America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 271, Section 270: Five Women Face to Face, Laying Out Their Confessions!

As arranged by Eric, Facebook decisively announced the permanent closure of its message-in-a-bottle and other related businesses that might involve pornography.

And in a very rude move, they challenged MySpace. Although they didn't name names, everyone knew that there were only two large-scale social networks in the market.

The ball was kicked back to myspace's feet in an instant. I've already taken action, shouldn't you do something too?

What?

You don't want to express it?

I'm sorry! That's not up to you!

Because the market will teach you a lesson; just look at the public's reaction.

Immediately after Facebook's announcement, all eyes turned to MySpace, awaiting its response.

"Yesterday morning Eric Cooper gave a furious speech, and in the evening major TV stations began criticizing Facebook and MySpace. When I woke up, Facebook had given a positive response. I like this kind of socially responsible company."

"Myspace kids, now's the time to see who the real clown is."

"I support Facebook's approach, but I think it's worth discussing whether to permanently disable the message in a bottle feature. I actually really like this feature."

"What?! The message in a bottle feature is down! This is my favorite aspect of Facebook; the mystery and anticipation of throwing and retrieving bottles is really well done. Why did they turn it off?!"

"Raise your hand if you frequently use the Message in a Bottle feature. Its original purpose was simply to increase social interaction. It's just that it was discovered by those disgusting people. However, pornographic content still only accounts for a small part, so it would be a shame to shut it down directly."

"I receive hundreds of messages every day, and more than 85% of them are normal dating content, which has nothing to do with borderline information."

"I don't understand, is the boss of Facebook Fitzgerald or Eric Cooper? Can anyone explain?"

"Brother, on the surface it's Fitzheisenberg, but the real power behind him is Eric Cooper. So I highly suspect that his furious speech was actually aimed at attacking his competitor! Neither of them are good people!"

"To clarify, I've been following the development of the whole event. Essentially, it's still a struggle between Eric Cooper and the Big Six and other television networks. Barry Lefari, Gal Gadot, Facebook, MySpace, and so on are all extensions of this. Now MGM has turned the tide and is trying to remove the nail."

"I don't care about business competition, I just want to know what MySpace will do. If they ignore it, I will complain to the cybersecurity bureau."

"After watching the speech, I registered a MySpace account. Good heavens! The content was disgusting. Both men and women were showing their bodies. Apart from sexual organs, you could hardly find anything else in it. I have already ordered my child to delete the account."

"I agree. I also had my son cancel his account yesterday."

Public opinion on the internet was outraged, and the masses were already angry. Eric also hired a large number of online trolls to stir up trouble and keep pushing MySpace to the brink of disaster.

Many trending bloggers on Facebook and YouTube have already flocked to the entrance of MySpace's headquarters to take photos, and the place is clearly evolving into a popular spot for social media influencers.

Furthermore, some people have already come to protest with signs, demanding that MySpace give an explanation as soon as possible.

MySpace remained silent and called the police to remove the protesters who were disrupting work.

This practice was exposed by many self-media outlets, which then sparked even greater dissatisfaction.

It wasn't until today's White House press briefing that a Yahoo reporter asked this question on the spot.

The White House spokesperson responded: "The White House is aware of the incident and is conducting in-depth discussions on it."

"Could you share your thoughts on the fact that MySpace is filled with a lot of sexually suggestive content?" the reporter pressed.

"Unhealthy content has indeed had a serious negative impact on teenagers. Myspace has also played a role in contributing to many sexual assault cases. We have noticed many comments and complaints from the public on the official website."

Will the Cybersecurity Bureau investigate and intervene in this matter?

"This is the job of the security bureau. I have not yet received any relevant information, but the government will not sit idly by when internet companies cause serious consequences."

Shortly after the White House press conference, the Cyber ​​Security Agency indeed stepped in, stating that it would investigate and collect evidence regarding the operations of Facebook and MySpace, and that the specific results would be released in due course.

Then Fitz called.

"Boss, the security agency has gotten involved. We've already received the official letter, and MySpace must have received it too. They're finished!" Fitz said happily.

Eric nodded: "Don't let your guard down. At this point, I'm worried that someone might resort to desperate measures and drag us down with them."

