriters can legally support the stock price, preventing it from dropping too drastically and damaging everyone's interests.

After a brief explanation from John, he turned his gaze to Eric, continuing, "But Eric, I still feel $700 million isn't very secure. I hope Firefly can take more actions. Although Firefly Investments recently acquired Sony's film assets, which is just a tiny portion of the funds gained from AOL's equity sale, I believe that if something unexpected happened, Firefly should be capable of reinvesting enough funds to secure Yahoo's stock price."

Eric smiled as he listened to John and nodded, saying, "If necessary, John, Firefly will surely do that."

Truth be told, Eric was more worried about the chain reaction that could arise from Yahoo's stock price weakening after the IPO than the investment banks at Morgan Stanley.

If the major investment banks were to lose money on tech stocks, the losses would actually fall on the investors who delegated their funds to the banks' wealth management. However, a large portion of the tech stocks held by Clover Fund belonged to Eric. If he lost hundreds of millions of dollars, it would undeniably sting, even for someone of Eric's wealth.

Moreover, the crucial aspect remained the 30% forward equity transfer agreement Yahoo made with Microsoft.

Microsoft had established a very stable monopoly in operating systems, and even if the Nasdaq crashed, Microsoft's stock wouldn't plummet drastically. In contrast, Yahoo was still riding a growth wave, with its stock likely to tumbling significantly due to insufficient revenue and profit data. Although several years of operations safeguarded Firefly's absolute control over Yahoo post-IPO, even if they gave Microsoft a 30% stake, Eric really didn't want to sell this stake cheaply right now.

"There's also the media angle that needs your personal attention," even though Eric's somewhat non-committal response didn't satisfy John, he proceeded, "I've noticed negative comments about Yahoo emerging over the past few days, especially an article from The Washington Post published yesterday that was particularly harsh against tech stocks. Eric, I don't quite understand this; if I'm not mistaken, your relationship with Mr. Buffett should be quite good."

Eric found himself puzzled as well. Although The Washington Post was under the Graham family's control, Buffett had been a significant stakeholder and crucial board member of The Washington Post for a long time, wielding substantial influence over the paper. He glanced at Chris, who maintained a closer relationship with Buffett through their personal interactions, as Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway was also one of Firefly Group's significant shareholders.

Chris shook his head, "I've been too busy lately and didn't catch up on that. I'll personally call Warren tomorrow morning."

"I'll see if I can have lunch with Terry Semel tomorrow," Eric added, "and I'll reach out to the other networks. As for the newspapers, Chris, you can handle that. We need to ensure that no odd commentary appears in the media following Yahoo's IPO."

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 1070: Shocking]

Unlike the typical end-of-year blockbuster news that dominated the media's entertainment section, Yahoo's IPO became a significant news event at the societal level.

The Nasdaq Composite index broke the 2,500-point mark this week, and the market values of major tech companies hit new highs. According to the closing data Eric obtained when he arrived in New York on Wednesday, Microsoft, the undisputed king of the Nasdaq market, had an astonishing market capitalization of $335.9 billion. In addition, other leading tech stocks included Intel with a market value of $157.2 billion, Cisco at $133.5 billion, America Online at $66.7 billion, and SUN at $38.6 billion...

Even for Microsoft, which had the most impressive earnings, the price-to-earnings ratio had soared above 100, reaching bubble levels. Therefore, the Nasdaq market could only be described as "shocking" at this time.

By the end of the first three quarters, Yahoo had already achieved $1.296 billion in revenue, surpassing last year's total of $636 million by more than double, and the company's annual revenue growth rate was still expected to be nearly 200%. However, even at a share issuance price of $33, Yahoo's market value of $33.7 billion, combined with the earnings forecast provided by Yahoo, would still lead to a P/E ratio of around 200 times.

Typically, unless investors are extremely optimistic about a company's growth potential, a P/E ratio over 30 makes it challenging for that company to attract investment.

It was clear that rational investors had nearly vanished from the Nasdaq market. With the lure of massive short-term arbitrage profits, everyone was making wild bets while secretly praying they wouldn't be the last person to hold onto shares before a potential Nasdaq collapse.

Yahoo was going public in this near-paranoid atmosphere, making the timing exceptionally sensitive. Although they had successfully exceeded 15% subscription above their offering amount in the preliminary offering process, no one, not even Eric himself, dared to confidently predict whether Yahoo's stock would officially begin trading without it becoming the last straw that broke the camel's back.

As a result, everyone adopted a mindset of preparing for the worst while hoping for the best. In the days leading up to the listing, the entire Firefly Group was working tirelessly on final preparations for Yahoo's IPO.

...

After a day of non-stop busyness, Eric planned to invite the upper management of Firefly Group, who had come for Yahoo's bell-ringing ceremony, to dinner that evening. However, he received an urgent phone call and had to rush to the Nasdaq exchange in Midtown.

Although there were still over 12 hours left before the trading began, the area outside the Nasdaq building on 42nd Street was already crowded with reporters from all corners.

As soon as Eric's car pulled up to the exchange, the sharp-eyed reporters quickly surrounded him. Countless hands holding cameras and recorders reached over the bodyguards guarding Eric. A loud-voiced reporter pushed his recorder forward, trying to drown out the surrounding noise while asking, "Mr. Williams, we just received news that the Yahoo team seems to have clashed with the Nasdaq executives inside the exchange. Are you here to resolve the situation?"

Taken aback by the unexpected question, the other media personnel around paused, abandoning their prior inquiries, and eagerly hoped Eric would address the reporter's question.

Struggling to make his way through the crowd of reporters into the building, Eric adjusted his suit, glancing around anxiously before turning to his bodyguard, Carter Moen. "Where's Mary?"

Carter replied, "Miss Mayer is still in the car. The crowd is too chaotic, and I just suggested she wait until you go in before coming over."

Eric nodded and waved to Steve Mitnick's assistant, quickening his pace towards the Nasdaq exchange's main hall.

Unlike traditional stock exchanges such as the New York Stock Exchange or the London Stock Exchange, Nasdaq was actually an acronym for the "National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations," representing the world's first electronic stock trading platform, where transactions were typically conducted via phone and computer.

Thus, the Nasdaq located in the building on 42nd Street functioned more symbolically, lacking the comprehensive hardware and software facilities of the NYSE. Instead, it had several setups around the hall designed for broadcasting exchange news to global audiences, resembling a television studio.

In contrast to the non-profit, public service organization that the New York Stock Exchange represented, Nasdaq had long been able to compete with the NYSE in terms of the scale and volume of listed companies, yet it was still owned by the Nasdaq Group and operated as a profitable private company.

Seeing Eric arrive, the two opposing sides immediately approached him.

Nasdaq CEO Frank Zarb was visibly agitated, raising his arms and speaking first, "Eric, I can hardly understand why you felt the need to suddenly conduct technical repairs and stress tests on Nasdaq's trading system. It's utterly unreasonable. I know how much you value Yahoo's listing, but the Nasdaq platform has been around for 27 years now, and we have never delayed any company's listing due to technical issues -- there's simply no need for your demands. Moreover, even if it were necessary, it should be our own technical team handling it. We cannot allow external parties to test our servers."

Listening to Frank Zarb's complaints, Eric looked at his watch and interrupted him, "How long does your technical team need for repairs and tests?"

Frank paused in his arm-waving and replied, "Eric, this is completely unnecessary."

"I insist," Eric said, his voice growing colder, his gaze locked on Frank. "Or, you can continue to refuse, and I'll cancel tomorrow's listing. There's a large crowd of reporters outside; we can hold a press conference to announce it right now. So, how long do you need for your team to conduct these repairs and tests?"

Eric's insistence that the Nasdaq conduct system equipment repairs was certainly not unreasonable or overly anxious. In history, Facebook had encountered a system failure on the day of its IPO, resulting in tens of billions of dollars' worth of trading orders being unable to be processed smoothly. This incident significantly contributed to Facebook's share price dropping below its IPO price on its first trading day because of a poor start; the company's market capitalization dropped to around $30 billion, less than a third of its market cap on its debut day.

Thus, if Frank Zarb truly refused to compromise, Eric would not hesitate to hold an impromptu press conference to announce the cancellation of Yahoo's IPO.

The sudden pressure Eric erupted with caused Frank Zarb's resolve to soften. If the IPO operations for Yahoo were indeed canceled at the last minute, while Firefly might face unpredictable losses, Frank Zarb as CEO of Nasdaq would undoubtedly be ousted by the board.

Swallowing hard, Frank finally refrained from uttering another hard-line statement. However, as the head of the group, he didn't even know how long it took to conduct repairs and tests on the Nasdaq trading system. After a brief moment of hesitation, he replied with an estimate that was not too precise: "Approximately five or six hours."

"Since the market closed at 4 PM, you've already wasted an hour and a half," Eric replied, knocking on his wristwatch. "So, immediately call your technical team together, and Steve and his team must assist and supervise as necessary. I don't care if it takes six hours or twelve hours; just make sure it's done before trading starts tomorrow. Any objections?"

Frank Zarb shook his head, his tone strained, "No, no problem."

"Then let's get started," Eric said, glancing around before walking over to a nearby camera and sitting down on a chair, propping his arms on it as he watched the gathered crowd.

Frank Zarb understood he could not afford to stall any longer and took out his phone to start calling.

...

Steve Mitnick gestured for everyone to disperse, walked over to Eric, took a chair, and said with a wry smile, "I argued with the people in charge here for an hour, and then Frank came over and we argued for another half hour, and the only choice left was to call you."

Eric shook his head, indicating it was no problem, then added, "I'll be having dinner with Ian, John, and the others later, so you might have to be here the whole time."

"That's okay," Steve chuckled, "I'm about to become a multi-millionaire and I can hardly believe it. My parents never really supported my interest in computers; they thought I was wasting my time and were often worried I'd end up homeless."

After the recent stock split and the last equity incentive plan before the IPO, both Ian Gurney and Steve Mitnick held a total of 16 million shares each, which meant that at the $33 issue price, both of their net worths had already surpassed $500 million. Additionally, Tina Brown held 6 million shares, which was also worth close to $200 million.

This meant that even before going public, Yahoo had already created three multi-millionaires. Besides the three core executives, there were also another 48.5 million shares allocated among Yahoo's various management and elite employees. Once the company went public, Yahoo would instantly create over ten multi-millionaires and hundreds of millionaires -- something extremely rare in the history of global corporate development, which some media labeled a sign of the tech bubble.

Seeing the somewhat reflective expression on Steve's face, Eric smiled and said, "Well, now you can tell your parents and give them a shock."

"My mom was already shocked," Steve replied, a teasing grin on his face, "She thinks you, as the boss, must be out of your mind to give away so much money to employees."

"It's true; I feel a little heartbroken too," Eric pretended to clutch his chest and joked.

Despite this playful banter, Eric had always been comfortable with such a large-scale equity incentive plan. Such high incentives were tied to strict non-compete agreements.

In an era where internet companies were sprouting up like mushrooms after rain, the elite at Yahoo, who had been with Eric since the inception of the three companies in the internet sector, could easily attract venture capital and swiftly go public to amass wealth if they decided to leave Yahoo and go solo. They could even become competitors to Yahoo.

In reality, such scenarios never materialized. Yahoo had maintained an absolute dominance in mainstream internet services -- portal websites, email, instant messaging, browser software, and, more recently, search engines. Besides Jeff Locke and a few others who left when the first equity incentive plan launched three years prior, the turnover of core executives at Yahoo had been remarkably low due to the company's generous equity incentives and strict non-compete terms.

While the total book value of the 96.5 million share equity incentive plan exceeded $3 billion, Eric's net gains were $30 billion. Investors with a bit of foresight would clearly understand how to navigate the pros and cons involved in this matter.

Whilst chatting with Steve and keeping an eye on the exchange, Eric didn't leave until Merissa Mayer arrived with her phone, having received a call from Ian Gurney and others at the Plaza Hotel. He then left for the evening's banquet.

...

The next morning, Eric awoke in his top-floor apartment on Sixth Avenue at seven o'clock.

When he arrived at the downstairs restaurant, Merissa Mayer had already prepared breakfast. As Eric sat down at the table, the female assistant handed him a stack of sorted newspapers.

"I'm not reading today," Eric shook his head and said, "We need to be at 42nd Street before eight o'clock."

Merissa Mayer put the newspapers away, served the two breakfasts, and sat down opposite him. "Mr. Mitnick sent a message at four in the morning -- they've completed the repairs and tests on the Nasdaq trading system. The technical teams from Yahoo and Nasdaq are still on site to ensure today's trading goes without any mishaps. Furthermore, Mr. Katzenberg arrived in New York last night at nine, while you were still out with everyone. He said he would go directly to the Nasdaq exchange today."

Eric poured some milk into his cereal and nodded, "Good. Anything else?"

Merissa continued, "The midnight screening for Mission: Impossible 3 grossed about $9.2 million, which is less than the summer releases of Charlie's Angels 3 and The Matrix 2."

"That's still pretty good."

Eric didn't feel disappointed; North America had just experienced a significant drop in temperature, and many areas along the East Coast had already seen snow. People were generally reluctant to go out during the day, let alone venture out for a midnight screening. Given the circumstances, holding over $9 million for the midnight showing of Mission: Impossible 3 was almost impressive.

After Merissa reported a few more things, Eric looked at the young woman across from him and said, "Speaking of which, Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Once we get through today, I'll give you some time off to go home and be with your family for Thanksgiving. You can come back next week or the week after."

Caroline was still recovering, and Merissa instinctively wanted to ask Eric what would happen if she left him, but suddenly remembered something and closed her mouth, merely nodding gently.

...

After breakfast, Eric took Merissa with him to the Nasdaq exchange on 42nd Street. Compared to the previous afternoon, even though it was not yet eight o'clock, the Nasdaq exchange was buzzing with life, with many guests who specifically came to support Yahoo's listing arriving even earlier than Eric.

Greeting everyone warmly, Eric was somewhat surprised when he spotted two bright figures in the crowd. He exclaimed, "What are you two doing here?"

Cindy waved her name tag at Eric and said, "As a star user of Yahoo blogs, Ms. Brown personally called and invited me to come and support Yahoo."

Eric laughed, glancing at Linda, who stood beside Cindy, "What about your name tag?"

Linda reached for Cindy's name tag but was brushed off, appearing a bit pouty as she raised her chin and said, "Nope, just kick me out."

Cindy stepped over, linking her arm with Eric's, and leaned in to whisper with a smile, "She's invested $1.5 million, sinking all her savings into this."

"A big client, huh?" Eric smiled, pulling the sulking Linda closer. "Alright, you can join me on stage to ring the bell later. But I have to say, if you're stuck with losses, that's not on me."

"I saw through you ages ago," Linda said with an unwilling smirk, gently pinching Eric's waist, "Irresponsible man."

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 1071: Soaring to Great Heights]

As time passed, the Nasdaq trading floor became increasingly packed, and the atmosphere grew more intense.

Executives and employees of Yahoo, the underwriting team from Morgan Stanley, guests attending the event, media reporters from around the world, and exchange staff crammed into the hall like sardines in a can. Everyone was shouting at the top of their lungs, urging those nearby to make room, just to inch along in the crowded space.

Large screens throughout the exchange displayed financial news about Yahoo's IPO from major North American TV channels, but the audio was completely drowned out by the surrounding noise, resembling scenes from a silent film.

As it neared nine o'clock, due to the chaotic situation in the hall, Nasdaq CEO Frank Zarb had to personally step in with a group of staff to maintain order. Ten minutes later, Yahoo CEO Ian Gurney managed to navigate through the crowd and arrived at the media briefing room to give his IPO speech.

At the same time, Eric, Chris, Steve Mitnick, Tina Brown, and other core executives from the Firefly organization began gathering at the front, preparing for the ringing of the bell at 9:30.

Originally, stock trading was entirely manual, so company executives traditionally rang the bell to announce the official start of trading on the day of an IPO. After more than a century, the bell-ringing ceremony had evolved into the pressing of a button to initiate electronic trading.

Minutes later, after Ian Gurney finished his IPO speech, he joined the others on stage, and the clock in the hall read 9:25.

With everyone in position and countless eyes on them inside and outside the exchange, Eric delivered a brief speech and then, along with the surrounding crowd, pressed the bright orange button to commence trading.

At the moment the button was pressed, the hall erupted with pre-prepared cannon fire, and the crowd spontaneously broke into applause and cheers. Media outlets displayed live feeds focused on the figures on stage.

Outside the exchange, on a massive outdoor screen near Times Square, Eric and the others appeared on camera, making the core members of the Firefly organization the center of attention.

Although Eric led them onto the stage, Cindy Crawford and Linda Evangelista instinctively moved to the back of the crowd during the bell-ringing ceremony.

Even with their prior experiences of fame, both women felt a strange sense of nervousness amid the electric atmosphere. Cindy understood that this was likely the power of wealth, while a dazed Linda watched as Eric led the way off the ringing platform, merely smiling politely as she followed the crowd down like a puppet.

...

The bell-ringing ceremony seemed to start and end quickly, yet no one left the trading floor thereafter. Instead, Eric and the others moved upstairs to a large conference room overlooking the trading hall.

Only upon entering the spacious conference room did Linda feel her nerves settle.

The men gathered around the conference table to chat, while Cindy, without concern, walked toward the glass wall with Tina Brown and Amy Pascal, gazing down at the bustling hall. Linda glanced at Eric's figure and felt a strange urge to join him, but she obediently followed Cindy and the others to the window.

Finally recalling her enthusiastic commitment to purchasing 1.5 million shares of Yahoo stock, she hesitated a moment before asking Tina Brown, "What happens next?"

Before Tina could reply, the crowd below noticeably stirred, drawing attention to a stock price monitor, where someone shouted, "It's down, -2.6%."

Linda felt her heart tighten and instinctively looked over to ascertain what was happening. Although her knowledge of stocks was minimal -- she definitely considered herself a financial novice -- she could identify that the stock symbol was not for Yahoo. Yahoo's trading ticker was YHOO, which she was aware of. The ticker experiencing a 2.6% drop was AOL, and the other declining stocks also bore different symbols.

However, AOL belonged to his company, right?

Wait, that didn't seem right; he had just sold off his shares of AOL recently.

So, what was going on now?

Confused, Linda glanced next to her, where Tina Brown began to explain to other women nearby: "These are internet media stocks similar to Yahoo. AOL was in conflict with Yahoo's business model, which is why Eric distanced himself from that company. Yahoo's immense market share meant its IPO affected the overall decline of similar internet media stocks."

On the other side, Cindy curiously inquired, "So, will Yahoo be affected by this?"

"Well," Tina shook her head, her tone showing uncertainty. "No one can say for sure."

The women felt worried for a moment before Linda whispered, "So, what's happening with Yahoo now? Has trading begun?"

Tina replied, shaking her head, "They're still in the price discovery phase. This process will likely take about two hours, and trading won't formally start until after eleven."

Linda pressed, "What does price discovery mean?"

Tina patiently elaborated, "It's when the exchange determines the official opening price based on the price indications from buyers and sellers worldwide."

"I bought some shares too; does that mean I can participate in, um, price discovery?"

"Yes," Tina smiled. "You can call your broker now and tell them to submit your sell price."

Feeling a thrill at the prospect of being part of such a significant event, Linda thought, I need to state a really high price.

Would 100 dollars be too ambitious?

As she reached for her phone in her bag, she noticed Cindy rolling her eyes at her, which immediately made her drop the idea and return the gaze defiantly.

Although the IPO was open to global investors, it wasn't just anyone who could buy in; there was a minimum commitment of 100,000 shares.

With an average issue price of $33, that meant an investment of $3.3 million. For large investment funds, and even someone like Linda, that amount didn't feel astronomical. Yet, for millions of individual investors and smaller investment firms globally, $3.3 million was a steep hurdle.

Including the 22.5 million shares allocated for the overallotment option, Yahoo ultimately had fewer than 300 institutions subscribe to its offering of 172.5 million shares.

Many smaller institutions only bought tens of thousands or even thousands of shares, while individual investors had even lower purchasing power.

However, because of the sheer number of these smaller investment groups, demand for a newly issued stock often far exceeded its IPO allocation. When such a situation occurred, stock prices inevitably surged. This explained why many new stocks opened significantly higher on their debut than their issue price.

...

After patiently waiting for half an hour, the trading hall suddenly buzzed with excitement again.

The women halted their conversation and looked over.

On a stock price display, Yahoo's basic information first appeared:

Ticker: YHOO; Share issue price: $33.00; Number of shares offered: 150,000,000.

Then, two sets of figures lit up: 41.00 -- 43.00.

Though Linda had already formed an opinion, she still registered some hesitation.

As she felt a pair of large hands wrap around her waist from behind, the familiar scent wafted in, and she turned to see that Eric and the others had also moved over to the glass wall.

Earlier, while in the hall, Linda noted that those rooms weren't one-way glass. With her and the other women standing at the front, it was easy for Eric to be seen by those below, including reporters who remained on the trading floor.

Her body stiffened for a moment, yet she quickly relaxed back into him.

After all, if he didn't care, why should she -- just a little woman -- worry about it?

However, it was clear that those in the trading hall showed little interest in the scene by the second-floor window. After a brief silence, enthusiastic applause and cheers erupted as they observed the two glowing red numbers on the display.

Seeing the crowd's reaction below, Linda finally became certain and leaned closer, murmuring to Eric, "Is this the opening price? Didn't they say it would take two hours? But it's gone up so much!"

Eric smiled, kissing her cheek and shaking his head. "Not yet; this is just the first round of price discovery. There will be more to come."

Feeling Eric's kiss, Linda instinctively retracted her neck, but couldn't help gazing at the display again. Even with a price of $41, the 1.5 million shares she purchased meant she was already sitting on some serious gain.

She hadn't calculated the exact amount, but it was certainly substantial.

Thinking about this, she whispered, "Eric, the upcoming price discovery -- shouldn't the stock price keep rising?"

Holding her close, Eric gazed down at the trading floor without confirming her concerns. "We'll need to see the next round of price discovery results to know how the price will trend."

As the first round of price discovery saw Yahoo's stock shoot up a remarkable 24% above its issue price, participants were anxious about what could follow. However, it was evident that Yahoo's debut wouldn't face the same disastrous fate as Facebook did in an alternate timeline, where its stock plummeted below its issue price.

As Eric considered Facebook, he turned to locate Steve Mitnick. "Steve, is the tech team still in the server room?"

Aside from Eric's memories of Facebook, there had not been any incidents of system failures on an IPO day at Nasdaq since its inception in 1971. Although Steve Mitnick considered Eric's worries slightly unfounded, he too was inherently cautious. Realizing the positive atmosphere, he nodded, "I'll go check."

Once Steve left, Eric turned his attention back to the trading floor.

...

The first round of price discovery took about half an hour.

However, the subsequent rounds proceeded much more swiftly.

Just fifteen minutes later, the screens in the trading floor displayed the results for the second round.

46.00 -- 49.00.

Compared to the previous lowest bid of $41, the $46 minimum bid represented a staggering increase of 39% on Yahoo's stock price from the issue price, indicating a substantial surge.

Before this, the Yahoo team's most optimistic earnings forecast for their stock on its public debut was just about a 40% increase. With the second round's results, it invalidated all their earlier expectations.

Yet, no one in the hall betrayed any disappointment. As applause and cheers filled the room, Ian Gurney, Tina Brown, and all the core executives from the Firefly organization, including Katzenberg, John Chambers, Jeff Bezos, Victor McNally, and Amy Pascal, spontaneously joined in the celebration.

Everyone understood that the initial surge in the first round paved the way for even higher bids in the subsequent rounds.

...

As events unfolded, they were expected yet still surprising for everyone involved.

Amid the excited atmosphere, time flowed both slowly and swiftly.

After the second round's result at 10:15, the third round was quickly announced at 10:30.

49.00 -- 51.00.

Shortly after came the fourth round: 53.00 -- 57.00.

Then the fifth round: 56.00 -- 59.00.

The sixth round: 61.00 -- 65.00.

Finally, at 11:30, the seventh and final round's results appeared on the large screen, leaving everyone in a state of astonished frenzy.

67.00 -- 69.00.

After the crowd erupted into one last wave of applause and cheers, Yahoo representatives and Morgan Stanley hurriedly conferred based on this last round of results to determine the final opening price. To ensure nothing went awry, the head of Nasdaq's market department announced that the official opening time would be postponed by half an hour, to noon sharp.

...

Inside the conference room, after receiving congratulations from guests and Nasdaq executives alike, everyone, except for Ian Gurney and a few others, remained in the room, continuing to await the final moments by the glass wall.

Ultimately, Yahoo opened at $68.50 and instantly skyrocketed to $70.29.

$70.29 represented a remarkable 113% increase compared to its issue price.

Consequently, Yahoo's market capitalization soared to an astonishing $88.2 billion.

As Eric gazed out at the buzzing Nasdaq trading floor, he took a deep breath to steady his own excitement and reached to pat the slightly dazed Linda in his arms. "Hey, quickly call your stockbroker and tell them to liquidate your shares."

Despite leaning against Eric, Linda instinctively raised her hands in front of her, like a little girl trying to protect her doll from being taken away, resisting in a hoarse voice, "No, wait! It can go higher!"

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 1072: Exclusive Interview]

Noticing some movement around her, Linda opened her eyes, leaning against the man's chest, just in time to see Cindy quietly leaving the bedroom. The bright light filtering through the curtain indicated that it was getting late. Due to Yahoo's successful IPO, everyone had celebrated late into the night, even Eric had been unusually drunk. The man, still asleep, carried a faint scent of alcohol.

Recalling the events of yesterday, Linda felt her sleepiness vanish. She poked her head over and planted a peck on his cheek. Then, gently lifting the covers, she got up, threw on a large T-shirt, and began her morning routine. Although it was freezing outside in New York at the end of November, the apartment felt like spring.

This was Cindy's apartment, located on 75th Street near Madison Avenue. Though it wasn't a duplex, it occupied the entire top floor of the eleven-story building. The first time Linda saw this elegantly decorated apartment, she began to feel envious of her own place in Greenwich Village. She started to crash at Cindy's more often and even discreetly asked her real estate company to find out if there were similar apartments available on the Upper East Hydee, but so far, there had been no results.

Making her way through the hallway to the living room, Linda sank comfortably onto the soft sofa, stretching like a cat. She lazily reached for the remote on the coffee table and switched on the TV. It was the morning news, and most of the anchors discussed Yahoo's incredible IPO success with excitement or amazement.

...

"...By the end of trading yesterday at four PM, Yahoo's stock price closed at $72.56, an astounding 119.88% increase from its initial offering price, giving it a market valuation of $91 billion. This marked the biggest IPO miracle since the eruption of the tech wave. Reports indicated that, in addition to the initial issuance of 150 million shares, Yahoo issued an extra 22.5 million shares under the greenshoe option. Based on the total issuance of 172.5 million shares, Yahoo's IPO fundraising scale reached an impressive $5.6925 billion..."

"...The Nasdaq index surged past 2600 points in the hour leading up to closing..."

"...While everyone is talking about a tech stock bubble, they find it hard to resist the allure of high returns from tech stocks, including myself. I called my broker right after work yesterday, only to find out that the markets would be closed for the weekend. What a disappointment..."

"...AOL's stock fell 3.36% today, but Steve Case expressed confidence in AOL's future, claiming the company wouldn't be bothered by short-term stock price fluctuations. However, he indicated that AOL would expedite merger negotiations with Time Warner to make up for the content shortfall from losing Firefly's support..."

"...According to Yahoo's submitted stock distribution data to the SEC, post-IPO, including the soon-to-be-exercised greenshoe options, Yahoo's total share capital expanded to 1.255 billion shares, with Firefly Investments holding 986 million shares at a 78.56% stake; management holding 96.5 million shares at a 7.69% stake; and public float of 172.5 million shares..."

"...The IPO created two billionaires, six more centi-millionaires, twenty-six multi-millionaires, and two hundred thirteen millionaires. Based on Yahoo's closing price yesterday, the management's 96.5 million shares were worth a staggering $7 billion. We have to commend Eric Williams' generosity. However, comparatively, our richest man's wealth surge was even more astonishing. Compared to Forbes' earlier $15 billion valuation on Yahoo, the IPO instantly inflated Eric Williams' fortune by $57 billion..."

"...A Microsoft spokesperson expressed optimism about Yahoo's future outlook but declined to comment on Microsoft's 30% stake in Yahoo and the associated long-term stock transfer agreements..."

"...Since the second half of this year, many Wall Street media outlets have valued Yahoo at over $50 billion. Insiders disclosed that Yahoo's early IPO plan had a much higher ratio of new share issuance than the actual 13.75%. Therefore, we must admit that at such a sensitive time during the surge of new technology, Yahoo made a very wise IPO strategy choice. Calculating from the issuance price of $33, Yahoo's valuation during IPO was only $35.7 billion, far below Wall Street's average valuation. Undoubtedly, this significantly stimulated countless global investors' buying motivations, leading to the astonishing surge of over 100% on Yahoo's IPO debut..."

"...It's not hard to imagine that if Yahoo had conducted the IPO according to Wall Street's valuation data, yesterday's stock trajectory would not have been so outstanding, possibly even resulting in a drop on the first day because of the inflated valuation. Moreover, according to our analysis, Yahoo's 15% supplementary issuance of greenshoe options was certainly not for shareholders and management to acquire more IPO financing. If that were the case, Yahoo could merely raise the issuance price to $37 to obtain an additional $700 million in financing, and it has been proven that a $37 issuance price is still within market tolerance..."

"...I believe that Yahoo chose to activate the greenshoe mechanism to mitigate the risk of a first-day drop. In the event of stock price declines, underwriters can legally step in to support the stock. If my assumption is correct, it indicates that the controlling shareholder behind Firefly Investments, Eric Williams, remains exceptionally clear-headed amid the surging tech tide. Such clarity is particularly rare for someone who has already achieved multi-billionaire status at twenty-eight. Therefore, although Yahoo's stock has severely inflated, I still suggest investors to buy in as someone who can remain composed in a storm certainly possesses the potential to lead this company to continued brilliance..."

"...According to the latest statistics, Eric Williams' net worth has reached $265 billion. Let's take a look at the Forbes list of global billionaires from the beginning of the year. What do we find? That's right! At $265 billion, it exceeds the total wealth of the other nine billionaires in the top ten ranking. From the listed data, the combined net worth of those ranked second to tenth is only $259.4 billion. Although this year is coming to an end, and other billionaires' net worth will see some growth with the global economic recovery, given Nasdaq's current wild performance and Firefly Investments' substantial holdings in multiple star tech stocks, despite only a month left in the year, we still have ample reasons to predict that in this month, Eric Williams' wealth may possibly reach historic highs, surpassing an unprecedented $300 billion..."

"...At 4:20 PM, our reporter stationed outside the Nasdaq headquarters still failed to interview Eric Williams personally. Reportedly, he had already left the Nasdaq headquarters earlier that afternoon with his two girlfriends. However, after some effort, we lucked out with a brief opportunity to interview Chris Hansen, president of Firefly Investments. According to Chris Hansen, Yahoo will focus on expanding its overseas business after completing this IPO..."

...

In the past, Linda would have changed the channel at the mere mention of stock prices, options, or IPOs without a second thought. But today, she flipped through channels, captivated by different anchors discussing Yahoo's IPO and all the details from yesterday. While she didn't grasp all the specifics, she still listened with keen interest, even feeling a sense of inexplicable pride.

However, when she heard the last anchor's report, Linda suddenly froze. Something strange seemed to have slipped into the anchor's narrative.

Two girlfriends? Was that referring to her and Cindy? When did she and Cindy become his "two girlfriends"? Moreover, what was with the anchor's nonchalant tone? Was this situation really that common now?

After a moment of pondering, Linda felt she might have understood something, yet upon deeper reflection, she couldn't hold onto any particular thought.

So, naturally, she climbed up, leaning over the back of the couch and yelled towards the kitchen, "Cindy, Cindy!"

After a moment, Cindy impatiently peeked out from the kitchen, "What's up?"

Seeing Cindy appear, Linda suddenly swallowed the words she had intended to say. Sensing the sweet aroma of freshly baked cupcakes in the air, she shifted her approach and said pitifully, "Cindy, darling, I'm hungry."

Cindy rolled her eyes and asked, "Did Eric get up yet?"

"I don't know."

"Go wake him up; it's time to eat."

"Uh, you go instead. I'm scared."

"Scared of what?"

"Men can be pretty grumpy when they just wake up, especially since he came in drunk last night and did nothing. I'm worried I might get killed if I go over."

"I'd like to kill you now; hurry up!"

...

Even though it was the weekend, the day after Yahoo's IPO, there were still countless loose ends for Yahoo's management team, the Morgan Stanley crew, and Firefly Investments to tie up.

Eric was never a micromanager; with the scale of Firefly Investments, it was impossible for him to keep track of every single detail. Hence, after handling all the matters from the previous day, Eric decided to let everything go and planned to stay in New York until after Thanksgiving, giving himself a brief respite.

Gisele and Alessandra decided to head back to Brazil this year to spend Christmas with their families and had already left New York. This meant only Miranda remained, which led to Eric sending her back to Australia.

This allowed for a very manageable allocation of time with the women. He could stay in Manhattan with Cindy and Linda from the weekend through Tuesday while keeping an eye on some post-IPO matters for Yahoo. After Wednesday, he would return to the Hamptons for Thanksgiving weekend with the women and children.

...

Both the America's Next Top Model and Project Runway were continuing steadily, with Cindy and Linda having already wrapped up their shooting before the winter hiatus, so they were both taking a break.

After breakfast, Linda eagerly pulled Eric and Cindy into a discussion about how to spend the upcoming days, even go so far as to create a detailed schedule.

That afternoon, they went shopping together; of course, it wasn't the normal window shopping. They had set up appointments at exclusive boutiques, where Cindy and Linda would go straight to pick something out.

Both women were now multi-millionaires but still took pleasure in swiping Eric's credit card in front of the boutique attendants. Linda took it especially far, racking up over half a million dollars in a single day and even using Eric's card to reserve a latest BMW sports car, exuding the energy of someone who was rebelling against society due to some unseen trigger.

However, even during their break, they still had work to do, albeit not something critically important. It was an interview with The New York Times.

...

Previously, to avoid any negative press during Yahoo's IPO, Eric and everyone else had worked diligently. Although Eric controlled North America's largest media empire, he couldn't expect everyone to bow down at his first appearance. He still had to owe a few small favors, which led to the promise of this interview with The New York Times.

Under the pretext of being too busy during the day, the interview was scheduled for the evening, and ultimately arranged to take place in Cindy's apartment.

Eric had rarely accepted media interviews publicly over the years, and even within the Firefly network, it was nearly impossible to secure an opportunity to interview him, making The New York Times highly appreciative of this rare chance and offering no objections regarding the interview timing.

"Ms. Miller, I must reiterate, this interview is strictly limited to topics related to Yahoo and should not involve anything else, especially Mr. Williams' personal life. Furthermore, the news release must be approved by us before publication, and you only have one hour," said Merissa Mayer, ushering a roughly thirty-five-year-old blonde reporter through the elevator at 8 PM on East 75th Street in the Upper East Hydee.

Judith Miller, the reporter, nodded while watching the ascending floor indicator. Seizing a moment, she interjected, "Ms. Mayer, may I have a personal interview with you?"

Merissa Mayer, holding a stack of documents, shook her head, "Sorry, you'll need to discuss that with my boss."

Judith felt a tad disappointed, yet replied, "Perhaps we could have lunch tomorrow, just to chat."

Merissa continued to shake her head, "Sorry, I have a lot of work to do."

...

