May 16, 2006.
New York.
Manhattan.
A cold, metallic aura seeped through the forest of steel. Even the bright moon hanging high in the sky, casting its gentle glow upon the world, could not pierce the hazy veil of moonlight into the heart of the world's largest city.
Even at four in the morning, when, by nature's rhythm, everything should be at rest, the heart of this bustling metropolis still pulsed like a tireless machine, surging with its own relentless vitality.
At Rockefeller Center, on the top floor of the GE Building, Jeff Immelt, Chairman of General Electric, was in his private conference room, receiving friends who had come from afar. They were—
Chairman of News Corporation: Rupert Murdoch
Chairman of MGM: Harry Sloan
Chairman of NBC Universal: Robert Wright
Chairman of Sony Group: Howard Stringer
Chairman of Viacom: Sumner Redstone
CEO of Time Warner: Jeffrey Bewkes
CEO of Disney: Robert Iger
Chairman of DreamWorks Pictures: Steven Spielberg
CEO of Lionsgate: Jon Feltheimer
Although the nine attendees could have easily seated themselves in a U-shape around the curved conference table—
Perhaps because of personal relationships?
Or perhaps for some other reason—
In any case, what should have been a spacious arrangement instead turned into a clearly divided formation.
Rupert Murdoch sat alone to the left of the main seat, by the window.
Opposite him sat Jeffrey Bewkes, Robert Iger, and Steven Spielberg.
The remaining five—Harry Sloan, Robert Wright, Howard Stringer, Sumner Redstone, and Jon Feltheimer—sat across from the main seat, keeping their distance from all sides.
Seeing this formation, Jeff Immelt took a deep breath and tapped the table with his right hand. The sharp "tap-tap-tap" drew everyone's attention and served as his opening signal—
"So, gentlemen, what are your thoughts on the arguments over the past month?"
As he posed the question, Jeff Immelt swept his gaze across the room.
At fifty years old, his expression was somber.
Yet even with eyes as sharp as arrows, not a single person present feared him.
Well—almost.
Robert Wright, Chairman of NBC Universal, did.
After all, Jeff Immelt was his direct superior.
But aside from him—
"I think the arguments of the past month have been nothing but a farce."
"And a ridiculous farce at that."
"A farce that has made all of us a laughingstock."
"This could have been avoided, but unfortunately—"
"Because of certain people's recklessness, selfishness, and impulsiveness, the entire situation has become irreparable!"
Sumner Redstone, Chairman of Viacom, spoke first.
His aged voice rasped like a worn-out bellows, grating on the ears.
And—
Though he did not name anyone directly, the pointed nature of his words made everyone present shift their gaze toward Rupert Murdoch.
Which—
"Sumner, are you blaming me?"
Rupert Murdoch narrowed his eyes, ignoring the stares as he looked straight at Redstone.
"In the past few months, I've simply been using legal means to protect my legitimate rights. YouTube is full of pirated videos that seriously infringe on our interests. Shouldn't it be targeted?"
"Heh—"
Murdoch's question drew a chuckle from Redstone.
Meeting his gaze without yielding—
"YouTube should indeed be targeted! But we should have done it through proper legal procedures! The moment you bypassed the process and filed a lawsuit directly, you started playing with everyone's interests!"
"Is that so? You think my lawsuit was bypassing the process? Then tell me—which U.S. law says that when our rights are violated, we can't immediately take legal action to defend ourselves?"
Murdoch spread his hands. "And you say my lawsuit is playing with everyone's interests? Did I put a gun to your heads and force you to sue YouTube with me?"
The sophistry in his words made Redstone laugh out loud.
He shook his head, seemingly unwilling to compete with Murdoch's rabid persistence.
But at the moment he showed his disdain, Robert Wright suddenly spoke:
"Sumner, I can prove that Rupert did put a gun to our heads—metaphorically—forcing us to sue YouTube with him."
"Because before he officially filed the lawsuit, he approached NBC Universal twice."
"He used both pressure and incentives, hoping we would join him."
"And the agreement we reached was that if we joined the lawsuit, his Fox would abandon its entry into the business news sector and give up acquiring Dow Jones."
