America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 104. Good people shouldn't have guns pointed at them, and even posthumous innocence isn't true innocence.

Double Star Entertainment.

Eric patted Elizabeth's head and coaxed her in a slightly apologetic voice, "I'm sorry, little Elizabeth, there isn't a suitable role for you yet."

Seeing her slight disappointment, Eric pinched her nose: "But although there isn't one now, there definitely will be one next year. There will be many teenage characters in that movie, and I can give you a role with more screen time."

"Really?" Olsen asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

"Of course it's true, I never lie to my fans."

After seeing Elizabeth off, Mary Olsen asked, "Eric, do you really have a role?"

"Of course there is. Is it really fun to fool little kids?"

The movie Eric was referring to was, of course, "The Hunger Games," which was originally aimed at teenagers, so it was easy to put an Elizabeth Olsen in it.

He crossed his legs and leaned back on the sofa: "But Elizabeth is almost as tall as the two of you. She developed quite early. Apart from her baby face, she doesn't look like a child."

"Are you saying we're short?" Ashley said immediately, clearly annoyed.

Eric wagged his finger: "Of course not. I never comment on a woman's height, weight, or age lightly. In my eyes, you are all beautiful girls."

"A smooth-talking man," Mary said, sticking out her tongue.

"You should be grateful you have a handsome face," Ashley scoffed.

After chatting for a while, the two sisters began to report on the company's recent performance.

Since the last time, Doublestar Entertainment has been implementing a bundled sales strategy. Not long ago, MGM produced a short film that combined the classic cartoon character Pink Panther with the cartoon characters of the two sisters.

The short film is not long, less than 6 minutes long, but it received a lot of praise after its release because of its interesting story. Collaboration is always popular.

"Eric, although this method has only been implemented for less than twenty days, the results are really good. According to the data we have, Double Star Entertainment's turnover has increased by 33% compared to last month."

"If we compare the figures for a full month, the figure should be over 50%, with the best-selling items undoubtedly being the collaboration series with the Pink Panther, which alone accounted for more than 25% of the sales."

"We anticipate that this number will continue to grow next month, and this upward trend should continue for at least three months. Merchandise for The Walking Dead is currently in production and should be available this week."

Eric was quite satisfied with the numbers in the report, which proved the correctness of his decision.

"Ashley, how many production lines does the company have running now?"

"Six lines. Actually, there were originally four, but two production lines have recently been restored. If sales continue to grow like this, we will need to add more within a few months, depending on the situation."

How many new workers have been recruited?

"120 people, 60 people per production line, this is the optimal number based on experience. More or less will lead to reduced efficiency."

Eric nodded, looking at the two young girls in front of him who were not yet 18, but he knew he couldn't underestimate them.

Although the Olsen twins have poor taste in films and their acting skills are mediocre, they have at least honed their commercial skills over the years.

How many people could do better than them before the age of 18?

Let alone the whole of the United States, even if the restrictions were relaxed to the whole world, there wouldn't be many.

Eric's idea was to first rely on DoubleStar Entertainment to gradually build MGM's own sales network.

When the time is right, the processing of goods will naturally be moved to China to enjoy the demographic dividend there.

In this day and age, the wage gap among workers in China is too large. Of course, it will still be large in twenty years, but it is even more exaggerated now.

According to data released in 2002, the average monthly salary for an employee in the United States was approximately $2400.

The average monthly salary of workers in Yanjing is about 2000 RMB, which is nearly 10 times the exchange rate.

The cost of hiring 120 people in the United States is enough to hire 1200 people in China. More importantly, the skill level of workers in both countries is not that different. That's why large enterprises and factories prefer to set up operations in China.

In the elevator, the Olsen sisters saw Eric off.

"Eric, didn't you say you'd invite me to the MGM studios? When?" Elizabeth asked.

Eric rubbed his palms. He was so busy every day, how could he possibly remember such a small thing?

