Chapter 272: Investment

"Clark, this is Matthew," said Helen Herman in the guest room of the Angel Brokerage Company, introducing a middle-aged man with black hair to Matthew. "Matthew, this is Ann Lee, an Oscar winner."

"Director Lee, hello," Matthew stepped forward to shake hands with Ang Lee, who reciprocated the gesture, saying, "Hello."

After exchanging pleasantries, Matthew subtly observed Ang Lee. He had heard of Ang Lee's reputation and had watched "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" out of curiosity, a film highly praised by the media as one of the best works by a Chinese director.

From the perspective of the Oscars, Ang Lee truly deserved such acclaim.

After a brief conversation, Matthew quickly realized that Ang Lee was different from what he had imagined. Although he still carried a touch of Eastern elegance, he was largely westernized, and his mannerisms and speech closely resembled those of a typical Westerner.

Ang Lee directly said to Helen Herman, "Miss Herman, may I speak with Matthew alone?"

Helen Herman, aware of Ang Lee's purpose, was not worried about him persuading Matthew. She knew that unless Ang Lee could offer a salary of over $20 million, Matthew would not risk his career and financial future.

Could Ang Lee offer a salary of $20 million?

"Sure," Helen Herman agreed and left the guest room.

Matthew looked curiously at Ang Lee, whose appearance gave him a natural sense of familiarity; a Chinese director achieving such success in Hollywood was almost unheard of.

However, Ang Lee was currently at a low point in his career, with "The Hulk" having been a box office disaster.

"Mr. Lee," Matthew initiated, "are you here about the invitation from last time?"

"Yes," Ang Lee replied as directly as any Westerner, "I am currently planning a film adaptation of a novel with Focus Features, and I would like to invite you to play the lead role."

As he spoke, he took out a script and a collection of novels from his briefcase and handed them to Matthew, saying, "I hope you can consider it after reading these."

Matthew took them, placed the collection on the coffee table, and began reading the script.

Ang Lee remained silent, waiting patiently.

After reading less than thirty pages, Matthew, whose reading skills were average, could tell that the script depicted a romance between two men. He immediately closed the script.

"Sorry, Director Lee," he declined without hesitation, "this doesn't fit my acting style."

Ang Lee wasn't surprised by the rejection and asked, "Matthew, could I say a few more words?"

"No need," Matthew really did not want to be involved in such a film, "It's an honor that you invited me, Director Lee, I truly appreciate it. But this type of film really isn't for me."

Despite Ang Lee's complete westernization, his Chinese identity remained unchanged, and Matthew had great respect for him.

Respect, however, did not mean he would participate in his film.

Matthew deliberately switched to Chinese, which he hadn't spoken in a long time, "Director Ang Lee, I've seen your 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,' a truly excellent film."

Ang Lee was somewhat surprised to hear Matthew speak fluent Chinese.

"I really appreciate Chinese culture," Matthew expressed an Eastern-style humility, "especially so! If you were making a martial arts film like 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,' I would be there in a heartbeat."

He politely returned the script and the collection of novels to Ang Lee, "This kind of artistic film really doesn't match my acting style."

Ang Lee's surprise quickly faded, as there were many enthusiasts of Eastern cultures in North America, including fluent speakers of Chinese.

"Alright," he took back the script and the novels, seeing that Matthew's stance was firm, and did not persist further, instead expressing, "That's too bad."

While Matthew Horner was his first choice due to wanting to capitalize on the popularity of "Pirates of the Caribbean," he was not the only option.

As for the martial arts films mentioned, there was no chance of those happening soon. If he were to make such a film, would he cast a Caucasian actor in the lead? How many Hollywood actors truly understood the spirit and meaning of martial arts?

Ang Lee was not stubborn or inflexible. Seeing that it was futile, he stood up to take his leave, and Matthew escorted him out of the Angel Brokerage Company.

Despite having recently failed an audition for "National Treasure," Matthew's career was still on a smooth trajectory, and there was no need to venture down another path, which could potentially lead to a dead end.

