I’m in Hollywood

Early the next morning, the weather in London was still gloomy.

There was no schedule in the morning, and I had breakfast with Meyer. Eric was looking at the financial reports of the Philippine and BMG record companies in the villas on Garden Street and received a call.

Soon after, Meyer walked in with a girl with a sly expression, but it was Bobby Devay who met when she came to London to participate in the Vimy show.

The girl was wearing a pink long hoodie, carrying two slender little white legs, stepping on a pair of flat shoes, and a pair of girls next door to the next door, looking slim.

Eric noticed the girl’s restrained appearance, smiled and patted her side and said, “Is it not cold?”

Feeling that Eric had no gentle feeling of alienation, Bobby Devay paused and walked over and sat down beside Eric. "There is a point, but it is okay."

Eric picked up the coffee pot on the coffee table in front and poured a cup of coffee on the girl. He handed it to the side and said, "Yes, beauty is the most important thing."

Bobby Devay politely thanked him, holding a small coffee mouth, and the smart voice was looking around.

Meyer also went to the headquarters of the British branch of the group to bring in Bobby Devay. The girl changed her clothes and left for Eric.

After Meyer’s departure, Bobby Devay relaxed a bit more, changed a more casual posture next to Eric, and probed the documents in his hands: “Eric, what is this? ”

"Financial statements, you won't be interested," Eric showed slightly to the girl, and asked: "Do you have to go to class today?"

"It’s Saturday today."

"Oh, I have forgotten it," Eric’s EMI company’s 1998 financial report turned a page and said casually: “How is your father and mother?”

"Good, but my father went to Asia, and my mother is not in London."

Eric was deeply touched by Diwa's family's parents who were not very optimistic. He was curious: "Who will take care of you?"

"Where they need their care, I am already an adult, and my sister has a babysitter."

Eric looked at his watch, less than 8:30: "That must have not eaten breakfast, right?"

"I rarely eat breakfast," the girl nodded slightly, and said, "I will call you when I get up, and I am worried that you will not care about me anymore."

“It’s not good for a little girl to always eat breakfast,” Eric said, picking up the phone, but after thinking for a moment, still couldn’t think of any number. Calling the female assistant for this kind of thing would definitely be resentful, so he got up. Road: "Go, take you to eat something."

Bobby Devay nodded at the corner of his mouth: "Okay."

Although it is already in April, the temperature in London's early morning is still only about ten degrees, with a thick wet and cold.

When they walked out of the villa, Eric wore a windbreaker, but it didn't feel much. The girl next to her was obviously a little sorrowful, and the slender body seemed to shrink.

Eric felt a little funny and said, "Would you like to wear my clothes?"

Bobby Devay looked at the trench coat on Eric. Although it was not a long paragraph, it was enough to wrap her whole person. However, noting the smile of Eric's mouth, the girl nodded in a little rebellious position: "Eric, this question is usually not allowed to ask."

"Oh, it seems to be my fault."

Eric said, she took off her windbreaker and wrapped it on the girl.

The cold and cold moment was isolated, feeling warm, and with the breath of the man next to him, Bobby Devay’s face was slightly warm, and the small hand was pulled out from the wide sleeve to hold the man next to him. Arm, hesitated a little, boldly said: "Eric, you are like my boyfriend."

"I know this, but it's usually used by boys in nightclubs."

"I was not kidding," Bobby Devay said with a little dissatisfaction in his small expression. He blinked and curiously said: "Have you soaked up girls in the nightclub?"

"I am, I am old, not going to the nightclub."

"Ha ha."

The Royal Garden Hotel is just across the street, and Eric takes the girl directly from the street into the hotel restaurant.

Entering the restaurant, Bobby Devay took off his windbreaker and gave it to the waiter. The two found a position to sit down.

"I want a fruit salad, apples, strawberries, bananas and pineapples. Don't put too much salad dressing. In addition, you need a cup of milk. Well, that's all."

The waiter carefully wrote down and turned to Eric: "Mr. Williams?"

"Give me a cup of coffee and a copy of The Times."