However, when he looked down and saw the other person's somewhat resentful yet expectant eyes, Eric felt embarrassed to refuse, having just said a few hours earlier that he wouldn't lie to his fans.

"Elizabeth, when do you want to go? You can decide the time."

"Then today is fine. I don't need to go to school today, okay?" Elizabeth said loudly.

Ashley patted her on the back: "Eric has something to do. I'll take you with me when my movie with Mary starts filming. You can stay as long as you want."

"Will he be there?" Olsen looked at Eric.

"Of course he will be there. Eric is the director; how can the movie be made without him?" Mary said.

"Alright, I'll do as you say."

As we spoke, we had already crossed the lobby on the first floor, and the receptionist opened the door.

Eric was about to say "don't bother seeing them off" when suddenly a group of reporters appeared out of nowhere and ran towards them.

"Holy crap, they're hiding in the bushes again! This scene looks familiar!"

The memory of being ambushed last time started attacking him. Eric subconsciously thought that he had been secretly filmed again while he was hanging out with some girl, and he turned around to go back to the company.

But unexpectedly, these reporters weren't there for them. Instead, they surrounded the Olsen sisters, bombarding them with questions.

"Ashley, what are your thoughts on Michael Jackson's case?"

"Mary, did you watch 'The Real World of Michael Jackson' on Fox last night? What are your thoughts on his child molestation case?"

"Mary, you were all invited to Neverland Ranch. Were you assaulted by Michael Jackson?"

"Are Ashley, the Olsen twins, still in contact with Michael Jackson? What kind of person do you think he is?"

The barrage of questions made Eric realize the intentions of these gossip media outlets: they wanted to sensationalize Michael Jackson's child molestation case.

This happened in February of this year, when Eric had just swindled Hasbro in the stock market and was busy filming "Transformers".

He only heard about this after he came out of the Nevada desert, but by then the climax of the story had already passed.

The incident dates back to 2000 when a boy named Gavin Avico was diagnosed with cancer, which led to the removal of his spleen and a kidney.

After being informed by the hospital that his time was up, Gavin Avicio expressed his last wish: to see Michael Jackson one last time.

With the help of philanthropist Jamie Masada, the family successfully contacted Michael Jackson.

As is well known, Michael Jackson dedicated himself to protecting and helping children because of his own difficult childhood, and he loved to bring joy to other children.

So after spending a fortune to buy and build the Dream Manor, he regularly invited his children to visit the manor, and he felt happy while his children were happy.

Therefore, after learning about Gavin Avicio's situation, Michael contacted him and paid for his medical expenses, and arranged for a blood supply team for him.

This kind of financial aid, enough to bankrupt a family, lasted for three years.

With Michael's help, Gavin Avizo's condition improved significantly, and after he was able to move around normally, Michael invited him to Neverland Ranch.

Gavin Avicio visited Neverland Ranch a total of 8 times. On 2 of those visits, he met Michael with his parents. On the remaining 6 visits, Michael was not at the ranch, and the children were free to play.

If things ended there, it would be a beautiful and kind story, but reality often turns out to be more like the farmer and the snake.

In February of this year, British journalist Martin Barshere offered to film a documentary about Michael in exchange for connecting him with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to organize a charity event in Africa to help children with AIDS. Michael readily agreed.

Gavin Avicio and his family were also invited to appear on camera during the filming.

But after the documentary aired, Michael discovered that Martin Barshere had not reported the facts at all, but instead used editing to portray himself as a pedophile who wanted to have something with Gavin Avicó.

This kind of thing has happened before. Back in 1993, a bastard named Evan Chandler used his 13-year-old son, Jody Chandler, to blackmail Michael.

Ultimately, in order not to jeopardize his career at its peak, Michael's company, agent, and team persuaded him to settle out of court, for which he paid $2200 million.

Now that Martin Barshere has framed him with the same charges, Michael is naturally furious and wants to sue him, while also taking countermeasures.

After 1993, he hired a private photographer to record the interview process.

After the real video was released, public opinion shifted, and Gavin Avizo's family stated that Jackson was a good person, not a pedophile.

