Fooling Huayu for Thirty Years

Chapter 588 Deception! But this time it's Earth's top rich second-generation!

That's unmatched in terms of flirtatiousness.

Yuanyuan wasn't exactly unhappy, but she was still feeling a bit down.

But I am different from Qin Lan.

That guy left after he'd had his fun, but Yuanyuan wasn't in a hurry to leave.

Well, it's also possible that Qin Lan has some sense of shame and left first.

But I didn't care about all that anymore.

Yuanyuan still wanted to talk to Ma Xun more, or perhaps get closer to him.

But we need to find a topic to talk about.

"They've agreed to listen to you and not film that movie anymore, but I'm out of work. What are you going to do?"

Upon hearing this, Ma Xun couldn't help but laugh. "Goodness, it turns out that Cannes Best Actress Gao Yuanyuan is quite the little rascal."

Yuanyuan understood what "sticky bag" meant, and couldn't help but laugh and bite her lip, "So what if I'm sticky bag?"

Hey, you know what, they really do look like a young couple.

Ma Xun scratched his head as if in a dilemma, "Well, I don't have any projects right now, so what do you suggest we do?"

This guy really does push things around like a 625.

Yuanyuan's smile faded slightly. "I'm serious."

Yes, I'm not kidding, I really am unemployed.

Ma Xun knew that if he continued joking, things would get awkward, so he immediately laughed and said, "I don't have any projects here, but others do, like Ning Hao and his crew who are filming."

Did they just throw the pot over there?
Of course, this cannot be called shifting the blame, after all, Ning Hao is now a well-known director.

Yuanyuan was happy to hear this, but after thinking about it, she realized that her style didn't quite match Ning Hao's.

"Him? Well, I'm not really suited for comedy."

Ma Xun then unleashed his sharp tongue, saying, "You can't act in comedy, can you?"

tough enough.

Yuanyuan couldn't help but stomp her feet in anger, "How could you say that about someone, even though it's true?"

These words made Ma Xun laugh.

Wait a minute, Yuanyuan is clearly retaliating, isn't she?

You said I'm not suited for comedy, and look, I gave you one sentence, and you laughed so hard your jaw almost hit the ground.

Ma Xun thought to himself, Yuan Yuan has also grown up... well, this growth includes her growing magnanimity.

There wasn't much to say at the moment, so he simply said, "Why don't you wait?"

"What are you waiting for?"

"Hollywood, let's see if there are any opportunities there."

"Really?"

Yuanyuan's eyes are already big, but here they're wide open.

Ma Xun smiled and said, "But I guarantee that there might be a chance, or there might not be."

He said that... However, Yuanyuan had spent a long time with Ma Xun and knew that he was actually a man who kept his promises.

Yes, some people don't make promises easily. Although they may seem carefree and unserious in general, once they do make a promise, they always keep it.

Ma Xun falls into the latter category.

However, he is more of a domineering CEO in his daily life, and he always likes to suppress others.

Most people wouldn't realize this, but Yuanyuan still thought Ma Xun was pretty good.

Wow, such high praise! Ma Xun, you're quite the lucky guy.

And you know what? Soon enough, news from Hollywood came in.

Interestingly, it wasn't Ge Luming who sent the message, but Martin.

It was Martin from Colombia; he called me right away.

It interrupted Ma Xun and Yuan Yuan's sweet talk.

"Mr. Ma, do you have some free time lately?"

“Mr. Martin, I’m available anytime you need to speak with me.”

Ma Xun is indeed quite good at bluffing; Martin felt very comfortable hearing those words.

Sure enough, the guy asked a few questions, and when he learned that Ma Xun was in Tokyo, he perked up.

“I happen to have a friend here who heard that I know you and would like to meet you.”

"Oh, a friend..."

Ma Xun clearly realized that this friend was definitely not simple, and he also realized something else.

"Mr. Martin, you've heard about the new film I'm going to make, haven't you?"

Yuanyuan knew about the new film, but Ma Xun didn't mention it at all when she asked for resources.

There was no other way, because Ma Xun had thought for a long time but couldn't find a suitable role for Yuanyuan in the movie "Inception".

Yan Danchen is suitable because she has the face of a virtuous wife and loving mother.

