Chapter 466: A Once-in-a-Century Event

[Chapter 466: A Once-in-a-Century Event]

On April 29th, Michael Eisner arrived at Universal Headquarters more than twenty minutes early, as usual. Before he even walked into his office, he couldn't contain his excitement as he asked his assistant, "Did you get to the bottom of that issue?"

"Yes, Mr. Eisner, I've organized the materials and placed them on your desk," came the reply.

"Great," Michael nodded and stepped into his office.

On his large desk lay a red folder. Once settled in his chair, he eagerly opened it. When Columbia announced layoffs, Michael had sensed early on that it was likely connected to Columbia's recent partnership with Firefly Films. Consequently, he was particularly focused on the developments that followed.

Three days earlier, Columbia had directly shut down its branch offices in several small South American countries. When Michael heard the news, he was nearly certain these cut departments had mostly been absorbed by Firefly. Clearly, this was a covert agreement negotiated by Peter Guber, Columbia's head, with Firefly Films.

As the former CEO of Disney, Michael Eisner understood better than anyone that Disney's only shortcoming was its overseas distribution. This fact had driven him to develop Buena Vista International since he took the helm at Disney. However, although Buena Vista had sought to establish independent distribution after breaking away from Warner two years ago, its overseas capabilities still fell short compared to other legacy firms with decades of experience.

Columbia, on the other hand, stood out. Among Hollywood's Big Seven studios, Columbia's distribution prowess internationally was second only to the powerhouse Warner Bros., having established dedicated distribution offices in many countries.

Michael studied the materials in front of him thoughtfully before murmuring to himself, "It is indeed true."

The investigation report indicated that following the shutdown of Columbia's South American offices, employees were swiftly absorbed by other film distribution companies. While the names of these companies varied across South American nations, none bore any resemblance to Firefly Films. Yet Michael was certain that a few years down the line, these companies would undoubtedly rebrand under the Firefly emblem.

Michael lightly tapped his fingers on the table, lost in contemplation. South America was just the beginning; the next target could be Southeast Asia or Europe.

Firefly had a strong distribution presence in Europe, and given that Europe was the second-largest film market after North America, Peter Guber wouldn't dare to close down companies there. Still, trimming certain elite teams would be unavoidable. As for the Southeast Asian countries, which were close to Japan, Peter might delay action there, keeping things under the radar.

However, if Firefly completed this plan, they would effectively eliminate their only gap in film distribution, negating potential hindrances from Hollywood's major players.

Having realized this, Michael began to strategize his next move. Over the past few years, both the overseas and North American film markets had been growing rapidly, leading to an increasing number of high-budget films emerging from Hollywood.

The international market had yet to reach saturation, so ignoring the situation wouldn't pose a significant threat to Universal. After all, Hollywood film companies generally had aligned interests in foreign markets. Firefly's blockbuster films bolstered overall audience consumption of other Hollywood films abroad.

Despite this, Michael was unwilling to let the matter slip by without action. If he exposed the situation, it could potentially disrupt Firefly's plans. Yet if Eric found out he had been meddling behind the scenes again, Firefly would likely retaliate against Universal, just as they had against Disney two years prior. Michael had occasionally entertained the thought that the film Cutthroat Island might have been a deliberate trap set for him by Eric.

After considering the matter for a while, Michael picked up the phone on his desk and dialed a number. It rang through quickly.

"This is Michael Eisner."

...

Outside the car, there was quite an uproar. Eric glanced at his watch and frowned; this was the fourth crowd he had encountered. Today wasn't Martin Luther King Jr. Day, so why were so many people gathering outside, blocking an entire street in Burbank with banners?

Eric pressed down the window to peek outside and was about to order the driver to get out and find out what was happening when his phone suddenly rang. He didn't rush to answer but instructed the driver to step out and check the situation first.

"Hello, this is Eric Williams..."

Surprised by the voice on the other end, Eric said, "Mr. Eisner, what can I do for you?"

Michael settled deeper into his leather seat, focusing on the materials in his hands. "Eric, have you heard about Columbia's recent layoffs?"

Raising an eyebrow, Eric replied, "Of course. Columbia has been losing money for the past couple of years; it's only natural they would take such actions. I would do the same in their position, Mr. Eisner. Why do you ask?"

Michael didn't detect any nervousness in Eric's tone; he knew Eric wouldn't betray any vulnerability in a situation like this. "Eric, I think it can't be as simple as that, right?"

Eric's response was languid. "Oh? And what do you think is going on, Mr. Eisner?"

"I heard that those laid-off employees haven't truly become unemployed; in addition, their salaries have increased by 20%."

"Well, if you say so, then it must be true," Eric replied steadily. "However, that doesn't concern us, does it?"

Michael inquired, "What do you mean?"

"I mean it doesn't concern us," Eric reiterated. "We should be paying attention to our own matters. I heard Universal has just finalized a deal with Mr. Spielberg to adapt Schindler's Ark. Honestly, I have high hopes for that project, and I enjoy a good relationship with Steven."

