Chapter 220: Can You Sell Me a Script?

[Chapter 220: I'll Keep an Eye on You]

Eric noticed Elisabeth's nervous little movements, revealing her inner turmoil. Her cheeks flushed slightly, but she seemed to treat this confrontation like a battle. With her competitive spirit, she stubbornly stayed put as if standing up would mean losing something. However, when she saw Eric completely uninterested in her looks, she snapped back, "Hey, what are you thinking over there?"

Eric didn't even glance at her, casually pointing to a stylish lamp on the lawn nearby. "That lamp looks nice. I was just thinking that once you can't resist leaving, I might take a few and stash them in the car."

Elisabeth couldn't help but chuckle but quickly schooled her face into a stern look, glaring at Eric. "Don't even think about it. I'll keep an eye on you."

"That's too bad," Eric replied, feigning regret without a hint of it in his tone.

"Seriously, can you be a little more serious?" Elisabeth finally showed a hint of exasperation.

Eric stubbed out his cigarette and tossed it into the trash can beside him before saying, "Alright, Liz, what's the deal? Just tell me directly."

"I..." Elisabeth hesitated before continuing, "I wanted to remind you not to forget my paycheck."

Eric felt baffled. "Huh?"

"For being your assistant director. Even though my dad pushed me into this, don't think I'll work for free. I want to achieve financial independence as soon as possible. Then, my old man won't be able to threaten me with freezing my credit card anymore."

Eric laughed lightly. "You really want to be an assistant director, Liz? We both know what your dad's intentions are. But neither of us is interested in that. So can we drop it? You don't have many classes left, but I think you should go back to school and enjoy your last year. Once it's gone, you can never get that feeling back."

"My future is none of your business!" she shot back, sounding displeased. Then she added, "I've got a plan for where I want to go. I want to be a film producer, so of course, I need to get familiar with the industry."

"Oh? What about News Corp? Didn't you major in media to take over your father's business?"

Hearing Eric's question made Elisabeth a bit melancholy. "He... even though Dad never said it outright, I know he hopes my brother will take over."

"Your dad seems pretty... traditional."

Eric hadn't expected Murdoch to have a preference for sons, which strangely made him feel a bit... connected.

"Stubborn is more like it," Elisabeth muttered, then said to Eric, "Actually, there's something else."

Eric realized this time she was talking about something serious. He nodded lightly, encouraging her to continue.

"I talked to Julia. Maybe next year, once I gain some experience, I want to try producing my first film. She agreed to be the lead."

"And then?"

"So I was thinking... would you be willing to sell us a script?"

Eric didn't respond right away; instead, he pulled out his cigarette pack. This time, Elisabeth couldn't take it, snatching the cigarette from his hand and tossing it into the trash. "Hey, don't you realize that smoking in front of a lady is very rude?"

"Alright, alright, I won't smoke," Eric lifted his right hand in surrender, then asked, "But let's not talk about the script for now. If you're making a movie, where's your funding coming from? Didn't you just say you wanted financial independence? With your experience level, even with Julia as the star, it'd be tough to get any investors, right?"

"This is different. I've thought it through. I'll borrow ten million from my dad to start a film company. That should be enough to cover one movie, and Julia agreed to take her salary as shares, with profits being divided accordingly."

Elisabeth stated this matter-of-factly, as if it were a common occurrence. Eric pondered for a moment and grasped her point.

This was a common method rich tycoons used to pass down their wealth while avoiding hefty estate taxes -- loaning money to their children to help them establish and grow their own companies. Once the companies reached a certain size, the wealthy could buy back shares at a high price, allowing them to pass on their fortunes at minimal cost. Of course, this strategy required their children to have a certain level of capability; if the next generation was incapable, it wouldn't work well.

Though Murdoch didn't intend for Elisabeth to take over, if she asked about inheriting wealth, he wouldn't likely refuse.

As Eric contemplated this, Elisabeth abruptly interrupted his thoughts, asking, "Eric, what are you thinking? Are you going to agree or not?"

"Agree to what?" Eric instinctively replied, then a look of curiosity crossed his face as he smiled, asking, "The script? So, how much do you plan to pay me for a script?"

This question stumped Elisabeth.

The scripts Eric had been personally writing had earned at least one hundred million dollars each at the box office, with each bringing in no less than fifty million in profits for the investors. By that standard, even the rates for Hollywood's top screenwriters wouldn't be enough.

"See, you haven't thought everything through yet. How about we talk after you've figured it out?"

After saying that, Eric stood up, and he was sure Elisabeth would understand he was declining her offer.

This wasn't just about the money. Eric had countless ideas for scripts swirling in his head. Even if he handed one over to Elisabeth, it wouldn't matter much. But right now, he couldn't do that. Though he had seen several films succeed at the box office, his position in Hollywood still lacked stability. If he gave a script to her and couldn't maintain oversight of the film's quality, it could ruin his undefeated reputation built over multiple successful films. Clearly, while Elisabeth had convinced Julia, it still wasn't enough to make Eric believe that the two of them could succeed.

"Hey, Eric, wait a minute," Elisabeth hurriedly stopped him from getting up. While she didn't know the worries that were consuming Eric's mind, after thinking for a moment, she decided to abandon the idea of getting a script from him. She realized she simply couldn't afford that price. But being quite clever, she quickly thought of another idea. "Eric, how about this? Instead of getting a script from you, Julia and I will pick one ourselves. But when we do, can you help us ensure it has blockbuster potential? Is that alright?"

*****

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