Capítulo 88: Chapter 88: Universal Prince, Omniscient - Part 1
Perhaps it's because being in the entertainment industry calls for a display, or maybe it's because Universal Studios is the headquarters of Universal Pictures.
In any case, when Steven Spielberg brought Ethan Jones and Steve Jobs to his own cafeteria, the over 10,000 square feet of space could only be described with one word—luxurious!
The buffet-style dining and conveyor belt-like three rows of dishes truly engraved the word "abundance" on the facade.
Whether representing the coastal flavors of Pacific cuisine, the Southwest cuisine heavily influenced by MXG, or the Cajun cuisine that blends Gaulish, Native American, and African American flavors, everything could be found here.
In addition, the Southern African American cuisine, featuring hand-pulled pork and fried meats, commonly known as home-cooked dishes, the New York cuisine that integrates tastes of immigrants from various regions, and the New England cuisine created mainly by John Bull immigrants were all available here.
It's not an exaggeration to say that this small cafeteria of Universal Pictures already encompasses all the flavors popular in the United States!
After some deliberation, Ethan chose a seafood medley, a spicy meat sauce stew with beans, and Texas barbecue.
Spielberg ordered a grilled steak, eggs Benedict, and American pecan pie.
This guy Jobs opted for a pear and cheese salad, a Mexican burrito, and a gumbo with okra and shrimp.
After a simple taste, Ethan immediately gave a thumbs up and said, "Oh damn! This barbecue is incredibly juicy!"
"Oh~ Ethan~ If you like it, that's great," Spielberg introduced, "Our chefs here are masters with over twenty years of cooking experience, many of them directly hired from popular culinary regions, trying to faithfully reproduce the local flavors."
"For example, the Texas barbecue you want is made by the Mueller family's chef from Austin."
"Really? It seems I'm quite lucky today," Ethan said in surprise, "Although I was stuck in traffic for half a day and couldn't have lunch, being able to taste the cuisine of a master when hungry is truly a blissful thing."
"I'm not just flattering! After all, fulfilling needs acquired when necessary can exponentially increase one's satisfaction."
Spielberg's eyes brightened at Ethan's words. "Oh, Ethan, you're absolutely right."
Jobs also raised his eyebrows, nodding slightly in agreement.
Although the real purpose for everyone coming to the cafeteria was to eat, in the situation of a first meeting, there would still be conversation. After praising the dishes, Ethan took the initiative to open the topic, asking Spielberg and Jobs how they met.
"How did we meet? Just like you, we met through games."
Spielberg smiled and said, "Steve told me that you guys met while selling games? Well, for us, it's the opposite. I met Steve when buying games. At that time, he was in Los Angeles promoting 'Gran Trak.'"
At this point, Spielberg glanced at Jobs.
"Yeah~Yeah~Yeah~"
Upon hearing the question, Jobs nodded and said, "'Gran Trak'—that's it. That's how we first met."
He took a sip of the apple juice the waiter brought, then complained, "Honestly, our first meeting left me thinking Steven was a lunatic. Because at that time, he pulled out a thousand dollars in cash from his pocket to buy an arcade machine."
"Really! I was completely stunned!"
"That was a thousand dollars! I had no idea why a normal person would carry so much money!"
"Oh, blame my desire to play games."
Jobs' words made Spielberg laugh. "If I remember correctly, at the time, Atari had posted a delivery time of three days at the ordering venue, but three days was too long for me. I didn't want to wait, so I just took out cash and bought it."
"But the problem was, all he had were hundred-dollar bills!"
Bringing up this matter, Jobs got excited and started gesturing to Ethan, "Those were stacks of a hundred-dollar bills! I was afraid to accept them! I thought he might be a drug dealer, and I was more afraid of being robbed with all that cash!"
"Oh, it's not my fault." Spielberg shrugged and began to explain, "Although I can get twenties, a thousand dollars is fifty twenties! That's a whole stack! Is it convenient for me to carry so much money to buy an arcade machine?"
This question furrowed Jobs' brow, and he said, "So, you scared me for your own convenience?"
Spielberg couldn't be bothered to deal with him. "It's because your psychological endurance is too low!"
"Oh! Shit! Steven! What are you saying?"
"What am I saying? I'm stating the facts!"
The banter between the two made Ethan laugh.
And the scene of them almost getting into a fight made him shake his head repeatedly.
But he had no intention of intervening because this wasn't a big deal.
The issue of the face value of U.S. dollars that Jobs and Spielberg talked about has been around for many years.
The currency in question here is the US dollar, known for its strong purchasing power. In most cases, twenty dollars are sufficient for a household to indulge in a shopping spree at the supermarket. Consequently, the majority of people tend to use twenty-dollar bills in their daily lives.
As for higher denominations, they are often involved in illicit activities. For instance, the one-hundred-dollar bill is commonly used by smugglers or counterfeiters. Those caught in such activities usually face severe consequences without much room for false accusations.