In this situation, if Michael and Gavin Avizo stay together, things will definitely start to improve.

But people's hearts are unpredictable, and like Evan Chandler's family, this family ultimately chose to compromise with money.

Their behavior began to become strange; they stopped speaking out for Michael and instead started contacting child protection organizations and legal authorities.

Media outlets also photographed Gavin Avizo's mother, Janet, visiting the offices of the lawyers and psychologists Evan Chandler had hired to frame Michael, and her purpose is not hard to guess.

It happened on April 24th, which was yesterday.

Fox News broadcast a more complete transcript of the interview with Michael, which naturally reignited public and media interest in the previously quiet incident.

The Olsen twins were once guests at Neverland Ranch, and now they are celebrities of all ages, which is why they received media attention.

Faced with this swarm of bloodsucking leeches, Ashley and Mary could only keep quiet. They had to be careful about this matter; if they were to slip up and have a slip of the tongue, countless accusations would be leveled against them the next day.

But the media clearly wouldn't let the two sisters off the hook, continuing to press them with questions, most of which were clearly biased.

Rumors, scandals, and gossip are always what the general public loves to watch, regardless of the era or country.

"Michael Jackson is innocent!"

Amid the chaos, a deep roar escaped Eric's lips, yet it was clearly audible to everyone present.

Like a shark that has smelled blood, the reporters suddenly all turned to look at him.

Eric Cooper.

A paparazzi shouted, seemingly only then noticing who was standing next to him.

"There's a big fish!"

Realizing Eric's identity, the paparazzi immediately turned their attention to him, pointing their microphones at him.

"Mr. Cooper, could you repeat what you just said?"

"A paparazzi asked, his eyes gleaming with a bloodthirsty light," one of them asked.

Ashley and Mary quickly tugged at Eric's clothes from behind, signaling him not to comment.

But as a former MJ fan, Eric knew the whole story very well, and MJ should not be treated like this!

Good people shouldn't have guns pointed at them, and even posthumous innocence isn't true innocence.

He nudged the Olsen sisters, signaling them to move away, and then called over a cameraman from Double Star Entertainment to ensure that his speech was recorded in its entirety.

Eric then stated firmly, "I believe Michael Jackson is innocent, not only this time, but also in the case of the 1993 accusation."

"Michael is so kind that his kindness is exploited time and time again, just like the farmer and the snake in Aesop's Fables."

"The venomous snake not only enjoyed the warmth the farmer gave it, but after it was done, it wanted to kill the farmer and even take his property."

"Some people are venomous snakes, and some media outlets serve as their fangs!"

call!

The paparazzi at the scene immediately grunted and gasped in displeasure.

"Mr. Cooper, why are you so certain that Michael Jackson is innocent? Do you have any evidence?"

I glanced at the other person's nameplate; he was a reporter for The Independent.

"I have no evidence to prove Michael's innocence, so do you have evidence to prove he committed a crime?"

The reporter scoffed, "I don't have any evidence either, but everyone has seen the documentary and what happened in 1993. Besides, the United States is a country with free speech. Journalists are responsible for letting the public know the truth. I'm just exercising my right."

"Is the power of journalists to mislead? You have the right to report, not to mislead. Do you think you can make decisions in place of the law, sir?"

Stared at by Eric, the other man's tone softened: "No one can replace the law, I just..."

"Yes, no one can replace the law, but whether in 1993 or today, the law has not found Michael guilty."

"If you continue to use such language, I must question your professional competence and whether The Independent is still a newspaper that stands on the side of fairness and impartiality."

"Please tell me, does the Independent still represent fairness and impartiality as it has in the past?"

Overwhelmed by Eric's aggressive demeanor, the reporter was rendered speechless. He had no way to answer the question, and suddenly he seemed to have forgotten that he was the one holding the microphone.

Behind Eric, the three Olsen sisters gave him strange looks.

"This guy is actually pretty good."

(End of this chapter)