America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 97. Returning to America, Sorry Eric

On the plane, seeing his boss looking listless, Chen Xing ordered a cup of tea.

"Boss, are you still feeling the effects of yesterday's alcohol? Have some tea, my elders say it's very helpful for sobering up."

Eric took a sip of tea and said, "Go get a pillow or something. I twisted my back last night and need to cushion it."

Sitting by the window, Eric rubbed his sore spot and couldn't help but sigh, "Damn, what does it mean to be 'thirty wolves and forty tigers'? He experienced it last night."

Once Liu Xiaoli undressed, he knew what kind of business the other party wanted to discuss. Although it wasn't entirely accurate, it was indeed worth several hundred million.

He was a little tipsy last night, and coupled with his past experiences in the Chinese entertainment industry, he had to admit that this woman really aroused his desire.

Moreover, not having any outlet for his emotions for a week is a huge pressure for a young man.

Look at those high school students and college students, there are plenty of them who do it once a day.

In short, no matter how you look at it, the bottom line is that Eric couldn't resist Liu Xiaoli's temptation.

And this middle-aged woman did not disappoint him.

Her professional skills are outstanding, and her years of dance training have given her excellent flexibility.

He performed a variety of high-difficulty moves, some of which amazed even Eric, a veteran player.

The two fought until after six in the morning, and this woman's skills were even better than Elena Olsen's.

Eric was feeling uncomfortably swollen, and the other person even winked at him as they left, saying they'd do it again sometime.

In that instant, he felt he had been used.

Eric woke up after sleeping for less than an hour. How could he not be tired? His eyelids were drooping, and he needed to get a good night's sleep on the plane.

As for Liu Yifei's issue, Eric remained assertive, saying, "Don't think that just because I slept with you I have to give it to you. Whether I give it to you or not is still up to me."

I'd like to try my luck in Hollywood, but the prerequisite is still the same: find a reliable teacher to learn kung fu and hone your acting skills.

Two years later, when Liu Yifei is 18 years old, if she meets these two conditions and has made a name for herself in China, MGM can sign a contract with her.

As for the level of the work and the role it's in, that depends on her skill level at the time, and perhaps also the extent of her mother's dedication.

It was essentially a verbal promise, which served as an insurance policy for Liu Yifei's future.

After all, it was just a nap. Judging from Liu Xiaoli's satisfied expression when she left, it's hard to say who really suffered the loss.

Los Angeles International Airport.

Eric, who had slept the whole way, finally regained his energy. He hadn't eaten anything during the half-day flight, and now his stomach was starting to rumble.

Driver Peter stopped the car and helped Chen Xing load the numerous small gifts he had brought from China into the trunk.

"Boss, where do you want to go?"

He checked the time; it was not yet 7:30. He had originally planned to go to the film set first after returning.

Filming for "Transformers" has been going on for two months, and under Eric's direction, the progress is very fast. The location shooting has been completed, and now only the studio scenes are left, so the crew has returned to Los Angeles.

In his plan before returning, he would first go to the film set to comfort the beautiful Gadot after getting off the plane, and then have a passionate encounter with Seville until late at night.

He just didn't expect Liu Xiaoli to beat him to it, so naturally he wasn't in a hurry to go to the film set. He thought he should go home and see his mother, the woman who loves him the most in the world.

The car drove all the way to Beverly Hills, and after picking up the specially selected gift, Eric suddenly burst into the house.

Surprise!

In the living room, Dad is watching TV, while the nanny and Mom are preparing dinner.

The three were startled when they heard Eric's voice, but they burst into laughter when they saw his face.

Mom put down the plate, quickly walked over, and hugged Eric.

Just a week ago, she was still furious with her son because he had gotten involved with a divorced woman more than ten years her senior. Even if she was a big star, it wouldn't be acceptable; the Cooper family had no shortage of women of that status.

However, after learning that Eric had gone to China, all that remained in my heart was worry.

Although her son calls every day to let her know he's safe, as a mother, she remains worried and can only pray.

"My darling, I'm so happy to see you back safe and sound. Thank God!"

"Yes, thank God!"

Eric kissed his mother and placed the gifts on the table: "I not only returned safely, but I also brought you some beautiful gifts. Now I'm going to take a shower. You can open them yourselves and tell me how you feel later."

After saying that, he went up to the second-floor bathroom, took a shower, changed into his home clothes, and then went downstairs.

