civilwarnovels Chapter 995 Lin Haoran Appears in Hollywood
Chapter 995 Lin Haoran Appears in Hollywood
Nevada is next to California, so even if you drive there, it won't take long.
In fact, as the largest casino in Las Vegas, the MGM Grand Hotel has several helicopters, so Lin Haoran could have easily taken a helicopter there, which would have been more convenient.
However, for safety reasons, Lin Haoran ultimately decided to take a car there.
Now, he is a thorn in the side of many people, especially the squid people, who see him as a thorn in their side and a thorn in their flesh.
Those people have been operating in Hollywood for nearly a century; they have connections everywhere and will use any means necessary.
On the surface, they can use public opinion, distribution, and talent wars to besiege him, but what about behind the scenes?
Who knows what they might do?
Lin Haoran never thinks the worst of people, but he also never underestimates his opponent's limits.
Having been in the business world for so many years, he has seen too many glamorous facades masking dirty dealings.
Having finally earned so much money, he hadn't even had a chance to enjoy it properly, so naturally he wanted to cherish his life.
So, the journey was smooth and safe, and it only took four and a half hours to get there.
It's not worth putting your life in someone else's hands just to save an hour or two.
This isn't cowardice, it's clear-headedness.
An hour later, at approximately 10:00 AM, Lin Haoran's convoy departed from the underground parking garage of the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.
The convoy consisted of five Lincoln cars fitted with bulletproof glass. In addition to Li Weidong and Li Weiguo, Lin Haoran had specially transferred six loyal bodyguards from Hong Kong who had always followed him.
In addition, several senior bodyguards from the MGM Grand Hotel, whose loyalty Lin Haoran could discern, were temporarily summoned.
With these bodyguards present, Lin Haoran's safety was greatly improved.
There were five cars, two in front and two in back, with Lin Haoran and Liu Xiaoli sitting in the middle one.
Li Weidong sat in the driver's seat, and Li Weiguo sat in the passenger seat. Although he didn't know the way, he only needed to follow the car in front of him.
The car drove smoothly along the desert highway, the scenery on both sides unchanging, the kind of monotonous scenery that makes you want to doze off.
The yellowish-brown sand, the low shrubs, and the occasional glimpse of a few tenacious cacti; further away, the undulating mountain ridges are bathed in a golden halo from the afternoon sun.
Li Weidong focused on driving, while Li Weiguo vigilantly looked around, occasionally glancing at the rearview mirror in case of any unexpected situations.
In this country where gun ownership is legal, they are naturally equipped with corresponding firepower.
In the trunk of the car, several black metal boxes were neatly stacked, containing legally registered long and short firearms and sufficient ammunition.
In the blink of an eye, four hours had passed, and Lin Haoran's convoy arrived safely in downtown Los Angeles.
Hollywood is located in the northwestern suburbs of downtown Los Angeles.
Lin Haoran was no stranger to Los Angeles; he had been there before.
As the second largest city in the United States, Los Angeles is second only to New York in terms of prosperity, but its style is completely different.
New York is a forest of steel and concrete, with skyscrapers crammed together, narrow streets, and the sky fragmented into pieces. New Yorkers hurry by like ants, weaving through the cracks.
Los Angeles is a sprawling city with low-rise buildings dominating the landscape. Rows of palm trees line the streets, the sky is open, the sun shines brightly, and the air is filled with a lazy, leisurely atmosphere.
However, Lin Haoran had no interest in downtown Los Angeles outside the car window. The convoy did not linger in the city center and sped off towards Hollywood in the northwest.
Around 3:30 p.m., the convoy arrived smoothly at the MGM Culver City Studios campus on Hollywood Boulevard and finally stopped in front of a four-story building.
The building, named the Irwin Talberg Building, is a classical modernist building that was officially completed and opened in 1938. It has since served as the headquarters of MGM Studios.
