The survey vessel dispatched by Cisco was gathering data, but it would take some time for the information to come in. Meanwhile, the AOL alliance appeared fragmented, with companies forming splinter groups for mergers and acquisitions. Compared to the telecom giant MCI, it would be much easier to swallow smaller companies!
One of the notable targets was WorldCom, a company that had flourished post-1990 through aggressive acquisitions. It quickly became the second-largest telecommunications provider in the U.S., trailing only AT&T. A key acquisition in its history involved MCI, which had a market value of $37 billion at the time, along with the acquisition of American Internet backbone Tier-1 ISP.
However, WorldCom was now under Cisco's control and rebranded!
Initially successful, WorldCom's decline began with its CEO's reckless stock market investments, leading to financial disaster. In a desperate move, the CEO resorted to fraudulent accounting, ultimately resulting in bankruptcy!
It seemed that Henry's arrival triggered a butterfly effect, causing the company's failure to occur earlier than expected...
---
In the aftermath of the turmoil with Citibank and Morgan Bank, Cisco began exploring partnerships with other financial institutions, eyeing the acquisition of a small to medium-sized bank in California to develop into the economic backbone for the Williams consortium in the future. They were currently in search of suitable acquisition targets!
During this time, the U.S. telecommunications industry was ablaze with competition, and tensions ran high!
The Isearch company launched Isearch posts during this phase!
With its introduction, the engagement proved to be incredibly successful!
While other search engines sputtered, Isearch experienced a surge in popularity, approaching a rapid growth trajectory that felt as if it were closing in on Global Online!
As the number one portal website, Global Online attracted significant traffic, but the combined traffic from the other nine search engines fell short.
Global Online was impressive, but now the Isearch search engine emerged as a formidable competitor. Isearch Encyclopedia alone drew in netizens, while Isearch Post Bar further captivated them! Countless users lingered in the post bar to post, chat, and engage with one another. The Isearch Post Bar was home to numerous interest groups, allowing users to connect with like-minded individuals.
The Isearch Post Bar exhibited incredible stickiness, prompting more internet users to gravitate towards it, resulting in soaring advertising costs on Isearch!
By November 1, 1989, the number of registered users on Isearch surpassed 500,000, representing one-sixth of the user base, which was a tremendous achievement given the total number of netizens.
When compared to the user registration data, the disparity became glaringly apparent.
Registered users on Isearch: 500,000.
Registered users on AOL Search: 5,000.
The stark difference—500,000 to 5,000—indicated just how pronounced the gap was!
As for Isearch Adsense, its official launch would take some time. This was not due to difficulties in implementation but rather Isearch's active outreach to websites and advertisers. Once launched, it promised to deliver a sensational impact that would reverberate throughout the industry!
Isearch Adsense had the potential to become a lucrative hit!
Once operational, the valuation would skyrocket, as advertisers clamored to engage with Isearch!
By this point, AOL had been thoroughly outperformed online and found itself without any avenues for retaliation. Two or three other search engines had gone bankrupt. Indeed, Isearch had exhibited such benevolence that it casually acquired one or two failing companies for a couple million!
The costs associated with searching, server operations, and broadband remained high. It seemed AOL recognized the shortcomings of its own search engine, prompting the slow withdrawal from the market to cut expenses.
At this juncture, AOL's primary hope was to orchestrate an acquisition!
Sequoia Capital, Citigroup, and Morgan made their commitment clear, offering full support for AOL's acquisition efforts. AOL went ahead and formally submitted acquisition requests to the companies involved.
In the midst of this unfolding drama, Cisco, Nicholas, and Global Online conspired to jointly acquire a small to medium-sized bank in California for just $500 million. They subsequently rebranded it "Williams Bank." Williams Bank boasted over a dozen branches near Silicon Valley, although it operated on a relatively small scale, with less than one million deposit users and fewer than $4 billion in deposit funds.
However, the scale of operations did not concern them—it was widely acknowledged that Rome wasn't built in a day, and they intended to take their time!
Nevertheless, news of the joint acquisition by Cisco and its partners created significant media buzz! Mergers and acquisitions involving banks happened frequently in the U.S., but this instance stood out. Who was acquiring the bank this time?
First, there was Cisco, with a market valuation poised to exceed $60 billion!
Following that, the Nicholas Group boasted a market cap of $45 billion thanks to its impressive Nicholas Shopping Network, alongside the IMDB site valued at $8 billion!
Lastly, there was Global Online, which had emerged as the company with the most substantial internet traffic and garnered trust from investors. Senior Wall Street analysts speculated that once Global Online went public, its valuation would immediately rise to $60 billion. Not to mention its association with the Netscape browser, whose market value had already surpassed $10 billion! Significantly, Global Online was the first internet-based company to achieve profitability, while others continued to incur losses! This single factor contributed significantly to Global Online's favorable standing.
The collaborative acquisition of a bank by these three tech giants held massive implications!
If just stirring the pot, who would dare believe it weren't something more?!
Top media outlets dispatched reporters to conduct interviews with the three companies!
Subsequently, Nicholas Group CEO Geely Hutt, Cisco CEO John Chambers, and Global Online CEO Jonathan Jackson (formerly of Netscape, now elevated) held a press conference to address the media.
