As arranged by Eric, Facebook decisively announced the permanent shutdown of 'Drift Bottle' and other related services that might involve pornography.
And it provocatively challenged MySpace, though without naming names, everyone knew exactly who it was referring to, as there were only two large-scale social networks on the market.
The ball was instantly kicked back to MySpace's court: "I've already responded; shouldn't you also make a statement?"
"What?"
"You don't want to respond?"
"Too bad! That's not up to you!"
Because the market will teach you a lesson; just look at the public's reaction.
Immediately after Facebook's announcement, all eyes turned to MySpace, awaiting its response.
"Yesterday morning, Eric Cooper gave a furious speech, and in the evening, major TV stations began criticizing Facebook and MySpace. After waking up, Facebook had already made a positive response. I like companies with such a sense of social responsibility."
"MySpace kids, now is the time to see who the clown is."
"I support Facebook's approach, but I wonder if permanently disabling the 'Drift Bottle' feature could be discussed? I actually really like this feature."
"What! The 'Drift Bottle' feature is unusable! This is what I liked most about Facebook; the sense of mystery and anticipation when throwing and picking up bottles was really well done. Why shut it down?!"
"Raise your hand if you frequently use 'Drift Bottle.' Its original intention was just to increase avenues for social interaction. It was only discovered by those disgusting people, but explicit content still only accounts for a small portion. It's a shame to shut it down directly."
"Every day, I retrieve hundreds of bottles, and over 85% of them are normal social interactions, not related to suggestive content."
"I don't understand, is Facebook's boss Fitz Heisenburg or Eric Cooper? Can someone explain?"
"Brother, on the surface, it's Fitz Heisenburg, but the real controller behind the scenes is Eric Cooper. So I highly suspect that his furious speech was probably aimed at attacking his competitor! Neither side is good!"
"Correction, I have been following the entire development of the event. Essentially, it is still the struggle between Eric Cooper and The Big Six and TV stations. Bar Refaeli, Gal Gadot, Facebook, MySpace, etc., are all extensions. Now MGM has turned the tide and is ready to pull out the nails."
"I don't care about business competition; I just want to know what MySpace will do. If it ignores this, I will complain to the Cyber Security Bureau."
"After watching the speech, I registered a MySpace account. Oh my god! The content inside is too disgusting. Both men and women are exposing themselves. Besides sex organs, it's hard to find anything else there. I have already ordered my children to delete their accounts."
"Agreed, yesterday I also had my son delete his account."
Public opinion online was furious, and people were already angry. Eric also hired a large number of internet trolls to set the narrative, continuously pushing MySpace to the edge of the cliff.
On Facebook and YouTube, many trending bloggers had already rushed to the entrance of MySpace's headquarters to film. This place was clearly evolving into a future internet-famous check-in spot.
And some people were already holding signs to protest, demanding that MySpace quickly provide an explanation.
MySpace, however, played dead and remained silent, calling the police to expel protesters disrupting work order.
This action was exposed by many self-media outlets, leading to even more surging dissatisfaction.
Until today's White House regular press conference, a Yahoo reporter directly asked this question.
The White House spokesperson replied, "The White House has noted the relevant incidents and is currently conducting in-depth discussions on the matter."
"Can you comment on the large amount of pornographic and suggestive content flooding the MySpace website?" the reporter pressed further.
"Unhealthy content indeed has a serious negative impact on teenagers, and MySpace has played a certain role in fueling the occurrence of numerous sexual assault cases. We have noticed many public comments and complaints on the official website."
"Will the Cyber Security Bureau investigate and intervene in this matter?"
"This is the responsibility of the Security Bureau. I have not yet received any relevant information, but the government will not stand idly by for internet companies that cause adverse effects."
Shortly after the White House press conference concluded, the Cyber Security Bureau indeed stepped in, stating that it would investigate and collect evidence regarding the operating content of Facebook and MySpace, with specific results to be announced at any time.
Then Fitz's call came in.
"Boss, the Security Bureau is involved. We've already received the official letter, and MySpace must have too. They're finished!" Fitz said happily.
Eric hummed, "Don't let your guard down. At this point, I'm worried someone might become desperate and drag us down with them."
