Chapter 194: The Temptation of Girl Group

"Is there anything else you'd like to say?" Ethan picked up his teacup and took a sip.

Chloe nervously twisted her fingers together, thinking for a few seconds, then stood up, walked behind Ethan, and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Ethan, actually, there are a lot of things I can do..."

Her voice was soft, and a faint floral scent seemed to emanate from her, lingering near Ethan's nose.

"Mm-hmm, and then? I don't have much time for you to showcase them."

"Then... I'll try to do it as quickly as possible..."

"Forget it." Ethan patted her hand and stood up.

This move left Chloe a little at a loss. She stood in place, her long legs straight and close together, a faint blush still on her face.

"Go tell your agent to wait patiently. The casting for this film will be open and transparent, everyone will have a chance." Ethan said, waving his hand to signal Chloe to leave.

Chloe bit her lip, feeling a bit unwilling but had no choice but to follow Ethan's order.

Turning around, she left the office without acknowledging her agent, James, and walked straight out.

"It seems you're not as much of a pervert as I thought." Rachel walked into the office, her smile mocking. "I thought you two were about to have a showdown in the office!"

Although she was now under Ethan's wing, both sides were in it for profit, so she no longer bothered to act like a lady.

She had already interviewed for a secretary position at Crown Creative, and her resume was impressive.

Of course, it was Ethan who helped her fake it.

"If I were the way you say, I wouldn't have let you go so easily a few days ago." Ethan smirked.

"What? You on me?" Rachel snorted. "I'll kick your balls and make you unable to take care of yourself."

"You'd better," Ethan replied, picking up the report on the desk. "How did the interview go?"

Rachel walked closer. "No response yet, but I don't think it's a big problem."

"I just want a clear answer." Ethan looked up at her. "Tell your boyfriend to step up his game. I need to see our people in all positions at Crown Creative."

"Got it, but it will cost a lot."

Ethan knocked on the desk. "No need, I'll create the conditions for you, let you act as clients."

"What do you mean?" Rachel raised an eyebrow.

"That means you'll approach people within their company, get them to provide small bits of information first, reward them with dollars, and then use threats or bribery to get more important details."

Rachel stared at Ethan, unsure. "I feel like you've done this before."

Ethan smiled. "Haven't you heard of spies? Even between countries, they operate like this. It's useful in business too."

After giving these instructions, Ethan drove to the studio he had rented.

Today, a female actress was scheduled for a shoot with him.

Reese Witherspoon. The name might sound unfamiliar to some, but she was famous for movies like Legally Blonde and Walk the Line.

Walk the Line earned her the Oscar for Best Actress in 2006, which was why Ethan had contacted her.

At the studio, after preparing the lights, a knock came at the door shortly after.

"Hi, Reese!" Ethan opened the door to welcome her.

Reese Witherspoon was dressed in a black lace top and jeans, looking graceful. Although she was married, her marriage had only added a sense of maturity to her.

Ethan remembered that she was going to divorce her husband next year. Their relationship must have already hit rock bottom.

Perhaps that's why she was willing to accept a big-scale shoot like this, especially since Ethan had told her this would be a bold and daring one.

"Hi, Ethan!" Reese greeted, giving him a kiss on the cheek. She looked at the handsome man and felt rejuvenated.

"Come on in, Reese." After entering the studio, Reese looked at the set and asked, "What should I do?"

"Not in a hurry, let's chat first." Ethan didn't start shooting immediately.

In fact, to achieve better results in photography, communication with the model beforehand was crucial. After all, they had never met before, and jumping straight into body shots might make anyone feel uncomfortable.

After about thirty minutes of conversation, once Reese seemed more at ease, Ethan finally spoke. "Let's begin."

"Alright, what do you need me to do?"

Ethan picked up the camera. "Take off your clothes... just keep your underwear on."

Reese looked around. "Is there a changing room?"

"Over there." Ethan pointed to the restroom, and Reese immediately went over.

When she came out, she was only wearing a bikini-style underwear.

"Good, now stand under the light. I need you to strike a wide-leg pose and lie on the ground."

Reese felt nervous. It was her first time doing such a revealing photoshoot, and facing Ethan's camera made her feel exposed.

But Ethan quickly entered the zone, his familiar harsh tone returned.

"Reese, don't raise your shoulders! You look like a spider, it's ugly!"

"Lower your hips! Don't have your legs tangled! FXXK! Be bolder! Put that damn pride away!"

"Cover the fat around your waist with your hands! Don't look like a cylinder, I have less fat than you around my waist!"

Reese felt hurt by Ethan's words and couldn't help but speak up, "Do you have to be this cruel?"

"Shut up, just follow my instructions!" Ethan snapped.

"But I..."

"No buts! Do as I say!"

Reese closed her mouth, feeling like a mere prop being moved around. But there was a benefit to this.

She no longer cared about whether she was exposed or not. The studio had no hint of any flirtation, only seriousness and focus.

Eventually, she was able to comfortably show her body.

After the shoot, Reese, still not dressed, began complaining, "No wonder you'll get sued."

She had initially had a good impression of Ethan, but after the shoot, she realized he was a workaholic with no concern for her feelings.

"This is my work ethic." Ethan looked at the photos. "And you have to admit, you need to lose weight."

"FXXK!" Reese couldn't hold it in anymore and flipped him the bird.

But Ethan just laughed.

The next day, at the Angel Declaration office, Yasuaki Akimoto approached Ethan.

