"Sir, may I ask who you are? Today's meeting involves trade secrets. If you do not have an appropriate status, please leave as soon as possible." President Smith was basically polite, but his stance was very clear.
When Lin Yuan had entered with the two directors, there had not yet been time to introduce him.
So President Smith naturally did not know Lin Yuan and had assumed he was some member of the staff.
"Him? He's an actor in these two directors' films, a yellow-skinned monkey chasing a Hollywood dream. I don't think an actor is qualified to attend today's meeting."
Director Sommers's words were cruel. Using an obviously discriminatory term like "yellow-skinned monkey" for Asians would not cause him any trouble.
If Lin Yuan had been Black, Director Sommers would not have dared to be so blunt.
Who could blame Asians for lacking the same fighting spirit as Black people?
Rights had to be fought for by oneself.
"An actor? Then he truly is not suited to attend today's meeting. Please leave as soon as possible." President Smith made a gesture of seeing him out.
"My apologies, but I believe I am fully qualified to participate in today's meeting. Let me introduce myself first. My name is Lin Yuan.
"I came today as an investor's representative." Lin Yuan answered with a smile, neither humble nor overbearing.
"An investor's representative?" Smith asked.
"Yes. I represent Mr. Eisen at this meeting."
"You're Mr. Eisen's representative? Then of course you should be here. You are fully qualified to participate in this meeting." President Smith began to take the handsome young Chinese man before him seriously.
He had heard before that Mr. Eisen, who had refused to invest in film projects for years, had made an exception for a young Chinese man and increased his investment in Jurassic Park 3, a movie that many people did not think highly of.
Now that the person at the center of that matter stood before President Smith, he naturally set aside his prejudice and reassessed Lin Yuan.
After all, a legendary figure like Mr. Eisen would not casually recognize someone.
Director Sommers had not expected Lin Yuan to attend as an investor's representative. Seeing that President Smith had changed his attitude, he did not press the matter any further.
He merely snorted and brought up the main topic of the day. "My marketing budget is too small. It must be increased by 10%."
"You still think 60% is too little? Why not ask for 100%?" Director Cohen shot back directly.
"With a 70% marketing budget, the pressure on your box office will be huge. A higher budget is not always better. I only dare ask for 50%, and that's enough." Director Johnston also tried to persuade him kindly.
"That's because your movies are garbage. Who told you to give yellow-skinned monkeys so much screen time? Now you're worried the audience won't buy it? I'm not worried about the ratio at all. I wouldn't be afraid even if it were higher." Director Sommers sneered.
Lin Yuan knew that the ratio they were discussing was the proportion of a film's marketing and distribution costs to its production costs.
For major Hollywood productions, marketing and distribution generally cost 50% to 100% of the production budget.
Director Sommers felt that 60% was too little and wanted to fight for 70%.
For The Mummy Returns, whose production cost was close to 100 million dollars, that meant an additional 10 million dollars in marketing and distribution expenses.
Even the finest wine feared a deep alley. For a good movie to earn strong box office returns, money had to be spent aggressively promoting it.
Therefore, as long as the film's quality was guaranteed, higher marketing and distribution spending was certainly better.
But at this stage, Universal Pictures' total marketing and distribution budget was fixed.
If he took another bite, part of the budgets for The Fast and the Furious and Jurassic Park 3 would be taken away.
Naturally, the two directors were unwilling. The two sides began arguing, and that was the key point of today's negotiation.
Lin Yuan did not directly join their quarrel. He carefully flipped through the materials in his hands.
His gaze settled on this year's theater release schedule. When he saw a certain film set to premiere in mid-May, his eyes suddenly sharpened.
Was this the butterfly effect caused by his rebirth?
He examined it twice more, then could not stop the corner of his mouth from curling upward. The deadly trap had already been set; all that remained was to drive Director Sommers into it.
"Director Sommers, do you truly believe The Mummy Returns is of exceptional quality and will bring enormous returns to the company?" Lin Yuan asked.
The moment he spoke, the two directors tacitly fell silent. They trusted Lin Yuan, who had created miracles time and again.
"Of course! The Mummy Returns will become Universal Pictures' most profitable movie this year!" Director Sommers declared confidently. "If it weren't for your garbage movies dragging me down, I could even challenge for the annual box office championship."
That last sentence was bragging. Although Director Sommers had immense confidence in his film, a box office championship depended on timing, location, and luck. It was impossible to guarantee.
But so what if he bragged? No one would truly give him the chance to take on that challenge anyway.
"What if we don't drag you down?" Lin Yuan asked with a smile.
"What's the point of saying that? Could you possibly squeeze out some budget for me?" Director Sommers only wanted to claim an extra 10 million dollars in marketing expenses. He had never imagined he could get more.
"Aren't you confident in your movie? Do you dare prove what you said?" Lin Yuan put him on the spot, leaving him no way out.
"What wouldn't I dare? If you dare give me the budget, I'll prove it to you!" Director Sommers would never back down before Lin Yuan, and he did not believe Lin Yuan would really do it.
"It's a deal!"
"How much are you planning to give up?"
"I'll raise The Mummy Returns' ratio to 100%, so you'll have the most ample ammunition." Lin Yuan answered.
"Are you serious?" Director Sommers could hardly believe it.
Raising it to 100% meant the highest level of marketing and distribution resources, an increase of 40 million USD over the original amount!
The Mummy Returns already had a top-tier production budget. Combined with top-tier marketing and distribution spending, it truly might have a chance to contend for the box office championship.
At that thought, the greed in Director Sommers's heart was completely ignited.
For him, this was an opportunity to leap through the dragon gate and undergo a qualitative transformation into a top-tier director. There was no way he could give it up.
Originally, he would not have had such an opportunity to gamble for the time being. Yet now, through this exchange of words, his opponent had handed the opportunity right to him.
Director Sommers wanted to laugh. Once he had the resources, even if he did not ultimately become the box office champion, he could at least use them to achieve 600 million USD in worldwide box office revenue.
Then his directing credentials would undergo a transformation.
"I'm serious! It's a deal!" Lin Yuan replied decisively.
Both men smiled, as though each believed the other was a complete fool.
"But don't you two have any objections?"
President Smith thought Lin Yuan had gone mad. In just a few sentences, he had handed the most important resources to his own enemy. He turned and asked the two directors.
"I trust Lin Yuan. Do as he says." Director Cohen recalled what Lin Yuan had said downstairs, that he should support him unconditionally today.
"I agree as well!" Director Johnston answered.
"You're all insane! I disagree. I can't let you use the company's projects so recklessly." President Smith was now the most rational person in the room.
"Mr. President, I know what you're worried about. Please hear my explanation first." Lin Yuan, who had already prepared a plan, spoke.
Before you continue