King of Hollywood

Chapter 149: Chapter 149 Another Thing

Where was the problem? Well, perhaps the price to acquire TBS might be a little higher than it is now, but it would only be slightly higher. And then? Miramax? Oh, no need to worry. The reason for taking an interest in Miramax, besides its title as the largest independent film company in Hollywood, was also due to the Weinstein brothers’ public relations prowess.

However, now, with the emergence of Adrian, Bossworth Film Company, which had developed rapidly over the past two years, had already taken a considerable slice of the independent film pie, and Laverne’s PR and operational capabilities, with his support, should not be underestimated. Adrian believed that as he continued to develop, the resources he utilized would increase, and Laverne’s capabilities would be further enhanced. Moreover, Miramax sometimes went berserk politically, so it wouldn’t matter if Disney acquired it.

So, what exactly was wrong? After pondering for a few minutes, Adrian simply tossed the question aside. No matter what, Claude was much stronger in this area than he was, and since he was now the CEO, it would be best to leave it to him to handle, and it wouldn’t be too late to discuss it with him when he had the time to reflect later.

“Let’s leave the film company business aside for now,” Adrian waved his hand and then changed the topic, “I’ve looked into the record company situation, and if the producers think those four guys have potential, then we can consider starting to package them. I have no objections. However, could you find me some talented songwriters? I have a few good… songs I’d like them to look at.”

Hearing this, Claude raised an eyebrow, “What, you’re writing lyrics and songs now?”

“Not to exaggerate, I’ve just jotted down some segments that are quite good in the past, maybe they can help flesh them out,” Adrian said seriously, gesturing, “My intuition tells me there could be some great outcomes.”

“Really?” Claude looked at him with interest, “I thought you were about to surprise me again, Ed, with those endless script ideas, before finishing that novel about virtual networks. And yet, you’re writing songs.”

“How could I,” Adrian spread his hands, “Everyone’s energy is limited. Developing scripts and movies has already taken up most of it; otherwise, The Matrix wouldn’t be dragging on like this.”

Saying this, he waved his hand again, “Don’t worry, that tune was written down a long time ago, I just want to find a good songwriter to polish it. Even if the record company doesn’t use it, I can still sing it to my woman.”

“Alright, I got it,” Claude made a stop signal, “But you’d better finish that novel sooner rather than later. Gelling has already mentioned it to me privately many times.”

“He can say that directly to me.” Adrian was somewhat puzzled.

“He said he’s told you enough, and besides, you’re still the boss, Ed,” Claude reminded him.

“But you’re also the boss,” Adrian shrugged.

“Ed!”

“Fine, fine, but you know I can only work on it in my spare time. At most, I can guarantee to finish it within next year.” Adrian spread his hands again, and seeing his demeanor, Claude was also exasperated, “Quickening the pace a bit shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

“Okay, I’ll try,” Adrian sighed, “Doesn’t the publishing company have any other books worth working on? Besides, I’ve already told Ben Arnt some ideas for the next installment of Resident Evil.”

“Gelling believes that your virtual network novel, if handled well under the current circumstances, could be very attractive, and after studying a lot of information related to the Internet, I tend to agree with that,” Claude said with a smile.

“It sounds like you’ve become some kind of Internet expert?” Adrian raised his eyebrow.

“I wouldn’t dare claim to be an expert, but I’ve indeed learned quite a bit since someone once told me that the Internet is our future,” Claude said leisurely, looking at him, “However, the funny thing is, after I looked into several web studios, that same person told me not to rush.”

“Of course, the Internet is just starting to take shape; its real development hasn’t even begun,” Adrian waved his hand.

“You always say that, and you still owe me a CEO for a talent agency,” Claude deliberately frowned.

“Don’t worry, I won’t break my promise. Remember, I told you I already have someone suitable in mind, it’s just not the right time,” Adrian said, quickly changing the subject when he saw that Claude was not looking too pleased, “Speaking of which, there’s a game studio that I think has a lot of potential, maybe we should consider buying it.”

“Damn it, here you go again—film studios, publishing houses, talent agencies, record labels, and all those other departments,” Claude complained, seemingly irritated. “Expanding too quickly is not beneficial! Besides, do you even know how to make games?”

