Let an Arab be the protagonist?
Ronan immediately became fully alert.
Was Mansour testing him?
Or did he really have such an idea?
Regardless, he had to give a reasonable and logical explanation.
Ronan asked tentatively, “Do you want to improve the image of Arabs through Hollywood movies?”
“Hollywood movies have such a wide reach and significant influence, yet they are too unfriendly towards Arabs,” Mansour said slowly.
“Last year, when I visited Paris and New York, many people in both cities actually protested publicly, calling us terrorists. Even the media treated us with cold mockery and irony.”
Ronan sighed lightly and said, “They have been misled by those with hidden agendas.”
Mansour added, “His Excellency the President was greatly infuriated. The UAE is an enlightened nation and has a responsibility to improve the image of the Arab World.”
Ronan nodded slowly.
“So you want Arabs to be protagonists and positive characters in Hollywood movies?”
Mansour countered, “The jewish people can do it, so why can’t Arabs?”
As soon as these words came out, Ronan immediately understood that Mansour wasn’t testing him—he truly had this idea.
But in Hollywood movies, it was naturally the case that jewish people could be protagonists, while Arabs could only be villains.
If it were a simple case of swindling money, Ronan could have agreed without hesitation.
However, he truly wanted to complete the project ‘the purge’ as the starting point of his career.
Therefore, an Arab absolutely could not be the protagonist.
When facing someone of Mansour’s level, one couldn’t make reckless promises either.
Ronan thought for a moment and said, “It’s not quite appropriate at this stage.”
He further explained, “Hollywood’s distribution channels are all controlled by the jewish people. Such a film simply wouldn’t be able to enter the market. If the audience can’t see it, there’s no way to talk about influence.”
Mansour frowned slightly, seemingly considering Ronan’s words.
Ronan’s brain worked rapidly.
Analyzing the needs of this UAE big shot from their conversation, it wasn’t hard to reach a conclusion: Mansour was eager for fame.
This was essentially a negotiation.
How could he dispel Mansour’s excessive demands while still utilizing his eagerness for fame?
Negotiation is like playing chess; a master negotiator plans every bid and counter-offer, moving only after careful deliberation.
Don’t go against yourself in a negotiation; make the other party feel that their proposal is outrageous and embarrassing.
Try to get them to accept your suggestion without giving a counter-offer.
Therefore, Ronan spoke again, “Hollywood is deeply influenced by Jewish forces, and that won’t change overnight. Being too aggressive will inevitably invite a backlash. Such a film wouldn’t be able to reach the public, and making it would be meaningless—after all, it’s not meant for private viewing. I believe we should first open a gap, then expand from a single point to the whole surface, slowly infiltrating and formulating a long-term plan.”
Mansour wasn’t a brainless man. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
He said, “That seems… to make some sense.”
At this moment, Ronan transformed into an Arab crusader.
“How many years did it take for the jewish people to reverse their image? They started as soon as World War II broke out, making a huge fuss using the sympathy generated by the Holocaust and the funds in their hands. They persisted in their operations, infiltration, and propaganda for decades to achieve the current situation.”
Mansour said slowly, “Abu Dhabi does not lack money.”
Ronan immediately followed up, “But you lack support, you lack fame and influence, and more importantly, you lack a feasible plan.”
Mansour couldn’t help but think of the fragmented Arab World and the royal family members who were just waiting to die.
For the first time, he truly acknowledged Ronan’s words and couldn’t help but ask, “Do you have any good suggestions?”
“I don’t know much about politics,” Ronan remained humble and honest.
“However, I do have some ideas regarding culture and sports.”
Mansour quickly said, “Please, speak.”
Ronan’s mind was running at high speed.
Combining information about Mansour from his past life, he said, “Film and television are the entertainment industries with the greatest global influence.”
It brings people more than just laughter; it can subtly change the values of the audience.
You can foster your own forces in Hollywood, formulate a long-term and effective plan to change the film and television image of Arabs, and even cooperate with others to create a new industrial chain model, breaking the monopoly of the jewish people over the traditional model.”
