I Became the Youngest Daughter of a Chaebol Family-Chapter 79: Hollywood (1)

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM).

Often shortened to MGM, this company was founded in 1924 through a merger of three film studios: Metro, Goldwyn, and Mayer.

The current president is Giancarlo Parretti. He acquired the company in 1990 but didn’t last long and was preparing to hand it over to Crédit Lyonnais.

Crédit Lyonnais would, in turn, sell it again... eventually, the company would end up under Amazon and become Amazon MGM Studios. The name may seem simple, but it’s actually the product of a four-way collaboration.

Of course, there were plenty of mergers between film studios along the way. UA (United Artists) was also part of the mix.

After listening to my explanation, Lee Si-hyun let out a deep sigh.

“UA, MGM... Why are there so many acronyms? Hollywood corporate structures are so confusing. It’s not a full integration either... The names stay separate even though the companies are one.”

“That’s how film studios work. They try not to lose their original identity, and more importantly—those names have brand value.”

It’s like the relationship between Munxah and Sixxiz in the web novel world. For companies like these, there’s no real reason to merge names after an acquisition.

“Also, it makes it easier to acquire them separately. We’re not going for MGM—we’re going to acquire UA.”

“Ah.”

There may be many who don’t know the name United Artists, but everyone knows their masterpieces.

Modern Times and The Great Dictator by Charlie Chaplin. The 007 series with James Bond—those are all United Artists productions.

From historically influential films to currently thriving commercial series, it’s a studio that fits perfectly with a film club.

Lee Si-hyun tilted her head.

“Are you sure this is a club?”

Hey now, it is a club.

“My dad once said, ‘Don’t go playing CEO of a film company just because you were born after devouring your actress mother in the womb.’”

Ugh. Another unpleasant memory...

“...Weren’t you five when he said that? Sure, you were a genius, but still... why was your environment like that...”

“Hmm, I heard it when I was four. He meant it as a joke, but it still stings. Let’s drop it.”

Self-deprecating jokes really are a bad habit. I smiled faintly and shook the 007 briefcase in my hand.

“Well, anyway... The UA acquisition should be doable with a little well-placed bribery.”

Sadly, Si-hyun had become far too skilled at bribery after getting used to Russia’s corruption. Normally, she would’ve asked things like why MGM would accept such a deal or who the bribe should go to...

“I heard there’s only one Crédit Lyonnais director on-site in Hollywood... So about ten million dollars should do it. Should I fill it with gold bars?”

“Ugh, gold bars are disgustingly heavy. Just fill it with hundred-dollar bills.”

As always, a lot of money solves a lot of problems.

***

Crédit Lyonnais had its own circumstances.

It was just extremely corrupt.

“...Director, what should we do? MGM’s financial situation is really bad.”

One of the lowest-ranking employees at Crédit Lyonnais asked someone. Hearing that, an older man ground his teeth.

“Damn it, that bastard Parretti...”

He’d had a bad feeling ever since they took that bribe, but he hadn’t expected the man to mismanage the company this badly.

“How much did we lend them again? Eleven hundred million dollars?”

“...Yes. And we received about a hundred million dollars in bribes.”

“Hey, did I take that? We took it. I didn’t even get ten million.”

The executive grumbled and let out a long sigh. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

Crédit Lyonnais, despite being France’s largest bank, was rotting from within. They had taken a massive bribe from Giancarlo Parretti and issued an illegal loan.

“Goddamn... Now we have to buy the company.”

Like a person who takes out a mortgage, if they can’t repay the loan, they have to give up their house. Similarly, Crédit Lyonnais had first rights to acquire MGM if the current CEO couldn’t pay the debt.

The problem was... Giancarlo Parretti was a con man.

The lender knew perfectly well that he was the kind of man who would sell off all the furniture after buying a house. No normal person bribes a bank to take out that kind of loan.

‘I really should’ve refused this deal.’

But asking why they didn’t just refuse the bribe from the start was meaningless. It was like asking a fish why it doesn’t breathe outside the water.

At this point, the thought circuits of Crédit Lyonnais executives couldn’t operate logically without bribes.

And once the bribe-greased gears turned, the answer was clear.

“This is something we shouldn’t touch.”

Deals this big were too much. If they weren’t careful, they could end up inheriting someone else’s debts. A normal bank would back off here.

“S-So... should we cancel the acquisition?”

“Hmm... Not necessarily. Let me think on it.”

