America Tycoon: The Wolf of Showbiz

After two consecutive films directly associated with Martin Davis failed at the box office, Jon Berg couldn't help but have some thoughts, particularly when he saw Martin at the premiere, he felt uneasy.

"Is it possible that all this was Martin Davis's doing on purpose?" he thought more and more uneasily, "Deliberately letting Warner Bros. get their hands on these two projects?"

But after pondering for a while, Jon Bern felt it didn't make sense, the variables in film production were too great, who could say with certainty that if these projects went to Warner, they would definitely fail?

After all, Warner had a mature operating mechanism, led by an exceptional management team headed by him.

Jon Berg was indecisive, fluctuating between different ideas.

He picked up the phone and called McDonald, his trusted subordinate and the one who had acquired the rights to "Dark Places," to inquire in detail about the situation back then.

Nothing special.

However, Jon Berg still kept his guard up, recalling the two books he had seen in Martin Davis's office — "Jack and the Beanstalk" and "Jack the Giant Slayer."

The project was almost completed, with over 200 million US dollars already invested, there was no turning back.

"Jack the Giant Slayer" absolutely must not fail!

So, change was imperative!

The failure of "Dark Places," which took into consideration Gillian Flynn's opinions, solidified Jon Berg's resolve to reform the traditional Hollywood production model and to use his genius creative ideas.

He aimed to gather the expertise of many, extracting the essence of multiple different editing versions, to create an unprecedented super blockbuster.

Jon Berg called in his secretary and asked, "How is the formation of the expert viewing team going?"

The secretary replied, "Most of the people we've invited have given us positive responses."

Jon Berg breathed a sigh of relief; once the different editing versions were complete, they could begin the epic reform.

...

At the Disney Studio, the "Escape from Tehran" film crew.

There weren't many scenes for Martin to shoot today, so he had plenty of free time.

During a break in filming, Nicholson, who had come to visit the set, put down his copy of "Hollywood Reporter" and asked Martin beside him, "I remember you mentioned that you first came across the original novel of 'Dark Places,' and then Warner snatched it from you."

There was no need for Martin to deny it, "Yeah, Warner planted a mole around me, as soon as Gillian Flynn approached me, they got wind of it and sent someone to buy the rights at a high price."

Nicholson knew what a bastard he was dealing with, "You're a bastard with a particularly strong desire for revenge, yet you didn't retaliate against Warner, which is very out of character for you."

Martin flipped him the bird straightaway, "I didn't have as much money as Warner, naturally I couldn't compete with them."

That statement seemed reasonable at first, but Nicholson thought about it and said, "No, I remember 'Pharaoh and the Gods' was also a project stolen from you by Warner, which lost even more than 'Dark Places,' and you also lured Megan Ellison with a film project..."

"Hold on!" Martin, reminded of the woman who could pass for Larry Ellison's lookalike, quickly corrected, "Jack, watch your language, was that seduction?"

Nicholson was convinced he was right, "You indeed were using this method to screw over Warner."

He cut in before Martin could speak, "Many people during their career's ascent develop a peculiar sense for projects and roles, and the difference between good and bad often hangs by a thread, a single thought that determines success or failure."

Martin was curious, "Like you back in the day?"

Nicholson shook his head, "Compared to you, I'm a goddamn saint. I just directly refused the ones I didn't fancy. However, Schwarzenegger, at the height of his fame, used a similar method to screw over Stallone."

He briefly said, "At the time, the two major action stars were fiercely competitive, Schwarzenegger had a powerful ascending momentum, and Stallone was at the tail end of his peak. The two bastards had stolen roles from each other on several occasions, then Schwarzenegger used a project he wasn't keen on to bait Stallone. As a result, Stallone slipped from his peak, and Schwarzenegger became Hollywood's leading action star of the nineties."

Martin had heard of these things, "With so many people eyeing me, if I show interest in a project, a bunch of them jump out to compete. What can I do? Even if I finally get it, after competing with so many, at what cost."

Nicholson was curious, "The issue with Megan Ellison was because of Depp, but what about Warner?"

"Jack, you're retired, you have little contact with Warner Bros.' new executives; I, on the other hand, have had many dealings with them." Martin put it simply, "These projects, in the hands of other companies, might not necessarily fail, but under the current management of Warner, the likelihood of failure is greater."

Louise had many news sources within Warner, and Jon Berg's bizarre maneuvers were staggering to Martin.

When the crew was about to wrap up for the morning, Bruce came over, "Gillian is here."

Martin exited the stage and met his old neighbor.

Apparently under a lot of stress lately, Gillian looked worse for wear as she said to Martin, "Let's talk."

Martin pointed to a nearby rest chair and sat down, then asked, "What brought you here today?"

