America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 147. Navel Ring, Anklet, and Bracelet

Eric wanted to buy a gift for Nico because her birthday was on June 20th, and it was only a few days away.

The beautiful girl may not say it, but I can't forget it.

If on that day there's absolutely no sign of anything, you'd better be prepared to have a serious argument.

So being a scumbag isn't so easy. If you want to be successful in all aspects of a relationship, you need to at least remember each woman's preferences, birthday, measurements, height, anniversary, and other information.

It's not just information about his own women, but also information about their families.

This job seems simple, but experienced people know that it is actually very difficult. Just think how many people don't even know their parents' and wife's birthdays? There must be quite a few.

One or two women are fine, five or six are manageable, but when there are a dozen or twenty, you'll see if your CPU crashes.

What if you can't remember them all? Then you can only throw them away.

While this may not be entirely accurate, people are divided into different classes, and women are no exception.

My head can only hold ten people. When an eleventh person squeezes in, I have to say goodbye to the weakest one.

We can still be good friends when we meet again in the future. Eric is even willing to have a friendly fling if you want, but let's skip the time we spend together.

Falling in love is easy, but staying together is hard. If it's not meant to be, don't force it!

After getting off the bus and walking into Beverly Hills Shopping Center, Eric realized that this was the first time he had ever stepped into the large shopping mall right on his doorstep, even though it had been over a year since he had come here.

Men are naturally averse to shopping, and with Eric's clothes now being taken care of by Gadot and Nicole, there seems to be even less reason for him to go to the mall.

I went to New York a while ago and accompanied that shrewish Elena shopping, but that was more than a month ago.

Upon entering the large shopping mall, the decor was quite nice; in Eric's opinion, it was on par with the standards of 2010 and later.

The multi-layered circular structure is lined with various stores.

Eric walked around looking at things, and after some consideration, he decided to buy some valuable items instead.

Instead of racking your brains to come up with new tricks, which is time-consuming and laborious, it's simplest to just throw money at it. Although it may not be surprising enough, no one will hate it.

Standing in the middle of the corridor, he now has a Tiffany's on his left and a Bulgari on his right.

After looking around, I still went into the Tiffany store.

The reason is simple: Eric felt that the Tiffany brand sounded better, and Audrey Hepburn had starred in the movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's".

As for Bulgari, the name always gives him a Bollywood vibe, which Indians find very annoying.

When a customer arrives, the sales assistant immediately approaches with a smile to greet them.

"Sir, welcome to Tiffany Jewelry. Are you just browsing or have you already decided on something?"

"I guess you could say I have a goal," Eric said casually.

"So, what do you need? A necklace? A ring? Earrings? A bracelet? Or some other jewelry?"

"I'm not quite sure either. How about this, could you tell me about items worth over $50?"

"what?"

The sales assistant was stunned for a moment, staring at Eric with wide eyes. She had served all kinds of customers, but this was the first time she had heard of such a strange screening requirement.

In an instant, her keen senses kicked in, and she realized that she might have hit the jackpot and run into a rich man.

"Please come with me, sir."

Leading Eric to a display case, the sales assistant pointed to one of the diamond rings: "This diamond ring is the first design by master designer Liv Ferran, using..."

"A ring won't do, I'm not proposing!"

"Okay, how about this necklace? It's set with a total of 128 diamonds of varying sizes, the largest of which is 4.5 carats."

Eric glanced at it: "Not bad. How much?"

"Based on the ongoing promotion, the discounted price is $87, which meets your requirements."

Eric hummed in agreement and said, "Let's leave it for now, but I'd like to know if there's anything special. Necklaces, earrings, and bracelets are too common. Is there any jewelry that will immediately make you the center of attention once you wear it?"

The sales assistant looked around and led Eric to another counter, from which she took out a box containing an orchid brooch.

"Sir, this orchid brooch is the work of Master Finneham, who encased the orchid in enamel and crafted the connectors and stems in gold."

"A total of 112 sapphires are set on the petals. The design and style are classic and exude an oriental charm."

"Wearing it will make any woman instantly conquer the entire scene, and the woman who obtains it will become the happiest person."

