Entertainment 2000: Supporting female stars will bring you a hundredfold return

Chapter 352 This is betrayal, and I have to pay more?!
Tang Wen lay back on the sofa, his fingers gently stroking his long, black-stockinged legs, recalling bits and pieces about Heidi Klum in his mind.

This German model is renowned for her beauty.

In 1998, she successfully signed a contract with Victoria's Secret.

In recent years, my career has been thriving.

Not to mention becoming a top model.

He also appeared in a few movies and comedy shows, but all of them were minor supporting roles.

The production company didn't pay her much when they hired her.

Aside from occasional hosting gigs, she was basically used as a publicity gimmick and a decorative figurehead.

In any case, Hollywood has at least opened a crack in the door for her.

It showed her how wealthy and glamorous the lives of famous actresses and film and television producers are.

It is well known that the income in the modeling industry is not high.

But even top female models like Heidi Klum.

In terms of income, they can't compare to second or third-tier Hollywood stars.

She works her hardest for a year, and at most earns four or five million US dollars before taxes.

That's quite a lot.

However, the expenses are also high.

Victoria's Secret has extremely strict requirements for the models' body shape and weight.

To maintain a good figure in the long run, no matter how talented you are, a personal nutritionist and a professional body shaping coach are indispensable.

There are also expensive supplements, beauty treatments, dress rentals, luxury car and mansion rentals, and interpersonal relationship maintenance...

Throughout the year, without the sponsorship of the top sponsor, I wouldn't be able to save much money.

She's not doing as well as a popular third-tier Hollywood actress.

Heidi didn't go to college, but she received a good education, was mature enough, and knew that the golden age of top models only lasted a few years.

Why not take advantage of your fame while you still have it and your face hasn't changed, and develop your career?

After retiring from the entertainment industry, where can one maintain a decent life?
Unless he is willing to return to his small town in Germany.

That is impossible.

Following the original plan, in 2004, Heidi Klum, hoping for a breakthrough in her career, conceived a variety show called "Project Runway."

The theme is about genius designers showcasing their talents.

A fashion design reality show.

The show is niche, but that also means there's little competition.

It is closely related to Heidi Klum's profession.

Later, it actually became a long-running program, and it was recorded every year.

The show continued even after 2020.

Heidi Klum also achieved financial freedom and is living a fulfilling life thanks to the show.

but.

Tang Wen frowned.

Now, she faces a significant problem in producing this show again.

Keep in mind, she's a model, she doesn't have much capital, and she's European.

In the film and television industry, they have neither resources nor connections.

When she decided to produce the show next year, she gave up all she had—her beauty.

They resolutely sought out Harvey Weinstein.

Harvey is a criminal.

In the United States, a country teeming with talent, he was not the worst person.

Because this guy, once he's taken a bribe, he actually does things for people.

He truly protects his underlings.

They're much better than those big shots who pull up their pants, turn their backs on their debts, and don't even pay the room fee.

It is probably this style of doing things that helped him build his "reputation".

Historically, whenever a Hollywood actress aspires to win an Oscar for Best Actress, the first "big shot" she thinks of is Harvey.

"How's Harvey's case going?"

Tang Wen suddenly asked.

His style and niche of "accepting bribes to get things done" are worth learning from.

But his people must be completely destroyed.

Lin Chih-ling: "I've been following this. According to the lawyer's analysis, there's a high probability that she will be sentenced to more than 15 years in prison."

It's several years less than the 23 years of imprisonment in the original timeline.

But enough is enough.

By the time he gets out, his wife will have definitely transferred all the assets, and she might even have several children with someone else.

His own brother, who was being suppressed by him, also couldn't make it in Hollywood anymore.

Sending Harvey some living expenses after he gets out of prison would be considered a kind act.

The other underlings, such as Matt Damon.

They all expressed their stance and distanced themselves from Harvey.

In a decade or so, Harvey probably won't even be able to get through the gates of their villa.

"Okay, keep an eye on it."

Tang Wen nodded, still harboring doubts. He sent a new email to Zhang Hongbing of the "Shadow Security Team":
Why didn't Heidi Klum accept John Mayer's advances?

Another point.

As far as I can remember, Heidi gave birth in 2004.

Tang Wen wanted to find out about her marital status and see if she was secretly married.

After finishing all that, Robert knocked on the door and came in from the outside.

He came in looking travel-worn, went straight to the refrigerator, grabbed a can of ice-cold Coke, and drank it all in one go.

"Where did you come from?"

"New York!"

"Any progress on Marvel?"

"Ike transferred most of his shares and signed a contract that if 'The Hulk' doesn't perform well at the box office, he will assist us within a year in regaining the licenses for the Hulk, Iron Man, and other IPs. If that's not possible, the acquisition price for the remaining shares will be reduced by two percent..."

As he spoke, Robert sat down on the sofa opposite Tang Wen.

"He'll work hard for the money!"

Ike has some affection for Marvel, but not much.

He invested in Marvel, hoping to make a big profit, but now he's stuck with it.

