America: My Time

Chapter 339 The Appearance of Akio Morita

Chapter 339 The Appearance of Akio Morita
In the 1980s, while television stations were developing reasonably well, newspapers still held the dominant influence in terms of media discourse. However, this time Phoenix Media Group has no plans to enter the newspaper industry, nor will it invest heavily in records. Phoenix Media Group's focus is on peripheral markets, specifically Blockbuster and cinemas.

“John, Phoenix's expansion has caused another upheaval in Hollywood. You need to be prepared. One wrong move and it could trigger another storm. Having two major Hollywood giants in your hands is a result no one wants to see, not to mention a television network that is currently being consolidated. Compared to that, the theater issue is not a big deal!”

"Let them think what they want, it's a done deal and can't be changed. If anyone wants to cause trouble, I'd like to know who's still plotting against me, so there's no need to care. I'd rather use that time and energy on integrating Phoenix Group. The film studio and the television station need to be integrated as quickly as possible, ideally before the summer. This is no easy task. If Paramount weren't in a better position with more talent, I wouldn't have taken it over! Once the television network integration is successful, perhaps we can get some support from Japan and attract some advertising to sustain the television station's development!"

At this point, John thought of those guys in Japan again. If he could get some advertising from them, it would be a great help to the development of the TV station. It's not easy for a newly established TV station to be self-sufficient. Even with talent and resources, it still needs time to improve itself.

"John, is your graduation thesis ready? This is no small matter, so you can't be careless!"

"I'm ready. I'll just revise it a bit after the Spring Festival. Maybe my graduation will shock those old guys even more." At this moment, a cold smile appeared on John's face. John had no good feelings towards those old guys. Although he had obtained a lot of resources from them, they were still full of hostility towards him.

Most importantly, throughout this deal, those old foxes like Rockefeller were constantly testing me, asking about my thoughts on the hospital. It was clear that these old guys were wary of me in the medical industry, worried that it would affect their interests.

Thinking of healthcare, John couldn't help but sigh. Morgan was really going all out, helping him to perfect his pharmaceutical business layout. And he was determined, without any scruples, making no attempt to hide his actions, and paying no attention to the reactions of those old guys like Rockefeller.

Algen, a pharmaceutical company founded just last year, is among the companies being offered acquisitions, along with Nature's Bounty, an over-the-counter health supplement company, and Kaiser Permanente! Such a large-scale operation has unsettled and frightened many. Those old fogies understand that Morgan is working for John's benefit; these acquisitions are assets John wants.

These old guys had considered stopping it, but the three companies weren't very large. Even Nature's Bounty, the most famous, didn't have a high market capitalization, and they didn't think its growth potential was great—at least in their eyes. To confront Morgan head-on over a few small companies would have too much of an impact!
Morgan saw this as well, so he didn't care at all about exposing his actions and used the fastest means to complete the acquisition, while also sending a warning to the old guys like Rockefeller.

John understood that this frenzied acquisition had disrupted his plans, but this change was also a result he wanted. Morgan's reaction reassured John that at least in the short term, Morgan was still safe, though what the future held was hard to say. As he continued to develop, conflicts with Morgan in some areas were inevitable, but such a situation was not expected at the moment.

Before the Spring Festival, Morgan completed the acquisition of three companies, completing the acquisition at the lowest cost and in the shortest time, demonstrating Morgan's strength to John and showing him Morgan's attitude.

The transaction was handled by professional managers. In the pharmaceutical field, John wasn't in a rush for major leaps in development. Although he owned several pharmaceutical companies, they were all new and needed time to grow. As for the hospital changes, they were only in the initial stages; a crucial step hadn't been completed. More preparation time and arrangements were needed. John had initially thought Phoenix Media's acquisition of Paramount Pictures would create a new storm, but the result disappointed him. There was only a slight turbulence in Hollywood, which quickly dissipated. However, with Phoenix Media's completion of its control over Paramount, some people became restless.