"Ethan, here are the income and summary for Hot Angels from last quarter. I think we can make some changes."

Akimoto was dressed in a suit, unlike Ethan, who was dressed casually.

Despite the hot weather making his forehead sweat, Akimoto hadn't removed his tie.

"What changes?"

"I think we should add some interactive segments and give each member solo time." Akimoto explained his recent challenges.

Since becoming famous, the girls in the group had started making demands—either for salary increases or for solo albums.

Though they couldn't leave yet due to contracts, some were already flirting with other companies, planning to switch.

This was something Akimoto didn't anticipate. In Japan, actors and singers wouldn't dare do this, but in America, it was common.

Some of the group members had also raised objections to stage performances, asking for shorter performances and more rest time, or requesting to perform solo due to personal conflicts.

In short, they wanted their personal wishes met, not just to be a cog in the team.

After sharing his concerns with Ethan, Akimoto waited for a response.

Ethan smiled slightly. "You don't need to worry about this. As long as the contract is in place, they won't be able to do anything. As for complaints or lawsuits, I'm afraid the evidence they have won't hold up."

As the profits from the movies and Supreme Creative grew, the revenue from Hot Angels had started to lag behind.

Ethan felt it was time to change tactics.

"But Akimoto, I'm sure you've noticed, in North America, this model can only last so long." Ethan crossed his legs. "If we really want to profit from this model, we can't just focus on North America."

"Where should we focus then?" Akimoto already had an inkling.

"Of course, it's your homeland, Akimoto."

"But I..."

Before Akimoto could finish, Ethan interrupted him. "So, would you be interested in managing the Angel Declaration Japan branch?"

"What?" Akimoto was surprised.

"You heard me correctly. I plan to invest three million dollars to open a branch in Tokyo and launch the girl group business. Are you interested?"

Akimoto hesitated.

He had initially planned to go back to Japan to start his own girl group, where he could showcase his talents and ambitions.

The only problem was, he didn't have the money.

He only had thirty thousand dollars, and recruiting members, renting a venue, producing albums, and advertising would cost a lot, far more than he could afford.

But if he accepted Ethan's offer, he would have more than enough funds and the chance to succeed.

However, the downside was clear: he would lose his independence and shares, becoming an employee.

Perhaps noticing Akimoto's hesitation, Ethan continued, "Of course, I won't treat you unfairly. You'll have 20% of the company's shares and a high annual salary. If you successfully launch the girl group, I can invest more."

"You can hire the best music producers and the best advertising companies to help them build their fame and dominate the market."

Akimoto was tempted.

He knew that money was everything. If he had enough capital back then, his girl group would not have failed so easily.

Now, Ethan was not only interested in starting a girl group but was willing to invest, which was the perfect opportunity for Akimoto.

If the girl group failed, it wouldn't be his money lost. If it succeeded, he would make a profit, and he could always leave the company and start a new girl group afterward.

After a moment of contemplation, he stood up and bowed. "Thank you, Ethan! I appreciate your trust!"

Ethan stood up and patted his shoulder. "You deserve it, Akimoto. You can prepare a business plan first. I have some contacts in Japan. The company will be established soon."

"Thank you! I'll get started right away," Akimoto said enthusiastically.

After Akimoto left the office, Ethan called Kane in.

"How's the girl group situation? I heard from Akimoto that some members want to leave?"

"Yes, they've been talking to Universal Music and Sony, trying to exit Hot Angels early."

Ethan nodded. "If they can offer enough money, let them leave."

Now was a time when money was needed. If Hot Angels could be sold off for a profit, it would help ease some financial pressure.

"When Fifty Shades of Grey and Saw 2 are released, we'll be able to go all out."

"Got it, I understand."

"By the way, how's the PR company situation?" Ethan asked. In his view, the most important thing now was the movie company, followed by Supreme Creative, then the PR company, and lastly Angels' Declaration.

And as for Angels' Declaration, only Taylor Swift mattered. Everyone else was secondary.

"The contact has been made. Charlie Novin, a veteran from Miramax, has been involved in many PR campaigns," Kane reported to Ethan.

"Convincing someone like him won't be easy, huh?" Ethan said. Since he hadn't left with Harvey, it was clear that something was holding him at Miramax.

"Yes," Kane nodded. "He has his own team and doesn't share the same vision as Harvey."

"That's even better. Promise him that we can let his team leave with him," Ethan decided. "And he'll become the CEO of the new PR company."

"Understood."

After giving these instructions, Ethan went to Republic Records.

"Ethan!" Giorgio Bablin, the president of Republic Records, was surprised to see him.

"It's been a while. How's everything going?" Ethan asked.

Giorgio shrugged. "It's been good. Hot Angels has made quite a bit of money, which has stabilized my position. I've signed several new artists, and sales have been decent."

As he said this, he looked over at Taylor Swift in the recording studio. "But who's this? I think her voice is amazing. Ethan, would you be willing to part with her?"

Ethan thumped his chest. "Forget it, buddy. Don't steal her away from me."

"I'm serious! Ethan, I'd pay three million for her, how about that?" Giorgio clearly saw Taylor's potential and was willing to pay a hefty price.

But to Ethan, that amount seemed insignificant now.

"Even if I agree, she and her family wouldn't," Ethan shook his head. "Let's talk about distribution instead. I need a fair split."

"Sixty-five percent."

"Eighty percent."

"What! Ethan, you're really asking for a lot!"