Chapter 377: Chapter 99 Michael Ovitz

“Well, that’s it, the meeting is adjourned,” Claude announced, and the attending executives breathed a sigh of relief as they quickly got up to leave.

“They looked frightened,” said Adrian, sitting at the head of the table, half-jokingly, after everyone had left. Adrian had not spoken much during the entire meeting; aside from necessary topics, it was mostly Claude adjusting, arranging, and criticizing, which was probably why he always seemed to be sidelined.

“Most of them are just pretending,” Claude said indifferently, waving his hand. “I didn’t put much pressure on them. They just want to act committed to show they are trying hard. You have to distinguish who the real workers are.”

“That’s okay, with you here, I really don’t need to worry about those things.” Adrian spread his hands with a look of pride.

“You, you…” Claude glared at him, but deep inside he probably couldn’t help feeling a bit proud as well.

“All right, Claude, though there were some minor issues, overall, it was a good start. It’s not enough to support a sweeping overhaul of ABC yet, but we can’t wait much longer either.” Adrian said, pointing to his head, “I still have many ideas here.”

“Everybody Loves Raymond” finally started airing on ABC in mid-January ’96 after rushing through casting and production. Thanks to effective promotion, Adrian’s gimmicks, and extensive prior secrecy to preserve the script, the first episode’s viewer rating hit ten percent, meaning about twelve million people tuned in! Although these figures couldn’t compare with “Friends,” it was still an unprecedented high for ABC in recent years, and according to feedback, many people liked the show–it was warm, funny, humorous, and suited for family viewing, so the viewer rating remained the same for the second episode.

This was undoubtedly a strong motivator, delighting the restructured ABC executives and making many critics optimistic about their prospects.

“The fact proves that being acquired by AC Media was very correct. It took just half a year to see improvement. It might not continue but it’s certainly a great start. Had it been Disney, ABC might not have seen such early signs of dawn,” a financial magazine thus wrote.

However, while “Everybody Loves Raymond” had expected success, the simultaneous airing of the reality show “Survivor” did not receive as much enthusiasm. There were indeed a lot of participants, attracted by the substantial rewards for the winners, but the viewer ratings after airing were mediocre–neither very hot nor too terrible.

“A few people spending some time in the wilderness, getting eliminated if they don’t meet the objective–it’s an interesting idea, but… I feel like it’s lacking something,” a viewer commented during a survey.

“It sounds like it should be thrilling, but it’s actually not as exciting as I imagined, so if there were better options, I’d definitely watch something else,” another viewer said.

“Adventure and excitement are the themes and highlights of this reality show! I don’t know how you guys perceive it, but the first two episodes completely missed this mark. The scenic views of the island were there, but where were the dangers, the oddities, the adventurers’ exciting experiences? The only part well executed was the emotionally charged voting for elimination. I hope the producers seriously consider what the audience want to see,” Adrian remarked, one of his rare comments during the meeting.

He couldn’t be sure if his observations were correct; though he had made time to watch a few episodes of “Survivor,” his knowledge about the show was limited to his past life. But no matter, he would let the producers refine the show. These professionals were competent; what they needed was experience. The viewership for “Everybody Loves Raymond” was still good, and if required, he could introduce more exciting series. Building a top-notch reality show team was most crucial, otherwise, even with solid show ideas, they would repeat the same mistakes.

“That’s for sure, we have the Miracle Director, a big-shot who can stir political turmoil in a country with a movie,” Claude laughed heartily.

“Oh, come on, Claude, let’s not bring up those Jokers,” Adrian said somewhat helplessly, waving his hand. “Those guys are just putting on a show, just like all politicians trying to capitalize on the opportunity, essentially no different from Clinton running for reelection. At least Clinton had some achievements in economy, while they were just for themselves.”

Despite the harsh criticism it received, the Scottish independence proposition not only wasn’t withdrawn but also gained the support of a few members of the Scottish Parliament, although they knew it was an impossible quest. The media hyped it up considerably, creating quite a stir, fortunately, most ordinary Scots showed little interest, preventing an uncontrollable situation.

Even so, Adrian could be proud–at least, the original “Braveheart” had caused similar uproar, but not as prominently as now. This was all thanks to Adrian’s established reputation; unbeknownst to him, he had gained such immense influence.

“OK, let’s not talk about this, but you seem to have a good opinion of Clinton, the president in ‘The Rock’ is not based on him, is it?” Claude asked again.

“Of course not, I don’t think any president would feel that way–have you seen it already?” Adrian curiously looked at his buddy.

“Of course, it knocked ‘Braveheart’ off the top spot as soon as it was released, and it received so much praise, why wouldn’t I go see it?” Claude spread his hands.

