Chapter 95: It's a Wrap

Current Los Angeles had terrible air quality. Europe had advocated for clean energy early on, and their gasoline was better than America's.

Staying in Los Angeles long term was not advisable. Since he had money now, he could look for some vacation spots.

The movie filming was nearing its final stage. With two movies' worth of experience, the director's skill naturally improved.

Such a prolific movie producer also turned out to be a film company owner. For the Hollywood giants, this truth was quite a bummer.

White Films' run of good luck seemed to be ending. Warner's boss, Steve Ross, swung his pickaxe, starting a talent raid.

"Couldn't hold back, old man?" William White wasn't surprised by the reports. This was just normal in Hollywood. As long as he played by the rules, it was all fair.

Steve Ross was brash but knew when to hold back. He's a jerk, but if you play dirty, he'd definitely be more shameless.

Other giants were watching coldly. Even if William White annoyed them, they still had to uphold their reputation. They knew attacking in unison might worsen matters.

Warner was a real giant, unlike United Artists, which few saw as one.

Paramount, Universal, Warner - these three were the true powerhouses. Fox was slightly weaker, and the Disney known in later years was still playing dead.

That's just how family businesses are - without a reliable successor, even a great legacy would be wasted.

Compete in horror and comedy for box office wins? William White admired Warner's courage. They should stick with superheroes.

So what if Stephen King is involved?

Horror movies were niche no matter how good they were. Bring it on; he shouldn't be afraid.

Regarding poaching, William White was unfazed. Anyone could leave if they wanted.

...

In the face of the corporate giants' pressure, White Films appeared rather nonchalant.

People like Steve Ross definitely aren't as shallow as they seem. Instead of reacting passively, it's better to wait for the right moment.

Merging with Time Warner, merging with AOL, those are success stories. From this, it's clear that the old man isn't really a movie guy; he's just a big shot in capital. Engaging in a direct confrontation with him over movies is pointless since that's not even his concern.

"Cut! I announce that Beverly Hills Cop is officially wrapped." Immediately, champagne bottles popped open, and soon someone was showered in champagne.

William White was drinking with his head tilted back, with none of his usual seriousness, wearing a baseball cap backward, resembling more of a rogue than a director.

This unruly behavior was irresistibly attractive to the young female fans.

After leaving the wild scene, naturally, it was time for a big party. 

White Films' lavishness was no joke; the food you enjoyed at the party was definitely five-star hotel quality.

...

Reporters felt frustrated these days. They anticipated a good show but ended up getting something different than they expected.

Faced with Warner's aggressive approach, White Films chose not to play. When questioned by reporters, their responses were evasive.

A one-man show can't go on for long. If Warner keeps playing, they'll just end up being the clown. If he doesn't acknowledge you and you won't stop, are you out of your mind?

...

After a wild night, William White was escorted home by bodyguards.

He wasn't really drunk; there was no hard liquor involved. His head felt a bit dizzy, so since the party was no longer interesting, it was better to head home quickly.

...

Steve Ross was enraged. In Hollywood, no one had ever dared to ignore him, yet this time he was flamboyantly ignored.

"Has their schedule been confirmed for next year?"

"There's only a verbal agreement with Lucas; it hasn't been finalized yet."

White Films' success added immense pressure on him. Shareholders didn't care about the reasons; what they saw was a thriving movie market while their own investments continuously flopped, which was utterly unacceptable.

Being someone adept at capital operations, he could naturally see through William White's strategy. Abandoning the oil industry was a clear indicator -- the opponent's goal was absolutely entertainment media.

This kid's a miniature version of Warner, no doubt about it. The old man couldn't sit still and decided to teach the arrogant youngster a lesson.

Confronted with a maverick who didn't play by the rules, the old man could only imagine the frustration. If he continues to play, the punk will undoubtedly play the victim.

He could only use conventional business tactics. 

...

Casting aside the silk quilt, William walked stark naked into the bathroom. After returning home last night, he crashed, and now his sticky body felt uncomfortable.

Today, he needed to go to the editing room. There's still a movie to finish, and many scenes need to be shot in Europe, so things can't be delayed.

"Boss, Jobs wants you to pay a visit to Apple." Suzuki, holding the previous day's briefing, informed him who had come by.

"Alright, I'll head over in the next couple of days. Let him know once the time's set."

...

Upon arriving at the company, he immediately got to work on editing. The new editor hadn't been found yet, so they'd have to make do.

Warner's name still carried weight, and it was only natural for some people to leave. To say he wasn't angry wouldn't be realistic, as it had indeed disrupted operations.

"Suzuki, notify the legal department. This time, anyone we hire must sign a special clause that prohibits them from working in the same industry for a year."

William White was fuming with anger. This damned old man, just wait to see.

Superman, huh?

'Just watch how I'll deal with you.'

The plot of the second Superman was already messed up, with three random villains suddenly showing up, threatening Superman to come out and fight.

They really made a movie like a comic book intended for kids. Copying comics verbatim would lead to a disaster.

Next summer's going to be exciting enough with a Raiders of the Lost Ark, plus a Superman and a Mr. Bean-style 007. It's like leaving no room for anyone else!

...

And Atari.

'Do you honestly think I only plays arcade games? Enjoy yourself for a couple more days; your tears are coming.'

It's the same old problem: semiconductor development is too slow, especially for personal PCs, which seriously lag behind.

The big guys, spearheaded by Big Blue, still didn't take personal PCs seriously. All new technologies were aimed at mainframes.

If computers were like this, forget about gaming consoles; they were utter garbage.

Yet Americans sure loved to play, and Atari's trashy games still sold well.

William White's arcade systems were already nearly 32-bit. Going up against 8-bit processor competitors was pure bullying.

The 8-bit CPU gaming consoles were no longer interesting. William White didn't plan to develop any; he was waiting for the right moment to stomp on Atari directly.

Legendary World made a high-profile entry into the home console market, causing headaches across the industry, with Atari being the most affected.

Being a part of the gaming field, William White's arcade games were seriously overpowered; three simple games could easily run on a 16-bit processor.

Since he announced the development, the transition from arcade to console was logical. One such game was enough to be troublesome. If three appeared simultaneously, Atari might as well shut down.

Whoa, is this how you fight back?

In comparison, Warner's approach seemed really low-level, lacking the flair of a titan.

*****

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