[Chapter 74: Gunshots in Beverly Hills]
The battle between Warner and Sony was far from over.
However, the situations of individual signed artists from both sides in this chaotic showdown varied quite a bit.
For example, flagship artists like Sony's Michael Jackson and The Beatles, and Warner's Madonna and The Eagles, basically stayed out of the feud between the two music giants.
Simply put, Sony and Warner weren't truly mortal enemies.
Plus, these artists held high enough status to remain unaffected.
But this time, Sony chose to pick a fight with Orlando among Warner's many artists for a reason.
He was relatively new to the scene.
He seemed like an underdog with a questionable background -- he had indeed been sentenced to community service.
And his career was constantly embroiled in scandals since debut.
Putting all this together, if they weren't going to target him, who else?
Yet after their final push, Sony suddenly realized something.
Sure, Orlando had a murky past and wasn't exactly squeaky clean.
But he was undeniably talented. In just a few months, he had showcased remarkable songwriting ability.
Behind him stood powerful backing, which made Warner place immense importance on him.
Orlando himself didn't hesitate to spend money on himself.
Sony tried a few times but soon found they couldn't get a grip on him.
Pivoting their focus, they quickly turned to other Warner artists.
This proved disastrous for the New York Post, which had been the first to spearhead the offensive.
The paper had been struggling for two years straight.
Last year's published financial reports showed they had lost as much as $20 million.
And lawsuits have always been a game for the wealthy.
Lawyers charged exorbitant fees.
What's more, the opponent was Orlando, backed by Time Warner, willing to take heavy losses to win.
The New York Post would need to hire a top-tier firm with equal prowess, or else Warner's vast legal team would crush them.
And hiring such elite firms meant even more expensive legal fees.
Just tallying a typical monthly basic fee for a legal team:
- Partner (30 hours x $500/hr): $15,000
- Senior Associate (60 hours x $400/hr): $24,000
- Junior Associate (100 hours x $200/hr): $20,000
- Paralegal (50 hours x $100/hr): $5,000
Total: Around $64,000 per month.
And that was just the base cost.
The costs of facing Warner were far more: investigations, expert witnesses, court and administrative fees, crisis PR management...
These expenses easily exceeded legal fees.
Worse, if the case entered appeals, they'd have to pay twice over in lawyer fees, court costs, and expert fees.
Warner and Orlando were financially robust enough to fight it out to the end.
Meanwhile, the New York Post, already drowning in debt, lost the will to fight after seeing Sony back off or shift focus.
Peter Kalikow decided to cut his losses.
This guy, Kalikow, had already quietly contacted Warner and Orlando behind the scenes.
He reached out to Orlando through the Manhattan apartment developer who was renovating Orlando's new penthouse.
Both parties were real estate players focused on New York, so naturally, they had connections.
Peter Kalikow wanted to meet Orlando, aiming for a truce.
Because in terms of smearing Orlando personally, Warner and Orlando were targeting only the New York Post fiercely.
Besides Warner's own legal team, Orlando's aides Kurt and Melvin had their materials ready.
Simply put, even if Kalikow could strike a deal with Warner, he still faced Orlando's lawsuit.
Kalikow was already drowning in debt, now looking even more vulnerable.
He seemed on the verge of bankruptcy.
As a result, the media tread carefully when dealing with Orlando.
Every question was pre-screened.
Reporters dared not offend a star with influence and heat; the star cooperated with the press for exposure -- on the condition they didn't get on their bad side.
For instance, during a brief airport interview, the tone was just like this.
"Orlando! Your label's new female artist Shania Twain's latest single You're Still the One has shot to the top of radio requests, and it's also a strong contender for number one on the country charts this week. But so far, the country music world only talks about Shania Twain, ignoring the original songwriter. What do you have to say?"
The journalist's tone was excited during the second question.
This wasn't planted.
The question was sharp, hitting on the biggest hot topic in the music scene -- the country music world had long criticized Orlando for his involvement in that genre.
Now, his first truly country song was a huge hit.
Those critics praised singer Shania but completely overlooked Orlando as the songwriter and producer.
Facing the camera, Orlando wore a broad-shouldered blazer, his hair slicked back with gel, slightly tousled in style, smiling confidently, looking both handsome and spirited.
He said, "Let them criticize if they want. I won't say much. I'll just keep writing songs. Besides, the chart numbers don't lie, right?"
Orlando waved his hand to signal for the next question but was already thinking about his upcoming Los Angeles schedule.
---
Besides filming Terminator 2, he had several parties to attend -- organized by Warner.
They mainly involved October's VMA and next year's Grammys.
They were PR events aimed at award campaigning.
Such events required careful PR to ensure the trophy.
Orlando knew the importance of PR, citing Michael Jackson's 1979 Grammy win for Best R&B Male Vocal Performance with Off The Wall's Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough.
Frank put it like this--
"At the time, the entire Jackson family worked nonstop for three months, practically visiting every Grammy voter possible. This made every judge see the sincerity of the Jackson family."
Even a giant like MJ had to fight hard for his first Grammy.
Now that Warner was rolling out the red carpet for them, Orlando was more than willing to cooperate.
It was just a party, and Orlando had telepathic abilities.
