89 87. An Impressive Show and A Heartfelt Conversation.
Disclaimer: The story takes place in an Alternate Earth with a slightly different timeline of events. So people may be born early, some may be born a few years later or maybe not at all.
This gives me more freedom to write characters as I want, also the characters in my story are obviously not an accurate portrayal of their characters.
Please remember that this story is a wish fulfillment story set in Urban Hollywood with some Fantasy elements because of the system's shenanigans so please don't take it too seriously.
Author's Note – I am sorry for failing to make any uploads and being absent for the past 2 weeks. There was an emergency, and I was stuck in it, basically IRL issues. I know I should have made a note to notify you guys, I am sorry for just disappearing on you guys.
There is an important suggestion/poll at the end of this chapter. Please go through it.
.
..
_________________________
..
.
Recap of the Previous Chapter –
The previous chapter was a POV of Mark, who goes to the grand auditorium to practice and meet up with Hans Zimmer. There, he talks with Keanu on the phone about River and then practices the dance routine prepared for him.
We also see a short POV of Eva, who pleasures herself thinking of Mark and then thinks about all that she has done already and still has to do to complete the tasks that Mark had laid out for her before he left for the tour.
We cut back to a POV of Mark who has just finished his dance rehearsals and is resting when Vani gives him a notification that the HK skill has upgraded and two new perks have been unlocked because of it, Mark is delighted to hear it and checks them out.
He even gets a special title Transcendent awarded from the system and complete ahead and achievement because of it and unlock the title feature of the system which allows him to receive extra skills because of his titles.
..
_________________________
..
.
– Quotes of the Chapter –
The world is a book and those that don't travel read only but a single page of it.
– Modified Quote, originally from Saint Augustine.
--------------------
.
~ Anne's POV ~
.(J. K. Rowling)
Date: Saturday, 22nd September, 1990.
.
Time: 07:25 am
..
.
After finishing a light yet hearty breakfast, she had gone on to buy herself a new dress. It was Mark who had requested this of her before he left, wanting her to look her best at the event today.
He told her that it would be a gathering of the elite of the social circle in Paris, and he didn't want her to feel as if she was dressed too plainly. He also wanted to expand her horizons a little before he had to regretfully drop her off in London.
She knew that he wanted to take her back to the States so that they could live together like a family. But he had held back for her sake because he didn't want her to do something that would make her sad just for his own happiness.
At one time, that thought would have made her happy, but now it doesn't. After all, she loved her country, but now there was a special place for Mark in her heart, and she wanted to be there by his side and even have Jess alongside her, living together as a happy family.
Mark's sincere promise about always loving and caring for her and Jess had completely put her fears to rest, as she knew him to be a man of his word. But now that they had consummated their relationship, this imminent geographical distance between them felt stifling.
She knew it was something they would have to talk about in the future, but Mark hadn't just made love to her non-stop last night. He also talked about his goals and even some of his dreams; most of them sounded outlandish and borderline impossible.
But her heart skipped a beat when she saw the smile on his face as he revealed them to her with a confident grin. In her heart, she felt that if anyone could do it, then Mark would be the one to accomplish such feats that felt like an impossibility to her.
After she was done shopping for her dress, she ate some crêpes for lunch and went back to the hotel to get changed into the floral maroon dress she just bought. She got a little late dressing up, so she quickly rushed to the venue of the event, not wanting to miss even a moment of it.
Mark had told her that he had written and composed a song for each country they would tour in. He had also told her that he had planned something special for her and that he didn't want her to miss the first performance of the event.
In London, he performed the enchanting – Experience.
It was an instrumental song with hauntingly beautiful music that made her cry like a baby, as she reminisced about all the hardships and pain she went through to get where she was in life, but it also filled her with hope for a brighter future.
---------------
As the grand auditorium in Paris filled with anticipation, Anne eagerly awaited to see Mark's performance live herself. She expected him to showcase his beautiful, deep voice as he sang the new song he made for Paris.
But it seemed like Mark wanted to raise the anticipation of the audiences a little more. As the stage lights dimmed, they enveloped the hall in an air of mystery. Suddenly, a spotlight fell on an imposing figure seated behind the grand piano.
It was Mark; she could tell it was him with a single glance, despite the mask; he had worn a really elegant Navy blue and black suit. He seemed to be taking deep breaths, letting them out one last time as he began his performance.
