The Hollywood Tycoon

The screen lights up!

The entire screening venue fell silent in an instant.

Even the media reporters were staring intently at the screen. They were there to interview, but if they didn't even understand what the movie was about, how could they interview after the screening?

The media reporters on the scene may have no moral integrity, but they are still very professional.

The movie scene appeared~~!

The first to appear is the male protagonist, Adrian, played by young actor Paul Walker!

Along with Adrian's memories, the film's voice-over comes from the protagonist's mouth.

"Just last year, I was considered a genius, and I was convinced I had a bright future. All my efforts over the past 15 years have led to this moment—the Bernstein Piano Competition!"

"And yet...I failed!"

“That day, it was a complete failure!”

"I started to withdraw and stopped communicating with others. I endured the torture of failure alone, as if I had fallen into an abyss. However, I survived and became a piano tuner."

The protagonist Adrian's memories ended, and the audience also had a brief understanding of him.

"It's a good start. Short films should be clear and straightforward like this." Director Kaige nodded.

.......

The movie "The Piano Tuner" officially enters the main storyline.

Dining room.

The male protagonist, Adrian, is wearing a black suit and black sunglasses and is having dinner in a restaurant.

At this time, the second character of the film appeared.

A fat middle-aged man!

Simon is an intermediary and an agent. He makes money by introducing clients who need piano playing and tuning to Adrian.

"Dude, I'm not here to see you eat disgustingly. I want to know how you manage to double the amount of work you get in a month."

At this moment, Agent Simon was a little angry and also had many doubts.

"Your clients appreciate my work, so what's so shocking about that?" the male protagonist said casually.

“Nonsense!”

The agent suppressed his anger and said, "I received a call today, saying they were looking for my blind tuner. Asshole, don't you want to explain?"

Blind tuner?

Adrian smiled and said slowly, "In the Mughal Empire, after the death of Emperor Shah Jahan's wife..."

"Stop, stop it, I don't have time to listen to your nonsense." The agent interrupted Adrian angrily.

Adrian was neither annoyed nor anxious.

"In the Mughal Empire, after the death of his wife, Emperor Shah Jahan was overwhelmed with grief. One day, he summoned the best architect of the time."

When the architect came before the emperor, the emperor asked him, "Are you married?"

The architect replied, "Already married, Your Majesty."

The emperor asked again: "Do you love your wife?"

The architect replied, "Yes, Your Majesty, she is like my life, I love her more than anything else."

As soon as the words fell, the emperor's face suddenly showed surprise. "Very good, then I will sentence her to death. This way, you can empathise with my pain and build the best mausoleum in the world for my wife."

So the emperor executed the architect's wife, and the architect built the Taj Mahal instead.

Agent Simon: “…”

After the male protagonist, Adrian, finished telling this story, the agent Simon was still confused.

"People tend to think that when you lose something, you become more sensitive. Similarly, they think that because I'm blind, my other senses are more acute, and my hearing is almost perfect."

Adrien's tone was full of amusement.

He continued, "I'm a blind tuner!"

"They'll definitely tell their friends about it, and you know what? There are a lot of benefits to that. You'll get better tips, and people will be nicer to you."

"At the same time, they will be less wary and more relaxed. I also know a lot of their secrets."

To put it bluntly, it is to pry into their privacy!

As the male protagonist explained, the images on the movie screen kept changing.

The scenes are of him playing and tuning the piano in his clients' homes...

Male customers, take off their outer pants in the living room;

Young and beautiful women took off their clothes without any suspicion in front of him, a "blind man", and danced to the piano music;

There are many, many things like this.

Because he was blind, people would indulge him and sympathise with him, but not be on guard against him. This made him very happy to tease others without them realising it. He peeped into other people's privacy without restraint, and at one point he felt like he was God!

.......

Movie viewing scene.

At this point in the film, many current audiences and filmmakers have suddenly understood the meaning of the so-called tuner in the film "The Tuner".

A blind tuner who has experienced failure in life and is "disguised" loves to pry into other people's privacy and enjoys teasing others without them knowing it.

That’s right, he is a real person!

"Scum." A female audience member cursed.

"What a talent!" This is what a male audience member said.

.......

Similarly, as the character in the movie "The Tuner" - agent Simon. After listening to Adrian's explanation, he couldn't help but blurt out: "You are so talented, asshole!"

"So I became blind." Adrian pulled down his sunglasses.

"What's this?"

"Contact lenses. You don't think I'm really blind, do you?!"

Adrian smiled again and said, "Being blind has a lot of advantages. Well, let me demonstrate it to you."

After saying this, he called a restaurant waiter while his agent looked confused.

"Waiter, one bill is missing from my change. No, not this one. The two bills are of different denominations. Just because I'm blind and can't see, you're easy to bully, right?! Well, in that case, I can only complain. Humph, you're discriminating against the blind. I want to talk to your manager. You're the manager? No, no, no, I'll pay. Since you insist, then fine, thank you for your generosity."

Scumbag!

Taking advantage of his blindness and the sympathy of the restaurant manager, Adrian shamelessly got a free lunch.

The scene changes~~

Adrian was standing on the street, waiting for the traffic light to change. At the same time, an old woman was waiting for the traffic light to change next to him.

For a moment, he became playful.

"Ma'am, do you need me to help you cross the street?" Adrian asked.

"Well......"

The old woman was confused. She looked at the traffic light, then at the guide stick in Adrian's hand, and became even more confused.

Anyone would probably be confused at this moment.

If a blind person offers to help you, a normal person, cross the street, everyone would find it ridiculous.

That's right, Adrian really enjoyed the feeling of teasing others and feeling superior.

.......

The movie is halfway through!

At this moment, whether it is the movie audience, the media reporters, or the invited filmmakers, they are all looking forward to the next plot of the movie.

Just like that, under the audience's expectations, the male protagonist Adrian received another job. He came to the door of a customer's house, calmly took out the small notebook from his pocket, looked at it, closed it, put it in his pocket, and then rang the doorbell. Everything was so smooth.

Kyle invited Bill McNicholl to be the president of Page Pictures not because of him, but because Kyle had made up his mind a few days ago to find a qualified and outstanding president for Page Pictures who could oversee the overall situation of Page Pictures.

Victor is now the CEO of the parent company, Golden Dawn Entertainment Group. He is very busy at work and has to take the overall situation into consideration, so he is unable to spare time.

As an important subsidiary of Page Pictures, its current vice president, Kevin Feige, is still too young. At only 26 years old, he is not yet the powerful figure who will create the Marvel superhero universe in the future.

Kevin Feige is too immature now!

He still needs time to grow!

Otherwise, in the first half of 1998, Page Pictures would not have released only two foreign films in addition to its own films, which was a significant decrease compared with the previous year.

Bill McNicholl, that's different!

Although he was fired by 20th Century Fox, it does not mean that he is incompetent. It was the result of internal struggles and infighting within Fox.

Otherwise, he would not have gone against all odds and unearthed a world-renowned work like "Titanic".

Most importantly, Bill McNicholl is an experienced veteran with deep connections in Hollywood, making up for many of Page Pictures' shortcomings. He's also quite old, and after a few years of retirement, Kevin Feige will have grown up, making for a seamless transition.

“I’m such a genius!”

Kyle was extremely impressed by his decision.

After resolving the conflict with Bill McNicholl, Kyle at the cocktail party could be described as "the most popular socialite". Wherever he went, he was warmly welcomed by everyone.

.......

A few hours later, Kyle, Alexander and his group returned to the hotel.

"Hi, Mr. Page, you're back so early? This is not like your usual style. There are quite a few beautiful stars at the party." Christopher Nolan joked.

This is because the two of them are familiar with each other now; otherwise, he would not have dared to tease Kyle a year ago.

The titles of Hollywood film company owner and super-rich are still very intimidating.

"My friend, I'm a gentleman, a role model praised by everyone. I would never do anything against my conscience."

Kyle put on a righteous expression, but he was quite depressed in his heart!

Kyle stole the show at today's cocktail party and established a good image. He is a moral role model praised by everyone. It is impossible to destroy his image all of a sudden.

Well, even though Kyle is always shameless!

"Okay, guys, it's getting late, so go to bed early," Kyle said.

Christopher Nolan nodded in understanding.

Others may not know what Kyle is thinking, but he knows it, after all, Kyle has communicated with him before.

Did Kyle really come for the short film competition section?

No!

Of course not!

Not to mention the title of first place in a short film competition unit, even winning the Oscar and Cannes Best Director Award and Palme d'Or would only be icing on the cake for Kyle at the moment.

If you can get it, it’s good;

If you can’t get it, it doesn’t matter.

Kyle came to the Cannes Film Festival mainly to make a name for himself and lay a good foundation for the establishment of global distribution channels for Page Pictures. Even if this role is minimal, Kyle does not want to miss it.

.......

May 13th.

The 51st Cannes Film Festival officially kicked off.

To host this film festival, the organising committee and the Cannes local government happily spent 15 million euros.

Of course, no one would do a business that would lose money!

Spending 15 million euros is not just about holding a party for these film artists,

As investors, the local government and private enterprises in Cannes, France are attracted by the global influence and economic benefits brought by the film festival.

During these short 12 days, the festival attracts countless film professionals and tourists from all over the world.

At least 15,000 people are working in the film industry alone, and the number of tourists is even greater.

The direct economic income brought about is quite considerable.

By the late 1990s, the festival welcomed 2,000 exhibitors and held 700 screenings every day. This figure reached a new high in 2020, with 16,900 filmmakers from 118 countries participating in the festival, with 985 films organised in a total of 1,426 screenings.

You know, exhibiting is not free!

You gotta pay, man!

Therefore, during the film festival, the registration fees alone can bring in 3.8 to 5 million euros in revenue, not to mention the income from theatres; at the same time, there are more than 4,000 films traded in the film market, with annual sales of up to 1 to 1.5 billion US dollars.

The huge profits have attracted all film workers and film producers to flock to it!

More importantly, these sources of income can radiate to various fields.

The most notable impact has been seen in local hotels and restaurants, where not only have the number of guests doubled, but prices have also risen by at least 30% compared to normal, and this significant increase continues to increase year by year.

The 55th Cannes Film Festival in 2002 generated direct revenue of 130 million euros for its surrounding industries;

A year later, the direct revenue of the surrounding industries of the 56th Cannes International Film Festival soared to 900 million euros;

Since the 2005 Cannes Film Festival, hotels in Cannes have received an average of 85,000 tourists each year.

The presidential suite at the local Carlton Hotel costs 48,000 euros a night. If you want to rent a luxury villa near the sea for a week, you must be prepared to pay 90,000 euros. At the same time, with the increase in demand, it is natural to increase prices. Even the private rooms of private owners are usually several to dozens of times more expensive than in the off-season.

There is no doubt that the Cannes Film Festival is a commercial event under the name of "film art exchange"!

As one of the 16 works selected for the short film competition unit, "The Tuner" is scheduled to be screened on May 14, the second day of the film festival.

No one pays attention to the protagonist of the novel, but is he slapped in the face?

What a joke!

As "The Piano Tuner", directed by a well-known figure and a super-rich man, has naturally attracted the attention of countless media reporters, filmmakers and moviegoers.

On this day, the screening room was packed with people.

Media reporters from all over the world were ready to engage in verbal battles.

Gilles Jacob, President of the Cannes Film Festival, Martin Scorsese, President of this year's film festival jury, and several members of the jury panel also came to the scene to show their support!

“Oh my God!”

A journalist exclaimed, "Even films shortlisted for the main competition wouldn't have such high attention, right? Furthermore, they wouldn't have so many jury members appearing at the same time for a particular film. Most importantly, it's just a short film."

As soon as he finished speaking, many media colleagues around him couldn't help but laugh.

"Hey, man, what are you doing here?" A colleague sneered, "In this world, money is everything. If you have money, you can do whatever you want. Otherwise, why are you here?!"

As a result, the reporter was very embarrassed.

After a welcome, Kyle announced that "The Tuner" had officially started!

A sudden cold snort interrupted the conversation between Kyle, Jordan and others.

Following the sound, I looked.

"Hi, Mr. Bill McNickle, long time no see. How have you been recently?" Kyle found that the visitor was an old acquaintance, so he naturally greeted him warmly.

Kyle is the owner of Page Pictures. He is the CEO of 20th Century Fox, or to be more precise, the former CEO. They both make a living in Hollywood and have collaborated on the "Titanic" project before.

However!

Although Kyle is enthusiastic, Bill McNickle may not be friendly to him.