"What do you mean?"

"We need to increase the intensity of our review process recently and hire another batch of new employees to keep a close eye on any inappropriate content. Once it's discovered, the account should be banned immediately."

"Remember, this isn't just about pornography, but also about content that has a negative impact, such as racial discrimination, blasphemy, and spreading rumors. In these cases, it's better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free."

"Boss, are you worried that James Murdoch might use improper means to damage our online ecosystem?"

"Yes, at most Facebook will divest its message-in-a-bottle business and be fined, but MySpace is already terminally ill. Pornography is its core selling point; without it, it's nothing."

"He's practically halfway to his grave; when he goes crazy, he's capable of anything. Better be careful!"

"Don't worry, I'll be keeping a close eye on things at the company lately."

"Thank you for your hard work. Also, keep buying more online trolls and keep stirring up the storm. The bigger the wave of public opinion, the faster the National Security Bureau will take action."

After official intervention, MySpace reluctantly released a statement, expressing its willingness to cooperate with the investigation, resolutely crack down on harmful content, and maintain a healthy online environment.

However, after this statement was issued, the response was vastly different from that received by Facebook; it was almost entirely met with criticism.

People who have their thesis defense written all over their faces really have the nerve to say they don't stink.

Now we can only sit back and wait for the other side to fall.

On the big screen, the icy storm brought by "The Day After Tomorrow" continues to ravage cinemas around the world.

As we approach June, many countries in the Northern Hemisphere are already hot enough to wear short sleeves. At this time, going to the cinema to watch an ice and snow storm is indeed a way to cool down and beat the heat.

With impressive special effects, a good storyline, and an overall rating that prioritizes commercial quality, this blockbuster has once again secured the top spot at the weekly box office, thanks to positive audience reviews.

Despite continuous attacks, especially the impact of this incident, "Million Dollar Baby" has yet to break the $100 million mark at the box office.

Moreover, another Universal blockbuster, "Riddick 2," has joined the sniping ranks today.

With its simultaneous release in over 3000 theaters, starring Vin Diesel who has considerable box office appeal among young people, and with positive reviews for the first film.

Universal Pictures spent $1.05 million on the film, practically screaming "I'm going to make a fortune!"

Due to continuous attacks, Box's prediction for "Million Dollar Baby" has been repeatedly lowered, from the initial global $1.8 million to the current $1.1 million. However, given the current situation, even $1.1 million seems unlikely.

Fortunately, the film's budget wasn't high. Even if it doesn't break 100 million, it won't lose money; it just won't make any profit.

But it didn't matter; Eric remained confident because of the $1.8 million blockbuster "Frozen," which had been in production for over a year, would be released at MGM this month.

This film is MGM's most expensive production, costing even more than Transformers.

I want to see what you'll use to fight me then!

That evening, at the Cooper family's house in Beverly Hills.

While his mother and Lisa were preparing dinner in the kitchen, Eric looked at the several bottles of red wine in front of him and compared them.

"Don't know which one to choose?" Dad appeared behind us.

"Which is better? The one that's more suitable for women, you're an experienced dad."

Dad shrugged: "I don't know, but the one on your right is the most expensive. If you don't know which one to choose, just pick that one."

Upon hearing this, Eric nodded in agreement. No wonder he often heard that rich people don't choose the best, they only choose the most expensive.

The reason is that people don't know which one is better. After all, people only understand a very small part of the millions of things in the world, so they can only choose the most expensive one.

"Son, I have good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"

"Bad news, this helps regulate emotions better."

"The bad news is that I contacted Brad Grey and expressed our willingness, but he did not accept our goodwill."

Eric's emotions did not fluctuate much. As the weakest of the current seven, Paramount has the least ability to withstand risks.

Brad Grey certainly wouldn't dare risk offending the other five, even if MGM was willing to offer more benefits than Disney could.

Moreover, Brad Grey himself was not a good decision-maker, so Eric was not surprised by this outcome.

"Although he refused, I still need to sow discord in him. The news of our meeting has already spread, and those old guys will definitely suspect him."

Eric gave a thumbs up, saying, "Old foxes are spicier; you really know how to make two birds with one stone."

"So this is the good news you wanted to tell us?"

