Chapter 617

Charles really regretted missing the movie The King's Speech. That Harvey Weinstein guy actually had good taste sometimes.

Now, MGM struck it lucky since Weinstein's distributive partner was MGM, which used to be an independent film company. But now, being acquired by Comcast, it became part of a media conglomerate!

Inside a suite bathroom at the Ritz-Carlton in Toronto, Charles held Lin Chi-ling in the bathtub.

"That movie Buried, it's basically a one-man show. Can it even make any money?" Lin Chi-ling had watched the movie with Charles earlier in the day.

"When you watched it, didn't you feel tense? The plot had quite a pull. Despite the simple settings, the director used props like a phone and a lighter. Along with the actor's performance, it felt pretty urgent and suspenseful," Charles said, his hands on her chest.

"Yeah, it was indeed thrilling; it gave me a lot of pressure," Lin Chi-ling replied, then kissed Charles.

...

This year's Toronto International Film Festival was a complete failure for both Lin Chi-ling and Charles. Charles even felt down after seeing The King's Speech.

Lin Chi-ling went straight back to Beijing while Charles visited the Capet production base in Montreal before returning to Los Angeles.

The California governor candidate was working hard to campaign. Charles gave his full support to Jerry Brown.

In downtown Los Angeles at the InterContinental hotel, a low-key ball was in progress. Apart from celebrities and businesspeople, many guests were California legislators and officials!

"What's the city council's attitude towards selling Dodger Stadium?" Charles Capet asked Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

"The city's finances aren't great right now. If the price is right, the government would prefer to sell its shares in Dodger Stadium to recover some funds," Antonio Villaraigosa knew that Charles Capet wanted to acquire the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the stadium's ownership was held by the city government.

Frank McCourt, the owner of the Dodgers, didn't own Dodger Stadium!

Charles nodded, "Whether it's the ownership of Dodger Stadium or the Dodgers, CSE hopes to have them both. Frank McCourt has failed miserably in managing the Dodgers. I hope we can continue to pressure him through public opinion!"

"I understand. The Dodgers' finances aren't doing well, and Frank McCourt is also facing some personal issues. I believe the citizens of Los Angeles don't want to see the Dodgers go under," Antonio Villaraigosa looked at Charles again and reminded him, "The Dodgers' loans from Wells Fargo and Bank of America are about to mature. Maybe we can work from that angle."

"In November," Charles smiled, "Let the bullet fly a bit."

...

Near the coast of Los Angeles, on the yacht Star, Charles was gasping for air in the bathtub with Britney Spears and Megan Fox. Both Britney Spears and Megan Fox were flushed, leaning weakly against the edge of the bathtub!

Taking advantage of Britney Spears' stay in Los Angeles after attending the MTV Awards, Charles also brought in Megan Fox, who had just finished filming Transformers 3. After sleeping together, the friendship between the women deepened significantly!

"How does it feel?" Britney Spears leaned into Charles' arms, "Dreams fulfilled, right?"

Charles smiled, pulling Britney in for a kiss, "Very nice," then he brought Megan Fox into his arms too.

After kissing Charles' chest, Megan Fox asked, "Charles, I heard you ordered a superyacht in Bremen, Germany?"

Charles nodded, "Yes, it'll take two or three years to deliver. Let's wait patiently!"

"When it's ready, the three of us can go sailing in the Caribbean or the Mediterranean. Such a big yacht could even go around the world," Megan Fox was quite excited, probably because of her experience filming Transformers. Megan had a high fondness for sports cars, but a superyacht was something else entirely - no one could dislike it.

"Of course, that's no problem. We can travel anywhere," Charles said, looking at Britney, "Right now, our record company should be doing fine, right?"

"Lady Gaga is unstoppable in album sales, concerts, and various music award shows. She's absolutely the focus!" Britney smiled as she spoke. Capet Records was now a gathering place for new-generation female singers. With Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and pop king Michael Jackson, they were dominating the scene.

"Lady Gaga's fashion sense is peculiar, but it sure grabs attention," Megan Fox chimed in.

"It doesn't matter as long as she can write and sing," Charles stroked his chin. The record industry wasn't booming, but Capet Records had laid the groundwork for music streaming early on, and their investment in Spotify was doing well!

Going forward, Capet Records would undoubtedly focus on music rights. Charles pondered whether to spin off Capet Records from the group but decided to wait until Capet Global went public.

...

Washington, D.C., the White House.

Obama was having a chat with Pete Rouse, who would soon become the White House Chief of Staff, in the Oval Office.

"Rahm Emanuel is out. He won't win as the mayor of Chicago. The Daley family has found a new candidate," Obama said calmly as if talking about a trivial matter.

"Rahm Emanuel is Jewish. Doesn't that make it more complicated?" Pete Rouse, an experienced politician, was well aware of these nuances.

Obama shook his head, "My favorable policies towards Jews have already upset many people. Additionally, Jewish capital has become quite arrogant. The financial market and media industry have traditionally been Jewish strongholds. The global financial crisis exposed the greed of Jewish capital. Moreover, over the past decade, Hollywood has seen the rise of a genius, Charles Capet. Now, Capet's influence in Hollywood is growing, which makes the path for Jewish capital more difficult. Who would've thought Charles Capet could also handle the financial world?"

Pete Rouse nodded, "I also studied Charles Capet. Calling him someone kissed by Jesus wouldn't be an exaggeration. He seems to have connections with the Daley family!"

Obama sighed, "It's not just the Daley family. Most of California's political families have received his support. The primary reason Rahm Emanuel won't become Chicago's mayor is because of his conflict with Charles Capet. The Daley family chose to abandon Emanuel to align with Capet."

"With wealth and media influence," Pete Rouse found it tricky, "who can beat Hollywood at manipulating the media?"

"He's not even 30, and he already has such immense wealth and status. In ten more years..." Obama couldn't bear to imagine it. By then, he'd be retired; what would a 40-year-old Charles Capet be like?

"Sir, building a good relationship with Charles Capet is crucial for us!" Pete Rouse said earnestly.

"Don't worry, I understand," Obama nodded.

*****

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