Chapter 203 Mr. Smoke, the Person I Offended is Very Powerful
"Hey, let's grab a spot and chat!" After sending Alice, April, and Daniel on their way, Charles and Cindy hit up a nearby bubble tea joint.
Charles ordered two bubble teas and casually said, "You pay for what you get!"
Cindy almost choked on his own spit.
Who was Mr. Smoke? The guy who gifted a building worth billions to a girl without blinking, and tips millions to female streamers like it's pocket change!
And now, he wanted Cindy to split the bill for a bubble tea?
"Mr. Smoke, let's cut the crap. I got some photos here that you'll find interesting!" Cindy said, pulling out her phone and opening a private album as they sat down.
There were some videos and a bunch of photos in there.
Charles clicked on a video, and it was a jaw-dropper.
It showed a chubby middle-aged dude, around forty, getting it on with a woman in her twenties.
Charles recognized the guy instantly.
Wasn't that the famous director, Tiger Director?
And the woman...
Charles was floored. The woman was none other than the top-tier actress, Kimberly!
"What the hell?"
The video quality was a bit grainy, probably because it was shot ages ago.
Charles didn't expect to stumble upon such explosive content.
Who was Kimberly?
A top star in the entertainment biz, crowned Best Actress a few years back, she even started her own agency and groomed a bunch of popular young talents.
Her media and film company was among the top thirty in the industry.
Kimberly wasn't just a stellar actress but also a savvy investor, an inspirational female icon to countless fans.
Who would've thought that behind her glamorous facade, she had such a shady past?
"Mr. Smoke, this video was shot about seven or eight years ago. Back then, Kimberly wasn't as famous, maybe a second or third-tier actress. She worked with Tiger Director on 'The Astonishing Female Thief,' which was her breakout role.
The lead role wasn't originally hers. I won't get into the dirty details, but behind the glitz and glam of the entertainment world, there's some shady stuff.
After that deal, Kimberly became a nationwide sensation. She rarely interacted with Tiger Director afterward, probably to avoid suspicion.
But this morning, Kimberly was the first to publicly support Tiger Director and praised his character. If this video hit the internet, it would cause a massive stir in the entertainment industry!"
Charles narrowed his eyes, a sly smile creeping onto his face.
This kind of dirt was exactly what he needed.
As for why Cindy had these videos and photos, Charles didn't care.
After all, Cindy was once a top director in the entertainment industry, so it wasn't surprising he had some secret sources.
"Why don't you take these videos and photos to Kimberly? She's the Best Actress with a net worth of billions. If you show her these, she'd probably pay a hefty price to keep them under wraps!"
"It's not cool. If I blackmail Kimberly like that, it's straight-up extortion. If the amount's too big, I could be looking at decades behind bars. I've seen money before; I used to be worth billions. This isn't what I'm after," Cindy said, keeping it real.
"So, what do you want? Name your price for these videos and photos."
"Mr. Smoke, you got it wrong. I don't want cash. I'll give you this dirt for free. I just want a spot under you to make my own movies in peace," Cindy said, all sincere.
Charles was even more confused.
Cindy used to be a big-shot director in the industry. Now she's handing Charles this massive gift for free?
What was her angle?
This kind of solid evidence, even if Cindy asked for ten million bucks, Charles might've gone for it.
But now, she didn't want a dime and just wanted to work for him?
"Are you sure you don't want money?" Charles asked again.
"Mr. Smoke, no need to test me. I really don't want money. But here's the deal: I got blackballed for pissing off someone in the industry. If you hire me, you might tick off that person too, and the fallout won't be just a few million bucks. Mr. Smoke, do you dare to hire me?" Cindy's eyes flashed with a rare sharpness.
Hisquestion was pretty slick.
Asking Charles if he had the guts to hire him!
"Alright, since you want to work with me, I'll take you in. I'm looking to invest in a film company anyway. You can join this company. I'll introduce you to Grace later. If you can manage her reputation in this mess, I'll back any investment you need for your movie!" Charles said, all casual.
He was pretty quick to make decisions.
Using Grace's name to invest in movies, even if it needed ten billion or a hundred billion dollars, Charles was game.
Grace and Cindy both had pretty tarnished reps.
One was a high-and-mighty mistress.
The other had an affair while married.
With such scandalous folks, the movie was bound to flop!
But Charles didn't care, no matter how much money was lost!
Because the more he lost, the higher his special funds consumption limit.
Maybe Grace would feel guilty, and seeing Charles support her no matter what, her favorability might shoot up.
This was a brewing goldmine, definitely a profitable investment!
"Mr. Smoke, I gotta remind you again. I want to make a big movie, and it'll need a ton of cash. I've been prepping for this for three years, but I can't promise the box office will break even because the guy I pissed off has too much pull in the industry. My past movies tanked because of his deliberate sabotage!"
"No sweat, that's a minor issue!" Charles waved it off, totally unfazed.
He didn't care if the movie made money or not.
Grace's third condition was to invest in two big-budget movies worth over seventy-seven million each.
Charles figured he should get cracking on that.
The director was already lined up!
It was best to wrap up these two movies within three months.
Money didn't matter, and even if the work was shoddy, speed was key!
Thinking about it, Charles pulled out his phone and called Grace!
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
