[Chapter 603: Post-Battle Revelry, Yacht Party]
While Linton's Skycrest Hedge Fund was dominating the Southeast Asian markets, harvesting profits, late July saw two new film releases from Linton Studios.
On July 25th, My Best Friend's Wedding, starring Julia Roberts and Shania Twain, hit theaters. This quintessential chick flick told the story of Julianne, a woman who, upon learning that her close friend was engaged, realizes she's fallen in love with him. She then goes to great lengths to make her friend abandon his fiancee. The film was modestly budgeted -- only $40 million in total production costs -- with half that amount going to Julia Roberts' paycheck.
But this was Julia Roberts' territory. She held an unshakable dominance and box office appeal in this genre. Adding to the buzz was the presence of newly crowned pop superstar Shania Twain. Industry insiders and audiences alike were optimistic about the movie's performance.
Theaters showed strong faith in Julia, allocating 3,500 screens, resulting in a hefty 21.5% screening share. Two days ahead of opening, on July 23rd, the film premiered at the Universal Theater where Linton walked the red carpet hand-in-hand with Julia Roberts on his left and Shania Twain on his right. The media and paparazzi couldn't get enough, churning out tantalizing stories about Linton and the two leading ladies. This only fueled the film's hype.
Linton's romantic escapades were already legendary in Hollywood, consistently making headlines all year round. But this triple lineup -- one man, two dazzling women, one an A-list Hollywood star and the other a chart-topping music sensation -- was irresistible to the public. Their unabashed closeness on the red carpet captivated fans.
The buzz intensified after the premiere when paparazzi spotted Linton and the two women leaving together for the Hilton Hotel. None of them emerged for the rest of the night. The story instantly went viral. By midnight and well into the next morning, reports about their all-night hotel rendezvous flooded the internet and media outlets, sharply boosting the film's popularity.
Actually, the reports weren't far from the truth. On July 24th, none of the three left their hotel suite, which only intensified the swarm of media waiting outside. The scandalous gossip kept raging, driving more attention to the film.
Riding that wave, at midnight on July 25th, My Best Friend's Wedding began its midnight showings in 2,100 screens, pulling in a strong $3.27 million, a smashing opening for such a modestly budgeted film.
...
It wasn't until 9 a.m., when Julia and Shania Twain finally exited the hotel together and headed to Linton Studios to start their promotional tour. Linton, on the other hand, had already left alone, returning to his estate. Soon after, a headline claiming the trio had been locked in "intense games" for thirty-six hours began circulating wildly online.
Most audiences, being liberal when it comes to entertainment stars, treated the scandal less as a moral breach and more like juicy fun -- as long as no one was married. Some older, more conservative and devout Catholics voiced disapproval, but the majority of younger viewers admired their openness and raw authenticity. After all, the target audience for chick flicks was predominantly women under thirty.
This scandal only drew more young viewers to the film. Box office numbers exploded: on Friday, July 25th, the film grossed $12.71 million, and including midnight screenings, totaled $15.98 million. Saturday brought in $15.37 million, and Sunday $13.72 million.
The three-day opening weekend tally reached an impressive $45.07 million, securing the top box office spot. Despite only having 21.5% of the screening share, it commanded 34% of total ticket sales. Theaters responded by increasing screenings to 3,800 screens, elevating the screening ratio to 25%.
Julia Roberts reaffirmed her unchallenged status as queen of the chick flick box office, while Shania Twain earned rave reviews with an outstanding film debut.
Meanwhile, having already been out for two weeks, Armageddon ranked second with $18.92 million, and George of the Jungle, in its second weekend, came in third with $16.85 million.
Armageddon had dominated the box office for two consecutive weeks; after its third weekend, North American earnings had reached $171 million -- a $200 million gross was all but guaranteed. The high-flying special effects blockbuster was also a hit overseas, raking in $131 million in just ten days after its international release.
Kate Winslet, fresh from her extensive North American press tour, honored her commitment by embarking on the overseas promotional leg for Armageddon.
...
On August 8th, Final Destination 2, starring Charlize Theron alongside Jennifer Connelly and Xu Qing, premiered. The sequel avoided sensationalizing Linton's recent scandals and stuck to the franchise's signature theme of death lurking nearby.
Riding on the foundation of its predecessor, the film generated high buzz by featuring three stunning stars. It opened across 3,200 screens and took in a solid $10.83 million on its first Friday. Adding midnight showings brought day one's total to $13.9 million. Saturday's take was $13.62 million, and Sunday closed with $11.25 million, summing to a three-day opening weekend of $38.77 million, again clinching the box office crown with a 20% screen share translating to 27% of total box office revenue.
---
By August 15th, the Southeast Asian financial storm had quieted, with the United States stepping in under the United Nations banner to obscurely tighten its grip and launder gains. Most international traders had made fat profits and were withdrawing to tally their earnings.
But Wall Street titans, led by Soros, already had their eyes on Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, strategizing for the next round of financial exploitation.