Eric held it in his hand and examined it carefully for a while: "This one, how much?"

"Sir, this brooch is not part of the promotional items and is valued at $145 million. Would you like to purchase it?"

The sales assistant asked cautiously, "If this sale goes through, the commission will be higher than my annual salary."

"Okay, wrap it up for me, please swipe your card."

His simple sentence almost made the other person faint with happiness.

The sales assistant forced a smile: "I'm sorry, sir, what you're holding is actually a sample. The real product is kept elsewhere."

"Once you pay the deposit, Tiffany will provide home delivery within three days."

After filling out the information and leaving Tiffany's, Eric didn't get the brooch, but he did get a set of jewelry.

It includes a navel ring, a pair of bracelets, and a pair of anklets, each inlaid with several rubies. Small bells are also tied to the bracelets and anklets, which can make a clear and melodious sound.

This item is priced at over ten thousand US dollars. It's a very interesting little gadget, and the sales assistant proactively applied to her superiors to give it to her as a gift.

It seems she knows very well what kind of style rich people like.

Eric had already pictured Nico wearing it in his mind. He walked to the elevator, entered, and prepared to leave.

Given his status in Hollywood, all the big and small stars would greet him politely.

Unfortunately, none of the people in the elevator recognized him. To the general public, apart from his handsome face, he was just an ordinary passerby.

Ding!

The elevator stopped on the third floor, and three women, two adults and one child, walked in.

"Eric!"

The woman in the lead suddenly shouted, looking surprised.

"Liu Xiaoli!"

Eric was equally surprised. He never expected to run into this mother and daughter here. It felt like they were haunting him, always unintentionally surrounding him. Was this fate?

Just then, a couple walked downstairs, and the three of them followed suit and stood next to Eric.

"Eric, it's great to meet you here. I guess this is what they call fate!"

Liu Xiaoli opened her arms, and Eric smiled. After all, they had a brief encounter, so he could only hug her briefly.

In summer, everyone wears light clothing. This woman deliberately pushed hard, and Eric immediately recalled the two big white rabbits from that night.

Liu Yifei smiled slightly, her chubby cheeks pouting: "Hello, Eric."

"Hello Crystal, who is this lady?"

Eric looked at the third woman, who appeared to be in her thirties with fair skin and a beautiful face, even more stunning than Liu Xiaoli, exuding a mature woman's charm.

As for Liu Yifei, people of Asian descent develop later. Although she is very pretty at 16 years old this year, it will take some time before she fully matures and exudes charm.

Or perhaps she needs a man to help her mature faster; in any case, she's not quite as good as the woman next to her.

Ding!

The elevator arrived at the first floor, and the four people stepped out.

Liu Xiaoli was afraid that Eric would run away again, so she grabbed him immediately.

"Eric, let me introduce you. This is my sister, Zhou Wenqiong, and Feifei's cousin."

As soon as Liu Xiaoli spoke, Eric suddenly realized what was going on.

As someone in the industry, he certainly knew Zhou Wenqiong, one of the twelve golden flowers of the Pearl River Film Studio, who hadn't appeared in China since going abroad.

I had only heard of her before but never seen her. It was just a rumor that Liu Yifei was the ugliest in her family, while the women of the previous generation were all great beauties.

Now that the real person was standing in front of him, he had to admit that the statement was quite plausible.

Zhou Wenqiong extended her hand and smiled, saying, "Hello Mr. Cooper, I am Zhou Wenqiong, you can also call me Qiong. I am also somewhat involved in the film and television industry."

Eric shook hands with her; it felt soft, like a cotton ball.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Zhou. Are you also an actress?"

Zhou Wenqiong shook her head: "I rarely perform on stage anymore. I mainly handle backstage management and now work at the Hudson Theatre on Broadway."

Upon hearing about Broadway, Eric immediately became interested. As an organization closely connected with Hollywood, it has been providing Hollywood with excellent actors and stage plays for many years.

The term "Broadway" does not refer to a single theater named Broadway, but rather to an alliance of dozens or even hundreds of theaters.

This name comes from the fact that these theaters are almost all clustered on Broadway.

Some Hollywood companies have close ties with Broadway theaters, with Disney being the most representative example.