Reporter: "Excuse me, why did your three companies join forces to acquire a bank? There are rumors that you share the same backer behind all three. Is there any truth to these claims?!!!"
John Chambers smiled and answered calmly, "Rumors grow legs but aren't worth believing. The reason for our joint acquisition of a bank is straightforward: We're all internet companies, and we regard each other as vital strategic partners! Thus, there's nothing particularly unusual about our collaborative banking acquisition!"
Reporter: "Since your three companies are substantial entities with multi-billion dollar valuations, what do you plan to do after purchasing this bank?"
Geely Hutt replied with a smile, "In the first phase, we'll bolster our efforts to establish additional branches and attract more customers. Our main focus is actively pursuing mergers and acquisitions of other banks!!!"
The reporter couldn't help but admire the capital giants for their audacity to talk openly about acquisitions.
---
As the press conference continued, the three CEOs adeptly handled questions from reporters. Henry remained in the background, fully in control of the situation. Having spent much of his time behind the scenes, he preferred to maintain influence without drawing attention to himself for the time being. Possibly in the future, he would step into the spotlight, but for now, he was content to operate in the shadows. After all, he was only 15 years old; his emergence onto the public stage could easily bewilder the world!
At some point, he envisioned taking down Apple, launching the iPhone, and becoming the figure who changed the world while holding a product launch conference that exuded the charisma of Steve Jobs!
This vision was too magnificent to even imagine!
At this moment, Henry drove to the cinema to watch the premiere of "Human Ghost Love Is Not Over."
Today marked the debut of "Human Ghosts Are Coming," and he arrived dressed in a gray casual outfit. The premiere drew a lively crowd. Onstage, Nicole Kidman, donned in a white dress and black high heels, smiled while responding to questions from journalists, projecting an image of confidence!
Spotting Henry in the audience, she subtly gestured for him to wait for her backstage.
Nicole Kidman nodded in response, understanding his signal.
Henry waded through the crowd, heading backstage, where he took a seat, picked up a newspaper, and began to read. After waiting for about ten minutes, Nicole Kidman entered backstage with personnel from Galaxy Film Company.
"Mr. Williams, it's a pleasure to have you at the premiere of 'The Love Is Coming!'" Nicole Kidman greeted cheerfully.
"Hehe, remember, I'm the screenwriter of 'Human Ghosts Are Coming!'" Henry replied. "What are your plans after filming this movie? Are you keen on more projects or taking a break?"
"I plan on a bit of a break. I'm thinking of heading back home to Australia."
"That sounds nice!" Henry nodded. "By the way, I heard that private individuals in Australia can purchase permanent land. Is that true?"
"Yes, that's correct!" Nicole Kidman, as a significant landholder, was well-informed about this topic.
"When you're back, if you come across any good opportunities, keep an eye out for me. I'd like to purchase a farm, winery, or something similar to enjoy when I have time. It sounds intriguing!"
"Oh, sure! No problem at all," Nicole Kidman agreed enthusiastically.
Henry checked his watch and remarked, "The movie is about to start; let's head into the cinema!"
"Okay."
Henry and Nicole Kidman entered the cinema, and shortly after, the film began to roll. Henry noted its resemblance to what he had seen in his previous life. The most emotional scene involved the pottery-making segment. The visuals were mesmerizing, complemented by the classic melody "Unchained Melody"—it was truly enchanting. Henry glanced at Nicole Kidman, who seemed to sense his gaze and blushed slightly!
"I played well; I'm jealous!" Henry whispered playfully.
"I'm not your girlfriend. Why should I care if you're jealous?"
"Not now, but in the future! After all, once you see a handsome guy like me, you must already like me!"
"Spare me the self-love; nobody 'likes' you, you little creep!" Nicole Kidman laughed softly.
"Sure…" Henry chuckled, nonchalantly responding.
When the film ended, many women in the audience were teary-eyed. Henry understood that "Human Ghosts Are Unending" would be a success!
"Nicole, from today on, you'll be a Hollywood superstar!!!"
"I owe it to you, but the key is your script—it's just that good! I believe every performance will be thrilling and heartfelt!"
"Alright, you owe me a dinner! I want us to go out alone!"
"..." Nicole chuckled, beset with a playful smile.
After exiting the cinema, Nicole Kidman drove away while Henry had another meeting to attend. He wasn't just there to watch a film; he planned to discuss matters with Bobby Robin, CEO of Galaxy Films. Bobby was already waiting outside the cinema, eager to speak with him once he emerged from the film.
When Henry arrived, they greeted one another and headed to a nearby coffee shop.
"Bobby Robin, here's my new script, 'Remains of a Deserted Island!'" Henry said as he handed over a stack of manuscripts.
Bobby scanned the pages quickly and remarked, "Chairman, this script is excellent and quite engaging!"
Henry affirmed, "For 'Remains of a Deserted Island,' Robert Zemeckis would be the ideal director, with Tom Hanks starring. I specifically designed the male protagonist to work for a delivery company to promote Nicholas Express. Therefore, in the film, they must thoroughly showcase the excellence of Nicholas Express! In essence, this will serve as a promotional film for Nicholas Express!!!"
Bobby looked momentarily stunned by the revelation, processing the idea of making a movie primarily for a delivery service. It was genuinely ambitious!