Chapter 1040： Long numbers

Culver City, a restaurant near the Sony Pictures Headquarters.

CAA President Richard Lovett and Bill Michnik came out of the restaurant together.

Walking to the side of the road next to his BMW sedan, Richard Lovett once again reluctantly reached out and handed over with Bill Michnik. It seemed that he was not sincere enough, and he took the opportunity to hug him and let go. , said: "Sorry, Bill, although the behavior of fireflies is furious, but I always have to consider for my customers."

Bill Michanik understood the nod and said: "It doesn't matter, I hope we can cooperate in the future."

Richard Lovett’s expression is affirmative: “This is certain. In fact, if this matter is resolved, you can call me at any time.”

The two talked a few more words, and Richard Lovett went to his car and said goodbye.

Looking at the BMW sedan, it disappeared and disappeared into the street. Bill Michalnik regained his gaze and turned to the Sony Pictures headquarters not far away. It inexplicably produced a thought, a 30-acre studio that once belonged to Columbia Pictures. The park, perhaps at this time Sony Pictures has the most valuable things besides the ones that have thousands of film and television copyrights.

Just now, because it lasted for a week, the Sony Group failed to respond effectively to the Firefly Group’s ban, and Sony’s film and the CAA’s originally agreed-up film, The Stealing Trap, was announced.

In addition to this new film by Sean Connery, almost all of Sony Pictures' film and television projects are now a sight to behold.

What made Bill Michal feel weak was that after the incident broke out, Sony headquarters not only did not send a high-level executive who could handle this matter to the United States, but instead called Howard Stringer to transcript the situation. However, he is the vice chairman of Sony Pictures and the CEO of Columbia Pictures, but he has not been given much power. At this time, he can only maintain the basic operations of the company.

Standing for a moment on the street, Bill Michalnik had just slowly returned to the company. A Chrysler, who had just stopped at the street, went down to a young man with a camera on his chest and noticed Bill Michanik. The young man took a moment and immediately lifted the camera and quickly pressed the shutter to the side, and then quickly walked over with the companion who had just got off the other side.

"Mr. Michalnik, we are reporters for "Hollywood Reporter". Can you talk a few words?"

Bill Michanik raised his hand to block the camera and speeded up his footsteps: "Sorry, if you want to interview, you can call my assistant to make an appointment."

"We have been making an appointment for a week in a row, Mr. Michalnik, just a few simple questions," the young man grabbed the recording pen from the girl who was somewhere near him and also stepped up to catch up with Bill Michal. I asked directly: "Mr. Michalnik, I heard that many of the film crews under Sony Pictures have now fallen into awkwardness. Is this true?"

Bill Michanik stepped faster and said: "Sorry, no comment."

The reporter was not discouraged. "Mr. Michalnik, why is this kind of critical moment, Mr. Stringer will fly to Sakamoto instead of coming to Los Angeles to handle this?"

Bill Michal’s mouth twitched and began to trotting, while mechanically repeating: “Sorry, no comment.”

The reporter pursued it: "Mr. Michalnik, this incident was caused by the "Pirates of the Caribbean" script. Will Sony Pictures transfer the script to the Firefly Group to calm the incident?"

Bill Michalnick wants to say, ‘Do you think that it’s still possible to get the script out now? ‘However, he is very clear that at this sensitive moment, he is better off doing nothing.

All the way into the Sony Pictures Headquarters Park, watching the reporters who were blocked by the security guard, Bill Michalnik just breathed a sigh of relief, his assistant hurriedly ran over, holding a hand The mobile phone was handed over: "Mr. Michalnik, Mr. Izui’s phone, you just left your phone in the office."

Bill Michal took the phone and walked to the office building. "Mr. Izui, hello... The situation here is a bit bad, but I will try my best... well, I will do it, then, Goodbye."

After a few simple conversations, the other party hangs up. Bill Michalnik walks into his office with his mobile phone in his hand and sits down in the leather chair. The spirit is slightly relaxed.