The sudden betrayal made Murdoch freeze for a moment.
"Hah—"
"Hahahahaha—"
Redstone burst into laughter at what was essentially a self-inflicted exposure.
From the surface, Robert Wright's statement looked like digging his own grave.
After all, if he hadn't admitted to making a deal with Murdoch, no matter how powerful others were, they would never have uncovered the conspiracy—because there was no written record of their agreement.
But—
At this moment, shifting the blame mattered more than anything.
As for why—
"Robert, please don't stir up emotions."
Jeff Immelt tapped the table again. "We don't have much time."
"So please don't waste it on meaningless arguments."
His superior's words silenced Robert Wright.
Once he quieted down, Immelt continued:
"Since Sumner has shared his view—that the past month's arguments were a farce—I'd like to know if anyone disagrees."
"Any different opinions?"
His voice echoed through the spacious conference room.
The response he received was collective silence.
"Okay. Since you all agree it was a farce, then tell me—do you have a way to resolve it? Do you have a way to win?"
As soon as he said this—
Most of those present shook their heads.
"MGM has no solution," Harry Sloan said. "Like NBC Universal, we were also dragged into suing YouTube."
"There were many deals between us, too complicated to explain here."
"Sony has no solution either," Howard Stringer added. "We had no deal with Fox, but the reason we sued YouTube wasn't because we believed it seriously infringed our rights—it was because Fox spread information publicly."
"If they hadn't had their lawyer announce that they expected us to file suit immediately, we wouldn't have submitted our complaint within 72 hours."
"That was essentially a threat."
"It forced our shareholders to pay attention."
"If we didn't act, headquarters would have demanded answers."
"And that's something I can't tolerate."
"Yes, Lionsgate was in the same situation," Jon Feltheimer said seriously. "Once Fox broadcast their lawsuit nationwide, we had no choice but to follow."
"If we were late, we'd be held accountable."
"And our boss, Frank Giustra—you all know him—"
"He doesn't have a good temper. I don't want to be thrown into a uranium mine."
"That kind of death… turning into sludge… is terrifying."
His words made everyone frown.
They wanted to rebuke him for the grotesque imagery, but considering Giustra's reputation and Feltheimer's situation, they swallowed their complaints.
As for all this—
Jeff Immelt shook his head. "So you're all saying that in this lawsuit against YouTube… you can't win?"
As he spoke, he deliberately glanced at the four figures seated on either side.
Murdoch, isolated from everyone, had his eyes half-closed, as if he hadn't heard.
Jeffrey Bewkes, Robert Iger, and Steven Spielberg sat like silent statues, not having spoken a word since taking their seats.
To be fair, this stance—neither opposing nor participating—was irritating to watch.
But—
"Jeff, I understand what you're trying to do."
"You're looking for a way out of a dead end."
"But let me tell you—there is no way out."
Perhaps he found Immelt's questioning tedious.
Or perhaps the 4 a.m. hour had made him irritable.
Either way, Sumner Redstone seized control of the room and spoke rapidly:
"I'm sure all of you already understand the situation before coming here."
"Or at the very least, after yesterday's court adjournment, you've already discussed everything with your advisors."
"As things stand, we have no chance of winning this lawsuit against YouTube!"
"There are three reasons—"
"First, Isabella's testimony was simply too good!"
"When everyone who heard her believes she wouldn't tolerate piracy, when judges and juries worldwide won't believe she'd invest in a pirated site, then YouTube is protected under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act!"
"Second, her witness was the U.S. Department of Defense!"
"I'll be honest—when she said she had registered at the Pentagon to film vlog material for YouTube, I was stunned! Because you all know—"
"While government agencies are under judicial oversight, the Department of Defense is… special."
"If even the Pentagon knew she was filming for YouTube, no judge would believe the platform maliciously infringes copyrights. What copyright could outweigh footage of an F-22?"
"Third, Isabella has too many supporters!"
"If she had 30 million fans before, now she might have 300 million!"
"Those familiar with our legal system know that public opinion can influence outcomes."
