"So, it was you and Kristen who sent me back yesterday."
"Mm."
"What about her? Is she okay?"
"Fortunately, she went back after seeing you off."
"Okay. I still want to thank her."
Xu Can did not know what expression to make.
Kristen, I really should thank you.
"Why were you so drunk? I've never seen you like that before."
"You went to see Taylor last night, right?"
"No. How could that be?" Xu Can denied it at once.
He would not confess so easily unless he was truly cornered.
"She posted a photo of herself having dinner on Facebook," Emma said quietly. "My intuition told me the person sitting across from her was you."
"How is that possible? You're thinking too much."
"Okay. I guess I'm too sensitive." Emma's voice softened, but there was a faint bitterness in it.
"After all, we're just friends with benefits, right? We don't have any formal relationship."
Friends with benefits.
It meant being close without making promises.
In a way, that was indeed their current situation.
Seeing Emma pouting and looking at him with those eager, wounded eyes, Xu Can felt a little distressed.
He had been getting along with Emma Stone for almost a year now.
They were the best on-screen couple, Spider-Man and Gwen, and the chemistry between them had become impossible to ignore.
Whether physically or emotionally, the two of them fit together far too well.
Xu Can could not say whether he loved her or not, but he was certain of one thing.
He definitely liked her.
Instead of explaining too much, he silently pulled the fragile woman in front of him into his arms.
Emma wanted to struggle, but every time she moved, Xu Can's gentle offensive dissolved her resistance.
In the end, it was all in vain.
She finally wrapped her arms around Xu Can's waist, rested her chin on his shoulder, and whispered into his ear with a resentful tone.
"Hey… I really have completely turned into Gwen Stacy now."
Xu Can understood what she meant.
In every universe, Gwen fell in love with Peter Parker.
Soon, good news about John Wick arrived one after another.
In just one week, its box office had surpassed 230 million U.S. dollars.
Once the global box office statistics were fully settled, it was certain to exceed 300 million.
According to professional predictions from Galaxy's marketing department, the final worldwide box office of John Wick was expected to exceed 400 million dollars.
Compared with Spider-Man's 1.1 billion dollars, that number seemed much smaller.
But in reality, this was already an enormous victory.
What kind of victory was it?
Looking horizontally at other films, Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible III had a box office of 398 million dollars.
Die Hard 4 had 380 million.
Superman Returns had 391 million.
The Bourne Supremacy had 440 million.
300: Spartans had 450 million.
Which of these films was not supported by famous directors, famous actors, or massive publicity?
Their average production costs were all above 120 million dollars.
Even so, those movies were still considered box-office successes. They entered the annual top-ten rankings, and champagne was opened after their releases.
Yet Xu Can had created a box-office miracle of 400 million dollars with a production cost of only 16 million.
There was no need to wait until the film finished its full run. Hollywood insiders were already rushing out to seek cooperation.
During the interviews, everyone looked shocked.
"To be honest, spending 16 million to create a 400-million-dollar box office result would have sounded like a joke to me before this. Now… I suddenly feel old. Hollywood truly seems to belong to young people now."
Martin Scorsese, the well-known director behind acclaimed works such as The Departed, Goodfellas, Gangs of New York, and The Wolf of Wall Street, said this when speaking about Xu Can.
"But John Wick awakened my passion. I also want to make a cool action movie now."
According to an analysis by the Los Angeles Times, Xu Can would earn at least 130 million dollars from this movie.
The actual numbers were almost the same.
The first remittance from the theater chains would arrive next month.
The amount was 60 million U.S. dollars.
Ten million of that would be invested into the company, enough to support Galaxy's operations for a long time.
This also included Galaxy Music's expenses for Taylor Swift's album production.
Another ten million would be reserved for Xu Can's personal use.
The remaining forty million would be invested directly into the production of Iron Man.
After the subsequent box-office dividends arrived, another thirty million would be invested.
In this way, Xu Can would be able to personally cover half of Iron Man's investment.