"Are you referring to?"
"Recently, we must intensify our review efforts. Recruit another batch of new employees and keep a close eye on illegal content. Once discovered, immediately ban the account."
"Remember, not only in terms of pornography, but also content that causes negative effects such as racial discrimination, blasphemy, and spreading rumors. At this time, it's better to kill a thousand innocent than to let one guilty go."
"Boss, are you worried that James Murdoch will use improper means to disrupt our online ecosystem?"
"Yes, at most, Facebook will spin off the 'Drift Bottle' business and be fined. MySpace is already terminally ill. Pornography is its core selling point, and without it, it's nothing."
"People with one foot in the grave will do anything when they go crazy. Better to be careful!"
"Don't worry, I'll be keeping an eye on the company recently."
"Thank you for your hard work. Also, keep buying internet trolls. Stir up the narrative fiercely. The bigger the public opinion wave, the faster the Security Bureau will act."
After the official intervention, MySpace finally reluctantly issued a statement, expressing willingness to cooperate with the investigation, resolutely combatting unhealthy content, and maintaining a healthy online ecosystem.
However, after this statement was issued, it received vastly different treatment compared to Facebook, almost entirely met with condemnation.
People with filth on their faces still had the nerve to claim they didn't stink.
Now, it was just a matter of waiting for the opponent to fall.
On the big screen, the ice and snow storm brought by "The Day After Tomorrow" continued to rage in cinemas worldwide.
As June approached, many countries in the Northern Hemisphere were already hot enough to wear short sleeves. At this time, going to the cinema to watch an ice and snow storm was indeed cooling and refreshing.
With powerful special effects and a decent plot, the overall rating was above commercial standards. Good audience word-of-mouth allowed this blockbuster to once again win a weekly box office championship.
"Million Dollar Baby," under continuous targeting, especially affected by this incident, had not yet broken 100 million at the box office.
Moreover, today, Universal's blockbuster "Riddick 2" joined the targeting lineup.
It opened in over 3,000 theaters simultaneously, starring Vin Diesel, who had considerable box office appeal among young people, and the first film also had a good reputation.
Universal spent 105 million USD to produce it, practically screaming, "I want to make a big profit."
And due to continuous targeting, Box Office Mojo continuously lowered its prediction for "Million Dollar Baby," from an initial global 180 million USD to the current 110 million USD. However, given the current situation, it seems unlikely to even reach 110 million USD.
Fortunately, the film's cost was not high. Even if it truly didn't break 100 million USD, it wouldn't lose money, it just wouldn't make a profit.
But it didn't matter. Eric remained confident because this month, MGM would release the super blockbuster "frozen," which had been in production for over a year and cost 180 million USD.
This film was MGM's most expensive, even more than "transformers."
"I want to see what you'll fight me with then!"
Evening, Beverly Hills, Cooper Family home.
Mom and Lisa were preparing dinner in the kitchen, while Eric compared several bottles of red wine in front of him.
"Don't know which one to choose?" Dad appeared behind him.
"Which one is better? More suitable for women. You have experience, Dad."
Dad shrugged, "I don't know, but the one on your right is the most expensive. If you don't know which to choose, choose that one."
Hearing this, Eric nodded in agreement. No wonder he often heard that wealthy people don't choose the best, only the most expensive.
It turned out to be because they didn't know which was good. After all, people only understand a very small part of the countless things in the world, so they can only choose the most expensive.
"Son, good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"
"Bad news, that way I can adjust my mood better."
"The bad news is that I contacted Brad Grey and expressed our intentions, but he did not accept this goodwill."
Eric's emotions didn't fluctuate much. As the weakest of The Big Seven, Paramount had the lowest risk tolerance.
Brad Grey certainly wouldn't dare to risk offending the other five, even if MGM was willing to offer more benefits than Disney.
Moreover, Brad Grey himself was not an outstanding decision-maker, so Eric was not surprised by this outcome.
"Although he refused, I still had to plant a seed of doubt. The news of our meeting has already been released. Those old guys will definitely suspect him."
Eric gave a thumbs up. The older ginger is spicier; he was really good at killing two birds with one stone.