His fingers just seemed to dance across the keys as the opening notes of Experience echoed throughout the auditorium.
More spotlights fell on other musicians as they joined in on the performance, but no one seemed to be able to draw away the crowd's attention from Mark. It was his charm in effect; her eyes never wavered from his figure as he played that melancholic and beautiful music that captivated the entire audience present.
Suddenly she heard footsteps on the stage, as she saw a man slowly approaching Mark from the left, he sat down right beside him at the piano's bench. And as if they had practiced it before, Mark let go of his left hand that was playing the piano.
The man didn't miss a single beat as he expertly began playing the notes on the left side of the piano. Mark turned to him and nodded in acknowledgement. He then did something that she had never seen before.
He shifted a little to the side of the bench to allow the man to come closer to the center and let go of his right hand, as well as stand up. The man again, without missing a beat, took over, playing the same notes as Mark.
From a few gossiping people nearby, she heard the man's name was Hans Zimmer. She remembered Mark telling her about him, saying that he was the one who helped him create the background score for Knives Out and that he had even helped him create the music for these songs that he would be performing on the tour.
Mark stood on the stage under the spotlight silently with his arms outstretched, almost motionless, but his eyes and body language spoke volumes. It was like his aura was enveloping the crowd, as the music grew to a crescendo.
His eyes found her; he stared right at her, his eyes glimmering with happiness. Two more spotlights came on as she saw two stagehands approach Mark; one was carrying a violin and the other was carrying the bow.
She was fascinated by how the lighting was focused more on the violin and bow than the people, enshrouding them in darkness. They stepped up and passed it to Mark, who grabbed onto the violin, took it in hand, and got ready to play.
'Wait.. He even knows how to play the violin?' She didn't know that, but she felt like that by now she should get used to the feeling of being surprised now that she was in a relationship with a man of many talents and skills.
He maintained eye contact with her as he began playing the violin with such proficiency and ease that it felt like he had been playing it for years. People say that eyes are the windows to one's soul; she never felt it to be true until that moment.
Mark didn't look away from her and gave her a glimpse at his soul, as she was hearing "experience" play out in the background. She found herself drowning in the enchanting, dark emerald pool of his eyes. She saw his ambition and his passion, but above all, she saw his genuine love for her.
It made her understand why he didn't want her to miss the first performance; it really was something else. She felt like she could understand the hidden message his eyes were trying to communicate to her: it was his promise to always love and care for her, to protect her, and to always be by her side always.
She was trying to hold back her tears but failed as a single tear slid down her right eye. She gently wiped it, not wanting to look away even for a moment. This moment just showed how she had come to love and care for him in return.
'I really need to have a talk with him about moving to America. I can't bear the thought of living without him or not getting to see him.'
She stared as her man played his heart and won over the crowd completely. As the song came to an end, silence seemed to fill the room, but not for long as she stood up and clapped. It didn't matter if the uppity elites didn't, but she just had to show her appreciation for this beautiful gift.
To her surprise, though, she wasn't alone, as the rest soon followed along and gave a standing ovation to Mark's performance. The lights came on as Mark talked about the importance of the event, which was to raise money for underprivileged children, orphanages and to fund their education.
He stressed how if they fail to help these poor kids now, it will lead them down a path with fewer opportunities and a future of crime or vagrancy. It was a riveting speech, but it was how Mark ended it that brought warmth to her heart; he pledged a million dollars to the charity himself.
After that, he exchanged a few words with the host and then made an exit. The host told them that an auction would be held with the proceeds going to the charity, and he let them know that after the charity, Mr. Spector would be performing a song he specifically wrote for his visit to Paris.
The auction wasn't much to talk about; she just looked as though these elites just threw hundreds of thousands of euros just to satisfy their vanity and ego. The fact that the proceedings of said dick measuring contest would go to charity was her only respite.
After they were done with the auction, the host requested that the audience to sit back and be patient as the stage was set for Mark's second and final performance of the event. She waited with bated breath as the spotlight came on and «Tous les mêmes» echoed through the auditorium.
Anne's eyes widened in recognition, as Mark had been humming the same musical note the entire time on their date.
Mark stood under the spotlight, wearing a beautiful yet sophisticated suit adorned with a mask that displayed two distinct colors, symbolizing the duality of his persona for the act. Anne's heart raced as Mark's commanding voice filled the space, drawing her into the performance, and then came the surprise.
