Rise To Stardom - Chapter 216

Chapter 216: Madlad
How do you win against someone who thrives on power moves?

You don’t play their games.

You just don’t.

Kyle, understood this.

Perfectly.

And as a result, despite the months of October, November and December rolling by, not once did the young man and his team, request for an audience with or make any efforts to contact Atlas International.

And for the monopolistic CEO of the industry juggernaut, despite priding himself on his ability to play the long game, he gradually began to nurse a gut feeling that things weren’t going to go the way they always did.

This was because, despite his subtly veiled warning towards the young star and his agent about how much they stood to lose if they went against him or Atlas International in the long run, the duo had instead, gone radio silent.

Even with his vast web of information channels, contacts and connections, all Lex had been able to garner was a few tidbits of Kyle’s mundane life these past few months, save for NFL’s rousing announcement alongside his tour announcement last year that set the internet ablaze.

Still, the CEO had at least expected that they would make some move by the start of the new year.

Yet, the duo did nothing of sorts.

Kyle and Oliver, despite residing in the bustling town of Hollywood, remained elusive like quiet hermits with no visible plans for the future.

And sure enough, this only served to garner the CEO’s unwelcome curiosity in the duo even further as his calculative nature, veered him to believe that they were most definitely, up to something.

That said, Lex had bigger fish to fry for the meantime as he casually yet intently listened to the various pitches at Atlas’s Marketing and Strategy meeting for [Fables & Legends]’ pre-production.

“A teaser’s sure to do wonders.” one executive commented thoughtfully.

“Yes,” the Head of the Marketing and PR department agreed as he gave his own two cents to the discussion;

“And if we also release it at major events, like film festivals or other high-profile stages, it’ll spread faster than wildfire.”

“True.” another exec chimed in, stroking his grey beard as he added;

“The books are already immensely popular. Fans would take care of the rest for us I’m sure.”

“NFL’s Super Bowl Halftime…” Lex’s composed voice cut through the room, immediately drawing everyone’s attention.

“How much is required to air a teaser?” he purposefully inquired.

“$6.5 million.” Donna, seated a few chairs away, responded succinctly.

“Double it.” Lex ordered casually, his tone leaving no room for debate as he expatiated;

“Let’s have two teasers made. One will air before the match begins, and the other immediately after the halftime performance by the guest musicians. Double exposure for added retention.”

The room buzzed with agreement in response to his words.

No one even bothered questioning Lex’s decision.

After all, his uncanny business acumen had brought Atlas International to its towering heights, and everyone trusted his instincts without doubt.

Having given his directive though, the meeting resumed its usual brainstorming, and Lex although appeared unfazed outwardly, kept his mind sharp and fully invested in every little detail of the discussion as more and more ideas were pitched.

* * *

Xavier was a bit of madlad.

Okay.

Maybe that was putting things lightly.

Xavier Cage, was an absolute, madlad.

“Shiver me timbers…” Kyle, having traveled over from Canada to LA the day before alone, stared at the table where a neat stack of scripts lay with an utterly bamboozled expression.

“That’s an interesting choice of words.” Xavier, with a noticeably relaxed air, a stark contrast to his almost haggard yet unkempt appearance, simply walked past a stunned Kyle as he made his way into the kitchen.

Both were currently at the Director’s beachside Condo, the comforting scent of the sea, mixing with the earthy smell of the falling snow and fresh coffee beans as the Director turned on the Coffee Machine.

Kyle had been completely dumbstruck a fair few times in his life.

And for someone who had something inherently impossible like a system fused with his being, it could be argued that he had more resistance to witnessing unrealistic things, happening before his very eyes.

But even this, took the cake for one of the top ten, most unbelievable things he had ever witnessed in his life even if he never had an actual list for it.

[Tech Wiz: Year One], [Tech Wiz: Year Two], [Tech Wiz: Year Three]!

Granted Kyle was the one who came up with the addition of the ‘Year One’ part when he and Xavier had been conversing over the last two months but even he could never have expected this!

Two sequels, fully-written, fleshed and ironed out, lay on the glass table alongside the first, each beckoning for him to pick whichever suited his fancy first!

Instead, Kyle, with his mind racing at how Xavier had achieved such an incredible feat within the span of just two months and a couple weeks, swiveled around and instantly, appraised the Director!

___________________________

{Xavier Cage} – 43 years

Directing › Level 17

Writing › Level 16

Acting › Level 6

Skills – [Jack of All Trades], [Idea Nexus (A)].

___________________________

And then he saw it!

The Director, asides from hitting a new level in his Writing stat, also had his [Idea Nexus] skill, active!

Instantly, Kyle pulled up the skill’s details.

___________________________

Active Skill – [Idea Nexus]

Tap into an endless well of creative inspiration with a hyper-focused state for unmatched productivity!

Cooldown: (One Year.)

___________________________

‘One year?!’ Kyle still reeling from the shock of the three scripts and Xavier’s busted skill, inwardly exclaimed!

For a few seconds, the young man didn’t even know how to react to all the barrage of information and realization.

However, in an effort to regain and maintain his usual calm, Kyle, soon let out a deep, shaky breath of palpable ardor, just as Xavier turned around with two mugs of freshly made coffee in his hands.

