Chapter 454

[Chapter 454]

It was a little past ten at night when four men stood outside a famous restaurant in Beverly Hills, laughing and bidding farewell to one another. Obviously, they had enjoyed their dinner.

Eric and Katzenberg watched as the two heads of Columbia Pictures got into their car and left before making their way to their own vehicles.

"Those two are complete fools," Katzenberg remarked, shaking his head. "It's hard to believe they actually agreed to this. Once the terms are finalized, our power will rise a significant level, while Columbia will be struggling to recover. I can't help but wonder if the Japanese are simple-minded. Even if they wanted to give up some control, they should have at least assessed the capabilities of these two in Hollywood. Who would have thought they would just hand over a major film company to such people?" His incredulity was evident as he reflected on some of the agreements made over dinner.

Eric waited for Katzenberg to finish before adding, "You got that wrong. Although these guys are making foolish decisions, they are actually pretty sharp. If they can secure this partnership with Firefly, they could comfortably hold their positions for a few years. The only thing sacrificed here is the interests of the Japanese; they themselves won't suffer any losses."

Katzenberg understood Eric's point, but couldn't help but express his thoughts, "If those two could manage the company well, they could reap substantial rewards. Columbia is still one of the big seven, after all."

Eric shrugged, "Do you think they want to? Unfortunately, they just don't have the ability to run a big film company. If they did, they definitely would."

Their cars were parked close together. As they reached their vehicles, Katzenberg didn't rush to say goodbye. Instead, he climbed into Eric's car, clearly wanting to discuss something further. Eric moved aside, signaling for him to continue, and closed the partition between the driver and them. The fewer people knew about their plans to undermine Columbia, the better.

"Eric, instead of dividing these resources between Firefly and Disney, wouldn't it be better to strengthen our own distribution company with it? What do you think about letting Buena Vista International handle this?" Katzenberg proposed straightforwardly as he shut the door.

Although this was Katzenberg's initial idea and he had primarily handled negotiations with Columbia during dinner, Eric knew he couldn't agree to Katzenberg's request. If he did, Disney's Buena Vista International would quickly gain distribution power equal to that of Warner and the other giants. Firefly would then be at a significant disadvantage, forced to increasingly rely on Buena Vista International for its international distribution, creating an unfavorable imbalance.

"Jeffrey, what do you think about Michael Lynn?"

Katzenberg blinked in surprise, not quite understanding why Eric had suddenly brought him up. After a brief pause, he replied, "Just an average guy, very conventional."

"Even though acquiring Disney made many people think I've reached the peak of power in Hollywood, I don't see it that way. Acquiring Disney was just the beginning. I have greater plans, like consolidating Hollywood and merging all seven major studios."

"Eric, you can't do that," Katzenberg said, looking at him as if he were delusional. "Even trying to acquire another major studio would come under tight scrutiny and regulation from the Federal Trade Commission."

"I know that. But taking direct action wouldn't work. I have other methods in mind, and I've consulted some people about it. This approach is definitely viable and would not violate federal antitrust laws. I even have my sights set on the next target," Eric answered, maintaining his composure. "But Firefly has to remain the leader in this vision of my business empire. It's my showcase to demonstrate my strength. Only by displaying overwhelming advantages can I compel my opponents to yield. So you need to understand, this portion of resources from Columbia can only go to Firefly."

Katzenberg was about to argue but Eric continued, "I just asked you what you thought of Michael. My opinion is similar -- he's mediocre. However, Firefly is in a growth phase and needs an enterprising leader. I can produce high-grossing films, but I'm not great at management."

In a flash, Katzenberg understood, his face lighting up with understanding.

"Two years," Eric said, holding up two fingers. "Michael's contract still has two years to go. If Disney can achieve impeccable results during this time, I will let you take Michael's place and lead Firefly Group."

Katzenberg quickly calculated and made a prompt decision. "Alright, Eric. Then we can allocate Columbia's resources to Firefly. But regarding film collaborations, I hope we can do that under Disney's name."

"That works for me," Eric agreed swiftly, thinking of how Katzenberg ruthlessly exploited Jobs' Pixar studio in the original timeline. Smiling slightly, he said, "Even though we've established our intent, I leave the specific negotiations to you. We need to make Sony believe it's a huge advantage while also securing enough benefits for ourselves."

Eric was confident this collaboration would be a straightforward deal, and he believed Katzenberg would handle it without mercy.

"I'll prepare some negotiation plans," Katzenberg nodded, wrapping up the discussion before saying goodbye and stepping out of Eric's car.

...

"Mr. Williams, hello," came the sound of cheerful, youthful voices as Eric returned to the Liberty City estate. Upon entering the villa, he saw a couple of little girls, whose high-pitched tones reminded him of those who were members of the Mickey Mouse Club. The sound, however, sent shivers down his spine.

"Mr. Williams, good evening," Drew stood up, beaming in a cropped jean jacket, trying her best to mimic Britney and Christina's voices to greet Eric.

