Best for Business (2)

Harvey Weinstein. Currently a giant in the American independent film industry. A white man in his early forties, severely obese with a receding hairline. With his intervention, the crowd that had gathered ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠around Sion began to warily read the room.

The man I've been waiting for has finally arrived. Sion thought as he looked at the man confidently extending his hand. If this were a movie, a custom BGM would be playing right now. A slimy, villain-exclusive track, to be precise.

For now, he naturally shook his hand.

"I enjoyed the movie very much, Mr. Lee."

"Thank you, Mr. Weinstein. I've heard a lot about you."

"Haha! I'm honored. To think a 'major' actor of Mr. Lee's caliber would know my name."

"Aren't you a giant in the indie film scene? I've thoroughly enjoyed every movie distributed by your company."

"Oh, thank you. I'll have to work even harder then... to unearth more great films, that is."

Was it because he had spent his life studying and portraying people as an actor? Or was it because a shrewd man nearing fifty resided inside him? Though it was his first time meeting him in person across both his past and present lives, he got the gist of him instantly.

He possesses a massive greed, and he's someone who knows exactly how to wield it.

Indeed, from the moment Harvey spoke, everyone around them except Elena Asimov cleared out. Now that Harvey Weinstein had cast his line, no one wanted to risk getting on his bad side.

The businessman's gaze shifted to Elena, who was standing near Sion.

"Oh, Miss Asimov, you were here as well. I thoroughly enjoyed the play you recently starred in."

"Ah, if you had let me know beforehand, I would have sent you an invitation..."

"No, no. I couldn't possibly trouble someone so busy. I look forward to your continued great performances."

He certainly talks a good game.

The Harvey Weinstein of this era, as Sion remembered, was just rising to become an undeniable force in the industry by distributing numerous adult-oriented indie films that mainstream Hollywood ignored. He was incomparable to ordinary indie distributors, and even major studios were beginning to take note of his name.

And then, around 1993, Miramax will hit the jackpot when Disney acquires them.

The man had an eye for cinema, and he knew how to sell a movie through storytelling and lobbying. Although he would eventually ruin himself by wielding his hard-earned power in disgusting ways, that was precisely why Sion wanted to work with him right now. Harvey's competence was undeniable, and no matter how unreasonable he tried to be, Sion was confident he could push back and get his way.

Time to get down to business.

To do that, he first needed to shake off the annoying kid clinging to his side. Elena Asimov would become a massive star in the future, but right now, she was still a child. She would immediately flare up at his sharp remarks, storm off, and then wander back once she cooled down. It was obvious she desperately wanted to talk to Sion about his 'transformed acting,' but given their somewhat 'rocky history' and the fact that this venue was filled with older men, she seemed overwhelmed by the heavy 'business atmosphere.'

Still, if she wants to talk about acting, she should do it when we meet as fellow actors.

She was a talent who would grow fine on her own anyway. Right now, Sion didn't have the luxury to baby her.

"You did a play?"

"...What?"

"I had no idea."

"It was mentioned in major newspapers, let alone magazines, and you didn't know?"

"I'm not really interested in theater."

"...Then what about our movie we did before?"

"The past is in the past, so I forgot about it."

That was the final blow. Her face flushed red and purple. Even if she tried not to show it with her facial muscles, the uncontrollable rush of blood made it glaringly obvious.

"If you want to talk about this movie..."

"I don't!"

Elena, who had expressed her interest in Sion Lee in a terribly clumsy way, ultimately threw a tantrum like a swan with dirty mud on its wings and stomped off.

Sigh, that acting-obsessed ugly duckling...

As he watched her retreating figure and gave her a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠rather peculiar nickname, a voice spoke up from beside him.

"You two seem to get along well."

"...I know a good optician in LA. Would you like the address?"

"Haha, if she weren't interested at all, she wouldn't have stayed glued to your side like that."

"You seem to have been watching us closely."

"Oops, caught red-handed, have I? ...Well, since I've already shown you an embarrassing side of myself, I'd like to seriously talk business. Including the director over there."

"I like that you don't beat around the bush."

"Likewise, I'll offer you terms that won't disappoint. A good piece of work deserves proper treatment."