The waiter nodded and turned and left.

Bobby Devay’s arm was on the table and said: “Eric, don’t you eat?”

"I have eaten when you haven't gotten up yet."

"So, did you bring me to breakfast?"

“Is it very moving?”

Bobby Devay took a small head seriously: "Dad never asked me if I didn't eat breakfast."

"I can't help you explain this to your father."

"He is always a very busy look, mother is also, I think they are definitely not busy with you."

"I just have a rest this morning, or I have no time to pay attention to you."

"You will definitely," the girl did not know why, suddenly she was very determined, and said: "Eric, I have seen the trailer of Iron Man, it is cool, can I go to the premiere the day after tomorrow?"

"Well, I asked Mary to bring you a few invitations. If your mom and dad come back the day after tomorrow, you can join together."

"They can't come back, can I bring my friend, it will be very face-saving."

"I have to help with the issue of face, and five are enough?"

Bobby Devay nodded hard and smiled: "Well, enough."

After breakfast, the two returned to Eric’s mansion again.

Bobby Devay obviously enjoys the feeling of getting along with Eric. Although there are a lot of entertainment facilities in the villa, the girls all rely on Eric next to the kittens all morning, chatting all kinds of pieces. Various topics.

At noon, I met Colin Sosgate, President of the EMI Group. Near 12 o'clock, Eric once again came to the Royal Garden Hotel on the street with a small tail like Bobby Devai. The location is in the Lijiang restaurant in the Garden Hotel.

At twelve o'clock, Colin Sosgate also arrived on time. The other was a middle-aged man with a gray hair. He looked like a 40-year-old, wearing a dark red suit and tall, but obviously with a few points of pampering. .

Seeing Eric’s appearance with a little girl, Colin Sosgate’s heart was a little unpleasant. The two sides sneered a few words and sat down. Colin Sosgate said very straightforwardly: “Eric Regarding the cooperation with Firefly Electronics, the company's board of directors believes that this will hurt the sales of the albums that have already begun to decline. Moreover, the measures taken by the Fireflyer player in the anti-piracy version are really unsatisfactory, so we will not agree."

Bobby Devay, sitting quietly next to Eric, didn't expect the uncle who looked very gentleman to be so unkind, suddenly frowning, and looked at Eric next to him, I hope he can Make a counterattack immediately.

"Speaking of piracy, I just remember that because of the promotion of personal computer burning optical drive, last year was only North America, the sales of blank CDs reached 130 million, according to the price of a record of 20 dollars, which is equal to the record. The company lost $2.6 billion in sales." Eric gestured to the waitress to send the pre-dinner dessert to the girl next to him and continued to talk: "As for the global market, I don't see statistics, but It is the fundamental reason for the decline of the record industry. Just like Hollywood's compliance with the videotape market, accepting the digital music player channel is the best solution to prevent the record industry from completely collapsing."

Colin Sosgate apparently did not pay attention to this information, frowning slightly, but still said: "Eric, you are too alarmist."

"I have seen the company's financial report of EMI for the past five years in advance. Compared with last year, in the past few years, in 1997, 1996, 1995 and 1994, the annual net profit of EMI Group has been ups and downs, but it has basically remained 400 million pounds or so, but last year, if you did not sell the non-operating income of Viking Records, EMI Group’s annual net profit was only 310 million pounds, which was 25% lower than before. If you do not take action, the next few years The days will definitely be even worse."

“Can you reproduce the record sales with the Firefly Group?” Colin Sosgate was obviously stabbed in this time, saying: “The sales model of Firefly Electronics is completely destroying the foundation of the record industry, and, although Record sales have plummeted, but Yahoo Music Store’s global sales last year were less than $300 million, which is not worth mentioning compared to the entire record industry."

"Colin, you used the wrong target. Yahoo Music Store's sales in 1997 was only 50 million US dollars. In 1998, it was close to 300 million US dollars, and the growth rate reached 600%. We don't expect this year's growth rate to reach 600. %, but even if it only doubles, the annual sales can reach 600 million US dollars. According to this growth rate, in less than five years, Yahoo Music Store’s revenue will far exceed the five major record companies. Any one of them, even the total sales of all your record companies."

