Chapter 1555: A Difficult Choice

"Zhao, my plan is to abandon the current business strategy and seek new profit growth points."

Looking at Zhao Fusheng, Kevin Feige said slowly.

Zhao Fusheng nodded: "I understand. You mean to do your own copyright operations?"

This was exactly what Kevin Feige did in the history Zhao Fusheng had experienced. He stopped selling Marvel's comic book copyrights and instead developed them into films. Starting with Iron Man, Marvel spent over a decade building a vast comic empire.

"Yes, I have a plan now to make a superhero movie." Kevin Feige didn't beat around the bush and said directly to Zhao Fusheng: "But funding is a big problem."

To sum up these words, it meant one thing.

I want to make a movie, but I have no money!

Obviously, Kevin Feige was waiting for Zhao Fusheng to speak.

Zhao Fusheng smiled and went along with it: "Since that's the case, I'll be straightforward. Mr. Feige, if you can convince Marvel's shareholders to sell their equity to me, then I am willing to inject $500 million into Marvel."

Five hundred million?

Kevin Feige was stunned, looking at Zhao Fusheng in surprise, clearly not understanding his words.

Hadn't he just said he had $2.5 billion?

Zhao Fusheng shrugged: "Mr. Feige, you don't think I'm going to put all that money into Marvel, do you? Would the shareholders accept having their shares diluted?"

Kevin Feige remained silent, clearly understanding Zhao Fusheng's meaning.

Under the current circumstances, there were two ways to keep the $2.5 billion in Marvel.

One way was for Zhao Fusheng to acquire Marvel by directly buying equity from shareholders.

The other way was for the money to become capital for the company's expansion, diluting shareholders' equity, making Zhao Fusheng and his company the largest shareholders.

Seeing Kevin Feige silent, Zhao Fusheng smiled and said nothing more.

Kevin Feige wanted to use Zhao Fusheng's hand to increase Marvel's chances of revival, but Zhao Fusheng didn't take the bait. Instead, he kicked the ball back, waiting to see how Kevin Feige would choose.

"I can't answer that question right now."

After a long while, Kevin Feige looked up at Zhao Fusheng and said.

Zhao Fusheng nodded: "Then shall we talk another day?"

Kevin Feige had no choice. After all, the other party had made it clear: if he wanted the money, he had to give a reason.

And now, he needed to communicate with his think tank and the shareholders behind him before making a decision.

"In that case, how about I have someone show you around our Marvel company?"

Kevin Feige pondered for a moment and said to Zhao Fusheng with a smile.

The Chinese valued friendship even in business, but Americans didn't care about that. However, Kevin Feige felt that if he wanted this Eastern wealthy man to willingly fund Marvel, he needed to show him Marvel's depth.

Zhao Fusheng gladly agreed to this.

In fact, he was also very interested in Marvel, having watched many Marvel movies in his previous life, especially fond of Black Widow.

So Kevin Feige arranged for his assistant to take Zhao Fusheng and his group on a tour of Marvel headquarters.

Through the tour, Zhao Fusheng learned that Marvel was founded by publisher Martin Goodman. Goodman initially focused on popular magazines covering Western stories, detective, adventure, and science fiction. By 1938, he decided to seek new directions—novelty, glamour, and intense excitement—and comics were just that. Although DC Comics had already taken the lead with two flagship characters, Superman and Batman, Marvel carved its own path with fresh ideas and creative brilliance, creating unforgettable new characters.

In 1941, Goodman's wife's cousin, 16-year-old Stanley Lieber, joined Marvel. But his pen name was more famous than his real name—Stan Lee. As an editor and lead writer, he not only created 80% of Marvel's iconic characters but also accompanied the company through over sixty years of ups and downs. It could be said that Stan Lee truly created Marvel's奇迹, earning him the title of the leading figure in the American comic industry.

Zhao Fusheng had a deep impression of this old man because he always liked to make cameo appearances in Marvel movies.

Not only that, but Stan Lee also invented a creative method.

Simply put, first, the writer and editor discussed and proposed a story outline and synopsis. Then, the artist, upon receiving the outline, decided the story's pace and focus, drawing the specified number of comic pages.

Next, the writer, using the artist's pencil drafts as a guide, wrote the final script, including dialogue and captions. Finally, lettering, inking, and coloring were done.

