In Los Angeles, in front of the Dual Star Entertainment building, a Lincoln business car slowly pulled to a stop.
Eric stepped out and strode inside.
From today onwards, Dual Star Entertainment would no longer belong solely to the Olsen Sisters; Cooper's name would also be imprinted on it.
As for Robert Thorne, it was said that he took the money from his shares to a private equity fund, hoping to invest in MGM.
But one could only wish him luck, as there could be many reasons to refuse someone.
For instance, a simple, "You're late, sir. Our slots filled up yesterday. We regret that we can only serve you next time."
Or, "MGM has temporarily shelved its financing plan. You ask me? How would I know why? I'm just an intermediary."
In short, they had plenty of methods. As for whether Thorne would get angry and explode? Would he suspect he was being played? Would he resort to legal weapons?
Perhaps, but it would be useless, because regulating private equity funds was too difficult; they were inherently secretive.
This was true not only in China but also in America, where there were many loopholes in regulation. At least before the 2008 financial crisis, regulation of private equity was relatively broad, becoming increasingly strict after the crisis.
No need to register with the SEC, no need to be subject to CRS requirements, and so on. How would you sue me?
Besides, didn't I give you money?
Not only did I give it, but it was even at a premium. You are the beneficiary. On what grounds would you sue me?
A team of lawyers could drag such a lawsuit on for several years, and you would most likely not win in the end.
So, a smart person would take 300 million dollars to start a new business, not to mess around pointlessly.
If you really chose to pursue legal action, then this money, as one of the important pieces of evidence, could also be frozen. It would be a futile effort. What would be the point?
After the Dual Star Entertainment shareholders' meeting concluded, Eric's identity was announced, and he met with the company's middle and senior management, he went to the Olsen Sisters' office.
The meeting was actually quite simple, as there were only five shareholders: Eric, the Olsen Sisters, and their parents, David and Jeanette.
Currently, the shareholding structure of Dual Star Entertainment is 45% for Eric, 5% for Ashley Olsen, 5% for Mary Olsen, 5% for David, and 5% for Jeanette.
Eric essentially replaced Robert Thorne's previous role, but it was clearly too early for him to intervene in Dual Star Entertainment's operational authority.
On one hand, having just joined the company, he was not yet familiar with the business.
On the other hand, the other party was clearly a family, and they would definitely be wary of him. If necessary, they would certainly unite to resist him, which was also the reason Thorne could never truly control the Olsen Sisters.
"Beautiful office, very much a girl's touch!"
Looking at the colorful dolls on the table and the various decorations in the cabinet, Eric said, half-joking, half-complimenting.
Ashley curved her lips: "It's very pretty, isn't it? These are Mary's and my favorite collectibles."
"Not bad, very tasteful! Are all these dolls based on you sisters?"
Eric picked up a doll and examined it closely, finding it resembled the two girls in front of him.
"Most of them are us, but there are special ones too. Test your eyesight," Mary Olsen said.
Hearing this, Eric carefully searched through the pile of dolls and quickly found a smaller one.
"Whose image is this smaller one based on?"
"Pretty quick, aren't you? She's based on our younger sister, little Elizabeth!"
"Elizabeth Olsen? Do people buy her merchandise too?" Eric was a little surprised.
Because the current Elizabeth Olsen still had more than a decade to go before becoming the future Scarlet Witch. Before starring in Marvel movies, according to Eric's memory, Elizabeth Olsen's fame had always been modest.
Even if she had participated in commercial blockbusters like 'Godzilla,' her status never reached the top tier of new-generation actors.
Even years later, it wasn't the case, let alone now. There was no mention of Elizabeth Olsen starring in any well-known works when she was a teenager.
Eric's blatant skepticism immediately displeased the two sisters, who doted on their younger sibling. Both frowned and glared at him.
"Eric Cooper, if little Elizabeth knew you thought so little of her, she would be very sad. She's your fan!"
"What?"
Eric looked at them, bewildered: "When did I get a fan? I'm not an actor. At most, I'm just a screenwriter and director."
Ashley shrugged helplessly, saying with a wry tone, "She's still young and can't distinguish between reality and imagination. Your handsome face is really quite deceptive."
"Oh~~~~ Now that you put it that way, I understand."
