104 102. Scared & Humbled, A New A.D., RenderMan and Growing Networks.
Disclaimer: The story takes place in an Alternate Earth with a slightly different timeline of events. So people may be born early, some may be born a few years later or maybe not at all.
This gives me more freedom to write characters as I want, also the characters in my story are obviously not an accurate portrayal of their characters.
Please remember that this story is a wish fulfillment story set in Urban Hollywood with some Fantasy elements because of the system's shenanigans so please don't take it too seriously.
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Opening Author's Note: I am sorry; this chapter got delayed by a day. I made many changes to the chapter and introduced lots of new faces—faces that I just know you guys are gonna love. At least, I hope you do.
If you want to read the chapter right now then just head over to my Pat. Reon. There you can read upto two chapters ahead, vote in polls to influence the direction of the story, read exclusive posts and content like - Star Wars Fixed and even read my new Naruto fanfic that currently in development. Link for it is in the Author's Thoughts at the bottom of them chapter.
Anyways, let's go on with the chapter. And, please read the note at the end; it will give you some relevant information. Now let's get on with the chapter, but before that, a quick recap.
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Recap of the Previous Chapter –
Mark finally goes head-to-head with Eisner; he keeps his calm throughout the conversation and even insults the tyrant to his face with innuendos. But he loses his cool when Eisner calls him "son," which triggers Mark's past trauma with his dad from a past life. Mark leaves him to go talk with Wendy to clear his mind.
Rose is seen talking with Lee Child, who is a new member of the IWA. She tells him about Mark's request, and he instantly agrees because he is a Star Wars fan and didn't want to miss such a golden opportunity.
Mark meets up with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman; they talk amicably for a while, before Tom asks Mark if he could give me the script for Mission Impossible to make a movie. But Mark outright turns him down and calls him out for being part of a cult.
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~ Quote of the Chapter ~
We're all looking for answers, you know. We all want to understand who we are and where we come from, but sometimes we want to know the answers so badly that we believe just about anything."
– Stan Marsh (South Park)
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~ Mark Spencer's POV ~
(The Protagonist)
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Date: Sunday, 28th October, 1990.
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Time: 05:47 pm.
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Last time on Hollywood:H.H.S Chapter 101 –
"You're part of a cult, Tom. You really think that I would make a cultist, the face of my franchise? Think about it."
Now continuing –
"It's not a cult!" Tom exclaimed, indignantly.
"Scientology is a cult, Tom. It's comical how idiotic their core beliefs are, but I guess that's why some fools believe in them."
"It makes them feel special and gives them something to blame all their life's problems on." Hearing made Tom silent as it hit too close to home.
"Nicole would like to hear a story. Don't worry, it's only going to take a few minutes." He asked, turning towards her.
"Maybe after hearing that, you would want to be selective about who you choose as your boyfriend."
"Oh, I know you're just using him to climb the social ladder of Hollywood faster, honey, but please be careful not to destroy your own life in the process." Mark chided like she was young girl making a mistake.
"So what do you say? Would you like to hear the story of the man who founded Scientology, Lafayette Ronald Hubbard?"
She nodded, intrigued by the proposal; she didn't care if Tom would take offense. Mark looked like a much better thigh to hug than the guy who just gave 3 flop films back to back and whose career looked like it was already in its twilight years.
Mark coughed twice and began to prepare to narrate a rendition of one of his most favorite episodes from South Park.
"So, it all started in 1952 with Hubbard, a prolific writer of pulp science fiction and fantasy novels in his early career; in 1950, he even authored Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health."
"Hubbard created Scientology after losing the intellectual rights to his literature on Dianetics in bankruptcy. He would lead the Church of Scientology, a new religious movement or business, until his death in 1986, just 4 years ago."
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Mark then went on to give a detailed analysis of Hubbard's life, of how he went from a broke sci-fi author to the leader of a cult that believes in a space alien overlord.
The explanation that it had at first only started as a scam to earn money off of its followers made sense to her; after all, Hubbard was broke, so turning to become a scam artist wasn't that big of a leap.
But the fact that such a thing was and still is left unchecked bothered and frightened her. Especially the fact that it grew so big and influential that leaders of Scientology used to abuse and influence their followers for their own benefit and pleasure.
"So, Tom, did you know about this?" Mark asked, finally turning towards Tom.
"No.. but how did you.. know about this?" He sounded badly spooked because he had lied, but he did hear something along the same lines from some of the older followers.
