Traveling through the Tokyo bubble era

Chapter 835 One of the Most Powerful People in Hollywood
In the designated partner hotel of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Hideki Hanyu and Peter Peterson waited in a cafe on the top floor for Lou Wasserman to finish his forum discussion.

The waiter of the luxury hotel, who used to be so arrogant, was now extremely respectful towards the three people in front of him.

"Gentlemen, what would you like to order?"

Upon hearing this, Peter Peterson and Lou Wasserman both ordered Davos's signature Swiss coffee.

But Hanyu Hideki didn't even look at the menu and said directly, "Give me a glass of hot milk."

"Okay, gentlemen, please wait a moment."

The waiter retreated respectfully, not daring to object to Hanyu Hideki's words.

Because he recognized who had ordered the food.

Hideki Hanyu, who has already spoken at the World Economic Forum in Davos and has been reported by the media, has a handsome appearance and a head of white hair that is so unique that it is hard not to remember him.

Of course, if it was just an official report, it wouldn't have made a hotel waiter so concerned.

There is another special reason, that is, the news that Sophie Marceau traveled hundreds of kilometers from Paris to Davos to meet Hideki Hanyu in a hotel at night was exposed by the media this morning.

Although the exposed photos are not very clear.

But the beauty of the French Rose and the white-haired Hideki Hanyu are still easy to distinguish.

Once news involves celebrity gossip, the speed at which it spreads and the amount of attention it receives will immediately change.

In particular, the reason for Sophie Marceau's breakup with her ex has remained unresolved.

Now the "real culprit" who caused the change of heart has surfaced.

One is a famous European female star, the new generation of French Rose.

One is a billionaire, famous artist, writer, and playboy.

The relationship between the two is simply too interesting to watch.

Therefore, for a period of time, in addition to the financial media, a large number of entertainment media also began to rush to Davos.

The waiter in the coffee shop got to know Hideki Hanyu through gossip and learned about his identity.

You know that this is a famous writer with huge international influence and a super-rich man whose wealth is enough to easily buy the hotel where he works hundreds of times.

So how dare the waiter be disrespectful?

Of course, being respectful is one thing, but eating melons is another.

After taking the order, the waiter immediately spread the news, and for a while, a lot of curious eyes were focused on Hanyu Hideki's seat.

After feeling all this, Lou Wasserman joked, "Seraphim is more attractive than a star. Wherever he appears, he becomes the focus."

Hanyu Hideki picked up the hot milk, took a sip, smiled slightly, and said in a nonchalant tone.

"Unfortunately, I'm not a star and don't need these things."

Lou Wasserman pretended to be regretful and said, "When I heard that Seraphim wanted to see me, I thought I would see the French Rose."

Hanyu Hideki asked deliberately, "I didn't expect Mr. Wasserman was also paying attention to Sophie."

Lou Wasserman replied, "I saw the news this morning, too. But I had heard about her in Hollywood a long time ago and was planning to invite her to Hollywood to try."

Hanyu Hideki said, "Really? If Sophie knew what Wasserman said, she would be very happy."

Of course, this is just a courtesy.

Because Hanyu Hideki didn't believe a word of Lou Wasserman's polite words before getting down to business.

After all, in another time and space, Sophie Marceau's development in Hollywood was very ordinary, and she had little intersection with MCA Universal.

This is actually a common phenomenon among actors from continental Europe in Hollywood.

Apart from the UK, where actors can thrive in Hollywood thanks to their historical advantages, actors from continental Europe are treated even worse in Hollywood than in other parts of the world.

Lou Wasserman said modestly, "But now I can give up my idea. With your support, she will naturally not need help from others if she wants to develop in Hollywood."

Upon hearing this, Hanyu Hideki immediately spoke meaningfully, "The strength of Yunshang Pictures is limited. If we can get more help, such as the power of MCA Global, we may be able to do better, right?"

As soon as he said this, the other two immediately understood that the pleasantries after meeting were over, and it was time to talk about the serious matters that everyone was concerned about.

As a businessman, Lou Wasserman immediately said bluntly, "If you want to gain the power of MCA Universal, you will naturally have to pay the corresponding price."

"In my opinion, what we have done is sincere enough."

Hanyu Hideki's tone was light, but his meaning was quite firm.

Lou Wasserman looked Hanyu Hideki in the eye, "Seraphim, your opponent hasn't given up yet."

Hideki Hanyu knew that the old man was talking about Panasonic.

The competition between Cloud Pictures and Panasonic has already whetted the appetite of all MCA Global shareholders. As long as one party has not completely given up, the shareholders are naturally unwilling to sell their shares at a "low price".

"Mr. Wasserman should be well aware of Neon's current situation. Panasonic is in a state of panic and you can't wait for their next offer."

Hideki Hanyu bluntly shattered Lou Wasserman's dream.

