Repayment

Time slowly crept into early November, and a hint of chill settled into the air of Los Angeles.

After Irene returned to Los Angeles and finished meeting with Chen Shiyu, she headed back to the USC campus.

As she walked into the familiar classroom clutching her books, she felt a momentary silence fall over the room, followed by a sudden burst of hushed discussion.

She chose a random seat with no one around her, and immediately, a probing greeting came from nearby.

"Irene, I didn't see you at all when the semester started. Did you finish filming your new movie?" Hannie Charles asked in a syrupy voice, her face covered in exquisite makeup.

Irene looked up and offered a polite, distant smile: "Yes, I just finished filming not long ago." She and the other girl had been on decent terms originally, but during the filming of Legally Blonde, the other girl's overly aggressive tactics had left a bad impression, so she had gradually distanced herself.

"What's the movie about? Give us a hint." Another male student leaned in, his face full of hunger for inside Hollywood news.

"It's a story about youth and choices," Irene replied, her answer airtight and delivered with just the right amount of professional detachment. "As for the specifics, you'll see when it hits theaters."

Hannie didn't seem willing to give up; she leaned forward, lowered her voice, and issued an invitation: "Are you free this Friday? Let's call Vivian and get together. It's been so long, and it'll be a nice way to welcome you back."

"Sorry, I have plans on Friday." Irene declined with a flat tone.

She did indeed have plans—with her bank manager. She intended to pay off her previous loan first, then prepare for the financing of her next film.

The next action movie would require even more capital. Although she had surplus funds, there was no need to sink everything into it; after all, she had other business ventures to consider.

Hannie hit a soft wall, and her face grew stiff. After all, she had been bragging to the whole class about how close she was with Irene, and now she couldn't even get her to agree to a meal. How could she be satisfied with that?

She curled her lip, her voice loud enough for those around her to hear: "Don't bother Irene. She's a famous director now, her schedule is packed. How could she still care about eating with the likes of us?"

Irene didn't react much to these sour remarks; it wasn't worth the effort.

Smart people wouldn't go out of their way to offend a director with limitless potential, especially since they also needed those resources. As for the jealousy and gossip of fools, she had even less reason to waste her energy on them.

Seeing that Irene had no reaction, the others felt it was a waste of time and turned their gazes away.

Just then, the class bell rang, and everyone returned to their seats.

After class, Irene didn't linger. She had arranged to meet Vivian at a coffee shop near the school to catch up.

Sunlight spilled through the window onto the wooden table as Irene stirred her coffee, savoring the rare moment of peace.

"How's the class been lately?" Irene asked with a smile, her tone relaxed.

Vivian shrugged: "Same as always. Every time people talk about you, the bitterness in the room is enough to pierce the sky. Hannie didn't get what she wanted from you earlier, so she'll probably be sulking all day."

Irene shook her head helplessly: "She's too utilitarian. That's not necessarily wrong, but I just don't like it."

"After getting a taste of Hollywood, how could she ever let it go easily?"

"What do you mean?" Could something else have happened that she didn't know about?

"She went to intern on a film set over the summer as a director's assistant. She spent the whole first month of the semester bragging about it. If you'd come back earlier, you would've heard her sharing her 'internship experience' too."

"So you see, even if I don't like it, there are still people who appreciate her drive. But I'm curious, what kind of movie was it?" Irene's eyes were full of curiosity.

"Some kind of action movie, I think. I didn't really listen closely," Vivian said dismissively, though Irene still caught a hint of faint envy in her words.

"The timing for this film's start was bad; it clashed right with the start of the semester. I couldn't ask you to take leave to join the crew, but next time, I'll definitely save a spot for you."

Vivian was one of the few friends she could truly confide in at film school. She had her own ideas, and they had always gotten along well. Hannie had originally been one of them, but she had chosen a narrow path.

"I know," Vivian picked up her coffee and comforted her with great understanding: "It's not easy for you right now, so don't feel sorry. Besides, you look thinner than you did in the first half of the year. Filming must be exhausting."

"It is, very exhausting, but also very fulfilling. Watching the shots in my head come to life one by one is a truly wonderful thing. Everything is moving in the right direction," Irene said, relaxing back into her chair.

"That's great." Vivian and she shared a smile.

On Friday, Irene went alone to the Merrill Lynch branch in West Hollywood, Los Angeles.

Account manager Morley Leonard, a shrewd, middle-aged banker with meticulously groomed hair, was already waiting at the door of his office.

"Director Irene, welcome. Please, come in." Morley stepped aside to usher Irene into his office, which overlooked a portion of the city skyline.

"Thank you, Mr. Leonard." Irene sat down elegantly. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, she got straight to the point.

"This is the 6 million dollar principal, along with all interest calculated to date per our contract. Please verify it." She took the prepared check from her handbag and pushed it gently toward Morley.

Morley took the check, his eyes scanning the numbers and the signature in a flash, confirming everything was correct.

The smile on his face became even more sincere, accompanied by undisguised admiration: "Director Irene, I must say, your repayment speed far exceeded our initial expectations. This has undoubtedly been a very successful partnership. Congratulations on your film's box office success."

"Thank you." Irene maintained her elegant smile. "A successful partnership is worth continuing, which is the other reason I'm here today."

"Oh? Please, tell me what you have in mind, Director Irene." A flash of surprise crossed Morley's eyes, immediately replaced by keen interest.

"I'd like to know, based on my proven profitability and my clear development plan for the future, what kind of credit limit Merrill can provide for my next project?"

Morley hadn't expected that, at the very moment she finished paying off a loan that would be astronomical to an ordinary person, Irene would immediately propose an even larger financing requirement. Such ambition and courage were extremely rare in a female director so young.

"That is a very exciting question, Director Irene," Morley said, carefully choosing his words. "Theoretically, paying off a 6 million dollar loan early is the strongest proof of your credit and capability. We can certainly provide you with a higher credit limit. As for the specific figure, I believe it would depend on the details of your next project. Perhaps you could also use your studio's equity or the future revenue rights of your projects as collateral."

Irene didn't reply immediately.

He observed Irene's reaction and continued: "May I ask what the budget for your next project is?"

"For my next film, I plan to shoot an action movie, so the cost should be between 30 and 50 million dollars. Based on a 30% investment share, I would need a loan of approximately 12 million dollars." She paused slightly, throwing out her bargaining chip: "I can consider offering up to 10% equity in my personal studio as additional collateral. However, I would like the interest rate to be 50 basis points lower than what you just estimated."

Morley's brain worked rapidly. A 12 million dollar budget, plus the studio equity as collateral—this already exceeded his initial expectations.

It seemed this young director was extremely confident in herself, doubling her loan without a moment's hesitation.

"Director Irene, your proposal is very attractive, but please forgive me for not being able to give you an answer immediately. You will need to provide a more detailed business plan, and we will also need to conduct a series of evaluations, but I think it is entirely possible for me to secure a highly competitive interest rate for you."

"Very well. When I truly need this money, I will have all the materials you require ready. Let's end our discussion here for today. Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Leonard." Irene stood up and took the initiative to reach out her hand.

Leonard also stood up immediately and shook her hand solemnly.

"I look forward to our next cooperation."

If you can't find the book by its title, try searching for the author; perhaps the title has simply been changed!