Chapter 205: I Want Oprah's Talk Show

[Chapter 205: I Want Oprah's Talk Show]

In the early morning, he awoke from tangled sheets.

Ian got up and headed to the nearby bath for a soak.

He was in deep thought.

Recently, Ian had developed a habit of enjoying his contemplations in the bath.

The rising steam and gentle water flow felt like caresses from an intimate partner, evoking a sense of bliss that fueled his creativity.

While he was lost in thought, he heard footsteps behind him.

Without turning around, Ian knew who it was.

He smiled and said, "Awake already?"

The young woman stepped into the water beside him with her fair, delicate feet, leaning against him.

She had a bright and graceful appearance, with a lovely face and smooth skin.

She wrapped her arms around Ian's neck and softly uttered something.

Ian didn't catch it. "What?" he asked.

She gestured, and when he still didn't understand, she leaned in and kissed him.

Just then, a voice chimed in, "She said she likes you, but she doesn't want to leave Korea."

"Oh, I see!" Ian chuckled. "That's fine; I'll be traveling around, and you all can come visit me."

The sound of splashing water filled the air.

More girls entered in sequence.

They settled around the pool, watching Ian while the water rippled, reflecting their youth.

Although he had spent a night with them, Ian barely exerted himself.

Primarily, the girls hadn't let loose yet, unlike the American girls he knew, who would squeeze every drop of energy out of him.

Of course, that wasn't to say that Korea didn't have flirtatious women, but these girls clearly were not among them.

This made Ian feel a thrill quickly rising.

However, he did nothing but embrace the girls and said, "Teach me some Korean."

The girls were taken aback. "You want to learn Korean?"

Ian chuckled, "We can't just sit around; let's do something else too."

Hearing this, the girls burst into laughter.

They agreed, chatting excitedly to teach him some basic Korean phrases.

As part of the fun, they set up little games.

For instance, if Ian made a mistake, he'd have to perform some playful task for the girls.

But if he got it right, the girls would do something for him.

Everyone had a great time, and Ian quickly picked up several basic Korean words.

Language was something one could grasp in a few months if the environment was right; if not, merely studying wouldn't suffice.

...

They spent a joyful morning together in the room, and by midday during lunch, an associate of Lee Kun-hee contacted him.

Ian said, "I'll stay in Korea for a few days first."

He wasn't in a rush to finalize any deals; the Koreans seemed the more anxious.

...

That afternoon, Ian took the girls on an outing.

Since they were there, why not see Gyeongbokgung Palace, and other places?

For the next few days, Ian and the girls explored, casually learning Korean along the way.

Under special encouragement, Ian's language skills improved rapidly.

The bonds he formed with the girls deepened during this time.

...

As usual, after their time out, Ian returned to the hotel.

Upon entering, he was greeted, "Mr. Lee is here; you must talk with him again."

"Can't wait, huh?" Ian laughed.

They had taken the bait, but hadn't caught the fish, which was understandable.

He kissed Jun Ji-hyun and said, "You all go back to your rooms and wait for me."

The girls waved goodbye, and Ian followed the attendant to the meeting room.

...

Upon arriving, Ian met with Lee Kun-hee and several Blue House officials.

He casually sat down and said, "Thanks for the hospitality. I've had a great time these days; it makes me not want to leave."

One of the Blue House officials smiled, "You're welcome to visit often, Mr. Carr. Korea and America will always be the best of friends."

Korea and America were friends?

They sure knew how to flatter themselves.

Ian stretched and said, "I can accept a $4 billion offer, but the interest has to be capped at 2 percent, plus Korea has to invest in Harpo Productions."

Everyone was startled.

Investing in Harpo Productions?

Wasn't that Oprah's company?

Lee Kun-hee was speechless. "Why is that?"

Ian grinned. "I intend to buy The Oprah Winfrey Show."

This revelation left everyone dumbfounded.

The Oprah Winfrey Show was one of the most famous talk shows in America with incredible ratings.

However, Oprah was already the owner; her talk show was produced by her own Harpo Productions and partnered with media companies for airing.

To put it plainly, whoever owned The Oprah Winfrey Show would see their ratings skyrocket.

But what relation did buying Oprah's show have with them?

Why would they need to invest in Harpo Productions?

Ian replied nonchalantly, "This is to your benefit. I've thought about how to restore your reputation. If forced, the results wouldn't be good. The best way is a dual approach. On one hand, we use extensive reporting to regain your lost dignity, and on the other, we evoke sympathy for you."

