Rebirth of America, this is my era

Chapter 291 This is impossible!

A few months ago, on March 1, 1979, Neon.

When Jack Valenti, former president of the American Film Association, walked out of Tokyo's Narita Airport with his family, carrying large and small bags, the eye-catching pick-up sign guided them to board a black Toyota business car. After a series of twists and turns, the car stopped in Chiba City, 31 kilometers away from the airport. When they opened the door and got out of the car, a luxuriously decorated hotel stood in front of them.

With the help of the hotel receptionist and the translation of his personal secretary, the group quickly completed the check-in procedures, threw their belongings into the guest room, and signaled to their family to have a good rest. Jack Valenti then left everyone behind and returned to the hotel lobby, re-boarding the black Toyota that had not yet left.

Without asking or explaining, in silence, he came to the izakaya by Tokyo Bay.

Then he saw two white bodyguards guarding the door.

As he showed up, the white bodyguard took the initiative to greet him. Just as he was wondering why the meeting procedure was so complicated, when he arrived on the second floor, the figure in casual clothes made his pupils shrink suddenly.

"Mr. Kerkorian?"

"Why are you here?"

Although Jack Valenti once worked as a special assistant to the President, he still used honorifics at this moment because the guy in front of him was a genuine capitalist.

Moreover, the casino they were playing in was involved in organized crime.

When this fact came out, anyone with a bit of brains would not underestimate him, not to mention that at this moment Jack Valenti came to Neon at the request of the big boss Steve Ross.

Although he still didn't know why his boss asked him to come to Neon, but now...

Kirk Kerkorian's appearance made him smell something unusual.

Just as Jack Valenti's pupils shrank, Kirk Kerkorian also smiled, raised the wine cup in front of him, took a sip, and said, "Why can't I be here?"

"If I'm not here, who can tell you what to do next?"

"..." The frank words made Jack Valenti's brain freeze instantly.

Before he could gather his thoughts, Kirk Kerkorian raised his hand and asked him to sit down.

"Come and sit down first. Let the waiter serve the food. We can eat and chat..."

Although Jack Valenti was not a wealthy man and had no formidable backer, he collapsed and was eliminated after being hit by Ethan Jones's angry blow without even being able to withstand a gust of wind from his punch.

but……

After all, he is a real talent that Steve Ross spent a lot of money to bring over from Universal.

As an educated person who has served old-school oil capitalists, carried bags for the President, and spoken in Washington, his ability is unquestionable.

Therefore, even though he was kicked out of the American Film Association by Ethan Jones like a stray dog, Steve Ross did not want to throw him away like garbage. Since he had offended Universal and Ethan Jones and it was difficult for him to survive in North America, sending him to Neon, the next main attack base of the Avengers, was the most appropriate choice.

Because there are many things he can do.

For example, Jack Valenti could serve as a liaison between Warner Communications and Taito Electronics.

Organize manpower and deliver messages for the Avengers' subversive plan.

For example, Jack Valenti could serve as the commander of the Avengers' branch in Neon.

He can negotiate with Neon manufacturers on behalf of the Avengers as a group...

Since Ethan Jones's table-turning behavior in Hollywood was an accident, Jack Valenti was not clear about his mission before he set out, so it became inevitable that he sent someone to contact and explain the matter.

When Jack Valenti learned that the boss of MGM was the contact person, and that his boss actually wanted to use the power of Japan to crack Ethan Jones' home console and join forces with Japan's game manufacturers to produce a bunch of junk games and destroy the North American video game market, he was stunned!

"Mr. Kerkorian, are you serious?"

Jack Valenti's eyes were fixed on the boss of MGM, and he asked in a trembling voice: "Are you going to join forces with Neon's game manufacturers to release junk games to North America in the name of Destiny Game?"

"And the prerequisite for achieving this step is to crack Ethan Jones's home console?"

"I……"

"Did you hear that correctly?"

