[Chapter 319: Edward Douglas Dead]
The Douglas family's history in America stretched back 150 years. They were among the Jewish immigrants who came from Europe. After settling in New York, it took them a century of quiet growth and accumulation before they had a solid economic and social foundation, though their assets amounted to only tens of millions of dollars.
Their fortune truly took off with the establishment of Israel in 1948. Following World War II, the Jewish bourgeoisie promoted Zionism, urging Jews to return to Palestine and establish a Jewish state. The Zionist movement was fervent in the United States, and the Douglas family was at the forefront, contributing both funds and effort, earning widespread recognition among the Jewish community.
The Douglas family played a leading role in the five consecutive Middle East wars, funding, supporting, and advocating for Jewish interests. They gradually became central figures in the Jewish radical faction. Their actions during Israel's establishment and subsequent wars earned them broad recognition and extensive connections, propelling their business to jump to new heights.
Their assets expanded rapidly, surpassing one billion and later ten billion dollars, ultimately becoming a family empire worth about thirty billion dollars. Starting in the late 1980s, they fully entered the American media industry. Today, they controlled The New York Times, held shares in The Wall Street Journal, NBC, and ABC networks.
Douglas family members were spread across major media companies, including Hollywood's top studios, wielding immense influence in the media world. The family always championed Jewish-first policies, believing that American media should be entirely controlled by Jewish people.
...
Last year, Linton Films unexpectedly surged, developing rapidly, and quickly attracted the family's attention. Upon discovering no Jewish executives at Linton Films, they immediately categorized the company as a target for suppression.
Hollywood already had one major news group outside Jewish control -- one was enough. They would never allow another independent or non-Jewish controlled media company to rise. That led them to station spies at Anderson Farm and Linton Films. But surprisingly, all those spies were ruthlessly eliminated.
What hurt them most was one of their own family direct heirs, Marcel Douglas, who had become a Warner Brothers executive, was inexplicably shot by their own person. Though the police found no clear cause, the Douglas family didn't need an investigation. From motive and outcome, it was clear to them that Linton was behind it.
But mindful of Linton's armed strength on his Montana farm, they refrained from reckless moves or outright war. Still, Linton Films had become an intense focus and target for suppression. When they learned Linton intended to buy UPN Television Network to shore up media weaknesses, they planned to sabotage it.
...
Viacom was another media giant, and Sumner Redstone was a billionaire. To ensure success, the Douglas family's eldest son and heir, Edward Douglas, personally came to Los Angeles to lobby.
Thanks to the Douglas family's significant influence in the Jewish community and his reputation, Edward was able to meet Viacom's Sumner Redstone. Redstone was willing to give in but bluntly said selling UPN was a strategic decision by the board and was non-negotiable. The buyer would be the highest bidder, or there was no way to justify it to the board and shareholders.
However, since Edward Douglas had come in person, the company was willing to postpone the second round of negotiations with Linton Films, allowing him time to lobby other bidders or form a new bidding group to compete for UPN.
'That old fox, he's just using me to drive up the price. Saying Jews are one family -- bullshit. He has no sense of the overall situation at all,' Edward thought bitterly as he left Viacom, cursing Redstone in his heart.
But there was nothing he could do. Redstone was unwilling to sacrifice current profits for a potential threat. Edward couldn't force anything and realized he had to find other buyers.
...
After visits to Disney, Time Warner, Sony Columbia, and MGM, his hopes dimmed. Most companies valued UPN at under 100 million dollars. Asking them to add an extra 70 million dollars was impossible without the Douglas family making up the difference.
And none took Edward's warnings about Linton's threat seriously. How could a heavily losing network pose a threat to Jews? Some even vaguely hinted at a personal feud between Edward and Linton.
'Shortsighted fools with no big picture,' Edward thought, frustrated but still searching for solutions.
He even brazenly visited News Corp., but Rupert Murdoch refused to see him, sending his son James Murdoch instead. As for Edward's proposal for News Corp. to buy UPN at a high price, James gave a mocking "ha" and sarcastically told him the company had previously valued UPN at only around 50 million dollars.
With no common ground, Edward left dejected.
Could he really just watch Linton succeed in buying UPN? No way. America could not have another large media company outside Jewish control, especially not one with old family grudges growing strong in media.
Could the family just shell out 70 million dollars cash? No, they had already lost 64 million earlier this year to that vulture, draining the cash flow. The family hadn't fully recovered and couldn't start selling assets.
It seemed the only feasible way was to push for a joint acquisition by several companies.
...
The next day, Edward again visited Disney, Time Warner, Sony Columbia, and MGM, proposing the formation of a new joint company to acquire UPN. Encouragingly, except for Sony Columbia, the other three showed interest and asked Edward to present a specific feasible plan for further discussion.
So the four companies, including his family, would join forces to buy UPN. But how to split shares, rights, and duties was something to carefully consider.
...
As the Douglas family heir, Edward's security was priority number one. He traveled with eight bodyguards, rode in a Mercedes armored limousine, and stayed in the presidential suite of the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills.
Everyone believed his safety was foolproof. After all, this was America -- a land dominated by Jewish elites.
However, late that night, while Edward slept soundly, two bodyguards stood watch outside his suite. A tiny, invisible flying sword, as small as a grain of rice, silently slipped into his room. Quickly growing in size, it flashed once, and Edward's head was severed from his body.
The flying sword shrank again to a near invisible grain-size and vanished silently without alerting the guards. Poor Edward was left a lifeless two segments.
...
It was the day Charlize Theron returned to Los Angeles. Linton had long promised her a date. Conveniently, the Beverly Wilshire and Waldorf Astoria hotels in Beverly Hills were less than two kilometers apart -- well within Linton's spiritual sense range.
He had his assistant book the highest-floor presidential suite at the Beverly Wilshire. That night, Linton divided focus -- engaging in an intense battle with Charlize Theron while controlling the flying sword remotely to decapitate an enemy from afar.
While Charlize sang passionately, the tiny flying sword flowed like light through the window, and entered Linton -- mission accomplished.
*****
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