That summer, American audiences were pretty happy with both Dances with Wolves and Rambo III hitting theaters one after the other. These two high-quality films drew even more folks to the cinemas.
A film competing for the Oscars stood up surprisingly well against Rambo, it had to be said, its quality was top-notch.
Rambo III was a commercial flick, and its near thirty million dollar opening weekend was understandable; as a Western, Dances with Wolves sharing the same revenue was indeed quite shocking.
"William, if there hadn't been a head-on collision at the box office, would it have performed even better?"
"Lucas, give it up! Do you really think there's a way to avoid collisions during summer? That is utterly impossible -- two weeks apart isn't much. Besides, a film going for Oscars with a hundred million at the box office is already impressive."
"True enough. Just wondering if those old coots will throw you a curveball again."
"Man, I hope they get their act together. Honestly, I've lost my patience with those old-timers."
Lucas chuckled but said nothing; everyone knows the Academy is tough to deal with. But with the way things stood, you were far more complex to handle than the Academy.
...
The Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan was not just a simple event; it marked their rapid decline. If they had any way out, they would've certainly come up with a plan before leaving. The current situation clearly indicated issues within their own ranks.
William White had no interest in understanding the Soviets' plans. He only saw that once this giant bear fell, there would be a little less aggression in the world.
Rambo III did well at the box office, and Coca-Cola seemed hesitant to sell. If not for their major shareholders, they might have seriously changed their mind.
William White didn't easily meddle in company operations; he had his limits. If they disrupted his overall strategy, there was nothing left to say. Nowadays, even the most capable CEO wouldn't matter -- they'd just be sent home to dig potatoes.
...
The choices of equipment and suppliers for Tesla left Morgan Stanley utterly stunned.
Looking at the suppliers' directory, it was clear that Tesla had no involvement from any American auto companies. Not only was the entire assembly line German, but even the tire suppliers had opted for Michelin and Bridgestone.
The entire automotive industry immediately began to condemn William White.
Good grief, this guy was worse than the Japanese; he straight-up ignored American suppliers.
Faced with the outrage from the masses, Tesla's response was pretty sharp. "We hope you can channel your extra energy into improving product quality instead of wasting it on lobbying. You should first be entrepreneurs, not politicians."
A group of industry bigwigs were left wide-eyed. They knew he had a sharp tongue, but they didn't expect him to be so brazen; even the Japanese and the European car companies wouldn't dare to talk like that.
Of course, William White wanted to tell those fools that the Japanese and Europeans needed to pay attention to America's reputation. "I'm American, alright? If your products are no good and yet you want me to buy them at exorbitant prices, it's infuriating that you dare to act all high and mighty."
Well, now they were waking up to the reality that William White didn't have to care about their feelings. If they didn't change their strategies, the second batch of suppliers would say goodbye to them too.
The American auto industry had serious problems -- it wasn't just about assembly plants; the entire supply chain was at fault.
Now it was out in the open; nobody could manage to distance themselves from it.
William White's audacity was certainly infuriating. What was more surprising was that the Japanese and European investors seemed to have plans to increase their investments in him.
Without comparison, there was no harm; clearly, the problem wasn't with William White. American companies needed to reflect on themselves.
...
"William, you're pretty relaxed, still making movies while outside it's chaos," George Bush chuckled wryly, unsure of what else to say.
"George, these issues stem from complacency. They want to charge me prices 30% higher than General Motors. Are they trying to fool around? Honestly, if I don't teach them a harsh lesson, they might just think they're untouchable."
"So overpriced?" George looked as if he had seen a ghost.
"Hmph, it's even worse -- there's all sorts of ridiculous demands. I'm too lazy to even get into it; if I published their conditions, I bet they'd be embarrassed to the point of suicide."
"Tsk, I get it. Someone's pulling strings."
"Heh, you're not as naive as you look. It's said that monopolistic companies are cancer -- I'll admit that. Look at how they're committing price fraud and still have the audacity to bother me. Honestly, I don't want to offend too many people at once."
George understood now; William White didn't want to get too involved. If he did, the situation would be much worse.
"Well, I bet those old-timers are finally seeing the light. If they're still clueless after this, then there's truly nothing to be done."
Bush Sr. didn't want to see the situation escalate either; he just wanted to get a grip on the specifics in case someone asked.
"My Tesla hasn't skimped on hiring Americans, and in fact, I'm set to implement my dealership plan. I'm going to start with a hundred stores. Don't worry, I won't make your old man look bad."
"Ha! I see, that's a solid plan."
Now that Bush Sr. had the details, he was feeling at ease. As for those American suppliers, they'd have to fend for themselves.
Major American car companies were starting to have a rough time, realizing they had stirred this pot and now wanted to put William White in his place. They hadn't anticipated that if it weren't an election year, they would've faced an even bigger backlash.
William White was a newcomer in the business, but he wasn't someone to underestimate; his legal team could give even the Justice Department headaches.
For the conglomerates, these little partners were just too foolish and petty. Each of them had dozens of car brands; why band together to tackle one new company? That was just embarrassing.
William White had no intention of going to war with the conglomerates, and neither did they. The Japanese were facing a critical moment in their slaughtering of the market; how could they let a small issue get under their skin?
After getting an earful from their boss, the major auto groups realized something. In the automotive industry, they might still hold sway, but in overall strength, they weren't much of a match. Unless their boss stepped in, they'd best play nice.
The automotive union that had been raving about the situation quieted down. They still felt aggrieved, but they were helpless. With no factories in America, if they went on strike, they'd only make William White laugh.
...
"President, it looks like Tesla has quite the opportunity; your decision back then was brilliant."
"Heh, we at Mitsui & Co. certainly need to cooperate well; let's see if the engine factory can buy in as well."
"I understand."
Though the Japanese noticed that William White's stock account was decreasing, they didn't pay it much mind since the drop wasn't significant. After all, this guy had been investing in too many projects lately -- having scarce funds was somewhat inevitable.
*****
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