America: My Time

Chapter 103 Universal Music
Chapter 103 Universal Music
Everyone knows what American security companies are like, especially Morgan, who had thoroughly researched John and was very familiar with John's Jaguar Security Company. Even before he had substantial funds, this guy invested thirty million in a security company, demonstrating his high regard for it. Although the company wasn't large, its capabilities were top-notch; anyone considering targeting John would have to think twice about the consequences.

The reason why none of those old guys made a move was because they knew how powerful this security company was. They were a bunch of reckless lunatics, and almost all of their security personnel had battlefield experience certificates. If they were targeted by such a group of lunatics, the consequences would be unimaginable. No one dared to break the rules, not even those high-ranking old guys. They were afraid of dying!

The longer you live, the more afraid you become of death! Those old guys wouldn't put themselves in danger for a little money, especially since rules are not to be challenged, and they wouldn't dare break them. Rules are in their favor; if they break them, these old guys will be the first to suffer. If they can break the rules, others will naturally stop following them, and the whole of America will descend into chaos—a consequence they can't afford.

Rules protect everyone. Without rules, there is nothing. Nobody wants to see life-or-death situations, and nobody wants to experience a dark age. Those old guys all came from the dark ages, and they deeply understand how terrifying they are, so they dare not break the rules! Of course, the premise is that the other party has the power. There are plenty of wealthy people in the United States who have been murdered, and they all have one thing in common: they didn't have their own power!
While Morgan was scheming against John, John was enjoying his vacation. He had done what he needed to do and wanted to take a good rest before the new year began. He also wanted to reflect on what he had done this year and take stock of the power he now possessed!

This year has been full of unexpected events, forcing me to bring forward many of my plans. However, this is not a reason to slow down development. Time waits for no one. Now is the best time for all industries to develop. If we miss this opportunity, we will inevitably pay a huge price in the future, and even if we pay the price, we may not be able to get any return.

Even with unwavering faith in Robert Iger's abilities, John still needed to make necessary inquiries to understand Legendary Entertainment's situation, especially regarding music, which was a key focus as it affected many of his plans.

"Iger, how is the integration of Universal Music going? I'm not worried about other aspects, but music is our weakness, which happens to be Warner's strength!"

"Universal Music has completed its integration, but due to Warner's suppression, although there has been some progress, the situation is still not optimistic. Many people are still concerned about Warner, so development remains a major problem. Fortunately, we have our own television network, otherwise, the difficulties would be even greater!"

"Yes, although Warner lost in the previous confrontation and its reputation was affected, it is still the king in the music field with a huge foundation that we cannot catch up with in a short time. However, this is nothing. After all, so many years of accumulation cannot be collapsed because of one incident."

"That's true. Although Warner has been impacted, it hasn't affected their fundamental interests. We do need time to catch up in music, especially in the creative field. Our song library is far smaller than theirs, and the same goes for songwriters. Established songwriters are all controlled by record giants."

"This is indeed a big problem. Since we can't control the older generation of talent, we should do everything we can to win over the new generation of creators. With television networks as a support, this isn't a problem. As long as we do this job well, the US shouldn't have too much of a problem. In contrast, Europe is a big problem!"

"Boss, we have significant problems not only in Europe but also in Asia. Although we can leverage the power of television stations in Japan and Hong Kong, our resources are still insufficient to compete with Warner!"

"That's true. The situation in Asia is indeed not optimistic. Hong Kong and Japan are doing a little better, but in other regions, our foundation is far weaker. Fortunately, things will improve in Taiwan soon. Phoenix TV has already obtained a television station license in Taiwan. In comparison, Europe is where the pressure is the greatest, with many obstacles, but we cannot give up. We must improve!"

"Boss, if we want to quickly complete Universal Music's expansion in Europe, we need to initiate new acquisitions, which is impossible with our current resources. Acquiring giants in this field will inevitably put pressure on Universal Music right now, given our heavy debt burden. And those smaller record labels will increase the pressure on us to integrate them, so it's difficult for us to change our current situation in a short time!"

