Isabella and Margot Robbie last met in November 2005.
Although more than a hundred days had passed since then, the two hadn't lost contact.
Or rather, whenever something big happened, Margot would pop up like a groundhog and start pestering Isabella.
For example, when Isabella made the headlines thanks to leaked set photos from The Devil Wears Prada, Margot immediately expressed her jealousy—
"Ugh, Isa—those leaked photos everyone's talking about were released by Warner, right?"
"Why do I feel like every single one looks staged?"
"Every shot looks so good!"
"Also, if I remember correctly, the budget for The Devil Wears Prada isn't that high, right? So—were all the clothes in the film borrowed?"
"What? You're saying those clothes were all given for free by the brands?"
"Michael Barnason is still worrying about where to store them all after filming?"
"Jeez—Isa, that thing you just said is seriously asking to get punched—"
"If people outside heard that, they'd go crazy with jealousy!"
For another example, after Goblet of Fire (Part 1) became a huge hit, Margot was also among the first to congratulate Isabella—
"My god, another one over a billion!"
"At this point, no one in the entire acting world can compete with you at the box office. Not even Leo!"
"Huh? You think the result is just average? Because it can't help you reach a total of 10 billion before you turn eighteen?"
"Oh—Isa—although I really don't want to use the word 'crazy' to describe you, but—damn—you're insane! No normal person would think they could reach a cumulative box office of 10 billion before eighteen, right?"
Another example was Isabella's investment in YouTube, which shocked Margot .
"Isa, I just went home for the holidays, and the whole world changed?"
"You're saying you invested in YouTube back in December?"
"So that means not long after I left, you discovered that interesting website?"
"OMG—you have no idea how addicted I've been to YouTube lately!"
"So many videos on YouTube are hilarious!"
"——"
On the surface, the conversations between Margot and Isabella were long-winded and pretty meaningless.
But—
Isabella actually liked this kind of dynamic.
Not only because unfocused socializing was the most comfortable kind.
But also because she had already lost the right to make new friends.
As she climbed higher and higher, any newcomers she met who held a lower status would fear her.
Just like Kat Dennings.
And those of equal status would never become friends with her either.
In the circles she moved in now, everything revolved around interests and benefits.
As for people with higher status—
In the future mobile internet era, there would be a popular phrase called "upward socializing."
But anyone who had actually lived in society knew that the phrase didn't exist in reality.
There was no such thing as upward socializing in this world.
Only upward fawning.
Precisely because something so relaxed was rare, when Margot invited Isabella to visit the Transformers set—
If Isabella happened to have time, how could she possibly refuse?
Right.
She absolutely refused to admit she had planned this in advance.
Timing it perfectly, she flew from Fiji to the United States.
After several hours in the air, Warner's private jet landed at Alamogordo Municipal Airport in New Mexico.
Boarding the DreamWorks car that had been waiting for her for some time, Isabella, along with her mom and sister, bumped along the road for a while before arriving fresh and bright at Holloman Air Force Base, which belonged to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Yes.
Since Transformers featured a large number of appearances by the U.S. military, filming directly inside a military base was inevitable.
And for Hollywood, this was very easy, because the two sides cooperated frequently.
Or rather, a global propaganda platform like Hollywood had always been under the watch of the U.S. government.
Uh—
If anyone still believed, in the soon-to-arrive year 2026, that Hollywood was independent from the world—
Then—
You're right.
You're completely right.
When Isabella arrived, the crew happened to be filming the first shot after the start of production.
It was the scene where the Autobots made their full appearance at a U.S. military base.
Since the shot only involved metal machines and required no actors, the moment Isabella got out of the car, the main creative team, including the director, immediately came forward to greet her.
Leading them was Steven Spielberg, who had come to the set to give some brief guidance.
"Oh Isa, it's great to see you."
The old man warmly extended his hand.
"Same here."
Isabella smiled and shook it.
Their hands parted almost immediately, and the old man began introducing the others.
The first person he pulled forward was Tom Cruise—
"Isa, I don't think this one needs an introduction, right?"
"Of course. Who doesn't know Pete Mitchell? The most handsome man in the world."
"Oh~ Isa, are you saying I'm more handsome than Leo?" Tom's right hand was already extended toward her.
"Uh— I think you're more handsome than Brad Pitt—" Isabella paused before adding, "Brad Pitt has fewer fans than Leonardo, so comparing like that means I'll offend fewer people."
"Hahahaha—"
Isabella's humor made everyone burst into laughter.
The second person Spielberg brought forward was Michael Bay—
"Isa, this is the assistant I mentioned last time when we chatted. My assistant during Raiders of the Lost Ark."
"Oh—hello—" Isabella smiled and nodded, greeting Michael Bay.
"Hello, hello—"
Michael Bay looked a bit excited.
While shaking Isabella's hand, he spoke rapidly.
