Chapter 147
Susan chuckled and said, “Anyway, I still have to thank you. If you need any help in the future, feel free to ask.”
Mr. Witt was about to decline, but remembering a predicament he was facing, his expression changed and he couldn’t help but say, “Mrs. Landor, I’m sorry, but I actually do have a favor to ask. Could I perhaps have a way to contact you?”
Susan was momentarily taken aback.
Mr. Witt was indeed a character.
Usually, people would offer a polite refusal to such a proposition, even if just as a formality.
But this director agreed immediately.
Some might find Mr. Witt’s approach a bit too forward, but Susan found herself appreciating his straightforward nature. Smiling, she handed over her contact information.
With her contact details in hand, Mr. Witt walked away, quite pleased.
“I’m off to get ready,” Theresa said to Susan with a smile.
“Good luck!” Susan cheered her on, playfully waving her fist.
Susan had spent the entire day at the filming site.
Initially, she assumed it would be a rather dull experience, but to her surprise, she found herself quite engrossed, particularly captivated by Rose’s performance.
It was so dazzling that even as a woman, she couldn’t get enough of watching her.
By the time they wrapped up the advertisement shooting, it was already evening.
Mr. Witt was extremely satisfied with the footage they’d captured. Turning to Theresa, he mentioned, “I’ll send this off for post–production. In all likelihood, everything should be fine. But just in case we need to reshoot any scenes, we’ll need your cooperation.”
“Of course,” Theresa agreed with a smile, which brought a grin to Mr. Witt’s face.
With business matters concluded, Mr. Witt cast a glance at Susan and Theresa standing
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together. An idea struck him, and he couldn’t resist asking, “Mrs. Landor, I was wondering if you’re free tonight. May I invite you to dinner?”
Susan blinked.
Mr. Witt was quite the eager beaver.
He had just mentioned needing her help, and now he couldn’t hold back his impatience.
Since she had no other plans, she accepted the invitation with a smile.
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Feeling elated, Mr. Witt then turned to Theresa to ask, “Miss Rose, are you also available? Would you like to join us for dinner?”
“Me?” Theresa paused, taken aback.
“I may need Miss Rose’s assistance with something as well,” Mr. Witt added, slightly sheepish.
Mr. Witt, a renowned figure in the industry, had a pleasant collaboration with them this time. Theresa didn’t see any reason to decline the dinner invitation.
Hence, the trio set off to dine together.
Mr. Witt promptly reserved a private dining room in the seven–star hotel where they were filming the advertisement.
While they waited for their dishes to arrive, he couldn’t contain his enthusiasm any longer.
“Mrs. Landor, to be honest, I have a film project in mind. I wonder if you would be interested in investing in it?” he asked, unable to hold back.
“A film project?” Susan was somewhat bewildered. “I’m completely unfamiliar with this realm.”
Mr. Witt hurriedly explained, “It’s quite simple, really. You provide the financial backing, I handle the film–making, and once the movie turns a profit, you’ll get a share of the earnings!”
Susan raised an eyebrow. But what if the movie tanked? Her investment would go down the drain.
Although Mr. Witt had just assisted her, she couldn’t just throw her money into a
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bottomless pit.
Realizing his hastiness, Mr. Witt quickly reassured her, “Mrs. Landor, I didn’t mean to pressure you into investing. I merely wished to introduce this project to you. Whether or not you choose to invest is entirely up to you. I was just hoping for an opportunity to discuss it with you directly.”
Mr. Witt seemed genuinely earnest, which left Susan in a bit of a dilemma. “But Mr. Witt, as far as I know, every movie you’ve directed has been a box office hit. There should be plenty of people eager to invest, right?”
A trace of melancholy crossed Mr. Witt’s face. “Indeed, my commercial films have always done well at the box office. If this were another commercial project, I wouldn’t be so
worried.”
“So, this is a…?” Susan ventured cautiously.
“It’s an art film,” Mr. Witt replied with a pained expression. “I’m not sure how familiar you are with my work, Mrs. Landor. Last year, I made a commercial film that grossed nearly 400 million dollars at the box office, bringing in substantial profits for the investors. Buoyed by their trust in me, many invested in my next project, an art film, which cost 40 million to make. Unfortunately, it only made 10 million dollars at the box office,”
He continued with a heavy heart, “All the investors suffered massive losses, to the point of losing their shirts. Now, nobody is willing to back me for another high–budget art film this
year.”
And that was the crux of the matter.
If he were making a commercial film, investors would be lining up.
However, the mere mention of an art film saw potential backers scattering in the wind.
Mr. Witt had artistic aspirations, and he wasn’t content with just making blockbuster popcorn flicks. He yearned to create a truly memorable masterpiece.
Thus, he was determined to start another art film project.
But now he faced a significant hurdle…
Not a single person was willing to invest, and the projected budget was even higher than his last film!
Even if he wanted to dig into his own pockets, he simply couldn’t afford it.
After facing repeated rejections from various quarters, he thought of approaching Susan, hoping for a change of luck.
“How much are we talking about in terms of investment for this art film?” Susan queried.
“At least 60 million dollars,” Mr. Witt stated unequivocally.
Susan was dumbfounded.
No wonder he was struggling to secure funding.
A 60–million–dollar investment was massive, requiring a box office gross of at least 200 million just to break even.
But the problem was that it was an art film.
Art films generally vie for awards rather than box office hits.
The very phrase “art film” often implies critical acclaim but not commercial success.
To think an art film could rake in 200 million dollars at the box office, that would be a pipe dream!
“Mrs. Landor, my work here is truly special,” Mr. Witt said anxiously. “Look, I’ve brought the script with me. Take it home and give it a read. If it piques your interest, give me a call. If not, I promise not to bother you again.”
With that, he handed over a script.
