Chapter 145: The Powerful Opponent

A private club in the Chelsea district of London.

Albert Hoffman escorted a brown-haired man and a black-haired man to the door and said to the brown-haired man, "Mr. Albert, Director Spielberg's invitation is very sincere. DreamWorks can provide you with a broader platform to truly showcase your talents. Everyone at DreamWorks eagerly awaits your joining."

Alan Albert smiled slightly and said, "I need some time to consider."

"Of course," Albert Hoffman also smiled, "I hope you make your decision soon."

He then turned to Danny Donald, the black-haired man, and his eyes involuntarily twitched before he put on a respectful demeanor, "Mr. Donald, DreamWorks also looks forward to your joining."

"Thank you," Danny Donald said politely.

Having experienced similar situations since childhood, Danny Donald could sense that Albert Hoffman had a peculiar look in his eyes. Although Hoffman concealed it well, the feeling was unmistakable.

Danny Donald didn't say much more. As a second-generation immigrant, he had encountered such things too many times, although it was always uncomfortable.

Alan Albert and Danny Donald took their leave.

Returning to the club, Albert Hoffman whispered to a person approaching him, "Keep an eye on Alan Albert. If he meets any senior executives from other Hollywood companies, inform me immediately."

"Yes," the person quickly left the club.

Sitting in the club's lobby, Albert Hoffman reflected on the conversation. He had expressed DreamWorks' sincerity and showcased the confidence of a top Hollywood company, handling it very appropriately.

In the parking lot outside the club, a plain-looking man sat in the driver's seat, watching as Alan Albert and Danny Donald approached and got into a car. He took out a pen and notebook, quickly jotting down notes.

The car drove out of the parking lot, but the man remained, keeping an eye on the club entrance as instructed by his employer to find out who Alan Albert and Danny Donald were meeting.

On the main road, Danny Donald asked, "Alan, are you going to accept DreamWorks' invitation?"

"Let's not respond for now," Alan Albert said. "Before coming here, I received calls from Tom Cruise and Chris from Sony. Michael Davenport from Relativity Entertainment wants to meet us."

"Relativity Entertainment?" The name sounded unfamiliar to Danny Donald.

Alan Albert briefly explained, "The company that distributed 'The Purge,' 'The Blair Witch Project,' and 'Final Destination.'"

Danny Donald nodded, "Sounds impressive."

Alan Albert said, "It's not comparable to DreamWorks, but if Tom Cruise is willing to introduce them, they must have some clout." He smiled, "At least better than Red Bus."

Danny Donald turned the car onto another road, saying, "Red Bus only has distribution capabilities in the UK, not as strong as Polygram Films."

Alan Albert adjusted his seatbelt, "So, Red Bus is our last choice." He asked, "What do you think of DreamWorks and Hoffman?"

"Well... how to put it," Danny Donald didn't have a good impression of Hoffman, "Hoffman didn't leave a good feeling. As for DreamWorks, the company is large, they are very confident, almost making it seem like we should be grateful for their invitation."

Alan Albert waved his hand, "That's an overstatement. A big company naturally has its confidence. That Hoffman... Danny, the larger environment is something we can't change. Some things are better left unseen."

Danny Donald sighed, "He acts as Spielberg's agent, clearly one of his trusted aides. I worry about the future... Who wouldn't want to work in a more comfortable environment?"

Alan Albert gently patted his old friend's shoulder but didn't know what to say.

As it got dark early in London during winter, the man who had escorted Alan Albert and Danny Donald earlier got into a taxi, and the plain-faced man quickly followed in his car. The taxi stopped in front of a bar, and the man entered the bar.

The plain-faced man waited for a while and then entered the bar, noticing the man already sitting at the bar counter, chatting warmly with two attractive bar girls.

Without drawing attention, the plain-faced man also sat at the bar. Since there was someone between them and the music was loud, he couldn't clearly hear the conversation.

He caught bits and pieces, "DreamWorks... actor... I can get you into the crew."

Before long, the two bar girls left with the man and got into a taxi heading to a nearby hotel.