In the second week of ‘Braveheart’s’ release, ‘The Rock’ also premiered, and over the weekend it swept away $28 million at the box office. With an air of unbeatability, it naturally dethroned ‘Braveheart.’

After all, Americans still prefer movies from their own country, and this film was both explosive and thrilling. The initial scenes with General Hammer, the raid on the naval armory, and the fierce fight in the Alcatraz toilet were all classic and shocking. Adrian even remembered that in his previous life someone had commented that if he were a soldier, he would also like to work under someone like General Hammer, let alone the hero-complex Americans.

With the music still composed by Hans Zimmer, it was as stirring and blood-boiling as ever–Hans Zimmer is a prolific composer, and being prolific, sometimes it’s inevitable that there might be some repetition. In fact, when Adrian collected his information, he found that last year’s film score had traces of the iconic music from ‘The Rock,’ so he didn’t interfere too much.

The performances of the three leads were also quite spectacular. Nicholas Cage was at his peak, capturing the character’s image perfectly, at times dignified yet fearful, at others brave and fearless, all while maintaining a special sense of humor. For example, at the end when the FBI director didn’t believe that old Mason’s body had been evaporated, he squinted his eyes but answered seriously, “Yes, evaporated,” with a look that said, “I’m the expert, trust me,” which really made you want to laugh.

Ed Harris and Sean Connery need no introduction; both are seasoned actors, especially Connery, who was the first Bond. All these factors combined, it would be bizarre if the film wasn’t popular, so the Weinstein brothers were quite thrilled when the premiere results came out.

“If there are more films like this, we might as well give them some, Miramax and New Line are different after all, and it’ll make Robert envious for a while.” After talking a bit more about various aspects of ‘The Rock,’ Claude said, then remembered something and asked, “By the way, I heard about Sean Connery…”

“I didn’t ask,” Claude shook his head, “Maybe someone else did, but I didn’t hear it, you know, many things are just talk.”

Claude’s intended question was about the rumor that Sean Connery wouldn’t return to Scotland unless it was independent, which was really boring. Many topics were just statements or misinterpretations twisted by the media or hyped up, and it’s not like Connery never returned to the UK. To say he hasn’t been to Scotland would be hard for anyone to believe.

“I was just curious,” Claude shrugged.

“We can be curious some other time; it’s almost time.” Adrian looked at the time and stood up.

The two then left the conference room together, went to the parking lot of the building, and got into a van. After they set off, they resumed their conversation.

“What do you think, Claude?” Adrian asked.

“He’s very capable, the company’s position today is not just because of him alone, so just having him, it’s still uncertain how much of an impact he can make,” Claude thought for a moment and then replied.

“But if we could bring others in too–without saying whether it’s possible–we’d be diluted, right?” Adrian started to laugh.

Claude shrugged in agreement, waiting for him to continue.

“He’s enough on his own, he’s the CEO, and he understands the structure of the entire company best, and…” Adrian adjusted his position to make himself more comfortable, “you have me, right?”

“Yes, and you…” Claude suddenly sighed, took two cups from the car’s refrigerator, filled them with purified water, and abruptly changed the subject, “I’ve acquired Victoria’s Secret, do you have any good suggestions?”

Adrian, who was just about to drink, almost spat it out. He had long forgotten the advice he had initially given Claude. Although Charlize prepared detailed reports every month and sent them to him, he always liked having his female secretary sit on his lap and read to him the parts he wanted to hear. With such distractions, it was natural to miss such news. However, even if he had the reports, he might not have noticed.

“Did you really acquire Victoria’s Secret?” Adrian asked after clearing his throat.

“Of course, they were just transitioning, seeking television collaboration, and since we own a broadcaster like ABC, and their parent company was skeptical of their transition, being a mass-market brand, we bought it for almost nothing. More importantly, this was your suggestion,” Claude said confidently, as if he had no personal agenda and was completely considering it from the company’s perspective.

Adrian rolled his eyes dismissively, “When we acquired the game and animation studios, you were not as decisive and swift.”

“That’s because I couldn’t be sure about your judgment back then; now it’s different,” Claude unabashedly continued, “Come on, Ed, let’s hear it.”

“What else is there to say? We’ve almost covered it last time. Any fashion brand starts generalized; the task is to elevate it to luxury,” Adrian shrugged, “Aren’t they already transitioning? Haven’t they held a fashion show already? Sign long-term deals, get all shows broadcasted by ABC, initially sign a few supermodels to promote, then build your own exclusive modeling team to boost their fame, and finally, get a public relations push for a Super Bowl performance. That’s it.”

