Chapter 647: A New Boss

[Chapter 647: A New Boss]

The evenings at Liberty City Manor always offered Eric a respite from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood. Whenever he had the chance, Eric would sit by the glass wall overlooking Liberty City during sunset, sometimes with a book or a document in hand. He would quietly gaze at the orange sun gradually sinking below the horizon until the city lights illuminated the night.

Elisabeth once joked that Eric looked like the sinister villain hiding in the corner of a movie during those moments. Chris, who had studied a bit of psychology, suggested that Eric's behavior was a sign of insecurity. Rather than sitting on the oceanfront terrace of a spacious villa, he was behind thick glass, as if he were keeping the entire world at bay, afraid of disruption or harm.

Of course, Elisabeth's comment was made in jest, while Chris's theory wasn't entirely accurate either. Aside from Eric himself, no one could analyze the mindset of a cross-timer. Only Eric knew it was a habit he had unconsciously formed, much like everyone's unique personal quirks.

Setting aside his project plan, Eric looked up at the half-submerged sun, mentally organizing the plans for the next day, ensuring no details went unnoticed.

In Hollywood, Ron Perelman's every move was under the keen eye of Firefly. All of Ron's interactions with Universal and other studios were already anticipated by Firefly.

At this point, Marvel was merely an entertainment company. Few companies outside Hollywood showed interest in Marvel now that it had lost its potential for capital operations. With Firefly and others controlling 90% of Marvel's debt, Wall Street wasn't likely to touch this hot potato. That left only the major Hollywood studios as potential rivals for Firefly.

Despite Ron Perelman's hasty return to New York indicating he had yet to reach any agreements with Universal, Warner Bros., or Paramount, Eric still wanted to avoid any surprises. In the event that Ron were pressed too hard, he could end up accepting harsh terms from other studios. So Eric intended to dangle a fresher "carrot" to divert the eyes of Hollywood's major studios.

As he organized the documents on the round table beside him, Eric was about to get up to tend to dinner when he heard the sound of hurried footsteps behind him.

...

Drew, wearing a tank top and shorts that showcased her slender legs, suddenly pounced into his arms from behind.

Eric smiled and gently pushed the rambunctious girl away, asking, "Weren't you supposed to be on the set of Night at the Museum for a few more days? What are you doing back early?"

With a giggle, the girl rested her head on Eric's leg, saying, "I was worried you might leave me behind and take 10880 back to Pandora alone, so I hurried home!"

Eric pinched her cheek playfully and turned to greet the twins dragging a large suitcase behind them. This action drew a pout from the girl, who tugged at his shirt and playfully complained, "Eric, why are you home alone?"

Eric captured her restless little hand, responding, "I was planning to spend the evening with a girl named Silence, but you interrupted my plans."

"Silence?" The girl paused but quickly understood what Eric meant by "Silence," and with a mischievous grin, she wrapped her arms around his neck, saying, "Now that you have little Drew, you don't need Silence anymore! If I'm not enough, there's Natasha and... Natasha! Oh, and I brought you a gift!"

As Eric watched her excitedly run to open the suitcase and pull out a light blue antenna that had been a hit in Men in Black, he shook his head with a smile. "How unoriginal! You didn't just pick that up at the Disney store on the way back, did you?"

"Of course not," she insisted, forcing the blue antenna onto his head. "I bought it at the Disney store in New York, just for you!"

Well, at least it wasn't from the Malibu Disney store, Eric smirked internally, watching Drew pull out a pink antenna and enthusiastically come over to ask the twins to take their picture together.

After patiently allowing her to have her fun, Eric finally took off the silly antennas and asked, "After being in New York for so long, did you visit Kevin and Elia on Long Island?"

"Of course! I even read bedtime stories to Elia for several days!"

Eric chuckled, "Let me guess, it was another horror story, right? You shouldn't scare her so much."

"No way!" Drew giggled, moving to direct the twins to bring her luggage into her bedroom. Her eyes landed on a few records on the round table, and she curiously picked one up. "What's this?"

Eric glanced at the record in her hands and nodded toward the record player nearby. "That's the BGM I prepared for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Try it out; I bet you'll love it."

Drew placed the record on the player. As the brief intro ended, a powerful female voice filled the room.

Oh, you broke my heart!

That was just the opening line, but the song's commanding energy quickly became evident.

"Wow, I love this song!" the girl exclaimed as she squeezed next to Eric. When the rebellious tune came to an end, she laughed, "Eric, this song isn't from one of your ex-girlfriends, is it?"

As for Eric's "ex-girlfriend," it could only be Jennifer Aniston. Thinking of the girl he hadn't seen in a while, he felt a twinge of nostalgia. Years had passed, and the distance between them had only grown. It seemed they might never return to how things once were. Drew surely sensed this, which was why she freely mentioned Aniston in front of him.

He playfully tapped her forehead and said, "I wrote it myself. Is that not allowed?"

She chuckled a few times, wisely avoiding pursuing that topic, and asked, "What's the title of the song?"

"Guess!"

Drew tilted her head, recalling the two letters mentioned repeatedly in the lyrics, and tentatively asked, "Is it FU?"