Yuanyuan is still very young. If she wore a sailor uniform now, she would definitely be mistaken for a high school girl from Tokyo.

The female lead has already been confirmed as Scarlett Johansson.

Currently, Ma Xun can only use European and American male and female actors to make this kind of movie.

He also wants Chinese stars to go global, but right now, apart from Jackie Chan and Jet Li, other Chinese stars really aren't ready for that.

Ma Xun is a pragmatic guy.

But then again, is Martin Scorsese eyeing Inception?
But then Martin laughed on the phone, "Mr. Martin, believe me, this time you'll be very surprised."

Surprise? Or even more surprising?

Ma Xun became even more suspicious, so he decided to test the waters.

What if I want to bring someone along?

"But it's best to keep it a secret."

Oh, that means it's possible...

Ma Xun glanced at Yuan Yuan.

Yuanyuan looked like she didn't want to go.

But since we've come this far, let's go.

……

The place I arranged to meet Martin was Ghibli Park.

This place is in Aichi Prefecture, and it was quite a journey for Ma Xun and Yuan Yuan to get here.

However, this place is definitely worth a visit.

A few years ago, Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture hosted the World Expo and collaborated with Studio Ghibli to create this theme park, which is still standing today.

Although it's still winter, the climate here in Japan isn't that cold.

There is still some greenery in the park, giving people a feeling of being immersed in the world of animation.

Ma Xun met Martin at the coffee shop, but he was immediately drawn to the people Martin brought with him.

He was very familiar with this face.

Well, it should be said that this person was not a big star, although he was indeed a Hollywood actor, and for the next ten years or so, he was not particularly famous.

However, this guy is no ordinary person.

Ma Xun whispered directly to Yuan Yuan, "Today, you've met the world's top rich second-generation heir."

Yuanyuan was stunned. Before she could react, Martin had already started his introduction.

“Mr. Ma, oh, this beautiful lady must be your girlfriend… Haha… I'll accept on your behalf. This young man behind me is named David Ellison, and he is…”

Before he could finish speaking, David Ellison came over and shook hands with Ma Xun.

"Mr. Ma, I absolutely love your Cloverfield film series!"

This young man is quite impressive.

Of course, Ma Xun didn't think this guy was flattering him; he knew very well that this guy genuinely loved movies.

There are people in this world who love movies, and at the same time, they are very rich. So, they want to spend money like crazy to make movies, regardless of whether they make money or not, as long as they can express their ideas.

do you understand?

Oh, okay, if you don't understand, let me introduce Ellison's identity.

Actually, you should be able to guess what's going on when you hear this surname, especially in wealthy circles.

“Mr. Ellison, I also really enjoy using Oracle software.”

Okay, that's enough.

David Ellison laughed heartily upon hearing this. His identity goes without saying.

Even Yuanyuan understood, "Could he be...?"

"The young master of Oracle Bone Script".

Although it's a bit impolite, it's not a big deal that they're speaking in Chinese.

After he finished speaking, Ma Xun repeated it to Martin and Ellison.

The two of them naturally burst into laughter.

The atmosphere at our meeting was, of course, excellent.

After the coffee and desserts were served, everyone chatted even more enthusiastically.

After all, some people only need to accompany you for meals.

Yuanyuan, huh?

Ma Xun and David found themselves getting more and more relaxed as they talked.

That's actually how it is.

David Ellison is currently just an extra in Hollywood.

Even in the movies he starred in, he wasn't on the posters.

People who don't know his background would think of him as a 25-year-old American dreamer trying his luck in Hollywood.

However, this guy is genuinely a huge movie fan, the kind of fanatic.

In addition, he is really rich and dares to spend money.

More than a decade later, he will ask his father for $80 billion to acquire Paramount.

The reason for acquiring this company is that this guy really likes some of Paramount's IPs.

Transformers, G.I. Joe, Mission: Impossible... and so on.

In fact, this guy invested in some of the later productions of these movies.

Of course, to be precise, he bought half the shares, but also had half the voting rights.

that's enough.

Voting rights are actually very important. There are many ways to acquire a company, and sometimes you may spend a lot of money, but you don't get any voting rights at all.

They just want a share of the profits, which is similar to private equity.

But let's leave that aside for now and get to the serious topic with Ma Xun.

