Chapter 386

In the early morning, Arthur sat at the table having breakfast. He put down his knife and fork, placed his hands on the edge of the table, took a deep breath, and leaned back in his chair.

Monica Bellucci then crawled out from under the table, looking aggrieved as she took a napkin and wiped her mouth.

"Arthur, you sure know how to have fun, don't you?"

Arthur laughed, pulled Monica Bellucci into his lap, and felt her chest's softness as he glanced at the food on the table. "Want to eat some more?"

Monica Bellucci adjusted Arthur's pajamas. "Eat more? I'm full already! How was your breakfast today? Comfortable?"

Arthur nodded. "Very delightful!"

"You always like to play different tricks on me," Monica Bellucci smiled.

"And you enjoy it, don't you?"

Taking a sip of juice from the table, Monica Bellucci said, "Hmm, who wouldn't? Come visit me more often and I'll ensure you experience unique pleasures."

"Of course," Arthur replied, his fondness for Monica Bellucci evident. Not only was she stunningly beautiful, but she also had an incredibly sexy figure, exuding a mature and irresistible charm.

In the evening, the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel hosted a business cocktail party on the third floor, with many celebrities present.

Arthur ran into the sexy and glamorous Nicole Kidman there. "Nicole, darling, just wrapped up Batman Forever?"

Wearing a backless halter evening gown, Nicole Kidman's appearance was flawless. "Yes, the film wrapped up. Now, I'm focusing on preparing your company's Twister. I attended the discussions for Twister. It's quite a significant investment. According to Michael Crichton, the budget is even larger than Jurassic Park!"

Michael Crichton was the screenwriter for the Jurassic Park series and Twister. Last year, Jurassic Park's production cost was $63 million.

Arthur smiled, kissed Nicole Kidman on the cheek, and put his arm around her waist. "Twister has a lot of computer effects, whereas Jurassic Park's main effects were the dinosaurs, many of which were made with props."

Nicole Kidman pressed herself against Arthur, teasingly rubbing up against him. "Aren't you worried? Universal's Waterworld has everyone's attention now. Newspapers say that the film's production budget has reached 150 million dollars. Even Minoru Morita, the president of Panasonic, is paying attention."

Minoru Morita, the successor to Matsushita's CEO Akio Tani, was currently monitoring the MCA Universal Group closely.

"It's about time," Arthur said, leading Nicole Kidman to the dance floor. "Panasonic and Sony have both suffered significant losses in their MCA Universal and Columbia TriStar operations over the past few years." 

"High rewards and chaotic management have drained a lot of resources!" Arthur said, glancing at Mickey Schulhof, the President of Sony America.

Under Mickey Schulhof's management, along with Sony Pictures Entertainment co-chairs Peter Guber and Jon Peters, Sony's debt in the entertainment division had skyrocketed!

"Really?" Nicole Kidman blinked in confusion.

Arthur didn't want to explain further. He couldn't just say that Carolco, Sony, and Panasonic's high rewards policy messed up the Hollywood market; skyrocketing star salaries were their fault, with Carolco being the main culprit and Sony and Panasonic as accomplices!

"Alright, since when did you start paying attention to this news?" Arthur chuckled.

"It's because the papers say Sony Pictures Entertainment's bosses live like kings in their luxurious offices," Nicole Kidman shook her head. "There are young women coming in and out of their offices every day, and even the screams of call girls can be heard!"

Arthur didn't deny it. At Peter Guber and Jon Peters' level, they could almost pick a different young Hollywood girl to sleep with every night.

"Tsk tsk," Arthur thought to himself, even he wasn't that wild.

Well, maybe that wasn't entirely true since Arthur's women were rare beauties with both looks and talent.

Arthur soon encountered Kirk Kerkorian, the chairman of MGM Hotel, a 77-year-old Las Vegas casino mogul who still exuded vigor, arriving with a young model who couldn't have been more than 30 years old.

"Arthur, good evening. I didn't expect to meet you in Hollywood for the first time. I thought it would be in Las Vegas," Kirk Kerkorian approached Arthur and spoke naturally.

Arthur shook his hand. "I find it wonderful too, meeting Mr. Kerkorian here. Good evening. Hollywood is actually no worse than Las Vegas."

Kirk Kerkorian nodded. "I agree. Vegas and Hollywood are closely connected. Ever since Hollywood's establishment, it's always been tied to Las Vegas!" Kerkorian laughed. "Our connection is very tight now too. MGM Movie Group and MGM Hotel are under the same brand."

Arthur remained silent. Maybe Kerkorian was annoyed because Arthur had acquired MGM film studios and was bringing it up on purpose? MGM movies held deep significance, unlike the MGM hotel.

"Well, I personally support Hollywood's golden boy Arthur Smith acquiring MGM movies;" Kirk Kerkorian said. "With you steering the ship, MGM can rise again in Hollywood, which is beneficial for promoting MGM hotels too," reflected on his tenure managing MGM, overall, he was nearing its decline.

When the film era was ending and hotels were rising, Kerkorian was seen as the biggest reason MGM fell. Many filmmakers saw him as a parasite, eating away at Hollywood's golden age film giant!

Arthur pursed his lips. "Actually, if it weren't for Galaxy competing, I think Mr. Kerkorian would have re-acquired MGM films for the third time. Times have been tough for MGM these past few years. Not many were willing to invest in MGM from the banks."

"Perhaps," Kerkorian shrugged casually and looked at Arthur. "Feel free to come to Vegas for a vacation. You'll experience the hospitality of MGM Hotel."

"Uh, I already vacationed at MGM Hotel in Vegas earlier this year," Arthur explained.

*****

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