"Uh—Isa, I can call you that, right?"
"Of course you can, Michael."
"Oh—right—could I ask you for a few autographs?"
Michael Bay said, "I have two classmates whose kids are your fans. When they found out I'd be working with you, they asked if I could get some signed photos for them, if possible—"
"No problem!" Isabella agreed immediately.
At the same time, she grew a little curious.
"Your classmates—they're probably in the industry too, right?"
"Yeah~"
Seeing that Isabella was willing to give the photos, Michael Bay's smile grew wider.
"My two classmates who want the autographs are also directors. One is named Zack Snyder, and the other is Joss Whedon."
"I don't know if you've heard their names. Uh—Zack Snyder directed Dawn of the Dead, and Joss Whedon wrote the script for Toy Story—"
How could Isabella not know Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon?
In her previous life, those two were extremely famous.
Zack was a leading figure in the DC film universe.
And Joss Whedon directed The Avengers 1 and 2.
So—
Hollywood really was just one big family, huh?
Sighing internally at how messy the circle was, Spielberg introduced the third person.
That was Lieutenant Colonel Craig Plummer from the air force base.
At first, Isabella thought Spielberg was simply introducing the person responsible for coordinating filming at the base.
So she just smiled and said hello.
But when Spielberg said that she might meet him again very soon, curiosity immediately rose in the girl's mind.
"Uh—Steven—I think I might not understand what you mean—"
"Oh—because the colonel is the military liaison from the Department of Defense who works specifically with Hollywood."
Spielberg said with a smile, "He'll also be involved in your Iron Man."
"Kevin Feige probably hasn't had time to tell you yet."
Since Hollywood, this global propaganda platform, was constantly monitored by the U.S. government, how could they possibly not send someone to supervise whenever a specific cooperation project happened?
Right?
So—
Lieutenant Colonel Craig Plummer appeared.
Since there was nothing new under the sun—
"Hello, Colonel."
Isabella extended her hand again.
"I hope we'll have a pleasant cooperation in the future."
"We certainly will."
Craig Plummer shook her hand with a smile.
"My wife and children also like Harry Potter. They've read the books and watched the films, so—"
"Do they live on the base?"
"They're in Phoenix."
"Oh, that's a bit of a pity. But we can take a photo together, and then you can tell your children that I said: see you at the premiere of Goblet of Fire (Part 2). I'll have Warner send you tickets and arrange the trip."
"Hahaha—my god—thank you so much!"
The polite small talk didn't last long.
After the notable figures finished appearing one by one, the Transformers crew quickly returned to their work.
Only then did Isabella finally turn her gaze toward Margot, who had arrived earlier.
Looking at the charming figure wearing a beige strapless top, denim shorts, Nike shoes, and a bun hairstyle, Isabella clasped her hands behind her back and spoke in an arrogant tone.
"Margot, is this how you treat me?"
"I traveled thousands of miles to see you, and you won't even pour me a glass of water?"
"If you were really my assistant, I'd have fired you already."
Margot, who had just been about to come greet her, nearly choked on the spot.
After glaring at Isabella twice and seeing that she still wouldn't back down, a bright smile immediately spread across Robbie's face.
"I saw you talking with them. Your work is important, so—"
"Come on—sit down first—"
"Keisha, Miss Vivian, you sit too."
After inviting the three of them to sit, Margot e asked what they wanted to drink.
Catherine and Vivian asked for black tea.
Isabella said she wanted coffee that could refresh her mind but wasn't bitter.
And it had to be coffee without sugar, without milk, and without coffee.
The deliberately troublesome order made Catherine and Vivian laugh out loud, while Margot clenched her teeth and nodded with a smile.
After a while, she brought the drinks from the air force base cafeteria.
Catherine and Vivian got normal black tea.
As for Isabella—
Looking at the coffee in her hand, Isabella frowned slightly.
"Didn't I say no coffee?"
Margot replied, "I didn't add coffee. The coffee in your cup is just a normal amount. It's an Americano."
"But can an Americano really refresh your mind? You know what I usually drink." Isabella sounded skeptical.
Margot swore confidently, "It definitely refreshes your mind! If it doesn't, I'll eat the cup!"
"Tsk—trying to trick your way into free food again—"
Isabella pursed her lips, a little skeptical, but still took a sip.
The next second—
"Oh—St—"
The sudden surge of sourness nearly made Isabella breathe fire.
"What the hell is this???"
Isabella was so overwhelmed by the sharpness she could barely keep her eyes open.
Seeing the expression of someone about to die, Margot burst into laughter. "Lemon coffee!"
"I didn't change the amount of coffee. I used 24 grams of beans for you, but I replaced all the hot water used for extraction with freshly squeezed lemon juice. A full six ounces—so? One sip and you're wide awake, right?"
"Thanks a fucking lot!"
