• A notice about Rule 3 regarding sites hosting pirated/unauthorized content has been made. Please see here for details.
  • Staff is working to deal with the problem of synonymous tags. See here for more information and to suggest tag mergers.
  • Due to issues with external spam filters, QQ is currently unable to send any mail to Microsoft E-mail addresses. This includes any account at live.com, hotmail.com or msn.com. Signing up to the forum with one of these addresses will result in your verification E-mail never arriving. For best results, please use a different E-mail provider for your QQ address.
  • For prospective new members, a word of warning: don't use common names like Dennis, Simon, or Kenny if you decide to create an account. Spammers have used them all before you and gotten those names flagged in the anti-spam databases. Your account registration will be rejected because of it.
  • Since it has happened MULTIPLE times now, I want to be very clear about this. You do not get to abandon an account and create a new one. You do not get to pass an account to someone else and create a new one. If you do so anyway, you will be banned for creating sockpuppets.
  • Due to the actions of particularly persistent spammers and trolls, we will be banning disposable email addresses from today onward.
Chapter 270 New
Behind The Spotlight Chapter 270


Rami (Lawrence) was a popular senior who had recently graduated from high school. He was forced to participate in a town event where he met Jam. Rami fell in love with her, but he soon realized that Jam was seriously ill and her memory was fragile. Yet instead of losing hope, Rami continued loving Jam and recorded their everyday interactions so she wouldn't forget him.

Even as Jam's health declined, Rami's love remained strong. It was a bittersweet movie, as Jam died in the end.

.........

......

...

The audience left the theater completely in tears. The movie was heartbreaking, but they loved it. They once again fell in love with Lawrence's performance. His role in the movie was that of a dedicated man who kept loving a woman with a short life ahead of her.

"I wish I had someone like Rami in my life! Gosh, Lawrence, you're so attractive!"

A woman cried in front of the reporter while being interviewed about the movie. She sniffed and wiped her tears with difficulty, the movie had affected her deeply.

She wasn't the only one, many female audience members were in tears after watching the movie. It was such a sweet film, but the ending crushed their hearts. They asked themselves why Rami and Jam didn't get a happy ending, why!?

The situation was almost identical to Passionate Island, the movie that had made Lawrence a superstar.

Romance movies generally had a weaker box office appeal compared to other genres, such as action and fantasy. Whiner Bruh wasn't hoping for anything massive. As the investor and distributor of Walk and Remember, they didn't expect a huge return like half a billion dollars.

They admitted that Lawrence was good at acting in romance movies, but the genre itself was a limitation. At best, Whiner Bruh hoped the movie would gross $15 million on its opening weekend.

They underestimated Lawrence, and they also underestimated the director and the author who had created another masterpiece.

From March 7 to March 9, Walk and Remember grossed over $31 million, doubling the expected amount Whiner Bruh had hoped for. In just three days, the box office had surpassed the $25 million production cost of the movie.

As soon as the weekend box office figures were released, Whiner Bruh realized they needed to promote the movie with even more energy.

Lawrence and the cast of Walk and Remember attended numerous shows to promote the film. Lawrence even guested on Morning with Kimberly... He maintained professional behavior, but he was cold and nonchalant whenever the cameras were off. He made it clear that he didn't like the morning show, which was completely different from when Jennifer was still the host and Lawrence had been interactive.

Walk and Remember once again proved that Lawrence was a superstar.

After 10 days of screening, Walk and Remember had grossed $61 million. For the record, the budget for Walk and Remember was $25 million, with Lawrence taking $15 million of that amount as his salary.

Lawrence's compensation was $15 million plus a 12% share of the worldwide box office. Aside from Whiner Bruh, Lawrence was the biggest winner.

Everyone thought the movie's momentum would go downhill after that, but films like Walk and Remember generated strong word-of-mouth appeal, and the reactions of moviegoers were long-lasting. They recommended the movie to their friends and relatives, wanting them to experience a masterpiece.

In just 30 days, the movie grossed $109 million at the North American box office alone, while the international box office was still being calculated.

Once again, everyone in Hollywood expected the film to cool down after reigning as the box office champion for a month...

However, by July, five months after the release of Walk and Remember, the movie surpassed $500 million at the worldwide box office. Hollywood was stunned, as no one expected a romance film to become one of the highest-grossing movies of 2001.

Every major studio studied the film, and they all reached a single conclusion: Lawrence Terrence was the single biggest factor behind the movie's massive success.

First, Lawrence was already a superstar with immense box office draw, having gathered a massive global fanbase. His fans would buy tickets simply to see him on screen.

Second, Lawrence's performance was so compelling and emotional that it struck a chord with viewers and left a lasting impression.

The third factor was the story, it was a gut-wrenching tale executed perfectly, especially with Lawrence in the lead role.

They had found the perfect formula for a blockbuster. Even Whiner Bruh felt that their decision to cast Lawrence was well worth it. Most of the budget might have gone toward Lawrence's fee, but it was worth every penny considering the movie grossed half a billion. They did admit, however, that Lawrence was a bit eccentric on set because he loved bossing people around and commanding attention.

Well, Lawrence had earned the right to be arrogant and eccentric, he was just that good, so studios simply overlooked his flaws.

Other studios took note of this phenomenon, becoming eager to cast Lawrence in another heavy-themed romance movie in hopes of turning a similar profit.

Lawrence had once again proven his worth in Hollywood.

.........