The hesitant tone made Kirk Kerkorian laugh.

He put down the chopsticks that were very awkward to use, picked up the grilled fish with his hands, and said, "You heard it right, but you said it wrong. It's not you, but..."

"us."

Before he finished his words, there was a snapping sound.

Kirk Kerkorian bit the grilled fish in his hand into pieces.

The sudden appearance of food residues made Jack Valenti's face turn pale instantly.

Because he knew that Kirk Kerkorian was putting himself in the right position.

But now he...

How can I get the position right?

Although Jack Valenti knew after deciding to work for Steve Ross last year that from now on, he would be firmly tied to the feared Undertaker Ross after betraying Universal.

but……

How could he have imagined at that time that Steve Ross was actually a madman!
At first, he thought that Steve Ross was trying to win him over just because he hoped that he could give Warner Bros. more attention in the American Film Association in the future;

And this kind of thing is a piece of cake for him.

Later, when Steve Ross said that the association needed to suppress Destiny Pictures, he just thought it was a normal business struggle. After all, the two sides had become enemies.
Since he is playing for Warner, it would be no problem for him to help out a bit.

Later, when he was kicked out of the American Film Association by Ethan Jones, he just felt that he was unlucky. If he had known that Ethan Jones would unreasonably overturn the table, he would not have listened to Steve Ross's arrangement and used the rules that already had many loopholes to force others to do so.
But there is no medicine for regret in the world, so he just accepted his fate.

When he received a call from Steve Ross and learned that this capitalist had kept his word and had arranged a way out for him, he was even somewhat delighted.
Although it is a bit difficult to leave his hometown, as long as the capital is willing to fulfill its promise, he can still live a peaceful life in the second half of his life.

But now?

When he arrived in Neon with great joy, the task he received turned out to be to unite foreign capital to deal with private enterprises?

This is simply insane behavior!

Having worked in Washington, he understood that if this kind of thing was not handled properly, it would be treason!
That's right!

It’s that serious!

Although from a macro perspective, the combination of Warner, Komodor and Neon is the most common business cooperation among multinational companies, but many times, the judgment between business cooperation and selling out national interests depends on whether the victim has a background!

If it were an ordinary company, you would have to accept it.

But a game of fate?
The academicians behind him can directly point to Washington!

Launch a transnational joint attack against such a company?
This can't be said to be tired of living!

I can only say that he is looking for death!
And thinking about this...

Jack Valenti pursed his lips immediately and said with an apologetic smile: "Oh, Mr. Kerkorian, you are right, there are indeed some problems with my wording just now, but at the same time, you also misunderstood what I meant."

"Because what I want to say is that this matter seems to be very difficult to handle."

Almost in an instant, Jack Valenti, who didn't want to get into trouble, had already thought of an explanation, "You have been developing in Las Vegas for the past few years, so your understanding of Hollywood may be a little biased, and your understanding of neon may not be enough..."

"Neighborhood is a very closed and exclusive market. They are extremely wary of all foreign capital. Take Hollywood movies for example. If we want to sell our movies to Neighborhood cinemas, we must first establish a joint venture with a local company in Neighborhood. Only then will we have the power to negotiate with Neighborhood cinemas about the introduction of movies. If we don't share the profits, then the cinemas will simply ignore us."

"The same goes for other industries. For example, the video games we are talking about, Ethan Jones's products also entered Neon through Nintendo."

"When Japanese companies are so conservative, trying to get them to crack Ethan Jones's home console is probably a mission impossible."

"As for dumping garbage games into North America?"

“This kind of thing is even more difficult to communicate.”

"Because Japanese companies are very smart, they know how big the risk is."

Jack Valenti's caution was clearly seen by Kirk Kerkorian.

When Jack Valenti pursed his lips, trying to know Kirk Kerkorian's inner thoughts, Kirk Kerkorian, who had already finished eating the grilled fish, threw the fish tail directly on the table.