Susan took it graciously, promising, “Alright, I’ll give it a thorough read.”
Mr. Witt then handed another copy to Theresa.
“Me?” Theresa seemed perplexed. “I don’t have that much money to invest.”
Over the years, all the money she had earned was sunk into buying properties, leaving her with little cash at hand.
“Miss Austin, I’m inviting you to play the lead role,” Mr. Witt said, his gaze fixed earnestly on her. “This script embodies 10 years of my hard work! Initially, I had reservations about the project’s success. But if you take on the lead role, I’m 80% confident that this film will
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Even if he wanted to dig into his own pockets, he simply couldn’t afford it.
After facing repeated rejections from various quarters, he thought of approaching Susan, hoping for a change of luck.
“How much are we talking about in terms of investment for this art film?” Susan queried.
“At least 60 million dollars,” Mr. Witt stated unequivocally.
Susan was dumbfounded.
No wonder he was struggling to secure funding.
A 60–million–dollar investment was massive, requiring a box office gross of at least 200 million just to break even.
But the problem was that it was an art film.
Art films generally vie for awards rather than box office hits.
The very phrase “art film” often implies critical acclaim but not commercial success.
To think an art film could rake in 200 million dollars at the box office, that would be a pipe dream!
“Mrs. Landor, my work here is truly special,” Mr. Witt said anxiously. “Look, I’ve brought the script with me. Take it home and give it a read. If it piques your interest, give me a call. If not, I promise not to bother you again.”
With that, he handed over a script.
Susan took it graciously, promising, “Alright, I’ll give it a thorough read.”
Mr. Witt then handed another copy to Theresa.
“Me?” Theresa seemed perplexed. “I don’t have that much money to invest.”
Over the years, all the money she had earned was sunk into buying properties, leaving her with little cash at hand.
“Miss Austin, I’m inviting you to play the lead role,” Mr. Witt said, his gaze fixed earnestly on her. “This script embodies 10 years of my hard work! Initially, I had reservations about the project’s success. But if you take on the lead role, I’m 80% confident that this film will
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make history.”
Theresa and Susan exchanged a glance.
A historic film!
The weight of that statement was immense.
Did Mr. Witt truly have that level of confidence?
Well, everyone tends to see their own creations as the best.
Perhaps this was just Mr. Witt’s blind faith in his work.
Nevertheless, Theresa agreed to review the script seriously.
Seeing both of them agree, a relaxed smile finally appeared on Mr. Witt’s face.
After dinner…
Mr. Witt headed straight to his hotel room to rest.
Susan and Theresa walked out leisurely.
Turning her head to glance at Theresa, something suddenly dawned on Susan.
Curious, she asked, “Do you know Thomas?”
She remembered that when Thomas arrived earlier, Theresa had instantly recognized him and said his name out loud.
It seemed strange, as the famous model Rose shouldn’t have any connection to Thomas.
Theresa hesitated for a moment before softly saying, “Mrs. Landor…”
“Just call me Susan,” she said with a smile.
Not wanting to be pretentious, Theresa said, “Susan, may I ask, without meaning to pry, what exactly is Thomas’s sexual orientation?”
Susan blinked a couple of times, as if trying to process what she had just heard. She slowly asked, “Which sexual orientation?”
Theresa seemed even more torn now. She murmured, “Based on his behavior today, it
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seems like he might have a thing for Ms. Lynn.”
Susan nodded and replied, “As far as I know, they grew up together as childhood friends. He has liked her for a very long time.”
“Really…” Theresa became increasingly hesitant to continue the conversation.
“What’s wrong?” Susan was utterly confused now.
Biting her lip. Theresa lowered her voice even further. “Does he have any close male friends usually?”
Susan pondered for a moment, then said, “Not really. His best friend is probably my husband, Ben. They’ve known each other since they were kids.”
“Mr. Landor?” Theresa exclaimed. “Susan, are you sure Thomas doesn’t have any other
male friends?”
After thinking carefully again, Susan replied, “No, he doesn’t. According to Ben, although Thomas seems easy–going, he is actually quite aloof. It’s not easy for people to catch his eye.”
Theresa stared at Susan with an expression that was difficult to describe.
Susan was dumbfounded.
Lowering her voice, Theresa said, “Don’t you find it odd, the idea of Thomas being attracted to Monica? She’s… Well, it’s hard to put into words. Even if Thomas were blind, he shouldn’t have been blind for so many years.”
“Love often doesn’t follow logic, does it?” Susan mused.
Seeing Susan still didn’t grasp her point, Theresa finally said, “In any case, I think Thomas’s affection for Monica might be a smokescreen. The person he truly likes might be someone
else.*
Susan was flabbergasted. “Huh?”
Theresa patted Susan on the back and said with a serious tone, “Take good care of Mr. Landor.”
Then, she hailed a cab and left straight away.
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Susan was left standing there full of questions.
“What on earth was Theresa talking about?
“I’m only a year older than her. Could there already be a generation gap between us?”
At night…
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Thomas sat on the balcony, drowning his thoughts with bottle after bottle of alcohol.
It felt like his mind was flooded with a myriad of thoughts and yet empty at the same time.
As the alcohol took over, he pulled out his phone and called Ben.
At that moment, Ben was video calling with Susan. Suddenly, Thomas’s call came through.
“There’s a call? You should answer it,” Susan suggested.
Frowning, Ben said, “It’s Thomas. He usually doesn’t bother people at this hour. Let me see what’s up.”
Ben kept the video call running on his computer as he picked up the phone.
Susan blinked, her mind drifting back to Theresa’s question: “What exactly is Thomas’s sexual orientation?”
She also said: “Take good care of Mr. Landor.”
Hmmmm…
Suddenly, Susan felt a strange feeling creeping in.