The Irving Talberg Building is named after the legendary production executive from MGM's golden age, who transformed MGM into Hollywood's most powerful studio and single-handedly created the glory of the "King of Kings".
His name is now etched on the foundation stone of the building, while his successors struggle to make ends meet.
Lin Haoran got out of the car and looked up at the old building, which had a history of nearly half a century.
The gray marble exterior gleams warmly in the California sun, and above the entrance is MGM's Latin motto: "Ars Gratia Artis".
It means art for art's sake.
This phrase was once the soul of MGM, but now it has become a distant dream.
Art for art's sake—that was the slogan of the Golden Age.
For MGM now, survival is the primary concern.
Art films don't make money; only commercial films do!
For all film studios, art films are nothing more than a glamorous facade, something to be worn by outsiders.
What truly fills our stomachs are those clichéd commercial films: explosions, car chases, gunfights, muscular men, beautiful women, superheroes, and saving the world.
This is reality.
Ivan Fuller was already waiting at the door with several people.
He was wearing a dark gray suit, a white shirt, and no tie, and looked a bit more haggard than when we last met in Las Vegas.
Keep in mind that only a few days have passed, which shows that Ivan Fuller has indeed had a tough time these past few days.
Crisis management is a tough job, especially taking on a hot potato like MGM.
“Mr. Lin, welcome to MGM.” Ivan Fuller greeted him, extending his right hand.
Lin Haoran shook his hand, glanced at the people behind him, and asked with a smile, "Ivan, you've worked hard. And who are these gentlemen?"
Ivan Fuller stepped aside and introduced them one by one: "This is Robert Ferguson, president of the Home Entertainment Group, who is in charge of videotape production and distribution, as well as copyright licensing."
This is Emily Parker, head of the Classic Films department, who is responsible for art film distribution and classic film restoration.
This is Michael Sherman, president of the television group, responsible for television drama production and distribution.
The park was quiet and guarded by security personnel. Although MGM Studios is currently in the center of public attention, media reporters cannot enter without the company's permission.
This saved Lin Haoran a lot of trouble.
What he least wanted to face at that moment were those reporters carrying cameras and recorders, each one like a wolf, eager to pry a few words out of him that could make headlines.
Led by Ivan Fuller, Lin Haoran toured the entire MGM Studios campus.
Lin Haoran toured the entire park, from the headquarters departments to the photography studio, post-production center, prop warehouse, and costume room.
The studio was empty, with only a few staff members setting up the set, and the air was filled with the smell of wood and paint.
This studio was used to film "The Wizard of Oz" and "Singin' in the Rain," and those classic scenes that have gone down in film history were created here.
Today it is as quiet as a forgotten church, occasionally used for low-budget filming, but the aura of the "King of Kings" has vanished.
In recent years, MGM Studios has indeed produced fewer and fewer original films. This year, there are only five films that are entirely original productions.
At its peak, MGM Studios produced an average of 50 original films a year, with almost one new film released every week.
Back then in Hollywood, MGM was synonymous with movies; other studios could only follow behind and pick up the scraps.
MGM Studios released as many as 17 films this year, which seems like a lot, but only 5 of them were entirely self-produced.
Now, five films a year is less than a fraction of what it used to be.
This is not just a shrinking in numbers, but a decline in capabilities.
If a film studio can't even sustain a few self-produced projects, what's the difference between it and a distributor?
However, having a boss like Kirk Kerkorian was indeed a misfortune for MGM.
Kirk Kerkelian has no interest in the film industry; his interests lie in Las Vegas, in casinos, and in hotels.
In his hands, MGM Studios was nothing more than a tool for arbitrage; he would buy it today, sell it piecemeal tomorrow, and sell the land the day after to build a hotel.
As for movies, we'll make a few if they're profitable, and a few if they're not; we won't starve anyway.
This mentality sealed MGM's fate and its decline.
