MTLNOVEL Chapter 575: Chapter 524 Animation Company
Wednesday, 30 August 1994
Zaboru was still at ZAGE USA, actively assisting his developers in troubleshooting and refining project details. He had already contacted Bill Gates to arrange a meeting for 4 September 1994, and Zaboru was determined to maximize Diablo's progress before that important date. His focused energy and hands-on approach kept the team motivated and the atmosphere charged with productivity.
At 10:00, while Zaboru was still working with the ZAGE development team, James Yoel, ZAGE USA Supervisor and also an Emerald Wings higher-up, came to visit him. "Boss, there's actually someone looking for you — they're looking for an investor for their animation company." Zaboru, intrigued, gave a small nod, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "Okay, let's talk in the meeting room." He stretched briefly, rolled his shoulders to ease the tension from hours of focus, and followed James as they headed to the meeting room at ZAGE USA, the hallway buzzing quietly with the energy of a studio in full swing.
"Okay, so what's this all about, James?" Zaboru asked, leaning back slightly with a curious tilt of his head. James explained, "Well, there's this guy called Edwin Catmull. He wants to create an animated movie company. They already have prior experience — they were a subsidiary of Lucasfilm — and now they want to create an animation company called Pixar." Outwardly, Zaboru remained calm, but inside, his heart was beating fast with excitement. He thought, 'Damn, Pixar? I see — this is where Pixar got rejected by many investors… I get it.' He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, mind racing. Zaboru knew that in his previous life, this happened in 1986, which should be 1996 in this world, as the entertainment industry here was moving ten years behind, but now it seemed to be speeding up again — something Zaboru didn't mind. He allowed himself a small inward grin, already imagining the possibilities ahead.
"So, animation companies and they really want an investor, huh? Please arrange the meeting then, James." James chuckled. "They're already at the Emerald Wings offices — they seem kinda desperate." Zaboru nodded with a faint grin, smoothing down his blazer as he stood. With James, he quickly departed to the Emerald Wings offices, the city sunlight flickering through the car window as they rode over. Soon, they arrived, and Ryan and Edwin were already waiting in a modest but tidy conference room. James grinned, "Hello, folks, here I brought my boss." Ryan chuckled warmly, "Welcome, boss." Edwin then rose, offered a polite smile, and extended his hand confidently. "Mr. Renkonan, my name is Edwin Catmull." Zaboru stepped forward, grabbed his hand with a firm shake, and returned the smile. "Mr. Catmull, nice to meet you. You can call me Zaboru." Edwin smiled with a nod, "Then please call me Edwin too, Zaboru."
Zaboru sat in front of Edwin as James and Ryan excused themselves with a nod and a smile. He offered Edwin a calm, attentive look, his fingers lightly steepled as he leaned forward. "So, Edwin, I heard you're looking for an investor for your company?" Edwin nodded, his posture straight but his hands slightly tense, betraying his nerves. "Yes, Zaboru, I'm looking for an investor for my animation company, and I truly believe we can stand toe-to-toe with Disney's animated movies." Zaboru gave a thoughtful nod, his eyes sharp with curiosity. "I see you have confidence, and I heard your company was a former subsidiary of Lucasfilm?" Edwin smiled faintly, a flicker of pride breaking through his nerves. "True, we have a lot of experience creating both animated and non-animated movie effects, and now I'm ready to venture out on my own, building something original and groundbreaking." His voice steadied slightly as he spoke, as if the very act of sharing his dream reignited his determination.
Zaboru raised an eyebrow and asked, "Say, if I invest a lot in your company, will you listen to my requests for creating movie stories and styles, and focus your company on creating them?" Edwin frowned slightly and said, "With due respect, Zaboru, I know you've produced a lot of games, and I've heard plenty of them have good stories, but let me tell you — creating movie scripts, especially animated ones, is way harder. It's not simple." Zaboru chuckled softly and nodded. "I'm well aware, Edwin. In fact, I've already done some study on my own regarding writing, animation, and filmmaking." Edwin raised an eyebrow, clearly unsure how to respond, his expression shifting between curiosity and caution. Zaboru gave a warm, reassuring smile. "Don't worry. Let's make it like this: just one movie. If after one movie I fail miserably, I won't bother your company to make another i will let you lead the creative. How about that?" Edwin paused, tapping his fingers on the table as he thought, then slowly nodded, a small, thoughtful smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Well, if that's the case, it's fine."
Zaboru smiled and said, "Okay then — so, how much do you want, and how much do I get?" Edwin fidgeted slightly, his fingers tapping nervously on the table. "Hmm… how about 15 million dollars for 30% of my company's shares?" He thought it was a really fair and considerable offer, but then Zaboru leaned forward with an easy grin and said, "How about 60% for 31 million dollars?" Edwin's eyes widened in surprise. "That's… more expensive," he murmured, a flicker of both hesitation and calculation crossing his face as he weighed the offer, glancing down at his folded hands, then meeting Zaboru's gaze with a cautious but intrigued look.
Edwin remembered that before meeting Zaboru, Ryan from Emerald Wings had told him that after ZAGE's acquisition of Emerald Wings, the company had become much stronger and more successful, which made Edwin trust Zaboru more. Edwin sighed deeply, the tension finally loosening from his shoulders. "Fine, Zaboru — 31 million for 60%." Zaboru grinned and nodded with quiet satisfaction. "Deal. I'll let my lawyer handle the paperwork, and tomorrow I'll bring the money." Edwin exhaled and nodded. Zaboru added with a friendly pat on his shoulder, "I'll also give 4 million in capital so you'll have more leeway. And after the deal, I'll hand you some movie scripts to get your team started." Edwin's eyes widened in surprise. "That fast?" Zaboru chuckled and gave a confident nod. "Yeah. Anyway, see you later. And your company name is Pixar, right?" Edwin smiled softly. "Yes, it's Pixar." Zaboru grinned wider. "Well, nice name — and I'm sure it'll grow bigger with this deal." Edwin nodded, a mix of nervousness and excitement crossing his face, then left the room.
After the meeting with Edwin, once he left, Zaboru quickly called John Kirby, ZAGE USA's head lawyer, to draft a contract, reviewing key details to ensure everything would be airtight. He also prepared to withdraw his 35 million dollars, making mental notes about the financial arrangements, timelines, and how this investment fit into his larger business strategy.
Now, Zaboru was talking with Ryan and James. Ryan asked, "So you agreed with Edwin?" Zaboru chuckled lightly. "Yeah, he's one of the rare guys, you know." James sighed with a teasing grin. "How do you even look at people anyway? It seems like you just invest in someone on a whim." Zaboru shrugged casually. "Well, let's just say I know how to read people — those who have dreams and passion, and those who are just chasing money. I know how to spot the difference." Ryan chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, I guess we at Emerald Wings are good people with dreams, right?" Zaboru laughed softly. "Hahaha, a little bit of both, actually." The three of them burst into laughter, the mood light and genuine, the air around them charged with both ambition and camaraderie.
And with that, ZAGE officially acquired Pixar and for Zaboru with Pixar he can do lot of things with it.
To be continued.
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