章 675: Chapter 676: So Close
[Chapter 676: So Close]
Recently, whenever he found some free time, Eric would delve into the Qualcomm information that Kelly had gathered for him. As someone who had previously known nothing about mobile communications, Eric had even put in effort to understand the advantages of Qualcomm's CDMA technology over the time division multiple access technology used in GSM and other second-generation communications.
Eric also discovered that Qualcomm was currently in one of the lowest points in its development history. The mobile communications industry was rapidly transitioning from analog to digital signals, and the second-generation mobile communication technologies had already matured and were moving into commercial stages. Though Qualcomm had demonstrated the superiority of its CDMA technology over 2G through numerous experiments and tests, there wasn't a single commercial CDMA network operational worldwide.
Thinking back to the information he had seen recently, Eric spoke to Kelly, saying, "I realized that I had taken some things for granted regarding Qualcomm. At first, I thought that since CDMA technology was superior to GSM and Qualcomm was in a difficult position, if I invested a significant amount of money and supported Qualcomm, it would surely enable the company to become a leader in the industry. But the reality is far more complicated than I imagined. Qualcomm's current predicament is tied to the entire direction of the mobile communications industry. The establishment of any mobile communication network involves investments of billions or even tens of billions of dollars. Once a certain communication standard is determined, even if it lags behind other technologies, it cannot be changed for a while. Thus, the process of establishing communication standards, affected by various interests, cannot simply be dictated by 'my technology is better.' There are too many cases where bad money drives out good, so if I recklessly invest in Qualcomm, I might end up losing everything."
Kelly listened quietly to Eric. When he had first insisted she gather Qualcomm's information, she had taken a close look at it, and she had gained a deep understanding of Qualcomm's situation.
Not to mention the squabbles over technical standards among major U.S. operators, there were also interest entanglements between Qualcomm and the operators. Initially, Qualcomm had acted like an outsourced developer, creating customized wireless communication solutions for telecom companies. During this process, several operators had invested in Qualcomm, making them shareholders. This connection had actually been a potential advantage for Qualcomm in the competition over communication standards. However, if Eric, with his financial strength, forcibly pushed himself into the role of a major shareholder, diluting the operators' holdings, it would inevitably weaken CDMA's competitive edge. There was even a risk that Qualcomm could end up defeated in the final mobile communication standards set against GSM and fall into the realm of marginal technologies.
If this were earlier, Kelly would have certainly advised Eric against recklessly investing in Qualcomm. But now, listening to Eric's self-reflection, there was more admiration in her soft gaze. A man at the top of the pyramid could maintain such awareness and rationality. She found herself somewhat enamored with this little man, and the thought of persuading Eric to withdraw began to fade. "Eric, San Diego is only about 100 kilometers from Los Angeles. I mean, once you wrap things up here, why not take some time to chat with Qualcomm's CEO, Irwin Jacobs? The information we've gathered can't possibly compare to what the founder of Qualcomm knows. Maybe after meeting, you could achieve unexpected results."
Eric looked at Kelly and smiled, "Weren't you originally against my investing in Qualcomm?"
"That was back then. Since you now have such a clear understanding of the situation, there's no harm in trying. I think your previous point completely ignored your current personal influence. With the capital you hold now, if you wholeheartedly support Qualcomm, it could definitely give it a greater edge in the competition over mobile communication standards."
Eric had initially given up the idea of a major investment in Qualcomm, planning to gradually acquire some Qualcomm shares through Firefly Investments and be a modest shareholder. But Kelly's words stirred some impulse in him again.
However, after considering his work schedule, Eric once again revealed a look of helplessness. Even if he could spare some time to meet with Irwin Jacobs, it would be impossible for him to spend too much energy on Qualcomm. He already had many things demanding his attention.
This project could have been handed over to Firefly Investments, but Chris was also limited in personal bandwidth. With several major companies under Firefly Investments rapidly developing, Chris had been busy this past month, flying around to manage personnel and production adjustments at Nokia due to its rapid expansion. He had hastily returned to the U.S. just before Thanksgiving.
Noticing Eric's concerns, Kelly reached over and gently patted his hand, saying, "Eric, you also have me... we can help you. You don't have to take everything upon yourself."
"Alright," Eric said, catching Kelly's hand before she could pull it back. He squeezed it and added, "Since it's like this, perhaps I need to plan better and allocate some energy towards Qualcomm."
Though Eric had made up his mind, the earliest he could schedule a meeting with Qualcomm CEO Irwin Jacobs would be after the New Year.
...
Entering December, movies like Mission: Impossible and Runaway Bride continued to rake in box office profits during the holiday season. As award season approached, Braveheart, which had been handed over to Fox and managed by the Weinstein brothers, also began its small-scale pre-release. Firefly also released Luc Besson's Leon: The Professional by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, turmoil in Hollywood persisted. Sony announced a staggering $2.1 billion asset write-down for Columbia Pictures, shaking the entire capital market. After the news broke, Sony's founder and chairman, Akio Morita, submitted his resignation to the board. Although Sony publicly stated that Morita's departure was unrelated to the Columbia incident to protect his reputation, few believed it.
As for Universal, Michael Ovitz's departure had become certain, but the question of his exorbitant severance package led to bickering among Panasonic, Seagram, and Michael Eisner. Panasonic contended that the golden parachute agreement was Eisner's personal oversight. Therefore, if Seagram insisted on Ovitz's exit, the severance should be paid by Eisner. Eisner, however, firmly stated that the agreement had been approved by Panasonic's board and had nothing to do with him. Seagram understood that Universal's future operations depended on Eisner, so it could only apply pressure on Panasonic, even subtly threatening to divert its acquisition focus to Columbia if Panasonic did not relent.
