America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 288, Section 287: A Whale's Swallow: Hasbro's Future Strategy

"Allen, you're so old, you should go back to Canada and retire!"

Looking at Eric Cooper in front of him, Alan Hasenfield felt a mixture of confusion and anger.

"Eric, why are you here?" he asked coldly.

"Of course, it's to set Hasbro right. Allen, you've been in this position for far too long."

"It's not a good thing for older people to hold power for too long. Hasbro's operating system has become rigid. Let's give young people some opportunities."

"I want to help them reclaim what is rightfully theirs—power and dignity—instead of being a puppet under your control."

Immediately, one of Allen's henchmen stood up and shouted, "Call security and kick him out. He shouldn't be here."

The staff hurriedly walked out.

"Stop right there. Don't bother calling security. Even if you call the police, it won't do you any good. Eric has the right to do so."

Sergey walked up to Eric and announced loudly, "Now standing before you is not only our partner, but also Hasbro's largest shareholder. Eric now controls 17% of the company's shares."

"Uncle, 17%, does that number sound familiar? I remember what your shareholding was?"

"That's also 17%."

The directors who were on Eric's side all gathered around him.

A look of disbelief crossed Allen's face: "This is impossible! How could you have so many shares? Impossible!"

Eric smiled and looked at him: "Allen, you've lived to be this old, you should know very well that nothing is absolutely impossible, it's all about human effort."

"The fact that I can stand before you now proves this point. Step down; this is my advice to you."

"You can still enjoy dividends, and Hasbro will thrive under my leadership, with your share of the profits increasing and you no longer having to work hard."

"This outcome is good for everyone, isn't it?"

Seeing this scene, even the most foolish person would understand that this was no board meeting, but a trap; Sergei was colluding with outsiders to force Sergei to abdicate.

No wonder he keeps clamoring to give up his shares; if he really does.

Eric Cooper's stake would immediately rise to 21%, at which point Allen Hasenfield would be doomed and unable to recover.

Several staff members stood there, unsure whether to leave or stay.

"Get out!" Sergei glared and shouted.

The group hurriedly left, and even Allen's secretary didn't dare to linger. He glanced at his boss and obediently closed the door.

He wiped the fine sweat from his forehead: "Damn, I never felt Sergei had this kind of imposing presence before. How come I'm suddenly intimidated by him?"

Inside the meeting room, the remaining directors, seeing this, walked up behind Allen.

Only two people remained in their seats, staring at each other in bewilderment, and everyone's attention was focused on them.

"Ginger, Jennifer, what's your stance?"

The man and woman exchanged a glance: "Allen, to be honest, we know nothing about this and don't want to get involved in your fight."

"That's right. You know Jennifer and me. We've never been involved in the company's day-to-day affairs. Whoever can lead Hasbro to greater heights, we'll follow them."

"They're both always very cautious," Sergei said in a low voice.

Eric nodded, thinking to himself that they were fence-sitters, following whoever won.

The current situation is that he is on par with Allen Hasenfield, while eight directors are on his side.

Allen has six, but if Ginger and Jennifer gravitate towards him, the result will still be a tie.

Alternatively, one could go through the process of joining Hasbro's board of directors, which would disrupt the balance, but this process would take some time.

But given Allen's long-standing prestige at Hasbro, things could change if this drags on. Today is the best opportunity to force him to step down.

The key to forcing him to abdicate lies with the two fence-sitters.

Dealing with these kinds of people is simple in a way: they'll side with whoever offers them the most benefits.

Allen's gaze softened for the first time: "Jennifer, Ginger, we've been friends for many years, and I have feelings for you both, and I believe you do too."

"You all know how well the company has developed under my leadership over the years, and you have all received substantial dividends every year."

"We can go further, and we should go further, shouldn't we?"

"Given the current situation, there is no doubt that you should stand on my side, not an outsider."

"You don't understand him. You don't know what kind of person he is. He's just a greenhorn. He can't give you anything better."

