I am Hollywood

[Chapter 1066: Lifting the Lid]

Perhaps it was some primal sense of territorialism, but Eric found it quite unsettling to have strangers suddenly appear in his personal life.

After dinner, he spent some time chatting with Cindy and Linda. When he spotted Catherine Neumann, who had just finished her housework, appear in the living room with a book in her hand, he decided to make himself scarce and headed toward the study.

On his desk sat a package sent by Rebecca Wade. Eric placed the IMG Group materials nearby, sat down, and casually opened his computer. He grabbed a utility knife and carefully cut open the package.

Inside, he found a simple handwritten letter and a DVD.

Eric opened Rebecca Wade's letter and began to read. In it, she informed him that the DVD contained a preview of an upcoming BBC documentary about the competition scandal involving Elite modeling agency. Once aired, this documentary was likely to have a disruptive impact on the entire modeling industry. Considering some industry ramifications for Firefly Group, she had sent over the preview for Eric to decide if it required his intervention and offered to provide some assistance.

The details revealed in the recent phone tapping scandal showcased News Corporation's extensive 'intelligence-gathering abilities,' so Eric wasn't particularly curious about the provenance of this DVD. Instead, he quickly inserted it into his computer's disc drive and pressed play.

The footage was clearly shot with a mini camera, evident from the fuzzy black borders around the edges. The documentary focused on behind-the-scenes interviews from last month's Elite Model contest held in Nice, France. BBC journalists approached a series of competition officials posing as sponsors and captured them discussing in a vulgar manner their intentions to bed the girls participating in the contest. The documentary even featured a scene where a girl was enticed into using heroin.

Moreover, the documentary emphasized a shocking fact: the average age of contestants in the Elite Model contest held in Nice was under 15, with the youngest girl being only 12. Very few contestants were of legal age.

The chaos in the modeling industry was common knowledge, and anyone could infer from the listless demeanor of some models and the blemishes on their faces that their personal lives were quite indulgent.

However, typically only isolated scandals regarding individual models emerged in the media. A large-scale scandal directly involving an industry giant like Elite had never occurred. This BBC documentary served as a kind of lid-lifting action, exposing the industry's darkest underbelly to the public.

It was easy to imagine that once this documentary aired, the modeling industry would be shaken to its core. Under public pressure, governments worldwide would inevitably revise relevant regulations.

Elite, the largest modeling agency in the world, would also become a pariah, and its decline seemed inevitable.

Eric had never been naive enough to believe that the lovely beauties flanking him truly represented the industry's glamorous facade. Just like with Hollywood, he was well aware of the dark side of the fashion world.

However, as his wealth and power continued to grow, his inner attitude towards this world turned increasingly apathetic. Much like a person who had little interest in the struggles of ants in their world, he would consider it a sign of compassion not to trod on them unnecessarily.

At present, if this documentary's fallout only affected Elite, Eric would remain just a disinterested observer.

What was more concerning than the BBC's uncovering actions was that following the broadcast, much like multiple past scandals, the public's dark associations with the fashion world would materialize and negatively impact the overall public image of the modeling industry.

Eric had just invested in WM, and now Cindy was set to acquire IMG.

If Elite fell into decline, it appeared beneficial to the Firefly network on the surface. But the repercussions of this scandal and the resultant media frenzy could easily drag the entire industry down with it. The top supermodel team Eric had built, the Victoria's Secret angels, might also suffer collateral damage. Each potential impact could cancel out any benefits derived from Elite's fall.

...

After contemplating for a moment, Eric picked up his phone and dialed Merissa Mayer's number.

"Mary, it's me... Can you find the contact information for the head of the BBC? Shoot them an email saying I've seen their program on Elite and hope they can retract it. In return, Firefly could increase our advertising budget directed toward the BBC... Yes, I know about that. Just get it done immediately. Also, call John Casablancas and have him meet me tomorrow morning."

After hanging up with Merissa, Eric glanced at the IMG Group materials for a moment when Linda floated into the room, having changed into an elegant sleep outfit.

"What kind of prenatal education is this? I want to sleep after listening to it," she slouched against Eric, wrapping her arms around his neck and adopting a somewhat sulky tone. "Maybe the little one's already asleep and won't become smart at all; it'll just get drowsy at the sight of books."

Linda always felt overshadowed in front of Cindy. Now that Cindy was pregnant smoothly, her own progress seemed stagnant, leading to some sullen moments lately.

Eric wrapped his arms around her slender waist, somehow reminded of the documentary they had just viewed.

Rebecca Wade sending it over might have had this additional layer of meaning. The Elite president mentioned in the documentary was, after all, Linda's ex-husband. If the scandal broke, he'd surely face public disgrace, but a more famous Linda would inevitably be pulled into the media whirlwind.