Michael fell silent. Stuck in a street in Burbank, Eric continued, "Mr. Eisner, I've also heard that Universal plans to collaborate with Lucasfilm. However, you know Firefly plans to produce several high-budget special effects films in the coming years. While we may compete with Industrial Light & Magic in the digital arena, if we're willing to share some technical resources, I believe Lucasfilm would be pleased to take on Firefly's special effects projects."

Michael finally understood what was happening. Eric was signaling him to stay quiet about the layoffs; otherwise, he might stir up trouble for Universal's collaboration with Spielberg and George Lucas.

Realizing this, Michael felt a wave of frustration wash over him. Just a year ago, few people in Hollywood would have dared to speak to him like that. However, he understood that Eric was now fully capable of making such threats, and this time, he seemed to have no choice but to concede.

"Eric, I think I'm not the only one aware of this now, am I?" Michael said ambiguously.

A smile crept across Eric's face at this admission, as it essentially marked Michael's concession. "We can't control others, but should someone run their mouth too much, I won't hesitate to knock a few teeth out."

Michael cleared his throat a few times and engaged in some small talk before hanging up the phone.

Eric casually tossed his phone aside and turned to the driver, asking, "What's going on outside? Did you find out anything?"

"Yes, Mr. Williams," the driver replied. "It's related to an old case from last year involving a black man named Rodney King, who resisted arrest while being detained, and he was beaten by several officers."

Hearing Rodney King's name, Eric frowned slightly. The details about this event felt vague in his memory, but he couldn't be mistaken about the name. Thinking back on the timing, it was now April 1992, which matched up.

The driver continued, "However, the four white officers were captured on video by a passerby during the incident, who sent it in. To heighten interest, they only aired the footage of the beating while editing out Rodney's resistance. As the situation escalated, although the full video was broadcast by the three major networks in an attempt to quell the outrage, it was too late. The trial dragged on for a year and ended today, and people are protesting in solidarity..."

Before the driver could continue, Eric interrupted, "Turn around. We're going back."

The driver looked puzzled.

"I'm saying turn around. We're going back to the Liberty City Manor."

Though the driver appeared confused, he sensed the firmness in Eric's voice and quickly executed the turn.

...

Leaning back in his seat, Eric rubbed his temples.

The 1992 Los Angeles riots -- he never expected to find himself amid it all. His understanding of the upcoming upheaval was scant; all he knew was that this was a once-in-a-century racial riot in the United States.

On the drive home, Eric repeatedly made phone calls, reaching out to several women one at a time.

Virginia and Joanna were both in New York, which was a relief. Although there might be unrest in other parts of North America following the riots, escalating things wouldn't happen overnight. By the time news got around, they would surely be on alert.

Jennifer Connelly was at Stanford, where she had been focusing on her studies since dating Eric. With less anxiety about her acting career, she devoted more energy to her education and aimed to graduate this year.

Nicole was still in training at the spy school, which posed no problems.

Famke Janssen was in her villa in Beverly Hills, having just woken up. The sound of Eric's voice made her a bit gleeful. After politely asking a few questions, Eric learned the lady would be staying home today. If even Beverly Hills was unsafe, then Los Angeles would be thoroughly ruined.

Drew, Julia, and Elisabeth were all still at home, planning to visit the Digital Domain headquarters at Playa Vista to check on the progress of the making of The Mask.

After considering the timeline regarding Rodney King's case -- set to be judged in the afternoon -- Eric decided to divert toward Playa Vista. He also gave Jeffrey a call to inform him about meeting up at Playa Vista to check out the dinosaur models. Eventually, the car grew quiet.

Having notified all those he intended to reach, Eric felt settled. He was naturally a detached person and had no intention of playing the role of a savior. In the face of events so vast that his personal influence held no sway, he felt there was little he could do.

The car glided slowly across the Los Angeles roads when Eric suddenly thought of someone.

Unable to resist, he picked up his phone and dialed, envisioning that stubbornly sweet face in his mind.

"Hello, this is Ms. Aniston's assistant. May I know who's calling?" a polite female voice answered.

"This is Eric Williams."

"Ah..." The voice on the other end gasped softly before quickly quieting. "Mr. Williams, I'll get Ms. Aniston. She's getting her makeup done."

"No, don't bother," Eric interrupted her. "Where are you right now?"

"We're at the Universal studio, Mr. Williams. Do you want to come by?"

Eric didn't respond immediately; instead, he asked, "What's Jen's schedule today?"

"Ms. Aniston is currently filming a romantic comedy, and she will be in the studio the entire day," the assistant quickly answered.

Eric acknowledged with a soft "Hmm."Oh, then I have no business with you."

"Uh?"

"Don't tell Jen I called."

"Mr. Williams, I don't understand."

Eric raised his voice slightly, "You don't need to understand. All you have to do is remember not to tell Jen I called."

"Oh, I--I understand, Mr. Williams." The assistant stammered her response.

*****

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