After meeting with Panasonic President Akio Tanii, Hideki Hanyu directly hung a sword of Damocles over his head.

Although Panasonic has not publicly announced its abandonment, it is just holding on with a weak presence.

As for why Hideki Hanyu did not take a tougher stance or take further measures to force Panasonic to give up after meeting with Akio Tanii.

This is not because he is concerned about Panasonic, but because he is worried that if he goes too far, it will provoke the Sumitomo Group behind Panasonic.

Even now, he is still quite wary of Japan's old conglomerates.

The various methods he used against Panasonic were only to force Panasonic to give up the competition. He did not really want to "go to war" with a large multinational company like Panasonic during this period of time.

So at this point in time, it is no longer possible for Lou Wasserman to use Panasonic and him to raise the price in the MCA acquisition.

After all, if Panasonic really dares to act as a gun for Lew Wasserman, even if he is afraid of the Sumitomo Group, he will have to take action against Panasonic for the sake of MCA Global's big plan.

After hearing what Hanyu Hideki said, Lou Wasserman was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Seraphim, MCA Global has no shortage of buyers."

“But there is no buyer like Yunshang Pictures.”

This time, the one who answered Lou Wasserman was no longer Hideki Hanyu, but Peter Peterson.

Peter Peterson served as the middleman for the transaction and was a businessman who knew America very well.

He knew very well that MCA Global's shareholders had been whetted by the bidding prices from Cloud Cinema and Panasonic, and would never accept the low prices from other potential acquirers.

Lou Wasserman naturally understood what Peter Peterson meant, so he fell silent again, seeming to be lost in thought again.

However, as a middleman who wanted to complete the deal as quickly as possible, Peter Peterson did not intend to give Lou Wasserman any more time to think.

He immediately followed up with his advice.

“Mr. Wasserman, Neon’s economy is already in trouble, and no one knows how long it will last or how bad it will get.

Therefore, even Cloud Pictures cannot guarantee that they can continue to maintain their enthusiasm for MCA Universal. Even maintaining the current persistence is already a very difficult thing.

So completing the transaction as soon as possible is a win-win situation for us.”

After listening to Peter Peterson's words, Lou Wasserman showed hesitation on his face.

But the greed in his heart still made him unable to help but ask, "So, does Yunshang Pictures plan to make a new offer?"

Peter Peterson shook his head. "Yunshang Pictures maintains the last offer and the cash-out conditions promised to you."

The last time, Cloud Pictures offered $6.5 billion, which included repaying MCA Universal's debt and promising Lew Wasserman a cash out of $350 million.

And this price is very close to the price that Panasonic paid for acquiring MCA Universal in another time and space.

In fact, at this point, after dragging Panasonic out of the game, Hanyu Hideki could have lowered the price appropriately, perhaps by two or three hundred million US dollars.

But in the end, after discussing with Peter Peterson and the acquisition team, Hideki Hanyu decided to maintain the price.

Because compared to the little bit of cheap money, what he wanted more was a quick resolution to avoid any unexpected situations that might arise later.

Panasonic gave in, there was no external competitor, and lobbying in Washington DC also helped him solve the problem of "acquisition procedure". Now everything is ready, only the east wind is missing.

If he missed this once-in-a-lifetime acquisition opportunity just to save two or three hundred million dollars, which he did not mind, that would be truly a case of losing the big picture for the small.

Once he spends the money, he has too many ways to make more.

But if the opportunity is missed, no one knows what will happen next time.

"That's impossible. Panasonic has already offered a higher price."

Lou Wasserman said this unwillingly and looked at Hanyu Hideki.

But Hideki Hanyu still didn't speak, and let Peter Peterson answer for him.

“It should have been clear to Mr. Wasserman that Panasonic could not possibly meet that price.

And you also understand that no one else would accept this price except Yunshang Films.”

"I need time to think about it." Lou Wasserman's attitude wavered.

Just then, Peter Peterson gave Hanyu Hideki a look.

Hanyu Hideki saw it and slowly said, "Mr. Wasserman, 20 million US dollars."

Lou Wasserman, who had just picked up his coffee, looked confused, not knowing what Hideki Hanyu meant by the 20 million dollars.

"I'll increase your cash-out figure by another 20 million dollars."

After Hanyu Hideki finished explaining, he emphasized in a serious tone.

"But this is my final condition. You should be very clear about Neon's situation. Even for me, raising the price would require convincing many people at this time."

Lou Wasserman, who was just hesitant just now, was now completely moved.

Human nature is what it is.

The overall interests of MCA Global are certainly important, but no matter how important they are, they are not as important as his personal interests.

After all, what goes into your own pocket is real.

But even so, as a seasoned businessman, Lou Wasserman did not immediately express any attitude.

Instead, he put forward a lot of important conditions.

For example, there were changes in senior management after the acquisition, such as his own rights in MCA Television Group, which included MCA Pay TV, movie channels, USA Cable, and so on.

