Life Is a Vast River

Time flies, like a white steed passing a crack.

When Lin Yuan once again set foot on Californian soil, it was already March 2001.

California is the state with the highest GDP in the US. Not only does it have famous cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco, but industrial hubs like Hollywood and Silicon Valley are also located here.

In 2000, California's GDP reached a staggering 1.36 trillion US dollars, holding a position in North America similar to Guangdong Province in China.

Even if California were considered an independent economy and ranked internationally by GDP, it would only trail behind the US, Japan, Germany, and the UK, with an economic output comparable to France.

As for mainland China at that time, its GDP had only just surpassed 1.2 trillion US dollars.

It could be said that California's immense economic strength was a microcosm of America's economic dominance.

The reason Lin Yuan came to California was that Universal Pictures' headquarters was located in the state of California.

As one of the eight major Hollywood film studios, alongside Paramount Pictures, Disney Pictures, and Warner Bros., Universal Pictures was an undisputed giant.

"The Fast and the Furious," "Jurassic Park," "The Mummy Returns," "The Bourne Identity"... a series of famous IP films were produced and distributed by Universal Pictures.

By the time Universal Pictures acquired DreamWorks Animation in 2016, and its rival MGM fell into bankruptcy and restructuring crisis, Universal Pictures had even reclaimed its position as Hollywood's top film company.

This was one of Hollywood's most powerful allies. Lin Yuan had a deep connection with Universal Pictures; the two films he was currently involved in were both produced by Universal Pictures.

His arrival today was naturally related to these two films.

The post-production for "The Fast and the Furious" and "Jurassic Park 3" was basically complete, and they were about to enter the promotion and pre-release phase.

A decision meeting regarding the release of these two films would be held today.

When Lin Yuan arrived at the Universal Pictures headquarters building at 100 Universal Plaza in California, Director Cohen and Director Johnston were already waiting for him.

Upon seeing Lin Yuan, Director Johnston waved with a smile, while Director Cohen walked up and said, "Today's meeting is very important; it concerns the success or failure of our two films, so we must take it seriously."

Lin Yuan nodded. "The main thing is the release plan, right? Are there any potential problems today?"

The release plan included details such as how much money would be spent on promoting the films, when they would be released, and whether box office guarantees would be offered to theaters.

This involved a complete marketing strategy targeting both audiences and theaters, playing a crucial role in a film's final box office performance.

While the release plan seemed complex, it ultimately boiled down to two points: how much were they willing to spend, and how much confidence did they have in recouping their investment?

These two points were actually intertwined. High investment could lead to high returns, but excessive spending wasn't always beneficial; reckless spending could even lead to losses for projects that were otherwise profitable.

This kind of highly subjective planning was easily susceptible to interference.

Therefore, Lin Yuan immediately guessed that there might be variables.

Director Cohen said with some concern, "You're right. I heard from an old friend at Universal that things aren't looking good today; it's going to be a tough battle."

"We might get stuck at a critical juncture?" Lin Yuan asked.

"What we want, we might not get," Director Cohen said, clearly disheartened.

Lin Yuan smiled and patted Director Cohen's shoulder. "Don't worry, I'm prepared."

"What did you do now?"

"I made some small preparations. It's best if they're not needed. If I say anything today, please follow my instructions!" Lin Yuan replied with a smile, appearing very confident.

"Follow your instructions?" Director Cohen asked.

"Yes, trust me!"

"Alright, you've always been right." Director Cohen thought back to past events; Lin Yuan had indeed never lost.

Director Johnston pulled them along, saying as they walked, "Let's go, don't be late. Old Cohen, trust Lin Yuan; with him here, miracles will happen."

Director Cohen had a closer relationship with Lin Yuan, but Director Johnston also had immense faith in him.

Perhaps it was due to the many miraculous things Lin Yuan had shown during the filming of "Jurassic Park 3," but Director Johnston now had a somewhat blind faith in him.

The three of them quickly arrived at a conference room on the third floor. Two people were already seated inside, engaged in a lively conversation, clearly having a good personal relationship.

Lin Yuan didn't recognize one of them; he was a man around sixty years old with an aquiline nose and sharp eyes. Lin Yuan did recognize the other: Director Sommers from "The Mummy Returns."

Lin Yuan still vividly remembered the hostility Director Sommers had displayed during their brief meeting that night.

He was also a target Lin Yuan had to surpass to complete his system mission.

[Mission Part 1: Star in a Hollywood film, and its global box office must surpass "The Mummy Returns."]

Seeing them enter, the man with the aquiline nose and Director Sommers stopped their conversation.

"President Smith, we'll need your help today," Director Johnston said with a smile as he walked forward and extended his right hand.

"I will do my best. The key to success or failure ultimately lies in the quality of the film itself."

President Smith merely gave a brief handshake before gesturing for Lin Yuan and the other two to take their seats.

Opposite him, several stacks of documents were already placed, clearly designated for Lin Yuan and his companions.

President Smith himself sat with Director Sommers, their closeness evident.

Director Cohen had introduced him beforehand: President Smith, who would be chairing the meeting, was the Vice President of Universal Pictures in charge of film release and promotion.

Director Sommers had always maintained a relationship with President Smith, and he would undoubtedly leverage this connection to secure more resources in today's meeting.

Meanwhile, Director Cohen and Director Johnston had a relationship with another Vice President responsible for film production.

President Smith, who was in competition with them, naturally wouldn't pay much attention to the two of them, which was why Director Cohen was worried about today's meeting.

If they couldn't secure enough resources and formulate a suitable release plan, the movie would be at a disadvantage right from the starting line.

In response, Lin Yuan could only sigh, "Wherever there are people, there is a social hierarchy. It's not about fighting, but about navigating human relationships."

Who said Americans don't rely on personal connections?

Fortunately, President Smith had his professional integrity; he would still consider the company's interests and support reasonable requests.

After all, the company certainly hoped to see a return on investment for the films it poured significant funds into.

"Since everyone is here, let's begin," President Smith said.

"Wait a moment, something's not right!" Director Sommers spoke up, his gaze fixed directly on Lin Yuan.

"What is it? What's not right?" President Smith asked.

"Kick this person out first! What's his identity? How is he qualified to participate in today's meeting!" Director Sommers pointed at Lin Yuan and said coldly.