Eric nodded with satisfaction: "This face is my second most satisfactory feature. Let alone a young girl, many big stars can't resist its charm."
Hearing this, Mary made a retching expression: "Vain men are really disgusting."
"Then what's the first most satisfactory part?" Ashley asked curiously.
"Girls, that part cannot be casually mentioned. That already falls into the NC17 category."
Hearing his lewd joke, Ashley immediately rolled her eyes. How could she be so stupid, knowing it must be that and still asking.
"Huh? Am I subconsciously wanting to flirt with him? Damn it, this handsome face is really deceptive!"
"He's a dangerous guy who can use tactics to drive Robert Thorne away, but he's also really handsome. I'm a bit conflicted. Snap out of it, Ashley!"
Knock knock knock
The office door was knocked.
After giving herself two mental slaps, Ashley Olsen quickly composed herself.
"Boss, this is what you asked for, a summary of the company's operating performance over the past few years."
"Thanks, Hall. You're dismissed. You can go now."
Eric picked up the report and began to flip through it. Mary glanced at its dozens of pages and simply chose to walk out of the office.
Ashley shook her head slightly: "Eric, if you want to understand Dual Star Entertainment, I can share it with you."
"It's alright, I still prefer to read it myself. From now on, this will be our shared property, so I must understand it thoroughly."
With the two sisters gone, Eric meticulously studied the report's figures, and unknowingly, over an hour had passed.
Chen Xing brought in a cup of coffee and, seeing Eric frowning constantly, asked, "Boss, do you need me to call the Olsen Sisters?"
Eric waved his hand, signaling the other person to leave.
The reason he was frowning was his subconscious reaction to seeing Dual Star Entertainment's performance declining year after year.
The company's revenue peaked in 1997, when the Olsen Sisters were only 12 years old, and their TV series were at the height of their influence.
The two sisters hadn't fully grown up yet, and their youthful appearance was more appealing to their main consumer base: children.
However, subsequent performance declined. As of today, revenue has shrunk by over 40%, and even some production lines at its factories have been forced to sell off.
Thorne and the Olsen Family's relationship must have been good at that time, and they had taken many self-help measures, but the results were consistently poor.
There was nothing that could be done; the core competitiveness lay with the two sisters. They were both celebrities and products, so when their fame declined, products naturally didn't sell well.
However, Dual Star Entertainment's business scope was quite broad, including not only conventional digital products like DVDs, video tapes, and audio products.
There were also dolls and figures, children's clothing, educational stationery, accessories and gifts, food and snacks, etc. The development of the two sisters' IP was very extensive, at least much higher than MGM's.
For example, MGM's peripheral products were mainly digital products like DVDs and video tapes, while others primarily involved IP licensing, earning some royalties, with the bulk taken by others.
The reasons were complex, including Kirk Kerkorian's mismanagement. Under the operation of this casino magnate, MGM was lucky to barely survive, with no energy for other developments.
In addition, the sales network was also a big problem. In this regard, Dual Star Entertainment had done an excellent job through years of operation, achieving full coverage of its products in North America.
Most countries in Europe were also covered, and there were outlets in Australia and New Zealand, but sales were not high.
The report also mentioned that Dual Star Entertainment had actually planned to enter South America and Asia, but by the time they entered South America, the Olsen Sisters' peak period had passed.
Not only did this lead to market entry failure, but it also resulted in a large backlog of products, causing the company to suffer a significant loss.
After their defeat in South America, the plan to enter Asia was also shelved. Now, the bulk of sales comes from North America, followed by Europe.
After a general overview, Eric had a basic understanding of Dual Star Entertainment. Its greatest asset to MGM, without a doubt, was its mature sales network.
This single step alone could save MGM a significant amount of time, time that could be counted in years.
Dialing Ashley's number, Eric continued upwards in the elevator, finally arriving at the sisters' exclusive lounge.
He knocked on the door, and soon it opened, revealing a little girl smiling there.
Long blonde hair, big eyes, and though her face hadn't fully matured, it already bore some resemblance to her two older sisters.
Needless to say, it was naturally the future Scarlet Witch—Elizabeth Olsen.
"You—"
Eric had barely opened his mouth when Elizabeth Olsen on the other side covered her face and shrieked.
"Eric Cooper, Eric Cooper, it's really you! Mary didn't lie to me."
