America: My Time

Chapter 1085 The Split of Phoenix Group

Chapter 1075 The Split of Phoenix Group

"Will Portland be our home from now on?" Jennifer Connelly asked with some doubt. After all, she could see that John's actions were somewhat unusual this time. John had never brought them into contact with these forces before, but now that he was doing so, she couldn't help but have some suspicions.

Jennifer Connelly wasn't the only one with this thought; Claudia Schiffer, Christy Turlington, and Naoko also had some doubts, but they all refrained from asking. She used the word "family" very well, indirectly indicating her own status. Now, standing in front of Naoko, Zhang Yuyan, and Sunny, she felt a sense of crisis, after all, they all had children, and more importantly, their children had all gained the Bayard family's approval!
"No, you should do what you need to do. I brought you here mainly to let you get acquainted with the place. Remember to donate to charity in the future and don't forget about this place. Keep that in mind. You and Christie Turlington will be in charge of many things here in the United States, especially the charitable foundation. Gradually, you need to shift your focus towards people in Oregon."

In the past, Calvin handled matters here, with John also making an appearance. But this time was different; he appeared with these women and children, which was unusual. It would spark endless speculation, and what changes it would cause was not something John had considered.

Explain! John didn't have that idea. This was a test; if they understood, he wouldn't say anything; if they didn't, even if he explained, it wouldn't have much effect, since he couldn't force them to do it this way. People's hearts are something you have to win over yourself, not rely on others' guidance. That's all he could do.

If Christy Turlington and Jennifer Connelly cannot complete this task, it can only be said that their emotional intelligence is limited. They have paved the way for themselves but failed to achieve results, which can only be blamed on their own lack of ability.

In contrast, Zhang Yuyan, Sunny, and Naoko are under much less pressure. After all, the United States is not their focus, and John will have more plans in the future. As John integrates his companies, he will often need to prepare for the worst, which is no small matter.

There was a problem. At this point, everyone who was paying attention to John felt something was wrong. Why wasn't John paying attention to those companies? Did John really trust them? He was indeed very trusting because all the management was done by professionals, all the bills were handled by professional accounting firms, and the bank transfers were all done through his own bank. Under these circumstances, the chances of something going wrong were slim.

While everyone was pondering how to deal with John's unusual actions, John left Portland for Los Angeles. This time, John ignored the security issues and directly inquired about the progress of Paramount Pictures' 'Black Hawk Down' project, asking if it had a chance of being released during the summer. They were also discussing the plan to split the film.

"The Black Hawk Down project is progressing very smoothly without any obstacles, and a summer release is not a problem!"

"Okay, that's good. Next is the split of Phoenix Corporation. I'm sure you've heard the rumors circulating in Hollywood. Phoenix Corporation needs to be split up, and the theater chains will be spun off directly. We can't wait for them to make trouble. I want to know your thoughts now. After the split, Phoenix Corporation North America will be renamed Paramount Corporation. Paramount Pictures, Lucasfilm, DC Comics, Blue Sky Studios, and Paramount Television Network will all be integrated, and you will be the chairman of the new corporation."

"Isn't this a bit too early and too hasty, boss?" Although she could become the chairman of the new group, Shirley Lansing had a slight worry in her heart. Her boss's decision was a bit too fast, and she was not prepared. Most importantly, this was not just Paramount Pictures, but the entire Paramount Group.

John knew this was a bit too hasty, but it was unavoidable. Completely separating the theater chain would inevitably impact the entire Phoenix Group, and John was also aware of the group's somewhat chaotic management. Maintaining full coordination across the group was difficult. Phoenix Group was already too large; unlike Legendary Entertainment, which had been established much earlier, Phoenix Group was now facing challenges. Of course, some in Hollywood were already stirring things up. The dominance of the two major media conglomerates made many uneasy, and Paramount's acquisition of Lucasfilm further increased the pressure on Phoenix Group in Hollywood. Therefore, no one wanted Phoenix Group to control the theater chain, even though its main operations were in Hong Kong. With discontent, John had no choice but to make the decision to split it up ahead of schedule.

