Global Film Emperor

Chapter 408 Someone Wants to Join?
"So why did I not go to Hawaii instead of staying here doing manual labor with you? No, no, this is too tiring, I need to rest for a bit."

Mickey glanced at the yellow shovel and blue-handled pickaxe in his hand, wiped the sweat from his forehead, threw the plastic toy pickaxe aside, and, without caring whether the ground was clean or not, simply lay there motionless, pretending to be dead.

Originally, I thought I was just helping Lu Ze pick up a batch of flowers he had ordered from the flower shop. I didn't have to load the car myself; I would just help unload it. In return, I would get a big Chinese meal with lots of fish and meat. It seemed like a very worthwhile deal.

But to everyone's surprise, Mickey was conscripted by Lu Ze just two minutes after unloading the truck. Since there were no extra small pickaxes at home, Mickey wasn't allowed to rest. He even borrowed a toy pickaxe from a neighbor's house for kids to dig in the sand and made Mickey work there as well.

Construction on the greenhouse began when Lu Ze was preparing to raise animals. The aluminum alloy frame and glass roof meant that even though the temperature control equipment hadn't arrived yet, the temperature inside was already quite high. Not to mention the delicate Mickey Mouse, even Lu Ze and Wang Zixuan were getting sunburned.

This is because the British workers were too slow. What Chinese workers could finish in two days took three British workers a full twenty days to complete, and they only finished the day before yesterday. Otherwise, Lu Ze would have had to come up with another reason to trick the Mendeleev brothers into working together on the flower planting.

Wearing a sun hat with a scarf around her neck for sun protection and pink arm sleeves, Lu Ze gently turned the soil with her pickaxe. With her back to Mickey, she looked like a plump and strong village girl from behind. Seeing Mickey acting up, she didn't say anything, but just took two steps back and then shoveled the soil backward with force.

The damp, clump-like dirt flew up and landed precisely on Mickey. He jumped up as if he had fallen into a fire pit, bent over, and spat several times.

"Ptooey, ptooey, are you crazy?! I'm swallowing it!"

"It's alright, it's not fertilized, it's just a little soil, it won't make you sick. Or... should I add some animal manure for you?"

"Screw you, I quit! Whoever wants to do it can have it."

He dusted himself off and got up to leave, at least to return the child's shovel, lest the child come back for it and it be embarrassing. But he had only taken half a step out of the greenhouse when he heard Wang Zixuan's soft gasp as she crouched and moved.

"Hey..."

His ears twitched, he glanced back, veins bulging on his forehead. He looked up at the sun, shook his right hand, which was still damp from wiping away sweat, muttered a curse under his breath, and then sheepishly squatted down, supporting his aching back which was on the verge of collapse.

"I refuse to believe that I can't beat a little girl."

In fact, he really couldn't beat him...

Less than five minutes later, he was lying on the ground again, beginning the painful cycle once more.

"It's offline in North America?"

As Lu Ze worked, he asked questions. Actually, the workload today was not heavy, only about thirty pots of flowers, and they were not the delicate varieties. The three of them could finish in less than an hour. The real project would be when the custom-made ceiling, temperature control system, fluorescent lights, and water circulation system all arrived.

However, when working, Lu Ze always disliked talking. He was so engrossed in his hobbies that he was even less willing to communicate with others. He would only bring up the topic when he was about to finish his work.

"Well, it's been pulled from theaters in a few states in the US, a large portion in Canada, and completely in Australia. Only it's showing normally in Asian theaters. Let's skip this issue; it's too upsetting to think about."

During the three days of the release of "Rebirth", clashes broke out in front of many cinemas and even small-scale marches were launched. The demands of the marches were also very diverse. After all, they were unorganized and unled marches, and the demands of different places were different.

This can be considered a stroke of luck amidst misfortune. Local governments have witnessed the persuasive power of "Rebirth" and are paying more attention to the film. It is believed that those organizations with ulterior motives will not be able to stir up any trouble in the future. After all, they would never have imagined that the trigger for the conflict would be a movie. They have already missed the best opportunity to incite conflict.

This is what Lu Ze is most worried about right now. If a large-scale protest is organized, all the creators of "Rebirth" will be implicated and become the butchers. Fines are nothing to worry about, but it would be very interesting if they went to jail for two years because of "Rebirth". However, now that the country has started to control the situation, Lu Ze's heart has been slightly relieved.

Don't think it's impossible. You have to know that their company is in the UK, and there is a large group of Irish people in the country who want independence. If they use "Rebirth" as an excuse to cause internal strife or even armed conflict, do you think the politicians will let these instigators off the hook?
However, what's interesting is the regions where the film was pulled from theaters or had its screenings reduced. Think about which countries forced the removal of "Rebirth"? They were all countries with relatively peaceful lifestyles and smaller wealth gaps. As for the states in the United States, do you really think it's appropriate to show a film like this in a chaotic city like Detroit?

Of course, in cities like those in Britain and Germany, the gap between rich and poor isn't actually that big; it's just that there are many internal problems, like refugees, right...?

Conversely, in many countries or cities with immense living pressures, the number of screenings has increased significantly, even rivaling that of Avengers: Endgame, which is competing with "Afterlife." This trend is quite intriguing.

In just a few days, "Rebirth" was labeled as a film that could destroy adults, claiming that people over 18 should watch it with the accompaniment of a minor. This also gave the management of the Film Association, who wanted to reclassify "Rebirth," a major headache.