After that, once Iron Man was released, it would break through one billion dollars at the box office according to historical trends.
Xu Can would receive about 200 million dollars in split income.
An investment of 70 million dollars turned into 200 million dollars in one year.
An annualized return of nearly 285 percent.
It was practically money falling from the sky.
Just as Xu Can was planning and preparing to officially launch the Iron Man project, Kevin Feige suddenly called him.
"Xu, there's trouble."
"Unless there is a replacement, the board of directors refuses to approve the investment."
"No. Didn't we already agree before?"
"No," Feige said helplessly. "They only agreed to make Iron Man. They did not agree to the casting."
In the office of the chairman of Marvel Entertainment, Kevin Feige and Xu Can sat on the sofa.
Across from them, Ike Perlmutter, the current chairman of Marvel and the company's largest shareholder, sat with his legs crossed. His expression was stubborn and unmoving.
"You can spend more money," Perlmutter said coldly.
"Wouldn't it be better to hire Tom Cruise? I've already communicated with him, and he has agreed to participate. Are you really going to be cheap and hire a drug addict?"
"What?" Kevin Feige frowned. "Why are you contacting actors behind my back? I'm the project leader."
Kevin Feige was a little angry.
As the CEO of Marvel Studios, he was supposed to be solely responsible for implementing the movie plan.
In theory, he and Perlmutter were on the same level.
Yet Perlmutter had bypassed him and privately contacted other actors, clearly not taking either him or Xu Can seriously.
"I am the chairman of Marvel," Perlmutter snapped. "The entire company belongs to me."
The old man was so angry that even ten bulls would not be able to pull him back.
Kevin Feige was furious as well. He was about to argue, but Xu Can raised a hand and stopped him.
Xu Can tried to remain calm.
"I already wrote detailed casting suggestions before. If you want to film Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. is the only choice."
He paused, then added firmly, "Tom Cruise is a top Hollywood actor, but he is not Iron Man."
Perlmutter was completely unmoved. He curled his lips and waved his hand.
"No. I refuse to give jobs to drug addicts."
"He has quit smoking and just came out of rehab," Xu Can said, still trying to defend Downey.
"No." Perlmutter slammed the table.
"Having him there will definitely affect the film and the stock price. Look at the current price. Just because there was news about his casting, the stock price fell by ten percent. Do you know how much money that is?"
Based on Marvel's current stock price of around nine dollars, the news that Robert Downey Jr. had joined Marvel to star in Iron Man caused Marvel Entertainment's market value to evaporate by nearly 70 million dollars.
For a moment, Xu Can did not know what to say.
Only he could clearly see how Robert Downey Jr. and Iron Man would revitalize Marvel in the future.
But right now, Perlmutter could only see the small patch of land in front of him.
Kevin Feige, sitting beside him, also fell silent.
He understood Marvel Entertainment's current situation very well.
After taking on a 500-million-dollar loan, Marvel had already put its head on the chopping block and was betting everything on Iron Man.
The film had not even started shooting yet, but the company's market value had already evaporated by nearly 100 million dollars.
Any boss would feel pain from that.
Only by changing to an actor with a stronger box-office appeal could shareholders regain confidence.
Perlmutter was even considering persuading Xu Can to replace Downey with Tom Cruise.
As for Robert Downey Jr., the liquidated damages could simply be paid.
A salary of 500,000 dollars was nothing, not even a fraction of Tom Cruise's pay.
When Xu Can saw this, he understood very clearly.
This matter could no longer be solved through persuasion.
Perlmutter and Marvel's board of directors would not change their minds.
In that case…
Xu Can had no choice but to pull out all the stops.
Since you disagree with my casting and trample on my right to speak as a director, then I'll simply change the board of directors.
That's right.
Xu Can planned to start the Marvel acquisition plan in advance.
Disney acquired Marvel in 2009.
At that time, Iron Man had already taken off, becoming the world's first billion-dollar box-office superhero film in this timeline, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe was already in full production.
Marvel's stock price had soared from over a dozen dollars to more than thirty dollars.
