My teacher is Bruce Lee, who dominated Hollywood.

Chapter 161 Disney's Firewall

"Qin! This movie is mine!"

Martin Scorsese at this moment is like a traveler who has been thirsty in the desert for ten days and ten nights and suddenly found an oasis.

He gripped the sweaty manuscript tightly in his hand, as if afraid that if he loosened his grip even a finger, this script, which perfectly suited his desire to vent, would sprout wings and fly away.

On the sofa opposite him, Paul Schrader had completely broken down.

Those long nights spent in the San Fernando Valley, those desperate words written amidst marijuana, decadent music, and self-loathing, have finally found their perfect home at this moment.

Travis fired the shot; the madman became a hero.

This absurd reversal, like a sharp dagger, pierced through the hypocrisy of Hollywood's "warmth."

Paul covered his face with his hands, tears seeping through his fingers and dripping onto his newly bought second-hand suit trousers, spreading into a dark stain.

Qin Han stood quietly by the coffee table, watching the two men in front of him caught in extreme emotions, without rushing to interrupt this resonance that belonged to geniuses.

He gestured for Michael to pour them both a glass of whiskey: "How's it, Martin?"

"I told you long ago, there's no one else in the world who understands your crazy ideas about New York better than him. The two of you together are destined to be the most suitable duo in Hollywood history."

Martin's face was flushed with a sickly red from extreme excitement. He no longer cared what Qin Han was saying: "Yes! Whatever you say is right!" He spun around twice like a dog chasing its own tail: "Qin, I take back all my previous complaints about Los Angeles!"

"This script is practically tailor-made for me! That decadent and depraved atmosphere, the exhilarating feeling of bullets tearing through flesh to wash away sins—"

"Listen, we have to get started right now! To hell with Alice isn't here! I can't wait to build those piss-smelling New York alleyways!"

"I can immediately pause preparations for 'Alice' and finish filming 'Taxi Driver'! I guarantee it will absolutely blow the minds of those Frenchmen in Cannes!"

Martin's words sent a chill down Michael Ovitz's spine; the CEO of Hans Films felt a throbbing pain in his temples.

To abandon the terms already agreed upon with Disney and instead make an independent film without even a budget?

This is downright jeopardizing the company's reputation!

He was about to step forward to stop the madman's ramblings when Qin Han stopped him with a look: "You'll have to deal with them a lot later, so don't make things too bad from the start."

"Martin, put away your unrealistic fantasies. In this room, art can run wild, but once we step out of this door, we must abide by the rules of Hollywood."

Qin Han personally took on the role of the villain, instantly extinguishing Martin's fervor.

"Do you think pulling Jodie Foster out of Disney's fairytale castle is as simple as ordering takeout?"

Qin Han pointed a finger bluntly at the manuscript of "Taxi Driver": "First, to secure the lease rights to Jodie Foster, Han's Pictures practically wore down the doorstep of Disney's legal department. We volunteered to act as a front," promising to bear all the public opinion risks, only then managing to pry open that crack."

"More importantly, Judy's mother was willing to sign the authorization because you, Martin Scorsese, assured her that this was a road movie about women's self-discovery and growth!"

He looked directly into Martin's somewhat evasive eyes and raised his voice further: "For Disney, the 'bad girl' trope in 'Alice Isn't Here' is already the limit of what they can tolerate!"

"If right now, you suddenly threw the script aside and told that mother and the Disney board that you wanted to send a twelve-year-old girl to wander the streets of New York—"

Qin Han sneered and shook his head: "Believe me, Martin. Within twenty-four hours, Walt Disney's legal team will have us bankrupt!"

"The California Child Protection Association will just storm into Sunset Tower with the police and send us all to jail. All the conditions we painstakingly negotiated will become a pile of worthless paper."

Martin, in frustration, grabbed his already disheveled hair and paced back and forth by the coffee table like a caged beast, his heavy breathing clearly audible in the room.

"Martin, be patient." Qin Han gripped the future director's shoulder, his tone softening slightly: "Go and work well with Judy to make 'Alice Isn't Here,' and shut Disney and her mother up with a high-quality film."

