"How on earth did you find Bar Refaeli? Japan? You actually managed to go to Japan and bring her back!" Eric asked curiously.
"Guess."
"I can't guess. Do you have friends or relatives at Sony? Are you a secret police officer? Are you an international police officer? Haha, thinking that way, it does have a bit of a Hollywood flavor."
"What would you think if I told you your guess was right?" Judy looked at Eric with a smile.
Hahahahaha
Eric burst into laughter, then reacted.
"You're not joking, are you?"
"Is there a need to joke? No matter what, there always has to be a reasonable explanation. The fact that I could find Bar Refaeli is unreasonable in itself, so the reason must be even more outrageous."
As she spoke, Judy's smile faded, and her expression became serious: "Eric Cooper, let me ask you a question. What's my name?"
"Judy, we've known each other for years, miss."
"My full name."
"Judy Newhouse!"
"Hmm, to be precise, it's Judy Casserole Infittwo Newhouse!"
"Wow! That's the first time I've heard you mention it. It sounds like something from Africa."
"It's long, isn't it? I hate it too, but it seems to be popular in this circle. The older the family, the harder the names are to remember."
"What? You're becoming more and more like a riddle." Eric keenly sensed that something was off.
"Another question. Where am I from?"
"New York."
"How many members are in my family? What do my parents do?"
"Uh…" Eric choked.
"You can tell me information about Warren, Billy, and Bordeaux, but not mine?"
"Uh, let me think."
Seeing him deep in thought, Judy shook her head: "No need to think. Because I never told you. Didn't you realize? We've known each other for seven years, but you don't seem to know much about me."
"I just don't know your family, but I do know you as a person." Eric shrugged.
"So all of this is related to your family?"
"Yes, does anything come to mind?"
Eric exhaled: "You've made it so clear. If I still didn't know, I'd truly be a fool. The Newhouse Family. To be honest, I once thought about this, but it seemed more like an Arabian Nights tale."
"But the truth proves that an Arabian Nights tale might be happening right next to you. It's becoming more and more like a Hollywood movie."
It's not surprising that a member of the Newhouse Family could find Bar Refaeli once they used their family connections.
As a family that came to the United States to develop in the century before last, the Newhouse surname has been glorious in America for nearly a hundred years, and it is still one of the major families today.
Especially in the fields of media, entertainment, and fashion, the Newhouse Family has always had a great influence.
They control or hold shares in a large number of newspapers, magazines, and television stations.
Even in today's era of rapid internet development and the decline of print media, although the Newhouse Family is also in decline, the scale of their family businesses can still reach hundreds of billions of dollars.
With someone from this family stepping in, it would certainly not be difficult to extract information about Bar Refaeli from The Big Six.
"The Newhouse Family, so I suddenly have a super-rich friend?"
"You can understand it that way if you want."
Eric took the wine glass and poured: "Very good news, worth celebrating. Let's have a toast!"
"A beloved daughter of a prominent family working at my company, then extending a helping hand in times of crisis. I need to adapt this story into a script."
"By the way, young lady, why did you hide it from us?"
Judy raised her glass and drank it in one gulp: "Because I wanted to live a happier life, but I wasn't comfortable in New York."
"Haha. The story is even stronger. A young lady from a prominent family starts from scratch, goes incognito, and vows to prove herself. Is that the kind of plot?"
"No, because they don't like XXX! This is considered a disgrace!"
Stopping her cup and throwing her chopsticks, she could not eat; drawing her sword and looking around, her heart was at a loss.
Eric put away his teasing thoughts, feeling that although Judy spoke calmly, there was a hint of bitterness and helplessness in her words.
"What exactly is going on?" he asked seriously.
"I don't know. Anyway, my parents don't like it, but it's innate. They gave birth to me, but then they hoped to change it."
"From my teenage years, when I realized the problem, conflicts began to erupt."
"Then it developed to this point. I can't change them, and they can't change me. That's how it is."
After a moment of hesitation, Eric asked: "So… is this a trade-off?"
Judy nodded: "Yes, Bar Refaeli at least made me see that even if I truly followed my heart, it might not have a good ending."
"So, if I think about it carefully, listening to their advice might not be a bad outcome. I can go home openly and use the privileges that come with this surname."
"And I don't have to listen to your orders anymore. To be honest, sometimes your instructions seem quite foolish, hahahaha."
Judy was laughing, but Eric couldn't laugh.
He didn't like this, didn't like this feeling of owing. Although Judy was indeed partly responsible in this matter, the root cause was him sending her to Israel. In short, he didn't like the plot of being sacrificed to be saved.
And being forced to change one's sexual orientation, just thinking about it was extremely disgusting.
A man asks himself, can you watch gay porn? Eric, at least, was afraid of getting a sty.
"What can I do?"
"You don't have to do anything. This is my own choice. I reached an agreement with them. I'll go back and be a normal girl, and the Newhouse Family will provide some help to MGM."
"You're leaving Los Angeles?"
"Temporarily, at least. I need to go back and pretend for a while. Only when they relax their guard can I come back. Don't forget, I still have shares in MGM, but this requires your cooperation."
"Just tell me how to cooperate, as long as I can do it."
"When I went back to New York this time, I actually told my family a lie. I told them that you had been pursuing me, but I hadn't agreed."
"Ah?" Eric was dumbfounded.
"Don't look so surprised. Have you forgotten? You did pursue me when we first started college, didn't you?"
Eric scratched his head, thinking that wasn't him, and besides, he had long forgotten such a trivial matter.
"I promised them to be a normal girl and accept your affection. Only then will they let me come back to Los Angeles, understand?"
"I understand. So, you need me to go back with you and meet your parents?"