In all fairness, if he is not expecting outsiders with some insufficiency, he has already submitted his resignation to Sony.

In just one week, Bill Michal found that he could hardly do anything, but he was under tremendous pressure from all sides. Even if the film company is on the verge of bankruptcy because of the failure of the project, the feeling brought to him is not as bad as it is now.

The assistant personally sent a cup of coffee in and looked at Bill Michalnik, who was in the leather chair, and stopped talking, but did not say anything. Just when she wanted to leave the office quietly, Bill Michalk said, "Help me find the contact number of the Williams assistant office."

After a week, Sony Group Chairman Izui Nobuyuki finally decided to personally come to the United States to deal with the dispute between Sony and Firefly. The phone just told Mickey Nick to make an appointment for his meeting with Eric Williams.

Bill Michanik had a mobile phone number from Kasenberg, but he didn't feel that he had the face to get a personal contact with Erik Williams from Kasenberg. At this time, you can only indirectly contact each other through the assistant's office.

......

Despite the interference from the Pirates of the Caribbean script, the filming of Gravity is still being carried out in an orderly manner. After spending half an hour at noon and Kapoor Sid’s dinner, Eric quickly re-entered Going to work.

When Caroline entered the studio, Eric was working with several masters to discuss the role trajectory and lens scheduling of a shot of the heroine Ryan Stone in the second satellite debris impact.

Judy Foster also gathered among the crowds, holding his large desk top and listening to Eric to show his thoughts to the crowd with his own hand-drawn shots. Perhaps a woman's special sixth sense, she first noticed that Caroline came over and looked up at the girl.

Caroline smiled politely at Judy, holding a folder in front of her and standing quietly, without disturbing Eric’s discussion with everyone.

Judy also nodded to Caroline and regained his gaze without a trace, but could not help but start to be absent-minded.

I remembered the feeling that Eric had let the girl kiss him last week. Judy couldn’t help but squint at Eric’s face, which was focused on explaining the details of the lens scheduling. Annoyed.

This guy was originally a hateful playboy, why do you care about these things.

However, looking at the thick stack of hand-painted shots in front of Eric, Judy suddenly gave birth to a thought that would be nice if he could take it home.

Although this guy likes to mess, but the painting skills are really powerful, at least, she feels that any of the stacks of manuscripts are not better than those of the confusing artists. If all are collected and bound into a book, there will definitely be many people willing to buy after publication.

Watching Eric carelessly add a pencil to the character's trajectory line on the draft of the lens, Judy even produced a thought to grab the pencil in the guy's hand and throw it away. How good the draft is, it's too bad. .

After discussing it for a few minutes, Eric only said to Nickel, Robert Byron and others: "Hey, this is roughly the case, give you twenty minutes to prepare time, let's test the effect first, and Judy, hello. , Judy?"

Judy heard that Eric suddenly called himself and quickly recovered his mind from the gods. "What happened?"

"I just said," Eric said halfway, reluctantly waved his hand to Nickel and said: "You should go ahead and prepare, Judy is not in a hurry, I will talk to her again."

Looking at Judy Foster's expression, I laughed and laughed. Eric was about to say something. He noticed that Caroline stood next to him and straightened up: "Carly, is there anything?" ”

Caroline nodded, came over and politely asked Judy a good voice, and said: "Eric, Mr. Bill Michalnik of Sony Pictures just called, Mr. Izui Izumi will come to Los Angeles tomorrow, he I want to talk to you about time."

"I thought Sony could hold on for another week," Eric smiled, sinking for a moment, looking down to find a blank draft paper, writing a long string of numbers on it with a pencil and handing it to Caroline. Dao: "Take this to the Sony Pictures and tell the well, if he is willing to talk, then let's talk."

Carolyn took the manuscript paper and took a look and carefully collected it. He said goodbye to Eric and Judy and turned away from the studio.

