America: My Time

Chapter 601 Benefits
Chapter 591 Interests

“John, Sony’s acquisition of Columbia Pictures has already made Hollywood uneasy. If Disney changes hands again and is acquired by Panasonic, it will disrupt the order of Hollywood and be unacceptable to many more people!” Steven Spielberg spoke his mind, which was the thought of many of his Hollywood colleagues.

"Haha, this has nothing to do with me. So what if Disney changes hands or is acquired by Panasonic? It won't affect Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media. The ones who should be worried aren't me, but MGM, Fox, and Warner Bros. Actually, I think this is good. Japan controls two Hollywood giants, so they're practically one group. Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media are one team, and Warner Bros. can also stick together for mutual support, forming a triangle. This is the most advantageous situation for Hollywood!"

Upon hearing John's words, Steven Spielberg couldn't help but sigh inwardly. This wasn't the most favorable situation for Hollywood, but rather for John. In many people's eyes, John was an accomplice of those guys in Japan. At least Columbia Pictures was almost on the side of Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media. With Disney added to the mix, the other three Hollywood giants were going to have a hard time.

Lobbying groups are legal in the United States. Since Panasonic has already made its move to acquire Disney, it must have already found the right channels. And for these lobbying groups, as long as you have money, nothing is a problem. However, Panasonic's move will give those old fogies an opportunity to once again promote the Japanese threat. At least the donkeys will get a good income, and they will definitely be happy to cooperate with those old fogies and be willing to fight on the front lines!
John was also quite happy to see this happen. If those old guys didn't suppress these Japanese companies, how would his Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media make money? You see, with the trade issues between the US and Japan, Japanese companies have invested a lot in advertising for the two major media groups, which has greatly relieved the pressure on them.

However, John also knew that those old guys wouldn't go too far. After all, the US high command had already loosened monetary policy, and if things continued, what would the other subordinates think? Moreover, with the end of the stock market crash, Japan's real estate and stock market were recovering, and real estate was now accelerating again. John was even surprised that the infrastructure construction in Japan had become crazy, with signs of redundant construction.

While such construction might boost domestic demand, it offers no benefit to Japan's own development and will only cause land prices to skyrocket. John can see from Panasonic's bid to acquire Disney that Japan is rapidly embarking on a global investment spree, poised for a major leap forward by acquiring assets across the United States!

In short, the neon bubble is about to reach an even more frenzied level, about to enter the fast lane. Soon these guys will be in a buying frenzy. However, Steven Spielberg's warning is not as simple as it seems on the surface; it likely reflects a growing unease among the American public. They worry about the future of American media if they lose control of Disney.

John is not their friend, at least not now. Although John has not smeared these guys, he will not help them with publicity either. If it weren't for the fact that their ethnicity is among the top executives of John's two major media groups, these guys would be even more panicked. They are terrified that John will side with the Middle Eastern tycoons, which would be detrimental to them.

Disney's shareholders are interested in accepting Panasonic's acquisition, which would likely be very detrimental to these oil tycoons. They would lose their influence in Hollywood. However, if they were allowed to acquire Disney, these guys would be too greedy and unwilling to step into this huge pit. They know very well that if they were to acquire Disney, they would be constantly suppressed by John, that little fox, and would have no hope of making money. Everyone knows how petty John is; maintaining the status quo is their most desired outcome!
John quickly understood why Steven Spielberg had chosen this time and place to tell him about Panasonic's acquisition of Disney—it was all for the benefit of their community. Unfortunately, John didn't care, nor did he want to concern himself with it; it put no pressure on him whatsoever.

Getting John to side with them is impossible. They're smart, but John isn't stupid either. If those guys want to promote themselves, they have to offer something in return; otherwise, forget about it. Look at how generous the Middle Eastern tycoons are—they invest real money. Their cooperation with John involved huge investments, and they received a response from John, getting everything they wanted. Those oil tycoons, however, want John's help without contributing anything—it's a joke.

