The week after Christmas, Liam didn't bother much about what kind of power he wanted his old man to relinquish to him.
To Liam, this was the most important time of the year.
New Year.
That meant non stop parties. Hot chicks looking for fun. And the ideal time to go on a hunt.
Rosa was very busy with the New Year's episode of Party Hoppers. So, she wasn't available to accompany him. That meant, he was practically soloing the parties in the week leading upto New Year.
Liam was very busy everyday. Hopping bars, chatting up hot girls, going to parties, seducing hot chicks back to his beach house, waking up with the nude form of one hot chick after another each day in his bed.
In short, he completely forgot about his father's request.
There wasn't anything Liam could do in regards to that. Youth was meant to be enjoyed. Furthermore, he wasn't the type to forget enjoyment for anything. So, it was in his character to not pay much attention to what his old man requested of him.
Moreover, deep down he knew that the deadline that the old man gave to him was not a permanent one. He could still decide after New Year's festivities got over. Even if he ultimately fails, the old man would arrange something for him. So, he felt no rush to go through his old man's study.
On the other hand, Liam's behavior both exasperated and irritated his father. While he was breaking his head to find a solution for the predicament he was in, his son was partying all over the city without any worries.
Several times, he almost flipped over the dining table at home after finding out that his son hadn't gone through his study that day. Even complaining to his wife during their dinners yielded no results. Strangely enough, his wife wasn't bothered much and she even told him that he was overreacting. In the end, he could only grit his teeth and endure.
It wasn't that Derek Hastings was really worried. But, he felt that his son was underestimating his opponent. To him, the power that their family had in the Hastings TV Network was his entire life's achievement. To see his son treating it so non-chalantly, made him grit his teeth in frustration.
Liam, who was unaware of how much worry he was causing his old man, was currently playing cards with Dave and some of his buddies, while watching young women playing in a nearby pool. He felt completely relaxed at the moment, with no worries in his heart.
"Liam, someone has asked me to bring a proposal to you?" Dave said suddenly, during a pause between the rounds.
"What proposal?"
"Something that requires your cooperation and strong support," Dave said with a blank look.
"Duh, that's why you are bringing it to me, right? Spill the beans. I'm not in the mood to play guess the mystery," Liam snorted while letting a large puff off his cigar.
Dave didn't reply immediately. He folded his cards and rose from the table. Liam looked at him unimpressed. Dave merely smiled and gestured to follow. Liam let out a huff and rose from his seat as well. The duo walked for a while and reached the large indoor bar in the house.
"Here," Dave ordered two drinks and pushed one to Liam.
Liam took the drink and swirled it slightly. Dave's actions have piqued his interests a bit now. He knew Dave wouldn't act so mysteriously for small things. At their level, some small transactions could be discussed openly. None of those who were playing cards with them were small figures.
"It has to do with your MusixZ TV," Dave said after they both sipped their drinks for a while. "Have you ever thought about the power that MusixZ has?"
Liam's eyes narrowed a bit.
Has he thought about it? Of course he has. But, it needed the right conditions to be exploited. Any TV channel has inherent power in them as propaganda machines. Due to it's nature, MusixZ TV was a bit special. But, it didn't mean it didn't have such power.
While MusixZ wasn't much of an use in driving political agendas or other such serious matters, it had other aspects where it excelled. Due to it's very nature, it could be a big propaganda machine among the youth.
And youth were the most impressionable group of people.
If used rightly, the impact MusixZ can have is much more than typical TV channel. Especially, in the music industry.
Liam had always wanted to explore that. Using MusixZ as a platform to promote artists and music was one of his goals. But, he first needed a stable viewership to exert such power. So, he had been concentrating on obtaining that until now.
But, the ratings and viewership of MusixZ TV has reached the minimum threshold needed in the last quarter. So, he had indeed been planning to explore further possibilities after the New Year.
