Chapter 250: Handling It with Ease

Xiao Ran smiled calmly. Seeing those guys with banners driven away by the security, he felt slightly pleased. “Of course. When I was young, I was often told to get lost. I think it’s easy to get used to that. If people can get used to the close relationship between Sony and Columbia, they can surely get used to the close relationship between Phantom and Universal, right?”
If possible, Lai Wei would definitely like to wipe the sweat from her brow. She was also grateful that Xiao Ran didn’t keep pressing on this issue. Immediately, she smiled and said, “Everyone is curious about the reasons behind Phantom’s acquisition of Universal! I believe Mr. Xiao won’t refuse to answer this question.”
“If I refuse, I’m afraid your supporters will tear me apart—they’ll be furious that I dare to refuse a beautiful lady’s question!” Xiao Ran joked humorously. He was well-accustomed to such situations and handled them with ease.
“I acquired Universal because I was looking for a breakthrough. I’ve always been committed to the exchange and collision of Eastern and Western cultures. One day, my wife told me why I shouldn’t start with what I do best, and that’s when I had this idea!”
“Due to geographical, economic, and political factors, we live on the same planet yet find it hard to understand each other. But movies, as a form of art, can facilitate sufficient cultural exchange between the East and West. At least that’s how I see it—so that when we encounter aliens and they ask what people on the other side of Earth are like, we won’t be at a loss for words!”
Xiao Ran’s sudden joke made the audience laugh knowingly. Lai Wei tried hard to stay calm and curious as she asked, “Do you believe there are aliens in this world?”
Xiao Ran smiled lightly. He could very well ignore such a question, but to win support, he had to answer. “If I believe in aliens, I’d have to give up my religious beliefs. It’s not easy to make that choice!”
“From my own perspective, besides my desire to promote exchanges between the East and West, I’m also a huge fan of movies. I hope to take the film industry to new heights.” Xiao Ran put on a solemn expression, feeling he was truly suited to be an actor. “Movies are an art form, and I love this art.”
Lai Wei chuckled and continued the previous topic, “That’s a truly great ambition. I wish your efforts succeed. Let’s also learn more about the mysterious East. Speaking of the East, my brother has recently become obsessed with some Eastern comics. They’re amazing!”

“And we all know that Mr. Xiao is a very famous director. His last film, ‘The Legend of the Racing Driver,’ was nominated for Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Effects, and Best Art Direction at the Oscars.” Lai Wei had clearly put a lot of effort into Phantom and Xiao Ran, showing that her success wasn’t easy to come by. “And that same year, ‘As Good as It Gets’ was nominated for Best Original Screenplay and Best Foreign Language Film. In recent years, Phantom’s films have always managed to get several Oscar nominations!”
“I really like ‘As Good as It Gets’ and ‘The Legend of the Racing Driver.’ Mr. Xiao and his wife’s performances in those films are truly the perfect partnership!” Lai Wei suddenly smiled playfully. “And I’ve always wanted to get your signature and your wife’s as well!”
Xiao Ran was momentarily speechless. It seemed that Phantom’s intensive promotion over the years had indeed been quite successful. “I think that’s no problem, but let’s talk about business now!”
“I’d really like to know what kind of exchange you mean!” Lai Wei recalled the information about Phantom she had seen initially, which had shocked her. She never expected that Book Fragrance Media and others were all subsidiaries of Phantom.
“Of course, it’s about culture in general. For now, I’m still focused on movies, as they are the art form that can evoke the strongest resonance!” Xiao Ran smiled calmly. He knew what Lai Wei was about to ask and had already prepared an answer. “I’ll bring the best Chinese-language films to the United States, and the best American films will also be released in the East!”
Lai Wei was immediately at a loss for words. She had originally wanted to question whether Xiao Ran planned to flood the market with Chinese films, but now he had given her an answer. Fortunately, she was quick-witted and soon came up with a question to stump him: “That means that through your efforts, Chinese films will dominate the American market, while American films won’t be able to enter the Eastern market, right? Isn’t this similar to cultural dumping?”
Xiao Ran couldn’t help but smile eerily. “Hollywood releases over forty films overseas each year, at least thirty of which can be released in the East. Meanwhile, only four or five Chinese films can be released in the United States each year. So, if we’re talking about cultural dumping, it should be Hollywood dumping its culture on the East!”
“It’s an unequal relationship. That’s why Universal will act as a bridge in this exchange among the American people. Everyone will realize that Chinese films also have many advantages; it’s just that people didn’t understand them before!” Xiao Ran emphasized his words, waving his hand decisively. “And that’s the mission I’ve set for myself!”
After the program was broadcast, the results were quite good, though there were still voices of opposition. The U.S. was always like that—any action could trigger strong opposition, so Xiao Ran wasn’t worried. Yet, he always had a bad feeling. We all know it’s hard to describe exactly what it is, but it’s like a sixth sense.

But Xiao Ran also knew that it was by no means some so-called sixth sense—it was simply pure experience telling him that things were bad. From his current position, he definitely didn’t want any more trouble, but Hollywood was about to plunge into chaos. He could even bet that Disney must be teaming up with Warner to mess him around. If anything happened at that time, it would really be… He viewed this from an independent standpoint, accustomed to looking at everything from a more detached and hostile perspective. After days of deep thought, he still couldn’t predict what might happen if anything did occur.

