America: My Time

Chapter 29 Guidance
Chapter Twenty-Nine Guidance

After carefully considering the current situation, John said with some distress, "Father, I know about this problem. Legendary Entertainment seems to be doing well in all aspects, but they are developing independently and haven't formed a united fighting force. It's very difficult for such a group to find a suitable manager. We can't poach talent from industry giants. Using ordinary talent can solve the current problems, but if we make new acquisitions in the future, the managers we choose now will be in an awkward position, causing even greater trouble!"

Upon hearing this, Smith couldn't help but laugh. Not only did he laugh, but Anna also laughed. At that moment, they realized that John was still a child who needed to continue accumulating more knowledge, and that his current management skills were far from sufficient!
“John, you’re completely wrong. Managing Legendary Entertainment isn’t as difficult as you think. How do you know these talented people don’t want to join Legendary Entertainment? You haven’t even invited them. How do you know if they’re willing? You’ll only know the result if you take action. You won’t get anything if you don’t do anything! If you already have suitable candidates in mind, take the initiative to invite them. That’s the right choice, instead of continuing to wait for Legendary Entertainment to grow and keeping your energy tied up in the entertainment group!”

In an instant, John realized something was wrong. He had been focused on expanding Legend Entertainment to accommodate the talent he wanted, forgetting that it wasn't the company that needed to work with the talent, but rather the talent that needed to work with the company. If the talent he chose couldn't see Legend Entertainment's potential, or their own potential, then no matter how talented they were, they weren't a good fit for him or for Legend Entertainment!

“Father, I understand now. I did make a mistake I shouldn’t have made. Luckily, you guided me, otherwise I wouldn’t have understood the implications. I have a good candidate in mind, but I haven’t had time to discuss it with him. Right now, my focus is still on the game world and the legendary toys. Originally, I was going to wait until they were on track before making a decision, but it seems I should act sooner!” After hearing his father’s words, John changed his mind!

I have an absolute advantage in grasping the overall situation and can see the development direction of the industry clearly, but I have too many shortcomings in corporate management, which will take time to make up for! This conversation with my father opened a door for me. What Legend Entertainment can do can also be applied to other companies. Dream World is a good choice. If a suitable CEO can be selected for Dream World, I can be completely freed up!
Dream World needs management, marketing, and service talent, not professional management personnel. Currently, Dream World holds a patent monopoly, being the only company producing office software of its kind. Game World is similar, but unlike Dream World, John doesn't intend to control Game World. Game World is merely a means for John to accumulate funds, not his primary development focus. When the time is right, Game World will definitely go public and raise funds; in fact, if its market value reaches its peak, selling it wouldn't be impossible!

Dream World will not do that. Going public is one thing, but the decision-making power must remain in their own hands. Game World is just a game, while Dream World represents the future! Game World is not their core industry; it is merely a method to raise funds in the early stages.

One should not harbor malicious intent, but one must be wary of others. In this cruel and ruthless business world, one needs to be cautious in dealing with everything, and one cannot be careless in managing talent, as this is related to the development of the enterprise.

As John was frantically searching his mind for suitable candidates, his mother's voice suddenly rang in his ears: "John, since you're going to Japan, why don't you stop by and visit your grandparents?"

Upon hearing this, John was taken aback at first, then nodded and said, "Okay, I will go visit them!"

Although it wasn't in his plans, John thought it would be nice to go to Bordeaux to visit his grandparents and relax. It would be a good thing for him, as being constantly stressed at work isn't good. Appropriate relaxation is beneficial for both body and mind!

It was precisely because John seemed so stressed that his mother, Anna, suggested this approach, hoping to help him relax and adjust his state of mind. If he remained in such a tense state, he might have an accident under the pressure at any time! In Anna's eyes, John was just a child and shouldn't bear such heavy pressure, even if he wanted to. This wasn't pressure a child should face!

No mother wants to see this situation, with such a young child bearing such heavy pressure. It shouldn't be like this. Given the opportunity, any mother would do everything in her power to change things, to give her child a relaxed environment, relieve her own stress, and allow her to unwind.

A normal young person who is constantly suppressed will gradually develop a distorted psyche. John was in this situation, which is why the scene before us unfolded. Though seemingly insignificant, it represents a mother's love—a love given silently and selflessly!

Time waits for no one. As the expiration date for gold futures draws ever closer, the pressure mounts. If it weren't for the spiritual elevation, strengthened will, and robust physique achieved through time travel, one's character would inevitably be affected by such pressure. Many geniuses perish under such circumstances.

John took a deep breath, a serious look in his eyes. This was his first time dealing with futures, and it was impossible for him not to feel pressure. The more pressure he felt, the more careful he had to be, and he couldn't let external factors affect him!
Knowing full well that Legendary Entertainment would face a lot of pressure, John did not want to change it now. Crisis is also an opportunity. This time it was Warner who jumped out. If he could not deal a heavy blow to Warner, who knows how many people would jump out to attack him in the future!

It's already like this in the world of Legendary Entertainment and Games. As I grow stronger and my company expands, even more greedy people will try to take advantage of me. This time, I must teach Warner a profound lesson, even if it costs me some money.

The best way to deal with Warner Bros. is to strike them while they're down. First, cripple Atari, then deliver a fatal blow to Warner Bros.' film business. Only by thoroughly hurting them can Warner Bros. understand that times have changed and that even Hollywood giants need to know when to advance and retreat. Moreover, Warner Bros. has not yet merged with the times and is not yet a true media and entertainment giant.

It would be even better if we could take a piece of Warner after this battle! Defeat is just a temporary respite and won't have a significant impact on our overall strategy. We just need to be patient for a while, and everything will change when Legendary Entertainment makes further progress!
Passive defense isn't in John's nature; taking the initiative and seizing the advantage is the best choice. Legendary Pictures is just the first step. Next, John will strip Warner Bros. of their blockbuster hits one by one, completely cutting off Warner Bros.' chances of growing stronger! This will take time; right now, he needs to choose a suitable CEO for Legendary Entertainment!

The candidate has been chosen, but success is still uncertain; this person is Robert Iger, who will later head Disney. Currently, Robert Iger is still with ABC Broadcasting, and poaching him won't be easy, at least not for Legendary Entertainment at the moment. However, after his father's reminder, John is willing to give it a try, regardless of success or failure!
There's not much going on at Legendary Entertainment right now. Even if Robert Iger refuses, it won't have much of an impact. I don't need to worry about it. If Robert Iger accepts, I can let go of Legendary Entertainment!
Others might doubt Robert Iger's abilities, but John wouldn't, and he also had time to give Robert Iger time to adapt. Legendary Entertainment is different from the game world; Legendary Entertainment is currently developing in a decentralized, unconnected manner, so even if one part fails, it won't affect the overall situation. The game world is different; everything is on the game!
Robert Iger was chosen because he rose through the ranks from the bottom and has a good eye for the entertainment market. Given time, Legendary Entertainment shouldn't have any major problems. Moreover, Robert Iger's background in television is very important, as television is a top priority for Legendary Entertainment! If possible, John hopes to entrust the North American rights to 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire' to Legendary Entertainment.

The fact that Legendary Entertainment could produce 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire' is very beneficial for their acquisition of NBC. If they can leverage the power of 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire' to penetrate NBC, it will be easier to complete the full acquisition! If they can also produce one or two good TV series, success will be even easier!
(End of this chapter)