"Mr. Kyle Page! Thanks to you, I'm doing really well lately~~!" Bill McNickle spoke in a rather unfriendly tone, pausing over each word and gritting his teeth.

How to describe it?

Sarcastic!

Although Kyle is not very old, he is already an old hand and a veteran. How can he not tell the difference between good and evil?

Of course, Kyle didn't mind at the moment.

"I heard you became a director and even shot a short film for this year's short film competition. Tsk tsk tsk, young man, I'm not saying you have no talent for directing. You should just focus on being your super-rich boss. Hehe~!"

Bill McNicholl is still surly.

He hated Kyle so much!

Two months ago, 20th Century Fox lost a lot of profits due to the sale of its investment share in "Titanic" and was kicked out.

At that time, he swore that if he found the opportunity in the future, he would take revenge severely.

Although two months have passed and he has not thought of any good solution, now that he has encountered it, he has been feeling aggrieved for a long time, so of course he has to give Kyle a few harsh words and teach him a lesson.

"You are right. Thank you for your kind advice." Kyle responded very generously.

At this moment, Theo Angelopoulos and Bruno Ganz could not help but nod and praise Kyle's demeanour.

Jordan: “…”

Others don't understand Kyle, but as a long-term partner of Page Pictures, he knows Kyle too well.

How to say it?

The impression he had of Kyle was that of a young man who seemed mature but actually could not afford to suffer any loss!

"I don't mind."

Kyle smiled at Jordan.

Once people get older, inevitably, they will sometimes act like children and throw tantrums, especially old men. Understandably, they will have a few days when they are not in the right state and lose their temper.

Well, our Kyle is a generous person. Would he mind?

Of course, the choice is... to kill him!

You bastard, do you really think I'm easy to bully? You're not happy with yourself, so why are you showing off your seniority in front of me?

"Mr. McNicholl, it's a pleasure to meet you in Cannes."

"Wow! This film festival looks really great. Even the CEO of one of Hollywood's Big Six is attending in person. I'm sure the organising committee will be very welcoming."

"Mr. Murdoch will definitely be proud to have a subordinate like you!"

"You know, News Corporation, the parent company of Fox Film Corporation, and I are both major shareholders of ICQ. The next time I see Mr. Murdoch, I will definitely praise you and your virtues to him!"

"Eh? Mr. McNicholl, why do you look so unhappy? Are you feeling unwell?

"Would you like me to take you to sit over there?"

While speaking warm and caring words, Kyle held him tightly and pulled him aside.

Well, whether he likes it or not.

"Hey, hey, hey, Jordan! Why are you pulling me? Can't you see that Mr. McNickle is not feeling well?!"

"Hey, man, let go! Mr. McNicholl is the filmmaker I respect the most, a veteran of Hollywood. If he died here, would you be able to live with your conscience?"

Kyle angrily pushed Jordan away and pulled up Bill McNicholl again, who looked extremely old.

Damn it!

I'm just saying it, do you really need to do it?

Oh, my old arms and legs!

The picture is extremely "warm" and "harmonious"!

In addition, Kyle's movements and voices were quite loud, which immediately attracted the attention of many people present.

An old man's face was extremely livid and ugly;

A person who cares deeply and offers support;

The scene at this moment was clearly visible. Anyone with eyes could understand that Kyle saw that the old man was not feeling well and helped him to rest aside.

“Amazing young people!”

The person who made this compliment was none other than Gilles Jacob, President of the Cannes Film Festival.

"Yes, it's rare to find such enthusiastic young people nowadays."

Martin Scorsese, the president of this year's film festival jury, said, "Kyle Page is worthy of being called a genius Hollywood director. If a young man with such a kind heart doesn't succeed, who will?"

Jill Jacob nodded in admiration.

Several other members of the judging panel also echoed this.

For a moment, hundreds of film workers present gave thumbs up to Kyle's enthusiastic behaviour, and some even applauded and praised him directly.

Bill McNicholl: “….”

Jordan: “…”

At the same time, Theo Angelopoulos and Bruno Ganz, who were insiders, looked strange.

Old man Bill McNickle actually wanted to scold Kyle for being shameless, but now that so many people were applauding and praising him, what else could he do?

Should he explain the whole story and say that he was the one who mocked Kyle first?

Does McNickle still have any shame?!

The only choice is to grit your teeth and swallow it.

He is bound to bear this loss!

“Hiss~~!”

Bill McNicholl's face was extremely ugly. He gritted his teeth and whispered, "Kyle, you bastard, you pinched me so hard! I've got several bruises on my body."

"Hey, I'm just trying to teach you a lesson. You said you were fired from 20th Century Fox, so why are you mad at me? Is it really because of the sale of your investment in the Titanic? Fox CEO Tom Rothman and his gang have been trying to get you out so they can take over. And the two Murdoch sons don't seem happy about you being CEO either. So, does it have anything to do with me?"

Kyle scoffed.

In the original time and space, Bill McNicholl was also fired by Murdoch. Kyle's appearance only accelerated the process, bringing it forward by two months.

His expulsion from Fox had nothing to do with Kyle. Bill McNicholl had a premonition of this, but he was too lost in fantasy to admit it.

For a moment, Bill McNickle was silent!

He is a smart man. The reason he was jealous of Kyle before was that he was blinded by hatred. Now that he has calmed down, he can naturally sort out the cause and effect.

If he had no ability or intelligence, he would not have been able to serve as CEO of Fox for six years.

"this......"

Bill McNickle felt grateful but also a little embarrassed to be reminded and taught a lesson by a young man.

.......

The two of them sat aside and didn't say anything. The atmosphere was very strange.

In the end, it was the young man Kyle who broke the silence.

"Old man, do you want to come to Page Pictures?" Kyle said with a smile on his face.

"Huh? Stop joking, I'm annoyed now." Bill McNickle said unhappily.

Kyle said seriously, "I'm not kidding. I, Kyle Page, as the chairman of Golden Dawn Entertainment Group, formally invite you to take the position of president of Page Pictures!"

At this moment, Bill McNickle also looked at Kyle very seriously.

"I need to think about it. I need time to consider it."

Upon hearing this, Kyle nodded and expressed on the spot his willingness to give him time to consider.

This welcome reception was proposed by Gilles Jacob, President of the Cannes Film Festival, hosted by Martin Scorsese, Chairman of this year's jury, and co-organised by the local government of Cannes.

Nine members of this year's film festival jury, including Alain Curno, Chiara Mastroianni, and Chen Kaige, also appeared in attendance.

Of course, directors, producers, film distributors and stars from all over the world are also indispensable. They are the most attractive group and the foundation of the Cannes Film Festival.

Especially the film producers from various countries and regions around the world have been very enthusiastic about it!

The Cannes Film Festival is ultimately a commercial enterprise. Every year during the festival, the transaction volume of film rights sales reaches over $200 million.

Interests are the driving force behind social development.

"Hey, Kyle, it's really you!"

Just as Kyle entered the cocktail party to watch, he heard someone calling his name.

Kyle looked back and laughed. "Hey, Jordan! Old buddy, I never thought that you, the head of Paramount's overseas distribution department, would actually show up in person at this year's Cannes Film Festival."

Meeting his old acquaintance Jordan was something Kyle had never expected.

Every year, the Cannes Film Festival attracts representatives from film companies and distributors from all over the world, but Jordan is different! He is currently the head of Paramount's overseas distribution department, one of the six major Hollywood studios.

A big shot with great power!

Logically speaking, he should not be the representative attending the film festival; at most, he should be his deputy.

"hehe!"

Jordan held a glass of red wine and smiled at Kyle. "You are a well-known American billionaire, and you can condescend to come to Cannes. Why can't a worker like me show up?"

"Hey~ It's different. I'm here to participate in the competition!" Kyle said seriously.

Suddenly, Jordan was speechless.

After Kyle explained, he suddenly realised, "Sorry, man, I have been travelling around France, Italy, Germany and other countries recently and have not returned to the United States. I didn't know you picked up the director's baton again."

After a pause, he continued, "Oh, right. Speaking of movies, your company's recently released Wrong Turn 2 overseas has done quite well at the box office. Oh my god! It grossed a whopping $67 million overseas, which is dozens of times its original cost."

Upon hearing this, Kyle looked at Jordan teasingly on the spot.

What the hell are you sighing about?

The overseas distribution of my movies is now handled by you, Paramount, and you are the one who is responsible for it.

Of course, we are all just there for the show, so there is no need to expose it.

What can Kyle do? Of course, it's a business promotion!

"Wait a moment, old friend. Let me introduce you to some friends."

Jordan was a man of a quick temper. He did not give Kyle any time to refute him and rushed straight into the bustling crowd.

Soon, Jordan led two older men to Kyle.

"Hey guys, this is the famous Mr. Theo Angelopoulos!" Jordan introduced loudly.

Kyle was startled and immediately saluted the visitor.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Kyle Page, a new director."

No way!

It's true that Kyler is rich and has a very high social status in America, but the person who comes is Theo Angelopoulos! Ordinary moviegoers may be unfamiliar with him, but for those who have devoted themselves to the film industry and make a living in this industry, you can't have not heard of this name.

Born in 1935, he is known as the first person in Greek film!

During his decades-long directing career, he has created more than 20 films and won multiple awards at the three major film festivals of Berlin, Cannes and Venice. He is a veteran director with many honors.

"Man, you're too modest!"

"How can you be a new director?"

Jordan on the side said with a smile: "Mr. Angelopoulos,Mr. Kyle Page, who is standing before you, is a renowned and talented Hollywood director. His debut film, Run Lola Run, grossed over $14 million in North America and $130 million worldwide.

Upon hearing this, even Theo Angelopoulos, known as the "first person in Greek film", was shocked.

"Wow, Mr. Page, you are a genius!" Angelopoulos praised.

"No, no, I still need to keep working hard."

At this moment, Kyle, who always had a thick face like a city wall, was extremely humble.

Jordan, standing by, once again acted as a Kyle fan, saying, "Not only that, Mr. Page is also a screenwriter, producer, and the owner of a film company. Films he wrote, like 'Juno' and 'The Sixth Sense,' have achieved excellent box office results."

"Yeah?!"

Theo Angelopoulos, exaggerating a bit.

Compared to his identity as a director, his identity as the owner of a film company shocked him even more.

at the same time.

The old man who came with Theo Angelopoulos also looked at Kyle with praise.

"Kyle, this is Switzerland's national treasure actor, Mr. Bruno Ganz," Jordan introduced.

The two shook hands and praised each other.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Ganz."

"Nice to meet you too, fine young man."

Kyle is very familiar with the name "Bruno Ganz", and the film "Wings of Desire" starring him is hailed as one of the 100 best films in Europe.

Well, he is not young anymore, he is 57 years old this year.

——"Downfall"!

That’s right, Bruno Ganz is the actor who played the Führer Hitler in “Downfall” which is often spoofed, dubbed and ruined by people.

When the German Empire was about to fail, Führer Hitler scolded his incompetent subordinates in the air-raid shelter, blamed himself and roared, and the scene of several female waiters crying was regarded as a classic shot by many people!

"Huh?"

At that moment, Kyle couldn't help but think, "I could still make 'Downfall'! I remember the announced budget for this movie in 2004 was just over 13 million euros, less than 20 million US dollars. It's definitely possible to make it. But I wonder if there will be any problems with the script and copyright?"

In the following time, Kyle, Jordan, and the two old men started chatting very harmoniously.

From the conversation, Kyle also analyzed the reason why Jordan personally appeared at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

The film "Eternity and a Day", directed by Theo Angelopoulos and starring Bruno Ganz, has entered the main competition unit of this year's Cannes Film Festival and will compete for the Palme d'Or with a number of excellent films.

The copyright and global distribution rights of the film have already been acquired by Paramount!

You say, as the head of Paramount's overseas distribution department, can Jordan not show up at this film festival?

Once "Eternity and a Day" wins the final Palme d'Or, Paramount will make even more money!

"Snort!"

At this moment, a cold snort came into Kyle's ears.

May 11, afternoon.

When Kyle, Nolan, and their group arrived in Cannes and checked into the hotel, they received an invitation.

"Boss, this is an invitation to a dinner from Gilles Jacob, president of the Cannes Film Festival. The invitation states that this is a welcome reception before the opening of the film festival, gathering a group of filmmakers from all over the world." Alexander played the role of assistant very well.

Kyle understood and immediately waved the invitation in his hand towards Nolan, "Hey, buddy, do you want to go for a drink together and meet filmmakers from all over the world?"

Hearing this, Nolan shook his head.

"I won't go, Mr. Page."

