America 1919-Chapter 969 - 330, please step into the urn_3

Seymour Sacks stared at Donnie in disbelief. Donnie wasn’t planning to list just one company but rather two companies?

Was Donnie about to change his previous business strategy?

"What’s the matter?" Donnie asked Seymour Sacks, "Is it that Mr. Sachs doesn’t want to proceed? If that’s the case, it’s understandable, after all, the film industry cannot compare to the shipyard business!"

"Not at all!" Seymour Sacks knew Donnie was speaking the truth, but to repair his relationship with Donnie, he had no choice but to agree. Everyone knew that within the Venus conglomerate, United Artists could never compare to Trident Shipyard, but at least United Artists was still part of the Venus system. Moreover, United Artists had been thriving recently!

"Partnering with Mr. Block is an honor for us at Goldman Sachs. I can promise you, Mr. Block, that within three days, Goldman Sachs will deliver a proposal that satisfies you!"

Donnie nodded with a smile and said, "Alright then, see you in three days!"

Seymour Sacks understood that Donnie was politely asking them to leave. He got up, bringing along Walter Sachs, who hadn’t had a chance to speak, and left Donnie’s office.

As they exited the office, Donnie watched them leave, a smile appearing on his face...

.

In the afternoon, Charlie, Douglas, and Griffith once again arrived at Donnie’s office.

Their expressions had shifted this time. Charlie’s face retained the pride of yesterday, with an added sense of determination.

Douglas appeared calm, having made up his mind. He no longer had anything to worry about.

Griffith, however, seemed more apprehensive.

"So, have the three of you made a decision?"

Donnie asked directly.

Charlie was the first to respond, "Mr. Block, there’s no need to discuss this further—we’ve already decided. We will not allow United Artists to go public. The company is doing well as it is, and we all unanimously agree there’s no reason to change that!"

Despite the unpleasant discussions they had the night before, Charlie remained convinced that Douglas and Griffith would stand by his side on this issue.

Charlie was brimming with confidence.

Donnie smiled faintly and asked, "Doug, Griffith, do you share the same view?"

Charlie anticipated immediate agreement from both, so he confidently looked at them. However, neither Douglas nor Griffith responded right away.

This made Charlie quite unhappy!

Just as he was about to say something, Douglas spoke up.

"After careful consideration, I support Mr. Block’s proposal to go public. I believe this is the best development plan for the company!"

"What?" Charlie stared at Douglas in shock. He had suspected Griffith might betray him, but he never imagined Douglas would. Considering the history between Donnie and Pickford, Douglas had always harbored resentment toward Donnie!

And now, Douglas was the first to side with Donnie?

Donnie smiled and said, "Charlie, now that we have Doug’s support, our shares outnumber yours. It seems the decision to list United Artists is finalized!"

"Doug, what is going on here?" Charlie demanded, glaring at Douglas.

Douglas remained composed despite Charlie’s fury, responding, "As I said, I believe Mr. Block’s plan is the most responsible strategy for United Artists. Therefore, I’m supporting his plan."

"This is betrayal!" Charlie was losing control. United Artists meant too much to him—it was the foundation of all his cinematic ambitions. He wouldn’t allow anything beyond his control to interfere.

"Griffith, do you agree with this? Are you planning to betray me too?"

After rebuking Douglas, Charlie turned abruptly to Griffith, who had remained silent.

Griffith responded with anguish, "Charlie, you know I would never betray you, but you also know there’s no way to reverse the situation now!"

Charlie felt a chill as if ice wrapped around his heart. At this moment, he truly experienced the ruthlessness of capital.

"Doug, whatever Donnie offered you, I’ll double it!"

Charlie was already becoming frantic, yet no one could deny that he was the wealthiest among the three.

After dedicating all his films to the company, Charlie stopped taking a salary, instead opting for box office revenue shares.

This had made Charlie the most financially prominent of the three.

Yet, it was precisely this arrangement that fueled Douglas’s resentment—Douglas didn’t enjoy the same privileges.

"Charlie, your words are an insult to my character. I’m doing this for the company’s progress!"

"I disagree—I absolutely will not approve this plan!"

Charlie exclaimed loudly, "If you insist on carrying out this plan, I will leave United Artists!"

This was Charlie’s last resort. He understood that if he left United Artists at this juncture, it would deal a catastrophic blow to the company’s IPO plans!

Though Donnie had anticipated Charlie’s reaction, witnessing it firsthand still left him dissatisfied. However, it solidified Donnie’s resolve—when the time came for him to fully focus on film production, the first step would be to remove Charlie from the company.

Donnie wouldn’t tolerate anyone who could threaten his standing in the company!

Even if that person was Charlie!