I am Hollywood

[Chapter 1164: Who Stole My Button?]

Of course, compared to Elite and IMG, WM was still just a small modeling agency. Growing a management company wasn't something that happened overnight. Eric was eager to see WM reach a level comparable to companies like Elite, but he wouldn't rush it.

As noon approached and the meeting neared its end, Eric heard Paul Roland make a final inquiry about this year's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. He replied, "The list of most of this year's Angels has already been finalized. So, aside from Carmen, LTD can only provide WM with three more spots, provided the models you send can pass the interview. However, regarding the promotion of models, I've already handed Carmen some business cards; the specifics are up to you."

The slots for Victoria's Secret Angels were increasingly claimed by industry giants like Elite and IMG. Securing four spots in one go for WM was roughly equivalent to one-tenth of the entire Victoria's Secret lineup, which made Paul Roland quite satisfied. Hearing that Eric had already given Carmen Kass some business cards only excited him further.

As the topic wrapped up, Paul Roland planned to invite Eric to a nearby restaurant he had booked. Just then, he noticed figures moving outside the transparent glass door of the meeting room, and asked, "So, Eric, would you like to say a few words?"

Eric also noticed the group of lively figures outside and nodded with a smile, "Sure."

With Eric's affirmative answer, Paul Roland made a gesture to wait and personally headed outside.

...

Moments later, a large group of girls entered the room, quickly filling it to capacity. They looked at Eric by the conference table with expressions of excitement, anticipation, or mischief.

Seeing this, the other WM partners and executives discreetly stood up to clear some space. The girls, familiar with each other, gathered around. Carmen Kass, who had been sitting next to Eric, shyly stood up and moved to the side and slightly behind him.

Leaning back in his chair, Eric appreciated the girls, who had clearly touched up their makeup, and smiled, "I'm sure you've guessed something. You're right. I can now consider myself one of the owners of WM. So, you'll definitely have better opportunities moving forward."

The girls, who had partially expected this, couldn't contain their excitement and cheered.

After waiting for their cheers to subside, Eric continued, "Of course, I won't have much time to focus on things here. So, the day-to-day operations of the company won't change much. You'll simply have more opportunities, but it will require your hard work."

At this point, when he noticed the girls looking more serious, Eric playfully put on a straight face and raised his open cuff, saying, "Now, finally, who stole my button? Turn it in quickly."

The girls froze momentarily. Although they realized Eric was likely joking, no one dared to be completely sure because of his status. They exchanged glances, seemingly actually trying to help Eric find the "thief."

As the topic shifted, they gradually noticed a girl in the crowd wearing an identical light blue shirt as Eric. Even the buttons matched white. The only difference was that the girl's shirt was fitted for women, which made it resemble a couple's outfit next to Eric.

Once the girl realized everyone was looking at her, even Eric Williams, she blushed, opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't decide what to say.

The room fell silent for a moment. After some silent communication among the girls, someone took the lead, and quickly, they surrounded the girl dressed like Eric.

Then laughter echoed, followed by the girl's teasing screams, "Ah, you guys, haha, that tickles, don't, that's too hard, it hurts!"

Standing at the door, Paul Roland and other WM executives exchanged looks of confusion, unsure if they should intervene or let it play out.

Eric was caught off guard too. Hearing the girl's yelps, he was about to speak up to stop it when the girls scattered again.

They playfully displayed their "spoils" in front of Eric, leaving the girl standing awkwardly with her shirt now devoid of buttons, her expression one of embarrassment, with her shirt hanging open, revealing a glimpse of her slim waist and flat stomach.

Looking at the scene, Eric couldn't help but laugh, but quickly said, "That's too much. You can't do that anymore. However, the company should have a fitting room, right? Who can help me find some thread and a needle?"

Modeling agencies typically had well-equipped fitting rooms to make adjustments for models on the spot, so thread and needles were certainly in abundance. Karolina, familiar with Eric, immediately volunteered and ran out.

Eric then turned to the girl still against the wall, golden hair cascading down, tall with high heels clearly making her over six feet, and paired with a gorgeous face that embodied high fashion -- she easily scored an 85 overall in Eric's book.

After sizing her up, Eric curiously asked, "So, what's your name?"

Even though her shoulders were still aching from having her buttons forcibly pulled off, the girl realized this was a rare opportunity. She immediately answered, "Mr. Williams, I'm Amy Hickson."

Eric picked up a button with a smile and said, "Let me borrow one of these. You can get a new shirt, and the company will cover the bill."

Amy Hickson instinctively nodded but then quickly shook her head, "No, it's okay, Mr. Williams."

"We definitely have to pay you for a shirt," Eric replied as Karolina returned with a sewing kit, addressing Amy again, "And remember, pulling buttons off other people's clothes isn't a good habit. You need to change that. Now, that's all for today. Everyone else, go do your thing."

Though hesitant, the girls obediently left the conference room.

Paul Roland and others then stayed behind with Carmen Kass and Karolina to help Eric sew the button on, before he was invited to lunch. With no other plans for the afternoon, Eric accepted the invitation.

...

