I am Hollywood

Chapter 579: Chapter 580: Late Night Talk



[Chapter 580: Late Night Talk]

As Eric and Buffett stepped out of the study, it was already past midnight. Many guests had hoped to gather information from Eric and Buffett before leaving, but with the party winding down, they had no choice but to leave feeling disappointed.

At that moment, aside from the party staff cleaning up, only the top executives from Firefly Films remained, along with a few women who had mysteriously disappeared during the festivities.

As Eric and Buffett descended the stairs, they were greeted by Jeffrey and the others chatting in the living room. Although they were eager to know the outcome right away, everyone politely escorted Buffett out first.

Once Buffett's car left the estate, Eric shrugged at the curious expressions of the group. "Buffett is interested in selling ABC, but we have a significant difference in pricing."

Upon hearing this, no one expressed disappointment or excitement. It was understood that when it came to negotiations involving billions of dollars, it would be strange to finalize an agreement in just one night.

Eric instructed the other executives to leave, keeping only Michael Lynn, Jeffrey, Katzenberg, and Frank Wells -- the four giants of Firefly Films. The five of them settled in the living room where they had just been talking, and Eric saw Drew, now in a T-shirt and shorts instead of her evening gown, poking her head in. He directed her, "We need to talk for a bit longer. You guys go ahead and rest."

While the word 'you' can mean both singular and plural, the expressions of the other four people subtly shifted into something more ambiguous. They all understood that Eric's 'you' referred to the three of them, not just one. Even the typically aloof Jeffrey couldn't help but feel a bit envious of Eric's luck with women.

Drew obediently nodded, "Okay. Do you guys want coffee? I can send Natasha to get some?"

Although many had noticed the twin Russian girls bustling around the house that night, Eric wasn't keen on calling them over to distract the four older men and pointed to the coffee machine in the corner. "It's late. You shouldn't make them do everything; get it yourself."

Drew made a face at Eric but dutifully went to the coffee machine.

While the girl prepared the coffee, Eric briefly explained the outcome of his conversation with Buffett to the four men beside him.

"...That's about it. I presented Firefly's acquisition plan, and then," Eric spread his hands, "it wasn't a successful negotiation."

Even though everyone understood that the cash acquisition proposal wasn't feasible anymore, Eric still brought up a comprehensive acquisition plan he had drafted earlier. Just like Eric's reaction to Buffett's proposal, Buffett rejected it right away. Both men were aware that their acquisition plans weren't their bottom lines, but neither could afford to show any concession during their first informal meeting.

In short, the only outcome of the night was confirming that both parties had an interest in this transaction. Therefore, the prolonged back-and-forth was likely just beginning.

After Eric spoke, the five in the living room fell into a short silence as they absorbed the information he had just shared.

Drew finished making the coffee and quietly placed cups in front of everyone on the coffee table. She leaned in to give Eric a quick kiss on the cheek before carefully closing the door behind her as she left.

After a moment, Katzenberg spoke up first. "Eric, I think the main issue here is that Buffett doesn't recognize the actual market value of Firefly. This isn't surprising. Even though our profits last year were on par with Time Warner's, the substantial profits came from movies and their merchandising. Most people understand how volatile the movie business can be. Buffett is known for his cautious and conservative investment strategies, so his views can't represent everyone. If we want to stay competitive in this transaction, we must stop being consistently low-key. It's necessary for us to showcase Firefly's strength to the media appropriately."

After Katzenberg's remarks, the other three nodded in agreement. Frank Wells added, "Eric, I believe you have to secure the top position on Forbes' list this year and leave the second place far behind, just like Sam Walton did years ago."

Before Sam Walton's passing in 1992, Walmart had a market value exceeding $40 billion, with the Walton family owning over 40% of the company. Up until 1992, Walton was the only billionaire on the Forbes 400 list whose wealth exceeded $10 billion.

After Walton's death, the family wealth was split between his wife and four children, but they managed to avoid a significant inheritance tax, allowing the Walton family to remain one of the wealthiest in North America. Following Walton's passing, due to Eric's voluntary relinquishment, Buffett, who 'succeeded' him at the start of the year, had a personal fortune of only $9.3 billion.

Even without Frank Wells reminding him, Eric was aware that this year he would find it hard to avoid that position and continue enjoying being his 'invisible billionaire.'

Last year's figures on the Forbes list could still be justified to some extent, but this year the record-breaking global box office of Jurassic Park had significantly increased Firefly Films' visibility, and the news of Firefly acquiring ABC would definitely need to be disclosed to the public soon. The attention surrounding both transactions would lead investment institutions to analyze Firefly's strength more closely. In such circumstances, if Forbes released a similar figure to last year's, it would undoubtedly attract countless questions. A serious deviation from the facts would greatly undermine the credibility of a financial magazine. Eric knew that the incentives he offered could hardly persuade Steve Forbes to gamble the future of his family business.

"Well, although I'm not quite ready, I'll find time to speak with Steve Forbes about this matter personally," Eric stated.

Jeffrey, still perplexed by Eric's ability to sidestep such issues, joked, "Eric, I still think this is a good thing. I just can't understand the silly doubts you have. Are you afraid that when you

wake up, someone will have stolen your money?"

Eric shrugged helplessly and didn't respond as the other three men laughed.

"Alright, stop teasing me. Let's get back to business," Eric said after a moment of laughter, waving his hands.

Michael Lynn then asked, "Eric, did Buffett say whether he'd stay in Los Angeles after he left?"