What he didn't expect was someone else having a keen sense of timing as well. They had already come to his door, before he could showcase the strength of his channel. Liam was now both wary and interested to know what Dave kind of proposal had.
"MusixZ's power huh? I don't know what you mean. MusixZ isn't like a traditional TV channel. It isn't of much use," Liam shook his head and played dumb.
"Tch," Dave snorted. "Don't play dumb. I know what kind of guy you are. I don't believe you haven't realized what kind of power you have."
"Oh, what kind of power do I have? Please, do enlighten me," Liam asked humorously, while laughing slightly.
"The power to create stars."
Dave's reply was serious. He didn't look as if he was joking. The laughter in Liam's face faded a bit.
Well, the cat was out of the bag.
Apart from him, someone else had already realized the terrifying potential that MusixZ TV had. That made Liam a lot more warier than he usually was.
Why was he worried?
Simple, even his old man, who was the one to give birth to MusixZ, wasn't yet fully aware of the potential that the channel held. The reason for that was simple. Unless someone had an intimate understanding of the channel, they wouldn't understand the terrifying potential it had.
Some things are easy to realize in hindsight.
MusixZ has yet to exert its potential. Right now, it had only stabilised itself. So, outsiders weren't aware of the terrifying potential it had. Hell, even his old man, was unaware.
His old man was someone who had been in this industry for a long time. So, he was well aware of how to leverage a channel's influence to do things. However, since he didn't have an intimate understanding of the channel, even he wasn't aware of what a goldmine the channel was.
For some outsider to suss out the channel's potential, they must not only have a keen eye but also inside information regarding the channel. That's why Liam was worried a bit.
The power to create stars.
Those five words might sound simple. But, the impact of those words couldn't be underestimated. Just monetarily alone, these words would involve millions of Anks. Not to mention other aspects of what cultivating a star could bring.
Such a thing wasn't a small matter. That's why Liam had kept quiet about it. To hear those words from Dave, it both surprised him and worried him.
Until now, he had thought that he was the only one who was able to discern such a thing. But, Dave uttering those words shattered that illusion to pieces. It looked like he had been arrogant these days.
"What a grand statement?" Liam chuckled, recovering his composure. "Dave, who put such unrealistic thoughts in your mind? Do you think cultivating stardom is like purchasing things from supermarket. Don't joke."
"Well, I too thought the same. But, there is someone who sees the big picture. They opened my eyes to various possibilities. Now, I think that such a thing could be done with MusixZ" Dave replied seriously.
Liam's beating heart calmed. Luckily, it wasn't Dave that had figured out MusixZ's potential. It was someone else. That gave Liam a little bit of leeway to operate.
"No, Dave. Someone has muddled your mind with grand ideas. I know how things are better than you. But, I don't think such a thing is possible," Liam shook his head and replied with a slight smile.
"You think so?" Dave looked conflicted. "But, according to that person's analysis, it should be possible with the right kind of operation."
"Dave, cultivating stars isn't simple. While it is true that any TV channel could increase someone's popularity, it couldn't make them a star. At most, they can reach the level of a TV personality. Do you think a TV personality can be called a star?"
Dave looked less confident now. Liam breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. He didn't want to share such a huge pie with others easily. Unless he had no other option or obtained some substantial benefit, he wouldn't do it.
Because, once one such operation succeeds, then everyone will be aware. Then, it wouldn't be his turn to hold power over such a star-making machine. So, he needed to muddy the waters as much as possible for now.
Luckily, it looked like things weren't dire yet. The other party must be probing currently. That's why they were using Dave.
"Who put such nonsense in your head?" Liam enquired jovially.
"Ah, when she said that it was possible, I really believed her. After all, she is not an ordinary person," Dave smiled ruefully.
"A woman huh? No wonder," Liam smirked. "Well, who is it?" Liam asked while sipping his drink.
"Evelyn Baylor"
Liam did a spittake hearing that name.