Chapter 132: Puck Building

"How about going up for a drink?" Sophie Marceau asked Arthur Smith with a smile as he dropped her off in front of the Hilton Hotel.

Arthur smiled, leaned closer to Sophie Marceau, and said, "If a woman becomes interested in a man, the journey of love begins."

"Really...?" Sophie Marceau was about to say something more when Arthur suddenly kissed her passionately, their lips and tongues entwined.

"Mm," Arthur said as he kissed Sophie Marceau, his hands moving to caress her chest.

Sophie Marceau wrapped her arms around Arthur's neck, responding to his fiery passion with the enthusiasm of a French woman.

"Really not coming up?" Sophie Marceau asked, feeling increasingly aroused after their intense French kiss.

While helping Sophie Marceau adjust her clothes, Arthur said, "We have a long time to work together, and I'm a bit greedy. I don't want to lose touch once this movie is over!"

Sophie Marceau smiled, "You know I have a boyfriend in France, right?"

"Director Andrzej Zulawski, right? He's much older than you. Do you just want to be his puppet?" Arthur shook his head. "You should have your own life and career. A boyfriend is not the same as a father!"

Sophie Marceau's boyfriend, Andrzej Zulawski, was 51 years old, 26 years her senior. Arthur couldn't fathom how in the previous life Sophie Marceau even had a child with him.

"I'm not his puppet. The projects I take on now have nothing to do with him," Sophie Marceau said, touching Arthur's face.

"French women are different from American women."

Arthur tilted Sophie Marceau's chin, "I will show you that I am the man for you. I understand you; you have a rebellious spirit.

But to be honest, the work you did before was not great. Andrzej Zulawski relies on controversial images and emotions to attract attention, which I don't appreciate.

You may call it strong personal style, but to me, it's just emotional and individualistic gimmickry. Which of your collaborations received high praise?"

Sophie Marceau was momentarily stunned, then fell into deep thought. She looked at Arthur, "You really are greedy!"

"Alright, take a few days to rest and meet with the crew members," Arthur suggested.

"I'll be in New York this month. I'll show you around, and next month, you can come to Los Angeles with me."

"Alright, I'm going back then?" Sophie Marceau said, opening the car door. "No regrets?"

"We have a long future ahead," Arthur said, blowing a kiss.

Arthur's visit to New York had an important mission: to find a headquarters for Galaxy Orion in the city.

Being the entertainment hub of the East Coast, New York was crucial, and compared to Los Angeles, it had more independent filmmakers!

Jim Colt, a Wall Street asset management expert and Arthur's investment advisor, found a historic building located between Mulberry Street and Lafayette Street in Lower Manhattan.

"Puck Building, not very tall but spacious inside, with shops, offices, and residential units," Jim Colt introduced the unassuming building to Arthur.

Built in the late 19th century, the red-brick exterior looked imposing, and the interior was frequently rented out for large celebrations or events.

"It's perfect for me. Galaxy Orion can move its office there, and the top floor can be my private residence," Arthur said, knowing that the building would significantly appreciate in value in the future.

"Puck Building is for sale," Jim Colt explained. "The Kushner Company from New Jersey is also bidding for it."

"Kushner? Founded by Charles Kushner and his father Joseph Kushner?" Arthur recognized them as a Jewish family from New Jersey with a son named Jared Kushner.

Jim Colt nodded, "Joseph Kushner passed away a few years ago, and now Charles and his brothers manage the company. The Kushner family has assets worth tens of millions, but they can't buy Puck Building on their own!"

"Puck Building is $19 million; it will take them several months to raise that," Arthur smiled. "Contact the owner. Galaxy will pay in cash; I want to sign the purchase contract as soon as possible."

With Galaxy's ample funds, investments in Hollywood's Galaxy Studios, buying theaters, and acquiring Puck Building were all part of expanding Galaxy's real estate assets.

Even after adding Arthur's villa investment in Los Angeles's affluent areas, Galaxy still had over $30 million in cash.

"Don't worry, it won't be a problem," Jim Colt reassured him, smiling. In a poor real estate market, cash was king. Arthur's approach left the Kushner family's bid powerless.

Back at Orion's New York office, Arthur pulled out a script: Speed.

Arthur had started working on it long ago, but only now was it perfected. Unfortunately, Keanu Reeves was still relatively unknown, and Sandra Bullock only had a supporting role in Scream.

After all, action movies are harder to shoot than other genres and require more from the actors.

Speed was an explosive action movie with the tense excitement of a high-speed bus and the struggle against criminals.

Putting aside Speed script, Arthur glanced at the mountain of projects piling up on his desk - all script proposals received by Galaxy Orion.

As Galaxy Orion's fame grew, so did the number of script proposals from producers and directors.

"Arthur, why the sigh?" Jennifer Aniston asked as she walked into Arthur's office and saw him sighing.

"Oh, nothing," Arthur smiled. "I just confirmed the purchase of the Puck Building in Lower Manhattan and realized how quickly money goes!"

"Puck Building, the red one?" Jennifer Aniston used to live in the East Village and often passed by it on the way to work near the High Line Park.

Arthur nodded, "Yes, that one. It will soon be Galaxy's New York headquarters."

"That's so cool," Jennifer Aniston's eyes lit up, then she patted her forehead. "I was here to ask about the promotional activities for Scream."

Arthur smiled helplessly, "You want the company to coordinate with your schedule? Are you busy?"

Jennifer Aniston shook her head, "No, I have a stage play performance recently!"

"Don't worry, there aren't many promo activities. There's a premiere in New York and Los Angeles and a few press conferences," Arthur reassured her. "The rest will be TV, newspaper, and magazine ads!"

Scream is a low-budget horror film that can't be marketed like a commercial blockbuster. This type of movie heavily relies on word-of-mouth from the audience.

*****

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