Global Film Emperor

Chapter 362 Established! Global Brothers!
"Mom, I shouldn't be back until mid-March. Call me if anything happens. And don't forget to take Dad to get his insulin injection on the 26th. Dad, please don't be stubborn. Just go. The insurance covers so much. Spending three or five hundred yuan a month on injections and medication shouldn't be a problem. It's not good to make people drag you around. Oh, by the way, I contacted a friend in Inner Mongolia and bought some plasters there. They'll be delivered by express in the next few days. The phone number is yours, so remember to answer it."

Lu Ze was busy packing his luggage, and he kept muttering to himself. Li Yumei was helping Lu Ze fold his T-shirt, while Lu Weiguo quietly watched Animal World, with a hint of impatience on his face.

It is said that when people get old, they should be sensible, accept their children's arrangements, try their best not to be a burden to their children, and even give their children some help. Lu Ze is filial and does not feel that his parents are a burden to him, but he is just a little worried about his parents.

Li Yumei was alright; she cooperated with all of Lu Ze's suggestions. After all, she still held some patriarchal views and had always doted on her eldest son. Now that he was older, she listened to Lu Ze even more and wouldn't refuse most of his decisions.

Lu Weiguo is getting old, and his temper is noticeably stubborn. People in the village have said behind his back that Lu Weiguo is a stubborn old man. Lu Ze has also heard about this. Although he is not very happy, Lu Ze understands that what they say is true.

Actually, this wasn't a recent personality change for Lu Weiguo; it stemmed from a shift in his mindset that began sixteen years ago after he became disabled. He always felt that he was a burden on his family, having borrowed money and used Lu Ze's university tuition to save his life. Although he survived, he was left with a limp and blind in one eye. To him, this life was not worth it; instead, it had ruined his entire family. That's why he became so taciturn.

As a result, he was diagnosed with diabetes during a check-up last year, which completely rendered him unable to work. He became increasingly uncooperative with treatment, feeling that he was useless and could only be a burden to his children. He even refused to use the ointments that were bought for him, and would groan in pain when it was cloudy or rainy, making himself suffer.

Lu Ze knew he was suffering, but the more his father acted this way, the more angry he felt inside. However, he couldn't vent his anger on his father; he could only keep it inside and offer his father enough understanding and comfort.

After packing everything, Lu Ze picked up his suitcase, walked over to Lu Weiguo, and offered him a cigarette. Lu Weiguo took it, searched in the drawer for a while before finding a lighter, and lit it for himself. Since his medical check-up last year, he had basically stopped smoking, and his family no longer allowed him to smoke. Only when his son came home would they occasionally offer him one.

"Dad, listen to me. If you're sick, we'll get treatment. You only have minor ailments that won't cost much. Xiaonan is working now, so anyone can afford this amount of money. Don't make yourself suffer. Otherwise, Xiaonan and I will always be worried when we're out here. Can you put our minds at ease?"

"Ah."

Another perfunctory answer, clearly indicating that he hadn't listened. Lu Ze was utterly helpless. He sighed, said goodbye to Li Yumei, refused his mother's request to see him off, and left home alone.

There are no sanitation workers in the village, so the villagers have to clean up on their own. Everyone sweeps the snow in front of their own door, which causes the snow on the road to melt and then freeze again, making it very slippery. Luckily, there are still firecracker debris on it from the New Year, otherwise, you would definitely slip and fall a few times.

"Daze, going out?"

"Hmm, where are you going, Mr. Chen? Try to play less mahjong. The room is all smoky and it's bad for your respiratory system."

Along the way, many villagers greeted Lu Ze. It was fortunate that Lu Ze didn't have any parasites or resentful relatives. Everyone got along well. There was definitely some jealousy behind his back, but on the surface, things were still fine.

