Chapter 73: You Are Destined to Win
[Chapter 73: You Are Destined to Win]
In a restaurant across from the Los Angeles Times headquarters, Ian and Scarlett sat together, inviting Ezriel to join them for dinner.
After that time Ian brought Scarlett to discuss a collaboration with Weinstein, Scarlett had grown fond of the atmosphere. She enjoyed Ian's engaging conversation style, which showcased his intelligence and charismatic presence. And when that man had exemplary strength and courage at the same time... it was simply perfect!
In the lavishly lit upscale restaurant, the soft sound of piano filled the air. Dressed in a tuxedo, the waiter respectfully presented exquisite dishes. This French restaurant might not have much to boast about, but the presentation was truly stunning!
Ezriel, with his mane of white hair, sat across from Ian, his gaze toward Ian revealing a complex mix of emotions. This kid was rising rapidly and was proving to be a tough competitor even for the Los Angeles Times!
To think that this young man could make an old-timer like him bow down in defeat!
The so-called tyrant meant nothing in front of Ian Carr!
Ezriel's voice was low as he asked, "What's going on?"
Ian chuckled lightly, "I initially wanted to chat casually to build rapport, but it seems you're not interested."
Ezriel was blunt, "Talking with you is a dangerous affair."
Ian just smiled.
He then turned to Scarlett and said, "When a company head is dining with a major player from the industry, it can raise eyebrows. That means potential unforeseen consequences. If it's a public company, it could even lead to stock price fluctuations. So, keep in mind, the more famous you become, the more cautious you need to be about dining with others."
Scarlett raised an eyebrow, "Understood, but I'm not a big deal yet."
"You will be!" Ian assured her confidently.
He turned back to Ezriel, "Don't worry, I won't arrange for reporters to take photos and fabricate any relationship between us."
Ezriel scoffed, "Just say what you want."
Ian then got straight to the point, "I want to acquire the Los Angeles Times."
Ezriel was stunned.
He stared at Ian, "You must be joking."
Ian Carr actually wanted to acquire the Los Angeles Times?
Had he lost his mind?
He must have floated off into space!
But Ian's expression remained serious.
He looked at the older man and said, "You can refuse me, but do you know what would happen next? The Times you control will continue to decline under my influence, and circulation will keep dropping! Your revenue will shrink, and as the editor, you won't escape the blame! Ultimately, you will be pushed out of this position by the Chandler family!"
Ezriel's expression darkened.
He knew Ian wasn't wrong.
If things continued to go downhill like this, he was destined to be out of a job.
In the candlelight of dinner, Ian's expression was dark and menacing.
He gazed at Ezriel and softly said, "Only I can understand you. I know your loss to me isn't due to your incompetence; you simply encountered a powerful opponent. But I still need talented people... As a business owner, I need to focus on strategic management, and as a journalist, I have to consider a lot of major news stories. I've been too busy, even having to make time for my girlfriend in situations like this. It's not romantic, but I have to do it to save time."
Scarlett's face flushed with happiness.
He officially acknowledged her as his girlfriend!
Ian continued, "Lloyd is getting old, and he lacks experience in managing a large newspaper. The growth of the Herald has been too fast; we're struggling to keep up, and internal management issues are beginning to emerge. They haven't manifested yet, but the signs are there, and I need to resolve this quickly. But don't say I don't have time; even if I did, it wouldn't be possible."
Ezriel understood, "You want to poach me?"
Ian smiled, "Help me acquire the Times, and I'll guarantee you remain its editor-in-chief. You could even be involved in the management of the Herald. I need your talent!"
"No one will trust an editor who betrays their boss."
Ian immediately replied, "No one is asking you to betray. I don't need any insider information from you."
Ezriel stared at him in disbelief, "What do you want me to do then?"
Ian smirked, "I want to challenge the Chandler family to a wager. In this year, I will have at least one day when the Herald's circulation exceeds the Los Angeles Times'. If I do, the Chandler family must sell their shares to me at 80% of market value. If I fail, I will sell the Herald to the Los Angeles Times for $150 million. Oh, by the way, the projected profit for the Herald this year is $60 million, and with a tenfold PE ratio, the Herald should be valued at $600 million! My offer is already quite generous."