"So this is what you call good news?"
"No, the good news is that I have already contacted Jim Gianopulos. He did not refuse my request for a meeting. We will meet in Mexico on Sunday."
"Mexico? That far!" Eric was a little surprised.
"It's better to be cautious. Jim happens to be going there for business. If people knew he met me privately, Thomas Rothman would definitely use this opportunity to kick him out of Fox, and he would have no place in The Big Six thereafter."
"Dad, are you confident you can persuade him?"
"Fifty-fifty. Since he chose to meet, it means his situation is already very bad. Now, besides us, no one in Hollywood can help him."
Eric nodded, "Then I'll leave it to you, Dad."
"Haha. I think it should be your mother you're relying on. A Hummer has stopped. Whose car is this?"
Eric glanced out the window, "It's Theron's."
"Wild style. Go open the door, young man."
Ding-dong.
As soon as Dad finished speaking, the doorbell indeed rang outside.
Eric opened the door to see Theron standing there beautifully. She was wearing a white jumpsuit dress tonight, with a black circular belt tied in the middle.
Her lips were red, clearly with lipstick, and her eyeliner and eyebrows were drawn. She also exuded a faint scent of perfume.
"You're beautiful, my dear," Eric said, holding her in his arms.
"Should I have worn taller shoes?"
"What?"
"That would make me look slimmer, but my mom said this is fine. It's my first time at your house, so it's best not to wear high heels."
"You told your mom you were coming to my house?"
"Yes, what's wrong?"
"Uh, nothing. Come in quickly."
Eric led her into the living room, praying that Mom would be strong tonight, otherwise if her parents found out he was dating five women, they would definitely come to fight him.
Theron's mom had the glorious record of shooting her ex-husband, and Ashley and Mary's dad was also an excellent marksman, with superb shooting skills.
"Hello, Theron, nice to meet you for the first time," Dad came over and said.
Theron nodded somewhat reservedly, "Mr. Cooper, it's an honor to meet you. You are a renowned figure in the industry."
Dad smiled and waved his hand, "That's all in the past. I'm a retired old man now. But I've seen several of your movies. For an actress to achieve what you have now, you must have endured a lot."
Theron glanced at Eric, "It's alright, at least I'm lucky."
Both father and son's hearts twitched simultaneously. This wasn't just good luck; it was terrible luck.
"Where's Mrs. Cooper? Is she not home?"
"Emily is in the kitchen preparing dinner. Eric said you like chickpeas, so she specifically learned how to make them."
"Oh my goodness! Thank you, you're really too thoughtful," Theron said, flattered.
Ding-dong.
At this moment, the doorbell rang again, and Eric's heart also skipped a beat, wondering who it was this time.
"Go open the door, Eric," Dad said, seeing him frozen there.
"Oh, oh."
Taking a deep breath, Eric could only steel himself and walk to the door, then saw Nicole, beautifully dressed and with exquisite makeup, standing outside.
Nicole opened her arms for a hug, but Eric dared not let her succeed, instead taking her hand and leading her inside.
"My dad is in the living room, and a friend of yours is also here."
"A friend of mine? Who?"
A few seconds later, Nicole's confusion was resolved, and at the same time, the smile on her face gradually disappeared.
Theron was no less, her expression became rigid, like a block of ice that made people shiver just by looking at it—though perhaps only Eric felt this way.
The two women looked at each other, and even though they had played many rounds of mahjong together, they couldn't utter a single "hello" at this moment.
Ding-dong.
Just as the atmosphere grew increasingly tense, the doorbell rang for the third time.
Eric's heart had just skipped a beat, but now he only felt like it was a savior. Anyway, it was already like this, whatever happened, happened.
"I'll get it!" he quickly said.
A moment later, he led Gadot in, and then the three women stood there like a triangle, none moving an inch.
The distance between them was perfectly spaced, not too much, not too little, looking extremely stable.
Ding-dong.
"I'll get it." Dad couldn't stand the suffocating feeling anymore and rushed to open the door.
However, Eric was a step faster. He had already walked directly to the door and brought Ashley and Mary in as well.
At this point, the five women were finally all gathered.
I'm laying my cards on the table!