The two arrived at the top-floor apartment, where Cindy opened the door, warmly welcoming them in. In the living room, Eric, who had been flipping through a fashion magazine upon Linda's request, stood up and smiled while shaking hands with Judith Miller, who was dressed in a light gray plaid business suit. "Hello, Ms. Miller."

"Mr. Williams, it's a pleasure to meet you," Judith responded, casting a curious glance at the living room scene. Although she was one of The New York Times' leading reporters and harbored some feminist inclinations, she didn't feel any negativity about Eric living with two supermodels. In fact, like many others, she subconsciously thought it was a given.

After a bit of introductory small talk, Eric gestured for them to sit down. "Ms. Miller, let's head to the study. Cindy, please take care of Mary."

Once he finished his sentence, Eric led Judith Miller to one of the apartment's studies.

The room was tastefully decorated, with everything from the desk and chairs to the bookshelves giving Eric a sense of deja vu.

Earlier in the day, he had entered for the first time to check an email and had initially wondered why Cindy's apartment sported such a formal study. However, upon noticing a pencil holder brimming with pencils on the wide desk, he dismissed the question.

Eric didn't believe there could be another person in Cindy's circle who happened to enjoy using pencils while working.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 1073: So Rude]

The two of them settled on the client couch by the window in the study. Judith Miller pulled out her notepad and recorder from her bag while covertly observing the young man across from her.

Eric Williams had that naturally youthful blonde hair and a clean-shaven face, but his chiseled face lacked any hint of innocence. Instead, Judith sensed a level of maturity and calm only achieved through life experiences.

Cindy soon entered with a pot of coffee, carefully pouring for both of them before quietly exiting the study.

Cindy's entrance broke Judith's concentration on Eric, and noticing the faint smile on his face, she realized she might have stared a little too long. Embarrassed, she smiled sheepishly, switched on her recorder, held the notepad, and addressed him, "So, Mr. Williams, according to the latest statistics, with Yahoo's IPO, your personal wealth has reached an astonishing $265 billion, exceeding even Russia's latest GDP figures. What are your thoughts on this newfound wealth?"

At first, Eric assumed it was yet another question along the lines of "What does it feel like to be the richest person in the world?" However, he quickly realized it wasn't quite that simple.

Judith was clearly inquiring about the implications of such immense wealth rather than exploring his personal feelings about it.

After hesitating for a moment, Eric smiled and shook his head. "I'm sorry, I'm not sure how to answer that."

Actually, it wasn't that he didn't know how to respond; it was that the question itself was incredibly sensitive.

As Judith pointed out, $265 billion has already surpassed the current GDP of Russia. While the power of such a superpower cannot simply be measured through GDP numbers, this wealth and its broader societal impact had touched upon some fundamental issues regarding control in America.

In the past, the Rockefeller family's wealth represented only 1.6% of the U.S. GDP, a figure that allowed them to be seen as controlling the entire country. Eric now held wealth that constituted an even larger proportion of the GDP.

The Rockefeller family had nearly controlled the lifeblood of the American energy industry following the Second Industrial Revolution. Similarly, Eric's holdings were now central to the core electronic information sector that emerged after the Third Technological Revolution.

At that moment, core companies in the Firefly system, such as Yahoo, Cisco, Amazon, Qualcomm, and Nokia, were all demonstrating their rise. Eric felt confident that several of these companies wouldn't repeat the same mistakes of the past. Over the next decade, as these companies consolidated their foundations and continued to expand, it wouldn't be an overstatement to say the Firefly system controlled the lifeblood of America's information industry.

On the other hand, to ensure that the overall interests of the Firefly system during future expansion wouldn't be affected by American national policies, it was essential that they strengthened their influence in the political arena, even to the extent of trying to exert control over the changes within the highest echelons of power in America.

This was something that Eric couldn't simply avoid due to a lack of interest in politics. If Firefly didn't act, they would only face a ruthless and aggressive suppression from competitors using political maneuvers. Simultaneously, Eric's substantial wealth could sufficiently support the Firefly system's political expansion.

Thus, adding Firefly's strong positioning in Hollywood, the picture was complete.

Politics, economy, culture.

These three words stacked together sounded rather familiar. Typically, the capitals of most countries are regarded as the centers of political, economic, and cultural activities.

If a consortium could manifest deep-rooted influence in all three of these areas, it was clear that it effectively controlled the entire country.

While all countries have ruling classes behind the scenes, most ordinary citizens generally prefer not to face such topics directly. Therefore, Eric could never elaborate on this issue in front of Judith Miller, nor did he wish to give a nonchalant response, so he outright declined.

At the same time, Eric realized that Judith, the journalist, wouldn't be too polite with her upcoming questions, so he mentally braced himself.

Judith, taken aback that her carefully prepared first question was dismissed so directly by Eric, even without any ambiguous answer, paused for a moment then showed a polite smile of understanding. Glancing at her notepad, she continued, "Mr. Williams, based on yesterday's closing figures, Yahoo's price-to-earnings ratio had reached 530 times. What are your thoughts on the serious bubble issue associated with Yahoo's stock price?"

Now, that wasn't very polite at all.

Eric thought to himself, then responded, "The increase in Yahoo's stock price on its first day of trading indeed surpassed our expectations, but I don't believe there's a significant bubble issue. Based on the continuously high growth in revenue over the last two years, Yahoo has started to develop a very mature business profit model. All we need is time to fully unleash the commercial potential embedded in the internet media industry."

Judith couldn't find fault with Eric's answer. Assuming it was a 'standard answer' he had prepared beforehand, she pressed on relentlessly, "So, how long do you think it will take for Yahoo's annual profit to match its current valuation of $90 billion?"

Eric hesitated slightly, responding, "Five years, perhaps."

Judith countered, "Even calculating at a price-to-earnings ratio of 30 times, in five years, for Yahoo to achieve an annual profit of $3 billion, do you think that's feasible?"

"In 1995, the global number of internet users was around 40 million. In just three years, this number grew to 160 million. Predictions suggest that by 2000, it will reach 300 million, and by 2005, it will grow to 1 billion. Without a doubt, these 1 billion internet users fall within the upper middle class and above in terms of spending capability," Eric focused his gaze on Judith, asking back, "So, Ms. Miller, what do you think is impossible in a vast market with such a premier user base of 1 billion?"

Judith Miller sensed the pressure behind Eric's gaze during his counter-question but held her ground.

The New York Times was keeping a close watch on this interview, and if she allowed it to devolve into a mundane dialogue, even with her deep experience and connections within the paper, she could face resignation. After all, the opportunity to conduct this interview was the result of a significant power struggle within The New York Times.

"Mr. Williams, the entire North American population is only 300 million. So, are you suggesting that Yahoo's future focus will be on the global market? However, as I understand it, over 70% of Yahoo's business is currently in North America, and overseas expansion hasn't been smooth. What's your take on this issue?"

"Your description of the problem isn't accurate, Ms. Miller. While it's true that over 70% of Yahoo's business is concentrated in North America, that doesn't mean Yahoo has failed in overseas expansion. Over the years, Yahoo has been diligent in solidifying its foundations in North America. If a company can't achieve absolute leadership in its home country, it cannot expect to expand overseas. Moreover, under such a business development strategy, Yahoo has still managed to secure a 30% market share overseas, which sufficiently proves Yahoo's substantial global expansion potential. After the IPO, Yahoo's main expansion targets will focus on international markets. I believe that Yahoo's business scale overseas will soon match or even surpass that of North America."

Judith nodded slightly, seeming to agree with Eric's viewpoint. However, as soon as Eric finished speaking, she immediately posed another sharp question, "Mr. Williams, I heard you mention 'absolute leadership' in your remarks. Currently, Yahoo indeed leads the internet media sector. Have you considered the potential negative impact this situation may have on the entire industry?"

"I understand your insinuation, Judith. In every industry, once a giant monopolizes the market, it often leads to complacency among leaders, while newcomers struggle to innovate and grow. Yet, the internet industry is different; it's a nascent, rapidly growing field. Moreover, the global nature of the internet ensures that the most outstanding new tech companies will be global behemoths. By such a standard, Yahoo is still a toddler taking its first steps. Although we have learned to walk earlier than others, if we become complacent, we will inevitably be eliminated in this wave of new technology. Additionally, I believe the federal government should not be too quick to impose restrictions once a new tech enterprise demonstrates a leading market position. As I mentioned, the future internet industry will be highly globalized, unlike any traditional sector. If the federal government fails to show sufficient openness and inclusiveness during this industrial transformation, the leading position the U.S. has just attained in new technologies may well be surpassed by Europe and Asia. In the future, we could find ourselves struggling as we face a siege from Eurasian internet giants in North America."

"Mr. Williams, the idea of Eurasian internet firms retaking North America -- don't you find that a bit alarmist?"

"Alarmist?" Eric smiled, responding, "I don't believe so. At least in the tech sphere, for decades, the top electronic product technologies have consistently originated from Japanese manufacturers, like the DVD standard that is now being promoted -- most core patents are held by Japanese companies. Just in licensing fees alone, we pay billions of dollars each year to Japanese firms. Furthermore, the GSM technology that is most widely used in the digital communications sector also comes from Europe. From the establishment of lower-level technical standards to the development of terminal products, North America can only directly or indirectly accept control from European manufacturers. Therefore, while we have gained some advantages in the internet sector, if the federal government cannot adopt a more open support stance, we still face an uncertain future."

The New York Times had not previously communicated with Firefly regarding the specifics of this interview; several of Judith's questions were even last-minute improvisations. However, the young man before her did not display any signs of confusion during her series of tricky questions, nor did he evade like some other interviewees, instead, he provided very clear and convincing answers.

Having interviewed countless social elites, Judith quickly realized that Eric's insightful industry data and analytical insights couldn't possibly have been the result of preparatory research. It indicated that he had been deeply contemplating the entire internet industry for a long time.

If her initial impression of Eric was merely his seemingly mature and composed demeanor, after this series of dialogues, Judith found herself increasingly impressed by the depth of knowledge and foresight he demonstrated.

Judith had previously researched Eric's background extensively, and now she was even more curious about how this merely high school graduate managed to achieve everything he had today.

However, due to prior agreements, Judith refrained from voicing her curiosity; she knew Eric wouldn't answer such questions.

Digesting Eric's earlier statements, Judith opted for a slightly softer question, asking, "Mr. Williams, Microsoft is also a new tech firm, and everyone is aware that Yahoo has a very close partnership with Microsoft, such as the 30% forward share transfer agreement and the pre-installed Yahoo browser with its Windows operating system. Microsoft has faced antitrust investigations from the Justice Department in recent years. Given your earlier remarks, do you believe the federal government's scrutiny of Microsoft has been too harsh?"

A faint smile appeared on Eric's lips as he replied, "While I know that Bill, that arrogant guy, wouldn't appreciate it, I must say yes. Microsoft is still in a crucial phase of global expansion. If the federal government imposes too severe restrictions on Microsoft, the U.S. could lose a global corporate giant. While North America is the world's largest consumer market, it still can't compare with the much larger global market. I believe it is in the federal government's fundamental interests to support a company that holds an industry-leading position globally. Of course, I also hope Microsoft can adopt a more open corporate stance. On that note, I have enough confidence to use Yahoo as an example. Yahoo maintains an open licensing approach regarding its core technologies like web browsers, instant messaging software, and email services, often granting licenses to direct competitors such as America Online, or Microsoft's MSN portal. This hasn't dampened Yahoo's market position; on the contrary, it has spurred Yahoo to be more proactive in technological advancement."

Judith nodded slightly, "Speaking of America Online, Mr. Williams, although Firefly has previously provided detailed explanations for relinquishing most of its stake in America Online, I'm still very curious about your personal sentiments regarding this decision."

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 1074: The Dragon's Wings]

"It's still a difference in the company's development philosophy," Eric replied. "I want America Online to maintain its position as an Internet service provider, while Steve hopes to transform it into a comprehensive Internet media company."

"As far as I know," Judith Miller looked down at her notebook and said, "as the largest shareholder of America Online, Firefly Investment held a 32.6% stake in AOL, all of which were voting common shares. Firefly had the power to dismiss Steve Case. Why did you not insist on doing so? Was it just due to the collective resignation threat from Steve Case and the AOL core management team?"

Eric nodded, saying, "That's basically it."

"So," Judith Miller gazed at Eric as her questioning tone sharpened again, "don't you think you acted too weakly in handling this matter?"

Eric shook his head calmly, "This is not about being tough or weak. Acting on impulse in business is the most foolish thing. I believe I made the choice that was most beneficial to myself. Firefly Investment initially acquired a 30% share of America Online for $60 million. Six years later, just selling 25% of that stake allowed us to recoup $10 billion. A 200-fold return, which even an investment in Yahoo could not match."

Although Judith Miller had followed the entire process of Firefly Investment's stock transfer of America Online, hearing Eric mention those figures still left her in awe.

However, this sentiment did not stop her from continuing with her questioning. Glancing at her wristwatch, she quickly asked, "Mr. Williams, given that America Online is advancing into the Internet media sector from the position of North America's largest Internet service provider, are you not concerned that this could threaten Yahoo's market position?"

Eric shook his head. "In fact, I am more concerned about America Online."

This response clearly caught Judith Miller by surprise. She paused for a moment before asking, "Why?"

Even though he had cashed out $10 billion, Eric still held a significant amount of America Online shares, so he could not analyze his reasons too extensively as he didn't want to affect America Online's stock price. Instead, he said vaguely, "Because America Online is venturing into an area in which it is completely inexperienced. My investment philosophy is to put the right people in the right roles. A series of rapidly growing companies under Firefly Investment has confirmed the correctness of this approach throughout the years."

In contrast to his earlier responses to a series of questions, Judith Miller keenly sensed Eric's reserved attitude on this issue. She pressed on, "So, does this mean you are not optimistic about America Online's future?"

Eric gently shook his head. "It's not about being optimistic or not because I can't see America Online's future."

"Does this imply that Firefly will continue to reduce its 7.6% stake in America Online?"

Eric hesitated for a moment and clarified, "To avoid unnecessary disputes in the future, I must clarify one point: The entire Firefly system currently holds a 10.7% stake in America Online. Apart from Firefly Investment, we acquired an additional 3.1% of America Online's stock through Clover Fund, a subsidiary of Firefly Group, about a year ago. Under federal security laws, shareholders holding less than 5% do not need to publicly disclose or report their holdings. Our purpose at the time was to strengthen our control over America Online at the appropriate time, which, of course, is no longer necessary now. To answer your earlier question, the answer is affirmative, but the Firefly system won't do this in the short term."

Judith Miller recalled the data she had reviewed, revealing a clear expression of surprise on her face. After this interview is published, she believed America Online would be even more astonished.

With a 7.6% stake, Firefly would have been the seventh-largest shareholder of America Online. Furthermore, during the last stock transfer transaction, other shareholders of America Online would likely impose various restrictions on Firefly Investment's remaining 7.6% stake. Firefly Investment's relinquishment of its board seat was likely one of the conditions of this unwritten agreement.

However, if you factor in the additional 3.1% of shares that were completely unrestricted by America Online, the entire Firefly system could once again leap into the top five shareholders. Moreover, if they wished to intervene, they still had the strength to do so at any time.

After digesting the information she had just received, Judith Miller quickly added, "Mr. Williams, based on what you said, can I assume you are still very optimistic about the Internet service provider business?"

"Of course, that is the cornerstone of the entire Internet industry. When people use the Internet, they may be interested in portal sites, e-commerce, or instant messaging, but first and foremost, they need to connect to the Internet."

"Microsoft's MSN has already begun to expand in this area. Does Yahoo have similar plans for the future?"

"That brings me back to my earlier investment philosophy; I won't allow Ian and the others to do things they're not good at. Yahoo will continue to focus on Internet media. However, at the appropriate time, Firefly Investment will do that, similar to how we previously invested in America Online."

Judith Miller prodded further, "What does 'the appropriate time' mean?"

Eric shook his head seriously. "We don't have any plans for that right now because this time, we will be more cautious."

Not detecting any cracks in Eric's expression, Judith then shifted the topic back to Yahoo itself. "Mr. Williams, Yahoo has almost covered every emerging Internet business model: portals, instant messaging, email, search engines, social blogs, etc. Which area do you believe has the most potential?"

Eric's expression turned more serious as he firmly stated, "Of course, it's portals. Users accessing the Internet is merely building a road to this virtual world, but to fully enjoy the online space, they need the assistance of portal sites. Besides, in my view, email, search engines, and social blogs are merely supplements and extensions of portal sites; they are, in fact, part of the same whole."

Judith Miller nodded slightly but quickly added, "However, Mr. Williams, we can easily see that the operational model of portal sites is very easy to replicate. How do you view this issue?"

Eric smiled confidently and replied, "Many great engineers can assemble a propeller plane in their home garage, but there is only one Boeing Company."

This straightforward yet persuasive analogy clearly resonated with Judith Miller, and after another glance at her watch and realizing her time was limited, she scanned her notebook and began to accelerate her questioning.

Amidst the smooth exchange, the study door was suddenly knocked on lightly, and Merissa Mayer pushed the door open, saying softly, "Mr. Williams, it's about time."

After that night in London, the female assistant began to adopt an ice princess demeanor. Eric had always suspected that the group of fairies that night had done something to make Merissa Mayer question life, but he couldn't ask too much about it.

Hearing the reminder, Eric stood up and extended his hand to Judith Miller. "Well, Ms. Miller, it was a pleasure to see you again."

Although she felt a bit unsatisfied, Judith Miller stood and shook Eric's hand, saying, "Likewise, Mr. Williams. I look forward to our next meeting."

...

The entire weekend, major media outlets in North America and abroad buzzed about Yahoo's IPO miracle and engaged in heated discussions about the stock's trajectory for the following week. Almost all media and industry analysts believed that after reaching a peak on the first day, Yahoo's stock price would see a significant decline the following week.

Although Yahoo's management had put in a lot of effort over the weekend, even announcing some still-unconfirmed positive news, even within the Firefly system, there was a mental preparation for Yahoo's stock price drop in the upcoming week.

However, on Monday, when some stock managers too anxious to follow the media's movements sat before their computers contemplating whether to sell their Yahoo and other tech stocks, at 9:30 AM the stock market opened, and Yahoo's stock didn't experience the drop they anticipated but instead surged inexplicably.

In just ten minutes, relative to last Friday's closing price of $72.56, Yahoo's stock had risen over 3%, reaching $74.73.

It wasn't hard to imagine that if this rising momentum continued, within a single day, Yahoo's market valuation could likely exceed $100 billion.

These stock brokers, bewildered by the unexpected situation, sat at their computers for a moment, wide-eyed, trying to determine what had happened.

Thus, when they turned on their TVs or logged onto news portals, they found discussions revolving around a familiar name everywhere.

...

Two economists were passionately debating Eric Williams' optimistic statements regarding the Internet bubble.

Yahoo's homepage prominently featured a commentary piece questioning whether the federal government should loosen regulations on the scale of new tech companies.

ABC's morning news broadcast discussed globalization in the Internet sector.

America Online CEO Steve Case anxiously refuted Eric Williams' statements about America Online in a telephone interview with reporters.

A spokesperson from the Department of Justice tirelessly responded to media inquiries citing Eric Williams' remark on whether the DOJ was too harsh on Microsoft.

And most importantly, Eric Williams' exhilarating statement from the New York Times interview that had been quoted countless times by the media in a matter of hours: "In a massive market with a billion top-quality users, what is impossible?"

This one statement rekindled the confidence of countless investors who were filled with worry and skepticism about tech stocks.

As human society advanced rapidly, almost all traditional industries had formed very stable industrial structures, and excess wealth in society constantly sought new investment hotspots.

At this moment, suddenly a young man who had created a series of wealth miracles stepped forward, firmly declaring: a completely underdeveloped market with a billion or even tens of billions of consumers was right at hand. How could this not ignite the feverish excitement of countless investors?

...

Following Eric Williams' personal interview with the New York Times and the ensuing media storm, the Nasdaq index rose by 35 basis points on that Monday.

However, this was only the beginning.

In the next few days, the media discussions surrounding Eric's personal interview showed no signs of cooling off; instead, they intensified into a global topic of heated conversation.

The range of topics Eric touched on during his interview -- ranging from the Internet bubble, new tech company regulations, Microsoft, America Online, portals, and more -- became focal points of fierce debate among various media outlets.

Although Microsoft was very dissatisfied with Eric's remarks on "that arrogant guy Bill" and the New York Times' decision to print it as is, they nonetheless determinedly referenced Eric's viewpoints from the interview to retaliate, claiming that the federal government was stifling a "global corporate giant" and endangering the federal government's "foundational interests."

Faced with Microsoft's accusations and the media turmoil it stirred, Attorney General Janet Reno had to hold a press conference to explain in detail the DOJ's reasons for initiating the antitrust investigation against Microsoft.

At the same time, Janet Reno mirrored Eric's words from the interview, urging Microsoft to abandon its extremely selfish and closed market strategy in favor of more open measures that would benefit healthy industry development.

Still bogged down in impeachment issues, Clinton was questioned about the New York Times interview during that week's White House press conference and made a lengthy comment, asserting in summary: "Eric is right; Microsoft is wrong, and the White House will steadfastly support the new tech industry," and so forth.

...

When Yahoo's stock finally reached $79.68 on the third trading day of Thanksgiving week, breaching the $100 billion market value threshold, America Online's management and major shareholders were in turmoil over Eric's declaration that "I can't see America Online's future."

Although America Online's stock did not suffer a significant drop, thanks to the overall market direction, the president of Morgan Stanley, John Mack, who held a significant amount of America Online shares, had to personally call Eric, hoping he could moderate his statements regarding America Online from the New York Times interview. After all, the Firefly system still held a 10.7% stake in America Online. A drop in America Online's stock price would severely impact the Firefly system too.

Overseas, reminded by Eric's interview, many media outlets in Europe and Asian countries began to follow suit, urging their governments to strengthen support for domestic new tech companies while limiting the incursions of North American Internet giants.

Amidst this flurry of activity, every segment and phrase from Eric's interview became points of contention for many.

Whether at the behest of someone or not, the newly appointed president and CEO of Intel Craig Barrett made a point during an interview to express that Bill Gates was very down-to-earth and humorous in private, and absolutely not the arrogant person Eric Williams claimed.

Yet this explanation by Craig Barrett only had the opposite effect. Somehow, "arrogant Bill" quickly turned into a nickname that many media outlets used to tease Gates, a moniker that stuck with him for many years.

Strangely enough, some of the major North American airlines also joined in on the discourse.

The president of Lockheed Martin expressed in an interview with a hint of bitterness: "There's more than Boeing in the country; there's also Lockheed Martin."

Sikorsky, a helicopter manufacturing company that had been overlooked, weakly asserted its relevance, stating: "The VH-60 helicopter, which Eric Williams loves most, was made by us."

Over the years, although Eric's wealth had grown immensely, his public persona had become increasingly low-key.

Most people's impressions of Eric ranged from the acclaimed director, super-rich mogul to gossip fodder, with few developing a deep or intuitive grasp of the power and wealth Eric possessed.

However, in just one week, following the global media discussion sparked by Eric Williams' New York Times interview, countless people finally began to recognize the terrifying social influence he had unwittingly accumulated over the years.

From one interview article, the multitrillion-dollar Nasdaq composite rose in response, the world's mainstream media went into a frenzy, federal government departments were overwhelmed, and countless corporate giants started responding.

This young man, only twenty-eight, who had reached the pinnacle of global wealth, resembled a dragon accustomed to keeping a low profile. When he casually flapped his wings, the whole world began to stir.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 1075: Thanksgiving]

Thanksgiving quickly approached, yet the media buzz from The New York Times interview showed no signs of cooling off.

With such intense attention, Eric felt if he stayed in East Hampton for Thanksgiving, the media spotlight would likely shift to the women and children. To avoid unnecessary trouble, he decided to fly with everyone to Maryland to join Chris and his family.

At the end of November, Frederick County in Maryland still hadn't seen any snow, but the rolling hills had long lost the vibrant life of summer. However, looking out at the vast expanse of gray and desolate scenery under the high sky made those who lived in the city feel a special sense of relaxation.

At four in the afternoon, a large group emerged from the woods, about ten kilometers west of Jeffrey Hensen's farm, with a couple of hounds still bounding around, barking excitedly every now and then.

The increasingly robust Jeffrey carried a wild deer on his back, a result of the day's efforts.

It was Thanksgiving, and the women had already started preparing the Thanksgiving dinner at the farm. Enjoying everyone's visit, Jeffrey decided early on that dinner must include roasted venison, so he went hunting.

Initially, he only planned to bring Chris and Eric along, but when Emma heard grandpa Jeffrey was going hunting, she was the first to insist on joining, while Kevin looked on hopefully. Hawaii clearly wasn't interested in hunting, but to escape the "terrifying Aunt Drew," the little girl joined in anyway.

What was originally planned as a quick couple of hours of hunting turned into a full day of more like an outing.

Joanna and Virginia were initially very reluctant, worried about the safety of the little ones. However, after Eric nodded in agreement, the two women had no choice but to consent, insisting the twins accompany them to help out, as women always tended to be more attentive.

As the three little ones followed, Jeffrey naturally took it all in stride, even wanting to take his grandson along to "see the world." Unfortunately, Emily staunchly refused to let Daniel, who had just barely learned to walk, join in.

On the little path through the woods, Jeffrey led the way with the deer on his back, surrounded by Kevin, Emma, and Hawaii. The twins kept a careful watch around them.

Eric and Chris followed behind, each carrying a rifle; with the three little ones around, the guns stayed locked up all day. The unlucky deer was entirely the result of a few hounds chasing it down. Bringing the guns was merely a precaution against encountering bears or other dangerous wildlife.

Watching the group ahead, Eric's gaze eventually settled on the twins, who wore simple athletic gear. Their tall figures and light, blonde ponytails occasionally revealed pale necks.

For some reason, Eric felt the twins' demeanor perfectly matched the stark and cold landscape surrounding them. Upon reflection, he mused it must have been because both hail from the perpetually icy realms of Russia.

Once the deer was loaded onto the SUV, Jeffrey took the wheel, while the twins helped load the little ones into the backseat, and they headed off to the farm.

...

Eric and Chris drove a second SUV, with the hounds effortlessly managing to find their way back to the farm, even if they couldn't keep up with the vehicles.

Gripping the steering wheel, Chris slightly increased their speed and glanced at Eric in the passenger seat, grinning, "This kind of life isn't too bad, right?"

"Yeah," Eric nodded and replied, "But we can only experience it occasionally. We can't enjoy it like Jeffrey does for long. When we went to New Zealand, you know, the scenery was stunning, but there's an adage that says staying a week is paradise, but a year turns it into hell. It's the same in many places."

Chris nodded thoughtfully, adding, "Ian and the team have complained to me more than once in private. You've put a lot of pressure on them for that $3 billion annual profit over five years."

Eric shook his head, laughing, "Clearly, they misunderstood, or perhaps didn't read the interview closely. What I meant was Yahoo only needs five years to match its current market value, not five years to hit a $3 billion annual profit goal -- that was Judith Miller's statement. In fact, as long as Yahoo maintains its high growth rate, a price-to-earnings ratio within 100 times is acceptable to the market. Many investors don't lack long-term vision."

Chris nodded slightly, then asked, "So, how long do you think Yahoo would really need to hit that $3 billion annual profit goal?"

"I really don't know," Eric replied, shaking his head again. "But it shouldn't take too long. This year, Yahoo's revenue should exceed $1.6 billion, and in the last two years, their growth rate has far surpassed 100%. If they can keep that up in the next few years, theoretically, Yahoo's revenue could be around $50 billion in five years. If we calculate a 20% profit margin, then Yahoo's annual profit should be around $10 billion."

"Ten billion dollars? That's impossible," Chris chuckled, shaking his head. "According to last year's Forbes 500 list, there aren't that many companies making $10 billion annually."

Eric smiled, "It truly seems unlikely."

In reality, the reason Yahoo could exceed the $1.6 billion revenue this year was partly due to its impending IPO, leading the associated companies in the Firefly Group to funnel some profits to make Yahoo's financial report more appealing.

Moreover, the current tech wave had the entire industry investing heavily.

Yahoo's advertising platform was the most prominent and mature channel for online promotion. Many internet companies heavily invested in advertising on Yahoo's platform to promote their websites. As demand increased, the rates for Yahoo's advertising also rose accordingly, which contributed to Yahoo's impressive revenue figures.

Unless something drastic changed in history, this favorable trend was expected to continue into the following year.

However, if the internet bubble burst, the entire industry would undoubtedly face a long winter period where investments in internet companies shrank drastically and numerous companies went bankrupt. At that point, it was uncertain whether Yahoo could maintain its current revenue levels, let alone continue yearly growth of over 100%.

Eric recalled the winter following the internet bubble burst didn't last long -- only about two to three years. By around 2005, the global spread of broadband and significant increases in internet users led to a rapid recovery for the internet industry.

Yet, even if the internet industry entered a downturn, the large and steadily growing user base remained. As long as Yahoo steered clear of catastrophic missteps in direction, even if it couldn't reach the annual profit scale of $3 billion by 2005, it should be very close.

After a brief pause, Chris suddenly smiled again, saying, "Honestly, if I weren't very familiar with your long-term plans for Yahoo, I'd almost feel inclined to agree with your arguments about the importance of portal sites. Over the next few years, many will undoubtedly follow your lead in developing their companies; it's just uncertain what the outcomes will be."

Years prior, Eric and Chris had devised a "strategic misdirection" approach for Yahoo's development, publicly emphasizing their focus on portal business while touting its importance.

However, behind the scenes, Eric's primary focus remained on the search engine and social networking sectors.

Memory served him that aside from e-commerce, and perhaps adding online gaming, only these two segments could yield stable, large-scale revenue for the internet industry.

Though Google's search engine had launched, Yahoo would not publicly disclose its user and revenue data separately in the upcoming years, incorporating it into the overall financial reports of Yahoo's portal.

"Nobody can predict the future, but judging by the user growth data of Google's search engine over the past six months, my strategy hasn't been misguided. No matter how large a portal site grows, it still can't satisfy the diversified needs of hundreds of millions of users. The internet content market is bound to trend toward more refinement -- automobile websites dedicated to car news, electronic sites for electronics. All we need to do is provide users with tools to easily find that content."

"However, Eric, have you thought about what would happen to Yahoo's large registered user base if we pivoted to search engine business?" Chris countered. "With estimates of 300 million internet users globally by 2000, Yahoo was confident of growing its registered users to over 200 million. In the future, that number would balloon even further. It would be a shame to just discard all that."

"Of course, the focus would shift to social networking," Eric replied decisively. "Now that we have sufficient development funds, we don't need to wait several years to expand in social networking; we can advance in tandem with search engine development."

According to Eric's original plan, the expansion of social networking was supposed to peak when the mobile internet era arrived.

However, the rapid growth of Yahoo's blogging services in recent years had also unveiled prospects for alternative possibilities.

Markets are ultimately created, and history shows that the explosion of social networking arose after many years of industry development that established a stable business model.

But now, knowing the correct path from the start, Yahoo had every opportunity to carve out a brand-new social networking model exclusive to the PC age.

Furthermore, as long as the Firefly Electronics tablet smoothly launched, Eric planned to make the mobile adaptation of social networking a relatively simple endeavor.

...

As they chatted, the two vehicles quickly returned to Jeffrey's farm.

Joanna and Virginia were waiting outside the villa, greeting them as they spotted the lively trio of little ones surrounding Jeffrey, which put their minds at ease.

However, noticing the dirty appearances of the little ones compared to Eric, who still looked somewhat put together, Virginia couldn't help but cast a disapproving glare at him.

Jeffrey dragged the deer inside, intending to clean it himself, with Emma and Kevin following eagerly.

Hawaii, however, clung tightly to her father's side when she caught sight of Drew, not relaxing until she saw the girl again follow Joanna back to the villa to help with dinner preparations.

Over the years, Drew had cast a long shadow in Hawaii's heart. The poor girl was astute, yet she couldn't understand why Aunt Drew seemed so frightening. More disturbingly, her parents, and even Aunt Virginia, seemed to enjoy watching her being bullied by Drew.

Goodness, how could such illogical scenarios exist in the world?

...

While everyone busied themselves, Eric and Chris had nothing much to do. Eric picked up his precious daughter, who was trying to snuggle against him, and, along with Chris, walked over to the fireplace in the living room, warming themselves while resuming their earlier conversation.

Chris remarked, "I think if we simply pivot toward social networking, it would certainly be a loss. A large part of the audience isn't very interested in online socializing."

"Interest can be cultivated," Eric stated. "We might even develop social networking into an indispensable tool in people's lives, just like search engines," he recalled. "Imagine if one day, people could send party invitations through their social circle online, turning it into a trend. If someone doesn't want to be excluded from social circles, they'd have to have a social account. Once they have that, they wouldn't just focus on practical functions like invitations; undoubtedly, they would start interacting with those around them. This is driven by the inherent group mentality of humans. Once they start engaging, over time, they would inevitably develop dependency on social networking."

Chris listened intently to Eric's words, nodding, then suddenly laughed, "Network party invitations -- it's a pretty good idea! But I don't recall you ever proposing it before. If you told Ian and the team this now, they might have already made it happen."

"That's a point worth discussing with Ian and the others when possible. They could even run some promotional events for party invitations -- Hollywood certainly has plenty of dream opportunities for fans," Eric said as he pulled his daughter closer, "However, while I have a lot of these innovative ideas, I can't devote too much energy to these minutiae. Yahoo already has over 6,000 employees, and they should be the ones generating various creative ideas. If I were to do everything, then what's the point of hiring so many people?"

"You make a great point, but it's undeniable that even if Yahoo's regular employees or lower-level management can come up with similar ideas or detailed project proposals, it's just not going to grab Ian and his team's attention as much as your say-so will."

"That's unavoidable," Eric thought for a moment. "How about this -- I'll have my assistant set up a dedicated channel to accept creative proposals from Yahoo employees, and I'll try to spend a few hours on this each week."

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 1076: Warm Moments]

As night fell, the surrounding wilderness grew colder under the darkness, while the villa shone brightly with lights, filled with a warm and lively atmosphere.

After a day of preparation, delicious dishes made their way into the dining room. When the women lifted a beautifully roasted turkey onto the table, everyone began to gather. The usually empty dining room was finally filled to capacity.

Jeffrey smiled as he sat at the head of the table, gazing contentedly at the line of children on either side of the long table. Watching Emma, Hawaii, and Kevin, he resolved to urge his son to have more kids soon.

Emma, as always, was the most charming little one in the room. Once everyone was seated, she quickly located the most important person at the table, her bright eyes sparkling as she looked up at Jeffrey and brightly asked, "Grandpa Jeffrey, should we pray?"

"Of course," Jeffrey nodded with a smile. If Emma hadn't been sitting so far away, he would have loved to reach out and ruffle the little girl's hair.

Thanksgiving wasn't a religious holiday, so even though the men and women had different beliefs, it didn't stop everyone from joining hands and offering a prayer, giving thanks for all that needed gratitude.

After the prayer, Jeffrey picked up the carving knife to serve the turkey, the soft clinking sounds of plates and glasses filled the dining room. After he carved up the turkey, he noticed Eric piling roasted venison onto his plate. He smiled and pushed the large dish of roast venison toward Eric, then turned to Joanna, who sat next to him. "So, I heard from Eric this afternoon that Elia only lasted a month in school before dropping out?"

Joanna nodded, carefully pouring her daughter a glass of juice. "Yes, at first, we put Elia in first grade, but the teacher said she was always very restless in class and couldn't focus. We then tried putting her with third graders, but it was the same. I consulted with an education expert, and they said it was because Elia is too smart and doesn't fit in with her peers. If we force this, she might even develop anxiety. I had to let her drop out for now."