Many Disney movies are perfect for stage adaptations, such as Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Beauty and the Beast.

The film itself is full of singing and ballads, making it a natural choice for the big stage.

Therefore, Disney receives tens of millions of dollars in royalties, ticket sales, and other revenue from Broadway every year.

Economic revenue is one aspect, but the resulting influence is another. Disney has continuously strengthened the influence of its IPs through various means, making them classics in the hearts of generations.

MGM didn't achieve much on Broadway, as many of its films weren't suited to the stage style.

For example, in "Hannibal," can you imagine performing the dissection of a living person on stage?

But not all of them are unsuitable. "Legally Blonde" is very good, and "Rain Man" is also good.

There's also the upcoming "House of Cards," but the best and most suitable one is undoubtedly "Frozen."

"Developing a career on Broadway might be a good option."

Thinking this, Eric's attention fell on Zhou Wenqiong: "Broadway, that's a stage that many actors aspire to. Actors who can have a place on Broadway often have a smooth career in Hollywood."

"Mr. Cooper is right, many Hollywood stars have come out of the Hudson Theatre."

"You work at the Hudson Theatre. I think I've heard of that name before; it seems to be a rather old theatre."

Zhou Wenqiong nodded: "Yes, the Hudson Theatre is the second oldest movie theater in Hollywood, and this year marks its centenary."

"A hundred years, that's a long time. MGM was founded in 1924, so it's a junior compared to it."

Liu Yifei asked curiously, "Auntie, which is the oldest theater?"

"The New Amsterdam Theatre, although it was built only a few months earlier than the Hudson Theatre, was the first one, and now it has been taken over by Disney. It can be said to be the best-developed theatre on Broadway."

"Disney, haha. That's a common tactic of Mickey Mouse," Eric said with a forced smile.

Liu Xiaoli checked the time: "It's almost seven o'clock. Let's not stand here anymore. How about we have dinner together? You two can eat and chat at the same time."

Although it was only a few minutes of conversation, Liu Xiaoli could tell that Eric was clearly more interested in her cousin.

I just don't know if he's interested in Broadway or in his sister as a person.

But who cares, as long as I'm interested.

More than half an hour later, the group of four arrived at Leonard's restaurant and, as usual, asked for a private room.

"Would you like some wine?" Eric asked politely.

"A glass of brandy," Liu Xiaoli said.

"Just give me a glass of port."

"I want to be able to drink only juice."

Eric ordered a glass of Madeira.

After chatting for a while, Zhou Wenqiong asked, "Eric, you're the vice president of MGM. Many film companies are now moving to Broadway. Doesn't MGM have the same idea?"

"Broadway is a good choice, especially for enhancing brand value, but MGM also has its own problems."

"MGM's film library is still full, but the rights to the most well-known films are not in their own hands. There aren't many good films left, and they may not be suitable for Broadway."

Zhou Wenqiong chuckled: "Eric, whether something is suitable or not is determined by the market, not by you or me. Don't Hollywood have many movies that become hits for no reason? If you don't try, no one will know what the next chocolate will taste like."

After a moment of contemplation, I realized that this woman had been instigating me all along and must have some ulterior motive.

Eric scrutinized her closely: "Joan, if I may ask, what is your position at the Hudson Theatre?"

Zhou Wenqiong's heart skipped a beat, but she had already considered how to answer this question.

Having spent so many years at the Hudson Theatre, I've always remained in the middle ranks, and advancing further has proven incredibly difficult. So, I might as well take a gamble.

Without batting an eye, she replied, "I hold the position of drama director, and I generally have the authority to review the plays that theaters are going to screen."

Eric nodded. The director of theater is a powerful position, especially in a theater, it is considered a top position and has a lot of influence.

"So, can I understand it this way? The Hudson Theatre wants to collaborate with MGM? Which film adaptation rights do you want? Or are you looking to establish a talent exchange channel?"

Zhou Wenqiong said seriously, "Eric, you're right in one aspect, but of course there's a better option: the Hudson Theatre needs a new owner."

Thank you Luciferhx for the 100-coin donation, and thank you to all my friends who have been supporting me!

(End of this chapter)