Chapter 134: Stirring the Waters

The rank-and-file actors were making a fuss and going on strike, and even the biggest stars could only follow suit unless they wanted to be ostracized by all of Hollywood.

White Pictures had been caught in the crossfire, though naturally there had to be some power behind the scenes fanning the flames. The prime suspect, of course, was CAA.

Unfortunately, they had overlooked one crucial factor: William White was petty—and very young.

If they had negotiated amicably, he might not even have bothered holding a grudge. But now, the two sides had torn off all pretenses and fallen out completely.

The friction between White Pictures and CAA had previously circulated only within a very limited circle. That changed when Police Academy 2, scheduled to begin filming that year, publicly announced that it would not use any performers represented by CAA.

Whatever the dispute between the two companies, the actors were obviously miserable. Fortunately, the choice was theirs. No matter how powerful a talent agency might be, its fundamental purpose was still to serve its clients.

“We are protecting the incomes of low- and middle-income actors. We do not want bundled services. To give an analogy, if all I need is one duck, I do not need you to throw in two chickens. No matter how cheap the package is, we do not want it.”

White Pictures’ explanation had stirred up a hornet’s nest. Since the company was claiming to protect low- and middle-income actors, the actors’ union had no choice but to support it publicly. Otherwise, they would look like idiots.

“Damn it! Who told you to provoke William White? We’re only a new company!”

CAA had been riding high lately. Its roster of artists was growing larger by the day, and once it expanded to a certain point, it would naturally be able to negotiate with White Pictures.

But now look at what had happened. They had tried to isolate White Pictures and ended up sabotaging themselves instead. Hollywood’s giants had no particular scruples; when such a perfect scapegoat appeared, they simply shoved all the blame onto it.

The actors’ union was furious as well. Why had its target suddenly disappeared? What good would it do to go after CAA? They were not the ones paying the actors—just a bunch of bloodsuckers.

Hollywood was not represented by a single agency. Naturally, some people came forward to kick CAA while it was down. They had been feeling miserable lately.

American unions were strange creatures. Every time the economy turned bad, they made trouble, and every time, nothing good came of it.

The actors’ union was not even the most ridiculous. The auto workers’ union was far worse. They had practically crippled Detroit.

American workers were truly lazy. What they wanted most was to muddle through life without working, and if their wages could rise a little every year, so much the better.

White Pictures, working desperately to make money, was clearly attracting a great deal of hatred. There was no shortage of that anywhere in the world.

White Pictures could not be bothered to respond to those sour accusations. People like that existed in America, but it was hard for them to get anywhere.

“Loser” was the label stamped on people of that sort.

They had not even managed to identify the right target for their opposition, leaving the union in an extremely awkward position. They could forget about expecting much in next year’s election; it was obvious how the members would vote.

CAA had taken the blame solidly and completely. White Pictures was not making things up—it had detailed figures to back up its claims.

Those so-called figures were really just a form of bullying. White Pictures had no major stars under contract, so naturally it could operate that way. If they had hired Sylvester Stallone or Harrison Ford, such figures would have been impossible.

The real issue was that the people causing all the trouble were a bunch of nobodies. They were numerous and had strength in numbers, so White Pictures’ approach was naturally popular. There was a guaranteed minimum income, with bonuses if the film did well at the box office. If they still found something to complain about, they would have no leg to stand on.

William White knew that perfectly well, but he dared to say whatever he pleased, presenting himself as a good man concerned with society’s disadvantaged.

Well, he had certainly managed to disgust quite a few people.

But so what?

Did anyone dare say so publicly?

No. Not a single person voiced a dissenting opinion. This was the tide of the times. No matter how contemptuous you were, you still had to wave the banner and cheer—or be branded an idiot.

Buried under a mountain of troubles, William White began assembling a think tank and made plans to establish a crisis public-relations team.

Put plainly, crisis management meant applying makeup to his reputation and preserving his lofty public image at all costs.

The think tank was even simpler. These people would help him fill in the gaps and handle whatever he overlooked. One man alone could not stand against those old foxes.

“Boss, the two men from Hong Kong you scheduled for today have arrived.”

“Hmm. Take them to the reception room. I’ll be there shortly.”

William White had no interest in The Protector, a thoroughly awful movie. What interested him was Jack Chan. Since the Chow tycoon wanted to meet him, there was no harm in having a chat.

“Mr. Chow, how are you?”

Hearing the man speak fluent Cantonese nearly made the tycoon faint.

“Mr. White, your Cantonese is excellent.”

“Haha, have a seat, have a seat. My mother is Chinese, so naturally I can speak it. You can just call me William.”

“Very well, Brother William. This is Ah Lung. Ah Lung, say hello.”

At that time, Lung still seemed somewhat awkward no matter how one looked at him. Although many people in later years would criticize his character, William White did not see it that way. Wasn’t it simply a matter of what happened in a man’s trousers? It was not as though he had forced anyone.

When two people were willing participants, it was pointless to talk about right and wrong. Wasn’t that simply how the entertainment industry worked? Some men changed wives constantly, yet no one said much about it. As long as they took their filmmaking seriously, everything else was irrelevant—unless you wanted to live with them.

“Brother William.”

“Sit down, sit down. No need to be so formal. I’ve seen your Drunken Master. It’s an excellent film. I especially liked the fight scenes.”

The Chow tycoon had not expected this foreigner to know so much about Ah Lung.

“Brother William, you don’t seem very satisfied with The Protector. I’d like to know why.”

White Pictures had refused to distribute the film. That had been expected, but it was still disappointing. The company’s promotional and distribution capabilities were extraordinary; it already had three films that had grossed more than a hundred million at the box office. Those were results that made everyone envious.

They had initially assumed the foreigner simply disliked Chinese actors. Now it seemed that was not the case. He was not only deeply familiar with Chinese culture but also had a favorable impression of Ah Lung.

“If you’ll forgive my bluntness, Mr. Chow, we are only a new company. We will not take on a film unless it is genuinely good. The Protector has problems with its script. If the audience can figure out the ending within ten minutes, how are you supposed to keep them interested? Ah Lung’s strengths were not brought out either. Don’t try to imitate Bruce Lee. Even if Bruce Lee came back to life, it would still be very difficult to repeat the success of the past.”

The film already had a release date, and the Chow tycoon had no intention of arguing further. He had come merely to pay his respects. Since White Pictures was interested in Ah Lung, it might be worth exploring the possibility of working together.

“Brother William, do you think there might be an opportunity for our two companies to collaborate? You see, Ah Lung would still like to try his luck in Hollywood.”

“Hmm. How about this? I’ll need to consider the script. Let’s say by the end of the year. If I find a suitable script before then, we can discuss the collaboration.”

“Good. Thank you, Brother William.”

Of course, this was not the best time. The Protector had not even been released yet. Once it flopped spectacularly, negotiations would naturally become much easier.

After leaving White Pictures, the Chow tycoon was still in excellent spirits. He understood perfectly what the foreigner meant: if The Protector became a huge success, they could continue using their own formula. But if it bombed, they would have to follow White’s instructions.

Jack Chan?

Well, he did not yet have the right to express an opinion. The Chow tycoon was a formidable man, while Jack was still just a young kid.