"Smartness is a good thing," Jeffrey remarked. "But not interacting with peers for too long isn't great either; she might become a loner."

"I always take Elia to group activities at school," Joanna replied, though her expression was still somewhat troubled. "But it hasn't worked well; Elia isn't interested in what the other kids enjoy."

"Joan, you really don't need to worry. Geniuses are always a bit different. I wish my Daniel could be as smart as Elia," Emily suddenly chimed in from across the table, turning to Hawaii, who appeared completely oblivious to the adults discussing her, and jokingly said, "How about Elia marrying our Daniel in the future?"

...

The little girl had been lost in her own world, her gaze drifting as she experimented with an interesting theory in her mind.

Colorless, transparent, crystals, cylinders, containers, silicates, no fixed melting point... this was simple enough.

Man, director, billionaire, $265 billion, aggressive investor, playboy, English, actor, high school student, orphan, screenwriter, 28 years old, obsessive-compulsive, lack of aggression, conservative temperament, writer, mature, family-oriented, responsible... After patiently collecting a full one hundred keywords, she suddenly realized there were too many contradictory elements in her father; it didn't seem to make sense.

Hmm, perhaps it could be broken down into two or three different people?

That didn't seem quite right.

...

The little girl's mind raced like a high-speed CPU processing thoughts. Initially, she had no intention of answering Emily's boring question, but noticing her mother's gentle gaze upon her, she finally mustered the energy to shake her head in refusal. "No."

"Why not?" Emily remained undeterred, gesturing to Eric. "Your dad has already agreed."

Eric shook his head with a smile. "That would depend on whether Daniel can win over Elia. I have no intention of interfering with my daughter's love life."

Hearing that, Emily instantly scoffed, "That's the most obvious lie I've ever heard in my life."

Everyone paused for a moment before Chris, Joanna, and Drew, those who understood the underlying meaning in Emily's words, couldn't help but burst into laughter. Even the usually quiet twins bent their heads to hide their smiling faces.

Despite being confused, Jeffrey joined in with the laughter. Daniel, just over a year old and in Emily's care, heard the commotion and started babbling along, making the dinner atmosphere even livelier.

Only Eric helplessly rubbed his nose, realizing that his 'Jealous-Daddy' mark was one he wouldn't be able to shake off his whole life.

After the laughter died down, Jeffrey noticed Eric's embarrassment. Seeing that Eric had nearly finished the venison on his plate, he kindly served him a few pieces from the dish and smoothly changed the topic. "The venison is great. If you like it, we could go hunt some more tomorrow to take back with you. The wild deer in the area have been practically overpopulating; they often come in groups to munch on the crops."

Eric nodded with a smile, not one to refuse.

...

After a lively dinner, the night was still young, and being in the countryside, they couldn't head out to partake in various Thanksgiving activities like they would in the city.

Thus, Jeffrey suggested they all watch a movie together. Although he had retired for several years, his villa naturally boasted a private screening room, though there weren't enough seats -- only eight -- but it made everyone feel more intimately packed together. A few extra temporary chairs were added, and everyone huddled together.

Jeffrey rummaged through his collection of movie copies and pulled out Eric's earliest directorial effort, Home Alone. This film was the perfect bonding time for everyone, and upon rewatching it years later, they all appeared excited and sprinkled with nostalgia.

They didn't settle down until late into the night.

...

The next morning, Eric surprisingly woke up a bit early. Or rather, it wasn't quite accurate to say he woke up early; it should have been well into the morning, but Virginia, who always gets up early, still hugged him quietly today. Although all three of them were used to sleeping together in East Hampton, since they were guests at Jeffrey's house, it wouldn't be appropriate to be too bold.

As the soft morning light filtered through the curtains, he glanced at the gorgeous sleeping face of the woman beside him. Perhaps it was because he had overindulged in venison last night, but Eric felt increasingly spirited and leaned over to plant a gentle kiss.

Virginia subconsciously responded to his kiss until Eric couldn't help but slide down a bit, gently biting her chest. It was then that she woke up, laughingly pushing him away. Glancing at the alarm clock on the bedside, she sat up and said, "It's already eight o'clock! We need to prepare breakfast."

Eric tried to pull Virginia back under the covers. "Joan must have gotten up by now; everyone won't mind if we sleep a little longer."

"I don't want to be laughed at," Virginia shot Eric a look, grabbing her bra to put it on. She had been well-satisfied the night before and didn't feel particularly inclined at the moment. However, seeing Eric clutching her waist like a boy yearning for candy, Virginia's heart softened, but she quickly found another reason. "I need to go wake Kevin up too; kids shouldn't sleep in too much. That'll leave them with bad habits as they grow up."

Eric helplessly released Virginia and lay back down. "Kevin will definitely question whether he's your biological son when he grows up."

Virginia quickly dressed, got out of bed, and grabbed a hair tie to tie up her hair, leaning down to kiss the pouting little man. She smiled, "As long as he's yours, that's all that matters; I'll just pretend to be the stepmother."

"Go away, just go away," Eric waved his hand in disgust. "I'll have to tell my son he must never eat the red apples you offer."

"Ha," Virginia laughed, "Or should I get Drew to come keep you company?"

"Forget it," Eric yawned widely and suddenly sat up. "I'll get up too."

...

Eric and Virginia walked out of their bedroom together. The villa was surprisingly quiet; Joanna, Emily, and the twins were already up, bustling about in the kitchen. Joanna and the twins were fine, but Emily clearly looked like she hadn't had enough sleep, putting on a facade of a diligent daughter-in-law.

The elders were known to sleep less, but Jeffrey had indulged in a few drinks last night and hadn't woken up yet.

After exchanging morning greetings, Virginia went to wake the little ones, while Eric stepped outside the villa.

The fog was heavy that day, making everything blurry just a few meters away. Perhaps due to the fog, the temperature didn't feel as low; yet, the foggy countryside villa gave a sudden sense of being on an isolated island.

Such weather wasn't suitable for running outside. Eric stood in the open courtyard, stretching his body. Jeffrey's three pit bulls had accepted this group over the past couple of days; seeing him emerge from the villa, they eagerly popped out from their kennel, excitedly circling him, clearly wanting to go for a walk.

"This atmosphere is perfect for shooting a horror film," Chris's voice resonated behind him. Eric turned around and replied, "Yeah, but that's just because we've lived in the city for too long. Most of the countryside is like this."

Aside from a few coastal metropolitan areas, the population density in other parts of North America was actually very low. Many mid-sized inland towns only had one or two thousand residents, and villages composed of seven to eight families were quite common.

Chris chuckled as he joined Eric on an outdoor bench in the garden. "I received an email from Boston last night. They've reached an agreement with several major record companies; we won't have to pay much at all. All we need to do is enhance our filtering and blocking of pirated music."

Before the IPO, the prominent record companies, desperate to resolve litigation disputes while Yahoo was preparing for its IPO, had presented a series of harsh conditions regarding internet piracy lawsuits. This ultimately led Yahoo to abandon hopes of settling before going public.

After Yahoo's IPO was a big success, those record companies quickly lost their bargaining power. They understood that without the IPO's pressure, the likelihood of gaining an advantage through these drawn-out disputes was very low.

Moreover, if they didn't strike a quick deal with Yahoo to crack down on internet piracy, the longer this dragged on, the worse it would be for the record industry. So their stance softened, and they quickly reached a settlement based on conditions agreed before Yahoo's IPO.

While curtailing internet piracy might impact the sales of Fireflyer, Firefly Electronics' MP3 player, it actually aligned with the fundamental interests of the entire industry, including Firefly Electronics. If the music industry faced a complete decline due to piracy, the motive to produce original music would vanish, thus shrinking the market for portable players significantly.

That's why the major record companies lowered their tones and proposed a settlement, and Yahoo showed a very proactive attitude.

Nevertheless, upon hearing Chris's words, Eric couldn't help but chuckle. "Last night? Did Emily not kick you out of the bedroom?"

After finishing the movie, it was already past ten o'clock, and after socializing a bit longer, they all wandered off well past eleven. While Eric often worked late into the night, he truly found it hard to imagine Chris checking emails after eleven on such an occasion.

Chris shrugged. "Emily had no reason to kick me out because she was also seated with her laptop."

"Alright then," Eric laughed, "Speaking of which, I still haven't seen the samples from this year's Victoria's Secret show. What's the editing progress like?"

The previous two Victoria's Secret shows had faced quality dips due to the compressed scheduling between the live show and TV broadcast. To remedy this, they extended the production time for this upcoming show, aiming to air it in early December.

Chris shook his head. "I'm not sure about that; you can ask Emily later."

After chatting casually for a while, Joanna came from the villa, calling them to breakfast, and the two rose to head back inside.

...

While they enjoyed that brief escape from work in the rural parts of Maryland, after only three days at Jeffrey's farm, they all had to leave on Sunday morning.

Their private plane took off from the Frederick Airport and landed at Eric's private airport on Long Island. Chris and Emily headed straight for Manhattan with their son, while Eric first took the women and children back to East Hampton. He lingered there for half a day before returning to Los Angeles with Drew.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 1077: A Popularity Overtaken]

At Firefly Studios, Robert Pittman, the president of America Online, sat in the lounge area next to the floor-to-ceiling tempered glass wall on the second floor of Digital Domain office. He gazed at the fiery clouds turning red in the sky but felt no joy from the magnificent sunset view.

A recent article where Eric had been interviewed by The New York Times sparked a global media frenzy, injecting a powerful adrenaline shot into the already inflated new tech industry. Even after more than a week, the influence of that interview had not faded. However, as one of the most important tech companies listed on NASDAQ, America Online should have benefited from the expose. Instead, Eric's comments during the interview led to chaos for the company.

On the day Yahoo went public, America Online's stock price had already taken a hit. Over the past week, influenced by the article, Yahoo's market value smoothly surpassed $100 billion, while America Online's valuation dropped sharply from its peak of $66.7 billion, currently sliding to around $60 billion.

Unfortunately, that was not the worst of it.

Eric had unexpectedly revealed in the interview that Firefly Group's Clover Fund held as much as 3.1% of America Online's stock, sending the management and shareholders into a panic, affecting the ongoing merger negotiations between America Online and Time Warner.

Despite being furious, America Online's executives had to confront the issue head-on. However, when Steve Case finally decided to reach out to Eric, the latter had suddenly vanished from the media spotlight. He not only left Manhattan but also did not return to Los Angeles, nor could anyone find him in London. When Steve called Firefly Group, he was informed that "Mr. Williams is on vacation and does not wish to be disturbed," which starkly contrasted with any past dealings within the Firefly system.

Left with no choice, Steve awkwardly reached out to Yahoo's CEO Ian Gurney. Although he got word that Eric was in Maryland, he was warned not to disturb him. Steve had no other option but to comply. However, the moment he heard Eric had returned to Los Angeles, he sent his deputy, Robert Pittman, to fly overnight.

...

As the orange and red clouds darkened, Robert glanced at his watch and was about to ask staff when Eric Williams would be finished for the day. Just then, he saw Eric stepping out of an office at the end of the hallway with a casually dressed middle-aged man. Robert hurried over.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Williams," he said, his anxiety barely concealed as he remained polite.

"Bob, just call me Eric," Eric replied with a smile, shaking Robert's hand. He then introduced, "This is Robert Byer, the visual effects supervisor for my current film."

After Robert greeted Robert Byer, he added, "Eric, I've made a reservation at a restaurant nearby. How about we have dinner together?"

Realizing Eric and Robert Pittman had business to discuss, Robert Byer excused himself.

Once Byer was far enough, Eric told Pittman, "I have a cocktail party I need to attend later, so let's eat on the big boat next door."

Robert, eager for a chance to discuss matters with Eric, didn't disagree.

...

When they arrived at the restaurant on the big boat and had just seated themselves, Robert couldn't contain himself anymore and said, "Eric, America Online wants to buy back that 3.1% stake from Clover Fund. What do you think is a suitable offer?"

Instead of responding to Robert's question, Eric noticed a striking waitress approaching directly to him, seemingly ignoring Robert. Her eager eyes inquired about his order. With a slight frown, Eric replied, "Get George over here. I have something to discuss with him."

The waitress paused for a moment, realizing George must be George Watling, the manager overseeing several restaurants aboard the big boat. Despite her confusion, she nodded and left.

After a while, George arrived in a hurry, bowing respectfully. "Mr. Williams, you called for me?"

Eric pointed to the waitress standing nearby, instructing, "Don't replace her again, or I'll replace you."

George was drenched in cold sweat upon hearing that.

Being able to frequently interact with significant figures in Hollywood, the restaurant and bar positions aboard Titanic, especially the internal restaurant solely serving Firefly Group's executives, were highly coveted among aspiring actors and actresses in Hollywood. Although Eric hadn't shown much interest in the staff over the years, quite a few "lucky ones" were indeed noticed by Hollywood heavyweights.

Thus, although George was merely a standard manager in the lowest tier of Firefly Group's entertainment division, wielding substantial power over the personnel decisions for the waitstaff, he had become someone many sought to ingratiate themselves with.

Hollywood was never short of beautiful women with stunning looks. If one wanted to work as a waitress on the big boat without extra favors, what was the chance? While he had to keep things discreet, George had enjoyed the company of several high-quality actresses, and under the auspices of connections, he had even secretly invested in a Hollywood talent agency. Every waitress in that internal restaurant had signed contracts with that agency.

George had often wondered why Eric, who dined there frequently, had never shown interest in any of the waitresses. It seemed inconsistent with a big boss's character. Hearing Eric's casual remark now, he finally grasped the reason behind it. Hollywood had no fools, especially not someone like Eric.

What could he say now? Should he convince the boss that he had never been involved with any of the waitresses in that internal restaurant? True, he had not.

Having landed such an important position, George was undoubtedly sharp. If Eric or other executives from the group expressed interest in a particular girl only to realize she was already contracted with his agency, they might brush it off. But if these big shots discovered the girl they liked was a "second-hand commodity" that had been enjoyed by someone in advance, the consequences would be disastrous.

Hollywood was rife with trades and desires. Eric wasn't a moral purist; his warning to George was merely a passing comment. He never intended to replace him. The dining services aboard the big boat were well-managed, evident to Eric. Moreover, switching personnel wouldn't guarantee a change in the situation either.

Looking at George, whose complexion had gone pale, Eric waved his hand impatiently, indicating for him to leave. He then called him back and instructed, "Get Kelly Haynes to personally recruit a few waitresses for this restaurant. I'm not concerned about the others, but I should not hear of any mess surrounding this place."

George nodded eagerly, though a flicker of concern crossed his face, as he was not in a position to contact Eric's assistant office director directly.

However, seeing that Eric had lost his patience, he dared not press further and quickly excused himself. If he couldn't reach out, he could always contact the heads of the exhibition hall or the top-tier operations department of the group, but he knew it wouldn't be without its difficulties.

...

After dismissing George, Eric and Robert Pittman ordered dinner, and Eric continued, "So, we were talking about the stock you wanted to buy back from Clover Fund?"

Robert attempted to put aside the earlier awkward moment, not daring to show annoyance. "Yes, Eric."

"And the reason?" Eric pressed, adding, "America Online's stock has a lot of upside potential. I don't want to sell right now."

Robert hesitated but pressed on, explaining, "Time Warner doesn't want Firefly Group to have a direct stake in the new company after our merger."

Eric nodded, seeming to accept that reasoning. He then asked, "How's the negotiation progress on your end?"

Understanding the need for transparency in front of Eric, Robert replied, "We've begun discussing the allocation of management responsibilities post-merger, and the audit of the balance sheet has also started. Tentatively, by next February at the latest, the merger proposal will be submitted to the SEC for review. Eric, if Firefly Group insists on holding onto that 3.1% stake, it may affect the SEC's stance."

Eric reflected on that for a moment; if Robert's timeline was accurate, the merger between America Online and Time Warner was occurring a year earlier than in the previous timeline.

While he didn't know the specific details, Eric was sure that the NASDAQ index, which had already crossed 2600 points, was significantly higher than the historical trends. This indicated that the market had already deviated distinctly due to his influence. Such deviations would ultimately mean that the NASDAQ could not follow its previous pattern.

He recalled that around 2000, the NASDAQ index had rushed from 3000 to 5000 points in just four months, a surge faster than the previous four years combined.

At the more measured rise from 2600 to 3000 points, calculating it at a rate of 100 points per month would yield just eight months' time before 5000 points -- a trajectory set to reach July next year, coinciding with the fulfillment deadline of that 30% long-term equity transaction contract between Yahoo and Microsoft. However, Microsoft had a three-month hesitation period to decide whether to go through with the agreement and to what extent.

This certainly posed a challenge.

Once the NASDAQ crashed, Yahoo's stock price would likely plummet far more than Microsoft's.

Although he understood that the specific movements of the NASDAQ index wouldn't be so straightforward, the chances for an early collapse next year seemed high. So that they wouldn't be disadvantageous to Microsoft, the index would need to hold until at least October next year.

However, such an outcome was uncertain.

Historically, one trigger for the NASDAQ crash was Microsoft's defeat in its antitrust case. Eric's favorable remarks toward Microsoft during The New York Times interview weren't merely a spur-of-the-moment gesture; he aimed for the Department of Justice's investigation into Microsoft's antitrust case to prolong and ideally fizzle out.

Thinking it over, without the igniting incident of Microsoft's antitrust loss, it was possible that given the future craziness of the NASDAQ, a surge to 6000 points was also plausible.

Of course, it wouldn't be surprising if the index collapsed under other triggers before hitting 5000 either.

The current situation with America Online represented a very unstable factor.

Although Eric had relinquished his position on the America Online board and ceased to meddle in its management, his concerns meant he wouldn't completely release his grip on America Online.

As he quickly sorted through this information in his mind, Eric turned to Robert Pittman and stated, "I've said before that I won't do anything detrimental to America Online, as it would also harm Firefly's interests. Although Firefly has already sold most of its shares in America Online, you can see our holding stands at 10.7%. Therefore, my earlier promise still stands. As for you wanting to buy back the shares from Clover Fund, I can agree, but not right now."

Robert Pittman's face fell, tinged with desperation as he requested, "Eric, you should understand our predicament. This is a critical phase in the negotiations between America Online and Time Warner."

"Aren't you saying the SEC review won't be until next February?" Eric remained firm. "You can tell Steve and Time Warner that next February, if you still insist on reclaiming those shares, I could sell them to you, but the price must reflect the market at that time."

While the stock price had seen fluctuations, everyone understood that this was temporary.

As the trading week commenced, following the media hype's cooldown, Yahoo's stock began showing obvious signs of a correction. Comparatively, America Online's stock, which was dominating the North American internet service provider sector, would surely trend upward as well.

Come February next year, reclaiming those shares from Clover Fund would undoubtedly cost America Online much more.

Yet, looking at Eric's steadfast stance, Robert Pittman had no choice but to face reality. They continued dining while discussing details, and to reassure America Online, Eric agreed to draft an intent letter for the equity transfer.

After dinner, Robert Pittman hurriedly departed, and Eric made his way to the hillside mansion of Amy Pascal in North Santa Monica to attend the cocktail party she was hosting.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 1078: Observing]

In the wealthy neighborhood of Mountain View Estates, located in the northern part of Santa Monica, Eric's car pulled up outside an extravagant mansion. As he exited the vehicle, Amy Pascal and her husband Bernard Weinraub greeted him.

"Good evening, Amy, and Bernard," Eric said as he shared a quick hug with Amy Pascal and shook hands with Bernard Weinraub. He smiled and explained to Amy, "Drew mentioned she had other commitments tonight and wouldn't be able to make it. She should have filled you in."

Amy nodded in understanding. "Eric, let's go inside."

Originally, the girl was supposed to attend with Eric, but an event like a cocktail party focused on business was completely different from their usual entertainment gatherings. With quieter music and no dancing crowd, everyone was strictly there to discuss business. She lost interest quickly and, upon receiving an invitation for a year-end celebration from her girlfriends, she playfully bailed on Eric after a few flirty phone calls.

After spending most of the past month traveling between London and New York, Eric couldn't avoid these events now that he was back in Los Angeles.

It was already November 30, a Monday. MGM's major end-of-year film, Mission: Impossible 3, had just completed its second weekend of screenings.

Having been meticulously managed by MGM, the spy movie universe, after a few years of development, Mission: Impossible 3 had become a massive success without any surprises. In its first week alone, it grossed $115.35 million across over 3,200 screens nationwide. With positive reviews buoying its reputation, the film's box office only struggled with a 37% dip in its second weekend, pulling in another $47.23 million.

Within just ten days of its release, Mission: Impossible 3 had accumulated a total gross of $162.58 million.

...

As Eric and Amy entered their luxurious mansion, they shared a few teasing remarks about the uproar from a New York Times interview, before Amy shifted the conversation to the movies. "What surprised me most is Ted, I saw the numbers this morning, its total box office surpassed $160 million, only a million less than Mission: Impossible 3. Hollywood is bound to see a lot of interest in other toy adaptations soon."

Ted had premiered a week before Mission: Impossible 3, and in its opening week, the movie secured an impressive $88.65 million at the box office. This animated feature that combined motion capture and live-action was truly eye-opening in terms of both content and box office performance.

Despite facing competition from Mission: Impossible 3, Ted's box office only dipped 43% in its second week, earning another $49.19 million. Through the recently passed weekend, Ted's box office drop shrank again to just 31%, bringing in $23.49 million, totaling $161.33 million.

Though it had a one-week head start, Ted's numbers still remarkably matched those of Mission: Impossible 3, astounding many people in the industry.

After all, Ted's production budget had only been $50 million, so the two and a half week haul of over $160 million at the North American box office was sufficient for Firefly to recoup all production and marketing costs, with later box office returns and various merchandising bringing in almost pure profit for the company.

In comparison, Mission: Impossible 3 was produced with a budget of $150 million, and the promotional efforts on both films were incomparable.

While the eventual profits from Mission: Impossible 3 were guaranteed to surpass those of Ted, considering the countless resources MGM poured into it, the film was unlikely to rake in money as easily as Ted did.

The three of them walked through the villa toward the backyard, with Eric joking, "With these alternative genres, it's fine to produce one or two occasionally. But if there's an oversaturation, audiences will tire of it pretty quickly. I'm contemplating whether to greenlight a sequel to Ted soon."

Bernard Weinraub chimed in, "With such an interesting premise, audiences will definitely be eager to see a sequel."

With that, they arrived at the backyard.

...

The spacious courtyard, roughly 1,000 square meters, was well-lit but quiet, with about forty to fifty guests scattered around, chatting in groups.

Though Eric's arrival drew everyone's attention, in such a formal cocktail party setting, people didn't swarm to greet him; instead, a few guests subtly maneuvered to cross paths with Eric in hopes of chatting for a moment.

Within the backyard, Bernard and Eric exchanged a brief greeting before he excused himself to mingle with other guests.

Amy and Eric went to grab drinks and began introducing some guests to each other.

"Eric, this is Kevin, Kevin Williamson," Amy introduced warmly, leading Eric to a man in his thirties wearing a dark plaid suit. "Kevin was just telling me about his latest screenplay idea; maybe you'd like to hear it."

Kevin Williamson was indeed the writer of the Scream series.

Though Eric had grown accustomed to the various names in Hollywood, he found the surname similarities between Williamson and Williams peculiar, akin to Hansen and Hans.

While Williamson became notable for the Scream series, he clearly understood Eric's influence and status in Hollywood as he respectfully shook Eric's hand. After some pleasantries, he started detailing his script idea.

"Mr. Williams, here's the story: Ann lives in a dull, old-fashioned town. Her biggest dream is to earn a full scholarship to college and escape this place. However, as she approaches graduation, she faces severe scrutiny from her strict history teacher. During an exam, her teacher, Ms. Tingle, suspects her of cheating and keeps pressing the issue. If she's branded a cheater, Ann's scholarship could disappear. So, she attempts to talk it over with Ms. Tingle, but their conversation unexpectedly escalates into chaos -- a mishap leads to her kidnapping her history teacher. This spirals further, forcing Ann to hide this from her family, friends, and the investigators who come looking. . . ."

Eric listened patiently to Kevin Williamson's rough outline before asking, "Kevin, what genre are you positioning this film in?"

After a moment of consideration, Williamson replied, "It's a thriller with some teen horror elements."

A smile surfaced on Eric's face. "So, Kevin, you're clearly aware of your strengths, but that also seems to be a limitation for you. I must admit, it's an excellent idea -- a surprising kidnapping and the ensuing cover-up. Yet, upon further thought, this concept seems more suited for a dark comedy. Just imagine some of the scenarios; they're filled with comedy-filled dramatic conflicts."

Once Eric finished, he noticed Williamson deep in thought and decided to leave it at that.

Being able to offer a few insights into Kevin Williamson's script was acknowledgment of the success he'd brought MGM with the Scream series. Whether or not Williamson moves forward from here, or whether he's willing to, was outside Eric's consideration.

Since the Scream series established Williamson's fame, he hadn't had many notable films afterward aside from I Know What You Did Last Summer, which had only seen moderate success.

His latest film, also written by Williamson, was the simultaneous release with Ted, the college horror film titled The Faculty, budgeted at $30 million. It served as Columbia Pictures' flagship for year-end, but it had only earned around $26 million so far -- dwarfed by Ted's $160 million. With box office returns far below expectations, Columbia had scrapped overseas distribution plans and decided to sell off the rights instead.

...

After separating from Williamson, Amy slowed her pace by the poolside and remarked, "Kevin just mentioned he hopes to direct this film personally."

"You've seen The Faculty, right?" Eric shook his head slightly. "Kevin has completely lost his direction; if he can't settle down and step away from the Scream influence to evolve, he'll be quickly forgotten in Hollywood when his popularity fades."

Amy looked hesitant. "What about this film?"

Eric smiled. "You all decide. It's a small production anyway, so it won't impact much. But if Kevin has no breakthrough projects in the future, there's really no need to collaborate again."

From Kevin Williamson's description, Eric understood the film's budget wouldn't be high and would likely stay under $15 million. MGM wouldn't approach it like Sony had with their low-budget horror films, letting the budget quietly inflate to $30 million.

Considering the clout of Kevin Williamson, who created the Scream series, directing this movie, the possibility of significant losses seemed low.

However, if Williamson were to shoot in line with the script's described style -- a film devoid of horror, gore, or humor -- its box office potential would be nearly zero.

Hollywood was filled with personal relationships, but its elimination rules were equally ruthless.

Even once-thriving directors, actors, or writers would quickly be discarded or forgotten in Hollywood after a few consecutive failures.

"By the way, Kris is here too; we're discussing whether to prepare The Real Housewives of New York or Manhattan next. Can you help us decide?" Amy added.

Just as Eric was about to cross over to where Kris Jenner was standing with Amy, Penelope Cruz gracefully approached in a low-cut burgundy dress, raising her glass. "Hi, Eric."

Both holding drinks, Eric merely shook Penelope's hand. "Good evening, Penny. Are you here all by yourself?"

With a hint of mischief in her eyes, Penelope replied, "Kate and Charlize both have their own things going on."

"You misunderstand me," Eric said with a smile, lifting his arm slightly. "I meant, I also just came alone."

Penelope understood immediately and playfully draped her arm around Eric's.

Seeing Eric and Penelope engaged in a conversation, Amy gestured toward Kris Jenner and walked away to join her.

...

Eric and Penelope lingered by the pool, their low chatter flowing comfortably. Then Eric suddenly remembered something else. "By the way, what's your sister up to lately? I ran into her last year in New York and we spoke briefly."

During a fashion week party in New York last year, Eric met Monica Cruz and had promised to introduce her to a few films, though he quickly forgot after their meeting. Now reminiscing brought a touch of embarrassment; he wondered if she had held any grudges.

Reluctantly, Penelope answered, "She landed a recurring role in the new season of Dark Angel."

Eric nodded, "That's the sci-fi series Jim is producing; that's a great opportunity."

Penelope quietly agreed. Sensing Eric wasn't pushing further, she felt relieved.

After chatting for a while, Eric took Penelope over to where Amy and Kris were discussing the development of new reality series spin-offs from MGM's cable channels. After some more mingling among the crowd, Eric finally managed to send the charming Latina off, and he and Amy resumed their earlier conversation about Mission: Impossible 3.

"Based on the current box office trends, Mission: Impossible 3's North American potential seems to lie between $260 million to $280 million, about $40 million less than Charlie's Angels 3 released during summer. Overseas, it should bring in around $600 million to $700 million, also lower than Charlie's Angels 3 and last year's Casino Royale. Final global box office wouldn't likely exceed $900 million, and breaking the $1 billion mark seems unlikely."

When Amy discussed this, her tone carried a hint of regret. The previous entries in the spy movie universe, Casino Royale and Charlie's Angels 3, both surpassed the $1 billion mark globally, and MGM had poured significant resources into Mission: Impossible 3 but failed to replicate that success.

Indeed, if other studio executives in Hollywood heard Amy's disappointment over a film that could gross nearly $900 million, they might be on the verge of tears. Unquestionably, the once premier franchise, Mission: Impossible, was now eclipsed in popularity and box office by both the Bond and Charlie's Angels franchises.

Once Amy finished speaking, Eric remarked, "I also reviewed the analysis report from the distribution department. This sequel marks the first collaboration between Ethan Hunt and Bond, yet audience reactions to these two top agents teaming up seem less enthusiastic than previous male-female duo combinations. Moving forward, we can make adjustments in this regard. But I haven't seen Kevin Costner; isn't he in Los Angeles?"

"Kevin flew to Japan for promotions," Amy replied. "But he's likely just keeping an eye on things, intentionally avoiding us."

Eric looked puzzled, "Keeping an eye?"

Amy nodded. "Kevin's agent has been dragging their feet on negotiations for the sequel's compensation. They're likely waiting to see how The Fast and The Furious performs at the box office next."

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 1079 Cover of Vanity Fair]

As soon as Amy said that, Eric instantly understood.

Being a peripheral spin-off of the spy movie universe, the box office success of the first film in the Fast and Furious series, in the eyes of many, would determine whether MGM could move away from its reliance on three major series and continue the spy movie universe. If this attempt with Fast and Furious failed, there was no doubt that MGM would greatly increase its dependence on those three series. Kevin Costner naturally believed that MGM would no longer be as strong in the salary negotiations for the next Mission: Impossible film as it had been for the previous two.

"It seems that people still don't understand that Hollywood is no longer what it was ten years ago."

Eric said this while gazing past the railing in front of him. The view split by the coastline presented one half as the brilliantly lit Los Angeles city and the other half as the dark, quiet sea, resembling two distinctly different worlds, heaven and hell -- a thin line in between.

Amy noticed the intense focus in Eric's eyes and looked over, realizing something.

The Hollywood of ten years ago had been dominated by Michael Ovitz, the founder of CAA, who stood atop the power rankings of Hollywood. With the global film market's overall recovery, it was also a time when Hollywood stars shone the brightest. The pay for top stars not only kept increasing, but even just an agent could confidently walk into the offices of big studio executives with an air of superiority to negotiate terms.

Over the years, Hollywood had been conquering territories around the world, continuously increasing its market share. However, although star salaries kept rising, the actual standing of stars in Hollywood had been gradually diminishing due to the rise of high-budget special effect films and 3D animated movies, coupled with the intensifying competition among the major Hollywood agencies.

Amy, part of the Hollywood executive generation that grew up when CAA reigned supreme, was inevitably influenced by the long-standing rules and found herself somewhat intimidated and accommodating when faced with the top stars in Hollywood.

At this moment, feeling Eric's strong resolve behind his simple words, and recalling what he had said a few months prior after the release of Charlie's Angels 3 -- "We are the masters of Hollywood" -- Amy felt a slight sense of shame.

Indeed, with the current power of the Firefly system in Hollywood, if they couldn't secure a favorable position with the stars, it would seem quite a failure.

Eric finished the drink in his cup, not hearing a response from Amy. Turning to look at her, he seemed to understand what she was thinking and nodded, saying, "That's right. $20 million, or $10 million with a 10% net profit split. That's the highest pay condition for the Firefly system moving forward. Even if Fast and Furious fails, Kevin Costner will only have these two options, or he can choose to break off with us, and then we can unite the powers of Firefly, Fox, MGM, and Columbia to kick him out of Hollywood. I already made my stance clear two years ago regarding the Bond series, and two years later, I wouldn't mind making that clear again with a billion-dollar blockbuster. Starting now, we set the rules."

Finally coming back to herself, Amy nodded slightly, saying, "Eric, I understand."

"Then it's settled," Eric casually placed the empty cup on the railing. "I'll head back now. See you next time."

After saying this, Eric found Penelope among the crowd, said goodbye to some guests at the party, and left the mansion with Amy and her husband personally seeing him off.

...

The black luxury car glided smoothly along the mountain road. Sensing the feline grace of the woman beside him, Eric lifted Penelope's delicate face for a kiss and suddenly proposed, "Let's call Monica. We'll pick her up and have breakfast together tomorrow."

When Penelope heard this, she froze momentarily.

When she had just entered Hollywood, she had contemplated those thoughts to secure her footing. However, thanks to the Charlie's Angels series, she had become one of the top-tier A-list actresses in Hollywood, and theoretically, she no longer needed to accommodate anyone. To secure her position, she had even thought of sending her sister back to Spain on more than one occasion.

Yet, hearing the man beside her, she realized she found it hard to resist.

Executives at Hollywood studios, even at the top of the seven major companies, were merely working for others; they had to be exceptionally polite and respectful to her. But this man before her was nearly the king of Hollywood; could she really refuse the king?

"Eric."

She called out, her tone pleading. When she saw the resolute expression on his face, Penelope had no choice but to pull out her phone from her handbag and dial her sister's number.

...

Upon waking up in the morning, he was greeted by the sight of the two Spanish sisters embracing one another in sleep. Their long, thick hair appeared a bit disheveled, and their delicate necks, exposed under the thin blanket, bore faint marks, resembling a pair of intertwined roses that had weathered a storm, vibrant yet alluringly tempting.

Perhaps sensing Eric's gaze, Monica Cruz stirred awake, locking eyes with him. Realizing she was hugging her sister, and recalling what had happened last night, her expression turned bashful. Unsure of how to act, she kept her posture and greeted the man softly, "Good morning, Eric."

"Morning," Eric said, lightly tracing her delicate face with his finger before restraining his surging desires and added, "You can sleep a bit longer. I'll go prepare breakfast."

Monica lacked the courage to get up with Eric. She nodded lightly, her bright eyes timidly watching him get dressed.

...

As the week from November 27 to December 3 passed, the Thanksgiving holiday rolled to a close.

The festive atmosphere remained strong, but most people still had to continue to work until Christmas, leading to a brief cooling-off period in the North American box office market over the following two weeks.

In the Nasdaq market, Yahoo's stock price finally ceased its rapid rise after its second week of trading and entered a phase of steady correction, occasionally experiencing slight drops. However, its market value stayed above $100 billion. America Online also started to recover gradually after a tumultuous period.

Meanwhile, the entire Nasdaq index continued its slow climb, buoying the overall tech stock market.

In Hollywood, with the popular first phase of the year winding down, the series of films released during the Thanksgiving holiday had largely settled.

Mission: Impossible 3 led the Thanksgiving weekend box office, while Ted continued its surprising success. Other films like Star Trek: Insurrection, The Faculty, You've Got Mail, and Patch Adams garnered some attention, but they all paled in comparison to the success of Mission: Impossible 3 and Ted.

...

With Thanksgiving behind, the Christmas film lineup entered its final promotional push. However, many believed that there was no suspense for this year's Christmas season.

The upcoming release of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace had attracted the attention of movie fans across the United States, and indeed the world. Though MGM's spy movie universe glimmered with two blockbuster hits this year, few doubted that once Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace was released, it would effortlessly reclaim its glory.