So he got up, opened the booth's door, and shouted. "Waiter! Bring me some whiskey!" He really needed a drink after hearing that story.
"What do you think this is Tom?" He knew Mark's question was rhetorical, so he stayed silent.
"This isn't a party; it's a place where people connect and form alliances."
"If I am going to look for allies, don't you think it would be prudent to do a background check on my guests to know which one's are too troublesome to be worth having a deal with?"
Nicole felt like she was smitten; the cool, calm, hyper-competent persona of Mark's was just super attractive to her. If Tom hadn't been here, she would be hitting on Mark to earn herself a "favor" already.
"That can't be possible; there are hundreds of people here."
"Obviously, I didn't learn about all of them in depth. Some were more of a priority, like yourself, so it needed a more thorough background check."
"You knew, I was gonna ask about the script? But how?" He asked in utter shock. As he turned around to face her in suspicion.
Mark didn't reply; he just smiled, as planting that seed of doubt had been his intention, then looked at the waiter, who had just came in and frowned as he said, "Who are you?"
"Sir?" The waiter questioned feeling badly startled but trying to keep his poker face on.
"Your face doesn't match any waiters cleared for this event tonight."
"These are my guests; as such, their security and safety are my responsibility. All the wait staff, musicians, entertainers, and every single goddamn whose guest has not been vetted and vouched for."
He explained as his arms crossed across his chest and sat up straight from his slouched posture. "So answer me, who you are, and please don't bother lying, for I'll know."
"I am Paul Rudd, sir." He replied, nervously.
"Why are you at my party, Paul?" Mark asked, his voice going from menacingly ominous to cheerfully pleasant, like nothing was wrong in the world.
"I wan-ted to meet with some producers or directors to ge-get a small role; I want to be an actor." He replied shakily, still frightened from Mark's serious hard stare.
"I see." Mark nodded like it made sense.
"So, what happened to my waiter? And who gave you his shift?" Mark asked his hard starr back in place.
"Da-david broke h-his wrist playing basketball, so he gave me his spot to fill in." Paul replied after a few seconds of trying to stay silent.
"See, that wasn't so hard. Thank you for the honesty, Paul. Here's 10k dollars; split it between you and David and tell him he is fired." Mark replied nonchalantly.
"But si–" He tried speaking up again but fell silent after glancing at Mark's eyes.
"Paul, not a single word. Also, here's some free advice for you, because you seem like a nice man." Well he did try to stand up for his friend, which he respected but rules were rules for a reason.
"Work your way up, join a film crew, run errands, learn how things are done, see how the actors prepare, and how they approach the same exact scene differently."
"Here, this is a recommendation. Show this at the hiring for our movie. The working title is H.A, and there you will meet Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern. They are some of the best comedic performers and actors in Hollywood."
"Just ask them questions when they are free. Shadow them, but keep a distance so as not to disturb them. You'll learn more about acting just by watching and asking them questions than you'll do by going to any acting school."
"But that's still just theoretical knowledge. I would suggest you start with playing extras in the film and slowly work your way up to small roles with one to two lines."
"Thank you, Mr. Spector. I appreciate it. But da-" He tried to speak for his friend.
"What David did was break the rules, rules that had been clearly defined to him, and he still chose broke them to help you. I hope that you make something of yourself and don't let this sacrifice of his go to waste."
"Also, I expect to not hear a single complaint about your service from any of the guests. You are not Paul Rudd but David tonight; is that understood?" He asked him one last time, so he understood his task for the rest of the night.
"Yes, Mr. Spector. Thank you for the advice and recommendation." Mark just nodded and turned to Tom and Nicole, who were just staring at Mark's play. Tom was just drinking himself to the bottom of the bottle. He had never felt this humiliated before in life.
"Sorry for the disturbance. Where were we? Ah, yes, the story was over. Well, it looks like my time here is done; there are more people to meet and deals to be made."
"Mark, before you leave, can you give me some advice?" She asked carefully, trying to get an "in" with him.
"Nothing in this world comes for free, Ms. Kidman." Mark replied, saying a lot without saying much.
"I am willing to be under your guidance." She replied immediately, knowing full well the hidden meaning behind her words, and so did the two other occupants of the room.
"Woah, Tom is right here, Nicole; you don't need to push the man down off his dead horse."
"Listen, Tom, before you storm off here all angry. There is one more unpleasant thing about you; well, there are more, but you hide those well, so I don't really care."