Lin Zhiling made Robert a cup of coffee, sat down next to Tang Wen, and asked, "Ike sold most of his shares so quickly. Besides tax issues, is there another reason?"

"That's right!"

Robert snapped his fingers and looked at Tang Wen with envy: "You're so lucky to have Lin by your side."

Robert was already in his forties, a dissolute young man who thought he had seen through the true nature of marriage and women.

I never even considered getting married.

But if he were to meet a woman like Lin Chih-ling, who would treat him wholeheartedly, help him at work, not only tolerate his wild and unruly behavior in life, but also proactively arrange surprises and be willing to clean up the mess... a beautiful and gentle woman.

He could consider marriage!

Tang Wen shrugged. Lin Zhiling showed no pride or arrogance, but simply tilted her head and smiled at Tang Wen, her eyes overflowing with doting affection.

Yes, it's pampering.

Lin, who was nearly thirty, was almost infinitely tolerant of Tang Wen.

Not to mention letting Tang Wen bully her, she also took care of everything from arranging team battles and recruiting personal secretaries to the smallest details of daily life.

She will arrange everything perfectly.

The two exchanged glances, seemingly about to kiss.

Robert felt a pang of sadness and quickly got down to business: "Lin is right. Besides feeling the pressure of taxes, Ike also attended an internal screening of 'The Incredible Hulk' held by Universal a couple of days ago."

Tang Wen smiled. Ike's previous demand to sell shares at a high price was because he had illusions about "The Hulk".

Unexpectedly, before the official release...

My illusions have been shattered.

Of course, there's still a bit of wishful thinking involved.

What if "The Incredible Hulk" becomes a hit, or even makes a profit?

He will definitely sell the remaining shares for a high price.

Human nature.

Tang Wen didn't care about a little money, as long as the other party took back the animation copyrights he wanted.

What about Facebook?

Robert rubbed his forehead: "On the way, I talked with Sun Chao. The negotiations with the Ivy League schools are basically complete. There are still some details to be worked out. USC has been a great help in the process."

Sun Chao is now a graduate student at USC. Of course, the university should support students who start their own businesses.

Especially knowing that Sun Chao has a powerful backer and connections.

Meanwhile, he created the same website in China and has already succeeded.

They would hesitate to ask the school for help when it was in dire need.

Sun Chao is a foreign student, so the school is just going through the motions.

But once you've demonstrated your capabilities and showcased your success stories, showing them that you can succeed and win big, the school will naturally offer its full support!
If you don't let them participate, they won't want to either.

The benefits to a school in the long run are the potential to cultivate a well-known enterprise or entrepreneur.

It could bring in at least ten years of benefits. After finishing their business, Robert rushed off to Facebook.

Chairman Tang was very satisfied with his work attitude.

After resting for a while, the agreed time was approaching.

He took Lin Chih-ling to the Disney headquarters in Los Angeles.

As the person in charge of Galaxy Entertainment's daily operations, Sister Lin will inevitably have to deal with several major companies in the future.

We brought her along so she could get used to things.

Inside the car, Lin Chih-ling asked somewhat nervously, "What should I be careful about when we get to Disneyland?"

“I’m behind you. We’re talking to Disney about a project worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Don’t be afraid, keep your composure.”

Sister Lin nodded. She was capable, but lacked experience.

Clenching my fist, I made a silent vow to maintain my composure later.

Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the few recent live-action films from Disney that has cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

It has attracted much attention from both higher and lower levels.

In addition, it involves a power struggle between two factions within the company, making it a key project of concern to everyone in the company.

The two arrived outside Disneyland, where Iger's secretary was already waiting.

Since both sides were on the same side, the secretary didn't waste any words.

I quickly shared the key points of the meeting with Tang Wen...

The meeting officially begins.

The CFO of President Michael's faction fired the first shot.

They requested Tang Wen to provide a detailed breakdown of the promotional expenses allocated by Disney.

The other party didn't mention the promotional effect, which clearly means that there's nothing wrong with the promotional effect.

Tang Wen smiled; the vast majority of this money was currently lying in his overseas account.

It wouldn't be right to just make a list and take the money meant for ordering late-night snacks and Red Bull for writers, would it?
Sitting to the side, Sister Lin frowned slightly, not expecting the people at Disney to be so rude.

A slight worry had just begun to rise in her heart.

Tang Wen scoffed, "Details?"
No!

If you really want to, make one up yourself!

"You!" The CFO was about to express his anger.

Tang Wen suddenly raised his hand, interrupting him:
"As for advertising costs, we only paid for advertising on the English website."

With "Pirates of the Caribbean" set to be released globally, and a large audience in different languages ​​around the world, an additional $300 million in advertising budget is needed to ensure effective promotion.

"It's due tomorrow, tonight. Disney's $200 million must be deposited into my designated account."

The deputy finance director was furious: "Don't beat around the bush. Without details, there won't be another advertising expense."

"Snapped!"

