Chapter 17: Money Arrives

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At the Great Salt Lake Theater, in the back row, Robert waited for a few minutes.

His assistant hurried over and handed him a form. "Boss, we've got 65 valid responses with an average rating of three and a half stars."

Robert glanced at it and said directly, "Go inform Katherine and tell her I'm ready to discuss the rights. Let her know I only have 10 minutes."

The assistant went to find Katherine and Eric.

A few minutes later, they borrowed the theater’s office to start negotiations for the rights to Highland District.

The distribution company, at the very top of the film industry chain, left Katherine and Eric with no room to negotiate. They quickly agreed to sell all the rights to Highland District to Castle Rock Entertainment for $350,000.

...

On Main Street, beside a streetlight, Hawk received a call from Katherine.

Brandon stood in front of the pizza shop window, watching Hawk pace back and forth. He touched the corner of his injured mouth, feeling particularly conflicted.

In just a few days, the financial blows he'd suffered were greater than in the past twenty years combined.

Is this what high-level business competition looks like? It’s completely different from what he imagined or what the textbooks said.

Brandon sighed internally, "Hawk's style is so simple and unpretentious."

Larson came up from behind, glanced at Hawk outside the window, and asked, "Learn anything?"

Brandon, still nursing his sore mouth, replied, "I feel like I'm about to fail this class." He said again, "It’s so hard to make quick money."

Larson, equally thoughtful, said, "Unless you're the taxman or a capitalist, taking money out of someone else's pocket is never easy."

Brandon's phone rang. After speaking briefly with Hawk, he hung up and said to Larson, "I'm heading out with Hawk."

Larson patted him on the shoulder, "The festival’s just getting started. Learn well from him. The troupe will rely on you guys in the future."

Brandon followed Hawk to a hotel, where they entered Eric's suite.

Katherine handed Hawk the newly signed rights contract. “The transfer fee for Highland District is $350,000.”

“Congratulations.” Hawk took it and quickly skimmed through.

Without wasting time, Katherine pulled out a prepared check. "Here's the $5,000 we owe you."

Hawk inspected the check carefully, then put it away.

Katherine added, "The transfer payment hasn't gone through yet. Originally, we were supposed to wait for Castle Rock’s transfer before paying you. But after hearing Eric’s description, I decided it’d be better to settle this quickly as a favor."

Hawk replied, "You pay, I work. It’s only fair."

Katherine took out her checkbook and started writing. "Two percent commission, $7,000."

After receiving the check, Hawk stood up and said, "That completes our contract."

Katherine shook his hand, "Hope we can work together again."

With a generous client like her, Hawk didn't hold back, "You have my number."

As they left, Eric escorted Hawk all the way to the elevator.

While waiting for the elevator, Eric suggested, "There's a bar next to the hotel with a great vibe. Want to grab a drink tonight?"

After being busy for several days, Hawk could use a break. "Sure, 7 PM. Don't be late."

Eric laughed, "I'll be there early waiting."

The elevator arrived, and Hawk shook hands with Eric before heading downstairs with Brandon.

They walked to a nearby coffee shop.

Brandon, sensing what was about to happen, grew a bit excited despite the pain in his mouth. "How much did we make in total?"

Hawk laid it out, "After signing the contract, we got $5,000. That night, Katherine gave us another $5,000. The news video sold for $1,000, and just now, we got $5,000 plus $7,000."

Brandon quickly did the math in his head. "That’s a total of $23,000."

Hawk nodded. "As for expenses, the party cost $1,000. The audience fees, sound equipment, and other materials cost a bit over $1,000—let’s just call it $1,000."

Brandon added, "Then there's the lawyer's fee, meals, copying costs, and what we paid Damien and Lewis. All that adds up to about $1,000 too."

Hawk concluded, "So, after $3,000 in expenses, we’ve got $20,000 left."

"We made $20,000 in four days? That's crazy!" The money was clearly changing Brandon. His tone was steadier than before. "As we agreed, I get 20%, so that's $4,000."

Understanding the lure of money, Hawk didn’t hesitate. "Finish your coffee, and we’ll head to the bank for the transfer."

"Alright." Brandon lifted his coffee but didn’t drink, clearly lost in thought.

The desire for money was driving him to change.

Finally, Brandon took a big sip of coffee and tentatively asked, "Are we going to keep doing this kind of business?"

Sensing Brandon’s shift, Hawk replied, "The festival’s got over a week left. I’m planning to find new film crews. This marketing approach can definitely attract more clients."

"Next time, I want…" Brandon originally planned to ask for 40%, but lost his nerve and said, "I want 35%."

Hawk responded, "Thirty percent, max."

Brandon agreed, "Alright, thirty percent it is."

Hawk knew that after a few more deals, Brandon would be asking for half.

Money and people’s desires—they're always changing.

After finishing their coffee, they headed to the bank.

Hawk returned to the High Mountain Pizza Shop, settled the party bill, and turned down the bearded guy's invite to a drinking contest before heading home to rest.

He’d been running around for days, even going out in the middle of the night. He was exhausted.

When he woke up, he found Brandon sitting by the fireplace, lost in thought.

Hawk teased, "Thinking about what gift to give your dream girl?"

"Yeah," Brandon replied earnestly, "Tiffany, Hermès, Chanel… which brand would be best?"

Hawk poured two glasses of water, handed one to Brandon, and sat across from him. "None of them are right."

Brandon was surprised. "Why not?"

Hawk advised sincerely, "Focus on making money. Once you have enough, you’ll have no shortage of women."

Brandon, still a believer in love, said, "If I wait until I’m rich, I'll regret not pursuing the girl I like now."

Hawk replied, "Good luck with that." Changing the subject, he asked, "Is there a gym, fight club, and shooting range combo around here?"

Brandon shook his head. "There's a gym, but I don’t think there’s a fight club or shooting range. The main attraction here is skiing."

After thinking for a moment, he added, "A multi-function club like that would only be in Salt Lake City."

Hawk made a mental note to look for one online once things quieted down in Park City.

Lately, with all the running around and training, he’d been losing weight. The puffiness in his face was almost gone, but he still wasn't in peak condition.

Hawk grabbed the handheld camera and studied it for a while. The features were pretty decent, and the night vision footage was quite clear.

Brandon, exhausted, dozed off by the fireplace.

When night fell, Hawk woke him up. "Want to come out for a drink?"

Brandon remembered Eric’s invite and waved him off. "No girls, no thanks. I’m going to sleep. Bring me back some late-night snacks."

Hawk agreed and headed out to the bar.

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