Chapter 56: You Wouldn't Want To Be The Only One In Trouble, Right?

[Chapter 56: You Wouldn't Want To Be The Only One In Trouble, Right?]

Half an hour later, Ian finished his interview.

He packed everything up and, right in front of Weinstein, sent the content to his email. He smiled and said, "Alright, Mr. Weinstein. That's a wrap. Thanks for your hospitality."

As he spoke, he shared a knowing glance with Scarlett, and they walked out together.

Weinstein could only watch Ian's retreating figure in despair.

From the moment Ian sent the interview to his email, Weinstein knew he was done for.

With the attempted assault charges, plus the dark secrets disclosed during the interview, and Ian's relentless digging into his past records, he knew he was going to be nailed to the cross of disgrace.

All he could do was watch Ian leave, secretly hoping that Ian wouldn't leak anything.

...

Once downstairs, they arrived at the parking garage.

Scarlett was seated in the car, watching Ian start the engine.

The young woman looked ahead and spoke softly, "You won't leak it, right?"

Ian glanced at her. "How do you know?"

Scarlett sighed lightly, "Even though I'm only 17, I'm not naive. I saw your negotiation with McKellen yesterday. McKellen holds less weight than Harvey Weinstein. You won't leak something so important; you'll keep it and use it to blackmail him!"

She truly was a sharp girl, able to see through to the truth, and Ian couldn't help but laugh.

He drove away from the building, cruising leisurely down the street.

The beautiful scenery passed by, and without a hint of irony, it felt like a perfect world.

Ian smiled and said, "This is how normal operation works, but if that were the case, I would have negotiated with him right then. Scarlett, I'm not someone who burns bridges once I've crossed them. Do you want me to leak it? I mean, I can hear your opinion first."

Scarlett looked at him in surprise.

After thinking for a moment, she replied, "I don't know... I don't know what that means."

"Let me analyze it for you," Ian said. "It's simple. Not leaking it means you also have something on him; he will fear you and won't dare to go after you. If you leak it, you'll gain fame, but you'll also offend the industry... No one would hire an actor who used herself as bait to blackmail a producer."

"I knew it," Scarlett mumbled.

Ian continued, "But just because we don't leak it now doesn't mean we won't in the future. The most advantageous approach is like this: we hold onto this dirt on him and use it wisely. Until one day he is no longer useful, we then release everything. By that time, I would have even more dirt on him, and in a situation where everyone abandons a sinking ship, no one would care what you did, and you'd no longer need to worry about offending people."

Scarlett's small hands cradled her forehead. "This is so shameless. You just said you wouldn't burn bridges!"

"Only when it comes to friends," Ian chuckled.

He drove to a cafe and parked, looking at Scarlett with a smile. "Do you want to grab a drink with me? I can show you how dark and ruthless the business can be behind all that glitz and glamour. Even if it won't benefit you much, it could broaden your perspective... It'll be fun!"

Scarlett blinked at him, her large eyes curious.

She understood Ian's ulterior motive.

He was enticing her.

But she had to admit, it was an effective temptation.

A man's best way to attract a girl, besides good looks, is to showcase his business acumen -- which was definitely more sophisticated than talking about money directly!

So, the girl sweetly smiled and replied, "Given your timely appearance, I think I'll join you."

...

Inside the cafe, Scarlett held her coffee quietly while watching Ian make a phone call.

Ian was talking on the phone, sipping his coffee nonchalantly.

His eyes met Scarlett's, and they were indeed a striking pair, even if the words coming out of his mouth felt somewhat chilling...

He said into the phone,

"Mr. Weinstein, feeling better now?"

"No, no, don't be so tense. You already guessed the outcome, didn't you?"

"No, this isn't blackmail; it's a business negotiation. Don't think I don't know you're recording this. Give up those unrealistic fantasies; there's no point. If I'm saying this on the phone, then I'm not afraid of you recording it."

"Now let me tell you how things will proceed next."

"Pearl Harbor is about to release, and both Touchstone Pictures and Miramax belong to Disney's film conglomerate. I know you have some connections at Touchstone."

"Touchstone is leveraging my relationship with Kate for publicity but has no plans to benefit me. The movie needs promotion... WND and the Los Angeles Herald are willing to provide PR services."

"This is perfectly reasonable; don't forget I'm the star of this relationship. As Miss Kate Beckinsale's savior and rumored boyfriend, my media is promoting Pearl Harbor -- this is what's expected! That in itself is a promotional point!"

"Of course, I could talk to them, but I'd prefer if you did instead. That way, Touchstone would be asking me... Of course, I need a good price, especially since I gave them such a great concept. If they offer enough, I could even cheat beforehand, making Miss Beckinsale an innocent victim, and then she could end up with Ben Affleck or Josh Hartnett... Isn't that how the story goes? A leading lady moves between two leading men. Isn't that more appealing when life imitates art? You'd agree that's a great idea? Haha, see, we do share some common language."

"This would be great news; I get the story, and you get the promotion!"

"No, no, you don't understand, Mr. Weinstein. This isn't a one-off deal! As the future most promising media in America, we have the capability to promote entire Hollywood. All outputs from Miramax should be handed to us for promotion, including your sister companies. I know you have wide connections, and you could help me smooth things over at Disney, right? Pearl Harbor is just the beginning; it will be a good beginning! For this, I was even willing to risk my reputation; I played the bastard!"

"Don't worry; the Los Angeles Herald has sufficient influence, and I have plenty of dirt... Not pointing to you, but with you, I'll have even more. Yes, my second request is that whenever I want to go somewhere and can't get in, I don't want to be accompanied by Miss Johansson. That would be too dangerous for her... You can take me!"

"We are friends, right? You wouldn't want to be friends with me?"

"Haha, exactly! I'm really good at making friends. They usually hate me at first, but end up grateful. Don't worry, that's small stuff; no one will see it; I'll keep it well hidden."

"You need not worry about Miss Johansson; she's my good friend, and I'll look out for her. I trust you will too. By the way, I heard the audition was for Gangs of New York? I think it's going to be a great movie, and Miss Johansson is perfect for it!"

"Cameron Diaz? Our American sweetheart! I used to like her, but unfortunately, she's older now; it's a pity I didn't meet her earlier... Don't you think Miss Johansson would be more suitable? I know the age might not fit, but we can adjust the script; isn't it better with a vibrant young girl?"

"I haven't even pursued her; why should I care about Cameron Diaz's feelings? You know you've broken promises before; breaking one more doesn't matter."

"That's your problem, not mine. You see, I'm that simple. I only need promotion from Miramax and your friend's companies, along with some little help with access in Hollywood, and to help a few friends I want to assist... Count yourself lucky; I don't have many friends in Hollywood right now, so even someone like you, I'm willing to befriend. If this were happening a year from now, it would be a different story."

"Hollywood has endless stories every day. The more I get, the less your share is worth."

"You wouldn't want to be the only one in trouble, right? It's best to have some comrades in arms when times get tough."

*****

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