"If you can disconnect yourself from this cult and curb that bad habit, then I might consider you for the role; whether that happens or not is totally up to you."
"I believe in giving people second chances, so what do you say?"
"What's the other thing?" Tom asked, finally looking up at him. His eyes looked angry, yet tired, he was mentally exhausted from questioning his beliefs.
"Stop buying the box office just so that your movie can be number 1 at the weekend box office." He want to refute his claim but the cold look of disappointment Mark was giving made him shut up.
"It's not as subtle as you think it is, and it can obviously be traced back to you. If that ever happens, all your credibility, all that you've worked so hard for will be gone in a second. So, don't think of me as an enemy or a hater."
"I am actually did you a favor; look at River and Johnny. The two have done nothing, and yet the media is already having a field day with dragging their names through the mud."
"What do you think will happen if I take you in for my movie, and you pull this same stupid shit again? Huh?!" Mark asked with a raised voice slamming the table.
"You'll be destroyed, your name dragged across the mud just like them. Only you'll end up worse because there are actual skeletons that you've hidden in your backyard. Then you might take me with you as well, and that's a risk I ain't willing to take."
"So, if you can clean up your act, then we'll talk later, as for you Ms. Kidman," he called out to her and her eyes immediately lit up in excitement.
"If you really want to prove yourself, then meet me next week for an audition for a role in my next movie."
"My assistant, Rose, will send you a script for your audition. It's a small role, but it's very nuanced, and it will give you time to distance yourself from the debacle of Batman Forever, while still maintaining your on-screen presence."
"Thank you, Marc." She replied graciously with a nod, which did wonderful things to her breasts that were on display.
"Don't thank me, yet. It's just an audition. If you fail to impress, I will not hesitate to send you away." He replied while only looking her in the eye, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of a win, until the very end.
"Anyways, it was great talking to you guys, even though I did most of the talking at the end. Sorry about turning your life upside down, Tom, but that group isn't good for you. Run away as fast as you can."
"Also, I would really appreciate it if you didn't give them my name if they asked you where you got the information from. Don't worry about their bark and no bite."
"Or you could give them my name and choose to dig yourself even deeper into this hole, and I guess this will be the hill that you'll eventually die on." He shrugged nonchalantly, like he was least bothered by what he did with the information.
"Anyways, I'm running late; see you later, Ms. Kidman." Mark nodded to her and left, while Tom just looked into the empty glass in his hand.
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"That was a long talk," he said, hearing a familiar voice that he immediately recognized.
"Chifuyu." He called out as he turned, and there she was in a lovely evening gown.
"Mark." She said this as she stepped up to him.
"You look beautiful." He said it simply, not taking his eyes off of hers. She broke first and blushed slightly as she thanked him.
"So, what were you doing in there?" She asked as she redid the knot of his tie, so it looked just right.
"Nothing much; shaking up the guy's core belief system and wooing the woman." He replied frankly, as he had already revealed his dream of having a harem to her on their first date.
Surprisingly, she wasn't really against it. Maybe what her father had been talking about had been true all along—that people their status enjoyed more than one woman in their life.
So having multiple wives, or a harem, was seen as the norm rather than an exception when considering people based on their status.
"Oh, don't you get started again. I'm in a wonderful mood tonight and you cant ruin it." She replied with a content smile.
"What happened? Come on, out with it. I could use some good news right now too." He replied as he looked around, trying to find Crown or Chris.
"Well, Goku is out on the shelves, and it has already surpassed the highest sales volume records of Viz Media."
"Damn. Toriyama-sensei, truly is the best." Mark muttered with a solemn nod.
"He surely is, and the first issue of Hajime no Ippo also hit the shelves yesterday."
"That's great; don't forget to send me the weekly sales report, yeah?" He asked as his eyes spotted someone else.
Someone whom he also intended to have a talk with tonight as well.
"Will you accompany me?" Mark asked, extending his elbow towards her.
"It would be a pleasure, Mr. Spector." She replied, looping her arms around his elbow as Mark took a short walk towards the man who was considered by fans to be the best editor in Marvel Comics.
"Mr. Shooter, I am glad you could make it. I am Marc Spector. This is Chifuyu Oga, she is in charge of Viz Media." He said, introducing
"Marc, of course, after reading that letter. I would be a fool if I said no. It's a pleasure to see you, miss. I heard of Goku, congratulations." He replied, moving along towards a more secluded corner.