Isabella offered her most sincere greetings.
At that moment, she felt like even her nasal cavity was burning.
Isabella admitted that the reason she had been talking nonsense earlier was simply because it had been a long time since they'd seen each other and she wanted to tease the kid.
But no one expected the kid to turn around and prank her instead.
This really was—
After rinsing her mouth several times with her mom's black tea, Isabella finally recovered a bit. She grabbed Margot and forced her to drink the concentrated lemon coffee she had just concocted.
Only after seeing Margot shiver from the sourness of the freshly squeezed lemon juice did Isabella finally snort in satisfaction and let her go.
The childish scuffle made Vivian fold her arms and smile.
As for Catherine—
After muttering "Kids…" she went off to wander around the U.S. military base.
For most people, a military base was something they might never encounter in their entire lives.
So what exactly did a country's military base look like?
Isabella was actually pretty curious too.
But after she and her sister wandered around Holloman Air Force Base together—
She had to say: it was just… okay.
Aside from being able to get up close to active military equipment like the F-22, F-117, CV-22, C-130, and C-17—
There really wasn't anything else worth noting.
Yes.
At some point during the tour, Isabella even climbed onto an F-22.
That wasn't to say the U.S. military had no confidentiality rules.
It was just that—
The clearance level of the Transformers executive producer was higher than the classification level of those things.
To people who understood the system, saying the Transformers crew handled classified material was about as ridiculous as saying the granddaughter of a tax emperor was filming product promotion videos inside the White House.
Because privilege was meant to stand above everything.
Otherwise, what would be the point of it existing?
Even though Isabella felt the military base wasn't particularly exciting—
"Can I film a video?"
After climbing down from the F-22, Isabella looked at the lieutenant colonel who had been accompanying them.
"YouTube?"
The colonel immediately named the site Isabella had invested in.
"Yeah~"
Isabella smiled and nodded.
She wasn't surprised by the colonel's reaction.
Because when they entered the base, nobody had even performed a security check on them.
And her security team was carrying equipment.
So—
There was only one explanation: they had already reviewed their files.
And determined they posed no threat.
"Well, although I'd love to say no problem—because higher-ups have already approved Steven showing the F-22 in Transformers, so if your video counts as promotion for Transformers, you can film whatever you want—but…"
"I'll have to make a phone call and send a fax first. The people at the Pentagon are very bureaucratic. I need to go through the procedures."
"Otherwise—"
The colonel shrugged.
"Okay. I'll wait for your good news."
Isabella had no objections.
The colonel left to handle the paperwork.
About two hours later, he returned with an authorization slip.
"The cockpit panels can't be filmed. Footage showing military equipment can't exceed sixty seconds. And before you leave, you'll need to let me review the video. I'll keep a copy."
"Alright, no problem."
Isabella rubbed her hands together excitedly.
She believed her second video would bring another wave of traffic to YouTube.
After all, this was still 2006.
At that point in time, a fighter jet capable of defeating the F-22 hadn't even been born yet.
Since Isabella didn't have much going on recently, once she realized that the behind-the-scenes production of Transformers could become the theme of her next vlog, she simply stayed with the crew as a producer.
Spielberg, Tom Cruise, and Michael Bay didn't mind.
As for Margot—
She wrapped her arms around Isabella's neck from behind.
She was happy.
Because acting could actually be quite boring, especially when filming special-effects movies.
A lot of scenes involved acting with nothing there at all.
Without clear reference points, actors often had no idea what they were actually performing.
Once confusion appeared, headaches soon followed.
While the production of Transformers unfolded smoothly, the outside world was spinning just as wildly.
The first major development: Disney officially made an acquisition offer to Pixar.
They wanted to buy Pixar for 7.4 billion dollars.
The second: ABC Group issued a takeover offer to Capstar Broadcasting, the third-largest radio broadcasting operator in the United States.
They intended to acquire it for no more than 5.4 billion dollars.
The third: Disney reached a deal with NBCUniversal.
Disney traded the famous American sports commentator Al Michaels in exchange for the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and 26 animated shorts produced during Walt Disney's early career in cooperation with Universal Pictures.
Once these three deals appeared—
Everyone knew Robert Iger was preparing to move against Roy E. Disney Jr.
Reclaiming Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was meant to win over Disney's old guard.
Acquiring Pixar diluted the shares of Roy E. Disney Jr. and his allies.
And bidding for Capstar Broadcasting strengthened Iger's own faction.
Because Robert Iger's moves were open strategies—each deal was clearly beneficial to Disney's development, leaving Roy E. Disney Jr. with no grounds to oppose any of them.
For a time, people everywhere were commenting on the ruthless methods of Disney's "co-equal king."
But as for these matters—
Isabella simply read about them and left it at that.
It wasn't that she didn't care about her allies.
It was that celebrating before a deal was finalized always carried the risk of popping the champagne too early.
