Dunn had a grand plan.
He needed to quickly complete his initial accumulation of wealth and lay down the foundation for his industry. At the same time, he aimed to use his grasp of future trends to covertly weaken his competitors.
After receiving the $100 million bonus, his first thought was to invest in the stock market for substantial returns.
But Dunn quickly thought of something else—Marvel!
It was 1997. Marvel had just gone through bankruptcy restructuring and was in a tough spot, even having to sell off comic book rights to stay afloat. However, with the blockbuster success of "X-Men" and "Spider-Man," Marvel's fortunes had dramatically improved. They were ambitiously building the Marvel Universe and had achieved notable success.
This was the perfect time to target Marvel—before "X-Men" was released and Sony Pictures acquired the Spider-Man rights.
Dunn assigned his assistant, George Paxton, to gather information on Marvel and potential acquisition opportunities.
The news was not promising.
Marvel Entertainment's market value was not high. Last year, it was acquired by Avi Arad and Ike Perlmutter for just $50 million.
But unlike previous Wall Street control of Marvel, Avi Arad was ambitious. He had not only reclaimed many of the previously sold or leased rights but had also established Marvel Studios, aiming to develop the film industry.
Avi Arad and Ike Perlmutter had received collective approval from Marvel's management, making it impossible for Dunn to acquire Marvel at this time.
These two shareholders were interested in developing the business rather than seeking capital gains like Wall Street.
Therefore, Marvel's stance on Dunn 's acquisition offer was clear—rejection!
Dunn rubbed his temples in frustration. With Marvel's resolute attitude, was he left with no choice but to invest in the stock market?
He was unwilling to accept this!
"Not cooperating means destruction!"
Dunn 's eyes narrowed, and a chilling expression appeared on his face.
He was determined not to let Marvel, a massive gold mine, be handed over to future competitors without a fight.
There were two years left. If Marvel remained stubborn during this period, Dunn was prepared to use all means necessary to cut off its roots and eliminate any future threat!
There were too many comic book companies in America, but Marvel's truly popular superheroes were limited to Spider-Man.
As long as he could snatch Spider-Man's rights before Sony Pictures in 1999, and then collaborate with other comic book companies to create a parallel universe where Spider-Man could cross over, he would cut off Marvel Studios' roots and sever Marvel Comics' soul. That would put an end to Marvel's former glory.
Of course, this was a last resort.
The Marvel Universe had the advantage of past success, and controlling it was safer than creating an entirely new comic universe.
While Dunn was calculating Marvel's future, he received a call from Bill McNick.
"Hey, Dunn , is it convenient for you? I'm coming to visit your studio."
Dunn had just registered his film company—Dunn Productions.
However, the company currently had only two people: boss Dunn Walker and employee George Paxton. They had rented an old-fashioned building, quite large, but located near a rundown area.
Dunn was somewhat surprised by Bill McNick's unexpected visit. "Bill, you're too kind!"
Bill replied, "No problem, I'll be there at 2 PM!"
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Dunn thought Bill McNick's sudden visit was to thank him for his contribution to "Titanic," which had already surpassed $500 million at the North American box office and was approaching $1.3 billion globally. The film's skyrocketing success showed no signs of slowing down.
However, accompanying Bill McNick was not his assistant, but a bald middle-aged man with kind eyes, dressed in a suit, exuding a strong yet approachable presence—clearly someone of significance.
Dunn greeted him with a smile and extended his hand. "Hello, I'm Dunn Walker. You can call me Dunn ."
The man's demeanor was even more gentle than Dunn 's. His inherent friendliness surprised Dunn . This person's aura seemed fit for politics!
Was he a politician?
"Hello, Dunn . I'm Brian Lord, from aa."
The soothing voice behind the warm demeanor lacked the imagined threat and confidence. It was calm and reassuring, as if conversing with a long-time friend, leaving Dunn astonished.