Yet, even in the face of competition from the Star Wars series, it was clear that Hollywood studios wouldn't pass on the entire season. After all, even if Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace earned $100 million every week for the last two weeks of the year, it would only take home $200 million in total. The entire December box office could reach at least $500 million, meaning other Hollywood films would have a share of the remaining $300 million.

Thus, under the shadow of Star Wars, to capture more attention and gain more box office revenue, everyone pulled out all the stops in promotion.

To avoid Star Wars' brilliance, the release of the first Fast and Furious was set for January 1 of the following year. The official holiday in the U.S. typically lasted until the week after New Year's Day, and the youth demographic had even more extended winter breaks, placing this still within the holiday range.

Although the timing was favorable and backed by the spy movie universe's shine, the marketing for Fast and Furious was relentless.

...

On the morning of December 4, in Eric's office at Firefly Studios, Caroline's foot injury had nearly healed; however, she was forcibly taken back to England by Rachel a few days ago, planning to return after Christmas, which Eric allowed without hesitation. Thus, Merissa Mayer still remained by his side during this period.

"Eric, all the materials you needed to review are here. Also, these are the interview invitations from various major media we received last week, along with some party invitations. Additionally, this is what you wanted -- the resumes of the applicants for the wait staff at the main restaurant on the cruise ship. We have narrowed it down to ten candidates," Merissa said, pausing briefly before continuing, "If there's nothing else, I'll get back to work."

Eric watched his assistant's cold facial expression as she moved to leave and called out to her, tapping his fingers on the table lightly, saying, "Come here."

Merissa Mayer hesitated and moved closer to the edge of the desk. Seeing Eric's unwavering gaze fixed on her, she reluctantly walked around the desk, her eyes beginning to shy away, justifying, "Eric, I still have work to do."

Eric spun around in his chair, took hold of the waist of his assistant, who was dressed in her professional outfit, and pulled her closer, softly saying, "I've always been curious about what Cindy and the others did to you that night."

Standing in front of Eric, feeling the man's presence, Merissa felt strangely like a little rabbit caught beneath a tiger's paws -- weak and vulnerable. She stammered, "N-nothing much."

Eric wasn't about to let her off easily; he prodded, "Did they kiss you?"

Merissa's eyes widened as she recalled certain images from that night and hurriedly shook her head, saying, "Of course, of course not."

"Come on, you're stuttering and saying no?" Eric laughed. "So, how did they kiss you?"

"Really, there was nothing," Merissa whispered, attempting to step back. However, Eric's hands were lightly resting on her waist, and she felt her body weaken completely, making it impossible to escape. She was being truthful; that night, although she saw many intimate moments, the Victoria's Secret Angels didn't reach out with their 'claws' toward her as Eric's close assistant.

"So, what really happened?" Eric replied gently, jokingly adding, "Although the Ice Queen persona is nice, I don't want to feel like I forgot to pay you your salary every day."

"Eric, really, it's nothing. I just... just feel," Merissa hesitated for a moment before mustering, "I just feel too far from your world."

Eric understood the sentiment and chuckled, shaking his head, "Why are you thinking such nonsensical things? This isn't the Merissa Mayer I know, who is sharp, competent, and ambitious."

Upon expressing her feelings, Merissa immediately regretted it and stood feeling at a loss before Eric.

Looking at her expression, Eric applied a little pressure, and Merissa, already weak in body, fell into his arms.

After momentarily kissing her softly on the lips, Eric let her go, looking at the dazed woman in his arms, saying, "Now, the distance between us is zero. If you feel it's still not enough, we can discuss negative distance contact when you have time."

Merissa Mayer felt her thoughts drift, and hearing Eric's last words, she reluctantly squirmed but didn't manage to rise, burying her face in his chest, saying softly, "Eric, you're such a jerk."

"Ah, I've grown used to women complimenting me like this," Eric lightly laughed. "So, do you feel a little better?"

After a moment of silence, Merissa quietly replied affirmatively.

"Then don't do this in the future, or I'll send you off to star as the Snow Queen."

"If I became a star, I wouldn't be your assistant."

"That's not certain. Even if you become a star, if I want you back, you'd have to return to be my assistant."

"No way."

As they continued whispering, the office door was gently knocked on a few times, and Merissa Mayer shot up like a startled rabbit. She quickly turned around, tidying her slightly disheveled clothing.

...

"Mr. Williams," the secretary opened the door and noticed what was happening behind the desk but kept her composure, slightly blocking the door, before saying, "Miss Barrymore and Miss Paltrow are here."

Drew outside felt that the secretary's actions seemed a little strange, but she quickly bypassed her and walked into Eric's office with Gwyneth Paltrow. Noticing Merissa Mayer standing at the side of Eric's desk, busy organizing documents, the girl didn't think much of it. Even if she saw something, she wouldn't care. However, Gwyneth Paltrow couldn't help but glance at Merissa Mayer a couple of times.

Eric shifted back into a seated position, looking at the girl and Gwyneth opposite him, "What brings you here all of a sudden? Is there something you need?"

"Uh," the girl directly took a magazine out of her handbag and pushed it toward Eric with a smile, saying, "The new issue of Vanity Fair. I wanted you to take a look at the cover!"

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 1080: Promotion]

Eric merely glanced at the Vanity Fair magazine that Drew handed over, immediately recognizing the cover featuring Gwyneth's photo -- a body graffiti portrait adorned with various horror movie symbols.

It was evident that this was a piece he had whimsically created at a party at Kate Hudson's place. On the magazine cover's keyword section, bold letters clearly stated "A Work by Eric Williams."

He flipped to the related feature page, skimming through it. Aside from an interview with Gwyneth, the rest was largely promotional fluff for The Fast and the Furious, where Gwyneth replaced the original Jordana Brewster as Dominic's sister, Mia.

However, unlike the graffiti on all the other girls that night, Gwyneth's iconic "Williams handprint" was stamped right on her chest, and she wasn't wearing a bra. This was certainly a detail that could easily spark a conversation.

But since the person involved didn't seem to mind, Eric naturally didn't care. He put down the magazine and laughed, "Isn't it a bit late to show me this now that it's published?"

"I knew you'd agree, so I let them go ahead and do it," the girl said with her usual cheerful demeanor. After Merissa Mayer left the office, she dashed around the desk and jumped into Eric's arms, then pressed her little nose to him with a playful "gotcha" expression, before getting back to business. "Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, and that Kristanna Loken are just rookies; the actors really had no buzz, so they had to rely on Kate."

In the cast of The Fast and the Furious, aside from Gwyneth Paltrow, who had starred in some low-budget indie films, everyone else could be considered Hollywood novices. Even Vin Diesel, who was initially supposed to have a minor role in Saving Private Ryan, had remained under the radar due to historical changes. MGM higher-ups had raised objections to this more than once and even submitted a list of famous Hollywood actors willing to lower their fees to sign onto the franchise.

After all, while MGM had been the paymaster for the major series in the spy universe, it was only a fraction compared to the explosive global box office for the three series. When reckoned closely, the pay for a few leads equaled that of Hollywood's A-list. Therefore, following Hollywood's traditional view, Eric's choice of rookies to star in the first spin-off of the spy universe was almost reckless. Without a connection to the spy universe, the cast of The Fast and the Furious wouldn't have attracted any audience attention at all.

"As long as Gwyneth is willing, that's all that matters," Eric said as he held the girl snugly in his arms, looking over at Gwyneth. "How was your Thanksgiving?"

"It's been ages since Thanksgiving," Gwyneth teased lightly, concealing her envy for Drew leaning against Eric. "Eric, are you free lately? We're hosting a party at my place."

"Sorry, but I'm swamped," Eric shook his head regretfully. "I'm so busy, I'm practically flying."

After a brief chat, Eric remembered a mountain of documents waiting to be reviewed, so he patted the girl in his lap. "Alright, I have work to do. You can take Gwyneth home."

The girl didn't linger too long; she leaned in and kissed Eric on the lips before standing up. "I'll take off then; we have a meeting to attend later."

...

Watching them leave the office, Eric turned his attention back to the pile of paperwork on the desk. Merissa Mayer had just placed some hiring documents for servers at the big ship's internal restaurant on top, and Eric casually grabbed it to skim through, unable to resist smiling. As he studied the candidates' profiles of the girls, he could easily envision Kelly's exasperated expression or Merissa Mayer's subtle resentment.

Compared to the original waitstaff's appearances, these ten candidates were pretty average in looks.

For example, one girl caught his eye -- she had round features with red hair and blue eyes, a hint of resolve at the corners of her eyes, and skin fair enough to align with Eric's aesthetic preferences.

He took a pencil and marked a few details on the profile, selecting three more girls before setting the documents aside to focus on other work.

...

In the first week of December, the British biopic Elizabeth, jointly produced by New Line and the UK's Working Title company, had officially opened on over 500 screens in North America.

As the lead actress, Cate Blanchett had already made a strong impression with her debut in Casino Royale, which helped Elizabeth garner significantly more popularity than the original version.

Moreover, as an actress raised on Shakespearean drama, Cate's performance in Elizabeth was simply stunning.

With rave reviews from critics and media alike, the film scored $5.69 million at the North American box office during its opening weekend, with a per-screen average exceeding $10,000. At this rate, the film was poised to surpass $8 million by the end of its first week.

As an indie film relying on a small-scale, long-run release strategy, Elizabeth's performance was decidedly remarkable -- considering that the previous year's Miramax production of The English Patient, which had a similar release scale, had only earned just over $4 million during the same period.

Simultaneously, Elizabeth became a frontrunner for Hollywood's awards season.

...

On the other hand, Eric had paid little mind to the Vanity Fair cover, yet it stirred a reaction far beyond anyone's expectations.

The day Drew showed Eric the sample magazine was actually the day before its official release.

The next day, the new issue of Vanity Fair hit the stands and immediately caught the attention of countless media outlets.

Despite the graffiti covering it, Gwyneth's photo arguably counted as a topless shot; Vanity Fair had always maintained a fairly risque cover scale, so this wasn't entirely out of the ordinary.

What ultimately grabbed everyone's attention was Gwyneth's iconic "Williams handprint" stamped on her chest.

Of course, Vanity Fair wouldn't disclose the term "Williams handprint," nor would Gwyneth and Drew when they used this portrait for the cover.

However, because it was a work by Eric Williams himself, and fresh off a wave of New York Times interviews, any news related to Eric garnered immense attention. Thus, while getting reprint rights proved difficult, every detail in the cover photo ignited countless discussions.

Whether out of boredom or actual interest, a Yahoo forum user analyzed each horror movie symbol on Gwyneth's body, focusing specifically on that handprint. They claimed that upon zooming in, they had discovered distinct palm prints that were easily identifiable.

This meant that the handprint wasn't merely painted on; someone had pressed their hand directly onto her.

With hands in that sensitive spot!

Wasn't that juicy enough?

Not knowing the intricate details of the photo shoot, the user openly called out the girl on the forum: "Drew Barrymore, take a look! Your boyfriend's handprint is on your best friend's chest!"

Including Vanity Fair, virtually all media outlets were equally clueless about the complete story behind this graffiti portrait, but they very much understood the close friendship between Drew and Gwyneth, and though aware of Eric's playboy reputation, they quickly reacted as if they had stumbled upon something scandalous.

After all, stealing a best friend's boyfriend certainly wasn't appropriate behavior.

...

Originally, the intention behind releasing this portrait was to promote the upcoming The Fast and the Furious. MGM didn't want the media to steer the conversation toward scandalous news.

Thus, Drew quickly took the forefront to clarify the matter, posting a photo of her own graffiti portrait from that night on her rarely-used Yahoo blog, along with several explanations.

Seeing the graffiti symbols depicting Eric Williams' signature style, the media quickly dropped their fixation on Gwyneth; after all, this could be called art. It's natural for an artist to have some intimate contact with their "work." However, the image Drew published sparked another media frenzy.

Nothing ever remains secret for long, and soon a Hollywood newspaper broke the news that this was Eric Williams' work from a graffiti party, where he had left various fun-themed graffiti marks on several girls.

If one set aside the scandalous connotations, as the most renowned director in Hollywood, and given the artistic skills and standards portrayed in the two existing graffiti portraits, Eric's collection immediately caught the attention of numerous media publishers.

Conde Nast, the parent company of Vanity Fair, quickly contacted Gwyneth and Drew, offering $1 million to acquire the rights to publish their graffiti portraits. After being turned down, they raised the offer to $2 million.

At the same time, many media publishers began to inquire about the girls who attended the party that night. They believed that, while Eric had personally painted the graffiti, since it was the girls' portraits, the copyright naturally belonged to them. They couldn't believe that other girls would have the same ability to turn down a $2 million offer as Gwyneth and Drew.

While several girls were quickly uncovered, unfortunately, Eric had only done graffiti on a handful: just Drew, Gwyneth, and Kate Hudson among a few. Most only had the "Williams handprint" as Eric's work on them. The other girls' sketches could not compare to Eric's artistic creations.

Moreover, after privately chatting with everyone, none of the girls in attendance were so tactless as to sell their graffiti portraits to the publishers.

...

Meanwhile, MGM's PR department didn't sit idle either; they swiftly utilized this portrait incident to hype up The Fast and the Furious.

As a spin-off of the spy universe, The Fast and the Furious had already garnered intense attention from core fans of the spy film franchise. However, this devoted fanbase clearly wasn't enough; capturing the interest of a wider audience was vital for ensuring significant box office potential.

As a strategy beyond the graffiti portrait incident to generate buzz, MGM quickly linked Kevin Costner's ongoing contract negotiations for the Mission: Impossible series with The Fast and the Furious. They emphasized Kevin Costner's contemplative stance regarding the series as well as the many potential repercussions for the entire MGM spy universe if The Fast and the Furious underperformed at the box office.

Following these operations, amid the frenzy of anticipation for the upcoming Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace at the end of December, The Fast and the Furious finally established its own recognition.

...

At the Firefly Cinema, inside the restaurant aboard the big ship,

Eric walked in with New Line's CEO Kenneth Horne. After they sat down, a fair-skinned red-haired waitress approached with the menus and respectfully asked, "Mr. Williams, and this gentleman, would you like anything to eat?"

"I'll just have my usual," Eric replied, handing the menu back. He smiled at the girl before him. "Amy, what's it like working here?"

The red-haired, blue-eyed girl with a round face in front of him was named Amy Adams.

Eric had recognized her instantly from the stack of potential waitstaff candidates and couldn't help but marvel at the twists of fate.

Amy Adams felt as if her recent experiences were somewhat dreamlike.

Though considered one of Hollywood's aspiring girls, she had only recently moved to Los Angeles two years prior, and unlike other girls still caught up in dreams of fame, 24-year-old Amy had long released such unrealistic hopes.

Growing up in a single-parent household, she had been working as a waitress -- a line of work with little future -- since graduating high school at eighteen. Only weeks ago had she been waitressing in a Hollywood restaurant, and while she had always aimed to make it as an actress, she was acutely aware of her modest potential for fame. In her two years in Los Angeles, auditions had come to fewer opportunities than she could count on one hand.

To land this coveted job that was a dream for many Hollywood hopefuls was completely unexpected.

Not long ago, she had stumbled across a somewhat vague ad for high-end restaurant waitstaff in the newspaper; the generous pay threw her into a state of intrigue. So, she swiftly submitted her "experienced" waitress resume to the address listed in the ad.

Until she ultimately secured the job, Amy Adams never expected that she would be working on this big ship in the Firefly Studios.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 1081: Forceful Public Relations]

At that moment, Amy Adams felt a rush of being pleasantly surprised when Eric greeted her. They had only exchanged a few brief words a few days earlier when she had just started her job. Amy was well aware of what the name Eric Williams meant in Hollywood. Even though she sensed Eric's attitude toward her was a bit different during their first encounter, she never imagined Eric would even remember her name.

"It's, um, like I'm dreaming," Amy stammered, nervously hugging the menu that Eric had just handed back to her. She couldn't help but stare at the man in front of her as she said, "Mr. Williams, I've always been a fan of yours."

Kenneth Horne patiently waited for his boss to finish chatting with the waitress before ordering his lunch. Watching Amy leave with a still dazed look, he couldn't help but smile knowingly, complimenting, "She has a unique pair of eyes."

"Indeed," Eric replied with a nod and a smile.

In reality, Amy's eyes weren't conventionally beautiful, but the way they shifted from light blue to deep green under different lighting left a lasting impression. After a few casual exchanges, Kenneth quickly transitioned the conversation back to work.

...

Before they knew it, it was Monday, December 14. Just past the weekend, the Firefly Group's last film release of 1998, The Waterboy, had hit North American theaters.

Although Adam Sandler's previous release, The Wedding Singer, had successfully grossed over $100 million during the Easter window, the company held little expectation for The Waterboy, which bore some resemblance to elements from Forrest Gump, as many found its storyline somewhat silly.

However, the reality was that North American audiences genuinely loved Adam Sandler's goofy, sweet, and romantic style. Over the three-day opening weekend, the film earned an impressive $33.91 million at the North American box office, far exceeding New Line's initial projections.

Based on its opening weekend performance, the film was projected to gross around $50 million in its first week, which was enough to recoup its $23 million production cost. With a $50 million opening, the movie seemed poised to surpass $100 million in the box office during the subsequent hot Christmas weeks, especially since Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, no matter how popular, could not monopolize the entire market.

In contrast, Paramount Pictures' simultaneously released 2D animated film, Mulan, took in just $22.75 million over its opening weekend across more than 2,800 theaters -- over $10 million less than The Waterboy, while Mulan's production budget exceeded $70 million, more than triple that of The Waterboy.

Reactions from critics and audiences to the animated film could only be described as average. Meanwhile, the industry was beginning to realize that, after a string of blockbuster 3D animated films, the 2D animated feature seemed to be fading from the mainstream.

...

Eric, however, had little mind to focus on Paramount's animation ventures. Following the finalization of Firefly Group's annual release plans, everyone was astonished to find that what they had initially believed to be a downturn for Firefly Group's film business had turned out to be completely unexpected.

The turnaround was largely attributed to several under-budget surprise hits from New Line Cinema. The most surprising among them was, of course, The Ring, which created a phenomenon in horror cinema and continued showing in North America until the end of November. It had a theatrical run lasting over four months, earning a staggering $286 million, landing it in second place on the 1998 North American box office charts, trailing only Charlie's Angels at $322 million.

Simultaneously, Ted, also distributed by New Line, had, by this past weekend, nearly grossed $200 million, with a cumulative North American box office of $195.43 million, just a breath away from the coveted mark.

With The Ring and Ted surpassing $200 million and The Wedding Singer and The Waterboy crossing the $100 million threshold, New Line's four films collectively brought in $700 million, accounting for 10% of the entire North American box office for 1998.

Thanks to New Line Cinema's outstanding performance, Firefly Group's market share in North American cinema was set to remain above 20%. Even more remarkably, all four films that passed the $100 million mark were produced with minimal budgets -- The Ring cost $30 million, Ted $50 million, and together, The Wedding Singer and The Waterboy came in just over $40 million. The combined production cost for all four films topped out at $120 million, yet they generated close to $700 million at the North American box office.

New Line's consecutive years of success could be attributed to Eric's creative vision, but it was equally linked to Kenneth Horne's exceptional management abilities. After all, Hollywood was never short of studio executives who could ruin a winning hand.

Coincidentally, Kenneth Horne's contract was set to expire the next year. Eric had lamented the recent departure of Steve Bernstein, CEO of ESPN, and he certainly didn't want to lose another key player from his group.

Nevertheless, the solid management structure at Firefly Group meant that Eric couldn't promote Kenneth Horne in the short term.

...

"Kenneth, you're well aware of the situation within the company," Eric said, displaying a calm demeanor. "In the short term, I cannot make any significant adjustments to the management team. So, despite your impressive performance at New Line over the past few years, I can't elevate your position further. I've discussed it with Jeffrey, and if you are willing to remain at New Line, I can offer you a salary package that includes a 5% annual profit share based on the entire New Line division's profits, on top of your base salary. Additionally, you will no longer report to Jeffrey but will instead answer directly to me."

As CEO of Firefly Group, Katzenberg's salary included a base pay plus a 2% annual profit share from the entire group's earnings. Given Firefly's annual profits hovered around $3 billion, Katzenberg's yearly salary was over $60 million.

Of course, New Line's size couldn't compare to that of Firefly Group as a whole. While their recent performance had been stellar, New Line's various revenue figures still accounted for only about 15% of Firefly's total profits. Even in a good year like this one, that number barely exceeded 20%.

However, Eric's offer of a 5% profit share from New Line seemed quite generous. New Line could contribute about $500 million to its parent company annually, meaning a 5% share would amount to $25 million annually, a salary level on par with the heads of the major Hollywood studios. If they continued to see breakthrough hits like this year, that number would, without a doubt, climb significantly higher.

Kenneth Horne had indeed considered leaving Firefly Group.

After all, while the compensation was lucrative, managing just one subsidiary of Firefly Group couldn't compare to running an entire studio independently. He also recognized that his chances of rising to Group President were slim. As Frank Wells neared retirement, many executives sensed Robert Iger was almost Eric's candidate for the next group president, or even Katzenberg's successor in the future.

However, after considering the Hollywood landscape, Kenneth realized he had no other suitable options. While Steve Bernstein had a background in television and could transition to Comcast -- a company tightly knit with the industry -- Kenneth had been entrenched in Hollywood his entire career, with every role connected to film. He understood that leaving Hollywood meant losing the comfort and familiarity he had with it.

Within Hollywood itself, the Firefly network controlled four of the seven major studios. Of the remaining three, Warner Bros. was tangled in internecine struggles; for an outsider like Kenneth, jumping ship there would only hinder his talents. Universal was tightly controlled by Michael Eisner, and he had no desire to follow in Michael Ovitz's footsteps. As for Paramount, the strong control exerted by Sumner Redstone would similarly limit his scope.

Perhaps within Firefly's structure, he could vie for the head position at Columbia Pictures. If he proposed it, he believed Eric would likely heed his ambition; after all, Bill Mechanic wasn't seen as a core part of Firefly's executive team, and Eric might even welcome Kenneth's leadership there.

However, despite being formally recognized as one of the major studios, only a fool would jump into Columbia's mess.

Though a subsidiary of Firefly Group, New Line's collective power had far outstripped that of Columbia Pictures. Naturally, their film libraries and unseen status in Hollywood couldn't be compared, but if the two companies were to be publicly listed, Columbia's market value wouldn't exceed $5 billion, while New Line could easily surpass $10 billion.

In sum, other than staying with New Line, Kenneth couldn't come up with a better option.

Moreover, Eric's offer was genuinely enticing. Though his specific title wasn't raised, he had been adjusted to report directly to Eric, putting him on equal footing with Katzenberg.

"Eric, I look forward to continuing this work," Kenneth finally said after a moment of feigned contemplation. "However, I hope the company can relax a bit on some of the production types at New Line. I believe I have the capabilities to try my hand at bigger projects."

While Eric was generous regarding salary and benefits, he was unwilling to budge on New Line's core operation strategy. "Kenneth, that's something I can't agree to. You must see that New Line's production strategy has been quite successful over these years. Moreover, for successful franchises like Rush Hour and Bad Boys, I won't place limitations on the budgets for their sequels. However, regarding the fundamental operational strategies, I still hope New Line can maintain its current direction."

Noting Kenneth's disappointed expression, Eric remained steadfast but offered a pre-planned concession. "That said, Kenneth, you know Firefly has been expanding significantly in television in recent years. If we only produce for ourselves, without competition, it's tough to create quality content. Therefore, I hope New Line can delve more into television production, providing programming for ABC, FOX, and a few cable networks."

New Line already had a television production department, albeit a small one, with focus primarily on film in recent years.

Kenneth realized Eric's proposition was aimed at establishing New Line as one of the program suppliers within the Firefly family, encouraging competition among the various television brands to produce remarkable shows.

The North American television market was on par with the film sector in size but had long operated in a closed circuit, making concrete data harder to obtain compared to movies.

While Eric wouldn't loosen restrictions on New Line's production types, Kenneth was left without more extravagant desires after securing Eric's endorsement for expanding television efforts.

After discussing various details, Amy Adams returned with their lunches. Kenneth Horne then steered the conversation towards recent developments.

"By the looks of it, this year is shaping up to be a less significant Oscar season. So far, the only noteworthy contenders are The Horse Whisperer and Elizabeth, while other films are merely pacing along. Furthermore, although the reviews for The Horse Whisperer are quite positive, I've privately learned that most academy judges don't hold it in high regard. Elizabeth has a strong chance of picking up major Oscars this year, and I even pondered if we could push The Ring for an Oscar nod, similar to what happened with The Exorcist."

Eric chuckled and shook his head. "If The Ring were an original North American script or adapted from Western literature, it might stand a chance. But it's based on a Japanese horror novel. Do you honestly think those proud old-timers at the academy would value a film deeply embedded in Japanese culture?"

"I don't think it's likely either," Kenneth admitted with a chuckle, clearly having reflected on the issue too.

Eric continued, "Moreover, the success or failure of The Horse Whisperer impacts Miramax's future strategy, so the Weinstein brothers are unlikely to give up easily on getting this film into Oscar contention. Even if the judges aren't fans, they might well leverage their resources and networks over the years to force The Horse Whisperer into the Oscar conversation. So, don't be too optimistic."

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 1082: Carrying Stones Down the Mountain]

Kenneth Horne grew serious upon hearing Eric's words.

Over the years, Hollywood studios had mostly figured out the award PR tactics deployed by the Weinstein brothers. However, understanding their strategies didn't mean anyone could easily replicate them. After all, the connections to various award judges that the Weinsteins had cultivated were certainly not something one could establish simply by throwing money at it in a short time.

If the Weinsteins really put all their effort behind the PR for The Horse Whisperer, New Line had little chance of success.

After a moment of contemplation, Kenneth couldn't help but say, "Eric, I think if I were Harvey, I would never do this. Miramax's impressive performance at the Oscars over the years has drawn a lot of criticism. If Harvey pushes a film that isn't universally expected to win into the limelight, both the media and the Academy could react negatively. If that happens, Miramax won't see any gains at the Oscars for a long time."

Eric nodded in agreement.

In the original timeline, under the Weinsteins' influence, Shakespeare in Love achieved even greater success at the 71st Oscars than Forrest Gump, including Gwyneth Paltrow's somewhat ridiculed Best Actress win.

The "success" of Shakespeare in Love ultimately provoked a backlash from the Academy, leading to several years where Miramax saw nearly no Oscar recognition. It wasn't until they produced Chicago, a film with impeccable reviews and box office numbers, that they managed to regain some favor at the Oscars. But by then, under intentional suppression from the Academy, it would be hard for Miramax to replicate its previous glory of snatching important awards year after year in the '90s.

"I think Harvey definitely understands this," Eric continued after nodding. "But right now, Harvey is like someone carrying a stone down a hill; he can't just stop whenever he wants. He has to keep moving forward."

Over the past weekend, The Horse Whisperer, now in its sixth week of release, grossed a total of $114.93 million. Although its weekly box office slipped to just over $300,000, that figure still represented a significant success against its $50 million production budget.

In this context, Miramax, feeling the thrill of "big production," would certainly strive to gain more autonomy from its parent company, Fox. This meant that the Weinsteins might very well press for The Horse Whisperer's Oscar campaign, enhancing the film's accolades even further.

Though Eric wouldn't overlook Oscar's potential economic value, he also never placed too much weight on it and wouldn't let his company invest excessive effort trying to mimic the Weinsteins' PR approach. After all, shifting from their established, steady-profit strategy in commercial films to chase Oscar campaigns would be a losing game. In terms of profit, the cumulative increases from all nominated films during any given year's Oscars might not even equal the earnings from one title like Ted.

Therefore, towards Elizabeth, which was about to go head-to-head with The Horse Whisperer, Eric's expectations for New Line were just to do their best.

...

In the following days, as the Christmas vibe thickened, all of North America eagerly anticipated the release of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.

Fox invested an unprecedented promotional budget for this prequel, and vendors licensed to sell Star Wars merchandise worked tirelessly to promote it. Across the country, various Star Wars-themed events were held, and city streets were filled with Star Wars-related cosplay.

In this fervent atmosphere, on December 18, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace premiered in 3,126 theaters in North America, with a midnight box office of $16.5 million, easily breaking the midnight record set by Charlie's Angels 3 in the summer.

In the days that followed, while critics and general audiences had polarized opinions on the film, it did not dampen the fervor of fans for the Star Wars series. Over its opening weekend, the film raked in an astounding $81.65 million. The following four days added $54.53 million, and by the end of its first week, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace had grossed $136.18 million, setting a new box office record once again.

...

Eric spent Thanksgiving with the women and children in Maryland, while he naturally stayed in Los Angeles for Christmas. He spent Christmas Eve with the girls, and called Elisabeth and Julia, hoping they could join him, but was outright refused. Elisabeth even chastised him over the phone, and she flew off to New York with Julia.

On Christmas Eve, he received a "harassment" call from East Hampton. Julia frequently visited thanks to Emma, and things were going well with Elisabeth and Joanna.

Being in Los Angeles usually meant he couldn't escape work, but since Christmas fell on a Friday that year, Eric planned to take a three-day break, departing early Saturday morning with the two girls, Drew and Jennifer Aniston, for a weekend at San Simeon Castle in Northern California.

...

Although officially donated to the California government, like countless charitable foundations in the West, the Hearst family still wielded considerable control over San Simeon, making it perfectly fine for entertaining guests.

Inside the castle, at the indoor Baroque-style swimming pool, the girls were swimming nearby in their swimsuits, while Eric leaned by the pool's edge, flipping through a copy of The Hollywood Reporter somewhat absentmindedly.

Truth be told, Eric had no interest in the opulent Baroque style castle, or any building that echoed an outdated era. But the girls were the exact opposite, clearly excited about their surroundings. After all, many tended to harbor a serious fascination with nobility, with castles being one of the primary elements associated with the aristocracy.

Ultimately, the Weinsteins did push ahead with aggressive PR for The Horse Whisperer. It was just announced that the film received seven major nominations for the Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture - Drama and Best Director, with Scarlett Johansson even getting nominated for Best Supporting Actress.

As The Hollywood Reporter published the nominees, some critics began criticizing Miramax for its excessive PR efforts.

After some maneuvering in the previous days, everyone acknowledged that The Horse Whisperer was an excellent film. However, most media outlets and critics felt that its commercial and artistic nature was evenly split, lacking the cultural depth to provoke thought.

Compared to The Horse Whisperer, Elizabeth received only three nominations: Best Motion Picture - Drama, Best Director, and Cate Blanchett for Best Actress.

As Eric flipped through the newspaper, he suddenly noticed that the two girls in the pool were squabbling over something. He looked up helplessly as they both swam over, one on each side of him.

Curiously, while Drew didn't exactly get along with all of Eric's women, she was the only one who could navigate freely between them. Notably, Joanna, Elisabeth, and even Aniston clearly acknowledged her presence.

Throwing his newspaper aside, Eric pulled both girls into his embrace and asked, "So, what's the fuss about?"

Hearing Eric's question, Aniston pouted a bit, but remained close, turning her head slightly and saying, "It's nothing."

"Ha ha," Drew giggled and snuggled closer to Eric, "You know, the latest Vanity Fair sold 710,000 copies this month."

Eric had never paid attention to the sales of those bestselling magazines and replied, "Is 710,000 a lot? I remember The Sun from the Leed family sells over 3 million copies a day back in the UK."

"Magazines can't be compared to newspapers," the girl retorted. "Vanity Fair's average sales are only a little over 500,000 copies per month. This issue breaking 710,000 has set a new record for the magazine. Guess who held the previous record?"

Noticing the teasing look on the girl's face, Eric quickly pieced it together and chuckled as he pulled Aniston closer, saying, "You're upset over something so trivial?"

As the most popular American sweetheart of the new generation, Eric could guess the obvious answer from her hint.

Aniston pouted again and turned her head away.

But Drew chimed in cheerily, "The cover for Vanity Fair's September issue was Jen, and it only sold 680,000 copies."

The September issue was likely promoting the tenth season of Friends, which, after ten years of being part of American lives, was nearing its end. Aniston's cover would naturally draw a lot more attention than usual.

"680,000 is still quite a lot," Eric said, leaning down to kiss the girl on the cheek. "But you should know, your competition is actually your own man -- it's not a big deal being surpassed."

"You egotist," Aniston rolled her eyes but couldn't help but playfully kiss him back as he leaned in.

Meanwhile, Drew watched the two, feeling somewhat displeased. Suddenly, an idea struck her. She jumped out of the pool, running off with splashes, and shortly returned cradling a laptop. "Eric, look at this cool thing!"

As she spoke, she set the laptop by the pool and quickly opened a video file.

Eric and Aniston looked on curiously as the laptop screen displayed an audition tape of a blonde woman.

At first glance, this woman bore some resemblance to Aniston in both looks and demeanor. But when she spoke, Eric was taken aback.

It wasn't just a visual similarity; her accent and the tone of her voice sounded identical to Aniston's.

Next to him, Aniston shot an alarmed look toward the girl, "What are you doing?"

Drew grinned mischievously, "I'm not doing anything; I just thought it was really funny to show you!"

Eric tapped her forehead, preventing her from getting carried away, but he was still curious. "What's this all about?"

"Her name is Traylor Howard," the girl said with an innocent look after covering her forehead, "I stumbled upon her and thought it was really interesting, so I wanted to share it with you."

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 1083: Some Are Happy, Some Are Sad]

Eric hadn't even had a chance to say anything more when Aniston reached out and snatched the girl's laptop away. In a few swift movements, she deleted the audition video, warning Eric, "You are not allowed to have any thoughts about that woman."

Eric looked at the nervous expression on the girl's face, chuckled, and wrapped his arms around her waist, reassuring her, "I promise, I'm serious; she's not as pretty as our Jenny."

Aniston felt Eric's warm hand gently caressing her waist, and just as she was about to relax, she caught a teasing glance from Drew on the other side. Instantly, she warned, "You're not allowed to bring her in front of Eric. If you do, we're not done."

Drew, of course, didn't care about the little threat and cheerfully replied, "Well, that might not be true. Maybe I can make her more famous than you!"

Even though MGM was wholly under Eric's control, Drew, being the company's nominal largest shareholder, could easily make one or two actors famous.

The thought of that possibility made Aniston's competitive spirit flare up again. While still in Eric's arms, her two little hands began to scratch at Drew, who quickly retaliated.

Eric had no choice but to separate the two little girls fighting. He saw Aniston's determined look as she was clearly not going to back down easily. To diffuse the situation, he had to use his big move: he tugged at a few thin pieces of fabric on her outfit and pulled her into his embrace.

Just as he reached for the girl's swimsuit tie, Aniston's eyes widened, and she began to wiggle, making little sounds. Then, she softly fell against the edge of the pool, pouting, "Eric, you... uh, you're such a jerk."

...

After spending the weekend in San Simeon, Eric took the two girls back to Los Angeles. The box office numbers for The Phantom Menace officially came out for its second weekend.

Compared to its opening weekend, the film's box office only fell by 31% during the second weekend, raking in $56.9 million. After ten days, the total box office reached $193.08 million, and it was already easy to foresee that this Star Wars blockbuster would easily surpass $200 million during the upcoming weekdays.

Thanks to The Phantom Menace, the North American movie market's total weekly box office exceeded $270 million last week. Although this week might show a slight decline, it was still expected to stay comfortably above $200 million.

Thus, while The Phantom Menace took a significant portion of the box office, the overall audience numbers had greatly increased due to the Star Wars series, enabling other films in the market to perform quite well over the recent weeks.

