Dunn suddenly felt a flicker of doubt creep into his mind.
Am I being too cautious?
In the world of professional cable TV, even the top dog, HB Network, is only worth about $10 billion right now. Lei Shidong controls a media empire worth $100 billion—would he really care about this tiny sector that's worth $10 billion at most? Even if TA Network somehow stepped on HB Network's toes, would he actually stoop to messing with us?
Dunn hated this feeling—this lack of control, this sense of being at someone else's mercy. It was suffocating!
Strength. He needed to build up his strength, and fast!
When it came to personal wealth, Dunn was already plenty rich. But in terms of influence and the scope of his power? That was still way too small.
Lei Shidong, a titan of the business world, was flawless in his social graces. Dunn had barely been in the room for a minute when he saw the man striding toward him with steady steps and a warm, welcoming smile.
"Sorry to keep you waiting! I got caught up chatting with a few old buddies over there," Lei Shidong called out, extending both hands as he approached quickly. His enthusiasm was almost like one of those young stars trying to butter Dunn up.
But of course, this wasn't flattery—it was just good manners.
Dunn felt a little overwhelmed and didn't dare slack off. He hurried forward, bending slightly to shake Lei Shidong's hand. The man was old—his hand felt like shriveled skin over bones, but it was warm and surprisingly firm.
"Mr. Lei Shidong, you're a legend I've admired for ages. Please don't say that!" Dunn said, towering over him and bowing slightly, almost like he was paying respects.
Everyone at this banquet was a business elite. Looking around, aside from a few female companions, the youngest guy there had to be in his fifties.
And then there was Dunn, this twenty-something kid.
Naturally, he drew every eye in the room.
Seeing him bow so humbly, a lot of the older guys smiled and nodded quietly to themselves.
This kid's not as brash as the rumors make him out to be!
Lei Shidong spoke slowly, "You're willing to hang out with us old-timers and liven up the place. It makes me feel pretty good about myself!"
Dunn grinned and played along, "Old-timers? Mr. Lei Shidong, from where I'm standing, you're still young and full of energy!"
Lei Shidong burst out laughing.
At 78, he was still firmly in charge of Viacom Group, clearly not ready to admit he was past his prime.
Seeing him laugh so heartily, Dunn seized the moment. "Mr. Lei Shidong, my company has a lot of business ties with your Viacom Group. I'll be counting on your guidance and support going forward."
"Oh?" Lei Shidong raised an eyebrow.
Tosca Musk, standing nearby, chimed in with a bright smile, "I oversee Sillywood Animation, and we produced a CG movie, Fantastic Four, which aired on Nickelodeon. Our music reality show, American Idol, is also partnered with B Network."
Lei Shidong glanced at her and gave her a light handshake.
Dunn smiled and introduced her, "She's my assistant—Tosca Musk, vice president of Dunn Films."
"Definitely a fresh, energetic company!" Lei Shidong said, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "By the way, I hear your TV station… Tarz Network, right? It's doing pretty well?"
Dunn's heart skipped a beat, but he steadied himself and replied casually, "Just small-time stuff. It's nothing worth mentioning in front of someone like you."
Lei Shidong grinned. "Looks to me like it's growing nicely. But here's a bit of advice from an old hand: business is a lot like my grandson's grades. Going from a D to a B? Easy. B to an A? Takes ten times the effort. A to an A-plus? That's a hundred times the work."
Dunn's back stiffened. He took a deep breath and nodded seriously. "Mr. Lei Shidong, that makes so much sense—I've learned a lot already! TA Network's definitely hit that wall. Early growth looked smooth, but turning installed users into subscribers? That's a long road ahead."
"Smart kid!" Lei Shidong patted his shoulder. "I won't keep you—I'm off to grab a drink with some old friends over there."
Dunn let out a quiet sigh of relief, his expression shifting between light and shadow.
Talking to a big shot like that? Every second was pressure.
Tosca Musk leaned in, lowering her voice. "Are we being too paranoid? Lei Shidong… he seems friendly enough. A guy that big wouldn't bother nitpicking with us youngsters, right?"
Dunn's lips curved slightly as he watched Lei Shidong's retreating figure, his gaze deepening. "The bigger they are, the harder they are to read. I hate that feeling."
Tosca let out a breath. "Well, we've done everything we can. Even if he did try to push us down, we've got enough cover to buy some time."