This wouldn't change just because Ang Lee had personally extended an invitation.

In the foyer, Helen Herman watched Matthew return and asked, "Rejected?"

"Yeah," Matthew stopped near her at the front desk, "Although he's an exceptional director, his style just doesn't mesh with mine."

"Exceptional? He just wanted to leverage your and 'Pirates of the Caribbean's' popularity," Helen Herman clearly didn't agree, "He just botched 'The Hulk.' If his next film doesn't make a turnaround, he won't last in Hollywood."

Matthew knew Helen Herman was right; Hollywood always placed profit first. Whether you were an actor or a director, as long as you brought in revenue, you were valued. If not, you were doomed.

This was the reality in Hollywood, and it wasn't something one person could change. The entire industry operated this way because of the market's preferences.

This industry clearly dictated that output was determined by market demand, and neither an individual nor a company could hope to shift the tastes and needs of the entire North American market.

Matthew didn't pursue the topic further with Helen Herman. The reality was apparent, and there was no point in discussing it further.

Instead, he asked, "How's the negotiation going?"

"Almost there," Helen Herman calmly replied, "Don't worry, the project won't start preparations until early November, and it won't begin filming before February."

Seeing Helen Herman so assured, Matthew didn't press further. Now, unlike in the past, if there was specific news, Helen Herman would certainly inform him.

Helen Herman moved closer, standing beside him, and said, "There's also some good news. I just got a notification from finance that your final payment from the 'Dawn of the Dead' crew has been processed."

"That is good news," Matthew nodded.

With this payment, his $5 million base salary from the 'Dawn of the Dead' crew was fully accounted for, minus Helen Herman's cut and the actors' guild fees, leaving him with a significant amount.

As for tax issues, those were handled by professionals, and both spending and investments could be tax-deductible. He planned to invest most of this money.

In late November and early December, Matthew had discussed this matter over the phone with Amanda, who had recommended a reliable stockbroker. Her personal investments were also managed by this broker, and Matthew had met with the broker to decide on purchasing some stocks.

Limited by his previous experience, he knew little about stocks and was unclear which companies' stocks would skyrocket. He only knew that some people had gone to crazy lengths, like selling a kidney to buy an iPhone, earning Apple the nickname "kidney machine."

Initially, the kidney machine was a symbol of high status, but it eventually became widespread. Even construction workers some of whom Matthew knew

 had said that even streetwalkers were equipped with kidney machines.

Even those out of the loop knew about the fame of the kidney machine, and Matthew was no exception.

He didn't understand much else, but given the past craze for Apple's iPhone, its stocks must be valuable. Thus, he asked the stockbroker to invest several million dollars in Apple stocks.

As for other stocks recommended by the broker, Matthew didn't consider them.

Of course, this purchase meant buying shares on the stock market, not investing in Apple directly. Matthew wasn't naïve enough to think Apple would accept an investment from a Hollywood star. Steve Jobs surely wasn't foolish.

After moving here, he had read a news article about how Steve Jobs, with Pixar's huge success, had returned to Apple to steer it once more, requiring financing. Many investors had flocked to him, but Jobs had chosen to take a stringent investment from his rival, Bill Gates, over more lenient offers from other investors.

The reason was simple: Bill Gates could offer Apple something that no ordinary person could.

Even with limited understanding, after spending a few years in Hollywood, Matthew could see that investing in a company was never just about throwing money into it.

So, the stocks his broker bought were publicly traded Apple shares.

After all, with the money he had, aside from buying some Apple shares, what else could he expect to do?

Actually, Matthew hadn't thought much about it. With limited knowledge outside of Hollywood and being very cautious about investments, he ensured strict oversight of his stockbroker, not loosening his watch just because Amanda had recommended him. His simple goal in buying Apple shares was to hedge against the rapid devaluation of the dollar. Even if Apple's stock didn't rise, considering the future craze for the iPhone, it should at least retain its value.

As Matthew and Helen Herman were talking, the company's glass door was pushed open from the outside, and Alexandra Daddario walked in.

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