Chapter 130: Rush Hour

Would William White become the next J. Paul Getty? It seemed unlikely. J. Paul Getty was extremely frugal. When his own kid got kidnapped, the old man even haggled over the ransom. It's hard to understand what he was thinking. William White was clearly not like that. He wasn't known for being stingy. Not only was he generous with himself, but he was also generous with his employees. Any company of his always offered free lunches, and the chefs were all French chefs. These chefs weren't there just for him; in fact, he rarely dined at the office. These were just benefits for ordinary employees. Paul Getty, on the other hand, was different. A guy who installed pay phones in his own company - you could easily tell his standards. When he passed away, he had assets worth about three billion dollars. In the mid-to-late 70s, that kind of money was staggering, no doubt about it. Most of that money went to his own museum, and the portion left to his direct relatives was very limited. Some of his girlfriends inherited only a few hundred bucks. Ha! This guy really had a sense of humor. Was he paying them for their services? ... "Boss, Coca-Cola's profits are expected to rise this year. Analysts predict a 20% gain." "How's that possible? Weren't they losing money?" "The new CEO is quite capable. They're refocusing on their core business and are projected for significant growth." "Hmm, is that so? How much has William White bought?" "A lot, at least two hundred million dollars. His charity funds are heavily invested in Coca-Cola shares, as is his so-called family fund." "Well, jumping in now would be too late. We might just help him make money." Coca-Cola was also feeling the pinch; they didn't want to be absorbed, and the opposite party seemed to think highly of their company. Fortunately, the shareholder representatives were quite supportive of the CEO's decisions. Since they backed you, there's really no point in arguing, especially as they were in it for the long haul, which was rare. ... Actually, William White was troubled too. Coca-Cola wasn't a giant yet, and the shares available on the market were very limited. Slowly accumulating them was a joke. If the economy wasn't really that bad, their stock price probably would have skyrocketed by now. If you buy and prices go up, won't that draw attention? Actually, it won't. He's not making personal moves; this is all operated by fund companies. "Boss, operations in the US and Japan are complete, but we don't have any money left." "Thanks, Filson, you should take a break. You've been too busy lately, go have some fun, and when you return, it'll be time to start financing." "Sure thing, boss." "Here's a bonus check, have a good time." "Thanks, boss!" Seeing the numbers on the check made Filson's heart flutter a little. The hard work hadn't gone to waste, and the boss was indeed reliable. J. Paul Getty? Ha! There's no comparison. William White's character was miles better. ... "NO, NO, Eddie, your rhythm is off. I'm not asking you to teach Jackie English. What I need is that street talk, like those guys from Queens. It needs to be quick, it needs to flow." "Jackie, you don't need to stress over what he says. Just go from stuttering English to mimicking him. You don't need to be fluent; just give off that impression." "Alright, William." "Great, everyone get ready, set, action." The crew set up this time in quite a hurry. If it wasn't for their confidence in William White, Eddie Murphy wouldn't have taken on this film. "Jackie, this choreography has issues. You need to come off as nimble, not just trading punches. Rearrange these moves." Though it was tough shooting, Jackie Chan had no complaints. This was his preferred style. The boss wanted to shoot it this way, much to the confusion of other company members. Calling it a comedy seemed off, and if you were to label it an action film, where were the hardcore tough guys? After thorough observation, he found White Films indeed different from others. The atmosphere was much more relaxed. Though William White was strict during filming, he was easygoing when the cameras weren't rolling. "Wrap it up, wrap it up." White Films' high efficiency came from the director's skill, and they didn't take long to film. .. No matter how skilled you are in fighting, one bullet can take you down, unless you don't give chance to draw gun. Rush Hour perfectly showcased this concept. Whether it's cops or criminals, their movements were always a bit slow, which allowed the fighting choreography to shine. If you just shoot someone down immediately, what's the point of the movie? Only with such a design would the movie's plot make sense. William White felt that current cop dramas were somewhat frustrating. Despite William White being quite amiable with the actors, his demands were strict. Reshooting a scene dozens of times was commonplace. Thankfully, talented people earned respect. If you said some move was difficult, the director might just put on different clothes and show you himself. At first, some of the crew didn't believe it. But it turned out the director had some skills of his own. Although he didn't accomplish the task perfectly, he gave a general idea. So, no more words -- just do as you're told. You're professionals -- if the boss can almost get it right, how come you can't? After adjusting his neck, William White couldn't help but smile wryly. After all, he wasn't a professional; those moves really left him sore. As for whether the movie was good or not, well, in their eyes, it wasn't too bad, and the filming was progressing smoothly. While the boss was out having a drink, the rest couldn't slack off. They needed to keep refining their moves. The world was just like that. If you put in the effort, you'll get some return. Once you learn something, it becomes yours, and no one can take it away. "Cut, not bad, next scene." After a night of adjusting and getting scolded by Big Boss, the crew did indeed perform better today. "William, how's the scheduling this time?" "Post-production's tricky. We have a lot of music to add. We'll aim for March!" "Alright, no problem. Next summer's going to be intense, right?" "Sigh! It's going to be a car crash. Next summer, we've got Superman, Indiana Jones, and my movie, Johnny English. It's going to be chaos!" "Indiana Jones? Is it that tough?" "Trust me, it's a real challenger. I'd rather go head-to-head with Superman." Even though Warner had changed management, it had no plans to adjust its schedule. That's how powerhouses operate. They can lose but can't back down. No matter how impressive White Films was, it was still a new company. Superman wasn't like The Shining; while it might not match Star Wars in appeal, it was certainly not worse than Jaws. For audiences, as long as the quality was good, they didn't mind seeing more movies. If there was only one big movie every six months, they'd find it tough too. ... "Boss, the plan for Lanai Island is finished. It's not cheap." "Sigh, no helping that. Let's start with the golf course, then expand the docks. We can start with the beach villas. Delay the hotel and airport for now; I'm short on cash." "Got it, boss, no problem." "Alright, you go ahead. I'll practice some golf. My skills are so bad I'm embarrassed to play." "Understood, boss." Filson left with a smile. His slightly awkward boss was endearing. No one's perfect, and he's already quite impressive. If he was a golf pro too, it'd be unbelievable. After all, it takes time to practice that. A loud crash, and another fancy golf club broke. William White wasn't pleased. "Fulton, should I just take up farming instead?" "Haha, young master jokes. Everyone starts off like this. The old master was pretty bad too." "Really? Okay then, if it's genetic, not my fault." A little assistant nearby stifled a laugh. She rarely saw the boss in such an embarrassing state. Using genetics as an excuse -- that was something else. "Little girl, laugh if you want. Hold it in any more, and you'll pop." "Pfft, it's not that funny!" "Sigh, what did I eat to get this big anyway?" Seeing their boss getting mischievous again, the assistant ignored him since it was still broad daylight. ***** https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.