Chapter 29: Farm Vacation, Second Royalty Payment Arrives
[Chapter 29: Farm Vacation, Second Royalty Payment Arrives]
It was already evening when Linton left Universal. He borrowed a car from the studio (there was no choice; he was getting too hot right now, and the paparazzi were tracking him closely), so he carefully made his way to Winona's house.
Winona had dinner and wine ready. As soon as he stepped inside, a figure leaped towards him. Linton quickly reached out to embrace her; they shared a passionate kiss, and then things got heated.
...
After things calmed down, they realized they hadn't even had dinner.
"It's all your fault for being so impatient; dinner has gone cold!" Winona exclaimed.
"You can't blame me entirely; who made you so irresistible? Alright, let's warm it up in the microwave," Linton replied.
They headed back to the dining room, quickly finished the dinner, and while sipping wine, they shared tales from work. Gradually, the mood turned flirtatious again.
"Darling, let's keep playing our games," Winona suggested.
And so, the heat of their earlier activities resumed. Maybe they had been away from each other too long or perhaps the atmosphere was just right, but Winona's passion was fierce. Their playful combat left the apartment scattered with traces of their exuberance, and it was only at dawn that they fell asleep in each other's arms.
Winona had already taken two days off, having planned ahead with a phone call, and Linton happened to have three days off too. Together, they decided to escape to a farm near Los Angeles called Gilchrist.
...
At the tranquil farm, free from interruptions, they fished, hunted, and harvested, relishing the pleasures of the countryside, with more time spent engaged in having sex. Winona was worthy of being a rising star in Hollywood, and she was very popular.
Through their shared experiences, Linton felt his own skill level accelerating under Winona's popular aura. He sensed that he had taken a significant leap forward, and felt that he had made a big step forward in the 7th level.
Enjoying the beauty of the farm and the tranquility of rural life, Linton entertained thoughts of buying a farm -- though that was something for another day, as it was a bit premature to consider right now.
...
During their getaway, he received a call from Naomi asking for a date, but Linton had to decline, regretting he had to say, "Maybe next time."
The music video for You're Beautiful had been a big boost for Naomi's career. In it, she looked stunning and captivating, gaining her more fans. Recently, she had secured a role in a film crew; the part was minor, but it was her first step onto the big screen.
---
On the 10th, Universal sent good news, notifying Linton to come by on the 11th to settle the second royalty payment for his three singles.
On the 11th, Linton and Winona returned from the farm. He dropped Winona off at her home, and then headed straight to Universal.
After meeting up with Mira and Henry Zhou in the office, they moved to Daniel's office. Lisa was also there, smiling broadly with her accountant already present.
From July 1 to the end of October in the North American market, Baby sold 850,000 copies, Numb 2.08 million copies, and Believer 3.05 million copies, totaling 5.98 million copies with an average price of $6.2 each (the sales window of singles was shorter, leading to some discounts later).
In overseas markets: Baby sold 5.2 million copies, Numb 4.8 million, and Believer 5.6 million, for a total of 15.6 million copies, averaging $5.8 per unit.
The single sales revenue meant Linton would receive 22% per the agreement. His personal share calculated as follows: ((5.98 million * 6.2) + (15.6 million * 5.8)) * 0.22 = $28.06232 million.
Additionally, the licensing fees for song copyrights added another $1.32 million for Baby for various usages (TV stations, sports arenas, colleges, nightclubs, competitions, malls, product advertisements, etc.).
Numb's licensing brought in $1.45 million, and Believer accumulated a staggering total of $6.2 million in licensing fees. In total, they amounted to $8.97 million. With a royalty share of 22%, Linton stood to make $1.9734 million.
In total, Linton was to get 28.06232 million + 1.9734 million = 30.03572 million dollars for the three singles.
...
Everyone was ecstatic. After the economist verified everything, Linton and Lisa signed all the documents.
Daniel filled glasses with champagne, personally handing them out, saying, "Cheers to our collaboration!"
"Cheers to our collaboration!" everyone echoed.
"These three singles have nearly exhausted their potential, but with Linton's debut album expected to surge in sales, the next royalties will be even more significant!" Daniel excitedly expressed.
Linton took a sip, muttering, "I hope the next payment arrives quickly."
"Don't worry, I will keep an eye on it. Let's toast!" Daniel raised his glass.
"Cheers!" They all clinked glasses, cheering together.
...
As always, Universal's efficiency was high.
In the morning, everyone had signed the royalty documents, and by the afternoon, the payment had arrived.
Linton's earnings this time totaled $30.03572 million. After paying WMA $3.003572 million and Henry Zhou $303,572, Linton found his account swelled by over $26.73 million.
"Did you get any news from Silicon Valley about those properties I asked you to check out?" Linton asked Henry Zhou.
"Yes, there are two properties that fit your requirements. I've already looked at them. One is an eight-story office building on four acres of land with a building area of 160,000 square feet, priced at $6 million. The other is two five-story office buildings on six acres with a total area of 210,000 square feet, priced at $8.5 million. When do you want to check them out?"
"Alright, contact the real estate agent to confirm the property rights and quality. If everything checks out, let's start discussing the price. I'm planning to return from overseas on January 7, so if nothing is wrong, I will buy it then. Can I get a loan?"
"Yes, you can get a loan. I would have recommended it even if you didn't ask."
"Also, get in touch with the stockbroker. I want to add another $13 million for more investments in Microsoft, Cisco, Dell, and Compaq stocks. Allocate $5 million for Microsoft, $3 million for Cisco, and $2.5 million each for Dell and Compaq."
"Boss, it might be a bit difficult. Microsoft's stock is too hot right now; it's surged nearly 20% in just four months, making it hard to find shares in the market. We only finished buying the previous two purchases last month. If we buy too quickly, we might drive the price up too fast and end up overpaying. Honestly, it might take a while to buy that $5 million worth of shares."
"What about the other three stocks?"
"Cisco, Dell, and Compaq have also been doing well, each rising over 10% in four months. However, they aren't as hot as Microsoft, so a slower purchase should work."
"Then that's the plan. Secure at least $3 million worth of Microsoft as much as possible. If needed, use the remaining $2 million to buy Cisco, and leave the other arrangements unchanged."
...
After seeing off Henry Zhou, Linton called Mira to find a high-end villa or estate.
Mira asked about the budget, and Linton shared it would be between $10 million and $20 million. He was indeed planning to buy a home; with money in hand, it was time to enjoy life.
...
This time, Linton decided not to take Mira with him overseas. WMA's influence wasn't strong abroad, so bringing Mira along didn't seem necessary. However, he did want to bring Danny and Bella. Danny was responsible for ensuring his safety, and Bella's role was to consider the possibility of building a fan club overseas.
He summoned Bella, handed her a $50,000 check as a reward for establishing the fan club, informing her that her salary would increase by 20% starting this month, and to prepare for the overseas trip.
Later, Linton called his aunt, telling her he would be heading abroad for promotions and would miss Christmas with them. He wished her family a Merry Christmas in advance and instructed Mira to purchase Christmas gifts to mail to his aunt's family.
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