"If all Americans believe you're right, then even if you're guilty—you're not."
"We should be grateful Isabella isn't American!"
"If she were, we'd be facing a future President of the United States!"
Yes—
The reason Robert Wright chose to expose everything and shift the blame onto Murdoch was simple:
Everyone already knew they were going to lose.
No matter how good their lawyers were.
No matter what connections they pulled.
In this lawsuit against YouTube, the only possible outcome was defeat.
Because Isabella had timing—her public image had always been flawless.
When the public refuses to believe she could do wrong—
That old line about "any publicity is good publicity" is just self-comfort.
If given the choice, who wouldn't rather be seen as a saint?
Because Isabella had advantage—no one expected that a simple visit to the Transformers set would land her a Pentagon witness.
That kind of testimony was absurd.
Because Isabella had unity—on the stand, she was far more mature than any sixteen-year-old should be.
When she could articulate herself clearly—
Even the most difficult judges and juries would accept her testimony.
And since the outcome was already decided—
All that remained was to discuss compensation.
Yes.
The reason these power players had gathered here—
Was to talk about how much they would have to pay YouTube.
Or rather—
How to reach a settlement.
The logic here isn't complicated.
There are basically two points:
First, if the case continues and the court ultimately rules that YouTube did not infringe on the rights of content capital, then in the future, content owners will face serious challenges in anti-piracy efforts.
Because any company trying to attract users through "content" can simply copy YouTube's model.
For example, they could get Isabella to invest in them, then aggressively push the boundaries and rack up users.
Content capital cannot allow that to happen.
As for why they don't just withdraw the lawsuit?
Because once a case has gone to trial and created significant public impact, it can't be withdrawn.
The court won't allow it.
So, if content capital doesn't want YouTube to gain a "golden body," and doesn't want Isabella to become untouchable, then the only option is to reach an out-of-court settlement with YouTube.
To put it bluntly, if the judge never brings down the gavel, Isabella never becomes a true "bug."
Second, it's already mid-May 2006.
The summer blockbuster season has effectively begun.
Due to the controversy caused by the lawsuit:
Sony postponed The Da Vinci Code, originally set for May 19, to June 2.
Disney also delayed the city auditions for Season 4 of American Idol until mid-June.
And with The Devil Wears Prada scheduled for release on June 30—
Content capital simply cannot endure a prolonged legal battle.
Previously, they had considered sacrificing Isabella's personal interests in exchange for peace.
But now—
"Okay, since everyone agrees the situation can't be changed and we want a quick resolution, let's discuss settlement terms directly. Do you have any concrete proposals?"
Jeff Immelt tapped the table three times.
This time—
The atmosphere in the conference room finally warmed up.
Sumner Redstone said, "Viacom's proposal is simple: pay money."
"All parties contribute, compensate YouTube, and settle this in one go."
"And the largest share should be paid by Fox."
Howard Stringer responded, "We at Sony have no objection to Fox paying the largest share. But Viacom's plan won't work, because YouTube is in a winning position."
"If you're guaranteed to win a war, would you just take a payout and walk away? Of course not."
"So Sony believes we should negotiate a strategic partnership instead."
"As far as I know, YouTube already has over 70 million users. Our lawsuit brought them nearly 50 million more. At this rate, they'll surpass 100 million users by the end of next month."
"If YouTube is about to become the world's largest social platform, then we can negotiate a long-term advertising partnership."
"If they agree to settle, we sign multi-year deals—each of us pays them a fixed amount annually, and they provide us with advertising placements."
"As for the upper limit—Sony can accept $200 million per year."
"And if each of us pays that, YouTube's annual revenue will exceed $1.8 billion. That would make it the most dazzling website in the world. Then—"
"We figure out a way to get Isabella to sell the company, or take YouTube public."
"If she sells, YouTube loses its 'golden body.'"
"And we can go back to business as usual."
"If she goes public, we can buy shares."
"The more YouTube earns, the more we earn—"
"Hiss… I like this plan," Robert Wright nodded.
"I agree," Jon Feltheimer added.