Mark, whom she only knew as a writer and director and someone who only sang as a hobby despite his deep, charming voice, began to dance with graceful movements that somewhat mirrored the stromae's iconic choreography from the music video he remembered seeing.
She knew that one of the titles he was well known for was the Versatile Artist but now it really hit home that he was a multi-talented artist. The lights suddenly shifted from a passionate red to a cool blue, mirroring the dichotomy of the song.
Anne, caught off guard, watched in awe as Mark seamlessly merged singing and dancing, revealing a side of him she hadn't seen before. His voice never wavered, his steps filled with self-assured confidence, and despite the mask, she knew that he had a toothy grin on his face.
The audience, initially expecting a traditional musical performance, erupted into a collective gasp. Anne, glancing around, observed the faces of those nearby. A bit of shock and admiration painted the expressions of fellow spectators, their initial surprise giving way to admiration for the virtuoso as he displayed his performance.
The crowd seemed to mirror her astonishment and awe. Faces around her displayed a mix of awe and wonder as Mark's performance unfolded.
The transition between the masculine and feminine sides, highlighted by the changing of background colors, added a captivating layer to the show. Anne glanced around, noting the collective gasps and appreciative smiles from the mesmerized audience.
Pride welled up inside her as she appreciated Mark's love for the arts. Her lover wasn't just a renowned book author and emerging director; he was a dynamic performer capable of captivating an entire auditorium with his versatility.
At that moment, Anne felt a deep connection to Mark's passion, and the realization that she would share the rest of her life in this world with this extraordinary soul filled her with an overwhelming sense of pride and love.
She watched as Mark's steps didn't slow down, despite the constant movement he looked just as energetic and happy when he had come out on stage. The way he made it look so effortless and easy was unbelievable.
She really liked that it wasn't a fast-paced song despite its music being so, and she was able to easily follow along Mark as he sang. The song dealt with the caricatured representations of men's and women's different ideas of relationships with humor and cynicism.
The ideas were represented by the color blue for the men and reddish pink for the women. The choreography was beautiful as well, as it incorporated his dual mask and the way his suit shifted colors in the different background lights was magical.
The instant the performance ended and the lights came on, her and every single person around her couldn't help but get up on their feet and once again give him a well deserved standing ovation for the beautiful song and dance he showcased.
After watching that beautiful song and dance, the only thing she wanted to do right now was to march him straight to his hotel room, tear off that beautiful suit, and let him have his way with her.
Unfortunately, though, she was still sore from their lengthy romp from last night, and Mark had promised to introduce her to Salma Hayek, one of his lovers.
She didn't know why, but the thought of sharing Mark didn't seem to bother her as much as when he had first told her about it.
Maybe it was her belief in his promise or his sincerity, but she knew in her heart that Mark would never abandon her.
After the event she went back to his room, it was almost an hour later when she heard a knock on her door.
*Knock* x3
Looking through the keyhole, she saw it was Mark and Salma, who were wearing a mask and a hat for disguise.
"Mark!" she exclaimed as she opened the door and let them in.
"Anne, meet Sally." He introduced them after they entered the room, as he took off his mask and hat.
"Hello, I am Salma Hayek, please call me Sally." she said with a friendly smile.
"Hullo, I am Joanne Rowling, call me Anne, please, so you're one of Mark's.." she started off smoothly but couldn't help but go there.
"Yup, I am his lover, friend and a part of his harem." Salma replied confidently with a gentle smile, not taking any offense, as she knew that all this was still new to Anne.
"Ah. Sorry. I am still new to this arrangement," she replied, admitting the same.
Mark had already left the two to talk as he went to work a bit on the first draft for Horizon.
"Does the thought of sharing him make you sad?" Salma asked frankly, as if testing her, and they made their way towards the sofa. Mark had left the take-out he brought in with him on the coffee table.
"I would be lying if I said it didn't, but I know the kind of man that I love. I know that he will never let go and that he will always love me and have a place in his heart for me and my children, and for me, that is enough." she had a content smile.
"Great answer, you passed.. I can see that you love him quite a lot as well." she teased her at the end
"I know, it's crazy. I have only met him a few days in person, but it feels like I have known him for a lifetime." Anne blushed as she replied, and then asked her if she wanted anything to drink.