Just a glance at the pile of shopping bags scattered on the sofa let Eric know that Drew had taken the two girls on a shopping spree -- though that wasn't what concerned him at the moment. Noticing the time, he realized it was already past eleven. A mild chill ran through him, and he instinctively pulled Drew out of the small living room.

"What are they doing here at this hour?" he asked, lowering his voice in a blend of urgency and concern.

"Don't worry," Drew replied, clearly aware of Eric's worries. "I came right over by helicopter. No one knows they're here."

"But they know, don't they? If they don't go home, their parents will definitely ask about it. Get them out of here, now."

Drew wanted to argue but Eric's stern look silenced her. "Haven't you heard about Woody Allen? You wouldn't want to get me caught up in something like that, would you?"

"Alright, alright, I'll send them home," Drew relented, slightly pouting as she trudged back into the living room.

Feeling a bit frustrated, Eric headed to the kitchen to find something to eat and began to contemplate how he might deal with this reckless girl.

As he heated milk, a tiny figure stealthily crept into the room -- he turned quickly to find Christina.

"Mr. Williams, my mom's back in Pennsylvania for a while. I... I told her I was staying at Drew's. Can I stay tonight? I promise I won't cause any trouble."

Eric took a moment to assess Christina. Although he didn't care much for women's luxury items, it was hard to miss that the outfit she wore was definitely not cheap, and that shiny bracelet was surely authentic gemstones, not something synthetic. Although she was a child star on Disney Channel, these were not items Christina could ordinarily afford. Clearly, Drew had taken care of her wardrobe; Eric quickly realized that this was Drew's way of nurturing the girls' materialistic aspirations.

"Mr. Williams," Christina repeated softly, catching his gaze. She clutched the door frame with one little hand, trying to look as endearing as possible.

Even knowing that her pitiful facade was mostly an act, Eric couldn't bring himself to refuse. "Alright then, you can share a room with Drew."

Christina nearly jumped for joy, thanking him in a moment of excitement, and fluttered closer, "Mr. Williams, I can make something for you! Can I prepare a late-night snack?"

Eric raised the cup of warm milk he had already prepared. "No thanks; I'll just drink my milk. Let's head out."

"Ooh," Christina followed Eric out of the kitchen like a little tail.

Hearing that Christina could stay, Britney clearly wasn't pleased, but Eric held firm. Britney's father had quite the reputation, and he had no intention of getting himself into trouble over that greedy man.

He quickly sent a car to take a somewhat begrudging Britney away.

"Eric, look at this tie! I, Brit, and Chris picked it out after a long time," Drew said as soon as they returned to the villa, producing a tie from one of the shopping bags and holding it up excitedly in front of Eric.

After a long day, Eric just wanted to finish his milk and hit the sack, not really in the mood for this. He glanced at it and said, "Not bad."

Drew stuck her tongue out, instantly realizing she'd annoyed Eric again, and huddled close to him, "We've completed thirty percent of The Mask's filming. Also, Liz and I bought two comedy scripts recently. Do you want to see them?"

"Forget it. You've already bought them, so they must be good," Eric shook his head.

"Oh, and Jim Carrey's been pursuing Claudia Schiffer lately," she added, eager to gossip.

Eric paused, asking, "Isn't Jim Carrey married?"

"Yeah. Men are all the same, always looking for something better while enjoying what they have. But Claudia doesn't care for him at all. Haha, she's saving herself for you," Drew chattered on, while Christina, who had been pretending to be innocent, widened her eyes to look at Drew, then glanced at Eric.

Drew quickly realized she'd put her foot in her mouth and, eager to appease Eric, clarified, "I'm not talking about you!"

After Eric finished his milk and set the empty cup down, he pinched Drew's cheek gently. "Get some rest. I'm off to bed."

...

Once Eric's figure disappeared, Drew transformed from a docile kitten into a little wildcat, mimicking Eric's earlier actions as she pinched Christina's cheek. "See? Eric is totally cool to be around."

Christina nodded, her eyes casting downward, quickly darting around. Not minding the girl's earnestness, Drew glanced back at the shopping bags in the living room. "Let's clean this up before bed."

Christina obediently joined Drew to tidy up the mess but couldn't help but ask, "Drew, why aren't there any servants in the villa?"

"What do you mean? There are dozens living in the estate. But other than regular cleaning, Eric doesn't like unrelated people coming in here," Drew smiled at Christina. "So you two are lucky. Most people can't come in."

Christina nodded, looking gratified.

After the two girls tidied up the shopping spoils, Drew led Christina into her bedroom.

As Drew slipped into the bathroom to shower, Christina finally relaxed, no longer holding back her excitement. She celebrated silently, leaping onto the large bed before her. Her parents had divorced, and she had previously shared a cramped rental home in Burbank with her mother. Although they lived a distinctly more comfortable life than Britney, it still paled drastically compared to the grandeur of Liberty City Manor.

Drew had undoubtedly been educating the two girls in materialism just as Eric had suspected, and it had taken effect. The two girls had gotten a taste of Hollywood's opulence and were quickly developing a distaste for their previous surroundings. For some time, they had been striving to please Drew, hoping she would help them escape their old lives and enter this new, dazzling world they had just glimpsed.

*****

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