...
Amid all this, Eric completed the editing of the television broadcast version of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in early December and again focused his energy on the final marketing phase for Victoria's Secret.
To maximize the brand's influence, once the television broadcast version was edited, Eric instructed Firefly's distribution department to start producing videotapes of the show. By December 6, the first batch of a million tapes had been produced, ready to be distributed nationwide immediately after the broadcast.
On December 6, Tuesday, even though work hours had long passed, ABC's headquarters at 66th Street was still bustling with people. Today marked not only the airing of the final episode of the first season of Survivor, which was poised to make ratings history, but also the long-promoted broadcast of the Victoria's Secret Annual Fashion Show.
ABC had just experienced a fruitful fall television season, with hits like Friends, Survivor, and ER dominating ratings. Each program had consistently performed well, firmly securing the top spot in network television market share. Among them, the reality show Survivor had created a new ratings phenomenon, with an average of over 33 million viewers for its first twelve episodes. Thus, every employee working late at ABC's headquarters wore expressions of excitement and joy. They anticipated the high viewership for Survivor's final episode and the lavish party that senior executives would undoubtedly host for the ratings bonanza.
...
In the large conference room at ABC headquarters, over ten people had gathered. However, unlike when Survivor initially aired, the main attendees this time were the Victoria's Secret project team, including Eric, Edward Razek, Emily, and five invited Victoria's Secret models. Knowing Survivor's finale would definitely be a success, ABC had not made a fuss like during the series debut. Only Robert Iger was onsite, while Tom Murphy had left early due to his age, and Jeffrey Katzenberg hadn't made a special trip from Los Angeles.
In addition to the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show broadcast starting at nine o'clock, Yahoo would also launch a fan voting activity for the Victoria's Secret Angels at the same time.
In the conference room, Cindy Crawford watched Eric sitting at the conference table, expertly typing away on his laptop while instant messaging Tina Brown, who was also pulling overtime in Boston. She quickly got up, went out for a moment, and soon returned with another laptop. Behind her followed a male employee eagerly helping connect Cindy to the internet. Linda Evangelista and a few other models noticed and clustered around Cindy, all eager to peer at the screen.
Emily, sitting near Eric, watched the gathering with a hint of jealousy and quipped to Chris beside her, "Good-looking women really have their privileges. I want a laptop too; why doesn't anyone lend me one?"
Chris, initially absorbed in a magazine, reluctantly got up. "Alright, I'll help you borrow one. Goodness... women."
Emily widened her eyes at him. "What did you say?"
Chris didn't respond and hurried out of the conference room, prompting laughter from the others.
Feeling a bit embarrassed herself, Emily took a quick glance at her watch, then poked Eric, who was chatting quietly with Robert Iger, and said, "Hey, Eric, those one million tapes cost over five million to produce. Do you really think anyone will want to pay thirty dollars for a short film that's only about forty minutes long?"
Eric felt uncertain, but he had already devised a plan. "If no one buys them, then we'll just give them away. We can run various events through Yahoo, or even offer them for free in Victoria's Secret stores. I wasn't planning to profit from the tape sales anyway. The million tapes are like Victoria's Secret's lingerie catalog, mainly for promotional purposes. Of course, I'll cover all the expenses for this year's fashion show; starting next year, LTD will have to shoulder the costs."
Emily chuckled and nodded. Regarding the promotional effectiveness of this grand show, LTD had handed over production rights to Eric, now seeing LTD's value rise by over a billion dollars. Not to mention next year, even if Eric asked LTD to reimburse him for production costs, the board would surely comply.
Seeing her boyfriend return with a laptop, Emily shifted a little and wondered about the viewership for Survivor before the Victoria's Secret Show. She asked, "Eric, how many viewers do you think the final episode of Survivor will get?"
Just then, everyone in the office, who had been previously immersed in their tasks, turned their eyes toward Eric.
Eric shrugged and pointed to the electronic clock on the conference room wall. "In half an hour, everyone will know. I'm sure it will surprise everyone."
Disappointed sighs echoed among the group. Robert Iger, sitting next to Eric, teased him for a prediction. Eric merely shook his head in silence, which only intensified the anticipation for the upcoming ratings.
As the final episode of Survivor began, the preliminary statistics released by Nielsen shocked everyone.
Just last week, Survivor's figures had only reached 38 million viewers, yet as soon as the finale started, viewership skyrocketed to 49 million, and continued to climb. By the time the results were announced, the rating had surged to 56 million viewers.
Seeing the astonishing number, Emily turned to Eric, who was excitedly dialing on his mobile in the conference room corner, and asked, "56 million? How many viewers do you think the Victoria's Secret Show will get?"
Eric, already having anticipated this, wasn't as surprised or excited as the others. He looked at the big screen, which had begun showing ads, and said, "Based on past experiences of lead-ins for high-rated shows like the Super Bowl, Victoria's Secret Fashion Show's average ratings would probably be half that of the lead-in series. But given the extensive promotion, I think the ratings will be higher than usual."
"Wow, even if it's just half, that's still 28 million," said Emily excitedly. "I can't wait for tomorrow's stock market open; LTD is just a hair away from a $4 billion valuation!"
As she spoke, the advertisement on the big screen finished up, and the glittering silver VS logo of Victoria's Secret appeared. A line invited viewers to participate in the voting for their favorite Victoria's Secret Angels through Yahoo, followed by a breathtaking view of Manhattan at night, and the sound of drumming seemed to grow ever closer.
*****
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