After speaking, she ran to the table, took out a very exquisite photo album from her backpack, and handed it to Eric.
"Please sign it for me, Eric."
Ashley lay on the massage chair, saying leisurely, "I told you, she's a huge fan. I told her not to disturb you in the office. Thank me."
Looking at the young Elizabeth Olsen in front of him, especially her eyes that seemed to sparkle, Eric felt rather strange.
He actually had a fan, and such a cute little girl at that. It seemed that high Appearance (looks) truly had infinite destructive power.
Smiling, Eric patted Elizabeth Olsen's little head and took the photo album: "Where should I sign? This is my first autograph; I've never done this before."
"First one, really?" Elizabeth exclaimed with surprise.
"Yes, so can you guide me, pretty little girl?"
Elizabeth turned to the first page, which showed a pose of her curled up on a sofa wearing white stockings.
"Holy crap! This is too Lolita. Which pervert photographer chose this!" Eric couldn't help but complain inwardly.
"Just sign here, write 'To Elizabeth Olsen, my first fan, wishing her to become a big star!'" Elizabeth Olsen excitedly pointed to the white stockings.
After Eric signed, she carefully put it away, afraid of damaging it.
Then she moved a small sofa and sat down next to Eric.
"Eric, Mary said that Thorne guy was driven away by you, so you'll be our partner from now on, right?"
Eric nodded: "That's one way to look at it."
"That's great! I really dislike that guy. He always stares at my sister and me with ill intentions."
"Greasy middle-aged men, I dislike them too."
"Then are you going to make movies for Ashley and Mary?"
"That's right, it will start soon. Unfortunately, there isn't a suitable role for you in it."
"That's okay, they've already told me. What kind of movie is it?"
Eric remained silent. How was he supposed to answer that question?
"Elizabeth, why don't you go play for a bit first? We still have work to discuss. After we finish the serious stuff, you can come back and fan-girl, okay?"
At the critical moment, Ashley stepped in to help. This topic was awkward for both sisters, so they had never discussed it with their family.
Elizabeth Olsen smiled sweetly at Eric and obediently left the lounge.
"What a lovely little girl."
"Yes, so if there's a suitable role, don't forget Elizabeth. She's also working towards becoming an actress," said Mary, the second sister.
"No problem, as long as there's a suitable opportunity. But let's talk about the cooperation first. I've read that report, and Dual Star Entertainment's situation isn't looking too good."
"The root of the problem isn't hard to find; it's been walking on one leg for too long. So, to make Dual Star Entertainment rise again, we must break away from the business model centered around you sisters."
When it came to business, both sisters sat up straight: "What good suggestions do you have?"
"Not yet, after all, I'm not a business expert. But there's one decision I can make immediately, and that's co-branding and bundled sales of brands and IPs."
"The brand value of the Olsen Sisters has already reached its ceiling. Only if 'blue is the warmest color' achieves a major breakthrough might it boost your sisters' commercial value."
"However, that will take at least half a year to see results, so we need new growth points that yield immediate effects."
"So I plan to link MGM's IPs with your sisters. For example, pink panther is very suitable. MGM can produce a few-minute long, interesting short film, letting your cartoon characters have fun stories with pink panther."
"Then launch a new product line. Consumers like interesting new things."
"Additionally, regarding your primary market being children, you can adopt a linkage (collaboration) approach with classic works such as the '007 Series,' 'legally blonde,' 'Rain Man,' 'Tarzan the Ape Man,' 'RoboCop,' and 'the silence of the lambs.'"
"It's hard to say if it will work, but it's always good to try."
"Wait, what does 'the silence of the lambs' mean?" Mary Olsen interrupted, asking.
"Uh, I just blurted it out. Perhaps it could be made into Halloween costumes. hannibal likes to eat people, after all. In short, MGM has many film and television resources, and we can totally utilize them, can't we?"
"The closed production lines can also be restarted. These are all our capital."
"What about the licensing fees?"
Ashley looked at Eric with some anticipation. Dual Star Entertainment had long wanted to try large IP collaborations, but the problem was they couldn't afford the licensing fees, so the idea was never implemented.
"Of course, it's a preferential price. After all, we're partners now."
The Olsen Sisters immediately smiled, suddenly feeling that collaborating with a big company wasn't so bad; benefits were already coming instantly.