This approach meant that writers only provided ideas, while artists used their creativity to produce the work, and then writers 'described the pictures.' It reduced the writers' workload and increased the artists', making the artists working with Marvel writers particularly important.

"Marvel is amazing!"

This was the common realization of Tan Kaixuan and Dong Chenxi after touring the entire company.

In their view, a comic company that could develop to this extent was absolutely extraordinary. Compared to Marvel, comic companies in China, Hong Kong, or even Japan were like small fry next to a giant.

Zhao Fusheng smiled but said nothing.

In his opinion, this was actually normal.

China, needless to say, was still in the early stages of comic development. In Hong Kong, it was mostly things like 'Dragon Tiger Gate' and 'Young and Dangerous.'

In Japan, aside from adapting comics into anime, not much had been done in film adaptation.

Only in America had comics truly developed into a vast industrial system.

In Marvel comics, characters from different series often crossed over: Spider-Man fighting the Hulk, Wolverine and Captain America rescuing a young Black Widow. This was because, although they had their own comics, as long as they belonged to the same company, they were all characters in one 'world.'

The so-called 'world' generally referred to the vast, complex 'world' in which characters from the same company lived in the comics. Characters in the same world had their own featured comics, including but not limited to superhero comics, but they were interconnected and could interact.

The importance of the 'world' concept was to ensure overall continuity within a certain range for comics from the same company. If an event occurred in one book, all characters in the same world could be affected.

This approach had its advantages: the story had continuity. Although different writers and artists collaborated, they all worked under the same background, so there was no chaos. But it also had disadvantages: faced with a vast amount of background story, a new reader found it hard to understand the context and was unlikely to catch up on decades of comics. Therefore, the American comic industry found itself in a contradictory situation: fewer new readers, and comic shops becoming more niche.

So they began adapting comics into movies and TV shows to expand new audiences and new profit growth points.

事实证明，这样的做法，很有效果。

Both DC and Marvel, comparatively, made a lot of money.

Of course, Marvel did a bit better, so they earned even more.

If it weren't for this, why would Zhao Fusheng have set his sights on Marvel, this golden goose, and planned to acquire it?

"Old Zhao, maybe we should raise more funds and buy Marvel outright?"

Sitting in the car on the way back, Tan Kaixuan thought for a moment and asked Zhao Fusheng.

Clearly, he was tempted.

Dong Chenxi beside him also nodded: "Yeah, I think it's an opportunity."

She was sitting in the passenger seat, while Wu Sijie, who originally sat there, had been moved to another car.

Looking at these two, Zhao Fusheng shook his head helplessly: "Are you two crazy?"

"Huh?"

The two looked at each other, not understanding why Zhao Fusheng suddenly said that.

Zhao Fusheng said seriously: "First, although Marvel has great development potential, don't forget, this is America. If we become Marvel's largest shareholder, Kevin Feige's plan will definitely be implemented. One or two movies can be handled with Marvel's own resources, but if we want to develop Marvel, do you think we alone are enough?"

"So that's why you're waiting for Disney to join?"

Tan Kaixuan's heart stirred, and he suddenly asked Zhao Fusheng.

Zhao Fusheng had always said Disney would be interested in Marvel, and only now did he understand why.

Zhao Fusheng smiled upon hearing this and nodded: "Exactly, Disney will eventually notice Marvel's importance. When they join, that's when we'll truly make money."

Tan Kaixuan and Dong Chenxi looked at each other, speechless.

Although Tan Kaixuan had made the proposal, Dong Chenxi had also been tempted but hadn't had time to speak. Now it seemed fortunate; if she had spoken, she would have been lectured by Zhao Fusheng like Tan Kaixuan.

"Moving with the times is our style."

Zhao Fusheng looked at Tan Kaixuan and Dong Chenxi and said earnestly: "To be honest, I've never fully trusted Americans, but I know very well what they need and what we need."

Dong Chenxi and Tan Kaixuan remained silent.

Although Zhao Fusheng's words sounded somewhat arrogant, in fact, he had indeed achieved it.

From start to finish, Zhao Fusheng's investments in America were undoubtedly very successful. Even decisions that seemed incomprehensible to outsiders were proven correct over time.

This guy really never made a mistake.