America's No. 1 financial conglomerate

Chapter 352 Each Has Their Own Ideas

If the bonds within a circle are intricately intertwined marriages, then the core that keeps these bonds intact is undoubtedly naked self-interest.

In this world of fame and fortune, without shared interests, who would open their heart and confide in you?

It's often said that donkeys are the Frankenstein's monster of country gentry, or gangsters in suits having a meeting. Ernst used to think this was too sarcastic, but now, having experienced it firsthand, he finds it to be a vivid and even somewhat conservative description.

Take the California gang, or the circle that later expanded into the West Coast gang, for example. The old hag and Gavin Newsom are both from the Democratic Progressive faction on the surface. When they take photos together, their arms are linked closer than siblings. But behind the scenes, who hasn't tripped up the other?

Not to mention Harris, whom the Brown family later pushed to the top, who immediately turned around and plunged into the arms of the Kennedys, becoming a key figure in the Kennedy faction.

Given enough benefits, let alone internal competitiveness, many people will jump back and forth between the two sides of the same coin.

Can the ship of friendship capsize so easily?

Nobody dared to board the ship.

The saying "a friend in need is a friend indeed" is often misused. In this industry, it's common to only share hardship, not happiness.

Even the old hag and Gavin Newsom later turned against each other over the unequal distribution of the cake, tearing each other apart and leaving no room for compromise, even though they were from the same faction.

If you take a little more, I'll get a little less. In the face of power and wealth, so-called friendship is nothing more than a thin veil that can be torn apart at any moment.

This principle of prioritizing profit was no exception for Ernst.

He had just been chatting and laughing with a group of West Coast gangsters at a party, exchanging pleasantries, when he turned around and got into the same car with Lieutenant Governor Gray Davis, speeding away and leaving the group of people standing there looking at each other in disbelief.

This included William Newson and others who watched helplessly as the two got into the car.

"What do you think he means by this?" The old hag broke the silence first. By now, she had a place in the group and her words carried more weight than before, but there was a hint of unease in her tone.

Ernst's behavior just now was so unusual that she couldn't help but think about it.

"What do you mean?" William Newson remained calm, as if he had already seen through everything. He scoffed and said slowly, "What else could it mean? It's nothing more than diversifying your bets. You can't put all your eggs in one basket. They understand that."

The old hag's face visibly darkened, and the smile on her lips froze.

William Newson glanced at her, his eyes holding a deeper meaning, but said nothing more. He turned and got into his car, quickly disappearing into the night.

"Let's go, our car is here too." Her husband Paul's cheerful voice came from beside her, his tone full of pride after attending an upscale party, as if just being here meant she had already entered the true upper class.

But the sound only annoyed the old hag, making her want to cover her ears and run away.

In the old hag's eyes, Paul was a heartless good-for-nothing with no real skills, a typical spoiled brat.

He was so happy after attending a high-society party that he lost his head and started boasting about being a member of high society, not realizing that he was nothing but a fart in front of truly important people.

Just like when I met Ernst, he even shook hands with Gavin Newsom, but he didn't even look at Paul properly, let alone shake hands with him.

This clearly shows that they don't take Paul seriously at all, but Paul himself is still unaware and happily follows by his side like a child who hasn't been weaned.

Thinking about all this made the old witch feel exhausted, as if a heavy stone was pressing on her chest, making it hard to breathe.

She has great ambitions. If she wants to gain a foothold in this circle, or even climb up, she must rely on the support of the Pelosi family.

Unfortunately, her husband Paul is a hopeless case. Not only can he not offer her any help, but even his meager business has only been able to develop thanks to the information she secretly gave him.

However, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the old witch.

The West Coast clique is trying to break through the limitations of the East Coast and expand its power into the legislature, breaking the long-standing tradition that most of the party's bigwigs are from the East Coast.

In the most powerful circle on the West Coast, the middle generation is in a state of transition, with the older generation wanting to retire but not daring to completely let go, and the younger generation unable to take over. That's why she was able to seize the opportunity to rise to the position of senator and obtain the key to entering the core of power.

But all of this has one prerequisite: her husband is Paul Pelosi.

If it weren't for this relationship, the Pelosi family wouldn't trust her, and this circle wouldn't have given her any resources; she would never have gotten to where she is today.