Christopher Nolan actually wanted to attend the reception. As a relatively unknown new director, he thought it would be a good idea to see more, but he had his own pride and convictions. He didn't want to attend the welcome reception as part of others' invitation; he wanted a formal invitation, specifically for him.

"Okay, then you should go to bed early tonight."

Kyle did not say any words of comfort or consolation. They were all adults. If he couldn't even adjust this, Nolan would not be able to make such a big name in the future.

After washing up in the hotel, Alexander appeared in front of Kyle again.

"Boss, this is the relevant list of the jury of the 51st Cannes Film Festival." Alexander handed over a document respectfully.

Before the evening cocktail party started, Kyle started watching with great interest.

Jury President: Martin Scorsese;

Jury members: Alain Curno, Chiara Mastroianni, Chen Kaige, Lena Olin... a total of 9 people, all of whom are outstanding filmmakers from all over the world.

"Oh, the chairman of this year's jury is Martin Scorsese?" Kyle couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

Martin Scorsese, 56, is an Italian-American director, screenwriter, producer and actor who enjoys extremely high fame worldwide.

In 1976, at the age of 34, he directed the crime film "Taxi Driver", which won the Palme d'Or at the 29th Cannes International Film Festival.

In 1985, he shot the black comedy "After Hours", which won the Best Director Award at the 39th Cannes International Film Festival;

In 1990, he directed the gangster film "Goodfellas" and won the Best Director Award at the 47th Venice International Film Festival;

And after entering the 21st century, he has won many awards even in Hollywood.

In 2002, he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Director;

In 2006, he won the Academy Award for Best Director;

At the same time, he is filming movies in Hollywood, and his co-stars include many of Hollywood's top A-list actors.

For example: In 2001, he collaborated with Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz and others in the movie "Gangs of New York";

In 2005, he collaborated with Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon in the American version of "Infernal Affairs", which is also known as "The Departed";

Well, in fact, Leonardo DiCaprio is almost becoming Martin Scorsese's favourite actor.

The two of them have collaborated on a lot of movies!

In addition to "Gangs of New York" and "The Departed", there are also "The Aviator", "Shutter Island", "The Wolf of Wall Street", "The Departed" and so on.

To put it bluntly, even the current Martin Scorsese is one of the top directors in Hollywood and even the world!

"Mr. Martin is still very capable. We can talk more with him at the cocktail party tonight. Maybe there will be opportunities for cooperation in the future." Kyle couldn't help but sigh.

There must be involvement between film companies and top directors, that’s for sure.

Finally, Kyle took another look at the list of films participating in the short film competition unit and the Film Cornerstone Awards of this year's film festival.

"Wow, there are so many films participating in the first short film competition unit?!" Kyle was surprised.

In fact, anyone would be surprised.

This year's short film competition unit, well, it is also the first short film competition unit of the film festival. There are more than 1,600 works from Asia, North and South America and Europe participating in the competition. However, only 16 excellent works have the opportunity to be screened during the festival.

The elimination rate is frighteningly high!

As for Kyle's "The Tuner", it certainly had the opportunity to be screened among the 16 excellent works.

......

That night.

When Kyle appeared at the cocktail party, he was interviewed by many media reporters from all over the world.

The reporters' excessive enthusiasm really shocked many of the invited filmmakers!

"Who is he?"

"He's a movie star in that country, why haven't I seen him?"

"George, you don't know, I'm curious too."

"Yeah, I didn't hear any big-name stars were attending today?"

"None of us knew this young man, but the hundreds of media reporters at the scene all seemed to know him!"

Filmmakers from all over the world who were invited to the event began to discuss the matter out of curiosity.

It's no wonder they're curious; many of them work behind the scenes as directors, producers, screenwriters, and other filmmakers. No one, except perhaps world-famous individuals, enjoys the same media attention. For a moment, they felt a pang of jealousy.

“Tsk tsk tsk~!”

At this moment, a senior screenwriter from Hollywood said disdainfully to everyone present, "Don't you guys usually watch TV news or read newspapers? Kyle Page, a nationally renowned billionaire, screenwriter of such famous films as 'Run Lola Run,' 'Juno,' and 'The Sixth Sense,' and owner of the production company, Page Pictures."

As soon as the words fell, everyone around was shocked.

"Is this true?" a young director asked in amazement.

"Haha! With so many reporters vying for praise, do you think it's fake?" The veteran Hollywood screenwriter sneered.

For a moment, everyone around was a little disappointed.

Comparing yourself to others will make you feel nauseous, and comparing goods to others will make you throw them away!

We are both young people, what are you doing?!

At the same time, when they listened to Kyle's answers to the media reporters, they were even more envious and jealous!

"What?"

"Everyone, please don't talk to me about money!"

"I'm indeed a billionaire, but I really don't like money, I've never touched it, and I don't even know how much I make in a day. Remember, I'm just an ordinary director."

"Yes, 'The Piano Tuner' is my second film as a director and my first short film. You can come and watch it. And it's okay to offer criticism. Let's communicate more."

"Hey, hey, hey, which media outlet are you from? What do you mean I'm already a famous director and shouldn't be participating in the short film competition to bully these young directors?!"

"I'm only 21 years old. Am I not a young director?"

"I'm telling you, you have to report the truth, or don't blame me for suing you. Believe me, I have the financial resources!"

Kyle spoke freely in front of a group of media reporters.

Reporters: “…”

A group of filmmakers: “…”

You're saying you're not bullying me? You're a director who directed "Run Lola Run," a film that grossed $100 million in Europe alone, and a renowned screenwriter who's released numerous hit films in succession. How dare you shamelessly compete with us for the Short Film Competition?!

Many people were speechless.

However, Kyle did not violate any of the competition or judging rules, which made many people extremely helpless.

A young director from Australia blurted out on the spot: "How the hell are we supposed to play this?"

Time flies.

In an instant, it was May 3, 1998.

Golden Dawn Entertainment Group.

As the chief assistant to the group chairman Kyle, Alexander is currently fulfilling his duties and reporting to Kyle in detail about the situation of each subsidiary in the last quarter.

"Boss, first of all, Page Pictures."

"From January to the end of April, Page Films released a total of three films."

"One of them is Wrong Turn 2, which was released on April 10 and has already grossed $61 million in North America and $49 million overseas in just one week."

"The other two films were purchased by the company's copyright department from the Berlin Film Festival. The total cost of copyright fees, publicity, and printing costs was $3.5 million. Since their release, they have grossed $2 million and $4.1 million respectively, resulting in an overall loss of $970,000."

Alexander reported the revenue situation seriously.

A loss of $970,000?

Kyle frowned and said, "I remember that last year, we bought as many as nine movies from overseas and distributed works by small Hollywood film companies. The first half of this year is almost over, and besides our own films, how come we have only released two movies?"

Alexander hesitated to speak.

"Snort!"

Kyle snorted coldly, "I see. They're afraid of serious losses, which will lower their performance scores and affect their option rewards next year, right?"

Alexander nodded helplessly.

In the Hollywood field, those who work purely in film production will never be as good as those who work in distribution!

Because after investing money to complete the film production, the film production company cannot guarantee that it will win market recognition. In Hollywood, many companies go bankrupt every year due to the failure of the film. Even if you have a successful film, you cannot guarantee that every film in the future will be successful.

However, the situation is different for companies that distribute movies.

Basically, it can be described as "guaranteed income regardless of drought or flood", it's just a matter of how much you earn.

But.......

The distribution industry that is guaranteed to make a profit regardless of market conditions refers to the Big Six in Hollywood!

Hollywood's medium and small film distribution companies still have to tread carefully, fearing that the costs they invested in publicity and promotion will not be recovered due to the failure of the film at the box office.

Those that do well are, for example, Yijiang Entertainment Company!

It spent only a few hundred thousand dollars to acquire the "Blair Witch Project" movie with a production cost of only $60,000, but it was bold enough to invest tens of millions of dollars in "deceptive" and "viral" marketing and promotion.

Huge profit in one fell swoop!

It achieved an impressive box office record of $140 million in North America and $248 million worldwide.

I have to say that Yijiang Entertainment Company made a lot of money!

However......

In fact, most medium and small film companies don’t dare to do such a big thing!

Because they invested tens of millions of dollars, and basically, unsurprisingly, suffered...huge losses!

It is true that Page Pictures' distribution network has completed its North American layout and is expanding overseas. However, this does not mean that Page Pictures can be compared with the Big Six Hollywood studios and DreamWorks in the North American distribution market.

The reality is that the gap is still large.

Therefore, when considering choosing a film distribution company, the vast majority of medium and small film production companies, as well as independent film producers, will still tend to choose the Big Six in Hollywood. Even if they ask for a higher share of the profits, the publicity and promotion effects are indeed very impressive.

Since the establishment of the Page Pictures distribution network, it has released fewer than three films produced by other Hollywood producers.

There are very few!

Moreover, the distribution of these films often fails to generate profits, and may even result in losses.

"Alexander, in my name, call Kevin Feige, vice president of Page Pictures, and call the copyright purchasing department of Page Pictures and tell them that if they continue to act in this hesitant way, then forget about option bonuses and dividends, and get the hell out of here!" Kyle cursed angrily.

"Yes, boss!" Alexander responded quickly.

"I hate those cowardly mediocre people more than those arrogant people!"

Kyle criticised without hesitation.

In the following time, Alexander reported on the problems of UPN TV Network.

"You mean, Ms. Donna proposed to acquire Warner's WB Television Network?" Kyle asked in surprise.

"That's right."

Alexander responded: "In the work report submitted by Ms. Donna, it is clearly stated that the scale of the UPN television network should be further expanded."

Kyle nodded: "You can find the specific documents for me later."

"Yes, boss."

.......

That night.

After finishing his meal, Kyle picked up the work report submitted by Donna and started to read it.

In this work report, Donna Langley made extremely surprising judgments about the future of American limited television and public television.

She said in the copy: "With the further improvement of the Internet, satellite and electronic communication technology, the field of cable television is bound to achieve remarkable development in the future."

“Just like HBO!”

"With its wealth of talent and ample funding, HBO is bound to become a leader in the cable television industry, even able to compete with giants like ABC, NBC, and CBS in terms of TV series and movies."

"However!"

"In areas like variety shows and news programs, public television stations have advantages that cable television cannot match. They will continue to dominate the entire television landscape, and their profits will definitely increase gradually."

A long time.

Kyle sighed, "I have to say, Donna Langley's vision is indeed impressive. No wonder she was able to become the president of Universal Pictures, one of the six major Hollywood companies, as a woman in the original time and space."

HBO, a limited television channel under Time Warner Group, is also known as the "pornographic and violent" TV station because of the extensive scale of the films and TV series it produces and broadcasts.

After entering the 21st century, it has participated in the production and broadcast of high-quality TV series such as "Band of Brothers", "The Sopranos", "Sex and the City", "Six Feet Under", "Westworld", and "Game of Thrones", and has a large audience in the United States and around the world.

Its annual profit is extremely astonishing!

Well, even the six major Hollywood film studios can't compare to it in terms of profits from film production and distribution alone.

Let’s look at public television.

As of 2020, there are only five major public television networks left in the United States.

They are ABC (Disney's), NBC (Universal), CBS (Columbia's), FOX (Fox), and CW (jointly owned by Warner and Columbia).

These five major public television networks occupy an absolutely dominant position in the production and broadcasting of variety shows, news, finance and other programs. Even HBO cannot compare with them. After all, their main business directions are different.

Of course, the profits it generates are much higher than HBO.

"Donna proposed acquiring the WB Public Television Network to make UPN stronger and make up for its shortcomings in the public television field outside of the cable television field."

"In fact, variety shows like 'Got Talent' and 'WWE', once on public television, would generate far more revenue than UPN currently generates on cable television."

It is worth mentioning that the WB Television Network, which Donna proposed to acquire, was merged with the UPN Television Network in the original time and space in the future to form the CW, one of the five major public television stations.

Do you support the acquisition?

"If it can make more money and further expand the group's territory, why should I object?" Kyle couldn't help but smile.

A few days later.

That is, on May 11, two days before the official opening of the 51st Cannes Film Festival, Kyle, Nolan and his party set off for Cannes.

"Get out of the way, I'm here to show off!" Kyle narrowed his eyes.

The filming of "The Piano Tuner" went smoothly overall!

On the one hand, Kyle had seen it several times in his previous life, and his film school instructors had assigned it as an assignment. Moreover, the Indian adaptation of the film, The Piano Tuner, which achieved the highest box office in India in 2018, was also seen by Kyle and left a deep impression.

