In the office of Sand Sea Entertainment, bursts of laughter erupted; the dark clouds that had been hanging over this small production company seemed to have completely dissipated.
“I really should have gone to Abu Dhabi with you guys!”
After listening to Robert Lee’s embellished account, George Clint sighed regretfully, “This experience is practically legendary! It could even be made into a movie.”
Robert Lee nodded, “Yeah, I still can’t believe it even now; it’s like a dream.”
Marie said with a smile, “I haven’t had a good night’s sleep since the fundraising meeting ended.”
George Clint picked up his water cup, took a sip, and said, “If I could pull in $11 million in investment, I wouldn’t be able to sleep well either.”
Marie shook her head, “Robert and I didn’t do much.”
“That’s true,” Robert Lee said truthfully.
“Out of this $11 million, Ronan negotiated $8.9 million of it.”
George Clint nodded, “We all underestimated Ronan.” He sighed, “At first, I was just trying anything as a last resort, but I didn’t expect Ronan’s plan to not only succeed but to succeed so spectacularly. $11 million… how long would it take for Sand Sea Entertainment to earn that much money?”
The other two were silent; they had certainly harbored the same thought.
Marie said softly, “Ronan has changed.”
“Yeah,” George nodded.
Robert added, “Ronan was always a smart person with talent. Now that he’s cast aside his fantasies and impulsiveness, he has become mature.”
George Clint suddenly laughed, “The failure of the last project might not be a bad thing; Sand Sea Entertainment might be ushering in a new era.”
The three of them laughed together.
A few minutes later, Ronan walked into the company and saw the three remaining employees chatting and laughing.
He put down his briefcase and asked, “So happy, what’s up? Care to share?”
“Our experiences in Abu Dhabi,” Marie replied.
Ronan walked over, “A very beautiful city.”
“A city that makes people happy,” Robert added.
“I’ll never forget it for the rest of my life.”
George Clint chimed in, “I regret staying in Los Angeles.”
Ronan pulled up a chair and sat with the three of them, “George, without your logistical support, we couldn’t have succeeded.”
While they were in Abu Dhabi, some media in North America had been keeping an eye on the purge, and George Clint had played an important role.
Marie then changed the subject, “Ronan, you should buy a car. Taking the bus every day is such a waste of time.”
Young Anderson previously had a luxury Lincoln, but it was sold to pay the company employees’ wages.
Since coming here, Ronan had either been carpooling with Marie or taking the bus.
The three of them immediately became serious.
Unconsciously, they had developed a sense of trust and admiration for Ronan.
Ronan said quickly, “This trip to Abu Dhabi solved our financing problem; for at least three years, we won’t have to worry about a lack of funds. Now, it’s time to get the company back on track.”
Before assigning tasks, Ronan first fulfilled his promise, “The success of this financing couldn’t have happened without your support. As I said before, you’ll receive corresponding rewards for successful financing.”
Marie, George, and Robert all laughed, looking very happy.
Ronan was very clear that in this mature commercial society, even those who were most loyal to the company would have certain material needs.
Sometimes, no matter how much you talk, it’s not as effective as a monetary reward.
Moreover, at the beginning of the plan, he had promised everyone a one-percent reward.
A promise made to inspire must be kept.
Ronan said directly, “The four of us will each get a $110,000 bonus!”
George looked excited, “Lyle won’t have anything to complain about now.”
Ronan knew that Lyle was George’s wife and had always had strong objections to him staying at Sand Sea Entertainment.
George had four children and a heavy financial burden.
When one reaches middle age, many choices are often out of one’s control.
How many people burdened with family responsibilities dare to take a spontaneous trip?
Robert expressed his stance, “Let’s create a new situation together!”
Marie didn’t speak; this woman’s support for Ronan was unquestionable.
Without the assistance of these three people, Ronan could not have achieved the Abu Dhabi financing plan so perfectly.
Of course, this $11 million wouldn’t all be invested in movies; some of it would definitely be diverted for other uses.
Doing this also meant binding the three of them completely to this scam.
Having gained the benefits, they naturally had to bear the corresponding risks.
“Next, let’s get the company back on track,” Ronan turned to the main topic, “We also need to officially prepare for the planning of the purge project.”
Marie seemed more cautious, “We accepted the investment from the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, so we need to provide an account.”
Ronan nodded and said, “Robert, you post the recruitment notices and be responsible for hiring personnel for the company’s urgent positions. George, you are responsible for officially launching the recruitment for the director and behind-the-scenes team for the purge. Marie, you are responsible for coordinating funds and daily administration. Once we recruit suitable candidates, you will be responsible for financial work.”
The three of them all agreed.
Afterwards, Ronan discussed numerous details with them before returning to his office.
Marie, however, followed Ronan into the office.
Closing the office door, Marie asked, “How much money do you intend to invest in the purge?”
Ronan needed Marie’s cooperation, so he said directly, “It won’t exceed $2 million; it mainly depends on what level of director and actors we can hire.” He stated bluntly, “I plan to set aside $4 million for filming and loan repayment.”
“The stock market,” Ronan said slowly, “I plan to invest in the stock market.”
Marie said in surprise, “Ronan, this…
this is crazy!” She reminded him, “This violates the contract and is already touching on legal issues.”
Ronan shook his head lightly, “The Arabs won’t know. The public production budget for the purge is $11 million. The actual expenses of Hollywood movies are secrets to the outside world, and even more so to the Arabs.”
Marie was silent for a moment.
Without third-party guarantees or professional supervision, it was impossible for the Arabs far away in the Middle East to control Sand Sea Entertainment.
In reality, how many Hollywood movies have actual expenses that match their public announcements?
There are too many tricks inside, countless of them.
Just the game of moving money from the left hand to the right hand is enough to make one’s head spin.
“It doesn’t matter even if the Arabs find out,” Ronan had already considered the worst-case scenario.
“International lawsuits are very troublesome to fight. We’ll just drag it out with them. As long as we drag it out for two years, none of this will be a problem anymore.”
“The stock market is too risky,” Marie still advised.
Ronan thought for a moment and said, “Was the risk of going to Abu Dhabi not high? Yet we succeeded. I’m not making an impulsive investment. Is investing this money in the film industry riskier than investing in the current stock market? Without sufficient funds, we can’t make Sand Sea Entertainment big.”
Thinking of the booming stock market, the high risks of the film industry, and the magical trip to Abu Dhabi, Marie finally nodded slowly, “Okay, I’ll cooperate with you.”
She then suggested, “You had better reserve a sum of money for the company’s daily expenses.”
Ronan nodded, “I know.” He smiled, “We are about to prepare for the purge, and all the company’s expenses will be incorporated into the project.”
“That’s one way to do it,” Marie didn’t seem to object.
Small Hollywood companies that raise funds to shoot independent films often do this.
In fact, some unscrupulous independent producers, as long as they have a project on hand, can charge their entire family’s expenses to the crew.
In Hollywood, most films with proper supervision and sound systems are mainstream commercial films.
The independent film circle is not only messy in terms of relationships, but also equally messy in other aspects.
The phone on Ronan’s desk rang.
He picked it up, and it was Judith from the bank.
“Mr. Anderson, Sand Sea Entertainment’s mortgage loan is due in a little over a month. If it is not repaid on time…”
Hearing this woman’s voice, Ronan frowned slightly and said directly, “I will go to the bank tomorrow to handle the loan repayment. That’s all.”
He hung up the phone directly and said to Marie, “Get ready.
Tomorrow, we will go to the bank first, and then to the branch of Merrill Lynch Securities in Los Angeles.