"Thank you." She replied, in a near-perfect American accent, that she had been practicing.
"Jim, so what will it take for you to come back to Marvel? It needs you, now more than ever before. I want you to be reinstated as editor-in-chief of the Marvel 616 universe."
"What's 616?" He asked; he had heard of some of the things that Mark had planned from his old friends who still worked at Marvel. But he wanted to hear it firsthand from the man behind the plan himself.
"The title I have chosen for the previous main universe of Marvel Comics is one that oversaw and was in charge of quality control and maintaining the continuity of events."
"So, are the rumors of Marvel's reboot true?" He asked, hoping for it to be true.
"They are; it will all come to an end with the final issue of Secret Wars."
"After the reboot, I plan for Marvel Comics to be split into three different universes. The main Marvel continuity that's 616, with all the old stories that are deemed good and usable, will be adapted over. It will be worked on by the old Marvel staff; I need to guide them one more time."
"Why me?" He asked, interested in hearing Mark's reply.
"Hmm, why you?.." Mark looked thoughtful.
"Well, I could tell you it's because you were amongst the best of all the editors Marvel ever had in maintaining continuity, but the real reason is that you gave the writer's better rights, better pay and treated them well."
"That's what I want from the new Marvel. As a writer myself, I know how much it hurts to not own the rights to your own creation."
"You do?" He was surprised to hear this.
"With my first book, Ben 10, I barely owned half of it with no right to its universal adaptation. We trusted the wrong people, and the publishing house really screwed me over."
"So, what did you do?" He felt invested in the story.
"I bought the publishing house and rebranded it. What is mine, is mine. I will never let anyone else take it away from me."
"But, Mark, isn't Jurassic Park mostly owned by Universal?" Chifuyu asked, remembering she read it on the file.
He just shrugged and said, "for now."
"Damn. You got balls." Jim chuckled. "I like you even more now."
"Mark, it's a deal; I agree to your terms and conditions." They shook hands, feeling happy about the deal.
"So, Mark, tell me about the other two universes. There are two more right"
"Well, there's the Ultimate Marvel Universe that I will personally be in charge of and working on.
"How personal are you talking about here exactly?" Jim asked intrigued by Mark's idea.
"Every single story set in that universe will either be written by me or will have to be vetted by me to be adapted in the comics."
"That's crazy, Mark."
"I thought you already said that." Mark replied with a chuckle.
"Tha-that just impossible. I-"
"Jim, rather than convince you with words, I would like to prove myself with my actions instead."
"As for the last one, it's made of all the other Universes in the Marvel multiverse. There, the writers have complete freedom and can write whatever bizarre scenario they want.
"Marvel Zombies."
"Prehistoric Avengers."
"All the little what-if's that come to you when you read a comic book. What if Captain America was loyal to Hydra, what if Spider-Man killed his enemies, what if Hulk was smart and built his own kingdom, what if The Fantastic Four recreated Marvel."
"They are completely free to experiment around with the characters and the setting, provided they do not promote degeneracy."
Jim nodded in agreement, as they were discussing the move for Marvel in the next year. He saw Monica walking towards him, and he thought about asking her to get people looking for Nicholas and Chris.
Monica Bellucci looked breathtakingly beautiful tonight, having done her best to catch Mark's eyes. Her long, perfectly combed raven hair had been set aside a little to her left in wavy curls.
Her beautiful hazel eyes shone with an unfulfilled desire and ambition, and she had a nearly perfectly symmetrical doll-like face. Though her tight top seemed to strain a bit due to her ample bosoms.
While the dress she had put on perfectly showcased her delightful hourglass shape with wide hips and tall legs that were fully accentuated by her clearly well-practiced seductive gait.
'She definitely had been practicing that walk.'
"Sir, Mr. Lucas has been provided with a backroom, and the members of IWA have been called in as well."
"Though Ms. Rowling had a message for you, that asked me to pass it along." She said, as she handed him a note.
"Thanks; good work, Monica. Can you look for Nicholas and my friend Chris?" He asked as he opened up the note.
~ Mark, Can you please put Jess to sleep? She really wants to meet you again. I am in the writer's room, and I don't think it's appropriate to make Sarah wait that long till I come back home. ~
"You mean Chris Kepler and Nicholas Crown?" He nodded as he put the note inside his breast pocket.