Ezriel gazed at Ian in shock.
How was this possible?
Although the Herald's sales were skyrocketing, their foundation mainly relied on annual issues based on betting, and their daily circulation was only about 250,000 copies.
Meanwhile, the Times' daily circulation was 1.5 million!
That was a sixfold difference!
Ian was claiming that the Herald's circulation could, at least on one day, exceed that of the Times?
That was absurd!
It wasn't that Ezriel underestimated Ian's news reporting.
His news could be worth so much, but he couldn't sell that many copies.
For so long, most of Ian's reports had been disseminated through CBS and WND, and the Herald hadn't seen such high growth.
And the wager was based on the Herald's circulation!
So, it was two different things!
Even if you had all of America's 300 million people reading your news, if your paper sold less than 1.5 million copies, you were still a loser!
The Los Angeles Times wasn't a public company, currently valued at around $800 million; the Chandler family owned 70% of the shares, and selling at 80% of that amount equated to a discount of $112 million. But if the Herald could achieve an annual profit of $60 million, then $150 million was indeed super favorable, not to mention that the odds naturally favored the Times -- it meant the Chandler family stood to gain significantly.
As for Ian Carr betting with clients, he promised to bear all consequences personally.
This wager was highly advantageous for the Los Angeles Times!
Ezriel stared at Ian Carr in shock, and even Scarlett was dumbfounded.
...
Ezriel murmured, "Do you know what you're saying?"
Ian chuckled quietly, "Of course. But I know that even if I offer such generous terms, the Chandler family won't agree easily."
The Chandler family wasn't a super family; their most significant asset was the Times.
Selling the Times was akin to selling a kidney... perhaps a kidney could be sold, but the Times could not!
Ian continued, "So I need your help, Mr. Ezriel. I need you to give them the confidence to succeed in the wager!"
Ezriel gasped.
Ian stated, "You help me convince them to bet with me. If I win, you'll be my hero, and I'll still let you be the editor-in-chief. If I lose, you'll be the hero of the Los Angeles Times, and Deryl Chandler will still make you the editor-in-chief. So in this wager, I might incur losses, and the Chandler family might lose, but you, Mr. Ezriel... you are destined to be the winner!"
Simple words, yet they carried immense confidence!
This was far more effective than hypnosis!
Ian didn't need any hypnosis; what he sought was genuine persuasion... this was a testament to self-improvement!
Scarlett Johansson gazed at Ian in wonder.
Was business even conducted like this?
No matter how she thought about it, she couldn't find a reason for Ezriel to decline.
Sure enough, Ezriel looked at him for a long time before he gave a wry smile, "You're the most confident person I've ever met. If you can pull this off, then you'll also be a genius businessman."
Ian smiled, "I just had a good teacher."
...
As they left the hotel, Ezriel was deep in thought.
He pondered how to fulfill Ian Carr's request.
Deryl Chandler was a cautious person; persuading him would be unlikely. It would probably fall on the Chandler family.
He had it figured out.
All he had to say was that if they refused the wager, Ian Carr would take the opportunity to inform everyone: the Los Angeles Times feared the Herald!
This would lead all clients of the Times to believe that the Times' circulation would inevitably lose to the Herald, which would siphon away a large number of their base users and advertisers!
This was the perfect excuse to pressure the Chandler family into agreeing, using the threat of potential catastrophic damage in the future!
To get a non-professional gambler to bet everything, you need more than just temptations of profit; you need pressure as well!
If the Chandler family refused the wager, the result would be that everyone would believe the Times lacked confidence, which meant their newspaper wasn't promising -- a lack of client confidence was a serious problem!
Most importantly, while Deryl Chandler was the chairman, he only held 7% of the shares.
So, as long as the Chandler family agreed, Deryl would have no choice.
With this in mind, Ezriel smiled.
*****
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