booktalesy Chapter 238 John is insane
Chapter 238 John is insane
Chapter 238 John is insane
(The previous chapter was shortened by 600 words due to the "black room" rule, and it's only now being released.)
ICE, the company behind the Ice Point Economy.
In the cluster of office buildings near Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles, it's like expired yogurt forgotten in a corner of the refrigerator.
It lacks both the magic to package newcomers into Oscar winners and the resources of directors and stars, and can only struggle to crawl in the middle of the Hollywood talent agency food chain.
There are at least hundreds of such small and medium-sized brokerage firms in Los Angeles, as numerous as hairs on a cow.
Early in the morning, John Crosby's used Chevrolet Caprice arrived at the company parking lot on time, only to receive some bad news as soon as he got there.
"Hey John! Let's talk in private." Werner suddenly darted out of the break room like a fish, his Starbucks coffee still steaming in his hand.
This colleague, known as the office gossip, always gets the latest news on the company's top management. His intelligence network is so sophisticated that it's comparable to a CIA mole in Hollywood.
He reached out and pulled John into the break room.
"What happened?" John Crosby asked, puzzled. Why all the secrecy?
Werner first peered around to check the surroundings, and after finding no one else, he said in a voice barely audible, "Milito is withdrawing his investment, and—" He paused deliberately for three seconds, as if enjoying the thrill of creating suspense, "the company is going to start laying off employees."
John's first reaction was to take out his wallet to confirm that it wasn't April Fool's Day.
As one of the three founders of ICE, Milito was not only his mentor, but also his only spiritual pillar in this industry that treats morality as a rag.
"Why?" John's voice was as dry as the sand in the Sahara Desert.
"I heard that a certain producer has taken a liking to Meyenne, an artist under Milito's management, and hopes to have dinner with her to discuss her acting career."
This seemingly respectable invitation, in Hollywood slang, is equivalent to "I want to have sex with you in exchange for resources."
"It was Niang who acted as a matchmaker, which led to a conflict between the two."
Niang was also one of the three co-founders, and John immediately understood the cause and effect of the matter.
Niang had simply found a good opportunity for his artist, but the other party had taken a fancy to Milito's artist, Meyenne.
Niang must have agreed to it behind Milito's back, but then Milito rejected it.
Niang suffered a net loss; not only did he fail to secure an opportunity for his client, he also offended them.
However, this is not the key point; it's just a trigger. The real reason is the incompatibility of their business philosophies.
"Everyone knows that Niang is a prostitute. As long as there is a little profit, he doesn't mind sending his wife to everyone's bed."
Werner clearly understood the real point of contention, and said with a sneer, his face full of disdain.
"But Milito is different. This lawyer-turned-agent, although he's in the entertainment industry where it's a cesspool where eating and sleeping with clients is commonplace, wants his clients to be cleaner, which he believes makes them more valuable and more satisfied."
As John and Charlize Theron said, selling is a given, but it has to be done at a good price.
John Crosby knew Milito's solid style all too well because he had worked with him when he first started out.
When Milito feels that the returns on a deal will meet expectations, he will discuss it with his clients, but not by forcing them. Instead, he will analyze the pros and cons and use facts to persuade them to agree.
"Milito is going to start his own business with his own artists," Werner said, giving John a meaningful look, as if to say, "You know what I mean."
John Crosby smiled wryly; of course he understood.
With Milito gone, I, as an employee who was close to him, will definitely be labeled as a loyal follower, and my life will not be easy.
In addition, with reduced business and the need for layoffs, I will definitely be the first to be affected.
His biggest client is Charlize Theron, but she's just a newcomer who landed the lead role in a movie that hasn't even been released yet. All I can say is that she has a lot of potential.
But even if it means making an example of someone, the company is unlikely to compromise for the sake of a promising newcomer.
Furthermore, Charlize Theron may not necessarily go with John; there's a high chance she'll stay and choose a new agent.
