[Chapter 435: Acquisition Success, Universal in Hand]
The killing of Edgar Bronfman had caused a chain reaction: not only did it lead to the downfall of the Bronfman family, but it also threw Tokyo into turmoil, triggered a crackdown on the Yamaguchi-gumi, resulted in the removal of several top officials in Japan's political scene, and shook up many industries. Panasonic Electronics suffered massive setbacks as well.
Initially, Panasonic had thought that with the Bronfman family involved in the bid for Universal Studios, they could skillfully navigate between Linton Anderson and Edgar, leveraging their position to get the best offer. But when Edgar Bronfman Jr. was assassinated, Panasonic's boss, Masaharu Matsushita, felt a bad omen.
Could it be that Linton was now the sole bidder for Universal?
Still, hope lingered. Masaharu Matsushita wished the Bronfman family wouldn't give up on the acquisition just because of Edgar's death.
The next day, Edgar Bronfman Sr. arrived in Tokyo, sparking renewed hope. Masaharu Matsushita figured Edgar's presence was twofold: to urge the local police to find his son's murderer and to continue the bid for Universal.
But less than two days later, the grim news came -- Edgar Bronfman Sr. and nearly a hundred associates were silently eliminated. This effectively ended his hopes, leaving Linton as the sole remaining buyer for Universal.
After all the commotion, things were back to square one.
To make things worse, when Masaharu Matsushita sent people to reopen negotiations with Goodman, hoping to restart talks, he was bluntly rejected due to the unrest in Tokyo. Even calling Linton himself yielded no different result.
It seemed Linton's stance had shifted after the recent turmoil.
What truly frustrated Masaharu Matsushita was that out of his six top picks from the next generation -- young talented women vied for a relationship with Linton -- not one had managed to secure a private meeting with him since their last family gathering.
'Please, Linton, don't back out as the buyer,' Masaharu Matsushita thought desperately. 'If you do, Panasonic's upcoming days would be far too difficult.'
So, right after the Tokyo police briefing ended, Masaharu Matsushita rushed to the Hilton Hotel to visit Linton in person and proposed restarting the acquisition negotiations for Universal.
---
Of course, Linton hadn't truly abandoned talks; his earlier cold shoulder was a strategic move to drive down the price. With the Bronfman family out of the picture, he now held all the cards.
After sensing Masaharu Matsushita's urgent tone during their exchange, Linton agreed to restart the negotiations the very next day.
With no competitors, the Goodman-led negotiation team tread cautiously; they held the price firm, unwilling to give in. Another week passed, with Panasonic pushing the offer down to $6.35 billion, but Goodman only budged to $6.2 billion.
At a stalemate again, the negotiations dragged on.
...
One evening, Masaharu Matsushita invited Linton to a private dinner at the Hilton's revolving rooftop restaurant. This time, the entire venue was reserved just for the two of them.
But Linton was surprised to find a third person at the table -- Sukāto Matsushita, now Sukāto Mitsui. It seemed Masaharu Matsushita was trying to employ this kind of strategy, again.
It's just that he and Sukāto had been torn apart by Masaharu himself. Did this not embarrass the old man? And what about the Mitsui family's feelings? Could it be that Matsushita had found out Sukāto spent a week in Linton's room when he first arrived?
Linton, now thick-skinned and sharp, played it cool and shook hands with Masaharu Matsushita. Then he embraced Sukāto, saying, "It's been a while."
"Yeah, long time no see. It's great to see you today," she said, playfully pinching his side as the initial awkwardness faded.
With her there, the atmosphere lightened, and the drinks flowed freely.
Although Linton and Sukāto acted normal, her subtle, affectionate gestures revealed their lingering feelings to Masaharu. His complicated emotions shifted towards cautious optimism about the upcoming discussions.
...
Over dinner, as the courses and drinks went by, Masaharu Matsushita finally raised his glass and addressed Linton, "Linton, what's your take on the Universal acquisition?"
"I'm eager to reach a deal and complete the acquisition quickly," Linton replied.
"That's good. It seems our goals align. From our first talks, the price range was close -- $6.3 to $6.35 billion. Why not build on that and speed things up?"
"Mr. Matsushita, as they say, 'Times change.' Although those numbers were close last time, it wasn't me who backed out -- it was your side leveraging the Bronfman family's entrance to cancel the deal. Now, with the Bronfmans out of the picture, the game changes. Business is business. I am merely applying lessons from you."
Masaharu Matsushita chuckled and downed three shots of sake, "My bad. I'll drink to that. Can you forgive my mistakes?" He glanced toward Sukāto.
She poured a cup and, moving close, leaned into Linton, "Linton, I'm still part of the Matsushita family. For old times' sake, can you agree to my father?"
Her words and the recent memories, especially of the week she spent in his room by his side, softened Linton's resolve.
With his own determination to acquire Universal, his firm price drop was partly in response to Masaharu Matsushita's earlier behavior.
Since Masaharu Matsushita had apologized and Sukāto interceded, and since he believed $6.3 billion was a fair price for Universal, Linton decided it was best to close the deal swiftly to avoid prolonged uncertainty.
"Alright, since you both put it that way, I'll be straightforward."
"Good! Speak your mind."
"Let's stop wasting time. I propose $6.3 billion. Deal?"
"Agreed. At your price, we start drafting the acquisition contract tomorrow morning."
"To successful cooperation, cheers!"
...
After dinner, Linton was surprised Masaharu Matsushita didn't take Sukāto away. She simply told Linton she wanted to stay and talk privately. Masaharu Matsushita looked on with mixed emotions, then sighed and left alone.