"Oh, I actually saw them talking on the first floor. Would you like me to call them?" She asked for confirmation, making sure that she had the right people.
"No, it's fine; I'll go by myself. Are they near the auditorium, where I'll be hosting the charity event?" He asked, checking the time on his watch.
"Yes, sir." She nodded, as she took a good look at Chifuyu, feeling a bit threatened by her princess-like look in her beautiful gown.
It looked expensive, and she felt a little outclassed despite her assets, as she could very well see the prodigious Twin Peaks that woman had of her own.
"Jim, I need to go, but I hope to see you soon at Marvel." Mark gave him a pat on the elbow and left.
"You can count on it, boss." Jim nodded and took a sip of his drink to celebrate.
As they were leaving, Mark asked Monica if Steve Jobs had arrived. "He has, sir," she replied quietly.
"Good, find him for me, would you, and tell him that I want to meet him. It's a request; tell him that I have an offer for him that he can't refuse."
"Got it, boss." She nodded.
"Also tell Rose to move up the event; it will be held an hour earlier. I have a very important meeting to attend. Don't forget to make an announcement that the event will now be held at 7 p.m. instead of 8." He said, thinking about spending time with Jess, that maybe he would tell her about Aladdin this time. She loved hearing stories from him before she went to bed.
"Understood." She nodded and went off.
Mark nodded and left with Chifuyu, as they navigated through the crowd towards the stairs. He would be greeted by people from all over Hollywood; some were actors, and some were amateur directors who were looking for a chance to shoot their own movie.
One such person that he had been stopped by turned out to be Quentin Tarantino, known for making cult classics that were unpredictable and violent in nature and also for being obsessed with feet.
They got to talking, and he asked to be called QT, as it was his nickname. He recounted his favorite moments from his works, and how he especially liked the unreliable narrator trope that he used in Knives Out.
"The non-linear style of storytelling that forces the audiences to think and ponder the hidden clues and messages. I loved it, Mark."
"I'm glad. So, how may I help?" Mark asked, knowing that he needed help with something.
"Umm, I was actually looking for a producer to gather money for my first film. I even wrote the script myself." He said as he was trying to appeal to Mark.
"You did?! That's amazing, QT. Hmm, how about this? I have an offer for you."
"Well, I am all ears." He said this with an excited smile as he exchanged looks with his partner, who had helped him get a ticket to this event.
"I am going to start filming my next movie soon. The things you said you liked about knives out? It's even more prominently on display in this one."
"Also, I am short of one AD. I haven't seen you in action, but I got a good feeling about you, if you agree to be my AD for this film and do a good job. I promise to fund your movie and even market and do a limited release for the theaters."
"I know it will put your own movie on the back burner, but sometimes sacrifices have to be made, right?" He asked searchingly, seeing if Tarantino would bow out.
He nodded, agreeing with his statement, but didn't answer right away.
"So, what do you say? Are you in or not?" He asked after giving him a few moments to think.
"I'm in; I will use this opportunity to learn from you and show you that your trust in me wasn't misplaced." He said, a little teary-eyed from Mark's trust in him.
"Hey, don't get emotional with me, QT. We are at a party, so drink up and enjoy the night."
"I know you didn't exactly get what you came for, but that's just life." He nodded in understanding.
"Well, I need to go, but my assistant will reach out to you regarding the hiring."
"Do you have an agent or a manager?" Mark asked, feeling happy that he got the Quentin Tarantino as his new A.D.
He shook his head in denial.
"Well, don't worry about it. I will have a friend take care of that, CAA will take good care of you." He said, patting his shoulder.
"I'll remind her not to call you too early, it looks like you're gonna get wasted now."
"Well, I can't believe whatever's happening right now is real. So, I'm definitely gonna get shitfaced. Thanks, Mark, I'll remember this." They shook hands at first, but QT drew him in for a hug as he choked back a sob.
He had been looking for a sponsor for a year now, but nobody had been interested in his script, sadly.
Thankfully, he still didn't lose hope and kept trying, and now his expectations and dreams had been validated by someone he looked up to.
And just like that, Mark had clipped the wings off of whalestein. It wouldn't be long before he had him dead to rights.
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"So a new job and a manager. Huh?" His friend said, elbowing him in excitement.
"Even I still can't believe it, myself, man."
"Here." His friend said as he pinched him, "Argh, f**k. You didn't have to do it so hard, you."
He punched him on the shoulder, but couldn't be upset as they both started to smile and then chuckled at luck favoring them.
