A limousine slowly came to a halt in front of the "DualStar Entertainment" building in Los Angeles. Eric stepped out of the car and headed inside with determination.
From today, "DualStar Entertainment" would no longer just belong to the Olsen twins. The name Cooper would also be listed among its owners.
As for Robert Solny, word had it that he invested his shares in a private equity fund, hoping to buy a stake in MGM. Well, good luck to him—there could be many reasons for rejection.
For example, a simple answer: "You're too late, sir. Our quotas were filled yesterday. We regret to inform you, but we'll be happy to assist you next time." Or: "MGM has temporarily suspended its financing plan. Why? How would I know, I'm just the intermediary." They always have their ways. The question is whether Solny will explode with rage. Will he suspect deception? Will he try to take it to court? Perhaps, but it would be pointless because regulating private funds is tricky and secretive.
Not only in China but also in America, there are many loopholes in this matter. Before the 2008 financial crisis, private equity regulation was quite lenient, and only after the crisis did it become stricter.
There's no need to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission, no need to comply with CRS requirements. How will you sue me?
Moreover, didn't I pay you? And with a premium on top of that. You've made a profit, so why sue? These matters can drag on for years, and the chances of you winning are slim.
A smart person would take their $300 million and start a new business instead of wasting it. If you go the legal route, that money, being important evidence, could be frozen. In the end, you'll be left with nothing, and why would you want that?
After the shareholders' meeting at "DualStar Entertainment," where Eric's status was announced, and following his meeting with the company's leadership, he made his way to the Olsen sisters' office.
The meeting was straightforward since there were only five shareholders: Eric, the Olsen sisters, and their parents, David and Jarnett. The current share distribution in "DualStar Entertainment" was as follows: Eric – 45%, Ashley Olsen – 22.5%, Mary-Kate Olsen – 22.5%, David – 5%, Jarnett – 5%.
Eric had essentially replaced Robert Solny, but it was still too early to interfere with the company's management. On one hand, he had just entered the company and wasn't familiar with its operations. On the other hand, the Olsen family was clearly on guard and could unite against him if necessary, which also prevented Solny from controlling the sisters.
"Nice office, very feminine!" Eric commented, half-joking, half-praising as he looked at the colorful dolls on the table and numerous decorations on the shelves.
Ashley smiled. "It's very pretty, isn't it? These are our favorite collections."
"Not bad, good taste! Are these dolls supposed to be you and your sister?" Eric picked up one of the dolls and examined it closely, noticing the resemblance to the girls in front of him.
"Most of them are us, but there are some special ones. Try to guess," Mary-Kate said.
Eric pondered for a moment and soon found a smaller doll.
"Who's this little one?"
"You found it quickly! She represents our younger sister, little Elizabeth."
"Elizabeth Olsen? People buy her figurines?" Eric was surprised.
After all, the role of Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was still many years away for Elizabeth Olsen. According to his memories, she hadn't reached such a high level of fame yet, despite her appearances in films like Godzilla. She wasn't on the same level as the leading young actresses.
These doubts immediately displeased the older sisters, who adored their younger sibling. They frowned and glared at him.
"Eric Cooper, if Elizabeth knew how you evaluated her, she'd be very upset. She's your fan!"
"What?"
Eric looked at them in confusion. "When did I get fans? I'm not an actor, at best a screenwriter and director."
Ashley, slightly annoyed, waved her hands. "She's still young and mixes up reality and fiction. Your handsome face is quite deceptive."
"Oh... Now I get it," Eric nodded in satisfaction.
"This face is the second thing I'm most proud of. Not only little girls but also many stars can't resist its charm."
Mary-Kate mimed a gagging motion. "Narcissistic men are disgusting."
"What's in first place?" Ashley asked curiously.
"Ladies, I can't say. It's NC-17."
Catching his suggestive hint, Ashley rolled her eyes, realizing how foolish her question had been since the answer was obvious.
"Am I subconsciously flirting with him? Damn it, that pretty face really is deceptive!" she thought.
"He can drive Robert Solny out of business, a dangerous man, but also really handsome. What a contradiction! Snap out of it, Ashley!"
"Knock, knock, knock."
There was a knock on the office door.
Ashley Olsen, mentally scolding herself for her inappropriate thoughts, tried to pull herself together.
"Boss, here's the information you requested. The company's performance report for the past few years."
"Thanks, Hall. You're dismissed."
Eric took the report and began flipping through it. Mary-Kate, noticing the impressive thickness of the document, chose to leave the office.
Ashley shook her head slightly.
"Eric, if you want to know about 'DualStar Entertainment,' I can explain everything."
"Don't worry. I like figuring things out myself. This is now our shared property, and I need to study it well."
When the sisters left, Eric immersed himself in the reports. Time flew by, and more than an hour passed as he continued to examine the numbers until Chen Xin brought him a cup of coffee.
"Boss, should I call the Olsen sisters?" he asked, noticing Eric frowning.
Eric waved him off, asking to be left alone. He was frowning because "DualStar Entertainment's" performance over the past few years had been declining, causing him concern.
The company's highest peak in earnings had been in 1997, when the Olsen twins were only 12 years old, and their shows were immensely popular among children.
But then the numbers started to decline. As of today, revenues have dropped by more than 40%, and they even had to sell part of their production lines.
