Lunch was held at a very upscale hotel.
James hosted a banquet with three tables, entertaining more than twenty people.
He ordered abalone, lobster, and all kinds of delicacies.
The cameraman assistant who had rushed over from home was stunned.
What was going on?
Was the shoot already wrapped up after just two days?
And this wrap party was really extravagant. Before, it was just a few tables at a regular restaurant, but today it was lavish, with Maotai liquor on the tables.
Wow, I've never tasted Maotai before, the cameraman thought wistfully, staring at the bottle. Just as he wondered when they could start eating, he heard the director's voice from the next table.
"Now that everyone is here, I have two things to announce..."
Everyone knew the gravity of the situation and fell silent, waiting for him to speak.
"First, the web drama we were shooting encountered some issues, and we've terminated the contract with the producer."
There was a short burst of applause; people weren't that surprised.
They had seen the director and the male lead arguing all morning and had anticipated such an outcome.
That pampered brat wasn't easy to serve.
When his sister was around, he played cute. As soon as she left, his true colors showed.
He was wild and unruly, acting like he owned the place.
Everyone had put up with it silently.
The shoot was supposed to take just a month or two, and they figured they could tolerate it for that long.
But today the director couldn't hold back and called it quits.
The crew was happy yet worried.
Without the drama, there would be no paychecks.
But then the director's voice rang out again with excitement,
"Second, Mr. King here is willing to invest in us. We're still discussing specifics, but it's definitely going to be a major production."
"And now, let's have Mr. King say a few words."
Under the eager gazes of everyone, James stood up and nodded warmly. In a clear voice, he said,
"There's not much to say. All I can promise is that, as long as you work hard and do your jobs well, I can ensure your salaries will double or even triple."
His calm, assured voice made people want to believe him.
The room erupted in applause, and everyone's faces lit up with genuine excitement.
Some bolder folks even yelled out, praising Mr. King.
"Alright, let's not delay your meal. Enjoy the food," James said, motioning for everyone to dig in.
The workers cared about just two things: what they'd eat today and when they'd get paid. They were indifferent to everything else.
Encouraging them to work hard and compete? Useless.
Paychecks determine effort.
With a monthly salary of $5,000, I'll slack off half the time.
With a monthly salary of $50,000, I'll write proposals while sitting on the toilet.
Rest? I don't need rest; only unproductive people rest.
James knew this well and didn't waste words. The director, who had wanted to say more, felt awkward and swallowed his remaining comments, sitting down to eat and drink with James.
Having seen James's Rolls-Royce earlier when leaving the film base, the director had full confidence in James's promises.
"Mr. King, do you have any thoughts about our new project? Should we make a TV series or a movie?" the director, whose name was Park, asked, filling James's glass.
"Which one is quicker?" James asked offhandedly.
"If both are major productions, they take about the same time. Some films take a year to make because of all the details, while TV series can reuse sets. A 20-30 episode series could be done in six months with some overtime," Park explained.
Director Park, a college graduate with a few well-received web dramas under his belt, had earned some fame.
But the industry trend towards short dramas and self-made media had made it increasingly competitive.
Rookie directors offering to work for as little as $20,000 or even $10,000 per episode had made it tough for him to get significant projects.
"I've got plenty of scripts for both movies and TV shows. If you have some time, you could take a look?" he suggested.
"I don't know much about these things. Let Avril choose. Whatever she likes, we'll make. Once you've decided, I'll have my secretary draw up a contract. For the first project, let's start with a three-billion investment to test the waters."
Park nearly choked on his drink at the mention of billions, raising his glass to take another sip of Maotai to steady himself.
"Mr. King, are you planning to promote Ms. Avril?" he asked, masking his shock.
"Yes," James confirmed.
"In that case, I have a fantasy romance drama in mind. It's about two men, one a celestial being and the other a god of war, who have lived for millions of years and fight over an eighteen-year-old girl."
"It involves reincarnation, eye-gouging, jumping off immortal-killing platforms, lovers stabbing each other, dying and resurrecting, turning evil and continuing to stab each other..."
"The two join forces against all gods and buddhas, defying heaven and earth, and in the end sacrifice themselves..."
The premise alone sounded completely ridiculous.
James, unsure, asked, "Do people actually watch this kind of thing?"
Director Park, full of confidence, replied, "Once you accept the premise and watch a couple of episodes, it becomes addictive. It's really satisfying."
James didn't understand much about TV dramas and didn't really want to get involved.
He believed in leaving professional work to the professionals.
Besides, he wasn't worried about losing money.
A three-billion-yuan investment couldn't possibly fail to at least make back three million, right?
And even if it didn't, at least he could say he gave it a shot.
"Avril, what do you think about this script?" James asked.
"Huh? I... I don't know!" Avril seemed like she had just snapped out of a daze.
Since getting into James's car earlier, she had been unusually quiet and distracted, even picking at her food absentmindedly.
James looked at her with concern and asked, "What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing," Avril said nervously.
James guessed that the sudden events of the day might have overwhelmed the young woman.
He smiled warmly to reassure her. "Don't worry. Just do your best with the acting. Leave everything else to me."
"I'm not scared," Avril said softly, looking deeply into James's eyes before speaking in a faint voice,
"I'm just confused about why you're doing this for me."
From a young age, Avril had learned one thing: when people were nice to you, they always wanted something in return.
Subconsciously, she felt James might have ulterior motives, maybe trying to sleep with her.
But after gaming with him these past couple of days, she didn't get the impression that James was that kind of sleazy man.
She was genuinely puzzled as to why he was helping her.
"Honestly, there's no particular reason. I just think you're cute and wanted to help you out," James said, straightforwardly.
Avril stared at him, her gaze unflinching. His eyes were filled with sincerity, completely devoid of scheming or ulterior motives.
A strange emotion stirred in her heart.
If what he said was true, didn't that mean she would actually get to be the lead actress?
A multi-billion-yuan drama, and she was just handed the female lead as easily as that?
But could the world really be this kind?
As her eyes drifted to the lavish spread of food on the table, Avril mustered her courage and stammered,
"Uh... Uncle, even if you're helping me... I... I'm not going to sleep with you."
James, casually gnawing on a lamb leg, didn't even flinch. He replied nonchalantly,
"Heh, I've got a girlfriend. I don't need you to sleep with me."
Hearing this, Avril's mood took a sudden downturn.
He wasn't interested in her. At all.
For some reason, being flat-out rejected by a man who was rich, handsome, and faithful to his girlfriend stung more than she wanted to admit.
Why were all the good men already taken?
She wasn't bad herselfâso why didn't he see her that way?
Her competitive spirit flared up, and before she could think, she blurted out,
"What if I didn't ask you to take responsibility? Would you sleep with me then?"