“Iger, our European strategy is crucial to us, even if it comes at a cost. Right now, we're not chasing profits, we're racing against time. You're the CEO of Legendary Entertainment; everything is up to you. If the leaders at Universal Music don't have the capability, then we need someone else. We can't abandon Legendary Entertainment's development plans because of them. Why does Warner have the confidence to repeatedly oppose us? It's not because they're a Hollywood giant, but because they're kings in the music industry, able to provide Warner with a continuous stream of funding. The gaming world has cut off Warner's gaming profits; now we need to deliver a blow to them in the record industry!” The record industry in the 1980s was indeed very profitable, especially for the giants, and Warner was one of those giants, which was also the source of their confidence. Capital has no mercy. If the leaders at Universal Music can't handle this task, then there's no need for them to be in that position. Legendary Entertainment won't stop its development because of them.

Legendary Entertainment has been consolidating its operations, allowing those without the necessary skills to leave and letting capable individuals take over. Robert Iger is also interested in the profits from the record industry, which could significantly reduce Legendary Entertainment's own debt burden.

“Yes, boss, I will handle it. The record industry is indeed Legendary Entertainment’s weakness. If we can open up the record market, Legendary Entertainment’s funding problem can be solved.” As CEO of Legendary Entertainment, Robert Iger was under tremendous pressure. After all, the entire group was burdened with huge debts, and relying solely on toy revenue to support the group’s development was still too weak.

Just as John was enjoying a comfortable vacation, a phone call disrupted his holiday. Someone in Bordeaux was selling top wineries, Château Ausone and Château Latour. John's heart was thrilled by his grandfather's call; he had been waiting for such good news.

"What? You're going to Bordeaux for Christmas?" When John proposed going to Bordeaux, his parents were shocked. Christmas is the most important holiday for Westerners, and now their son wanted to go to Bordeaux for Christmas, which was hard for them to accept!
“John, you don’t need to rush about the winery. With your grandfather here, there’s no need to rush over to handle it!” Anna was incredibly surprised that her son was so focused on the winery acquisition. Although John had shown enthusiasm for the winery before, she never expected it to be this extreme. He didn’t even want to spend Christmas at home because of the winery!
“Mother, I know this is a bit crazy, but this opportunity is really rare. This is Château Ausone and Château Latour, the real top wineries in Bordeaux and the most famous wineries in France. I'm worried that something might happen if we go too late!”

“No, you can’t leave the US for Christmas this year. You have to come back to the family with us. You’ve done so much this year, and you need to be present at the family’s annual meeting. That can’t be changed!” Before Anna could even speak, Smith directly rejected John’s crazy idea!

When Smith brought up the family, John couldn't help but sigh. It was indeed something he couldn't refuse. Although he had made a good start in his career, it didn't mean he could break free from the family's help. Besides, he had accepted the family's funds in the first place, and now he should reciprocate.

"Alright, but Mother needs to tell Grandpa that I want both wineries. Let him negotiate the deal with them on my behalf. Money is not a problem. I have funds from the game world's financing right now!"

“John, do you know what you’re doing? Even if you love wineries, there’s no need to take over two at once. Besides, Château Latour is quite valuable. In my opinion, you should just acquire Ausone for your first winery deal. You should save the money to pay off your loans. You’ve already taken on a huge loan!”

"No, there's no need to rush to repay those loans. Legendary Entertainment has the ability to repay them and doesn't need to use my financing to offset them. Now is the cheapest time to buy wineries, and I won't give up this opportunity. If I weren't a little short on funds, I would acquire even more wineries!"

Seeing his son's unwavering determination, Smith was also at a loss. In his view, John's obsession was terrifying, and the winery had no future prospects or room for appreciation. Even if it did, there was no need for such a large investment; these funds would be better invested in the development of other companies, or even in repaying previous loans! The massive loan of four billion was also a huge burden on Legendary Entertainment. If a portion could be repaid ahead of schedule, it would alleviate the pressure on Legendary Entertainment!

(End of this chapter)