"Jack, I understand your concerns."

"Or rather, I know your true thoughts."

"But what I want to say is that your worries are totally unnecessary."

"Because we will personally handle many things."

"All you need to do is stay in Neon and collect information and pass on intelligence for us."

"..." Jack Valenti forced a smile and nodded slightly.

On the surface, he was agreeing with Kirk Kerkorian's words. But in fact, Kirk Kerkorian knew that Jack Valenti didn't want to do this. But the problem is that many things can't be done just because you want to.

Pick up the wine cup and take another sip.

Kirk Kerkorian, who had drunk quite a bit before Jack Valenti arrived, was a little tipsy.

He held his chin with one hand and smiled at the middle-aged man sitting opposite him.

The fact that his temples were graying proved that the man was no longer young.

At this moment, he is not running for his own survival.

But work hard for the future of your children.

Since that's the case...

"Jack." Thinking of this, Kirk Kerkorian's eyes flashed and he called out the other person's name.

"I'm here," Jack Valenti replied respectfully.

"Don't be so reserved, relax..." Kirk Kerkorian smiled and waved.

Seeing that Jack Valenti did not obey, he stopped forcing him and said, "Jack, I know what you are worried about, but I can tell you that what you are worried about will not happen."

"Because there are many people involved in planning this matter..."

When Kirk Kerkorian named other companies besides Warner and MGM as if he was calling out a menu, Jack Valentine, who was still thinking about how to refuse this high-risk job, was petrified!

He never imagined that Disney, Philips, Komodor and Rockwell also did it!

And when Kirk Kerkorian said that he had met with Taidong on behalf of Steve Ross before meeting him, Jack Valenti was extremely surprised!
Because he simply couldn't believe that these people had already taken action!
He couldn't believe that these guys didn't even give him a chance to choose!
…………

"So, Jack Valenti is now your spokesperson in Neon?"

After listening to Kirk Kerkorian's brief description, the CEO of Philips North America burst into laughter. "The former president of the American Film Association is now the Neon Liaison Officer?"

"Is this a promotion or a demotion?"

Perhaps because his words were not funny, no one at the scene paid attention to what he meant. Rockwell's chairman, Willard Rockwell Jr., stared at Steve Ross with a frown.

"Steve, what do you mean..."

Although he didn't finish his sentence, Steve Ross understood what he was asking.

"Just as you thought."

Steve Ross smiled and said, "When I asked Jack to contact Neon Games, I also asked him to contact some electronics manufacturers in Neon to ask if they could make electronic spreadsheets."

"Maybe it's because spreadsheets are so tempting, so many companies have said they can make them and are willing to accept our investment..."

"According to my original idea, we only needed to make a product similar to Microsoft's, but after Jack said that Japanese manufacturers were very interested in localized spreadsheets, I suddenly thought that it might be better to make a Japanese software and then translate it into English, because this approach can directly eliminate the risk of plagiarism. At the same time, this behavior can also help us to gain the upper hand in the Japanese software market."

"Although our core goal is to defeat Ethan Jones, our fundamental purpose is to seize the attractive market in his hands. Therefore, now you just need to work hard to launch your own personal computers. I will let the Japanese manufacturers cooperate with you for the rest."

"I think this arrangement..."

"Is this likely to satisfy you two?"

Steve Ross looked at the two people who had been furious earlier with a smile.

At this moment, they have already nodded.

"Oh - Steve - you did a great job -"

"Oh - Steve - you are truly the best teammate in the world - bar none -"

Perhaps it was because Steve Ross had arranged everything in advance, or it might also be that all of Ethan Jones' moves were blocked by Steve Ross, so when Steve Ross explained how he would protect the alliance members, the atmosphere at the scene immediately eased.

As for saying that under Steve Ross's operation, other members of the alliance did not get the bonus of the software? They didn't care about this matter at all!