Mark's voice rang in from the desk: "Anne, there are drinks in the bag; just some red wine I thought you guys might enjoy."
"Thanks, love. What are you doing?" She wanted him to be there with them.
"Giving you two some space to talk and also working on my next book," he replied as he sketched Aloy, the main character from «Horizon Zero Dawn».
"Next book?!" She was excited to hear what Mark was working on next.
"Yeah, I am thinking about writing a post-apocalyptic survival story about a girl trying to find her way in this new hostile world while trying to find answers to her past and how the world became what it is now."
"Woah, that sounds fascinating. You haven't done a post-apocalypse story till now, right?"
"Yup, Resident Evil was a zombie apocalypse story, but in this one, the apocalypse has already happened, and we get to see humanity trying to survive in this new world."
"Wait, Mark.. is the main lead of the story a girl?" Salma asked, a bit startled, as this was a big risk.
"Yup," it was all he said, brushing off her concern as if writing a predominantly female protagonist story in 1990 wasn't a big deal.
Resident Evil had Alice, but it also had Chris Redfield and Leon fall back as significant male characters in the plot. Mark knew he was a bit too early with a story of this kind, but he wanted Aloy to be a positive and good influence on all the women who read his books.
When he told them about his reasons, She and Salma felt proud of him and of the changes that he wanted to bring. Anne especially couldn't wait to read this story to her daughter when she grew up a bit more.
Mark was thinking the same; he was planning to change a few things in the story, obviously. The original was good, but it made the villains too stupid or dumb. Mark instead wanted them to project their vile nature with intellect that was only blinded by their greed.
He had seen how most villains in the later years of his past life the villains or the antagonists had been reduced to a dumb caricature of a real villain that couldn't do much to stop the hero/heroine.
What he wanted was to show a competent and strong villain before whom the hero/heroine had to struggle to eke out a win against.
Their talk went smoothly, with Anne and Salma talking about some of their experiences with men and life in general. Salma was a bit taken aback by hearing about Anne's husband divorcing her and leaving her to care for her child alone.
Their shared love of the arts and cinema gave them a nice talking point, with Anne later on asking about her experiences on the set of Knives Out and acting in general. Later on, it evolved into a lengthy talk about how nice and welcoming the crew and work environment were.
How even in the exhausting yet helpful and important rehearsals, Mark, and other cracking jokes, kept the mood lighthearted around the set.
They talked at length about Mark, the traits about him that they loved and the ones they thought he should work on, and both of them agreed that Mark needs to relax more and put himself above work.
But Mark chimed in, saying that his business and work had just begun in Hollywood, and he couldn't ease off the pedal now, as he had only just begun.
Anne couldn't help but ask, "Mark, when would you consider yourself more properly established so that you would be more laid back?"
"You guys really want to know?" Mark asked as he put down his pen and got up from the desk to join them on the sofa.
"Of course, we don't like seeing you push yourself so hard, Mark. Here, at least eat something," Salma replied, handing him his plate of food.
"Thanks, Sal. Okay. I will tell you guys, but this stays between us; I don't want my friends giving me weird looks in the future. Only Eva knows of my plans for the future, and still she only knows parts of them." He took the plate and started eating, as he explained.
"Why only some of it, Mark?" she asked, confused because she knew Mark trusted Eva with his life. So it couldn't be because of trust issues.
"It's mostly because I don't want her to stress over my seemingly impossible and bizarre plans," he chuckled as he replied frankly.
"Still, the things I need to do before my partial retirement aren't that over the top, so it should be okay to share with you guys."
"In simple words, I need Eidolon to become independent of me, of my supervision and help, and still be working just fine."
"I would need the film production division to be releasing at least four self-produced movies a year that should bring in at least a billion dollars in box office."
"I need to establish a few more studios for specific genres of movies and hire and organize more film crews for said studio's."
"What else?.. Hmm.. I also need to establish a cartoon channel, and also a paid TV channel for more adult content."
"I also need to buy off a film studio; if not one of the Big Five, then preferably one of the best ones below them so that I can have my own distribution and marketing channel."
"Don't we have a deal with Universal?" Salma asked, catching up with all this information that Mark just seemed to rattle off the top of his head.
