[Chapter 871: The Old Foxes]
"Earth Strikes Back?" Of course, William White had seen this movie. Well, he had been having too much fun lately and completely missed the latest briefings.
He skimmed through the script; even though it was just an outline, he could tell it was an ambitious project.
"What do you think?"
"Not bad. It can be considered a mainstream film. Who had the guts to take this on? It's no use thinking about it for less than fifty million dollars."
William White tossed the script aside without much thought. If Hollywood was left with only him, things would surely become boring.
"Hehe, your rival took it, it's true," someone teased.
"Me? Well, I don't have many friends in Hollywood. Speaking of rivals, Murdoch and Redstone still stand tall."
For a film of this caliber, a small company could hardly manage it; no matter how impressive the script was, they lacked the capital to push it through.
If a hundred million was needed for production, you had to have at least twenty million to start. If not, halting mid-production for funding would lead to significant losses.
"Murdoch, I've heard Redstone is interested too. Who knows what the old man had to sacrifice to get here?"
"Tsk, tsk. Forget it; with so many people vying for it, it won't matter how good it is. The old man is going all in now."
Nastassja cast a glance his way; if he hadn't kept messing with the old guy, he probably would have flown high long ago. Now he was gambling everything, not sure if he could turn things around.
Honestly, this movie didn't mean much to William White at this point. Besides, it had some political undertones.
To say this script represented mainstream themes wasn't accurate. Only the part where the President delivered a speech had some weight to it.
The four key characters were crucial: the American big boss, who personally flew a plane to battle aliens - a concept Americans ate up. Then there was the sacrificed pilot, representing American sacrifice and dedication.
These two characters would certainly please Anglo-Saxons, along with a Jewish scientist and an African American character on the side.
It had to be said that it fit America's current climate very well. If they could just add a pair of passionate heroes, theXiao Guo might be even better.
Murdoch could make such a film, but William White really had no need to. His relationship with Jewish people was, at best, okay. If it wasn't for the angel business, a little flattery wouldn't have hurt. As for now, it was nothing but compromise or capitulation.
William White had observed and critiqued the situation from his vantage, while Murdoch found himself truly in a tight spot. His earlier moves had been too aggressive, leveraging high buyouts to acquire Fox and even forcing through the layout of the Fox network.
The results were not good: 20th Century Fox was under fire from White Films, while NBC had completely dominated the network.
If it were just that, though, the old man likely wouldn't be too concerned. Wasn't he just facing a madman's antics? Company finances had repeatedly faced collapse.
"Warren, you actually invested in News Corporation? What did the old man offer you?"
Looking across at the old man, Buffett felt a burst of indignation. Here, they spoke of high tech bubbles, yet I had to take the blame.
Damn, speaking a few words at the shareholders' meeting seemed to have spread like wildfire. Now he felt an aching bump on his face. Whenever he encountered reporters, he wanted to avoid them. If these were his only troubles, he wouldn't mind too much. Stocks always fluctuated, and the more one rode a wave now, the worse the drop later could be.
Some long-term investors started offloading their stocks, which put him in a tough spot. If this continued, even without the tech stock crash, his company might already be finished.
"Alan, my investment portfolio isn't lacking in media, so what's so strange? Citigroup seems a bit foolish for reducing holdings at a time like this. Are they planning to sell off Murdoch in a package deal?"
Greenspan smiled silently. The old man wished to help Murdoch, not just for economic benefit but for other reasons too.
"Warren, let's not dwell on this. If it gets too bad, the old man might just return to Australia to raise sheep. By the way, the situation in Foot Basin is quite odd; what do you think? Could a single earthquake have such a huge impact?"
"Old buddy, I'm not certain. But one thing is clear: the people of Foot Basin have yet to regain their confidence.
From unemployment rates, it's actually not so bad. In terms of GDP, if you exclude the earthquake's interference, their situation is actually manageable. Though it sounds bad, from an economic perspective, those reconstruction projects might actually stimulate their economy."
"Exactly, similar to our analysis. By the way, it wasn't a coincidence that William White shorted Foot Basin."
"Oh, really? Isn't he hedging? That guy deserves an Oscar for best actor!"
Greenspan understood his friend's frustration. It was indeed quite stifling to be constantly picked on by others.
"He's consulted several advisory firms to investigate. Though the findings are all over the place, there's a single focus: the life of the people in Foot Basin. From whether they purchase luxury goods to whether they take taxis, even their favorite action movie genres. Goodness, if this guy isn't a lunatic, he's a genius."
Buffett was taken aback; he didn't believe White was a lunatic. Over the years, those seemingly casual investments had all been backed by deep considerations.
"Sigh, knowing this doesn't help us much. First, you must thoroughly understand Foot Basin, no, you must fully grasp the people of Foot Basin to judge based on their habits.
I suspect he must have done a similar investigation before the Foot Basin bubble crisis."
"Yes, many people initially thought it was just for his game and comic company. Who would have thought he would dig deep?"
William White succeeded, thus everything he did became a study. The words he spoke were meticulously analyzed.
This current predicament was certainly not what White desired. As someone with a colossal secret, his greatest fear was being noticed by others.
It was tough and exhausting. You couldn't say you remembered a massive earthquake and use that to short the market; that seemed extremely foolish. Unless he had a fitting opportunity and reasonable explanations, William White wouldn't take such risks.
Many were secretly watching him. Without needing reminders, he was aware himself. A high wall requires a strong foundation; if one didn't want to be washed away, it was best to tread carefully.
"Kid, the underground groups in Hong Kong are getting a bit chaotic; we need to add some manpower."
"No way! There are still two years until the draft; is this boredom at its finest?"
"Cough, cough, I'm not sure what to say. The entertainment spots are somewhat normal; the whole world looks like that. The film industry has gotten a bit strange though; our television stations have been harassed."
"Seriously? Have they really gotten that bold?"
Little Tanner grimaced; they were just a bunch of kids around seventeen or eighteen, completely clueless, combined with those cop and robber movies.
William White felt speechless, believing the U.S. had no restrictions. In truth, there were topics that shouldn't be overly detailed, nor should they glorify underground groups.
In Hong Kong, it didn't matter much; the so-called regulatory body was essentially a joke.
"Little Tanner, this won't work; we indeed need to arrange more personnel. Tell those big brothers to manage their little brothers properly. And when I take charge, don't say I didn't give them fair warning."
*****
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