With the right time, right place, and right people, why wouldn't Kyle succeed?!

As of April 5, Kyle’s second personal work, "The Tuner", has been completed!

From script preparation, early film preparation, shooting, to final shooting, thanks to the efforts of Kyle and all the crew members, it took a total of 17 days, which can be said to be fast.

"Well, the next issue is post-production editing." Kyle sighed repeatedly.

.......

April 6th.

The movie "Memento", written by Jonathan Nolan, directed by Christopher Nolan, and starring Joaquin Phoenix and Jennifer Connelly, took 23 days to complete all the shooting and entered the post-production work such as editing, soundtrack, and dubbing.

Well, the shooting cycle was completed two days earlier than in the original time and space.

"Brother, please be at ease."

Jonathan Nolan consoled him, "The editors at Page Pictures are all veterans, not much behind the Big Six Hollywood productions. You can rest assured."

Hearing this, Christopher Nolan shook his head: "I am very relieved, but you know, this movie is not only my personal hard work, it also has the attention of Mr. Page. I can't let him down."

Jonathan Nolan spread his hands and said helplessly: "Well, what I said just now was in vain."

As a younger brother, he still identifies with and admires his elder brother.

Christopher Nolan ignored his brother and ran to the editing room to participate in the post-production of the film with the editors.

Hollywood adopts the "producer-centred" principle, which means that the final presentation of a movie to the audience is not based on the director, but on the producer.

This is the valuable experience accumulated by Hollywood over its long operation!

Directors are often a certain type of people who have their own artistic pursuits.

When they are shooting a movie, they will inevitably mix in many personal ideas and subjective thoughts, which will greatly deviate from the original intention of the movie and make the movie obscure and difficult to understand; at this time, producers need to be involved. They are the reins of the movie and minimise the difficulty of watching the movie for ordinary audiences.

Many Hollywood directors who have obtained the final editing rights will choose to let themselves go after losing the reins of the producer!

The movie "Heaven's Gate" declared the bankruptcy of United Artists, a studio with decades of history!

It is a typical work when the director lets himself go!

Therefore, repeated bloody lessons have allowed producers to occupy the top of the Hollywood industry chain!

Looking at the history of Hollywood after the 1990s, only a very small number of directors have been able to obtain the final editing rights.

However!

However, in the film project of "Memento", Kyle gave Christopher Nolan the final editing rights, not because Kyle fully believed in his ability, but because the film was too brain-burning, and without Nolan's participation, the film might fall apart.

.......

April 10th.

"Wrong Turn 2", which has been promoted for a long time and has been eagerly awaited by many movie fans, premiered on this day in 2,450 theatres in North America.

Wrong Turn 2 is the second instalment in the Wrong Turn series and has a certain fan base. Therefore, even though Page Pictures did not hold a premiere this time, it still attracted countless fans on the premiere day.

Crowds rushed to the cinema to watch the film.

On the day of its premiere, "Wrong Turn 2" achieved a North American box office of 13 million US dollars!

This box office figure surpassed the long-released "Titanic" and films from other film companies, making it the single-day box office champion on Friday; at the same time, it also broke the first weekend box office record of the first film in the series.

When "Wrong Turn 1" was released in 1996, it was limited by theatre scheduling and only achieved a box office revenue of 12.45 million US dollars in the first three days of the weekend.

I have to say that the advantages of the sequel movie are very obvious!

This is also the reason why major Hollywood companies will repeatedly shoot sequels in the future instead of restarting original movies.

Especially after 2010, many Hollywood movies that have swept the global box office are basically series movies except for a few.

The "Pirates of the Caribbean" series, the "Fast and Furious" series, the "Hunger Games" series, and the Marvel and DC superhero universe series...

It is really a sequel to a series of movies. It is too easy to make money and can avoid risks to the greatest extent.

Monday, April 13th.

"Wrong Turn 2" achieved an impressive $28.3 million in the North American market in its first three days of release!

Yes, it cannot be compared with movies such as "Juno", "The Purge", and "The Sixth Sense" which were also produced by Page Pictures. The box office results in the first weekend are very different.

Even the final box office data of the film may not be as good as the box office data of movies such as "Avengers 4" and "Avatar" on the first day of their release in North America.

However...it was very cheap to shoot!

The filming cost of "Wrong Turn 1" was only $1 million;

The filming cost of "Wrong Turn 2" is much higher than the first one, but it is only 1.5 million US dollars!

With profit ratios of several times, dozens of times, or even hundreds of times, what else do you want?

In fact, many medium and small film companies in Hollywood are jealous of Page Pictures' profits.

For example: Miramax Films!

"A bunch of bastards' stuff, why do they always find treasures?"

Harvey Weinstein, president of Miramax Films, said sourly: "It costs $1.5 million and may eventually make more than $50 million at the box office. If they can do it, why can't we?"

Harvey Weinstein is jealous!

He also has reason to be envious and jealous. You know, every year Harvey Weinstein spends a lot of real money on the movie box office and to operate the Oscar awards, and the energy he puts in is countless.

However, the cruel reality told him that his hard work for a year might not be as good as a movie produced by Page Pictures with a cost of only 1.5 million US dollars.

This is like two students who are about to take the college entrance examination. One has put in all his efforts but can only go to a technical college; while the other is addicted to video games all day long. When the college entrance examination comes, he crams at the last minute and gets a higher score than you.

Can you accept this?

In fact, there are quite a few such things!

Summit Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Searchlight Pictures, Dimension Films, Lionsgate, New Line Cinema and other second-tier Hollywood film companies all expressed their opinions after learning the box office data of "Wrong Turn 2" produced by Page Pictures.

"The thirteenth mirror, the first time!"

“!”

Kyle, sitting in front of the director's monitor, filmed "The Tuner" very handsomely and watched actor Paul Walker's performance intently.

“Crack!”

Not long after filming began, Kyle stopped Paul Walker's performance.

The scene being filmed now is the male protagonist, Adrian, showing off with his friends in a coffee shop.

Adrian is a talented pianist who has studied piano for 15 years.

But!

When he failed to win the coveted Bernstein Piano Competition, his life hit rock bottom. After a period of adjustment, Adrian picked himself up and became a blind piano tuner. In reality, he only wore contact lenses to pretend to be blind, which would make others think he had a keener hearing, thereby gaining more sympathy and more customers.

Even, you may peek into other people's lives and privacy!

He was immersed in this kind of detachment, as if he were in a bustling city yet seemed to be out of the world, fooling others without knowing it.

Well, he really enjoyed this feeling!

"Man, you have no idea how good this feels!"

The protagonist Adrian told his friend about his experience a few days ago when he was playing the piano and saw a beautiful young girl changing clothes in front of him without any scruples.

"Paul Walker, do you know why I stopped your performance?"

Kyle looked at him with a puzzled look and explained, "Hey, man, you forgot to recommend LinkedIn to your friends."

Paul Walker: “….”

The crew members around: “…”

Well, Kyle still loves advertising!

Think about it, man!

Given the future popularity of "The Tuner," whether online or in the offline DVD market, as long as viewers are watching it, it will definitely promote LinkedIn. Kyle is happy to do this kind of thing.

Of course, Kyle also considered, “Will product placement diminish the perception of The Tuner among the Cannes Film Festival jury?”

The fact is that it will!

However, Kyle was not worried at all!

The 1998 Cannes Film Festival saw the debut of a short film competition, and while many aspects were immature, its purpose was to provide a platform for young directors and students. Honestly, the first short film competition didn't produce any truly memorable shorts. Now, is it difficult for Kyle to outperform a group of children's shorts with his film "The Tuner"?

The answer is no!

If that’s the case, why can’t we embed ads?

I have to say, Kyle is still as cunning as ever!

Paul Walker completed the second shoot very smoothly.

.......

Around noon.

"Boss, Ms. Daisy, a reporter from the Los Angeles Entertainment News, is already waiting outside the set."

The appearance of Chief Assistant Alexander interrupted Kyle's meal.

"Oh?"

Kyle wiped his mouth and said, "After all, she has an appointment, so let her in."

"Okay, boss," Alexander responded.

It didn't take long.

Ms. Daisy, a reporter from the Los Angeles Entertainment News, walked up to Kyle. She was a 30-year-old woman wearing a white suit and looked very capable.

Of course, she was followed by several newspaper staff members, including photographers, full-time assistants who took notes, and so on.

After a brief greeting, the interview officially began.

"Mr. Page, according to our information, it has been two years since you last filmed Run Lola Run. What are your considerations for taking up the director's baton again this time?"

Daisy inquired.

"Of course it's because of my dream and my passion!" Kyle answered without hesitation.

When facing an interview with a reporter, of course you have to brag as much as you can!

Kyle is good at it!

Daisy asked again: "But,

You've left behind your billion-dollar fortune and chosen to film a movie at this time. Will this affect the normal operation of your company?"

The words fell.

Everyone around, whether it was the staff members of the Los Angeles Entertainment News or the crew members wandering around nearby, couldn't help but prick up their ears.

Of course, they were curious about Kyle's interview.

“It definitely has an impact!”

Kyle said solemnly, "Golden Dawn Entertainment Group and its various subsidiaries all have key leaders. They are undoubtedly excellent, but my presence will make everything run more smoothly. Therefore, if I put aside my work to direct a film, it will definitely have an impact on the company."

"Oh? In that case, why do you insist on directing the film yourself?" Daisy asked curiously.

Paul Walker and others were also very curious.

“Hey~~~!”

Suddenly, Kyle let out a long sigh, spread his hands, and shook his head. "Actually, I regret it! Of course, the regret I'm talking about isn't about directing the short film 'The Tuner,' but about founding the Golden Dawn Entertainment Group!"

Suddenly, everyone around was confused.

"What's going on?" Paul Walker muttered in disbelief.

...

Kyle looked at everyone present and said seriously, "Really, I regret founding Golden Dawn Entertainment Group, I regret acquiring UPN Television Network, and even more so, I regret creating ICQ, LinkedIn, and so many other industries!"

"Even though I'm worth billions now, the days I'll always miss the most are the days of filming Run Lola Run in early 1996."

"What is money?"

"It's just bullshit. Compared to dreams, it's nothing!"

"If I could choose my life over again, I would not hesitate to give up my billions and become an ordinary director, directing the movies I love. Seriously, believe me, these are all from the bottom of my heart. Alas~~!"

Paul Walker: “….”

Reporter Daisy: “….”

Alexander: “…”

At this moment, everyone around had the urge to hit someone!

Kyle looked at everyone's expressions with a smile, feeling happy that he had spoken out.

Oh my god!

"I finally understand how Ma felt when he said he regretted founding Alibaba. I felt so damn happy." Kyle thought to himself.

Half an hour later, reporter Daisy and others left the filming site of "The Piano Tuner" in confusion.

.......

The next day.

When the Los Angeles Entertainment News published the headline: Regret for founding Golden Dawn.

Many people who bought newspapers had the urge to curse.

Jobs: "He's such a show-off. If he doesn't want so much money, why did he buy our Apple stock? Go to hell, bastard!"

Bezos: "If you regret it, why are you still holding on to your LinkedIn shares? You are kidding me!"

March 28th.

Nasdaq Stock Exchange, Washington.

Today, three new stocks are about to be listed: ICQ, Forde Lawrie Software, and Qus Pharmaceuticals. Among them, ICQ, which currently has hundreds of millions of users worldwide, is the most eye-catching.

As early as several months ago, when ICQ announced its listing plan, it attracted the attention of hundreds of media outlets and newspapers across the United States. Countless American investors were eagerly waiting, hoping to witness the rise of another "Internet myth."

In fact, it is not that easy for a company to be listed on NASDAQ!

It needs to meet many requirements.

For example: The number of shareholders must be higher than 300.

Of course, ICQ did not meet this necessary condition at the beginning.

However, this is not a big deal.

For ICQ, which currently has more than 2,000 employees worldwide, internal employees purchasing relevant equity shares can easily meet the minimum requirement of 300 shareholders.

Weisger and other founding team members, Kyle, Amazon, Goldman Sachs, News Corporation and other board shareholders will set aside a portion of their shares in proportion to allocate shares to internal employees.

Kyle's stake in ICQ has been diluted again and currently stands at 11.2%.

Don't think it's too little. Kyle, who holds 11.2% of the shares, is still one of ICQ's largest shareholders.

Today!

On this grand day of ICQ's listing on NASDAQ, ICQ's major shareholders and representatives of investment institutions came to the scene and were about to ring the listing bell at 9:30.

