America Tycoon: The Wolf of Showbiz

In Hollywood's independent art film circle, Harvey is definitely a super boss, but his influence in the fashion and model circles is much smaller.

Upon hearing Georgina's words, Martin's mind raced as he said, "I do know a few supermodels."

Georgina's face lit up with surprise, but seeing guests ready to leave, she could only say, "Martin, can you stay for a little while? We can talk more later?"

Martin replied, "I can."

Georgina went to see off the guests.

Kate stayed behind to chat with Martin and asked, "What are you scheming?"

After glancing toward the hall, Martin said, "She's your best friend, and it was you who introduced us. I'll give a helping hand where I can, for your sake."

Kate nodded her head, Martin's character had always been impeccable when it came to dealing with people.

She pointed to another room, "Let's wait in there."

After a while, Georgina entered the room, her face etched with exhaustion.

Kate asked, "Has everyone left?"

"They've all left," Georgina slumped unglamorously onto the couch and said, "It's so hard for a woman to do business, it requires so much commitment."

She smiled at Martin and Kate, "Thankfully, I have the support of friends like you."

Martin took over the conversation naturally, "I'm quite familiar with some of the supermodels who frequently show up at Victoria's Secret shows; I can introduce you to them."

As for the rest, it was up to Georgina to negotiate, such as the price and whether the brand was a right fit.

Georgina reminded, "The five contracted angels of Victoria's Secret can't endorse other clothing brands."

Martin nodded, "I understand."

The three of them discussed for a while, which made their departure quite late.

When Martin left the villa, it was already close to 11 PM.

After bidding farewell to Georgina, he walked Kate to the parking lot and took the initiative to invite, "Let's find a place to talk for a bit."

Kate's gaze rested on Martin, and she said, "My daughter Mia has come to Los Angeles, tonight I promised to spend time with her."

Martin could understand, "The child is important, give her my regards."

This chapter upload first at NovelUsb.Com

He arrived at his car where Bruce was waiting and said, "Old Cloth, my gift."

Bruce immediately took out a two-piece gift set.

Martin handed it to Kate, "I didn't bring the right thing, this is just a figurine and a pendant for now, I'll make it up to you another time."

Kate knew what was inside without opening the box and said, "We don't need to stand on ceremony with each other."

Though she said this, she still accepted the gift and added, "I've been wanting to find a godfather for Mia, and you would be perfect."

"No problem, introduce me to her whenever you have the time," Martin sighed, "I had originally wanted to be godfather to Leo's child."

Kate couldn't help but laugh, "Then you have quite a wait ahead of you."

Martin laughed as well and waved, "Good night."

Kate was the first to get into her car and leave.

Bruce started the Escalade and asked, "Where are you heading tonight?"

Martin buckled his seatbelt, "Home, to sleep. Starting today, I need to store up my energy."

Leonardo had made arrangements with the supermodels, and Martin would certainly not miss this trip.

......

At the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel, a team jointly established by the Cadillac Planning Department and the Legal Department had arrived in Los Angeles about a week ago.

During the morning routine meeting, everyone reported on the progress of their responsibilities.

Laris from the Legal Department said, "These past few days, I've met with Brad Pitt's agent and lawyer several times. Pitt is currently restricted from traveling and can't leave his Beverly Hills home. To terminate the contract, we'll need to make a visit."

Johnson, the team leader, instructed, "Terminate the contract as soon as possible. Even Hollywood is distancing itself from Pitt now, and the entire America is decrying him in unison. He's seriously damaging Cadillac's market image."

Laris said, "Terminating the contract won't be difficult, but pursuing damages for breach of contract won't be easy."

"Let's handle termination first," Johnson was well aware that each day Cadillac remained entangled with Brad Pitt meant additional losses, "Take your time with the lawsuit, there's no rush."

Laris confirmed, "I'll get it resolved as fast as I can."

Johnson turned to Michel from the Planning Department and asked, "What are your thoughts on a new spokesperson?"

Michel shared, "Someone recommended Matt Damon to me; the first two parts of 'The Bourne Identity' made him a star, and if all goes well, next year's third installment should also be successful."

Someone immediately countered, "Damon has an average image, especially his appearance… how to put it, he looks naturally gloomy, which doesn't fit with the image of successful Cadillac owners."

Michel agreed, "I've always had the same concerns."

"What about Ben Affleck?" someone suggested,

Another rebutted, "His status is too low; since the failure of 'Daredevil,' he hasn't had a notable work for several years."

As the discussion among Michel and others subsided, he said, "I do have another candidate in mind, but he's not a CAA client; we've always been collaborating with CAA in the past."

Johnson wasn't concerned about that; for Cadillac, it made no difference whether it was CAA or WMA, or any other talent agency.

He nodded and said, "Let's hear it."

