Chapter 136: Bloomsbury

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"Hurry up and sign the contract, so that the copyright of Rowling's Harry Potter will be complete!" Guo Shouyun said.

"If you agree, the M&A contract can be signed within three days!"

"Yes, as soon as possible!"

No one knows better than him the impact of the Harry Potter movie on the world when it is released. At that time, it was not only the 'wizarding trio' that became a hit, but also the sales of the four sets of Harry Potter books that had been published before.

This is clearly illustrated by Bloomsbury's marketing data. After the launch of Ha 1 in 1996, Bloomsbury's revenue was £13.5 million, reaching £20 million in 1999, with a profit of £2.6 million. By 2000, sales had risen to £50.6 million and earnings had reached £5.7 million. In 2005, Bloomsbury's performance continued to climb, and by the time of the publication of Harry Potter Book 6, Bloomsbury's sales were £109 million and his profit was £20.1 million.

It's a pity that there is a relationship between Guo Shouyun and Guo Shouyun in this life, and "Ha 5", which should have made Bloomsbury's marketing skyrocket, become a money-absorbing weapon for thorn birds.

"One more thing, Bruce!"

"What?"

"Penguin Random House wants to acquire us, and the conditions are very lucrative!"

"Christopher, you know I won't sell!" Guo Shouyun said with a slight frown.

"But they say you're going to sell the company to Amazon?"

After a flash of thoughtfulness flashed in his eyes, Guo Shouyun continued: "I do have this idea, because Amazon controls the terminal sales channel. We need to open up the upstream and downstream of the publishing industry, so that we will not be arbitrarily undercut by those chain booksellers!"

"Bruce, I understand your intentions. But when it comes to the future of the company, I think you should discuss it with me, after all, I am the CEO and the second largest shareholder of the company, and I have the right to participate in the specific operation and decision-making of the company. Christopher Ritter dissatisfied.

"I'm sorry, Christopher. I really should discuss this with you, I owe it to you!"

Guo Shouyun knew that he had indeed done something wrong in this matter, he was too arbitrary. And not everyone understands the future of Amazon as well as he does.

Guo Shouyun's apology relieved Christopher Ritter on the other end of the phone. He wanted the other party to respect his status as a thorn bird, but he didn't want to get into trouble with Guo Shouyun. After all, the other party is not only the absolute controlling shareholder of Thorn Bird, but also the financial pillar of Thorn Bird. Even with the support of Rowling and some other signed writers, the revenue brought by Guo Shouyun's works still accounts for 65% of Thornbird!

"Bruce, are you really going to sell the Thorn Bird to Amazon?"

Christopher asked about his concerns.

"It's not a sale, it's a merger to be exact! The two companies merge!" Guo Shouyun emphasized.

"Bruce, tell you the truth. I'm not too bullish on Amazon, their debt levels are too high. In addition, Amazon is an Internet company engaged in e-commerce, which is not in the same industry as our Thorn Bird's publishing business. We can work together, but it's hard to be optimistic when it comes to merging. ”

"Christopher, I understand your feelings. But Amazon's debt is caused by overreach. They have invested too much money in sorting centers, as well as in the courier business. But all of these builds have an end, and once Amazon completes his logistics system, you will find that her profitability is greatly improved. So in my opinion, Amazon is a company with great potential, and if we can merge with each other, we can't help but open up the upstream and downstream of the publishing industry, and we can also get a significant stake in a good company!"

After hearing the affirmation and expectation in Guo Shouyun's tone, Christopher knew that it would be difficult for him to change his mind.

"Bruce, if Amazon agrees to merge, I hope to represent the Thorn Bird in this negotiation!"

After a moment of silence, Christopher said.

"Yes!"

Guo Shouyun agreed. As the second largest shareholder and CEO of Thorn Bird, his participation is definitely indispensable when it comes to the company's strategic operation.

It's just that now it's been more than half a month since the last time he communicated with Jeff Bezos, but he still hasn't received the slightest news from the other party. This cast a shadow on Guo Shouyun's heart, which originally felt that he was nine out of ten.

"By the way, Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" has sold well, and there have been a lot of news about her in the newspapers recently!" In order to ease the solemn atmosphere between the two, Guo Shouyun deliberately changed the topic to a lighthearted topic.

"It's really good, it's sold 5.58 million copies in the nine weeks since it was released. But it's still a little worse than your "Da Vinci Code", which has sold 6.23 million copies in 5 weeks, and has a great chance of surpassing "The End of the World" and setting a new sales record!" Christopher Ritter enthused.

"In this way, our Thorn Bird Publishing Company is thriving now!"

"Of course! Now the world's publishing giants want to buy us. Securities companies all over the world want to be our listed underwriters, and all investors want to be able to invest in us!"

Guo Shouyun nodded, capital is never blind, Thorn Bird's sales performance is like a comet in the sky throughout the two thousand years, and its revenue curve can be compared to few companies in the world. It's also a matter of course to be sought after.

"Christopher, do you think the company should go public?" asked Guo Shouyun after a moment of silence.

"Bruce, you are the chairman of the company, and you should make up your mind about this matter!"

"Christopher, we are not only the best partner, but also the best friend. So, you don't have to scruple in this matter!" Guo Shouyun smiled, and he could hear the insincerity in the other party's tone.

"Alright!" After a moment of silence, Christopher nodded, "I think we should go public, but not now!"

"Why?"

Guo Shouyun continued.

"The reason is simple. First, now we are not short of capital, so we don't need to go public to raise funds. Second, we are still in a period of rapid development, and listing now does not really reflect our value. … In addition, even if we really plan to go public, it is best to do it after two or three years, when the company's revenue is stable, the structure is stable, and it has survived the savage growth period. ”

"I understand!" Guo Shouyun nodded, and after thinking for a moment, the conversation changed, "It's Christmas soon, and then we'll make an appointment with Rowling's family, let's get together together!"

"yes, I haven't been to the new home you bought in San Francisco yet!"

"Hehe, I'll take you around when you come!"

After the two chatted about some trivial matters, Guo Shouyun hung up the phone.

"Whew!"

After putting down the phone, Guo Shouyun sighed. From Christopher Li's tone inside and out, it is clear that he is opposed to the merger of the Thorn Bird with Amazon. Of course, this is not surprising, compared to the lucrative Thorn Bird Publishing Company, Amazon is still in a state of loss every month after all, and it is difficult for people to have much confidence in it. Moreover, the NASDAQ crisis has also made many people afraid of the Internet industry.

However, even so, Guo Shouyun still does not plan to give up. If Jeff Bezos agrees to the merger, he will trade Thorn Bird for a stake in Amazon, even at the risk of falling out with Christopher.

But if Jeff Bezos doesn't agree, that's a different story! And less than 10% of Amazon's stake isn't worth giving up Thorn Bird. Otherwise, it is better to buy directly from the capital market with money.

Thinking of this, he picked up the phone and wanted to call Jeff Bezos to ask about the situation. But after picking it up half-ringing, I gave it up again!

"With that guy's personality, if he really made a decision in his heart, he would definitely call me at the first opportunity. There is no movement yet, but there is no result. Even if he fights now, he won't show the slightest tone. ”

Thinking of what happened to him at Jeff Bezos's house, Guo Shouyun shook his head and put down the phone.

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