On the Upper East Side, 79th Street, in a red-brick style apartment building next to Third Avenue.
The party wasn't large, basically just close friends of the Raybould's, a total of over twenty people, men, women, and children.
After some greetings and introductions, they sat down in the living room next to the main hall, and James Raybould brought up a matter that Simon had been very concerned about recently: "I've already collected some information on New World Entertainment, Simon. If you need it, you can take it with you when you leave.
Before the stock market crash, this company's operations were quite good. Although the film department wasn't outstanding, both the television and comic departments were profitable. NBC's 'Ultimate Police Net', which ranked third in viewership this fall, was produced by New World Entertainment".
New World Entertainment was reorganized from New World Pictures last year.
James Raybould mentioned this company mainly because New World Entertainment is currently the parent company of Marvel. The company acquired Marvel Entertainment last November from a company that was undergoing bankruptcy liquidation.
Simon withdrew his attention from a middle-aged man working at ABC television network among the guests and asked, "And now?"
James Raybould said, "After the stock market crash, New World Entertainment's current stock price has plummeted by 51% from its peak, leaving it with less than $190 million. However, the company's debt exceeds 220 million US dollars, with General Electric as the main creditor".
Upon hearing this, Simon understood what New World Entertainment's future would be like without Raybould needing to explain further.
Film production companies are highly dependent on external funding. New World Entertainment's operations might have been decent before the stock market crash. But now, with its stock price plummeting to the point where assets can't cover liabilities, financial institutions will certainly no longer provide any funding to the company.
Lack of funds, difficulty in launching projects, and naturally no profits to speak of, will lead to a vicious cycle towards bankruptcy.
However, Simon was also a bit curious: "How did New World Entertainment get involved with General Electric?"
James Raybould explained, "General Electric acquired NBC Television Network last year. Due to several acts enacted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the mid-1970s that restricted television networks from producing their own TV shows, General Electric supported New World Entertainment as its television program supplier".
Simon hadn't expected New World Entertainment to have such a powerful backer as General Electric. He was originally only interested in Marvel, which New World Entertainment owned. However, as he processed the information James Raybould mentioned, another idea quickly formed in his mind.
New World Entertainment's film business was lukewarm, but its television and comic departments were both profitable. This meant the company almost perfectly complemented Danelise Pictures. If he could acquire all of New World Entertainment, in addition to Marvel, which he wanted, Simon could also naturally venture into television production.
However, the risks of doing so were also obvious.
New World Entertainment's current market value is $190 million. A full acquisition would certainly require paying a certain premium. In addition, the debt of over $220 million would definitely need to be borne by him in the future.
Moreover, buying the company is simple, only requiring money, but when it comes to operations, Simon himself has no experience, and he is not sure if Amy would be competent.
Thinking of this, Simon glanced at the living room again, and just as he was about to withdraw his gaze and continue talking with James Raybould, he noticed that the middle-aged man he had been observing, named Robert Iger, was approaching with two girls of eleven or twelve.
Coming up to the two men, Robert Iger proactively introduced, "Simon, these are my daughters, Kate and Amanda. They're big fans of yours".
No sooner had Robert Iger finished speaking than the slightly shorter Amanda, very familiarly, leaned in and said, "Simon, you're amazing at playing the guitar! Can you teach us? Just 'Flight of the Bumblebee' will do".
Simon smiled and said, "There's no secret to this piece; you just need to practice a lot".
Amanda, however, shook her head: "That's not true! Kate and I have been learning for over half a year, and we still can't play as well as you".
Simon patiently said, "Is that so? It's a pity there's no guitar now. Otherwise, you could play it, and I could see what the problem is".
The two little girls immediately looked disappointed.
Since it was a family party, James Raybould didn't mind the interruption. Hearing this, he said, "Jennifer has one; you can ask her to bring it over. I also happened to see the video on 'Good Morning America' that day. To be honest, I'm also looking forward to hearing Simon play the guitar again".
Upon hearing this, the two little girls turned and ran off to find Jennifer.
Simon invited Robert Iger to sit down, looking at the middle-aged man who, in the original timeline, had once again led Disney to its peak after Michael Eisner, and said, "Speaking of which, Bob, I've always been curious, how exactly did you find that videotape?"
Robert Iger scrutinized the young man across the sofa, and upon hearing the question, he paused and said, "You don't know?"
Simon was a little confused: "Know what?"
Robert Iger then looked at James Raybould: "Jim, you don't know either?"
James Raybould was even more puzzled: "Does this have anything to do with me?"
Robert Iger suddenly smiled and said, "In that case, I'd better not say too much".
Simon and James exchanged glances, quickly understanding Robert Iger's hint, and said in unison, "Jennifer?!"
Robert Iger shrugged and smiled, "I didn't say anything".
Jennifer Raybould soon came downstairs with the two little girls, Amanda holding an acoustic guitar.
Most of the people at the party today had heard about Simon playing 'Flight of the Bumblebee'. Seeing that he was going to guide the two little girls on the spot, they all gathered around with great interest, standing or sitting around the living room.
Simon also didn't put on any airs. He first let the two little girls play once, then gave them a few pointers. Encouraged by everyone, he even personally played two pieces of music.
After bringing the guitar downstairs, Jennifer felt the teasing glances from her father, Simon, and Bob. She realized that the little secret she wanted to keep to herself had not remained hidden. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she hid away. Seeing everyone gathered in the living room, she stood at the doorway, looking over the crowd as he chatted and interacted with everyone.
A moment later, a burgundy figure appeared beside her without her noticing. Realizing it was Janette, she nodded slightly.
Janette, holding a glass of red wine, didn't move closer. After quietly watching for a while, she turned to Jennifer, noticing that Jennifer still had her hair in a ponytail tonight. She leaned in and whispered, "He really likes it".
Jennifer felt Janette's gaze and was already a bit self-conscious. At this, her fair face immediately flushed red, and her eyes darted away, trying to pretend she hadn't heard.
Janette seemed oblivious to her embarrassment and continued, "But you should also be careful, that little rascal can be very annoying".
Jennifer was a bit confused, waiting for Janette to continue, but there was no further explanation.
A moment later, she couldn't help but glance at her, her voice so low she almost couldn't hear it herself: "Wh-what?"
Janette's mischievous hand reached out, caught her ponytail, gently stroked it down, and then quickly let go. With a smile on her lips, she leaned close to Jennifer's ear and said, "One night, he insisted I tie my hair up, and then, you know, like riding a horse, it was really annoying".
Like, riding a horse.
This.
Hmm.
She should pretend she didn't understand.
However, the strong imagery floated in her mind, and her face was burning. She couldn't hold back after all, leaning against the doorframe, she took a step back, found an excuse in a voice like a mosquito, and turned to slip upstairs.