This winter, the U.S. was captivated by "Human Ghosts Are Coming." After watching the film, countless women were moved to tears, and many expressed a desire to see it for a second or third time. Long lines formed outside theaters as people scrambled to buy tickets!
Every form of media—newspapers, television, and the internet—sang the film's praises!
On the IMDB website, "Human Ghosts Are Not Ended" achieved an impressive score of 9.2! Henry's screenplay had become one of the most highly regarded entries in the Oscar running.
Alongside Nicole Kidman's rise to Hollywood stardom, the name Henry Williams had also garnered substantial recognition in Tinseltown.
"Hollywood Reporter": "Henry Williams is not just a genius writer; he's a brilliant screenwriter too!"
"Daily Variety": "Universal announced yesterday that it is eager for Henry Williams to pen another script!"
Henry reveled in the outside noise while he remained steadily focused on activities at the Heishui base!
Taking advantage of this rare visit, he requested to participate in a week-long training session.
"Boss, I really would advise against it," Sean cautioned. "Instructor Nelson Goss is incredibly tough; he won't go easy on you. You might regret it..."
"Come on, it's just military training. What's there to fear?" Henry dismissed Sean's concerns.
"Special forces training is brutal..." Sean insisted.
Henry waved him off. "I just want to see what real special forces training is like! Look, I have to participate!" He also wanted to acquire some self-defense techniques. Relying solely on bodyguards wasn't enough; sometimes, it's better to rely on oneself.
So, Henry joined the training cadre!
However, he quickly regretted his decision by mid-morning.
The session kicked off with a 10,000-meter load-bearing run, and by the halfway mark, he was utterly exhausted. Nelson Goss unleashed his intense training style, roaring orders like a hurricane aimed directly at Henry. But there were no exceptions; everyone had to endure. In fact, Henry had the lightest load, carrying only 20 pounds while everyone else endured 40. Yet, he still found himself trailing behind. After nearly an hour of running, he finally completed the load-bearing course, but before he could catch his breath, another round of training commenced...
Each successive training program barely afforded any opportunities to rest.
Henry found himself running, wading through water, jumping hurdles, rock climbing—each one pushing him to his limits. Sean approached him during a break and said, "Boss, maybe you should just sit out the afternoon session..."
Henry felt tears of desperation rising. With dozens of bodyguards observing, he couldn't voice his exhaustion. He could only grit his teeth and rally, saying, "No pain, no gain! If you want to be successful, you must endure hardships! Everyone here has to train hard for a brighter future!!"
After finishing his pep talk, Henry sank to the ground, utterly defeated and in need of rest.
Lunch was nutritious, featuring beef, pork, ham, milk, vegetables, and eggs. Sean assured him that proper nutrition was critical for effective training. Henry enjoyed the meal but couldn't shake the apprehension of what lay ahead with Nelson Goss's brutal training schedule.
"Damn, if I'm struggling this much now, how will I manage to direct millions of people in the future?" Henry lamented.
Despite relentless training over the next week, Henry grit his teeth and persevered. He learned numerous special forces fighting techniques, and with his remarkable ability to learn and adapt, he assimilated the special forces combat strategies beautifully. Technically, he was the best in the entire training program!
However, in terms of physical strength, speed, and quick reflexes, he was overshadowed by the seasoned special forces operators.
Every night, Henry would spar against the toughest Blackwater operatives on the base, though he was regularly bested in these encounters! Despite the defeats, he found strengths in the struggle. Initially, he could hold his ground, but as each bout wore on, exhaustion eventually led to his losing streak.
A week later, bruises covered Henry's body, but he wore them like badges of honor! He exited the Blackwater Base with a newfound sense of accomplishment—this training experience would forever remain etched in his memory!
In summary, it was a painful experience that ultimately brought a sense of fulfillment!
Reentering the metropolis from the training facility, feeling removed from the chaos, Henry was overwhelmed by a dream-like sensation. Upon arriving at Cisco, he encountered fantastic news: the California consortium was willing to assist Cisco in acquiring MCI and forming a strategic alliance with both Cisco and the Nicholas Group.
The California consortium was driven to collaborate with Cisco for several reasons. First, they shared geographical ties, all being California-based companies. Second, they were embroiled in severe conflicts with Citibank and Morgan's consortium and felt aligned against these two hostile forces. Therefore, forming strategic alliances with robust partners like Cisco and the Nicholas Group seemed advantageous!
Henry inquired, "Chambers, what conditions are attached to the loan?"
"Initially, they considered investing in Cisco through equity financing. However, I rejected this proposal. After several negotiations, they ultimately agreed to extend a loan. The terms are, however, steep: a 4% interest on a $10 billion loan means $400 million in annual interest payments!" John Chambers revealed.
Henry grimaced. Paying $400 million in interest felt like an unnecessary burden!
"Negotiate further!" Henry instructed.
"Got it!" John Chambers replied.
"By the way," he continued, "the company's CEO, Bernard Ebbers, announced yesterday that he's stepping down! Additionally, AOL has invested $1 billion in cash and acquired 40% of the shares, announcing the completion of its merger. The newly combined entities will retain the AOL name, and Steve Case will serve as CEO!"
Henry's mind whirred: "I can't keep acquiring companies with stock swaps like AOL. Cisco's shares have significant room for growth; exchanging them for other companies isn't a wise strategy. However, merging Cisco's subsidiaries with MCI isn't out of the question."
Therefore, Henry suggested to John Chambers, "Let's model our approach after AOL's and merge Cisco's subsidiaries with MCI, making it a unified entity under Cisco with a controlling stake!"
"That approach could work, though MCI is currently unlisted. It might be unwise to merge with them before they go public; typically, a company's value increases post-IPO. We should first go public and then proceed with the merger!" John Chambers analyzed.
Henry agreed, pondering Chambers's insights. After going public, Cisco's market value would rise, making a merger with MCI much more lucrative. Given the cooperation agreement with France and the U.S. to build the submarine optical fiber, good news would inevitably surface and bolster the stock price. With Cisco's positioning in network deployment, it would rank just below MCI, allowing them to effectively capitalize on MCI's downturn, ultimately swallowing them whole!
"If this is the case, as you suggest, let's prioritize going public!" Henry stated decisively. "If we do so, we'll require significantly less funding! However, we must continue to negotiate with the bank to achieve a controlling stake!"
John Chambers nodded, comprehending the plan clearly!