Pixar Animation Studios

Zucker's trip to the bank for a mortgage loan was also a move born of necessity.

He was simply out of money!

Less than $100,000 remained in his account. Forget discussing a partnership with Pixar Animation Studios—even the renovation costs for those seven movie merchandise stores would probably run into several hundred thousand dollars.

Knowing the place and the people, Zucker once again chose the Los Angeles branch of Wells Fargo.

"Mr. Wald, welcome back!"

Smith Jomi, the senior manager and head of the branch's loan department, personally handled Zucker's case.

His attitude was extraordinarily good.

Coffee, pastries, a gentle tone, and enthusiasm to spare. How could his attitude not be good? To Wells Fargo as it currently stood, a client worth several million dollars was absolutely a major client.

"Then I'll get straight to the point. This time, I need a loan of at least $3 million," Zucker said bluntly.

$3 million?

The moment those words came out, Smith Jomi was stunned!

That figure might not have been much at Citibank, but for Smith, the manager of a branch loan department, it was no small amount.

It could even be called enormous.

If Wells Fargo were placed in 2020, it would absolutely be a giant.

Its deposits exceeded $1.8 trillion, its market capitalization had surpassed $200 billion, and its branches covered all of North America, with quite a few locations elsewhere in the world as well. Yet Wells Fargo's current market capitalization was only $480 million. Within the American Banking Industry, it was merely a small fry.

"That's right, $3 million."

After saying that, Zucker emphasized, "If that isn't possible, then we won't be able to work together this time."

"This... Mr. Wald, please allow me to make a call. The amount is substantial, after all. I hope you understand," Smith Jomi said through gritted teeth.

"Fine. Then I'll wait for your good news."

Zucker was in no hurry. He sipped his coffee and ate the little pastries, feeling quite pleased with himself as a millionaire. Watching Smith leave, his mind began to race.

"What a pity I don't have any money right now. Otherwise, investing in Wells Fargo now would definitely bring massive returns."

Zucker could not help feeling tempted. Wells Fargo's $480 million market capitalization would grow to more than $200 billion in the future—an increase of over four hundred times. It was an astonishing leap.

In other words, investing $1 million now would make it worth more than $400 million by 2020!

Instant riches!

"Damn, transmigrating is great. Gold is everywhere!"

"And this lousy system is a complete trap!"

"What use are you? Why aren't you a system that gives me money every day? Mansions, yachts, planes, all free—that would be so much better, so much more awesome."

"You only occasionally provide some future information. What the hell is that good for?"

Clearly, in his excitement, Zucker had completely forgotten about the Netscape IPO information and the Pixar Animation Studios information the system had provided him.

[Host, you have no conscience!] the system grumbled.

Zucker "Heartless" Wald.

Five days later.

Zucker once again visited the Los Angeles branch of Wells Fargo.

With a lawyer present as witness, they very pleasantly signed the loan agreement.

The contract totaled $2.4 million: $2 million was a mortgage loan secured by the seven stores, while the remaining $400,000 was a personal credit loan. The term was three years, and the interest rate was one percentage point lower than his previous loan, at 9%. That meant Zucker had to pay the bank $216,000 in interest each year, for a total of $648,000 over three years.

Blackhearted!

"One day, I'm going to acquire a bank too, so my own bank can lend me money!"

Zucker "No One's Making Money Off Me" Wald was back online.

Complaints aside, he still admired Wells Fargo's boldness. No wonder it had grown so large later on.

That was only because Zucker knew nothing about finance. If he did, he would have admired it even more. During the 2008 Global Subprime Mortgage Crisis, investment banks such as Citibank, ****, and Goldman Sachs lost staggering sums, calculated in the hundreds of billions of dollars, yet Wells Fargo still managed to grow against the tide.

Over the next few days, Zucker contacted a renovation company—one of the cheaper kinds.

After paying $200,000 in renovation costs, he began planning the work. With seven stores, the average renovation cost per store was less than $30,000. It had to be said that Zucker's previous life in entertainment industry logistics had made him insanely frugal.

The store renovations could not be called utterly shabby, but they were definitely very ordinary.

August 28, 1995, 8:00 a.m.

California, Alameda County.

Zucker arrived at Pixar Animation Studios on time for his appointment.

"Good morning, Mr. Lasseter," Zucker said.

"On behalf of Pixar Animation, I warmly welcome Mr. Wald's visit."

Lasseter spoke enthusiastically.

It had to be said that the person Pixar Animation had assigned to receive Zucker was none other than John Lasseter, the chief director of the Toy Story series and the future leader of the Pixar Five Tigers.

Seeing that he was the one in charge of reception, Zucker could not help being surprised.

It was not that Zucker was trying to suck up to him. John Lasseter's future reputation was simply too great. In the global animation field, his name was one of the most famous.

An absolute animation legend!

The little desk lamp in Pixar Animation films' opening logo had come from Lasseter's idea.

In the future, the Pixar Five Tigers would win Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature until their hands went numb. Every one of them was hugely famous, and all of the Pixar Five Tigers would later receive Academy Honorary Awards. Toy Story, Cars, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Up, The Good Dinosaur, and more—weren't they all born from their ideas?

These 3D animated films not only raked in box office revenue around the world, but their earnings from merchandise were several times, even dozens of times, greater than their box office returns.

Cars in particular!

Its merchandise profits exceeded $1 billion every year, and it was hailed alongside Peppa Pig as one of the most profitable animated productions.

$1 billion?!

Every year?!

"If only it were all mine."

The more Zucker thought about it, the redder his eyes became. To hell with entertainment logistics management, and to hell with that seventy-square-meter apartment. In this life, he was going to make a fortune!

A little embarrassing.

A little chuunibyou.

A little arrogant.

So what? Who would ever turn down money, especially wealth worth tens of billions of dollars?

"Mr. Wald, are you all right?"

John Lasseter looked at Zucker strangely. Zucker's current expression was simply too... excited.

"Uh, I'm fine, I'm fine. Let's go inside. We can talk inside," Zucker said, trying to hide his embarrassment.

How humiliating!

Utterly humiliating!

"I still haven't experienced enough big occasions," Zucker silently reproached himself.

After entering Pixar Animation Studios, Zucker was filled with anticipation. He had heard that Pixar Animation Studios had the best environment and atmosphere in the world, blending elements of amusement parks, family, and more to make people feel happy while working. That was also why Pixar had produced such an incredible bunch of geniuses.

"This... this is your studio?!"

Zucker was dumbfounded. What he saw was completely different from what he had imagined.

The work environment was cramped and messy. The animation designers all had wildly disheveled hair and unchecked beards. They were basically a bunch of IT nerds.

"Sorry to make you laugh, hehe."

John Lasseter looked extremely embarrassed. "Our conditions are a little rough right now, but I believe that once Toy Story is released, Pixar will definitely resound across the world!"

The more he spoke, the more excited Lasseter became.

"It's fine, it's fine."

Zucker acted extremely magnanimous, but inwardly, that was not what he was thinking.

"This is great, absolutely great. The harder things are for you now, the more confident I am. I can even save quite a bit of money, hehe."

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