[Chapter 847: Daddy's Favoritism]
As Eric took the microphone handed to him by Bill Olsen, he surprised himself by not sitting in the chair that was placed before him. This detail had completely caught him off guard, and he understood that Bill hoped he would stay on stage a little longer.
Like Bill, Eric patted the back of the folding chair and looked out at the audience. In the front rows sat figures who, in both this life and the past, shone with an incredible brilliance. They lifted their heads slightly, gazing up at him. Reminded of the moments from his rebirth over the years, Eric felt an unprecedented sense of ambition swelling in his heart. The inexplicable emotions he'd been wrestling with lately seemed to vanish in an instant.
Once the room fell silent, he rested a hand on the back of the chair and said, "I think when everyone sees an empty chair, the first reaction is to sit down, especially when you realize that this chair represents your place. However, for the next few minutes, I need to resist the urge to sit. I hope I can continue to curb similar impulses in the future. Because once we sit down, we often start to seek comfort and lose the drive to move forward."
Many people in the audience seemed puzzled by Eric's sudden remarks. Some journalists even treated this moment as a carefully orchestrated stunt. Therefore, when Eric's speech concluded, the applause that followed was polite but not particularly enthusiastic.
Yet Eric's smile didn't waver. He continued, "Many might not understand why I am saying this; I'm not at the age where I should be preaching life's philosophies. In truth, I just felt compelled to say it. This chair shouldn't even be here on this stage, just as I shouldn't be standing here according to the original plan. Everything changed just two hours ago. What transpired? I believe the hundreds of media friends present here will uncover all the details before sunset today. The reason you all gathered here is that you recognized Fireflyer and Yahoo Music Store's disruptive impact on the entire recording industry. But it's clear that those who have already settled into their own chairs and are enjoying comfort won't want to see such change. Thus, they instinctively find ways to delay or even prevent it."
Once Eric finished speaking, a buzz of discussion filled the banquet hall, and the cameras flashed wildly again. Some eager reporters had even begun dialing their phones.
Eric knew that revealing what had transpired just hours before wouldn't significantly affect Sony; it would merely add some pressure from the media. But, feeling inspired, he continued, "In this era of technological explosion, every company leader should realize that rather than being replaced by others, it's better to replace themselves. I admit that traditional portable music players are excellent and have brought us much joy. However, that shouldn't be a reason to resist change. Innovation and technological progress are major trends of our time. Now, I can proudly say that Fireflyer is a groundbreaking product. But I still look forward to the day something will replace Fireflyer, hopefully created by other companies within the Firefly ecosystem. As for those stubbornly holding onto their 'chairs,' I will not persuade or beg you for change. I will dismantle your 'chairs' and shatter everything surrounding you until you have nothing left!"
Eric's bold declaration left everyone momentarily stunned and silent, but soon, the loudest applause and cheers of the press conference erupted. In the society, there was a general reverence for freedom and daring to challenge authority. Eric's words ignited excitement in many, and the applause lasted over a minute before he could proceed to the next segment.
...
After the Fireflyer conference ended, beginning with the evening news the following day, headlines across North America and even around the world featured Eric beside the folding chair. His words echoed as the most stirring declaration of the release.
However, while there was overwhelming anticipation for Fireflyer from the media and public, not everyone was enthusiastic.
Just as Eric predicted, the day after the press conference, media outlets dug up information that Celine Dion had canceled her performance at the Fireflyer event due to pressure from Sony Records.
Surrounded by reporters, Sony US CEO Howard Stringer expressed that the Fireflyer was too reliant on CD drives and USB ports in PC hardware. While personal computer sales reached an astonishing 26 million units in North America in 1996 -- surpassing traditional home appliances like televisions -- many computers lacked the crucial CD drive and USB port, which had only been implemented in recent years. Among last year's 26 million PCs, fewer than 5 million had both interfaces. Even now, over half of the prevalent PC models lacked them. Although the Fireflyer was priced at an affordable $299, most families would not consider updating their thousands-of-dollars-worth computers for a music player. Therefore, for a long time, Fireflyer would remain a niche product, unable to compete with mainstream players like Walkman, CD players, and MD players.
...
Eric was well aware of Howard Stringer's concerns; Firefly Electronics had compiled detailed market research already.
