"Hey, Ed!"
Luca greeted as he walked over to the van.
"Are we ready to go, Luca?"
Ed asked, putting down his phone.
"Emmm, maybe we should wait a bit. Britney invited me for a drink, and I couldn't say no!"
Luca pointed at the van nearby.
Ed froze for a moment, glanced at Britney's van, and understood what he meant.
"Luca,"
he hesitated for a moment and then said, "I remember telling you before that I hope you can have a stable and happy home. Do you get what I'm saying?"
Luca smiled lightly. "Of course, Ed. You don't want me to mess around in the entertainment industry and turn into a reckless and self-destructive star, right?"
Ed nodded. He appreciated Luca's understanding but still glanced at the luxurious van, showing some doubt in his eyes.
"Ed, when I said we're having drinks, it's really just drinks—nothing else!"
Luca said earnestly.
Ed gave him a look. "Alright, go ahead. How long will it take?"
"Ten, maybe twenty minutes—half an hour at most."
"Okay, I'll wait for you."
Ed got into his car and drove it to a nearby empty lot.
Through the windshield, he watched Luca get into the van.
Ed smiled a little. He didn't really believe Luca's words.
Luca was only 21, full of youthful energy. How could he possibly only be having drinks with someone like Britney, a sexy pop star?
But he didn't try to stop him or lecture him on being a loyal, good man. As a manager, it's his responsibility to advise and guide, but not to make decisions for his artist or restrict their freedom. That would be overstepping.
If Luca wanted to pursue Britney, that was his choice.
Ed shrugged, took out his phone, and messaged Nina to let her know he might be home late tonight.
*Squeak*
After a while, the luxurious van not far away began to sway gently.
At the same time, the sound of crisp clapping and Britney's laughter rang out.
"Luca, that guy..."
Ed sighed softly. While he understood Luca, deep down, he still hoped he could settle down and be a loyal, good man someday.
But it seemed unlikely now.
After about half an hour, Luca came out of the van, putting on his jacket.
*Beep beep*
Ed honked the horn and drove over to meet him.
"Sorry, Ed, I made you wait!"
Luca climbed into the car, smelling strongly of perfume.
"It's no problem."
Ed smiled lightly and handed him a tissue. "Here, wipe that off."
"What?"
Luca glanced in the mirror and saw a pink lipstick mark on his cheek. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he said, "Oh, Ed, don't get the wrong idea. It was just a friendly goodbye kiss."
Ed started the car and chuckled. "Luca, you don't need to explain. I get it."
"Ed, I'm serious. We were just singing and dancing."
"You? Singing and dancing? Hahaha!"
Ed burst out laughing.
*Ring, ring*
Just as Luca was about to explain further, his phone rang.
It was Felix calling.
"Hey, Felix! How's your day going?"
Luca answered cheerfully.
"Not so good, Luca."
In the Greenwood Publishing office at Bucky Tower, Felix stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the setting sun.
The blood-red sunset reflected his mood, as the publisher's declining fortunes weighed heavily on him.
"Oh, Luca, I have some bad news. Today, across eighty physical bookstores, we only sold 1,500 copies of *Twilight*. Yes, eighty stores, less than 1,500 copies sold. The company has decided to cut ties with some of our partner stores, leaving only the eighteen stores under our direct management. What? You're suggesting we delay by a week?"
Felix frowned.
"Felix, ready to go?"
Han Li opened the door and stepped into the office.
"Just a moment, darling."
Felix gestured with his hand. He spoke into the phone, "Can you give me a reason for delaying by a week? No, Luca, you only have three days. We'll keep the current channels open for three more days, but after that, the costs are too high."
"What?"
Suddenly, Felix's expression changed drastically, full of disbelief. "You want to print another 100,000 copies of *Twilight*? Luca, are you crazy? We still have 30,000 copies sitting in the warehouse!"
Next to him, Han Li's eyes widened, and she shook her head slightly.
Initially, they had only printed 10,000 copies as a favor, then printed another 50,000 because they admired Luca's marketing strategy.
But things didn't go as planned. Just when *Twilight* was gaining momentum, Anne Nes and Gisele Bündchen publicly criticized it, halting its rise.
With 30,000 unsold copies sitting in the warehouse, if they couldn't be sold, the company would lose a lot of money.
Now Luca wanted to print 100,000 more?
That seemed like a joke.
While the Mason family appreciated Luca for saving little Jessica, business is business, and favors are another thing entirely.
Luca's request was a bit much.
"OK, OK."
Felix waved his hand. "Luca, if the sales pick up tomorrow or the day after, we'll restock, don't worry. But can you tell me what your plan is this time? Alright, alright, I'll wait to see what you've got."
"Felix, what did Luca say?"
Han Li asked curiously.
Felix paused for a moment, then smiled. "Luca said he's willing to put up $1 million as collateral if we print 100,000 more copies of *Twilight* and expand the sales channels."
He gestured with his hand, "Luca says he wants to go from New York to the whole U.S., and eventually worldwide."
"Worldwide? Wow, is Luca crazy?"
Han Li gasped, covering her mouth.
Felix shrugged. "I don't know, but he sounded serious. It didn't feel like he was, um, what do you call it in Mandarin?"
"Blowing smoke,"
Han Li blurted out, then blushed.
"Yes, blowing smoke. Luca didn't seem like he was just blowing smoke."
"Did he say what his plan is?"
Han Li asked, intrigued.
Felix shook his head slightly. "No, he said it's a secret for now."
"So should we trust him?"
Han Li frowned.
Felix pondered for a moment. "I trust Luca. He's more mature and thoughtful than he looks. He's also smarter. His marketing strategy so far has been excellent. But…"
Felix spread his hands. No need to say the rest.
Han Li shook her head. "I don't agree. We can't just print 100,000 more copies and expand the channels based on his word alone. That's impossible."
Felix nodded. "It's impossible. But we should still be prepared."
"Darling, are you working late again?"
"Yes, I need to contact the printing factory and get things ready. Even if there's no miracle, we can't stop hoping for one."
"Emmm, alright. I'll make you something to eat."
"Oh, darling, you're the best!"
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PS: Thank you to readers *A Cigarette* and *251314* for your tips! Wishing everyone a happy holiday and a wonderful reunion, hahaha!
(End of chapter)