Watching Harvey, who maintained the attitude of a capable businessman while wearing a sly smile, Sion thought: I hope this pleasant demeanor of his doesn't shatter while we work together. Of course, if any issues arose, he fully intended to push his opinions through without hesitation, so he doubted it would be a problem.

About a week after the Sundance Film Festival ended, an article appeared in the Los Angeles Times, one of the four major newspapers in the United States.

Michael Mitchum, the editor-in-chief of Behind the Scene, did nothing but chain-smoke in frustration. The news that Miramax had acquired the distribution rights for Swing in Chicago. A subordinate reading the article beside him marveled at the news.

"Wow, this is really surprising news. Or... is it actually expected?"

"What part of this is expected?"

"Because it's a movie starring Sion Lee. And Miramax is a mini-major that specializes in distributing independent and short films. For Miramax, a project that is indie but has one foot in commercial appeal is an opportunity they absolutely wouldn't want to miss. Besides, you said it yourself, Michael. You said the movie was absolutely killer."

"Yeah... as much as I hate to admit it."

"As much as you hated wearing a skirt to work for a week?"

"...I'm currently saving up to hire a hitman. Watch your back."

"You went through all that trouble ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to attend the Sundance Film Festival, even jumping out of your car and running so you wouldn't be late, and in the end, you couldn't even get an interview with Sion Lee."

"I couldn't help it! You should have been there!"

Michael cried out, recalling the memory. Park City back then was practically reminiscent of Disneyland in its prime. It was so packed with people that there was barely room to step, and the crowd only grew denser the closer one got to Sion, the center of the storm. Although he had rushed over to watch the movie and secure an interview with Sion as promised, Michael Mitchum was ultimately swept away by the massive crowd and couldn't even strike up a proper conversation.

"Sundance this year was Sion Lee's festival! That damn 'Hollywood Beauty' dominated everything...! Ha, before watching the movie, many people thought Sundance's prestige had been tarnished, but they were wrong. Once they came to their senses, they had no choice but to fall head over heels for that film."

"Sion Lee has no weaknesses now. He's handsome, and he can act."

"No. That's precisely why there's a trap waiting for him."

"What is it this time?"

"He'll fall into temptation. That's always how it goes for guys who achieve everything and succeed at a young age."

"...Didn't Sion already indulge in all those temptations? I heard he's been drinking, riding motorcycles, and causing scandals with all sorts of women in California since he was a kid."

"It'll only get worse now! Why? Because a successful guy is delicious prey! The public wants stimulation. What they want is the fall of Icarus. No one wants to watch Icarus keep climbing. It only makes them feel pathetic down on the ground."

"Like you, Michael."

"Exactly. I'll dig up Sion Lee's weakness by any means necessary. Because that's what the public wants."

"Sounds like it's just what you want..."

The employee muttering those words stared quietly at Sion Lee's face printed in the newspaper. A face so handsome it made one wonder how a human could look like that. On top of that, if his latest movie secured a distributor and hit theaters across the country, it would undoubtedly cause a massive sensation.

However, Michael Mitchum always said that in show business, things didn't go well just because you were good at something. No matter how outstanding you were, you wouldn't make it without 'luck.' Due to 'luck' spun by countless worldly variables that a single individual could never grasp, a case that looked like a guaranteed success could fail, while someone completely unremarkable could succeed.

Well, that's just how the world works.

He brushed off the realization, as it wasn't his business anyway. Whether it was a success or a failure, all he had to do was write articles that catered to the public's taste. Still, he couldn't help but wonder what it felt like to live a life loved and hated by hundreds of thousands, even millions of people.

"April."

Everyone in the meeting room was struck with shock at the word Harvey Weinstein uttered as if delivering a final verdict. But he didn't care.

"Let's wrap up this movie's distribution within three months."

"W-wait a minute, boss."

The marketing team leader raised his hand in surprise. "Isn't that too short? To manufacture prints, run marketing, and secure theater contracts, you need to give us at least six months... And aren't we re-editing the movie too?"

"Of course. We have to re-edit it. Make it more provocative to suit the public's taste."

"Then the schedule is even tighter. Why not aim for the Oscars and take our time in November or December..."

"No. We have to push this movie out as quickly as possible."

Harvey replied coldly and began to explain his reasoning.

"From late May to mid-August is blockbuster season. If it were you, would you choose this movie over Total Recall, which stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and is packed with all kinds of special effects?"

