r18novel Page 112
Page 112
Hawke quickly pulled up his trousers and boarded the plane with Ivanka.
Sitting inside the plane, watching it pass the runway and begin takeoff, Hawke looked down at JFK Airport and shook his head.
"Who rides in a convertible without a helmet? What's the difference between that and fishing without a helmet?"
203. Dry knife in, wet knife out. [Seeking flowers]
Santa Monica, California.
Summit Entertainment Headquarters.
"Mr. Ryan, Ms. Ivanka, please wait a moment, the coffee will be here shortly."
Summit Entertainment Chairman Patrick Wattsberg and CEO Robert Lehman are warmly hosting Hawke and Ivanka.
The two must have notified Peak Entertainment before they came, rather than coming unannounced.
“I won’t have the coffee,” Hawke said bluntly. “Chairman Patrick, Ryan wants to acquire Summit Entertainment and enter Hollywood. Name your price!”
Patrick hadn't expected Hawke to be so direct. After a moment of surprise, he laughed and said:
"Summit Entertainment welcomes all investors to join this big family. If Ryan is willing to invest in Summit Entertainment, I would be happy to accept."
Summit Entertainment is a very good mid-sized company, valued at around $3 million, and is currently operating very well.
However, the "head effect" works in all industries.
The smaller the company, the harder it is to develop into a "five, six, or seven" company.
If Summit Entertainment can thrive and expand its business with Ryan's help, only a fool would refuse.
“Chairman Patrick, I wonder if there was some error in the communication.” Hawke, however, was unmoved and said, “Ryan is preparing to acquire Summit Entertainment, not just invest in it. To put it bluntly, Ryan is willing to acquire Summit Entertainment in its entirety at a valuation of $3.5 million.”
The valuation of $3.5 million certainly exceeds the value of Summit Entertainment itself, and there is a certain premium.
However, Hawke didn't care; he cared more about his time cost than the mere tens of millions of dollars in monetary cost.
Acquiring Summit Entertainment faster, with less wrangling and more money, is not a problem at all.
Patrick's smile froze, and after a long pause, he carefully chose his words:
"Thank you, Mr. Ryan, for valuing Summit Entertainment. It is our honor. However, we regret to inform you that Summit Entertainment currently has no plans to be sold."
When Patrick and two friends founded Summit Entertainment, they had their own ambitions: to make a name for themselves in Hollywood, rather than just making a quick buck and leaving.
He has put a lot of effort into Peak Entertainment, how could he suddenly sell the company?
Of course, Patrick was also unwilling to break ties with a tycoon like Lane.
“However, if Ryan is willing to invest in Summit Entertainment, I can give up my position as the major shareholder.”
In Summit Entertainment's equity structure, Patrick holds 40% of the shares, making him the largest shareholder, while two other friends each hold 30%.
As the major shareholder, he is essentially the actual controller of the company. Patrick believes that if he relinquishes his position as the major shareholder, he and his two friends can still keep Ryan in check, and Summit Entertainment will remain his.
Before this, Patrick had indeed received news that Ryan was preparing to acquire Summit Entertainment. However, he had thought about it all night and realized that he did not want to sell Summit Entertainment. He enjoyed the feeling of being in the spotlight of Hollywood, wielding power and influence, and the life of coming and going with Hollywood stars and dignitaries. Now, he could not let go of these things. Turning back to doing some real business would be too tiring and too undignified.
"Major shareholder? Heh..."
Hawke simply threw out a document:
"Take a look first and then decide."
Patrick took the document with a puzzled look and saw that it was a share transfer agreement. Bob Hayward, another shareholder of Summit Entertainment, was willing to transfer 30% of his shares to Lane Pictures for a valuation of $3.5 million.
Hawke wasn't just talking big and rashly trying to acquire Summit Entertainment. After deciding to acquire Summit Entertainment, he started collecting information on the three shareholders and began making arrangements. Now that he's here, it's harvest season, and he's here to reap the sweet fruits. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come all the way to Los Angeles for nothing. Do you really think he's that idle?
“Chairman Patrick, you see Summit Entertainment as your own business, but others may not think so.”
