Global Film Emperor

Chapter 413 Bitter Wine Goes Down the Throat, Heart Aches

"Now that we all know each other, please have a seat. I'm so sorry to be late for our first meeting. I hope you two won't mind. I brought a few bottles of pretty good wine. We can try them later. I'm really sorry."

“Mr. Gambiano, you’re too kind. Manager, the food can be served now.”

Mickey snapped his fingers, and the restaurant manager nodded in agreement. He then turned and went to the kitchen to give the order to serve the dishes. After everyone was seated, Gambiano's bodyguard handed several bottles of wine in wooden packaging to the waiter and then sat down to rest in a seat not far away.

"I am honored to be a member of Universal Brothers, and I am even more pleased to be able to exchange ideas with two outstanding film professionals today. Today, we will drink until we drop. Waiter, pour the first glass of wine in five minutes, the second glass in ten minutes, and so on, one glass every five minutes. All the wines will be opened and allowed to decan at the same time."

At this moment, Lu Ze noticed his hands, which were very large and completely disproportionate to his height and build. However, his hands were very fair and had no calluses, indicating that he was a pampered person.

He extended his hand, spreading his five fingers to the waiter, revealing the large emerald ring on his middle finger. It was crystal clear under the light, and based on his sensitivity to weight, Lu Ze deduced that the ring was definitely no less than ten carats.

Following the wrist downwards, past the custom-made Patek Philippe from the auction, hidden beneath the white shirt are tattoo marks less than a centimeter wide peeking out from the cuff.

Without looking at him any longer, as that would be impolite, Lu Ze looked up and found that Gambiano was also looking at him. The two looked at each other, and Gambiano gave Lu Ze a friendly smile and nodded almost imperceptibly. Lu Ze also responded. However, his right hand, hidden under the table, rubbed the pads of his thumb and middle finger together twice as if snapping his fingers.

"Try the wine I brought. It's not a big brand, just wine from our own winery. It doesn't even have a label. It's only for my family to drink. You can't buy it outside, so don't mind."

"No, no, no, I believe it will definitely not be bad."

"Actually, this wine has a bit of a history. It was the first wine I made by hand when I was twelve years old. That year, the weather was perfect, and the grapes grew exceptionally well. However, I made relatively little, and I used it to entertain guests at my eighteenth birthday celebration. There's not much left. If it weren't for you two, I really wouldn't have been willing to open it. But if you two like it, it's worth the price. Come on, cheers."

The waiter poured the first glass of wine. Because it was a bit old and hadn't been decanted for long, the glass was slightly cloudy when held up to the light. However, the sweet aroma of grapes began to waft out as soon as it was poured, whetting the appetite and creating an irresistible urge to drink.

After eating some white bread, Lu Ze held the wine glass to his nose and sniffed it. It seemed that some other ingredients had been added to make the flavor richer and the taste more complex.

Taking a small sip, the aroma of the wine began to linger on his tongue. He even had the urge to hold his breath so that the fragrance wouldn't escape with his breath. The wine hadn't been properly aerated, and it was slightly astringent when he first tasted it. The unknown ingredients had a hint of bitterness, but once it went down his throat, it was a rich and sweet flavor similar to chocolate.

But this is just one of the flavors, existing above the base notes. The top and middle notes contain far more than just this one flavor. All the flavors are very clear and are not masked by the chocolate taste. As long as you taste it carefully, you can feel their presence, and the layers are very distinct.

Coffee beans?

Because Lu Ze was very sensitive to the taste of coffee beans, but the mixture of various flavors made him unsure if his answer was correct, he could only try asking a question.

"You can taste it? That's impressive. What about the other flavors?"

Gambiano seemed pleased, giving Lu Ze a thumbs up. He didn't mind Lu Ze's slight smile in response, because he knew that Europeans were extremely familiar with the taste of coffee beans. Anyone with a decent palate could taste it, and at the very least, they could give a similar answer like cocoa beans.

His praise was not simply an acknowledgment of Lu Ze's wine tasting ability, but rather an attempt to express his appreciation for Lu Ze, a point that Lu Ze also recognized.

"I can't taste any other flavors... but it's very delicious."

"The flavors of the other wines all come from the brewing recipe, and wines from other years also have this flavor. If you like, I can send you some. The only one with coffee beans is because I was very naughty when I was a child, and I always liked to add some strange things when brewing wine, which produced a strange flavor. Of course, apart from the wines with coffee beans, the others tasted terrible and I poured them all out. It's kind of a coincidence that the coffee beans I poured in were all from Yunnan, China. When I wanted to replicate this flavor again, all the raw materials were the same, but I just couldn't get the flavor from these few bottles."

"Perhaps, the right timing, the right location, and the right people are all indispensable."

I like what you said.

Perhaps in the eyes of those who appreciate others, everything the person being appreciated says sounds pleasing. He praised Lu Ze again, leaving Lu Ze unsure of how to react. He could only smile and clink glasses with the two of them again. But undeniably, the wine was truly delicious.

