[Chapter 519: Calm]
After collaborating with Columbia on Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Eric had four more film development projects lined up according to their initial agreement. With Columbia's lucrative overseas distribution resources now in hand, Eric found his enthusiasm waning. Unfortunately, Peter Guber clung tightly to him as soon as Eric wrapped up the post-production for Jurassic Park. Not only did Peter call several times a day, but he also showed up at Firefly's headquarters or Liberty City Manor every few days. Eric had no choice but to start picking the remaining collaboration projects. After all, Firefly was expected to take a sixty percent cut of the profits, so he couldn't simply pick a few films at random -- doing so would be self-sabotage, which gave him a headache just thinking about it.
Nicole's salary negotiations with Universal for The Mummy project went smoothly; she gave up the $10 million payday in exchange for an 8% profit share from the entire Mummy franchise. Eric heard that this contract sparked quite a debate within Universal. Michael Eisner pushed to pay Nicole in cash, but the board insisted on the profit-sharing deal to minimize investment risk. In the end, even Panasonic's higher-ups got involved, forcing Michael Eisner to go along with the board's decision.
After Eric looked over the outline for the Mummy series that Universal had drafted and confirmed that a legion of the undead would appear in the sequel, he instructed Digital Domain to reach out to Universal, hoping to secure the special effects production for the Mummy series.
Due to Eric's extensive investment in tech development, Industrial Light & Magic had fallen significantly behind Digital Domain in the CGI effects. Although Michael Eisner managed to secure some long-term cooperative agreements with Industrial Light & Magic through Spielberg's connections, he couldn't refuse Digital Domain's offer. After all, he couldn't pass up the chance to make Universal's films shine visually. However, Eisner didn't hand all of Mummy's effects to Digital Domain. Citing the tight production schedule, he split the effects work between Industrial Light & Magic and Digital Domain. Eric was only interested in the special effects scenes involving the undead, so he didn't object.
...
TG Films' sale to Fox was just a preliminary step, and the actual transaction would have to wait until at least this year's projects were completed. Drew and Elizabeth focused their energies on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Jim Carrey's new film, while Charlize Theron's small interlude didn't affect the process of selecting the lead actress for Buffy the Vampire Slayer. If all went well, production for the series would start at the end of March.
After some research, Jim Carrey's new film was set to be the much-anticipated sequel to Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. In the original timeline, this sequel fared much better than the first film, and Eric was involved in offering a few suggestions for the script. Since she wasn't in any rush to sell, Drew wouldn't be able to detach herself anytime soon, which also meant that the production for Charlie's Angels didn't have to be hurried.
Eric had planned to hand over the script development for Charlie's Angels to Firefly's writing team. However, after some thought, he decided to tackle it himself. With the imminent arrival of two little ones, he knew he would have a relatively free period in New York, which was perfect for slowly conceptualizing the script for Charlie's Angels. Aiming to mimic the 007 franchise, the movie series certainly needed a comprehensive worldview and storyline. In this regard, with countless film narratives swirling in his mind, Eric was undoubtedly more adept than most. So, during this time, he carried a small notebook with him everywhere to jot down any inspiration regarding Charlie's Angels that struck him.
...
Amidst all these scattered thoughts, Forbes magazine added to the chaos. In early March, Forbes released its annual list of the top 400 wealthiest individuals in North America. While Eric didn't land the top spot, his $7.5 billion net worth still caught the media's attention. Although he wasn't the richest in terms of wealth on the list, his age was notably striking. After his birthday in May of that year, Eric would only be 23 years old, a fact even billionaires like Bill Gates, who had a net worth exceeding $5 billion, couldn't compete with. While Gates had once been dubbed "the youngest billionaire," he was soon approaching his forties.
Of course, if it were just about age, it wouldn't have been a significant issue; Eric could simply brush off what people said. However, regarding the source of Eric's wealth, despite Forbes providing a clear analysis, many media outlets continued to harbor various malicious speculations. Some even called for the federal government to conduct an investigation to give taxpayers an explanation.
There was certainly no explanation forthcoming, but the controversy was undeniable.
In the midst of this tumultuous environment, Eric was busy until late March, wrapping up all his matters before hurrying off to New York.
...
In East Hampton on Long Island, due to the prolonged stay of two women, Eric had returned the originally rented estate. In January, he had Chris in New York purchase a five-acre small manor not far from the ocean. Returning to New York, Virginia and Joanna had already moved in.
The weather in New York remained cold at the end of March. Although it hadn't snowed again, the highest temperature still didn't exceed 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and it occasionally dipped below thirty.
After being busy with work, Eric unexpectedly found himself enjoying the tranquility of the small manor, a stark contrast to his usual hectic life. However, for both women, going out was certainly not advisable in the early morning or late evening. They could only walk outside when the weather warmed up around noon.
A rare sunny day graced New York, and without the usual wind, the sunlight felt pleasantly warm. Eric stood on the freshly greening lawn before an easel, holding a charcoal pencil as he quietly whispered small talk while sketching Joanna, who sat quietly on a bench by the roadside. She had said she wanted to keep the drawing as a memento, to show their little one what mom looked like while expecting.
Thanks to the nutritional supplements during her pregnancy, Joanna's cheeks had filled out, losing their previous gauntness, making her look even more beautiful with her sparkling eyes. As for Virginia, she absolutely forbade Eric from making any comments about her round face. Sensing Eric's excitement for the little one in her womb, she became even more audacious.