New Line Cinema's The Waterboy debuted with an impressive $53.26 million over its opening week. Despite suffering a 53% drop the following week due to the Star Wars impact, bringing in only $25.03 million, its total box office over two weeks still reached $78.29 million. As it entered its third week, with Star Wars sentiments starting to wane, The Waterboy's drop softened to 37%, earning another $11.02 million, with its total nearing $89.31 million, just shy of breaking $100 million.

Mulan, a 2D animated film released by Paramount Pictures at the same time as The Waterboy, also experienced a significant drop under the pressure of Star Wars. However, this weekend, its box office decline began to narrow as well.

Still, Mulan's weekend box office numbers sank below the $10 million mark at $8.29 million, and its total box office over two weeks stood at only $63.56 million, far below Paramount's expectations. The estimate for the upcoming weeks put its North American total box office between $80 million and $90 million.

While relying on overseas releases and future merchandising, Paramount would still achieve profitability. However, compared to the 3D animated films that typically enjoyed more significant hits at the box office, 2D animated films aimed at children and accumulating box office over time had clearly struggled to adapt to the market trends in recent years.

Additionally, two other new films were released this week: Columbia Pictures' heartwarming family comedy, Stepmother, and Universal Pictures' fantasy horror, The Sixth Sense. Both films reached respective openings of $19.14 million and $15.01 million over their first weekends. While still lagging behind The Phantom Menace, they can be considered decent openings given their genres.

...

At Firefly Cinema, in a small screening room, Eric sat with Katzenberg, Frank Wells, and the director of Iron Man, Joss Whedon, all watching the big screen in front of them.

As the Firefly Films logo flashed across the screen, the scene shifted to Eric portraying Tony Stark, building his armor in a cave. With the familiar sound of comic pages turning from Marvel Studios, the camera cut to Tony Stark's technologically advanced workshop, accompanied by Colonel Rhodes' voiceover: "Tony, what in the world are you making?"

With Rhodes' line, the energetic rock music kicked in, and the edit started to pick up its pace, culminating with Tony Stark soaring into the sky clad in his silver Mark II armor. The 30-second clip ended abruptly, leaving a strong sense of anticipation.

Iron Man was officially set to hit theaters on May 7 of the following year.

Although there were still some final details to work out, the promotional campaign had already begun. The most significant upcoming event was, of course, the annual Super Bowl. Since Eric used Super Bowl advertising to run the Twister trailer and received unexpected promotional results, over the years, Super Bowl ads had become a battleground for the seven major film studios.

What everyone was viewing at that moment was the Iron Man Super Bowl commercial.

Following New Line's dazzling box office achievements this year through a series of mid-to-low-budget productions, next year was set to be another big year for Firefly Studios.

From next Easter through the end of the year, Firefly would line up five heavyweight films under its banner, including Enemy of the State, Iron Man, Cars, Gravity, and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, each offering diverse genres.

However, after various considerations, only Iron Man and The Lord of the Rings would have trailers debut during the Super Bowl. Iron Man's teaser was set to be 30 seconds, whereas The Lord of the Rings' was 15 seconds long.

Eric and a few senior executives, including Katzenberg, focused on reviewing the trailers for both films today.

They had already discussed The Lord of the Rings' teaser in the morning. Since it was nearly a year until the release, its Super Bowl spot leaned more toward a conceptual teaser, featuring grand panoramic views with minimal dialogue. It revealed very little information, maintaining suspense, and was capped at 15 seconds.

In comparison, the Iron Man teaser conveyed a wealth of information.

This was mainly because the Super Bowl was scheduled for January 31, leaving just three months before Iron Man's May 7 release. Immediately after the Super Bowl, Iron Man would enter its last major promotional phase, and therefore, it didn't need to try to be as guarded as The Lord of the Rings -- it aimed to maximize advertising effect as much as possible.

After playing the highly acclaimed teaser several times, everyone compared and discussed other edited versions in detail, finalizing their plan. By the time they finished, it was already 5 PM.

...

As everyone else started to leave work, Eric and Katzenberg headed to the neighboring conference room together.

"Eric, the total value of stocks for the Clover Fund has exceeded $27 billion, and I've heard from friends on Wall Street that many investment firms have confirmed they're clearing out tech stocks before the NASDAQ hits 3,000. Shouldn't we... um, at least realize the initial investment?"

Eric took a sip of the coffee Merissa Mayer handed him and sensed a hint of unease in Katzenberg's tone, chuckling, "Are you scared too?"

Katzenberg awkwardly rubbed his shaven head but nodded earnestly.

He wasn't just scared; he was more concerned.

According to Eric's initial promise, if they could cash out all the stocks held by the Clover Fund right now, he would personally receive dividends exceeding $400 million.

Four hundred million dollars!

Even at Katzenberg's current salary level, it was hard for him to remain indifferent to an almost miraculous $400 million. Moreover, the precarious state of the NASDAQ had him on edge daily, worrying that someday he'd wake up to news of a market crash.

It's worth knowing that the North American stock market has no limits on price fluctuations, and if the NASDAQ crashed, that $400 million could vanish in mere days.

Leaning against his leather chair with a coffee mug in hand, Eric remarked, "Jeffrey, do you remember what I said when we first invested in tech stocks?"

Katzenberg replied with a laugh, "Seems like we've had a lot of discussions about this, haven't we?"

"Well," Eric said, "I remember saying that most of the stocks we bought through the Clover Fund have long-term holding value -- like Microsoft, Cisco, Intel, Verizon, etc. Even if the NASDAQ crashes, these companies have established solid market positions and their stocks will surely rise again. If we hold them long-term, we can still earn substantial dividends each year. So, if the NASDAQ crashes before we liquidate the Clover Fund stocks, we only suffer short-term losses on paper. Yes, some stocks with inflated bubbles might bring us some losses, but in the long run, we can still maintain substantial profits."

Though Katzenberg understood Eric's logic, he still expressed concern, "But if that's the case, the $7 billion our company initially invested will be stuck in those stocks. That's $7 billion; think of everything we could do with that!"

"Firefly isn't short on cash, right? What I'm describing is just a worst-case scenario. In fact, I'm highly confident in my personal judgement. Wall Street may think that 3,000 on the NASDAQ is the end point, but I believe it's just the start."

Seeing that Katzenberg still looked doubtful, he continued with a grin, "Alright, Jeffrey, I know you're worried about your share of the earnings. But you're not short on cash either, are you? Let's do the math -- if you sell now, you'll only get around $400 million. But if the NASDAQ goes beyond 3,000, even hits 4,000 or 5,000, one day you might wake up to find you're a billionaire."

Katzenberg briefly entertained the idea of Eric's scenario, shaking his head reflexively, "Eric, that's insane."

Eric shrugged playfully, "Since the NASDAQ hit 2,000, there haven't been many sane people on Wall Street. Now that everyone's gone crazy, what's the harm in being a little crazier?"

The Clover Fund's trading team was fully accountable only to Eric. While Katzenberg could see some data on the fund, he had no authority to manage those assets. With his attempts to persuade falling flat, Katzenberg shifted to another topic.

"Eric, speaking of which, weren't you planning to acquire Hasbro?"

Eric nodded, "Yeah, but it doesn't seem like a good time. We need to wait until this round of the stock market bubble passes."

The frenzy in the tech stock market had similarly driven the entire North American market, and while Hasbro had no direct ties to tech companies, its stock price had also nearly doubled in recent years.

Eric recalled some data he had casually scanned recently, noting that Hasbro's market value surpassed $5 billion. Three years ago, when Firefly secured the licensing for Transformers, Hasbro's valuation was only around $2 billion. Over those three years, Hasbro's annual profit hovered around $200 million, so such a dramatic surge in its market value couldn't have stemmed from performance increases.

Katzenberg replied, "That's true. However, Hasbro has already begun to encounter turmoil, and it's significant trouble."

Eric pondered for a moment, a realization striking him. "You're talking about Star Wars?"

Katzenberg didn't expect Eric to respond so swiftly and accurately, his face showing surprise before he nodded. "Exactly. The company's team has been negotiating product licensing for next year at Hasbro's Rhode Island headquarters. They sent word last Friday that during the opening week of Star Wars, Hasbro's licensed toy sales only reached $23 million, not even half of what was expected. Hasbro initially paid $100 million for the toy licensing rights for the Star Wars prequel series, hoping to bring in $300 million in toy sales within three months and over $500 million for the year. But given the current situation, the opening week, which should have seen the highest toy sales, only brought in $23 million -- a total of $200 million seems highly unlikely within three months. Because of their optimism in the Star Wars merchandise, Hasbro heavily stocked initially, and if the toys become unsold, those products would have to be returned and destroyed. Coupled with the huge licensing fees already paid, Hasbro will certainly face a huge loss this year."

Firefly Studios operated a similarly large merchandising department, so Eric understood clearly the challenges Hasbro was about to face.

Moreover, the situation could become even grimmer if Hasbro faced major losses alongside this year's stock market bubble bursting. It was a scenario that seemed unbearable to contemplate.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 1084: Clean Slate]

Although Eric had heard news that Hasbro's Star Wars merchandise sales had faltered and had thoughts of acquiring Hasbro, he had no intention of leaking this matter privately. It was clear that Katzenberg was merely mentioning it in passing.

There was simply no need for such actions.

As a publicly traded company, Hasbro was required to regularly disclose its operational data to investors. Given the recent heightened attention on the Star Wars brand, it wouldn't be long before the ever-watchful media uncovered the issue. By then, Firefly would only need to sit back and watch the spectacle, waiting for the right moment to take action.

However, considering the massive losses Hasbro might face this year, Eric turned to Katzenberg and said, "Firefly will undoubtedly produce more films with merchandising potential in the future. This situation is a valuable case study for us. Please have the consumer products department closely analyze why Hasbro faced failure in this merchandising operation and prepare a detailed report."

Katzenberg had only received this news the day before and hadn't had time to think much about it. Upon hearing Eric's request, he nodded and. with great seriousness, took out his notepad to jot down the details.

...

As the excitement around Star Wars gradually cooled, fans eagerly anticipated the release date of MGM's spy film universe spin-off, The Fast and the Furious.

December 29 fell on a Tuesday, and by 5 P.M., the area around the Chinese Theater in Hollywood was swarming with enthusiastic moviegoers.

The release date for The Fast and the Furious was January 1, and MGM officially held the premiere in Los Angeles three days early.

Due to work commitments, Eric didn't attend the red carpet event, and it wasn't until nearly 7 P.M. that he quietly entered the screening room. The elegantly dressed Drew working there noticed Eric's arrival but didn't ask anything. Instead, once he sat down, she leaned in and gave him a kiss, and they both turned their eyes to the film's creators, who were interacting with the media and audience on stage.

Aside from a change in the two female leads, Eric retained most of the original crew from the film. The two male leads were Vin Diesel and Paul Walker, with Rob Cohen returning as the director.

Rob Cohen, in his fifties, had established himself as a seasoned Hollywood director. He began his career in the 1970s and excelled in action films, having collaborated with legends like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone, and even directed the biopic Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story.

However, aside from the creative staff, the entire film diverged greatly from the original version.

Initially, Eric aimed to build the project step by step, following the legacy of the original The Fast and the Furious. But since it was intended to be a spin-off of MGM's spy film universe, the script required significant revisions. After numerous adjustments, the original script was completely scrapped, resulting in a brand-new story. Throughout this process, the entire story structure of the franchise was refined further, with MGM even outlining stories for the second and third installments.

Concurrently with the script revision, the budget for the film also increased from Eric's initial estimate of $30 million to a whopping $60 million, now nearly at the level of a blockbuster production.

However, spurred by the success of the collaboration between the Charlie's Angels series and Buick, even though this was just the first film and there were doubts about casting inexperienced actors, major car manufacturers generously opened their wallets.

With product placement fees and sponsorship from luxury vehicles, $20 million of the budget was effectively covered.

In the promotional efforts over the past few months, those car companies' joint advertising budget amounted to $30 million, combined with MGM's own investment, ensuring that the promotion for The Fast and the Furious rivaled that of a blockbuster film with a budget exceeding $100 million.

...

On stage, after some interaction, the creators stepped down, the lights dimmed, and the film finally began to play on the big screen.

Following MGM's logo, the audience was immediately greeted by the roar of revving engines as four sleek cars sped down a dark highway.

With a few rapid cuts, the four cars surrounded a heavy-duty truck from all sides.

In the audience's puzzled gazes, a figure wearing a motorcycle helmet poked their head out of one of the cars and aimed a customized harpoon gun at the truck's passenger side. With a loud bang, the glass windshield shattered as the harpoon punctured through, and the car surged forward, ripping the entire windshield off.

With the task complete, the car skillfully maneuvered, and another car positioned itself at the front of the truck, where another figure in a motorcycle helmet emerged.

Naturally, the truck driver wouldn't just sit idle; he began to accelerate and change lanes, attempting to shake off the attacking cars.

As the heavy-duty truck swerved on the highway, the tension in the scene escalated dramatically.

The truck, whether speeding around corners or crashing into obstacles, was relentlessly pursued by the four cars. After some intense high-speed drifting and precision driving, the four cars continued to tightly surround the truck, like bloodthirsty sharks encircling a clumsy whale.

...

With a generous budget and the assistance of the Charlie's Angels series' action design team, this meticulously crafted heist scene was far more thrilling than the original.

Inside the screening room, less than two minutes into the film, most viewers were unexpectedly finding themselves embodying the roles of the four drivers. Many began to feel restless, eagerly awaiting the chance to race through the streets of Los Angeles once the film concluded.

...

When the four vehicles masterfully tossed the truck driver out and sped away with their "spoils" to an increasingly energetic score, a sense of value for their ticket price began to emerge in some audience members.

...

As for the critics attending the premiere, most had put down their pens and notepads, captivated by the impressive opening scene. They knew right away that this was destined to be a quintessential popcorn film, and a very successful one at that.

...

As the opening concluded, there was a muffled thud, and the camera pulled back to reveal Paul Walker as Brian O'Conner shutting the car door and walking towards a nearby fast-food joint.

Having experienced the thrilling introduction, the audience's immediate intrigue turned towards the identities of the carjackers. This suggestive moment piqued their curiosity about who Brian O'Conner really was.

After finishing his "job," he drove to the fast-food place for a bite, hoping to charm the pretty waitress inside.

What a familiar trope that was, right?

Then, he got punched.

After a scuffle, Brian left in a bit of a daze, only to be stopped on the way by a police car and taken to the precinct.

...

As many viewers expressed surprise at the unfolding events, the film didn't leave them in suspense for long. Brian's true identity was swiftly revealed.

...

A series of cargo truck robberies had recently plagued the Los Angeles area, and the FBI had pinpointed the suspects to a street racing gang led by Dominic Toretto, sending the precinct's best driver, Brian, to go undercover.

However, after a week of no leads, Brian found himself infatuated with Dominic's sister, Mia.

Under pressure from his superiors, Brian had to accelerate his efforts to be accepted into Dominic's crew. That night, he attended an underground street racing event hosted by Dominic. Though he lost the race, he unexpectedly saved Dominic from the police pursuit afterward, earning the latter's trust and an invitation back to the crew's hideout.

In the following days, Brian gradually got to know the racing gang better.

Dominic's sister, Mia Toretto; his girlfriend, Letty Ortiz; the hot-headed Vince; the talented car modifier Jesse, who struggled with ADHD; and a rival Vietnamese gang led by Johnny Tran, who had a complex relationship with Dominic's crew.

Not only did Brian begin dating Mia, but he found himself genuinely absorbing the camaraderie of this little gang, influenced by Dominic's magnetic personality.

However, the truck hijackings continued, forcing Brian's undercover identity to continue his investigation.

In the process of spending time together, Brian inadvertently gleaned an important clue from Jesse.

Jesse's father was about to be released from prison, and he wished for a sum of money to take his mother and start fresh outside of California. Jesse, when discussing this, always carried an air of excitement like he felt close to accumulating that amount.

Brian understood quite well that the main income source for Dominic's gang came from organizing street races, earning prize money. While that lifestyle provided enough for the group to live comfortably and pursue their racing passions, raising a substantial sum to aid Jesse's parents in leaving California was simply unattainable.

Convinced he understood the motivations behind Dominic's crew's truck robberies, Brian began to follow the trail but soon realized things were not what they seemed.

It turned out Jesse had indeed participated in a truck heist, but Dominic had no knowledge of his friend's actions. Instead, Jesse and Vince had been collaborating with Johnny Tran privately.

As the FBI intensified its investigation into the truck robberies, feeling the heat, Johnny Tran decided to pull off one last heist and frame Dominic's crew as scapegoats.

After piecing together the facts and learning about Johnny Tran's planned strike, Brian ultimately confessed everything to Dominic.

Although Dominic was furious, realizing that his fellow gang member had fallen into Johnny Tran's trap, he hurriedly joined forces with his girlfriend Letty to mount a rescue.

Unfortunately, they were too late.

In a fierce highway chase, Johnny's gang, Dominic's crew, and the fighting truck driver clashed in a chaotic battle, resulting in Jesse's accidental death, Vince's serious injuries, and Johnny Tran's escape. Meanwhile, Dominic's team accidentally found themselves framed by Johnny Tran as the FBI's prime suspects for the truck hijackings.

Hastily ensuring his friends' safety, Dominic immediately sought revenge on Johnny Tran, with Brian following close behind at Mia's request.

In the final car chase, amidst a violent explosion, Johnny Tran was obliterated. Although Dominic achieved his revenge, his car was wrecked, and he soon heard the approaching sirens, so he chose not to flee, wishing instead to carry the blame for his friends.

This time, however, Brian didn't hesitate. He handed over his car keys to Dominic, urging him to escape.

...

The original The Fast and the Furious was primarily a low-budget B-movie street racing film, thus it didn't need to concern itself over philosophical expectations. Dominic's crew was simply a group of thrill-seekers and thieves.

Yet, while American culture celebrated freedom, it didn't mean people would abandon principles or sense of justice.

Hollywood, adhering to political correctness, recognized this, and as the series progressed into higher production categories, Dominic's crew was increasingly scrubbed clean, evolving into more positive caricatures until they began saving the world.

At this moment, though it was just a beginning, due to the halo of the spy film universe spin-off, The Fast and the Furious garnered attention that vastly eclipsed what the original could ever achieve. In this context, if Eric had maintained the original's various settings, he would undoubtedly face widespread criticism.

Thus, Eric opted from the get-go to redevelop Dominic's crew with a clean slate while enhancing the portrayal of the bonds between this tight-knit group, underlining Dominic's elite street racer persona. In this version, to lay the groundwork for the family of racers to eventually save the world, Eric significantly amplified Dominic's combat prowess, shaping him into one of the top drivers concealed within the urban scene.

...

As the film ended and the credits rolled, Eric casually scanned around the screening room, noticing that the audience appeared quite satisfied with the film.

Moreover, everyone patiently waited.

As customary, the spy film universe films always included a post-credits scene.

Although MGM had declared that the Fast and Furious series would not become part of the mainline story within the spy film universe but would feature some interconnected plots, fans remained hopeful.

Inside the screening room, despite sensing that The Fast and the Furious was yet another film strikingly different in style from the other three major series in the spy film universe, everyone, having just enjoyed 120 minutes of exhilarating cinema, anticipated that this adrenaline-fueled film would intersect with the three major series.

Indeed, the film didn't disappoint the audience.

...

As the final credits froze, the screen lit up once more.

A black Porsche executed a stylish drift around a bend, perfectly parking alongside a bright orange Lamborghini.

Paul Walker's character, Brian O'Conner, looked quite smug as he stepped out and glanced over.

A petite girl, unfazed by the dramatic drift from the Porsche, sat casually on the Lamborghini's hood and shook her head in disappointment, saying, "Nope, I need a better driver."

Brian retorted, dissatisfied, "I'm the best driver in Los Angeles."

The girl raised a finger, shaking it, "No, you're not."

Exchanging knowing glances with the girl, Brian narrowed his eyes with a sly grin and nodded, "True, I'm not."

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 1085: Controversy and Box Office]

With Brian O'Donnell's last line, the screen faded to black. Before the lights in the theater had a chance to come up, a buzzing murmur filled the room.

The audience at the premiere consisted of either special guests and media reporters or devoted fans of the spy film universe. Everyone instantly recognized the petite girl in the Easter egg as Angela Lynd, who had appeared in Casino Royale two years earlier. She was the younger sister of the film's main character, Vesper Lynd, a geeky genius, and a backup angel for Charlie's Detective Agency.

At the end of Casino Royale, Bond handed Angela Lynd over to the trio for safekeeping, but the character did not make an appearance in the summer release of Charlie's Angels 3.

Although Angela Lynd had limited screen time in Casino Royale, she certainly left a lasting impression. Many loyal fans of the spy film universe hoped to see her return, but no one expected her to appear in the Easter egg of The Fast and the Furious, leading to speculation about potential storylines for future films.

Of course, beyond the character, many also recalled the actress who played Angela, Christina Aguilera, one of the teen pop stars heavily promoted by Firefly Records. In the past two years, several of her singles had seen great success, and she was reportedly about to release her first album.

As the discussions buzzed, the lights came up, and the creators returned to the stage, receiving a warm round of applause.

After a brief curtain call and media interaction, the premiere concluded. Most of the audience began to exit, while other invited guests moved to the after-party hosted by MGM for the premiere.

...

Since the audience at the premiere had been carefully selected, the following day's media reviews of The Fast and the Furious were overwhelmingly positive, and the excitement among fans only intensified.

Two days swiftly passed, and following the last promotional push after the premiere, The Fast and the Furious officially opened in over 3,100 theaters across the United States on New Year's Day. At the same time, the film's reviews and word-of-mouth began to spread widely.

"...a perfect popcorn movie crafted with a Hollywood-standard three-act structure. The film's world-building was remarkably thorough, with each main character having their own pasts, presents, and futures. What's more impressive is that despite this intricate world-building, it never interrupted the movie's narrative flow. The thrilling and adrenaline-pumping car chases kept viewers immersed every single second."

"...Hollywood has never lacked street racing scenes, yet there are few films that focus on this subject while achieving commercial success. Years ago, Tom Cruise's Days of Thunder felt more like an artsy film, and Jan de Bont's Speed contained more crime elements than racing. In comparison, The Fast and the Furious undoubtedly set a new precedent for this genre. It's clear that the multiple car chase sequences in the film will become benchmarks for many future films in this vein."

"...The car chase scenes in The Fast and the Furious undoubtedly raised the stakes, but the film also excelled in the details. Perhaps many did not catch it, but at Dominic's family gathering, while loud music and conversations drowned out the television sound, the news showing a severe fight at a nightclub was undoubtedly a reference to the opening scene where the Angels trio attacks the Spectre's outer base in Charlie's Angels 3. And if I'm not mistaken, Brian O'Donnell's childhood buddy, Roman, mentioned multiple times in the film, will surely appear in a potential sequel -- assuming there's a sequel, which seems like a foregone conclusion."

"...After many years, Rob Cohen finally delivered a breakthrough project. The newcomers cast by MGM amid controversy also delivered a satisfying performance."

...

While most traditional critics often displayed little fondness for pure popcorn flicks, The Fast and the Furious managed to score an impressive average media rating of 8 out of 10 amidst the cheers.

No film has ever received unanimous approval, so while The Fast and the Furious enjoyed a rave response, criticism had surfaced as well.

Criticism might not be the right word. As a carefully crafted popcorn film emerging from MGM's long-term investment in the spy film universe, there were hardly any significant flaws to find. Therefore, it might be more accurate to refer to the media's remarks about The Fast and the Furious as controversy rather than pure criticism.

"...Undeniably, The Fast and the Furious is an outstanding film. However, what's hard to digest is that MGM forced this film into a connection with the spy film universe in their quest to squeeze more profits from the brand. After watching the film, I simply cannot fathom how a group of street racers relates to the spy film universe. Do James Bond or Ethan Hunt even need drivers? Although MGM had previously stated that The Fast and the Furious series would not have too many intersections with the spy universe, that statement only highlighted MGM's insecurity."

"...The spy film universe is certainly one of Hollywood's great innovations, but the profit-driven MGM is ruining it all. Forcing a street racing film to connect with three blockbuster franchises that deserve a spot in film history is frankly disheartening. There's no doubt that we will soon see various 'spin-off series from the spy film universe,' and I believe at least one of them will leave audiences utterly disappointed."

...

Although the doubts about linking The Fast and the Furious with the spy film universe had been anticipated from the start, the criticism within the industry exceeded MGM's expectations. This wave of controversy soon spread onto the internet, where most fans, accustomed to spectating drama, expressed strong opinions on whether The Fast and the Furious could join the spy film universe. The opinions were divided -- some fervently supported it while others outright opposed it. The two factions clashed vigorously in major movie community forums online and quickly became a hot topic on various news portals.

"Why can't they connect? Just because Dominic and the others didn't save the world? If that's the case, the spy film universe might as well rename itself World-Saving Task Force."

"Even though I felt exhilarated during the races at the theater, I had to reconsider afterward -- what does that have to do with the spy film universe? The appearance of Angela Lynd in the Easter egg felt jarring. I was initially excited to see this character's return, but now it seems MGM is forcibly killing that hope."

...

Hollywood has always operated on a universal principle.

If a film has poor reviews and low buzz, it is destined to fail. If a film has great reviews but low buzz, its box office will only be mediocre. However, if a film receives rave reviews along with significant buzz, then it will undoubtedly achieve massive box office success.

Despite the intense controversy surrounding it, The Fast and the Furious found itself in the last of these categories.

Amid the heated media discussions, within just three days of its opening weekend, The Fast and the Furious raked in $57.33 million, and after the first week, it easily surpassed the $80 million mark, totaling $81.21 million.

Although it did not reach the more than $87 million achieved by Ted during the Thanksgiving weekend, crossing $80 million in its opening week still exceeded MGM's expectations. After all, Ted had a broad recognition and fanbase, and the film's subversive take on the teddy bear character was quite noteworthy, making its high box office unsurprising.

In comparison, despite being marketed as a spin-off of the spy film universe, The Fast and the Furious inherently faced a drawback. In the U.S., where cars are ubiquitous, people's interest in street racing films has never been particularly high. It is like being accustomed to eating bread every day -- seeing someone else enjoy the same food, even if theirs looks tastier, rarely evokes envy. Many ordinary individuals even harbor disdain for street racers.

Moreover, while Hollywood was not lacking in films featuring car races, this genre had always been niche and did not have a fixed audience base.

Thus, MGM initially projected a $60 million opening weekend for The Fast and the Furious, anticipating total North American earnings between $120 million and $150 million. The company only hoped that this first film would establish a fanbase. Although the budget was $60 million, thanks to car company sponsorship and product placements, MGM's actual investment in production was only about $40 million. Including an additional $30 million for marketing, the total investment came to $70 million. If the film could surpass $120 million at the North American box office, it would effectively break even, with overseas distribution and future merchandise yielding significant profits for MGM.

The current situation exceeded Firefly's expectations, and yet, this was far from over.

...

As the film's critical acclaim and buzz increased, many who had initially shown little interest in street racing films began to join the audience.

After the New Year, the absence of heavyweight films in the market undoubtedly provided The Fast and the Furious with more breathing room.

Thus, after its first-week performance of $81.21 million, the typical box office trend indicated that The Fast and the Furious should see a drop of around 50% in its second week. In reality, however, the film only experienced a 38% drop in its second week, earning $50.35 million. Within just two weeks, The Fast and the Furious accumulated a total North American gross of $131.56 million, already surpassing MGM's initial projections.

With an opening week total of $80 million and $50 million in the second week, keeping the drop within 40%, it was clear that given this trajectory, The Fast and the Furious would become the first film of 1999 to break $200 million at the North American box office.

The impressive North American box office performance would further stimulate international interest in The Fast and the Furious. While debates regarding whether the film could fit into MGM's spy film universe remained, there was no doubt that this series had already launched with a bang. Even if MGM ultimately decided against any collaborations with the spy universe, it would not affect the film's future box office potential.

...

With the success of The Fast and the Furious, several of its rookie actors suddenly rose to the status of near A-listers in Hollywood.

In the original timeline, Vin Diesel and Paul Walker had a fallout over salary disputes after the first film's success, delaying Diesel's return until the third installment. However, after experiencing a series of salary disputes during the development of the spy film universe, MGM would certainly avoid repeating the same mistakes this time around.

Before filming began, MGM had signed stringent contractual agreements for the entire series with Vin Diesel and Paul Walker, even breaking Hollywood's tradition of only signing for three films in advance.

Eric originally hoped to secure three-film contracts with the two, but due to maneuvering by some, this contract transformed into six films, much like the agreement Stuart Ronkel signed with Firefly for Spider-Man.

However, Stuart's contract included only three direct sequels and three crossover installments, and Firefly generously granted him some negotiating power. As newcomers, Paul Walker and Vin Diesel certainly did not receive such privileges.

This time, it could be said that Diesel and Walker were effectively bound to this series. Unless MGM permitted otherwise or they paid an exorbitantly high penalty to break the contract, Diesel and Walker could not star in other films until their agreements for The Fast and the Furious were fulfilled.

With the success of The Fast and the Furious series, even though all parties had signed non-disclosure agreements, the binding contracts, akin to indentured servitude, were quickly uncovered by the ever-vigilant media. Connecting it to Firefly's current strong position in Hollywood, some media outlets even began to exclaim that the era of Hollywood big studios was returning, and that Hollywood stars would once again become contracted actors for major studios.

This immensely marketable proposition spread like wildfire.

In recent years, Firefly's influence in Hollywood had been undeniable.

Especially after acquiring Columbia Pictures last year, with Firefly now controlling four of Hollywood's seven major studios, they essentially dominated over half of Hollywood. Due to several years of strong performance in the film and television industry, Firefly's actual impact on Hollywood was even greater. Thus, few doubted that Firefly now had the strength to once again alter Hollywood's rules.

Naturally, as the media pushed the return of the "big studio era" narrative, some outlets began discussing whether the federal government should step in to limit the increasingly powerful Firefly system.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 1086: Unexpected Memories]

"An interesting thing is happening. ATT and ExxonMobil have market shares exceeding fifty percent in their respective industries, and they manage to remain unscathed. Yet now, some people want the Justice Department to come after us." In the banquet hall of the large ship, Eric spoke with a wry smile to Bill Michanick, who had raised concerns about the recent media discussions.

"ATT and ExxonMobil are not the same as us," Bill replied, his tone carrying a deeper meaning. "Eric, I think you should start preparing for what might come."

Though Bill didn't spell everything out, Eric understood and nodded seriously. "I get it."

While ATT and ExxonMobil have over half the market share in their industries, they are both publicly held companies. Coupled with their multi-billion dollar market valuations, the interests of these two companies almost equate to the interests of the entire United States. The elite federal players had control over both companies, and the common citizenry shared in the profits created by these conglomerates through insurance and retirement funds. As long as these companies didn't act excessively, no one would have any reason to stir up trouble.

In comparison, the Firefly Group's control was firmly held by Eric himself. While many companies within the group were also publicly traded, the power and profit within the Firefly structure were overly concentrated compared to federal giants. In this situation, it was impossible not to incite some envy.

Aside from Hollywood's media industry, most of the Firefly Group's assets were distributed in the new technology sector. Since tech companies typically belonged to emerging industries, they did not threaten the interests of the traditional social classes overly much. However, as the Firefly Group grew larger, some people naturally began to feel that these industries should share in their fortunes. As such thoughts became more prevalent, trouble for the Firefly Group would surely follow.

Eric had never ignored this issue; however, to be frank, he had no experience handling such matters. Perhaps no one in the world had real experience with them, making it necessary for him to tread cautiously and learn slowly.

Watching Bill walk away, Eric felt an increased appreciation for him. After all, to raise such a sensitive concern in front of him indicated that Bill had begun to immerse himself in the Firefly Group.

...

Lifting his champagne glass for a sip, Eric scanned the room. With the success of The Fast and the Furious, a celebration was certainly in order.

Since the New Year had just passed, several companies had collaborated to host this party, making it a grand gathering for the Hollywood Firefly Group. Executives from Firefly, MGM, Fox, and Columbia, along with friendly producers, directors, and stars, all gathered together.

As his eyes swept around, Eric spotted Caroline and Merissa Mayer chatting softly by the buffet. He waved them over.

It was already January 16th, and Caroline had returned to Los Angeles the previous week; her foot injury had completely healed.

Noticing Eric's gesture, Caroline and Merissa walked over, each carrying a small plate of food. "Eric, what's up?" Caroline asked as they approached.

With one hand holding his glass and the other in his trouser pocket, Eric hesitated before shaking his head with a smile. "Nothing much. Just a reminder for the two of you to watch out and not eat too much. You don't want to gain weight."

Gaining weight was practically every girl's nemesis, and Caroline instantly recoiled, embarrassed. "I haven't eaten that much!"

Eric lifted his glass. "Well, in that case, go have fun. And remember, no flirting with boys -- not even talking."

Caroline naturally took that as a 'warning' directed at her alone. With a shy glance at Merissa Mayer, she muttered, "Eric, you're so bossy."

After saying that, she dismissed Eric and pulled Merissa off to another part of the room.

Although Eric sensed Caroline's earlier hesitant demeanor, she didn't pursue the matter since he hadn't spoken further. Merissa turned back just as she was being tugged away, looking at Eric for one last glance.

...

Once he sent the two assistants on their way, Eric mingled with the guests who came to greet him, making his way to the main deck of the lower level of the ship, where he found Drew and others.

Drew, feeling a hand wrap around her waist, didn't seem to mind the other guests nearby. She turned and kissed Eric, asking, "Eric, did Bill need you for something?"

"Nothing important," Eric replied, shaking his head. He greeted Amy Pascal, Tina Fey, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kate Hudson with a smile. "Hey, Amy, Gwen, Kate, oh, and Tina! Long time no see."

Tina, a bit shy, raised her glass and said, "Good to see you, Eric."

After being Drew's personal assistant for a while, Tina had moved to a supervisory role in MGM's script editing department following the company's reorganization.

Thinking back, MGM now resembled something of a Hollywood women's collective.

As he greeted everyone, Eric noticed a familiar face among the women. A tall woman in a black spaghetti strap dress caught his attention; he felt he recognized her but couldn't recall her name immediately.

She noticed Eric looking her way and introduced herself, "Mr. Williams, hello. I'm Mira Sorvino."

"Hello," Eric finally remembered and smiled. "You starred in Woody's film, Mighty Aphrodite, right?"

Mira nodded with a smile.

"So, what were you all discussing earlier?"

Amy Pascal spoke up, "Oh, nothing much. We're just talking about whether we should go to New York for Fashion Week next month."

Eric feigned complete disinterest and replied, "Oh, in that case, let's change the topic."

Everyone laughed lightly.

Gwyneth chimed in, "Eric, I heard the Iron Man Super Bowl trailer is dropping soon?"

Eric looked at Gwyneth, smiling at the former 'Pepper Potts.' "Yes, be sure to tune in; you might find it quite good."

...

After everyone chatted for a while, New Line's CEO, Kenneth Horne, and the recently departed Bill Michanick, walked over together.

Recognizing they might have something important to discuss, Eric nodded to the women and left with them, asking, "What's up?"

Kenneth didn't immediately speak. The three made their way to the ship's internal dining room where Eric had Amy Adams on duty prepare a fresh pot of coffee. Once seated in the quiet room, Kenneth handed Eric a folder he had brought along. "Eric, this is Adam Sandler's new project script."

Taking the folder, Eric flipped through the screenplay quickly.

The script was titled Big Daddy, retaining Adam Sandler's signature comedic style while incorporating more father-son themes.

Currently, Adam Sandler's end-of-year release The Water Boy had also crossed the hundred million mark at the box office. Together with last year's holiday hit, The Wedding Singer, he had now garnered two films with over a hundred million in North America.

