Chapter 174: Unexpected Gains

[Chapter 174: Unexpected Gains]

"A little... thing?" Eric pulled the girl onto his lap, giving her chubby cheeks a gentle pinch. "Did you get yourself into some trouble?"

"How could I? I never get into trouble!" Drew quickly denied. "Here's the thing: I hired an agent to buy the rights to this movie."

"Oh," Eric suddenly understood. "You promised the agent some benefits but couldn't deliver, and this has got to relate to me, right?"

"You're so smart, Eric!" The girl snuggled into Eric's embrace, looking up at him with admiration.

"Alright, stop stalling and spill the beans!" Eric couldn't help but tap her forehead lightly, which earned him some playful squirms and protests.

"Well, it's nothing much," the girl prepared Eric for the news. "While I was looking for an agent, a guy named Lawrence bumped into me at a party with some friends, holding a script. He wanted me to pass it on to you, as they hoped you could invest in it."

"They couldn't reach me, so they came to you. That makes sense. But why would they want me to invest? There are so many movie companies; they should have targeted the big seven, or at least some established ones, right?"

Drew shrugged, wrapping her arms around Eric's neck. "Because you have money! It's all over the papers that you got a several hundred million dollar payout."

Eric shrugged. "You should know that even if I got that payout, to buy a studio and set up distribution channels, it'd be gone in no time. Plus, I need to save for next year's taxes. I'm facing a 35% income tax! When I do the math, I realize I haven't saved a dime this past year. Man, what a waste of time."

The girl playfully slapped his shoulder. "Don't worry; if you're short on cash, I'll take care of you."

"If only a woman had said that to me in my past life," Eric mused with a smile. "Alright, back to your story. What was that guy's name again?"

"Lawrence Bender. I think he wants you to invest because both he and his friend are too young. Even if the script is good, those companies wouldn't want to hand over a movie to them for production. Realistically, even the smallest investment in a legitimate film is in the hundreds of thousands, right? So, you see?"

"And then you agreed, letting him become your agent... But is he capable?" Eric had another question.

"Yeah, he's smart, and he started a production company with his friend. You know, one of those shell companies that only paid a registration fee; they don't actually produce anything. There are tons of those in Hollywood. But a couple of years ago, they made a really low-budget film. Lawrence produced it, while his friend directed and wrote it. But after they wrapped, a fire destroyed the film, and they lost a fortune."

"That's a bummer. Lawrence Bender, you say... Wait a minute, Lawrence Bender?" Eric raised his voice suddenly.

"Uh-huh?" Drew nodded, clearly confused.

"Can you spell his name for me?" Eric set her down and pointed to the coffee table.

Though slightly puzzled, Drew complied and walked over to the coffee table. She dipped her hand in her cup a bit hesitantly and wrote two words down: "It should... be spelled like this?" After finishing, she turned back to Eric, uncertain.

Eric covered his forehead and corrected the 'a' in 'Bander' to an 'e' to make it 'Bender,' then gently tapped the girl's forehead. "I really want to know what you do in school. How is it that you can't even spell such a simple name? Oh, speaking of which, I spent a fortune sending you to boarding school, and I've never even seen your report card. Bring it to me next time."

"Hey, I think we can skip that!" The girl smiled sheepishly, leaning her arms on the table, looking like she was ready to flee at any moment.

Eric didn't press further, looking at the name on the table which perfectly matched his memory. The reason he didn't react earlier was mostly due to him not realizing sooner coupled with Drew's accent being entirely different from what Eric had learned, which led him to not immediately connect it to the name he had in mind.

"Drew, what's the name of Lawrence Bender's friend?" Eric asked once more.

The girl scratched her head, tilting it as she thought for a moment. "I think... maybe... it's Quentin Tarantino." After saying this, Drew noticed Eric's expression change, and she asked, "Eric, do you know them?"