By the time of settlement before Disney's acquisition in 2009, the closing price was already around fifty dollars.
At that price, Disney spent four billion dollars to complete the acquisition, which worked out to about eighty million shares.
Now, however, Marvel's stock price had been falling. It had already dropped below the nine-dollar mark and was hovering around 8.8 dollars.
If the acquisition were completed now and all shares held by the board of directors were settled in cash, the total funding required would be approximately 700 million dollars.
Very good.
Compared with Disney's four billion, spending 700 million to acquire Hollywood's future behemoth could already be considered a bargain.
Now the question was, where could Xu Can get 700 million dollars?
Originally, he had planned to make a few more movies, earn hundreds of millions at the box office, and complete the acquisition before Disney took action.
But now Galaxy Pictures had only just finished John Wick, and the company had only just started.
It was like a marksman who had just built an electric knife trying to fight an opponent with a full six-item build.
Even if he could crush the opponent in the late game, he still needed time to develop.
"Happy, how much can the company borrow?"
"Okay, we have a good reputation recently. I know the loan manager very well, so we should be able to get a large loan."
Happy's tone was lighthearted.
Xu Can seemed to be making another big move. He always planned carefully before acting. It looked like a gamble, but in reality, he was as steady as an old dog.
Happy guessed there would probably be a new movie project.
"Seven hundred million," Xu Can said.
"Okay, seven hundred million for me…" Happy suddenly froze. "Wait a minute. What are you talking about? U.S. dollars? Did I hear the currency correctly?"
"Yes. You heard me right. Seven hundred million U.S. dollars."
Xu Can repeated every word clearly.
"Wait."
Happy was stunned and stopped what he was doing.
"Why do you need so much money? Could it be…"
"Yes. I plan to start the plan in advance."
"But…" Happy's brain worked rapidly, trying to organize a response. "You were confident in your previous big bets, but this time the price is too high. You need to think carefully. What's more, I don't have any way to get you 700 million."
Happy was right.
Even if they could borrow 700 million dollars, if Iron Man failed, both Marvel and Galaxy Entertainment would be dragged down completely and sink to the bottom of the sea.
Was a movie with no big-name actors, no top-tier IP in the public eye, and an unstable market really worth such a huge gamble?
Maybe Spider-Man's success had simply been a coincidence.
What about Xu Can's box-office appeal?
This was like walking a tightrope with a heavy belly, standing high and taking risks.
Most importantly, it was extremely difficult for a production company of Galaxy Entertainment's current size to borrow even 100 million dollars.
Marvel owned many comic IPs and had offline comic sales channels. It was an established company with decades of experience, yet even Marvel had found it difficult to obtain a 500-million-dollar loan through connections.
Seven hundred million was indeed too much.
"I believe you, Happy. You said you have many connections, so you can definitely get it."
Xu Can's tone was upright and solemn, expressing absolute trust.
"I was bragging." Happy smiled bitterly.
If he had known earlier, he would never have bragged so much.
Now he had shot himself in the foot.
"It really doesn't work that way," Happy said helplessly.
"But we can try at the celebration party after the premiere of The Twilight Saga. Producer Marty Bowen and I have a relationship. He should know a lot of investors."
He thought for a moment, then added, "Also, Kristen's father, John Stewart, is a well-connected producer. Director Catherine also knows many people…"
To cover up his embarrassment, Happy quickly offered suggestions.
Now that things had reached this point, they could only take one step at a time.
They could try attending the other party's celebration party. With so many Hollywood celebrities present, they might still meet one or two useful people.
One week after its release, John Wick had grossed 300 million dollars at the global box office.
At the same time, another highly impactful work, Twilight, officially premiered.
At the premiere, director Catherine, leading actor Robert Pattinson, supporting actress Kristen Stewart, and other stars appeared one after another.
Flashing lights filled the red carpet.
However, before they could enjoy the spotlight for long, a violent commotion broke out on the other side of the red carpet.