While both films had floundered overseas due to his comedic persona and roots in television limiting their appeal, that did not prevent Adam from establishing himself among Hollywood's A-list. After all, his investment return rates were significantly higher than most blockbuster films, considering the average costs hovered around twenty million dollars.

After skimming through, Eric set the script down and inquired, "So, what's the current situation?"

Kenneth replied, "Adam presented this script to me the week after The Water Boy was released. But you know, New Line had originally signed him for only two films -- The Water Boy and The Wedding Singer; he has fulfilled his contract."

Although a newcomer back then, Adam Sandler was already a popular television star, hence only willing to agree to a two-film option.

Eric nodded. "And then what?"

Kenneth continued, "I offered him fifteen million for this movie, but Adam declined. In the following weeks, he hasn't reached out to me."

Eric thought for a moment, smiling at Bill Michanick beside him. "So he turned to Columbia?"

Bill shook his head, then nodded. "Yes and no. Adam didn't contact us directly; instead, a production company called 'Out of the Blue... Entertainment' reached out, claiming they wanted Columbia to help distribute Adam's new film."

At hearing Bill's words, Eric suddenly recalled many years past -- it felt like a cycle.

After completing Home Alone, Eric's distributor had also been Columbia, with Amy Pascal once more playing the connecting role.

Who would have thought that many years later, after making a name for himself, Adam Sandler was seeking out Columbia once again?

However, this time, the situation was utterly different; the current owner of Columbia was the very young man who had once daringly negotiated terms with them.

Still, it came as no surprise that Adam went to Columbia. Among Hollywood's big seven studios, Columbia was currently the weakest, having the strongest demand for quality projects and filmmakers. Compared to others, Columbia was indeed the most likely to accept any proposed conditions.

With these thoughts in mind, Eric wore a smile that carried an ambiguous quality. "So, what are their terms for collaboration?"

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 1087: Terms]

"The initial terms from the other party are," Bill Michanik said, "Sony Pictures can share 15% of all revenue channels, including box office, audiovisual products, and licensing for Big Daddy as distribution costs, but we need to bear the film's marketing budget ourselves."

Eric knew right away that any studio landing Adam Sandler's latest project had to be a veteran of Hollywood, especially compared to when he had naively stared at box office numbers in the past.

In Hollywood, the marketing budget in film production and distribution expenses was notoriously inflated. According to the rules, several major unions in Hollywood required a fixed percentage taken from the net profits of films as benefits for their members. Moreover, some key creatives would sign contracts for a share of the net profits with the film company. To minimize or even avoid this expenditure, production companies often over-reported marketing budgets, seeking to offset profits made during the film's distribution to present a state of loss. This was the infamous Hollywood accounting.

The suggestion from the producer of Big Daddy to allow Columbia to handle the marketing budget directly avoided a major pitfall for the distributors in reporting inflated marketing costs. It's important to note that the marketing budget for Hollywood films typically averaged around half of the production costs, yet many films reported marketing expenses exceeding production costs.

And, of course, the 15% distribution split on all revenue channels was clearly well thought out. This revenue didn't amount to the film's profits or total sales income from channels such as box office and DVDs. Instead, it represented revenue after the film company took a share from various terminal sellers, like the 55% split with domestic theaters in North America, an average of about 35% overseas, plus wholesale income from audiovisual products.

Adam Sandler's overseas box office draw was virtually negligible. The long operational cycle of videotapes and DVDs made it impractical for Columbia. The most substantial revenue remained the North American box office share.

The 15% box office revenue share roughly amounted to around 8% of the total North American box office gross. So, if Big Daddy made $100 million at the North American box office, Columbia would only take home $8 million. While overseas returns might not be significant, it would be possible to gather $2 million.

Thus, Columbia could expect to acquire around $10 million from box office revenues. Given the current income breakdown in Hollywood, where box office, audiovisual, and licensing each represented one-third, after approximately two years of full-channel operations, Columbia's total revenue would hover around $30 million.

New Line had $10 million for the marketing budgets of both The Wedding Singer and The Water Boy, of course, that figure would not reflect accurately in the books. If Big Daddy followed similar standards, after two years of hard work, Columbia would only net $20 million in profits.

It wasn't difficult to guess that since Adam Sandler had turned down New Line's $15 million salary offer, then the independent production company named 'Out of the Blue... Entertainment' must have offered him at least $20 million as a baseline.

Compared to Adam Sandler effortlessly pocketing $20 million, Columbia's team would be toiling away for two years, earning what could only be described as meager earnings.

In Eric's view, a film company that was one of the seven major studios in Hollywood falling to the point of scrapping together small profits from stars was almost worse than bankruptcy.

In reality, Sony Pictures in the original timeline relied heavily on the unyielding Spider-Man franchise to occasionally make its financial reports look decent. Most of the time, the company was stuck making "sweat money" off affordable stars like Adam Sandler and Will Smith. Tom Cruise earning over $70 million from each Mission: Impossible had already strained relations with Paramount, yet Will Smith frequently secured over $80 million per film with Sony, showcasing how pitiful Sony's profit margins were.

With ongoing changes in the industry, Columbia needed projects that could guarantee profitability. However, Eric had no intention of allowing Columbia to tread the same path. Therefore, he said decisively to Bill Michanik, "Reject their offer. We don't want the distribution rights to this film, nor will we accept similar terms in the future."

Bill Michanik hesitated, saying, "Eric, the 15% split is certainly negotiable."

"Bill, you surely have done the profit projections for this film, right?" Eric asked, but before Bill could respond, he continued, "I would rather keep Columbia's distribution channels idle than work for the stars. If Columbia is lacking production funds, I can provide them. You need marketing resources, and the Firefly Media Network can offer that. All you need to do is find good film projects with your team. You have two years. If Columbia hasn't improved by then, I will initiate a large-scale layoff. If that doesn't help, I'll have to let you go and merge Columbia back into Firefly."

After saying that, Eric ignored the two and stood up, heading straight for the exit of the restaurant.

Bill Michanik digested Eric's words, feeling a wave of increased pressure.

...

While Eric's words were harsh, upon reflection, it became clear he was ready to provide the funding and media channels. If their outcome still didn't improve, even without Eric saying anything, he wouldn't have the digntity to stay at Columbia. However, in an industry known for its high risks, who could truly guarantee a film's success?

Seeing Kenneth Horne calmly sipping coffee nearby, seemingly unaffected by Eric's previous statements, Bill Michanik suddenly had an idea and asked tentatively, "Kenneth, I heard that besides The Ring, New Line has a few good Japanese horror scripts?"

Kenneth Horne shook his head immediately and laughed, "Don't even think about it."

Bill Michanik, feeling disheartened, took a sip of coffee and said, "I noticed Eric has helped you choose so many projects, including MGM's spy movie universe, yet Columbia has nothing to show for it."

"Really?" Kenneth Horne smiled. "How about this, you give me Pirates of the Caribbean, and you can choose any script from New Line."

Although Pirates of the Caribbean was being closely held by Eric with no signs of production yet, just thinking of the series of actions Eric took for this script showed how crucial it was to him.

Upon hearing Kenneth Horne's demand, Bill Michanik immediately replied, "Not a chance."

...

Eric's acquisition of Columbia was partly about Pirates of the Caribbean, but even more so to continue expanding the Firefly system's production and distribution platform.

Although many people within and outside of Hollywood were skeptical of Columbia's future and even considered Firefly taking over Columbia a hindrance to its growth, Eric remained confident about Columbia's revival. For him, selecting a handful of promising screenplays from the countless projects brewing in Hollywood at any given moment was merely a walk in the park.

His earlier words were merely a wake-up call for Bill Michanik. Kenneth Horne clearly understood this, which is why he appeared relaxed. After being chastised by Eric, Bill Michanik was naturally more focused now.

As for Adam Sandler's new film, even if it broke box office records reaching $200 million or more, Eric didn't mind. Establishing new profit-sharing rules in Hollywood was far more important in his mind than momentary gains or losses.

Moreover, outside of the Firefly system, the other three -- Warner Bros., Paramount, and Universal Pictures -- were hardly appealing options.

As for the so-called 'Out of the Blue... Entertainment' conducting independent distribution, given that Hollywood had already seen a substantial consolidation of the media industry, their efforts would undoubtedly face the combined obstacles of the major studios. Without substantial advertising resources and solid theater platforms in place, even if a film had the potential for a $100 million box office, landing $50 million would be lucky.

Each release window had a fixed audience and box office scale; a standalone company entering the fray meant cutting into the business of the majors. Who would be willing to do that?

It could be said that after the turn of the millennium, unless there was a fundamental policy shift in North America's media industry, the number of major Hollywood film companies would only decline and never increase.

...

After leaving the restaurant, Eric had intended to go up to the top deck for some fresh air, but he found Harvey Weinstein, Robert Redford, and others already gathered there. Among the crowd stood Julia Roberts, who had been chatting happily. Upon seeing Eric, her demeanor shifted, and she came over affectionate, intertwining her arm with his.

Everyone felt Julia's unusual behavior, but no one displayed any overt reaction. Over the years, Julia had apparently stopped caring what others thought. Among Eric's women, she alone boldly wore that shiny ruby ring in any setting without regard and rarely took it off.

Feeling the smooth silk of Julia's gown against him, Eric wrapped his arm around her waist and smiled, greeting everyone, "What are you all discussing?"

"The Sundance Film Festival," Robert Redford said. "Eric, are you interested in skiing in Park City? It's just the right time."

Robert Redford, besides being a well-known director and actor in Hollywood, was also the illustrious founder of the Sundance Film Festival.

Eric wasn't particularly interested in skiing. Although he understood Robert's intention to invite him to the Sundance Film Festival, he was about to decline.

Yet, just as he was about to speak, Julia gently tugged at his sleeve, her tone a bit hopeful, "Eric, I promised Bob I would attend the opening ceremony of the Sundance Film Festival next week. Will you come with me?"

Julia rarely made requests of Eric, so hearing her say this left him with no thoughts of refusal. He turned to Robert Redford and asked, "Uh, Bob, when is it?"

"The opening ceremony is on Thursday," Robert said, trying to keep his expression neutral, despite having heard of Julia and Eric's relationship. "The ceremony is held in the evening, so you can come by then."

"Well then, I'll take Julia to see it," Eric nodded, then asked, "Are there any outstanding films this year?"

"About that," Robert Redford smiled, "I think all the films are quite good; however, whether they'll suit your taste is something you'll want to check out for yourself."

The Sundance Film Festival aimed to support independent films and new talent, and one of the distinguishing features of these films was their low budget. As the most successful commercial director in Hollywood at that time, Robert Redford found it challenging to gauge whether Eric would still be interested in these smaller productions.

Eric sensed the subtext in Robert's words and said, "In fact, the production budget has never been the most important factor to me. I prefer films that achieve great things on a small scale."

Hearing Eric say this, Harvey Weinstein immediately shook his head in amusement, remarking, "Eric, what you said is something everyone would agree with."

Eric paused for a moment, then laughed, "Yeah, it really is something everyone likes."

...

After chatting for a while, Eric took Julia away from the deck, asking along the way, "What about Liz?"

"She went to New York," Julia replied, moving closer to Eric in the corridor and added, "I think she went to have a fight."

Eric became intrigued, saying, "What fight?"

Julia looked confused, saying, "I don't really know."

Despite Rupert Murdoch's business acumen, he wasn't known as a strict father. Otherwise, his two sons wouldn't have turned out so unruly. For his most accomplished child, Elisabeth, the old man showed even more favoritism. Eric had never witnessed Elisabeth in a confrontation with her father.

Thus, going all the way to New York for a fight could only mean it was with the new step mother.

Thinking about the way Elisabeth ended up devastated during her playful banter, Eric felt a small twinge of worry for her on this quarrel trip.

Upon reaching the lower main deck, Eric walked to the buffet table, grabbing a plate with Julia as they planned to eat something. Eric then asked, "How's the preparation for your new film coming along?"

"I've already talked with Soderbergh," Julia replied, picking her food. "We're starting filming in March, and it will be out by the end of the year."

Eric nodded, smiling, "Nicole's Moulin Rouge! got pushed to next year, so it seems nobody will be competing against you for Best Actress this year."

As a large-scale musical, Nicole's Moulin Rouge! had originally hoped for a summer release. However, due to various delays, it couldn't be ready in time for the summer schedule. The year-end period was already crowded, and it would directly compete with Julia's film, Erin Brockovich. Fox eventually decided to move it to next year.

Having taken their food, they walked to a table on the deck to sit down. Julia said, "I don't care about Best Actress, Eric. You don't care, do you?"

Eric pretended to think about it before chuckling, "I'd still prefer Best Actress."

"Hmm, then I'll go for Best Actress," Julia's expression morphed intriguingly, her eyes shining, "Eric, if you're impatient, there are some Best Actress nominees on this ship right now."

Eric wanted to give Julia a playful tap on her forehead but held back because of the many people around. "Who are they? I haven't seen any."

Julia looked around and pointed, "There, Holly Hunter, the Best Actress for The Piano. Although she plays a mute in that movie, her voice is actually beautiful."

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 1088: Quarterly Financial Report]

Noticing Julia pointing at them, Holly Hunter and a few others who were chatting made their way over. Eric had no choice but to get up and engage in a few pleasantries with them. Once they left, he shot a frustrated glance at Julia, who looked completely innocent.

Julia shrank back a little, her eyes filled with hope as she whispered, "Eric, you're mad at me, right? Are you going to discipline me?"

"No," Eric shook his head and replied, "I will treat you well, in the gentlest way possible."

"Uh-huh, uh-huh," Julia nodded vigorously like a little chick pecking at rice, clearly not averse to that approach.

Well, that meant he couldn't get mad at her.

...

Monday mornings typically involved breakfast with Katzenberg, where they would discuss the recent company affairs. Elisabeth was still on her 'fight trip,' and it was only yesterday that Eric learned during a phone call that the issue revolved around Fox Broadcasting. Murdoch wanted to place Wendi Deng at Fox, which Elisabeth naturally opposed.

Eric didn't feel it was appropriate to meddle in family matters.

Waking up in Julia and Elisabeth's Beverly Hills mansion that morning, Eric initially thought Julia would want to sleep in, so he planned to head to work early. However, Julia also got up, although she remained a bit sleepy until they reached the Firefly headquarters in Burbank.

"Good morning, Eric," Katzenberg bustled into the dining room, as lively as ever, shaking Eric's hand, then enthusiastically greeting Julia, "Morning, Julia!"

Julia perked up and nodded at Katzenberg, "Jeffrey, good morning."

After the greetings, Eric and Katzenberg took their seats at the breakfast table, with Julia lazily sitting next to Eric.

Katzenberg seemed to understand Julia's state and, thinking that the matters for discussion today were nothing to be shy about, didn't mind, placing their breakfast order. He couldn't wait to ask, "Eric, have you seen AOL's quarterly financial report?"

Most publicly traded companies released their quarterly financial reports in late January or early February. Since it was just January 18, Eric didn't expect AOL to announce its quarterly report so early. However, considering AOL's recent circumstances, it was understandable that they would want to get things out in the open sooner rather than later.

After all, only a solid financial report could completely chase away the negative buzz surrounding AOL and give the company more leverage in its merger with Time Warner.

In1998, the Nasdaq index had settled at 2733 points by December 31. Meanwhile, a series of tech companies listed on Nasdaq saw their stock prices reach historical highs, with Microsoft's market cap smoothly breaking the $400 billion mark, reaching $418.5 billion, firmly securing its position as the number one company globally.

Among the best-performing tech companies under the Firefly umbrella, Cisco's market cap also hit $166.6 billion, ranking tenth on the global corporate valuation list. Yahoo, after experiencing a booming IPO, had its stock prices fluctuating. But before the year ended, its market cap maintained a high of $106.7 billion.

In 1997, all the tech companies under Firefly's investment control had assets totaling less than $200 billion. Now, just Cisco and Yahoo had exceeded $270 billion. Additionally, compared to last year, Nokia's market value had doubled, reaching $66.5 billion.

Including the non-public but valued over $100 billion media conglomerate Firefly Group, the Firefly system thus owned three enterprises valued over a hundred billion dollars.

If the Nasdaq index collapsed as Eric predicted, this year would mark the pinnacle of his personal wealth. Although not yet officially calculated, Eric's net worth on the Forbes billionaire list would likely exceed the unprecedented $300 billion level, especially when compared to the $265 billion reported by The New York Times back in November.

It was easy to predict that after the Nasdaq crash, it would take at least ten years for Eric's wealth to reach its current level again, based on the historical development trajectory of the tech industry. However, by that time, should Eric's net worth match this year's level again, the bubble component of his assets would absolutely not be as severe as it currently was.

Having processed these thoughts, Eric shook his head and said, "Not yet. So, what's the situation right now?"

Katzenberg waved to his assistant nearby to bring over a laptop. After opening it and displaying the information to Eric, he continued, "AOL just released their numbers. For the fourth quarter last year, AOL reported revenues of $1.1925 billion, a staggering 46% increase compared to last year and a 21% rise compared to the last quarter. Their quarterly profit reached $190.5 million, marking a 41% year-on-year increase. All the relevant figures far surpassed Wall Street's expectations."

Here at Firefly's headquarters restaurant in Burbank, Eric had intentionally set up the WiFi network in advance. As Katzenberg spoke, he skillfully switched pages to display AOL's stock price.

By then, it was almost eleven o'clock Eastern Time, and Eric only saw a sharply rising curve on the graph. Over an hour after the market opened, AOL's stock surged 11%, lifting its market cap to $73.6 billion.

Eric meticulously reviewed all the stats displayed on the browser, then smiled, "This is good news! AOL is set to repurchase that 3.1% of shares held by Clover Fund next month. With this increase, we just made a few hundred million more." Saying that, he opened the calculator on the laptop and did some quick math, "At the current stock price, it should be $2.28 billion, and maybe it will rise quite a bit in the coming weeks. Ultimately, we might even end up with $2.5 billion."

"$2.5 billion," Katzenberg couldn't help but express a bit of awe. Although Clover Fund had bought into the stock at what was considered a high price, if they could recover $2.5 billion, they would have made several times profit compared to the initial investment. Remembering something, Katzenberg added with a grin, "Just in time, that money might be enough to buy Hasbro."

Although Hasbro hadn't yet released their fourth-quarter report from the previous year and given that Star Wars: Episode I came out in late December, even with the report, the disappointing sales of Star Wars merchandise wouldn't substantially impact Hasbro's Q4 revenue data.

However, after more than half a month, the news about the poor performance of Star Wars toys had spread, and Hasbro's high stock prices were starting to show signs of decline.

Hearing Katzenberg bring up Hasbro, Eric asked, "Speaking of which, has the consumer products department released the report on Star Wars' disappointing sales?"

Katzenberg nodded, "I've been keeping an eye on it. I should be able to transfer the detailed documents to you in a few days, but the basic issues are quite clear. Hasbro's failure this time was mainly because they were too greedy. A $100 million licensing fee allowed them nearly half the peripheral products from Star Wars. According to the consumer products department's investigation, Hasbro's new line of toys based on the latest characters from Episode I was still very popular, but because there were too many different products, it ended up affecting consumers' shopping choices. As a result, most of the products, apart from the core group of hot sellers, languished unsold. I believe we should categorize and restrict the types of peripheral products we develop for our movies in the future."

Eric listened attentively, "This year, our Iron Man, Cars, and The Fellowship of the Ring all have great potential for peripheral product development, so it would be best if you kept a close watch on this. I don't want the consumer products department to merely summarize their experience without putting it into practice."

"Of course," Katzenberg agreed. Just then, the waiter brought their breakfast, and the conversation paused briefly. After the waiter left, Katzenberg continued, "Also, regarding the '4200' plan, Eric, although the final contracts for North America are still under negotiation, 2,000 3D screens and 100 IMAX screens have been basically confirmed for a full rollout with the release of Gravity later this year. However, overseas, I think there may be a delay of one to two months."

Originally, Eric hoped that the rollout of 3D and IMAX screens could happen globally simultaneously, but after a year of preparation, he began to realize the realities. The North American market was somewhat manageable, but the overseas film markets were impacted by various complex factors, such as national market policies, making it impossible for something to happen simultaneously.

Certainly, the IMAX theaters completely controlled by Firefly Group might achieve that goal, but expanding those 2,000 3D screens overseas would prove to be quite challenging.

And just the mere 100 IMAX screens scattered across other countries globally clearly wouldn't suffice, as Firefly could not launch Gravity and The Fellowship of the Ring in those scant 100 screens.

Eric didn't doubt Katzenberg was giving this matter his all. The fact that he brought it up meant that it was unavoidable.

"Well then, let's just ensure the North American release is synchronized," Eric said, although somewhat disappointed, he quickly added, "As long as North America can succeed, I'm sure overseas expansion will follow swiftly."

"Absolutely," Katzenberg nodded, adding, "However, in North America, I met with representatives from several major theater chains last week. They still have some concerns, mostly regarding the film supply. From the release of Gravity in November to The Fellowship of the Ring in December, there's only one month gap. Given the excitement surrounding both films, theater chains are optimistic that they can support a two-month 3D movie market. However, from The Fellowship of the Ring in December to next year's Easter weekend release of Sleepy Hollow, that's a full four-month gap. Even if The Fellowship of the Ring could carry a two-month window, those 2,000 3D screens would face two months without supply. So, the exhibitors demanded we provide at least two more 3D films to ensure a monthly rollout."

At the current technological level, the main difficulty with sourcing 3D films still lay in costs. Time costs were secondary; merely shifting and copying the films for those 2,000 screens could add up to several million dollars to a movie's budget. For productions under $50 million, these two aspects alone could increase the overall production budget by over 10%.

Not to mention even more expensive IMAX versions, which cost about ten times more than regular 3D copies. If both formats were employed, distribution costs would skyrocket.

However, since they were determined to push ahead, there was no room for second thoughts. After thinking for a moment, Eric asked Katzenberg, "What's your take on this?"

Katzenberg replied, "Placing the company's big productions in the off-peak months of January and February is too risky. If we choose lower-budget films, they may limit showcasing the visual advantages of 3D and IMAX. I believe we could select some classic blockbusters from our film library for conversion. This approach could reduce risks while maintaining visual quality."

Hearing this from Katzenberg, Eric immediately thought of a series of 3D remastered blockbusters from his timeline. However, he quickly shook his head and said, "No, it's not the right time yet."

While he recalled many 3D remastered films doing very well at the box office, most of those instances occurred after a movie had been out for ten or twenty years.

The rise of Hollywood's blockbuster with special effects hadn't even been around for a decade. Before the 90s, Eric couldn't come up with many films worth remastering for 3D. However, post-90s, he could think of plenty, and Firefly Group alone owned a considerable number of movies like Jurassic Park, Terminator, Twister, and Independence Day, all of which had the potential for 3D conversion.

Yet, compared to the past, the release ages of these films were still too recent to mine nostalgia effectively. Moreover, although he was very satisfied with the 3D technology developed under Firefly, Eric still hoped this technology would evolve for another ten years before rolling out 3D versions of those classic films.

Katzenberg didn't expect Eric to flatly refuse, saying, "Eric, according to Disney's practice of re-releasing animated films every seven years, it's actually a good time already. Although these are adult films, the rationale is the same: seven years will bring about a whole new group of adult viewers."

"That's not what I mean," Eric shook his head, "Re-releasing every seven years is indeed the case, but I don't want to rush to exploit the commercial potential of these films now. Perhaps waiting another ten years until these films become classics in a generation's collective memory, then re-releasing the 3D versions would yield greater rewards. Right now, just to fill the gap, pulling these classic films out would be too much of a waste."

"In that case," Katzenberg pondered and seemed to be persuaded by Eric's argument, "We'll have to select from our existing films. Speaking of which, that Underworld series would be neat. Its austere Gothic style and violent gunfight scenes would probably translate really well into 3D. However, New Line has already slated that film for a summer release."

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 1089: The Glorious Box Office List]

Underworld was a project personally finalized by Eric Williams. Although the budget was only $20 million, which would be considered a low-cost production by today's standards, he was personally keeping track of it. Aside from providing several classic design sequences for Underworld based on his memories, Eric also brought in producer Paul Anderson to ensure the film's gunfights and action style.

Filming began last September and was now more than halfway complete. Eric had just watched a rough cut last week. Although the lead actress had changed to Natasha Henstridge and the director was no longer Len Wiseman, under the dual supervision of Eric and Anderson, the new version of Underworld had quality that was absolutely on par with, if not better than, the original.

To be fair, according to New Line's distribution schedule, it was clearly more prudent to release this film during the summer blockbusters, but after just a brief hesitation, Eric made a decisive call.

To promote 3D and IMAX films, it was certainly imperative to take some risks.

"Even though these are all night scenes, as long as we pay attention to the brightness issue during conversion, this film is really suitable to be made in 3D," Eric thought aloud. "I'll talk to Kenneth about this. I'll handle it myself. Also, I recall that IMAX has a movie called T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous that could also help fill the void. I'll see if there are any other suitable films to choose from, and that should surely be enough."

As long as the supply of 3D film content was secured from the end of this year to next summer, the success or failure of the 3D film promotion would surely be settled by next summer. Once 3D movies took off, the ensuing supply issue would also be easily resolved.

...

After discussing these matters and finishing breakfast, Katzenberg was the first to leave the restaurant. Eric patiently waited for Julia Roberts to leisurely finish her meal before saying, "Aren't you supposed to have a table read meeting with the crew of Erin Brockovich? Should I have someone take you over?"

Julia understood she couldn't cling to Eric all day. After affectionately embracing the man, she took her leave.

...

After personally seeing Julia off to her car, Eric returned to the headquarters building.

That morning, the company was set to hold its annual film business summary meeting, and Eric arrived at the large conference room where the senior executives of the group were mostly assembled.

As Eric sat down at the conference table, the meeting secretary began distributing materials to everyone. As the documents were handed out, a murmur of whispers naturally spread across the room.

Eric opened the folder in front of him and looked at the impressive box office list in his hands. Although everyone had likely received related data beforehand, he could understand the mood of the crowd at this moment.

With films like Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace still in theaters for the holiday season, the box office data on the materials only accounted for figures up to December 31 of the previous year. The first page presented the top ten North American box office rankings for that year.

1. Charlie's Angels 3: $322 million, MGM

2. The Ring: $286 million, New Line

3. Mission: Impossible 3: $266 million, MGM

4. The Day After Tomorrow: $253 million, Buena Vista

5. The Matrix Reloaded: $238 million, Amblin

6. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace: $218 million, Fox

7. Ted: $212 million, New Line

8. The Scorpion King: $193 million, Universal

9. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me: $186 million, Fox

10. The Truman Show: $125 million, Paramount

After scanning the box office ranking data again, Eric couldn't help but feel a bit sentimental.

It's evident from the rankings that while only The Day After Tomorrow from Buena Vista, and The Ring and Ted from New Line were directly from the Firefly Group, seven out of the ten films originated from major distribution labels under the Firefly system, including Buena Vista, New Line, MGM, and Fox. Even The Matrix Reloaded, released by Amblin, had close links to the Firefly system. The other two films, The Scorpion King and The Truman Show, barely made it onto the list, occupying the lowest positions.

Eric understood that the emotions of the people in the conference room must be quite complex. After all, most of these films could have been directly from the Firefly Group if he had chosen to do so. If that were the case, the Firefly Group could have created market miracles during Hollywood's golden age that even MGM couldn't achieve.

However, from Eric's personal viewpoint, he was very satisfied with this list.

After all, if films like Charlie's Angels 3 and The Matrix Reloaded had remained with Firefly, considering the group's limited distribution capacity, one could question whether these films could continue to reach their original box office potential. Even if they achieved box office figures comparable to the current ones, the Firefly Group would then become very prominent on this list.

By dispersing this series of films across different labels, it was clear to anyone with common sense how these films were linked to Firefly, but it also provided a convenient cover for many who were unwilling to face reality.

Recently, there had already emerged a trend in Hollywood against the Firefly system, and it was clear that without this convenient cover, tensions would undoubtedly rise further.

However, pondering over this year's distribution plans left Eric feeling a little headache.

Compared to last year's relative silence, this year, the Firefly Group's Buena Vista was set to release five major films directly: the Easter release of Enemy of the State, the summer releases of Iron Man and Cars, and the year-end releases of Gravity and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. It wasn't hard to imagine that all five films had the potential to land in the top ten box office rankings for the year.

Moreover, starting next year, the average scale of major film releases from the Firefly Group would undoubtedly only increase. Including MGM, Fox, and Columbia, the entire Firefly system could very well occupy all top ten positions on the box office ranking. Such a situation would surely be thrilling but would also add more pressure to the entire Firefly system.

Nonetheless, Eric couldn't possibly stop expanding just because of these concerns.

...

The meeting began shortly thereafter, but with these thoughts weighing on his mind, Eric found himself a bit distracted throughout the process. The meeting went on until noon, after which everyone had lunch together. He finally arrived at Playa Vista to the Firefly Studios around two in the afternoon.

The post-production for Gravity was ongoing in a tense state. Whenever he was in Los Angeles, Eric spent a significant portion of his time working on this film.

Today, a segment of the lead actress's scenes required re-dubbing. Eric arrived at the Firefly Studios, and Jodie Foster, along with her assistant, was already waiting in the post-production studio.

Although they had seen each other a few times since the film wrapped, Jodie's demeanor towards Eric was noticeably conflicted. She was a very independent woman and didn't want to become just another one of Eric's numerous flings. However, the charm radiating from this little man made it hard for her to resist. Over the past few weeks, Jodie's attitude toward Eric often appeared a bit distant yet intrigued.

Since they were only reworking a few segments, the dubbing didn't take long, and within half an hour, Jodie finished her work.

Seeing the woman packing her things and preparing to leave, Eric suggested, "How about you come to my office for a bit? You have nothing else to do this afternoon, right?"

Jodie hesitated for a moment but then nodded.

...

After they left the post-production center together and arrived at the administrative building where Eric's office was, he noticed Jodie's anxious expression. She even brought her assistant along, which made him chuckle.

Pulling out his wallet to check, Eric realized there was no cash, so he looked over at Jodie and said, "Can you give me your wallet?"

Startled, Jodie instinctively took a small step back. When she realized Eric only wanted her wallet, she rolled her eyes at him and said, "You want my wallet? You're Eric Williams!"

Despite her protest, Jodie retrieved her wallet from her purse and handed it to Eric.

Eric opened Jodie's wallet, pulled out a one-dollar bill, and handed it to her assistant, who was trying his best to look inconspicuous, saying, "Here, go buy yourself some candy. You don't need to stay here with us."

Watching her assistant leave in a daze after being sent off by Eric, Jodie finally reacted and snatched her wallet back, forcing a stern expression as she said, "You llittle guy! I thought you were up to something. That joke isn't funny at all."

Eric walked over to the coffee machine, poured coffee for both of them, and smiled, "Yeah, I figured you thought I was up to something, that's why I had your assistant come in, right?"

Jodie didn't respond but couldn't help her cheeks turning a bit red. Seeing Eric busily back turned, she relaxed a little.

After settling onto the office's sofa in the guest area, Jodie leaned against the backrest, gazing out the glass window. The view from here was quite nice, featuring the photography studio areas and the commercial lofts of Digital Domain. It suddenly occurred to her that his own place probably had a good view too, especially that shell villa at Liberty City Manor. She had a random thought about wanting to take a look there.

Just as her thoughts began to wander, Jodie heard a low, teasing voice: "Isn't it great? Finally, the two of us can be here alone together."

The tone and content of the statement sent an eerie chill down Jodie's spine. When she turned to see Eric holding coffee with a sly grin, she realized she had been pranked and lightly nudged him on the leg with her foot.

Eric chuckled, placing the coffee on the coffee table and quickly catching her ankle as he sat down on the sofa, casually lifting her legs onto his lap. He took off one of her black high heels and remarked, "You actually wore high heels today. Were they meant for me?"

With her legs now held by Eric, Jodie leaned slightly against the couch, feeling her body soften. Hearing his comment, she rolled her eyes gently and said, "Eric, I've just realized you're such a conceited guy."

"No, no, you're wrong. If a man's confidence far exceeds his personal abilities, that's what you call conceit. I think I've always been quite humble."

As Eric spoke, he effortlessly slipped off Jodie's other high heel. Although she was in heels, she was still wearing a pair of loose-fitting jeans, which had enough space for Eric to slip his hand through.

Feeling the sensation of his fingertips on her calves, Jodie's body went even softer, and she lost any will to break away -- perhaps deep down, she didn't even want to resist. Grabbing a cushion to hug against her chest, she playfully murmured, "Eric, you jerk."

"Not now; save the compliments for later. I can't feel anything at the moment."

"Funny!"

...

Jodie groggily opened her eyes to a dimly lit room. Remembering the afternoon's events, she felt a bit of regret. It was utterly ridiculous; she had easily let that little guy have his way again.

Moreover, the bedroom was right next to the office. That mischievous guy must've done plenty of things like this on a daily basis.

The thought of other women possibly having laid on this bed made Jodie a bit uneasy, even though she wasn't a germaphobe. She shifted around in the sheets and reached out with a hand to see if anyone was on the other side of the bed, only to discover there was no one there, not even a trace of warmth on the sheets. This indicated that the guy had left long ago, abandoning her here by herself, which made her feel a slight sense of grievance.

What was this situation? Perhaps she should keep her distance from him in the future. At the very least, she shouldn't let him have his way so easily again.

With these chaotic thoughts swirling in her mind, the bedroom door suddenly swung open. Jodie froze for a moment but didn't pretend to be asleep. As the lights in the bedroom came on, Jodie turned around, her eyes shining brightly as she leaned against her pillow, looking at the man entering. He wore a simple white shirt and fitted trousers, and his chiseled face was flawless.

Noticing how strong her feelings for the man before her had become, Jodie suddenly felt a bit of panic.

What was happening to her?

Eric approached the bedside, noticing the look in Jodie's eyes. He brushed the hair from her face and smiled, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Jodie shook her head. "What time is it?"

"It's already six o'clock. I made a reservation at a restaurant on Venice Beach. Let's go have dinner together."

Jodie hesitated, "Isn't there a restaurant on the yacht? If we eat outside, won't someone recognize us?"

"We can't always eat in the same place," Eric laughed. "Plus, even if someone sees us, they're likely to just think I'm your good buddy... Ouch! Easy on the waist, that hurts!"

He whimpered, dodging Jodie's pinch at his waist. Eric rubbed the spot and said, "Alright, do you want me to help you get dressed?"

Jodie instantly shook her head, "You need to leave!"

Eric didn't press further, standing up to walk outside. "You can take another shower. I'll wait for you outside."

Watching the door close behind Eric, Jodie took a moment to collect her thoughts before sitting up.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 1090: A Lucky Find]

After dinner, Jodie, who had promised to accompany Eric back to Liberty City Manor, suddenly had a change of heart. With a sigh about how unpredictable women's hearts could be, Eric had no choice but to take her back to her place.

On January 21, Thursday, it was the opening day of the 15th Sundance Film Festival.

Eric flew with Julia to Salt Lake City, Utah, that afternoon. The flight from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City only took an hour. The festival was located in Park City, about twenty miles east of Salt Lake City, nestled in the mountains. After the brief transfer, they arrived at their booked resort just before 4 PM, with the opening ceremony set for 7 PM.

Upon entering the resort's apartment, Julia couldn't wait to take off her heavy white down jacket. She immediately complained, "It's freezing! I wouldn't have come if I'd known it would be this cold."

Compared to the spring-like warmth of Los Angeles, Park City, having just experienced snowfall, had daytime temperatures below freezing.

