Early Saturday morning, after a run through the garden woods, Matthew Horner returned, showered, and changed into fresh clothes. He walked into the dining room, ready to enjoy breakfast. Before he could take a bite, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside. Without waiting for the butler to announce him, David Ellison, his hair a tangled mess, burst into the dining room.
"Matthew! Matthew!" David called out as he walked in, his voice tinged with excitement, as if he was bursting with news he couldn't wait to share. "I've got great news! Great news!"
David rushed into the dining room and saw Matthew calmly eating breakfast. He immediately planted himself across the table, his hands pressing down on the tabletop, and asked, "How can you sit here eating breakfast?"
Matthew put down his knife and fork, looking up at David. The super-rich heir's hair was in a disheveled state, his eyes bloodshot, and his face flushed. His casual suit hung over a mismatched sweater, adding to his frazzled appearance.
"David…" Matthew pointed out, "Your sweater is on backward."
"What?" David glanced down but waved it off dismissively. "Never mind that…"
Seeing how agitated David was, struggling to even support himself on the table, Matthew suggested, "How about we sit down and talk, David?"
"Okay! Okay!" David nodded eagerly, pulling out a chair and sitting down across from Matthew.
Matthew looked at him, already guessing why David had rushed over so early but decided not to ask directly. Instead, he offered, "Have you had breakfast? Would you like to try some of my Chinese breakfast?"
"Wait!" David raised his hand to stop Matthew. "Can you just listen to me? Please?"
Ignoring whether Matthew agreed or not, David continued, "I've been up since midnight waiting to talk to someone. I almost called you in the middle of the night…"
"You could have called your sister," Matthew interjected.
David shrugged helplessly. "She had her phone off!" He went on, "Matthew, just shut up for a second! Listen to me."
Matthew nodded gently. "Go ahead."
"Have you seen the box office numbers yet?" David asked, noticing Matthew's calm demeanor.
Matthew shook his head. "I've seen them."
David's eyes widened with excitement. "Don't you feel anything?"
"What should I feel?" Matthew sipped his soy milk calmly and pointed at David. "Like you?"
"$38.5 million!"
David's excitement was palpable as he slapped the table several times. "Our film made $38.5 million on its first day!"
Matthew set down his soy milk. "I know."
"Do you understand what that means?" David's voice rose with intensity, pointing a trembling finger at Matthew. "It broke the single-day record for R-rated films in North America!"
Matthew remained composed. "I know."
David's voice climbed even higher. "Do you know this means our film could make over $100 million on its opening weekend in North America?"
Matthew replied calmly, "I know."
"You… you…" David was at a loss for words, staring at Matthew's serene expression.
"Calm down, David." Matthew gestured downward with his hands.
David, after asking so many questions and saying so much in his excitement, began to calm down a bit. He asked, "Aren't you nervous or excited?"
Matthew shrugged slightly. "At first, I was just like you. But after experiencing this kind of thing many times, you learn to take it in stride."
David was reminded of Matthew's many successes and sighed. "I forgot, you've succeeded so many times. But for me… this is the first time."
Matthew looked at David again. The nearly manic excitement on his face had dissipated significantly. He asked, "Feeling less pressured now?"
"I feel relieved, truly relieved." David took a deep breath. "You have no idea how much pressure I've been under these past two years."
Matthew could only imagine. Though the Ellison family's money wasn't earned easily, and no one had heard of David Ellison making any successful investments before coming to Hollywood. With so much capital being poured into movie projects, if David Ellison didn't feel the pressure, he wouldn't be human.
Matthew thought that David was actually younger than him by a few years.
David leaned back in his chair and said, "Do you know how many people in the entertainment, media, and business circles are waiting to see me fail? They're hoping I'll flop so they can point at me and say, 'Look, there's Larry Ellison's incompetent son.'"
Matthew remained silent, playing the role of a listener. In many ways, David Ellison's situation reminded him of Sofia Coppola's.
"I am Larry Ellison's son!" David continued. "Success is expected of me; failure disgraces the entire Ellison name."
He ran his hands through his hair vigorously. "And my father, he never said it, but I know he doesn't believe in my Hollywood venture and is just waiting for me to come crawling back in defeat."
"Thank you, Matthew." David looked at Matthew with genuine gratitude. "Thank you for bringing me into this project."
Suddenly, David laughed, "I've disappointed everyone. All those people waiting to see me fail are going to be so let down!"
He laughed, releasing all the pent-up pressure.
Matthew let him be. On the surface, David Ellison seemed like a carefree super-rich heir, but he faced more scrutiny and pressure than most people could imagine.
To borrow what Matthew had once said about Sofia Coppola, it's tough being an Ellison.
After the laughter died down, David calmed himself and looked at Matthew. "I'm starving. I haven't eaten anything since last night."
Matthew called in the butler and asked her to notify the kitchen to prepare breakfast for David.
As David began to return to normal, he looked down at his inside-out sweater and said, "Do I look ridiculous?"
Matthew nodded seriously, then added, "Don't forget who you're sitting across from."
"You…" David pointed at Matthew and laughed, "You're something else."
He shook his head. "I can't compare with you on this."
"Just like I don't compare who has more money," Matthew chuckled. "David, don't compare who's better looking. You'll hurt your self-esteem."
David replied, "You're overconfident."
As breakfast was served, Matthew changed the subject. "Try it and see if you like it."
Perhaps he was truly hungry because David dove into his meal without replying.
After some time, David spoke again. "I suddenly realized I was stupid not to invest in 'I Am Legend'."
Matthew remained silent, but the mention of the film reminded him of the plan he had discussed at the 'Flags of Our Fathers' premiere.
"David…" Matthew started, "Would you like to continue working with me?"
David, wiping his mouth with a napkin, quickly considered Matthew's proposal. "Who wouldn't want to partner with you in the film industry right now?"
Matthew used this brief pause to gather his thoughts. "I have a plan that might need significant investment and the support of a capable friend like you."
David, not as impulsive as he sometimes appeared, asked, "Tell me about it."
"Do you know about Universal Pictures' 'Fast and Furious' series?" Matthew saw David nod and continued, "Years ago, I had a small role in the first film, but after punching the lead actor, Vin Diesel…"
David interjected, "You punched that bald guy?"
Matthew shrugged and continued, "So, I was kicked off the set. The franchise went on to make three movies, but the last one, 'Tokyo Drift,' did terribly at the box office and with critics. Universal decided to scrap the series."
David understood Matthew's point. "You're interested in this series?"
"I believe a movie that mixes action, racing, and camaraderie has a huge market," Matthew explained.
If anyone else had said this, David might have scoffed—what could be more thrilling than car chases? But coming from Matthew, a man with a keen eye for hit films, he had to take it seriously.
Matthew chose this moment because he was confident in the success of '300 Spartans.' As the sole investor, David Ellison would inevitably be affected by its success.
David pondered for a while and asked, "Would you star in it?"
"I want to produce this series," Matthew said, getting to the crux of the matter. "But if necessary, I can act in it too."
"How do you plan to go about it?" David was intrigued but cautious, knowing this involved significant investment. "Do you have a concrete plan?"
"No detailed plan yet, just a broad idea. I don't know much about business," Matthew admitted, showing his sincerity. "David, I need the support of a business expert like you."
He didn't beat around the bush. "My idea is that we approach Universal Pictures to see if we can co-purchase the rights to this series, and then make it our own."
David suddenly said, "Matthew, you shouldn't be the one to approach them. If you do, Universal will realize the series has potential and won't sell it to us."
He sighed. "Your influence is too great now."
Matthew smiled, "That's why I'm asking you to partner with me."
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