An Arab as the protagonist?
Ryan went on full alert immediately. Was Mansour testing him, or did he genuinely want that?
Either way, he needed a clear and reasonable answer.
"Is your goal to improve the image of Arabs through Hollywood films?" Ryan asked carefully.
"Hollywood has enormous reach and influence," Mansour said slowly. "And yet it has always been deeply hostile toward Arabs. Last year, when I visited Paris and New York, people in both cities were openly protesting in the streets and calling us terrorists. Even the press treated us with nothing but cold mockery."
Ryan let out a quiet sigh. "They've been misled by people with their own agendas."
"His Excellency the President was greatly angered," Mansour said. "The UAE is a modern and enlightened nation. We have a responsibility to change how the Arab world is seen."
Ryan nodded slowly. "So you want Arab characters to be protagonists, to be the heroes in Hollywood films."
Mansour said simply, "Jewish people can be. Why not Arabs?"
The moment those words were out, Ryan knew this wasn't a test. Mansour genuinely had this idea.
In Hollywood, of course, Jewish protagonists were completely natural. Arab protagonists were essentially unthinkable. That was just the reality of the industry.
If this had been a straightforward money grab, Ryan could have agreed without a second thought. But he actually wanted to make The Purge work. He wanted it to be the real starting point of his career. That meant an Arab protagonist was out of the question.
And with someone at Mansour's level, making reckless promises wasn't an option either.
Ryan thought for a moment. "At this stage, it wouldn't be the right move."
He explained carefully. "Hollywood's distribution channels are controlled by Jewish interests. A film with an Arab protagonist simply wouldn't get into the market. If audiences can't see the film, it has no influence at all. The whole purpose is defeated."
Mansour frowned slightly, clearly turning that over in his mind.
Ryan's thinking was moving fast. Reading Mansour through the conversation so far, one conclusion was clear: this man wanted recognition. He wanted a legacy. He was hungry for it.
This was a negotiation. The goal was to turn that hunger in a useful direction without giving away anything he couldn't afford to give. The best outcome was getting Mansour to come around to Ryan's position while feeling that he'd arrived there himself.
Ryan pressed on. "Jewish influence over Hollywood didn't build overnight, and it won't be displaced overnight either. Pushing too hard too fast will only trigger a backlash. The film gets buried before anyone sees it, and nothing changes. The better approach is to find a small opening first, then work outward from that point, slowly and steadily, with a long-term plan."
Mansour was not someone who could be dismissed with empty words. He said, "That... does make some sense."
Ryan leaned into it. He could feel the room shifting. "How many decades did it take the Jewish community to reshape their image? They started right after World War II. They used the weight of the Holocaust, the sympathy it generated, and the capital they had access to. Then they kept at it, year after year, methodically working their way into every corner of the industry. That's how you get from one end of the spectrum to the other."
Mansour said quietly, "Abu Dhabi does not lack money."
"But you lack support," Ryan said directly. "You lack the kind of recognition that comes with real influence. And more than anything, you lack a plan that can actually get you there."
Mansour went quiet. He thought of the fractured Arab world, of the royal family members content to live out their years in idle comfort. For the first time in the conversation, he was genuinely listening.
"Do you have any thoughts on how to change that?" he asked.
"I don't know much about politics," Ryan said, keeping his tone honest and measured. "But I do have some thoughts on culture and sport."
"Go on," Mansour said immediately.
Ryan organized his thoughts quickly, drawing on everything he knew about the path Mansour had actually taken in the years ahead.
"Film and television are the entertainment industries with the widest global reach," he said. "They don't just entertain. They shape how people see the world, what they value, what they believe about other cultures. You could build your own presence in Hollywood, develop a genuine long-term strategy to change how Arabs are portrayed, and work toward creating new models in the industry that break the grip of the existing power structure."
Ryan almost believed it himself as he said it. That was the highest level of a good pitch.
"What else?" Mansour asked.
"Beyond film and television, professional sport has enormous global influence," Ryan said. "If you want to reach into American mainstream culture, acquiring an NFL or MLB franchise and building it into a championship team would be a real entry point."
He paused, then continued. "If it's Europe you're thinking about, buying into one of the top clubs in the major football leagues would be even more powerful. Football is the world's most watched sport. Billions of people follow it. When a club you own wins a league title or the Champions League, people everywhere look at you differently."
Mansour's eyes lit up the moment Ryan said it. He was already a committed sports follower, passionate about football and accomplished in equestrianism, but he had never thought about actually owning a club.
What did a championship team need above everything else? Money.
Having money didn't guarantee winning. But winning always required money.
And money was the one thing Abu Dhabi had in abundance.
The two men standing behind Mansour exchanged a quick glance, and Ryan could see the surprise in both of their faces. This was practically designed for Mansour. Why hadn't they thought of it themselves?
Mansour nodded several times, thinking as he spoke. "This is worth serious consideration."
Ryan smiled modestly. "I'm just sharing what comes to mind. I'm glad if any of it is useful."
Mansour gave his first genuine word of approval. "This conversation has opened a real door for me. I mean that."
Ryan took his moment. "About the film..."
"You are the professional," Mansour said immediately, then asked, "What is the funding gap on the project?"
"The budget is ten million dollars," Ryan said plainly. "There's been strong interest at the fundraising conference, but it's hard to say how much will ultimately convert. I'd estimate the gap at around eight million dollars."
Mansour considered for a moment. "I will look at this seriously. I hope we can reach an agreement."
"That would be an honor," Ryan said.
He knew Mansour would still need to investigate before committing. Oil money didn't get thrown around carelessly. But reading the conversation, the probability of getting a real commitment from him was high.
Mansour walked Ryan out to the corridor personally.
Just as Ryan was about to leave, an Arab man came hurrying over and said a few quick words in Arabic to the thin aide standing behind Mansour.
Ryan caught something that sounded like Los Angeles. He didn't slow down and kept walking toward the elevators. Before turning the corner, he glanced back and saw Mansour and his people had gone back into the meeting room.
Los Angeles. Ryan turned the word over quietly. Had Mansour sent someone there to look into Starlight Entertainment?
It made sense. Mansour had come to the conference on day one, had clearly taken the materials seriously, and had the resources to commission a proper investigation without any trouble.
Ten million dollars was a serious sum. Of course he'd want someone on the ground.
Looking back at it, the Investment Authority had been playing a careful game throughout. On one hand, they had helped Starlight with logistics and publicity, showing the Arab world's openness and hospitality to their Hollywood guests. On the other hand, they had clearly been running their own quiet assessment the whole time. As long as the Starlight team was still in Abu Dhabi, the situation remained within their oversight.
Ryan wouldn't pretend he had no concerns at all. But he was still confident. He had never underestimated these people from the start, and every piece of what he'd presented was real and verifiable. The only exception was the film's stated budget, and the subjective framing around Jewish influence — but that wasn't something an outside investigation could easily disprove.
The elevator arrived. Ryan stepped in and headed back down to the conference floor, ready to keep working the room.
Compared to Mansour, the other potential investors were small. But small was still something.
Back in the meeting room, Mansour opened a folder and looked at his two aides.
"What do you think?"