The Tyrant Billionaire

"Do you already have ideas, Mr. Hardy?" someone asked.

"I do. First, we must deeply develop the American market. It remains our foundation, and we must hold onto it."

"Second, we need to aggressively expand into the European and even Asian markets. While these markets can’t yet compare to the U.S., the combined earnings from numerous countries can add up."

"I know that each of your companies has been working on developing the European market, often competing with one another. In the current climate, I propose that we set aside our differences and form a united front. This way, we can make more money together."

"Third, I think we should engage with the government. Hollywood isn’t just about making movies; we also serve as a key platform for exporting American culture. I believe the government should offer us more support, such as tax breaks."

The studio executives found Hardy’s proposals compelling.

In the past, the studios had competed fiercely, which worked when the environment was favorable. But now, with survival at stake, infighting was counterproductive.

A united front made sense.

As for concerns about forming a monopoly—no need to worry.

This would be an informal agreement, a mutual understanding to share common goals. There would be no official merger or joint operations, thus avoiding any legal implications of monopoly.

At most, it would be considered setting industry standards.

"I have another proposal," Hardy said again.

Everyone turned their attention to Hardy.

"The tourism industry is also an important revenue source for Hollywood. Currently, each company manages its own tourism projects, but I think we should have a unified plan to develop the tourism sector more comprehensively and attract more visitors."

"For example, Universal and Warner have their studio tours and performances, and Disney has its animated character performances. Why don’t we integrate these projects into a single entity to form a specialized entertainment company?"

"My suggestion is to build a true amusement park. We can pool our resources to create a theme park that will attract even more visitors."

Everyone found this idea intriguing. However, as to how to collaborate, no one had a concrete plan yet. Hardy smiled lightly, "The specifics can be worked out by our teams. We only need to decide on the broad framework."

The group nodded in agreement.

The concept of pooling resources to create a theme park seemed promising. It would undoubtedly attract large crowds. As for the collaboration model, equity could be proportional to the resources contributed. Quantifying contributions wouldn’t be difficult for their teams.

"I have yet another proposal," Hardy said again.

The group chuckled internally. This man really has no shortage of ideas.

"What’s the proposal?" someone asked.

"A Hollywood Walk of Fame," Hardy replied.

"What is a Walk of Fame?" they asked, puzzled.

The concept of the Hollywood Walk of Fame wasn’t introduced until 1958, and the first star wasn’t placed until 1960. Hardy was proposing it eight years ahead of its time.

Hardy explained to the group:

"Simply put, it’s a street that serves as an ’Art Hall of Fame.’ We would select outstanding artists and engrave their names on stone slabs embedded in the street. The more contributions someone makes to the arts, the more stars they can earn. It’s a way of acknowledging and celebrating artistic achievements."

"I’ve identified five categories so far:

A film camera for contributions to the film industry.A television for contributions to the television industry.A phonograph record for contributions to the music recording industry.A radio microphone for contributions to the broadcasting industry.Comedy and tragedy masks for contributions to live theater."

"For the selection process, we can form a ’Walk of Fame Committee’ that selects qualified artists each year to be awarded stars."

"If someone has outstanding contributions in a single category, they receive one star—for example, Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable forGone with the Wind.This film is a landmark in cinematic history, so both could be awarded a star."

"If someone contributes significantly to all five categories, they could receive five stars. However, I think that would be exceedingly rare." @@novelbin@@

"Even animated characters could qualify—Disney’s Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, or MGM’s Tom and Jerry, for instance."

"I’m also thinking of hosting a ’Walk of Fame Celebration Night.’ On that night, we wouldn’t just award stars; there would also be festivities. It would undoubtedly draw crowds to Hollywood and serve as excellent promotion for the industry."

The executives admired Hardy’s vision. His ideas were plentiful and consistently innovative. No wonder he had built such a vast business empire.

Hardy’s intention in calling this meeting wasn’t to suppress or annex his competitors but to brainstorm solutions for Hollywood’s challenges. To these business leaders, Hardy’s approach was commendable. If they were in his position, they might have prioritized maximizing their own interests, but Hardy was willing to share his ideas with everyone.

"I agree with all of Mr. Hardy’s proposals," said Louis B. Mayer of MGM.

"I agree as well," added Mike Warner from Warner Brothers.

"I think Mr. Hardy’s proposals are excellent. I’m on board," Paramount’s chairman nodded.

With unanimous agreement, the Hollywood Film Alliance was officially formed. Though it was informal and non-binding, a simple verbal agreement was enough for these industry leaders.

At the very least, they wouldn’t abandon the alliance unless their own interests were at stake.

As for Hardy’s proposals, the leaders began taking steps to implement them. Some were tasked with approaching the government for favorable policies and tax benefits. Others started organizing the creation of the theme park by pooling resources from the major studios. Meanwhile, Edward from HD Films was put in charge of the Walk of Fame project.

The location Hardy chose for the Walk of Fame was a pedestrian street on Hollywood Boulevard. The street was adjacent to several major film studios and featured shopping malls, luxury boutiques, restaurants, and coffee shops, making it ideal for leisure and shopping.

The primary reason Hardy chose this location was that many of the buildings along this street were owned by Hardy Properties. Hardy had been planning the Walk of Fame for years and had strategically started acquiring property in the area long ago. Now, many of the luxury stores on the street belonged to Hardy’s company. Stay connected via NovelBin.Côm

Once this street became the Walk of Fame, it would surely draw more crowds and make the pedestrian street even more prosperous.

---