Chapter 63: Ronan Is a Good Guy

In the VIP lounge, seven or eight wealthy individuals were gathered discussing movies and investments.

"Sha Hai Entertainment and Mr. Anderson are extremely committed to the terms of the contract," Hassan told his friends. "Not even a year has passed, and they not only returned the principal amount but also paid the expected profits in full. Among the American businessmen I've encountered, there are very few as honest and trustworthy as Mr. Anderson."

Hussein interjected with a hint of pride, "What we've gained isn't just profits; our names and faces will also appear in the movie."

"Isn't it just a profit of over two hundred thousand dollars?" spoke a particularly dark-faced individual. "While we might not be among the wealthiest in Abu Dhabi, we're not short of a couple of hundred thousand dollars."

Hassan shook his head solemnly. "This isn't just about a couple of hundred thousand dollars; it's about a ticket to enter. Sha Hai Entertainment and Ronan Anderson have brought a new movie project, and we're prepared to increase our investment. The future benefits will be even greater."

The dark-faced individual asked, "Can you guarantee definite profits?"

"You're a businessman; why speak so naively?" Hussein retorted. "Can your forex business guarantee a hundred percent profit?"

The dark-faced man fell silent instantly. Opportunities and risks always go hand in hand; this was the most basic business knowledge.

At this moment, a young man in his twenties spoke up, "Hassan, I must be included in this investment."

Next to Hassan, someone said, "Didn't you mention introducing Ronan Anderson to me? Where is he?"

"Aziz, are you planning to invest too?" someone asked.

Aziz chuckled and replied, "I missed the first opportunity, and I don't want to miss the second. For us, hard-earned money from our businesses will only depreciate if left in our hands. It's better to invest through suitable channels, and I think Ronan Anderson is a good choice."

"My brothers, do you not know?"

A strange voice suddenly sounded, followed by a stranger entering the circle. "Americans are untrustworthy! Hollywood is full of deceivers!"

Including Hassan, everyone turned to look at the stranger.

Then, Fandan spoke up again, "As far as I know, Ronan Anderson is not well-known in Hollywood. You're taking an extremely high-risk investment!"

Having just arrived and heard a group of people discussing Ronan Anderson and investing in his movie, Fandan couldn't help but listen for a while. So many people were voluntarily investing in someone from Hollywood. Was he missing something?

As a purely French director, he naturally harbored a natural aversion to Hollywood. Without Hollywood, directors like them would be in a much better position.

Fandan, relying on his Arab heritage, looked at the investors who were caught up in the Hollywood dream and shouted, "People from Hollywood are really untrustworthy! They have too many tricks to deceive people. You need to be careful. That Ronan Anderson is not trustworthy..."

"Who are you?" Hussein interrupted him. "Why do you say Mr. Anderson is untrustworthy? Provide evidence!"

Hassan's expression turned a bit unpleasant as he stared at Fandan, saying, "Sir, we've already received the profits from investing in Mr. Anderson, and he has fulfilled his contract. Why do you say such things about him? Who are you?"

All these people shook their heads.

Fandan was about to retort when Hassan saw Ronan and said, "Gentlemen, Mr. Anderson is over there. Let's go."

Everyone left in a rush, leaving Fandan standing alone, stunned.

The situation was very grim. It wasn't easy to surpass the competition.

Fandan furrowed his brow, once again complaining about Mansour. The wealthy oil tycoon of Abu Dhabi was so stingy!

On the other side, Hassan had introduced a group of people to Ronan, exchanged greetings, and those who had no intention of investing quickly left. The remaining people seemed to have reached some kind of tacit understanding with Hassan.

"Mr. Anderson," Hassan lowered his voice and said, "I have a proposal."

Ronan nodded. "Please, go on."

Hassan gestured to the few remaining people and said, "My friends and I all intend to invest in your new movie project."

"Alright," Ronan smiled. "We've had a successful collaboration before, and I'd like to continue working with old friends."

Hassan continued, "Shall we discuss this somewhere else?"

Ronan checked his watch and said, "How about we discuss it in detail after the premiere?"

"Sounds good."

The two sides quickly agreed to discuss the investment matters at the Sheikh's Grand Hotel after the movie premiere.

In another lounge, Mohammed was brought in by a chubby man.

The Sheikh casually exchanged a few words with this Arab actor, then asked directly, "What kind of person is Ronan Anderson in your eyes?"

Mohammed was taken aback, apparently not expecting such a question from the Sheikh.

The Sheikh smiled and said, "Don't be nervous. Consider this a private conversation. Say whatever you've seen or felt."

"Alright," Mohammed said almost without thinking, "Mr. Ronan Anderson is a good person. He's very kind to the crew, and he's been the same with me. That's rare in Hollywood."

The Sheikh nodded gently and continued, "Did the crew encounter many difficulties? Like distribution?"

Mohammed thought for a moment and said, "Yes. As far as I know, Mr. Anderson contacted multiple distribution companies, but most of them refused to distribute our film. I heard someone from the crew mention that DreamWorks executives directly rebuffed Mr. Anderson and demanded changes to the movie's plot."

He spoke only what he had heard: "Mr. Anderson firmly refused."

The Sheikh continued, "Is DreamWorks the company founded by Jewish people?"

"Yes," Mohammed said with a helpless smile, "so, I didn't find it surprising that they did this."

The Sheikh couldn't help but think that Ronan Anderson indeed had tense relations with Jewish people.

The two continued their conversation, and everything Mohammed said only proved that Mr. Ronan Anderson was a good friend of Abu Dhabi.

After a while, Mohammed left the lounge.

"The situation you described is not much different from what Salih said," the Sheikh said slowly. "Mr. Ronan Anderson seems worthy of investment."

The chubby assistant chimed in, "Just now I had a conversation with Mohammed's wife, specifically trying to get her words. She mentioned that Mr. Ronan Anderson treated them well on the set. According to her, Mr. Ronan Anderson should be considered an activist among American left-wing equality advocates."

The Sheikh thought for a moment and asked, "How much investment does Mr. Ronan Anderson's new project need?"

The assistant replied, "Between 20 to 30 million dollars." He explained, "According to the project proposal, big-budget action films can undergo significant changes in budget during production, but with normal shooting, 20 million dollars should be sufficient."

The Sheikh quickly made a decision. "Then it will be 25 million dollars." He raised his hand. "Don't release the news yet; I want to wait."

The assistant nodded first, then asked, "What about the project of the French director? When I brought him here, he was quite urgent."

"Wait for that as well." The Sheikh thought of his earlier considerations and said, "In that case, contact both Ronan and Fandan separately, consult their opinions, and I'll prepare to have a meeting with them to discuss these two projects together."

It would be best to combine the strengths of both sides, achieving the balance between business and art often mentioned in the media. The new movie project should appeal to a larger audience while ensuring artistic content. If it could also win several prestigious awards, it would attract even more attention.

Ronan entered the screening hall, and his seat was next to Salih. After sitting down, he chatted with Salih for a few moments, and Mohammed also arrived and sat on the other side of this row.

Salih casually said, "This actor is quite popular in Abu Dhabi. My brother just received him."

Ronan nodded, "I think he could play the male lead in the new project."

Would Mansour see him? Would he ask about the movie or the crew's situation? He wasn't worried, of course. He had done too much groundwork while on the set.

The premiere went smoothly. This was the Arabian version, with reduced violence and more scenes for Mohammed and his wife. When the screening ended, there was a warm round of applause.

Ronan returned to the Sheikh's hotel, first looking at the script Mansour had given him before waiting for Hassan and the others to come discuss the investment.