However, considering just last year's and this year's PC sales, North America would still have at least 10 million PCs capable of connecting to a Fireflyer. Eric remained optimistic about the sales, while Bill Olsen predicted they could achieve sales of 100,000 units of Fireflyer in the remaining nine months of the year.
Historically, MP3 players first appeared in Japan and South Korea, using lower-capacity flash storage, and were not only expensive but also held fewer songs than traditional tape cassettes, leading to a prolonged lack of popularity. Apple's iPod, which utilized microdrives, also struggled to gain traction due to Steve Jobs' initial closed platform strategy. It wasn't until 2005, after much persuasion from Apple executives, that Jobs allowed the iPod to be compatible with Windows, paving the way for its reversal over traditional players, achieving sales of over 22 million units that year -- double what the iPod had sold through the closed platform in previous years.
To Eric, the iPod's platform opening era in 2005 missed the golden period for MP3 players. As more mobile devices supported music playback, MP3 players quickly faded. Meanwhile, Fireflyer seemed to have everything in place from the start; it used a large-capacity microdrive and was compatible with Windows. Even if its capabilities, functions, and computer support hadn't reached a later level of convenience, he remained very optimistic about Fireflyer's future.
However, it would prove that neither Eric nor the management of Firefly Electronics' outlook of 100,000 sales in 1997 was overly optimistic.
...
Following the April 2nd press conference, Fireflyer officially went on sale on April 5th at Best Buy stores and platforms like Amazon, achieving an impressive total of 25,000 units sold on launch day. This number was not merely coincidental; it reflected the total stock available across sales platforms. Before 4 PM that day, retail locations nationwide announced they were sold out, with Amazon's 5,000-unit stock of Fireflyer also vanishing by the evening.
Fortunately, anticipating a surge in initial sales following over a month of promotional buildup, Firefly Electronics had pre-stocked 100,000 players. That evening, they swiftly resupplied retail locations from various warehouses across the East and West coasts, and their San Francisco Fireflyer assembly plant also ramped up production to a maximum output of 150,000 units monthly.
While many media outlets attributed the successful launch day sales of Fireflyer to advertising and hype, when the product surpassed 100,000 units sold four days after launch and daily sales showed no signs of decline, public perception shifted. Some retailers even began to increase Fireflyer's prices.
In just four days, they recorded 100,000 in sales, with single-day sales hitting 25,000 units. Based on this trend, even if consumer interest cooled over time, Fireflyer's total sales for the year would certainly be more than 1 million units.
Thus, Sony and other traditional portable player manufacturers began to feel an urgency. After all, even the best-selling Walkman only sold 15 million units annually, averaging less than 50,000 a day. This figure accounted for the total sales across all major consumer markets. When focusing solely on North America, Walkman's daily sales paled in comparison to Fireflyer's recent astounding sales figures.
Consequently, on April 8th, the day it was announced that Fireflyer sales exceeded 100,000 units, Sony Records hurriedly announced they would file a lawsuit in San Francisco federal court, claiming that Fireflyer would lead to increased online music piracy, demanding that production and sales of the Fireflyer player be prohibited.
...
The next day, April 9th, a Gulfstream V business jet landed at a small private airport in East Hampton, Long Island. Firefly Electronics CEO Victor McNally and President Bill Olsen exited the jet and were greeted by a black Bentley waiting for them.
In just a few days, the two of them could easily describe it as being extraordinarily busy. The success came swiftly and intensely; they both felt a heightened sense of excitement, with Fireflyer achieving $30 million in sales within just four days. Even if the data cut in half as consumer enthusiasm waned, Fireflyer still wouldn't sell fewer than 3 million units this year, which translated to $1 billion in annual sales.
A billion dollars for a newly launched company was nothing short of a miracle, and both men were looking forward to substantial bonuses and stock options as a reward. Of course, the foundation for all of this was that Firefly Electronics needed to expand its production capacity quickly. The current factory in San Francisco capped its monthly output at 150,000 units, which couldn't satisfy market demand.
With plans to discuss new cooperation agreements with component suppliers worldwide, Victor McNally and Bill Olsen had filled their schedules for the week. However, Eric called them that morning, insisting they fly to New York to meet him and even sent a plane from Firefly to pick them up. Although Victor McNally and Bill Olsen hoped that any issues could be resolved through a conference call, Eric's firm stance compelled them to board the plane.
