America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 111. Pressing Him to Bow His Head

call out!

With a swing, the golf ball soared into the air.

Eric watched the white trail disappear into the distance, gradually losing sight of his target.

Steven Spielberg smiled at him and said, "Eric, it seems your golf skills need improvement."

Eric shrugged. Of course he didn't play golf. In his previous life, he had only reached the rank of assistant director, but assistant director was nothing.

He hadn't yet reached the point where people would invite him to play golf. Usually, they would invite him to dinner, karaoke, and a bar and sauna all in one go. Golf was still a bit too high-end for him at the time.

Finally, to everyone's astonishment, Eric used 183 strokes to finally put that damn ball into the hole.

"Phew, I have to say, getting into this hole is much harder than getting into bed."

Eric's rant immediately made everyone burst into laughter.

Dad handed me a bottle of water: "Son, maybe you should come to the court more often, play this kind of ball more, and play that kind of ball less. Your mother will feel much more at ease that way."

Everyone burst into laughter again.

Fortunately, this happened in America. If this had happened in China, and these words got out, they would have been torn to shreds by netizens, labeled with all sorts of despicable and lewd tags.

"By the way, Eric, is it true that you and Nicole Kidman are involved?" Jeffrey Katzenberg asked curiously.

"What! You believe this stuff too, Jeffrey? That's utter slander, reporting trashy gossip. These tabloids are the best at attracting attention, and attracting attention equals sales."

"So 'La Vie en Rose' is a real film? What kind of movie is it? An art film or a commercial film?" Spielberg asked.

"An art film, a very typical art film."

"So, does that mean MGM and Nicole Kidman are planning to try their luck at the awards with this film again?"

"Yes, that's one way to understand it."

"When is the release date planned? This year or next year?"

Eric shook his head slightly: "It's not certain yet. The script is still being revised and improved. If filming goes smoothly, it would be great if it could be released in time for Christmas."

Spielberg laughed and said, "I suggest putting it during the Christmas season."

"Why?" Cooper and his son both looked at the bespectacled old man.

"Because Steven is currently producing 'The Terminal,' which is scheduled for release next June. If 'La Vie en Rose' is also released next year, we'll probably be competitors at the Oscars," David Geffen explained from the side.

Eric suddenly realized: "Tom Hanks is the lead actor, right? Then I'd better avoid you two old partners. He's the first person to win the Oscar for Best Actor twice for 'Philadelphia' and 'Forrest Gump,' and I'm afraid there won't be another actor like him in the future."

"But you could give Nicole Kidman a shot at it, like making her a two-time Oscar winner."

"Steven, so you just want me to release the movie this year, right? Okay, I'll do my best. By the way, I remember your birthday is in December."

Spielberg nodded: "December 18th, what's wrong?"

"Then I've decided. 'La Vie en Rose' will be released on December 18th as my birthday gift to you."

"No problem. If 'La Vie en Rose' is really released on December 18th, I'll give you free publicity and book a whole theater for you."

Count me in.

"And me too."

"Wait, something's not right. I feel like I've been tricked. Even without 'La Vie en Rose,' MGM will have other movies next year."

Hahahaha

Inside the lounge, several people were sitting or lying down while five masseuses vigorously massaged them.

These are certainly not projects from a golf course; they are projects that Eric specially invited from Chinatown. The old man with half-white hair who is giving his father a massage is almost 60 years old.

The others are his apprentices, the youngest being a Chinese woman in her twenties, slightly overweight, who would look good if she lost weight.

"OH!"

"OMG!"

"OH!"

The lounge was filled with the howls of several old men. Spielberg's left arm was wrapped around his neck and bent halfway around. The world's highest-grossing director was groaning in pain.

"Relax, relax, don't resist. Your muscles are too stiff. You'll feel comfortable soon after the massage."

click

"ah"

As he spoke, the master twisted the cervical vertebrae forcefully, and Spielberg's cervical vertebrae cracked as if the bones had shifted.