"Only by proving that you're not a madman who would destroy her can I have an excuse to negotiate an even crazier deal with that animation kingdom."

Martin Scorsese rubbed his cheeks vigorously, letting out a few helpless sighs.

Reason told him that every word spoken by this much younger Chinese producer was correct; this was the ironclad rule of Hollywood.

"Fine, fine! You win, Qin. You're the boss, you call the shots."

He plopped down on the single sofa, still clutching the manuscript tightly: "I will make a good film of *Alice*, I will make that little girl the most unique girl on screen. But..."

He abruptly raised his head, his eyes gleaming with a wolfish greed: "I want to sign the contract right now! Hans, Paul..."

And me too! Let's put this agreement in writing right now.

"Of course, no problem." Qin Han readily agreed, then turned his gaze to Paul Schrader, who had been silently weeping.

"So, what do you think, our genius screenwriter?"

"Are you willing to entrust this story, which encapsulates countless nights of despair, to Han's Film Studio, to this director who almost went mad because of it?"

Paul Schrader wiped away the crisscrossing tear tracks on his face with the back of his hand, raised his head, and met Qin Han's gaze.

In this office, he didn't see the condescending charity of Los Angeles producers, nor did he see their greedy faces.

What he saw was equal respect and unreserved recognition of his talent.

Since he fell ill, lost his job, and hid in that metal box at the drive-in theater, it had been far too long since he had experienced being truly regarded as a "person."

"No problem." His voice was still hoarse, but it carried an unprecedented firmness. "Travis needs a director like him. The script—is yours."

"The perfect decision."

Qin Han snapped his fingers and pointed to Michael Ovitz standing behind his desk: "Michael will finalize every detail with you regarding the specific profit distribution, authorship rights, and advance payment. Trust me, Han's will never mistreat truly talented people."

After explaining everything, he turned around, took his coat from the coat rack, and casually draped it over his arm.

"You two can talk here. I'm going to Disney." He straightened his tie and gestured with his chin towards Martin. "Now that we've reached an agreement, I'll go report to Disney and tell them I've got a bison from New York."

Upon hearing this, Martin Scorsese let out a wild, unrestrained laugh and waved his hand dismissively: "Go ahead, Qin! Brag to those rat-drawing guys all you want, even if you say you tamed me with a whip, it's all fine!"

"As long as you can guarantee that the little girl named Judy will be able to make movies the way I want, without any constraints!"

"As you wish."

Qin Han opened the wooden door and glanced back at the office before leaving.

Martin was waving his arms and having a heated discussion with Paul about Travis's entrance scene, while Michael, sweating profusely and carrying a pile of documents, tried to chime in.

The three of them are all incredibly stubborn and have an obsessive passion for movies, turning the office into a noisy marketplace.

"Don't leave tonight, I'll treat you to top-quality ribeye steak when I get back," Qin Han shouted with a smile. "On the condition that you don't blow the roof off the Sunset Tower when I return."

In May, the sun in Los Angeles already had a glaring heat.

The car turned at a sign with a Mickey Mouse design and entered the tree-lined avenue of the Walt Disney Studios.

The gatekeeper asked, "Sir, may I ask who you are?"

"Han's Film Studio, please inform Mr. Ronald from the live-action film department that Qin Han has come to see him."

"Mr. Hans, please go directly to the production building. Mr. Ronald instructed that if you arrive, you can come to him at any time. I will call and inform him now."

"Thanks!"

Leaving the gatehouse, Qin Han lowered the car window, letting the sea breeze from the Pacific Ocean rush into the car. The palm trees along the road cast long shadows in the sunlight, and the Eagles' "Take It Easy" was playing on the radio.

-

The floodgates of memory quietly opened: January, those wettest and coldest days in Los Angeles.

He had just awakened in this unfamiliar era, with only a crumpled IOU in his hand, and all his possessions combined weren't even enough for a decent Western meal.

The first afternoon I stepped into Warner Bros. Studios, wearing a cheap jacket, I was mistaken by the elegantly dressed receptionist for a delivery boy delivering Chinese food.

