"Eric, I haven't seen you for a while. You've been really nice lately. I hear your name every day in San Francisco." Larry Ellison greeted him as soon as he walked into the restaurant he had agreed on in Venice Beach. , hugged Eric enthusiastically, and said so.
Eric let go of the unshaven Larry Ellison, and said with a half-smile: "You are also very beautiful. I heard that a large sum of money was raised recently. What are you going to do?"
"Hey, Eric," Larry Ellison brought Eric to a seat, and couldn't wait to argue: "You must have heard some messy gossip, look, you make a phone call, Didn't I rush over from San Francisco immediately?"
"If I don't call, you must plan to buy the apples before coming to see me, right?" Eric said sarcastically, took the menu from the waiter, and looked down.
"Misunderstanding, this must be a misunderstanding," Larry Ellison immediately denied, and said, "I have to take care of the company during this time, and at the same time fly back and forth between the east and west coasts, so I have some problems with you. negligence."
Eric ordered a dinner, closed the menu, looked up at Larry Ellison, and said with a smile: "If you are really busy, it's understandable. I heard that Oracle has recently competed fiercely with Informix. Has that billboard they put up outside the Oracle building been taken down?"
In Eric's original memory, Oracle was basically in a state of dominance.
But now, Oracle is far from Microsoft's dominance in the desktop operating system market. Only in North America, there are two database software companies Informix and Sybase that are comparable in size to Oracle. Among them, Sybase also operates the server business in addition to database software, and Informix focuses on the database software market just like Oracle, and the competition between the two parties is therefore extremely fierce. Infomix even bought a billboard outside the Oracle headquarters building, which reads Eric didn't know what the catchphrase was for the slogan "Dinosaurs crawled here", but it would definitely not be a good word.
Recently, seeing that the funds raised were enough to buy Apple, Larry Ellison did have the idea of putting Firefly aside to acquire Apple alone.
In addition to the instigation of his friend Jobs, he also understands that if Firefly is allowed to participate, even if the other party only holds 10% of the shares, the right to speak will be no less than that of him, the sponsor of the acquisition. After the completion, the control of Apple must completely fall into the hands of him and Jobs.
However, when Eric's voice fell, Larry Ellison immediately felt a little hairy.
Of course, he wouldn't be so stupid as to think that Eric was just teasing him when he mentioned the Informix billboard.
Whether it is Yahoo, America Online, or Amazon, which has just risen recently, under Firefly Investment, they are all super customers that any database software company needs to strive for. What's more, Yahoo also controls a Yahoo Technology Alliance under Yahoo, which has faintly become an Internet As the rule-makers on the Internet, this kind of influence should not be underestimated.
Eric deliberately mentioned Informix, the meaning of warning could not be more obvious. Now is the most critical moment for the competition between Oracle and Informix. If all the Internet companies in the Firefly system all fall to Informix, the original evenly matched situation between the two database companies will be broken immediately.
Some attributes of database software companies and operating system software companies are actually similar. If the two sides widen the gap and are affected by the Matthew Effect, the advantage of the leading party will only become more and more obvious. The fate of the laggards, look at the current situation of Apple Computer situation will be known.
Larry Ellison is a very arrogant person, which is known throughout Silicon Valley. But he is definitely not the kind of person who will show his arrogant personality in front of anyone, otherwise Oracle would not have developed to its current scale.
At this moment, in front of this young man, he just lost all the capital of arrogance, and even felt a sense of powerlessness that his fate was in the hands of the other party. Raising his hand and touching his forehead, Larry Ellison didn't dare to be perfunctory, and said seriously: "Eric, well, I did something wrong in this matter. However, the acquisition negotiations have just begun , I guarantee that everything will not be hidden from Firefly's investment here, if you are not at ease, you can send someone to join the negotiation team."