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"Yo, Chris, you started without me." Mark said, as he found Chris standing just a few paces behind Nicholas and Peter.
"Sorry, Mark, but I saw Nicholas was free and Peter was getting too nervous, so I introduced the two." Chris replied with an apologetic smile.
"This is Chifuyu, a new partner from Japan." Mark said, introducing the two.
"Hi, Chifuyu. Hope America isn't too disconcerting for you."
"Hi, Chris. America's fine, but I do miss Japan and my family back home."
"I understand, even my mum lives on the other side of the US. It's not often that I see her. Mark, you guys go ahead, I will stay back over here."
"Sure." Mark nodded and then headed over to Nicholas and Peter.
"So, Nicholas, what's the verdict? Is Peter's company worth investing in?" He asked in an easy-going manner.
"I think it could be, but we've hit a little bit of a snag. He wants 2.5 million dollars, but he is only willing to give 33% of the equity." Nic replied, with a so and so gesture.
"Hmm, Peter, that's too low of a stake to motivate someone of our level. You need to up the offer to at least half." Mark replied, trying to get the deal done and over with as he was on time crunch.
"But then I'll.. only own 25%." He murmured in a dejected tone.
"Well, do you want to own 30% of a company worth over 50 million dollars, or do you want to own 50% of a company worth nothing?"
"It's not just the money, Peter. We'll hook you up with the right people to market your product, get it placed on the shelves of comic book stores across America, and if it proves profitable enough, even go international." Nic elaborated, making an enticing pitch after Mark whispered to him that they could invest in the company but needed a larger stake.
After thinking for a while, Peter sighed and then grinned, "Okay, I agree to the deal. Crown Ventures now owns 51% of «Wizards of the Coast» for an investment of 2.5 million dollars.
"Make that four, let's make it the biggest card game publisher in America." Mark replied, shaking his hand to seal the deal.
"We'll take care of the paperwork tomorrow; enjoy the night, Peter, and give the good news to your partners." Nicholas said, shaking his hand as well.
"Nic, let's go." Mark said, dragging him along, "Also, I'm in need of more capital.. give Eidolon a line of credit."
"How much?" He asked back.
"Around 100 million."
"And this is separate from the $150 that CV is already investing in Eidolon to fund your next three movies and the CGI and Animation studio?"
"It is."
"Can I ask what you will be using it for?"
Mark put on his best poker face and made sure that his eyes didn't waver, as Nicholas was one of the best people he had ever seen at catching people in a lie except for himself ofcourse. Thankfully, he wouldn't have to lie but he would only be telling a half-truth.
He will be using the money for the things he will say next, but some of that money is also going towards the Overwatch Initiative. Mark really didn't think that his small, secret organization would do something so big so soon.
He knew that the Tiananmen Square massacre incident happened last year, but the CCP of China was able to successfully suppress the news of that incident and didn't let any videos of the incident be aired.
But somehow his agents had been able to get hold of one such Video that was taken from an aerial perspective, maybe from the second or third floor of a surrounding building, and it got into great detail how the CCP troops gunned down protesting civilians with impunity.
This time, David hadn't asked him for permission whether they should release this information or not. Instead, he immediately sent the video to their trusted news outlets, as well as to other news outlets all around the world.
To make sure that this news would not be suppressed, and now the news has gone viral all over the world, he had seen it on TV himself. But at that time he didn't know that this task had been done by his own people. After watching the news, people all around the world were condemning the CCP for their vile inhuman actions.
David had just recently contacted him after all his agents were secured and asked if he could send in more funds as they would now need more resources to relocate the people stuck in that mess.
Many Chinese citizens had to be taken over to America, or other countries, for their own protection. Mark had agreed but said he would need some time as he needed to make sure the money couldn't be traced back to him.
"Of course, it's mainly for buying Pixar, and the rest is for charity, actually."
"So, Jobs is here?"
"Yep. My secretary will be bringing him along soon."
"Great, I need to get back to Nvidia by tomorrow night. The office renovations are done; the list of people you gave me will be coming in tomorrow."
"Damn, that was fast. Give them everything they need. Remember to ask Rose for a file titled GPU 1. It will have all the specifications I'm looking for them to create."
"All I need from them is to design a chip for me that will allow the PC to become the best video game platform and to handle VFX generation."
"Well, it won't be easy.