Among them, Hideki Hanyu made some direct promises, such as the position of manager of MCA Television Group that Lou Wasserman had been dreaming of.

But he rejected some conditions without hesitation.

Hideki Hanyu has long been prepared for a complete reorganization of the large, complex and poorly managed MCA Universal.

He certainly would not be like Panasonic in another time and space, which, after acquiring MCA Universal, did not interfere with MCA Universal, allowed the chaotic management to continue, and then suffered huge losses.

After all, Cloud Entertainment is no amateur.

Yunshang Pictures has been rooted in Hollywood for several years and is quite familiar with the explicit and implicit rules of Hollywood.

It is simply impossible for the management of MCA Global to fool Cloud Entertainment in this time and space as they fooled Panasonic in another time and space.

Hideki Hanyu will never let such a thing happen.

At the end of the conversation, Lou Wasserman made this promise to Hideki Hanyu.

"Mr. Seraphim, after the World Economic Forum, I will return to Hollywood to contact the directors of MCA Universal to finalize the deal between us, and then give you a reply as soon as possible."

After hearing what Lou Wasserman said, Hideki Hanyu believed that the other party wanted to contact more than just the shareholders of MCA Global, and he must be still unwilling to give it another try with Panasonic.

As he had already made all the necessary preparations, Hanyu Hideki was not worried about this.

"I hope Mr. Wasserman can respond quickly. After all, this is a huge acquisition. In addition to the price, there are many other things that need to be discussed by the team."

"I will."

After saying this, Lou Wasserman stood up, shook hands with Hideki Hanyu and said goodbye.

Hideki Hanyu also extended his hand to shake his.

"Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

……

After Lou Wasserman said goodbye and left, Peter Peterson, who remained in his seat, said to Hideki Hanyu.

"Congratulations sir, you will soon be one of the most powerful people in Hollywood."

Hanyu Hideki smiled and said to Peter Peterson, "I also want to congratulate Mr. Peterson. You have added another great achievement to your resume."

Peter Peterson has been busy acting as a middleman for so long, it is impossible that he is helping out for free out of kindness.

The other party participated in this matter wholeheartedly, for profit and fame.

As for the former, although the remuneration Peter Peterson received in this transaction was not as much as that he received from brokering the deal between Sony and Columbia, it was definitely a huge sum.

After all, Hideki Hanyu is a smart man, not one of those money-spending kids from Sony.

As for the latter, Peter Peterson will become famous in America and even in the world business community for facilitating such a big deal.

And such fame is even more important than making a profit from it.

Because with this "record", Peter Peterson can find ways to make more money.

Peter Peterson said happily, “I hope we will have the opportunity to continue to cooperate in the future.”

When Hideki Hanyu heard this, he thought of Larry Fink, who was still helping him manage his finances on Wall Street, and his relationship with the Blackstone Group, and spoke in an affirmative tone.

“I believe there will be a chance.”

……

After the meeting with Lou Wasserman, Hideki Hanyu's important purpose of coming to Davos has basically been achieved.

This year's Davos World Economic Forum will last until the 31st of the month, but Hideki Hanyu will not be able to stay in Davos until the closing of the forum because of a phone call from China.

The content of the call was very simple. It was about the cooperation between Lamborghini Automobile Group and China. Someone in Yanjing wanted to talk to him and invited him to Yanjing to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

The fifth of next month is New Year’s Eve.

Hideki Hanyu's original plan was to go to America to pick up Zhou Huimin and his son and bring them back to Hong Kong after the Davos World Economic Forum ended.

Then he entered the country from Hong Kong and went to Jiangcheng as in previous years to spend the Spring Festival with Liu Xiaoli and his eldest daughter.

The next step is to meet with the team from Lamborghini Automobile Group to discuss cooperation in the Mainland.

But now because of this phone call, he had to change his schedule.

It is necessary to bring Zhou Huimin and her son back to Hong Kong.

But the time of leaving Davos was brought forward from the end of the month to the evening of January 28th.

In order to get rid of the clingy French Rose Sophie Marceau in advance, Hideki Hanyu had to cater to her preferences again and pretend to be her favorite affectionate literary young man.

They helped each other paint, wrote poems for each other, and used all kinds of romantic and affectionate literary and artistic means.

In short, Sophie Marceau was able to deal with the situation after a series of combined punches.

However, looking at Sophie Marceau's infatuated and reluctant look, her love-brain symptoms have obviously worsened again.

I don’t know what troubles this woman will cause in the future for the sake of “love”.

But as time was of the essence, Hideki Hanyu had no time to think about these things after boarding the Yunshang train at Zurich Airport.

Awkward, when I was looking up the date, I checked the Spring Festival of 1989 as 1988. It should have been January 1990, 1, but I calculated it as February 26, 88. But it doesn't affect the plot, so I'll just write it as the wrong date. Sorry.

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(End of this chapter)