"Kyle, I heard that you are a director again and are preparing to start shooting a new film?"

Just before 9:30, Bezos chatted with Kyle.

"Huh? You actually knew that!" Kyle was stunned.

Hearing this, Bezos curled his lips and said, "Come on, man. Haven't you been watching the news these days? All the major media outlets and newspapers on the entire West Coast of America have reported on this, okay?"

"I see." Kyle suddenly understood.

In fact, Kyle still underestimated his current influence!

Who is Kyle?

At just 21 years old, he built a media conglomerate from scratch in just three years, becoming a billionaire with a net worth exceeding $1 billion. His subsidiary, Page Films, has produced numerous hit films, and UPN Network is also a strong contender. Besides owning the rights to shows like "SpongeBob SquarePants" and "America's Got Talent," its recent WWE wrestling program has also attracted a significant audience.

Young, wealthy, self-made...

To put it bluntly, Kyle is now the top traffic among the wealthy group!

Everything here is extremely attractive to young people with dreams!

Just ask, how could the media reporters who have no moral integrity give up Kyle, the walking top traffic?

“That’s right!”

Kyle said frankly: "I am different from other wealthy people. Some of them like to be surrounded by beautiful women, some like to show off their wealth, and some like to buy islands, villas, and luxury cars. These are their interests and hobbies."

"Oh?"

Bezos teased, "Your hobby is making movies? Then how do you explain why there are so many different women around you?"

MMP!

"Mind your own business, buddy. When you get divorced one day, I will open a bottle of good wine to celebrate for you." Kyle, with a dark face, immediately uttered the most vicious curse.

Bezos didn't take it seriously either.

However, he never expected that one year in the future, when he really got divorced, Kyle would keep his promise and open a bottle of red wine worth one million dollars to celebrate in front of him.

......

"Hey, Kyle. Today's gotta be a big day!"

ICQ founder and chairman Weisger walked up to Kyle and gave him a bear hug.

"Yes, today is very important," Kyle said disdainfully.

Why are you pretending?

At this moment, in the eyes of outsiders, Kyle and Weisger are like-minded good friends, and good comrades who work together to create a great situation for ICQ!

However!

All ICQ executives and board representatives knew that Kyle and Weisger had long been incompatible.

The two had quarrelled more than once over ICQ's development model, unit operations and diversification, and equity issues!

Major shareholders of the company, such as Goldman Sachs, News Corporation, and Sequoia Capital, are also happy to see this.

As a company grows bigger, there will be more internal conflicts. This is inevitable!

Of course, in front of outsiders, especially media reporters, Kyle and Weisger both tried their best to play the role of good brothers and good comrades.

Fake rich people!

"Congratulations! I believe ICQ will create a miracle!" exclaimed the Nasdaq representative.

"Mr. Page, Mr. Weisger, you have created a wealth myth."

"You do not say!"

"What's Cisco? What's Microsoft? What's Amazon? Everything depends on ICQ!"

"Exactly! ICQ instant messaging software has hundreds of millions of users worldwide. Just imagine how many internet companies can boast such a massive number?"

Other witnesses around also offered compliments.

“Boom~~!”

At 9:30, when Nasdaq opened, Weisger, as the chairman and founder of ICQ, took the lead in ringing the bell for ICQ's listing on Nasdaq.

A sea of green!

(The green line in the US stock market represents more bullish forces and fewer bearish forces, which represent growth.)

The issue price of ICQ's stock was $39 per share, but it soared to $52 as soon as it opened!

It can be said that the growth is amazing!

Throughout the day, although ICQ's stock fluctuated, the overall upward trend was encouraging, with the peak reaching $109 that day and closing at $92.

.......

The next day.

When Kyle showed up on the set of "The Tuner," he was met with a barrage of compliments.

"Congratulations, Mr. Page. Your investment has definitely paid off."

Paul Walker excitedly said.

The news that Kyle invested only $8 million in the ICQ project in the angel round, A round, and B round was exposed by many media reporters as ICQ went public.

Especially the Global Times!

The Global Times published Kyle's investment myth directly on the front page, claiming: "Kyle Page, the new leader of American corporate value investors!"

Suddenly, there was an uproar.

You have to remember that the ICQ shares that Kyle currently holds alone are worth $6.7 billion! This wealth already exceeds that of many established family-owned businesses that have been rooted in the United States for decades. And this figure will certainly increase significantly in the next month.

For a time, Kyle became famous again!

Countless young American men and women regard him as their life idol.

Kyle was naturally in a good mood and immediately decided to expand the security team around him again.

March 20, 1998.

The filming of the movie "Memento" has entered the final stage. There are still more than a dozen shots of the male and female protagonists, plus some shots of streets and passers-by, and the entire filming will be completed.

These days, Kyle is still quite diligent.

During the day, he supervised director Christopher Nolan's filming on the set and fully supervised the operation of the entire crew;

In the evening, I review the day's shots with several assistant producers and arrange the next day's shooting plan with the director.

In the evening, after a busy day, Kyle did not rest, but began to work on the script of "The Tuner" and started the preliminary preparations.

"Well, I've already commissioned Kevin Feige to assemble a crew and start selecting the relevant props and scenes. We'll just have to wait a few days and choose the actors before we can start filming The Piano Tuner."

Kyle was busy but also a little anxious.

Because there are still 54 days left until the opening of the 51st Cannes Film Festival, and less than 40 days left until the deadline for registration for film exhibitions.

Time is short and the task is heavy!

“Time waits for no one!”

Kyle is the owner of a film company and a super-rich American.

The number of companies under its umbrella is quite large, and the number of companies it has invested in is even larger. Moreover, as time goes by, this number is bound to increase a lot.

"While I still have a few companies under my belt, I'll make a few short films. Otherwise, I'll have very few opportunities in the future."

That’s right, Kyle’s dream of becoming a director has not completely cooled down.

Just because you don’t have time to shoot a feature film doesn’t mean you can’t shoot a short film!

"The Piano Tuner" is a very good work, and the 1998 Cannes Film Festival was the first to introduce a short film competition unit.

Kyle doesn't want to miss it!

.......

The next day.

Instead of heading to the set of Memento, Kyle came to Page Pictures.

"Boss, this is the list of 15 young male actors I have compiled; this is the information of three male actors who met the requirements after the audition." Kevin Feige said solemnly.

Kyle nodded, looked at his tired face, and comforted him: "Thank you for your hard work. It seems you have been busy all night. Go back and rest early."

"Okay, boss."

Kevin Feige was not polite at all. He was exhausted these days.

As the saying goes, "The people above just talk, but the people below run their legs off."

A few days ago, Kyle called Kevin Feige and told him that he was going to make a short film.

As a result, Kevin Feige had hardly slept a single peaceful night these days. Setting up a crew was simple for Page Pictures, but it was time-consuming and labour-intensive! Furthermore, Kyle had asked him to complete it within a few days.

The most important thing is the choice of actors!

Hollywood indeed has an abundance of actors, but selecting the right ones is more time-consuming and laborious than it is a pleasant task.

"Dude, go back to bed early, I approve!"

Kyle personally escorted Kevin Feige out of the company and instructed a bodyguard to send him home safely to rest.

"Now let me look at the information."

Kyle opened the relevant actor information and took out the video recorded during the audition for "The Piano Tuner" and began to review and select.

.......

The first actor selected: Jeremy Renner.

Born in the small town of Modesto, California, USA, he is now 27 years old;

In 1995, he made his debut in the movie "School Rambo", playing a passerby role with only three lines.

In the following years, he participated in the filming of some films and television dramas.

"Jeremy Renner?"

"Wow, isn't this Hawkeye from the Avengers series who can only use a bow and arrow and play supporting roles?"

As someone who has seen countless superhero movies, Kyle was naturally able to recognise him.

The second actor selected: Paul Walker.

Born in Glendale, California, she is 25 years old and a professional actor and model;

In 1986, Paul Walker, who was only 13 years old, made his screen debut in "Monster in the Closet"; of course, it was a small role with almost no lines.

As of early 1998, he played supporting roles in many films and television dramas.

Of course, Kyle also knew him!

In the future, I believe many people will know Paul Walker, who starred in the "Fast and Furious" series.

The third actor selected: Kewhin James.

Canadian actor, 30 years old, teacher at a film acting school;

This is an actor that Kyle had never heard of in his previous life, but there is nothing strange about it. Not to mention that he is a Canadian actor, Kyle does not know every one of the many new generation actors in America.

.......

Two days later.

After the final audition, Kyle personally decided on the male lead for "The Tuner", and it was Paul Walker.

Paul Walker was naturally very excited when he heard the news, and repeatedly expressed his gratitude to Kyle.

The salary is 12,000 US dollars!

Well, it's not a lot, but it's totally in line with his current market price.

In fact, as the boss of a Hollywood film company, Kyle could have chosen those already famous actors to play the leading role in "The Piano Tuner".

But!

Kyle did not do that!

The short film competition unit, which was launched for the first time at the Cannes Film Festival, actually has another name - the Film Cornerstone Competition Unit.

This competition unit is mainly a stage for young directors and new actors to showcase their talents.

Kyle is not very old, only 21 years old, but he has already shot a movie called "Run Lola Run" which has grossed over $10 million in North America and over $100 million overseas. He is a man with the halo of "genius director";

Now, if Kyle's new work, "The Tuner", is paired with actors who are already well-known actors...

Hehe!

To put it bluntly, this is total bullying!

It's like a fully armed adult beating up a group of hungry children!

"Although I have a low standard, I think the Cannes Film Festival jury might be pissed off to death."

Therefore, the actors selected by Kyle are all young!

Before the filming of "The Piano Tuner" was about to begin, Kyle was eager to try it.

"Children, your big devil is about to appear."

That's right, by submitting a movie like "The Piano Tuner" to the competition, Kyle was simply bullying a bunch of kids.

The stage play "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" mainly uses the conflict of family traditions to create a comedic atmosphere. Although the plot is relatively niche, the overall look is still smile-inducing.

After watching the stage play.

Kyle asked his bodyguard, Adam, to get the phone number of the person in charge of the stage play.

Man, Kyle is the big boss after all. If he is a prominent figure, he can't just barge into the backstage.

Kyle and Bezos dined together at a nearby restaurant and discussed the details of the sale of ICQ shares again.

"Hey, who's treating us to this meal?" Bezos, the stingy guy, appears.

"Okay, you guy, I can't win against you, I'll pay the bill, OK?" Kyle scolded with a smile.

Hearing this, Bezos curled his lips in boredom.

Bezos is not someone who can't afford the bill, he just enjoys the pleasure of having others pay for it.

Rich man's quirks!

The next day.

Around 9 am.

In a Starbucks coffee shop near the Venali Grand Stage, Kyle met Miss Nia Vardalos, the director and screenwriter of the stage play "My Big Fat Greek Wedding".

Nia Vardalos, female, 36 years old, from Canada, is a filmmaker who is an actor, screenwriter, producer and director.

Well, overall she is still in a pretty bad state now.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have stooped to a place like the Venali Stage.

“Oh my God!”

"It's really you, Mr. Page!"

"Oh~! I must be dreaming. When I received your call earlier, I thought my friends were joking with me. I never thought that all this was true! This must be God's guidance!"

As soon as they met, Nia Vardalos became extremely excited and incoherent.

Actually, this is not surprising!

Anyone with ambitions for a career in Hollywood would be unable to remain calm when meeting a super-rich man, a film company owner, or a media mogul like Kyle. Even the somewhat flamboyant Bruce Willis was respectful and deferential in front of Kyle, not daring to offer even the slightest provocation.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Nia Vardalos."

Kyle stood up and shook hands with him in a very gentlemanly manner, which was totally different from his usual loser behaviour.

Well, Kyle also considers himself a person who cares about his reputation.

"What?"

After learning about Kyle's intentions, Nia Vardalos was pleasantly surprised and said, "Of course I'd like to make it into a movie. This is my dream. Also, I don't want the $200,000 script fee and copyright fees you're offering. I have only one request."

"Oh? Tell me about it." Kyle frowned.

"I want to be the heroine in the movie 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding'!" Nia Vardalos bravely said this request.

However!

After she finished speaking, she felt a little regretful.

After she calmed down, she suddenly woke up and thought to herself, "Oh my God, I was so excited just now. I got a little carried away and forgot that I wasn't just an ordinary person! He's a well-known super-rich man in the United States, the owner of Page Pictures, which has continuously released many hit movies."

In fact, these are Nia Vardalos's heartfelt words!

She is 36 years old this year, not young anymore!