He could even make anyone who chatted with him at a party like him.
For example, after the Independence Day party, he called Mrs. Clinton every day or two to chat.
It was clear that the simple conversation, mixed with subtle electric massages he deliberately sent, left a strong impression.
Appearance and fame mattered.
Hillary Clinton was a well-known socialite on the East Coast, especially in Manhattan's high-society circles.
Coincidentally, a music mogul was also quite famous in that scene...
They were now close friends -- like older sister and little brother.
Another reporter raised a hand, with Frank's consent to ask--
"As a rising star in the music industry, why did you agree to play a role in Terminator 2? Your character, the T-1000 robot, is a villain. Taking a villain role -- does that mean you preferred playing the bad guy?"
Orlando replied, "First, it's a James Cameron film. I love his Aliens and the original Terminator.
Second, after reading the script for this role, I thought the robot was really cool. Not your typical villain. Most importantly, I play a robot -- haha. Cameron told me it doesn't require big acting chops, which is perfect for me, a total acting amateur!"
Previous reporters mostly asked about his work and the Terminator project until one suddenly asked--
"I heard you're negotiating with New York City to buy industrial land in Brooklyn to build a factory. What motivated you to invest there?"
"The story is, I once passed through Brooklyn and saw lots of people protesting. Later, I found out it was a demonstration by people protesting unemployment. They..."
The interview lasted about 50 minutes before Frank stepped in to end it forcibly, allowing Orlando to leave the airport for Beverly Hills.
---
Orlando checked into the Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills.
This luxurious hotel, open since 1928, had long been the go-to for politicians and business elites.
With private lounges, butler service, and custom dining, it was hailed as the embodiment of the American Dream.
Its reputation soared again this year thanks to Pretty Woman.
Julia Roberts and Richard Gere filmed their iconic scenes here, showcasing signature suites and panoramic balconies overlooking Hollywood Hills.
This was the same level of accommodation for Orlando as for the movie's star Arnold Schwarzenegger and director James Cameron.
When Orlando arrived, both Cameron and Arnold personally greeted him at the hotel entrance.
"There's a party tonight," Cameron said as they introduced Orlando and Arnold to each other.
After a friendly handshake and hug, the three led the way inside, followed by Frank and the rest.
"It's the movie's kickoff celebration, hosted by the main investor Columbia Pictures. Orlando, you just made it in time; the whole crew is here."
"Wow, looks like I'm pretty important."
"You definitely are. You're not only our T-1000, but also the film's chief composer!"
Cameron said excitedly, "Compared to the first film, I believe your contribution will make the music truly breathtaking!"
Arnold, who had been married to the Kennedys' niece for four years and was yet to start his political career, joined in praising Orlando.
"We're all looking forward to it. With Orlando Keller scoring the film, lots of music fans will come to the theaters."
Orlando knew Arnold meant it sincerely, and so did Cameron and everyone else.
Everyone believed that having Orlando's music in Terminator 2 was a huge advantage at the box office.
That was also one of the main reasons Cameron invited him to play the T-1000.
Especially after Shania and You're Still the One became big hits, their confidence in Orlando's music skyrocketed.
"Alright, you all are putting a lot of pressure on me," Orlando joked. "But I rely heavily on inspiration for songwriting. When inspired, I can write sixteen songs in half an hour. Without it, I can't write a single one."
So far, the fact that--
Terminator 2's scoring credit as Orlando's work hadn't been publicly announced yet.
Because Orlando knew his own business. If he could get the "inspiration" while shooting the movie, scoring Terminator 2 would be no problem for him. But if not... well, he wouldn't be able to hold up as a scoring master.
And of course, he couldn't just slap the Titanic soundtrack onto Terminator 2.
Therefore, he hadn't signed a scoring contract with Cameron.
Cameron was preparing for both possibilities -- one, Orlando would try scoring; two, he would keep another composer ready.
Scoring usually happens after filming finishes, along with editing, or even once editing is complete.
Both Cameron and Orlando still had plenty of time.
The cost of trial and error was minimal.
That's why Orlando agreed to Cameron's terms.
The group chatted and laughed as they walked into the hotel.
Suddenly--
---
Bang! Bang!
With his assistant Diana's panicked face beside him, Orlando felt Lincoln behind him suddenly rush forward, grabbing and pushing him down hard.
Orlando instinctively tensed, ready to fight back -- the electric charge almost sparking from his body.
But he recalled a previous security drill, relaxed fully, letting Lincoln pin his arm as he was thrown down on the hotel's sloping steps.
Orlando shrank back slightly, spotting another bodyguard, Washington, who stood in front of him, holding a gun with the safety off as he scanned for threats.
Orlando's telepathy picked up panic from everyone around and understood why Lincoln and Washington acted that way.
In the chaos, someone yelled, "What's going on? What happened?"
"Gunshots! Just two shots! Very close -- within 100 yards!"
Lincoln didn't look back, his body shielding Orlando.
He aimed the pistol, already drawn, outside the hotel.
"Shots came from outside. Get inside the hotel!"
Washington pushed forward, ignoring others, shielding Orlando as they rushed inside.
Everyone else reacted quickly and hurried inside as well.
*****
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