"I've found that money really isn't enough. I just got the money from selling Facebook, and before it even warmed up in my hands, I have to give tens of billions to others."
"Is the acquisition settled? Has the price been agreed upon?" Avril asked softly.
"More or less. Although the contract hasn't been signed yet, it's pretty much decided. There shouldn't be any surprises."
"The government has already intervened. As long as the antitrust investigation goes smoothly, the deal can be completed very quickly, within two months."
"You'll own Warner Bros. in just two months? That's so fast!"
"It's just following the process."
"But why do the news reports I see say that corporate acquisitions usually take one or two years, or even several years?" Avril asked, somewhat puzzled.
Eric chuckled, "Because the price can't be agreed upon. If you offer a deal that others can't refuse, they'd be eager to sell to you and even worry you might change your mind."
"Then there's the government investigation. This stage can be fast or slow, depending on whether you have strong enough connections or if someone is deliberately trying to disrupt it. The good news is my connections are pretty solid."
"Finally, there's the possibility of other disruptors, a dark horse appearing midway to create competition. They might not genuinely want to acquire, but simply want to annoy you and slow you down."
"However, my timing for the acquisition was very sudden: over 50 billion US dollars in cash, paid in one lump sum. Who else can raise that amount in such a short time?"
"Even Microsoft, the world's number one, couldn't pull out such a large sum of money in a short time. Cash isn't the same as shares and fixed assets."
"50 billion US dollars already surpasses the GDP of many countries in the world."
Avril didn't hear the rest of what the man said, because her ears were ringing: "50, 50 billion US dollars! OMG! Darling, I suddenly feel so dizzy."
Pinching her face, Eric looked into her dazed eyes: "Scared by that number?"
"Yes, I wouldn't dare lay a hand on you from now on. If I accidentally hurt a fingernail, I couldn't afford to compensate you even if I lost everything."
"It's okay if you can't afford it. You can just give yourself to me."
"Hmph! I already gave myself to you."
"Not enough, I want this too."
"Naughty, don't touch me there, someone might see!"
"No one can see, don't worry, I have experience."
"Huh? You scoundrel! Do you mean you often do this with others?"
"Uh, of course not, I just want to be with you every day."
"Ah! I can't, darling, you're making me uncomfortable. You're so rich, you should buy a movie theater and ban outsiders."
Eric sped up his fingers and whispered in her ear, "What's the fun in that! I just like this atmosphere, I enjoy this thrilling feeling."
As June arrived, the summer blockbuster season began, and MGM films were unbanned, returning to major cinemas.
As soon as this news was released, moviegoers and cinema owners alike were all overjoyed and ecstatic.
It is well known that MGM films are synonymous with being interesting, novel, and good-looking.
Over the past two months, many backlog films from various companies have been released, with no shortage of bad movies piling up. Everyone was sick of them and desperately needed good films to cleanse their eyes.
And good-looking means box office, and box office means profit. What cinema owners need most are high-grossing commercial films.
As representatives of the reopening, MGM released two films at once.
These were the low-budget sci-fi film chronicle and James Wan's new work, the conjuring 2.
It's not that there weren't blockbusters; films like rampage, the hangover 2, transformers 2, and twilight had all been completed.
But Eric was waiting. This time, he would play the role of a hunter, and the target was naturally Disney.
According to the plans already announced this year, Disney would release films such as mulan 2, Pooh's Heffalump Movie, and Tarzan 2.
These were all Mickey Mouse's flagship IPs, each with considerable popularity. So, who else to attack but them?
He was just waiting for Disney's films to be released, then he would swarm in and tear them apart.
Regarding chronicle and the conjuring 2, Eric originally wanted to take Avril to see the latter.
It's a horror movie, so if a girl gets scared, she'll naturally cuddle into his arms.
But Avril didn't dare to watch it at all, refusing to enter the cinema even if it killed her. So, they could only choose chronicle.
As Neill Blomkamp's directorial debut, Eric approved a budget of 15 million US dollars for him.
Playing Inception was certainly not possible, but it was enough to film one or two large-scale scenes.