Self-interest is the only constant. Without self-interest, there's no point in even thinking about it. Look at how much money Middle Eastern tycoons invest each year, and then look at them—the difference is astonishing. To expect John to stand with them under these circumstances is utterly absurd, based solely on their arrogance. Even these old-timers from American conglomerates couldn't control John; their delusion that they can force him to compromise only shows they've overestimated their abilities.

Even the old guard now has to admit that John is now on par with them, a new conglomerate. And these old guys don't dare continue to pressure him; they can't afford the serious consequences. If they really anger John, who knows what might happen? After all, John isn't someone to be trifled with. Watching Steven Spielberg leave, Francis sighed, "John, are you really not going to let Disney be acquired by Japan? This is no small matter for Hollywood, especially at this time; it will make many people panic."

"Francis, don't worry, nothing will happen. Those guys in Japan know when to back down. Sony is the best example, and Panasonic will know the rules too. Even if something does happen, it won't have a big impact. After all, Disney is just an animation studio. Even if they want to expand, it won't be successful in a short time. Besides, their arrival might make Hollywood better!"

A group of 'fools' entering Hollywood, and someone else profiting handsomely from it—just look at Columbia Pictures to see how easily those Japanese 'fools' are fooled. Of course, it's not that Sony and others aren't unaware of this; rather, they're using this as a price to gain a larger share of the US market. Looking at Sony's expanding market share in the US over the years shows they haven't lost money; on the contrary, they've made a profit. If they didn't act like 'fools,' how could they increase Japan's influence in the US and bring Japanese elements into Hollywood?

Panasonic now wants to get involved, seeing the allure and opportunity. Unfortunately, those wealthy and powerful people are too greedy and unwilling to pay the price to acquire Disney. They only want to use Hollywood's power to stop it all. They're overthinking it. John won't make a move, and others won't care either, because everyone's energy is focused on the Writers Guild and they don't have the time or energy to care about Disney's situation.

Warner Bros., MGM, and Fox are only concerned with their own problems right now. They don't care about Disney's fate, and Disney doesn't threaten their interests, so why should they care? What Hollywood is really worried about are those Asian guys, like Steven Spielberg.

“I also want peace of mind, but I’m afraid that such an acquisition will cause changes in the Writers Guild. If they get angry, things might get out of control!” As a big Hollywood director, Francis naturally understands the thoughts of Steven Spielberg and others, and he also knows that Donkey will not let go of such an opportunity. If they are involved, things will get out of hand.

John smiled calmly and said, "Don't worry, the sky won't fall. You'll understand tomorrow. Hollywood has never been their domain, at least they can't affect Hollywood's development!"

After his conversation with Francis, John noticed a large group of people gathered around Steven Spielberg and his associates at the reception, clearly discussing Disney. Of course, they could also be discussing the Writers Guild; the strong response from Hollywood giants had left many in Hollywood feeling uneasy.

At this moment, John couldn't help but shake his head. No matter how much these guys discussed, it wouldn't lead to anything. Hollywood has never been something they could control. The current Hollywood is not yet in their hands. Their attempts to interfere are simply overestimating their abilities. In fact, doing too much will only bring unnecessary trouble, or even suppression.

John believes that the development path of the United States has long been decided by those old guys in the conglomerates. Anyone who tries to disrupt their plans will be suppressed. Although those old guys are very wary of John and even suppress him, they also have grievances against those oil tycoons. These guys have crossed their bottom line!
Doing nothing is not a mistake, but doing more only leads to more mistakes. This is the current reality for those oil-rich people. The more they do, the more easily their ambitions are exposed, the more dissatisfied the old guys become, and the more dissatisfied the elephants become. If they get involved with the donkeys, the consequences are predictable. Once the elephants win, they will definitely be taught a lesson.

These guys knew perfectly well that the donkey had no chance of winning this time, but they still got involved because of their own selfish motives. It can only be said that their selfishness made them forget what they should do and be cautious. Perhaps the 'friendliness' of the United States made them forget their own identity. When disaster strikes, these guys will regret it!
(End of this chapter)