Eric steadied himself, not letting Drew see any further surprise. He quickly thought up an excuse and nodded. "I've heard of them. I thought when you said their names, they sounded familiar, like I had heard it in a conversation as a funny story. It's these two guys who shot a movie, but the film burned after they finished shooting."

Eric didn't specify whom he talked with, keeping it vague so there was no chance Drew would seek confirmation elsewhere. However, Drew seemed to have no doubts, believing Eric's explanation immediately.

"So, you're saying they wanted me to invest in their film, and they left the script with you?" Eric asked.

Drew shook her head. "No, I didn't ask for it. I wanted to mention it to you first; if you weren't interested, I would have sent them away."

"That wouldn't be right. Once you promised, you can't just brush them off. We'll definitely want to expand our production business in the future. Even though they're still a couple of nobodies, if word gets around that you dismissed them, it'll make an impact," Eric replied as he sat back down on the sofa, thinking it through. "Let's do it tomorrow. Bring them to the set at noon. There'll be an hour break for lunch during filming. Let them bring the script so I can take a look."

"Eric, isn't that a hassle? Why do you need to meet them? I think it's a waste of time. That... Quentin Tarantino is only in his twenties; what good script could he possibly write? All the famous screenwriters in Hollywood are in their thirties or forties. If it's that urgent, I could get the script from them for you to read. Is there really a need to meet them?"

Eric chuckled, "Did you forget? I'm also not even twenty yet."

"Ha ha, I think you look at least forty!" Drew said, moving closer to Eric.

That intuition... was spot on!

Eric patted the girl's hair but quickly shrugged it off. Given her sharp nature, it made sense that she'd notice his mental age after spending so much time together; many others had noticed too.

"Alright, that's settled. Bring them over tomorrow, but don't be late. You know I'm busy."

"Yeah," Drew replied and then snuggled up to Eric playfully. "So, Eric, if I get this done, do I get a reward?"

Eric patted her back. "You got it! I set up a production company for you, but since you're still a minor, I'll keep it under my name until you turn eighteen. As for the rights you bought, they'll be under this company's name."

"Wow, tell me, what's the name?" The girl's eyes sparkled with excitement as she asked.

"Flower Films."

Drew paused for a moment and then pouted. "Flower Films... that name's so cheesy. Can we change it?"

Cheesy?

Eric stared at the girl's adorable face, knowing she was the one who came up with it in his last life. "How could that be cheesy? Give me an alternative."

Drew leaned her forehead against Eric's chest and thought for a bit but looked disappointed when she finally lifted her head, realizing she had little talent for naming things. "Fine... let's stick with Flower Films for now."

Eric chuckled and ruffled the girl's hair. "Alright, it's late. Time for bed."

The girl pulled on Eric's arm, stopping him from standing up. "No, no, no! Don't rush! Eric, summer vacation still has a month left. Can't you give me a few more tasks, like acquiring some movie rights or something?"

"Hmmm... Let me think. I'll make a list for you tomorrow. Now go sleep," Eric said.

"No slacking off! I want it tomorrow!" Drew insisted.

"No problem. I'll make sure to get it for you," Eric said as he stood up and headed towards the staircase. He didn't go straight to the bedroom but went into the study instead. Seeing Drew trailing behind, he told her, "Don't disturb me; go to bed. If you keep staying up late, you'll turn into an ugly monster by thirty."

"Hmph!" she pouted, reluctantly turning toward the bedroom.

...

Eric settled at his desk, opening a notebook, and grabbed a pen. He thought about what had just happened and smiled at the realization that the renowned 'genius' director Quentin Tarantino was so eager to come around. Though Lawrence Bender didn't have Quentin's fame, they were actually close collaborators, with Lawrence producing many of Quentin's iconic films.

However, now that the ripple from his actions had brought over two individuals who wouldn't have been known for another two years, Eric couldn't help but wonder who else from his past life might show up. After all, the ripple effect was quite powerful; perhaps it was just a minor change that led Quentin to miss the opportunity to create those two famous films. At the same time, Eric was deeply curious about what script Quentin would present tomorrow.

*****

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