44. A Valuable Advice and Making New Friends.

Disclaimer: The story that I have written here takes on the names of real people, but this story is based in an alternate earth with some changes in its timeline.

This story does not intend to represent the celebrities/real people or make any commentary on them whatsoever. This story is entirely fictional, and it should be viewed entirely as such.

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Recap of the previous chapter -

Mark and Salma had an eventful night, which ended with a special role-play courtesy of Salma. They talked about Mark's complicated dating life and his dream of creating a harem. She wasn't happy about it, but didn't outright reject the idea of being a part of his harem either.

After she left, Mark had a productive day, he started writing the Vinland Saga from the draft sent to him by Tony. He also made some edits to the one from Howard about Halo. The same morning, we see the POV of the mystery Pen-pal of Mark's who he helped and is trying to win over.

The readers were able to correctly guess her identity with the provided clues. She is indeed J. K. Rowling, her life in this alternate timeline/Earth is a little different. The events of her marriage, pregnancy, the death of her mother and her divorce happened a few years early.

We then see Michelle Pfeiffer, Jennifer Connelly and Johnny Depp's audition. While Michelle is passed up due to her lackluster acting skills, Mark chooses Jennifer over her and is later impressed by Johnny's interpretation of Benoit Blanc's charm and mannerisms. He is then invited by Johnny to hang out with his friends, which he agrees to.

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~ Third Person POV ~

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Date: 5th May, 1990.

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Location: At the Eidolon HQ.

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Time: 03:27 pm.

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Mark left with Johnny, after reminding Eva to take care of hiring the dog specialist for the film, as he wanted to take care of the scenes featuring animals as soon as possible.

He met up with River and Keanu outside, "Hi I am Mark Spencer," he said to Keanu introducing himself as he shook hands.

"Hey River, Johnny invited me to hang out, so how are you doing now?" Mark turned to River and asked about his situation.

"Yeah, I'm doing better now, but it's a long journey. Hey, I just wanted to say thanks for helping me get out of the bad place I was pushing myself into." River replied with a grateful heart.

"Hey, it wasn't really a big sacrifice for me. I just said a few words, I thought you really needed someone to tell you, man. I am glad that I could be of help." Mark replied as they kept moving through the hall towards the parking lot.

"So what's the plan? Where are we going? Also, did you guys drive here?" Mark asked, wanting to clarify the carpool situation.

"We took a cab actually, Keanu rode on his motorcycle." Johnny replied.

Mark explained the situation. "Well, Keanu, if you don't mind leaving your bike behind. I could have someone deliver it in the morning, or you could follow us on the bike. Totally up to you, buddy."

"Who's driving, also, will there be enough space for us all?" Keanu asked Mark.

"Well, it's my driver, Mr. Kim. And Keanu, don't worry about space, it's got lots of room, easily enough to fit all four of us." Mark assured him about the space.

The conversation was coming to an end, and they were on their way to Mark's car, using a pager specifically for contacting Mr. Kim. He had already let him know that he will be needed for the evening.

Mr. Kim already had the engine running and warmed up, he pulled up outside one of the secluded exits of Eidolon studios where only employees were allowed and was waiting for Mark's arrival.

He didn't have to wait long as Mark arrived shortly with three other men in tow, it seemed to him this one would be a social event. Mark and friends got on, he asked them where would he be driving them this evening.

Johnny said that he was hungry and could go for lunch, the others agreed as well. After a short while discussing, they agreed upon Mark's very own, the Red Lotus. It came as a surprise to them that L.A. newest, most in demand dining spot was actually owned by Mark.

It led to a discussion about Mark's life and how he considered himself lucky enough to be blessed with the foresight to make some good investment decisions, well that and the initial capital he made from writing his books really helped as well.

"Wait, so your parents didn't give you money to invest?" River asked as most rich young people made it big, relying on their parents' money.

"Well they never needed to, as I was responsible with the money I earned from the sales of my books and I learned very quickly about how to invest that money, from some of the best in the field." Mark said, removing the mask from his face.

He then replied with a serious tone. "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime."

"It's a quote from the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism." Mark said at the end, then explained briefly how his father focused more on teaching him self-sufficiency rather than coddling him.

Keanu had a wistful look on his face as he said, "he sounds like a great guy."

Mark replied, his voice had a tone of gratitude and respect. "He truly is, I learned a great many things in my life from him. I consider myself very lucky to be his son, to have the privilege of calling such a man my father."

After smoothly arriving at the Red Lotus, they were escorted by the maître d to Mark's private booth, which was kept reserved for his exclusive use. They ordered pasta and some lasagna, wanting to try out the Italian dishes that the lotus had to offer.

The conversation turned towards what drove them to pursue their current career paths, Mark asked them about what drove them to get up in the morning, they discussed their passions, their hobbies, any shared interests.

Like how Keanu was a huge love for bikes and already had a total of four in his collection which he planned on expanding in the future. Mark mentioned how if he could get enough bikes, maybe he could even open a motorcycle museum, an idea that brought an instantaneous smile to Keanu's face.

The conversation shifted to River and how he was faring on his ongoing quest to get himself out of his slump. The answers he gave assured Mark that he was on the right track and would be ready by the time they start shooting.