"Exactly. Better safe than sorry," Dunn said with a soft hum. "Look at the world with the best intentions, zoom in on the details, and you'll see ugliness everywhere. Look at people with the worst intentions, and suddenly everything seems beautiful."
Tosca smirked. "Getting philosophical on me, huh?"
…
A host of Lei Shidong's caliber wasn't about to personally introduce Dunn, a junior, to every guest.
That was up to Dunn's own initiative.
Luckily, Tosca Musk was on top of her game. She'd done her homework on all the industry heavyweights.
With her help, Dunn met a lineup of cable TV legends: Ted Turner, vice chairman of Time Warner; Robert Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television; John Hendricks, founder of Discovery Communications, and more.
The chats were brief, surface-level—no real substance.
That is, until he ran into Conrad Black, chairman and CEO of Hollinger International, the world's third-largest newspaper group.
This guy was nuts.
"I've got a grudge with that jerk—the one in the blue suit," Conrad Black said, pointing.
Dunn was floored. The guy he was pointing at? None other than Rupert Murdoch, the head of News Corp!
Dunn's mouth twitched. He had no idea how to respond.
He knew Conrad Black was Canadian and had flown to LA just for Lei Shidong's party.
Sure, he was an outsider, but he was still a business elite, right?
Wasn't he a little too blunt?
"I control hundreds of small-town newspapers across the U.S. Not huge, but there's a lot of them!" Conrad Black went on, ignoring Dunn's stunned look, lost in his own rant.
Dunn was totally confused, struggling to figure out what Black was even getting at.
Then Conrad kept going. "News Corp's got a big operation. Their newspapers compete directly with mine, and they're in movies and TV too—especially TV!"
Dunn didn't want to get dragged into some massive mess. Playing it safe, he jumped in, "I've got a business partnership with Twentieth Century Fox."
But Conrad Black didn't even register what Dunn said. He barreled on, "You're sharp, and your company's growing fast. Whether it's Viacom or News Corp, they're both going to hit roadblocks down the line."
Dunn straightened up. "Mr. Black, I think you've got the wrong idea…"
Conrad waved him off, cutting him short. He pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to Dunn. "Want to work together? Call me. My enemy's Murdoch!"
And with that, he turned and walked off.
Not a shred of hesitation.
Dunn just stood there, dumbfounded, exchanging a look with Tosca Musk behind him. Both of them were visibly shocked and thrown off.
What the heck just happened?
Are all big shots this eccentric?
Lei Shidong's weirdness was the kind that hid a knife behind a smile. Conrad Black? He was just straight-up wild.
So brutally honest—he didn't even seem like a businessman!
A feud with Murdoch?
Hmm… might be something worth using later.
Dunn sipped his wine, wandering the banquet hall with Tosca Musk by his side. Finally, he spotted two familiar faces—Steven Spielberg and Francis Coppola!
In terms of fame, Spielberg was hands-down Hollywood's top director today. Commercial hits, art films—he nailed them all.
But Dunn noticed something sharp: in this crowd of media moguls, Francis Coppola was the one getting more love.
"Guess the old guys are bigger fans of The Godfather trilogy," Dunn mused, shaking his head with a wry smile.
He'd thrown plenty of parties and banquets himself, packed with stars like Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Mel Gibson, Nicole Kidman, and Jodie Foster. They'd all shown up to support him.
But those were just "stars."
Lei Shidong's birthday bash? This was a real top-tier gathering.
Aside from Dunn and Spielberg, who ran their own companies, the only true Hollywood "artist" here was Francis Coppola—a director with insane clout among the elite.
As for those so-called A-listers, dazzling and glamorous out in the world?
Here, they didn't even qualify.
Even the big shots' arm candy wasn't your typical actresses.
"Dunn! Dunn! Look, three o'clock!"
Dunn was still mulling over the low status of actors and debating whether to chat up Spielberg when Tosca Musk started buzzing in his ear, barely containing her excitement.
"Who?"
Dunn glanced over at three o'clock and saw a bald old man—round face, high forehead, kind eyes—raising his glass toward them with a friendly grin before heading their way.
Tosca was practically vibrating. "Dunn, he's coming over! Oh my gosh, he's actually walking toward us!"
"Who is he?" Dunn asked, totally lost and half-laughing.
"You don't know him?"
Tosca looked at him like he'd lost it, almost gritting her teeth. "He's a legit genius! A titan among titans, the cream of the elite crop! In the global business world, there are two names everyone knows: Bill Gates and him!"