The Tyrant Billionaire

Robert Montgomery, the current president, was groomed by Meyer and was a loyal subordinate. Hardy's desire to become president of the Actors Guild was akin to seizing power from Meyer.

Meyer felt like an old lion being challenged by a young lion.

If it were anyone else, Meyer would have refused without hesitation and retaliated, even against companies like Universal or Warner. He could make them suffer and force them to retract their ambitions.

But facing Hardy, Meyer found himself powerless, even somewhat fearful.

Meyer knew the true extent of Hardy's power. In just two years, Hardy had unified the entire Los Angeles underworld.

HD Security was now stronger than even the LAPD.

The industries under Hardy's control provided him with enough financial strength to support any endeavor he wished to pursue.

Whether it was a direct confrontation or underhanded tactics, Meyer realized he couldn't defeat Hardy. This was what terrified him the most.

The two men remained silent on the phone for a full minute.

Hardy spoke first: "Mr. Meyer, we've always had pleasant cooperation. I hope we can remain allies and create mutual benefits together. We can expand the pie, and MGM doesn't need to focus solely on the film industry."

"What do you suggest?" Meyer asked.

"Next month, my Hardy Grand Hotel will open. I believe Las Vegas is destined to rise. It's a gold mine that can be endlessly exploited. If we all invest in its development, it will only grow larger."

"If MGM wants to open a casino in Las Vegas, I might be able to help. We could invest together."

Hardy dangled a huge bait.

Meyer knew that Hardy had already established himself in Las Vegas. Anyone wanting to enter Las Vegas would have to go through Hardy.

Many coveted the Las Vegas gambling industry, but it had always been the domain of the Mafia. Even other big families couldn't intervene, let alone Meyer.

If he could build an MGM casino, it would surely be highly profitable. Meyer was instantly excited by the thought.

"Hardy, are you serious?"

"Of course. In fact, I want to bring in more capital to develop Las Vegas. Only with collective effort can it prosper quickly," Hardy expressed his intentions clearly.

Meyer finally understood what Hardy meant by the pie.

Las Vegas was indeed a sweet pie. If Hardy could attract more big families and capital, his power would grow further.

Meyer realized that now was the best time to get on board.

A few days ago, he regretted not buying ABC shares. Now, he didn't want to miss another opportunity.

"Hardy, I agree to your terms."

"MGM has no problem opening its film library to ABC. We can negotiate the fees, and producing programs is no issue."

"We'll sell the Los Angeles Times shares at market value."

"I'll fully support you in this year's Screen Actors Guild presidential election."

In the face of benefits, even the closest associates could be discarded.

Hearing Meyer's agreement, Hardy was pleased. His plan had taken a significant step forward.

"As for the 20% stake in ABC, I'll offer $12 million," Meyer began to negotiate.

"No, at least $18 million. You know ABC's value. Just the annual profit from TV shopping is substantial. Partnering with ABC is a highly profitable venture," Hardy countered.

They haggled over the price for a while and finally settled on $14.5 million.

Hardy had originally bought ABC for $12 million. Now, by selling just 20% of the shares, he would recoup $14.5 million. Meyer could only admire Hardy's shrewdness.

Aligning with MGM also greatly benefited ABC, ensuring a steady stream of programs in the future.

Hardy also gained several other benefits.

The Los Angeles Times shares and supports the Screen Actors Guild presidency.

This deal was extremely profitable.

"Hardy, once the transaction is complete, I'll gather a few friends to discuss building a casino. How much stake do you want?" Meyer knew Hardy would be involved in the new casino business, and they needed his involvement to establish themselves in Las Vegas.

"I want 40%," Hardy stated.

"Impossible, 40% is too much. I'll be bringing in some very powerful friends, and there's no way to allocate that much for you. The most I can offer is 20%."

When a person lacks power, they focus on survival.

When they have power, they focus on dividing the world.

Although Hardy and Meyer had reached an agreement, Meyer still needed to discuss it with other board members and get their approval for the deal.

After all, the funds involved were in the millions.

Additionally, whether the other board members were willing for MGM to give up its shares in the Los Angeles Times also required collective approval.

ABC's evening programs continued to be exciting. The animated show was "Ultraman," where Hardy's Ultraman defeated a super monster.

The drama slot featured the new American version of "Bewitched."

The next day.

On the third day of TV shopping, they sold televisions. The 'N.Y.T' TV factory was now in full trial production, producing 1,000 units of 14 inch and 17 inch black and white TVs daily.

Hardy immediately put them on TV shopping.

Not to sell many, but to advertise.

Future sales would mainly rely on interest free loans in collaboration with banks.

The TV discounts weren't as substantial as those for motorcycles. The 14 inch TV's original price was $127, discounted to $108, and the 17 inch TV's original price was $169, discounted to $142.

Even so, they sold over a thousand TVs that day.

A week later.

The Los Angeles Times used a poll that it conducted in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York to find out how many people watched the three major TV networks.

Two days later, the results were out.

The findings were shocking.

Originally, NBC and CBS dominated the market. However, in just one week, the survey showed that people now preferred ABC's programs.

ABC's viewership had reached a staggering 68%.

The most popular programs were all on ABC, with "Bewitched" taking the top spot, followed by "TV Shopping," "The Irina Tonight Show," "Colorful Cartoons," and "The Andy Economic Forum."

NBC and CBS programs didn't appear until the sixth spot.