Reporters and fans were drawn over one after another.
Flashbulbs kept bursting.
"Gwen and Spider-Man."
"The best couple of the century. Ahhh, they're so sweet."
"Xu Can, I love you."
"They're a perfect match."
Xu Can, dressed in a black suit and looking almost exactly like John Wick, stepped out of the car hand in hand with Emma Stone.
The scene was immediately under their control.
Robert Pattinson was not jealous of Xu Can, who had become famous all over the world with only one Spider-Man movie.
Aside from the upcoming Harry Potter 5, Pattinson had acted in many movies, but his career had always remained lukewarm.
That gap in popularity was already a gap in ability.
Over there, Xu Can completely took over the spotlight and was surrounded by reporters.
"Excuse me, Xu. Do you feel threatened by Twilight this time? Who do you think will perform better at the box office?"
"Xu Can, are you confident in defeating Emma?"
Reporters loved asking troublemaking questions like this.
Xu Can had already experienced hundreds of such battles and was completely fearless.
"Twilight will be a phenomenal movie. I predict that its global box office will exceed at least 300 million dollars, and it will gain a large number of fans."
Then he smiled and held Emma Stone's hand openly in front of the cameras.
"As for who wins or loses, Emma and I are best friends. We win together. There is no loser."
Xu Can showed affection in front of countless cameras.
Since the showdown that day, Emma's attitude toward Xu Can had remained the same, without any obvious change.
But at this moment, she suddenly looked at Xu Can, and her eyes shifted slightly.
The arm holding Xu Can tightened a little.
"Bravo."
Twilight was a qualified popcorn movie, filled with youth, fantasy, and romance. It was deeply loved by teenagers.
The audience at the scene applauded together, and it seemed that selling well at the box office would not be a problem.
But after the premiere, Xu Can faintly heard some audience members complaining.
"It's good-looking, but the male and female leads don't really have any couple feeling. It always feels weird."
"It still has to be Spider-Man. No one else matches Gwen at all."
Robert Pattinson also felt embarrassed.
There had not even been a kissing scene during filming. Any ambiguous or intimate physical contact had been impossible.
The two people playing a couple felt even more distant than siblings.
Even after taking the leading role, he could not create a proper couple atmosphere.
The creative team did not care much about that. As long as the film made money, word of mouth did not matter too much.
Soon, a large group of people rushed to the nearby Beverly Hills Hotel banquet hall to start the celebration party.
It was there that Xu Can met Swift again.
"Xu, the director, asked me to come over. You're looking for someone to help with loans and investments, so you don't have to worry about me."
Emma knew about Xu Can's recent difficulties and thoughtfully gave him space to act alone.
The two kissed each other on the cheek, then went off to socialize separately.
"Look, that's producer Marty Bowen. Let's go try."
Happy and Xu Can stepped forward and joined a group of wealthy, successful white men holding cigars and bourbon, discussing the current economic situation and political news in North America.
After chatting for a while, Xu Can felt bored.
These people bragged to the sky but never said anything practical.
After dealing with several different groups, Xu Can returned to the bar alone and ordered a glass of bourbon on the rocks.
Making movies was still more comfortable.
Socializing in Hollywood was far too troublesome.
While he was drinking and chatting with Swift online, an elegant blonde woman sat down beside him.
She looked to be in her twenties, not yet thirty. She wore a low-key but luxurious evening dress.
Only someone with real experience could tell how valuable it was.
The jewelry on her body looked ordinary at first glance, but in reality, its value was astronomical.
Unlike ordinary rich women, this woman carried an obvious sense of nobility, as if she were the daughter of a powerful family.
Xu Can glanced at her and felt a little strange.
"Why do you look familiar?"
"Mr. Xu, your way of starting a conversation is rather old-fashioned." The blonde woman chuckled calmly.
"Seriously, I really do think you look familiar." Xu Can narrowed his eyes slightly. "Isn't your last name Trump?"
"Yes. My name is Ivanka. Nice to meet you, Mr. Spider-Man."
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