Led by Ivan Fuller, Lin Haoran inspected the area until evening, but the inspection was not yet complete.
During this time, Lin Haoran met many renowned figures, including internationally renowned directors, producers, and actors—any one of whose names would make movie fans scream. However, MGM today is not the MGM of yesteryear. Most of these big shots were merely using the guise of "cooperation," and very few were truly part of MGM's inner circle.
They're like migratory birds, flying wherever there's a project. Today they're setting up a set in MGM's studio, and tomorrow they might be starting filming on Warner's set.
Lin Haoran shook hands, exchanged pleasantries, and had brief conversations with everyone, without saying much or creating awkward silences.
Everyone was curious about Lin Haoran, the new owner of MGM Studios.
However, the famous action star Sylvester Stallone and Roger Moore, the star of 007, were not at the company.
Although Sylvester Stallone's self-produced and self-starring films are all collaborations with MGM, and the most important IP, Rocky, is exclusively a collaboration with MGM, he himself is not actually a contracted employee of MGM. He has his own production company, his own office, and his own team.
Sometimes, he would even work as a screenwriter or producer for other studios, and he was completely free.
Since he didn't direct or star in any movies this year, he naturally wouldn't be at MGM Studios headquarters.
As for Roger Moore, the movie "Octopus," which will be released in June, is already in the promotional stage. He is traveling all over the world with the crew to promote it, so he is naturally not at the company.
Even without promotional work, he wouldn't appear at MGM headquarters, because he was essentially just an actor, a hired worker.
Once the payment is received and the work is completed, the remaining time is his own. He can go skiing in Switzerland, sunbathe in the Caribbean, or watch a play in London's West End.
There is no obligation for anyone to sit in MGM's office and chat with the new boss.
The park is indeed large, and as one of Hollywood's traditional giants, it is one of MGM's few assets that it still has to offer.
These land plots, film studios, and post-production equipment represent decades of accumulated wealth. Although the company has declined, these facilities are still well-maintained.
By the time Lin Haoran reached the entrance of the last photography studio, it was almost dark.
He stood at the doorway, looking at the empty floor and the high-hanging lighting equipment, and remained silent for a while.
"Ivan, MGM itself only makes five movies a year now, so these studios are mostly empty?"
Ivan Fuller nodded and said, "Yes, Mr. Lin, the utilization rate is indeed not high, only about 20%. The company has always rented out part of the studio to independent production companies and some TV series crews, which allows us to recover some of the costs."
"rent?"
"Yes, there are many independent production companies in Hollywood. They don't have their own studios; they rent facilities from large studios. MGM has produced fewer original projects in recent years, resulting in a high vacancy rate for its studios. Renting them out is the most direct way to generate revenue."
Lin Haoran didn't say anything more and turned to walk back.
Renting out a studio is nothing to be ashamed of. Paramount, Warner, and Universal also rent out studios, but that's after they've filled their own schedules with projects, so they rent out the extra time slots.
MGM is the opposite; it can't fill its own projects and can only maintain operations by leasing them out.
In addition, the profits generated by the company's past IPs can enable the company to continue operating.
But that's all.
This shows how little importance Kirk Kocorian previously placed on MGM Studios.
By the time we finished inspecting the park, it was completely dark.
Led by Ivan Fuller, Lin Haoran had a simple dinner in a small private room in the company cafeteria.
Meanwhile, the news that Lin Haoran had appeared at MGM Studios headquarters could no longer be kept secret.
Lin Haoran met too many people today. With just one phone call, the news of Lin Haoran's arrival in Hollywood will spread throughout the entire city.
This wasn't something that needed to be kept secret, and Lin Haoran had no intention of hiding it from anyone.
He came to Hollywood to let those who were plotting against him know that he was here.
The news spread faster than expected.
While Lin Haoran was having dinner in the cafeteria, Ivan Fuller's assistant hurriedly walked in and whispered a few words in his ear.