Akio Morita flew directly to San Francisco to meet John. Perhaps because of Phoenix's acquisition of Paramount, Murdoch's acquisition of Fox was also quickly agreed upon. In such a short time, the change of ownership of two major Hollywood giants had an imaginable impact on Hollywood. How could Akio Morita, who had always had his eye on Columbia Pictures, tolerate this?

If another unexpected event occurs and Columbia Pictures is sold, Sony will truly have no hope left. Therefore, he had to rush to see John and hear John's thoughts.

John was somewhat surprised by Akio Morita's arrival. After all, it was still a long time before Sony acquired Columbia Pictures. Could it be that the change of ownership of Paramount Pictures and Fox Pictures put pressure on him, forcing Akio Morita to bring forward his acquisition plan?

Because this was a private meeting, and John was still a student and couldn't have much time, the two chose to meet at John's home. This way, the meeting wouldn't attract attention or cause unnecessary trouble.

"Mr. Morita, is your trip to the United States this time related to Columbia Pictures?" John asked bluntly, revealing his thoughts. The fact that this old man, Akio Morita, was in such a hurry clearly indicated that he had been influenced by the change of ownership of the two major film studios!
"Indeed, I came here for this matter. Paramount Pictures and Fox Pictures were acquired in such a short period of time. How could I not be anxious? If another unexpected event occurs, Sony may not have any chance at all! However, I have some doubts. How did you manage to acquire Paramount Pictures without being blocked? No one in Hollywood wants to see you control two major film giants. It would put enormous pressure on them!"

"Actually, it's nothing. As long as you prepare in advance, you can naturally reduce such troubles. Besides, this transaction also comes at a price. What I'm giving up isn't money, but shares in Dreamworld. So there won't be any problems with the exchange of interests. If Sony is interested in acquiring Columbia Pictures, then they should hurry up. The turmoil in Hollywood is getting bigger and bigger. If you don't hurry up, I'm afraid there might really be some unexpected events. To be honest, Morgan had previously brought up Columbia Pictures, but I didn't accept it and chose Paramount instead."

As soon as John finished speaking, Akio Morita felt a pang of worry. Since Morgan had spoken to John, it meant that the other party had the ability to complete the acquisition of Columbia Pictures. This was not good news for Sony. Sony was unaware of this news and had never even considered it, which naturally made Akio Morita somewhat anxious.

"John, do you think this kind of acquisition in Hollywood will continue? Is it possible that Columbia Pictures will be acquired by someone else? If Sony makes a move, what are the chances of success?" At this moment, Akio Morita's heart became heavy. If things continued to escalate, Sony's plans might be disrupted.

"The situation in Hollywood right now isn't ideal. A series of major battles and this frenzy of acquisitions have created chaos, and nobody knows what will happen next or if new players will enter the fray. Warner Music, while suffering a double whammy from Phoenix Media and Legendary Entertainment, has a strong foundation and hasn't been greatly affected. After all, Warner Music is a true record giant, which is Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media's biggest weakness. However, Disney and MGM are in a much worse situation. The money Phoenix Media used to acquire films has been diverted, and MGM is now in a precarious position. Disney is also in a dangerous situation under pressure from Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media, and could be acquired at any time. If Sony were to make a move now, the chances of success are there, but not very high. You know that trade between Japan and the US is constantly expanding, and some people are relentlessly criticizing Japanese companies. Sony's chances of acquiring Columbia Pictures on its own are really slim, and I'm not very optimistic about it!"

As soon as John finished speaking, Akio Morita's expression became even more serious. Even Riko, who was standing next to him, sensed the change in atmosphere and couldn't help but show a hint of shock in her eyes. She hadn't seen Akio Morita with such an expression in a long time, which showed how much pressure the situation in Hollywood was putting on him.

"John, what do you think Sony should do now? How can they acquire Columbia Pictures without being affected by the overall situation in the US?" Akio Morita quickly made a decision. No matter how difficult it was, Sony had to acquire Columbia Pictures; otherwise, the longer it dragged on, the more likely the plan would fall apart. Sony had been preparing for this acquisition for a long time and absolutely could not accept failure. Now, Sony's only 'ally' was the shrewd John, and only he could help Sony achieve its goal!
(End of this chapter)