Initially, "Rebirth" was rated R18, but now that I think about it, it's completely different from those gory or inappropriate movies for children. "Rebirth" targets rational adults, and children don't understand it, so it doesn't have much impact on them.

How should we categorize it? Children's plays? That's nonsense!
More importantly, the film just premiered in Japan and South Korea today, and news from there hasn't been released yet. It's mainly about the Japanese people who are living comfortably... Under that social system, how much of a stir will "Rebirth" cause... let's not even think about it.

Only time will tell.

After planting the last bunch of flowers and watering them with diluted nutrient solution, Lu Ze's secret garden was essentially complete. The three of them took a shower and changed their clothes. Comrade Xiao Wang brought out chilled watermelon juice, and the joyful time to beat the summer heat had arrived. However, just as they took their first sip of the juice, the unpredictable British weather turned cloudy, causing the watermelon juice in their hands to suddenly lose its sweetness.

Mickey then received the box office report from the investor company, and instantly his face turned even more gloomy than the dreadful weather...

As of now, Avengers: Endgame has grossed $220 million worldwide on its opening day and $630 million in total, while Rebirth... grossed $45 million on its opening day and $150 million in three days. Yes, they were crushed by Avengers... Although they were mentally prepared, seeing others rake in so much money while they were in second place with such a large gap from the first place was bound to cause some discomfort. At this point, Mickey entered a reclusive mode, silently drinking his beverage and not saying a word for a long time.

A light drizzle began to fall outside, evaporating on the warm ground and forming a mist that drifted into the sky. Looking out, it resembled a misty, ethereal landscape, like a scene from a fairyland.

Xiao Wang turned off the air conditioner and opened the window. The natural breeze felt healthier and gentler on his body, and the sound of rain was more noticeable, making him feel lazy. It was at this moment that Mickey spoke.

"Lu Ze, there's something I'd like to ask for your opinion on."

"explain."

"One company has expressed interest in investing in Universal Brothers."

Mickey knew about this before the release of "Rebirth," but he was busy with the release of "Rebirth" and thought that if "Rebirth" was successful, he would have more leverage, so he did not negotiate with the other party. Now that he has time, this matter has become his top priority.

When signing the share transfer agreement, Lu Ze had already promised Mickey that he would not interfere with the company's operations, only take dividends, and that Lu Ze's shares would not be affected in the first round of financing. In principle, he only needed to tell Lu Ze how many shares to distribute to the investors after the share transaction was completed, and Lu Ze would not be able to say anything.

But since they were good friends, Mickey didn't want to wait until he sold his shares to tell Lu Ze. Without Lu Ze, there would be no Universal Brothers. Compared to the company, Mickey felt that his brotherhood with Lu Ze was more important, so he took the initiative to tell Lu Ze about it, which was equivalent to him giving up his original agreement with Lu Ze.

Lu Ze didn't say anything, lit a cigarette, and pushed his empty glass forward. Seeing this, Xiao Wang got up and went to the kitchen to get some juice.

What are their conditions?

"30 million euros, 20% of the shares, no interference in daily operations, but the other party will send someone over to make important decisions."

"What do you think?"

"Thirty-five million euros, ten percent to fifteen percent."

"Is it still possible to talk?"

"I can."

The conditions offered by the other party were not too harsh, and they were clearly coming with sincerity. Of course, the greatest sincerity was the real money. With just two movies, Universal Brothers' valuation soared from several million pounds to 150 million euros. To be honest, even Lu Ze thought this valuation was inflated, and by a lot. Even though the production cost of "Rebirth" was not low, the box office performance was still something to look forward to.

Mickey could sense the other party's sincerity, so he didn't hold back on the amount of financing. Twenty-five million euros was his highest expectation. If the other party really got along with him and had a strong background, he might sell for just over ten million euros. However, fifteen percent of the shares was his limit.

"You should have your own negotiation team."

"Who wouldn't say that? But things are urgent. I didn't expect to get investment so quickly. Luckily, I contacted a negotiation company, and we're just waiting to sign the contract. I just wanted to talk to you about adding some other clauses."

Holding the lighter between his thumb and forefinger, Lu Ze flicked it with his middle finger, making a light tapping sound on the table. He was also thinking about what terms were within the other party's acceptable range and would be most advantageous to him.

"What's the background of the other party?"

"Gambiano Pictures. (Fictional)"

"The one from Italy?"

"Ah."

"interesting……"

Gambiano Films, Italy's oldest film company, was founded in 1924 and is now an undisputed powerhouse in the Italian and even European film industry, holding a pivotal position in the world film industry.

The top directors, screenwriters and actors in all of Europe gathered here. Their representative works include classic films that have stood the test of time, such as "Malèna", "Life Is Beautiful", "Cinema Paradiso", and "Life Is Beautiful". Among them, "Cinema Paradiso" and "Life Is Beautiful" even had a significant impact on Lu Ze's acting career.

Lu Ze was somewhat surprised that such a big player wanted to invest in Universal Brothers, but it wasn't entirely incomprehensible. After all, Mickey Taylor, the cinematic genius, was still around. However, there was still one thing standing in front of them that Lu Ze and Mickey needed to consider: whether or not to accept Gambiano Pictures' investment.

After all, Gambiano Films is controlled by the Gambiano family, which, before its transformation and legalization, was one of the oldest Black supremacist families in Italy.

"..."

(End of this chapter)