Chapter 63 - Familiar Faces

"My agent? Carl?" Ethan leaned on the table and said, "I heard he works under Executive Vice President Edinson Thorn."

"Edinson? I see." Currently, CAA's president has two executive VPs beneath them, each of whom has a few executive vice presidents under them.

Edinson and Brady happen to be rivals under the same executive VP. Originally, this management structure at CAA was meant to better expand business. However, as the film market share has become more fixed, it has gradually turned into a situation where higher-ups engage in mutual blame and internal conflicts.

Stealing clients and projects has become a common practice. Of course, these issues are mainly within the high-level management. The external clients and stars are often oblivious, while employees can sometimes feel the tension.

For now, the competition remains healthy, but in Ethan's view, Brady's contract was clearly not offered to just him alone. He must have cast a wide net, using the same lines to deceive new directors within the company. After all, you can never fully trust the intentions of a capitalist.

So, Ethan decided to change his alignment: "Jimmy, come here. I need you to do something for me."

"Sure, tell me." Jimmy leaned in, and after hearing Ethan's instructions, he was taken aback. "Are you sure he'll get it?"

"Of course, they're not fools." Ethan waved his hand. "Just tell Carl these words; he'll come looking for me soon enough."

"Alright!" Jimmy readily agreed. He no longer takes gigs through CAA because working for someone else isn't as satisfying as working for his own company. Plus, given his level, he couldn't really make a name for himself at CAA.

However, his agent Carl had never complained about him, partly because he and Jimmy got along well, and partly because Carl knew that Jimmy and Ethan were close, with a faint hope of convincing Ethan to change sides.

Jimmy left the office and called Carl on his phone.

"Hello... Carl, are you busy?"

"No, I'm just relaxing and having some tea." Carl, a Brit, found drinking tea to be the most relaxing part of his day.

"How did things get like this, mate? Haven't you picked up any new directors? Look at Mike," Jimmy leaned against the stair railing, smiling.

Hearing that, Carl let out a raspy laugh. "Hah, that guy Mike is ambitious. I'm different; I'd rather sunbathe in my backyard."

"Oh, so relaxed. If Mike heard that, he'd mock you…"

"Come on, Mike's just insatiable. If I had someone like Ethan under my belt, I wouldn't need anyone else. Serving just him would make me rich!"

Carl grumbled, and Jimmy could hear the slurping of tea on the other end.

CAA has many agents, and there are plenty of peripheral agents like Carl. Mike, on the other hand, used to be a mid-tier agent, and it was only after Ethan became successful that he became a core agent under Brady.

"Maybe, but I hear Ethan's been unhappy with Mike lately. He's too busy to even return calls…"

"Wait, really?" Carl choked, sounding eager.

"Of course. Why would I lie? But I just heard him complain about it when we were drinking. I don't know the details… but since Avril, Ethan hasn't had any new projects."

"No way," Carl couldn't believe that Mike would let Ethan sit idle. With a hotshot director like that, it was impossible for no one to be interested!

"It's true, but I don't know the specifics. Anyway, I'll stop talking…"

Jimmy soon steered the conversation elsewhere, continuing to chat with Carl.

Meanwhile, Ethan had made his way to a bar where he met up with Raymond and the others.

"Hey! Long time no see!" Raymond's style had completely changed. He wore sunglasses, a black sequin jacket over a white T-shirt, and his belly showed a slight curve, indicating that his comfortable lifestyle had changed both his mental and physical states.

When he saw Ethan, he stood up to hug him, then patted the sofa next to him, "Sit here!"

"Hey, man!"

"Good evening, Ethan!" "Long time no see."

The others greeted Ethan warmly, much different from the first time they met.

As Ethan sat down, he noticed that Big Mac and Little B had also changed their looks; Little B even had some gold rings tied into his dreadlocks, which made Ethan feel the urge to pull them off.

Then he saw Davis, but this time he was with a familiar face.

"Akadi?" Ethan raised an eyebrow. Wasn't she supposed to be discovered by a talent scout to star in movies?

"That's right. The agent turned out to be a sleaze who wanted her to act in adult films." Raymond shrugged. "Luckily, Davis got there in time and beat him up."

Davis and Akadi snuggled sweetly together, oblivious to everyone else.

"Wow, saving the damsel in distress. Nice." Ethan raised his glass to toast Raymond. Just then, he heard a flush from the restroom, and Badman came out, smoking a cigar.

"Badman, how have you been these past few months?"

Badman blew out some smoke and grinned. "Long time no see. Look at me; can't you tell how things are? I've lost weight!"

Raymond and the others had been performing at various bars and venues, earning more money but working harder. They'd also encountered trouble along the way; Big Mac's missing finger was evidence of a rough journey.

Ethan chose not to bring up those tough experiences. They were back in New York now, their familiar territory. With the money Raymond had made from his songs, they could easily live it up for a few years.

As for why not a lifetime?

Come on, what rapper lives a peaceful life? Especially someone like Raymond, who grew up on the streets and in gangs. Getting shot someday wouldn't be a surprise.

Maybe they themselves had a live-for-the-moment mentality, which is why Ethan learned during the conversation that Raymond had bought a mansion, three sports cars, and a yacht.

And that was just a portion of his purchases. He'd also splurged on shoes, clothes, and gold chains beyond count.

According to Big Mac, Raymond even had an 80-square-meter room full of shoes. Ethan couldn't help but marvel at Raymond's spending habits, wondering if it was some kind of cultural trait.

After the surprise, Ethan chatted with Badman about Fess

Badman had only learned of Fess outrageous actions later on. But since Ethan hadn't been hurt, Badman simply offered a few comforting words on Fess's behalf.

Ethan and the others drank until the evening. When they pulled out some weed, Ethan took it as his cue to leave.

Tomorrow was the cigarette brand's ad competition, which Ethan was determined to win. It was the perfect opportunity to prove that Supreme Creative's success wasn't just a flash in the pan.

The cigarette brand's ad budget might not be the biggest in the tobacco industry, but for Ethan and his team, it was substantial: $250,000 a year, with three-year contracts worth $750,000 in total.

Such annual agreements weren't common, and each one was worth seizing. Along with contracts from Kerr's Baked Beans and Heinz, Supreme Creative would have a stable income of $500,000 annually over the next three years, even after taxes.

That's real cash flow Ethan could use to expand his company or for personal enjoyment.

He held the majority of the dividends anyway.

And this was just the beginning. Once Supreme Creative's reputation spread, those big corporations wouldn't turn down a company that could boost sales.

So, Ethan had been making some preparations for it.

...

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