He put on sunglasses and a mask at the village entrance and waited for more than ten minutes. A bus stopped at the village entrance. He put his luggage down, paid the ticket seller fifteen yuan for the ticket, found an empty seat, closed his eyes and rested. This bus would take him to Lühua Bus Station. He would need to walk more than 300 meters to take the high-speed train to the capital, and then fly directly from the capital to London.

The most painful time of the trip began from there, but fortunately, Lu Ze had already gotten used to it.

……

There was no plane loss of control, no terrorist hijacking, and the plane landed safely at London Airport. Being in a foreign land did not cause him any discomfort, except that he was a little tired due to jet lag, so much so that he fell asleep on the train to Liverpool.

Fortunately, the man next to him also got off in Liverpool and woke Lu Ze up. If it weren't for the fact that he winked at Lu Ze when he got off the train and then kissed another white man at the bustling station entrance, Lu Ze would have really believed that this was a friendly international friend.

After exiting the station, Lu Ze looked around but couldn't find Mickey. He took out his phone to call his grandson, who had promised to pick him up but was nowhere to be seen, when suddenly someone patted him on the back.

Long time no see, buddy! Happy New Year! Wishing you prosperity!

"Snapped……"

The phone slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground, screen up, covered in a spiderweb-like pattern. Lu Ze turned around, looked at the stiff Mickey, and asked a question with a forced smile.

"Shouldn't this be called 'Peace and Safety in Every Break'?"

"I think this is a good idea..."

"You're only safe if the outer screen breaks; if the inner screen leaks liquid, you're not safe at all today."

……

"It's just a phone, I'll buy you a new one, okay? Why did you have to be so rough? Give me a different piece of paper, this one's see-through."

Honestly, Lu Ze wouldn't really beat up Mickey over a cell phone. But men, no matter how old, can't help but like to joke around. The square in front of the station was a good place for them to have fun. Taking advantage of his long arm span, Lu Ze locked Mickey's neck. Just then, Mickey lowered his head and bumped his nose into Lu Ze's elbow, getting a bruised and battered face.

Lu Ze, realizing he was in the wrong, crumpled up a tissue and handed it to Mickey, who was driving. He felt completely relaxed. People in their thirties who are willing to lower themselves and joke around with you in public are definitely close friends, if not best buddies. As for minor disagreements, those are inevitable. Given Mickey's personality, he wouldn't hold a grudge over something like that.

Listening to soothing music, holding the back of my head with my hands, and occasionally chatting with Mickey Mouse, I slowly started to feel jet lag again, my consciousness began to blur, and I eventually fell asleep.

"What do you want to eat tonight? I'm not short of money now, how about I treat you to a big meal later..."

Not hearing a response, Mickey turned his head and saw Lu Ze snoring softly. He shrugged, slowed down the car, turned down the volume, looked at the road ahead, gave an expectant smile, and muttered to himself.

"Go to sleep...go to sleep...when you wake up, just don't be scared."

……

"Where is this? It's been over an hour already. Don't tell me you bought a mansion with all the money you made from 'The Effect'."

When Lu Ze woke up, the car was still moving. He glanced at his watch and realized they had been driving for over an hour. The scenery outside the window was clearly not like that of the city. Lu Ze had reason to believe that they were about to leave Liverpool.

"Don't you think this place looks familiar? We're here. What? Don't you remember?"

"Isn't this... Clive? What are you doing here?"

The familiar courtyard and the three three-story buildings arranged in a triangular pattern confused Lu Ze even more, leaving him bewildered as to why Mickey had brought him here.

"Let's make a deal. Come on, get out of the car with me. Good afternoon, Barbo."

"Good afternoon, Mr. Taylor. It's been a long time, Mr. Lu. You're back."

The black guy in the mailroom stood up and greeted the two of them. Lu Ze didn't expect the black guy to remember him. He nodded politely in response, then grabbed Mickey's clothes with a questioning look on his face and quietly asked a question.

"Don't tell me you're here to discuss a new movie contract. I just got off the plane, I'm exhausted, and you dragged me here to talk about a contract? Are you even human?"