“It sounds too simple,” Claude seemed unsatisfied with just that.

“What more do you want?” Adrian spread his hands, “I’m not a professional, and neither are you. Pass these ideas to those who are concerned; we just need to provide the necessary assistance.”

“Alright, alright,” Claude laughed heartily, “I’ll leave it to them to manage; I’m looking forward to seeing your prophecy come true.”

Soon, the RV entered a high-end golf club. They got off the vehicle and, led by an attendant, went to a private changing room where leisure clothes and golf equipment had already been prepared. After changing, the two drove an electric cart to Area B. A middle-aged man, also casually dressed, was already waiting there, swinging his club and occasionally hitting a white ball.

“Hey, Michael, you seem in good spirits.” Claude greeted first.

“Of course, I’ve been looking forward to showing you up, Claude,” the middle-aged man laughed, then turned his gaze to Adrian.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Miracle Director,” he extended his hand, “I’m Michael Ovitz.”

“Me too, Michael, please call me Adrian or Ed.” Adrian smiled and shook hands with the Disney CEO.

“Do you like golf?” Michael Ovitz asked with interest.

“Not bad, but my skills are terrible, so today I’ll just watch you two play,” Adrian stated candidly.

“Whenever you see him playing golf, you’d think letting him play is a cruel thing, Michael,” Claude said seriously by his side.

“Alright, let’s have a few rounds between us first then,” Ovitz responded without insisting further, making an inviting gesture.

The three of them started playing golf, chatting occasionally about recent amusing anecdotes, much like most social occasions. However, Ovitz never touched on the main issues; if he didn’t speak up, neither did Adrian nor Claude. Being the last to speak had its advantages, so the three continued their probing conversation. Adrian, pushed to the limit, also took a few swings. If not for Ovitz’s decorum, he might have already started laughing without regard to his image.

“Alright, gentlemen, I won’t beat around the bush. What are all these olive branches for?” Ovitz finally spoke up when they sat down again at a small table to rest. Being the sly fox he was, he knew from Adrian’s and Claude’s nonchalant demeanor that they held strong cards. Thus, it was better to clarify the subject and seize the initiative.

“You’re not looking to invite me to be the CEO, are you? Claude is doing quite well now, isn’t he?” he joked, as this direct and somewhat impolite probe often worked wonders.

However, Adrian and Claude exchanged a glance, smiled slightly, and Adrian was the first to speak, “We own a talent agency.”

“A talent agency?” Ovitz raised an eyebrow, then revealed a half-smiling, half-serious expression, “Am I hearing this right? Are you saying AC Media also has a talent agency?”

“No,” Adrian said with a smile, shaking his head, “We own a talent agency, not AC Media.”

“Oh?” Ovitz raised an eyebrow.

“Simply put, there are no legal issues,” Claude added leisurely from the side.

“Alright,” Ovitz didn’t dwell on this. Indeed, several large talent agencies in Hollywood involve these practices, and having built CAA from the ground up, how could he not know?

“I think I understand your intentions, but why do you think I would agree? You know I don’t want to do this anymore,” Ovitz said in a relaxed tone.

“Really, Michael?” Adrian revealed an insightful smile, “Do you really not want to do this anymore? Or is it because your old buddies left that you’re considering leaving? Do you really think you can make a big impact at Disney? Do you truly believe Eisner is willing to share his power with someone else? You’ve been the CEO at Disney for 12 months now, right? I can guarantee that within another six months, Eisner will have you step down. He needs a puppet, a spokesperson to manifest his own will, not a talented individual who has his own sense of autonomy!”

Ovitz maintained a calm expression, showing no signs of change, but he also didn’t respond to these comments, so…

A slight smile appeared on Adrian’s lips: “You’re a successful businessman, Michael. I read about you when I was in school and I admired your tenacity. I know you have a good eye; you proposed to Eisner that he should buy Yahoo, a pity he didn’t agree.”

“That’s normal. Currently, Yahoo doesn’t seem to have hope for profit,” Ovitz shrugged, seemingly trying to salvage something.

“Even if he had agreed, Disney couldn’t buy it because most of Yahoo’s shares are in our hands,” Adrian said softly, finally catching a glimpse of surprise in the other’s eyes.

“We’ve been focusing on the IT industry since ’91. We have the most detailed data analysis library, holding several promising websites,” Claude joined in.

“Oh?” The surprise in Ovitz’s eyes deepened, and his calm expression began to change slightly. (The story continues. If you like this book, you are welcome to vote and give monthly tickets at wuxiaworld.site. Your support is my greatest motivation.)