Eric shook his head. "I didn't ask. Thanksgiving is coming up soon; I think Buffett will head back to Omaha for the holiday."

Katzenberg interjected, "Buffett's wife Susan has been living in California these past few years because he didn't want his wealth to be divided. Even though they are separated, they aren't divorced, and I've heard their relationship is still pretty good. I think Buffett will stay in Los Angeles to celebrate Thanksgiving."

Eric replied, "Even if Buffett stays in Los Angeles, you know I'm going to New York, and I might not be back until after Christmas. So, from now on, you'll have to handle communication with Buffett."

Everyone in the room knew about Eric having two children, and Jeffrey had even visited the kids on Long Island. So, they weren't surprised by Eric's decision to spend Thanksgiving in

New York.

Aside from Eric, who could slack off, Michael Lynn and the others couldn't afford to rest, especially with the end of the year approaching. They needed to stay on top of the film releases during this critical period and conduct audits and summaries of Firefly's financial and personnel work from the past year. This process had already started in early November, but with Firefly's ever-growing structure, finishing everything before Christmas would be considered a significant achievement.

Given these circumstances, Michael Lynn said, "If that's the case, in situations where private discussions don't lead to agreements, we'll have to wait until January next year before making any public acquisition offers. I suggest we delay this until February or March to allow us to do more preliminary planning."

As time passed, Eric and Katzenberg, still brimming with energy, noticed the fatigue setting in on Jeffrey and the others. Even though many details were still unaddressed, Eric didn't want them to keep pushing through. He finally said, "Let's wrap it up. You all can discuss how to conduct high-profile media outreach among yourselves. If anything comes up, just call or email me." Standing up, he added, "It's late. Why don't you all stay the night? I'll show you to

the guest rooms."

"No need," Michael Lynn immediately stood up; he didn't want to stick around and feel like a third wheel. "I have a villa near Pepperdine University; it's not far from here." Katzenberg pointed northward and smiled, "Mine is even closer, just at the foot of the hill."

Frank Wells chimed in with a smile as well, "I live in Malibu."

Eric looked at Jeffrey, who rushed to wave his hands. "I'm sure Michael won't refuse me crashing at his place for the night."

"Of course," Michael Lynn nodded with a smile. "I just bought a nice batch of red wine recently; Jeffrey, Frank, want to join me for some?"n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Thanks, but it's too late. I'll definitely come by another time," Katzenberg shook his head.

"I can't either. My wife called at 11 asking why I wasn't home yet," Frank Wells replied, which drew light laughter and teasing from those in the room.

If not for Eric's presence, the four top executives of Firefly would still belong to the wealthy elite. It wasn't surprising for them to buy property in a wealthy area like Malibu. Eric didn't insist any further, seeing everyone off one by one as he returned to the villa.

The party's tables, chairs, and props had already been removed. The once-bustling hall now felt quiet and empty. Standing in the center, Eric looked up at the circular corridor on the second floor and at the closed doors while he couldn't help but think of that famous line from

Forrest Gump, a smirk creeping across his face.

"Life is like a box of chocolates."

...

When Eric woke up, he found himself lying on the floor. Although he didn't usually sleep on a carpet, the wooden floor didn't feel uncomfortable. The air conditioning kept the bedroom warm, and it didn't feel cold without any covers.

Noticing he could hardly feel his right arm, Eric squinted and turned his head to see Famke Janssen comfortably resting on it, sound asleep. She had likely been there for too long and the hand was completely stiff.

Eric glanced at his watch, still on from last night; it was 11:30, and he couldn't help but chuckle. It had been a long time since he had been so reckless.

Carefully extending his still-functional left hand, he reached around and found a pink nightgown, presumably belonging to Drew. The women had all come in evening gowns last night, and aside from Drew, no one else in the villa had their own wardrobe. Eric folded it with one hand; being an autumn-winter style, it was quite thick, and he carefully lifted his right hand to place the nightgown under Famke Janssen's head.

Perhaps well-rested, even though Eric was being extremely careful, Famke Janssen woke up

quickly. Seeing Eric holding the pink garment, she chuckled and swatted it away, "Get rid of that! You look so sleazy."

Eric tossed the nightgown aside, but Famke Janssen moved closer. Recalling the events of last

night, she raised her head and happened to notice a small hand peeking out from the edge of the bed. Though she didn't know who it belonged to, she didn't hesitate to bite down on Eric's

shoulder. Amid his muffled groans of pain, she quickly eased her grip and said softly, "Eric, you're getting more outrageous. I warn you, don't expect there to be another time."

Eric grinned and replied, "Okay, I promise. Are you hungry? Let's go downstairs and make

something to eat."

Famke Janssen wrapped her arms around Eric's waist and murmured, "I want you to make it

for me personally."

"Sure, I don't mind if you gobble me up."

"You jerk, I really want to eat you."

They both carefully got out of bed. Famke Janssen walked over to the closet to find some

clothes of Eric's to wear. Noticing Eric's gaze drifting towards the women in the large bed, she teased with a hint of jealousy, "How about I go down alone, and you stay here?"

"No, it just feels like we're missing someone."

Famke Janssen slipped on a pair of Eric's jeans and also looked towards the large bed,

counting quietly before saying, "Maybe Nicole is already up?"

Just as she finished speaking, Nicole's mumbling drifted from the other side of the bed, "I

feel terrible. Damn it, who kicked me out?"

*****

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