The air conditioning was broken?
Andy squinted his small eyes, nearly closing them completely, and his Maitreya-like face relaxed further. His smile gently curved at the corners of his mouth, as if he hadn't understood the underlying meaning of that statement at all.
Even junior agents with only a year or two in the industry could sniff out that such a clumsy excuse was amiss. And Andy, being the cunning old fox he was, had no difficulty seeing through it. The air conditioning being out of order in a meeting room was not uncommon. But knowing that it was malfunctioning and still proceeding with the meeting in that room, that was unusual.
As one of Hollywood's top six major film studios, Universal Pictures had seen little improvement in its recent performance and often played second fiddle. However, Lionsgate hadn't managed to surpass them yet. Universal's strength lay in its over half a century of history and accumulated experience, making it one of the industry giants. How could they not have a functioning air conditioning system in a meeting room?
Clearly, this was a show of strength, and it was delivered without any subtlety, as if they had slapped Andy's face hard.
But why?
Were they trying to dispel recent rumors about the spin-off? Or were they attempting to downplay the media's continuous hype? Perhaps they wanted to emphasize Universal Pictures' indifferent attitude towards a renewal? Or were they aiming to lower Andy's expectations and assert dominance in the salary negotiations, hinting that he shouldn't ask for too much? Or was there some other hidden, unknown reason behind it?
Regardless of the reason, such a blatant show of strength was too crude and direct, especially considering that both sides were currently in a honeymoon phase of cooperation. Even if they were dealing with bitter enemies, such tactics would be too childish. This behavior seemed more like malicious revenge for personal grievances, but against whom?
Vin Diesel? Christian Wagner? Morgan Fisher? Or Ron Meyer?
The hidden motives behind this could be investigated later. What mattered now was Andy's response. Andy certainly couldn't just swallow his pride and wait silently in the meeting room like a fool. However, if his reaction was too extreme, it could lead to an irreparable rupture.
Andy wasn't concerned about causing a rupture; after all, CAA would step in later and negotiate a settlement with Universal Pictures if things went south. The key was whether causing a rupture would achieve his objectives. If not, Andy had no intention of turning himself into a clown for the circus.
In the blink of an eye, Andy had already completed his thought process. He smiled at the assistant beside him and asked, "Excuse me, where is Michael Fottrell's office?"
Michael Fottrell was the Deputy General Manager of Universal Pictures' production department and had played a crucial role in creating franchises like "Fast & Furious" and "Die Hard".
However, his real talent didn't lie in producing. He was responsible for some flops like "Catwoman" and "R.I.P.D." His true strength lay in management. Most of the time, he operated as a leader and was credited as a producer. In fact, he rarely visited film sets. He hadn't even appeared during the entire shooting of "Fast 5". He was a figure of real authority rather than a hands-on worker.
The development of the "Fast & Furious" franchise, whether it would be greenlit, how the production team would be organized, budgeting, and other matters that required an overall perspective, were all decided by Michael. He could communicate directly with Ron Meyer, Universal Pictures' CEO. After getting past Michael, Neal would step in for further implementation and execution.
One could understand it this way: Michael was a part of Universal Pictures, belonging to the studio itself, while Neal was not. He was a producer, positioned alongside directors and actors. Besides Universal Pictures, he had many collaborative projects with other film companies. However, due to the success of the "Fast & Furious" series, his collaboration with Universal Pictures was closer.
As for today's meeting, Andy didn't know who the person in charge from Universal Pictures was. Nevertheless, he directly skipped the potential candidates and asked for Michael Fottrell.
This caught the assistant off guard. Clearly, he was just a low-ranking minion, sent to guide Andy without knowing how to handle such a situation. Stammering, he said, "Uh, well, Mr. Fottrell's office... I, I'm not quite sure."
"In that case, I can ask someone who knows." Andy's smile, friendly and amiable, made him appear approachable, but his words left no room for compromise.
Andy moved past the assistant's shoulder, looking for other people on the floor. Although the assistant was still visibly nervous, he managed to regain some composure. He calmly said, "Mr. Rogers, could you please wait in the meeting room? Mr. Fottrell is currently in another meeting, but he will be here shortly."
