Chapter 10: Exchange of Interests  

After delivering four pizza orders in the morning, Link rode his bike to the movie theater at The Grove shopping center in Hollywood to gather some information.  

In North America and Europe, the first quarter is considered the off-season for the film industry.  

During this period, the number of commercial blockbusters released is relatively low. Most theaters screen low-budget, artistic, and independent films, which tend to have niche audiences.  

Although these films have unpredictable box office performance, their distribution cycles are longer. This allows theaters to negotiate better revenue-sharing terms with distributors compared to commercial films.  

As a result, niche films dominate the market during the first quarter in North America.  

Recently released films include Paramount Pictures' comedy "Brain Donors", Walt Disney's animated film "Beauty and the Beast", the thriller "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle", Universal Pictures' "Fried Green Tomatoes", Columbia TriStar's fantasy adventure "Hook", and Miramax's dark comedy "Reservoir Dogs".  

Some of these commercial films, such as "Beauty and the Beast" and "Hook", were released late last year and have continued their run into the new year.  

In terms of box office revenue, Hollywood’s total earnings for the year have been relatively average.  

Last year, only six films surpassed $100 million at the North American box office, with the total domestic box office reaching just $4.3 billion.  

This is a far cry from two decades later when inflation drives up revenues, and 30 to 40 films surpass the $100 million mark annually, with total box office earnings exceeding $10 billion.  

Among the films currently in theaters, only "Beauty and the Beast", "Brain Donors", and "Hook" have crossed the $100 million threshold.  

Most niche films earn between $100,000 and $2 million, with independent films surpassing $2 million being extremely rare.  

Quentin Tarantino’s "Reservoir Dogs" has grossed $946,000 in North America after two weeks, bringing its worldwide earnings to approximately $1.8 million.  

Considering its $1.2 million production cost, this places the film at a mid-tier level among independent productions.  

However, its unique style has gained media recognition as a "violence aesthetic film" and the "best B-movie of the year", marking the beginning of a new era of violent aesthetic cinema in Hollywood.  

Following its release, the film has been highly praised within the industry, and Quentin Tarantino has emerged as a well-known young director in Hollywood.  

“Welcome!”  

Upon arriving at The Grove shopping center theater, Link immediately noticed a "Reservoir Dogs" movie poster in the lobby.  

The poster featured five men wearing black suits, skinny black ties, and sunglasses, walking side by side. They were the film's iconic characters: Mr. Blue, Mr. Blonde, Mr. Pink, and others.  

Since it was a weekday, the theater lobby wasn’t crowded.  

"Good afternoon, buddy. Is your manager available? I’m a director, and I’d like to speak with him about something."  

Standing at the ticket counter, Link addressed the employee selling tickets.  

"A director? What do you need to speak with our manager about? Well, he’s here, but I’m not sure if he has time to see you."  

"Buddy, just pass along a message. Tell your manager that someone who seems pretty reliable has a way to increase theater attendance and would like to meet with him."  

Link slid a ten-dollar bill toward the employee.  

"You have a way to increase attendance?"  

"Of course. I never lie."  

Link shrugged casually.  

The employee pocketed the tip, picked up the phone, and called the theater manager.  

Link tapped his fingers on the counter, watching the employee closely. When he saw the employee nod and say, "Alright, bring him up in ten minutes," he finally exhaled in relief.  

Ten minutes later, Link followed the employee upstairs to the theater’s office.  

The hallway was dimly lit, and the sound of their footsteps echoed against the floor. Link couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous.  

He had always been a technical director, not someone adept at dealing with investors or theater managers—let alone schmoozing wealthy patrons.  

This lack of social maneuvering had prevented him from getting many opportunities to direct commercial blockbusters in the past.  

But deep down, the real issue was his own lack of confidence in his abilities and his inability to accurately gauge market trends.  

He feared a box office disaster that would disappoint investors. He also worried that a film’s failure would damage his career and reputation.  

Now, however, with the Movie Box Office Subsidy System, he felt far more confident in ticket sales and the quality of his films. This newfound assurance gave him the motivation to push forward.  