“But I see excitement in your eyes, Claude; you vividly remember why we founded AC Media in the first place,” Adrian said with a smile. “It’s fine, if you refuse, I’ll make personal investments. However, if you want to incorporate it into the company later on, I’ll make many demands.”

Claude looked at him for a while, then raised both hands in surrender, “Alright, what’s the name of that studio? I’ll have to send someone to scout it first.”

“It should be called… Silicon & Synapse, yes, that’s it. Silicon & Synapse,” Adrian recalled. “It’s a bit of a tongue twister, but you should be able to guess where it’s from. They currently have simple operations, but I believe they are very dynamic, and a dynamic studio is worth investing in. If you’re not going to acquire it, then remember to let me know.”

The name Silicon & Synapse might not be eye-catching, but in a former life, that studio would stun the world with a new name in just four years: Blizzard!

Yes, it’s the same Blizzard that developed Diablo, StarCraft, and Warcraft, securing its status in the gaming industry with just a few games and earning the praise of many gamers: “If it’s from Blizzard, it’s a masterpiece.”

Nevertheless, this future brilliant company is currently just a small studio, with its founders only starting to enter game development. It would be foolish not to act now.

While there are other top game production companies in the United States and Europe besides Blizzard, Adrian only remembered a few: EA, Ubisoft, Westwood, Black Isle Studios, Blizzard, and EIDOS—maker of Tomb Raider—and he didn’t know much about them, possibly even less than some Japanese gaming companies. After all, he wasn’t in the gaming industry in his former life and didn’t play many games; his understanding wasn’t as clear as that of gaming enthusiasts.

Only knowing that Black Isle would close down, Westwood would dissolve, and EIDOS would falter after the new millennium, Blizzard developed the best. From a purely business perspective, why choose anyone else over Blizzard?

As for EA and Ubisoft, the former mainly published games instead of developing them—even though acquisition chances were high, a takeover was out of the question; whereas the latter, a French company, would be tricky to gain control of without the right connections and power—there was the risk of the French government creating obstacles behind the scenes.

So, all things considered, Blizzard was the best option, which would also allow for the acquisition of a few game studios—EIDOS included. If they had already published the Resident Evil novels, why not adapt it into a game? Imagine an American version of Resident Evil; quite intriguing, right?

“Alright, I’ll do it,” Claude finally said, glancing at the clock and standing up. “Let’s go, it’s almost time; this is a party my father is hosting, and Robert, the prolocutor, will be there. We can’t be late.”

“Can I skip it?” Adrian sighed.

“You can, if you want to be lectured by my father during the Thanksgiving family dinner,” Claude shrugged. “Of course, don’t expect me to speak up for you then.”

“Fine, fine, let’s be on our way. I just hope Steve Jobs isn’t on the guest list this time.”

“I regret to inform you, Ed, Steve is on the list. What’s the matter, I thought you admired him? Why don’t you want to meet him now?”

“If someone talks your ear off about the latest computer tech and tries to fish for investments at every party, you’d be annoyed too. The scary part is, if you listen seriously, you might find yourself agreeing with his ideas! Frankly, Steve ought to be in pyramid sales.”

“Ha, I can’t help you there. You were the one who got in touch with him initially, so naturally, you’ll have to deal with him.”

Although the topic of game production only came up as a diversion, Adrian had already taken the time to compile considerable information about it; otherwise, he wouldn’t have spoken about it so earnestly with Claude. Of course, this was still a tentative plan, and as Claude said, an investigation was necessary.

However, Adrian wasn’t just talking big—if Claude found no value, Adrian would invest personally. With succulent meat right before him, it was natural to take a bite first. As for potential changes that the butterfly effect might cause, leading to a collapse in game development, that wasn’t within his considerations.

Moreover, Adrian believed he was changing everything all the time. He firmly trusted that, having been reborn with so many advantages, he was destined to achieve his goal!

Game production was only a small part of his grand plan, with the primary focus remaining on film production. As for the direction of the company, he had better and more comprehensive ideas, and now it was a matter of waiting for the right time, following his plan step by step.

So, it was best to shift his attention back to Scent of a Woman, which had already earned a North American box office of 30 million dollars in less than three weeks before Thanksgiving since its early November release! (To be continued, for further story developments, please visit www.qidian.com, where chapters are more frequent, support the author, support genuine reading!)

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