Chapter 408: Annual Income

Sofia was getting ready to bid farewell and suggested to Martin, "I heard there are some interesting clubs on Sunset Boulevard. How about we go out together?"

Martin shook his head, "I don't frequent those places."

Sofia adjusted her suit jacket and put on a rare elegant look, saying, "Goodbye, you two. I'm headed to the male model club."

Louise saw her off, closed the door, and then looked at Martin with a quizzical tilt of her head. "Do you have some kind of psychological fear of her?"

"It's not fear, it's complete respect for my benefactor," Martin clarified. "I treat you the same way, a major sponsor. I'll do my best to satisfy you, right?"

Louise extended an invitation, "Kelly will be in Los Angeles at five o'clock this afternoon. Will you come to my place?"

Martin understood that there would be another intense meeting that evening and replied, "I'll come for dinner and prepare more meat."

A man shouldn't back down when faced with a challenge. But first, he should fill his stomach.

They chatted for a while, and Jessica called, asking Martin to come over and sign some documents. Martin left Louise's office and headed to the financial office at Pacific Pictures.

The financial statements that required his signature mainly related to Martin's investment in "Limitless " under the name of Davis Studio. Over two years ago, when the project was initiated, Martin didn't have much capital. He and Louise established the "Limitless" studio to take over the cost of acquiring the original novel "Dark Realm" and the initial investment. They inflated the investment figure to $3 million. This, along with a portion of Martin's salary, added up to a total investment of $6 million, covering one-sixth of the project's $36 million production cost.

After over two years of preparation, filming, marketing, and online and offline distribution, the payday was finally here. "Limitless" had earned $176 million in North America and $386 million worldwide. By the end of the previous December, North American DVD sales had reached $58.95 million. Taking into account TV rights and other sources of income, Martin's share amounted to $19.25 million.

While it took time, the investment had yielded significant returns. Other film studios in which Martin starred had also settled their investment shares from the previous year. Thanks to the continued success of "Wanted" and "The Departed" in the disc market, this added another $3.52 million to his total income.

With an annual income of $20 million, Martin had achieved his goal. His next aim was to earn $20 million for a single film, something achieved by only a handful of Hollywood stars.

"Congratulations, millionaire," Louise poured wine for Martin and Kelly and raised her glass. "Kelly, let's toast to the millionaire."

Kelly smiled and raised her glass, saying, "I want to experience what it's like to be a millionaire today."

Martin got up, clinking glasses with both of them, and said, "To you."

The three of them enjoyed a drink. Kelly refilled Martin's glass and asked, "Now that you've made so much money, what are your plans?"

Martin shared his truest thoughts, "I want to rent a 100-meter-long luxury cruise and invite a hundred beautiful women from different countries. We'll have a month of wild fun at sea."

Louise chuckled, "In three days at most, you'll be drained, and within a week, you'll be fish food at sea."

Kelly, a woman with political aspirations, shook her head, "Martin, you lack ambition. It's all so mundane."

Martin had a clear perspective, "This is ambition. I've honed my acting skills, worked hard, and made all this money. For what? For fun."

He took a sip of wine, adding, "Do you expect me to watch my bank account grow while leading a puritanical life? I won't do it."

With over a decade in the industry, Louise had witnessed many stars' ups and downs. She didn't want Martin to end up like Marlon Brando, so she offered a word of caution, "Living the way you do will be difficult without money in the future."

Martin could hear the concern and explained, "I've divided the money I've earned into three parts. One-third for investment, one-third as a reserve fund, and one-third for indulging in food, drink, and fun. That's enough to ensure life is full of enjoyment." In truth, his indulgences didn't cost that much.

Sofia was getting ready to bid farewell and suggested to Martin, "I heard there are some interesting clubs on Sunset Boulevard. How about we go out together?"

Martin shook his head, "I don't frequent those places."

Sofia adjusted her suit jacket and put on a rare elegant look, saying, "Goodbye, you two. I'm headed to the male model club."

Louise saw her off, closed the door, and then looked at Martin with a quizzical tilt of her head. "Do you have some kind of psychological fear of her?"

"It's not fear, it's complete respect for my benefactor," Martin clarified. "I treat you the same way, a major sponsor. I'll do my best to satisfy you, right?"

Louise extended an invitation, "Kelly will be in Los Angeles at five o'clock this afternoon. Will you come to my place?"

Martin understood that there would be another intense meeting that evening and replied, "I'll come for dinner and prepare more meat."

A man shouldn't back down when faced with a challenge. But first, he should fill his stomach.

They chatted for a while, and Jessica called, asking Martin to come over and sign some documents. Martin left Louise's office and headed to the financial office at Pacific Pictures.

