[Chapter 284: The Super Bowl Impact]
After finishing the discussion about the Netscape investment, Linton was in high spirits. He didn't interfere with the other four venture capital projects since he hadn't heard of those companies. Besides, he wasn't familiar with the operations of internet companies; he was just relying on memories from his previous life.
However, from his previous life, he only remembered a handful of the most famous and powerful companies. The companies he hadn't heard of might have been successful. After all, this was the pioneering era of the internet, hitting the rising wave of opportunity, so chances were abundant.
Besides, even if the other projects resulted in losses, it wouldn't be a huge loss. Venture capital was about putting money into ten projects to get one huge success.
...
As for the newly acquired Fire Elf Games and Meluva Publishing, both were now on track, but results were yet to be seen.
There was good news:
The novels National Treasure and The Fault in Our Stars had already passed the review of Meluva Publishing's new editor-in-chief Aleister Kuhn. Eddie and Rosa had revised them twice, and the novels were ready for publication. Of course, the author credited was Linton himself, and all royalties belonged to him. Considering Linton was a top director and a big star naturally having fans and popularity, plus being the boss of the publishing house, the royalty rate offered was a generous 13%, a treatment only reserved for famous authors.
...
Thinking about it, in just over a month, Winnie had brought such a huge surprise to him. Just with America Online and Netscape, the investment returns for each company started at $1 billion.
Even with all the wealth and power he now held, Linton was thrilled.
In his joy, he couldn't help but pick Winnie up and kiss her deeply.
"Baby, you're amazing, truly my lucky charm. I want to reward you. Tell me, what do you want?"
Winnie was already weak and limp in his arms from his embrace and kiss, lying softly against him. When she heard Linton ask about the reward, her eyes lit up.
"Darling, can I ask for anything?"
"Of course, as long as I can deliver," Linton thought to himself, hoping she wouldn't ask for something extravagant, like demanding he love only her forever. But once the words were out, he couldn't retract them casually.
Luckily, Winnie was smart and didn't ask for anything outrageous.
"Darling, I want you to spend an entire week just with me."
Seeing how considerate Winnie was, Linton felt even more affectionate and moved. The Oscars ceremony was on February 28th; he resolved to spend a week solely with Winnie -- it would be no problem.
"No problem, I'll stay at your place for that week, only with you at night."
"Really?"
"Absolutely."
"That's wonderful, darling -- I want to reward you, too." Then she took the initiative to get under the desk.
Since he planned to depart for the three Asian countries after the Oscars to search for treasures and refine his sword, that journey would last at least three to six months. The relevant work surely had to be arranged properly.
---
That afternoon, Linton went to the film company.
Robert was the first to rush into Linton's office.
"Boss, I thought you were going to take two months off. Why are you back early?"
"Yeah, I was on vacation at my farm in Montana, but as you know, too many things happened recently, and I lost the mood. So I ended it early."
"Such a pity. But I heard from Bella that the recent public storm had no negative effect on you. On the contrary, it brought great benefits. Fan numbers increased significantly, and their loyalty was much higher."
"It was manageable. We handled it well. How's the company doing?"
"Boss, fantastic news! The Super Bowl on February 14th -- your idea to advertise our movie The Rock during the halftime show was pure genius. The effect was amazing."
"Really? Tell me more." Linton had been at his farm in recent days with limited outside contact -- no newspapers, plus busy with the trial, setting up arrays, and dealing with the National Weather Service and other forces. So he hadn't closely followed the Super Bowl.
"It wasn't just good, it was super good. It was the first time a Hollywood blockbuster advertised during the Super Bowl, and our ad was especially well-edited, grabbing the attention of audiences across America and worldwide.
The day after the ad aired, all major newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, and Washington Post, reported on our movie The Rock, calling the promotional method groundbreaking.
Many film company bosses, well-known producers, and distribution experts praised our marketing approach in various interviews, saying it represented a new era in Hollywood movie promotion and would be recorded in film history.
More importantly, after the ad aired, Universal Pictures' publicity department's phone lines were overwhelmed.
Many viewers who missed the live broadcast called to request the ad air on TV soon.
Those who saw it believed the 30-second trailer wasn't enough and asked for a longer preview."
"Excellent. Keep monitoring the following work closely."
"Of course. Universal's PR team and ours are like they're on adrenaline, very enthusiastic. All tasks are progressing smoothly, including the promotional materials for Roger Moore, which are almost ready."
"How about CAA? Any reaction?"
"Yes. After seeing The Rock's Super Bowl promotion efficacy, they reportedly had internal disagreements about whether to attack The Rock.
More crucially, Warner Bros., the production company behind Interview With the Vampire, backed down. They didn't want to confront us head-on, worried about mutual losses affecting profits."
"That's how it should be. Everyone's in it for the money -- no one wants to damage their own earnings. It's a case of cutting off one's nose to spite one's face; no one would willingly do that."
"Exactly. But boss, I heard Michael Ovitz, the head of CAA, still hasn't given up. He's trying to persuade others to fight."
"If he insists on the fight, then prepare for battle according to our plan. I want to see how a movie that could have been highly profitable ends up severely underperforming or losing money. We'll also take down a top-tier star or even a megastar -- no one will want to work with them afterward."
"Understood. We're working hard to gather dirt on Sean Connery and Tom Cruise. If they dare attack us, we'll retaliate mercilessly and make them examples."
"How's everything else with the company?"
"Going well. Post-production on The Rock and Pulp Fiction is underway and expected to finish by early March.
Filming for The Fault in Our Stars and Get Out is also progressing smoothly.
The renovation plan for the Linton Building has been finalized, and renovations have already started."
"Good."
"And there's more good news."
*****
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