The plain-faced man followed, cursing under his breath that the man, in his forties or fifties, was taking two girls at once.

To his further annoyance, the next evening, the same man returned to the bar and picked up another attractive girl.

However, the plain-faced man learned through indirect inquiries that the man was from Los Angeles and managed to attract the bar girls by promising to help them get roles in a DreamWorks production being filmed in the UK.

"I'm certain," the plain-faced man said, sitting opposite Michael Davenport. "He's from DreamWorks in Los Angeles."

Michael looked at the stack of documents handed to him, smiling, "Keen, thank you for the information."

He had arrived a day later than planned because Universal Pictures had officially announced the acquisition of Polygram Films Entertainment Company.

The plain-faced man, named Keen, smiled back, "You pay, I work. It's only right."

Michael didn't bother with pleasantries, setting the documents down, "Continue keeping an eye on him, and I'll pay your salary as usual."

"No problem," Keen agreed without hesitation.

After discussing for a while, Michael confirmed that Alan Albert and Danny Donald had not reached an agreement with DreamWorks. Keen then excused himself to continue his work.

Soon, a lawyer friend of Diana's from the London branch delivered detailed information about Alan Albert and Danny Donald to Michael at the Hilton Hotel in London.

Expressing his gratitude, Michael carefully reviewed the documents, which contained extensive details, such as Alan Albert being a die-hard Manchester United fan and Danny Donald enjoying tea.

Interestingly, Danny Donald turned out to be of Chinese descent.

No one had mentioned this before, likely overlooking the fact, including Michael, as Danny Donald's name sounded very Western.

Could this be a breakthrough point?

Michael instinctively thought so, but considering his current identity and appearance, simply relying on Danny Donald's Chinese heritage wasn't enough.

Arriving in London, Michael confirmed that Alan Albert and Danny Donald hadn't reached an agreement with DreamWorks. After Chris scheduled a meeting with them for the next morning, Michael focused on studying their files.

Both Keen's investigative office and Diana's friends in London provided extensive information, making the upcoming work more targeted.

Robert, reviewing the documents with Michael, remarked, "These two have an unusual relationship. Alan Albert and Danny Donald graduated from the same university and were good friends since then. Due to his ethnicity, Danny Donald faced many troubles, and Alan Albert always stood up for him."

Michael was looking at a document about the DreamWorks individual, noting the photos Keen had taken. "Continue."

Robert added, "After graduation, both joined Polygram Records, then transferred to Polygram Films. They quickly rose to middle management and, since 1992, have established a film distribution channel based on Polygram Records' distribution network, overseeing Polygram Films' distribution to this day. Their influence is significant among Polygram's worldwide film distribution staff."

Michael nodded, estimating that Universal Pictures would soon announce the dismissal of most Polygram Films employees. Securing these two would essentially secure the distribution team.

"Do you have any useful information?" Robert asked.

Michael handed over the documents, pointing to the top photo, "I know this person, Albert Hoffman from DreamWorks. He received me when I sought distribution for 'The Purge' over a year ago."

Robert examined the photo and documents, suddenly exclaiming, "This guy is impressive. He's been picking up girls at the same bar every night since arriving in London."

Michael had seen this too, "He has significant power at DreamWorks."

Movie company executives often found it easy to attract girls with dreams of acting.

Robert asked, "Is DreamWorks our opponent?"

"And the British Red Bus Film Company," Michael slowly said, "This company is very small, much weaker than Polygram Films. If Alan Albert and Danny Donald have any ambition, they won't choose a small company like Red Bus."

He frowned slightly, "Our company is only slightly larger than Red Bus, but we have the Hollywood halo."

This was Michael's main concern. Compared to the massive DreamWorks, Relativity Entertainment and Embassy Films were much smaller.

How could he persuade these two to choose Embassy Films over DreamWorks?

Michael pondered as he reviewed the documents, recalling all the information about DreamWorks he had come across in his past life, hoping to find something useful.

Following a night of research and contemplation, Michael, with Chris's introduction, met Alan Albert and Danny Donald the next morning.