Hawke laughed and said, "Mr. Bob Hayward is very sensible; he's willing to transfer his shares in Summit Entertainment to me."
Patrick took a deep breath. He was a little angry. The three of them had agreed to stick together and make a name for themselves in Hollywood. Now that their careers hadn't been successful, someone was backing down and stabbing him in the back. How could he not be angry?
Damn it!
Even if you're tempted by the conditions offered by the other person, can you at least tell me before you sell me out?
As a result, I was caught off guard!
“Mr. Ryan, I can only say congratulations on becoming a shareholder of Summit Entertainment, but I will not sell my shares,” Patrick said firmly. “Holding 30% of the shares is of no use to you!”
"Is it really no use?" Hawke smiled meaningfully and said, "Mr. Patrick, haven't you heard your good friend David Garrett complaining lately that his cash flow is very tight? Many commercial banks say he has financial problems and are unwilling to lend him money. He's even considered going overseas to borrow from banks..."
"Did your Ryan contact those banks and tell them not to lend money to David?" Patrick's mind raced, and he instantly realized what was going on, glaring at Hawke: "Isn't that incredibly despicable?"
“Don’t talk nonsense. You need evidence to back up your claims. Be careful, you could get sued for defaming me.” Hawke smiled slightly and said, “I think by now, the head of Wells Fargo’s Los Angeles region should have already found David Garrett who’s willing to grant him a loan…”
Before Hawke could finish speaking, his phone, which was on the table, rang.
Hawke took a look and laughed:
“Mr. David Garrett has just signed the share transfer agreement for Summit Entertainment. Chairman Patrick, I am now the major shareholder of Summit Entertainment.”
"Now that all the shareholders are here, I propose that we hold a shareholders' meeting to elect a new chairman of Peak Entertainment. I propose that I myself be the new chairman of Peak Entertainment. Those who agree, please raise your hands... Hmm, more than 60% of the votes, so now I am the chairman of Peak Entertainment."
Within seconds, a new chairman of Peak Entertainment was appointed.
Hawke straightened his clothes, stood up, and was about to take up his post when he glanced at Patrick, who was still sitting, and said in surprise, "Mr. Patrick, why are you sitting in my seat?"
Patrick: "..."
“Alright, now sign this share transfer agreement.” Hawke tossed the document back to Patrick and said, “If you refuse to sign, I might not be able to stop you, but now I have control of Summit Entertainment. From April 4.8th onwards, I will be injecting a large amount of capital into Summit Entertainment. Will you join me? I think you don’t have the capital to invest with me. Your shares will be diluted, so why bother? Furthermore, Summit Entertainment won’t be paying dividends for the next ten years. Without this money, won’t your other businesses have cash flow problems? Sign it!”
Patrick remained silent for a long time before finally reaching for the pen. His hand trembled slightly, and after hesitating for a long time, he signed the share transfer agreement.
He simply cannot afford the consequences of Peak Entertainment not distributing dividends for ten years.
"mean!"
He slammed down his pen and glared fiercely at Hawke:
"You're such a backstabber!"
"Nonsense, who said I only know how to stab people in the back?"
Hawke gave Patrick a disapproving look, then turned to Ivanka:
"I've stabbed quite a few people to their faces, haven't I?"
Yeah, the kind where a dry knife goes in and a wet knife comes out...
Ivanka: "..."
204. I'm sorry, they gave way too much.
An acquisition worth hundreds of millions of dollars was completed in a short period of time.
Sitting next to Hawke, Ivanka looked at him with admiration in her beautiful eyes, because Hawke looked so cool with his calm and collected demeanor.
To be honest, before coming here, Ivanka always thought that she would be the main force in the negotiations, and that even if Hawke was willing to spend money, it would take a long time, at least a week.
Unexpectedly, Hawke took care of it himself.
That handsome, aloof profile, that imposing aura, made Ivanka feel a surge of heat throughout her body, and she couldn't help but feel her eyes welling up with tears.
She couldn't help but think of an ancient Chinese poem: "How can the canal be so clear? Only because the source is a living spring."