"No, the good news is that I've gotten in touch with Jim Giannopoulos, and he didn't refuse my request to meet. We'll meet in Mexico on Sunday."

"Mexico? That's so far!" Eric exclaimed in surprise.

"It's better to be cautious. Jim is going there on business. If people find out that I met with him in private, Thomas Rothman will definitely use this opportunity to kick him out of Forks, and he will have no place in the Sixth National Congress."

"Dad, are you confident you can persuade him?"

"It's a 50/50 chance. Since he chose to meet, it means his situation is already very bad. Right now, no one in Hollywood can help him except us."

Eric nodded: "Then it's up to you, Dad."

"Heh. I think it's your mother who should be relying on. A Hummer has stopped. Whose car is that?"

Eric glanced out the window: "It's Theron's."

"Wild style, hurry up and open the door, lad."

Ding Dong

As soon as Dad finished speaking, the doorbell rang.

Eric opened the door and saw Theron standing there gracefully, wearing a white jumpsuit with a black circular belt around her waist.

Her lips were bright red, clearly covered in lipstick, and she had drawn eyeliner and eyebrows. She also had a faint scent of perfume on her body.

"You're so beautiful, darling," Eric said, pulling her into his arms.

"Should I wear a pair of taller shoes?"

"What?"

"That would make me look slimmer, but my mom said it's fine as is. It's my first time visiting your house, so it's best not to wear high heels."

"Did you tell your mother you were coming to my house?"

"Yes, what's wrong?"

"Uh, it's nothing, come in quickly."

Eric led her into the living room, praying that his mother would be cooperative tonight, otherwise, if the other party's parents found out that he was seeing five women at the same time, they would definitely come to his door and make his life miserable.

Charlize Theron's mother has a glorious record of shooting her ex-husband, and Ashley and Mary's father is also a skilled marksman with excellent marksmanship.

"Hello Theron, nice to meet you," Dad said as he walked over.

Theron nodded somewhat reservedly: "Mr. Cooper, it's an honor to meet you. You're a very famous person in the industry."

My dad waved his hand with a smile: "That's all in the past. I'm a retired old man now. But I've seen several of your movies. Actresses must have suffered a lot to achieve what they have today."

Theron glanced at Eric: "Well, at least I was lucky."

Both father and son felt a pang of guilt; their luck wasn't good, it was downright bad.

"Where is Mrs. Cooper? Isn't she home?"

"Emily was preparing dinner in the kitchen, and Eric said you like chickpeas, so she specially learned how to cook them."

"Wow! Thank you so much, you guys are really going to great lengths," Theron said, flattered.

Ding Dong

Just then, the doorbell rang again, and Eric's heart skipped a beat, wondering who it was this time.

"Go open the door, Eric," his father said, seeing him standing there dumbfounded.

"Whoa whoa."

Taking a deep breath, Eric had no choice but to steel himself and walk to the door. There he saw Nicole standing outside, dressed beautifully and with equally exquisite makeup.

Nicole opened her arms to hug him, but Eric wouldn't let her succeed. He took her hand and pulled her inside.

"My dad is in the living room, and one of your friends is also there."

"My friend? Who is it?"

A few seconds later, Nico's question was answered, and at the same time, the smile on her face gradually disappeared.

Theron was no less impressive; his expression froze, like an ice cube that sent chills down your spine with just a glance. Of course, it's possible that only Eric himself felt this way.

The two women looked at each other, unable to utter a single "hello" even after playing many rounds of mahjong together.

Ding Dong

Just as the atmosphere was getting increasingly tense, the doorbell rang for the third time.

Eric had been startled a moment ago, but now he just felt like a savior. Anyway, it's already like this, so whatever.

"I'll go open the door!" he said hurriedly.

A moment later, Gadot was brought in, and the three women stood there in a triangle, none of them moving an inch.

The distance between them was perfectly timed, neither too much nor too little, giving them a very stable appearance.

Ding Dong

"I'll go open the door." Even Dad couldn't stand the suffocating feeling anymore and insisted on opening the door.

However, Eric was one step ahead; he had already walked straight to the door and brought Ashley and Mary in as well.

At this point, the five women were finally reunited.

I'm coming clean!

(End of this chapter)