The heating had already been turned on in the apartment. Eric sent off the acquisitions manager from New Line Cinema, who had handed him a stack of film schedules and party information for the festival, placing them on the coffee table. He walked over to help Julia remove her jacket, chuckling, "Haven't you been here before?"

"Nope," Julia shook her head. "If Robert hadn't invited me personally, and if Cookie's Fortune wasn't the opening film, I wouldn't have come."

Cookie's Fortune was a new film from renowned Hollywood director Robert Altman. This veteran filmmaker had a knack for creating various satirical films, commanding the star power on par with Woody Allen. Additionally, Altman was known for his ensemble cast, often showcasing multiple Hollywood stars in cameo roles. To enhance her profile and credentials while filming mainstream commercial movies, Julia had also made appearances in several of Altman's films, which explained her attendance.

"If you don't like it, we can head back tomorrow," Eric suggested as he hung Julia's jacket on a hanger, removing his own trench coat before settling onto the sofa by the fireplace. He began flipping through the stack of materials.

Julia came over, leaning against him. "No way! Eric, let's spend the weekend here together, okay?"

With their usually busy schedules, this rare opportunity for the two of them to spend time together was not something Eric was willing to pass up. "Alright, I'll see what good movies are showing."

As Julia leaned closer to look at the film schedule, she quickly lost interest after only glancing at a few listings. She pulled out another set of information, stating, "None of these movies seem interesting. Let's just hit the party instead."

Despite gaining more recognition over the years, the Sundance Film Festival hadn't yet reached its peak.

The most apparent difference was that none of the films in the stack were directed by well-known filmmakers, nor did they feature any prominent Hollywood actors. However, this essence highlighted Sundance's dedication to showcasing independent films and new talent. Years later, even as it attracted more Oscar-caliber filmmakers, the festival would become increasingly commercialized.

Flipping through the film list, Eric was surprised to spot a German film called Run Lola Run, directed by Tom Tykwer. It had been nominated in the World Cinema section.

He had never seen the film but had heard about it. He knew that historically, it had a significant impact on Doug Liman's shooting of The Bourne Identity, which led Liman to invite the film's star, Franka Potente, to play the lead role of Marie.

Noting the screening time for Run Lola Run was set for the following morning, he folded the page to mark it.

The parties in Park City were completely incomparable to those in Los Angeles. Julia assessed the list of little-known films' associated events and completely lost her enthusiasm. Yet, as long as she could spend a few quiet days alone with Eric, she was content without needing any activities. She tossed aside the party materials and reached to wrap her arm around Eric's.

"Hey, let's go see this movie tomorrow morning," Eric indicated the information for Run Lola Run, glancing at the clock. "What are you planning to wear?"

"It doesn't matter; there's no red carpet," Julia replied, shaking her head. "I'll just wear what I have on."

...

Though the winter days were short, the blanket of snow covering Park City kept the evenings bright, even as the temperatures continued to drop.

Outside the theater hosting the opening ceremony, a few photographers and fans had gathered, some with cameras, eagerly hoping to catch a glimpse of the event. Their expressions held curiosity and excitement, but it lacked the electrifying vibe of large award ceremonies.

This was to be expected. Besides Robert Redford, the founder of the Sundance Film Festival, the only recognizable group so far was that of the Cookie's Fortune cast, who had entered the theater recently. However, these stars were merely familiar faces in Hollywood, along with some seasoned actors in supporting roles -- nothing to get the younger fans overly excited.

Tony Gellson, a photographer for The Hollywood Reporter, snapped a couple of shots of the crew from the newly released The Adventures of Sebastian Cole and glanced around, his spirits low. He began discussing strategies with a colleague from another LA media outlet about how to secure tickets for the weekend's ASC party in Park City.

Although it wasn't strictly a film event, many top singers would attend the party, promising a lot of useful scoops.

A black Range Rover pulled up to the theater entrance. Tony was initially indifferent, thinking there would be many filming opportunities on the route from the street to the theater. However, his colleague suddenly gasped, elbowing him excitedly, "Look, oh my God!"

Wondering why his colleague was acting so shocked, Tony turned his head, first noticing Julia in her white down jacket. Just as he raised his camera to take a shot, he promptly realized that the young man casually linking arms with her was none other than Eric Williams!

How could Eric Williams be here?

Clearly, Julia Roberts wouldn't be so close with another man.

Dazed, Tony watched as the modest gathering erupted into chaos. The previously scattered media reporters rushed toward the couple, wildly clicking their cameras as fans swarmed, screaming and attempting to extend their autograph books past the bouncers to Eric.

The scene became chaotic, forcing Eric to hold Julia tightly against him as he hurried into the theater, surrounded by several bodyguards.

Upon seeing Eric vanish into the building, frustrated reporters and fans nearly stormed inside. Luckily, Eric's security and the theater's guards acted swiftly, managing to contain the surging crowd.

...

Robert Redford, hearing the commotion outside, quickly stepped out to greet Eric, exchanging friendly banter before introducing a sprightly elderly man beside him. "Eric, this is Robert Altman."

"Mr. Altman, it's a pleasure," Eric said, shaking the director's hand politely and sharing a few pleasantries. Redford then introduced several young directors to Eric, and they all proceeded into the screening room.

Inside the screening room for the opening ceremony, a buzz of excitement rippled through the attendees. When word spread that Eric Williams would be in attendance, many initially thought it was a joke. It wasn't until Eric entered with Redford and others that people started to believe it.

Feeling overwhelmed by the many eyes on him, Eric shifted uncomfortably as Redford personally led him to a seat. With a few minutes to spare before the ceremony began, he sat down, jokingly saying, "Eric, I'm starting to regret inviting you. It looks like Sundance is going to be quite the spectacle for the next few days."

Eric shrugged and chuckled, "Sorry, Bob! I'm definitely not here to steal your thunder."

"Haha," Redford laughed. "Honestly, if you could come every year, I'd be willing to hand over the festival director duties to you. Everyone really needs opportunities, and you're perfectly positioned to offer many people chances they might never get again."

Hearing Redford say that made Eric smile politely. He didn't see himself as a savior and had never considered such a role. If he came across any hidden gems among the films being showcased, he wouldn't mind making a move. Otherwise, he preferred to be a spectator.

It might be worth trying to snag that Run Lola Run film, viewing it as a fortunate find.

But on second thought, there was no need to mention that. Since it was nominated in the World Cinema section and had a strong shot at winning, it would naturally be on the radar of several major Hollywood film companies.

After all, even though not many big Hollywood names had shown interest in Sundance yet, the acquisition departments of the seven major studios had teams at Sundance, including Firefly Group, MGM, Fox, and Columbia. If none of them managed to pick up Run Lola Run, Eric would certainly question their judgment afterward.

...

As the commotion surrounding Eric gradually calmed, the opening ceremony commenced.

Like the ceremony itself, which featured no red carpet events, the proceedings appeared simply laid-back. Robert Altman and several other directors from Sundance took the stage to deliver short speeches, followed by the screening of the opening film, Cookie's Fortune.

Similar to many film festivals, it was common for guests to leave before the screening following speeches. However, at this event, no one stood up between the end of the speeches and the film's preparation, as if everyone had suddenly become devoted fans of Robert Altman.

Eric had seen several of Altman's films, but the one that left the most lasting impression on him was the astonishing eight-minute long take from The Player.

The two long takes in his current project, Gravity, would run a total of eighteen minutes. Yet when compared, Gravity's long takes are a test for the director's creativity. Additionally, due to special effects technology's assistance, the technical challenges of those long takes weren't particularly daunting, as the filming process wouldn't be a continuous shot but rather compiled in post-production.

On the other hand, the eight-minute long take from The Player was a genuine uninterrupted shot, showcasing Altman's masterful coordination of dozens of characters, which was remarkable.

In contrast, the opening film for Sundance, Cookie's Fortune, felt much more mediocre.

This suspense film unfolded in a quaint Mississippi town across generations of women, tangled in their emotional dramas.

Altman had a penchant for using death as a narrative driving force, and Cookie's Fortune was no different. The sudden suicide of an elderly woman in town triggered decades of resentments between two women, creating a plot that, while somewhat absurd and satirical, wound together intricately. In the end, when the mystery unraveled, it left the audience sighing in contemplation.

In many ways, Robert Altman and Woody Allen were quite similar; both were prolific directors, though varying in the quality of their works.

However, the distinction between the two was clear: Altman excelled in storytelling, while Allen had a knack for character development. This is why Allen not only garnered Oscar nominations but his films also racked up a multitude of acting nominations, while Altman's films were more about screenplay and directing technical accolades, giving actors less space to shine.

...

As the opening film concluded, the time had already crept past 9 PM.

The night in Park City grew increasingly cold. After the ceremony, Robert Altman returned early to his quarters to rest, while Eric and Julia accepted an invitation from Robert Redford to join the after-party festivities.

However, despite their shared background in film, the independent film crowd at Sundance and Hollywood felt like two distinct worlds. Hollywood might extend "entrance tickets" to filmmakers who gained attention at Sundance, but for most ambitious or dream-filled filmmakers, they often made fleeting appearances at Sundance before fading back into obscurity.

Eric didn't linger at the party for too long. After simply grabbing a few bites to eat with Julia, he politely excused himself and left early.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 1091: Mockumentary]

Last night, as Julia impulsively opened her bedroom window a crack, the heating in the room completely failed.

Despite the cold air, the two of them huddled under the covers like they were in hibernation, adding a touch of unusual warmth to the situation. However, the direct consequence of this was that they both struggled to get out of bed in the morning.

The skies in Park City hadn't yet brightened when Elisabeth, on the East Coast, called from New York, her tone dripping with jealousy as she mentioned seeing news about the two of them garnering a lot of attention at the Sundance Film Festival's opening ceremony. Julia exchanged some playful banter with Elisabeth over the phone before hanging up and snuggling back into Eric's arms, pleasantly squinting her eyes in comfort.

After napping for a bit more nestled together, Eric remembered that the movie they had planned to watch, Run Lola Run, was set to screen at ten in the morning. He glanced at his watch and saw it was already eight-fifty. So, he perked up, got dressed, and got out of bed.

Once he firmly shut the window, Eric freshened up. The room started to warm up again, prompting Julia to lazily begin getting dressed.

...

After breakfast, Eric and Julia opted to walk to the cinema for the screening of Run Lola Run instead of taking a car.

It was the busiest time of the year in Park City, and Carter Moen, responsible for Eric's security, clearly wasn't thrilled about his boss walking through the streets. He reminded them that there were paparazzi camping outside the resort.

However, Eric wasn't too bothered. He figured the paparazzi lurking about were probably those reporters from last night rather than dedicated photographers since there weren't many celebrities at the Sundance Film Festival that year. As long as the reporters didn't interfere with him and Julia, he didn't mind having them follow along.

The resort at the foot of the mountains was only a couple of hundred meters from the town center. Yet, due to the small size of Park City, the sparse surroundings gave off a suburban feel.

Eric and Julia strolled leisurely along the asphalt road leading to the downtown, arm in arm, with two SUVs driven by bodyguards trailing closely behind them and two ordinary sedans a bit further away.

The people in the cars clearly weren't too seasoned in following someone; the vehicles sped up and slowed down. One photographer decided to get out and carry his camera while the others followed suit but tactfully stayed distant, occasionally snapping a few photos from afar.

Julia was wearing a light pink, short puffer jacket, pulling up the fluffy hood that covered most of her head. Though her long legs in high leather boots remained very noticeable, her general appearance might not alert anyone unless someone was particularly looking out for her. Eric opted for a simple blue windbreaker instead of his usual trench coat, sporting a baseball cap and sunglasses. As they walked together, they looked like a couple -- well, a couple with slightly above-average looks.

Word had spread about Eric's presence at Sundance so once they entered the downtown area, they were quickly recognized. Still, the number of fans gathering in this small town was not very high, and rather than a massive crowd forming, people casually approached for autographs and photos now and then.

...

After posing for a picture with an excited couple on a street corner, Julia linked her arm back with Eric and turned onto another street. She excitedly remarked, "Eric, did you notice how the houses in Park City look like something out of a fairytale? They're painted in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet -- just like a rainbow town!"

Eric chuckled and looked around. While most of the wood-frame houses weren't his style, the colorful designs did make for a beautiful sight. "Fairy tale towns usually have castles. How about we build one?"

Julia shook her head with a light laugh. "You wouldn't like a castle."

Passing a small booth promoting films, Julia noticed two young men distributing movie flyers to passersby. On a whim, she reached out and asked for two.

Eric noted how the two young men gave her a confused look as if they weren't sure if they recognized her correctly. Once they walked away, he couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Hurry up, the movie's about to start!"

"Yeah, yeah, let me see what this is about. I might discover a box office sleeper hit," Julia replied, one arm around Eric while she raised the flyer to read with all seriousness. "In 1994, three film students vanished while shooting a documentary in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland. A year later, people discovered evidence of their existence again. Hmm, obviously a horror movie -- The Blair Witch Project. Nice title."

Eric's expression shifted slightly after hearing Julia read the synopsis, and when he heard the title at the end, he nearly burst out laughing.

It truly was a box office sleeper hit.

In fact, for a long time, it had been one of the highest returns on investment in all of Hollywood.

After Julia had finished reading, she turned to Eric, asking, "So, what do you think?"

Eric nodded thoughtfully. "Not bad. Maybe you should start a film company, buy it, and release it yourself. You could hit a hundred million!"

"Ugh, you're just teasing me again," Julia said, slightly annoyed as she tightened her hold on Eric's arm and almost tossed the flyers away. Not spotting any trash cans around, she just held onto them.

Eric reached over to take one of the flyers, examined it curiously, and then handed it back to Julia. "I'm not joking! How about we make a bet? I bet this film will make a hundred million."

Julia leaned her head adorably on Eric's shoulder and replied, "I'll bet it does too!"

"Uh, that's not fun. Switch positions."

"No way!" Julia shook her head then added, "Let Liz make the bet that it won't make a hundred million."

"Fine." Eric also shamelessly agreed with Julia's suggestion, laughing, "So, what's the wager?"

"Doesn't matter. We can decide that later."

...

While chatting, they quickly arrived in front of a theater showcasing a bright poster for Run Lola Run. It was clear this was the right place. The screening was about to begin, and the entrance was buzzing with activity -- some were checking tickets, others waiting in line at the box office, while various people held signs asking for spare tickets.

Because of the crowd, as soon as Eric and Julia approached, they were immediately recognized. A few unsure girls approached them tentatively, and upon confirmation, they burst into a flurry of screams, drawing everyone's attention.

The bodyguards following closely in the SUVs realized the situation might escalate, so they swiftly emerged and formed a protective perimeter around Eric and Julia.

It wasn't as chaotic as the night before; Eric and Julia patiently signed a few autographs for fans before finally making their way into the theater.

...

Hearing that Eric Williams had come to see his film, the producer of Run Lola Run, Stefan Arndt, was over the moon. The film had started screening in Europe last year and generated significant buzz within independent cinema circles, even earning a nomination for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.

The main purpose of the Run Lola Run team's presence in Park City was to sell the film. Following its European success, many Hollywood companies had contacted them with offers, some of which made Stefan more than tempted. Had it not been for his desire to wait until after the Sundance Film Festival to secure an award before making a decision, he might have already sold the film.

However, despite Run Lola Run's rising fame in the indie scene, its impact was still limited. Some Hollywood distributors even planned to release it straight to DVD.

Now that Eric Williams had personally come to watch the film, it wielded even more influence than if the President himself showed up. Once this was reported in the media, awareness of Run Lola Run would surely multiply, making it impossible for Hollywood distributors to secure rights without making a generous offer.

Calculating how much revenue Run Lola Run would eventually bring to his company, Stefan was eager and pulled together a few dazed crew members to greet Eric Williams in the screening room.

This particular theater wasn't large, holding about a hundred seats.

...

As the film hadn't started yet, the fans who had already entered noticed Eric Williams's arrival and rushed over for autographs, creating a lively moment until everyone returned to their seats.

At the same time, representatives from various Hollywood film companies, though they chuckled internally at the unfortunate timing of Eric showing up, felt compelled to approach him and say hello.

"Morey, come find me later. I have something for you," Eric casually directed to Morey Brandow, the purchasing manager from New Line Cinema after greeting others before refocusing on the Run Lola Run team.

"Mr. Williams, hello! I'm Stefan Arndt, producer of Run Lola Run, and this is Tom Tykwer, the director. Here's our Lola, Franka Potente, and..."

After greeting the group in front of him, Eric smiled at Stefan. "I think we should get started quickly. Everyone's anxious to see the film."

"Oh, of course!" Stefan nodded quickly, leading Tom and the others toward the stage.

...

The screening room gradually quieted down. Only then did Eric and Julia take their seats in the back corner. Since the space was small, their position didn't obstruct the view.

After a brief interaction on stage, the movie began promptly.

The version playing was still in its original German, only subtitled in English. Eric quite liked this original audio with subtitles format, as he had some less-than-great memories associated with dubbed films -- he had even developed a slight disdain for them.

The original audio with subtitles allowed him to understand the film's meaning while also experiencing the nuanced expressions in the characters' dialogues; this was the best way to watch foreign films.

After a mesmerizing opening segment, the scene dove straight into Lola's phone call.

The film's plot was straightforward enough: Lola's boyfriend, Manny, a small-time crook, accidentally lost a large sum of money belonging to his boss. If he didn't come up with the cash by noon, he would be killed by his boss. So, he called Lola for help.

Lola calmed her boyfriend down and dashed out of the house, embarking on a twenty-minute chase to gather a hundred thousand marks. Her first attempt didn't go well; after failing to secure the money, Manny was left with no choice but to rob a store, and Lola tried to help him, only to be shot dead by the police.

In her second attempt, Lola took her father hostage for the money, but in the end, Manny was killed by an ambulance.

On the third try, she won the needed cash in a casino, and unexpectedly, Manny managed to retrieve the lost money from a homeless man. Thus resulting in a completion of the "mission," and the film concluded.

The entire movie felt like a live-action version of a video game. The colorful Lola, with red hair in a blue tank top and green pants, seemed like a character stepping straight out of an arcade game. The numerous resets in the plot allowed the protagonist to gather experience and acquire skills to avoid making past mistakes. Lola's subtler impacts on several pedestrians during her frantic runs reminded Eric of the Butterfly Effect series.

Upon finishing the film, Eric's initial thought was about the seemingly shy young director -- he must be a hardcore video game enthusiast.

As for the film, Eric could only sum it up in one word: cool.

Whether it was the unique three-part structure or the dynamic soundtrack, along with a series of well-crafted details, it truly begged for repeated watchings and reflections.

When the credits began to roll, Julia leaned in and whispered, "That was an amazing film."

Eric nodded in agreement, waiting politely for the lights in the screening room to come up before taking Julia's hand and rising to head outside.

...

As expected, a larger group of reporters and fans had gathered outside the theater by the time they emerged. The scene quickly turned chaotic again when they appeared, but Eric and Julia didn't linger this time, swiftly getting into their car and driving away under the protection of their bodyguards.

The Land Rover SUV smoothly navigated Park City's streets, and as Julia watched the crowd diminish in the rearview mirror, she finally pulled off her hood. Now that they were public figures, both had become accustomed to this life. Julia didn't complain, instead cheerily inquired, "Eric, where are we having lunch?"

Glancing outside, Eric noted it was a bright sunny day and that the temperature had risen slightly compared to earlier. The streets were getting busier, and eating outside wouldn't be suitable, so he suggested, "Let's head back to the resort."

Julia nodded, contemplating their plans for the rest of the day; there was a rooftop party to attend in the afternoon and a dinner invitation at Robert Redford's place that evening. With the weekend mostly free, she excitedly proposed, "How about we go skiing tomorrow?"

"No way. There'll be more people at the ski resort than there were at the cinema entrance," Eric replied, then remembered, "What happened to those two movie flyers?"

"What?" Julia asked, caught off guard before recalling, flashing an innocent expression as she blinked. "I tossed them out."

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 1092: Marketing Experiment]

Eric personally attended the screening, which immediately elevated the media attention on Run Lola Run, surpassing all other films at the Sundance Film Festival that year.

Initially, distributors valued the North American distribution rights for Run Lola Run at around $5 million, but by the end of the afternoon, reports indicated that Hollywood studios were close to offering $10 million. Before this, no film at Sundance had ever fetched over $10 million, and it was clear that Run Lola Run was poised to become the highest-priced film in Sundance history.

As news of Eric's presence at the Sundance Film Festival spread, more media and filmmakers began flocking to Park City, turning the small town in the Utah mountains into a bustling hotspot.

Although Julia casually tossed aside a promotional flyer for The Blair Witch Project, which contained the creators' contact details, Eric knew it would be relatively easy to secure the film, provided he remembered the names.

While most Hollywood distributors were focused on bidding for Run Lola Run and other film screenings that Eric Williams might attend, New Line Cinema's acquisition team quietly approached two young filmmakers who were promoting their work around Park City.

...

"Mr. Williams, here's a copy of The Blair Witch Project. I had a DVD made for your viewing convenience," said Morey Brandow, the head of New Line's acquisition department.

The next afternoon, Morey personally delivered what Eric needed. After watching the sample clip of The Blair Witch Project, Morey's first impression could be summed up in two words -- garbage. Nevertheless, he diligently fulfilled the task assigned by Eric and did his homework. After all, anyone with a hint of workplace ambition knew how to seize such opportunities when asked to assist the big boss.

Gratefully accepting the coffee handed to him by Julia, Morey sat back down after thanking her. Watching Eric flipping through the background information of The Blair Witch Project, he continued, "I've looked at both directors' project plans; they've crafted a very convincing background for this documentary-style film. I think if we treat it as promotional material, then develop a horror film based on this setting, the box office should do quite well."

Eric simply smiled and nodded, gesturing toward the DVD on the coffee table. Julia picked it up and walked over to the television in the living room, inserted the disc into the player, and then returned, nonchalantly sitting next to Eric with a curious gaze locked on the screen.

...

As the film started playing, Morey turned his attention to the screen as well.

After a similar introductory subtitle to what appeared on the flyer, the crude DV-style footage came into view.

Upon closer inspection, the film's documentary-like progression seemed to build in stages. The three adventurers first presented the legend of the Blair Witch with a detailed background, laying out an entire chain of evidence. This was followed by "interviews" with the residents of Burkittsville. Once they had fully immersed the audience in this legend, the trio embarked on their adventure.

Once in the forest, a series of strange events began to unfold -- unexplained arguments, a lost map, stone piles around their tents, totems hanging from the trees... Ultimately, one team member mysteriously vanished, escalating the tension of the storyline.

...

Someone who was entirely unaware of the backstory would undoubtedly find the film bewildering.

Julia fit this description perfectly.

As credits rolled on the screen, the young woman leaned closer to Eric, wrapping her arms around his, and playfully remarked, "Eric, we might be losing this one."

Morey Brandow had paid $80,000 for this film. Hearing Julia's comment, he speculated but didn't dare inquire further, turning back to Eric, waiting for the big boss to speak.

Perhaps he would just toss this piece of garbage aside, Morey thought to himself. The only way he could see to utilize this story was precisely as he suggested: conceptualizing a horror film based on the narrative. As for the copies and materials laid out on the coffee table, they appeared to hold no value.

After all, if the Blair Witch legend actually existed in Maryland, similar to other old tales like those of vampires, a little promotion might pique the audience's curiosity and engagement, potentially yielding some revenue for the film.

In reality, however, the Blair Witch tale had been completely fabricated by the two directors; there was no existing fan base. The studio was unlikely to promote a false story for a low-budget DV film, as that would be a waste of time and resources, likely leading to significant losses.

Once the screening ended, Eric sat quietly in thought for a moment before addressing Morey Brandow, who was waiting for instructions. "Morey, I'll give you three days to get a complete contract signed with the film's creators, investors, and all the actors involved to clear up any potential legal issues this project may face. Also, arrange for those two directors, Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez, to come to Los Angeles. I'll meet with them next Wednesday. By the way, pull a small team from the distribution department for them -- not too formal; interns will be fine. Set up an office for them at Firefly Studios. That's all for now; you can head back."

Although completely bewildered by the boss's intentions, Morey nodded seriously, taking notes, before getting up to leave.

...

This year's Sundance Film Festival took place from January 21 to January 31. However, as more media and filmmakers gathered in the small town, Eric found himself "bumping into" people while taking morning walks with Julia in the enclosed resort. With little else to do, he decided to leave early on Sunday and return to Los Angeles.

...

At Firefly Studios, things were busy, and Wednesday arrived in the blink of an eye.

It was a last-minute decision to release Underworld as a 3D conversion film in early next year, filling the gap between The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and Sleepy Hollow. Despite needing to adjust their established distribution plans, Kenneth Horne had no objections to Eric's choice.

Eric had a chance to discuss the 3D post-production details for Underworld over lunch with the creators and the digital 3D conversion team. Kenneth arrived for this meeting as Eric invited him, and John Woo, who he hadn't seen for a long time, to have lunch at the large ship's restaurant.

Having placed their lunch order, Kenneth passed the menu to a round-faced waitress who was said to be named Amy Adams. As he glanced over at Natasha Henstridge, who sat obediently beside Eric, he couldn't help but envy his boss's luck with attractive women. "Eric, Morey said you bought a DV documentary in Park City?"

Eric nodded, smiling at Natasha pouring her bottled water into a crystal glass. "I'm planning a marketing experiment. Have you prepared everyone I need?"

"Of course. After lunch, we can have Miss Wilson take you over. Speaking of which, I don't have much work this afternoon. Would it be alright if I tagged along? I'm quite curious."

"You can skip that," Eric replied, shaking his head jokingly. "But are you reminding me to give you more work by saying you have nothing to do in front of your boss?"

"Did I say anything?" Kenneth feigned innocence as he laughed. "I don't think I mentioned anything!"

Everyone chuckled, and Eric didn't neglect to engage John Woo, asking, "John, what have you been busy with lately?"

"I'm currently negotiating a new film with Columbia, starring a talented actor from Hong Kong. It's temporarily titled The Replacement Killers, and we're still looking for a director," John Woo replied. "Eric, that actor is undoubtedly as respected in Hong Kong as Jackie Chan, so the box office should perform well."

Eric couldn't help but laugh. Recently, he had run into Mira Sorvino and was wondering why there had been no news about her project with Chow Yun-Fat, only to find out it was popping up so soon.

Since he hadn't seen the film submission from Columbia yet, it seemed the project wasn't finalized yet, and he had no intention of interfering. He simply said, "John, you can't only be a producer; directing is your real job, right?"

"Absolutely," John Woo affirmed. "My agent recommended a war film script to me recently. I thought it was good, and I want to give it a shot. I just need to finish my current obligations first."

Hearing about the war film script, Eric couldn't help but flinch. 'I hope it's not that film that almost drove MGM bankrupt, Windtalkers, right?'

He instinctively shook his head, "John, I don't think you're suited for a war film. I believe you're best at action movies."

John Woo was taken aback by Eric's sudden critique, but he quickly collected himself and nodded, "I'll think it over."

Due to the success of several blockbuster films, John Woo had already climbed to the ranks of A-list directors in Hollywood as an Asian director. Even if he left the Firefly system, he had the ability to collaborate with other studios.

Eric could see that he was not ready to give up this project easily, and he refrained from further persuasion. After all, everyone chose their own paths, and they had to face the consequences.

...

After lunch, John Woo excused himself, and after a few kind words, Eric also sent Natasha Henstridge on her way, turning to Kenneth Horne to say, "Please inform everyone that we won't be participating in John Woo's war film, and make sure it's not botched up. It's best to pass it along to other studios."

Kenneth Horne raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "Eric, the box office for Face/Off a few years back was fantastic, and Woo's directing ability is solid. Why not give it a try?"

"Every director has their own strengths," Eric shook his head. "I don't believe John Woo can pull off a war film. It's just my personal feeling, so we won't get involved with that project."

Kenneth Horne nodded reluctantly but suddenly said, "Speaking of which, Eric, you seem to excel in all types of films. That's pretty rare."

Eric shrugged and smiled, "That's why I'm the boss."

"Alright then."

Recalling experiences from Sundance, Eric asked, "What's the situation with Run Lola Run? If we can secure that, it would neatly fill the void left by Underworld."

"Bill called us a few times; Columbia wants that film. Their offer is $11 million, and we collectively decided not to compete with them," Kenneth said. "However, if the other three offers exceed that price, Columbia will also back out."

"That works too," Eric replied. "After all, it's just an independent film, and the North American distribution rights alone make it too risky if the bid is too high."

...

The two continued their conversation as they walked toward the administration section, where Caroline and Merissa held a file each, waiting at the downstairs of Eric's office. Kenneth Horne then said his farewells and returned to his office.

When Eric approached the two women, he asked a few questions before all three headed to another office building.

As he pushed open the office door, several nervous young men and women immediately stood up, looking toward the young executive at the entrance.

Eric had originally heard that the two directors of The Blair Witch Project were still students, expecting them to be quite young. However, both Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez turned out to be older than he was; Daniel Myrick, who wore frameless glasses, was already 35, while Eduardo Sanchez was over 30.

Although Eric initially instructed Morey Brandow to find some interns, it was evident the staff in the room were not typical interns for the company. Morey Brandow appeared in the office to introduce Eric to the small team personally.

Eric didn't mind Morey's arrangements; since they wanted to take responsibility, he didn't chase them away after introductions -- it was tacit approval. He couldn't monitor everything himself, and having someone dedicated to this task was beneficial.

Caroline and Merissa distributed the pre-printed materials to everyone in the office. The team gathered around a large conference table. Eric walked over to the prepared whiteboard and said, "I have limited time, so I'll give you an overview; all the detailed information is in the files in front of you. If you still don't understand afterward, discuss it amongst yourselves -- don't come to me.

This time, regarding The Blair Witch Project, I'm planning to conduct a marketing experiment on an internet platform. Given some characteristics of this marketing model, I've decided to give it a name."

As he spoke, Eric picked up a marker and wrote two words on the board: Viral Marketing.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 1093: You're Just Jealous]

It was noon at Firefly Studios.

Eric and Robert Byer, the visual effects supervisor for Gravity, had just stepped out of the Digital Domain studio, planning to grab some lunch together. As Eric's phone rang, he answered, said a few words, and then parted ways with Robert, heading to his office at the studio.

Pushing the office door open, he spotted Elisabeth, dressed in a professional suit, sitting in a leather chair behind his desk, openly flipping through a document.

Eric walked over, smiling as he took the materials from Elisabeth's hands. Leaning against the desk, he teased, "Even if you're trying to spite your dad, you don't have to move the office here, do you? The studio is so big!"

Hearing Eric bring up a sore point, Elisabeth immediately pouted. She had been in New York for a week, but nothing could stop that woman from working at Fox Television.

"They say they're handing over the Fox business to me, huh, as if I didn't know, control freak," she complained, looking at Eric with her arms crossed. "You're a control freak too. All you men are control freaks."

"You finally understand this harsh reality," Eric said, pulling the chair closer to him. He leaned down and kissed her cheek, laughing, "Are you disappointed in the world now, wanting to take revenge on society?"

Elisabeth tilted her head and pretended to bite Eric's finger, flashing him a playful warning with her white teeth.

Eric, undeterred, moved his finger closer. Realizing what he was trying to do, Elisabeth quickly loosened her grip, puffing her cheeks out in feigned indignation. "You're such a jerk, picking on me."

"Okay, no more angry faces," Eric said, pulling out a tissue from a compartment under his desk to wipe his hands. "Are you hungry? Shall we go grab a bite?"

Elisabeth shook her head, slightly sulking, "Not hungry. I'm planning to diet for the day, and you're coming with me."

Eric chuckled, "How about we make it a week? Just write your will first, and remember to leave the mountaintop villa to me. Give that one at Trousdale Manor to Julia."

Elisabeth rolled her eyes dramatically, "Dream on."

Seeing her fiery spirit dim a bit, he suggested, "How about we just go out to eat?"

"I'm really not hungry. I'll wait a bit," Elisabeth said as she shrank into the chair, pointing at the computer screen on the desk, "So, you and Julia are betting on this, huh?"

Eric turned his head to take a look and noticed the glowing computer screen displayed the official site for The Blair Witch Project.

The small team managing The Blair Witch Project's site worked efficiently, and with Firefly's resource support, they had set up the film's website in just three days.

A few days ago, after discussing the concept of viral marketing with the small team, Eric hadn't put too much thought into it afterward.

For this film, which previously created a box office miracle with its faux-documentary style, Eric mostly cared about the chance to play around with it; if it succeeded, great, but if it failed, it was no big deal. After all, as Firefly expanded to its current scale, running an honest operation was the way forward -- going too far in chasing shortcuts would only backfire.

Moreover, looking at the past trends, if Artisan Entertainment bought and successfully operated this film, it might net $140 million domestic.

Movie attendance in North America has remained quite stable over the years, and it hadn't been until recently that ticket prices started to push the box office past the $7 billion mark. A $140 million gross would represent one-fiftieth of the total North American box office. If Artisan took this money, other Hollywood studios would lose out on that same amount. Given Firefly's market share, it felt essentially like they were losing money.

Of course, part of Eric's intention behind replicating The Blair Witch Project's marketing was to showcase the Internet's powerful outreach capabilities. "It's a marketing experiment. I want to show the industry just how powerful online advertising can be. You know, a lot of traditional advertisers are skeptical about the effectiveness of Internet ads. If this works, I think more will recognize the potential of online platforms."

"I just read the information on that website. If I didn't already know everything was a hoax, I might've almost believed it," Elisabeth said. "But do you really think this movie can make $100 million? Julia told me it's simply terrible."

"Who knows? Hollywood never lacks surprises."

Elisabeth's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Well then, in that case, I'm taking that bet. If you lose, you have to help Fox make a movie."

"And if I win?"

"Then I'll help Firefly make a film."

"Are you sure you can handle making a movie?"

"Absolutely," Elisabeth said, raising her chin proudly. "I'm a legit Media Studies graduate, unlike some people who didn't even go to college."

Eric shrugged dismissively, chuckling, "Well, you should know that in Hollywood, everyone's uneducated. Those who went to college are the ones looked down upon."

"Ugh, you're just jealous," Elisabeth lightly smacked Eric and returned to discussing The Blair Witch Project. "By the way, using real events to market this film, if it gets exposed, that could be a real problem, right?"

"True," Eric acknowledged. "So before it releases, the company will definitely clarify that this is just a marketing campaign."

He had contemplated this issue himself. When Artisan was a small player, they successfully tricked everyone with their marketing scheme, and media attention focused on the box office miracle of The Blair Witch Project, so no one questioned their obvious deceitful tactics.

Artisan could afford to do that, but Firefly could not. This was one reason why Eric didn't expect The Blair Witch Project to replicate past box office success.

Firefly's ambitions were too grand; if The Blair Witch Project succeeded at the box office again without any clarifying statements beforehand, countless people would pounce on them. In a society like North America, where even a wrong look could lead to litigation, Firefly would face a slew of lawsuits.

Elisabeth asked again, "So when do you plan to release it?"

"I'll see how it goes," Eric mused. "For a topic like this, a month of buildup should be enough. If we take too long, people's curiosity might fade. Perhaps in March."

Since it was only for fun, Eric surely wouldn't schedule The Blair Witch Project during prime summer release windows.

After chatting a bit more, Eric reached out to pull Elisabeth up from her chair. "Come on, let's go to Venice Beach."

Elisabeth no longer refused, linking her arm with Eric's as they walked out of the office. "Oh, by the way, are you going to the Golden Globe Awards tomorrow night?"

Eric shook his head, "Nope."

...

The past year had been phenomenal for Hollywood in box office terms, boasting global box office juggernauts like Charlie's Angels 3, Mission: Impossible 3, and Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, along with sleeper hits such as The Ring.

