America: My Time

Chapter 45 Cinema Circuit
Chapter 45 Cinema Circuit

Although Legendary Records wasn't large in scale, John placed great importance on its development. The 1980s were a period of rapid growth for the record industry, and Legendary Entertainment couldn't afford to fall behind. Moreover, this was crucial for its future strategy in the MP3 market. Without sufficient record copyrights to rely on, its MP3 development would inevitably be constrained. This is why Legendary Records needed comprehensive development, rather than focusing on just one area. Every language is a fiercely contested territory in the record industry; only with sufficient record copyrights could it be fearless in the future!

John didn't believe that he could coexist peacefully with Sony after developing MP3. He thought their cooperation wouldn't last forever. He believed that once he got everything he wanted, or once Sony got everything they wanted, their cooperation would come to an end! Preparing a day earlier would give him more confidence and more control when the day of collapse arrived.

Although there is a good partnership with Sony on game consoles now, the partnership will also come to an end when Sony's own game consoles are in the works. The gaming world cannot control the development of the gaming market forever, and Japanese game companies will not do nothing or be controlled by the gaming world forever!

Japanese game companies and their partners like Sony have also prepared countermeasures for the gaming world. When the gaming world's market value reaches its peak, John will choose to abandon everything and choose a new direction. The gaming world cannot continue to develop in this way; as it continues to expand, it will inevitably face pressure from all sides!

Although GameWorld is a new company, when Atari collapses, the label of monopoly could be pinned on GameWorld. John doesn't believe Warner will just stand by and watch Atari fall without doing anything, nor does he believe that American game companies have no ideas at all. GameWorld is just a tool for them to make money in the short term, not a core industry.

When John made the decision to stay, he thought of film companies and theater chains, and the first one that came to mind was Shaw Brothers Theaters and Shaw Brothers Films. So he wanted to talk to Mr. Shaw, but he was greatly disappointed.

During this period, Mr. Shaw had not yet completely lost faith in Shaw Brothers' film industry, so his acquisition plan naturally fell through. Since acquisition was not an option, he had to change his plans. He could build his own film studio; with RTV (Rediffusion Television), there was no shortage of directors or actors. As for cinemas, Shaw Brothers wasn't the only one in Hong Kong; there were many other cinemas there, and they were his targets.

Having learned from the failed acquisition of Shaw Brothers, he could no longer waste time and energy on large-scale cinema chains. Individual cinemas were the easiest to acquire, and these cinemas all had good locations, clear industries, and were easy to renovate or expand.

The acquisition of the cinemas went smoothly without any unexpected incidents. There are quite a few cinemas in Hong Kong, and if you don't sell, someone else will. Soon, Phoenix Entertainment had a new company called Phoenix Cinema Line. Moreover, Phoenix Cinema Line didn't acquire cinemas in remote areas; they were all cinemas in bustling areas!

Although Phoenix Cinemas has only just been established, having its own cinema chain means it won't be subject to others in its film industry development. In Hong Kong, it would be very troublesome to run a film company without its own cinema chain!

Cinemas hold a crucial position in the overall entertainment plan. The Hong Kong cinema chain is just the beginning. Next, they will acquire or build cinema chains in Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Japan, and South Korea. Japan is the most valued by John. The development of cinema chains is of paramount importance to Phoenix Entertainment, even more so than the television stations in Taiwan. Cinemas will be the core of the film industry!

After making all the arrangements, John left Hong Kong for Bordeaux. Before leaving, he did not forget Sally Yeh, this great woman. As his woman, he also left her a few good songs. However, the record industry in Hong Kong and Taiwan is different from that in Japan. Although singles exist, they are not important. Hong Kong and Taiwan are more like Europe and America, which value albums!
Sitting on the plane, looking at the bustling Kai Tak Airport, John couldn't help but shake his head. The airport is now seriously affecting Hong Kong's development and can no longer handle such a heavy number of flights. Unfortunately, Kai Tak Airport has long lost the possibility of expansion!
Amidst his own complaints, the plane took off, heading straight to Bordeaux. If it weren't for the tight schedule, John would have liked to go to Paris first to visit Notre Dame Cathedral, which would later be destroyed by fire, and to learn about Paris during that period. Unfortunately, time didn't allow it, so he had to give up on that idea!
The plane landed slowly at Bordeaux Airport. Bordeaux is a port city in southwestern France and the country's fourth largest city. If you ask people about Bordeaux, what comes to mind first? Naturally, it's wine. John's maternal grandfather was a member of a Bordeaux winery, running a not-so-large winery in Pomerol.

John didn't inform his grandparents when he arrived in Bordeaux, not wanting the two elderly people to pick him up at the airport. After all, they were getting old, and he knew the area well enough that there was no need for them to do so. After getting off the plane, just as John was about to call a taxi, a voice suddenly rang out from ahead: "John, over here! You didn't even tell us you were coming to Bordeaux! If your mother hadn't called, we wouldn't have known you were coming!"

Following the sound, a man in his twenties with a mischievous grin appeared not far ahead! Upon seeing this man, John couldn't help but smile, stepped forward and gave him a big hug, teasingly saying, "Uncle, what brings you here? Aren't you supposed to be your great artist in Paris?"

This was his uncle Justin, who complained, "You still have such a sharp tongue, kid. It's all because of you. When your grandfather found out you were coming to Bordeaux, he insisted that I come back to pick you up!"

"Hahaha! Grandpa still loves me the most. But, Uncle, I'm not trying to be mean, but you should give up on your artist dream. It's been years, and I haven't seen any future in it. In my opinion, you have no talent for painting at all. It's better to give it up and go back to Bordeaux to take over Grandpa's winery. That would be a good choice!" John, who was only ten years younger than his uncle, had no barriers between them and could talk and laugh freely.

"Enough already! I don't want to spend my whole life in Bordeaux dealing with grapes. It's not for me. I aspire to a great artistic career, not to be with wine. If you'd like, you can inherit the winery!"

“I am very interested in wineries, but I don’t want to take over my grandfather’s winery. It’s not suitable for me. Even if I wanted a winery, I would only choose the top-tier ones. I’m not short of money right now!”

"I heard from your mother, my wonderful sister, that you've made a fortune and opened several companies. How about investing in my art?"

"Come on, Uncle, you call that art? I'd better give up now. Painting has no future, at least not now. You're so young, it will take you decades to become a real artist, and by then it will be too late. Even switching to music would be much better than painting!"

"You're still the same old you, looking down on painting and thinking it has no future. But this is my dream, and I won't give up on it so easily!"

"Uncle, this is the truth, okay? Look at those famous painters, which one didn't gain fame in their old age, or only after their death? You, not even thirty, what qualifications do you have to become a great artist? Give it up. Even if you really don't want to give it up, you have to think about your future. You can't just keep drifting like this. With your abilities, opening a design company or an agency would be much better than what you are now. You're so eloquent, an agency would be perfect for you. If you're willing to change careers, I can support you. I own an entertainment company!"

"Alright, you little rascal, you really are cunning. If I hadn't heard from your mother that you're short-staffed right now, I would have really thought you were doing this for my own good. I wouldn't fall for your tricks. I can run a design company, but I would never run a firm and work for you for free!" John's uncle Justin said, laughing heartily.
(End of this chapter)