As the sound of a car approached, Eric didn't turn around. Before coming to New York, Chris had mentioned he would bring his girlfriend over, and he had called the night before to confirm it.
From a distance, Eric heard Virginia and Chris chatting. They exchanged a few words before making their way toward Eric.
He noticed Joanna slightly tilted her chin and smiled behind him. Turning around, he saw the three of them approaching.
"Eric, that's a beautiful drawing," Emily Brighton said, somewhat enviously. She had always been interested in art, but had to enroll in business school to step into the family business.
Chris chimed in with a joke, "Yeah, if you decide not to direct in the future, you could still make a living with that talent."
Virginia looked at the nearly finished portrait, feeling a bit envious. However, she resolutely refused to leave any images of herself behind, thinking this was the ugliest phase she had experienced in her life. With that in mind, she instinctively shot a glare at Eric, letting out her small frustration on him.
"This guy is to blame for everything," she thought with certainty.
Standing on the other side, Emily and Chris noticed Virginia's expression, stifling chuckles but not saying anything.
Eric meticulously sketched out the lines while listening to Chris's teasing, smiling as he replied, "Your suggestion isn't off the table, considering I'm free at the moment. I could grab a spot in Times Square to make some money; that way, I can buy a few packs of formula for the two little ones."
Of course, that was just a joke. After a few exchanges, Virginia pulled Emily along to prepare lunch. During Eric's absence, Emily often visited the two women; the three had become very good friends.
Chris, however, didn't leave. With his hands in his jacket pockets, he watched Eric draw and asked, "How long do you plan to stay in New York this time?"
"If there's nothing else, I'll do my best to stick around until just before the summer blockbuster season," Eric thought for a moment, unsure.
Chris laughed, "From the sound of that, I bet you won't last that long."
Eric shook his head lightly, "There's nothing I can do about it. I envy many of my colleagues; they get to take several stable months off every year. I heard that John Malone from Tele-Communications only works six months a year and spends the remaining six months vacationing around the world with his family."
Tele-Communications was a major stakeholder in QVC, a company Eric had been monitoring, especially as they competed with Viacom for Paramount.
"They are all old-timers, successful and established, so they can afford to take it easy. Not to mention, none of them have hit the top ten on Forbes at just 23 like you, right?"
Eric sighed slightly, "True enough, you have to give something up to get something in return. Hopefully, the two little ones won't feel too distant from me in the future."
Chris was uncertain how to continue the conversation but thought for a moment and said, "Speaking of the Forbes list, I've been registering several companies in Bermuda and the Cayman Islands over the past few weeks. We can leverage these offshore companies to invest in the ones we hold and gradually dilute Firefly's stake in them. I've recently started discussions with Steve Case about our shares in America Online. The 30% stake we have can be spread across several foundations, so eventually, Firefly Investments could become a 'shell' that won't appear on the list of shareholders for a public company."
"That sounds best. A few days ago in Los Angeles, those paparazzi really came down hard on me. Some of those guys were even stirring the pot, it was such a hassle."
Chris laughed, "Even if we hide Firefly Investments, if Firefly Entertainment keeps growing at this rate, you'll eventually find yourself at the top position anyway. Many are already questioning Forbes' estimates, claiming they undervalue Firefly Entertainment, and the Wall Street crowd finds Forbes' valuation ridiculous."
"Let's cross that bridge when we come to it. I'll just split Firefly Entertainment's shares, if necessary," Eric remarked, suddenly recalling something and asked, "How's Hotmail's online email system doing? I haven't seen any updates in the latest files?"
"It's already building the servers," Chris replied, looking a bit helpless. "The core code for the online email was near completion a long time ago, but that Steve Mitnick guy is unhappy with the encryption for email passwords and is working with his team on a brand new encryption algorithm. If all goes well, we should be able to use it by April. I've kept an eye on movements in the internet market, and so far, I haven't spotted any companies researching similar technologies. So waiting a while longer won't hurt us. Even if a competitor emerges, we can outpromote them with our IE and Yahoo portals."
Eric nodded, growing increasingly interested in the other Steve Chris mentioned. "I definitely want to meet him when I have time. I find perfectionist obsessives particularly fascinating, especially those who stick to their ideals so firmly."
Chris made a face, saying, "Once you meet him, you might have the urge to punch someone."
As he finished the drawing, lunch time was approaching. Eric took the easel down and joined Joanna sitting on the bench, quietly discussing a few things. Then the two greeted Chris and headed straight for the villa. Chris looked at their retreating figures, then glanced at the lonely easel on the lawn, helplessly shrugging and jokingly cursing Eric for being so heartless to women before rolling up his sleeves to disassemble the easel and carry it after them.
At lunch, the dining room became entirely the domain of the three women. Women, after all, were naturally talkative beings, and since Emily had become familiar with both of them, she was exceptionally chatty. During the meal, they chattered from the little one's impending arrival to future plans 18 years down the line. After finishing lunch, still relishing the conversations, they brushed aside Eric and Chris to gather in a small guest room in the villa, discussing plans for a small pre-baby party.
Eric and Chris weren't particularly interested in those topics, so they retreated to the study to discuss company affairs.
*****
https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.