"Stand on my side, and from now on you will be able to take on more important positions and have more power."

However, this last-minute attempt to cram for help is clearly not going to impress others easily.

Eric also looked at Jennifer and Ginger: "Gentlemen, this is our first time meeting, but you should both know me."

"You've been colleagues with Allen for many years, so you know his work style even better. You know whether he will keep his promises or compromises when faced with difficulties."

"Choose me, and I will lead Hasbro to a glorious future, far better than it is now."

"The company's current market value is about $100 billion, and under my leadership, I will increase that number by 50% within a year."

"Hmph! You've got quite the nerve. Anyone can talk big and make empty promises, but can you guarantee you'll deliver?" someone immediately mocked and retorted.

Eric looked at him coldly: "Before asking that question, perhaps you could do some research at MGM."

"Investigate its market value when I took over, and then look at its current market value."

"Then you can ask the six major film studios what they think, or visit Harvey Weinstein in prison."

"They will hate me, but they won't say I'm a person who talks nonsense."

"Hasbro's development trend in recent years has been less than satisfactory, with annual growth not exceeding 3%. This year's financial report will look better because of Transformers."

"But was Allen the one who proposed this idea and implemented it?"

After a brief pause, Eric's voice suddenly surged: "It was me! It was me, the outsider in your eyes, who accomplished all of this!"

The sudden outburst startled everyone present. Compared to his forced smile just now, they suddenly felt that this young man had a very strong aura, no less than Allen in his prime.

"The situation has progressed to this point, so let's be frank."

Eric glanced around and said, each word deliberate and weighty, "From the very beginning, from the moment MGM and Hasbro first came into contact, I've been planning all of this."

"Whether it's a performance-based agreement, directing, or secretly acquiring stocks, everything is part of my plan."

"Hasbro is like meat in my mouth; I'm determined to have it, and even God can't stop me, I'm telling you!"

He stared intently at Jennifer and Ginger: "You two may think this is too insidious, but I'll call it competence."

"Just like what happened to me recently, the six major players' methods were insidious, but I won't hold a grudge, because that's how the game works."

"I welcome you to join my team with open arms."

"But if you stand with Allen, then you are my enemy, and I will destroy you at all costs, even if it means destroying Hasbro."

"A 17% stake may not be decisive, but it can turn a lot of people's money into worthless paper in an instant."

"Don't doubt my determination. I promise I'll do what I say. With MGM, Lionheart, Facebook, and YouTube still in my hands, destroying Hasbro is within my reach."

Hahahaha

Before Eric could finish speaking, Allen suddenly burst into laughter.

"Eric Cooper, you're really cunning. I've rarely seen such a shrewd and ruthless young man as you."

"But don't get too excited. You can use your shares to your advantage, but don't forget I can too."

The old man abruptly pushed back his chair, stood up, and glared at Eric: "Many investment institutions are interested in Hasbro's stock. If you're going to go crazy, I'll play along to the end. Nobody will take the company from me!"

boom!

Just then, the conference room door was suddenly pushed open, and Sergei's female secretary came in breathlessly, handing him a folder.

"Is it all done?"

"Yes, I got it from Dr. Claude myself."

"Very well, you can go out now."

Before anyone could realize what had happened, the female secretary hurriedly left again.

"Sergei, what are you doing?"

Ignoring the other person, Sergei opened the folder and browsed through it, a smile immediately appearing on his face.

He tossed the folder to Allen: "Uncle, take a look at this. Maybe it will make you less confident."

Allen sneered, "There's no need to bring these things out. Everyone here was involved in the company's dirty dealings."

"I'll be taken away by the police, but none of you will get away with this!"

Seeing that the other party had misunderstood, Sergei chuckled and said, "My good uncle, I don't know how to play the trick of dying together. You'd better open it and take a look."

"Um?"

Allen looked at his good nephew with suspicion before opening the folder. After just one glance, his face turned deathly pale.