The financial statements that required his signature mainly related to Martin's investment in "Limitless" under the name of Davis Studio. Over two years ago, when the project was initiated, Martin didn't have much capital. He and Louise established the "Limitless" studio to take over the cost of acquiring the original novel "Dark Realm" and the initial investment. They inflated the investment figure to $3 million. This, along with a portion of Martin's salary, added up to a total investment of $6 million, covering one-sixth of the project's $36 million production cost.

After over two years of preparation, filming, marketing, and online and offline distribution, the payday was finally here. "Limitless" had earned $176 million in North America and $386 million worldwide. By the end of the previous December, North American DVD sales had reached $58.95 million. Taking into account TV rights and other sources of income, Martin's share amounted to $19.25 million.

While it took time, the investment had yielded significant returns. Other film studios in which Martin starred had also settled their investment shares from the previous year. Thanks to the continued success of "Wanted" and "The Departed" in the disc market, this added another $3.52 million to his total income.

With an annual income of $20 million, Martin had achieved his goal. His next aim was to earn $20 million for a single film, something achieved by only a handful of Hollywood stars.

"Congratulations, millionaire," Louise poured wine for Martin and Kelly and raised her glass. "Kelly, let's toast to the millionaire."

Kelly smiled and raised her glass, saying, "I want to experience what it's like to be a millionaire today."

Martin got up, clinking glasses with both of them, and said, "To you."

The three of them enjoyed a drink. Kelly refilled Martin's glass and asked, "Now that you've made so much money, what are your plans?"

Martin shared his truest thoughts, "I want to rent a 100-meter-long luxury cruise and invite a hundred beautiful women from different countries. We'll have a month of wild fun at sea."

Louise chuckled, "In three days at most, you'll be drained, and within a week, you'll be fish food at sea."

Kelly, a woman with political aspirations, shook her head, "Martin, you lack ambition. It's all so mundane."

Martin had a clear perspective, "This is ambition. I've honed my acting skills, worked hard, and made all this money. For what? For fun."

He took a sip of wine, adding, "Do you expect me to watch my bank account grow while leading a puritanical life? I won't do it."

With over a decade in the industry, Louise had witnessed many stars' ups and downs. She didn't want Martin to end up like Marlon Brando, so she offered a word of caution, "Living the way you do will be difficult without money in the future."

Martin could hear the concern and explained, "I've divided the money I've earned into three parts. One-third for investment, one-third as a reserve fund, and one-third for indulging in food, drink, and fun. That's enough to ensure life is full of enjoyment." In truth, his indulgences didn't cost that much.

Kelly raised an intrigued eyebrow at Louise, remarking, "Did you catch that? I just mentioned that he thinks more than the average person." She leaned on Louise's shoulder and continued, "You're worrying too much about him."

A small smile graced Louise's lips as she responded, "I'm just concerned he'll end up penniless in his old age, and we'll have to support him."

Kelly was taken aback, "Have you been thinking about this for a while?"

Martin, wanting to change the subject, initiated, "Let's drink. Whoever drinks more gets a reward."

Kelly inquired, "What's the reward?"

With a grin, Martin replied, "The reward is for the one in the middle."

After the three of them had polished off a bottle of whiskey, the hall resembled a battlefield.

The following morning, Martin, in a rare turn, took it upon himself to prepare breakfast for both of them. While Kelly was still sound asleep, Louise came downstairs in her nightgown, leaned against the kitchen post, and asked, "Was what you said yesterday true?"

Martin understood the question and explained, "Yes, it's true."

Louise then pressed for more information, "Both investment and spending are tax-deductible. If you don't invest or spend, the money goes to the tax bureau. So, I plan to keep investing most of the money I earn or acquire practical assets."

Louise offered a cautious reminder, "Be careful. The economic situation isn't very optimistic right now. Don't incur losses."

"I'll be cautious," Martin assured. His most vivid memory from this era was Apple, so when he considered buying stocks, he naturally leaned toward what he remembered the most.

After Martin divided the breakfast into three plates and poured milk, he carried one plate to the dining area and playfully patted Louise's backside, saying, "Go wake up the sleepyhead upstairs. It's time for breakfast."

Louise quickly went to rouse Kelly, and the three of them had breakfast together. Afterward, Martin drove to Burbank and held a brief meeting with Chad Starsky and Bradt. Upon confirming the script and shooting plan, he arranged for the script and project plan to be delivered to Louise, Kelly, and Sophia.

In this venture, Davis Studio, along with the other three companies, invested $10 million each, competing for the project. Martin's involvement was as both a producer and the lead actor, with his compensation aligning with his market value.

Thomas had prepared a preliminary contract that included a basic salary, a share of the earnings, and compensation clauses.