So even if Paul is useless, she can only endure it and even have to maintain his image in front of others, pretending that they are a loving couple.

But today, her unease grew stronger.

Ernst, the wealthy tycoon they were trying so hard to win over, who could influence the situation at crucial moments, seemed not to have high hopes for her. In fact, one could say he was skeptical about the idea that a woman could rise to the top of power.

This can be seen from several conversations Ernst had with Gavin Newson during the party.

Although the two were talking about trivial matters on the surface, their conversations implied that Ernst preferred a male to lead the West Coast gang to break through the status quo.

The implication is that he does not approve of women taking on central positions and that a man must step up and take the lead.

What happened next made the old witch even more nervous, her heart pounding in her chest.

What was the meaning behind William Newson's meaningful look before he left?

Does this mean they're going to change her logo?

If Ernst insists on changing the person before they can cooperate, and this circle wants to continue to win Ernst over, then changing the standard-bearer is really not a big deal.

When faced with personal gain, so-called personal connections and seniority are utterly worthless.

And Ernst left with Gray Davis at the end, wasn't that also a sign of pressure?

Backed by Gray Davis is Jewish capital, a representative elected by Jewish capital that wields considerable influence in the finance, real estate, and entertainment industries in West Los Angeles.

If Ernst and Gray Davis get close, which is something their circle doesn't want to see, wouldn't her position become even more precarious?

All I can say is that she was very politically astute, but unfortunately she was a woman, and one that Ernst disliked very much.

His close relationship with Gray Davis had an element of pressure, but more so because the latter could better meet his current interests.

One reason was that he already knew Gray Davis would win the election, so he cultivated a good relationship with him in advance.

On the other hand, Ernst, as a member of the Hollywood circle, also had to give Gray Davis enough support.

After all, many of Hollywood's interests still need Gray Davis's help to protect them in his future position.

The two parted ways at the MGM headquarters building. Ernst did not go straight back to his mansion, but instead turned around and walked into his office with Robert Iger.

It was already late at night, and all the office staff had left. The entire floor was so quiet that only the sound of their footsteps could be heard.

Robert Iger personally made Ernst a cup of coffee, and as he handed it to him, he couldn't help but ask, "What was that you did today?"

He was referring to Ernst's invitation for Gray Davis to accompany him.

"You should know that the financial backer behind Gray Davis doesn't have a very good relationship with the West Coast gang. Doing this could very well provoke the West Coast gang and backfire."

Ernst took the coffee, took a small sip, and then scoffed, his tone full of disdain, "They don't even deserve it?"

Robert Iger's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing this.

He never expected that Ernst would take the West Coast gang so lightly.

While the West Coast cliques may not be as established as those with centuries of history, they wield considerable influence in California and throughout the West Coast, making them one of the most elite circles.

Ernst is not satisfied with being a member of this force. What does he want to do?

Do they really want to dominate an entity like the eight major conglomerates before they'll give up?

In Robert Iger's opinion, this was simply wishful thinking.

Although the Kennedy family intended to arrange a marriage between Ernst and his family to bring him into their camp, this did not mean that they would accept Ernst as a key figure in the Boston financial group.

Ernst noticed Robert Iger's confusion, but he did not explain.

There are some things that Robert Iger would never understand, even if explained.

He had no idea how powerful the influence of Silicon Valley would become on this land in the future, nor did he know that what Ernst wanted was never to be dependent on a conglomerate, but to become a conglomerate himself.

"The reason we approached Gray Davis was largely because he could bring us tangible benefits."

Ernst put down his coffee cup, speaking in a flat tone, as if he were talking about something trivial.

"Tell me about it." That's what Robert Iger really wanted to know.

As for Ernst's grandiose and unrealistic goals, he didn't want to hear about them, and he knew Ernst wouldn't tell him easily.

"Grey Davis has pledged that if he succeeds in taking office, he will push for further tax reforms in Hollywood and allocate no less than $300 million in subsidies specifically for equipment upgrades," Ernst said slowly, each word clearly reaching Robert Iger's ears.

Robert Iger instantly understood that Gray Davis was primarily driven by Hollywood capital, and it was only natural for him to repay his financial backers with real money; there was nothing surprising about it.