In the living room, Mom was tying a silk scarf around her neck.

"Eric, this scarf is fantastic. The color is beautiful, and it feels wonderful against the skin; there's no gritty feeling at all."

Eric went over and tied a flower on his mother's wrist himself: "Mom, this is the right way to do it. It's made of the finest silk. Wear it to a party, and you'll be the center of attention."

Mom chuckled nonstop: "I love this scarf, Eric. You're so thoughtful! Joshua, that guy, not only doesn't come home, but he hasn't brought us a single gift in all this time he's been in San Francisco!"

"Yes, Joshua is really terrible, Mom. I heard the team's conduct is bad, especially the complicated relationship between the cheerleaders and the players. You have to be careful."

Speaking of Joshua, Eric naturally wanted to take the opportunity to avenge the mockery.

Dad held a bottle of baijiu (Chinese liquor) and examined it closely under the light: "Look at these little things. Why are there so many things soaked in the liquor, Eric? What are they?"

Eric gave a mysterious smile: "I can't really explain it, but it's all good stuff. Have a glass with your meal, and you'll feel the effects tonight."

"What effect? ​​What effect?" Dad asked curiously.

"I can't tell you that; you have to experience it for yourself."

"Alright, let me see what good stuff you brought me." Dad laughed heartily.

This bottle of wine is naturally a good thing. Han Sanping specially gave it to me before I left, saying that it was made with an exclusive secret formula, nourishing yin and tonifying the kidneys, and most suitable for high-ranking people like them in the entertainment industry.

There's no way around it, this circle really strains his kidneys.

Even the sexy nanny sweetly said thank you. Eric brought her a set of traditional Chinese figurines, including the Monkey King, Nezha, and Erlang Shen. The figurines were exquisitely designed and very popular among young people.

At the dinner table, the father and son talked about what had happened at MGM over the past week.

"Eric, the film you bought from Sundance Film Festival, 'Whale Rider,' has been completely taken off the screens. Its final box office was $5230 million, I'm talking about worldwide."

"It actually broke 5000 million US dollars, which is a pleasant surprise. I thought 4000 million was its upper limit."

"Then you should thank New Zealand and Australia. The box office in those two countries actually surpassed that in Europe. This is quite rare. In any case, it will allow us to make a small profit." Dad laughed heartily.

"Also, HBO has already aired the first episode of The Walking Dead. Zack Thomas called me, and in the old guy's words, it was absolutely explosive."

"According to user feedback collected by HBO, 87% of subscribers gave it an expectant rating, but a small percentage thought the show was too scary, especially for children, so they suggested airing it after 10 p.m., after the children are asleep."

"What's Thomas's attitude?" Eric asked.

My dad stared wide-eyed and grinned, saying, "What kind of attitude could this old dog have? He begged me to make sure the rest of the series is produced well, and as for the broadcast date, it's set for April 15th, of course, in prime time."

"HBO isn't stupid. How could they possibly abandon 90% of their users for 10% of their users? And even if some children are scared by zombies, that's the family's responsibility. Everyone in America knows that explicit content is HBO's trademark."

"Eric, you've only been in this industry for a short time, so you might not know that I've known Zach Thomas for many years. This is the first time he's ever come to me for help. Thinking about that phone call still makes me incredibly excited, hahaha."

Across the table, Mom gently cut a piece of bread: "It's not a matter of how long you've been in the circle. Your father and Zach Thomas were high school classmates, but Zach Thomas was a member of the school team, while your father was in charge of delivering water."

puff.

Eric burst out laughing. He figured his dad must have been bullied in high school, maybe even subjected to American-style bullying. Otherwise, why would he be so excited about a phone call?

Dad glared at Mom, seemingly blaming her for being nosy, and then changed the subject.

"By the way, the production team reported that casting for 'Get Out' has begun, and I have someone to recommend for the black male lead."

Eric, who was eating a chicken leg, looked up. His father shrugged and said, "There's nothing I can do. This young man's agent is an old friend of mine. He recommended him for the Transformers audition. I told him it was nonsense, but you can't refuse someone twice."

"What's the actor's name? How old are they? What works have they appeared in?"

"This actor is Anthony McKay. He is not yet 25 years old and has not been in the industry for very long, but he won the Obie Award last year."

Eric's eyes lit up: "He's won an Obie Award, so at least his acting skills are guaranteed. Let him audition for James Wan. If there's a difficult choice, we can prioritize him."

