On a typical workday morning, Michael Davenport visited Merrill Lynch's Los Angeles branch and met with his agent.
In the meeting room, Michael asked, "How's the stock market?"
"Very good," Scott replied with a smile. "The market is booming. The Nasdaq index is soaring, driving the Dow Jones index up as well."
As a stockbroker, Scott took the opportunity to make a pitch. "Michael, I suggest increasing your investment and buying more tech stocks."
Michael nodded lightly. "I came to add more investment."
Although he didn't watch the stock market daily, he occasionally checked the trends of Yahoo and Cisco stocks after investing $9 million. Both stocks were steadily rising. Yahoo had soared from $64 to $184 per share, nearly tripling, and Cisco had increased from $14 to $17.4 per share.
Scott asked, "How much more are you looking to invest, and in which stocks?"
"$5 million," Michael calmly said. "Continue with Yahoo and Cisco."
Scott knew Michael was a decisive investor, so he didn't say much more. He assisted Michael with the necessary procedures. Scott then invited Michael to lunch, but Michael declined as he had other matters to attend to.
Scott escorted Michael out of the office and said, "The market looks promising and should remain strong for another four to five years. If you have extra funds, I recommend investing more in stocks."
Michael smiled, "I'll contact you if I decide to invest further."
Seashore Entertainment still had $20 million in reserve, but Michael wasn't planning to use it immediately. George and Robert were scouting for a suitable distribution company to acquire, and that money might not be enough.
As they left Merrill Lynch, a chubby blonde girl with curly hair ran towards them, breathing heavily.
"Dad," the girl called out to Scott.
Scott apologized to Michael and asked his daughter, "What are you doing here?"
The girl, Taylor, explained that she was shopping nearby with her mother and decided to visit.
Michael observed the girl, who appeared to be around ten years old. She had chubby cheeks and a missing front tooth, which made her speech slightly lispy.
Michael bid farewell, "I won't keep you any longer. Contact me if needed."
Scott introduced his daughter, "This is my daughter, Taylor. Taylor, say hello to Uncle Michael."
Michael waved his hand, "Just call me Michael."
"Hello," Taylor smiled, revealing her missing tooth.
Michael returned to Seashore Entertainment, handled some work, and reviewed preparations for his upcoming trip to Abu Dhabi. He called a contact in Germany.
"Hello, Aunt Helen," Michael greeted warmly. "I'm doing well. Our latest movie was a success, and the company is back on track. Yes, I'm planning to visit you before Christmas."
He listened for a moment before responding, "Yes, I'll be in Berlin mainly to see you, but I also have some business to handle."
Michael planned to visit Germany for potential investments and to solidify future projects.
After hanging up, he reflected on his next steps. Abu Dhabi was first, followed by Berlin. Success in these ventures was crucial for Seashore Entertainment to grow.
Michael knew the importance of having a distribution channel, similar to how Lionsgate had grown. He found a recent report on Netflix from a consulting firm and read it carefully. Despite Netflix's struggles, Reed Hastings was persisting.
Michael waited for the right opportunity to invest in Netflix. He was interrupted by Robert, who entered the office with urgent news.
Robert placed a thick file on the desk. "Look at this company. A friend provided this information. It's reliable."
Michael opened the file as Robert continued, "This company used to produce and distribute films. Now, it focuses solely on distribution. It's small but has an established network."
Michael asked about the company's condition.
Robert explained, "Based in Burbank, Embassy Pictures was founded in 1967. It initially produced and distributed films but later focused on distributing small independent films, mainly from overseas. They have a decent distribution network and handle video and DVD releases."
Michael understood that this company avoided high production risks by acquiring cheap films and releasing them in North America. "Are they willing to sell?"
"There's preliminary interest," Robert said. "Their three major shareholders are shifting to high-tech investments and the internet sector, which is why they're considering selling their shares."
Michael added the company to their potential targets list and planned to investigate further after returning from Abu Dhabi.
Three days later, Michael, Mary, George, Robert, and two Arab actors flew to Abu Dhabi to seek further investments.