Colin Sosgate shook his head: "Eric, you can't get it, you don't have enough content."

Eric's spreader: "So, this is the issue we are discussing today. Cooperation, EMI has a new revenue channel, we can have enough content, this is a win-win situation."

"Eric, this is more like a win-win for the firefly system. You not only have the full profit of the digital music player, but also share 30% of the proceeds from our record company. What's more, the control of the platform is completely In the hands of the firefly system, do you think we will agree to this completely one-sided cooperation?"

Colin Sosgate said this, although the words are still unceremonious, but the tone has obviously softened.

Eric did not directly respond to Colin Sosgate's question, but said: "In fact, Firefly Electronics has begun to discuss the split plan, we plan to separate the Fireflyer player separately, I think you must have been related The news?"

"Don't you want to let the Fireflyer player business go public alone?" Colin Sosgate blurted out his guess, but blinked and stared at Eric: "You mean, Firefly Electronics Willing to accept capital injections from other shareholders?"

Eric shook his head and corrected it. "Exactly, it is Fireflyer."

Colin Sosgate was silent for a moment, saying: "Eric, I need to see your split plan first."

"The specific plan has not yet been formed. However, I can ask my assistant to send a draft to you in the afternoon," Eric explained. "And, I can guarantee that after the split, because it is no longer necessary The other business units of the parent company bear the R&D costs, and Fireflyer’s profit margin will actually increase significantly.”

"So, Eric, we are still confessing, Firefly Electronics, or how much equity can Fireflyer transfer to EMI?"

"Eight percent."

"Too little, Eric, at least 20%."

"Colin, the top five record companies, each of you takes 20%, so what am I left?"

Bobby Devay, who was sitting quietly next to him, heard Eric’s words and didn’t know what to catch, and laughed. Realizing her own grievances, the girl sighed apologetically to the two men.

Was beaten by Bobby Devay, and Colin Sosgate’s thoughts were not affected: “Eric, we all know that you don’t need to draw all the top five record companies, as long as there is a large one. The record group joined, it is enough for the current Yahoo music store. And, as long as the Yahoo music store proves its potential, other record companies have to be joined, whether they are active or forced."

"You are right," Eric nodded. "But, the percentage of equity transfer is also considered by us. I did not deliberately give a low number and then negotiate with each other." After a few months of sawing, everyone’s time is very tight, I don’t want to delay it. We can calculate that digital music players have become a foregone conclusion instead of traditional portable players, and because of the more portable portability than cassette recorders. The market capacity of digital music players will reach at least 100 million units in the future. At that time, even if the Fireflyer player only has 70% market share, this will be 70 million units of player sales per year, and the average price of the Fireflyer player. The price is calculated at 350 US dollars, the net profit margin of 15%, the annual net profit will reach 3.675 billion US dollars. After IPO, according to the 30 times price-earnings ratio, the market value of Fireflyer can easily exceed 100 billion US dollars, EMI holds 8 %, not counting the annual profit dividend, this equity is worth 8 billion US dollars, which is equivalent to the current market value of EMI Group. "

Colin Sosgate’s expression changed, but he did not easily give in. “Eric, this is just the most ideal digital model you can make. The actual situation will be, no one knows. Now many electronics Manufacturers are doing digital music players, it is difficult to determine whether the Fireflyer player will decline in the next few years, even if it does not decline, the competition will intensify, you can not continue to maintain too high profit margins. Moreover, It’s just impossible to sell a company with a simple digital music player with a market value of $100 billion.”

"Colin, if you only see the Fireflyer player, this will make me very contempt. The Firefly system is a complete digital music ecosystem. The Fireflyer player is just one part of it. Maybe it can The entire ecosystem brings most of the profits, but if other manufacturers only see this, they can't exceed us. Even if they see through the complete layout of the firefly system, they still can't surpass us, because the firefly system has already smashed them. It has been a long way away."