“New Year’s Coffee?” he offered with a thin smile.

“There’s no such thing as that but uh, I’ll play along.” Kyle received the mug with a warm smile, his entire being still tingling in appreciable excitement.

Chuckling at his reply, Xavier, just before taking a sip of his, glanced over to the sea through the opened windows, watched as the snowflakes fell for a few seconds, inhaled deeply and then, exhaled as he spoke, his smile growing wider;

“You know what Kyle?”

“What?” Kyle curiously inquired as he took a sip of his coffee.

“I think 2022 is going to be a great yea-”

Not even allowing him the opportunity to finish the sentence, Kyle cut in with a humorous tone;

“Don’t jinx it, Xavier.”

“It’s gonna be a great year!” the Director completed his sentence nonetheless with a cheeky grin as Kyle, simply shook his head in resignation.

Now that the script of the movie(s) were done, Kyle and Oliver could finally kick pre-production for [Tech Wiz: Year One] into full gear.

So much of what they needed to do had been mapped out over the course of the past five months, the last two months especially being the months with the highest productivity albeit covertly.

Heck even Cass, their producer, had already been at NYC for the past month and a few weeks to scout out set locations for filming next year.

That said, one of the things they’d put less focus on, was whom they wanted to cast for certain roles in the movie.

No, this wasn’t an oversight on their parts.

Rather, it was as a result of two important reasons.

One, they’d decided to leave most of the casting to Xavier and Cass’s discretion as Kyle, unfortunately, would be extremely busy with his music career for the next five months starting 14th of February when the NFL Super Bowl Halftime Show would happen and, the 13th of March till 12th of June when his very first tour would occur.

In between those periods too, were all the promotions, the inevitable award shows and music festivals he’d have to attend to make the tour as much of a success as possible.

As for the second reason…

Well, that was largely because Kyle, as the Executive Producer, already had specific individuals in mind for certain roles— a decision he had discussed with the Director, who was fortunately, on board with his casting choices.

And one of such individuals, was none other than Sharon Winters whom, after he’d left the Director’s home much later in the day, he sent a text that went;

Remember that promise? You know? The grand one where I swore I’d make it up to you step by step? Well, brace yourself, Sharon Winters, because a contract is headed your way! Buckle up—I’m making you an A-lister this year (I hope), whether you’re ready or not!

* * *

Summit Talent Agency (STA) was in deep shit.

Well…

In all honesty…

They’d been in pretty hot waters for quite a while, the past five years to be exact, give or take–– but they’d never realized it.

Considering the agency had a fair few high-profile A-listers and a slew of talented B-grade actors, the power structure in the company was skewed towards those on the higher end of the spectrum, making the environment toxically competitive and quite hostile to work in.

And sure enough this was the norm in most Talent Agencies but still, STA’s handling of it was much poorer in comparison to other mid-sized agencies like theirs who did a better job of trying to balance out and manage that structure.

Still, despite having pretty moderate success in the industry that kept fresh new talents, flocking to their agency, the long Hollywood Strike, had been a real punch in the gut to them.

It was almost as if most of their actors had reached a level of enlightenment due to the breather they were afforded from the industry and ended up realizing just how terribly they’d been treated all this time that they soon started revolting and demanding for better royalties.

This as one would expect, threw the company into chaos when every Tom, Dick and Harry deemed it necessary to have their pay increased.

At first the Board of Execs had tried to suppress their demands but, upon realizing just how much they stood to lose if they went down that path, had opted to go for a bit of damage control instead.

This, ultimately ended up with their intermediaries, the agents managing the agency’s currently rebelling actors and actresses, being the bearer of most of the brunt.

Yet, far removed from all that and the shenanigans, especially because she had experienced the agency’s true colors first hand since she was little, was Sharon herself.

With a noticeable skip in her steps, the dazzler of a lady, hummed happily as the taxi she hailed, halted before STA’s HQ.

Paying the cabbie and heading on in, Sharon made her way over to Bianca’s office.

Ultimately annoyed to see her discarded talent’s practically beaming features amidst all the restlessness in the company the moment she arrived, the noticeably stressed agent asked disdainfully;

“What do want, Sharon?”

However, without even the slightest shift on her beaming visage, the lady in question, gently placed a white, taped envelope on her agent’s desk, the stamp on it being a letter of resignation.

Watching as Bianca’s eyes widened in disbelief, especially because she always believed Sharon had been joking about suddenly quitting these past few months and a year back, Sharon replied;

“Goodbye Bianca. Take the house. Take the cars. Take the clothes. Take the bank accounts. Take everything the agency and that fucker of my abusive dad forced me to sign in that bullshit contract 16 years ago.”

“May we never meet in this life, or the next, ever again!” the lady turned around to leave as Bianca, frantically tore open the letter!

Truly realizing her talent wasn’t kidding as she read through its contents, Bianca ordered in a last ditch effort, her hands banging on her table!

“Sharon! Sharon Winters get back here!”

Yet, as if already expecting it, the lady with the pink ombre-blonde hair, casually opened the door, stepped out, peeked through it as it slowly closed and then, with the loveliest smile, melodically hummed with a light wave;

“Toodle-oo.”