Chapter 166: Ambition

[Chapter 166: Ambition]

"Link, there are a lot of rumors about you in the media. Should we address them?" Jon Gordon asked as he was leaving.

"No need. I'll leave that to the agency. Your job is to promote our films and get the word out. Leave the rest to me," Link replied, waving him off.

...

Besides Final Destination, there were two other films: The Wedding Banquet and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.

The Wedding Banquet was a project brought in by Good Machine Productions, with a budget of $1 million. It had started filming last year under the direction of Ang Lee. Earlier that year, it won the Golden Bear for Best Film at the Berlin International Film Festival. It was set to premiere in early next month.

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective had commenced shooting in March and wrapped in May, with post-production currently underway. This film was a collaboration between Guess Pictures and Columbia Pictures, with Guess Pictures leading the production side.

Link had helped tweak the screenplay for Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and was involved in financing and casting, eager to see if stepping back from directing could garner him box office bonuses and incentives.

...

After Jon Gordon left, Link called James Schamus, the company's executive producer and former head of Good Machine Productions. Following the merger of Guess Pictures and Good Machine, the production department was now overseen by Danny DeVito, James Schamus, and another producer from Good Machine, Ted Hope.

This year, Danny DeVito was involved with Final Destination and portions of Pulp Fiction. James Schamus was responsible for production on Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, while Ted Hope managed the previous Good Machine project, The Wedding Banquet.

On the call, Schamus indicated that Ace Ventura: Pet Detective was expected to wrap post-production next week. The company was conducting market research to determine the best release time.

"Great," Link responded. He planned to check on the film once it finished next week and hoped for potential awards.

...

Link hung up the phone, and Lily came in with a cup of coffee, placing it on his desk. Link noticed her rosy cheeks; she appeared much healthier than before. Her figure had become more curvaceous, and she wore a fitted blouse and pencil skirt, paired with nude stockings and heels, radiating a mature charm.

"Don't get too close!" Lily playfully pointed at him, frowning. "We need to keep personal matters separate from work in the office. Otherwise, it complicates things, and I don't want to deal with other colleagues' gossip."

"Alright," Link chuckled, not pushing her.

"Lily, you've been with the company for over a year now; you're practically part of the founding members. Continuing as an assistant isn't going to benefit your growth. You've learned a lot about the film industry and the company. Have you considered moving to another role? Finance or administration could work. If you're not interested, you could lead the public relations department, mainly dealing with media."

"Public relations? I could try being an ordinary employee in PR, but I'm worried about leading it," she replied.

"That's fine. The work in PR isn't too demanding, and there's a lot of overlap with my job and Michael's. We can collaborate on PR tasks, and you won't have to feel too pressured. If you make mistakes, it's okay. I'll be here to support you; you don't have to worry about anything," Link assured her.

Lily shot him a look. "It's not just about making mistakes; this is a company, not a test paper. Mistakes could lead to significant losses for the company. If I'm going to do this, I'll do my best and become an excellent public relations professional."

"That's a great mindset; I support you," Link said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder with a smile.

Lily leaned against him fondly and said, "I told Cici that we're dating. She asked me what dating meant, and I explained it as being boyfriend and girlfriend. But then she seemed confused, asking, "Isn't he my grandfather? How can you be friends too?'"

Link laughed, "Just take it slow; when Cici gets older, she'll understand."

"Could you also make an effort to visit Cici more often and spend some time with her? Building a closer relationship would make it easier for her to accept you," Lily looked up at him, eyes filled with anticipation.

"Of course. Once I'm done with the film, I'll take her out every day."

"There's no need to go every day; once a week is plenty," Lily smiled lightly.

[T/N: The rest of the chapter is about discussing investing in Chinese films, preparing for when China joins WTO in 2000s, and with the help of box office subsidies, making Chinese films get very good box office numbers internationally, further stimulating the development of Chinese-language films after 20 years.]

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