Setting those thoughts aside, Eric comfortingly patted her back and teased, "Stop complaining. You'll have your day eventually."

"But I want it now," Linda replied, cuddling closer, her cheeks flushing a bit as she whispered hotly in his ear, "Eric, I consulted with the doctor, learned a few things, and thought we could try it now?"

Eric immediately shook his head with a grin. "Not happening. If you approach it with that mindset, it'll seriously dampen a guy's enthusiasm."

Linda pouted, playfully nibbling Eric's neck, feeling his hand press against her waist more firmly. Her eyes sparkled mischievously as she began unbuttoning his shirt, nipping down his collar line.

...

The following morning, after bidding farewell to the two women, Eric took off for the helicopter pad by the Hudson River.

Caroline and Merissa Mayer were already waiting there. As Eric stepped out of the vehicle, Merissa approached with his BlackBerry in hand. "Eric, BBC president Mark Thompson has declined your request."

Eric took the phone, glanced at the screen, and casually asked, "What about John Casablancas?"

"Mr. Casablancas lives in Greenwich. He called just now, saying he'd be here in ten minutes."

Greenwich was over forty kilometers north of Manhattan, already in Connecticut territory. Many affluent Manhattanites and upper-class professionals resided there.

Eric nodded, reading through Mark Thompson's pompous rejection, where he wouldn't defy BBC's own code of conduct for business interests, and handed the phone back to Merissa. "Get Mark Thompson on the line."

Merissa skillfully dialed, exchanged a few words, and then handed the phone to Eric.

Eric held the phone to his ear. "Mark Thompson?"

A middle-aged man with a distinct London accent replied, "Hello, Mr. Williams. While I'm pleased to speak with you, if this is regarding the matter in the email, I'm afraid I can't comply. The BBC has its own sense of social responsibility; we aren't under anyone's influence."

"Well then, let it be," Eric replied nonchalantly. "But speaking of social responsibility, I might just have someone create a more profound documentary. Something like a detailed report on Jimmy Savile; how does that sound?"

Eric hung up without waiting for a response.

The two women watching the exchange were momentarily stunned, not expecting him to end the call so quickly.

Upon hearing Jimmy Savile's name, Caroline opened her mouth as if about to speak, just as Eric's phone rang again.

Placing the phone back to his ear, Eric maintained his calm demeanor, "So?"

This time, Mark Thompson spoke with obvious annoyance. "Mr. Williams, are you threatening the BBC?"

Eric pressed the end-call button without a second thought.

Although the pause before the next call was slightly longer this time, a minute later the phone rang again.

"So?"

Mark Thompson's tone had shifted to a noticeable softness. "Alright, Mr. Williams. I will have that documentary retracted. However, you must ensure that the matter you mentioned will not take place."

Eric nodded. "Of course. It was a pleasure speaking with you, Mark. Goodbye."

As Eric hung up, Caroline finally said, "Eric, what's wrong with Sir Jimmy Savile? He was a great guy; I used to watch his shows all the time when I was a kid."

Jimmy Savile was the BBC's most famous children's and music show host, in his seventies now. During his peak, he received thousands of letters from children every week.

Apart from that, he was also knighted by the Queen of England and was friends with many British politicians, enjoying a very high social status in British society.

Yet, that was merely the facade.

In memory, it wasn't until over a decade later, shortly after Savile's death, that the scandals involving him finally erupted.

It turned out that this seemingly upstanding presenter had abused hundreds of minors over his decades-long career, with the youngest victim being only eight years old.

Moreover, within the BBC, Savile's actions had become an open secret, but out of concern for its own reputation, the BBC had repeatedly chosen to shield him, which inadvertently allowed Savile's crimes to continue unchecked for half a century.

For the BBC, which prided itself on exposing industry issues, the entire situation was deeply ironic.

At this moment, Eric watched Caroline's clear, bright eyes, and, feigning mystery, said softly, "You don't know this, but he was actually gay. Think about it -- a well-liked guy with a stable family behind him suddenly being revealed as a homosexual; people wouldn't take that well."

Caroline scrunched her nose, looking somewhat distressed. "Eric, that's not good; sexuality is a personal matter; you shouldn't use him as a bargaining chip."

Eric nodded earnestly. "Alright, I promise it won't happen again."

Merissa, standing nearby, watched as Eric spoke with Caroline, her eyes darting slightly. Noticing Eric glance her way, she nonchalantly looked away.

...

After a moment, a Cadillac rolled into the helicopter pad.