"Stop talking nonsense and go upstairs."

Mickey excitedly dragged Lu Ze up the stairs to the third floor, and pushed open the door to the general manager's office, only to find it empty; there was no one there.

"Are you sure you don't even knock? Thor isn't here. Let's go, I'm sleepy."

Lu Ze turned to leave, but Mickey grabbed him. The two stared at each other, and suddenly... Mickey grinned widely, unable to suppress his laughter. He sauntered over and plopped down in the executive chair behind the desk, slinging his legs over the table. He was extremely arrogant and reached out to turn the nameplate on the table towards Lu Ze.

"Sal? That's a thing of the past, buddy! Look, I'm the general manager now! Saul's gone, I acquired Clive! Surprised? I'm the boss now! This time... I'm here to discuss a contract with you."

Lu Ze could have guessed it. Mickey's behavior along the way was too abnormal. If Lu Ze were more level-headed, he would have noticed Mickey's little lie and wouldn't have asked so many questions like an idiot. Mickey probably had a hard time suppressing his laughter the whole way.

After seeing the photo on the nameplate clearly and confirming that it was indeed Mickey himself, Lu Ze finally came to his senses, walked to the chair opposite the desk, sat down, and looked around the office layout.

"how much did you spend?"

Mickey didn't say anything, but just smiled and held up seven fingers.

"That's pretty cheap." "Cheap? No IP, no brand recognition, financially overstretched, relying solely on producing adult films and small commercials to keep the company afloat. Only the props are worth something. Cheap? If I wasn't in a hurry to buy it, I wouldn't have let Saul rip me off. But... now that I have it, it's worth it."

"But do you have that much money on hand? Have you taken out another loan?"

“If you take out a loan, the money you owe the bank isn’t really a debt. If you don’t take out a loan, you’re just wasting your time.”

Lu Ze shook his head, thinking that Mickey had indeed acted impulsively. Did he really buy a film company and become a boss on a whim? Where would the funding for future productions come from? How would the expenses be balanced? How would the resources for the company's signed directors and actors be allocated? These were all problems. Lu Ze was very clear-headed right now and had already thought of his reasons for refusing. Some things even close brothers have to be settled clearly. He couldn't just sign with Mickey because of their good relationship. Besides... he didn't have the habit of working for friends.

So you're planning to sign me?

"Who said they were going to sign you?"

These words surprised Lu Ze, who couldn't help but ask, "Then what kind of contract are we talking about?"

Mickey pulled the bloody crumpled paper out of his nostril, threw it into the trash can, turned around, filled a glass with water and drank it down in one gulp. His expression turned serious, and he sat down again, interlacing his fingers as he looked at Lu Ze.

"I told you, I owe you a favor. You saved my life and prevented me from rotting in the mud. Don't even mention that I've already paid you your fee of 50,000 pounds. Even if you didn't pay taxes on that amount, it's still not enough to match your acting skills. 50,000 pounds... that's only enough to hire a Category III actress who can go around naked. It's not good enough for you. So I have to make it up to you, buddy. I, Mickey, always repay kindness and know my own pride. You deserve my attention and to be my friend. So, I won't let you be in a lower position than me. What I'm going to give you is 30% of the shares in this company, worth 2.1 million pounds. Here's the contract, you can take a look. And I can guarantee that the Series A funding will absolutely not affect your interests."

A contract was tossed onto the table by Mickey, and Lu Ze sat up straight. Two million and one hundred thousand pounds, more than sixteen million Chinese yuan—this was the highest salary he had ever received in his life, and he couldn't help but take it seriously. He turned the contract to face him, but instead of flipping through it immediately, he pinched a corner of the contract and gently pried it up, causing the papers to flutter and make a rustling sound.

"Are you serious?"

"if not?"

"Just because we made a movie together?"

"No one understands the importance of The Effect to us better than the two of us."

"But I don't know how to invest, and I can't attract investment. All I know is acting."