“I know this is a bit rushed, but things happened so suddenly that I have no choice but to do this. I will be transferring Watanabe Ryosuke, and the entire Paramount Group will be under your leadership. Do you have the confidence to do all this?”

“I can do it!” Shirley Lansing answered without hesitation in response to John’s question. At this moment, her ambition was fully unleashed, which meant that she would be compared to Robert Iger of Legendary Entertainment in Hollywood.

"Good, it's good that you have that kind of confidence. You don't need to worry about Phoenix Group; they'll handle that. What you need to do is fully integrate the existing resources! Watanabe Ryosuke will handle Blockbuster and other film and television retail businesses. He will focus on online and retail, and even integrate the internet cafe alliance and elite agencies!"

As soon as John finished speaking, Shirley Lansing immediately understood that the big boss had made a comprehensive plan. She only needed to keep Paramount Pictures stable and didn't need to worry about anything else. Moreover, although those people's pressure seemed to force Phoenix Media to break up, after the breakup, her boss's control over media and entertainment would be even stronger and more terrifying. Those guys made a wrong decision!

Using cinemas and talent agencies as pretexts to attack the two major media groups is wishful thinking. Before they even take action, John has already figured out a way to break the deadlock. Moreover, this will not weaken his control over media and entertainment or his power of discourse; it may even allow him to advance further!
Without these North American companies, Phoenix Group doesn't need to worry about those guys' attacks. Phoenix Cinemas will continue to grow and thrive safely, leaving those guys helpless. Moreover, although Phoenix Group will suffer losses from this split, they won't be as significant as imagined.

Seeing that Watanabe Ryosuke hadn't changed at all, John smiled calmly and said, "Watanabe, you don't need to worry. I'm very satisfied with your performance. This split was unavoidable; after all, Phoenix Group's influence is too great, and some people don't want to see it continue to expand. From now on, your position remains the same, but you'll have to shoulder some more responsibilities. You don't need to focus on cinemas and retail anymore; you should concentrate on the internet cafe alliance and other matters. If there aren't any major problems, Blizzard and the other acquired game companies will also be integrated into Phoenix Group, as well as the music sector."

Although Phoenix Media Group appears to have significantly reduced its film business, its overall strength has remained unaffected. The consolidation of its game companies, the internet cafe alliance, and the addition of other websites have ensured that Phoenix Media Group's overall power has not diminished. John's control over the narrative remains intact; however, the fact that his media and entertainment group has now expanded from two to three entities will undoubtedly leave those involved stunned.

"Huang Xizhao will be here tomorrow. The three of you can have a good talk. If Robert Iger has nothing else to do, he will also discuss cooperation with you. After all, this split has had a significant impact. Legendary Entertainment has also split up, but that's a minor matter and won't attract much attention from the outside world!"

John believes that the biggest problem with the split of Phoenix Group lies in the United States. As long as Shirley Lansing can support the entire Paramount Group, it won't be a problem. As for whether Watanabe Ryosuke can stabilize the companies in North America, that's not a big issue either. After all, they've cooperated before, and integrating them into Phoenix Group shouldn't be a big problem. Even if some problems arise, it won't be a big deal!
Although John made numerous arrangements for the breakup of Phoenix Media, some gossip still surfaced. After all, the appearance of Huang Xizhao, Robert Iger, and Shirley Lansing together inevitably drew the attention of the entire Hollywood. While many wondered what they were discussing, no one could truly know the secrets behind it all.

It's impossible for John, the big boss, to have gathered them all together if nothing major had happened. Someone thought of Paramount's 'Black Hawk Down' project, but it was quickly dismissed. It was simply impossible; even if John valued the project highly, he wouldn't convene a small group to discuss it, especially since it clearly had nothing to do with Legendary Entertainment. So, that idea was flawed. Then someone remembered that crazy claim circulating in Hollywood before. While it sounded absurd, it wasn't impossible, and the simultaneous appearance of these individuals suggested a connection to it. Otherwise, they couldn't understand why John would do this!
(End of this chapter)