Beverly Hills, Cooper Family.
Mom brought out a plate of Apple pie: "Eric, how was Israel? Did you get to see Jerusalem?"
"Mom, I was there for work, and I only went to the country's capital, Tel Aviv."
"Huh? Isn't Jerusalem the capital of Israel?"
Eric picked up a piece of Apple pie and put it in his mouth, immediately wincing from the heat.
"Hiss... Jerusalem is only declared as the capital by the Jewish People themselves, but their conflict with the Arabs has not stopped for hundreds of years, so to prevent the situation from escalating, the international community does not recognize Jerusalem. It's probably just them drawing a line in the sand."
"If you want to go to Jerusalem, I'll find time to go with you for a trip. This time, I really went for work. I found an actress who is quite promising, and I'm planning to cast her as the female lead in the new movie."
"Who is it?" Mom asked curiously.
"Her name is Gal Gadot, a newcomer, but I have high hopes for her. She will definitely become a future star."
Mom didn't understand much about making movies and never asked, but as a Catholic, she really wanted to go on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem once.
However, due to her conservative nature, she couldn't go alone, so it hasn't happened yet.
Speaking of the new movie, Dad looked up and asked, "Are you planning to sign a gambling agreement with Hasbro?"
"Yes, Volvo and Bordeaux should have reported to you already. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision, and I didn't discuss it with you beforehand. I apologize!"
Dad sighed, "You're my son, there's nothing to apologize for, but what's the purpose?"
"Hasbro wants to increase the copyright fee by 20%, which is only 60 million US dollars, within the normal scope of business negotiations. But with the gambling agreement, we must ensure toy sales increase by 100% just to break even."
"But you should know that movies are high-risk investments, and no one can guarantee their continuous success. If Hasbro agrees to sign the gambling agreement, it will be immense pressure."
Looking at Dad's serious expression, Eric also knew he shouldn't have made decisions on his own; at least he should have discussed it beforehand.
"Dad, I understand your concerns. This gambling agreement was a spur-of-the-moment idea, and Hasbro might even push us further on the agreement. But have you ever considered the profits we could gain if we succeed?"
"We have a chance to enter Hasbro's decision-making level. It's currently the largest toy company in the country. If we can take control..."
However, before Eric could finish, Harry Cooper waved his hand and interrupted, "Wait, son, everything you're saying is based on meeting the toy sales target, but who can guarantee that?"
"As you said, Hasbro will definitely continue to pressure us. After all, they own the copyright and hold the initiative. Before, they might have only wanted an extra 10 million US dollars, but now you've given them a new option."
"In my experience, Hasbro won't be satisfied with 300% sales. This amount will probably increase to at least 350%."
"And do you know what the annual sales of transformers series toys and merchandise are right now? The data I got from professionals shows it was 910 million US dollars last year."
"That means we need to make this figure exceed at least 1 billion US dollars to possibly achieve the gambling target you want. Do you understand how difficult this is?"
Eric rubbed his temples. Of course, someone without foresight wouldn't understand his thoughts, and might even find them fantastical.
But there's no way to explain such things. He couldn't just say, 'Dad, your son is a transmigrator, just trust me.'
I'd trust you with a shovel! First, get a neurological check-up at the hospital.
"Dad, I understand what you mean, and I understand your concerns. Actually, I wanted to talk to you properly about this. But at the time, I was in a hurry to go to Israel, and my itinerary was already set, so there wasn't time."
"Since it's come up now, I'll tell you my true thoughts. Actually, I not only want to sign a gambling agreement with Hasbro, but I also want to secretly acquire its stock. This will be a huge pie, and we..."
Just as Eric was about to explain, Dad's eyes suddenly lit up, and he realized, "Wait... So that's it, stocks! How could I forget stocks? Son, I understand what you mean now. You're playing a big game."
"First, we use the gambling agreement to induce Hasbro to license transformers to us as quickly as possible, even if it means paying a higher price. But we must get the copyright quickly to prevent other companies from having ideas."
"I heard Paramount is also interested in transformers. Compared to Paramount, MGM indeed doesn't have an advantage, so we can only defeat our opponents on price, as Paramount wouldn't pay such a high price."
"And as long as we get the copyright, then when the contract is signed and the movie is released, even if sales don't meet expectations, according to Hasbro's past pattern of releasing animations, toy sales will always increase, it's just that the increase might not be as terrifying."
"And the increase in toy sales will definitely drive up Hasbro's stock price. What we need to do is buy up retail investor stocks in advance on the stock market and then make a huge profit."
"The price difference will be enough for us to recoup the costs paid in the gambling agreement, and most likely, we'll earn a lot. Even if we don't break even, helping us get the copyright in advance is still worth it."
Having figured it out, Harry Cooper looked at his son with some excitement: "Eric, it seems your finance studies are quite good; you've considered this step."
Eric: "Meow meow? Did I think that much?"
Harry Cooper, however, laughed heartily: "Eric, did you really think of all this on your way to Hasbro? In such a short time, you thought of so much? You've planned out the entire future path?"
Eric scratched his head awkwardly: "Why not?"
"Hahaha... Eric, you truly are the pride of the Cooper Family. That rascal Joshua only knows how to mess around outside. Dad's business still relies on you to inherit it."
"Meow meow..."
"This is indeed a good plan, so let's do as you envisioned. I will secretly acquire Hasbro's stock. Eric, how much do you think we can earn?"
Eric stroked his chin: "I think it will be at least over 200 million US dollars."
Harry Cooper frowned: "Given MGM's current liquidity, the amount we can invest is indeed limited. I need to figure out how to get more money."
Looking at his somewhat excited dad, Eric had the urge to remind him, but then he thought better of it. The outcome was the same as his goal, so what did the process matter?