The situation wasn’t too bad. Warner was clearly discussing with Disney how to deal with Universal. What troubled the heads of these two giants, Turner and Michael, was that they couldn’t find any weak points to attack in Universal. As Disney’s only star and the most famous celebrity CEO, the old man was a power-obsessed individual who, even when critically ill, refused to relinquish his power, instead designating an heir in the manner of ancient feudal monarchs through a will.

In the old man’s luxurious villa, Turner had a secret meeting with him—a meeting that could potentially reshape Hollywood’s landscape. Before the meeting began, the old man proudly introduced a man who appeared ordinary but had a sharp glint in his eyes—a Chinese man.

He was Tie Long, who had been seeking a chance to make a comeback. Unfortunately, no one in Hong Kong dared to invest in him, and even if they did, Xiao Ran could shut him down with just one word. Investors were aware of this, and so was he.

Originally a lighting technician, he had made some money over the years by working as a director and screenwriter. Unfortunately, he had refused to do manual labor and thus couldn’t get any work in the film industry. Desperate, he came to Hollywood in search of opportunities.

But he wasn’t very lucky and quickly spent all his money. Just as he was considering suicide or committing a crime out of despair, news spread that Phantom had taken control of Universal. After being stunned for a full minute, he felt a chill run down his spine.

He knew well that he couldn’t stay in Europe or Asia because of Xiao Ran. If Xiao Ran came to Hollywood, he too would have no place to stand there. At a loss and regretting having offended Xiao Ran, he immediately realized that, given Xiao Ran’s personality, he would likely clash with locals soon.

In his desperate situation, he held on for a few days. Sure enough, rumors soon spread in Hollywood that Warner was planning to target Universal. This gave him hope. He was a talented screenwriter and director; it was just that no one dared to hire him—no one in Hollywood wanted to. As long as he could attach himself to Warner, he could turn things around at any time.

In the end, he didn’t choose Turner because he considered him a cunning old fox. Disney’s ruler, Michael, was different—he loved being the center of attention, enjoying the spotlight. Tie Long knew that as long as he could control his performance, he would surely win favor.

Turner sized up the middle-aged Chinese man before him with a look of disdain. He noticed a stain on the corner of the man’s suit, which clearly didn’t suit his own obsessive cleanliness. Michael smiled triumphantly and introduced him to Turner, “This is Mr. Tie Long. He knows everything about Xiao Ran, including the tactics he likes to use, because he was once Xiao Ran’s rival!” Turner remained calm on the surface but thought to himself that having someone who knew Xiao Ran so well would certainly help in dealing with him or Universal. Tie Long didn’t come from a good background, so naturally he was far inferior in terms of manners, merely bowing humbly like an ordinary person. Turner sneered at Michael, “Michael, didn’t you say last time that you weren’t such a despicable person who would resort to such tactics against Universal? Why did you hire someone like this now?” “No, Turner. You know I’m trying to help you. I happened to meet him, and as a friend, I naturally feel obligated to help you!” The older man was also cunning, quietly shirking all blame. Hypocrite! Turner cursed inwardly. Warner and Disney have always been at odds, not just in movies but also on television networks, so he wasn’t shy about calling them that. But Hollywood was always like this—when faced with outsiders, it pretended to be united by turning its guns outward. So, we have to admit that Xiao Ran’s carefully planned entry at a time when many companies were changing hands was indeed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This was also the source of their troubles, as they realized they couldn’t unite other companies to put pressure on Universal and Xiao Ran. “Is that really the case?” Turner smiled leisurely, took a sip of the delicious wine from his glass, and said, “From what I know, Phantom Group has already taken over much of Disney’s market with movies like The Lion King, and as for theme parks… hehe…” Michael became furious at the mention of this. As the ruler of Disney, he would never allow his kingdom to be invaded like this. Yet, he had to admit that Phantom Group had taken half of Disney’s share in the animation industry, which was Disney’s exclusive domain. Moreover, the older man realized that his kingdom seemed to have no good animations or effective strategies left to protect its interests. “So, I think we can start discussing this!” Turner saw that a few words had already stirred up the older man’s emotions and smiled sinisterly, “MGM hasn’t expressed any stance, and I don’t want to provoke those damned mafiosi. I certainly don’t want to get shot to death one day!” “Paramount is currently involved in an acquisition deal and can’t make any decisions. But maybe we can ally with Barry or Leithstone. I think the ultimate winner of this showdown will emerge from them!” Michael quickly calmed down and continued, “I think the only ones we might be able to bring on our side are Murdoch or Sony!”

“Those two idiots in Colombia are still wasting Sony’s money. I think we can easily get him on our side without having to worry about Sony taking over in the future!” Turner gave an confident answer, but soon showed caution: “Murdoch has made rapid progress in his career these years, while Fox is still losing money. We might as well deal him a heavy blow and send him back to Australia!”
Tie Long listened quietly to the two of them. His English wasn’t very good; he could understand most of it, but speaking was difficult for him. Michael sighed in frustration: “Turner, what we have, Universal has too. I’m afraid we’ll just crush them using the usual methods. How about we listen to Mr. Tie Long’s advice instead?”
Tie Long understood these last words. Seeing both of them looking at him, he realized his own language skills were limited. Michael remembered how Tie Long’s English sounded almost like that of an alien the first time they met, so he had prepared a translator.
Tie Long’s mind raced for a moment before he slowly spoke in Chinese, with a hint of nostalgia in his eyes: “Xiao Ran is a brutal dictator. No one in Asia dares to resist his rule…”