"Evoke sympathy?" Everyone was taken aback.

Ian explained, "Simply promoting Koreans as good people isn't enough. We must make the world feel sympathy for Korea, making it clear that during this World Cup, Korea was also a victim.

When someone is in a position of strength, they're attacked; when they're weak, they garner sympathy, and even past mistakes can be forgiven."

Hearing this, the group fell silent again.

Ian was correct, but the issue was that it didn't align with Korea's national circumstances.

The Republic of Korea, a small nation, relied on self-enthusiasm to maintain its national spirit.

Now, you wanted to make us the object of sympathy? What about self-enthusiasm?

Watching their awkward expressions, Ian chuckled.

He said, "International opinions are one thing, internal reports are another; there's no conflict."

Meaning they could still have their internal celebrations, patting themselves on the back, and he wouldn't stop them.

As long as the funding was adequate, they could even state that they discovered America; he wouldn't care!

He continued, "Oprah is an incredibly capable woman. Her talk show can outwardly diminish your reputation while effectively working on your sympathy points; we all know she has that ability."

The Koreans didn't doubt this; if Oprah couldn't achieve that, she wouldn't be the most formidable talk show host in America.

At this moment, Ian added, "Talk shows are essentially an art of disparagement. Although I personally don't subscribe to that viewpoint, many talk show hosts do think this way. Oprah, as America's most famous talk show host, can solve many of your problems, and she would also be pleased. After all, it's not every day that you receive official support."

Lee Kun-hee internally scoffed, "Are you trying to use this to persuade Oprah?"

When it came to national honor, talk shows couldn't speak recklessly.

But if Ian said he would handle issues on the Korean side, then Oprah could freely poke fun at Koreans and play the sympathy card, and she would probably be quite pleased.

She could come up with a hundred jokes about them.

Fuck! Are you sure you're helping us?

Ian laughed.

Previously, Ian had mentioned helping Koreans restore their reputation, but the results were difficult to guarantee.

Therefore, the agreement only set a process in place, like "not reporting negative news about Korea," but couldn't guarantee results.

Since that was the case, Ian decided to have some fun with the process.

He had wanted The Oprah Winfrey Show for a long time but had never found the right opportunity, and this was just it.

In a serious tone, Ian's eyes shimmered with an unusual glint as he said, "This is the best help for Korea. You must first hit rock bottom before you can rise again; however, considering the President's reputation, it's best if it doesn't circulate in Korea. If necessary, I can have my people issue some supportive statements about the president to ensure that it won't harm the Blue House's reputation."

There were two points Ian didn't mention.

First, whether you could rise after hitting rock bottom was up to him.

Second, the only thing Ian could assure completely was Carr Media, not CBS, Gannett or Fox Entertainment Group; after all, he was merely a shareholder, not a decision-maker.

He could influence news selection with his power but couldn't control it entirely.

This meant that The Oprah Winfrey Show wouldn't air on any major platforms but would instead be broadcast on LANN.

Having it on a smaller platform would significantly benefit that platform, but it wouldn't be good for Oprah, as it would dilute her influence!

It was like a famous author posting their books on a small website; the small site's traffic would increase, but that author's traffic would decrease.

So, he needed the Koreans to step in and invest in Oprah's company.

If the major shareholders insisted on airing the show on LANN, Oprah might consider it, given the financial backing.

Furthermore, Ian could persuade Oprah to see that LANN would eventually become the best TV network in America.

For Ian, while he paid a bit more for Samsung shares (Lee Kun-hee: What?!), acquiring The Oprah Winfrey Show at a bargain made up for it significantly.

This way, all the benefits would belong to Ian, while the downsides would fall to the Koreans.

The essential point was that if the Koreans wanted to restore their reputation, they'd have to accept this.

Oprah had that kind of influence, at least in America.

Contracts could only stipulate processes, so he had already laid out the process for restoring their reputation; how well they executed it wasn't his concern.

As for the world's perception?

Humph!

If you don't change Americans' opinion of you first, what are you worried about the next-door neighbors for?

If you're still unhappy...

Should he show them recordings of their wild nights?

Never mind, it wouldn't be wise to stir up too much trouble.

The Koreans weren't exactly straightforward either; he'd wait for someday in the future when they stepped on his toes again.

Noticing they were all deep in thought, Ian added, "Of course, as a gesture of goodwill, I could do some special publicity... I mean, in recent days I've written some small articles that might interest you."

Saying this, Ian pulled out a stack of documents to hand to everyone.

*****

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