"But nothing ever worth having in life comes easy." They both said together, as they shared a laugh, heading over to the backroom, where he will be meeting Steve Jobs.
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"Steve, thanks for coming in." Mark said, standing up as Steve came in. They shook hands, and he gestured for him to grab a seat.
"No problem, I heard; you have an offer for me that I won't refuse." Steve replied as he sat down.
"I like the guy straight to the business." Nic said, as he observed the man.
"You must be Nicholas Crown; it's a pleasure to meet you. I heard a lot about your company - Crown Ventures & Estates." Steve replied amicably.
"Thank you." Nic replied, as he nursed his drink.
"So what's the offer, Mark? Last time I met with Evelyn and Harry, the offer was 50 million dollars." Steve asked with a sigh, sad that this venture didn't work out.
"Well, it's still 50 million dollars. But there's a special clause involved, one that I think you're gonna like hearing about." Mark replied with a smile that he could tell, despite the mask in the way.
"Well, let's hear it then." He asked, hoping for a high offer, as he wanted to go back to Apple with his head held high. If Mark offered him enough that he could buy a seat on board, it would be ideal."
"I will buy 500 million dollars worth of Apple stocks by 1995. A hundred million every year; currently, there are 4 billion dollars worth of stocks available in the market."
"If it stays the same, then that is around 12.5% stake of ownership; that's more than enough to get a seat on the board."
His heart sped up in excitement, though he couldn't help asking in suspicion, "And how does that help me, exactly?"
"Well, I don't have much interest in Apple, so I'll obviously need a representative. I want you to be that guy. I will own the shares, and the controlling rights to the ownership of those shares will be handed over to you."
"That's insane. 500 million is nowhere close to Pixar's value; why would you make such an absurd offer? Is this a joke? Are you pulling my leg?"
"Not to you, maybe, but to me, it's worth way more. I got the paperwork right here." He said as he slid the paperwork regarding the deal towards him.
Steve took them and gave them a read-through; it looked legit.
"You can take them back to be checked by your lawyer, but I need your answer by tomorrow morning. Also, the event that was scheduled to be at 8 o'clock will be held at 7 now; don't miss it."
"Don't worry, I'll be there. I agree to your offer, Mark. I would sign this document here, but I've already been burned for being naive before."
"I understand, Steve. Constant vigilance."
They nodded and got out of the booth, walking away to their next destination. For Mark and Nicholas, it was to meet his last guest of the night, yet one of the most important.
"Mr. Turner, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am Marc Spector. This is my friend, Nicholas Crown." He said, introducing himself and Nic.
"Hello, Marc, Nicholas." Ted Turner said, turning away from the balcony he was enjoying the view from.
"Mr. Turner, I have an offer for you." Mark said, deciding to be straightforward, as he had done some research on the man and found out that he didn't like when people wasted his time.
"I am all ears." Turner replied, putting aside his glass as he paid Marc his full attention.
"I would like to start a cartoon channel in partnership with you."
"Go on."
"The ownership would be split 50-50; I will provide the shows; you take care of the broadcasting."
He chuckled. "Eisner made me a similar deal, but he was only willing to give me 33%."
"Are you willing to bear the operational costs of the channel as well?" He asked, wanting to see if you could get away with investing as little as possible, as he was short of capital with his recent purchases of companies.
"Sir, I might be 20, but I've been doing business for over 6 years. If I were to agree to your offer, I would need a higher stake, and I don't think you would accept that."
"Oh, don't be so sure about that, young man. I will feel like taking a piss on Eisner's shoes. I will cut you a deal; ownership will be split 60-40 in your favor, but you will bear 66% of the operational costs as well."
"Hmm, that's fine with me. I'll take that deal, though I want a special clause put in."
"What?"
"If you're ever going to sell TBS to someone in the future, please allow me to make a counteroffer before you do so." He couldn't believe what he heard from Mark.
"Young man, TBS is worth over $4 billion; that's more than both of you put together." He replied, making them realize how far away they were, but inwardly liking Mark's boldness and ambition.
"For now." Mark shrugged nonchalantly.
"I've faith in him." Nic elbowed Mark with a grin.
"So, deal?" Mark asked, extending his hand.
"Deal." He nodded and shook hands.
"What about the paperwork?" He couldn't help but ask, feeling a little weird to be doing a deal on the spur of the moment.
"It's a party, Mr. Turner. My assistant will send in the paperwork first thing tomorrow morning." Mark replied as he thought about his second offer.