Ronan even believed his own words; this was the highest level of persuasion.
“Anything else?” Mansour asked.
“In today’s world, besides the film and television industry, the influence of professional sports cannot be ignored,” Ronan said, describing the path Mansour had taken in his past life.
“If you want to expand your influence across America, you could acquire an NFL or MLB team and build a championship squad to break into the American mainstream.”
He paused and then added, “If you want to expand your influence in Europe, you could acquire top-tier giant clubs in the five major leagues. Football is the world’s number one sport today, with an audience of billions. When you win a league title or the Champions League, countless people will look upon you with respect.”
As soon as these words were spoken, Mansour’s eyes lit up.
He was already a sports enthusiast who liked football and was skilled in equestrianism, but he had never thought about operating a football club.
What does a championship team need most?
Money!
Those with money might not necessarily win, but those who win definitely must have money.
And what Abu Dhabi had most of was money.
The two followers behind Mansour, one fat and one thin, glanced at each other, both seeing the surprise in each other’s eyes.
This was practically tailor-made for Mansour.
Why hadn’t they thought of it?
Mansour nodded repeatedly, saying as he thought, “This is a good suggestion. It’s worth considering.”
Ronan smiled modestly.
“I’m just making suggestions. I’m glad if they’re helpful to you.”
Mansour finally spoke a word of genuine approval: “I’ve benefited greatly. Your suggestion has opened a door for me.”
“You are the professional,” Mansour stated immediately, then asked, “How large is the project’s funding gap?”
Ronan said directly, “The project budget is 10 million dollars. Many people at the fundraising meeting have expressed interest in investing, but it’s hard to say how much investment we can ultimately secure. I estimate the funding gap to be around 8 million dollars.”
Mansour pondered for a moment.
“I will seriously consider your project. I hope we can reach a cooperation.”
“I hope to have that honor,” Ronan said.
Ronan knew very well that Mansour still needed to investigate the project; oil tycoons weren’t fools who just threw money at people randomly.
However, judging from Mansour’s words, the probability of getting a sum of money from him was quite high.
Mansour seemed to take it very seriously and personally escorted Ronan outside the meeting room.
Just as Ronan was about to leave, an Arab rushed over and said a few words in Arabic to Mansour’s thin follower.
Ronan faintly heard a pronunciation similar to Los Angeles.
He didn’t linger and immediately left along the corridor.
Before turning into the elevator, he looked back and saw that Mansour and his people had returned to the meeting room.
Los Angeles?
Ronan muttered to himself.
Could it be that Mansour sent someone to Los Angeles to find out about Sand Sea Entertainment’s situation?
According to Mansour, he had been to the venue on the first day of the fundraising meeting.
Perhaps after seeing the materials, he specifically asked someone to collect relevant information in Los Angeles.
In any case, ten million dollars was a large investment.
No wonder the Abu Dhabi Investment Bureau had never talked to him about specific investment matters.
Thinking about it now, the Abu Dhabi Investment Bureau had done quite a lot of work.
On one hand, they assisted Sand Sea Entertainment, showing the Arab people’s friendliness and hospitality to the Hollywood visitors; on the other hand, they conducted an actual investigation before deciding whether to invest.
Even if Sand Sea Entertainment raised funds from others, as long as they hadn’t left Abu Dhabi, the situation was under the Investment Bureau’s control.
With these conjectures, it would certainly be a lie to say he wasn’t worried at all, but Ronan was still quite confident.
At the start of the project, he hadn’t underestimated the Arabs, and all the operations were real.
Except for the very subjective views on the jewish people, all the data was also authentic and credible.
The elevator arrived, and Ronan took it downstairs, returning to the venue with high morale to continue dealing with those interested in investing.
Compared to Mansour, these people could only be considered mosquitoes at best.
But no matter how small a mosquito is, it’s still meat.
In the meeting room, Mansour opened a file envelope and asked his two followers, “What do you think?”