Chapter 154

In 2000, the millennium arrived.

In January, Hide and Seek was released in most theaters, with only a few still showing it.

Its total global box office reached 338 million U.S. dollars, far surpassing the 285 million dollars of Little Island.

"Martin's fourth film to gross over 100 million dollars was born. In fact, since Martin's debut in The Ones, every one of his films has successfully grossed over 100 million at the global box office. We've come up with a formula: Written by Martin + Starring Ding, the box office exceeds 100 million." — New York Times

"Made in Heaven: global box office 157 million; The Sixth Sense: global box office 724 million; Island: global box office 285 million; Hide and Seek: global box office 338 million. The global total box office reached 1.504 billion. Look at these numbers. It took our genius boy less than three years—from the age of 11 to 14—to achieve something that most actors would only dream of in a lifetime." — Los Angeles Times

Martin's achievements were astonishing, and more collaboration invitations flooded in.

At CAA, Jeff walked toward the elevator in high spirits, greeted warmly by everyone he passed.

Jeff's office had changed again, now moved to the top floor.

This meant he had reached the pinnacle of power at CAA.

But Jeff knew this wasn't the end.

Robinbaum looked at Jeff jealously, muttering "lucky guy" under his breath, though he smiled as he greeted him.

"Hey Jeff, can we chat for a minute?"

"Sure, come to my office. I'll give you five minutes."

"Thanks!"

Robinbaum followed Jeff into the elevator. When they entered Jeff's office, Robinbaum let out an exaggerated exclamation.

"Wow, this office of yours... I don't even know how to describe it—it's so unique and impressive!"

This wasn't pure flattery!

Jeff's new office was decorated in the same light luxury style as Martin's.

In an era where extravagant decoration was all the rage, this understated elegance truly stood out.

Jeff showed a proud smile. "Of course, this style was designed by Martin himself. He calls it... yes, light luxury style."

"Light luxury? Modest luxury? Very fitting!" Robinbaum gave a thumbs up.

Jeff walked over to the wine cabinet. "What do you want to drink? Whiskey, vodka, or Maotai?"

"Maotai? What kind of drink is that?" Robinbaum looked confused.

"It's a famous Asian liquor that Martin recommended. He says it has a very unique taste. I've never tried it. Want to give it a go?"

"Sure, pour me a glass."

Jeff poured both of them a drink, and they both took a sip at the same time. Jeff's face lit up with enjoyment.

Robinbaum continued to praise, "Good wine, rich aroma!"

Westerners aren't typically fond of Maotai-style liquor, but since Martin recommended it…

"So, Robin, what do you want from me?"

"I heard Martin's Pirates script has been finalized with Disney. Is there a chance for Orlando to get a role?"

Jeff took another sip of Maotai, sat down on the sofa, crossed his legs, and looked at Robinbaum.

"You're well-informed. But aren't you worried Martin might make a mistake? You know, this is a pirate-themed film that even Warner, who has been trying to please Martin, didn't dare to get involved with!"

"But Disney took it on. The tyrant Eisner may be arbitrary, but his judgment is rarely wrong. And Orlando and I believe Martin will keep succeeding. Jeff, give me a chance?"

Jeff smiled. "There are still some specifics that need to be worked out for the film. It won't start shooting until next year. Are you sure Orlando can make time?"

Robinbaum replied confidently, "Orlando's definitely willing to wait."

"Alright, I can put him in the final round of auditions. Have you decided on the role?"

"Will Turner. Orlando is willing to play the young blacksmith, Will Turner, if Martin isn't interested."

"Okay, Martin's not interested in that role. Let Orlando give it a shot. But I can't guarantee the outcome."

"That's fine, Jeff. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome."

...

Time moved quietly into February 2000.

A very special moment had arrived. This was the darkest period when the dot-com bubble burst.

The Nasdaq index in the United States plummeted from its all-time high of 5,048 on January 30, 2000, with two-thirds of the market value evaporating.

The market value of many star Internet companies crashed, with many closing down. A large number of programmers lost their jobs and changed careers.

The stock market was grim.

Less than half of the Internet companies survived.

But for some, this was a massive opportunity.

Shares in once-high-flying companies, now considered "garbage," were there for the taking.

For people like Martin, this was a gold rush.

He had prepared a significant amount of funds and was waiting for this feast to begin.

Martin planned to hold long-term shares in internet companies like Yahoo, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, and NetB.

Meanwhile, across the ocean in China, a desperate entrepreneur received an investment of 2.4 million U.S. dollars, for which he gave up 40% of his company, Penguin.

It may sound incredible, but back when Penguin was struggling, Ma Huateng had been prepared to sell the company.

In the original timeline, Penguin's early development had been difficult. They were unprofitable, and after the launch of PP, operating costs soared, but no profit model was found.

In this case, Tencent sought financing, but no investors were interested in Penguin at that time.

In 2000, with the help of Lin Jianhuang and Liu Xiaosong, the desperate Ma Huateng secured 2.2 million U.S. dollars from PCCW (Li Chaoren's son's company) and IDG. Each company took 20% of Penguin's shares.

Before going public, Penguin only had this round of financing.

In 2001, South Africa's MIH took an interest in Penguin and bought shares from IDG and PCCW, also acquiring 13% from the founders, making MIH the largest shareholder.

Now, with Martin involved, MIH could no longer afford to miss this opportunity.

In the future, if Martin hadn't increased his holdings in Penguin, the 40% stake he held at the peak would have been worth nearly $300 billion, making him easily the richest man in the world.

While Martin was busy capitalizing on this, he didn't neglect his movie-making. He also began planning the early promotion for The Lord of the Rings with Peter Jackson.

[•———•——•———•]

𝙥𝗮𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙣(.)𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙊𝙛𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