Summit Entertainment CEO Robert Lehman looked somewhat embarrassed as he watched former chairman Patrick Wattsberg slam the door and leave.
You know, he was just moved by Patrick Wattsberg's sincerity and poached him from Paramount not long ago. Now Patrick Wattsberg is gone. What will he do?
Will I be laid off?
Hawke glanced at Ivanka.
During the eye contact with Hawke, Ivanka quickly snapped out of her daze, remembered her duties, and coughed to cover up her embarrassment at having just been lost in thought.
"Mr. Robert Lehman, please rest assured that after Ryan Pictures took over Summit Entertainment, there are no plans for large-scale layoffs. On the contrary, Summit Entertainment is not the end for Ryan Pictures. We will recruit a large number of people and expand our scale in the future."
"Before acquiring Summit Entertainment, we had already investigated your resume. You did an excellent job as CEO of Paramount, which is why Mr. Patrick noticed you and poached you to Summit Entertainment. And our Ryan Pictures values talent even more than Patrick."
"In the past, due to the scale of Summit Entertainment, Mr. Robert Lehman, your talents could not be fully utilized. But now it's different. After the integration of Lane Pictures and Summit Entertainment is completed, an A-list production will be launched immediately, and you will definitely have a great opportunity to showcase your talents."
Speaking of A-list productions, Robert Lehman is wide awake now.
People working in all sectors of Hollywood know the benefits of participating in an A-list production—it means a lot of money flowing into their pockets.
Even if an A-list production loses money, it only means the production company loses money; it doesn't mean others don't make money.
For example, in the Chinese film "Wu Xia," director Chen Kexin earned $3000 for an antique straw hat. The film flopped at the box office, nearly bankrupting the investors, but Chen Kexin made the money and bought a villa…
This is the case in the film industry worldwide; countless others have used similar methods to inflate expenses and swindle money from investors.
Of course, Robert Lehman isn't the kind of person who just grabs a quick buck and runs. He's ambitious and doesn't just care about money. He values the power and experience that comes from being deeply involved in A-list productions.
Back at Summit Entertainment, Robert Lehman could only work on B-movies at best, with each film costing tens of millions of dollars. He felt like the foreplay wasn't even finished before the other party was done... How could it compare to working with Lane Films and immediately getting an A-movie?
Given the original size of Summit Entertainment, it was impossible for them to launch A-level productions at will, because a loss from an A-level production could lead to the bankruptcy of the entire company.
"As expected of Ryan, following a tycoon like this is much better than following Chairman Patrick..."
Robert Lehman clenched his fist:
“Mr. Patrick, I’m sorry, they gave us way too much.”
Next, Ivanka, along with Robert Lehman, calmed the staff at Summit Entertainment by announcing a 10% pay rise for all employees. All the murmurs and gossip vanished, replaced by cheers and applause welcoming the new boss.
"When did you do these things behind my back?"
After resolving the issue with Summit Entertainment, when the two returned to the hotel and were alone, Ivanka pressed Hawke for answers.
“When I’m behind your back, I do… a lot of other things.” Hawke appraised Ivanka’s rounded peach-shaped buttocks, raising an eyebrow: “Which one are you talking about?”
With AI Z now in hand, Hawke can easily make these small acquisitions. It won't be long before Z finds a breakthrough in the shareholding structure. Once that's done, the rest will be much simpler.
Ivanka: "..."
"The matter of contacting the other two shareholders of Summit Entertainment."
Ivanka didn't even bother arguing with Hawke.
“It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?” Hawke chuckled. “Otherwise, you thought I really let you shoulder everything? Of course not! After I came up with the idea of acquiring Summit Entertainment, I had someone conduct a comprehensive investigation of it. We quickly discovered that apart from Patrick being a die-hard, the other two shareholders actually had many weaknesses. With a little targeting, we could take control of Summit Entertainment and gain control. It seems that Patrick would have no choice but to surrender…”
As Ivanka watched Hawke speak eloquently, she felt that Hawke had never been so charming before. Her eyes sparkled, and before Hawke could finish speaking, she kissed him and pushed him onto the king-size bed in the hotel room.