Reinventing the Millennium

Fang Zhuo and Stringer completed their meeting, and the two have a practical cooperation based on Sony Music and Yike. This intention will almost certainly be reached in July.

Because Sony (USA) is Stringer’s territory, and Sony Music executes his will.

As for the foreign director seat of Sony Group, it is just a vision for future development. Whether this vision can be turned into reality depends on many factors.

Judging from the current situation alone, Fang Zhuo feels that Stringer will have a good chance to compete for the chairmanship of Sony Group.

In particular, Stringer gave very certain news that this year there will be two very eye-catching things happening in the United States amid Sony's decline - the merger of Sony Music and Bertelsmann, and Sony's lead acquisition of MGM Films.

The former will make Sony Bertelsmann Music the second largest record company in the world after Universal Music, while the latter will allow Sony to control 7,600 film assets, surpassing Time Warner and ranking first in the film database.

Both of these actions will cause shock in the industry, and Stringer's generosity will definitely increase points in the consideration of Sony Group's successor.

At the very least, Sony Entertainment will definitely be in the spotlight in the short term.

Fang Zhuo didn't know much about entertainment, and he also heard some analysis from Director Xiao Yu, saying that Sony's acquisition of MGM was more aimed at the production and distribution of DVDs for film and television products, and might also consider relying on the Internet for future development. Instead, movies are provided to families.

From this point of view, Stringer must continue to add weight.

During this process, Fang Zhuopi was not as drastic as Stringer, the overseas king of Sony. He only let Yi Ke get a foothold in Sony Bertelsmann in order to improve his own copyright moat. .

All actions are for win-win and mutual benefit of business, but they are also mixed with considerations of corporate power struggle.

The shareholding added by Yike still needs follow-up discussions, and this work is still left to Yu Hong to advance.

Fang Zhuo did not stay in New York for long. He chaired a meeting on the American market, promoted a local deputy director, and then rushed to Houston to carry out the final procedures of acquiring the team.

At ten o'clock in the morning on April 13, at the Toyota Center Arena in Houston, Fang Zhuo and his legal and financial teams signed a contract with Rockets owner Alexander under the witness of league president Stern, officially becoming the new team's new owner. Owner.

Immediately, he attended a press conference with league president Stern as the team's new owner and officially announced the news.

"I love basketball very much and I am very optimistic about the development of the league."

"I am very satisfied with the current operation management and team configuration of the Rockets. It will remain the same. I think although our ranking this year is not too high, we will definitely show extraordinary strength in the playoffs."

Fang Zhuo was talking eloquently at the press conference. Stern next to him didn't say much, but the smile on his face was all from the bottom of his heart.

When it came to the media question and answer session, the reporters in the audience asked about Fang Zhuo's previous bet, asking whether it was still valid when the Rockets may only rank seventh in the regular season.

"Of course it works. I have great confidence in our team, coach Van Gundy, and Francis, Yao Ming and other players. They will definitely achieve good results in the playoffs."

The reporter reminded again: "Mr. Fang, this year it is very likely that the Rockets will encounter the Lakers. Do you think Francis + Yao Ming can face off against Kobe + O'Neal?"

"Kobe Bryant and O'Neal of the Lakers are All-Stars, and our Francis and Yao Ming are also All-Stars." Fang Zhuo spread his hands with a smile on his face, "There is nothing to be afraid of. I think this will be a wonderful game."

He thought for a while and then said: "If it really fails, I am willing to kiss the donkey's butt during the live broadcast like Barkley. Maybe, I can go to the TNT commentary desk to ask about some kissing experiences."

The Rockets' new boss is young and confident.

This is very attractive to reporters. They all know that fans are willing to watch fierce competition on the court, but they also don't mind seeing the whole life off the court.

Fang Zhuo, who comes from the East, seems to be very good at tidying up.

After this press conference, many media outlets published news about the Rockets' change of owner, and by the way, mentioned old news about the new owner's bet.

Such news has aroused the interest of many fans, and many basketball commentators have also expressed concern.

Because the playoffs this season are not far away, and we can see the first game between the Rockets and the Lakers in a week.

In other words, in two weeks, everyone can look forward to how the new Rockets owner will honor his bet.

Yes, no one thinks the Rockets can beat the Lakers, who have won three consecutive championships.

O'Neal is at his peak, Kobe is also showing stronger and stronger abilities, and Yao Ming is entering the playoffs for the first time this year. Although Francis has been an All-Star guard for three consecutive years, he is not considered to have the ability to lead a team.

TNT and ESPN, two sports media with a wide audience, have issued surveys asking fans for their predictions for the Rockets and Lakers game.

As a result, the prediction wireless approaches 0:10.

