[Chapter 9: Full and Busy]
Before noon, at the law firm, Charlie invited another lawyer to witness as he signed a long-term contract with Gert's small law office. Afterward, Charlie consulted on the company's registration, existing funds, tax issues, and authorized Gert to handle everything.
Next, he contacted Spike Lee to discuss launching a film project. In Hollywood, Charlie had only been on one film set before; even with independent productions, he wasn't deeply familiar with many industry rules and information. Having an industry insider would make things much easier.
First and foremost, he needed to secure the script. Charlie's previous life was mostly as an investor, skilled in ruthless marketing and promotion. While he could write scripts, different eras, pacing, details, and formats were hard for him to grasp. He needed Spike Lee to recommend candidates, but the final decision rested with him.
The entertainment industry was tough to break into without connections. Spike's attitude toward Charlie shifted as well. He was surprised Charlie had actually secured investment from 20th Century Fox. Faced with a promising project, Spike changed from being passive to eager and willingly accepted the job.
...
While registering the company, Charlie searched for office space and posted job listings. Primarily, he sought a receptionist and cleaning staff. For assistants and specific production staff, contracts would be determined after some working period and coordination. Charlie also directly contacted real estate agents to handle some matters. Money made everything possible.
Still, Charlie was incredibly busy. He managed to buy a cell phone, order an IBM computer, office furniture, and a Mercedes-Benz W140 -- these last items would be studio assets.
...
At night, Charlie and Judy cooked a lavish dinner together to celebrate. Tonight, Charlie didn't go out partying.
Before dinner, Charlie had to humor Judy by talking on the phone with his both sets of unseen grandparents, just to satisfy her pride over her son. During the day, Judy had already bragged to all friends and family, proudly telling everyone, "My son is a major producer collaborating with 20th Century Fox."
Judy's parents encouraged Charlie to keep working hard but warned him to be gentler in dealing with people to avoid making enemies.
His paternal grandfather laughed heartily upon hearing about Charlie's progress: "You've really got guts, better than your dad! You're young and fearless -- that's most important. You've got the fire of youth and the cunning of an old-timer, quite remarkable! If you get into trouble, just call me. I'll grab old friends and your dad's comrades to back you up. Young folks need to take risks. Even if you stir up big trouble, I'll cover for you and rally your dad's old crew to make things right."
Charlie couldn't help but smile and shake his head. Just then, the old man groaned, and his wife snatched the phone away: "Good boy, don't listen to your grandpa. Those rough ways don't work anymore. When you're free, come back to visit grandma. It's been too long."
Though Charlie had only spoken to them a few times over the phone since his time-shift, he felt warmth, especially from the grandfather with a distinctive but endearing accent. Charlie repeatedly agreed to the grandmother's requests. At the end, the grandfather took back the phone and joked, "You little bastard, you haven't come back for a long time. Don't forget to listen to your grandma."
Charlie shrugged with resignation.
...
After hanging up, Judy's eyes glistened with some tears as she said with a mix of reproach and sympathy, "Mr. Corleone shouldn't have told your father his so-called glorious past since he was a child. The two lost their son in middle age, and they miss you very much."
"Yeah," Charlie nodded slightly, "We'll visit when we get the chance."
During dinner, Charlie curiously asked about his father's story. Judy didn't know much but was happy her son was interested and shared what she did.
Apparently, Quinto Corleone's father was a laborer from southern Italy who, back in his home village, had forged ties with influential local figures and briefly basked in their glory. When his local boss ran afoul of the authorities, everything crumbled. Soon after, Quinto's grandparents perished in a car accident in Italy. Alone, Quinto's father emigrated to the United States and started working as a laborer on New York's docks.
After hearing this, Charlie inclined his head, newfound respect in his eyes for his grandfather. But he quickly forgot the past and changed the topic. The atmosphere at the dining table was warm. Judy was delighted her son had grown up and was thriving in his career.
...
They casually discussed some work issues. Charlie said, "Mom, do you have any accountant friends you trust? You know I'm young, and my circle will grow with the business. I need reliable people."
Running a business was tough. Charlie was a reborn soul and had a few close friends, but most were unprofessional. He had built a foundation through various means. To maintain and grow it, while retaining full control, required time and patience. There were no shortcuts. Money was crucial. Gert's law office could help, but Charlie wouldn't give away too much power. He needed a trustworthy accountant and planned to delegate legal matters later.
Judy thought and introduced Melche, a former colleague. She called her immediately.
Early the next morning, Charlie met Melche. They talked and agreed to cooperate. Quickly cutting through red tape, Charlie had Gert draft the contract for signing.
...
Then, the three went to a 20-story office building named Haas in Burbank. There, Charlie and the real estate agent inspected the company office -- a roughly 2,000 square foot space. Gert and his assistant swiftly reviewed the lease, Charlie signed, and told Melche to handle the payment.
...
Not long after, the building staff cleaned the office. Locke and other publishing reps arrived. Charlie led his team to negotiate assertively with these parties.
"Don't forget, my book has 20th Century Fox's distribution and large-scale promotion. Buyout offer? No way. I want 50% of the royalties to authorize this book alone, limited to the English book publishing rights in California. And that excludes any adaptation or spin-off rights!"
"Oh, my goodness, Mr. Corleone, that's no offer. We'd have to pay you to serve you."
Watching their boss negotiate shamelessly and aggressively, ready to slam the table for every penny, Melche whispered, "Mr. Gert, I've known Charlie for a while but never imagined he'd become such a sharp and ruthless big boss overnight."
Gert smiled, "The boss is very interesting, a born winner. Trust me, Melche, he'll lead us to create countless miracles. I've already witnessed one. He's just warming up."
Melche nodded, "Sure, I believe that. He's a good kid, loyal and caring, but business negotiation requires a variety tactics. He's young and should take advantage of it. Originally, I was a little worried. I wanted to help Judy and give myself a new chance. I had just divorced, and my life was a mess."
...
Due to time constraints, Charlie wanted to close deals quickly. An hour later, he shook hands warmly with Locke. Locke's Chris Book House demonstrated its ability to use Simon & Schuster's distribution channels. They offered 17% royalties and agreed to Charlie's cheeky demand to intervene anytime in sales strategy.
Their sincerity completely impressed Charlie. Locke was also satisfied, seemingly aiming for deep cooperation with the publishing giant through this deal. He brought his team, and they quickly signed the contract. There was an interesting side story: Raymond called Locke asking, "My book just launched, but you're focusing major resources on promoting another?"
Locke looked regretful, "Sorry, circumstances changed. Chris Book House has to seize this opportunity."
When Raymond cursed, Locke hung up, facing Charlie's half-smiling gaze awkwardly, pretending casual: "Uh, I think he needs time to cool down. He's still an important client."
"Haha, I get it," Charlie laughed, "Raymond still needs to learn spelling to write better works."
...
After sending Locke off, Charlie inquired about the company registration progress, which was smooth. Then he asked if they knew about tax incentive zones and financing institutions easy to apply for in the film industry.
Before long, Mord arrived excitedly with furniture and computer office deliveries. He brought an investment tip: "Boss, old man Kirk called. He wants to invest in our movie and said he can help solve any trouble from the Bloods."
"Oh?" Charlie narrowed his eyes, showing a peculiar smile. "Interesting!"
*****
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