Andy lifted his jaw, seemingly convinced by this explanation, which allowed the assistant's racing heart to gradually settle down. However, the next moment, he heard Andy say, "My schedule for today is quite tight. I came here specifically to inform Michael that I hope this meeting can be rescheduled to show sincerity. So, can I leave a message for you to convey to him, or would you prefer I leave a sticky note directly with my intentions?"
Universal Pictures had already slapped him in the face, and there was no way Andy would swallow his pride. He hadn't even had the chance to express his own thoughts about the salary or future collaborations, let alone make any bold demands. The other party was eager to display dominance, regardless of the reasons behind it. Andy couldn't accept being treated so meekly.
Andy believed that even if they missed out on "Fast & Furious 6", Renly wouldn't mind. So, the question of who had the upper hand remained an unknown variable. Universal Pictures was currently so full of itself that it was hard to gauge the situation.
What intrigued Andy even more was who was pulling the strings behind this. Such a clumsy move was completely unlike the style of Ron Meyer, that old fox.
The assistant had never anticipated Andy's strategy, and after calming down, he was instead left dumbfounded. He blinked, watching Andy, unsure of what to do next. If Andy really left, would his job be considered a failure?
"If you don't need me to leave a sticky note, then I'll just go," Andy said, pointing in the direction of the elevator with a smile.
In the end, the assistant clenched his teeth and stuck to his decision, without changing his mind. "Could you please leave a handwritten message?" he asked, maintaining a forced smile that looked eerie.
After leaving the message, Andy didn't linger any further. He turned and left. Standing by the elevator, he waited for a while. The elevator slowly ascended, and Andy's emotions gradually settled down. The indoor air conditioning allowed his brain to start functioning again. Universal Pictures' attitude today was truly intriguing. Andy needed to inquire and prepare thoroughly after returning.
The elevator doors slowly closed, and then came a heart-wrenching cry, "Mr. Rogers, Mr. Rogers!" A figure dashed over, desperately grabbing the elevator door, and gasping for breath, said, "Sir, please hold on. Mr. Fottrell's meeting has just ended."
Andy had already taken out his phone and was flipping through his contacts. He looked up at the assistant in front of him and smiled, saying, "But I do have some urgent matters today. As for rescheduling the meeting, my assistant will get in touch, and then we can discuss the timing. After all, I'm not an employee of Universal Pictures, and I come and go as needed."
Watching Andy's unwavering smile, the assistant wanted to cry. Thankfully, the main players had finally arrived.
In the distance, Michael and Neal walked towards Andy, one after the other, with a leisurely and composed pace. Both of them wore radiant smiles as they approached Andy.
Andy also smiled and took the initiative, "I assume you received my message. It's really impolite of me, and I hope we didn't interrupt your meeting." His calm demeanor made it seem as though the power-play incident hadn't happened at all; he had merely passed by.
"Our meeting had just concluded," Neal initiated the conversation, "The discussion about "Fast & Furious" took longer than expected." He offered a simple explanation, "So, are you leaving now?"
"My younger brother is arriving in Los Angeles this afternoon, and my mother has been nagging me to receive him personally. I confirmed this two weeks ago, but unfortunately, my assistant forgot to check and scheduled the meeting for this afternoon. It's my mistake. Therefore, on my way to the airport, I decided to come in person to apologize," Andy calmly explained, even revealing all the details smoothly and articulately.
"Family is always the most important," Neal responded with a hearty laugh, "But before heading to the airport, I wonder if you have thirty minutes to sit down and have a proper discussion. Even if your brother arrives at the airport, I believe you can still make it in time to receive him. How about this? We allow you to turn on your phone to ensure he can contact you immediately, so you won't miss him." After saying this, Neal even winked, as if he and Andy had established some kind of unspoken understanding.
Without giving Andy a chance to decline, Neal introduced Michael, and the latter extended another invitation, stating that this meeting was only for preliminary discussions and could end quickly. Andy, not wanting to be overly dramatic, agreed.
The group headed directly to the meeting room where the air conditioning had malfunctioned earlier. Upon entering, Michael realized the issue and swiftly invited Andy and Neal to his office, as if he were genuinely unaware. Thus, the air conditioning incident seemed to have come to a temporary conclusion—at least on the surface, everything had received a reasonable explanation.
But was it really so?