**Chapter 131: The Deal**

The final scene of *Taken*.

Bang!

In the cruise ship's room, a large man with a round face holds a sharp curved knife to the throat of the heroine, Kim.

The hero, Bryan, aims his gun at the man.

The tension is palpable.

"Maybe we can–"

Bang!

Before the man could finish his sentence, Bryan shoots without hesitation.

"Dad!"

Kim gasps, calling out softly.

"Kim!"

Agent Bryan lowers his gun.

"Dad, you came to save me."

Kim cries out.

"Yes, I told you I would come."

"Dad!"

Kim throws herself into Bryan's arms, sobbing.

**The end.**

In a massive mansion in Beverly Hills, Cruise sets down the script, contemplating for a moment before saying:

"It's a great story. Very unique."

"Thank you!"

On the opposite couch, Luca replies modestly.

The person sitting before him is a superstar, always busy with countless things. Taking time during his lunch break to read the script was already a big gesture.

Cruise sets the script down, patting the cover. It's a thick script, over a hundred pages, with solid content and a lot of sincerity.

"You wrote this entire director's storyboard script yourself?"

Noticing the redness in Luca's eyes, Tom Cruise raises an eyebrow, slightly surprised.

"Yes."

"You want to be a director?"

"I've thought about it, but not for this one. This is a big production, and I don't have that ability."

"Haha, you know your limits well."

Tom Cruise chuckles softly.

Luca smiles slightly. If this movie were shot according to the script, it would require at least a $20 million investment. If Cruise starred in it, the investment would need to be even larger. With no directing experience, Luca knew he couldn't handle an A-list production like this.

"Luca, your script is pretty good, above the standard. Our company would like to buy it. What's your asking price?"

Cruise asks calmly, looking at him.

Luca thought for a moment, "I'm fine with selling the rights, but I have a small request."

"Go ahead."

"I hope this movie can be released within four years."

"Why?"

Because this movie was originally released in 2009, it needed to be made soon. But, of course, he couldn't say that.

Shrugging, he explained, "This script is my passion project, and I'd like to see it on the screen as soon as possible. Plus, Mr. Cruise, you're a superstar with no shortage of scripts. If it isn't made within four years, I fear it never will be. I don't want my hard work to be shelved."

"That's reasonable."

Cruise nodded. "We can include that in the contract."

"Thank you!"

Luca breathed a sigh of relief.

"Anything else?"

Cruise asked again.

Luca shook his head. "The rest can follow the standard buyout contract. I have no other issues."

Cruise was a bit surprised. The value of a storyboard script and a regular script is worlds apart.

This storyboard script was very mature. In the hands of a veteran action star, it could be worth $500,000.

But if sold as a script from a new writer, he'd be lucky to get $100,000, or even less.

Interesting!

Cruise eyed him for a moment. "Luca, when this movie gets the green light, I hope you'll come on board as an executive writer."

"Sure!"

Being a writer on a big project is valuable experience, so there was no reason to refuse.

"Mr. Cruise, I need to head back to New York this afternoon. My agent will handle the contract details."

After a few more pleasantries, Luca grabbed his hat and stood up.

"Back to New York?"

Cruise suddenly smirked, his expression intriguing.

"Luca, I heard someone stole your role in your new project?"

"Mr. Cruise pays attention to such small matters?"

Luca paused, asking with a hint of surprise.

Cruise smiled and told his assistant, "Helena, give Adam a call and tell him Luca is my friend."

"Got it!"

Assistant Helena left the room to make the call.

Luca was a little taken aback.

The superstar was offering to help him.

Cruise's production company, Cruise-Wagner Productions, was a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures.

The two companies had collaborated for over a decade, earning more than $2.5 billion globally at the box office. From *Top Gun* to the *Mission Impossible* series, their partnership was rock-solid.

Tom Cruise was essentially the face of Paramount.

There were rumors of a close personal friendship between him and Paramount's chairman, Sherry Lansing.

If Cruise wanted to help, it would surely succeed.

But was this help part of the script deal? Or were there other strings attached? Joining a secret club? Something shady?

Luca felt a bit uneasy.

"Mr. Cruise, thank you."

Luca accepted the favor, leaving Cruise's mansion with a mix of gratitude and uncertainty.

In the mansion's living room, Cruise squinted his eyes, staring quietly at the script on the table.

"Tom, do you really believe in this young man?"

A while later, assistant Helena walked in and asked.

"Yes."

Tom Cruise picked up the script from the table and said casually, "This young man is talented, smart, hardworking, mature, and knows his boundaries. He reminds me of myself when I was young."

Helena twitched her lips. Boss, are you sure you're not just complimenting yourself?

"Over twenty years ago, when I was about his age, I worked as a small actor on Gregory Peck's set. Mr. Peck gave me a chance. Now I'm giving Luca a chance to see what he becomes."

Helena had heard this story before.

Rumor had it that when Cruise was young, he played a small role in Peck's movie *The Sea Wolf*. During an accident, Peck's assistant was injured and couldn't continue. Cruise volunteered to step in for the role, and Peck gave him the opportunity.

"If Luca knew this, he'd be very grateful."

Helena praised.

Cruise shook his head slightly, thinking of another reason he hadn't mentioned.

Luca had excellent looks and great acting potential. He was the most impressive young man Cruise had seen in years. Someone worth investing in.

He didn't mind giving Luca a push before he became a star.

Plus, at 21, Luca wasn't a threat to his roles, though he might be for other actors. Hollywood was about to get more exciting.

"No need for gratitude. He's worth the investment."

Cruise patted the script and said, "He's talented, ambitious, and knows how to seize opportunities. I didn't expect much from his script, but he surprised me with this impressive and sincere work. Actually, it's a fully realized director's script. If filmed according to this storyboard, it could make for a very good movie."

"Is the movie that good?"

Helena asked curiously.

Cruise nodded, flipping through the script. "I've read over a hundred spy-type scripts in recent years, but none compare to this *Taken* script. It's full of intense suspense, thrilling fight scenes, high-speed chases, high-tech tracking, and espionage. At its core, it's about the bond between a father and daughter."

"The character Bryan also appeals to me. I'm getting older, and I'm no longer suited for the cool, flashy roles. I need something more mature."

"Tom, will you start this project next?"

"No rush. I'll finish *Collateral* first."

With that, Cruise continued reading the script.

(End of Chapter)