Chapter 555

"Are you threatening me?" James Murdoch stared at the person 10 years younger than him, who patted him on the shoulder with a handsome face carrying an undisguised mocking smile.

James Murdoch's heart seemed to stop beating, "Charles, you..."

"Shh," Charles raised a finger to his lips to stop him, "James, think carefully about what you're going to say next. What you just said, even Rupert Murdoch wouldn't dare say to my face, or maybe you should give your father a call and ask about the consequences?"

With that, Charles just smiled at James Murdoch, waiting for his response.

James Murdoch, who was staring at Charles Capet, turned pale from anger. The fury almost showed on his face, but he held it in. Capet Pictures now owned Universal, NBC, and Netflix, not to mention the power Capet Capital had revealed in sports entertainment with the English Premier League's Arsenal, NFL's Miami Dolphins, and NBA's New Jersey Nets...

The young man before him had grown to a height he could no longer surpass!

Taking a deep breath, James Murdoch forced a smile, "Charles, enjoy yourself. I'm not feeling well, so I'll head back."

Without looking back, James Murdoch left the Plaza Hotel. Watching his retreating figure, Charles shook his head.

No wonder Rupert Murdoch would eventually sell 20th Century Fox to Disney in the future; even if he passed it to this successor, it would be soon ruined.

Rupert Murdoch was 79 years old this year, younger than the 87-year-old Sumner Redstone, but still considered a senior, close to retirement!

"Hmm, did young Murdoch leave?" Ivanka asked as she returned to find only Charles remaining.

Charles nodded, "He left. These Aussies are just so rude," he grumbled, leaving Ivanka puzzled, before taking a lady to the rest area.

"Haha, Charles, did James Murdoch offend you?" Ivanka, who had known Charles for some time, tried to understand his temperament.

"That guy dared to use the newspapers to threaten me to do something for him. I don't know who gave him the courage to talk to me like that," Charles, who already had a poor opinion of News Corporation, now outright disliked it.

Ivanka took a breath, "It seems he doesn't understand you at all, or does he not know how influential you are in America?"

"Plants grown in a greenhouse, how would they know the storms of the outside world? News Corp has a great media presence in the UK," Charles smiled. "James Murdoch spends most of his time in the UK, which probably shaped his personality and led him to the illusion that America operates the same way!"

...

Leaving the Plaza Hotel, James Murdoch returned to his Upper East Side residence in New York, his inherently irritable and fragile nature unable to be controlled. He smashed many things at home to vent his anger.

James Murdoch becoming CEO of News International was only because of his father, Rupert Murdoch, which already made him ostracized by the higher-ups.

The Murdoch Family Trust owned 38% of the voting rights in News Corporation, with Rupert Murdoch always controlling the company as chairman and CEO. People often said behind his back that he wouldn't be in such a position if his last name wasn't Murdoch.

Rupert Murdoch had six children. With his first wife, he had a very low-profile daughter who never worked in News Corp. With his second wife, he had three children: Elisabeth Murdoch, Lachlan Murdoch, and James Murdoch. Wendi Deng, the third wife, also had two daughters.

Initially, the Murdoch Family Trust shares were to be divided into four parts for Rupert Murdoch's four children. However, after Wendi Deng gave birth to two daughters, she requested shares for her daughters as well, facing unanimous opposition from the four adult children.

In the end, Wendi Deng won, and Rupert Murdoch assigned shares to her two daughters, though without voting rights, only dividend rights. He also provided an additional billion dollars each in compensation to the four adult children.

This strained the relationship between Elisabeth, Lachlan, and their father further, causing Lachlan Murdoch to return to Australia!

While Elisabeth and Lachlan remained on the News Corp board, along with James, only James held a high-level position at headquarters. His siblings managed partial duties and had their own ventures.

Desperate to prove he wasn't riding on his father's coattails, James Murdoch was indeed furious today. Charles Capet's disdainful gaze felt like a knife slicing through his heart!

After venting his frustration, James Murdoch opened a bottle of whiskey, took a deep gulp, "Charles Capet, what an absolute jerk!"

Born in the UK, James Murdoch already had disdain for some people in the New World, considering them nothing but nouveau riche.

James Murdoch picked up his phone, about to call his father, but smashed it instead.

Could he really do nothing without his father? Almost every day, the higher-ups at News International in the UK reported their work to the American headquarters, making James feel like a puppet. If he called his father over this small issue with Charles Capet, wouldn't it prove how useless he was?

...

Charles and Ivanka returned to the Capet Tower penthouse. Charles immediately called Phyllis Jones, instructing her to closely monitor News Corp papers for any unfavorable news about him.

Of course, James Murdoch's disrespect needed retaliation. He had planned to call David Dein in London, but given it was likely early morning there, decided against it.

Considering James Murdoch's high regard for the Premier League broadcast contract, Charles felt he needed to raise the stakes; given the substantial American investment in Premier League clubs and his good relations with Manchester City and Chelsea, he certainly could influence some internal discussions!

"Charles!" Ivanka, having had a few drinks, seemed quite emotional, sitting on the sofa with her clothes disheveled, looking seductively at Charles as he finished his call...

*****

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