Geffen and Katzenberg are the same; no matter how much of a Hollywood mogul or a king of the music industry they are, they all crumbled under the onslaught of massage and foot reflexology.

Especially for those who have lived for decades and are experiencing this for the first time, the intense, tingling sensation is enough to make them feel like they're in heaven.

At this moment, Dad was lying on the recliner, panting heavily. His face was flushed, and he looked constipated.

"Doctor, I thought you were the oldest and therefore the weakest, but it seems I was wrong!"

David Geffen gently rubbed his chest: "Why? Why do we have to pay money when we're clearly suffering!"

"That's my question too!" Jeffrey Katzenberg said, struggling to contain himself.

Eric frowned as well: "David, isn't this just like those busy, hardworking people? They do the hardest work, but they still have to give most of the value they create to people like us. If you think about it that way, you won't feel so bad."

Instantly, the four old men looked at him, realizing that what he said made perfect sense.

David Geffen said with some emotion, "Eric, although some people don't dare to say it to my face, I know they call me a vampire behind my back. But after hearing what you said, I suddenly realized that 'vampire' might actually be a compliment."

"Thank you for the compliment! Master, please target my kidney reflex zone!"

An hour later, the massage finally ended, and the five of them collapsed onto the recliners.

"How was it? Are you satisfied with the special service I arranged?"

Spielberg twisted his neck: "It's a strange experience. I felt like my neck was going to break, but now it's surprisingly comfortable."

"That's right, it seems like the fatigue from a long period of time has been released, and the acid in the body has been expelled."

"I feel the same way, especially in my feet. The soreness is gone, and now I feel light and airy all over."

"It's like when you were young and had sandbags strapped to your legs for a long time, and then suddenly you take the sandbags off. That's the feeling."

My dad smiled with satisfaction: "Eric, you should have recommended this to me sooner. I'll be getting this kind of massage every week from now on. Compared to the master masseur just now, those girls who used to massage me are nothing."

"Xia Li, the question is, do those girls just give you massages? Don't they offer any other services?"

Hahahaha

"Jeffrey, how far along is Frozen?" Eric asked.

"The modeling of Elsa and Anna is basically complete, including their clothes, shoes, and various different styles. The designs of the other characters are not as detailed in the script you provided. They are still being refined."

"There are also scenes of the Kingdom of Arendelle, etc. In short, this is a very complex process, more complex and exquisite than Shrek. According to my plan, it will take at least four more months to complete, and that is the most conservative estimate."

"Actually, the fact that it was this fast is based on the fact that you have already provided a fairly complete character composition. Otherwise, based on experience, it would most likely have taken eight months or even longer."

"Steven, do you remember how many drafts of Shrek were scrapped?"

Spielberg recalled for a moment and slowly said, "I can't remember clearly, but it was at least half a room's worth. Animated films are much more time-consuming and labor-intensive than live-action films."

As someone in the industry, Eric understands how difficult it is to produce a high-quality animated feature film, so he gave Frozen a two-year timeframe.

It would be best if it could be released during next year's summer season. If not, the Christmas season would be good too. If it can't even be released during the Christmas season, then it will have to be released during the summer season of 2005.

As for other release dates, that would only waste Frozen's box office potential.

Having learned about the progress of "Frozen," Eric decided to reveal his true purpose.

"David, besides movies, I remember DreamWorks also has a music department, right?"

David Geffen looked at him and nodded slightly: "That's right, I'm mainly in charge of the music section, it's my area of ​​expertise."

"I'd like to release a single, is that okay?"

David Geffen was somewhat surprised: "Eric, you can sing?"

"It wasn't me, I was just helping a friend."

"No problem, I also like to mentor newcomers. As long as the song is good enough, I can help him become a top-tier singer."

"It's not a newcomer, it's Michael Jackson. He's not doing well lately, Sony won't release a single for him, so I'm planning to help him out."

Upon hearing that the singer was Michael, David Geffen immediately fell silent, his face turning cold.