After finishing their filling lunch with some delicious toffee pudding, they headed out again, this time planning to visit the Knives Out estate. His new friends wished to see just how much Mark had invested to bring his vision to life.

They wanted to see his conviction, his vision for the film he wanted to create. Mark was confident they would like the set of Knives Out. They spent the rest of the drive talkin' about their favorite book out of the ones Mark wrote.

River's personal favorites were the Invincible and The Boy's for its subverting the traditional superheroes vs supervillain trope, and breaking new grounds in the superhero genre. He really liked how it broke the cliché of superheroes always being the good guys in the story.

For Johnny, it had to be the Knives Out, as he was a sucker for a good crime thriller novel. For Keanu, it was Jurassic Park, as reading that series made him feel like he was a kid again exploring a world of such prehistoric creatures coming back to life.

They asked him about how he came up with the idea for his first book and when he started writing. He told them about how he watched Star Wars and Alien when he was 9, and it inspired him. He imagined Ben constantly in his mind and wrote it when he was 10, it's the main reason why Ben is 10 years old at the beginning of the story.

They ask him about his favorite actors currently and who he thinks might make it big in Hollywood. He told them that he is a big fan of Robert De Niro, Jack Nicholson and Al Pacino. For the upcoming actors, he said had a good feeling about all three of them.

Even though they were self-assured in their skills and talent, and had the confidence to pursue a career in the cut-throat Hollywood industry, they didn't really have a well established film portfolio yet. Well except for River, who had already been nominated for an Oscar.

When asked what made him feel that way about their chances of success in the industry. Mark just chuckled and said, "Every great actor must not only embody the character they are playing. But also charm the audience, draw their attention to themselves. The very moment you appear on-screen, they should feel like, yes, this is the protagonist."

"Now that he has arrived, everything will be alright, that charisma, that camera presence, your performance should be unforgettable. Make them want to buy another ticket just to see you on screen once again."

"And this charisma, this stage presence, is something I see in all three of you. There is obviously still a lot you three need to improve upon, but it's very possible that if you stay on your current track of success, all three of you would definitely become superstars in the future." Mark said at the end wistfully, as if sad at his conjecture.

"You said it, like that is a bad thing, Mark." Keanu said, not really understanding why Mark was sad about them potentially becoming superstars.

Mark said, carefully wording his response. "Well it's not really a bad thing per se, I want you all to make lots of money and be famous, but for that you would be selling your soul to Hollywood. You would have many restrictions placed on you, as you rise in popularity, so would the demands of your agent from the Hollywood studios."

He continued explaining. "Think about it, if you are doing a huge big budget blockbuster movie and your agent successfully negotiates for a $10 million salary. At first glance, it's good for you, as you earn $10 million before the film even finishes shooting."

"But it puts pressure on the film's budget, leading them to cut corners, which eventually leads to a substandard film being produced. And who is blamed for a failed movie, why obviously it's the person playing the main character."

"But what's worse is what comes after this." Mark said solemnly.

"What?! There's more?!" River asked after having his eyes opened to the pitfalls of Hollywood. He never really looked at the increasing salary of the actors as a problem, as he himself was benefiting from it.

"Of course there is, the worst is that after you are signed for a higher pay for one movie. You cannot get roles in movies which can only afford to pay you lower than your last salary. This limits the pool of movies you can select to take part in, maybe it's a character which resonates with you, and you would love to be in that movie, but its budget is barely $25 million."

"How would they afford to pay you $10 million, that's almost their entire filming budget and if you're thinking you would be willing to work for $3 million then you would be offending the other studios that paid you the $10 million."

"So you are trapped in a hole, you dug by yourself, and it will only get deeper. With every movie you do, your paycheck will keep increasing and so will the responsibility of success for a movie. If the movie tanks in box office now, it's your reputation on the line, not the studios."

"Is that really a responsibility you want to accept just for a couple of more millions in the bank? Or limit yourself to only do high budget blockbuster movies that never challenge you as an actor?" Mark asked them.

"Damn." Johnny and River said almost at the same time. Johnny looked at Mark and said, "I never really thought of it that way."

"But aren't we already in too deep? The fans already think of their favorite celebrities to be living a life of luxury. So it makes the actors feel like they need to maintain a certain standard of living, to live up to the people's expectations."

"So if they don't take the high salaries, how can they make enough money?" Johnny asked Mark, perplexed about his next move, as the pitfall that stars fall into, would become his problem in the near future as well.

Mark had a smile on his face, happy that he could get through to them and make them understand this problem and concept early, as it helped mitigate the risk of their career from collapsing under the weight of their burgeoning salaries.

The fact that it would allow Mark to keep hiring them for only a fraction of the cost that it would take him if they chose to go down their original path was only a happy accident. Another one of his little plans beautifully executed, with none being the wiser.

He said, "Well, this problem could be easily avoided if you only charged a small fee upfront like say $5 million and then charged a certain percentage of the box office as your reward. Then your earnings would be tied with the success of the movie and nobody could call you greedy as that would be a well-earned reward for making the movie such a big success."