At the time, relations between Solny and the Olsen family were still good, and they made numerous attempts to save the company, but to no avail. It was inevitable, as the company's main strength—the Olsen twins themselves, their popularity as stars and products—was fading.
Nevertheless, the company's business was quite diversified. In addition to the usual DVDs, videotapes, and audio products, the company also produced dolls, children's clothing, school supplies, jewelry and gifts, food, and sweets. Product development based on the Olsen twins' image was significantly higher than at MGM.
Unlike MGM, which focused on producing DVDs and videotapes and mostly made money from licensing its brands, "DualStar Entertainment" independently sold a wide variety of products.
Moreover, the company had a well-developed sales network, covering the entire North American continent, most European countries, as well as Australia and New Zealand, although sales volumes in these countries were small.
The report also mentioned that "DualStar Entertainment" tried to enter the South American and Asian markets, but their attempt failed. By that time, the popularity of the Olsen twins had already begun to decline, leading to large stockpiles and significant losses.
After the failure in South America, plans to enter the Asian markets were postponed. The main revenues came from North America and Europe.
Reading the report, Eric realized that the primary value of "DualStar Entertainment" for MGM lay in its mature sales network. This could save MGM a tremendous amount of time, which could be measured in years.
Eric dialed Ashley's number and, heading up in the elevator, made his way to the Olsen twins' private lounge.
After knocking on the door, he waited for it to be opened by a little girl with golden hair and big eyes, who, although still young, already resembled her older sisters. This was undoubtedly the future Scarlet Witch—Elizabeth Olsen.
"You..." Eric didn't have time to finish before the girl, seeing him, shouted:
"Eric Cooper! Eric Cooper! It's really you! So Mary wasn't lying to me!"
She ran to the table, pulled a beautifully designed album from her backpack, and handed it to Eric:
"Sign it for me, Eric!"
Ashley, lying on a massage chair, smiled and said:
"I told you, she's your biggest fan. I specifically didn't let her go to the office to bother you. You can thank me later."
Eric, looking at little Elizabeth and her eyes sparkling with excitement, felt a bit strange. He really did have a fan, and she was a sweet girl. Turns out, appearances can be quite captivating.
Patting Elizabeth on the head, Eric took the album:
"Where should I sign? This is my first autograph; I've never done this before."
"Your first? Really?" Elizabeth exclaimed.
"Yes, so please show me how to do it, sweet girl."
Elizabeth opened the first page of the album, where a photo of her in white stockings curled up on a couch was displayed.
"Damn! What kind of lolita shot is this? What perverted photographer chose this?" Eric thought.
"Sign here," Elizabeth pointed to the white stockings.
"Write: 'To Elizabeth Olsen, my first fan, I wish you to become a great star!'"
Eric signed the album, and Elizabeth carefully put it away, afraid to damage it. She then brought over a small couch and sat next to Eric.
"Eric, Mary said you kicked out Solny, and now you're our new partner. Is that true?"
Eric nodded:
"You could say that."
"Great! I couldn't stand that guy, he always looked at me and my sisters with bad intentions."
"Creepy middle-aged men aren't my favorites either."
"Are you going to make movies for Ashley and Mary?"
"That's right, we'll start soon. Too bad there's no suitable role for you."
"No worries, they already told me about that. What kind of movie will it be?"
Eric paused, not knowing how to answer.
"Elizabeth, why don't you go play? We still have business to discuss. When we're done, you can chat with Eric again, okay?"
At the critical moment, Ashley intervened, saving the situation. This question was sensitive for the sisters, and they avoided discussing it with the family.
Elizabeth smiled sweetly at Eric and obediently left the room.
"What a lovely girl," Eric noted.
"Yes, so if you find a suitable role, don't forget about Elizabeth. She's trying to become an actress," Mary said.
"No problem, if the right opportunity comes up. Now, let's get down to business. I read the report, and the situation at 'DualStar Entertainment' isn't looking too good."
"The root of the problem isn't hard to find: the company relied on the Olsen twins for too long. To revive the company, we need to change the strategy and move away from this dependency."
The sisters sat up straight, ready for a business discussion:
"What suggestions do you have?"
"I'm not ready to offer anything concrete yet, I'm no business expert. But I can make one decision right away—brand integration and selling under a joint name."
"The Olsen twins' brand has reached its peak. If 'Blue is the Warmest Color' becomes a breakthrough, it will boost your commercial value. But the effect will take at least six months to materialize, and we need something that delivers results immediately."
"I propose using MGM's intellectual property and combining it with your brand. For example, 'Pink Panther' would be perfect. MGM could make a short animated clip where your characters interact with Pink Panther."
"Then we can release a new line of merchandise. People love new and interesting things."
"We can also use MGM's popular films: 'James Bond,' 'Legally Blonde,' 'Rain Man,' 'Tarzan,' 'Robocop,' 'The Silence of the Lambs,' and others."
"I don't know how well it will work, but it's worth trying."
"Wait, 'The Silence of the Lambs'?" Mary interrupted.
"Uh... just a random example. We could make Halloween costumes; Hannibal loved eating people. Anyway, MGM has a lot of resources we can tap into, right?"
"We can restart the closed production lines; that's our advantage."
"And what about licenses?" Ashley asked hopefully.
"Of course, at a favorable price. After all, we're partners now."
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