Gillian forced a bittersweet smile, "I just got the news that Warner Bros. has blacklisted me for collaboration."

Martin offered consolation, "Hollywood has many production companies; don't take it too much to heart."

"It's also my fault for being shortsighted," Gillian regretted deeply, "For the sake of a bit of immediate gain, I gave up patience and turned to cooperate with Warner, only to mess up the film in the end, and even the sales of my book suffered."

The film adaptation of "Dark Places" was poorly received, which in turn affected the original novel, drawing many negative reviews.

Random House predicted that the novel would fall off the bestseller list that week.

Martin never had any objections towards Gillian about this, as Davis Studio simply couldn't offer the kind of terms that Warner Bros. could.

Gillian asked, "Martin, if I have a new work, can I still come to you for help? If you think it's good, I won't collaborate with other companies."

Martin smiled and said, "Of course, you can. Whenever you create a new work, feel free to come to me."

Gillian obviously breathed a sigh of relief. As long as she could still work with Martin, she had a foothold in Hollywood.

She hurriedly said, "If there's anything you need me for, just give me a call. I'm going to go out and collect materials to prepare for writing my new book."

Martin didn't plan to disturb her and said, "I'll look forward to your new work. Focus on preparing the new book."

Gillian Flynn then took her leave.

Martin called Bruce to go to the restaurant for lunch. They had just sat down with their food when Silsa Ronan came over with her tray.

"You're back, Teacher!" She was a bit excited.

Martin gave Silsa a glance, "Ran into some good fortune, you're so happy?"

Silsa was quite the charmer, "Seeing Teacher again, of course I'm happy." She asked, "I've learned a new song recently, can I sing it for you after we eat?"

Seeing her enthusiasm, Martin didn't want to dampen her spirits, and after all, he might really need her later on, "Sure, let's find a quiet place after the meal."

Silsa's face lit up, "Great! Great!"

This was the largest restaurant in the Disney Studio, and many crews shooting here would choose to dine here.

The crew of "Noah's Ark" gradually entered from outside one after another.

The assistant Alanna reminded her employer, "Emma, look to your left."

Emma Watson turned her head and saw her arch rival Silsa Ronan enjoying a meal with her so-called Teacher. They seemed to be chatting very happily, and from her angle, it looked quite intimate.

She withdrew her gaze, took a plate to get lunch, picked up some vegetarian dishes, and sat down at a quiet spot.

When her assistant arrived, Emma said, "Eat quickly. Those two look like they're about to stir up some trouble. Once you're done, follow them secretly and see if you can capture any private moments."

Having worked briefly on Fleet Street, Alanna was quite experienced in this and said, "Leave it to me."

Emma Watson shot another glance at her rival. Seeing Silsa's cheerful demeanor annoyed her.

Alanna munched down a burger, which quickly disappeared into her stomach, followed by gulping down a can of coke. She nodded at Emma Watson, picked up her bag, and left the restaurant. She crossed the main road of the studio and found a bench on the diagonal side, pulled out the latest model of smartphone, adjusted the camera settings, and kept her eyes on the restaurant's main entrance.

It wasn't long before she saw Silsa Ronan and Martin Davis exit the restaurant together, heading towards an office building not far away.

Alanna had been here some time and knew that was the working studio of "Escape from Tehran."

The two ahead seemed to be discussing something, constantly turning their heads to talk to each other.

A thought struck Alanna, and she shifted positions a few times to take pictures. With the photographic skills she learned on Fleet Street and a special angle, she captured many images and videos that could easily be misinterpreted.

Ever since the crew of "Pirates of the Caribbean" filmed here and the box office exploded, the Disney Studio had revived its vitality. Many crews had shot films here over the years.

During lunchtime, the road near the restaurant was bustling with people.

Mixed in the crowd, Alanna occasionally looked up from her smartphone, much like many young people addicted to social media apps.

Martin and Silsa entered the studio and came to the lobby lounge.

A few receptionists curiously watched them, unsure what the two were up to.

Soon, a humming that mimicked Sarah Brightman's style came from Silsa's lips.

She was singing "Scarborough Fair."

Martin could tell that Silsa was truly putting effort into learning to sing.

Bruce, leaning on the door, felt his phone vibrate several times; he took it out and clicked open a text message. It was from the security guard hanging back who sent it.

"Suspected stalker taking photos of Martin."

Bruce replied, "Find out more."

With smartphones now so powerful and Disney Studio so crowded, it was quite common for onlookers to take out their phones and shoot, given Martin's current fame.

The message was sent, and not too long after, a reply quickly came back: "Confirmed, a woman is taking pictures of Martin."

Bruce walked over to the window and looked outside. There were many people outside the studio.

He sent a message again, "Identify the person."