Time flew by like a galloping white colt passing through a crack.
By the time Lin Yuan set foot on California soil again, it was already March 2001.
California had the highest GDP of any state in America. Not only did it have famous cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco, but industrial hubs such as Hollywood and Silicon Valley were also located there.
In 2000, California's GDP had already reached as high as $1.36 trillion, giving it a status in North America similar to that of Guangdong Province back home.
Even if California were treated as an independent economy and entered into international GDP rankings, it would rank only behind America itself, Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom, with an economic output comparable to France's.
As for the mainland at that time, its GDP had only just reached $1.2 trillion.
It could be said that California's immense economic strength was a microcosm of America's economic hegemony.
Lin Yuan had come to California because Universal Pictures' headquarters was located in the state.
Alongside Paramount Pictures, Disney Pictures, Warner Bros., and other film studios, Universal Pictures was known as one of Hollywood's Big Eight studios. It was an undeniable giant.
A string of famous IP films, including The Fast and the Furious, Jurassic Park, The Mummy Returns, and The Bourne Identity, had all been produced and released by Universal Pictures.
After Universal Pictures acquired DreamWorks Animation in 2016 and its old rival MGM fell into a bankruptcy restructuring crisis, Universal Pictures even reclaimed the throne as Hollywood's number-one film studio.
This was one of Hollywood's thickest thighs. Lin Yuan had deep ties to Universal Pictures, and both films he was currently involved in were produced by Universal Pictures.
Naturally, his visit today was related to those two films as well.
Post-production on The Fast and the Furious and Jurassic Park 3 had essentially been completed, and they were about to enter the promotional and pre-release stage.
A meeting to decide the release plans for the two films would be held today.
When Lin Yuan arrived beneath the Universal Pictures headquarters building at 100 California Plaza, Director Cohen and Director Johnston were already waiting for him.
When they saw Lin Yuan, Director Johnston smiled and waved. Director Cohen stepped forward and said, "Today's meeting is very important. It concerns the success or failure of both our films, so we need to take it seriously."
Lin Yuan nodded. "The main issue is the release plan, right? Will we run into any trouble today?"
A release plan included details such as how much money would be spent promoting a film, when it would be released, and whether box-office guarantees would be promised to theaters.
It involved a complete marketing strategy targeting both audiences and theaters, and it played a crucial role in a film's final box-office performance.
A release plan might seem complicated, but in the end, it came down to just two things: how much they were willing to spend and how much they believed they could earn back.
Those two points were tied together. High expectations called for high investment, but simply spending more was not always better. Throwing money around recklessly could turn an otherwise profitable project into a loss.
Plans that relied so heavily on subjective judgment were easily affected by outside interference.
That was why Lin Yuan immediately guessed that there might be complications.
Director Cohen said worriedly, "You're right. An old friend at Universal gave me some hints. Things don't look good today. This will be a tough battle."
"Could we get blocked at some critical point?" Lin Yuan asked.
"We might not get what we want." Director Cohen was clearly in low spirits.
Lin Yuan smiled and patted Director Cohen on the shoulder. "Don't worry. I've made preparations."
"What did you do this time?"
"Just some minor preparations. It would be best if we didn't need them. But if I say anything today, make sure you do exactly as I say!" Lin Yuan replied with a confident smile.
"Do as you say?" Director Cohen asked.
"Yes. Trust me!"
"All right. You've always been right." Director Cohen thought back on the past. Lin Yuan had indeed never lost.
Director Johnston pulled the two of them along as they walked. "Come on, let's go. We can't be late. Old Cohen, trust Lin Yuan. With him around, miracles will happen."
Director Cohen was closer to Lin Yuan, but Director Johnston was equally full of confidence in him.
Perhaps Lin Yuan had displayed too many astonishing qualities during the filming of Jurassic Park 3. Director Johnston was now practically blindly devoted to him.
The three of them quickly arrived at a meeting room on the third floor. Two men were already seated inside, chatting happily. They clearly had an excellent personal relationship.
Lin Yuan did not know one of them. He was a man around sixty with a hooked nose and sharp eyes. Lin Yuan did know the other: Director Sommers of The Mummy Returns.
Lin Yuan still vividly remembered the hostility Director Sommers had displayed during their brief meeting that night.
He was also the target Lin Yuan had to crush in order to complete the system mission.
Mission, first stage: Star in a Hollywood film and surpass The Mummy Returns in global box office.
When they saw someone enter, the hooked-nosed man and Director Sommers stopped talking.
"President Smith, we'll be troubling you today." Director Johnston approached with a smile and extended his right hand.
"I will perform my duties conscientiously. Whether it succeeds or fails will still depend on the quality of the films themselves."
President Smith merely gave his hand a light shake before motioning for Lin Yuan and the other two to sit.
Several stacks of documents had already been placed at the seats opposite him, clearly arranged for Lin Yuan and the others.
President Smith himself sat together with Director Sommers, making the closeness of their relationship obvious at a glance.
Before coming here, Director Cohen had already explained that President Smith, who was presiding over today's meeting, was Universal Pictures' vice president in charge of film releases and promotion.
Director Sommers had always relied on President Smith's connections. He would certainly use that relationship to seize more resources during today's meeting.
Director Cohen and Director Johnston, meanwhile, had ties to another vice president in charge of film production.
Since President Smith was in a competitive relationship with that vice president, he naturally would not take excessive care of the two directors. That was why Director Cohen had been worried about today's meeting.
If they could not secure sufficient resources and formulate an appropriate release plan, then their films would be at a disadvantage right from the starting line.
Lin Yuan could only sigh over this: wherever there were people, there was a world of intrigue. The world is not about fighting and killing; it is about human relationships and social customs.
Who said Americans did not rely on personal connections?
Fortunately, President Smith had professional integrity. He would still act in the company's interests and support reasonable requests within an appropriate scope.
After all, the company had poured huge sums into making these films, and naturally hoped they would bring returns.
"Since everyone is here, let's begin," President Smith said.
"Wait. Something isn't right!" Director Sommers spoke up, his gaze fixed directly on Lin Yuan.
"What is it? What isn't right?" President Smith asked.
"Throw this person out first! What is his status? What right does he have to participate in today's meeting?" Director Sommers pointed at Lin Yuan and said coldly.
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