So, when Spielberg walked into an arcade carrying a stack of one-hundred-dollar bills, any normal person would feel a sense of intimidation. Ethan could understand this, and he was quite content to observe the unfolding drama.
After a brief argument, the two parties, realizing the futility of their quarrel, settled down. At this point, Ethan tactfully intervened, inquiring whether the leaked information from before would cause trouble for Spielberg.
After all, in the intelligence Ethan and Jobs had acquired, MCA had intentions to acquire Atari. During their negotiations, Spielberg had shared Atari's information with outsiders, a move that seemed rebellious and potentially harmful.
Upon expressing his concerns, Jobs chuckled and retorted, "Trouble? Oh, Ethan, you underestimate Steven too much!"
"Steven has always been the prince of Universal! The crown prince of MCA!"
"Who would dare trouble him?"
Ethan was taken aback by Jobs' words, but in the next moment, he regained his composure, shaking his head with a smile. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, maybe I'm being shallow."
"After all, 'Jaws' is the first film in history to break the billion-dollar mark at the box office!"
"With such an achievement, no one in Hollywood would dare offend him!"
However, before Ethan could finish his sentence, Jobs shook his head and said, "No, no, no."
"You still don't understand, Ethan."
"Even before 'Jaws' was made, Steven could roam freely at Universal like a crab!"
"Because he only needed to report to one person, the CEO of MCA and the president of Universal, Sidney."
"What?" Ethan was puzzled.
Spielberg smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Steve, be more discreet."
Seeing Ethan's confusion, he explained, "Ethan, don't listen to him. Sidney is my boss, my leader, and my teacher who supports and educates me. I respect him a lot."
Through Spielberg's narrative, Ethan learned what it truly meant to be a chosen one. Spielberg's passion for filmmaking began in high school, where he applied to the USC School of Cinematic Arts three times after graduation. However, with only average grades (C), he faced rejection and ended up at California State University, Long Beach.
But Spielberg wasn't interested in academics; he just wanted to make movies. During his free time, he explored Hollywood, trying to find opportunities to break into the industry. One day, he heard about a tour at Universal Studios, where visitors could see the film production process. Spielberg seized the chance and signed up for the tour. During the visit, he managed to slip away from the group and secretly observed the filmmaking process.
While his approach may have been unconventional, Spielberg didn't care. To him, it was a form of learning, not stealing.
However, his sneaky behavior didn't escape the notice of Chuck Silvers, a project manager at Universal. Silvers discovered Spielberg and asked about his intentions. When Spielberg explained his desire to learn filmmaking and become a director, Silvers was impressed. He granted Spielberg a three-day pass to freely explore the studio and observe the filmmaking process.
From that day on, Spielberg became part of Universal. Although the pass was valid for only three days, Spielberg spent the entire summer at the studio. On the fourth day, he realized that the studio security didn't stop him.
"The security at Universal Studios didn't even stop me," Spielberg said with a smile. "They just let me in."
"At the time, I was thrilled, thinking they had made a mistake with my pass's expiration date."
"But later, I found out that someone had vouched for me. The person who spoke on my behalf said that if I showed up on time for three days, I could witness how they made movies here."
"Was it Chuck Silvers?" Ethan asked with a smile.
"Yes, it was him. He's a good guy," Spielberg nodded.
His face filled with nostalgic smiles, Spielberg continued, "Then, I became a part of Universal."
"Because I didn't know someone had vouched for me, I pretended to be a Universal employee to avoid detection. The office that Steve showed you earlier was my office back then. It was old and rundown, but I didn't mind because no one else was using it. It provided me with a place to rest and think."
"Ethan, I don't know if you've ever felt this way, but when you've been lying for a long time, you start to believe your own lies. I spent a long time at Universal, and I even started to believe that I was a part of it. Until one day, people from Universal found me and asked if, after all this learning, I had any ideas of my own. That's when I realized they knew everything."
Smirking and leaning back, Spielberg played with his fork, saying with a nostalgic tone, "I was scared at that moment. But the people at Universal were kind. They let me prepare a project, and if I passed the assessment, I would get a job. I was overjoyed by this opportunity, and I had my own ideas. So, I wrote a script, borrowed $100,000 from a friend, and made a short film called 'Amblin.'"
"To be honest, I wasn't very satisfied with that movie, but Sidney liked it. He was probably the vice president of Universal at the time, and he had the authority to sign contracts. So, he gave me a seven-year directorial contract with a fixed salary, allowing me to practice in various projects."
"Although I messed up many projects, with Sidney by my side, no one dared to criticize me. He once said in front of many people, 'A lot of people will stick with you in success; I'll stick with you in failure.' With these words, I continued to get projects at Universal. So, what Steve said is not wrong..."
Spielberg tapped the table lightly with his index finger and said gently, "Here, indeed, no one will refuse me."
"And after the release of 'Jaws'—"
"Here, truly became my territory."
After Spielberg shared his story with a smiling face, Ethan was at a loss for words. A future world-renowned director chose to stay at Universal like a child, refusing to leave?
This...
A dark chapter in history!
No, wait!
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