"Things not going well?" Tom Cruise's voice came through the phone. "Michael, is there another company trying to recruit Alan?"
Michael Davenport thought for a moment and said, "Yes. DreamWorks has also sent people to London..."
Needing Tom Cruise's help, he explained the situation briefly.
Tom immediately understood why Michael was calling and said, "I can't interfere with Alan's choice; it would be disrespectful to my friend. I hope you understand."
Michael was prepared for this and said, "Tom, you know that the three heads of DreamWorks have been fighting increasingly fiercely in recent years. If Alan Albert joins DreamWorks, he's likely to become a casualty of internal conflicts. In contrast, all the equity in Relativity Entertainment is in my hands, and our company isn't as complicated, making it more conducive to the growth of new members."
Of course, this was all false. Michael was just trying to keep Tom Cruise on the phone a bit longer.
If Tom Cruise still refused, then it was a lost cause.
"Although I haven't directly worked with DreamWorks or Spielberg," Tom Cruise didn't outright reject him, "if this gets out, it could affect my relationship with Spielberg, which wouldn't be good for me."
The hint was obvious, and Michael caught on. "Tom, if you could make a few calls and subtly persuade Mr. Albert, no one else would know."
Getting a superstar like Tom Cruise to help required a fee. Michael had anticipated this before making the call. At the party where they met, Tom had specifically mentioned something.
This was the fee Michael had prepared.
However, you couldn't directly mention payment to a high-status Hollywood star; it would be disrespectful.
Michael had already thought of what to say, "By the way, Tom, besides Mr. Albert's matter, I have another favor to ask."
Tom Cruise frowned on the other end, thinking he didn't have that deep a relationship with Michael. This guy had thick skin. Just asking for one favor wasn't enough?
In hindsight, he shouldn't have made that call.
"My company, Desert Entertainment, is preparing a sequel to 'The Purge'..."
Tom was about to hang up but perked up at the mention of 'The Purge,' listening intently. "I'm having some financial difficulties at the moment. The budget is $6 million, but we're short by $1 million."
Tom Cruise laughed, "A small problem." His mind raced, "Would $1 million be enough? I happen to have some idle funds, about $3 million..."
Michael switched the phone to his other hand. After nearly twenty years in the industry and running his own film company, Tom Cruise, even if initially half-illiterate, had gained experience.
This was to secure half the investment in 'The Purge 2.' In such joint investments, half the investment generally meant sharing half the profits.
Tom Cruise had made an offer, so there was room for negotiation. After some back-and-forth, Michael and Tom agreed on Tom's company investing $1.5 million in 'The Purge 2.'
The two settled on the investment, leaving the details to their respective companies to handle.
Ending the call with Michael, Tom Cruise was quite satisfied with the deal. Such small transactions, involving only a few people, wouldn't leak if handled carefully. Even if it did, Spielberg and DreamWorks couldn't do much about it.
Tom knew he had Paramount Pictures backing him!
He thought for a moment, then called a senior member of the church to pressure Alan Albert. After waiting a while, he called Alan himself, using the church's name to persuade him to lean towards Michael Davenport's Embassy Films.
Even if DreamWorks and Spielberg found out later, it would be the church's fault, with Tom Cruise merely a victim under their control.
Alan Albert assured Tom he would seriously consider Michael's offer.
In London, Michael arranged to meet Danny Donald alone, choosing London's Chinatown, where Danny had grown up.
In a private room at a teahouse, Michael skillfully washed and brewed tea, astonishing Danny.
Pouring a cup for Danny, Michael said, "Try it. It's top-quality..." Then he switched to Chinese, "pre-rain Longjing."
Danny's eyebrows raised as he sipped the tea, "Mr. Davenport, you speak Chinese?"
Michael smiled, responding in Chinese, "A little." His Mandarin was quite standard, "I traveled to the East when I was young and learned some."
Danny, a second-generation immigrant, spoke good Chinese too, "It's rare to hear someone speak such fluent Chinese here."
"I love the culture over there," Michael smiled, "A five-thousand-year-old civilization that America, a nouveau riche, can't compare to."
Danny looked nostalgic, "I visited a few times with my mother when I was young. Three years ago, I went there for work and took the opportunity to visit..."
Michael had thoroughly investigated Danny's background, hence choosing this location for their meeting.
Danny suddenly asked, "Mr. Davenport, do you really like Eastern culture?"
Michael didn't explicitly say he liked it, smiling, "I've studied cultures from many places. Arab culture, African culture, they all make up part of the world."
Danny nodded, "Every culture is a treasure of the world."
"Yes," Michael extended the conversation to his advantage, "like the world's film industry, where diverse films create a wonderful world."
He continued, "In my view, films from all over the world should interact more. Take Relativity Entertainment, for example. Our films are financed from various sources—some from Arabia, Germany, and America. We have diverse actors, including Arabs, Africans, Caucasians, Asians, and Latinos."
Danny finished his tea, looking at Michael. If what he said was true, Michael was a very left-leaning young man.
A left-leaning boss could easily influence the overall atmosphere of the company.
Michael refilled Danny's cup, still speaking Chinese, "Have you seen 'The Purge' I produced? Or 'Kingsman,' released this Thanksgiving? Both films reflect the principles I mentioned."
Indeed, after receiving Michael's documents, Danny had briefly reviewed some of Relativity's flagship films and noticed the diverse cast.
"Both films are good," Danny said, "especially 'Kingsman.' I really liked it."
Michael drank his tea, adding, "The director of 'The Purge,' who also directed 'Final Destination,' is James Wan, a first-generation immigrant with a Chinese name, Wan Yiyu. He's had a great partnership with me, directing both films and preparing for 'The Purge 2.'"
Though Danny worked in the British film industry, he knew James Wan was Chinese.
A boss and company willing to employ a Chinese director?
"Mr. Davenport, you're impressive," Danny suddenly smiled, "more so than any young person I've met."
Michael smiled back, "I'm just stating facts."
Everything he said was true, with no exaggeration.
Knowing future trends, he knew that leaning left would open more doors.
To truly break into Hollywood, inclusivity was crucial, at least in appearance.
Michael didn't directly attack DreamWorks; it wasn't the time yet. Instead, he chatted with Danny about tea culture. Having some experience from his past life and his current persona as a disguise, it wasn't awkward.
Danny, not having had such conversations in a while, shared much about tea culture.
Later, they talked about football. Danny, impressed with Michael, mentioned that he and Alan Albert would be in Manchester for a week during the Christmas holidays.
By the time they parted, night had fallen. Michael then contacted Chris, who had reported to Gustavson. Sony Columbia was very concerned about DreamWorks potentially gaining an overseas distribution channel. According to Chris, Gustavson was already contacting other companies.
With this information, Michael made some adjustments.
Danny met Alan, who had just finished a meeting with Albert Hoffman.
Alan said, "Danny, you should've come with me."
Danny shook his head, "I don't like that man. You might not have noticed, but I could feel it clearly." Not dwelling on it, he asked, "How did it go?"
"He offered terms on behalf of DreamWorks," Alan said. "A $500,000 annual salary for me, $200,000 for you, plus year-end bonuses based on film distribution performance."
The salary was higher than before but not overwhelmingly attractive.
Danny thought, "I think we should hear Michael Davenport's offer. Alan, you saw the documents. Michael's company is growing rapidly, backed by strong financiers. The future might be just as promising as DreamWorks..."
Alan recalled Tom Cruise's persuasive call, nodding, "Alright, let's talk to Michael again."
They discussed in low voices.
With night fully settled, Albert Hoffman left his hotel and returned to his usual bar. Just as he sat at the counter, a sexy girl approached him.