Hollywood Director 1992

"Link, do you have time this afternoon?"

"What's up?"

"I know a great restaurant nearby, how about we go try it together?"

"Let's go, it's just about lunchtime, my treat!"

Link took Monica Bellucci out of the company and drove to Bouchon, a French restaurant recommended by Monica.

Bouchon French Restaurant is located on Santa Monica Boulevard and is one of the properties under the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group. Because it is not far from Beverly Hills and the head chef is a Michelin Guide-listed chef, the cost here is relatively high.

Link didn't know much about French cuisine, so he only ordered the chef's recommended dishes on the menu, a bottle of 1988 Bordeaux red wine, French pan-fried steak, a truffle soup, and a French sandwich.

Monica, in order to play the leading actress well, wanted to lose weight, so she only ordered a vegetable salad and a sandwich.

"Link, can I ask you a question?"

"What is it?"

Link put down his fork and dabbed the corner of his mouth with a napkin.

"How could someone like you appear in the youth apartment?"

Monica Bellucci blinked her curved eyelashes, her hazel pupils were bright and beautiful under the restaurant's lights, coupled with her rose-colored lips and the faintly revealed pink slope, it was more tempting than the food on the table.

"Isn't it appropriate for a poor man with a star dream like me to live in a youth apartment?"

"No, I don't think so.

Although I have only met you a few times, I can see that you are very different from the people in the youth apartment. They are lazy and have star dreams in their hearts, but they don't know how to work hard at all.

And you have goals and pursuits, you are constantly working hard every day, and you never play with them. Do you know what impressed me the most about you after I met you?"

Monica held the goblet with her fingers, her eyes quietly looking at him.

"My handsome appearance?"

Link joked while holding his chin.

Monica chuckled cooperatively and said, "Link, what I'm about to say may be a little impolite, but I still want to say that in my eyes, a man's handsome appearance is nothing. Compared to appearance, what I admire more is a man's spirit, connotation, and reputation.

Before you became a famous director, what impressed me the most about you was your eyes. They were very bright, like flames, giving people a feeling of optimism, full of ambition and fighting spirit.

A man like you will either go crazy or succeed, and you succeeded sooner than I expected."

"You have very keen eyes. When I lived in the youth apartment, I tried my best to restrain my own sharpness and get along with everyone as an ordinary person. I didn't expect you to see through it. Okay, I won't pretend anymore. I am indeed a man from Mars, and there is fire in my eyes."

"Pfft, are you serious?"

Monica bit her lower lip, trying hard to hold back her laughter as she asked.

"You can treat it as a bad joke."

"You're really humorous, much more interesting than at work."

"I thought women could appreciate men who work seriously more."

"You are indeed very charming when you talk about scripts and plays, but your face is cold, and this frown line here makes you look very cold. At that time, I was only thinking about how to make you satisfied, and I had no time to appreciate you at all."

Monica pointed to the space between her eyebrows and combed her waterfall-like long hair back.

"That's my fault, but I won't correct it. Treating work seriously and being strict with actors is the attitude I insist on when filming, so before the official start of filming, you need to be mentally prepared in advance and don't back down because I am too strict."

"Thank you for the reminder, I can already feel a huge pressure from your words."

Monica Bellucci supported her cheek and smiled, "This is also the reason why I said that someone like you shouldn't appear in a youth apartment.

You have maturity and stability beyond your peers, extraordinary knowledge and talent, humorous conversation, good social etiquette, and your skilled working state is completely unlike a new director.

The more I come into contact with you, the more I realize that you are a very powerful guy. If you claimed to be from a noble family in China, instead of coming from Mars, I would definitely believe you."

Link smiled softly and raised his goblet to clink glasses with Monica.

Regarding Monica's words, whether it was sincere praise or purposeful flattery, he wouldn't mind too much.

When getting along with women, the most important thing is to be clear-headed, know what they want, know what you have, know what they still want, and what you still have, so that you can firmly grasp the initiative.

After the meal, Link and Monica left Bouchon Restaurant and strolled and chatted on Santa Monica Boulevard in the afterglow of the Los Angeles sun.

Doing this is not wasting time, but deepening their understanding of each other and creating a harmonious working relationship to prepare for the upcoming filming.

The two will play a couple next, and a harmonious and close relationship will make it easier to get into the scene when filming.

— —

When working out at the fitness center in the morning, I ran into Jim Carrey again, and the two worked out together and played a game of tennis.

While eating breakfast, Link received a call from Old Mason. Turner Network Television's movie channel wanted to invite him for an interview to talk about the movie "Buried."

