Chapter 116: Money's Tight

Words : 1251 Updated : Sep 30th, 2025

Some laziness comes from habit. William White wasn't just some rich fool's son, so he obviously wouldn't say no to a girl's care. When it comes to being attentive, a dozen American girls can't compare to one Japanese girl. Their service comes from the heart, which is fundamentally different from the professional smiles of American girls. Interestingly, despite such fantastic service, tips aren't common in Japan. This is fundamentally different from the US. "Boss, Morgan Stanley reported the package price as 3 billion dollars. Even though there's room to negotiate, it won't be much." "Darn, this time it's really tricky. NBC we can barely manage, but Disney's causing a big stir. You go ahead and negotiate." "Sure thing, boss." ... Morgan Stanley's surprise move left William White conflicted. It's not like he didn't want to buy, but he just didn't have the money ready. "Man, money can truly make a hero bow down!" Alright, someone is being dramatic again. He really didn't have 3 billion dollars. Actually, he didn't even have 1 billion. Scraping together 500 million would be an achievement, and that would require tapping into offshore funds. The funds aren't the biggest issue. He could opt for a highly leveraged buyout, where 500 million dollars would suffice for such a situation. Of course, if it all goes south, not only will the 500 million be gone, but he'd also owe a huge debt. The Hunter family found themselves in that very predicament, with debts exceeding their collateral. William White felt confident but wasn't planning to go for broke. Cash was king in that era, and that would likely continue for a long time. Taking things slowly seemed wise. For acquisitions of this scale, taking two years to negotiate wasn't unusual. As for the possibility of others swooping in to steal away, he wasn't worried. Let them try. When they can't carry on, he can swoop in and pick up the pieces. In the short term, William White couldn't gather that much capital, and Morgan Stanley clearly knew it. Their motivation was clear as day, though; there were plenty of things they had their eye on. ... "William, you planning something big?" "George, you mean the Disney thing? That's just an idea right now, and the price isn't right. I don't plan on being the sucker." "Haha, sounds like you've made too much money, and now everyone's got their eye on you." "Thanks, I'll be careful." It's really puzzling why folks assume he's got money falling out of his ass and is every bit a fool. Is he really that dumb? Isn't there a saying about how the higher up something rises, the more likely it'll be brought down? George W Bush Jr. was decent enough, giving him a heads-up. Seems like this guy didn't figure it out on his own; probably got a nudge from his dad. ... "Dad, that guy isn't planning on making a move now. He seems interested but doesn't want to be played for the fool." "Well, whether he listens or not is up to him. But we had to put it on the table. The value of that water company has more than doubled. You've made a good investment." ... Amid all this ruckus, Viking Comics announced that their latest comic issue had sales exceeding 10 million copies, with Japan contributing 50% of the sales. The company predicted they'd reach a target of 12 million by the end of the year. Holy cow. That's the top-selling weekly comic in the world, right? A 10% margin really amounts to a lot. It's a project that earns at least 100 million a year. Hold on, they haven't even counted the ads! Just because they're not charging doesn't mean those ads aren't valuable. The advertisers who turned down exclusive rights are probably kicking themselves now. The year's end ad bidding will be fiercely competitive. There's already word out that within similar brands, they'll only choose one partner. If it's not an international brand, they're not interested. ... "Boss, the fund accounts on the other side are still buying without any change. It's the same in Japan. They're very optimistic about the Japanese economy." "Geez, that guy is a tough nut to crack. Looks like the price is a bit too high." "Hehe, their intent to buy hasn't changed; they're just not satisfied with the price. Disney is indeed a tough nut to crack. What kind of lunatics are these!" "What's with Paris Disneyland? How long has it been?" "Well, Filson said if they succeed in acquiring, the first move is to terminate this project, with losses nearing a billion dollars, including bad loans. Disney is close to negative equity." "Haha, 2 billion, really audacious." "Boss, how come I didn't hear them bidding, what's your take on it?" "Kid, remember, the ones who criticize are the real buyers." If a 3 billion dollar quote was shooting for the stars, 2 billion was more aligned with their actual situation. Disney had been underperforming for years, with no standout business. TV ratings hovered in the millions, Disneyland was losing money, and movies were flopping. Only comics and toys were holding on, but market share was declining. Honestly, it seemed like a losing proposition. Maintaining the current stock price was all due to brand value. ... William White was patient, and Morgan Stanley wasn't lacking in patience either. Since no deal could be struck short-term, they could pressure Disney. A giant bank loan like that was naturally worrying for the banks. You've heard the saying: if you owe the bank a million, they'll come after you, but if you owe them a billion, they'll treat you like royalty. Disney owed in the billions. They needed careful handling; otherwise, if they folded suddenly, banks would be dragged down too. The situation was now different, with a new buyer showing a certain repayment capacity, much better than Disney's current status. Bank pressure could push Disney to the brink. Luckily, they were reasonable and didn't cut off funding abruptly. Otherwise, they could have seen Disney fold before an acquisition even happened, resulting in a crying fit. If banks cut off funding, Disney wouldn't last three months without declaring bankruptcy. That's not the outcome they wanted. The banks held quite a few shares, making them classic examples of lenders turned shareholders. ... Now it really was time for the big spender to tally up his assets. He didn't have much cash on hand. Investing in Coca-Cola was the last opportunity. If he didn't buy in soon, it would be too late. Japanese investments not only couldn't decrease but had to increase. Their economy was just taking off. Getting on board later would be difficult. He also had to negotiate with the lending banks. Without a buffer period, he wouldn't take action. A 1.2 billion dollar loan had over 200 million in annual interest. Whoever took it on was doomed. William White was very certain those guys would compromise. These had nearly become nonperforming loans, and given a chance to recover, they'd make the right choice. ***** https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.

Chapter 116: Money's Tight

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