From Hollywood to Media Empire

"Hey, are you going to the Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton tonight?" Scarlett Johansson asked Charles as they woke up in the morning.

"Not interested. I might show up at the after-party later, but I have a meeting with Frank McCourt today," Charles replied. He wasn't particularly worried about Guggenheim Investments competing with him for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Still, better safe than sorry. Charles wanted to cut through the mess quickly.

"The Dodgers, huh," Scarlett said as she leaned on Charles, smiling and kissing his chest. "You're amazing. Come see me tonight; I'll be back on set tomorrow."

"Of course," Charles smiled slightly. 

...

At noon, in a high-end cafe near the Dodgers Stadium, Dona Williams handed Charles some documents.

Charles opened them, and a smile appeared on his face. "Frank McCourt's situation has gotten this bad, huh? Looks like today's negotiations will go much smoother!"

"By the way, does the National Pension Service of Korea want to fully acquire the HSBC Tower in London?" Charles asked.

Dona Williams nodded, "They've been in contact with us and offered a decent price."

"HSBC Tower for 1 billion pounds!" Charles knocked on the table. "We bought it for just over 700 million pounds."

"70% ownership cost us 500 million pounds," he thought for a moment. "Notify them that I'm willing to sell 70% of the HSBC Tower for 770 million pounds."

Dona Williams nodded, realizing this priced the HSBC Tower at 1.1 billion pounds.

Charles now had around 400 to 500 million dollars in cash flow, which wasn't enough to purchase the Dodgers and their stadium. Selling the HSBC Tower to raise funds was a great choice!

Soon, Frank McCourt walked in and sat across from Charles.

"Charles, I told you, I don't want to sell the Dodgers right now, you..." Frank McCourt began but was cut off by Charles.

Charles waved his hand, handing the documents to Frank McCourt. "Take a look first. My time is precious."

Frank McCourt opened the documents to find debt sheets of his real estate company and records of his scandalous relationships with multiple women.

"You've got no choice now. Your wife is filing for divorce and will take half of your assets," Charles noted. "But if I hand these over to her, you might end up with nothing."

He continued, "You're also in desperate need of money. Don't let your real estate company go bankrupt. I'm offering 1.5 billion dollars for the Dodgers and the stadium."

"You have three days to consider. I doubt Todd Boehly and Mark Walter from Guggenheim will offer more," Charles added. "1.5 billion is a record-breaking price in sports."

With that, Charles left, leaving Frank McCourt dumbstruck. Charles needed to meet with other minor shareholders of the Dodgers to see if he could obtain their shares.

"Boss, 1.5 billion dollars, isn't that too much?" Dona Williams inquired in the car.

Charles smirked. "Don't worry. It's not too high. Don't underestimate Guggenheim Investments; they're serious about sports and entertainment."

"Also, the Dodgers' broadcast contract with Fox Sports expires next year. I want to secure the team quickly and get NBC Sports the regional broadcast rights," Charles added.

If he remembered correctly, Guggenheim Investments ended up spending over 2 billion dollars to acquire the Dodgers in May.

...

In the afternoon, the red carpet of the Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton began, with dazzling actresses showing off their stunning looks. As the biggest event before the Oscars, the Golden Globes drew nearly as much attention as the Academy Awards.

Since Charles Capet expressed his dislike for the Miami Heat's Big Three model in an interview the night before at the Staples Center, he had attracted widespread attention. Even without considering his other roles, being the owner of the New Jersey Nets put him under the spotlight.

The formation of the Big Three had been a hot topic since last summer, and Charles' comments reignited the controversy. LeBron James had been the league's most controversial player since last year, and Charles' remarks only fueled the fire. Owners of the Celtics, Clippers, Warriors, Mavericks, and other teams also voiced their opinions, further driving the dispute.

However, amidst the NBA drama, Oklahoma City Thunder's star Kevin Durant saw Scarlett Johansson on the red carpet and famously tweeted, "Scarlett, I'd drink your bath water..."

In the Avengers trailer, Scarlett Johansson, as Black Widow, embodied sexiness, coldness, elegance, and heat all in one. It's no wonder young Kevin Durant would openly declare his love.

At the 68th Golden Globe Awards, the biggest winner was The Social Network, directed by David Fincher, which won Best Motion Picture - Drama, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Original Score.

Competing head-to-head with The Social Network, The King's Speech received the most nominations but only won Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama.

Black Swan bagged the Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama award, while The Fighter won Best Supporting Actor and Actress awards.

During the after-party at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel later that night, Scarlett Johansson was bewildered when a reporter asked her about Kevin Durant's willingness to drink her bath water.

Scarlett modestly stated that she wasn't very involved with the NBA or social media like Twitter and Facebook.

"Scarlett, would you give your bath water to Kevin Durant?" faced with the reporter's last question, Scarlett just smiled and left the interview area, not wanting to respond to such meaningless matters...

*****

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