Chapter 369: Methods

Chapter 369: Chapter 369: Methods

She knew that it was impossible to communicate with someone so hidebound and resistant to innovation. Continuing the conversation would only be a waste of both their time.

She set down her teacup, stood up, and said in a cold tone, "In that case, I won’t disturb you any further. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll be going."

"I won’t see you out," Isaac said ruthlessly, without even intending to stand up, his eyes clearly signaling that he wanted her to leave.

Peter watched the tense atmosphere between the two, wanting to say something to ease the situation, but ultimately held back, only silently opening the office door for Irene Coppola.

Walking out of the Marvel headquarters building, the New York sunlight felt somewhat dazzling.

Irene Coppola took a deep breath to suppress the anger in her heart, took out her phone, and dialed Chen Shiyu’s number.

Under Irene Coppola’s instructions, Chen Shiyu had privately established a team that not only handled internet marketing and public opinion management but also gathered and summarized various news from the market.

At the same time, he was also the first CEO of Facebook after its IPO. Over the past year or so, he had accumulated many connections and possessed brilliant methods. Perhaps he could help find some breakthroughs.

"Shiyu, I need your help with something." Irene Coppola’s tone had returned to calm, but it carried an unquestionable firmness.

"Irene Coppola? Why did you suddenly think of calling me?" Chen Shiyu’s gentle and steady voice came from the other end of the line. "I heard you came to New York. Why not come to our headquarters for a visit?"

"I trust you to handle things, so a visit isn’t necessary. There’s another matter." Irene Coppola said,

"I have become the largest individual shareholder of Marvel, but the current CEO Isaac Perlmutter is rigid in his thinking and refuses any innovation or reform, making him completely unable to lead Marvel out of its predicament. I need you to help me investigate his background, his business decisions during his tenure, and the internal relationships of the Perlmutter family to see if there is any way to replace him."

She added, "Isaac is a member of the Perlmutter family, and the family holds 20% of the shares, but the shares are dispersed, and their voting power is not as strong as mine. I need you to find dirt on him, or join forces with other shareholders to launch a removal proposal at the next board meeting. No matter the cost, I want him out of the position of Marvel CEO."

Chen Shiyu on the other end of the line was silent for a few seconds, then chuckled, "Replacing the CEO of a listed company is no easy task, especially when the other party has a family background. However, since it’s something you want to do, I will naturally do my best."

He said confidently, "Rest assured, I will immediately arrange for people to investigate everything about Isaac, including his financial situation, personal life, any irregularities during his tenure, and internal conflicts within the Perlmutter family. As long as he has any dirt, I can find it for you. Additionally, I will also contact other institutional shareholders of Marvel to see if we can win their support. After all, with Marvel’s stock price continuing to fall, they are even more eager than you to replace an incompetent CEO."

"Good, then I’ll leave it to you." Irene Coppola said, "Let me know whenever there is any progress."

"No problem." Chen Shiyu agreed, "By the way, how is the battle for the rights to A Song of Ice and Fire going? Does HBO have any new moves?"

"Not yet. The terms we offered better reflect Martin’s value than HBO’s, and Martin’s agent has already indicated they will give it serious consideration." Irene Coppola said, "Once there is some progress on the Marvel side, I’ll talk to you in detail." ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

After hanging up the phone, Irene Coppola looked up toward the Marvel headquarters building, her eyes as sharp as knives.

Isaac’s stubbornness made her realize that peaceful reform was no longer possible. To drive Marvel’s transformation, she had to first seize control of the company.

And replacing Isaac was only the first step of her plan.

The second step was to find a new steward for Marvel.

She turned and walked into her motorcade, saying to the driver, "Go to the airport."

The car slowly drove away, and the Marvel headquarters building gradually disappeared from view.

Irene leaned against the car window and closed her eyes. In her mind, images of the superheroes teaming up emerged: The Avengers assembling in New York to fight against extraterrestrial invaders, Iron Man’s armor clashing with Thor’s hammer, Captain America’s shield coordinating with Black Widow’s combat skills—those clips she had watched countless times gradually magnified in her heart.

Meanwhile, at the Marvel headquarters, in Isaac’s office, Peter watched the departing motorcade outside the window and hesitated before speaking,

"Sir, Ms. Coppola’s proposal isn’t completely without merit. In recent years, crossover collaborations in the comic industry have become increasingly common. We’ve even done collaborations with DC before, and the sales and reputation were both very good at the time. Perhaps, hero collaborations really are a viable path forward?"

"Viable?" Isaac sneered, "Peter, you are too young and simply don’t understand Marvel’s core value. The reason our heroes can attract fans relies on their independent personalities and stories, not some so-called collaboration. Coppola is just a film director. She only cares about commercial interests and doesn’t understand the sentiment and tradition of comics at all."

He stood up, walked to the bookshelf, and picked up the first issue of Iron Man. "Marvel has made it to today by sticking to its guns, not by speculation. I will never allow anyone to use those vulgar commercial means to tarnish these great heroes."

Peter looked at Isaac’s firm back, wanting to say something but stopping himself.

He knew in his heart that Isaac’s persistence might preserve Marvel’s tradition, but it might not necessarily preserve Marvel’s future.

And the appearance of Irene Coppola was like a giant boulder thrown into a calm lake, destined to bring an unprecedented storm to Marvel.

On the flight from New York back to Malibu, Irene leaned against the window, watching the clouds rolling below, her mind still replaying the confrontation at the shareholders’ meeting.

Isaac’s stubbornness was like a thorn stuck in her plans, and the investigation on Chen Shiyu’s end would still take time, which inevitably left her feeling a bit restless.

It wasn’t until the plane landed at Los Angeles airport, seeing the driver waiting at the exit and thinking of the warmth of home, that her tense nerves relaxed slightly.

When the car drove back to the Malibu estate, it was already dusk. Along the way, she could still hear the happy laughter of some children in the distance, which eased Irene’s weary mood a little.

The world is so beautiful, yet I am so irritable. This isn’t good. It’s just a Marvel CEO. Taking him down is a matter of minutes. What is there to be impatient about?

The setting sun cast a warm orange glow over the white villa, the greenery in the courtyard swayed gently in the breeze, and the air was filled with the aroma of dinner.

Irene pushed open the car door, and just as she walked into the living room, she saw Sophia sitting on the sofa with a copy of Brokeback Mountain on her lap. The cover was already a bit creased from being flipped through. Clearly, she had read it seriously.