Upon reaching the general manager’s office, the employee knocked on the door.  

“Come in,” came a voice from inside.  

Link followed the employee into the office.  

The office was brightly lit, with a solid wood desk positioned in front of a floor-to-ceiling window—eerily similar to the one where he had wild dreams involving Nicole Kidman.  

Sitting behind the desk, reviewing documents, was the theater manager. With the sunlight hitting his profile, his appearance was easy to discern.  

He was a middle-aged man in his mid-thirties, wearing a coffee-colored dress shirt and sporting a slicked-back hairstyle reminiscent of Al Pacino. His thick hair was an anomaly among middle-aged Western men.  

Before coming, Link had learned that the manager's name was Jerome Preston, a surname with distinct British roots.  

As they entered, Jerome set down his documents and glanced briefly at the employee before shifting his gaze to Link.  

“Good afternoon, Mr. Preston. My name is Link. I’m a director, and it’s a pleasure to meet you.”  

Link greeted him politely.  

“Mr. Link, I heard you have an ingenious way to increase theater attendance? I hope this isn’t a joke.” 

Jerome Preston reached out and pointed to the chair opposite him.  

"Of course, Mr. Preston. I'm here to discuss a collaboration with you—jokes won’t do me any good."  

Link smiled calmly and took a seat.  

The staff withdrew and closed the door behind them.  

"Mr. Link, what’s your proposal? I apologize, but I have a lot of work to do, so I’d appreciate it if we got straight to the point."  

"That’s my preferred style as well. Mr. Preston, I have two ways to increase your theater’s attendance. One is a short-term solution that will show results within a month. The other is a long-term strategy that could take several months or even years to implement. Which one would you like to hear about first?"  

Link took out a folder, placed it on the desk, and opened it.  

Seeing Link produce documents and a pen, Jerome Preston’s demeanor turned more serious.  

"Tell me about the short-term plan."  

"The short-term solution is simple—I’m a director, and I have an unreleased film. If your theater agrees to screen my movie, I guarantee that attendance will increase in the short term."  

Link spoke with a serious expression.  

Hearing this, Jerome Preston’s face grew even more serious—almost grim.  

He had been informed by his staff that someone had a proposal to boost theater attendance. He found it hard to believe because a skilled marketing strategist wouldn’t need to approach him this way.  

Curious and somewhat bored, he had agreed to the meeting.  

Upon seeing that Link was just a young man, he became even more convinced of his initial doubts.  

However, Link's calm and composed demeanor, his direct presentation of both a short-term and long-term plan, and the folder he had brought along suggested that he had come prepared.  

This piqued Preston’s curiosity.  

He had been expecting an ingenious marketing strategy. Instead, Link simply suggested screening his own movie, claiming it would increase attendance.  

Damn it. What kind of ridiculous idea was that?  

Since the 1940s, to prevent industry monopolies, the U.S. film industry had enforced a separation between talent agencies, film production and distribution companies, and theater chains. Directors no longer dealt directly with theaters—film distribution companies handled negotiations.  

Yet here was this so-called director bypassing distribution entirely, coming straight to a theater manager, and boldly declaring that screening his film would boost attendance.  

In Hollywood, not even legendary directors like Francis Ford Coppola, Oliver Stone, or George Lucas would make such a guarantee.  

Just this year, Steven Spielberg’s new film Hook had suffered a $30–40 million box office loss.  

So what made this unknown director think he could promise success?  

Jerome Preston felt like he was being played. His expression darkened as he leaned back in his chair.  

"Buddy, if that’s your idea, then you can leave right now. I don’t have time to sit here and listen to jokes."  

"Mr. Preston, my short-term plan is real. It’s unfortunate that you don’t believe me, but time will prove that I’m an honest man. In the meantime, here’s my long-term strategy—I’m confident that once you’ve read it, you’ll be interested."  

Link’s expression remained unchanged as he pushed the folder to the center of the desk.  

Jerome Preston glanced at Link, then at the folder. After a few seconds of hesitation, he used a pen to flip it open.  

(End of Chapter)