Link's next stop is Los Angeles. Because he didn't plan to spend the night here, he didn't book a hotel.

As soon as he got off the plane, Catherine's car stopped in front of the ramp.

He and Tiger got into her car, while the other bodyguards left two to watch the plane, and the other two got into another car that Catherine had come after her.

Catherine gave up the driver's seat and sat in the back seat with Link.

"This is the budget risk assessment report we made. As soon as Catherine sat down, she took out a report and handed it to Link. "If you want to get into the film projection industry, this is the best opportunity. ”

The risk assessment report she produced was about the acquisition of Cinemark.

Cinemark is one of the top three cinema chains in the United States. With nearly 6,000 screens in the United States, it is the first theater in the world to support 4K laser projection. There are also more than 200 theaters in North America and Latin America, with more than 2,500 screens. Markets have also been opened up in Europe and Asia. can be described as a giant of the world's cinema chain.

Today, the theater chain has more than 150 million shares, and the stock price is about $24. The stock price was the result of a shooting at a theater in New Orleans a few months ago, which took a heavy drop from $36 to its current level.

And its revenue in the last two quarters has also fallen by more than 20% compared to the same period in previous years due to shootings, and it has lost money for two consecutive quarters.

Of course, that wasn't enough for Link to think that would give him a chance to buy the theater chain.

But Catherine felt it was a good opportunity for an acquisition. Her plan was to buy some of the shares of shareholders who were free from the board of directors off the market, and then buy some of the shares in the stock market, so as to make it possible for Link to take control.

There are significant risks involved, such as the failure of the acquisition.

Although it is one of the largest cinema chains in the world, its annual profit will not exceed 200 million US dollars. Spending more than a billion dollars to acquire shares and earning dividends from this money is not much different from doing a loss-making business for Link.

So if the acquisition fails, Link will "lose" all the money from the acquisition of shares.

After the car started, Link didn't speak. He looked at the risk assessment plan, and his mind raced. He was considering whether the acquisition plan would be feasible.

A lot of the data content he reads skips and sees. He mainly looks at the content of the analysis. He saw that if you want to guarantee a controlling stake, you will need to use at least more than $2.5 billion.

This refers to the use of hostile takeovers to achieve the purpose.

If it is a negotiated acquisition, it will take more money to buy the shares in the hands of shareholders with a price-to-earnings ratio that satisfies them. But that would make it easier to gain the support of other shareholders and allow you to control the company without having to control a majority.

Catherine's plan was a hostile takeover. Not because she felt that Link should save money. It is because West Hollywood Media, the main body of the acquisition, has only 100 small theaters in the cinema line, and it is difficult to get the recognition of the other party's major shareholders in all aspects. To get the approval and support of those shareholders, Link will have to sacrifice a lot of interests.

Link briefly looked at the report. He closed it before saying, "The stakes seem a bit big." ”

"Yes, we can't guarantee that we will get enough shares from those shareholders right now. Catherine knew why. "We have too little experience in the film distribution industry. We've analysed people who are likely to sell their shares. These shares, we need to pay a very high price to impress them and make the other shareholders of the Logo Cinema Line not stop. ”

Link nodded and said, "That's not worth it!" he paused and continued. "It's also hard for us to get enough shares on the stock market. And they also have a high debt ratio. ”

"They're expanding at a rate of eight to fifteen big theaters a year. However, they have mainly expanded abroad in recent years. At the same time, the original theater was also upgraded technically. These require a lot of money. ”

Catherine smiled and said, "But it's also because of the company's high debt ratio, their assets have become insolvent because of the decline in the stock, and that has made some shareholders start to lose faith in it." We're going to consider acquiring it. ”

Link frowned and said, "What if they also buy back shares while the dip is low?"

"They don't seem to be doing that. We believe that their company is not cash flowing. This year they had planned to add eleven more theaters. But two months ago, it was announced that three would postpone their openings. It's rare!"

Hearing this, Link nodded and said, "It sounds like this is indeed a great opportunity. But the cost is too high. The stakes are also significant. ”

If the other party reacts in the course of their actions, they want to achieve their goal, and both sides bid for the outstanding shares, and he will not achieve his goal without four billion dollars. And once he starts to act, he has only two choices, one is to continue to hold on, and in the end he may not succeed. The other is to directly admit failure, and then a lot of money is pressed into this company with a low yield.