Richard and Wilix from Skycrest Hedge Fund were summoned by Linton for a comprehensive review meeting. They consolidated gains and analyzed performance. Through a precision forex short-selling campaign aligned with the Southeast Asian crisis, Skycrest had achieved massive success.
The 45-day operation involved a $2 billion investment, yielding colossal profits of $7.5 billion.
For confidentiality, all 15 team members stayed locked in the conference room for the entire period, eating, sleeping, and working without stepping outside or contacting the outside world. Every day, each member worked well over 15 hours.
By the end, every team member was utterly exhausted yet elated by the extraordinary gains and Linton's generous bonus promises.
After such an intense stretch, everyone was desperate for a wild celebration and a well-deserved break.
According to financial industry tradition, the moment of review and celebration is when the party truly begins.
While the team reviewed results in one conference room, the adjacent room had been transformed into a lavish party scene with champagne, stunning blonde models, towering male models, and all sorts of indulgent accessories, including illicit substances.
However, Richard knew Linton disliked this sort of scene. After consulting him, the after-party was moved offsite to a luxury yacht.
The boat was stocked with everything needed for a nonstop three-day and night extravaganza: 20 blonde models with long legs, 10 muscular male models, and every imaginable pleasure.
Linton was generally satisfied with the operation. Richard and Wilix were rare financial geniuses -- flawlessly executing market timing, risk management, and trade operations. Combined with Linton's foresight, the team's profits exceeded expectations.
Linton wasted no time -- within an hour he finished the report briefing, reviewed records, verified profits, and wrapped up evaluations.
He then fulfilled his earlier promise: the accountant, Henry, immediately distributed bonuses per Richard and Wilix's recommended allocation.
With total profits hitting $7.5 billion, a 15% bonus pool amounted to $1.125 billion.
Among the 15 team members, Richard and Wilix took the largest shares, each pocketing up to $225 million, while other operators earned no less than $30 million apiece.
In essence, the entire team was overnight millionaires.
Of course, actual take-home would depend on each person's tax strategies.
Linton's generosity earned him cheers of "Boss!" from the team.
Next up, Wilix and the team would spend three days celebrating on the yacht before embarking on a month-long vacation.
A month later, Wilix would reconvene the team to track Soros's Quantum Fund moves, analyze Asian markets, and hunt for fresh short-selling opportunities.
Linton also knew well the next targets were Japan, Korea, and Taiwan -- economies vastly larger and wealthier than Southeast Asia, promising even bigger plundering.
The extent to which these regions would be exploited would far surpass what had happened in Southeast Asia.
Naturally, more funds would join the heist against these giants.
How much profit Linton and his team would claim depended on their skill and capital size.
Consequently, Linton left the entire principal and $8.42 billion profits invested for the next financial raid.
...
Flush with such massive earnings, Linton was elated.
Back at his estate, he eagerly shared the news with Madonna, Winnie, and Li Xiaoran.
They were stunned by the wealth, rushing into his arms to shower him with kisses before launching into a wild celebration.
That night, under Madonna's orchestration, the estate became a playground of pleasure -- gym, dance studio, vocal room, screening room, indoor pool, study, garden balconies -- all filled with their laughter and passion.
They indulged in unrestrained, exuberant lovemaking, acting out all kinds of seductive scenarios.
The following morning, even after breakfast, everyone craved more.
Madonna suggested another outing -- a sea-bound yacht party.
Linton remembered it had been a long time since their last sea excursion, back in '94, one fondly etched in memory.
He agreed enthusiastically to Madonna's proposal, planning a seven-day coastal trip.
They'd depart from Los Angeles by yacht, sail to Cabo San Lucas to enjoy two days of leisure, then return by yacht.
Unfortunately, Madonna's yacht was too small for deep-sea voyages. Otherwise, they could have cruised all the way to Hawaii, savoring the scenic ocean views.
Still, Linton, now one of the world's top billionaires, believed such indulgences were in order.
After this trip, he intended to commission a massive luxury yacht fit for ocean explorations.
Purchasing island properties overseas was also on his mind.
The call went out to the ladies -- except those unable to leave like Shania Twain, Charlize, Jennifer, and Xu Qing, who were still touring for their films -- the rest of the nineteen gathered swiftly back in Los Angeles.
...
Three days later, all preparations finalized, Linton led his harem of nineteen beauties on the boundless joyride of their seaside yacht adventure.
Madonna's yacht spanned three decks: a lower deck underwater, a main deck, and an upper deck.
The top deck was spacious, covering over 8,600 square feet, filled with all amenities needed for entertainment and relaxation -- ideal for the owner's leisure and sightseeing.
Once aboard, Madonna locked down all three decks, forbidding all crew members and staff from entering without explicit clearance.
Gathered on the third deck, Madonna took Linton by the hand, drawing him to the center of the grand hall.
Loudly, she declared, "The grand celebration now begins..."
*****
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