Even the Rockets' own fans are not optimistic about the home team's playoff journey.

On April 15, the Rockets will play the final game of the regular season at home in Houston, and then they will have three days of rest to prepare for the playoffs.

As the new owner of the team, Fang Zhuo naturally has to show up to watch the game.

Not only that, he also invited friends, posted hero posts everywhere, and invited acquaintances to come to the Rockets home court to watch Yao Ming play.

However, time is too short and everyone is very busy. Who can be like a fool and rush to Houston to watch the game overnight?

"Hey, old bear, long time no see."

Fang Zhuo welcomed his first old friend, Mr. Xiong Xiaoge.

Although Xiong Xiaoge slept for a long time on the plane, he still looked a little tired: "It's not easy to see you now. President Fangda, you are very happy here."

"When did you come to see me?" Fang Zhuo wondered, "Didn't he come to watch the game with me?"

"That's right, IDG has some business connections here." Xiong Xiaoge complained, "You called me yesterday and you have to watch football today. If I didn't have plans, who would have agreed to such a perfunctory invitation?"

Jay Chou can.

Xiong Xiaoge arrived at noon, and Jay Chou arrived in the afternoon.

The little king who is already popular in the Mainland almost immediately agreed to the invitation as soon as he received the call from Mr. Fang, and was excited to come and watch the game with his new boss.

Jay Chou loves basketball very much. He joined the school basketball team when he was in junior high school, and was then benched for three years, barely playing on the court.

He also pays close attention to Yao Ming's games in the NBA.

Unlike Xiong Xiaoge who just watched the fun, Jay Chou talked non-stop about this year's playoff situation as soon as he saw Fang Zhuo.

After analyzing it, he said with great regret: "Mr. Fang, although I support Yao Ming, your bet is really hasty."

"It's not a problem. I'll keep it in the future. It's just entertainment." Fang Zhuo didn't take it to heart. He was not the first to think so, nor would he be the last.

That night, three men sat in the front row at the Toyota Center to watch the Rockets' final game.

Perhaps it was because the new boss was watching the game for the first time, or perhaps because the new boss stated that he would not move the team, but the players all showed extremely strong fighting spirit, which made Jay Chou very happy.

But he felt that the fly in the ointment was that the two men next to him had been discussing the development of the Internet in China... Mr. Xiong just let it go. You, Mr. Fang, are the boss, and you actually followed the whole chat!

Jay Chou cursed in his heart.

However, when the game ended, he found that Mr. Fang seemed to be energetic all of a sudden. He accepted an interview with the media, once again expressed his confidence in the team, and showed off his hip dribbling, as if he was a basketball hobby. By.

"Well, Mr. Fang, he is quite lively."

Jay Chou looked at Mr. Fang chatting with the head coach with a bright smile on his face, and couldn't help describing his impressions with complimentary words.

"It's all business." Xiong Xiaoge, who is not interested in basketball, commented calmly from the side.

Jay Chou didn't understand how much business could be generated by spending such a huge price to buy a team? You are already the richest man in the Mainland, why don't you come all the way to Houston to do business? Moreover, Yike seems to have already started doing it.

Media reporters maintained their interest in the new owner of the league, and Fang Zhuo spoke freely and did not care about the pitfalls set by reporters' questions.

In just two days, from his perspective, he listed the top ten players in the league, the number one player in the league today, the number one shooting guard, and other rankings that are easy to cause disputes.

Seeing this, Mark Cuban of the Mavericks, another big-mouthed boss also located in Texas, couldn't help but mention Fangzhuo's name in an interview before the playoffs.

"Fang Zhuo should take care of himself instead of commenting on us wantonly."

"He had time to think that our team wouldn't make it past the first round, so why not think about how to kiss a donkey's ass."

"The Rockets will never get past the Lakers this year."

"I will definitely win the team's championship trophy before Fang Zhuo!"

Houston is located in Texas. Fang Zhuo previously talked about the traditional Texas top three "Rockets, Spurs, and Mavericks" when asked by reporters and listed the Mavericks last.

This undoubtedly angered Cuban, leading to such a tit-for-tat comment.

However, now Fang Zhuo is not afraid of tit-for-tat and is eager to attract more attention. He immediately accepted an interview with reporters and made a knowledgeable evaluation of the Mavericks, who are also a Texas team. He also bluntly said that Cuban does not understand football.

Moreover, he made a high-profile announcement that this year he would accept the invitation of TNT, the Turner TV network, to serve as a special guest in the playoffs. When he is free, he will commentate on the same stage as Barkley, the commentator who kissed the donkey's butt.

From his bets before taking over the team to his behavior after taking over, Fang Zhuo, the new owner of the Rockets, has gained a reputation in the basketball circle.