"Anthony McKay."

"Yes, Anthony McKay. Strange, the name sounds familiar, but I can't quite place it."

"Perhaps you've only seen him in minor roles."

"Maybe."

Regarding the movie "Get Out," the only confirmed cast member is Closévignon, who will play the female lead.

Seville is 27 years old this year, so it doesn't feel out of place for him to act alongside the 25-year-old male lead.

After dinner, the father and son went to the balcony. What they had discussed at the dinner table didn't need to be kept secret, but what they were saying now couldn't be overheard by others.

Dad downed the last sip of baijiu in his glass. The pungent taste made him frown and his eyes almost squint into slits.

"Eric, if this weren't a gift you brought back especially for me, I wouldn't have taken a single sip. This taste is absolutely killing me!"

Seeing his troubled expression, Eric chuckled.

"Dad, you'll soon see how good it is. By the way, how's the deal with the Robert Solny shares?"

After taking a sip of water to calm himself down, Dad's face was still grim: "Everything is going smoothly. This guy has indeed started selling his shares in TwinStar Entertainment. I've already sent someone to contact him, and the price is $3.15 million."

"Only a little over $3 million? I thought he would ask for at least $4 million or more." Eric was somewhat surprised.

He was quite satisfied with the price, as it basically reflected the value of Shuangxing Entertainment. Even if there was a premium, it wasn't much and was within an acceptable range.

"Yes, Robert Solny wasn't as stupid as we thought; he initially asked for $3.5 million."

"However, as I put pressure on him through private equity firms, he suddenly had several more competitors, and under pressure, Solni eventually lowered the price to 3.15 million."

"Although there's still some room for it to fall, I'm worried that others might jump in. Rather than creating unnecessary trouble, it's better to secure the profits."

"Once the contract is signed in the next few days, Solni will essentially be saying goodbye to DoubleStar Entertainment."

Eric nodded. His father was reliable and he always trusted him.

At this point, Harry Cooper changed the subject: "However, although this acquisition went relatively smoothly, it also greatly depleted the company's working capital. In addition, with your investment in China, although the initial capital was only $20 million, according to the plan, the investment will be increased to $50 million in October."

"In addition, the company currently has several projects that are either pending or in progress, including Transformers, Legally Blonde 2, Barber Shop 2, Saw 2, A Quiet Place, Happy Death Day, Don't Breathe, The Hangover, Blues of Adele, Get Out, The Walking Dead, Frozen, and that one you mentioned before you left, La Vie en Rose."

"And then there's Billy, that little guy. He's always out there flying around, but as long as he gets results, it's still satisfying. The royalties for works like Game of Thrones, Gods of America, and House of Cards have cost over $1300 million so far."

"Also, you mentioned a while ago that you were going to launch an online film and television platform, and a social networking site, right? I'm really not very knowledgeable about things for young people. Anyway, I allocated $1000 million to those people in Silicon Valley."

"Although I don't know when the project will start, it already requires $1000 million before it even starts. Once it's really up and running, it will definitely be a money-burning machine."

After his father reviewed the situation, Eric realized that MGM had so many projects running at the same time, and Hasbro was also holding a lot of money.

I was mainly responsible for production and planning, while my father was in charge of overseeing the funding. And he was such a good father; with so many debts on his shoulders, he never complained to me.

If it were any other partner, they would have stopped Eric's actions long ago. Putting aside everything else, the fact that a film company is involved in the internet is simply unacceptable.

Eric scratched his head somewhat sheepishly: "Is the pressure too much? AK Films has received the box office revenue sharing for 'Sharknado,' so let's transfer a portion over first."

Saying it out loud seemed to make him feel a little better. He smiled and said, "Don't misunderstand, son. I'm not complaining. At least for now, I can manage."

"It just takes more time to argue with those people and get them to make the payment in advance."

"And once The Walking Dead airs on April 15th, if it's a huge hit, I'll immediately press that old guy Zack Thomas for the final payment. I doubt he'll dare disobey me."

"Strange, why do I feel hot inside my body, like there's a fire burning inside?"

"Xia Li, come and take a bath, I've already prepared the water."

"From inside," Mom called out.

This sudden call stirred something within Dad, and his thoughts seemed to drift back to his youth.

"I'm here, darling!"

Thank you, Lao Ma, for the 500 coins reward.

I spent ages revising the last chapter, and then another half a day revising this one before it finally passed. Sigh!

(End of this chapter)