However... at the very least, he was a banker who lived by the motto of good faith.

Except instead of being faithful to the bank’s customers, he was loyal to the ones who bribed him—he still considered himself a fairly ethical person for that.

‘Sigh... I guess I’ll have to take responsibility and accept MGM.’

Might as well spin it in a positive light. Wasn’t MGM once the ruler of Hollywood? In a way, it could be good for Crédit Lyonnais—France’s representative institution—to acquire MGM...

Just as he was thinking that, an employee who had stepped outside returned with a piece of paper.

“Uh, Director. Alpha Fund... Alpha Fund just sent an acquisition proposal!”

“What?”

A glimmer of joy appeared on his face. Was there really a sucker out there willing to take this debt bomb?

“They want to acquire MGM? For how much? Sell it immediately!”

“Oh, no... It’s a proposal to acquire UA under MGM.”

Oh. Never mind.

Disappointment.

“Trying to sell off the furniture again... That means MGM has zero chance of recovering. Absolutely not. Reject it.”

Even as he said that, a question popped into his mind. Why had this come to him?

Was he a Crédit Lyonnais director or an MGM director?

—Click.

Just then, the door opened and a suspiciously beautiful Asian woman walked in.

“...Who are you?”

She smiled sweetly and handed him a business card.

—Alpha Fund.

That was all it said.

“Ahaha, hello. You’re from Crédit Lyonnais, right? I thought it’d be rude to show up empty-handed, so here I am.”

“Hmm, and how should I address you?”

The mysterious Asian beauty gave a slight smile and winked.

“Bond Girl? Just call me that.”

In her hand was a 007 briefcase stuffed with hundred-dollar bills.

‘Cash in a 007 case... how ironic.’

She came to buy UA, the company that produced the 007 series... Now that was wit. And she was beautiful—easily worthy of the title Bond Girl.

“I haven’t heard of anyone like you working at Alpha Fund...”

A subordinate muttered something unnecessary beside him.

“Hey. Quiet, will you? She’s an honored guest.”

His gut told him this was a bribe in plain sight. No way would Alpha Fund send an official employee.

But he didn’t doubt the business card. He’d already heard there was a highly competent Asian fund manager at Alpha Fund. They must’ve pulled some strings to bring her in.

And if it turned out she was a fake? So what? The money was real.

His mind, which had moved sluggishly while worrying about the bank’s future, now worked at lightning speed to calculate the bribe in front of him.

“...Ten million dollars? That should be about right.”

The Bond Girl clapped her hands and laughed, pretending to be surprised.

“Oh my, you’re quick at math.”

Now recognizing the woman before him as a client, the Crédit Lyonnais director spoke politely.

“I did take quite a bit, haha. But don’t worry—I’m professional enough to honor the price I was paid.”

“....”

She paused, lips slightly parted in thought, then tilted her head and smiled charmingly again.

“Yes, since you’re a professional... You know what I’m going to say, right?”

The director nodded.

“We’ll acquire MGM, and you’ll acquire UA. Is that correct?”

“Yes, that’s right. Would about two hundred million dollars sound reasonable? It should help with MGM’s debt repayment.”

It was an absurd offer. Selling off the studio’s films—how could the company stay afloat? Sure, it might help short-term, but...

‘Hmm, that’s good enough.’

As long as it helped cover the immediate debt, the rest wasn’t his problem.

He was smart enough to realize Crédit Lyonnais would end up with several hundred million in new debt later on...

But it wasn’t his debt, right? And since it was a state-owned bank, the government would take care of it.

“Hmm... Do you have one more briefcase? I could maybe go down to one hundred million.”

She blinked, then covered her mouth with one hand and chuckled softly.

“Oh my, it’s not really my place to say... But are you sure?”

“Of course, of course. It’s win-win, isn’t it?”

“Win-win... Yes, I suppose it is.”

She might’ve slipped up and revealed her inexperience for a moment, but she still smoothly pulled out another briefcase and placed it on the table.

With this, twenty million dollars. That’s enough to buy a luxury mansion in Paris.

Hmm.

Crédit Lyonnais’ director licked his lips for a moment, scanning the room.

Only two people from the headquarters were here. If they split the bribe and kept quiet, nobody at HQ would ever know.

But still holding onto the motto of good faith, he solemnly made an offer to his subordinate.

“Four to one. I take four, you get one. How about it? Deal?”

“Deal.”