Although she's well-maintained and looks only about 30, it depends on who you compare her to. Compared to the young women who are constantly emerging in Hollywood, she has no advantages. At her age, if she doesn't seize the opportunity, she will probably have to give up her acting career completely.

"Mr. Page?"

For a moment, Nia Vardalos looked at Kyle with some trepidation.

"Can!"

Kyle pretended to be in deep thought, then spoke without hesitation: "You are the screenwriter of this film. No, to be more precise, as a Greek immigrant, this film itself is a semi-autobiographical film of yours. If you want to play the leading role yourself, I can give you a chance, but the salary is...

It won’t be too high, so you should be mentally prepared.”

The words fell.

Excited, overjoyed, relieved...

At this moment, Nia Vardalos felt that she was instantly surrounded by huge surprises.

"Thank you, Mr. Page~!" Nia Vardalas bowed.

Hearing this, Kyle also smiled like an aunt.

Nia Vardalos naturally had reason to thank Kyle. After all, at the age of 36, this might be her first and only chance to play the leading role. However, what she didn't know was that even if she didn't ask, Kyle would have made her the leading lady of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."

As the screenwriter of the play, and since it is a semi-autobiographical film of her own, no one could be more suitable for the leading female role than her;

Moreover, in the original time and space, she played the leading role in this film and was the biggest contributor to the film's high box office.

Hehe!

Kyle once again successfully earned the gratitude of others.

.......

The contract was signed.

Page Pictures successfully acquired the copyright and script of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", paying $100,000 for the script and hiring her as the leading actress of the film with a salary of $80,000.

Kyle did not skimp on the cost of the script.

After all, according to the relevant regulations of the Screen Actors Guild and the Writers Guild of America, film and television companies cannot obtain scripts from others for free.

After the contract was signed, Kyle was in a good mood as he had acquired another small gold mine. He made a promise to Nia Vardalos on the spot.

"The film will enter the preparation stage within 3 months!"

Hearing this, Nia Vardalas naturally expressed her gratitude to Kyle again.

......

After many weeks Kyle completed the script of a movie he was familiar with in his past life

——"The Tuner"!

Of course, Kyle knew the famous movie "The Piano Tuner", or rather, he was very familiar with it.

This film was produced in 2010. It was written and directed by the young French director Olivier Trainer. It is only 14 minutes long, but it deeply expresses the perspective of a "fake" blind person and presents a delicious feast for the audience.

"The Piano Tuner" is considered an excellent short film worldwide. Many netizens in China have watched the film online and called it a "god-level film." Even on the picky Douban, it has a score of 9.1.

In 2012, the film also won the Best Short Film Award at the French César Awards, known as the "French Oscars".

Kyle is no longer a rookie at the moment. He is not very interested in directing a film himself, mainly because he does not have the time and energy.

"Huh?"

Suddenly, Kyle's heart moved.

"I remember that the Cannes Film Festival first launched a short film competition unit in 1998, which was this year!"

"I think I could give it a try, maybe I can win an award. My current label is that I'm a talented director."

Filming begins.

Joaquin Phoenix plays the film's protagonist, a man with amnesia, a man with only 10 minutes of memory.

Well, he is the kind of man who forgets what happened before after ten minutes!

The beautiful Jennifer Connelly naturally plays the heroine of this film, a barmaid who uses, deceives and helps the male protagonist.

Kyle looked at the beautiful Jennifer Connelly. He would never admit that he gave the heroine role to her for some special reason.

Today, Jennifer Connelly gave birth to her first child with her photographer boyfriend a year ago, and in the future, she will marry British actor Paul Bettany (the voice of Jarvis in the "Iron Man" series).

It is said that in the early 2000s, Jennifer Connelly went to court with her photographer boyfriend over issues of scumbag men, scumbag women, cheating, and the custody of their children.

Well, it's quite lively.

Being a producer is quite hard work.

Well, even if it’s just a nominal one!

After several days of filming, director Christopher Nolan was full of energy and high morale, and he wanted to keep filming, while Kyle was also constantly learning and supplementing his meagre production experience.

Memento is progressing very smoothly.

Maybe we can complete the shooting plan a few days in advance.

30 days, is it short?

Man, you have to know that in the original time and space, Nolan completed the entire filming of "Memento" in less than 25 days without strong support.

Now, under the intimidation of Kyle, all departments, including the production team, lighting team, props team, film crew, etc., have exerted 120% of their energy and fully cooperated with Nolan's filming. How can the speed not be fast?

However......

On the ninth day of filming Memento, Kyle was absent from the on-set production.

Instead, he accepted Bezos's invitation and went to the Venetian Theatre in Los Angeles to watch a stage play.

Venali Grand Stage.

"Hi, Jeff!"

"Hey, Kyle!"

Before the play even began, Kyle chatted with Jeff Bezos.

"Kyle, ICQ will be listed on the Nasdaq on the 28th of this month. We are old friends and partners on Amazon. Tell me the truth, how much money do you plan to cash out?"

Bezos asked in a deep voice.

"Who told you that I would choose to sell ICQ shares and withdraw cash from the stock market?" Kyle said with a smile on his face.

"Snort!"

Hearing this, Bezos snorted coldly, "Kyle, we have known each other for many years. You are such a cunning guy, how can I not guess your plan?"

"That's not necessarily true." Kyle teased.

Bezos suppressed his anger and said, "No matter what you think, I plan to withdraw from the ICQ board of directors after ICQ goes public.

And gradually sell off your shares and cash out. I don't believe you have seen Microsoft's strength. Once Microsoft's instant messaging is launched on the market, do you think ICQ can win this battle?"

"Who can be sure?" Kyle shook his head.

"Hey, man, are you sure you don't want to tell me the truth? Don't regret it later!" Bezos's voice became a little heavier.

Having said that, Kyle couldn't beat around the bush any further.

In fact, Bezos was right!

Kyle did plan to gradually sell his shares after ICQ went public.

Of course, this is not because Kyle is completely pessimistic about ICQ and does not think it will definitely lose to Microsoft's MSN!

You have to remember that thanks to the butterfly effect, the development it gained a few months earlier, and Kyle's clever advice, it avoided many mistakes, making ICQ much more powerful today than it was in its original time and space. If a real instant messaging war with Microsoft really started, it wouldn't necessarily lose.

However, Kyle didn't want to play with Weisger and other founding team members anymore.

It's so fucking disgusting!

Kyle didn't care that he had lost the position of Chief Creative Officer of ICQ. After all, they were the ones who would suffer the loss!

However, Kyle is now being ostracised by many shareholders on the ICQ board of directors, especially the founding team, including Weisger. They think that Kyle, who got a bargain, is not worthy of working with such great people as they are. They are determined to kick Kyle out of the board of directors and dilute his shares.

"Haha, you can!"

"I don't want to play anymore!"

"You really think I'm a lucky guy! If I leave, you'll be the ones who regret it in the future!"

For several nights, Kyle cursed Weisger and others for their stupidity in his sleep.

Soon.

Kyle and Bezos reached a consensus on the sale of ICQ shares to avoid excessive sales of shares, which would cause the stock price to fall and cause financial losses to both of them.

"Is it a deal then?" Bezos asked again.

"It's a deal, whoever lies is a bastard!" Kyle said gritting his teeth.

After the matter was preliminarily settled, Bezos and Kyle returned to their relaxed and happy state and began to look forward to the performance of the stage play.

Well, because it wasn't the weekend, and the Venali Grand Stage wasn't a well-known theatre, and the actors performing the play weren't famous either, there weren't many people here today.

The large venue can accommodate 1,500 people, but only about 200 people are sitting there, making the venue look very empty.

"Please enjoy the stage play 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding'!"

With the host's announcement, today's stage play performance began.

Regardless of whether the audience liked it or not, they all gave applause immediately.

"Huh?"

Suddenly, Kyle let out a sound of surprise.

"What's up, man?" Bezos frowned.

Kyle shook his head and did not answer, but wanted to confirm further.

Really!

Just 30 minutes into the performance, Kyle finally confirmed a fact.

The stage play performed today, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", is the Hollywood movie of the same name "My Big Fat Greek Wedding".

Audiences who don’t like Hollywood romantic comedies may not know it, but the film is indeed very legendary!

In 2002, the film "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", with a production cost of only 5 million US dollars, created a box office of 2.4 billion US dollars in North America and a global box office of nearly 3.7 billion US dollars, breaking the box office record of the highest-grossing romantic comedy in North American film history.

It is not a movie like "The Blair Witch Project" that relies on false viral publicity to achieve high box office with a low budget. It is a movie that actually set a high box office record!

How could Kyle, who always likes to pick up bargains, let it go?

Paramount Pictures filming base.

The crew of the movie "Memento".

Today is the day when the filming of the movie "Memento" officially starts. As the first producer of the film, Kyle naturally has to appear on the set.

Looking around the world, it is not uncommon for crew members to unite and bully directors!

Page Pictures was established not long ago, but many of its internal crew members have participated in the filming of "Run Lola Run", "Juno", "Wrong Turn", "The Purge", and "The Sixth Sense". The output of one high-grossing movie after another will inevitably make some people who don't know themselves feel inflated.

Even though Nolan has directed a movie called "Wrong Turn 2" for page Studios, he was inevitably looked down upon and even resisted by some people because of his youth.

Kyle's arrival today clearly expressed his support for Christopher Nolan and informed all the crew members that he was under his protection.

"Serwep, you are the production manager of the "Memento" crew. You should tell certain people to put away their little thoughts. If anyone dares to challenge the authority of Director Nolan or even behaves uncooperatively during the filming process, no matter who he is, you should tell him to get out. Do you remember?!" Kyle said.

Upon hearing this, Sewip, the old man from Page Pictures, nodded quickly.

"Boss, don't worry. I'm here to take care of everything. I don't care who makes the fuss."

As one of the first recruits to join Page Pictures since its establishment, Serwep is very familiar with his boss's style.

"Um."

Kyle nodded in satisfaction.

After accepting some interviews from media reporters, today's shooting is about to begin.

"On-site production manager, start clearing the scene immediately;"

"Camera crew, check the equipment;"

"Lighting team, please dim the lights a bit. We are shooting a suspense film."

"The props team, the set team,

Check the shooting scene again;"

.......

Although Christopher Nolan has not directed many films, his directing talent is enough to make up for some of his lack of experience. Under his mediation, the entire crew began to get busy in an orderly manner.

"Hey, man. I saw your shooting plan. You plan to complete all the shooting of "Memento" within 30 days, right?" Kyle walked up to Nolan and asked.

Nolan nodded. "That's right, Mr. Page. The script for Memento seems very complicated, with the main plot and the flashbacks running parallel to each other. However, as the director, after sorting it out, I found it very easy to film. Therefore, a 30-day shooting period is more than sufficient."

At this moment, Kyle was very surprised!

You should know that the movie "Memento" is very brain-burning. Many people expressed that they were a little confused after watching it once.

Even many viewers said directly after watching the movie: "Although I don't understand it, I really think the director is awesome, his imagination is quite big, and the overall feeling is very cool."

Many viewers also directly expressed their opinions: "I didn't understand it the first time, so I want to watch the movie a second and third time."

Christopher Nolan is extremely good at fooling the audience.

For example, in the future movie "Inception" he will shoot, many people, whether they are American moviegoers or other moviegoers, will feel confused when watching it for the first time, and many details cannot be sorted out, so they will watch the movie a second or third time.

Then he shouted: "The director is awesome!"

Kyle said again: "Nolan, since you are determined to complete the shooting plan within 30 days, can you guarantee that Memento will be completed before the end of April?"

"no problem."

Although Nolan didn't understand what Kyle meant, he still made the promise.

Kyle asked him this question for a purpose!

"The deadline for registration of films for the 51st Cannes Film Festival is the end of April. We can definitely bring "Memento" to Cannes!" Kyle suggested immediately.

Suddenly, Nolan was delighted.

Man, Cannes Film Festival!

As one of the three major film festivals in Europe along with the Venice Film Festival and the Berlin Film Festival, the Cannes Film Festival has declined somewhat in the past decade with the rise of Hollywood, but its foundation is still there and it is still a place that film producers and moviegoers around the world pay close attention to.

The Palme d'Or is still a very valuable award.

Haven’t you seen that a certain famous director named Chen has been able to make a living in China for the rest of his life just by relying on the Palme d’Or he won in 1993?

The main purpose of having "Memento" exhibited at the Cannes Film Festival is to enhance the influence of Page Pictures in various countries overseas!

Of course, the ultimate goal is to establish an overseas distribution network.