As their Bentley entered East Hampton's city center, Victor McNally expressed his dissatisfaction with Eric's arrangements, musing softly, "Eric probably wants to discuss the impending lawsuit from Sony Records. I feel this worry is completely unnecessary. After all, based on Sony's past experiences with lawsuits regarding their video recorders, federal court is likely to dismiss Sony's requests outright without even filing a case."
The American legal system follows a precedent-based model, using past judicial decisions as a basis for judging similar current cases. Sony faced a decade-long copyright infringement lawsuit from Disney and Universal regarding their video recorders, which ultimately ended with Sony's victory. This current potential lawsuit against Fireflyer mirrored that situation almost exactly; traditionally, federal courts would dismiss Sony Records' lawsuit according to the principles of judicial precedent. One could only wonder how Sony's executives felt, knowing that the foundation for dismissing their lawsuit rested on rights they themselves had spent long years fighting for.
Bill Olsen glanced at the driver in the front seat. He was far more adept at navigating social nuances compared to Victor McNally, who focused on technical research and development. Thus, rather than joining the complaints, he simply smiled in agreement, then looked out the car window at the neighborhood, suddenly remembering something. He turned to the driver and asked, "Mr. Moen, do you know of any good gift shops nearby?"
"Of course, just a little further up ahead," Carter Moen replied as he glanced in the rearview mirror at Bill Olsen.
"Then please stop there later," Bill said.
"Sure thing," Carter Moen nodded with a smile.
Victor McNally raised an eyebrow, puzzled, "What do we need to go to the gift shop for?"
Bill Olsen, feeling a bit exasperated by his straightforward but somewhat emotionally clueless partner, discreetly kicked him on the leg, signaling him to be quiet. Eric had mentioned a few days ago in San Francisco that he was heading to East Hampton to celebrate his two children's birthdays. Eric had been open about having kids, indicating he was quite close to them. Although they weren't sure if the children's birthdays had already passed, it seemed inappropriate to arrive empty-handed.
Carter Moen soon parked the car outside a boutique in East Hampton's downtown. Bill Olsen and Victor McNally exited the car and selected two nice birthday gifts before finally making their way to Eric's seaside estate.
...
Upon entering the estate, Victor McNally and Bill Olsen followed Virginia, who greeted them, into the villa. The two soon realized that this home had two female hosts, as it was Joanna Pacula, who played the female lead in Twister, who served them coffee.
Eric, dressed in a light-colored sweater and casual pants, was playing with two children around four years old in the corner of the living room, constructing with Lego blocks. Despite the odd scene, an unexplainable harmony filled the room. Seeing the two enter, Eric approached with the little boy in his arms. Victor McNally and Bill Olsen pretended not to notice and handed Eric their gifts. After thanking them, Eric smiled and introduced, "This is my son, Kevin, and this is Elia, my daughter."
Eric didn't formally introduce the two women, which eased the tension for Victor McNally and Bill Olsen. They greeted the little ones as if they were two odd uncles. The boy hesitated, hiding behind his father's shoulder, while the little girl, with her beautiful big eyes, curiously studied the two men but didn't respond to their greetings, putting Victor McNally and Bill Olsen in an awkward position.
After some casual small talk, Eric stood up, ready to take the men to his study for business discussions.
Virginia approached to take Kevin, but Eric simply shook his head and said, "I've got him. Also, Jeff Bezos will be coming over soon, so let him wait a bit."
With that, Eric started up the stairs carrying Kevin, while noticing a small figure following them. "Sweetheart, you can't come with us," Eric gently told Elia.
Looking at her brother still in her father's embrace, Elia blinked and said, "Daddy's favoritism."
Despite the complaint, Victor McNally and Bill Olsen sensed something peculiar in the girl's tone; it seemed oddly unemotional for a daughter expressing envy towards her father.
However, they chose not to delve deeper into it and exchanged quiet glances as they followed Eric up the stairs.
Eric seemed to have not heard his daughter's complaint, only smiling as he remarked, "Stay here and don't cause any trouble."
With Virginia and Joanna's light laughter around them, the little girl realized her words hadn't had the desired effect and obediently halted her steps, watching her father lead the two guests upstairs.
*****
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