"We do, but we can't always depend on someone else to do it for us, or they will try to take advantage of us using it. They have already tried, so it's kind of a work in progress." Mark shrugged as he finished his reply and went back to his list of things to do.
"I need to either buy or create a CGI development studio like George's ILM if I want to bring Marvel to the big screens."
"I need to buy Pixar as well. Hopefully Jobs folds soon; I know he is running a bit low on money recently."
"Pixar?" she asked, as she hadn't heard about it before.
"Oh, it's an animation studio, Anne. Eva told me that she has been working on the negotiations for it on Mark's behalf." Salma chimed in.
She just nodded in understanding, as Mark continued.
"It's an animation studio with a focus on creating animation using computers, and I believe that it's going to be the future of animation."
"Hmm, what else? Oh yeah, I also need to open up branches in different countries like Japan, UK, India, Canada, and maybe even China. I don't agree with their politics, but if it can benefit our company, then why not?"
"Also, I want to get into other industries and expand the brand of Eidolon from just movies to restaurant chains, hotels, video game development, theme parks, pharmaceuticals, software development, think tanks, venture capital and more."
"Woah!" Salma couldn't help but exclaim at Mark's admission, and her expression mirrored Salma's as well.
"But why, Mark? You already have like 500 million dollars in net worth; if you stuck to just making movies and writing a few books every year, you would be a multi-billionaire in a decade or two." Anne was genuinely confused.
She was willing to go on this journey and support her man 100%, but she wanted to hear his motives. Mark didn't stop her, as he wanted her to get it out.
"Why the rush? You're only 20 years old; you've got your whole life ahead of you, and you've already accomplished things that most people can't even imagine." She finally stated her piece and felt a little emotionally drained.
Even though they had been together for a few days, she had always seen him working on something or another in all the free time he could afford, writing in his little diary.
"You're right, I have already earned enough to live comfortably, but it's still not enough. I told you about my dream to bring Marvel Comics to the big screen, right?"
They both nodded at that.
"Well, it's not just one Spider-Man movie that I want to make; I want to capture almost the entirety of Marvel Comics on the big screen."
"I want to be capable of producing at least 1 if not 2 Marvel movies every year, along with a few TV shows as well. All of which will be set in the same universe and interconnected, affecting each other and growing together."
"And for that, I will need a lot of money to keep this project running. I have absolute faith in myself that this project will be a success, both financially and critically."
"But in the event that it fails, I need to have enough capital to fall back on, so I can keep doing what I love." He finished his explanation and then got up to keep the plate somewhere else.
But he was stopped by Salma, who had already finished hers. "Give it to me; I'll take care of it," and left to clean it and put it away.
"Mark, thank you for being so honest and upfront with me.. no, with us. I fully support your dreams, and I wish there was something I could do to help you. But I am just an aspiring writer." She said it gratefully but seemed a bit down at having not accomplished much herself.
"Nope, you're an aspiring writer with a great story on your mind. You just have to put it to paper." Mark encouraged her as he brushed his fingers on her cheek, causing her to blush at the clear love and affection in his eyes.
It made her feel like she was in high school all over again, having formed a crush on the most popular boy in school.
"Mark, I have something I need to talk to you about," she said, finally gathering her courage.
"Sure, go ahead," he replied, turning towards her and giving her his full attention.
"Well, it's two things, actually." She was feeling nervous.
Mark just chuckled and gestured for her to go ahead.
"Iwanttolivewithyouinus." she rushed through her words.
"What?" he asked, faking his confusion, as his enhanced hearing and cognitive abilities would allow him to hear her words even if he was in the next room if he wanted to.
"I.. I want to live with you in the US.. I know it's a little too early for this, but I want to live with you." She choked back on her words as she nearly cried.
Mark got up and drew her in for a hug as he rubbed her back gently. "Shhh, it's fine; it's not too early. You don't know how happy it made me to hear you say that."
Encouraged by his support and acceptance, she said, "Mark, I want Jess to have a father. Would you do that for her.. fo-for me."
"Of course, I thought we would take our time with that.. But as I have promised you, you and Jess are now my responsibility; never doubt that," he said with complete conviction and seriousness.
"Thank you, Mark. I was so nervous to have this conversation with you." She admitted to feeling nervous.
He rested his head against hers and looked into her ocean blue eyes. "Every healthy relationship is formed on the foundation of trust and open communication."
