Chapter 101: A Movie People Have Been Waiting For
Chapter 101: A Movie People Have Been Waiting For
Despite the immense success he had achieved so far, he did not become complacent.
The more the companies he invested in and Earth Resource’s businesses flourished, the more he attributed it to the efforts of talented people.
For Earth Channel to succeed, it needed a gathering of skilled individuals.
- Vice President Jeong Beom-tae: The director has agreed to produce Season 2.
- Kim Shin: When does filming begin?
- Vice President Jeong Beom-tae: We have to start with the scriptwriting process, so it will probably take some time.
He had high hopes for a second season of a drama that had deeply impressed him.
If the only thing I can do is invest, then I should do it gladly.
- Kim Shin: Please tell them not to worry about the production costs, even from the scriptwriting stage.
- Vice President Jeong Beom-tae: Yes. I’ve already relayed that.
- Kim Shin: I'll provide Hollywood-level support. I intend to make it a flagship content for Earth Channel.
- Vice President Jeong Beom-tae: Yes, sir. Dream Art Rainbow will also do its best.
As the launch of Earth Channel, which had been prepared in many ways, approached, many thoughts crossed his mind.
Netflix had already dominated the market, and Disney possessed exclusive content loved by many.
It might be arrogant to think of competing with them from the start, but the challenge had already begun.
‘It was the same with the cloud. Once I start, I'll find a way.’
The monthly subscription fee was set at $5.
It was less than half the price of other OTT services.
“Eddie, how much do you think the operating costs for Earth Channel will be?”
“Hmm? We’ll use our data centers and tap into the grid network we’re connected to if needed. The fixed costs for system maintenance won’t be that high.”
“Right?”
“The operating costs will increase if the number of users grows significantly. But that would also mean our profits are growing.”
Since they were building or acquiring data centers, it was possible to operate Earth Channel in-house.
Considering the content production costs, he was worried about whether they could turn a profit at $5, but he was prepared to take a loss.
‘It’s better to have a lot of people come for an affordable price than to be expensive with nothing to watch.’
The goal was to accumulate a ton of fun, exclusive content for Earth Channel and get users to come and watch.
Having a flagship content at a time like this would be much better for promotion.
* * *
Han Chae-won wrote for over ten hours a day at home.
“Aaargh! Aaaaaaaaargh!”
She screamed multiple times while staring at the monitor and pounding on the keyboard.
She deleted what she had written and rewrote it, over and over.
[Kim Shin was the worst kind of man. He was a cheapskate, and he wouldn’t let me sleep at night.]
She cursed Kim Shin and changed the direction of her writing dozens of times.
Contacting her publisher’s representative was of little help.
“You just need to write about your married life. As the person who lived it, Ms. Han, you’re the one best suited to write about the content of the book.”
Every time Kim Shin appeared on television, she gritted her teeth and wrote.
[Kim Shin never once looked for me after the divorce. He is a heartless man.]
After writing dozens of pages, she would wake up and delete them, a repeating cycle.
She even wrote lies about certain events.
[He cheated on me. There were several women who followed him...]
She sent the first draft to the publisher, but she immediately received a call from her representative.
“This content. Ms. Han, can you take responsibility for it?”
“What?”
“A lawsuit could come from Kim Shin’s side.”
“Even though it’s just a book?”
“There’s a real person involved. The media will become interested in your married life, Ms. Han. It could get complicated if it’s not true.”
The media could dig into Kim Shin’s married life.
The marriage had only lasted a year, and back when he worked at Arcor, Kim Shin had neither wealth nor influence.
That’s why it was considered nothing more than a part of his past, but she was being told that once the book was published, many reporters would take an interest in his marriage.
“Aaargh! When I signed the contract, all I thought about was selling a lot of books!”
Han Chae-won tore at her hair.
Every morning when she washed her hair, clumps of it would fall out.
‘What do I do? What?’
She stared at the monitor with bloodshot eyes.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to her.
‘Is there a reason I have to make Kim Shin out to be a son of a bitch?’
Han Chae-won wanted to be famous.
She wanted to sell a lot of books.
Was filling the book with curses against Kim Shin the only way?
‘Kim Shin is famous all over the world. Wouldn’t any book about his married life sell well enough?’
Han Chae-won suddenly felt her mind clear. And she began to write.
[I was a bitch when I was married to Kim Shin.]
Surprisingly, the words that had been blocked for so long began to flow freely.
* * *
While preparing for Earth Channel, the balance in the stock account I invested in on the New York Stock Exchange officially surpassed $100 billion.
[American Billionaires’ Fortunes Soar, Elon Musk’s Wealth Jumps from $27 billion to $159 billion]
[Undisputed No. 1 Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos Sees $70 billion Stock Gain, Total Fortune Reaches $186 billion]
[Stocks, Real Estate, Gold, and even Bitcoin Skyrocket. No Asset Left Behind.]
[Standing Still Makes You Dirt Poor, You Can’t Get Rich on a Salary]
The rankings of America’s richest people.
The Amazon founder’s fortune was expected to exceed $200 billion soon.
Tesla’s Elon Musk, despite controversies over his company's high valuation, was also seeing his wealth constantly increase.
‘The days when Bill Gates was the undisputed number one are long gone.’
While working part-time at a convenience store, I heard a story that Bill Gates wouldn't bother picking up a $100 bill if he saw it on the ground.
Because he could earn more money in that time.
