Capítulo 180: Chapter 180: Three Major TV Station Wars
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"Thank you for giving me the best start."
Irina cuddled the man's sturdy waist, her face pressed against his chest as she spoke softly.
"Why do you say that?" Hardy asked, puzzled.
"My mother once told me that if a woman's first time with a beloved man feels good, she'll remember it for a lifetime and be happy for a lifetime," Irina said.
A woman's words of love are often more intoxicating than a man's.
Hardy couldn't help but kiss the French girl's hair.
"Irina, a song just came to mind, and it's for you. Want to hear it?" Hardy asked.
"Of course I want to hear it," Irina nodded eagerly.
She knew Hardy was incredibly talented. The script he wrote won an Oscar, and his song "Scarborough Market" was named the best Oscar song, becoming a classic among classics.
Now, he was composing a song just for her. How could Irina not want to listen?
"Irina,
My name is Irina,
A very ordinary girl,
Irina,
I also have happiness and sadness,
A life full of joy, anger, sorrow, and joy,
I just want to find simple love."
Hardy sang softly in French.
In both his past and this life, Hardy didn't speak French. Back then, the song "Irina" was popular all over the country, and Hardy had to work hard to learn it.
It was like learning to sing songs in a foreign language—many don't understand it fully but learn to sing it by heart.
Irina chuckled. "Your French is so substandard."
Hardy didn't stop singing. After a few more lines, Irina stopped laughing and listened intently.
"Irina,
I look forward to the company of poetry and dreams in the night,
That way, I would need nothing more.
As long as I find simple love,
The love that belongs to me."
When Hardy finished singing, he looked at Irina. "How do you feel?"
Irina stared at him with wide eyes. "Do you know French?"
"No," Hardy shook his head.
"Then how can you compose French songs?"
Hardy smiled. "Because you're French."
"I wrote the lyrics and then had someone who understands French help me translate them. I memorized these words, so many places aren't standard. This song is the best I can do in French," Hardy explained.
Irina looked at him, her eyes filling with tears.
She hadn't expected this man to do so much for her.
Irina was moved to tears.
She didn't cry when she was hurt, but now she cried—moved by a man. The highest ideal of a French woman is to have love.
Before, she admired and loved Hardy.
This time, she fell head over heels for him.
Irina cried and kissed Hardy fiercely.
"Hardy, if I ever leave you, please kill me."
After the kiss, Irina begged Hardy to teach her the song.
Her French was obviously much better than Hardy's—it was her mother tongue, after all.
Irina was smart; she only needed three tries to memorize the lyrics. She lay on Hardy and sang softly.
Though her voice wasn't as good as Ava Gardner's, as a professional host, singing this kind of lyrical song wasn't difficult for her.
Even though it was a cappella, Hardy found it beautiful.
"Hardy, I want to sing this song myself. What do you think about recording a record?" Irina said excitedly.
"No problem. HD Pictures has a record company. You can go to Edward to arrange it. It's better to have the company write a few more songs for you so you can build an album, with 'Irina' as the title track," Hardy suggested.
"Record an album for me?"
"You don't like it?"
"Of course, I do!"
Irina happily pressed her 35D against Hardy, which got Hardy thinking again.
At this point, it's worth noting that European and American women have a good physique. Even though it was her first time, she wasn't shy about taking the lead.
She took the initiative, put it in gear, and drove straight to 120.
The next day.
Hardy arrived at ABC TV station and called the director, William Fox. After chatting for a while, Fox announced a general meeting, gathering everyone from the broadcasting company in the large studio.
William Fox stood on stage.
Three directors, hosts, actors, editors, directors, scriptwriters, lighting, stage, and camera crew sat in the audience.
Due to the large-scale poaching attempts by NBC and CBS, some instability had arisen within ABC, and it was necessary to hold a meeting to stabilize the situation.
Coaxing?
Salary increase?
Appeasement?
Fox knew people only spoil themselves when they're not taken seriously.