Eric shrugged his shoulders when he heard Larry Ellison subdued, and said, "Larry, I have said before that I have no interest in acquiring Apple. I just think Jobs is a very interesting guy, so I will Participate in this matter. After the acquisition is completed, I will not intervene in Apple's management, just treat it as an ordinary equity investment. But if you dare to play me, I don't mind putting this rotten apple on your Oracle together Crack it."
"Eric, don't worry, this kind of thing will never happen again in the future," Larry Ellison felt that there was something wrong with the grammar of Eric's last sentence, but he didn't point it out. He just realized that Eric Ke didn't mean to hold on to this matter, so he grinned and echoed.
Eric glanced at this guy, and suddenly realized that to be friends with Jobs, these two guys still have something in common, that is, they are both jerks.
Some thoughts suddenly came to mind, and Eric said, "Larry, you don't think this is the way to go, do you?"
"Ah, this, Eric, what else do you want to do?" Larry Ellison, who had already relaxed, became vigilant again.
Eric didn't bother to talk nonsense with this guy, and said, "Well, do you know the "Iron Man" that Firefly is preparing recently?"
Larry Ellison froze for a moment, consciously understood something, and said excitedly: "Eric, you want me to play Tony Stark, no problem, absolutely no problem, I also think I am quite suitable, um , we can discuss the remuneration."
Eric glanced left and right, but couldn't find a guy who was suitable to hit the hairy face on the opposite side, so he had to say angrily: "Tony Stark is not there, can you do it as Tony Stark's driver."
"Don't, Eric, even let me play the villain, the driver will lose face," Larry Ellison seemed to be going crazy suddenly, and began to bargain in a serious manner.
"Okay, then the driver, I'll let someone notify you of the shooting schedule," Eric knocked on the dining table, making a decision.
Larry Ellison thought that Eric was about to say something that caught him off guard, but when he heard that it was just a cameo in a movie, he didn't have any scruples, nodded in agreement, and made a joke on purpose.
However, Eric obviously didn't finish speaking, and continued: "However, that's not what I just said. "Iron Man" is a sci-fi movie, which is very suitable for technology companies to implant, so Oracle should also participate. Just let it cost you $5 million for the implant.”
Larry Ellison immediately put on a bitter face. Oracle’s annual advertising and marketing budget is less than 100 million U.S. dollars, and 5 million dollars is spent on a movie, which is a lot of money: "Eric , you are simply extorting, can it be cheaper, how about 500,000?"
"Yahoo plans to build a large data center on the east and west coasts and Europe next year. I can consider placing the database software orders for these projects to Informix."
"3 million, Eric, you have to know that any decision I make as a CEO still needs to be approved by the board of directors. 3 million is the limit I can promise."
"Amazon will go public at the end of the year, and will definitely need to expand its infrastructure by then. As an e-commerce company, database software..."
Larry Ellison slapped the table to interrupt Eric's half of the conversation, with a blunt face: "5 million, deal."
"Oh, and, if you pay $1 for a cameo role as Tony Stark's driver, Hollywood doesn't allow people to work for free, but you have to sign three film contracts first."
Larry Ellison nodded with a sullen face, "Okay!"
Eric nodded with satisfaction, and added: "Also, please treat me to this meal."
I knocked Larry Ellison unceremoniously, as punishment for this guy who wanted to play himself. After dinner, I wanted to go back to Pointe Manor, but the girl called and said it was from "Fast and Furious" Several roles have already been settled, so Eric asked the driver to drive to Beverly Hills.
When he came to the mansion of the girl in Trousdale Manor, Eric found that Gwyneth Paltrow was also here.
The girl took Eric's arm, sat down on the sofa, and said, "Eric, Kate is very interested in the role of Dominic's sister Mia, what do you think?"
In the original version, Jordana Brewster played the role of the protagonist's sister in "Fast and Furious". Eric remembers that the appearance of this Latina girl in her youth can be described as perfect, but I don't know why, 'shelf life 'Short hair fingers, it seems that after 20 years old, it doesn't look very good.