Judy was a foggy one. She just stood by and saw the long list of numbers on the draft paper.

2,992,500,000.00.

Really long, 2.992 billion, what does this mean?

Snapped!

Suddenly there was a crisp sound from the ear, and once again, Judy immediately whitened Eric.

Eric took back his hand and looked at Judy's expression. Hesitated, and asked: "That, are you not feeling well these days?"

“What is uncomfortable?” Judy asked a subconsciously.

"Yes, well, every few months, how many days do you see that you are always absent-minded?"

Judy understood and stunned Eric: "Of course not."

"Okay, but why are you so excited? You are a woman. This kind of thing is actually normal."

“Do you really like to discuss this with women?”

"Of course not," Eric shook his head and immediately said, "Forget it, just the lens, I will tell you again, don't go away."

Judy followed Eric together and suddenly felt that his attitude was strong. He would be especially good at talking. He looked at him and picked up the pencil and added lines to the sub-picture. He couldn’t help but say: "Can you? Don't add anything to these drawings?"

Eric squatted and put down the pencil in his hand and nodded: "Well, listen to you. Hey, the next set of shots is not very difficult, but I need your attention to your emotional expression..."

Judy listened carefully, his mouth slightly twitched, his eyes bent, and suddenly he felt that this kind of grace, quite unreasonable feeling, seemed to be quite good.

......

Tokyo, Haneda Airport.

The Sony Group’s private business jets are preparing for take-off, and Howard Stringer and Izui’s followers wait for the airport’s VIP lounge.

From the United States to this week, Howard Stringer is a gray face.

After the retirement of Akio Morita, Sony’s internal disputes have continued, and there is not only a lack of coordination among the various departments, but even the extent of mutual delay. There was such a big thing in the United States, Howard Stringer naturally became the target of the public, because he was the confidant of the well, and this incident also indirectly caused the outreach of the well to be attacked at the board meeting, the relationship between the two sides Therefore, some cracks inevitably appear.

At this point, although the two sat opposite each other, there was not much interest in chatting. I went to the well and held a newspaper in his hand, waiting quietly for the plane to take off.

Just as Howard Stringer wants to ask the entourage private jet how long it will take to prepare, one of the assistants who left behind in Tokyo has rushed over.

"Mr. Iwai, a fax has just been sent from Los Angeles," the assistant took out a page of fax paper from his carry-on bag and bowed reverently to the well, who was sitting on the sofa, saying: "Micha Mr. Nick said on the phone that this was written by Eric Williams himself. He did not agree to the meeting with you. The other party’s original words are, if you wish, the two sides can continue to negotiate."

Ichii Shinji took over the fax paper handed over by the assistant, looked at a long series of handwritten numbers, thought for a moment, frowned slightly, silently handed to Howard Stringer, who was curious.

Howard Stringer took a look at the fax paper.

2,992,500,000.00.

After a brief confusion, Howard Stringer immediately understood and could not help but blurt out: "Fireflies want our film company."

2,92.5 million.

This is obviously a quote.

Moreover, it is still a targeted offer.

If you add the $7.5 million that Sony Pictures bought the Pirates of the Caribbean script, this number is exactly 3 billion!

Out of the well, Shen’s attitude leaned on the sofa and looked at the somewhat ruined Howard Stringer. He said slowly: “In that year, we spent $5.5 billion to buy Columbia Pictures, which was worth $1.6 billion in debt. In addition, Sony only paid $3.9 billion in cash. Now, Firefly is only willing to pay $3 billion, and wants to buy the movie company back, oh no, it is $2.992 billion."

Howard Sterlinger pumped his mouth and said: "We can't sell it when we go out."

The expression of Izui’s extension is also a bit stunned. “Howard, do you think we have a choice now?”

"At least," Howard Stringer hesitated, saying: "At least, we must never sell Sony Pictures at such a cheap price. We can choose other buyers."