"Knock, knock, knock!"
"Come in!"
Ronald Perlman straightened himself up before allowing the person knocking to enter.
A curvaceous blonde secretary walked in and cast a flirtatious glance at Ronald Perlman before getting down to business.
"Boss, the renowned Hollywood director, Steve Kevin, wants to discuss something with you. Should I bring him to your office or the meeting room?"
Ronald Perlman pondered for a moment and replied, "Take him to the meeting room first. I'll join shortly."
The secretary nodded and went to make the arrangements.
Ronald Perlman carefully tidied himself up before leisurely making his way towards the meeting room.
....
Kevin couldn't help but have his eyes fixed on the shapely backside of the secretary who was currently bending over to pour him iced coffee.
His recent stamina had become quite impressive, and both Helen and Emma were now under his command. They no longer referred to him as a "good brother" or "dad." He truly showcased his masculine prowess.
When the secretary left, Kevin let out a sigh of relief. Boy, the secrets of Chinatown were truly powerful. Coupled with the Korean Ginseng from Mount Changbai, it was quite potent.
He felt like he had returned to his peak state and could handle even more now.
He felt inflated.
However, he had to admit that Ronald Perlman knew how to play the game.
Kevin couldn't believe that Ronald hadn't made a move on a secretary like her. Kevin didn't buy it for a second.
It just proved that men's thoughts were indeed quite universal.
The door was pushed open, and Ronald Perelman walked in.
Seeing Steve Kevin's appearance, Ronald couldn't help but feel a bit insecure.
Both of them were billionaires, but Steve Kevin, in addition to being wealthy, was also handsome like a star.
This made Ronald, who was short, wealthy, and unattractive, feel a bit uncomfortable.
However, as a businessman, he could easily overcome such minor discomfort.
"Hello, Director Steve Kevin. I am Ronald Perelman, the owner of Marvel Entertainment."
"Hello, Mr. Perelman."
After a brief exchange, Kevin directly stated his purpose.
"I would like to acquire your shares in Marvel."
"Oh?"
Upon hearing Kevin's proposal, Ronald Perelman felt a sense of joy inside. However, his instincts as a businessman told him that the more he should remain low-key at a time like this.
He couldn't show his excitement.
Otherwise, it wouldn't be easy to negotiate a high price.
Ronald Perelman maintained a poker face, as if he hadn't heard Kevin's words at all. He casually picked up the coffee on the table and took a sip.
Meanwhile, he used this opportunity to think about how to proceed while ensuring that Kevin wouldn't sense his urgency to make a deal.
On the other side, as Kevin observed Ronald Perelman's actions, he smiled inwardly.
Combined with his spy skills and his knowledge of Marvel from his previous life, he knew that Marvel's finances had been in major trouble for a while.
Therefore, every move Ronald Perelman made seemed like a feint to him.
Ronald Perelman would definitely make a move, but the only question was the price.
Ronald Perelman certainly wanted to sell for a higher price, while Kevin wanted to pay less.
Given the current situation at Marvel, Kevin could potentially acquire it for around 400 million dollars. However, he was preparing for 500 to 600 million dollars because of Marvel's dire situation. Taking over the company would require a substantial amount of funds for operations, including employee salaries, comic printing costs, and the launch of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Each aspect required a significant investment.
Even with over 100 million dollars, it would still be a stretch. Therefore, paying less would be the best outcome.
After taking a sip of coffee, Ronald Perelman figured out a few things and calmly said, "Marvel's financial situation is currently stable. Why would I sell? Director Kevin, please don't joke around."
Kevin silently repeated in his mind, "Increase the offer."
Ronald Perelman's hint was too obvious.
What did he mean by "financial situation is currently stable"?
They had reached the point of selling off rights.
Just thinking about the X-Men and Fantastic Four being sold to Fox in 1993 made Kevin's heart ache.
The Fantastic Four was one thing, despite having a decent fan base, it paled in comparison to the X-Men.
The X-Men, which had such immense popularity, was sold by Ronald Perelman at a measly price of 2.6 million dollars. Kevin was genuinely heartbroken.
Reacquiring them in the future would undoubtedly come at a great cost.
Thinking about this, Kevin clenched his teeth. If 20th Century Fox insisted on holding onto the X-Men and refused to let him have them back, he wouldn't hesitate to resort to extreme measures.
The Fantastic Four could be killed off within the comics, turned into villains, to indirectly impact the value of this IP.
The same could be done with the X-Men.
But those matters could be discussed later. The immediate priority was to acquire Marvel.
Kevin looked up, smiled, and directly exposed Ronald Perelman's true intentions.
"Oh? Is that so?"
"Well, from what I know, over a year ago, Marvel was in dire financial straits. They bundled the X-Men and Fantastic Four together and sold them to 20th Century Fox for 6 million dollars. Isn't that true?"
As he said this, Kevin felt a pang of pain.
He suddenly remembered that Deadpool was also part of the X-Men franchise.
Such a popular character, whose value was on par with the X-Men themselves, was sold as part of the package for a mere 2.6 million dollars.
Sold!
Ronald Perelman is such an adorable person, isn't he?
Of course, Ronald Perelman had no idea about Kevin's inner thoughts.
Faced with Kevin's blunt truth, Ronald Perelman's face twitched for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure and continued, "Oh, you're talking about that."
"It's been over a year now, and Marvel's economy has long since recovered. The profit situation is excellent, and I am preparing to increase investment to further boost the sales of Marvel comics."
As a businessman, sometimes you have to be firm with your words.
Despite the economic troubles, in Ronald Perelman's mouth, Marvel still appeared prosperous.
The conversation had reached a deadlock.
Seemingly sensing Kevin's genuine interest in acquiring Marvel, Ronald Perelman now appeared to be waiting for an exorbitant offer, eager to make a hefty profit and get rid of the burden of Marvel.
Kevin's expression turned cold as he made his offer, "230 million dollars for 70% of your Marvel shares."
"That's impossible. As I said, Marvel is not for sale. It's flourishing right now, so why would I sell it?"
Kevin continued to raise the bid, "230 million and 30 thousand dollars."
"Kevin, I've already said that Marvel is not for sale. Why are you pressuring me?"
...