America: My Time

Chapter 28 Legendary Toys
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Legendary Toys

“John, you’re wrong. You still have funds. Have you forgotten about the ‘Millionaire’ project? There’s already news from Britain that it’s very successful, and several European TV stations are interested in importing it. Once it becomes a huge success in Europe, local TV stations will also be interested. You should make your choices in advance. This is very important for Legendary Entertainment!”

It was only then that John remembered he had the 'Millionaire' project. Originally, he just wanted to make a quick buck and prepare ammunition for his gold futures trading. Now it seemed he should make better arrangements. The Millionaire project was more useful than he had thought before, and he could no longer view it with the same perspective.

After a moment of contemplation, John said, “Father, I need to set up another copyright company to centrally manage the copyrights of all my books, songs, and projects. This will allow me to better avoid taxes. As long as the company's money doesn't flow back into the country, it won't be taxed. Moreover, I can use this company to invest in my Legendary Pictures, which will allow the film industry to develop rapidly.”

Smith was at a loss for words regarding John's idea. A copyright company could be established, and tax avoidance was an inevitable choice, but what was the point of using the copyright company's money to invest in Legendary Pictures? Wouldn't it be better to use that money to expand the domestic entertainment retail market?

This was John's own idea. Although Smith didn't agree with it, he wouldn't interfere. Perhaps his idea wasn't right. John could forge his own path, just like his previous success. Now, Smith had no doubt about John's creative abilities, even if it meant investing in the film industry!
Working in the film industry is not a simple matter; it requires a lot of time. Unfortunately, my time is very limited, and no matter how much time I have, it never feels like enough. These issues need to be resolved before I go to Japan.

John didn't mention his gold futures business. Since it was a normal strategic move, futures should be set aside; after all, it was just a trial, and the success or failure was uncertain, while investing in real businesses offered tangible returns. The gaming world had the potential to sweep the North American gaming market, and once that was achieved, sufficient funds would be available to complete his media and entertainment plans once he started fundraising!

"Okay, everything as you say. Always be careful and cautious, and remember that a plan is just a plan. Don't let yourself be burdened by the plan; you are the one in charge of the company!"

Hearing this, John finally breathed a sigh of relief, smiled, and nodded, saying, "I know!"

"Toys, take some time to learn more about your toy company. Whether you plan to place it under Legendary Entertainment or not, you need to visit your factory. I don't know what your plans are, but right now your factory is producing new toys at full capacity according to your requirements. If you don't find a market for these toys, it won't last long!"

Toys were something he had always neglected. John hadn't even visited the legendary toy factory in Taiwan, nor did he know the actual situation there; everything was being overseen by Smith. Since they were going to Japan again, Smith hoped he could take a look at his toy factory and prepare for sales.

"I haven't forgotten about the toys, but the animation in Japan isn't finished yet, so even if we wanted to start a promotional campaign, we couldn't. This time when I go to Japan, I'll urge them to speed up the production of Transformers. Time is money, and we can't let them continue to delay. If the toys sell well, it will also accelerate the development of Legendary Entertainment and our media strategy!"

Seeing John's thoughtful expression, Smith sighed, "Since you understand, you should know that your energy is limited. The companies you currently manage aren't large, and you can easily control them. But as they grow, will you still be able to manage them? Now you need to prepare for the future. You need real management talent. Don't forget the importance of business management because of momentary greed! Legendary Entertainment is already taking shape. If you feel you're struggling to manage it, you should choose a qualified manager for it!"

Smith once again pointed out Legendary Entertainment. Legendary Entertainment now includes Legendary Records, Legendary Publishing, Legendary Pictures, and Legendary Toys. If this fragmented development continues, John's energy will be completely tied up in these scattered entertainment companies, inevitably impacting the management of the others! Toys is also an important part of Legendary Entertainment. He had poured his heart and soul into the Transformers animated series; success would be great, but failure would mean all his previous investment was wasted. Even knowing its huge potential, he still had some worries until it materialized. Now, facing off against Warner Bros., the pressure on him was even greater.

These companies were not established without purpose or on a whim, but rather with strict plans. They are all links in their own trust chains, and toys are an important part of leveraging legendary entertainment IPs.

Media is a force John desperately needs. Domestic media in the United States, whether newspapers or television stations, require a lot of investment and cannot be acquired with the existing funds. Leveraged acquisitions are too risky, so the only option now is overseas, with Europe and Asia becoming the first choices!
Britain is key to Europe and needs to be planned for early. Asia is no exception. Phoenix Group's headquarters will be established in Hong Kong, making Hong Kong one of the core media hubs in Asia. If this trip goes smoothly, I am interested in acquiring RTV, one of Phoenix Group's core television stations!
Japan is also important, but its limitations are too great, preventing comprehensive development and limiting its focus to a few areas. To harness the power of media, the support of a Japanese bank is needed.

Previously, he had neither fame nor capital. Now, things are different. Both the gaming world and the dream world provide John with ample resources, and the same goes for Phoenix Comics. As long as he's willing to take out a loan, Japanese banks won't refuse. With such high-quality assets, they won't feel any pressure. That's how capital works; it never offers help in times of need!

They didn't need their help in their time of need; all they needed was to borrow dollars from Japanese banks and make a fortune after the Plaza Accord. Under these favorable conditions, they naturally did everything in their power to borrow as many dollars as possible from major Japanese banks, waiting for the Plaza Accord and the start of the bubble economy!
He was frantically opening company after company for the sake of capital. Each company, once it grew, could be used to offset loans and accelerate his own development. Establishing the comic book and animation companies in Japan allowed Japanese banks to readily recognize their potential, ensuring he could easily secure sufficient US dollars from major Japanese banks before the bubble economy burst! Time was money; there was no time to waste!

John planned to use the money from the Japanese bank to strengthen himself and to ruthlessly exploit Japan. He didn't reveal this plan to anyone, not even his parents! It was all too crazy; no one could believe that Japan's future would be so insane.

There are several reasons why toy companies are located in Taiwan. If the animation is successful, the toys will naturally sell well. Production costs are lower in Taiwan, and production is unrestricted. This also allows them to establish a foothold in Taiwan. Taiwan is also an important part of Asian investment.

The plan is good, but it has a crucial prerequisite: sufficient talent. Talent is one of the most important factors limiting development. Before launching the full-scale plan, I must at least free myself from my busy work schedule. The first target is naturally Legendary Entertainment Group. Legendary Entertainment is no longer an empty shell; we need to choose a good leader to manage this entertainment group effectively!

John didn't place all his hopes on gold futures in his pursuit of legendary entertainment. All financial operations carry risk, and even with ample information and knowledge of gold futures trends, risk still exists. The real world isn't a game; everything is subject to change, especially finance.

Toys are John's backup plan for Legendary Entertainment. As long as Legendary Toys sells well, it will have huge appreciation potential. Whether it's financing or collateralized loans, it can provide him with enough funds to complete his plans in the entertainment group!

John felt a sense of urgency when his father talked about toys. The animation company in Japan needed to grow rapidly so that it could independently produce the animations it needed, without having to outsource to other animation companies or being under its own control!
Phoenix Comics owns numerous IPs, each of which is an animated series. It's impossible to outsource everything; they need to take initiative, improve their own structure, and create their own animations! Neon Phoenix Animation's focus is on television animation, not animated films. Television animation is relatively easier and requires less investment than animated films, allowing for better cost control and reduced risk.

(End of this chapter)