John Crosby was a nobody with few connections, and aside from company factors, there was no future in following him.
He understood this, so he returned to his workstation carrying this heavy burden.
The morning was uneventful until John Crosby was about to go to lunch when the door to one of the company's three offices opened, and Niang called out to him.
"John, come to my office."
His voice wasn't loud, but it was enough to instantly silence the entire office area, as if someone had suddenly pressed the mute button.
Everyone knows what John is about to face.
As John struggled to move forward, whispers began to rise.
"It seems John has become one of Niang's chosen prey."
"But John probably doesn't care, right? I heard he has a very good relationship with his clients, especially Charlize Theron, who has a medium-to-large-scale production line. If he can take her with him, John might become a big star's agent in the future."
Someone scoffed, "Dream on! First of all, his artists would never leave with a manager who has no resources like him. And even if they did, who knows how well that movie will do at the box office?"
"If the box office performance is poor, given John's connections, there's absolutely no way he'll give Charlize Theron a chance to make a comeback."
.
As these people say, how could anyone possibly choose to ruin their future by choosing John Crosby?
To John's surprise, Niang was so unruly.
When John walked in, Niang was stirring his coffee with a silver coffee spoon, a gesture that made him look like a wizard concocting poison.
"John, I think you've already heard about the changes at the company," Niang said bluntly. "After careful consideration by management, we've decided to optimize our personnel structure; this is just a normal business adjustment."
Where are my clients?
'
Niang's smile vanished abruptly, replaced by a cold expression. "I've already spoken with them. Wikipedia will handle most of the clients. As for Theron..."
'
He paused deliberately. "We haven't been able to contact her yet, but I believe she will make a wise choice."
66
These words pierced John's heart like a sharp knife, filling him with unspeakable anger.
In the Hollywood talent agency industry, clients who directly contact colleagues are considered the most serious act of betrayal, as unforgivable as shooting someone in the back on the battlefield.
Niang not only wanted to fire him, but also to completely destroy any possibility of his resurgence.
He hadn't expected Niang to be so unruly, skipping directly to the artist who had contacted him.
But what could he do?
Circumstances are beyond our control; that's the reality.
"So, regarding compensation?" After regaining his composure, John calmed down.
Niang smiled, not going too far. "The company will process your dismissal normally, and you will receive all the compensation due."
That's really generous. If the compensation I could get wasn't several thousand dollars, I doubt they would have been so generous.
After leaving Niang's office, John ignored the cold stares, pity, and schadenfreude of some of his colleagues and walked straight out to find a quiet corner.
Charlize Theron, his biggest artist, hasn't made a decision yet, but he's picked up on this information.
Regardless, he had to try; this was his only chance.
Hiding in the fire escape, his fingers trembled as he dialed Theron's number.
The phone rang for a long time before it was answered.
"John? What happened?" Theron's voice came from the other end of the phone.
John took a deep breath and recounted the company's troubles in detail. He tried to keep his tone calm, but his voice still trembled uncontrollably.
"I know this is sudden, but if you choose to leave with me, I promise..."
John wanted to continue persuading him, but to his surprise, the other party didn't even consider it and said, "I choose you, after all, I know you better."
In an instant, the gloom in John's heart caused by the departure of other artists was completely swept away, and he felt that a ray of light had appeared in his gloomy life.
"I will do everything in my power to help you become a star, I promise," John assured him again.
"By the way, where are you now? I'll come find you and we can discuss our next plans."
There was a moment of silence on the phone. "In New York."
John remembered the opportunity he had found for the other person, but he didn't have much hope for it.
But what Theron said next left him stunned.
"Ernst's House".
John Crosby stared wide-eyed, not even noticing when the other person hung up.
"Yes, yes!" He shouted excitedly as he came to his senses, waving his fists at the air on his way back to the office, completely ignoring the strange looks from afar.
When a colleague who knew him saw him like this, he shook his head and sighed, "John has gone mad. I didn't expect him to be unable to handle even this little setback."