Chapter 443: India's Most Beautiful Woman

[Chapter 443: India's Most Beautiful Woman]

"Hey, boss!"

Leaving the cocktail party, Link got into the business car. His new assistant, Aishwarya Rai, opened a folder and reported to him.

Aishwarya told him that twenty minutes ago, Richard Fox had called asking to discuss the Batman sequel. Quentin Tarantino, Ben Affleck, and Lily also called about some matters.

Before Aishwarya finished, Link picked up the phone and called Lily to ask what was going on.

Normally, his girlfriends would not call bothering him during work hours -- this was a long-standing habit. So if Lily called suddenly, it meant something important.

If Monica Lewinsky was here, she would have reported Lily's news first, but Aishwarya, being new, hadn't caught that.

Once connected, Lily said all was fine; Monica had a stomach ache earlier, and everyone thought she was about to give birth and called him. But it was a misunderstanding. The doctor checked and said everything was okay -- it was just that Monica had overdone prenatal yoga that morning, which disturbed the baby's movement, but after resting, she felt better.

"Good to hear. I'll come see you all this weekend. Also, remind Monica not to exercise too much every day. She can work out after the baby is born," Link advised.

"Got it. I'll keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't get too vain. By the way, I've been reading the papers and noticed a lot of negative news about you, including rumors about us being pregnant. Those media outlets want to stir up controversy to hurt the box office of Armageddon; you should be careful."

"I understand, Lily. You should rest more at home too and not worry so much about work. I can handle things at the company. No one can take advantage of me."

"I know. I just check the papers and TV, not the work stuff."

...

After hanging up, Link returned Quentin Tarantino and Ben Affleck's calls. Quentin told him Kill Bill's post-production was done and they were preparing for the Friday screening, asking if Link could attend.

Link said he'd try to make it.

Ben Affleck asked if Link would direct the Batman sequel and hoped to reprise his role as Batman.

Link replied it wasn't confirmed yet, so he couldn't say. He'd let him know once it was finalized.

...

"Aishwarya, get me a bottle of water."

"Oh, okay, boss."

Aishwarya paused for a few seconds before reacting, took a bottle of purified water from the fridge, and handed it over.

Link took a sip and continued returning Richard Fox's call.

After the release of Batman Forever last summer, which did pretty well at the box office, Warner Bros. started preparing a sequel and approached Link to direct again.

Link asked for a $10 million base salary plus 15% of global box office, or 20% of North American plus 15% of overseas box office.

Warner Bros. wouldn't agree immediately and wanted to negotiate.

Link didn't have time to negotiate; he had four other movie projects on hand. If Warner Bros. refused, he'd work elsewhere.

So the sequel's progress stalled.

Now Richard Fox called, agreeing to the $10 million base plus 15% global box office offer.

But they wanted the movie done before the year's end as Warner Bros. planned to release it in next summer's blockbuster season.

"Richard, that's impossible. After finishing the 007 movie, I have another project already planned. I'm filming a Disney movie at the end of this year, so I can't shoot anything else before March next year. The earliest I can finish the sequel is by the end of next year," Link said.

While he talked, his young assistant Aishwarya sat opposite with her knees together, motionless, occasionally glancing at him with a mix of shyness and curiosity.

If Monica Lewinsky were here, she'd be leaning beside him giving a shoulder massage or pulling out a folder to take notes anytime, or crouching to assist when needed.

Aishwarya was new, unfamiliar with the role, and needed guidance.

"End of next year? That's too late. Link, could you shoot the Batman sequel earlier? Two movies released back to back would make more box office."

Richard Fox asked.

Link shook his head. "The next movie is a Guess film, and then the Disney movie at the end of the year. Both are already in preparation. I can't squeeze in another project."

"Alright, I'll talk with colleagues at the company."

...

After hanging up, Link put away his phone and looked at Aishwarya, who had returned to her shy posture. He was a bit curious about his assistant.

Aishwarya was handpicked by Monica Lewinsky before she resigned. Besides Aishwarya, he had two other assistants responsible for his life, work, communication, and the film crew.

Aishwarya Rai was from India, 23 years old, 5'7", 132 pounds, with a curvy figure. In 1994, she won the 44th Miss World pageant held in South Africa.

She became a model and actress, hailed as "India's Most Beautiful Woman" by international media.

Earlier this year, she came to the US for a career and shot two shampoo commercials. In March, she saw a job posting at Guess Pictures and applied on a whim.

Just as she thought she'd failed and was about to return to India, she got a call from Guess HR, interviewed, got accepted, and after over two months of training, became one of Link's temporary assistants, currently on probation.

She had never worked as an assistant before and didn't know how to serve a boss well, so her work was rough.

If not for her striking looks and tall, voluptuous figure which gave her more tolerance, passing probation would have been difficult.

...

"Aishwarya, I heard you were a model and actress. What made you apply to work at Guess Pictures?"

Link crossed his legs and looked the girl over.

Aishwarya wore the most common black blazer and pencil skirt at the company, with a white blouse beneath, sheer nude stockings, and mid-heel shoes. Her delicate, well-defined features and voluptuous curves made the outfit flattering.

Hearing his question, she straightened her back, making the curve of her white blouse stand out.

"Boss, I heard Guess Pictures treats their employees well and offers stable work."

"That's true. Is that the main reason you applied?" Link smiled.

Aishwarya blinked her large eyes with long lashes like little fans and hesitated a moment before answering.

"Not entirely. My dream is to become a movie star. After coming to America, I see more opportunities, but I also know it's not easy for a foreigner to establish herself in Hollywood.

I heard from friends that Guess Pictures is Hollywood's most powerful entertainment company, with the most resources in the film industry.

If I can become an employee, and if producers or directors here notice me, I'd have a better chance of getting roles. So, I wanted to give this a try."

Link nodded slightly, understanding her intentions. Being an assistant wasn't her end goal but a means to gain film resources and, through them, become a star.

She wasn't the only one at Guess Pictures with this strategy; many attractive young talents tried to use this route to get resources.

"Your appearance is indeed impressive."

Link sized her up and down, then added, "If there's a role in our movies that fits you, you can try out for it."

"Really, boss?" Aishwarya's eyes lit up, her bluish-green gaze sparkling.

"But first, you have to do well in this job. If you don't pass probation, you won't have access to the company's resources."

"I understand, boss. I'll work hard."

Aishwarya smiled sweetly.

Link smiled quietly, continued reviewing documents, and asked about her family, relationship status, and any difficulties she faced in the US to ease their unfamiliarity.

As they grew familiar, working together would become easier and smoother.

*****

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