Kyle is now very powerful in America. He is a super-rich man with a net worth of more than 1 billion. Even the Big Six in Hollywood cannot easily control him. But it is different overseas.

Even a strong dragon cannot defeat a local snake!

As an outsider, Page Pictures, without a strong background, wanted to establish an overseas distribution network. It could only rely on excellent films to open up the film markets in various countries and regions!

"Memento" is not a big production, but director Nolan arranges the intricate plot under the calm and sharp camera language, combining many elements such as violence, mystery, and brain-burning; in addition, we can also see thoughts on the philosophy of life and psychology. It can be said to be a masterpiece with an exploratory spirit.

European film festivals and film producers like this very much!

This is an opportunity!

An opportunity for Page Pictures to open up the film markets in various countries and regions overseas!

Even if we can only enter one or two countries and regions, it will be a great success!

Without a sound overseas distribution channel, Kyle wouldn't have dared to rush into the Spider-Man and Harry Potter film series. Otherwise, would he have continued to cooperate with Paramount and handed over huge profits?

Sorry, Kyle is not that selfless!

Not that stupid!

"You don't have a comprehensive global distribution network, yet you possess the copyright to numerous films that could generate nearly a billion dollars in box office revenue worldwide. Then, you'll be met with a horde of vicious wolves!"

"The Big Six in Hollywood, even Paramount Pictures, which currently has a close partnership with Page Pictures, will definitely turn against us immediately and rush over to dismember Page Pictures!"

A five-year-old child carrying gold bricks through a busy street is courting death!

Therefore, although Kyle has many excellent film copyrights in his hands, he does not dare to start the project easily.

Spielberg's DreamWorks, isn't it powerful enough?

It is known as the strongest film company after the Big Six, and it is a prestigious presence all over the world. However, facing the exclusion and suppression from the Big Six in Hollywood, it can only swallow its frustration!

"Now, I must survive...I must stay calm." Kyle thought over and over in his mind.

What is it like to be a billionaire?

Kyle doesn't know what other billionaires are like.

However, after Kyle completed the acquisition of the publishing house, he handed all subsequent matters over to Victor. Otherwise, what would you do?

In fact, Victor is indeed very capable, otherwise Kyle would not consider giving him option rewards!

WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) company.

On this day, Kyle himself came to WWE. As a well-known super-rich man in the United States and a shareholder of WWE, he was naturally welcomed very warmly.

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, led a large group of people to personally greet them at the company door!

"Mr. Page, welcome!"

Although Vince McMahon is an old guy in his 50s, as a wrestler, he still maintains a fitness habit all year round. With a height of 1.85 meters and a weight of 105 kilograms, he is really strong.

"Mr. McMahon, I'm here purely for fun. You don't have to be so enthusiastic."

However, in fact, although Kyle said this, he was actually very happy in his heart.

Who the hell doesn't like the feeling of being surrounded by people?!

Without saying anything else, whenever Kyle goes out, he is definitely accompanied by 8 armed bodyguards; his personal car is a high-end bulletproof car customised by Ford. Except for its inferior armed force, its safety performance is completely comparable to that of the US President's limousine.

Of course, it costs a lot!

1.5 million US dollars!

You should know that in the United States, the price of a luxury sports car is between 150,000 and 300,000 US dollars.

Kyle's private car costs as much as 1.5 million US dollars. In 1998, it was already the most advanced type of bulletproof car that a private individual could own.

Under the flattery of a group of people led by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, Kyle followed them into the huge conference room.

"Mr. Page, although you came here with the intention of having fun, I think it is necessary to report the company's situation to you in person," said Vince McMahon.

Others around also echoed.

"Okay, I accept." Kyle waved his hand.

The content of the report is extremely boring.

It's nothing more than how many star players it has, how many viewers it has achieved on UPN, and the recent gains in brand marketing...

In fact, Kyle also has a simple understanding of these.

As a business owner, you may not know much about the operations of your subsidiaries, but you must be extremely cautious when it comes to financial expenditures. As long as you keep a close eye on the financial operations, you won't have any major problems.

"Mr. McMahon and everyone here, I believe that Kevin Feige, the head of the "300" crew, has already talked to you about the selection of actors before, right?" Kyle went straight to the point.

“That’s right!”

Vince McMahon responded: "Vice President Feige has reached an agreement with us regarding the casting."

Kyle nodded.

It’s such a great experience to have capable subordinates!

Vince McMahon himself and WWE executives are supportive of having their wrestlers participate in film shoots.

Since the establishment of WWE, over the past forty years, many star players have participated in the filming of movies.

For example: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who will become world-famous in the future, is actually a champion player who came out of WWE.

WWE is an entertainment program that provides performances. Although the players are performing, they can't do this for life. Even though WWE has no obligation to consider the future of these people, for the sake of WWE's positive image, it often supports them in entering Hollywood to make a living after retirement.

Moreover, from now on, media reporters,

Just a slight mention of these stars who left WWE would be positive publicity for WWE itself.

Anyone who can run a business in America is not a fool!

......

Two hours later, the meeting ended.

Vince McMahon personally took Kyle on a tour of the company, especially the place where the wrestlers trained, which was a special focus of the visit.

"Guys, come here!"

"Let me introduce you to a very remarkable young man!"

"That's right, the young man in front of you is none other than Mr. Kyle Page, the nationally renowned super-rich man and owner of Page Pictures and UPN Television Network!"

As Vince McMahon's introduction came to an end, all the wrestlers present were immediately excited.

Nowadays, every episode of their show is broadcast on the UPN TV network. As WWE players, how could they not know Kyle?

What's more, Kyle is the boss of a Hollywood film company, and this identity attracts them even more!

Who doesn’t want to enter the glamorous world of Hollywood?

"Welcome, Mr. Page!"

Many contestants cheered in unison.

Kyle still admired these muscular men. Regardless of whether they were really fighting or pretending to fight on stage, it was ultimately a way to make a living. Any worker deserves respect!

"Hey, man."

Kyle pointed at one of the guys who was over 2.1 meters tall and said enthusiastically, "You are the Undertaker! I have seen many of your matches. Wow, I have to say, you are really great. In the real wrestling scene, you are simply an invincible superhero! Many of my friends around me really like your matches."

This is definitely not something Kyle can brag about!

Anyone who has watched WWE shows will have a deep impression of Mark William Calaway, nicknamed "The Undertaker".

In today's wrestling league, he is definitely one of the top three strongest figures. In terms of strength and popularity, he is second only to Goldberg, who has 173 consecutive wins and has never lost.

"Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Page."

At this moment, he, who was 2.1 meters tall, smiled foolishly in response to Kyle's praise.

.......

"Brock Lesnar?!"

"Oh my god! You're actually so young, but you've already won the WWE Championship, the UFC Heavyweight Championship, the Japanese IWGP Heavyweight Championship, and many other championships. That's incredible!"

"I believe your future will be bright!"

In the future, Brock Lesnar also entered Hollywood to make a living and became an action film actor, but his glory did not last long.

.......

"Dwayne Johnson?"

"Oh? You like people calling you Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, right?"

"I know you. I saw you play in the '91 National Football League Final. Wow! You were only a freshman, but were the star player and won your school's first championship."

"Although you have only just joined the WWE family this year, I believe you will achieve success in WWE."

"Of course, even if you want to enter Hollywood in the future, I can help you. Believe me, I have the ability!"

Kyle looked at Johnson, whose mouth was grinning from ear to ear and couldn't help laughing.

Kyle was willing to give this man, who would become a Hollywood star in the future, a chance, such as the opportunity to star in "300."

Acquired White Castle Publishing for $7.8 million;

Acquired Smile Publishing for $63 million;

Acquired Bruin Duke Publishing for $70 million;

Golden Dawn Entertainment Group spent a total of US$140.8 million to acquire the three publishing houses. Even though Golden Dawn Entertainment Group is now wealthy, this amount is definitely not a small number.

"Victor, our current liquidity should be sufficient to support the layout of the film distribution network in Mexico and South America, right?"

Kyle inquired.

"Yes!"

CEO Victor nodded and said, "This morning, our CFO, Sister Martha, just reported to me on the company's financial situation. We currently have $120 million in liquidity on our books, which is more than enough to build a distribution network in Mexico and South America. Furthermore, even if we run out of funds, we can immediately draw on funds from UPN and Page Pictures to support our strategic expansion plans."

Hearing this, Kyle nodded.

I understand.

"Oh, by the way. Regarding the situation of "Titanic", don't forget to pay more attention to it in the near future and urge Paramount and Fox to quickly transfer the first share of the profits to our company's account." Kyle reminded again.

"Okay, boss."

"These six Hollywood guys are all ruthless. If we are not careful, our money will be taken away. I don't want to go to court with them over this money. That would be too troublesome." Kyle curled his lips.

The moral integrity of the six major Hollywood stars is completely unreassuring!

Every year, any of the six major Hollywood studios goes to court dozens of times over salary and profit-sharing issues!

In the movie "Titanic", Paramount Pictures invested 85 million US dollars and took 25% of the box office profit share of the producer, as well as related offline peripheral licensing income.

Judging from the current box office trends, the box office results of this movie should be almost the same as those of the original time and space.

In other words, the North American box office was 659 million US dollars, the overseas box office was 1.151 billion US dollars, and the global cumulative box office was 1.81 billion US dollars (this does not include the 2012 3D remake and the 2017 20th anniversary edition).

...

First is North America.

"Titanic" North American box office 659 million US dollars!

After deducting 39% of the theatre's share, 18% of the distributor's fees, 3% of the cost of copies and other materials, and 15% of director Cameron's share, the producer is left with only 25% of the total North American box office, or about US$164 million.

However!

This $164 million does not entirely belong to Page Pictures!

The profit belonging to Page Pictures was only a quarter of the $164 million, and in the end, it only earned $41 million!

"Damn Paramount and Fox, they're so fucking shady!"

Kyle looked at the report in his hand and complained, "Victor, look at their issuance fees. Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, shamelessly taking 18%."

Don't even mention that Kyle would complain about them.

You should know that under normal circumstances, the distribution cost of a film with a cost of over 100 million is only 8% to 15%, and the distribution cost of some films is even only 6%.

I have to say, the Big Six are really cunning!

The movie "Titanic" was produced by these two companies, and also distributed by them. Increasing the distribution fees is just a transfer of money from one hand to the other for the two companies, but for Page Pictures, it is a huge loss of money.

"hehe!"

Hearing this, Victor laughed in a very unkind way.

He laughed and scolded, "Boss, it's fine if you say that in front of me, but if you say that in front of Paramount and 20th Century Fox, they'll probably be pissed off."

"Don't forget, we made a ton of money at the overseas box office."

"Including North America, we earned $160 million at the box office alone. After deducting the $85 million in costs, we made a full $75 million."

"The biggest beneficiary will be the offline market, which we estimate will generate no less than $250 million in profits in the next few years."

As soon as he finished speaking, Kyle's anger subsided.

After calculating the accounts, Kyle really made a huge profit.

Moreover, even if the film is re-released in 3D in 2012 and again in 2017 as a 20th anniversary edition in the future, Page Pictures, as one of the investors, will continue to enjoy a share of the profits.

It’s so wonderful!

"Well, the next task is to integrate the three acquired publishing houses into one publishing house with three sub-brands."

For a moment, Kyle thought a lot in his mind and began to make long-term plans.

Why acquire a publishing house?

Isn't it to expand the territory of Golden Dawn Entertainment Group and improve the company's risk resistance?

At the same time, once the publishing house is integrated, we can start operating the "Harry Potter" series, and when the time is right, we can start the big movie mode in one fell swoop.

.......

20th Century Fox Film Corporation.

CEO Bill McNicholl, President Tom Rothman, COO Jack, Head of Production Giannopoulos, and Production Manager and Titanic Producer Grant Hill.

The five people gathered together to discuss the issues of Page Pictures.

"Bill, we're going to lose a huge amount of money on the Titanic project for no reason. As the CEO of the group, you must bear the primary responsibility!"

As soon as the meeting began, Tom Rossman, president of the group, pointed the finger directly at CEO Bill McNicholl.

The purpose is obvious!

It’s about holding you accountable and getting you kicked out of office!

If you don't step down, how can I have the chance to take over?

Production director Gianopoulos echoed this, saying, "According to the financial data, Page Pictures will earn at least $320 million over the next few years. The board of directors has already demanded an explanation for the sale of our investment stake to Page Pictures."

“That’s right!”

COO Jack: "Bill, you are the CEO, you have to take the primary responsibility!"

