Entertainment: Starting as a Succubus, Taking Hollywood by Storm

After stepping off the snowmobile, Martin and Drew followed Chris Wedge and the others to the front door of the small building.

Outside the entrance, there was a pond.

Chris Wedge pointed to the pond and said, "Last June, for several weeks, a lone swan stayed here. We're not sure if it had lost its mate."

"We fed it for a few weeks, and we got along well. But one morning, it flew away. I hope it found its other half."

"Why did you move your office here? Didn't you start out in New York?" Martin asked curiously.

The six founders exchanged smiles.

Chris Wedge explained, "Yes, when we first started, our office was located on the second floor of a dentist's office in Blaircliff Manor, New York. It wasn't much better than those startups working out of garages."

"It was noisy—constant sounds of drilling and teeth grinding. Once we had enough money, we moved to a new office in New York, on the outskirts of Manhattan. That's now our branch office. Drew's been there."

Drew Barrymore nodded. "It's a decent spot."

"Yeah, but it's too small. We needed a bigger space, but New York's rent is ridiculously expensive. We didn't want to pour all our money into renting an overpriced office, so Alison Brown suggested, 'Why not leave New York? Find a secluded spot and rent a big house.'"

"After some discussion, we all agreed it made sense. Finally, we chose this place—quiet, no disturbances, spacious, with great views. When we're not working, we relax here, drinking coffee, playing pool, gaming…"

As Chris spoke, the other founders nodded in agreement.

Martin could see it clearly—these were introverted homebodies, not fans of big-city hustle and bustle. It was no wonder they clicked so well.

Once inside the building, Martin toured their workspace with the six founders.

Unlike the meticulously organized offices of big companies, this place had no cubicles or partitions. Computers were lined up on a massive table, with about seven or eight employees working amidst a casual, somewhat chaotic atmosphere.

But Martin found the "chaos" far more comfortable than the overly orderly corporate setups—piles of snacks, animation drafts on the desks, comic books, instant coffee scattered around, and a paused video game on a nearby TV. The mess exuded a sense of warmth.

It felt like home.

To Chris and the others, this wasn't just an office—it was their haven, their home.

"We don't strictly regulate working hours here. You can come and go as you please or even work from home, as long as you meet your deadlines."

"If you're tired, you can play pool, game, drink coffee, or snack. Oh, we even have a karaoke room. Feel free to belt out a few tunes if you need to blow off some steam."

"This big office is mainly for computer effects and 3D animation."

"That room is our brainstorming space, where all our ideas collide."

"This is the meditation room, for colleagues who prefer quiet."

"And this…"

Chris Wedge guided Martin and Drew around the headquarters, explaining as they went. Martin liked the laid-back atmosphere but understood this approach was only feasible for small studios. Larger companies would find it chaotic, increasing management costs significantly.

"So, Mr. Myers, are you really planning to acquire our studio? What's your approach—stock exchange or cash?" Chris asked.

Martin remained silent as Drew answered, "Cash acquisition. We've discussed this before: post-acquisition, your management and staff structure will remain unchanged. Myers Pictures will inject additional funding for future animated projects. All animation copyrights will belong to Myers Pictures, but management will be granted incentive shares with profit-sharing rights only."

Drew laid out the terms she and Martin had agreed upon earlier, and Chris Wedge and the others nodded frequently.

That evening, back at the hotel, Martin immediately contacted his financial team, instructing them to fly to Greenwich, Connecticut, to review Blue Sky Studios' financial status in preparation for the acquisition.

The next day, after treating the six founders to a lavish lunch, Martin and Drew boarded a flight back to Los Angeles.

From here on, they simply had to wait for the financial audit to be completed and sign the final contract.

Two days later.

Los Angeles, Disney Headquarters.

Michael Eisner received a call.

On the other end was his trusted aide, Reed MacAs.

"Mr. Eisner, we might be too late. By the time we arrived, Blue Sky Studios had already reached a preliminary acquisition agreement with Myers Pictures. They're currently conducting a financial review."

"What? Who? Myers Pictures? Martin Myers?" Eisner was momentarily stunned.

"He's acquiring Blue Sky Studios?"

The aging Disney tyrant furrowed his brows.

After a moment's thought, he said, "Reed, you and your team stay there and continue negotiating with Blue Sky Studios. I'll call Martin myself."

After hanging up, Eisner sat in contemplation.

Two years ago, he wouldn't have hesitated. He would've called Martin immediately, ordering him to abandon the acquisition.

But times had changed. Eisner now found himself besieged within the Disney boardroom, with opposition growing louder and stronger. Without the voting rights tied to Martin's shares, he felt he might already be out of his position.

Since last year, Robert Iger—backed by Roy Disney—had steadily chipped away at Eisner's power. As his authority diminished, Eisner's energy and spirit waned.

"Power," he mused, "is the best nourishment for the soul." Losing that nourishment, Eisner's physical and mental decline was visible to all.

He could feel the effects of aging—his thoughts were no longer as sharp, his energy no longer as boundless.

Adding to that was Martin's string of recent achievements, which had transformed Eisner's once iron-fisted demeanor into one of caution and hesitation when dealing with the young mogul.

After a long pause, Eisner picked up the phone and dialed.

"Hello, Martin. How's everything going recently?"