"Michael Jackson, it was him. Then there's probably something wrong."

"Why? Do you two have a grudge?"

But David Geffen, like Michael, remained silent.

"Eric, if it were anyone else, you could just say the word, but Jackson is someone I don't get along with, so let's forget about it."

Eric looked at Spielberg and Katzenberg, both of whom had expressions of confusion and curiosity, seemingly unaware of the inside story.

Only Michael and David Geffen probably know exactly what happened.

The atmosphere was a bit awkward. Spielberg smiled and said, "We can talk about this later. Let's relax today. We can discuss work later."

But who would take such a statement seriously? If we can't reach an agreement today, there's even less reason to talk about it in the future.

Eric stood up from the recliner: "David, how about we come out and talk?"

David Geffen frowned; it was clear he didn't want to go, but he followed anyway.

In the lounge, Katzenberg looked at his father: "Shirley, what's wrong with Eric? Is he close to Michael Jackson?"

Dad shook his head: "I don't know either. MGM has a very clear division of labor. Eric is in charge of production. He does whatever he wants and doesn't need to report to me about everything."

"Let Eric talk to David about whatever he wants, we'll leave it to them. I believe they'll get a satisfactory result."

Charlie Cooper didn't want to talk about it, and Katzenberg and Spielberg didn't press the matter further; their relationship with David Geffen was purely professional.

Since we're all partners, let's not get involved.

A dozen minutes later, the two returned to the lounge, their expressions normal, as if they had said everything, yet also as if they hadn't said anything at all.

Others kept their eyes down, their noses down, their mouths down, and their minds down, pretending nothing had happened.

As evening fell, Cooper and his son waved goodbye to the DreamWorks trio and went their separate ways.

Eric and David Geffen continued chatting and laughing as usual, and no one could tell that anything was amiss.

In the car, Eric dialed MJ's number.

"Michael, I've already reached an agreement with DreamWorks. Once everything is ready, you can release your single."

"Really?" Mike's voice was clearly surprised.

"But David Geffen."

"Don't worry, I've got him on board. But this is your only chance. DreamWorks will only release the single 'Rolling in the Deep' for you, and there won't be any further collaborations. But I believe in your talent."

"OMG! What happened? How did you manage to convince David Geffen? He's such a proud person!"

"Heh. Everyone has a weakness, and MGM happens to hold DreamWorks' weakness in its hands. I don't know the specifics of your conflict, but even if David Geffen is unwilling, I'll make him bow his head once!"

"Eric, thank you, thank you so much, I don't know what to say."

"Then get the song recorded. If 'Rolling in the Deep' is a success, countless people will jump out and scramble to release your song, even Sony won't be an exception. Prove it to them, Michael!"

After hanging up the phone, his father looked at him and said, "Eric, you really think highly of Michael Jackson? He's a huge problem right now; everyone wants to stay away from him."

"Everyone? I don't think so. Besides me, there are still people who speak up for him."

"Dad, I know you're wondering. Well then, let me tell you a story. It's a story I learned during my few days in China."

"The story is quite old, dating back more than two thousand years."

Dad frowned: "The last Forbidden City was hundreds of years ago, but this story is from two thousand years ago. This country is frighteningly ancient."

"That's right, ancient and wise. The story I'm about to tell is also the story of a wise merchant, called 'Rare Goods for Hoarding'."

A few minutes later, Eric finished telling the story of Lü Buwei, and his father seemed to be deep in thought.

"You mean to invest when the other party is facing their most difficult time, and then reap profits tens or hundreds of times over? Is that what you're trying to say?"

Eric nodded: "That's right. For us, helping Michael Jackson doesn't require much effort, but the returns far exceed the investment. Why not?"

"Looking at the world, MJ is still firmly in the top tier. All he needs is one song, one song that can turn his career around."

Dad sighed. "Alright, Eric, you always have a plan. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Maybe. Do you know any reliable private investigators?"

(End of this chapter)