Grant Hill, the production manager and executive producer of Titanic, agreed: "Mr. Murdoch, he'll see how much money we made for him, and he'll also see how much money he lost because of our stupidity."

CEO Bill: “…”

Deserted by everyone!

At this moment, Bill McNickle felt very heartbroken. In addition to cursing the guys at the scene for being dishonest, he also cursed Kyle, the instigator.

If it weren't for Kyle, he would definitely still be enjoying the success and cheers brought to him by "Titanic".

But now, everything is over!

Really!

Within a few days, at the new board meeting, the vast majority of shareholders, led by Chairman Murdoch, criticised CEO Bill.

In particular, those shareholders who had long been dissatisfied with Bill took advantage of the issue and called on other shareholders to demand Bill's removal from the position of CEO.

Ultimately, the vote passed.

Bill, step down in disgrace~~!

"Kyle Page, you damn bastard, you made me lose my job, and I'm not done with you!" Bill McNicholl.

In recent days, Kyle has been busy expanding the territory of Golden Dawn Entertainment Group. Although he was rejected by the old man, he has gained nothing.

White Castle Press;

Smile Publishing House;

These two publishing houses came under Kyle's command.

White Castle Press is a newly established publishing house, having only been around for six years. However, its founder, Mr. Kim Kodos, worked at Random House for over 20 years and has an extremely wide network of contacts.

In just 6 years, he developed White Castle Press from scratch into a comprehensive book publishing house specialising in economics, finance, and celebrity biographies.

It’s one of the best of the small press!

We have well-established distribution channels on the West Coast of the United States, including California, Nevada, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon, and have good cooperative relationships with many well-known bookstores and convenience retailers.

However......

There are unexpected changes in the weather, and people are subject to misfortunes and blessings at any time.

Mr. Kim Kodos, the founder of White Castle Publishing, died of a heart attack at his workplace at the beginning of last month.

As a result, Mrs. Kinkodos, who was not good at business, had to reluctantly sell her husband's publishing house.

7.8 million US dollars!

That's right, Kyle acquired White Castle Publishing, a leader among small publishers, for $9 million, which was far below the market price.

Don't say Kyle is cruel and bullies orphans and widows.

In fact, shortly after Kinkodo's death, several authors who had long-term cooperative relationships with White Castle were poached by other publishing houses. As a result, the prices naturally dropped a lot.

Smile Publishing House, it’s different.

Smile Publishing, located in New York, is the seventh-largest publishing house in New York State. Looking at the entire American publishing industry, it is also ranked among the top 30 large and medium-sized publishing houses.

Especially in terms of recreational reading and children's reading, it can be said to be ranked among the top three!

“That’s great.

My Harry Potter series of books is exactly what I need from a publisher like this.” Kyle smiled.

63 million!

Golden Dawn Entertainment Group paid the full amount of US$63 million in three instalments and acquired the well-known Smile Publishing House in one fell swoop.

Well, the payment accounts of the two publishing houses are both accounts of Golden Dawn Entertainment Group.

In the past year, the revenue of Golden Dawn Entertainment Group was considerable!

America's Got Talent, launched by its subsidiary UPN Television Network, brought in nearly $200 million in profits;

Its subsidiary, Page Pictures, produced "Wrong Turn 1", "The Purge" and "The Sixth Sense", which generated profits of more than 250 million US dollars, and still had many outstanding payments;

What's more, with "Titanic" which is now sweeping the world, Page Pictures also accounts for 25% of the global box office share, including some peripheral profits.

It is no exaggeration to say that the Golden Dawn Group is really rich now!

......

Golden Dawn Entertainment Group.

CEO Victor said solemnly, "Boss, Smile Publishing is a comprehensive publishing group. We are particularly strong in children's books and recreational reading. We also have comprehensive book distribution channels covering North America."

"Although White Castle Press is a little weaker, it is a good reinforcement for our publishing strategy."

“Right now, we still lack specialised publishers in certain disciplines.”

Upon hearing this, Kyle frowned immediately.

Kyle was a little confused about why the publishing subsidiary of the entertainment group still needed a professional publishing house.

This has nothing to do with the entertainment industry!

"hehe!"

Victor smiled and said, "Boss, in America, in North America, and in Western countries, if a publishing house doesn't have specialised books on certain subjects, it will always be considered a second-rate company. This is why Smile Publishing House, despite its considerable strength, has a low market capitalisation."

“It’s not high-end enough!”

No matter what type of publishing house it is, it ultimately belongs to the educational type!

Even those entertainment and comics publishers.

The issue of education is a topic that citizens of all countries in the world attach great importance to. When this is extended to publishing houses in Western countries, there is a current situation.

——If you don’t have a professional subject publishing house, you will never be first-class!

.......

Do it when you think of it!

This is Kyle's consistent code of conduct.

Kyle immediately commissioned professionals to collect publishers that have professional books on the subject.

The best targets are of course the publishing houses of major American universities. Looking around the world, university presses such as Stanford, Harvard, and Princeton are all well-known.

However, Kyle knew a fact!

You can't buy them at all!

Among universities like Stanford, Harvard, and Princeton, which one is short of money?

Everyone is rich and powerful!

Every year, the money donated by outstanding alumni, major companies, and various foundations alone is a huge amount.

Therefore, Kyle set his sights on publishing houses that were not university publishers themselves but had good relationships with major universities.

Three days later...

Target locked!

"Boss, Bruin Duke Press is a publishing house with a long history. It was founded in 1928 by Troy Bislett, a famous psychology professor at Columbia University."

"Its publications cover specialised publishers in medicine, biology, computers, economics, law, physics, mathematics, psychology, chemistry, history, sociology, environmental science, philosophy, linguistics, geography, and other disciplines."

"The URBT magazine it published was a publication of very high academic quality in the United States in the 1980s."

“At its peak, it had 1,850 employees and a market capitalisation of $700 million!”

Although Alexander is a second-generation Russian immigrant, you cannot deny his professionalism. In a short period of time, he introduced everything to Kyle like a treasure trove.

"What now?"

Kyle smiled.

Hearing this, Alexander shook his head and said, "The heir of this generation of the Bislet family is a complete Idiot. Gambling and drug abuse are standard features. During his college years, he was expelled from school and served three years in prison for participating in a fight that resulted in multiple injuries and hospitalisations, and one death."

"His father, the famous San Francisco real estate tycoon Barkinfield Bislett, had heart disease and was so angry that he died because of this incident."

"In less than ten years, this Idiot, Bislett Jr., has squandered nearly $1 billion of his fortune. Now, he's deeply in debt and has been forced to put Duke Brown's Publishing House up for sale."

The words fell.

Kyle also personally looked through the information of Brown Bear Duke Publishing House and found that it has good cooperative relations with major universities in the United States, as well as many well-known universities in Europe, Asia and other countries.

Well, it completely meets Kyle's requirements.

"In a word, I want it!"

70 million US dollars!

Yes, its scale and annual profit are far lower than Smile Publishing House, less than one-tenth, but its market value is much higher than Smile Publishing House.

This is the benefit of high quality!

Kyle himself and the executives of Golden Dawn Entertainment have certain preferences regarding what type of publishing house to acquire.

That is, the publishing house that is the target of acquisition can be small and may not publish many types of publications, but it must not be in chaos or have bloated staff. Otherwise, after the acquisition, it will definitely not be of much use without great effort and a long period of internal adjustments.

Looking at the American publishing industry, the competitive pressure is no less than that of the entertainment industry!

There are thousands of publishing houses of all sizes distributed across dozens of states in the continental United States. The small ones can only cover a town, while the large ones can distribute books throughout the United States, North America, and even the world.

Black Bee Queen Publishing House is the first target of Kyle’s investigation!

"Boss, Black Bee Queen Publishing was founded in 1982. Although it's not very old, it's been showing impressive growth lately. We have strong partnerships with major publishers like Random House and Penguin, publishing over 1,000 books. We currently have 210 employees and an estimated market capitalisation of $32 million."

Although Alexander is a second-generation Russian immigrant, you cannot deny his professionalism.

In a short time, he introduced everything to Kyle like he knew them all.

"Okay, let's go and take a look." Kyle nodded.

As soon as Kyle agreed, Alexander, as the chief assistant, immediately assigned professionals to contact the Black Bee Queen Publishing House.

When the general wants to march, the soldiers go first.

This is a common rule of conduct throughout the world.

Otherwise, if every problem arises, the boss has to deal with it immediately. How can he be so cool?!

"What?"

"The Mr. Page you're talking about is the owner of Page Pictures, the young billionaire with a net worth of over $1 billion?!"

Mickey Wachs, the head of Black Bee Queen Publishing, was extremely delighted when he heard the news from the contact.

A man's reputation is like the shadow of a tree.

Kyle is no ordinary person nowadays!

Looking across the United States,

Among those under 30, Kyle was the richest. His achievements in building such a large empire in just two years attracted countless young people to follow him.

Because of this, Kyle was relieved and quietly expanded the security team around him to 8 people.

——Afraid of being ripped off!

In free America, there are gunfights every day. This is no joke!

As a wealthy American, if you don't have a strong, armed security team to protect you 24 hours a day, you will definitely not survive for long. Those thugs who have been poor for a long time and have evil intentions will definitely take risks!

"After completing this operation, I will either become rich or die!"

This is the belief of those thugs walking on the edge of a knife.

In the future, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg will have a security team of 18 people, all of whom are retired military professionals, and will spend more than 20 million US dollars each year on personal security.

Which of the famous wealthy people like Bill Gates, Bezos, Larry Ellison, etc. does not have a strong security team around them?

Kyle doesn't want to die young!

......

This day.

As scheduled, Kyle arrived at the Black Bee Queen Publishing House and was warmly welcomed by the employees of the publishing house. He also discussed the acquisition with Mickey Wachs.

"I am very grateful to Mr. Page for his optimism about the future development of our publishing house."

Mitch Wachs: "But Queen Bee Press is the fruit of my years of hard work, and I have no plans to sell it at this time."

Not planning to sell?

You are kidding me!

If he really didn't intend to sell it, he wouldn't have met with Kyle today.

It’s all a fucking routine!

"Mr. Wachs, as far as I know, you are already 72 years old this year. To be frank, how many years do you think you can continue to work in your current physical condition?"

Kyle narrowed his eyes.

"I'm in good health and can eat a big steak for one meal." Wachs raised his head proudly.

Kyle shook his head and said, "But as far as I know, just last month, you were hospitalised for a week due to lung cancer."

Would Kyle come directly to your door without any preliminary investigation? Haha!

It's really fucking true that the old man is cunning and the horse is slippery.

"Mr. Wachs, let's not beat around the bush. If you say you don't plan to sell, I'll turn around and leave without saying a word. If you do want to sell the company, then let's have a serious discussion."

At this moment, Kyle chose to be frank.

How can a man who spends tens of billions of dollars every minute have time to talk nonsense with you?

“80 million!”

"Mr. Page, as long as you are willing to pay $80 million, my company will be yours."

After hearing what Wachs said, Kyle almost vomited out the meal he had eaten the previous night.

So greedy!

The estimated market value of this publishing house is $32 million, and you ask for $80 million. This is either an exorbitant price or you are trying to make fun of me!

Snort!

Goodbye!

.......

The negotiations with Wachs naturally collapsed.

Even after several negotiations, his asking price was no less than $55 million, which was like treating Kyle as a fat sheep to be slaughtered.

In the following days, under Alexander's guidance, Kyle visited 12 publishing houses one after another.

The overall situation has both good and bad aspects.

The largest publishing house has more than 1,300 employees and a market value of up to 230 million US dollars. It is also a well-known presence in the United States.

However, the owner of the publishing house had no intention of selling it to Kyle.

"Little friend, haha."

"I'm telling you, I'm planning to sell the publishing house. That's right. I plan to retire on my farm back home in Texas and live out my days in peace. But I absolutely will not sell all my years of hard work to a young boy. Even if you offer me a lot of money, I won't sell it."

Since the old man said so, what else can Kyle do?

Of course, if Kyle insists on acquiring it, he can also start a third-party transaction.

In other words, a company is commissioned to acquire the publishing house, and then the publishing house is purchased from the company. Similar three-party transactions are common around the world.

"Little friend, if you're planning to start a third-party transaction, don't dream on!"

The old man continued, "I will specify in the contract that if the company is sold that you are absolutely not allowed to resell it within three years."

Oh shit!

What a cunning old man!

It has to be said that this is the first time that Kyle was rejected in the process of acquiring a company due to his age.

"Oh, an old guy with faith and aspirations is really worrying." Kyle sighed.