While Disney was waving around stacks of cash and unleashing its financial power, the 2006 awards season also came to an end.
Ang Lee won the Oscar for Best Director.
Crash defeated Brokeback Mountain to win Best Picture.
Reese Witherspoon, who hoped to become the next "Pepper Potts," successfully won Best Actress.
Her co-star in Walk the Line, Joaquin Phoenix—brother of River Phoenix—lost to Philip Seymour Hoffman and failed to win Best Actor at the 78th Academy Awards.
As for the supporting roles—
Rachel Weisz and George Clooney took home Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor.
None of that had much to do with Isabella, so the news was just background noise to her.
But conversations that did concern her were quietly taking place at the headquarters of News Corporation in New York.
"This is the plan you came up with after more than a month of thinking?"
Rupert Murdoch shook the proposal in his hand.
The fluttering pages looked as thin as cicada wings.
His slightly doubtful tone made the head of Fox's investment department straighten up and say decisively:
"Boss, although the plan I'm showing you now isn't very long, I can guarantee we can kill YouTube."
"As long as this plan is executed successfully."
"And it will definitely be executed successfully."
Those confident words made Rupert Murdoch narrow his eyes.
Half-convinced, he flipped open the proposal.
But after only a glance or two, he was already confused by the idea.
Adjusting his glasses, he gave up reading and said, "Since the plan isn't long, just explain it."
"Okay."
The Fox investment chief said, "Boss, after a month of investigation, we discovered that as of the end of February, YouTube already has 20 million videos."
"Among them, 85% are pirated."
"So as long as the copyright holders unite and sue them, they'll have to shut down the website."
"Just like Napster back then."
"But it's not five years ago," Rupert Murdoch interrupted.
"Five years ago, Sony, Warner, Universal, BMG, and EMI could unite because their interests were the same."
"But now—at least Warner and Disney definitely won't sue YouTube. Isabella has brought them huge profits, and YouTube's pirated videos haven't caused us that much damage yet."
"Because nobody can upload full films or TV shows. Movies and TV are different from music. They're too large."
"Uploading them is too troublesome."
"And I'll add this: precisely because YouTube's impact on us isn't as big as Napster's impact on the music industry, companies are willing to give YouTube time to develop. They believe YouTube will eventually start paying licensing fees, because Isabella's main income also comes from copyright transactions."
"She can't possibly tolerate piracy."
"Exactly! Boss! You're absolutely right!"
The moment Murdoch finished speaking, the Fox investment chief clapped one hand into the other like a hammer striking a palm.
"Isabella cannot tolerate piracy!"
"Or rather, she can't embrace piracy at all!"
"So as long as we seize on that point, we can force YouTube to shut down!"
"The biggest problem we face now is that Warner, Disney, and even Paramount and Sony won't unite with us to attack YouTube, because they all have business ties with Isabella."
"But what if we make those ties disappear?"
"Or rather, what if we make them believe someone—someone other than us—has already made the first move against Isabella?"
"As long as another company files a lawsuit against YouTube first, we can guide public opinion and let the shareholders behind those companies realize that there's no silent consensus in this industry."
"Then, as long as even one other company follows with a lawsuit—say MGM or Universal, who have no interests tied to Isabella—then no matter how much face they want to give Isabella, the others won't hesitate when it comes to protecting copyright."
"They will definitely follow with lawsuits!"
"And psychologically, they won't feel much pressure about suing YouTube."
"Because Isabella hasn't invested much money into YouTube!"
"Even if YouTube shuts down, it won't cause her major losses!"
"From their perspective, if things get awkward they could just compensate her a few million dollars and keep their cooperation going!"
"And as long as they start thinking that way—"
"We've already won!"
The rapid barrage of words made Rupert Murdoch frown deeply.
He understood what his subordinate meant.
Right now, Hollywood copyright holders weren't suing YouTube simply out of courtesy.
As long as the benefits Isabella brought them exceeded the damage YouTube caused, nobody wanted to be the first to break the relationship.
But that balance was easy to break.
As soon as someone tore off the mask and filed a lawsuit first, everyone else would follow in the name of principle.
Capital—
Had no sense of morality.
As for why Fox itself couldn't be the first to sue?
Simple.
Everyone in the world knew Fox and Isabella were enemies.
Enemies attacking each other—
That was only natural.
But precisely because Rupert Murdoch understood his subordinate's reasoning, hesitation filled his face.
Because he didn't know who in Hollywood would be the first to break the balance.
So—
As his subordinate paused, Murdoch stared at him.
When he saw how serious the man looked—
He lowered his head again and carefully flipped through the document.
Then—
His pupils slowly shrank.
Because Fox had found a company that would definitely take the lead in suing YouTube.
That company was Universal Tube.
"Your idea…"
Rupert Murdoch said slowly.
"…is quite bizarre."