Because everyone has already studied it, software seems to have extremely low R&D costs and is a high-quality investment project, but it is extremely easy to be pirated, and most of the profits will be contributed to the legal team.

In this case, selling hardware is the right path for the development of the computer industry.

Especially with Apple on such a roll.

They don't want to make software anymore.

As the atmosphere gradually became harmonious, members of the Avengers also started talking about other things.

Cornelis van der Krucht, CEO of Philips North America, described the cooperation between the parent company and Sony, saying that everything was going well, and said that at the request of the parent company, they would make some adjustments to the company's internal operations this year, and several companies in North America would be merged;
Kirk Kerkorian, the owner of MGM, talked about his optimism about Neon. He wanted to invest in real estate in Neon, build MGM Asia Hotel, and strive to build a base for their alliance in Neon.

Comodor's boss, Jack Tramiel, talked about his cooperation with Casio, claiming that Casio had obtained the latest memory quotation for them, which was at least one-quarter cheaper than the North American products. If everything went well, they would be able to launch their own personal computer products by the end of this year.

And Rockwell's chairman, Willard Rockwell Jr....

"Oracle's product is very good, and I have promoted it to many companies."

"If nothing unexpected happens, many companies will purchase it by the end of this year. It will not only pose a threat to IBM, but also make Ethan Jones' investment in Edgar Code look like a joke..."

The second official meeting of the Avengers was held at ten o'clock in the morning on August 10th.

At first, everyone entered Warner with a stern face.

But when the clock hand pointed to twelve o'clock, the group left the meeting room arm in arm, and under the leadership of Steve Ross, had a light meal in a nearby hotel.

It was not until two o'clock in the afternoon that Steve Ross saw everyone off.

then……

Looking at the disappearing car body, his face, which was originally filled with smiles, was instantly covered with frost.

Although Steve Ross knew that as the initiator of the alliance, he had to tolerate the bad tempers of every member invited, but when these people really started shouting in front of him...

The anger that arose spontaneously made him clench his fists!

He believed that if it weren't for the overall situation, he would have punched Commodore's boss Jack Tramiel when he questioned him!

The boss of a trading company wants to challenge his authority?

This is simply not tasting the taste of death!

If it wasn't for the purpose of leading the team well, when he saw Cornelis van der Krucht, CEO of Philips North America, answering his questions in a perfunctory manner, he would have kicked him out!

A worker wants to shout in front of him?

This is really disrespectful!

However, even though today's meeting was unpleasant, the final result was still good.

Steve Ross's anger dissipated a lot when he thought that the entire league was not in panic because of Ethan Jones' move and was still able to work together in solidarity.

"Now, it depends on who moves faster." Steve Ross muttered.

In his opinion, the next step to stabilize allies is to accelerate research and development.

As long as all the plans are put into action, Ethan Jones will definitely be dealt a fatal blow!
However, just as Steve Ross urged Jack Valenti to speed up the development of Neon, a new piece of news reached Steve Ross's ears in late August.

"Boss, something seems to have happened!"

That day, the general manager of Warner Music found Steve Ross and said with a worried look on his face: "Ethan Jones seems to have discovered a new gold mine!"

“Columbia Music’s release of Off the Wall is selling like hotcakes!”

"Michael Jackson?" The name of the album "Off the Wall" reminded Steve Ross of the transaction a few months ago, so he directly gave the other party's name.

"Yes, it's him." The general manager of Warner Music nodded repeatedly.

“His albums are selling well?”

"Yes."

"How good is it?"

"Off the Wall has already entered the top ten of the Billboard charts, and it may reach the top of the charts, or even..." The general manager of Warner Music hesitated for a moment, and finally gave the expert's judgment, "It is very likely to be in the top three in sales, and may even hit the top of the charts..."

“…”This news made Steve Ross’ eyes widen.

The next second, he screamed, "How much???"

“Sales champion???”

"This is impossible!!!"

(End of this chapter)