It seemed so distant when I was in Korea, but now I had reached that level myself.
Although, with the pauper’s mentality ingrained to my very bones, it would be difficult not to pick up a real $100 bill if it were on the ground.
‘The financial market is going crazy.’
Although I was making money from Earth Resource and Biolife, I had increased my wealth far more through investments than through corporate management.
‘Isn’t there something I can do for Earth Channel?’
A way to bring joy to people stuck at home in the age of COVID.
An idea popped into my head, and I decided to put it into action.
“Jong-yeop.”
“Yes, sir.”
“There’s someone I want to meet.”
After the success of my stock investments and the K-Vaccine spreading throughout the world, I could meet almost anyone.
Wall Street financiers or Washington politicians.
The U.S. presidential election would be held in November. It was a sensitive time, so I was avoiding it, but I could even meet the President of the United States.
“I’ll request a meeting, but who is it?”
“Tom Cruise.”
* * *
To increase the enjoyment on Earth Channel, a killer content was definitely needed.
Not just Korean content, but content famous worldwide.
“The appointment has been scheduled.”
“Really? You must have worked hard.”
“Not at all. They said they wanted to meet you too.”
I went to San Francisco International Airport for the meeting with Tom Cruise.
“You booked the flight, right?”
“When I said I would look into flight tickets, they offered to send a private jet.”
“They did?”
I boarded a private jet in San Francisco and headed to Los Angeles.
It was a strange feeling.
Despite having a fortune of over $100 billion, I was hitching a ride on a Hollywood star’s plane because I didn’t have my own.
Back in my Arcor days, just getting a ride on a celebrity’s private jet would have been a huge thing to brag about.
Now, with the wealth I possessed, hitching a ride felt like a Gangnam landlord bumming a ride in his friend's Sonata because he didn't have a car.
After arriving in Los Angeles, I met him at a coffee shop near a film studio.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Kim Shin.”
“Hello. I’ve seen you often in the news. I didn’t expect you to come all this way to see me.”
The conversation took place in a friendly atmosphere.
He said that thanks to the K-Vaccine, the stalled film industry would be able to resume sooner, and that he himself planned to get vaccinated soon.
He spoke passionately about the space movie he would be filming next, at nearly 60 years of age.
I felt a sense of respect for someone who had dedicated his entire life to one field as a filmmaker.
“I love Korea. And Kim Shin, I think what you’ve done is incredible. So when the sudden request to meet came, I was surprised but also happy to accept. I was curious about what we would talk about.”
“Yes. I should tell you why I came.”
After a brief introduction of Earth Resource, I brought up the topic of Earth Channel.
“I’ve heard about it.”
“You have?”
“Earth Channel is also in the news a lot.”
There were so many articles about me that I couldn't check all the news one by one.
Apparently, stories about Earth Channel had also been widely reported in the U.S. through broadcasts and newspapers.
“Yes. I want to show your movie on Earth Channel.”
“A few of my movies are on Netflix. If that’s what this is about, it would be better to talk directly to the film studio or the distributor.”
“I thought it was more important to convince you first, as someone with great influence in Hollywood.”
“You think highly of me. Which movie is it?”
“*Top Gun: Maverick*.”
The movie that Tom Cruise reportedly filmed by flying in a fighter jet himself along with the other actors.
A work whose release had been postponed due to COVID-19.
Tom Cruise’s expression, which had been full of a friendly smile, turned serious.
“That’s a very difficult proposition. *Top Gun* is a work I’m very attached to. It has a great story, and the cast and crew put in a lot of effort to give the audience the best viewing experience.”
He refused in a polite but firm manner.
It was the reaction I had anticipated.
“I know. I came here for the success of Earth Channel, but honestly, if it weren’t for COVID, I wouldn’t have made this offer.”
I didn’t start by laying out the specific contract terms.
I wanted to persuade him from the heart.
“I really love movies. When I was young, I was so poor that I only watched really famous works that were shown on television. Then, when I entered college and went to a movie theater for the first time, I was shocked by how fun it was. Movies were my hobby, my relaxation.”
“I see. I didn’t know you loved movies this much.”
Although Tom Cruise had rejected the offer, he was listening to my story seriously.
“The success of Earth Channel. Of course, it would be great if it succeeds, but it’s okay if it doesn’t.”
“Pardon?”
“It might sound like I’m full of myself, but even if I don’t make money with Earth Channel, I have more than enough wealth.”
Even people with tens of billions would say they have enough money to last a lifetime.
As a billionaire with over $100 billion, I was qualified to say this much.
“I want to bring joy to many people through Earth Channel. People who can’t go outdoors because of COVID. People who have lost their jobs because of COVID. What can I do for them?”
I deliberately paused for a moment for effect.
I wasn’t very good at persuading people.
When I talked to doctors while working at Arcor, it was all about technical details, explaining devices, and presenting lease products.
It was closer to product guidance than persuasion.
‘Let’s just be honest and speak from the heart. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.’
I looked him straight in the eye and said.
“I want to give people something fun. Many people can’t go to the movie theaters. They’ve forgotten the joy they used to find in their ordinary lives. I thought, what if the movie the public wants could be shown on Earth Channel?”
“And you’re saying that’s *Top Gun*.”
“Yes. It’s the movie I want to see most right now, and it must be the work the whole world has been waiting for.”
“I understand what you’re saying. But even if I agree, there’s the position of the production company and the distributor.”
Of course, I had naturally thought about that.