Mr. Turner, I heard you bought WCW. Are you interested in fighting?
"I am in wrestling; I find it very entertaining."
"How about a second offer?" Mark asked with a wink.
"Another offer? Tell me, young man, how many deals did you make tonight?" Turner couldn't help but grin, even though Mark was young and just in his 20s. He realized Mark understood the real reasons why parties were held.
"Guilty as charged, sir." They both shared a laugh.
"So, let's hear it. I want to see if you'll go 2 for 2." He said, excited to hear Mark's new offer, that he himself wanted to start a new cartoon channel, but Mark had already bought off HB before he could make the offer.
"I want to start a paid mature content TV channel in partnership with you."
"By mature, what do you mean exactly? What kind of content will be shown?" Ted asked, wanting to make sure what exactly Marc was talking about.
"Well, everything goes. It's TV but for adults, there will be shows with explicit bloodshed and violence, cussing, partial or full nudity, don't worry, no explicit sexual intercourse on screen."
"Yeah, no kidding, that would never slide."
"I know, I read up on how far we can do things on TV."
"We market it as a channel for the grown-ups; our target audience with this channel aren't the families but the young adults. Kinda like HBO but with better shows."
"Better shows?" He asked, feeling skeptical.
"I will write them myself. So, what do you say?" Mark replied confidently.
"You'll write them yourself?" He was surprised, he knew just how popular Marc was as a writer. If he made a TV show written by Marc, people would buy their TV subscription in droves.
"I already have scripts for 2 shows ready, and I have the rights for game shows and reality TV shows I came up with. Enough to fill up the time slots."
"I can't make any promises now, but you have definitely gotten my interest for sure."
"How about this, Marc, we do the cartoon channel for now and after a year let's get back to this deal."
"If our partnership proves to be successful, and we end up making a bank together. Then I don't see why we can't make this mature paid TV channel work."
"It's a deal. Mr. Turner, the event that was advertised to be at 8 has been shifted to 7. I think you're gonna like it."
"What you will see there, towards the end, is also something I want to put on the paid channel. If we do make it later on."
"Being mysterious are we?"
"He-he." Mark snickered and said, "just having some fun. Though, I would really appreciate it if you attended the event and donated, we need all the help we can get for this noble cause."
"Sure. I think after this lovely deal, I at least owe you that much." He replied with a pleased smile and left.
.
..
.
A little while later, Rose approached him. "Sir, it's almost time we gotta leave now."
"Well, Nic, thanks for coming, and don't leave without seeing the whole performance till the end."
"I won't. Your staff has been hyping up this thing like you're going to show us your new movie now.
"Hah, you wish, but no, the killing joke will take some more time. Though I promise it will be worth the wait."
"Anyways, bye, and thanks again for having my back." Mark said as he took his leave.
"Always." Nicholas replied as he also made way towards the huge auditorium that could hold a thousand people at once.
He had seen it, when the staff were setting up things, there were three huge screens at the back of the stage facing the audiences. They were probably there to ensure that even the audience at the very back could see what was happening on stage.
— To be continued…
In the next episode of M̶O̶N̶A̶R̶C̶H̶:̶ A̶ L̶e̶g̶a̶c̶
Cough* *Cough*
I meant in the next chapter of Hollywood: Head-Hunting System.
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{Closing Author's Note: This chapter is the new chapter 102 made from the parts of chapter 101.2 and 101.3.
As I said before chapter:101.3 got way too big. How big do you ask? Well so big that the first part of next chapter 103 will be made from the remaining part of 101.3 that I couldn't fit in here because it got too big.
*That's what she said*
Damn sorry, I am helpless, I know its cringe to some. But it's a reflex at this point from watching The Office too much. I apologize.
Stay tuned for the next chapter –
103. A Noble Cause, A Crafty plan and The Performance of a Lifetime.
If you want to read the chapter right now then just head over to my Pat. Reon. There you can read upto two chapters ahead, vote in polls to influence the direction of the story, read exclusive posts and content like - Star Wars Fixed and even read my new Naruto fanfic that currently in development. Link for it is in the Author's Thoughts at the bottom of them chapter.
By the time of posting this chapter, I am pleased to say that the number of my patrons has also risen again. I feel blessed and if I can keep getting support. I might even be able to pull out of one of my day jobs and focus even more on writing. Also, there will be a poll posted later, so please don't forget to vote on it. I hope you all have a beautiful day.}
