El segundo.
It is a small city near Los Angeles, California, with a permanent population of just over 15000 people. However, this area is home to Mattel, the largest toy brand in the United States and even the world.
Its Barbie dolls, which began selling in 1959, are famous worldwide.
Over these decades, it has been the dream toy of countless girls, and even many boys have loved it.
At this moment, in an old neighborhood in this small city, a man in his thirties was troubled and extremely melancholy.
"Bryant Ben, you've been two months late on rent. Don't you have anything to say?"
Landlady Aunt Aina, quite plump, squeezed into the sofa, her face extremely displeased.
"Mrs. Aina, I know. But I've lost my job right now. Don't worry, though, as soon as my Bratz doll finds an investor, I'll pay you back all the rent with interest. Please believe me."
Bryant Ben, looking extremely haggard, made a solemn promise.
However, Landlady Aunt Aina shook her head very firmly. "Ben, you said the same thing last month. I really don't understand. You used to work for a big company like Mattel, and a designer's salary isn't low at all. How could you bear to resign?"
"Mrs. Aina, you wouldn't understand. They defiled my design and trampled my dreams underfoot."
Bryant Ben's face at this moment couldn't help but look a bit distorted.
Landlady Aunt Aina sighed, "Ben, I don't care anymore, but I came here today to inform you that if you don't pay the rent tomorrow, I'll have no choice but to ask you to move out. Remember, this isn't a request, but a notice."
"Mrs. Aina, please give me a few more days."
"Seven days, just seven days, alright? If not, five days would be fine too!"
"Please, if I leave here, I really won't be able to find a place to live for a while."
But no matter how Bryant Ben pleaded, Landlady Aunt Aina got up and left without looking back.
Everyone has to eat!
Time passed bit by bit.
Bryant Ben's face was filled with helplessness and resentment.
Of course, there was more anger.
The object of his anger was not the landlady, but his former employer, Mattel Toy Company.
Ten months ago.
Bryant Ben used his personal time outside of work to design a new, anti-traditional, anti-Barbie doll. He enthusiastically submitted it to his superior, hoping the company would adopt it.
"Heh heh."
His superior, Benford, scoffed, "Ben, is this even a doll you've designed? Anti-traditional, anti-Barbie? What do you want to do, start a rebellion?"
Bryant explained, "Mr. Benford, our group's Barbie doll is indeed the best children's toy in the world, but it doesn't appeal to everyone, especially 7-14 year old girls in the new era. They don't like Barbie dolls anymore, and even find them…very childish. So, the Bratz doll I designed definitely has great market potential."
Bang!
His superior, Benford, immediately flew into a rage.
"Nonsense!"
"Who said our Barbie dolls are childish?"
"No matter what age group you're talking about, it's the best doll in the world!"
"Since 1959, our Barbie dolls have sold over 1 billion units worldwide, forging our current glory."
"Tsk tsk tsk, yet you now want us to abandon tradition and glory? I'm telling you, absolutely not!"
"Bratz dolls, an extremely trashy design, and you actually treat it like a treasure!"
"I'm really starting to wonder if you bought your designer's professional certificate with money!"
"You idiot!"
A machine-gun-like barrage of words from his superior directly stunned Bryant.
Afterward, Bryant didn't give up.
He bypassed his superior, Benford,
and found a vice president of the company, explaining the pros and cons of Bratz dolls and Barbie dolls.
"Bastard!"
The vice president did not accept Bryant's idea; instead, he yelled at him, "You idiot, get out of my sight with your trash! If I hear anything about anti-tradition or anti-Barbie again, you can get out of here right away!"
How could the penniless and hot-blooded young Bryant endure such humiliation?
He indignantly resigned that very day, leaving Mattel Group, the largest toy company in the United States.
"Tsk tsk tsk, I think he'll regret it."
"George, I agree with you on that point. Where can he go after leaving Mattel?"
"Heh heh, he might even starve to death."
His colleagues didn't offer any comfort to Bryant; instead, they began to mock him coldly.
"All of you just wait, I will succeed!" Bryant secretly vowed.
"Sigh."
Recalling the various hardships of the past 10 months, even the passionate young Bryant was now feeling somewhat disheartened.
In ten months, he had visited dozens of toy companies, including Hasbro and Tomy, but not a single one accepted his so-called anti-Barbie design.
His personal savings, accumulated over years of hard work, were also completely depleted.
There was no other way; travel expenses alone were very high, plus participating in various toy trade shows also cost a considerable amount.
"Ding dong."
Under these circumstances, Hashimoto Taro, the president of SpongeBob House, a chain of merchandise stores under Golden Dawn Entertainment Group, personally came here.
"What?!"
"You mean SpongeBob House is willing to buy my design and invite me to be the chief designer of Bratz dolls?"
Bryant looked at Hashimoto Taro with a surprised expression.
Even now, he couldn't believe it was real.
After all, in these ten months, he had witnessed far too much cold sarcasm and the harsh realities of life. That afternoon.
Bryant Ben signed the transfer agreement for "Bratz Dolls" with SpongeBob House and was invited to serve as the project leader.
An annual salary of $300,000;
The transfer price for Bratz dolls was $150,000, plus a 2% profit share from the Bratz doll series.
When Kyle, who was far away in Los Angeles, saw this contract, his heart immediately bloomed with joy.
Buddy, this is the famous Bratz doll!
The anti-traditional, anti-Barbie Bratz dolls, with their unique style, discarded the traditional princess dresses and demure outfits. Their fashion style was very avant-garde, like hot young girls on the street, and even the accompanying props everywhere reflected the cutting-edge art of popular fashion.
For girls aged 7-12, they had an appeal far exceeding that of "Barbie dolls."
Because they weren't so childish!
Bratz dolls were hailed as "Barbie dolls' biggest rival." Their anti-traditional, anti-Barbie design sold astonishingly well as soon as they were released.
In 2005, Bratz dolls' annual sales reached a staggering $7 billion!
How could Kyle not be tempted?
Facing a brand new gold mine, even God couldn't stand idly by!
Mattel's loss of "Bratz Dolls" was absolutely its biggest loss.
No wonder.
In the original timeline, Mattel's conservative and stubborn business strategy led to a continuous decline in its profits, causing it to lose its position as the largest toy giant in the United States.
As of 2020, Mattel's market value was less than $3 billion;
In contrast, Hasbro, which was once in the same tier and created Transformers, had a market value of nearly $10 billion.
The most impressive was AG Magna International, which owned "Bratz Dolls," with a market value of $12 billion.
"Now Bratz Dolls are mine!"
For a moment, Kyle was filled with ambition.