In contrast, the indie film market had dimmed significantly, leading to one of the least exciting award seasons in recent years.

This awards season, two films that seemed promising, either The Horse Whisperer or Elizabeth, fell far short of the acclaim received by previous blockbusters like Saving Private Ryan, Forrest Gump, and Schindler's List.

Eric had no interest in this year's Oscars, let alone the buzz surrounding the Golden Globes.

As expected, under Miramax's strong PR campaign, The Horse Whisperer easily scooped up most nominations at the Golden Globes the next day, while only Cate Blanchett from the Elizabeth crew snagged a win for Best Actress in a Drama -- thanks to The Horse Whisperer not competing for the same award.

When the Oscar nominations were announced, The Horse Whisperer led the pack with ten nominations.

...

This year, the Golden Globes took place on January 29, followed closely by Super Bowl on January 31 in Miami, Florida, which was the second time FOX broadcasted the Super Bowl since securing exclusive broadcasting rights.

The biggest highlight of this Super Bowl was undoubtedly the wave of ads from new tech companies. Yahoo, Microsoft, Cisco, Amazon, and Intel, among others, had a significant presence, reflecting a society increasingly immersed in the Internet era.

Yet, among them, the trailer for Iron Man garnered a massive amount of attention.

A 30-second Super Bowl ad couldn't fit too much information, but besides the quick glimpse of Iron Man's suit, audiences were undoubtedly buzzing about Eric, the actor playing Tony Stark.

Despite the makeup making the deep chestnut-haired, bearded Tony Stark look completely different from the real Eric, many couldn't help but excitedly discuss the various connections between the two characters. Naturally, Eric's status as North America's -- indeed, the world's -- richest superhero further fueled discussions.

In just a few days, the topic dominated trending charts across major online platforms.

In the following days, Firefly officially rolled out the first television trailer for Iron Man across major networks, heralding the final wave of promotional efforts leading up to the film's release. Some cast and crew members also began appearing sporadically on television talk shows to promote the film slated for release in three months.

...

As Iron Man started regular promotions, an online rumor circulated about several college students mysteriously disappearing after visiting the Blair Witch location in Maryland.

The key to viral marketing is a captivating topic paired with a significant online interaction network to spread it.

The North American middle class, living their predictable lives but inherently eager for adventure, couldn't resist the allure surrounding the 'missing' students -- creating an eye-catching effect crucial for viral marketing.

Moreover, as the country with the highest Internet penetration, North America had PCs that were catching up to TV and VCR ownership -- even while many parts of the world were still learning what a personal computer was. In 1998, over 93 million PCs were sold worldwide, with North America claiming 70%.

By the end of the previous year, the number of Internet users in North America had crossed the 100 million mark, equating to a third of the total population. This massive user base provided a significant foundation of popularity for the Blair Witch events.

With these two key elements in place and all insiders having re-signed comprehensive non-disclosure agreements, no one had come forward to expose the truth, thus the Blair Witch rumors evolved into a viral storm.

The Blair Witch Project's website was steadily releasing detailed background stories, search and rescue information from local troops, witness accounts, and updates, all creating a smorgasbord of convincing yet misleading content that stoked even greater curiosity.

In just a week, curious adventurers began gathering in the small town of Burkittsville, Maryland, to inquire with puzzled locals about the purported Blair Witch.

As things escalated, the local Maryland government even had to step in to clarify the situation; however, growing up amid various conspiracy theories, the North American public was unlikely to believe any official rebuttal. The situation continued to snowball.

..

Seeing the rapid development exceeding his expectations, Eric quickly decided to set the release date for The Blair Witch Project on March 5.

However, to be cautious, he only arranged for 200 screens for the film's debut. Regardless, given how things were progressing, even with prior fact-checks before the public, interest in the topic might still drop significantly, leading Firefly to at least make a modest profit.

On that note, while only screening on 200 screens, it would still be considered a significant investment, especially compared to Artisan's ability in the original timeline, which had only secured around 20 theaters for the Blair Witch's debut. This also showcased the deep-rooted strength of Hollywood's major companies.

Since it was an off-year for the Oscars, Hollywood typically bustling in February appeared markedly quieter this year.

...

Eric continued to diligently work on post-production for Gravity while, toward the end of February, he flew to New York to finalize the stock transfer deal involving 3.1% shares with AOL and Clover Holdings.

On February 16, after nearly six months of negotiations, AOL and Time Warner reached a preliminary merger agreement. They would publicly announce the merger once they reclaimed the shares directly held by Firefly, subsequently submitting the merger proposal for review by the Federal Trade Commission.

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 1094: Competition and Confrontation]

Manhattan, AOL Headquarters.

After the equity transfer signing ceremony concluded, Steve Case finally let out a huge sigh of relief.

With the completion of this equity deal, the pressure that the Firefly Group had put on Steve Case for so long finally lifted. As long as AOL's merger with Time Warner went smoothly, the 7.6% stake held by Firefly Investments would once again be diminished. The newly formed AOL-Time Warner Group would completely transform into a publicly owned company. With no dominant shareholder holding enough shares and influence, the control of the new company would rest entirely with the board and management team.

As the designated chairman and CEO of the upcoming company, there was no doubt that Steve Case would become the powerful master of this new multimedia giant.

Every time he thought about these developments, a sense of accomplishment swelled within him. He believed that once the merger was complete, the synergistic effect of one plus one being greater than two would propel AOL-Time Warner well past Yahoo, making it the leading internet media giant in North America.

The waiting staff served champagne to everyone, and Steve Case took a glass, smiling as he approached the heads of several Wall Street investment funds who had extended their helping hand to him in this deal.

After negotiations, the stock transaction price for this equity transfer was finally set at $93, just a mere 0.69 dollars lower than AOL's average stock price for the past week. AOL's shares had undergone a split, with a total outstanding share count of 825 million. The Clover Fund held approximately 25.57 million shares, meaning that this transaction reached a scale of $2.378 billion at the agreed price.

Steve Case had hoped Eric would offer a discount like he had in previous deals. However, this time Eric was adamant, only agreeing to round down a trivial amount that represented less than 1% of the stock price, which was effectively no concession at all.

Recently, with the Nasdaq index surpassing 2800 points, Wall Street's worries about a Nasdaq crash intensified. Many investment institutions were trying to sell off tech stocks to cash out. If it weren't for their optimism regarding the merger's potential, Wall Street would not have taken action.

Eric's unwillingness to compromise left Steve Case with no choice. After promising an additional board seat, Wall Street's investment funds finally agreed to take over the shares held by the Clover Fund.

The New York Times' expose at the end of last year, combined with the disputes over the transaction price, completely dissipated the good relationship Steve Case and Eric had built since Firefly Group began investing in AOL. Although AOL and Yahoo still had some collaboration, it was clear that future relations would trend more toward competition and confrontation.

As a result, at the simple post-signing reception, Steve Case couldn't even be bothered to maintain a facade of politeness. While he laughed and chatted with the heads of several Wall Street funds, he treated the representatives from Firefly Group who had participated in the signing ceremony as mere bystanders.

...

Eric, understanding Steve Case's emotions, realized if he were in Steve's shoes, he wouldn't have been able to maintain his composure either.

However, since Steve had chosen to see him as a bystander, Eric didn't feel the need to stick around and quickly left with Chris and others.

Since selling his AOL stock last year, Eric had decided to invest all the cash he planned to realize over the next couple of years into safe, short-term convertible bonds, meaning that he didn't need to discuss this new funding extensively. The Nasdaq market had entered a state of unpredictable frenzy lately. Although Eric was confident that the index would rebound from its previous downturn, he was also hesitant to buy tech stocks at this time.

Coincidentally, it was the last day of New York's Fall-Winter Fashion Week, and Gisele would be closing the show for the Klein brand that night. Eric had promised to support her.

However, the grand finale was set for 6 PM, and it was only a little past 2 PM. After parting ways with Chris, Eric headed to a building on 46th Street, where the television production company founded by Cindy and Linda was located.

...

Upon seeing Eric, a starry-eyed blonde receptionist personally guided him to a conference room. But when she noticed Eric didn't show any response, she reluctantly turned and left.

Eric pushed the door open, finding Linda absent, but supermodel Tyra Banks was seated with Cindy at the meeting table, whispering about something. Hearing the noise, the two women turned around in surprise and stood up to greet him.

Eric gently hugged the two women and smiled as he asked Tyra Banks, "Tyra, aren't you walking in any shows today?"

"Nope," Tyra replied, shaking her head, but then added with a hint of sarcasm, "We can't compete with the kids nowadays."

Eric simply smiled and sat down at the meeting table, glancing at the materials on it. "What are we discussing? And where's Linda?"

"Tyra's talk show proposal," Cindy said as she took a seat beside Eric. "Linda's outside; she just got a call. Didn't you notice?"

Before Eric could shake his head, the conference room door opened again, and Linda Evangelista stepped in, still holding her phone. Tyra, who had just sat beside Eric, had to move over to let her take her place.

Before even sitting down, Linda began her 'interrogation' by saying, "You jerk! The first thing you do when you come in is charm our girls, and you didn't even notice I was nearby. Well, I already fired one of them."

Eric replied, "Is it really okay for you to act like this as a boss?"

"Hmph," Linda scoffed, then quickly changed gears, saying, "Cindy and I saw the trailer for Iron Man that you starred in. Even though the mustache looks awful, I think you really suit darker hair; the blonde looks childish."

Eric shook his head, saying, "I don't like dying my hair."

After a bit of small talk, Tyra, sensing it was time to leave, excused herself. Linda excitedly pulled out a laptop to show Eric her electronic bank statement. "$168 million! I think this is enough for me to last a lifetime. But Cindy's is even more shocking -- over $280 million! It's infuriating to think that when you advised Cindy on investments, you didn't tell me, or I would have more money than her now."

During this time, following Eric's advice, Cindy and Linda had sold off all their stock holdings, making them among the few supermodels in the fashion industry to boast net worth in the hundreds of millions.

Even though top supermodel incomes had risen significantly in recent years, there were still very few who could accumulate over a hundred million even considering future projections. Yet Cindy and Linda secured their positions as top leads in the fashion industry.

"Not bad," Eric smiled at the laptop screen, saying, "Have you decided what to do next?"

Linda replied, "Nope. Can you help us plan something?"

Eric rested his chin on one hand, pondering seriously but then shook his head and laughed, "Not enough to do anything with. Better save it for pocket money."

Once Eric said this, Linda, who was feeling excited, suddenly recalled the man's immense fortune, and she wrapped her arms around him, shaking him playfully, "I've read reports that many media outlets say more than half of your assets are just a bubble, and it's not a big deal."

Next month's new Forbes Billionaires list would be released soon, and Eric actually hoped that everyone would think that way when it came out; that would relieve a lot of pressure from his shoulders.

After joking around, Eric turned serious and began offering investment advice to the two women.

With less than $500 million combined, Eric found that it was indeed too little. Most of the projects that required his personal attention from Firefly, such as the ongoing '4200' plan or the construction of the Firefly Theme Park, could not be managed with just $500 million.

However, if compared to the Firefly Group, this amount was still a substantial sum for most businesses globally.

As they discussed in detail, Eric's phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, he didn't hesitate to answer the call with a smile, bringing the phone to his ear, "Hey, Gisele... Yes, I'm free now, doing fine at Cindy's... Of course, I'll be there on time, and I'll bring Cindy and Linda along to cheer you on... Okay, let's leave it at that. Goodbye."

After hanging up with Gisele, Linda pouted, "I didn't agree to go cheer her on."

Eric glanced at Linda's expression and turned to Cindy, "Did you have a fight with Gisele?"

"No," Cindy shook her head, "But you can't expect us to get along with her, can you?"

"You guys," Eric caught onto the keywords, laughing, "Sounds like there's a story."

Cindy only smiled without saying more.

But Linda couldn't hold back, saying, "You might not know, but your Brazilian beauty is quite something now. A few months ago, WM launched a new model, and she's got great potential. However, they designed her development path exactly like Gisele's -- both are all about the healthy, natural look. They even compared her to Gisele in a magazine, and that girl had a rough time."

Eric didn't quite understand; what did WM mean?

Looking at Cindy, the understanding lady picked up a pen and wrote two words in the blank space of a document: Wome.

WM, Wome, a women's management company.

It seemed to be a modeling agency, but it couldn't compete with giants like Elite, IMG, or Ford in terms of scale and reputation.

Seeing Cindy's action, Linda remarked, "WM is just Wome; Kate Moss's North American agency is with this company. Since the 'Horizon' beauty style has fallen out of favor, they're rushing to rebrand. So, what was I saying?"

Eric interrupted with a smile, "That girl had a rough time."

"Right," Linda nodded, "Initially, WM had lined up 15 shows for that girl during this New York Fashion Week. Guess how many she ended up walking?"

"Zero?"

Linda gently hit Eric's shoulder, then held up three fingers, "Three, and I heard that when she realized her Dior opening was taken from her, she just fell apart. Poor thing."

Watching Linda's expression of anguish, Eric didn't feel much empathy.

He was quite protective of those close to him; when his own little kittens got into fights with others, he wouldn't side with the outsiders, would he? He also always preferred strong-minded women; too soft ones wouldn't last long in his company. It was like horse riding; the best riders naturally chose spirited horses.

After pinching Linda's chin, Eric laughed, "Don't sound so pitiful. Haven't you ever bullied anyone?"

"Never," Linda boldly shook her head, then pointed to Cindy, betraying her: "She did that during the 1991 THIERRY-MUGLER fall show, where she directly got into a shoving match with other models on the runway, ruining the entire show. Haha, I remember the THIERRY-MUGLER designer was in tears that time."

Hearing Linda leak her own past scandal, Cindy shrugged it off, "Everyone knows that Naomi Campbell started it, and by the time I walked onto the runway, the chaos had already begun."

Linda continued, "And the next day's fashion news was all 'Cindy Crawford shoves other models.'"

Cindy shot her a proud glance, "That just shows I have the biggest reputation; no one else can compare."

After a light spat, Linda suddenly got animated, linking arms with Eric, "By the way, I'm definitely going to cheer on your Brazilian beauty tonight. CK invited her to the show too, and I haven't heard news of her being sidelined, so it'll be quite a lively scene. Who knows, something might even happen."

As Linda reveled in the drama from the office on 42nd Street, the atmosphere was already buzzing at Bryant Park, where CK's closing show was about to take place.

...

Seeing Gisele hang up the phone with Eric Williams, CK's show director Tom Corey wore a troubled expression as he spoke to the model sitting at the makeup table having her makeup touched up.

"Gisele, it's just a minor appearance; no one will even notice her. Plus, at this point, there's no time for adjustments. Just pretend she's not there, alright?"

However, Gisele remained unwavering, gazing into the mirror at her reflection before saying, "She shouldn't even be here. You decide -- either I walk off, and Ferne and Coco do too, or you make her disappear. I don't want to see her backstage."

Tom thought for a moment, "How about this? I'll have her get ready in a different area, and she'll leave right after her walk. She won't appear in front of you at all."

Gisele waved her hand, signaling the makeup artist to step back, then turned to Tom, sitting but giving off an imposing air, "Tom, it's the closing show tonight. I really don't want trouble, but Eric will be here, and you should understand what I mean. I don't want a model with a similar style appearing on the runway. There's no room for negotiation."

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 1095: The Food Chain in the Fashion World]

After Gisele spoke, she waved her hand again to summon her makeup artist, showing no intention of continuing to bargain with Tom Corey.

Seeing the confident look on the young woman's face, Tom Corey felt a surge of frustration. He glanced around; while the other models in the tent seemed oblivious to his predicament, he could sense the air was thick with schadenfreude.

He suddenly found himself reminiscing about a decade ago, or even five years back. Back then, executives from high-profile brands like him ruled the top of the fashion food chain. Even the top supermodels wouldn't dare act so imperiously in front of them, while lesser-known models were merely prey in their eyes.

In just a few years, everything had changed. The rise of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show had firmly cemented the concept of supermodels in the public eye. While top supermodels saw their personal incomes soar, their status and social influence within the industry skyrocketed too. Their dependence on traditional fame avenues like magazine covers and runway shows diminished significantly. Now, the tables had turned; fashion magazines needed supermodels on their covers to boost sales, and brand shows couldn't draw crowds without these superstars.

Even though the fashion world was rife with media critiques of the Victoria's Secret shows for lacking sophistication, no one could deny that the rigorous selection standards set by Eric Williams ensured that every angel in the Victoria's Secret lineup was genuinely deserving of the title "supermodel." Given their broad social recognition, even the most aloof luxury brands couldn't ignore their existence. In fact, if a high-street brand's show didn't feature a single supermodel, it would be met with skepticism regarding its influence.

As for who qualified as a supermodel, five years ago, it could be achieved through repeated promotion by fashion media. Nowadays, however, a model who couldn't make it on the Victoria's Secret runway couldn't be regarded as a supermodel; self-declaration would only elicit laughter. In recent years, not just the general public, but even fashion media, had begun to recognize this standard.

The tension lingered for a moment, but with Gisele steadfastly refusing to budge, Tom Corey had no choice but to concede. He hurriedly left the show tent and made his way to a cafe across from Bryant Park.

...

Waiting at the cafe were a man and two women. As Tom Corey entered, they stood up. The man, Paul Roland, in his fifties with messy curly hair and sunglasses, was the founder and president of WM management company.

Of the two women, one appeared to be an assistant, her looks quite ordinary, while the other was tall with a petite face and slim lips, seemingly always wearing a slight smile.

Inside the heated cafe, the woman didn't wear a coat, her fitted black wool sweater and white high-waisted pants showcased her perfect body proportions. Even though Tom Corey was used to beautiful women, he couldn't help but steal glances at the model named Carmen Kass, feeling a tinge of regret.

Once Gisele Bundchen set her sights on her, Carmen could forget about making it in the fashion world. Backed by Eric Williams, that Brazilian girl and her circle were just a pack of greedy little wolves. The three newly available endorsement slots from the Victoria's Secret team last year had the whole modeling industry in a frenzy, but now two had already gone to Gisele and her close friend, Coco Gauff, while the fate of the last one remained uncertain.

Noticing Tom Corey's glance at Carmen Kass, Paul Roland felt uneasy. He took off his sunglasses, shook hands with Tom, and eagerly asked, "Tom, how did it go?"

Tom shook his head at the waiter approaching and clearly had no intention of staying for coffee. He replied, "Sorry, Paul, I tried my best."

Disappointment washed over Paul's face, not just because of the show he had lost, but because Carmen had already missed out on most of the runway opportunities this fashion week. He had hoped to get her onto the CK finale show, thinking it might lead to a reconciliation with Gisele. But now, it was clear there was no chance for that.

Seeing Paul struggle for words, Tom glanced again at Carmen and said, "Well, I have to run; the show is about to start, so I need to get back."

...

Paul stood again and personally escorted Tom out of the cafe. He cast a sympathetic glance at Carmen, who looked mournfully back at him. He sighed internally.

The original backbone of WM was Kate Moss, but in recent years, that waif-like beauty had fallen out of fashion. WM could only be considered a second-tier modeling agency; Kate's dwindling popularity led to the company's influence plummeting.

To turn things around, Paul had discovered this Estonian girl last year and poured resources into helping her win the 'Model of the Year' title at a VH1 model competition, attempting to groom her into WM's new pillar. However, after some mishaps in promotional strategies -- let's be honest, major blunders -- his firm had foolishly compared her to the recently dominant Gisele Bundchen in a fashion magazine release, hoping to ride on her coattails.

Certainly, if they could just step on Gisele, that would be even better.

Carmen Kass possessed a figure rivaling Gisele's, and her beauty overshadowed that of the supermodel. However, while aspirations were nice, Paul realized he had severely underestimated Gisele Bundchen's impact, or more accurately, Eric Williams' affection for this Brazilian girl.

Paul was well aware of the relationship between Gisele and Eric. After six months of effort, failing to secure Carmen a place during this critical fashion season, compounded by Gisele's suppression, meant there was little hope for the future.

Now, it was time to give up on Carmen Kass.

While Paul Roland could disregard Gisele's hostility, he couldn't afford to ignore the powerful Eric Williams behind her. Even without Carmen, WM had a few other models vying for a spot in the Victoria's Secret show, but if Carmen were to provoke Gisele's powerful ally, the entire WM agency might as well kiss its future goodbye.

After a moment of silence, Paul finally said to Carmen, "How about this, Carmen? You take a break for a while; skip Europe."

Carmen, who had held some expectation, swayed as if about to crumple. She stepped forward, pleading, "Paul, they haven't said they're replacing me for the Burberry opening yet, have they?"

"I'll help you handle that; let's deal with the fashion season first," Paul replied as he pulled his sunglasses back on, indifferent to Carmen's expression. He turned to her assistant and said, "Camila, take Carmen home."

"Yes, Mr. Roland," said the assistant named Camila, nodding as she watched Paul leave in his car before pulling Carmen along to the roadside.

...

Once in a Chrysler, Carmen finally lost her composure, collapsing against the seat and crying, "How can she treat me like this? How can she treat me like this? How can she treat me like this? @$%%#!"

Camila, hearing the sounds from the back, remained silent, noting some unintelligible Estonian words mixed in with Carmen's anguish as she started the car.

Having spent considerable time in the industry, she was accustomed to the cutthroat nature of modeling, and even within the tiny WM agency, there was plenty of competition. It was expected for a renowned model to try to undermine any newcomer that could threaten her position.

Still, Camila reflected on how fortunate Gisele was to have won over Eric Williams.

Ironically, the girl before her, whom she could only consider a 'newcomer', was actually a couple of years older than Gisele, who had already been famous for three years.

By that measure, there was a five-year gap between them -- a significant span of time in the fashion world, essentially marking a complete generational shift among models.

As the car drove on, Carmen transitioned from loud sobs to quiet cries, eventually falling silent.

When Camila parked outside an apartment in Greenwich Village, Carmen seemed to have pulled herself together, her earlier despair replaced by a newfound resolve.

The car came to a halt, and Carmen promptly said, "Camila, could you do me a favor?"

Noting the change in Carmen's demeanor, Camila urged, "Carmen, I think it's best if you go home and get some rest."

Carmen appeared not to hear this advice and insisted, "Find me a gossip reporter; you should be able to dig one up."

Realizing the implications of Carmen's intent, Camila quickly warned, "Carmen, you really shouldn't do that; what about Mr. Roland..."

"You have to understand," Carmen leaned slightly forward, her tone sharp and on the edge of breaking, "I'm the one paying your salary!"

Carmen's outburst shocked Camila; hesitating for a moment, she finally nodded, "Alright, just make sure you know what you're doing."

"Ha, what else can I do?" Carmen's usual faint smile became more pronounced, yet a large tear rolled down her cheek. "What else can I do?!"

She had always been the most beautiful and proud girl among her peers, unwilling to live a mundane life in a nameless town. At fourteen, she had left Estonia alone, struggling for six long years. Only at twenty did she finally glimpse success, only to see her dreams shattered.

Paul Roland's recent comments made it all too clear; she had, in effect, been discarded by WM.

So what could she do now?

Or rather, what did she have left to lose?

...

The dazzling Manhattan lights drew many to linger in their glow. Winter soon dimmed the day, as Carmen sat alone in a bar in Greenwich Village, reflecting on the neon lights outside while tunes from the Bryant Park runway drifted faintly to her ears.

These could only be figments of her imagination.

Perhaps she would soon leave this place altogether.

Camila walked in with a lean thirty-something white male and gestured toward Carmen but didn't approach him.

When the man, partially obscured by brown-tinted sunglasses, turned to Carmen, he offered a polite smile and extended his hand. "Miss Kass, hello."

Carmen was taken aback, her displeasure evident as she noticed Camila making her exit. She had reminded Camila not to reveal her identity.

But after a brief moment of weakness, Carmen quickly regained her cold demeanor. She declined to shake hands, sitting down instead to say, "I need you to follow someone."

"Of course, that's my job, Miss Kass," the man responded unfazed by Carmen's coldness. His tone held a hint of amusement as he deliberately spoke her name again.

Camila hadn't disclosed who Carmen was, but as a seasoned paparazzo, he knew how to pick up pieces of information. The news about Gisele Bundchen suppressing a newcomer promoted by WM had simply become common knowledge in the industry.

He could even surmise Carmen's intentions for meeting him.

Carmen sensed his disdain and bit her lip, hesitating only briefly before pulling out a thick envelope from her bag, pushing it across the table. "Here's fifty thousand dollars. Follow Gisele Bundchen, and if you get something I'm satisfied with, I can give you another fifty -- no, hundred thousand dollars."

Seeing the hefty envelope, the man's condescending posture faded away, and he gasped slightly.

He had seen his share of fifty thousand dollars as a professional paparazzo, occasionally selling scandalous photos for high prices.

What struck him, though, was that this fifty thousand dollars, plus the potential future hundred thousand dollars, likely represented an entire fortune for this girl. Brand new to the industry for less than six months, she had yet to secure a single endorsement, and while she had gained name recognition, it couldn't possibly translate to substantial earnings.

To take down her rival, she was willing to stake her entire savings -- she was indeed quite vicious.

As these thoughts crossed his mind, he quickly reached into his pocket, discreetly pressing the record button on his audio device. "Miss Kass, don't you realize who stands behind Gisele Bundchen?"

https//Sayonara816.

[Chapter 1096: Cruel Youth]

"I," Carmen Kass's eyes flickered for a moment, but she quickly regained her resolve. "I certainly know, but I am just targeting Gisele Bundchen."

The man sighed inwardly, realizing just how naive this girl was. Dealing with Gisele wasn't going to be simple at all.

Thinking this, he nodded without hesitation, reached for the envelope filled with money, and said, "Alright, I'll help you."

"Wait," Carmen quickly pressed down on the envelope, looking at the man. "Give me your business card and your contact information."

The man hesitated for a moment, then smiled, nodding as he rummaged through his coat pocket to pull out a business card.

Carmen still held one hand over the envelope protectively while using the other hand to take the card. She glanced at it before pulling out her phone from her purse and dialing the number on the card.

Moments later, the classic ringtone of a Nokia phone rang out. The man smiled, pulling out his phone and waving it at Carmen. "So, Miss Kass, are we in agreement?"

Carmen pressed her lips together, reluctantly releasing her grip on the envelope. She made an effort to sound more assertive, saying, "She might fly to Europe in the next few days, and you'll need to follow her. I'll call you every day to check on the progress."

"Of course, you should trust my professionalism." The man nodded again, putting the money envelope away as he stood up and extended his hand toward her. "So, Miss Kass, let's have a fruitful partnership."

Carmen ignored the outstretched hand, leaning back against the booth, turning to gaze out the glass window.

The man shrugged, retracting his hand nonchalantly as he walked towards the bar exit.

What a proud girl.

Ignorant yet boastful.

After the man left, Carmen stared absentmindedly at the vehicles and neon lights on the street outside, remaining silent for quite a while before finally rising to leave the bar.

...

Even if women didn't particularly like each other, they could occasionally find common ground on certain views.

Like at this moment.

At the Gramercy Hotel during the closing party of New York Fashion Week, Cindy couldn't help but whisper, glancing at Eric, who was chatting with a stylish woman in a black low-cut evening gown, "Linda is such a fool."

Gisele, feeling a bit gloomy, nodded in agreement. "What an idiot."

The girls surrounding them, including Qusie Gauff and her friends, didn't dare voice their thoughts quite as openly, but their faces reflected similar opinions.

Moments later, Linda returned, looking rather lonely. She took a champagne glass from a server and gulped it down, then turned to the girls, mumbling, "I'm so stupid, really."

Cindy couldn't help but jab, "Even if you were so eager to meet your childhood idol, you could have just gone up by yourself. Why drag Eric along? Don't you know his personality yet?"

Linda replied defensively, "I didn't think that much."

Qusie Gauff, overhearing Cindy, became curious and asked, "Eric what kind of person is he?"

Cindy shot Qusie a glare, "What kind of silly question is that, little girl?"

Gisele, Fernanda, and a few other girls burst into laughter, but none felt inclined to explain.

After Cindy finished, she glanced over to where Eric was, thought for a moment, and walked over to the bar to grab two shots of vodka. She handed one of them to Gisele, saying, "Drink up, fast."

Gisele took it, puzzled, and smelled it. "This will get me drunk."

"That's the point. Once you're drunk, Eric will have to take you home personally."

Gisele caught on but wasn't too happy about it. "Then why aren't you drinking?"

"I wish I could, but what if he asks that fool Linda to take me home?"

Gisele looked towards Qusie and the others. "I too have friends, you know."

Cindy, embodying a queenly presence, waved to disperse the other girls. "Alright, drink up, then we'll head over to Eric."

Gisele reluctantly sipped a bit, scrunching her nose as the harsh liquid went down. But then, she hesitated, finding excuses, "What if Eric notices?"

Cindy replied, "He can't just leave you here."

That seemed somewhat reasonable.

Fine.

...

Meanwhile, Eric was chatting animatedly with the elegant woman before him. He thought about how, even though some women often aged quickly, there were always those who seemed completely untouched by time.

"Ms. Severance, if Linda hadn't told me she had a poster of you in her bedroom, I would have guessed you were the same age as her. It's hard to believe."

"I also didn't expect to catch the attention of Ms. Ivangeline," the woman said. "But Eric, you can just call me Joan."

Eric nodded. "So, your full name is Joanna Severance?"

"No, just Joan. Joan Severance."

"What a lovely name," Eric said, not probing further, smiling as he nodded again. "So, Joan, did you come here all by yourself today?"

"Yes," Joan Severance nodded, discreetly shifting her wine glass to her other hand, bringing it to her lips for a sip while her striking blue eyes openly gazed at Eric.

With a smile, Eric admired her unadorned, delicate hand. "Your hands are beautiful. I like women with pretty hands."

"Oh, Eric, you're so straightforward."

"Then," he casually placed his glass on a passing server's tray, "Joan, would you care to dance?"

Joan Severance nodded, placing her wine glass on the tray, graciously extending her arm. "Of course, but I'm not very good at it."

"I love dancing with women who aren't great dancers."

"Why's that?"

"It's easier to take the lead."

"Eric, you've already got the lead."

As the song ended, Eric and Joan Severance stepped out of the dance floor and spotted Gisele.

Having guessed what was going on, Eric shot a fierce glare at Cindy, who was eyeing them from across the room. Cindy carried no sign of guilt, instead smirking with satisfaction.

It was getting late, and seeing Gisele slightly tipsy, Eric decided to dismiss other thoughts and take her home.

...

In an upscale apartment near Central Park on Sixth Avenue, the soft, winter sun filtered through the curtains into the bedroom.

Eric opened his eyes to find Gisele missing from his side.

After getting dressed and washed up, he headed downstairs and heard some noise coming from the kitchen, so he walked over.

Gisele was standing by the counter, phone in hand, speaking to someone. Upon seeing Eric, she yelped and flung the phone away, which landed with a splash in the sink.

Watching Gisele clumsily fish her phone out of the water, Eric approached her, smiling. "So guilty! Are you doing something behind my back?"

"No way," Gisele vigorously shook her wet phone, dried it with a towel, and held it to her ear. Of course, there wouldn't be any sound now. She shrugged, explaining nonchalantly, "It was my sister calling from Brazil."

Though he couldn't hear clearly, Eric discerned that Gisele had spoken in English.

Thinking back to when they first met, Gisele had been so embarrassed over a missed English word; he doubted her sister could converse in English with her that well.

Nonetheless, Eric nodded, not calling her out. After all, everyone has their little secrets.

After bringing home a tipsy girl last night, Eric considerately did nothing. At this time, looking at Gisele in her T-shirt and comfy pants, revealing her slim waist, he felt compelled to approach her and wrapped his arms around her shapely figure.

Gisele, sensing his feelings, turned to him, and they kissed.

As Eric lifted Gisele and set her on the counter, her long legs naturally wrapped around his waist.

However, as Gisele moved, Eric stiffened slightly as a reflex, mechanically leaning toward her ear and softly saying, "Stop. Don't do that."

Gisele looked confused but cleverly loosened her legs, playfully nudging her cheek against Eric's face, her slender body sliding slowly down until she knelt on the cool wooden floor.

...

After New York Fashion Week, the major European Fashion Weeks followed right after.

Alessandra and Miranda had already traveled to London before Eric arrived in New York. As the New York Fashion Week concluded, Gisele didn't linger too long either. She played in New York for a day with Eric before hastily boarding a flight to the UK.

With tasks wrapped up on his end, Eric usual headed to East Hampton.

Originally, he only planned to stay two days before heading off to San Francisco. But just as he arrived in East Hampton, his little boy had a bit of an accident at school. Thankfully, it wasn't serious; he just ended up with a Band-Aid on his forehead.

Eric actually liked that the boy was getting rough and tumble; a bit of clumsiness was fine. Virginia, however, was heartbroken. After hearing Eric's viewpoint, she exploded in anger, berating him for being an irresponsible dad who only cared about work while their son was hurt. By the time she was done, she ended up in tears.

With his heart heavy for both her and the children, Eric cancelled his original plans and decided to stay in East Hampton for a week or two.

...

Initially, even with facing challenges, she had still received work through WM's connections.

But suddenly, she felt like the entire world had forgotten her.

Each day was just a mindless stroll around the streets of Manhattan. Once a lively person, she had snuck out of her house as a child just to attend school parties.

Recently, she had lost interest in everything.

Staying inside her apartment like a hermit, she had even fired Camila. With her impending unemployment looming over her, she couldn't afford an assistant anymore.

At first, she thought she might have been scammed; that fifty thousand dollars seemed like a lost cause.

However, that paparazzo named Mark hadn't deceived her. He was seemingly a man of professional ethics, contacting her daily with updates about his "work."

She ended up buying a computer, awkwardly learning how to receive emails with pictures attached.

With nothing to do, she unknowingly grew accustomed to surfing the net.

Online, chatter flowed about the Blair Witch rumors in Maryland, mentioning missing university students.

What idle lives Americans led was her first impression. Upon opening Yahoo's map portal, she discovered Maryland wasn't far from New York, and she found herself tempted to visit.

She thought about it and felt that perhaps being killed by a witch in the woods wouldn't be too bad either.

Lost in such thoughts, she stumbled upon the purpose of Yahoo Maps and then began to look up her hometown.

To her surprise, she could see her house on the satellite map. Although it wasn't very clear, there it was, unmistakably: her home, a brown wooden house with white birch fences. The last time she returned, they had a puppy, just three months old. She wondered how it was doing now.

Suddenly, she felt a wave of homesickness.

But there was a sense of unwillingness about returning home after everything she had been through.

...

The paparazzo had done an efficient job. In just a little over a week, he returned from the Milan Fashion Week that had just kicked off.

They met at the same bar as last time.

Feeling too lazy to wear sunglasses, she arrived at the bar with a bare face.

Once they sat down, the paparazzo wasted no time with idle chit-chat, handing her a folder, saying, "Miss Kass, here's what you need."

She quickly opened the folder to find a stack of photos.

Flipping through them, she recognized one of the subjects as Gisele Bundchen and another as Alessandra Ambrosio, who also seemed to be Brazilian. In most pictures, the two looked very intimate, and some even showed them kissing at a nightclub.

Though she had just started shaking off her status as a nobody in the past six months, having been in the fashion industry for a while, she had picked up a few insider gossip tidbits. It appeared that both women had a close relationship with Eric Williams.

So, she thought, what good would just having their pictures do?

After flipping through the pile, she remained silent, then looked up, waiting for him to explain further.

The paparazzo picked up the photos, coaxing her by showing them. "Miss Kass, don't you see? The relationship between those two girls is unusual."

She couldn't hold back, rebutting, "They are both Eric Williams's women. Did you think I didn't know that?"

https//Sayonara816.