However, Rockets fans generally lamented when they saw such a posture - who can withstand such a high-profile and shallow team owner!

On the evening of April 16, Yao Ming and his girlfriend Ye Li visited the team owner’s new home in a wealthy area of ​​Houston.

Just yesterday, Fang Zhuo just moved in and finally had a place to stay here.

The secretary helped choose the house, which is over 1,000 square meters, has a swimming pool and a basketball court, and the total price is only US$2.8 million.

Because the payment was quick and the previous owner came with the whole family's furniture, Fang Zhuo just packed up and moved in.

The Rockets will start their first playoff game at the Lakers' home court on the 18th, so they will fly to Los Angeles tomorrow.

Yao Ming thought about it, but he still felt that he should pay a visit to Mr. Fang to congratulate him on his new move.

"Dayao is here. Let's have a buffet tonight. See what you can eat. Don't eat too much before the game."

"Hey, Ye Li, you and Dayao hit it off right away. If it's okay, you can bring Dayao over for dinner."

Fang Zhuo didn't act like he was jumping in front of the media reporters. He welcomed the couple into the door. After the greetings were in place, he called Jay Chou out of the music room to chat with them.

Jay Chou planned to watch the Rockets' entire playoff trip this time, so he simply stayed in Mr. Fang's new home to increase his popularity.

Currently, Fang Zhuo is home to one person each from the legal, financial and PH equipment purchasing companies, plus secretary Zhao Zhishan, Sina assistants Sun Deying and Zhou Jielun, a total of seven people, which is quite empty.

Fang Zhuo chatted with him for a while. There were still some materials in the study that had not been sorted out, so he went back to continue sorting them out.

Yao Ming still wanted to talk to his boss about the team, so he spoke to Jay Chou and knocked on the study door.

"Dayao, come in."

Yao Ming opened the door and saw Mr. Fang who was summarizing information. He also saw two whiteboards in front of him, with papers sandwiched on the whiteboards.

Fang Zhuo said without looking back: "If we're talking about team predictions, there's no need to talk about it. I already let the talk out in front of reporters. It's useless to talk about it now. Just hit your mark and don't get hurt."

Yao Ming was speechless and this was what he wanted to talk about.

After a while, he said: "Mr. Fang, uh, the bet..."

"It's okay, I won't be depressed." Fang Zhuo smiled and added, "I always call you Mr. Fang, it's very intrusive. I'm older than you, just call me brother."

Yao Ming is 24 this year and is not as old as Fang Zhuo.

He really called him this, but he didn't know what to say anymore. He looked at one of the whiteboards and suddenly found that it contained the team's roster and salary, as well as the players of other teams.

Yao Ming went to look at another whiteboard and found that it was densely packed with analysis of the Sony Group's situation.

Mr. Fang in front of the media and the current one are like two people

Yao Ming was silent for a while and asked directly: "Mr. Fang, um, Brother Fang, do you want to trade after the playoffs?"

"Of course there is a trade. If the team is regarded as a commercial project, as the chairman of the board of directors, I do not agree with the current CEO Van Gundy's positioning of you as an executive, nor do I think that the middle and senior management recruited by general manager Dawson have sufficient execution capabilities. ." Fang Zhuo said calmly, "There is only one championship every year, and I don't want to not win an honor before I sell this team."

Yao Ming was stunned. Hearing this meant not only the player trade, but also the head coach Van Gundy and general manager Dawson... This was a major change for all members! Mr. Fang, you know so much about football!

He wanted to speak but then saw Mr. Fang's firm eyes and knew that he could not sway the other person's decision.

"Brother Fang, do you want to sell the team? When will you sell it?" Yao Ming sighed in his heart and picked out another new piece of information.

"Yeah, how about selling it when you retire?" Fang Zhuo said with a smile.

Yao Ming: "..."

He smiled bitterly and said, "Then I will have to play for a few more years."

"So, our positions are consistent." Fang Zhuo shrugged, not explicitly saying that Van Gundy was overloading Yao Ming's positioning. Anyway, the team is his own, and he can do whatever he wants.

No matter how bad it is, can it be worse than the Rockets that Yao Ming was in before?

Fang Zhuo reached out and put the last page of Sony's information on the whiteboard. He glanced at the name of Sony Vice President "Nakahata Ryoharu" on it, turned around and said, "Let's go eat, don't look so grim."

“It’s all entertainment, it’s all business.”

Fang Zhuo stood on tiptoe and patted Dayao's shoulder. For the first time, he felt that this action did not reflect the president's attitude at all.

Listening to his boss's words, Yao Ming had a vague sense of déjà vu as he heard "Everything is for the children."