"That's enough. All we need to do is keep coming out one! One! And another movie! Movies that will scare people so much they'll wet their pants. Then, will we still have to worry about funding?"

"But didn't you ever think I would really accept this equity so easily?"

"First of all, you need to have a correct understanding of yourself. This is not a charity or a reward for you, but because I need you. You are an indispensable part of my empire. I once told Depp that you are my best friend. Not everyone is worthy of being Mickey Taylor's best friend. I believe that what we can earn together is much more than the two million and one hundred thousand pounds I have put out."

"You're gambling, and it's very risky. Asians have absolutely no advantage in the Western entertainment industry, especially as actors."

“I’m already gambling. With you here, my chances of winning are even greater. Of course, if I lose, your two million one hundred thousand pounds will be as if you never had it at all, and you’ll waste a few years of your youth, that’s all.”

"Will a Series B funding round dilute my equity?"

"Yes, because I want to ensure my control over the company. It's mine, and it's yours too. It doesn't belong to anyone but the two of us."

Lu Ze smiled helplessly and turned to the first page of the contract. He was really persuaded because this was what he wanted, and no domestic agency had given him such a promise. Now that Mickey had given it to him, why not take a gamble?

"A director's controlling nature, is that it? That's really perverted. So you mean the next movie has already been decided?"

Mickey would never lie to Lu Ze about this, and nodded, admitting it directly.

"Yes."

"Mind letting me take a look?"

"I don't mind, but I'm still making changes."

"All right……"

Mickey didn't disturb Lu Ze's reading. Seeing him engrossed in reviewing the contract, Mickey felt a little uneasy, because this was a major decision concerning the future, and he couldn't possibly take it lightly.

As the sun set, its rays stained the tabletop with a golden glow, bringing a touch of warmth from the sunset. Lu Ze turned to the last page of the contract, rubbed his face vigorously, and felt sleepy again, a result of the convoluted contract terms.

However, he still understood it. There were no traps, no restrictions. The contract, like Mickey himself, was completely unguarded against Lu Ze. So Lu Ze picked up the pen, glanced at Mickey, and smiled.

"Don't regret it, I've really signed it."

"please."

Without further hesitation, he signed his name and added Lu Ze's fingerprint. The contract was made in duplicate and officially took effect. Only after Lu Ze finished signing did Mickey breathe a sigh of relief and extend his right hand.

"I look forward to a pleasant collaboration in the future."

"You're so formal, I'm actually a little uncomfortable with that. It's a pleasure working with you, but do you want to change the company name?"

"Of course, my surname isn't Clivef. As for my new name, I've already decided."

He got up, walked to the window, and stretched. Lu Ze watched his back, lit a cigarette, and put it in his mouth.

"what is it call?"

"Global Brothers".

"Global? We two can hardly be considered global; at most, we're just connecting Asia and Europe."

"Who says it's just the two of us? My hope is that one day in the future, I can gather top film talents from all over the world, bring them together, discard the trash, only the elite, form an alliance, unleash more creativity, and create more wealth. That's what a true Universal Brothers should be."

"The idea of ​​forming cliques is unacceptable."

"That joke isn't funny. Actually, before you, I've already signed two directors. I've arranged to meet them tonight at Lionheart Bar. I'll introduce you to them then. Oh, by the way, you might know them. But before that, come with me. I have a gift for you."

Mickey led Lu Ze away from the office. They hadn't gone far; it was right next door. The two entered a room, which was also an office. The nameplate on the desk didn't have a photo, but it already had Lu Ze's name on it.

"So the gift is an office?"

“Look this way…”

Mickey walked to the cabinet, suddenly pulled open the door, crossed his arms, and looked at Lu Ze triumphantly. Just as he expected, Lu Ze's gaze froze the moment the cabinet door was opened.

Inside the cabinet were five trophies, gleaming in the setting sun.

They went home...

"..."

(End of this chapter)