Neill had been with him for two years, and in terms of skill, handling a low-budget sci-fi film shouldn't be a big problem.
Eric did not attend the preview meeting; he was watching the finished film today.
If it wasn't good, he would call him tomorrow and scold him, then tell him to come back quickly and continue learning as my assistant director.
"This scene, is it the blair witch project?"
Seeing the DV-style footage on the big screen, Avril couldn't help but ask.
"It's a found-footage style. It looks more realistic this way and can cut down on costs. This is the male lead's footage now; you'll see if you keep watching."
The story slowly began to unfold. The male lead, Andrew, lived in a suffocating and despairing family.
His father was an alcoholic who loved to physically abuse him.
His mother, exhausted by the pressures of life, also suffered from a serious illness, her life hanging by a thread, ready to collapse at any moment.
His repressed life from childhood made Andrew quiet, unsociable, and without friends.
He was a typical victim of American bullying, belonging to the most inconspicuous group at home, in society, and at school—a small character anyone could step on.
If there were a few bright spots, it was probably that his cousin was good to him, willing to help him, and he also met Phil, who was equally kind.
The story progressed quickly, without dwelling too much on the early stages, and soon the three acquired superpowers.
Since gaining superpowers, Andrew finally seemed to find a trace of joy in life.
The three formed a small group, playing pranks or doing good deeds.
They would control a toy bear to scare children, and secretly lift up female classmates' skirts to look.
They would also teach a lesson to school bullies and save pedestrians who were almost hit by cars.
Unlike the original, Eric made some changes here.
The core of chronicle is actually the psychological health issues of teenagers. Family, society, and school all influence a child's physical and mental well-being.
The internal transformation after gaining superpowers is a very important process.
The original only showed their prank-playing, which was clearly not enough. A mix of good and bad is what makes for complete humanity and is more in line with adolescent psychology.
But then an accident occurred. A passing car, annoyed that they were driving too slowly, aggressively overtook them, mocked and cursed them, and even threw a beer bottle.
This behavior reminded Andrew of his father. His PTSD flared up, and he lost control, flipping the other car over.
Fortunately, his cousin and Phil quickly rescued the people, but it still caused a serious accident.
Thus, the trio's first argument erupted, and Andrew also realized he had indeed gone too far; after all, the other party didn't deserve to die.
But at the same time, he felt a thrill, a sense of revenge he had never experienced before.
This was both an argument and a clash of values.
"Andrew! Remember my words: First, no using superpowers on living people!"
"Second, no using them when you're angry!"
"Third, no using them in public!"
"This isn't just protecting others, it's protecting ourselves."
"OK, I remember, but what's the difference between having superpowers and not having them if I still can't use them? I'm still the bullied loser."
However, due to his promise not to use his superpowers casually, Andrew became even more repressed.
When I didn't have superpowers, people bullied me. Now I have superpowers, and they still fucking bully me. Didn't I get these superpowers for nothing?
Fortunately, Phil came up with an idea: let's perform magic.
Magic, after all, doesn't require explanation to others, and it can attract attention, making them the center of attention. This way, his superpowers would be useful.
Watching the two of them perform a comedic magic trick, the cinema audience let out some soft chuckles.
"Darling, do you think some magicians actually have superpowers?"
Eric rolled his eyes: "How could that be! This is the real world, baby."
"David Copperfield, he made planes, trains, and the Statue of Liberty disappear, and he could even fly over the Grand Canyon."
"I don't know about that, but he must have used some kind of trick."
"He's performing in Las Vegas now, why don't we go see him together."
Eric's heart skipped a beat. He thought, 'That won't do.'
Las Vegas isn't my territory. If I go, I'll be exposed. Then there will be scandals everywhere, and my home will be in an uproar. No.
"Another day. I can't get away right now. I have to keep an eye on Warner Bros.; Barry Meyer is very restless."
"But I want to go."
"When I get a chance, I'll invite David Copperfield to perform at home. Or, how about this, I recommend someone to go with you."
"Who?"
"Judy, Judy Newhouse. You've met her, right?"
Avril nodded: "I met her at your party. She's quite pretty."