......

...

Yet even as Lawrence celebrated another major milestone in his filmography, bad news hit him like a freight train.

His talent agent, the very person who had helped him reach the top, had decided to resign from ANT.

This meant Collin would no longer be part of his journey. It wasn't just Lawrence, either. Axel, Jennifer, Wyatt, and Princess Chantal were all struck by the shocking news, completely unsure of what to do.

Collin had contacted them to explain that August would be his last month at ANT, and that he planned to transfer their contracts to other agents.

[Thank you for reading this novel.]
 
Chapter 271 New
Behind The Spotlight Chapter 271


Two months before Collin made the decision to resign...

The news of Apex Network Talent being sold spread further, and the employees talked about it in secret. There was no official announcement, but it was confirmed that Elijah Edward had sold the company to another organization.

An emergency shareholders' meeting was called as a result. Collin and the other executives were present, sitting stiffly around the long table. Most of them were nervous, uncertain about the future of the company now that a new entity had acquired it.

Apex Network Talent was making great strides in the entertainment industry, particularly in its film department. Any decision made by the new boss could impact their positions in many ways, whether positively or negatively.

Even Arnold was wiping his face every other minute, his handkerchief already damp with sweat.

Salvador was present as well. He occasionally glared at Collin with resentment, but he maintained his calm and remained silent. He had already accepted that Shawn's career was over, especially with him rotting in jail. As for exacting revenge against Collin and Jennifer, only Salvador knew the answer.

Lila was also in the meeting. She felt a touch of melancholy, but a text message she received brought a smile to her face as she read it. Fortunately, Lila had learned about the acquisition months ago, giving her time to prepare herself emotionally.

If anyone was exceptionally nervous, it was Claude. He was the President of Talent Management and Representation and had held the position for decades, a throne he protected fiercely. However, he was getting old, and his position was in danger.

He loved the authority and power he possessed, even clinging to it, but he was helpless against a larger organization. He lacked the means to resist higher authority and could do nothing but accept whatever decision was made. His fingers tightened on his chair.

The executives murmured quietly, discussing the meeting and fearing the impending changes.

Suddenly, the door of the conference room opened, and everyone turned to look.

A small group of people entered the room. Some executives swallowed hard as they waited for the announcement.

No one recognized these newcomers, but based on their confidence and demeanor, they were likely the new owners of ANT.

A woman stepped forward to face the table, drawing the gaze of all the executives. She was followed by four men carrying briefcases, two appeared to be lawyers, while the other two were accountants.

"I'm Cherilyn, the representative from General Group, and I will be facilitating this emergency meeting."

She turned to her entourage, and the men opened their briefcases to distribute documents to the executives.

The talent agents began whispering among themselves, knowing that change was now inevitable.

"General Group? Isn't that a private equity firm?"

General Group was similar to Blackstone Corporation, a private equity firm that bought companies to turn a profit.

'I thought it would be the Wallmart family or the Blackstone Corporation. I guess General Group offered a higher price, which led Elijah to sell ANT to them,' Lila thought.

"With the authority granted to me by the new owner of ANT, I hereby announce a change in management."

'As expected... I'm doomed.' Claude closed his eyes, gritting his teeth. Despite his age, he couldn't bring himself to let go of his position, the power was addictive.

"General Group recognizes that Lila Seraphina has brought improvement to the company, but her presence is no longer acceptable. She is terminated from her position, though she will receive three years' worth of severance pay, a performance bonus, and her stock shares will be bought out at 25% above the market rate."

When Cherilyn announced this, the entire conference room fell silent. The first target had been removed.

"Are there any questions? What about you, Miss Lila Seraphina? Do you have anything to say?"

"I accept the decision," Lila said calmly.

Collin was about to stand up, but his phone vibrated. He opened it and saw a text from Lila.

-- Don't do anything stupid, please.

Collin's eyes trembled, and he chose to remain seated. Everyone in the room understood that the decision was final. Someone like Lila, brought in by Elijah Edward, was not welcome under ANT's new ownership.

"Second, for the time being, Mr. Claude will assume Lila's position and become the CEO of Apex Network Talent. Mr. Salvador will step up as the President of Talent Management and Representation while Mr. Claude serves as CEO."

Both Claude and Salvador were stunned by the announcement. Salvador couldn't believe he didn't have to fight for voting power, he had secured the position just like that.

Claude was equally thrilled to receive a promotion instead. Though temporary, the role could become permanent if he proved himself. He had known his days at ANT were numbered, and becoming CEO was his only lifeline.

"We will do our utmost best!"

Claude and Salvador stood up and pledged their commitment to Cherilyn. The woman nodded and dismissed the meeting.

"That is all for now. Aside from Miss Lila Seraphina, everyone may leave."

The executives quickly exited, eager to escape the heavy atmosphere.

Lila had already come to terms with the fact that she wouldn't remain CEO of ANT. Still, before signing the non-disclosure agreement and other contracts, she consulted her lawyers.

When Lila finally stepped out of the office, she looked exhausted. She took a deep breath and let out a soft sigh.

"Did you wait for me?" she asked, turning to Collin, who was standing a short distance down the hallway.

"Yes."

Lila chuckled and walked toward Collin... She wanted to hug him, but she knew they were in the hallway where employees might see them.

She simply stood there in front of him.

It was Collin who made the first move, drawing her into an embrace.

[Thank you for reading this novel.]
 
Back
Top