"This would allow you to keep your options open and even go play a role in a small indie movie if you wanted to. You would get to enjoy complete freedom of choice and as well be earning big dollars if the movie becomes a hit at the box office." Mark explained to them his idea of escaping the trap that had been laid out by the talent management companies and the big studios.

"Wow, that's really smart, Mark." Keanu said after pondering on the solution that Mark presented them.

"Well, you can use it if you like, but please do not bring my name into this. As I really don't want to be targeted by the Studios and the talent management companies of Hollywood so early on in my career." Mark requested with a joking smile.

They knew Mark was joking, but it could make trouble for him, so they promised to keep their mouths shut.

Mark then told them something else they hadn't thought about. "And it's not like the actor salaries you get for the movies is the only way you can earn money. You can also endorse brands, act in ads and become a spokesperson for an organization. There are many different ways for a public figure who is as famous as you to earn money."

"Also, just earning money isn't enough. You should also look into how to invest that money properly so that it will grow over time and give you the financial freedom that you dream to have." He then explained to them how he invested his money and easily doubled it in 5 years.

"Woah, Mark, are you like some kind of genius who is just generally great at everything they do?" Johnny asked, cracking a joke to lighten the mood.

"Well, I don't think I am great at everything I do, but yeah, I have tested high enough on the various IQ tests to be certified as a genius. But I don't think that intelligence can be measured accurately, so it's all inconclusive. I can say that I am definitely smarter than an average person."

"Are you trying to be humble?" River asked him in an exasperated tone.

"Nope." Mark said, popping the P, "just honest."

"And I see we have finally arrived." Mark said gratefully, wanting to shift the topic. He really wasn't good at accepting compliments.

"It was a good conversation, but now I must bedazzle you with this set that nearly took me 3 years and over $9 million to build. It's worth every dime, though, I swear." Mark said with a happy smile.

"Come, come, there's lots to see." Mark said, leading them into the Thrombey family house.

Johnny and River couldn't keep them from being charmed by the beauty of the house. They agreed with Mark's admission that it truly was worth every dime. The rooms looked like they had been lived in, the decor was immaculate, everything seemed like it belonged there.

If they hadn't been told that this is a film set, they would have never guessed that it was. Sets were supposed to be fake, just an imitation trying to look as real as possible, but here was Mark who spent over a third of his film budget on building a set from the ground up.

This to them showed his passion and conviction for his work. Seeing the set allowed them to take a step into Mark's vision of the world of Knives Out that he was trying to create, and what a wonderful world they found it to be.

"I regret not being able to even try to be a part of the film." Keanu said with a sad look on his face. Being able to do a film alongside two of his best friends would have such a good opportunity.

"Hmm," Mark, thought to himself and then said, "well if you want I could add you in the film but only as a minor side character though you would have some screen time but no dialogues if that is alright with you. Sorry, but the script has already been finalized. I cannot make any big changes."

"It's alright, but are you sure it won't cause you any problems to give me a minor role in the movie? If you can, I would love to appear on-screen with my friends." Keanu asked, not wanting to get Mark in trouble.

"Well, I am the director as well as the executive producer of the movie, so my word is final. Of course, I can give you a minor role, it's no big deal, don't worry about it. Just tell me when you will have some free time, so we can shoot your scenes as well with the other extras." Mark replied, waving off his concern as he took them to the room where the Knives Out chair was placed.

It looked more regal than in the original movie, it was a special piece intricately hand carved from Oak wood with holes over the back where dozens of prop knives big and small were inserted. He had taken inspiration from the image of the iron throne from the book A song of ice and fire.

"Bloody hell, it's even better than what I imagined in my head." Johnny said, in awe of the magnificent piece of furniture.

"That's the best compliment you could have given, thank you." Mark said with a bow. He stepped forward and sat on the regal chair, he looked at three future superstars in front of him and said, "this is it, this is where you both get to tell the world -

I AM HERE, this is your moment to shine, to grab onto the audience's heart and make them fall in love with the charm of Benoit Blanc and hate the insidiousness of Ransom. Are you both ready to face the music?" Mark asked with a confident grin on his face.

Johnny and River had an excited look on his, after almost a year of stagnation River finally felt his passion and love for acting and films had been reignited. He was prepared to give it his all and show a different side to audiences.

Johnny couldn't wait for the filming to start, this was going to be his big break. He was going to create waves, he was confident. Mark would give him the opportunity to explore the charm of Benoit Blanc and present it to the world. When an actor had a director who gave them so much creative freedom, what more could an actor ask for.

They both glanced at each other, then looked at Mark with a confident grin. "We are." "Of course." they said together.

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{Author's Note: I know some people might think that not much really happened in this chapter and if they skip paragraphs or gloss over details then yeah not much really happened. But this chapter is the foundation for Mark's friendship with the trio of future superstars that will be featured on most of his future films.

Once again, thanks for reading my work. I am entirely motivated by interaction, suggestions and feedback. So please leave a comment or review and I will probably write faster.

If you like my work please throw a power stone my way so my book can climb the rankings. Slurp some nice ramen and I hope you all have a beautiful day.

Update schedule for this book: 1 chapter every 2 days.}