Hollywood Immortal

[Chapter 345: Netscape Series A Financing and Novel Updates]

After wrapping up the Oscar publicity strategy, Linton didn't head back to the film crew's hotel but returned to the estate.

Partly to offer support to the pregnant Madonna. But more importantly, Sophie Marceau and Winona Ryder were anxiously waiting for him at the estate. Both had high hopes for this year's awards season and had cleared their schedules for the entire month, preparing to fully commit to the Oscar publicity campaign.

Last night, the two even teamed up to go to the Universal Hotel, where they joined forces with Nicole Kidman and Cristiana Reali for an all-night passionate encounter with Linton.

Although they didn't come right out and say it, Linton could easily read between the lines. The Oscars had such a dazzling halo effect for actresses, which was why he had given a strict order to Harvey: securing awards for those two was a top priority for their PR efforts.

---

Upon returning to the estate, Linton naturally first checked Madonna's baby with his spiritual senses -- everything was great and normal.

What happened afterward with the party organized by Madonna was nothing short of spectacular...

When Sophie Marceau and Winona Ryder heard about Linton's Oscar PR plan, their enthusiasm and fighting spirit erupted, surprising both Linton and Madonna...

It reminded Linton of an old saying: power is the best aphrodisiac for men, while fame and fortune are the most intoxicating aphrodisiacs for women.

Sweet and lively singing lasted all night long...

The next day, Linton returned to the film set and continued shooting and enjoying the exciting life on set with Nicole Kidman and Cristiana Reali, while Sophie Marceau and Winona threw themselves completely into Oscar publicity. Everyone was working towards a brighter tomorrow.

---

In late January, a major event occurred in Silicon Valley.

Winnie's Mangrove Capital had invested in MOSAIC Communication Corp, which had successfully developed the Netscape browser based on the Windows operating system last October and renamed itself Netscape Corporation.

Netscape browser officially launched sales in November at $45 per copy. Within two and a half months, it sold over 500,000 copies -- sweeping across America and shaking Silicon Valley.

Stimulated by this success, Netscape's founding team smoothly secured $50 million in Series A financing, with a post-investment valuation of an eye-popping $500 million, and the company was just eight months old.

Compared to the angel round eight months ago, the valuation had increased fiftyfold, adding a new chapter to Silicon Valley's wealth-making legend.

Winnie's Mangrove Capital's angel round investment (valued at $10 million at a $4 million buy-in for 30% equity) had appreciated over 30 times.

However, even with the $500 million valuation, Wall Street capital swarmed around Netscape like sharks smelling blood.

Jim Clark rejected Mangrove Capital's lead investment -- naturally, he could not let Mangrove Capital dominate and threaten his shares. He even regretted not holding firm during the angel round, fearing he gave away too much equity for cheap back then.

Of course, it wasn't only about guarding against Mangrove Capital; starting from Series A, companies had to consider investors' connections and strengths to help the business grow and support its future IPO.

After careful selection, Jim Clark chose Sequoia Capital as the lead investor.

But under Winnie's team's insistence, Mangrove Capital still participated, investing $15 million to maintain their 30% stake undiluted.

Sequoia Capital invested $35 million for 7% of Netscape.

With $50 million secured, Netscape ramped up hiring, boosted research and development, and established sales channels nationwide. They also prepared to enter the European market, aiming to become the first internet public company.

Netscape's successful Series A financing marked the official start of the internet boom in Silicon Valley.

---

Excited by this, Winnie called Linton away from the set and monopolized him for three consecutive nights.

Surprisingly, she neither took him to the estate nor to her villa, but chose the ultra-luxurious penthouse of the Linton Building.

In the over 4,000 square foot penthouse, filled with offices, a reception room, conference room, screening room, swimming pool, home theater, gym, garden terraces, a grand living room, master bedroom, and bathrooms, there was evidence everywhere of their joyous passionate encounters...

---

The filming of Independence Day went smoothly. On January 30th, after wrapping up the last scenes at Edwards Air Force Base, the crew wrapped successfully.

Based on story concepts and novel outlines provided by Linton, Eddie had completed two National Treasure books and four Matrix novels.

Rosa had finished The Fault in Our Stars and five Twilight books.

All twelve novels were published by Meluva Publishing and achieved astounding sales success.

National Treasure used the premise of a treasure map on the back of the Declaration of Independence leading to priceless artifacts, showcasing important events and figures in American history.

As the world's strongest country, the connection between major historical events and treasure maps naturally attracted readers worldwide. To date, sales of these two novels had exceeded four million copies.

The Matrix stories were more ahead of their time but benefited from twists and fantasy elements, along with the booming internet and highway plans; sales for the four novels also surpassed four million copies.

The Fault in Our Stars benefited tremendously from the success of the movie of the same name, with global sales breaking three million copies.

The biggest surprise was Twilight, a purely romance-focused series that became a hit among female readers worldwide, mainly in Europe and America. The five novels had sold over ten million copies.

Thanks to these four series, Meluva Publishing saw a spectacular turnaround, swiftly moving from a $3 million loss in 1993 to over $150 million in profits in 1994. Its distribution network had expanded throughout Europe and Australia and was gradually penetrating Asia and South America.

These novels also brought Linton over $80 million in royalties.

Of course, he was generous, paying Eddie and Rosa well.

Both earned over a million dollars last year. Initially, their biggest dream was to leverage their writing to enter Linton Films as screenwriters. But as their incomes rose, they lost interest in the easy screenwriting jobs.

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