Behind The Spotlight Chapter 199
"How about treating me then? Your director has a successful TV show. I'm craving caviar." Collin teased Arnold.
"Caviar? Fuck off! That's expensive as hell. Besides, you should be the one to treat me. All of your clients are doing great. I bet the money you earned from Princess Chantal alone is over $5 million." Arnold scoffed exaggeratedly.
'More than $25 million, actually. I have shares of Moonrise Music,' Collin thought.
He wondered how he would explain to Arnold that he was a major shareholder of Moonrise Music, a revelation that would definitely shock him. If Pulse Static signed a record deal with Moonrise Music, that meant Collin would earn even more money.
"I'll make sure that Pulse Static will never be bullied by Moonrise Music," Collin promised.
"You better be!" Arnold pointed accusingly.
"Now, let's talk about the most important thing," Arnold said seriously. "Let's talk about how much money we will rob from Uni-versus Pictures."
Collin chuckled at the statement.
Their clients were the lead actors in Week On A Cruise Ship, and Uni-versus Pictures would do everything to cast them.
The two agents laughed. They were going to make a lot of money. With that, they decided to work together and set up a solid plan.
Their clients were not simple actors anymore. They were famous actors with box office appeal. If Uni-versus Pictures was serious about making the sequel a box office hit, they had no choice but to cast Brody and Axel. Any alternative would be destructive.
Collin and Arnold's job was to earn as much money as possible.
...
...
...
A man in his fifties grumpily exited the elevator. He walked down the hallway of the eighth floor, the floor where executives of ANT resided.
Before heading to his destination, he first spoke to the secretary stationed next to the executive offices. He was clearly irritated.
"I'm here to see Collin East."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Goodhope, but Mr. East is currently busy," Lucia answered professionally.
"Busy?"
Mr. Goodhope frowned and looked toward Collin's office. Most of the offices on the eighth floor had a glass window so people could see whether the executives were working or just fucking around, a deliberate design.
Mr. Goodhope saw Collin talking on the phone, seemingly relaxed.
"He's just talking on the phone," he complained.
"It's a serious conversation, sir," Secretary Lucia Sarah replied with composure.
"... Tch."
Being an industry insider, Mr. Goodhope knew that Uni-versus Pictures was interested in starting the sequel to Week On A Cruise Ship, and Collin was likely negotiating with the producer. He was probably speaking to the producer himself.
However, even knowing this, Mr. Goodhope couldn't help feeling mad. He felt like Collin was avoiding him intentionally.
"I've been trying to talk to your boss, but he's always on his damned telephone!"
"I apologize, sir. Would you like to set up a meeting?" Lucia asked politely.
"I already did that twice, but Collin didn't even try to meet me. Be honest here, is he avoiding me?"
"Absolutely not. It's just bad timing."
"Bad timing my ass," he muttered.
One instance might be believable, but if Collin kept avoiding him multiple times, it was a different matter.
"Is he really against my idea?"
Mr. Goodhope was an executive from the Music department.
"Sir, I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You are his secretary. You should have an idea what I mean."
"..."
Lucia kept her smile. When Collin hired her, one of her jobs was to make sure Collin wouldn't talk to irritating people, especially persistent ones.
And the man in front of her was the perfect example of an irritating person. So, even as she was berated, Lucia kept her composure. This was her job, and she was good at it. Her salary was also high, especially after Collin was promoted to executive. Lucia's pay went up to $75,000 annually, and her friends were jealous when they heard it.
Yes, $75,000 a year was a huge amount back in 2000. Even in 2025, that salary would still be considered substantial.
Obviously, Lucia wanted to keep her job and endure the man's berating. She had the patience for it.
Collin occasionally stole glances at them. He wasn't talking to anyone, the phone was nothing but a prop, a deliberate act. Collin just didn't want to speak to the man outside.
If possible, he wanted to avoid him entirely. He felt bad for Lucia but had to remain professional and let her handle irritating people.
Mr. Goodhope glanced at Collin, who was still talking on the phone. He checked his watch and gritted his teeth.
"Just tell your boss that Mr. Griffith Goodhope wants to meet him."
Griffith... Definitely a good person who wouldn't betray his friends. An innocent name. Someone who had done nothing wrong.
"Would you like to set up a schedule, Mr. Goodhope?" Lucia repeated.
"I've already done that twice… Never mind. I'll talk to him when the time is right." Griffith snorted and walked away.
A few minutes later, once Lucia confirmed that Griffith had left, she knocked on Collin's office door.
"Come in," Collin confirmed and dropped the act.
"Sir, should I tell you what Mr. Goodhope said to me?"
"No, you don't have to. I have an idea why he wants to talk to me." Collin massaged his forehead. This wasn't the first time this had happened. Griffith wasn't the only agent who wanted to speak with him.
A week ago, Arnold had successfully signed Pulse Static to ANT, and the news had spread throughout the company. Everyone thought Mikael Wagner was meant to be an actor, agents from the film department had offered him many opportunities, but he hadn't budged.
Yet, Mikael and Pulse Static were actually going to be a music band! It was surprising.
Naturally, agents from the music department were not happy about the news. They felt Arnold was encroaching on their territory. Especially since Arnold and Collin were friends. Some even speculated that Pulse Static was a plan Collin had devised, and they weren't entirely wrong.
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Author's Note: Since tomorrow is the 200th chapter of Behind The Spotlight, you probably know that I'll offer a 50% discount. So I'm going to pitch to you the benefits of subscribing to my Patreon before the discount sale… I apologize if this advertising pisses you off.
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Once again, thank you for reading this novel.