Although Casablancas thought Eric's attitude was a bit overbearing, he still jogged over with a smile after stepping out of the car. "Sorry, Mr. Williams, the journey was a bit long. Wow, this helicopter is quite something."

Eric shook hands with John Casablancas, exchanging minimal pleasantries before handing him the DVD from yesterday. "This was originally a documentary set to air on the BBC next week, and I've managed to suppress it. But remember, this is a one-time favor; if problems arise again, I'll have ABC take care of it, and Elite will shut down."

Casablancas had no clue what was happening, but Eric's serious tone prompted him to stow his smile immediately while holding the DVD. "Mr. Williams, what's going on?"

"I'm in a hurry; just watch it yourself. Also, I plan to transfer Al's contract to IMG. A lawyer will be in touch with you soon."

Because IMG operated on a high-priority basis, contracts for Cindy, Linda, Gisele, and Miranda had already been placed with IMG's modeling agency, while only Alessandra remained with Elite.

Since Eric had already shown interest in acquiring IMG, and given the circumstances, he decided to transfer Alessandra's contract too. As for the other Elite-affiliated Victoria's Secret angels, he didn't mind too much.

John Casablancas realized the seriousness of the situation and wanted to press further, but Eric waved him off and boarded the helicopter with Caroline, Linda, and a few bodyguards.

...

Watching the black VH-60 roar into the sky, John Casablancas quickly departed for Elite's headquarters. Upon arrival, he hurriedly entered a conference room and eagerly inserted the DVD into the player.

After finishing the half-hour video, John Casablancas was drenched in cold sweat.

Although the content had nothing to do with him directly, he understood well that if this documentary aired, Elite's meticulously crafted modeling contest, operated for over twenty years, would be utterly destroyed. The company would be inundated with lawsuits, and models under contract would flee amidst the scandal.

At that point, Elite's decline was inevitable.

Moreover, and most critically, he would be forced to leave the agency he had founded. Unlike the McCormick family behind IMG, over the years, John Casablancas no longer held much equity in Elite, and with such a grave oversight in management, the board would surely not allow him to remain in the presidency.

Shaking in fury, he smashed everything on the conference table to the floor, then collapsed into a chair. As his thoughts gradually calmed, he began to consider his next steps.

Eric Williams taking Alessandra Ambrosio's contract meant a complete severance from Elite.

At the very least, he couldn't let that happen.

That thought led John Casablancas to contemplate Eric's recent investment in WM...

...

Eric's Boeing 747 took off from Long Island Airport but didn't head directly to Sydney; instead, it planned a brief stop at Ventura Airport.

Microsoft President Steve Ballmer was already waiting there. Yahoo and Microsoft had signed a new agreement, and Eric needed to deliver the recordings to him.

In truth, Steve Ballmer was a hardliner advocating for an immediate cut-off with Yahoo to focus on developing Microsoft's own internet business; obviously, Gates didn't want to see Eric again and had sent Steve over instead.

Eric wanted to keep the number of people who knew about the recording to a minimum. The count on his side was already less than a handful, and ideally, the fewer people at Microsoft who knew, the better. Even when it came to negotiations with the Justice Department, it was best to have knowledge restricted to only a few key figures like the president and the Attorney General.

As a major shareholder and core executive at Microsoft, Steve Ballmer was certainly privy to the situation.

...

"Los Angeles will receive the IMG Group materials today. Shoot an email over to Edward and them, asking them to assess whether my involvement in the IMG acquisition will create legal conflicts with existing enterprises.

On the Clover Fund, have Finance devise a long-term profit allocation plan. I don't want Berkshire Hathaway's and State Street Global Advisors' financial reports to indirectly reveal this year's profit situation of the Firefly Group.

In addition, for Gravity's marketing, we should focus on Jodie Foster and George Clooney. I'll personally take part in those programs. ..."

In the front cabin study of the Boeing 747, after the flight stabilized, Eric started discussing some work matters with Caroline and Merissa.

After chatting for a while, Caroline left with several documents, while Merissa lingered behind, feigning to organize the desk.

...

Flipping through the IMG Group's sports training institute documents, Eric noticed Merissa's actions and smiled. "Mary, is something on your mind?"

Merissa straightened, looking at Eric, "So, what's going on with Jimmy Savile?"

Eric scrutinized Merissa's slightly darting eyes for a moment before pulling her small hand in a gentle grip, maintaining a serious tone. "He's just a homosexual; you know, when such things come to light, it can get very complicated."

Merissa's eyes settled but then quickly pulled her hand away from Eric's hold, a hint of dissatisfaction in her voice. "Eric, you're not nearly as thoughtful with me as you are with Carly."

"Alright, I promise I'll improve next time. But we'll just manage this for now."

"Okay."

*****

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