After a short break, William White was back to the grind. That Johnny English film was quite a tangle. Thankfully, it wasn't set to release this year, or it would've been too late.
He wasn't the only one affected. Lucas's Raiders of the Lost Ark ran into trouble too. They ran into the infamous local food, and the whole crew was sick, with Spielberg nearly collapsing.
"Sigh, history sure has a way of repeating itself. This crew had the same issues in the original timeline. Now, though the timing's different, it's still the same?" William White was thinking mischievously, pondering that classic scene and wondering if it would happen this time.
If Spielberg didn't go for that scene, William White wouldn't mind using it. What film would that fit in?
In the original timeline, the crew was wiped out, leaving one scene supposed to be a fight. With Harrison Ford almost done for, they changed the script to just shoot the guy.
The scene was so cleverly done that many movies later paid homage.
Just imagine: the bad guy showing off all kinds of skills, and the hero just shoots him. That contrast is bound to amuse audiences.
William White's prediction was a bit off. Spielberg's crew wasn't as miserable as history suggested. They managed to wrap up filming, albeit barely.
"Cut, that's a wrap for this scene today."
With the stifling heat, they couldn't shoot many scenes a day. If not for reliable tech, who knows how long they'd be stuck.
...
William White wanted to acquire Disney and NBC. It was a nice thought, but absolutely challenging to do.
Firstly, the Disney family wouldn't want it. Such an acquisition would strip them of everything.
Don't underestimate their influence. While they might not be a big deal in the financial market, within the company it's a different story. They have a lot of loyal supporters. William White wanted a smooth transition without causing too much turmoil.
NBC was even more problematic. General Electric was interested, which was baffling.
Fortunately, the economy was in a downturn. Wanting to buy and being able to buy were two different things.
Before any conclusions could be made, another disruptor appeared. Suez, a French company, also showed interest in Disney and NBC.
This company was Vivendi's predecessor, a notorious capitalist entity in later years that ruined many companies.
"Are they raising the price, Filson? Let's back out."
"Okay, boss. Got it."
As the chief advisor of the think tank, Filson did not recommend his boss buy Disney. It would be acceptable to acquire them at a low price through financial means, but there's no point in entering a bidding war.
William White wasn't a fool. This might have been a test by Morgan Stanley, or perhaps the damned water company was serious. Really hard to understand why they wouldn't stick to utilities with fixed income instead of dabbling in industries they know nothing about.
White Films just decided not to engage. This once again shocked people.
William White terminated the negotiations and continued to acquire small and medium TV stations. Fox's TV network was also on the list.
This was quite a problem. Wall Street hadn't expected this guy to be so individualistic. Fox TV network, though not large, was way better than those small fry. If he successfully acquired it, he wouldn't even need NBC.
...
When William White put down the gauntlet, the French were stunned. The shares they held began to plummet. Things clearly weren't going in the direction they hoped.
Morgan Stanley was happy at first; having someone else join the bidding was great. They could play their high-bid game.
But now all they had was egg on their face. The capital markets were also hit hard by this back-and-forth buying. It was truly exhausting.
"That little brat really is one tough cookie."
"Boss, maybe the high price scared him off."
"Hmph, that kid is sharp. He wouldn't let anyone take advantage of him easily. It's not that simple to hitchhike a ride."
"Boss, are you saying he won't give up?"
"Of course not. He saw the French's weakness. Even if they acquired it, so what? Two years later, he could take it back at a very low cost."
"Ugh, so we're helping them get discounts? Those damned French, they really don't know any better."
"Hmph, while capital operations are important, it doesn't mean squat if you don't have a management strategy. And the biggest issue is, how could such a big TV network be controlled by foreigners?"
...
William White didn't care how tangled those people were. He started integrating his media system and turned a deaf ear to external doubts.
Dang it! When I wanted to buy, you all complained. Now that I'm not buying, you're talking about patriotism. Isn't that ridiculous?
Speaking of these media assets he held, they were indeed not very impressive. Not a single newspaper had sales over a million. That's all there is to it -- not much to boast about.
Integrating these failures was relatively simple. The editors wouldn't change much. Each newspaper had its own characteristics, and rash changes might make things worse.
But for the advertising, marketing, and distribution departments, there was no choice but to force integration. Fortunately, his comics were selling well and could absorb a lot of employees. Otherwise, the union might stir up trouble.
The newspapers that accepted William White's plan felt lucky. Most of their employees found suitable positions. After all, the boss was rapidly expanding. If you had the skills, you certainly wouldn't be ignored.
All this maneuvering was actually unnecessary. The best approach was mass layoffs -- internal recruitment had its flaws.
But the economic environment wasn't great, and William White was working on crafting his public image. Being known as a greedy overlord was not a good reputation.
The TV station integration was more painful. There were both broadcast channels and some cable stations, each with a common trait: they were all local small TV stations.
William White didn't have a major network yet, so he could only maintain the status quo. His requirement was simple: don't make things worse.
"Boss, the deal with Fox isn't going well either. They're not keen on selling."
"Hmm, we're just making a gesture. No need to seem too eager. Keep expanding the print media. Keep an eye on London and Paris. If something suitable comes up, get it immediately."
"Okay, boss."
*****
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