Tang Wen slammed his fist on the table:

"You only spent this little money and got tens of millions of online views. What more details do you want?"
Is this a uniform requirement that Disney will apply to all its partners from now on?!

Have you yourselves done it?
I heard that you have a good relationship with Harvey, and that you've sent a lot of people to review his projects, haven't you?

Why wasn't the problem detected before? Did he give you a detailed breakdown...?

The deputy finance president's face changed drastically. He cursed Tang Wen for his lack of sportsmanship. "I was just asking a question casually, just to set an example for the boss."

What are you talking about, Harvey?!

Many of the attendees were shareholders and shareholder representatives.

The look in his eyes turned unfriendly.

There are some things that everyone is doing.

Film crews falsifying accounts is a traditional Hollywood practice.

Once the explosion scene is over, the accounts will be balanced.

Why would I need detailed accounts?
Anyone who dares to do that is standing against everyone at Disney!
Which department's accounts can withstand scrutiny?
The CFO originally only wanted to manipulate Tang Wen.

Unexpectedly, I kicked a steel plate.

Seeing that things were heading in the wrong direction, President Michael had no choice but to step in personally:

"Tang! The online advertising company you hired did a great job. The two million US dollars will arrive today."

Tang Wen snorted and, out of politeness, didn't bring it up again.

Beside her, Lin Chih-ling looked on with eyes full of admiration.

Taking the opportunity, Tang Wen introduced her to everyone.

A round of applause slowly broke out in the conference room.

This can be seen as acknowledging Lin Chih-ling's status.

Making the CFO lose face has immediate benefits.

The subsequent communication went smoothly.

No one else dared to jump out and question anything.

After finishing their business, Tang Wen took Lin Zhiling to meet their allies, Iger and Roy Disney.

Behind closed doors, he cut straight to the heart of the matter:
"Mr. Disney, if this fighting continues, it will be very detrimental to Disney's development!"

If we're talking about who has the deepest affection for Disney, it's definitely Roy Disney.

He is over 70 years old this year. The Disney company has accompanied him as he grew up and has been a part of his life.

"Tang, please speak freely about your thoughts."

"It's just a small, immature suggestion. Why don't we make a private deal with Michael based on the box office performance of 'Pirates of the Caribbean'?"

“Explain in detail.” Roy Disney wanted the company back on track more than anyone else.

His health was deteriorating, and he wanted to see that day before he could retire completely.

"As far as I know, Michael is the largest private shareholder, and also has a 2% share of the profits..."

in short.

Michael really wanted Disney to make money.

The timing is good right now.

In the eyes of those behind Harvey, Michael was the main force behind Harvey's downfall.

These people won't say anything openly, but their malice is always there.

This is detrimental to Disney.

Tang Wen's advice can be summed up in one sentence:

Michael agreed that if the global box office of "Pirates of the Caribbean" exceeded $6 million.

He intends to gradually withdraw from the center of power at Disney.

If that cannot be achieved, then Roy Disney needs to demonstrate sincerity and continue the collaboration.

"6 million US dollars! You're so confident?"

"Barring any unforeseen circumstances, there shouldn't be any major problems," Tang Wen said casually.

"I need to think about it carefully."

Roy Disney had long been completely disappointed with Michael, but the man was not so easy to defeat.

Especially after Harvey's incident, many people within the company became even more wary of Michael.

Aiger saw Tang Wen and the other person off.

Today's suggestion is not something I came up with on a whim.

Tang Wen had discussed this with Aige several times before.

Such a proposal, which leans towards cooperation, could only be made by Tang Wen, an outsider.

If Iger had said it, Paul Disney probably wouldn't have thought much of it.

Arrange the publicity work for "Caribbean".

Back at the company, Tang Wen turned on his computer and saw the documents sent by Zhang Hongbing.

That evening, the two met at a highly private club.

Zhang Hongbing has an ordinary appearance, but is tall, standing at 185 cm, with a full head of curly hair.

Walking on the streets of Los Angeles, most people would mistake him for a blue-collar worker.

Tang Wen explained the plan targeting John Mayer.

Zhang Hongbing pondered briefly:
John Mayer had three close friends, two of whom were his childhood friends and were very loyal to him.

The other one was his high school classmate; the two of them hung out together in bars and acted as each other's wingmen.

This person has ulterior motives and doesn't get along well with the other two.

The breakthrough can be found by focusing on him.

After their private meeting, Tang Wen flew to England overnight to promote his album.

The next day, John's friend met a veteran media professional.

"What? You want me to steer John's words and cause controversy?!" Upon hearing what the other person said, this friend who relied on John for a living immediately blushed.

The newcomer didn't speak, but just frowned and looked at the other person, thinking to himself that the information was unreliable.

This guy doesn't seem like someone who can be bribed.

John's friend: "This is a blatant betrayal of John..."

Ten minutes passed.

The visitor grew impatient and stood up, saying, "Never mind what I said."

"Huh?" John's friend was taken aback and reached out to grab him. "No, what I mean is, a mere twenty thousand dollars won't do! We need more money!"

"..."

(End of this chapter)