Eric nodded, "Smart, but no prize."

Pouting, she leaned in closer, "No way! I want a reward!"

Eric pressed a gentle kiss on her soft cheek and said, "Alright, just one. Don't be greedy."

"Can I have this record then?"

Eric shook his head, "This is just a demo. Besides, I feel the singer lacks the right punch. Once I get a better artist to record it, I'll let you have it. But this song is still a secret, so don't spread it around."

"Okay," she nodded, glancing at the other few records on the table, "What about these? Can I listen?"

"I haven't had dinner yet. Help me prepare something to eat. You're always so busy playing, clearly not much of a homemaker."

"Ha ha..."

...

After The Lion King, excitement buzzed through Disney's animation studios in Burbank. Roger Allers, director of The Lion King, shared in the enthusiasm. Despite the department's projects being on hold due to a restructuring strategy, Roger still arrived early at his office.

After enjoying a cup of coffee, Roger intended to ask his assistant for information about several hand-drawn animation projects that were in the incubation stage. He wanted to review which animation they could produce once an agreement was reached with headquarters, but he was interrupted when one of his staff members burst into his office without knocking.

Frowning, Roger asked, "Jim, what's going on? You're out of sorts!"

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Allers, but I think I just saw the boss in the parking lot."

"The boss?" Roger repeated, standing up suddenly. "You mean Eric Williams?"

Jim nodded. "Yes, and I think Michael Lynn was with him."

Roger furrowed his brow, believing this could mean Eric wanted to bypass Peter Schneider and Roy Disney to negotiate directly with them.

However, during their previous meetings, the entire Disney animation department had agreed to a defensive alliance. Roger knew they needed to stick together to secure better terms from the parent company. He quickly asked Jim, "Did Schneider and Disney come in today?"

Jim shook his head. "I'm not sure. I just got here and rushed to inform you as soon as I saw the boss."

Roger nodded and then said, "Go check if Peter and Roy have arrived. If not, call them right away."

With that, Roger hurriedly left his office.

...

By now, the news of Eric's arrival had spread throughout the Disney animation department. Many employees stood up from their open cubicles to look toward the entrance. Middle management from the animation department also rushed to greet him.

Peter Schneider and Roy Disney had clearly not made it to the office yet. Eric and Michael Lynn, along with a few aides, entered the animation department meeting room, where Roger Allers awaited them, shaking hands with Eric.

"Where are Peter and Roy?" Eric nonchalantly asked.

"Mr. Williams, they're on their way. They might be stuck in traffic, but they'll be here soon."

Not wanting to call out Roger's lie, Eric stated, "Then let's head to the conference room. Bring in all the heads of the other departments. If they're stuck in traffic, give them a call."

An hour later, Peter Schneider and Roy Disney, who had rushed from home worried Eric would circumvent them and speak directly with the employees, arrived at the animation department meeting room covered in sweat.

...

At the head of the table, Eric casually noted that most people were present. He set down the Los Angeles Times, took the prepared documents from Kelly, and addressed everyone, "Since everyone is here, let's begin this meeting."

Roy Disney jumped in, "Mr. Williams, I believe this meeting is entirely unnecessary. We've already outlined our terms, which I think everyone in the animation department deserves. If the parent company can't meet these demands, over 700 employees from the animation department will fight back."

"Your demands, like promotions and raises, do you expect those to come from the creditors' board?" Eric replied sarcastically, looking at Roy Disney. "If it's the former, that's certainly reasonable. But if it's the latter, do you know what having someone like Ron Perelman on the company board could lead to?"

Eric's increasingly sharp tone caused discomfort among all the managers in the meeting room, creating a sense of unease.

Before Roy Disney could respond, Eric continued, "You surely know the precedent set by both Revlon and Marvel. The ill-fated acquisition of Revlon by Ron Perelman in the '80s saw that once thriving cosmetics company torn apart, and now few can even recall what it was. Furthermore, after Ron took over Marvel, it went from a company that once surpassed DC to a mere tool of capital operations. The departure of Marvel's seven main artists two years ago over dissatisfaction with Ron's mismanagement left Marvel in a colossal mess, burdened with a debt of $553 million. Yet you want to usher this corporate parasite who only devours a company's substance into the Firefly board? Beyond satisfying selfish interests, I can't see your intentions."

Eric's voice grew louder, and he lifted his coffee cup almost impulsively, feeling an urge to throw it. But catching sight of a panicked employee at the far end of the conference table with eyes shut in fear, he hesitated and returned the cup to the table.

Taking a moment to calm down, Eric opened the documents in front of him and said, "Given how far we've come, maybe it's better to part on good terms. Let's discuss the idea of bringing in a new boss for the animation department."

Although Eric's earlier remarks stirred a feeling of guilt among the animation department managers, his final statement caused everyone to instinctively question whether they had misheard him.

Including Peter Schneider and Roy Disney, over a dozen management personnel exchanged glances, all realizing they hadn't misheard -- Eric had genuinely said those words.

However, a singular thought simultaneously surged in everyone's minds.

How is that even possible?

*****

https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.