"Stop arguing, okay?"
"Hmph, that little chicken, I don't care about her. Tell me, is it really that much fun?" Nastassja Kinski, with her breezy nature, was quite impressive.
"Ahem, don't say that. We're just the pure kind of friends."
"Ha ha, you trying to kill me with laughter?"
"Hmph, believe me or not, I believe it."
"Oh please, you're so shameless and self-righteous. You need to comfort me."
"No, my back's a bit sore, take it easy."
"Hmph, do you have to go all out?"
Sigh, William White was speechless. Where was my imposing aura? Without that, I should at least have the charm of a Teddy bear, right?
He was overthinking it. He didn't have the charm, but he had the goods. These three women were known for being enchanted. Just dealing with one would be tough for most folks, and here he was, handling three at once. Not dropping dead was some main character magic.
Comforting Nastassja Kinski and Madonna Ciccone, naturally he had to also soothe Sharon Stone. After a flood of sweet talk, he still had to sign several unequal treaties just to barely pass.
Darn Academy, I just applied on a whim, and you still approved. Truly, what nonsense.
Someone said, just manage three at once. Why all the fuss?
But that wouldn't work. Nastassja Kinski was part of the crew. Madonna was the lead in the next movie. Bringing two was just right -- one a colleague, the other a date.
You couldn't just tag along on the red carpet. When you agree to attend, they need to know who your date is. If you're alone, the host might just pair you up.
Were there any expectations for winning? Of course. This year's competition wasn't heavy; the competition was fairly weak. If luck struck, winning an Oscar could be something to flaunt.
For now, it seemed more about participation. The King of the World wasn't something they could shout about yet.
...
"Hm, why so free?"
"Nothing much, just came to chat."
"Suzuki, bring us a cup of coffee. Make sure we're not disturbed."
"Okay, boss."
The two chatted leisurely until the assistant brought in the coffee. William White knew Bush Jr. definitely had matters at hand; otherwise a call would suffice, no need to come in person.
"How's the situation in Argentina?"
"You mean the Falklands? Just give it back, take some advantage, and call it even."
"Come on, it's not that simple. Heard the talks fell apart."
"Are you sure? That's great."
Bush Jr. looked baffled and said, "What's it got to do with you? Are you going to sell weapons?"
"Ha ha, gotcha. If they really fight, think about it, my movie is Evita, right? So I can change the name to, Don't Cry for Me, Argentina."
Seeing Bush Jr.'s bewildered face, William White felt quite the thrill. This intellectual smackdown made someone very pleased.
"Look, UK probably won't lose, so this name's pretty neat, ha ha."
"Okay, I'm sure now. You're definitely a jerk."
"Meh, that place is in an uproar. If anyone compromises on this issue, they'll be torn to pieces by the public, for some so-called oil wells, which is really unnecessary."
"Unnecessary? What a joke, the reserves are huge."
"Hmph, doesn't an offshore platform need investment? If relations are good, selling locally is fine, but in a dispute, who'd use your oil? Who'd allow you a refinery? Ship it to Europe for sale? That's a laugh."
Hearing a series of questions, Bush Jr. finally saw that the oil wells were as unreliable as it got. Better not get involved with family interests.
...
Legendary World and Viking Comics were both preparing for their stock market debuts.
To be honest, investment banks didn't want to go public so soon. They hoped to acquire more shares, instead of competing in the secondary market.
The biggest issue was that William White's companies didn't lack money, and he wasn't keen on expanding. Last month, he even considered giving dividends.
You have to admit, some people are quite whimsical.
"Are you short on cash?"
"Well, I'm trying to build a vacation resort, so money's a bit tight."
Actually, the consortium wanted to say, "Why don't you sell it to us and walk away with the money?"
A buyout or another round of financing is out of the question. Since that's the case, there's nothing else to say. You should just go public.
Going public isn't easy either. The biggest hassle is the valuation issue. A bunch of folks are eyeing it closely. If the valuation is too low, William White wouldn't even need to say anything; other shareholders would fiercely criticize the old guys at Morgan Stanley.
Morgan Stanley had wised up. They've decided to delay. The comic company's valuation is nearly 6 billion dollars, and this price has been widely accepted.
The surge in valuation was attributed not only to the roaring sales of Transformers toys but also to the high advertising fees at the end of the year. With this trend, next year's fees will likely keep rising.
The video game company was a baffling case. They ran out of stock, making it difficult to appraise.
Was this just a flash in the pan? Or something else?
The most outrageous valuation came from the Japanese conglomerate. They insisted that anything under 7 billion was a bargain. If that's the price, they'd take it, however much was available.
The American consortium had doubts about this valuation. Currently, you're just doing OEMs, and the Japanese already have the production rights. Once their products hit the market, will you still have this revenue?
They never planned to go through with it. Was William White out of his mind to play with production authorization? This was a surefire way to squander the family fortune.
*****
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