And now he's a little strapped for money.

His money is still his money, and his assets are still increasing. But his cash has already been planned for other purposes.

After the launch of the agricultural lending business of the Ozette Bank, many of the Benihans Group's customers borrowed from the Ozette Bank or two other banks. At the same time, the expansion of the Beni Hans Group around the world, the expansion of the West China Company, and the electronics company will soon need to invest a huge amount of money, which will need to borrow from the Bank of Ozette.

The Texas and Atlanta banks were also underfunded and lent his cash to the banks. Although he still has more than $10 billion in his hands, he needs to keep these funds for the bank.

Claire is preparing to open a third local bank, which will require at least $4 billion in funding. He will probably earn about $15 billion at most next year. But next year will also require a lot of money. Borrowing in agriculture will increase as the Benehans Group's market expands, and the Group's external expansion will also require capital. The giant algae farming company controlled by Xihua also seems to be on the right track. They also need a lot of money. He needs to leave enough money for his estate.

The Logo Cinema Line is really appealing to him, but it's worth spending billions of dollars just for it?

He thought for a while before he said to Catherine, "I'll give you an answer after thinking about it." ”

Catherine was not disappointed either. She's just making an investment recommendation. If Link wasn't interested, she didn't need to be disappointed. She took out another document and said, "This is a summary of our group's current position, you can take a look!"

Link had only read two or three pages before their car arrived at the headquarters of West Hollywood Media. They took the elevator to the floor where Catherine's office was located.

After entering her office, Link sat on the couch and read the summary.

He mainly looked at some numbers and some analysis.

After reading it, he took the document and looked up and asked Catherine, who was sitting on the side, "Is Jonathan's book selling real?"

"That's a summary of the sales data of the major booksellers, and there shouldn't be much of a difference. And that's just the sales of physical books, and the cumulative number of readers of the online version should be more than 10 million. ”

Link smiled and said, "It looks like it's really a good one." "In just over a year, more than five million physical books have been sold, and it seems to be very popular on the Internet. It's not just Jonathan they're happy with, he's very satisfied.

He asked, "So the other books are also popular?"

"I think it's because Jonathan's writing is so good that it drives sales of the same type. The three werewolf books launched by our publisher this year have sold quite well. Online sales are also satisfying. ”

West Hollywood Media's biggest development this year is the formation of a subsidiary in the Southwest, expanding its media business to one-third of the United States. At the same time, it has expanded across industries, acquiring three publishing houses across the United States and using them to distribute werewolf-themed products.

Catherine said with a smile, "Kiss is the last book we've launched so far this year. Sales of physical books also reached 120,000 copies. For a non-professional new author, this is a remarkable achievement. ”

Link, of course, was satisfied: "That's good. ”

It's no wonder that the number of visitors to Fox's Werewolf theme park has increased so quickly lately. It turns out that this is because there has been a werewolf craze in the United States.

He looked at the survey of the readers of these books again.

Not surprisingly, it's mostly young people.

He put the file on a few pieces and said, "How many of the sales you have received are planned for publication?"

"There are seven more books that are worth publishing. I think the publication of these books will be scheduled until the summer of the following year. As for books on other subjects, Link also asked, and she didn't say much.

"You really can't let the market flood too much. And if you can keep this craze up until the year after, that's the best. ”

Link spoke with her for a while, and got the media forces of West Hollywood Media Group to work with his plans for agriculture.

By the time they were done, Tiger had already rented a car from a nearby car rental company.

Link didn't stay any longer, leaving West Hollywood Media for Beverly Hills.

When he went to Martin's Mid-Levels villa, Jonathan and Martin were already drinking and chatting in the living room.

Link just sat down, took a glass of whiskey handed over by Martin, and said with a smile Jonathan said, "It's been more than a year since the first part of Moon Pupil was published, when will the second part be published?"

"The frame is already written, and it needs to be polished!" Jonathan said with a smile and a glass to him. "I've said it many times, but I still have to say 'thank you'. ”

Writing "Moon Pupil" was Link's suggestion, and he had no idea that he would become a best-selling author because of this book. He has earned nearly $30 million in copyright income over the past year on this book. It was simply the easiest time he made money.

He knew he had written a good book. But Link's efforts to promote his book were another major reason why the book was a big hit.