Ivan Fuller's expression changed slightly, and then he looked at Lin Haoran.
“Mr. Lin, there are already reporters from fifteen media outlets at the entrance of the park. They have somehow gotten wind of you and are asking for interviews because they think you are at MGM headquarters today.”
Lin Haoran picked up a piece of food, chewed it slowly, swallowed it, and then said, "Let them wait."
"wait?"
“Yes, wait. I don’t have time to see them right now. Let them wait outside. I’ll consider whether to see them once they’ve gained patience. If they can’t wait, then go back. I don’t owe them anything,” Lin Haoran said dismissively.
He had absolutely no liking for these California media outlets.
After all, none of the articles published by these media outlets during this period were favorable to MGM or to Lin Haoran.
It's either questioning or smearing; if it's not smearing, it's pessimism.
They don't need facts or logic; as long as they side with the six giants and portray Lin Haoran as an "intruder who doesn't understand film," then it's a good article, and that's a good journalist.
Even more surprisingly, these people were unaware of the amount of kickbacks they received from the six major powers.
Do you expect Lin Haoran to indulge these reporters?
Think beautiful!
Ivan Fuller's lips twitched, but he ultimately said nothing.
In their view, it's best for companies to maintain a good relationship with the media, since the media holds the power of discourse, and offending them brings no benefit.
Especially in Hollywood, a place driven by public opinion and exposure, the media's pen is sometimes more powerful than the studio's fist.
A negative report can cause a movie's box office to plummet, while a positive report can make a newcomer an overnight sensation.
This is not alarmist; it's an ironclad rule that has been in place in Hollywood for decades.
But Lin Haoran didn't care.
These media outlets have smeared him so badly, and he still has to fawn over them? Still have to greet them with a smile? Still have to say, "Thank you for your hard work, reporters. I'll treat you to dinner another day"?
That's not magnanimity, that's cowardice.
Lin Haoran is not a coward.
When he was in Hong Kong, those media outlets that offended him never fared well.
Therefore, nowadays, no media outlet in Hong Kong dares to mess with him unless they want to lose their jobs.
The United States also has such media outlets, such as Forbes, which was almost brought to bankruptcy by Lin Haoran and was eventually acquired by Citigroup at a very low cost.
The media in New York had experienced firsthand Lin Haoran's prowess, but the media in California clearly didn't share that concern.
After all, in the eyes of these media outlets, the reason why Forbes has fallen into such a predicament is simply because Citibank is backing Lin Haoran.
California is not Citibank's territory, and they are not afraid of Citibank!
Inside the private room, after a while, Ivan Fuller whispered a few words to his assistant.
Then, Ivan Fuller's assistant went out, this time to deliver a message: Mr. Lin is not available today, please go back and do not wait.
As for when Mr. Lin will have time, I don't know, maybe tomorrow, maybe the day after.
While a group of reporters were being refused interviews with Lin Haoran, the bigwigs of Hollywood all knew about Lin Haoran's arrival in Hollywood, and their reactions were far more intense than those of the reporters.
Previously, they had always thought that Lin Haoran was afraid of them, which was why he had never dared to come to Hollywood.
Moreover, he only arrived after Frank Rothman and his team had "left" the company.
Many people actually know the inside story of why Frank Rothman "resigned".
Even if you don't know the details, you've heard some rumors.
For example, Frank Rothman tried to force Lin Haoran to resign by having everyone resign, but Lin Haoran turned the tables and approved all the resignations without even paying any penalty.
The news spread quickly within Hollywood circles, because the incident itself was excellent fodder for conversation.
A CEO with a lawyer background thought he could blackmail his boss by controlling the management team, but the boss turned the tables on him and he lost everything.
But no one knows what gave Lin Haoran the confidence to let Frank Rothman and his team leave.
Now, Lin Haoran has appeared in Hollywood, at the MGM headquarters, which is interesting. (End of Chapter)