"So you're probably after my 'Inception'?"

Upon hearing this, Martin blushed slightly. It was clear that the leak of the movie news was related to him.

After all, Ma Xun had always been working with Columbia Pictures.

But now, this Martin... might just jump.

David put it simply and directly: "I've only looked into it a little, but I think this movie is absolutely fantastic, and I'd love to be a part of it..."

Here it comes, that's pretty direct!

Ma Xun smiled and waved his hand, interrupting him, saying, "Let's get to the point. How much are you planning to offer?"

Goodness, that's even more direct!
David was even more intrigued by Ma Xun's unexpected character.

"What if I wanted to have more collaboration with Mr. Ma?"

Upon hearing this, Ma Xun laughed.

"You certainly have a big appetite. Business in this world is all about negotiating prices. Name your price."

David didn't hesitate and immediately replied, "One billion dollars."

Very impressive!

Moreover, if it were an ordinary person, they would immediately... Just look at Yuanyuan, she was completely terrified.

One billion US dollars in 08—that's no ordinary amount of money!

Ma Xun was genuinely surprised, "This amount is indeed very large, so large that I have to refuse you."

Ok?
Why do I say that?

Martin was already dumbfounded, and now he's even dumbfounded!

With a billion dollars, he simply stopped doing nothing!
Unexpectedly, Ma Xun refused outright.

In fact, Martin had no idea that Ma Xun was just beginning to deceive him!
Why refuse? Because it involves power!

"Why?"

Listen to this: the fact that David asked that word means he's been tricked.

Ma Xun looked troubled. "David, your offer is really tempting, but such a high offer means I have to give up my control over my own company."

I'm certain that no one in the world knows my own films better than I do.

Oh, this... is Trump channeling him?
Don't say it, really don't say it.

As soon as Trump's rhetoric came out, David was immediately fooled and looked hesitant.

That’s right!

A billion dollars is hardly an investment anymore; it's enough to buy Ma Xun's company in the United States.

From any perspective, Ma Xun would have to give up some power, or even a lot of it.

Of course, this is under the condition that David is relatively open-minded.

If this guy succeeds in the acquisition, he will demand the power to deal with it.

How to do?
David was just a young American man in his early twenties, and his eyes were still very clear.

"Mr. Ma, I'm sorry, I went a bit overboard just now, but I really love the films produced by your company. Also, I know that you also have the works of Mr. James Wan..."

That's right. From an IP perspective, Ma Xun's company is currently worth more than a billion US dollars in the future.

but!

That's the future, isn't it?

Since the conversation had progressed this far, Ma Xun no longer held back.

"Let me give you my target price."

"it is good!"

"A billion is great, but I can't have all the power. If it's a profit-sharing arrangement, I need at least 6%. Of course, David, you can act in any of our company's films, but you can't be the lead."

Acting on a whim?

But he's not the main character?
What kind of conditions are these?!

Martin was wiping his sweat; he was afraid that David would get angry and punch Ma Xun.

But unexpectedly, Martin actually...

"But how can I trust you?"

This... he was tempted!
Sure enough, this is a top-tier rich kid!

A billion dollars wouldn't be a problem; I'd be willing to invest even if it meant giving up power.

Ma Xun knew that his deception had reached a critical moment.

Fortunately, this guy was prepared in advance.

"Based on my vision and understanding of film, I'm willing to take this billion dollars!"

Great! That's impressive!
but……

"How to prove it?"

Yes, that's a billion dollars. Can you provide proof?

Ma Xun laughed and said, "There's a live-action 'Dragon Ball' movie out recently, right?"

Upon hearing this, David immediately laughed, "Ha... Justin and I are very good friends."

Justin is the main character of Dragon Ball, he is Goku.

They met on the set of David's first film.

Ma Xun laughed; the deception had gone too smoothly!

"I dare say this Dragon Ball series will be a disaster!"

David Ellison, this top-tier rich kid, is now speechless, his mouth agape.

He spoke after a long while.

“Alright! Let’s make a bet! If this movie is really as Mr. Ma says, then it proves that Mr. Ma’s vision is unparalleled! I’m also willing to invest one billion dollars!”

"A word is settled!"

The two immediately gave each other a high five as a pledge.

Successfully fooled them!

(End of this chapter)