"Roughly so. You are the youngest super billionaire. At least after they found out it was you, they were quite satisfied and approved of our relationship."
"Of course, I also said that you couldn't get me and then got together with Gal Gadot, but you were just playing with her, and the person you truly love is me."
"In short, as long as I reassure them, I think I'll be allowed to come back to work very soon. After all, they also hope that I'll quickly have a normal relationship and won't prevent us from being separated for long."
"Actually, I also considered Billy or Bordeaux, but they are too low-class. My parents wouldn't even let them in the door. You have more prestige."
"If you don't have any objections, we need to go to New York as soon as possible. The sooner we go, the better it will be for MGM."
Eric shrugged: "Do you see any other choice for me? I can only inconvenience Gadot for a bit, but what if it's exposed later?"
"We'll deal with that later. Let's get through this hurdle first."
"Okay, when I become the richest man in the world, I'll acquire the Newhouse Family's businesses and hand them over to you. Then we'll see who dares to gossip."
Judy chuckled: "I don't know how much the family business is worth, but I'm afraid it won't be less difficult than you acquiring all of The Big Six. But having a goal is always good."
Eric patted her shoulder: "You have to have confidence. Many things succeed not only because of personal effort but also because of the times."
"If your family still uses this old operating model, I think this goal can be achieved in ten years."
"Are you saying we're on the decline?"
"Isn't it obvious? Print media worldwide is in decline, and media groups are starting to sell off some loss-making businesses. This is the general trend."
"Okay, maybe you can talk eloquently in front of my parents. They will definitely like you very much."
No sooner said than done, on Monday morning, Eric's private jet had already landed at New York Airport.
He came here for two things: one was to play a role with Judy, and the other was to meet Sergei Hassenfield.
More than half a year had passed since the release of "transformers," and according to the booming sales, the betting agreement was almost completed.
The car drove all the way and finally arrived in front of a manor in the suburbs.
"Is this your home?" Eric asked.
"Yes, we come here to live for a while in the summer. The air, environment, and temperature are all more comfortable than in the city."
"It looks like it covers a considerable area, even larger than Michael's Neverland Ranch."
"But it's not as interesting as Neverland Ranch. There aren't that many amusement facilities here."
The electronic gate opened, and the car entered the manor, driving all the way until it stopped in front of a European-style villa, where a group of fish were happily swimming in the nearby fountain.
At the entrance, a middle-aged couple stood there, accompanied by a man dressed as a butler.
Judy's father was named Thomas Newhouse, a bit younger than Harry Cooper, and he looked like a gentle, scholarly man.
Her mother, Felicity Newhouse, had a capable hairstyle and, according to Judy, a strong personality, serving as her father's helper and advisor in business.
Judy also had an older brother, but he was not present today.
Eric got out of the car first, then helped Judy open the car door, extending his hand to assist her out, fully demonstrating his gentlemanly demeanor.
Damn it, it had been years since he had played this kind of role.
Thomas Newhouse walked over with a smile: "Judy, welcome home, my daughter, and you, Eric, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Eric shook hands with him and then nodded to Felicity Newhouse, while Judy merely grunted indifferently.
Inside the house, everyone began to chat.
The scene today was a bit strange. For the couple, it was probably equivalent to their first meeting with their future son-in-law.
Fortunately, the Chinese customs weren't prevalent here. Everyone was a person of standing, and their family backgrounds were semi-public, so the focus was on discussing their relationship.
"Eric, I only found out a few days ago that you were college classmates. Judy has a very independent personality and never told us about her college life."
Eric thought to himself, wasn't it to avoid you? It's a good thing she didn't run abroad.
He smiled: "That's right. Back then, five of us classmates rented a house together, and we all lived together. Now we're still working together."
"So you started pursuing her in your freshman year?"
"Yes, but Judy was always focused on her studies and making money. I even thought her family situation wasn't very good. After graduation, I hired her to work at MGM. I really didn't expect her to actually be this Newhouse."
"Thomas, no wonder Judy's business acumen is so strong. It seems everything comes from her family's influence. You made her strong."
Hahahahaha
Everyone loves to hear good things, and the Newhouse couple immediately laughed.
"No, I'm not joking. Judy is truly excellent. She has unique insight and business acumen."
"Several of MGM's blockbuster movies were discovered by her. Now she is a very important manager, one of the company's core members."
"I even have shares now, worth at least sixty to seventy million dollars. These are all things I fought for," Judy proudly added.
"Thomas, Felicity, I also want to thank you. Thank you for helping find Bar Refaeli this time."
Felicity Newhouse smiled: "It was nothing. You are college classmates, and now you've chosen to be together. I'm happy to help."
"However, as things stand, MGM still faces severe challenges. You've chosen a very difficult path."
"But the rewards are amazing if it works out, aren't they?" Eric interrupted.
"Felicity, Eric is only 24 years old. He has plenty of time and energy to strive. It's not a bad thing for young people to exercise more, and he has the capital for it."
They had lunch at Judy's house and chatted until the afternoon.
Finally, at Judy's urging, the Newhouse couple allowed Eric to leave.
During this time, Felicity hinted several times that she hoped the two of them would quickly move to the next stage and let their relationship continue to warm up.
Eric also responded with enthusiasm to his mother's eager expectations, showing his love.
As for Judy, she naturally maintained her half-dead demeanor.
The two also promised to provide help when Eric encountered difficulties.
And perhaps it was because Eric performed too well, the Newhouse couple let them go on the spot, not forcibly keeping Judy, which was also a pleasant surprise.
After leaving the Newhouse Family, Eric went straight to Sergei's house.
After so much planning, it was time for Hasbro to close the net.