Chapter 337: Interests

In the evening, Arthur attended a celebrity ball with Sophie Marceau again. He wasn't overly concerned about the acquisition of MGM.

Credit Lyonnais was just a trustee. Currently, no one was willing to take over MGM, and as for running it themselves, they had come to realize the high risks of developing films over the past couple of years.

In the banquet hall of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Arthur and Sophie Marceau were sitting in a corner resting and drinking champagne when someone waved at Arthur.

It was Leon Panetta, the newly appointed White House Chief of Staff, and a former Democratic Congressman from California.

"Dear, I'll be away for a moment," Arthur stood up and kissed Sophie Marceau.

"Okay, I'll wait for you!"

Arthur then walked towards Leon Panetta, and the two quickly headed to a room upstairs.

Although acquiring MGM wasn't overly difficult for Arthur, having connections in Washington was still beneficial. A seasoned tycoon like Kirk Kerkorian certainly had political resources.

"Arthur, go for MGM. Many older Americans hold MGM in a special place in their hearts, and they hope to hear the lion's roar once again," Leon Panetta expressed his support for Arthur, albeit just verbally.

This business acquisition depended on Arthur's financial strength, and there wouldn't be any antitrust investigations involving MGM and Galaxy.

"I understand, but Kirk Kerkorian has his own ideas now. I don't want him to cause too much trouble for me," Arthur said, looking at Leon Panetta. "A little pressure from MGM Grand or his network of politicians could cost me tens of millions of dollars!"

Leon Panetta smiled bitterly, "Arthur, this is a legitimate business acquisition. You know we can't intervene."

Arthur simply stared at Leon Panetta. After interacting with Jack Valenti earlier today, Arthur realized that guy was being deceptive, which put him in a bad mood.

Leon Panetta continued speaking in his official tone, which Arthur couldn't tolerate.

"Alright, Arthur, the Nevada Gaming Association is currently negotiating a new round of gambling industry reform clauses with Congress. Nevada is the main force behind this. Kirk Kerkorian is a key figure in Vegas casinos. He needs to lobby Nevada legislators and other Congress members, which takes time. We will delay it. Believe me, you'll have enough time to acquire MGM this year," said Leon Panetta, originally from Monterey, California, and a longtime Congressman.

He was well aware of Arthur Smith's rapid rise in recent years and had made significant contributions to Clinton's campaign.

Because Galaxy had failed to enter the MPAA directly, they now aimed to acquire MGM to achieve their goal. Washington, D.C. needed to show their sincerity both emotionally and logically.

Arthur nodded, "The importance of Hollywood is self-evident. The greater my power, the more help I can offer you. MGM has a rich history and is highly recognized both domestically and internationally. Once Galaxy acquires MGM, it will immediately become one of the legitimate Big Seven media conglomerates!"

Both Arthur and Leon Panetta understood this. While Hollywood was ruled by commerce, the honor of films could not be ignored. Members of Congress and elite circles were not easily appeased like ordinary people.

Why did Disney only earn the right to be called one of the Big Seven movie studios recently? Previously, it wasn't even on the list of the Big Eight studios.

Simply making animated films to sell toys and drag parents to theme parks wasn't enough to earn a seat at the table.

The artistic standards of live-action films required producing works that could profoundly impact audiences. Disney created Touchstone Pictures and Hollywood Pictures to develop live-action films.

However, Disney's lack of artistic films was often criticized, leading to last year's acquisition of Miramax, specializing in art films, to prove their commitment to developing artistic cinema.

Galaxy was strong, not just in commercial films, but more importantly, it had consistently released high-quality art films to enhance its legacy over the years.

The Oscars were now the ultimate pinnacle of honor in the global film industry, an unparalleled presence, the dream sanctuary for all filmmakers.

Having won the Oscar for Best Picture three consecutive years, Galaxy's reputation was rapidly growing. In the future internet age, Galaxy's influence would expand even more dramatically!

The greater Galaxy's influence in Hollywood, the more Arthur's voice would weigh.

Leon Panetta was well aware, "Mr. President has more and more Jewish advisors around. Sometimes, we also need to make concessions."

Arthur scoffed, "I don't care about Jewish or Anglo-Saxon people; I just need to ensure my interests are protected. Everyone hedges their bets. Clinton's backers can be Jewish or Anglo-Saxon. I can support Democrats or Republicans!"

California was now leaning towards the Democrats, especially with Hollywood's influence. If Arthur Smith, as a representative, shifted sides, the consequences would be significant.

Leon Panetta smiled and patted Arthur's shoulder, "Rest assured, our power in California is unmatched by other states, except maybe New York and Texas. Mr. Clinton's election as President wouldn't have been possible without Hollywood's full support. The benefits you deserve won't be taken from you."

"Alright, but remind Mr. President not to think about changing anything. His best scenario would just be switching from one puppet master to another. If Jews offer him something, he should think carefully about accepting it."

If Clinton intended to become a puppet for Jews, Arthur would not agree. Hollywood's Jewish power was already significant. With foreign capital getting involved, it was the perfect time for Arthur to strengthen his power in Hollywood, and Washington's support was crucial.

"And also, remind Mr. President to watch his step. He has plenty of scandals already. The Whitewater case, Ed Willey's wife's harassment case, these incidents are not insignificant," Arthur said, staring at Leon Panetta. "We've spent significant funds and effort supporting the President. If we don't get returns, you can't bear the wrath of capital!"

Clinton hadn't been in office for long and had already caused several scandals and deaths. If not for Hollywood's media suppression, did he really think he could sit peacefully in the White House?

Leon Panetta became serious, "We can handle these issues, Arthur. Your interests are guaranteed!"

At this point, Arthur represented more than just himself; he represented his capital group, the Hollywood community, the political and commercial power of California, and parts of Wall Street's financial power, closely linked with Arthur.

The Whitewater case involved the Whitewater Development Corporation, half-owned by the Clintons, which had close dealings with a fraudulent guaranty company. Hillary Clinton used this guaranty firm for illegal money-laundering.

White House attorneys exposing the Whitewater case and ministers advocating legal accountability for the Clintons mysteriously committed suicide.

Ed Willey's wife, a Clinton Campaign Committee member, also accused Clinton of sexual harassment, and the couple mysteriously committed suicide last year.

Early this year, a woman named Paula Jones also accused Clinton of sexually harassing her while he was Governor of Arkansas.

Clinton was surrounded by scandals, and bringing him down was much easier than supporting him. His main advantage was obedience.

"Leon, we're all in the same boat. We don't care who's President; we care about a President who ensures our interests!"

*****

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