Chapter 438: Compensation Agreement

[Chapter 438: Compensation Agreement]

"Link, Michael Ovitz called. He said he made a mistake and wants to find a chance to apologize to you."

On the set of 007, Monica Lewinsky took the opportunity during Link's break to report this. After the Hollywood Reporter rankings were announced, Link had been receiving dozens of calls every day.

Link was busy filming daily and didn't have time to manage company affairs, let alone other people's matters.

"Apologize? What did he do wrong?"

Link, who was drinking water, was a bit confused upon hearing Lewinsky's words. He was filming a movie in England, yet Ovitz from the U.S. was calling to apologize. It seemed a bit ridiculous.

Besides, Link recalled that Ovitz had been kicked out of Disney less than two years after joining it by Eisner, but Ovitz hadn't been removed yet, so this was probably another butterfly effect.

"Not sure, he didn't say."

"Then forget it. I'll return his call when I have time."

The break ended, and Link resumed filming.

...

The plot of Tomorrow Never Dies centers on media magnate Carver, who tries to monopolize global media by manipulating the news and stirring up international conflicts. He even plans to use stolen British missiles to shoot down a warplane to provoke war.

British intelligence sends 007, James Bond, to Asia to investigate.

James Bond teams up with secret agent Wai Lin. After overcoming numerous hardships, they uncover Carver's conspiracy.

Using high-tech tools and sharp skills, they infiltrate Carver's base and learn he plans to use satellite-controlled missiles to attack Beijing, capital of China, provoking a world war to inflate the value of his media empire.

After several fierce battles, Bond and Wai Lin successfully destroy Carver's satellite control station and prevent the missile launch at the critical moment.

In the end, Carver is killed by his own equipment.

007 once again completes his mission with style.

The movie blends high-tech espionage, East-West cooperation and competition, and criticism of media conglomerates, maintaining the adventurous style of the 007 series.

...

The London scenes mainly feature Pierce Brosnan in pre-mission sequences.

The previous 007 movie, GoldenEye, also shot some scenes there.

When Link came to film the London scenes, he was able to fully utilize the original sets and actors, saving considerable time and money.

The crew finished the London scenes in two weeks and then moved to film on Hong Kong in late March.

...

During this time, Ovitz called twice more. The second call came when Link was eating and had time to answer.

Curiously, Link asked what was going on.

"Link, you finally have time to take my call," said Ovitz with a hint of resentment in his voice.

Link chuckled, "Mike, there's so much going on on set. I'm busy from morning till night, sometimes I don't even have time to eat."

"Really? Then why does my newspaper have all those rumors about your girlfriends visiting you in London while you're filming?"

"Michael!"

Before Ovitz could continue, Link interrupted, "The crew just arrived in Hong Kong, there's a lot of work here. If you have something to say, just say it."

"Alright, alright!"

There was a pause before Ovitz spoke again, "Link, I need to apologize to you about something." He then explained how he, Richard Simpson, and others conspired to deceive him with The Rock.

To lessen his own blame, he shifted the responsibility onto Richard Simpson, Ron Meyer, Barry Diller, and others, and said the movie's script wasn't great and predicted a slight box office loss, guessing Link might not invest.

However, things turned out unexpectedly. Not only did Link invest, he directed the movie himself.

"Link, I never imagined you would take the script seriously. This is a huge misunderstanding. If you blame me, I apologize. And if the movie loses money, I'm willing to compensate you part of the production cost. How about that?"

Link found this unbelievable. He never expected that The Rock's script had such a tangled backstory.

Though he had heard similar stories indirectly from Ovitz, Harvey, and Daniel before, he was confident about The Rock and didn't pay much attention.

Ovitz's version was more complete now, but whether it was the whole truth? Link didn't care.

"Michael, you just said you're prepared to compensate Guess Pictures for losses?"

"Yes, Link. This all started because of me. I owe you an apology. If The Rock loses money at the box office, I'll compensate part of your production costs. I just hope you won't hold a grudge."

Ovitz spoke sincerely.

"Alright, I accept your apology. How much are you planning to compensate?"

"Uh? I meant if The Rock loses $30 million, I'd pay you $10 million. If it loses $10 million, I'd pay $3 million. How about a 30% ratio? That's my biggest sincerity."

"30%? That's too little. We've known each other for years, we're partners. You and others schemed to cheat me, which could cause my project losses of over $100 million, and you only want to pay 30%. That's not sincere.

I'll give you two choices: First, 50% compensation. Regardless of how much The Rock loses, you pay Guess Pictures 50% of the economic loss."

"Link, you can't be serious. Even though I tricked you with the script, you chose it and directed the movie. You should bear the main responsibility. My share is small. 30% is already my greatest sincerity."

"Michael, don't rush. I'm not done. Second, you donate $2 million to the Diana Global Charity Foundation. From now on, no matter how much The Rock loses, it's no longer your problem. We remain friends and stable partners. Which do you choose?" Link smiled.

Ovitz was silent for a moment, then said, "Are you sure that if I donate $2 million, regardless of The Rock's box office, you won't blame me?"

"Of course! I'm too busy for games."

"Alright, I choose the second one."

"A very wise choice. On behalf of the children receiving aid, thank you."

...

Link smiled lightly and hung up, then called Diana to arrange for someone to contact Ovitz about the donation. He asked for quick action to prevent Ovitz from backing out.

For a multi-millionaire like Ovitz, $2 million wasn't a big deal. But when The Rock hit the box office, Ovitz would be very frustrated.

He had taught him a lesson.

...

After hanging up, Link continued filming.

The next day, Diana called to say Ovitz's donation was received. She planned to publicize this to show everyone that Ovitz was also a very charitable man.

Link smiled and agreed, telling her to proceed as she saw fit.

*****

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