Capítulo 392: Chapter 393: Don't Do That
[Chapter 393: Don't Do That]
Sipping on his slightly warm coffee, Eric finally said, "There's no way I'm giving you those shares. A year ago, I acquired New Line for only $150 million, and now Robert Shea is offering me $500 million. I don't want to be in that situation again."
Elisabeth analyzed with clarity, "You can try to convince some outsiders, but let's be real. Don't say that 500 million is impossible. Even if you really paid 500 million in the end, you won't lose anything. A year ago, Firefly was like a one-legged cripple -- it had the rights to a few hit movies, but no distribution channels or anything substantial. At most, it was worth five or six hundred million dollars and could have been cut off at any moment. But after merging with New Line, Firefly developed into a junior major studio in just a year. While the $2 billion valuation might be inflated, it's definitely worth at least $1.5 billion. You've basically increased your net worth by $1 billion in a year. Without New Line and being hampered by the big seven, it would've taken you ten years to reach that level."
Eric nodded along to Elisabeth's analysis. "Yeah, you make a solid point. You could write a paper on that."
"I already graduated, thank you very much, and with all A's!" Elisabeth proudly lifted her chin for a moment, but quickly shifted back to a serious tone. "But you're changing the subject. We're discussing Robert Shea's shares."
"I already gave you my answer -- absolutely not. It doesn't align with my developmental plans for Firefly."
Elisabeth squatted down next to Eric on the couch, gently shaking his arm in a rare moment of playfulness. "Can't we discuss it a bit more~~?"
Eric quickly pulled his arm away, feigning 'fear' as he said, "Don't do that; it's too creepy."
Having mustered the courage to adopt a more demure demeanor, Elisabeth felt dejected. She nearly tugged Eric's arm again, intending to nip at him.
"Alright, there's no room for negotiation on this. But you can rest assured, Firefly will definitely maintain a good working relationship with Fox."
Elisabeth pouted in discontent. "That sounds like just a generic excuse."
Eric pinched Elisabeth's chin playfully, "Of course not. You're my woman, so I'm naturally going to lean in your favor. Fox's issues are my issues."
Elisabeth pushed Eric's hand away. "You've got some nerve calling yourself my man when you were just drawing women a moment ago. Do you think I'll fall for your nonsense?"
Despite her words, a faint blush crept across her cheeks.
If she knew Eric's true intentions, she would probably grab the coffee pot from the round table nearby and pour it over his head.
In both his memories and the materials he accessed, Murdoch's two sons were both quite unworthy, typical rich kids with no substance. Yet, he was also clearly the type who had a strong preference for male heirs. Even though Elisabeth was more capable than any of his children, Murdoch insisted on handing the News Corporation to his second son.
Now that Eric had entered this world and found himself intertwined with Elisabeth, he certainly couldn't allow that to happen again. Murdoch had already hit sixty; he had to think about succession in under ten years, and Eric's plan was to fully support Elisabeth in taking control of the News Corporation.
What's mine is mine, and what's my woman's is, of course, mine too.
If it weren't for this ultimate goal, why would he bother dealing with that small-time company? He even hustled around to ensure that The Silence of the Lambs would win an Oscar, trying to cut off Dances with Wolves -- all to boost Elisabeth's influence within the Murdoch family.
With that thought in mind, Eric glanced at the girl still crouching beside him, hoping she'd step up. Please don't let me down.
As their eyes met, Elisabeth slightly averted hers. She playfully pushed her hand down on Eric's shoulder. "What are you plotting now?"
"Speaking of which, you owe me something, don't you? How about we settle the score now? I'm in a good mood and can give you a 20% discount."
Elisabeth instinctively reached back, causing her arms to move suddenly before she stopped herself. Shooting Eric an angry look, she declared, "Not a chance."
Eric was just joking with her. Noticing her defensive stance, he changed the subject to something more appropriate. "How's the PR for The Silence of the Lambs going? I suggested you get the Weinstein brothers at Miramax for PR help. You didn't forget, did you?"
For some reason, Elisabeth found the position of leaning against Eric quite nice, with a hint of warmth. She pulled a cushion from behind Eric, propping it beneath her knees, and said, "I gave them $1 million for lobbying funds. I've been working on it too. Daddy pulled in a Fox executive who specializes in Oscar campaigns to help me. I've been attending lobbying parties almost every day with Judy and Jonathan."
"There's one more thing regarding Best Picture -- don't put Drew's name down and let's exclude Julia too."
Elisabeth nodded in agreement. "I know! If we put those two forward, even if the Oscars judges think The Silence of the Lambs deserves to win, they won't vote for us. Plus, I've decided to submit Jonathan Demme and me for Best Picture. That'll give us a better shot."
"Smart move; it gives the Oscars judges a way out. If it were just one woman on the ballot, the chances would drop significantly. Gender bias is deeply rooted; it won't change in a hundred years. The Oscars work this way -- you give them enough courtesy, they give you awards. It's a win-win situation."
Elisabeth pulled one of Eric's arms closer to prop her chin on it, looking up at him. "And what about you? When are you planning to bring home a little gold man for Best Director?"
Eric shrugged confidently. "With my current fame in Hollywood, I don't really need the little gold man to back me up."
"Such arrogance! All your films are commercial; they don't stand a chance at winning an award. You're just a fox who can't reach the grapes."
Thinking about his special effects projects for the next few years, making a successful Oscar contender felt increasingly remote. However, if Eric had his way, he wouldn't abandon his original plans to chase after Oscar bait.
*****
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