"You can always come to me, to talk to me about anything that's bothering you or even to just talk, okay?" he asked, letting go the hug.
She nodded happily.
"So, what was the other thing you wanted to tell me?" He asked, wanting to get back to writing before he would call it an early night, maybe after going a round or two with both of them, if they were up for it.
"Umm, Mark, is it okay if I am not in the room when you and Sally do it? I don't mind sharing you or even just sleeping on the same bed. But to see it right in front of my eyes.." She left it unfinished as she felt uncomfortable.
"Woah, Anne, I didn't know Sal told you about the threesome, but you don't need to be worried about it. I promise you, I won't force you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable or hurts your feelings."
"You being so kind and understanding, willing to even sleep together, is more than enough for me to be honest. I am glad you're coming out of your shell and taking a stand for yourself." He kissed her forehead with a smile, and she couldn't help but grab his collar and bring his face lower for a kiss.
"As much as I want you to ravish me again, just like last night, I don't think I can take a repeat of that again so soon." Anne had an exasperated yet fond smile on her face.
"Sorry." he scratched his head in embarrassment.
"Don't be, I loved every single moment of it. But I do need you to be a bit more gentle in the future, I.. I don't have much experience nor did I get a chance to date much with me being drowning in j–."
"Shh, it's fine." He put a finger on her lips to stop her from rambling, but it just drew his attention to her rosy lips, and he went in for a kiss again.
They almost forgot about breathing, only breaking it off, when Mark was called out by Salma.
"I see you guys started without me. Mark, take your time with her, I will be waiting in the other room."
"Sure." was all he said, as he gave her a wink and then gently carried Anne to the bed as Salma quietly took her leave.
But not before seeing Anne mouth a thank you to her for letting her go first.
True to his word, Mark was very gentle this time, but it was still very enjoyable for her nonetheless.
It was quite different from the animalistic intensity of the previous night, but the feeling of being held in his strong arms and smelling his unique scent just made her cunt even wetter, if that was even possible.
She didn't remember how many times she came. All she remembered was this feeling of euphoria that just seemed to overload her brain and she was knocked unconscious by the cerebral overload from the pleasure Mark was making her feel.
It was only by asking Mark later did she realise what happened and how she fell asleep, and he didn't really want to disturb her. So he tucked her in, went to Sally and did the deed. After being done, the two came back, and they all cuddled together to sleep, with Mark in the middle.
-----------------
Unfortunately, Mark's visits to the other European countries didn't go off as smoothly as they did in the UK and France.
But they adapted and made quick changes to the event venue, even paying the musicians traveling and lodging expenses, and held the promotional events in Berlin and another in Switzerland.
In Berlin, Mark performed another song he called Ashes on the Fire. It was purely instrumental as well, just like Experience, but it was more grandiose; it felt like the background score for the final fight of a Hero against a great Villain.
It was simply a masterpiece, and the fact that he could come up with these songs in just a month or two would have been mind-blowing if she hadn't already started to get somewhat used to it.
She was building up a tolerance, but she knew Mark would pull off something that would leave her speechless pretty soon. After the performance, they went and explored the beautiful snow-capped city and had dinner with Mr. Andrzej.
Mr. Andrzej Sapkowski was a Polish writer whom Mark had hired, after paying him an exorbitant amount of money, just to commission a series of novels.
At first, he complimented Mark for the song, and they then discussed Polish folklore and myths that could be incorporated into the book. Mark gave him a few ideas for the lore and backstory.
But he told him that it was completely up to him, how he chose to write the story. She listened with rapt attention as they talked about the protagonist of this book series. Andrzej had a few suggestions, and Mark immediately selected one he liked: Geralt of Rivia.
Mr. Andrzej, after being introduced to her, was very forthcoming with sharing his ideas for the story, even more so when he heard she was trying to write a book of her own. She got lots of ideas for fantasy elements and mythical creatures that she could use in her own story.
She had a great time visiting all these beautiful places and even talking to another budding author like her, who encouraged her to work on her own story as well and gave her so many great ideas that it made her even more certain of joining the IWA.
After Mark was done with the promotional events in Germany and Switzerland, he took her back to the UK. He really wanted to take her to Japan as well and show her the culture and cuisine of Japan.
But she didn't want to be separated from Jess for too long, and it had already been 3 days since she had last seen her face, and she felt uncomfortable being apart from her for so long.