Being a privately held partnership, the specific shareholding details of Eric's investment in WM weren't disclosed to the public, but word spread quickly within the industry.

Suddenly, companies like Elite and IMG felt a rising sense of urgency. They understood that even if Eric only held a 1% stake in WM, the entire Firefly system backed him, and if he wanted, WM could evolve rapidly into a major force capable of reshaping the industry.

...

As the new week began, the NASDAQ continued to plummet.

With August rolling in, the summer box office tapering off, Eric spent the last few days busy reviewing a series of film projects coming from Firefly Group.

For movies, promotional work had already kicked into high gear for two blockbuster titles set to release at the end of the year: Gravity and The Lord of the Rings.

Spider-Man, directed by Cameron, wouldn't wrap filming for another month, so Eric decided to extend that timeline to two months.

Meanwhile, Michael Bay's Armageddon, which had started filming later than Spider-Man, was already in post-production and scheduled for release next summer, with a confirmed date in May. Spider-Man was also set for next summer, two months later than Armageddon.

Casting for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone had concluded, with filming slated for next month and a release at the end of next year. The finalized cast was entirely different from before, yet they matched the characters perfectly, so Eric chose not to intervene.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe's next wave of films was officially set in motion. Due to extensive planning, projects for Captain America, Thor, and The Incredible Hulk were nearly simultaneous, currently undergoing crucial casting calls.

Iron Man 2 also entered pre-production; Joss Whedon was set to return as director. Eric wouldn't back out if the project was a success.

In addition to these key projects, Eric kept a close watch on the animated studios within the Firefly system, especially with the continued success of Cars and Shrek.

Pixar was currently working on The Incredibles following Cars and had several other projects in development. To maximize benefits, Eric chose not to rush the sequel to Cars, instead planning its release seven years down the line.

Animation films usually had a seven-year cycle, allowing for a new crop of young audiences to emerge and support bumper sales for the Cars franchise.

Disney's animated studio was nearing completion of its first 3D animated feature, Tangled, planned for a smooth summer release next year.

Blue Sky Studios was jointly owned by Firefly Group and Fox. Since Ice Age and Shrek were big successes, Eric hadn't prioritized prompting them to start too many new films just yet.

Aside from these prominent projects, over a hundred other films were in various stages of production across the four Firefly companies. Eric had found it increasingly challenging to juggle them all simultaneously, so he tried his best to avoid interfering, to keep things from going awry.

...

Operating out of New York, Eric was also focusing considerable effort on television ventures.

Building on several existing hit shows, ABC's big project for the year was obviously American Idol.

Following the success of the UK version of Pop Idol, ABC was keen on this reality show format. Simon Fuller had even taken a break from his work in England to devote three months to oversee things stateside. Currently, the project had completed initial contestant selections and was set to premiere on ABC in September.

On the cable side, A&E's Lifetime had maintained strong growth in recent years. In addition to Sex and the City, Project Runway, and America's Next Top Model, Anne Sweeney had developed a series of other popular new television shows.

After Steve Bernstein's departure, ESPN experienced a brief period of chaos, but it had now stabilized. Eric knew nothing of sports television operations, so he handed all responsibilities over to the company's management team.

Just acquired Showtime was finalizing its new programming schedule and marketing plans, with preparations for Shameless proceeding smoothly. Production for pilot episodes was set to commence this month.

As the Firefly system continued to grow, Eric realized it was becoming increasingly difficult for him to focus on any single task. Even delegating maximum authority among the various companies, the responsibilities that required his personal attention were accumulating rapidly, enough to overload his work schedule.

...

Time flew, and it was now August 6, a Friday.

At ABC's headquarters on West 66th Street, in Eric's temporary office.

As the workday neared its end with tomorrow's flight to Australia approaching, Merissa Mayer briefed Eric on the upcoming Australian trip's itinerary and handed him a document and a package.

Eric recognized the document as the NASDAQ market analysis report for the week, just organized. With the day filled, he figured he would take it home to review later. The package, however, puzzled him. "What's this?"

Merissa glanced at the memo and replied, "It's from Rebecca Wade, deputy editor of The Sun. It's marked for personal delivery to you. You might want to call Ms. Murdoch to ask about it."

Eric had just spoken with Elisabeth that morning and hadn't heard her mention it. He assumed that Rebecca Wade had delivered it privately.

Back in London last December, Rebecca Wade had brought breakfast to Eric at Elisabeth's behest. Eric didn't remember her well but knew her to be quite adept in many social circles.

After pondering it, Eric thought, The Sun, a secret package, and personal delivery. Put together, was it possible that The Sun had some tucked-away news about him? After all, it was arguably the UK's premier gossip tabloid.

Merissa seemed to share the same thoughts, glancing at Eric with a slightly strange expression.

After processing it carefully, Eric noticed Merissa's gaze. He shrugged and said, "I haven't done anything scandalous lately. Why don't we both open it together? Let's call Carly in, too."

Merissa, who had been curious, rolled her eyes at his suggestion, adopting a 'I-care-absolutely-nothing-about-your-drama' attitude and turned to leave the office.

*****

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