"By the way, why didn't the Mendeleev brothers come?"

"They've been busy preparing for their new movie, so they haven't had any free time lately. They also wanted to take this opportunity, with Lu Ze and me here, to apologize to Mr. Gambiano for breaking their promise when you first invited them."

Mickey thought he wouldn't ask the Russian brothers again. After all, asking after already having drinks seemed a bit insincere. And to still want Lucas's help? Let alone Mickey, even Lucas probably wouldn't want to work for him as a temporary worker if he knew.

Of course, Mickey couldn't tell Lucas about this either.

Gambiano hesitated for a long time before asking the question, knowing it was a bit unfair to ask now. But as soon as he entered, his gaze was completely drawn to Lu Ze. It wasn't the kind of joy that comes with homosexual attraction; he just liked him and thought he was a perfect match. And then he accidentally forgot about Lucas...

But not mentioning it would be even more inappropriate, and not saying a word would be disrespectful to the Russian brothers. Right now, he only felt regret, deep regret… However, this regret was diverted by the information Mickey revealed. “Don’t call me Gambiano. I believe that in the future, we will not only be partners, but also friends in life. Just call me Faldi. By the way, does that mean the Global Brothers have started a new project?”

Lu Ze and Mickey exchanged a glance and decided there was nothing they couldn't tell the new shareholders. Of course, they couldn't reveal the specific details of the script, but informing others about the new project wasn't out of the question.

"Yes."

"Who is the lead actor?"

"it's me."

Lu Ze readily admitted it, then refocused his attention on the main course, Wellington steak. The pastry was delicious, and the beef was also very good, but the mushroom sauce didn't quite suit his taste. He took one bite and put it down, then asked the waiter to refill his wine.

"So that means you're unavailable for the foreseeable future?"

"That's right."

"And what about Lucas?"

"Same."

Falti didn't say anything, but gulped down a large glass of wine. At that moment, he finally understood what it meant to feel bitterness in one's throat and heartache... He wiped his mouth, gave a bitter smile, and swallowed back the words he had just wanted to say.

Mickey noticed his unease and, wanting to be considerate of the new big shot, asked him what was wrong.

"You really need both of them?"

“That’s right. I have a film here that I hope to collaborate with these two people on. Since my father manages the family’s arts business, I grew up playing around at Gambiano Film Company. The first business I took over after growing up was a large theater. Out of interest, I also directed operas and stage plays. Under such influence, my interest in film grew bigger and bigger. Finally, I made up my mind to choose an idle script in the company, make some minor modifications, and try to make a film to see if I am suitable for this industry. If I am suitable and I really make a name for myself, then I will make directing my career. If I am not suitable, then I will just settle for management.”

Well, another rich young master who can't become a director and has to go back to inherit billions. Mickey suddenly didn't like the steak anymore. A wave of bitterness welled up in his eyes, and he bit the napkin he was wiping his mouth with, almost eating it.

Why is it that he's so poor he's practically selling his body just to make a movie, while this guy can casually invest in a company and even lure out its employees and the boss to help him achieve his dream? Is that something a human being would do?

Does having money mean you can do whatever you want?
This time it was Mr. Mickey's turn to swallow the bitter pill. After calming himself down, he still had to smile at Falti, otherwise, if he offended this young master, he might really risk having his skull blown off by a gunman on the street.

"As a new director, you'd better choose an experienced director to help you in order to achieve your dream with the lowest risk and the highest probability. Do you have someone in mind?"

“I originally thought about finding a great director to be my assistant director to help me realize my dream. My first choice was Giuseppe, but after thinking about it, I realized that it would be more meaningful to realize my dream myself. If I asked someone to help me, then it would not be my personal work.”

Liao!
This is what Mickey really wanted to say: Giuseppe Tornatore! My idol! The director of *Cinema Paradiso*, *Malèna*, and *The Legend of 1900*! You're just making a trial film, do you really need to ask a nearly seventy-year-old man to come out of retirement? I couldn't even find a way to be his underling! You think you can just be his assistant director like that?! Seriously!

Class contradictions have arisen...

Not to mention Mickey, even Lu Ze shuddered upon hearing this, almost spitting his drink back into his glass. The thought that the other person might have grown up in Giuseppe's arms suddenly gave the drink a sour taste...

This longing for their idol was shattered by the casual words of the wealthy family, and the two of them completely lost their composure!

Mickey's heart was churning with turmoil at this, but in front of the young master, he had to pretend to be calm. However, his smile became somewhat awkward, to the point that even Falti's bodyguards were about to stand up, because in their eyes, the smiles of the two envious men were indeed a bit sinister...

"Now that you and Lucas have already signed a film contract, give yourself some more time to catch up. Looking back now, it was indeed a bit too hasty. Use this time to enrich your ideas."

"That makes sense. By the way, I haven't asked yet, what kind of movie are you going to make?"

"If it's a trial project... I want to make a commercial film. In my mind... I want to make a film about the most realistic assassin I've ever seen, one who is so powerful that he can take on a hundred people."

"..."

(End of this chapter)