Unfortunately, no one in the room had the courage to tell him, "I'm a total sucker for handsome faces, so I'd choose Sion Lee's movie." Even if their tastes were dismissed, they had to do as they were told to get paid.

Miramax headquarters, located in Manhattan, New York. The forty or so employees working there had been rowing hard in the direction steered by the Weinstein brothers, their captains, thanks to the company's rapidly growing scale and the hit movies they distributed one after another. Recently, however, various issues had been cropping up among them. Harsh schedules, wages that didn't match the workload. They were growing tired of hearing nothing but promises like, "We'll pay you once the company's situation improves."

Harvey made the exact same demand this time. The problem was that what came out of his mouth always sounded incredibly plausible.

"Especially July—absolutely not. You know TriStar Pictures is constantly running ads for the Terminator sequel, right? Terminator 2 is currently filming, aiming for the Independence Day weekend! That month will be completely devoured! Now, no matter how good the indie film we picked is, do we stand a chance going head-to-head with that? If you can't refute this, stick to the schedule I laid out."

"..."

"..."

It was practically a notification rather than a meeting. This was precisely Harvey Weinstein's style.

"Let's all work a little harder, shall we? We've reaped a massive jackpot this time. As you all know, the entire process of Sion Lee filming this movie was practically broadcast live to the whole country, right? Because that guy is such a notorious troublemaker, it turned out this way. On top of that, the journalists who watched the movie at the festival have written all kinds of rave reviews, so attention is still heavily focused on it."

But no matter what anyone said, he was a man who understood exactly why the public watched movies.

"Right now, we hold a spark in our hands that can become a comet shining intensely, if only briefly, between the sun and the moon. Let's bring it to the people before this interest dies down. With the spirit of Icarus."

Unfortunately, no one in the room was brave enough to correct him, "If it's a spark, shouldn't it be Prometheus?" Most of them only felt sorrow, thinking, Well, there goes my chance of going home early for the next few months...

Though a few married men actually smiled, thinking it was for the best.

Once the schedule was set, the first thing the Miramax team did was watch the movie. They gathered in the screening room to watch the 'Sundance Film Festival cut' of Swing in Chicago sent by the production company, Philip Studios. Although they had looked visibly exhausted at first, by the time the roughly hour-and-a-half screening ended, they wore expressions similar to those of the Sundance audience.

"What on earth did I just watch...?"

"Is this for real? Did Sion Lee really film this? Is he a reptilian or something?"

"We have no choice but to admit it now. Don't you think the reaction will be quite something once this movie hits the world?"

Grinning, Harvey Weinstein began to head to the editing room with his team. What set Harvey apart from typical distribution company heads was that he exerted an incredibly strong influence over the editing of the films. His knack for ruthlessly cutting down even the best movies and splicing in sensational elements to make them appealing to the 'American audience' received mixed reviews within the industry.

Ranging from "As long as it makes money, who cares?" to "Even so, a distributor shouldn't be allowed to butcher a work at will." Harvey, of course, dismissed all such opinions. His attitude was always: We made money. The company grew. Isn't that enough?

Excited by the prospect of achieving even better results this time, Harvey, planning to edit the work as he always did, ordered his secretary.

"Call their studio and tell the director to come over here. We're going to start editing."

"Ah, understood."

Harvey openly ogled the cleavage of his secretary, who clearly felt uncomfortable around him. Not long after, she spoke up.

"Um, boss...?"

"Yeah? What is it?"

"They're asking if we're going to cover the airfare..."

"Huh? Why are they asking us to handle such trivial details?"

Being in his own domain, Harvey displayed his usual arrogant attitude. After taking the phone back and exchanging a few words, the secretary, with a face that looked on the verge of tears, asked, "I-I think you need to take this..."

"..."

Frowning, Harvey took the phone, his flabby belly shaking.

"Hello?"

And the voice that came from the other end belonged to someone completely unexpected.

"S-Sion? Oh, of course! How have things been on your end?!"

"There's really no... neeeed for you to do that, is there? We'd love to have you, of course, but you'll probably get busy again in Hollywood soon anyway. You don't have to come all the way to New York..."

Faced with Sion's words, which were backed by a thoroughly prepared justification, Harvey couldn't bring himself to argue any further.