She knew that her daughter was safe with her mother, but it still felt wrong to leave her alone for days, and she really missed her.
While coming back from their trip, Mark promised her to take care of her American work visa. So she could move to America and then work on getting that citizenship later on.
With the money and influence he would have later on in a few years, Mark wasn't worried about it. After leaving Anne in the UK and showering Jess with gifts, Mark took his leave.
He wanted to slowly build up a good relationship with Jess and didn't want to be hasty about it. As he was on a flight to Japan, he recalled the plan he had drawn up before for all that he would need to accomplish in Japan.
It ranged from building up relationships with important people, to buying businesses, to even establishing his own studio in the country. All the paperwork had already been taken care of, and all they needed was his confirmation and signature on the documents.
He knew that many of his attempts at buying businesses or building relationships would be shot down, as Japanese people didn't see Americans in a good light.
But that's exactly what he wanted as well, because this time it was just him pretending to extend an olive branch to them, showing his kindness and respect.
He knew something that they didn't; even though the Japanese economy was in a downturn currently, it was nothing compared to the Asian financial crisis that would begin in 1992. It would be the nail in the coffin that he planned on using to gobble up companies and make billions.
The fact that they snubbed his previous generous offer would work in his favor in the later negotiations. Mark planned for Japan to be a great breeding ground for his future creatives and talents.
The deference and respect the Japanese working class had towards their superiors only made the deal even sweeter, but it was never something he thought about exploiting.
Having experienced that suffering himself in that position before in his previous life made him want to create a positive and rewarding work environment for all his employees. His mentor, who trained him in the ways of handling a film crew/business, had told him this –
"If you take care of your people, they will take care of the business. So if you treat them kindly and properly compensate them, they will go above and beyond for your business."
— To be continued…
In the next episode of Solo Lev–
*Cough* *Cough*
I meant in the next chapter of Hollywood: Head-Hunting System.
-------------------
POLLS/SUGGESTIONS –
PLEASE HELP
♦ 1. In the near future, the Marvel Comics universe is getting a reboot, as mentioned in the previous chapters. So before the reboot goes through, I would really appreciate it if you guys could tell me your most hated Marvel storylines/events. Then I would make sure to mention them not being made in Marvel after the reboot.
For example – Aunt May turned out to be Peter's actual mother, and she cheated on Uncle Ben; Gwen Stacy was cheating on Peter with Norman Osborn, etc.
♦ 2. If there is a comic book writer, director, or even celebrity that you don't like or that you know is a bad person. Then, please leave their names in the comments.
If you asked me for names, I would give you the following: Mark Miller, James Franco, Ashton Kutcher, Danny Masterson, Kathleen Kennedy, etc.
(Some of them are just trash creatives, but some of them are actually scums that grape and se*ually assault women. None of whom are people I want Mark to be associated with.)
♦ 3. The New Marvel Ultimate Universe that Mark is creating will need some new superheroes, villains or even just neutral characters/organizations. If you have a good original character, then please leave a suggestion in this paragraph comment. I will really appreciate it.
I already have an OC mutant character I am going to introduce in the new Marvel Ultimate Universe storyline that Mark will be the head creative on, which means everything that is put into the M.U.U has to be cleared with Mark first.
One OC Mutant that I am keen on creating is Michael Kane, A.K.A. PowerHouse, or AfterLives. His power is that whenever someone dies around him, he gets a part of their physical capabilities (stats) and their mental capabilities (memories/skills/knowledge). But it's fragmented, and he will be just 13 years old, and I plan on introducing him and awakening his power during the Destruction of Harlem, which is the fight between Hulk and Abomination.
[Name – Michael Kane.
Age – 13.
Race – Meta-human.
Nationality – American.
Identity – Public.
Hero Name – Powerhouse or Afterlife. (Please suggest a better name if you got any ideas)
Meta Abilities – absorption of the physical and mental capabilities of those that die around him in a certain range.
First appearance – In the fight between Hulk and abomination in Harlem where he will first awaken his mutant power.]
Whether he is saved by the heroes (Eidolon, Xavier, etc.) or inducted by the villains for experimentation or muscles will be decided later by readers voting. If you also want to see your original character showcased in Mark's New Ultimate Marvel Universe, then please leave a comment in the suggestions. I would really appreciate it. I hope you have a beautiful day.
