Chapter 13: A Father-Son Conversation
When the match between Korea and Germany ended, Eric didn't give his friends a break and demanded their return the next day. Their wealth had skyrocketed in a short period, and despite not being football fans, it was time to head home.
The four friends had gotten rich quickly and understood who was in charge. Moreover, they were not football fans, and after a month of fun abroad, it was time to return home.
By the morning of June 24, all four had gradually returned to Los Angeles.
Beverly Hills, Cooper residence.
After thanking Emily Cooper for bringing fruits and drinks, the four friends followed Eric into his room.
"Warren, your face has gotten rounder again. How was the food in Hong Kong?"
Warren rubbed his chubby face: "I told you I shouldn't have gone. All my efforts to lose weight went down the drain, but their local food is amazing."
Judy jumped on Eric's bed: "Latinas are the hottest! You have no idea how wild they are. It was unforgettable."
"Singapore was great too. Very beautiful city, but I saw a foreigner getting caned for spitting on the street."
Only Bordeaux quietly touched his rear end: "Let's get to business. What's next?"
The four friends stared at Eric. The sum of almost $1.1 billion was astronomical, and everyone wanted to know what he planned to do with it.
"First of all, I need to create a company, even if it's just a front. Then I plan to acquire MGM."
"MGM? You want to get into the film industry?"
"Yes. That's why I want to buy them, especially now that their new film has flopped. It's the perfect time."
"But Eric, we don't know anything about the film industry. It's a very risky decision."
Eric smiled: "You forget that my father is the CEO of MGM."
Suddenly, everyone realized he had a well-thought-out plan.
"Okay, give us the orders, Eric. What do we need to do?"
Warren was enthusiastic. Unbeknownst to themselves, they all already considered Eric their leader, and it seemed only natural.
"It's simple. First, create a front company, then learn the basics of the film industry. After the deal is done, there will be plenty of work for you."
"And if you want to become investors, I'd be more than happy."
Half a month later, a company called A.K. Films was registered in Los Angeles. The name sounded powerful, but it had nothing to do with weapons; it just used Eric Cooper's initials.
On July 13, after almost a month in theaters, the film "Windtalkers" was finally pulled from screens. In North America, it grossed less than $40 million, and the total worldwide gross was around $77 million.
A flop. A complete flop. After all deductions, MGM would receive about $30 million, and with a budget of $130 million, they lost at least $80 million.
Moreover, MGM spent about $30 million on marketing, leading to a total loss of over $100 million.
To make matters worse, "Windtalkers" didn't match John Woo's previous work style, so it wouldn't sell well on discs. All this made the situation catastrophic.
Eric watched MGM's stock prices closely, and as expected, they plummeted. This is the nature of the film industry: stocks can soar due to a successful film or plummet due to a flop.
Late at night, Eric heard noise at the front door and realized his father had returned. For the past few days, he had been coming home very late.
"Dad, you're late again?"
Charlie Cooper flinched and looked at the clock. It was already 2 AM, and he hadn't expected his son to still be awake.
Eric approached to take his father's coat and noticed his tired face. "Want a drink?"
Understanding that his son had been waiting for him despite his own exhaustion, Charlie Cooper sat down on the couch.
Pop!
Opening a bottle of beer, they both took a swig.
"Worried about 'Windtalkers'?"
"Of course. It's not because of 'Spider-Man'." Charlie Cooper gave a bitter smile, not hiding his feelings from his son.
"Are the losses significant?"
Charlie Cooper nodded. "Judging by the current situation, the losses will exceed $100 million. For MGM, it's a disaster."
Taking another gulp of beer, he looked as if he wanted to drown his sorrows in alcohol.
"Dad, is there any dissatisfaction with you at MGM?"
Charlie Cooper frowned. "Why are you asking? Don't worry, I'll manage. I don't want to discuss frustrating matters at home."
Eric opened another bottle of beer and handed it to his father. "Dad, remember the agreement we made a month ago? It's time to talk. I need to know the real situation at MGM."
Hearing this, Charlie Cooper paused for a moment. He remembered giving his son $10 million, and Eric had disappeared for a month, seemingly doing nothing.
For the past few weeks, he had been busy with company matters and hadn't kept track of his son. After all, $10 million was a truckload of money.
"Alright, Eric. First, tell me, how much is left of that $10 million?"
Charlie Cooper was sure his son had spent nearly all of it.
Eric moistened his finger in the beer and wrote the number 11 on the table.
"Only $11 left?" a loud shout echoed in the living room.
Eric smiled and shook his head. "Have more faith in your son. It's $1.1 billion, though $20 million of it is in investments. So, essentially, I turned $10 million into $1.08 billion, with a net profit of $1.07 billion."
A heavy silence fell over the room. Charlie Cooper stared at his son as if he were crazy.
"Son, tomorrow I'm taking you to a psychiatrist. Do you often have headaches?"
Eric repeated his words, understanding that his father hadn't believed him the first time.
The beer bottle slipped from Charlie Cooper's hand, soaking his shoes.
"Eric, are you serious?"
"Of course. If you don't believe me, we can go to the bank in the morning and check the account."
At this moment, even the seasoned Charlie couldn't hold back a shout: "How… I don't understand… How did you do it?"
Gradually, Eric recounted the whole story. Charlie took a long time to process what he had heard.
He looked at his son like he was a monster. "So you weren't joking when you talked about buying MGM?"
"Why would I joke? I've been serious all along. Dad, I need to know the real situation at MGM."
Estado de energía semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Piedra de
Poder