If I had told her then that, just three months later, I would have been granted "free passage" by Disney officials—

She must think she's crazy!

A sense of wistfulness, as if from another world, lingered in Qin Han's heart, and a slight smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

"This is just the beginning," he murmured in the wind.

Unlike Warner Bros.' industrial-looking factory area, Disney's headquarters exudes an intricately woven dreamlike atmosphere.

The neatly trimmed lawns, the sculptures of classic cartoon characters everywhere, and the bright smiles on the faces of the employees, as if they had all received standardized training, all proclaim that this is a vast empire that sells "innocence" and "joy".

As I parked and walked into the office building, Ronald, the head of Disney's live-action film production department, excitedly greeted me.

"Qin! God bless you, you've finally arrived!" He stretched out his hands from afar, tightly grasped Qin Han's right hand, and shook it up and down. "Please come in quickly, Mr. Card has been waiting for you upstairs for quite some time!"

Ronald personally led the way, taking Qin Han into the president's private elevator that went directly to the top floor.

Arriving at Card Walker's office door, Ronald knocked lightly twice, then respectfully pushed open the door: "Mr. President, Mr. Qin has arrived."

The current head of Disney, Kad Walker, is standing in front of a large floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the entire studio complex.

Upon hearing the announcement, the business tycoon, dressed in a three-piece suit and with his hair meticulously combed, immediately turned around.

"Welcome to the Dream Kingdom, Qin." Walker opened his arms and gave Qin Han a warm hug, then gestured to his secretary to bring two cups of Blue Mountain coffee: "To be honest, I've been waiting for you ever since the Sunset Tower unveiling ceremony. When will you make a formal visit?"

"Well, here I am, Mr. Walker." Qin Han picked up his coffee cup and took a sip. "Besides, I never visit friends empty-handed. I'm here today to bring some good news for Disney."

"Hans has taken care of Martin Scorsese. From today onwards, that hot-tempered New York director will never again make those harassing phone calls to your legal department."

Upon hearing this, Ronald, who was sitting to the side, breathed a sigh of relief and even exaggeratedly made the sign of the cross on his chest.

During this time, he was tormented to the point of almost having a nervous breakdown by that fanatical little Italian.

Kad Walker's smile widened. "This is simply the most wonderful thing I've heard in the past two weeks. The efficiency of Hans Pictures is truly astounding. Qin, what magic did you use to tame that beast?"

"It's not magic, Mr. Walker. As we agreed at the dinner party, Jodie Foster is temporarily 'loaned' to Hans Films."

"The movie 'Alice Is Not Here' will be branded with Hansgrohe Pictures from beginning to end and will have no connection with Disney."

"Furthermore, in order to maintain Disney's image in the minds of American parents to the greatest extent possible, I have prepared a backup public relations plan for you."

Qin Han looked at Walker and offered a very tempting suggestion: "If, after the movie's release, extreme conservative media outlets jump out to criticize the plot, a Disney spokesperson can immediately step forward and accuse us of 'deceiving' you."

Ronald, sitting next to him, stared wide-eyed; he had never seen such a "shameless" public relations strategy before.

Kad Walker looked at Qin Han with increasing admiration: "Qin, I must admit, you are the producer I have ever met who knows best how to protect his partners."

"Since Hans Pictures has borne all the moral burden, Disney will naturally not be stingy with the distribution of profits."

.

Regarding the rental fee for Jodie Foster, Disney is willing to keep the vast majority of the amount on Hansgrohe's books. This is the compensation you deserve.

That's exactly what I was waiting for.

Maximizing profits is always the ultimate goal of business negotiations.

Qin Han picked up his coffee cup and slowly drank the remaining half-cup: "Thank you for your generosity, Mr. Walker. Han's Films is more than happy to be Disney's strongest firewall."

"In fact, I prefer to see 'Alice Is Not Here' as a perfect collaborative experiment between us based on trust."

"If this trial goes smoothly, Hans Films will be able to prove that it can perfectly protect Disney —"

"I hope that after Martin finishes making this film, we can continue this wonderful 'rental' model."

"Han's has another, even more profound and impactful film that requires Jodie Foster's involvement."