Turner Television didn't have his contact information, so they called the United Theater.

"Okay, William, I'll arrange for someone to contact Turner Television later."

"Link, don't you have an agent? You are now a star director and need a full-time agent."

"If you didn't say so, I would have almost forgotten. I should call the agency today."

Arriving at Guess Pictures, Link called Sam Haskell to thank him for his sincere invitation. WMA is a very promising agency, and he is willing to work with WMA.

Sam Haskell said he was very happy to receive his call and asked him when he would have time to sign the agency contract first. Next, WMA Agency will fully represent his agency affairs.

Sam Haskell also said that he was very happy to be his agent.

Link told him the address of Guess Pictures and arranged to meet in the afternoon.

At a little after nine o'clock, Liu Xiaoli came to Guess Pictures and brought him a yam and chicken soup, saying that he was busy with work and needed to nourish him.

While drinking the soup, Link called real estate agent Ellen Herbert to ask if he had found a suitable house.

After receiving an affirmative answer, Link drove Liu Xiaoli and followed Ellen Herbert to look around several apartments nearby.

Finally, he helped Liu Xiaoli rent a mid-range apartment in the Rex apartment building about three kilometers from the company. It had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, and complete furniture and appliances.

The security situation was good, and there were private kindergartens and Archer Girls' School nearby, so Liu Qianqian could attend school nearby when she grew up.

Since the apartment rent was relatively expensive, Link paid her two years' rent in the name of advance salary.

"Okay, Sister Xiaoli, the house is settled. In the next few days, you should familiarize yourself with the surrounding situation and purchase daily necessities. You can call me or Chris Bauer if you need a car. You don't need to be polite. You don't have to worry about the company's affairs for the time being. I'll arrange it for you when you're done."

"Okay!"

Liu Xiaoli looked at the beautifully decorated apartment, her eyes showing a satisfied look, and looked back at him, smiling, "Link, the debt I owe you is getting more and more, and it seems like I can't pay it off."

"The road ahead is long, don't worry, take your time."

Back at Guess Pictures, Link called Turner Television and talked to interview host Billy Crystal about the content of the interview. He needed to prepare in advance.

Just as he hung up the phone, Sam Haskell knocked on the door and came in from outside, wearing a more formal suit, a tie, and holding a briefcase.

His hair was neatly combed, and under his neat and thick sword eyebrows, his dark brown pupils smiled earlier than his mouth when he saw Link.

"Haha, Link, you finally called. I haven't slept well for two days waiting for your call."

"After signing the contract, you can go back to sleep early."

Link took the agency contract issued by WMA and looked through it.

Most of the content was the template of the agency contract, and only a few clauses had been deleted or modified.

The contract stipulates that it will not interfere with his personal projects, will not extract remuneration for projects belonging to him, etc., and the penalty for breach of contract is only a symbolic US$50,000.

It is a cooperative method based on trust, and the binding force on both parties is relatively loose.

After both lawyers were present, Link and the representative of WMA William Morris Agency signed the agency contract, and Link officially became a client of WMA Agency.

The reason for choosing WMA Agency instead of the most powerful CAA is because among the four major agencies, WMA has more directors among its clients, such as James Cameron, Clint Eastwood, David Lynch, etc.

Joining WMA also facilitates internal communication and learning experience from several senior directors.

In the past few days, CAA also sent people to contact him. Although the conditions offered were not as sincere as WMA's, they were generally good.

The reason why he didn't choose CAA is because CAA has expanded too quickly in the past few years.

Its client base almost includes half of Hollywood's first and second-tier stars.

Including Steven Spielberg, Sylvester Stallone, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Robert Downey Jr., Nicolas Cage, Julia Roberts, etc.

CAA founder and president Michael Ovitz has also been named Hollywood's most powerful person by Premiere magazine for three consecutive years.

CAA has too many big-name clients, and there is serious internal fighting. He is a newcomer and can't get any resources.

Secondly, he remembered that in the next two years, CAA's two founders, Michael Ovitz and Ron Meyer, successively jumped to work for Walt Disney and Universal Pictures, causing serious chaos within CAA and exposing many scandals.

Many star clients also left CAA at that time and diverted to WMA, ICM International Creative Management, UTA United Talent Agency, etc.

Since he knew in advance that CAA would decline, he didn't need to join in the fun.

Joining WMA, which has a more stable internal environment, is more suitable.

"Haha, Link, welcome to WMA, I hope our cooperation will be smooth and successful."

"That's what I hope to see too!"

The two shook hands in the conference room.

The person Sam Haskell brought took photos of the two for a souvenir.