William Fox spoke plainly:
"I know that NBC, CBS, and other organizations have contacted some of you. I've called you all here today because I have a few things to say."
"ABC may be newly established, but it's a company with unlimited potential. In the future, it will definitely become one of the largest broadcasting companies in the United States. In fact, it already is."
"The company's benefits are the best among all broadcasters now. You can compare them with those of other stations."
"Before you joined, you all signed an agreement with the company. I hope you remember the terms. There's a penalty of tens of millions of dollars, and a clause preventing you from working in related industries for five years. If someone quits, I don't know if they'll have a better future or ruin themselves."
"The company is fair, and you'll be rewarded according to your performance. When the contract expires, if anyone feels unhappy and wants to leave, the company won't block them—that's legal."
"But if someone betrays us, ABC will never let them go and will use all its power to blacklist them."
"This large-scale poaching may have tempted some of you. I just want to say this is the enemy's conspiracy. Do they really want to hire everyone? No, they just want to destabilize the company and disrupt ABC's normal operations."
"Now, please continue your work with peace of mind."
Fox's tone was firm. In the past, he had always been calm and peaceful. It was the first time many had seen him speak so directly, but it was effective, reestablishing his authority as director.
During ABC's "Noon News Time," the two hosts discussed domestic and international news before talking about the Los Angeles Times' survey on the three major television stations.
The top spot went to "Family Wife," followed by "TV Shopping," "Irina Tonight Show," "Colorful Cartoon," and "Andy Economic Forum."
ABC dominated the top five.
In the comprehensive ratings survey, ABC's ratings reached a staggering 68%.
The male host suddenly smiled. "No wonder other stations are trying to poach ABC's people. They must feel the pressure."
"Has anyone approached you? Who was it?" the female host asked, intrigued.
"Someone from NBC's Human Resources Department offered me better terms to join them. How about you?" the male host inquired.
"Yes, someone from Columbia TV approached me with a similar offer. They promised me better terms to switch sides," the female host said.
At first, viewers hadn't paid much attention to the news segment, but when the hosts started discussing poaching, it caught many off guard.
Gossip always draws in an audience.
Especially when it involves major networks like NBC and CBS. The fact that they were trying to poach talent from other companies and got called out on the news was a big deal.
The gossip among the viewers spread like wildfire.
The two hosts kept the conversation going. The female host added, "I heard they're trying to poach the stars of 'Family Wife.'"
"If they succeed, how will 'Family Wife' continue? Even if they switch networks, they can't take the show with them. What will the audience watch then?" the male host asked, surprised.
The female host shrugged. "I think they just want to cause trouble. They don't care if the audience can still watch 'Family Wife.' The survey shows the show's ratings are at 86%. Some people must be green with envy."
"More than that, it seems every host and actor at ABC has been approached, as well as editors, directors, stagehands, and even camera operators."
The hosts had just revealed a major scoop on the show, and it shocked many viewers.
There's always some dirt between big companies.
But it's rare to see it aired out in public.
ABC had just dropped a bombshell.
ABC wasn't just a big deal; it was fearless.
NBC and CBS executives were quickly informed. Both networks were keeping a close eye on ABC, so the news spread fast.
Both sets of executives were taken aback.
In business, dismantling competitors is a common strategy. It's normal to try and steal talent, but no one usually brings these things to the public's attention—it's just not done.
After venting their frustration, the executives began to worry.
ABC had exposed the issue directly—were they going to engage in open warfare? What would ABC do next? Try to poach their people?
Stealing people wasn't Hardy's style.
He could find talented individuals under his own conditions; there was no need to spend heavily on poaching.
Hardy called Henry.
"NBC and CBS are both headquartered in New York. I need you to take your team to New York and handle two tasks."
Hardy gave detailed instructions.
Henry nodded.
Henry then flew to New York with over two dozen men from the intelligence room. At the same time, Hardy called the old godfather, asking for his assistance. After all, New York was
the Corleone family's territory, making things easier than if he had handled it alone.
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