The thought flashed in his mind, and Eric looked at Gwyneth Paltrow. Due to the changes in Hollywood history, even if "Shakespeare in Love" has not been filmed, it is definitely not so easy for Gwyneth Paltrow to get another actress. However, after all, it is the second generation of Hollywood, and Eric is curious about why Mia is interested in such a seemingly insignificant role.
"Gwynnie, I think you must have read the script. The role of Mia is just a vase, but there is no room for it to be played. It just makes you more familiar in front of the audience."
Gwyneth Paltrow looked at Drew's appearance next to Eric, envious in her heart, but her expression was somewhat resentful, and said: "I also want a role that is more suitable for me, but unfortunately I haven't been able to find it yet." ?”
After saying this, Gwyneth Paltrow looked at Eric expectantly. In the past two years, she has participated in three or four movies almost every year, and the frequency of appearances is enough to make those bottomless Hollywood The newcomer was so jealous that she went crazy, but her family connections couldn't help her get a role in any heavyweight blockbuster movie, and none of the movies she participated in caused any repercussions.
Last year, I worked with Miramax on a film adaptation of the novel "Emma". I originally wanted to try the Oscar strategy, but in the end I didn't even get a Golden Globe nomination. So, at the suggestion of her agent, Gwyneth Paltrow planned to change her strategy and increase her chances of appearing in big-budget movies, so as to increase her popularity as soon as possible.
Coincidentally, MGM is planning to start the "Fast and Furious" series. Considering that this is the work written by Eric himself, Gwyneth Paltrow offered to Drew this time to try one of the roles . Prior to this, Gwyneth Paltrow hadn't used Drew's relationship in the movie, although the two parties had always been like sisters on the surface. Living in Hollywood, she also understands that it's okay to use things like favors once or twice, but it won't work if there are too many. Even if it is a family connection, at most it can only help her get some heroines in low-cost independent movies. If she wants to be in the top position, she still has to rely on her works to speak.
Eric said that the role of Mia has little room to play, and Gwyneth Paltrow naturally understands.
But Eric also underestimated the sensation that the movie he wrote himself caused in Hollywood. This is an extended series of Agent movie universe. With the current influence of Agent movie universe in Hollywood, even if it is a vase role under this series , are enough to cause many first-line actresses to compete.
Eric looked at Gwyneth Paltrow's hopeful eyes, and his expression looked like he would rush over as long as he said a word, and smiled. Compared with ordinary actors struggling in Hollywood, she already has With resources unmatched by anyone else, Eric would not be moved by her little pitiful expression, and said: "It takes a chance, you are only as old as Drew, there is no need to worry, maybe soon You just met a suitable role, well, if you are interested in the role of Mia, you can try it."
Gwyneth Paltrow was very disappointed and wanted to refute Eric's slip of the tongue. She was actually several years older than Drew, and she was 25 this year. But looking at the girl's delicate face, she must be right to say such words.
Drew smiled and blinked his eyes, but he didn't correct Eric's mistakes, and said, "By the way, Eric, I've found the two actors you mentioned, um, Paul Walker and Vin Diesel, right. I checked with Amy, and Paul Walker was alright, but that Vin Diesel guy was a piece of wood."
After Drew finished speaking, he said something to the twins watching TV in the living room, and Natasha quickly took a document and handed it to Eric.
Seeing Eric open it, the girl said again: "There is also an audition video, do you want to see it?"
Eric opened the files and looked at the files of Paul Walker and Vin Diesel. Both of them have been in Hollywood for several years, and they are not newcomers. In order to avoid the trouble of casting, Eric simply asked the girl to find the two people out directly: "Let's watch the audition video tomorrow, but choosing an actor in a movie is never about choosing the best acting skills, the most important thing is Get it right, or Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep are the most sought-after stars in Hollywood.” (To be continued.)