Chapter 216 – We Must Secure It
"The scenery here is absolutely beautiful."
Aaron and Joey Wong stood inside the villa near Stanley Park. The property bordered English Bay and overlooked Burrard Inlet, offering sweeping coastal views.
"Do you like it?" Aaron wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek gently.
Leaning into his embrace, Joey Wong smiled brightly.
"Of course I like it. This is an incredible place."
She turned and kissed him of her own accord.
---
That night, the two of them soaked together in a warm bath. Aaron looked thoroughly content as he held her in his arms.
"In the future, if you're ever unhappy in Hong Kong, just come here," he said softly.
"Or come to the U.S. to find me—that works too."
Joey Wong laughed lightly.
"If I go to the U.S. to see you, will you even have time for me?"
Aaron's hands traced along her waist as he smiled.
"If you come, I'll make time."
"Alright," she replied.
Ever since her breakup with her longtime boyfriend, her mood had been unsettled. On top of that, a wealthy married businessman had been pursuing her in Hong Kong.
If she hadn't met Aaron Anderson, she wasn't sure what decision she might have made.
"Hmm? Thinking again?" she teased when she felt his restless hands.
"After everything these past few days, aren't you satisfied yet?"
"Who told you to be so irresistible?" he murmured.
Then he asked, "Back in Hong Kong, are you still filming several movies a year?"
"Yes," she nodded. "My fee is 1.8 million Hong Kong dollars per film now. It's pretty good."
Aaron shook his head.
"Don't push yourself too hard. Take fewer scripts. Use the money to invest in property instead."
"I bought a hillside villa in Repulse Bay when I visited Hong Kong before. After you go back, help me purchase a few more—just treat it as an investment."
Joey Wong nodded thoughtfully.
"Hong Kong's real estate market is indeed booming. It's a good time to invest."
"How much are you planning to put in?"
Aaron considered for a moment.
"The exchange rate is about 7.8 Hong Kong dollars to the U.S. dollar… so maybe forty to fifty million USD."
"That's around three to four hundred million Hong Kong dollars."
She stared at him in astonishment.
"That much…?"
---
After spending a week in Vancouver, the Hong Kong production team for Rumble in the Bronx completed preparations, and Aaron returned to Los Angeles.
Just in time, Dawnlight Pictures' action film Speed officially opened in theaters.
However, Hollywood was soon shaken by a major scandal that left many people uneasy—
Hollywood's notorious "madam," Heidi Fleiss, had been arrested.
The news of Heidi Fleiss being arrested on charges of drug trafficking, prostitution, money laundering, and evasion exploded across Los Angeles. For several consecutive days, every major media outlet launched relentless, headline-grabbing coverage.
"I always knew she wasn't clean. Something was bound to happen sooner or later!"
Inside a West Hollywood bar, Jack Wells had his arm around Uma Thurman, looking relieved as he spoke about Heidi Fleiss.
Aaron glanced at him. He had moved fast—already involved with Uma Thurman.
"Heidi Fleiss had too much information on powerful people," Aaron said calmly.
"She wouldn't dare make everything public."
He paused before adding:
"Even if she goes to prison, it probably won't be for long."
After all, celebrities in Los Angeles, politicians in Washington, and financiers on Wall Street—countless influential figures had sought her services. None of them would allow their names to surface.
So far, the only name exposed was Charlie Sheen, thanks to a signed check found in Fleiss's pocket at the time of her arrest.
"Charlie Sheen really knows how to live," Jack laughed.
"He went to her so many times—called in a ridiculous number of escorts."
Apparently, he'd been even more excessive than Quentin Tarantino, who was also rumored to be a client.
Aaron shrugged.
"That's just Charlie being Charlie."
He shifted topics.
"Has Pulp Fiction entered post-production?"
"Yes," Jack nodded. "Quentin's in the editing room. The footage looks fantastic."
He leaned down and kissed Uma.
Aaron nodded thoughtfully.
"I've seen some of the dailies. Quentin's definitely got genius-level instincts. Especially Uma and John Travolta—their performances are striking."
"Oh—thank you," Uma smiled brightly at the compliment.
Though the film also featured Madonna Ciccone and Christiana Reali, it was Uma Thurman who stood out the most.
---
Meanwhile, Dawnlight Pictures' action film Speed opened in 2,134 theaters across North America. It earned $14.5 million in its first three-day weekend.
While it didn't match the explosive performance of The Mask of Zorro, the reviews were largely positive.
The pairing of Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly drew particular praise from critics. As the film gained momentum, both stars saw their popularity surge dramatically.
---
Dawnlight Pictures – Aaron's Office
"Saul Zaentz?" Aaron repeated.
"Yes," explained Evelyn Beckett.
"He holds the film and television adaptation rights to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit."
She continued:
"That includes the rights to character likenesses, names, merchandising, games—essentially the full spectrum of derivative rights."
Aaron leaned back slightly.
"So you're saying he controls the complete adaptation rights—film, television, gaming, and other licensing?"
"Yes," Evelyn nodded.
"The Tolkien Estate retains publishing rights and receives 7.5% of adaptation profits."
She clarified further:
"Zaentz owns the full screen adaptation rights to The Lord of the Rings. However, for The Hobbit, he only controls production rights—the distribution rights for the film remain with United Artists."
This unusual structure dated back to when Zaentz first acquired the Tolkien properties. United Artists had secured certain rights to The Hobbit, and although Zaentz later reacquired ownership, United Artists retained distribution rights—similar to the situation surrounding the James Bond franchise.
Aaron smiled faintly.
"The Lord of the Rings is the crown jewel. The Hobbit is excellent, but it's not on the same level."
He added thoughtfully:
"The scope is enormous—massive battles, vast world-building, countless characters. Most Hollywood studios think it's too ambitious to adapt successfully."
Then his tone shifted.
"But Dawnlight Pictures isn't most studios."
He looked directly at Evelyn.
"Start negotiations with Saul Zaentz immediately. I want full control over the rights to both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit."
Norway had recently produced a low-budget television adaptation related to Tolkien's world—but it was crude and forgettable.
Regardless, Aaron was certain of one thing:
The screen rights to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit were non-negotiable.
He had to secure them.
If The Silmarillion hadn't been such a fragmented compilation of Tolkien's unfinished manuscripts, he might have attempted to acquire that as well directly from the Tolkien Estate.