[Chapter 177: The Union Ready to Stir Up Trouble?]
On the soft, luxurious king-sized bed in the hotel, a man and a woman rolled together with passion. Ian Carr redoubled his enjoyment of the beautiful moments shared with his dream girl, even though she had lost some of her youthful essence. Still, she was a fulfilling part of his romantic history. Of course, Ian never thought about watching the stills from Once Upon a Time in America while... well, you know. That would have been disrespectful.
Post-passion, Jennifer Connelly remained as enchanting as ever, nestled in Ian's embrace. She lightly bit her red lips, her gaze filled with deep affection. "I heard you still don't have a serious girlfriend?"
Although Ian had officially broken up with Scarlett Johansson in the tabloids, it wasn't due to his own actions; it was mostly a gossip piece manufactured by the media. Thankfully, neither Ian nor Scarlett was fazed by it.
At that moment, Ian smiled, saying, "Don't overthink it, Jennifer. I'm a free spirit -- I don't belong to anyone."
Jennifer didn't seem surprised but still felt a tinge of disappointment. Her lovely body leaned against Ian's. "I also heard you're negotiating to acquire UTA? I hope to change some terms of that contract."
Ian planted a soft kiss on Jennifer's stunning face. "I'm not an industry expert; I promised them I'd steer clear of how they run their core operations, and that's become one of my greatest assets in the industry."
Jennifer felt a growing sense of disappointment. "So I guess you won't be looking my way again?"
Ian pondered. While he found Jennifer to be incredibly beautiful, he never intended for anything serious. The world was vast, and there were many beautiful women and significant events surrounding him. He unconsciously categorized all the women he met into three types: brief encounters, temporary holds, and long commitments. Long commitments rarely lasted more than ten years.
Initially, Ian believed Jennifer would just be a brief encounter. But since she had mentioned it, maybe he ought to give her a chance?
After some thought, Ian finally said, "There's something I need your help with."
"What is it?"
"I need you and some big-name artists from UTA to publicly show support for my acquisition. It can help me negotiate a better price! Also, I secured the rights to Pirates of the Caribbean from Disney. Johnny Depp is the lead... I plan to get him to sign a bundling agreement to lock in his salary for the Pirates franchise under my name. But this isn't something I can approach directly; I need a middleman, and you're perfect for the role! You can let him know Ian Carr has a grand vision for Pirates and wants to sign a long deal!"
Johnny Depp's later fees for appearances became astronomically high, just like Robert Downey Jr.'s for Iron Man -- many knew that Iron Man was practically dead due to Downey's salary demands. For this reason, Marvel eventually started signing lengthy contracts, making price hikes difficult later on. Ian would definitely have to follow suit.
Even if he wasn't producing it himself, those contracts could generate revenue.
Jennifer gazed at him, her voice soft as water, "And then?"
Ian smiled slightly. "You'd get the new contract you desire."
Jennifer Connelly satisfied him with a kiss. "Don't think one night will be enough. When I come looking for you, you can't refuse."
With that, her hand slowly slid down his body.
---
In the morning, the sound of a ringing phone jarred Ian from his soft embrace. He glanced at the beautiful woman beside him. After placing a gentle kiss on her, he answered the phone, saying, "It's me."
It was his secretary, Ida, on the line. "There's been a situation."
"Where?" Ian felt somewhat awake now.
"The union at Mayhill is planning a strike over your decision to use foreign labor," Ida succinctly conveyed, knowing Ian despised small talk.
Ian was not surprised. "Are they the ones staying or leaving?"
"Definitely the ones staying."
Ian chuckled. "Isn't that amusing? The ones keeping their jobs are angry about using foreign workers?"
"Because they believe the foreign workers are too diligent, making them feel pressured."
Ian's expression turned serious. "That's absurd. Go tell Jude we need to learn to use division to our advantage. There are always those desperate for cash, give them a few promises. Choose to keep the strong performers and fire everyone aligned with the union. They need to understand the consequences of opposing us. Also, prioritize the renovations at Davis prison. The roads can take their time, but the prison cannot!"
Ida replied, "That could escalate the situation; unions aren't easy to handle."
Ian sneered, "Am I easy to handle? Over this period, I've been busy consolidating operations and haven't had any big news; frankly, I need some major headlines to shake things up."
To Ian, the recent media coverage had hardly been noteworthy; at best, it had simply sold well, lacking any "artistic value." Having been a commercial director for so long, the artist within himself was waking up.
Ida gasped, "Mr. Carr, this is your business!"
"I am my own headline! You don't need to worry about this. If they want to cause trouble, let them, but the timeline cannot be delayed. I need the Davis prison construction completed by the end of June."
"Understood, sir."
...
After giving Ida her instructions, Ian sat up.
He pondered for a moment. He knew the union guys wouldn't back down easily. He had to devise a plan to deal with the main instigators.
He picked up the phone. "Crips, the union at Mayhill has been a bit too bold lately... No, no, I'm not asking you to go out and kill anyone. Don't be so impulsive, buddy. Am I that type of person?"
Crips murmured, "..."
After years in the gang, I haven't killed as many people as you. Boss! I'm not impulsive at all!
Ian spoke softly, "Find some people to make contact with those union leaders, offer them money to sabotage the construction."
"What did you say?" Crips replied, surprised.
Ian smiled, "Just leave some evidence behind. We need to frame the union heads as the ones taking money to destroy a legitimate project! Remember, we can create chaos, but it can't be irreparable -- just enough to look significant. Hmm, sabotage the roads, but leave the prison project intact. This way, it also clears my involvement. Then prepare a few scapegoats. There's no rush; we need to control the tempo with this good news; right now, the spotlight belongs to Hollywood."
Crips understood, "Got it, boss. What next?"
Ian chuckled, "Then we can welcome the first batch of customers at Davis prison, and they'll essentially be crafted by the union -- it'll be interesting, don't you think?"
Crips gasped; he now knew Ian well enough to blurt, "That's going to be a great story."
Ian burst out laughing.
...
Turning around, Ian found Jennifer Connelly watching him, surprised.
With a soft breath, she said, "I feel like I've overheard something I shouldn't have. Are you going to make me disappear?"
Ian laughed, "No, but I will ravage you to comply with my will!"
Connelly chuckled and sat up, showcasing her beautiful figure. "That certainly sounds enticing!"
*****
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