Seeing him swaying precariously, a director hurriedly supported him and glanced at the documents as well, only to be struck dumb as well.

Sergei couldn't help but smile: "Allen, I saw your private doctor. Luckily, you always treat me like a grandson, so he trusted me and handed over the report. Everything written on it is true."

"Uncle, my dear uncle, you have terminal liver cancer."

"Tsk tsk tsk, while she rests now, there might still be a chance for a cure."

"Hahahaha. Late-stage liver cancer, hahahaha."

Eric looked at Allen with some pity: "Now you know why I told you to go back to Canada to retire."

"Even God is on my side. An old man with terminal liver cancer and a young man as fiery as the sun—who can lead the company further?"

After calling his private doctor to confirm, Allen was carried out, looking ashen-faced.

He was already over seventy years old when he was diagnosed with late-stage liver cancer, which meant that his life was already counting down.

However, for wealthy individuals with substantial assets, using money to prolong their lives is not impossible.

If he rests well, he might live for several more years, but the company clearly no longer has the energy to manage it.

Humans are strange creatures; there are some things that you'll be incredibly excited about when you don't know them.

However, once you find out, it will instantly destroy your spirit and faith, draining your energy and vitality.

Inside the meeting room, Eric generously allowed everyone to stay, even those who had just stood against him.

But it doesn't matter anymore. The master is nearing his end, and the servants will naturally grovel before the new master. However, the power they hold will be divided among Eric's followers.

"Ladies and gentlemen, from today onwards, the era of Allen has ended, and Hasbro will begin a new era."

"Although I am not yet a director of the company or the chairman of the board, I believe no one is more suitable than me to serve as acting chairman."

"Now that I've finished speaking, who agrees? Who disagrees?"

"I agree x2!" Jennifer and Ginger raised their hands at the same time, damn it, even faster than Sergei. They really are old fence-sitters.

"Agreed!"

"Agreed!"

"I agree!"

None of the directors objected.

"Very good. Since everyone agrees, I will now talk about the company's future development path."

"As a toy company, what we need is to continuously create new IPs and expand the influence of old IPs in order to drive toy sales."

"Transformers is a great example, and besides Transformers, I've noticed that Hasbro has another great IP, which is G.I. Joe."

"This is also a type of story that is very suitable for the big screen, and animated films should not be overlooked either."

"MGM and DreamWorks are top Hollywood studios in both live-action and animation; we can definitely do it too."

"But at the same time, relying solely on Transformers and G.I. Joe is clearly not enough, and Monopoly's sales are mediocre. Injecting new blood is essential."

"I already have a lot of resources at my disposal when it comes to selecting new talent."

"First of all, there's Marvel. Marvel's superheroes have long been deeply ingrained in people's minds, and you all know how popular superhero movies have been in recent years."

"Currently, Marvel's Iron Man and Captain America are in production and are expected to be released early next year. I will get Marvel to authorize Hasbro to sell the toys."

"You may not understand Marvel's value right now, but believe me, time will tell."

"Then, regarding Japanese animation, Lionheart has acquired many online and film/television rights for animation, and negotiations are ongoing regarding toy licensing."

"As you know, Bandai Namco's sales network in the United States is not widely available, so we have an opportunity."

"Of course, all of this will take some time to achieve. To prove that I'm not making empty promises, MGM will first grant Hasbro some of the copyrights for development."

Upon hearing about the readily available benefits, everyone present immediately smiled.

Eric decided to add even more: "That includes Frozen, which you've probably heard about; the merchandise has been selling like hotcakes."

"But DoubleStar Entertainment's sales network cannot cover the entire globe, so I hope Hasbro and DoubleStar Entertainment can have a deep collaboration."

"We will exchange ideas on toy manufacturing, worker training, and sales networks."

"Let's all make money together, that's my motto."

Bang bang bang bang

The meeting room erupted in enthusiastic applause.

(End of this chapter)