However, the intricacies involved are not so simple.

What is a subsidy for certified equipment?

To put it simply, the state government is funding the replacement of equipment for these Hollywood companies to promote Hollywood's better development and create more jobs.

As for who these companies bought their replacement equipment from and how much they paid for it, Gray Davis didn't care at all.

The key is the word "certification".

Ultimately, what kind of equipment meets the standards is determined by the finance department.

If Gray Davis loosens his grip even slightly, he can ensure that these subsidies flow steadily into the pockets of the donors.

That's why elections are said to be the biggest investment.

When Gray Davis ran for governor, his backers invested at most ten or twenty million dollars. But once he became governor, they could instantly get returns of ten or more times that amount. This doesn't even include the hidden benefits brought by subsequent tax exemption policies, industry support policies, and so on.

This deal seems like a great deal no matter how you look at it.

"Besides these, there's also the issue of piracy. Gray Davis stated that from now on, anyone bringing a camera into a movie theater will be considered to be committing an illegal act and will be severely punished," Ernst continued, a hint of barely perceptible satisfaction in his tone.

Don't assume that just because America is a so-called copyright haven, there's no piracy.

In fact, piracy is also rampant in the United States. However, unlike other places, many pirates in the United States are not doing so for profit. Most of them are movie enthusiasts who make movies for themselves and their friends to watch.

Even so, it has seriously damaged Hollywood's interests.

Every additional person who watches pirated content means one less person buying tickets, resulting in less revenue. These small losses add up to a significant amount.

The fact that Gray Davis is now willing to step in and address this issue is undoubtedly good news for Hollywood.

Seeing Ernst settle into a comfortable position on the sofa, Robert Iger couldn't help but ask, "So, we're going to have to spend money again?"

Ernst would never do anything that wouldn't bring him benefit.

However, to reap benefits, one often has to pay a price first.

"$300 million was deposited directly into Gray Davis's campaign account."

"You're not going to make MGM foot this bill again, are you?" Robert Iger frowned instantly upon hearing this. Seeing that Ernst didn't deny it, he couldn't help but roll his eyes and said irritably, "The board members will definitely have objections. Can't you find another company to pay for it?"

MGM just spent over $20 million a while ago, and now it's going to spend another $3 million on Gray Davis's campaign team. MGM isn't Ernst's company, so the shareholders are bound to be unhappy.

Nobody's money comes from thin air, so why should MGM keep taking advantage of us?

"Then let them sell their shares. I'll buy them back at a high price, based on a valuation of $100 billion," Ernst said casually, his tone completely unconcerned, as if the shareholders' dissatisfaction was nothing to him.

Upon hearing this, Robert Iger couldn't help but think to himself: This guy is such a scoundrel, such a scoundrel!

This guy not only stripped MGM's shareholder naked, but also raped Robert Iger.

The $100 billion valuation, 1.5 times higher than the price MGM paid when it was in trouble more than a year ago, looks like a high-priced buyout.

But who would sell? Selling MGM stock at this time would be the act of a complete fool.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, MGM will definitely go public within two years. What will its market value be then? It could even double. Ernst has grasped this point, which is why he dares to act so blatantly and unscrupulously. He knows that those shareholders will not dare to actually sell their shares and will have no choice but to accept it.

If you're so capable, then team up and kick me out, but who dares to?

Who can guarantee that MGM will continue to grow at such a high speed without Ernst? Nobody is willing to risk their own interests.

But since these people dared not do anything to Ernst, they would definitely take their anger out on Robert Iger.

Robert Iger felt a headache coming on at the thought of the trouble he was about to face, so he believed that Ernst had also raped him.

She blatantly took advantage of him and didn't want to take responsibility, but he was helpless.

"Is there really no room for negotiation?" Robert Iger wanted to make one last attempt.

It's not that he's speaking on behalf of the shareholders, but rather that MGM is spending more money, which is affecting its own development.

Ernst shrugged, looking completely innocent, and said, "There's nothing I can do about it. Of all my companies, MGM has the smallest share."

The implication is clear: he owns a large stake in other companies, and he's reluctant to spend his own money.

Robert Iger was instantly speechless, and could only glare at Ernst, cursing him and his ancestors in his mind.

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