Once Masaharu Matsushita was gone, Sukāto threw herself into Linton's arms, pressing a sweet kiss. "Linton, love me."
"Later, let's go to my room."
"No, I can't wait. Besides, your bodyguards are right outside."
"Alright, as you wish..." Linton thought, it shouldn't be a problem.
Thanks to Linton's soundproof barrier, no sound escaped outside.
Two hours later, Linton carried the exhausted Sukāto back to his room...
---
The next day, both negotiation teams quickly finalized the acquisition price at $6.3 billion and began working out the contract details.
On October 26, after 32 days of intense negotiation, both parties signed the acquisition agreement. Linton purchased all Universal Group shares from Panasonic Electronics for $6.3 billion.
The deal included Universal Pictures (along with Universal Music), MCA Television Group, MCA Home Video and Pay TV, Putnam Publishing, Universal Amphitheatres, Universal's extensive film and television archives, Universal Studios theme parks, a 50% stake in USA Cable, and 40% ownership in Cineplex Odeon Cinemas.
As per the contract, upon signing, Linton had to immediately pay Panasonic $2 billion.
Following that, a mutually agreed third-party audit firm would conduct a comprehensive review of Universal's assets, cash, debts, and contractual compliance. Subsequent payments would depend on audit confirmations, with any discrepancies deducted from final payments.
---
Shortly after, a press conference announced the transaction and Universal's new ownership, sending the crowd of reporters and paparazzi into a frenzy.
What was supposed to be a routine assignment suddenly turned into a huge scoop. Reporters scrambled with microphones, vying to ask:
"Mr. Anderson, why did you decide to buy Universal Group?"
"Mr. Anderson, do you have any plans for big moves after the acquisition?"
"Mr. Anderson, where did you get so much capital for this purchase?"
"Will you continue to sing and act after taking over Universal?"
"You graduated in '91, from singer to superstar, to director, to Hollywood star, and now owner of Universal. What's your secret to success?"
"Mr. Matsushita, why is Panasonic selling Universal? Is it financial struggles, or unfair treatment?"
"..."
The press conference lasted two hours, quelling the restless media. After receiving their appearance fees and blockbuster news, the reporters happily dispersed to write their stories.
---
From that moment, Linton's phone, held by his assistant, Meena, never stopped ringing. Calls and messages poured in, confirming the news, sending congratulatory wishes, but Meena tactfully turned them all away.
After signing the contract and finishing the press conference, Linton arranged Meena to book a flight back to Los Angeles for the following morning.
The trip had lasted too long, and he deeply missed Lina.
Apart from private meetings with the heads of Universal's Asian subsidiaries for film and music, Linton declined all other appointments.
Universal's distribution personnel worldwide were divided into two lines: film and music, responsible for local distribution and copyright operations. Both Asian headquarters were based in Tokyo.
Upon hearing of Linton's acquisition, the heads of both subsidiaries immediately sought to pay their respects and pledge allegiance to the new boss.
When meeting them, Linton employed his Soul Induction ability to probe if they had engaged in corruption, bribery, or embezzlement.
The results were mixed.
The head of the film division, Toshio Masaki, was practically a disgrace. He shamelessly embezzled through inflated distribution fees and pocketed over $20 million from copyrights -- a problem Linton needed to address immediately.
The music division head, Ichirou Koi, was relatively clean, with no outright corruption, but like Daniel, he partnered with others to operate music companies using Universal's resources for profit.
Fortunately, those partnerships largely adhered to business norms, and Koi had introduced Linton to famed Japanese artists Izumi Sakai and Noriko Sakai before, so Linton decided to give him a chance in the pending cleanup.
---
At the Hilton's presidential suite, Izumi Sakai, Noriko Sakai, Akina Nakamori, and quietly, Sukāto Matsushita had prepared a grand celebration party for Linton.
Besides exquisite food and fine wines, they arranged entertaining performances and lively party props.
When Linton returned, he was immediately enveloped in warm affection.
What followed was a wild party filled with singing, screaming, and theatrical skits.
With their separation looming the next day, everyone gave their all -- especially Sukāto Matsushita, whose energy was unstoppable.
They partied the whole night.
---
As the news spread, Linton's Universal acquisition shocked the global entertainment industry and even reverberated through financial circles and society at large.
[Breaking news: Universal changes hands -- new owner revealed.]
[Shocking! Hollywood's top director and superstar Linton Anderson makes a dazzling transformation to corporate magnate.]
[Exclusive: Linton Anderson takes over Universal Studios.]
[Inside story: How Linton devoured the giant Universal.]
[What's next for Universal? Continued glory or decline?]
[Linton's media empire -- a new era?]
[Can a star manage a Hollywood heavyweight like Universal?]
[...]
For a time, news about Linton's Universal acquisition dominated all entertainment media worldwide, generating headlines that grabbed readers' attention.
There were reactions of surprise, curiosity, skepticism, and even predictions that Universal might follow the same fate as United Artists.
Yet, some glowing reports praised Linton highly. The New York Times' front-page headline read:
[The Chosen One -- Linton Anderson's journey from Hollywood star to Universal's helm.]
The article traced his journey from college graduate in 1991, to songwriter, singer, pop star, scriptwriter, filmmaker, studio owner, leading Hollywood director and superstar, culminating in his takeover of Universal.
It hailed Linton's talent and hard work as the keys to his ongoing rise, praising him for living the American Dream, and expressing confidence he would lead Universal to even greater heights.
*****
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