"Film star Martin Davis from William Morris," Michel was very satisfied with this candidate suggested by WMA and intentionally brought him up last: "Martin Davis, I believe everyone here is familiar with him, a Hollywood star, an American hero, an honorary citizen of Los Angeles, and has assisted the FBI in catching Russian spies..."

The first to object earlier said, "Martin Davis is much more suitable than Matt Damon."

The others nodded in agreement, "His personal image and temperament are also good."

"He is in his rising phase, going toe-to-toe with Leonardo in Infernal Affairs."

"Young, yet comparatively steady, which aligns with Cadillac's market development strategy."

Johnson was also seriously considering this candidate.

Michel took out a flash drive and handed it to the assistant, asking her to play a slideshow, which was full of clippings and photos.

Pointing with a laser pen, he said, "Since his rise to fame, Martin Davis's daily commuting and most of his appearances in public have been in a black Escalade; he's a loyal Cadillac user."

Johnson looked attentively at the clippings on the slideshow, some dating back to 2004.

The match was strikingly high.

Seeing him so engrossed, Michel signalled the assistant with his eyes to continue changing the images.

After watching for several minutes, Johnson said, "Mixia, you take responsibility for contacting Martin Davis and his agent. The terms of the endorsement contract... well, refer to Brad Pitt's."

Michel responded, "I'll take care of it right away." Enjoy exclusive content from empire

The meeting concluded there, with outcomes decided for both agenda items: Cadillac to terminate the contract with Brad Pitt and to approach Martin Davis's side for endorsement matters.

......

As Christmas approached, Martin and Bruce packed their bags.

During Thanksgiving, both of them had returned to Atlanta.

Of course, they planned to go on a vacation for this Christmas holiday.

Martin planned to go to Miami and then fly to a private island in the Caribbean Sea.

To spend a special Christmas on the island.

At that moment, the doorbell rang, and Bruce went to open the door.

Thomas, holding several newspapers, burst excitedly into the living room and announced, "Good news, Cadillac just contacted the agency, expressing interest in inviting you to be its global brand ambassador."

He had done a lot of groundwork, lobbying hard to recommend Martin to Cadillac's side.

"Take a seat," Martin gestured to the sofa opposite him and specially praised Thomas, "Your efficiency is really high, you did a terrific job."

Thomas was very pleased, not only for Martin's compliments but also for the commission he could earn.

This was an endorsement contract that could fetch up to ten million dollars a year.

With a joyful expression, he said, "Christmas is just around the corner, and while you're out vacationing, I plan to work overtime during the holidays to sort out the necessary documents. Once the holiday is over, we can immediately start negotiations with Cadillac."

Martin thought to himself that his efforts hadn't been wasted, as Thomas now knew to take the initiative to work overtime.

Thomas continued, "The deal with Brioni is pretty much settled, just a few details are left. The endorsement fee is set at six million dollars per year for a provisional two-year contract. Also, we need to renegotiate with Coca-Cola; given your current status, as long as 'Limitless' encounters no surprises next month, securing another ten-million-dollar endorsement deal shouldn't be an issue."

"Leave all that to you," Martin said, feeling a wave of ease and comfort, "Can my single endorsement contracts match my film fees?"

Thomas roughly explained, "Stars with excellent images like Brad Pitt typically command between ten and fifteen million dollars per endorsement, excluding top-tier celebrities, of course, as those also represent a boost to the star's own profile."

Martin understood, "Similar to art films that elevate one's stature?"

"Pretty close," Thomas said, "Currently, the ceiling for endorsements in the industry belongs to Leonardo, who rarely accepts commercials, and it's no talk under fifteen million dollars."

Martin sighed, "Who among men doesn't envy Leonardo?"

Speaking of Leonardo, Thomas reminded, "His new film isn't doing that well at the box office."Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Martin picked up a newspaper and quickly glanced through it, "Blood Diamond" opened in nearly 2,000 theaters across North America but netted only 8.6 million dollars at the box office its opening weekend.

The film had received critical acclaim, but the story was too far removed for Americans, and the genre wasn't quite market-friendly, with predictions estimating no more than 60 million dollars in North American box office, and it was unlikely to exceed 200 million dollars globally.

Whether the touted 100 million dollar production cost was inflated or not, Martin wasn't foolish enough to ask Leonardo, but the film needed to rely on aftermarket to make a profit.

A good film lacking a good box office is not uncommon worldwide and is almost becoming the norm.

Film genre and marketing strategies, among other factors, are increasingly prevailing over the actual quality of the films.

Martin phoned Leonardo, who didn't seem bothered by it at all; instead, he urged Martin to hurry up to the airport to meet up, saying he'd leave without him if he was late.

Thomas soon excused himself and departed.

Martin and Bruce got into a car and headed straight for Burbank Airport.

At the private hangar there, Martin and Leonardo had jointly leased a business jet, ready to fly directly to Miami.