"$200 million a year? That's… a bit much," Harry Sloan hesitated. "We can't afford that."
"Then Fox can invest more in YouTube ads," Redstone cut in bluntly. "Whoever caused this mess pays more."
At that, everyone turned to look at Rupert Murdoch.
The man sitting apart—
His cheek twitched.
His fists clenched.
Everyone could tell he was on the verge of exploding.
But—
He didn't dare.
Because at this moment, he was the price everyone else was willing to pay for peace.
Seeing Murdoch swallow the humiliation, the others spoke more freely.
As the discussion progressed and the settlement plan took shape, attention shifted to Isabella's allies—
"Jeffrey, Bob, Steven."
Redstone smiled. "You must have spoken with Isabella before coming here. So tell us—what's her bottom line? What does she want?"
The direct question finally brought the three to life.
They exchanged glances.
Jeffrey Bewkes spoke first with a smile. "Sumner, I may be her ally, but Barry Meyer handles communication with her. So I don't really know."
"Bob, what about you?" Redstone pressed.
Robert Iger shrugged. "Sorry. Steven should answer this."
All eyes turned to Steven Spielberg.
The old man adjusted his glasses and spoke calmly, "I do know what Isabella wants."
"But it's… not easy to say."
"Why?" Stringer asked.
"Because—"
Spielberg paused, an awkward smile on his face.
After a long silence, just as people grew impatient, he said:
"She wants Fox."
"The Fox Group."
Boom—
The words hit like a nuclear blast.
Everyone's eyes widened in shock.
They stared at him in disbelief.
Especially Rupert Murdoch.
At that moment, the seasoned tycoon trembled.
"Y—you… what did you say…?"
His voice shook like an old window rattling in the wind.
"Steven… what did you say she wants…?"
The icy rage radiating from Murdoch was palpable.
Everyone knew—he was furious.
Spielberg, however, simply smiled and repeated:
"She wants the Fox Group."
"That includes 20th Century Fox and the Fox Broadcasting Network."
"But since she's British, she can't own a U.S. broadcast network, and she has no intention of changing nationality."
"So—"
He turned to Harry Sloan. "She asked me to ask—would Comcast be interested in Fox Broadcasting?"
Then to Jon Feltheimer. "Would Frank Giustra be interested?"
Then nudged Bewkes. "She's already asked you and Barry Meyer, hasn't she?"
No one responded.
Spielberg didn't care.
"Also, she doesn't want to hold Fox's film studio."
"She considers it a heavy asset and doesn't have time to manage it."
"She only wants the X-Men IP and the animation division."
"So—"
He looked at Robert Wright. "Would NBC Universal be interested in acquiring Fox?"
Then at Stringer. "Sony could also consider it."
Then at Redstone. "Paramount could take it—and personally, I'd prefer you to."
"Because DreamWorks wants Fox's distribution network, which is a negative asset for Paramount."
"And it's useless to NBC Universal and Sony as well."
"So—"
"Everything's negotiable, right?"
Spielberg spread his hands casually.
"If you find her proposal acceptable, she'll gladly accept a $5 billion settlement paid solely by Mr. Rupert Murdoch—and sincerely thank him for his generosity."
The moment "$5 billion" was mentioned—
Everyone turned back to Murdoch.
Because now they understood.
Isabella had only one demand—
To destroy Rupert Murdoch.
To destroy his entire family.
Because Fox was worth far more than $5 billion.
Yet she only wanted five.
The rest—
Would be left for everyone else to carve up.
Once Murdoch lost Fox, he could no longer hold onto News Corporation.
And then—
Everyone in that room could feast freely.
There are no eternal enemies. Only eternal interests.
And that—
"STEVEN SPIELBERG!!!"
Murdoch slammed the table and shot to his feet.
"You want Fox's distribution network?!"
"Oh—"
"So you're the one behind this?!"
"The Pentagon testimony—was that your doing too?!"
"Oh!!! St!!!"
"You animal!"
"You traitor to your own class!"
"I'll kill you!"
With a furious roar, Rupert Murdoch climbed onto the conference table—
And lunged at Spielberg.