"She is a good friend of mine and also an important business partner. You two can go to Las Vegas for a few days."
"Are you sure she's just a good friend, not a mistress?" Avril teased.
"Of course not, otherwise wouldn't you two start fighting? I'm not an idiot."
"Heh heh. Alright then."
Seeing Avril agree, Eric clenched his fist. If there's no opportunity, I'll create one. It's up to you, Judy.
On the big screen, the success of the magic show made Andrew a popular figure at school, and he finally felt vindicated.
Boys actively made friends with him, and girls invited him to parties and dances.
Everything seemed to be developing in a positive direction, and Andrew also became cheerful and outgoing.
But then the plot took a sharp turn. Due to a long-term lack of social interaction and past violence from his alcoholic father, he had suffered an injury to his lower body.
Facing the crucial moment, Andrew became extremely nervous and 'fired his gun' before even 'entering the gate'.
This behavior naturally drew dissatisfaction from his female companion, and after she spread the word, Andrew once again became an object of ridicule, and the mockery intensified.
Having hope shattered is the cruelest thing.
He fled in embarrassment, the darkness and hatred in his heart burning again, evolving towards social Darwinism.
"Ants are animals, and humans are also animals."
"Humans are like predators with superpowers when facing ants, able to trample their lives at will, and no one feels guilty or afraid."
"And as a person who truly possesses superpowers, I am to ordinary people as they are to ants. I am the predator."
"I shouldn't feel guilty or worried; they should be afraid of me!"
Then, his good friend Phil tried to comfort him but died in an accident.
"I didn't kill Boren, but Boren died because of me," further hammering his nerves.
At home, his mother's condition worsened, but his father still only knew how to drink.
The pharmacy didn't have such expensive medicine; it had to be ordered and air-freighted.
All the pressure gathered on Andrew. He was on the verge of collapse.
He no longer wanted to abide by the established principles, so he resorted to robbery and murder, accidentally causing a gas station explosion.
When Andrew regained consciousness, his alcoholic father was sitting by the hospital bed.
Facing his severely injured son, he showed no remorse, instead cursing Andrew for dragging down the family and causing his wife's death.
Upon hearing that his mother had died, Andrew's last glimmer of hope was extinguished.
Fifteen years of suppression and hatred could no longer be contained. He completely turned dark, grabbing his father's neck and throwing him from mid-air.
Revenge, only revenge could bring satisfaction!
Only by killing everyone who had bullied him could he find peace.
At this moment, his cousin suddenly appeared and rescued the scumbag father.
"Calm down, Andrew!"
"Why did you save him?" Andrew tore off the bandage from his head, his distorted expression terrifying under his furious roar.
"He's your father, what are you doing!"
"He's a selfish, utter bastard. He ruined everything—my life, my mom!"
"Come with me, let's get out of here."
His cousin stepped forward, intending to take Andrew away, but was thrown back by Andrew's superpower.
"Get lost! You never truly understood me, no one ever took me seriously!"
"Ah!"
Amidst Andrew's roar, all the glass in the surrounding buildings shattered.
The sky-high shards, like sharp knives, instantly riddled his alcoholic father, along with police officers and many innocent bystanders.
Looking at his bloody father, Andrew floated in mid-air, stunned, looking at everything he had caused, somewhat at a loss.
At this moment, his eyes held both shock and confusion; it seemed he didn't even know why he had suddenly gone mad.
However, the subsequent attack by armed helicopters and his cousin caused his hatred to surge again.
Human weapons had almost no effect on the two of them. The battle caused buildings to collapse, and countless innocent bystanders suffered collateral damage.
Undoubtedly, Neil spent the vast majority of the budget on this final grand battle.
The scene was far more intense than the original, comparable to a superhero brawl.
Usually, upon seeing such violent scenes, people in the cinema would excitedly cheer.
But today, there was none of that. Instead, everyone was too suppressed to speak.
The more Andrew roared and used his superpowers to destroy, the stronger everyone's feeling of suppression became.
Until his cousin ambushed him with a spear, impaling and killing him.
The final shot froze on Andrew's desperate eyes.