บท 82: 80. The Tutorial's End, A Wonderful Experience and Desperate Measures.
{Author's Note: RESULTS OF THE POLL –
♦ 1. What do you guys want me to use for Ms. JK Rowling's name that Mark will call her?
Option: 1. Joanne - 27 votes.
Option: 2. Jo. - 11 votes.
RESULT – Normally this should have resulted in Joanne being the winner and the new name that Mark would use to call JK. A clever reader gave a really good suggestion, he said that Mark could use Joanne in public and Jo in private. Well I really like it but I think Jo as a pet name is bad… I am not good at naming so I asked a friend and they suggested me Anne as JK's pet name, it's in her name – Joanne.
So now Mark will call JK as Joanne in public and Anne in private.
♦ 2. This question was about whether to use Marc Spector as his public name or to use Mark Spencer as his public name which he already does.
Option: 1. Marc Spector – 23(readers) + 2(me) = 25
Option: 2. Mark Spencer – 10
RESULT – Well, it's clear who won. Marc Spector is the MC's public name from now on. The people who work for him like his employees at the company, his crew members, the actors who he works with, etc. will only know him as Marc Spector. Only his friends and family will know his real name Mark Spencer. Obviously the lawyers and people who handle his financials are privy to his real name.
So River, Keanu, Johnny, Salma know his true name because the first 3 guys became good friends with him and Salma is his lover. I hope that makes sense, if there is any confusion please ask in the comments and I will reply when I see it.
♦ 3. To ask you guys if you like this format of not just seeing Mark's side of the story but also the side characters because if yes then I will try to do it more often.
Option: 1. Divide the chapter in two. 1 with Mark's POV and 1 with side character POV – 14 votes (readers) + 2 (me)
Option: 2. Focus the story only from Mark's POV and only do side characters POV sometimes – 19 votes
RESULT – So the chapters will mostly be featuring Mark with a POV of side characters being thrown in from time to time. But as I have already planned the next 6 side characters POV they will be featured in the next few chapters. Don't worry they won't take up too much of the story.
♦ 4. As you guys know Mark unfortunately had to lay off 2 of his personal secretaries if you what I mean ಡ ͜ ʖ ಡ. I want you guys to suggest names of female celebrities that you guys think will do nice with being Mark's secretary in the 1990.
List of suggestions for the role of Mark's secretaries or future "friends" that I have selected from the suggestions later we will be doing a poll to decide their place in the harem and the order of their appearance in the story if you catch my drift ಡ ͜ ʖ ಡ : –
1. Scarlett Johansson.
2. Christina Hendricks.
3. Kate Beckinsale.
4. Margot Robbie.
5. Jennifer Aniston.
6. Monica Bellucci.
7. Angelina Jolie.
8. Liv Tyler.
9. Kate Upton.
10. Kate Winslet.
11. Kate Hudson.
12. Kathryn Bigelow.
♦ 5. Even though it's off screen and not yet mentioned in the book. Jessica (Mark's friend) has been writing a new script for a horror/thriller movie. Her old one is also there which she wrote after being inspired by one of Mark's ideas.
RESULT – There were a lot of great suggestions and I have written them all down for later. One of the suggestions really piqued my interest and after some digging around on the internet I have found what I was looking for. I have something really cool planned in store for Jessica (Mark's friend and perfectionist Scriptwriter and horror genre enthusiast).
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THERE IS A POLL/SUGGESTION BOX AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER.
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Recap of the Previous Chapter —
Mark and Anne met up with Rose outside of GWG HQ and talked about it a little ajd then Mark invited Anne to sit in for the meeting as well. The meeting went splendidly with him deciding to create a miniature wargame for Legends of Runeterra in the future.
After this Mark took Anne home and later on met up with her for the Premier Night of Knives Out in UK. She loved the movie and couldn't help but imagine how would her book look like if Mark decided to make into a film.
After the premier, he didn't sleep with Anne and instead came back to his hotel room as he finally had enough points to buy the Harem King's Template. It was finally time for his coronation. After telling Vani to buy the skill as he fell asleep as instructed by her for ease of assimilation.
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– Quote of the chapter –
"Be curious, Not judgmental." – Ted Lasso.
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~ Third Person's POV ~
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Date: Friday, 21th September, 1990
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Location: In Mark's hotel room.
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Time: 06:43 am
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It was almost time for Mark to wake up and he was in for a surprise. Even though it was just a fragment, the Legendary Essence had done its magic on his body and mind.
His body had lost a bit of its bulk as his muscles seemingly condensed, becoming more stronger yet at the same time not sacrificing any points in flexibility or agility.
The essence didn't find any need to mess with his genitalia as he was already pretty gifted in that department.
But now he had a much shorter refractory time, so he was always ready to "go" with any reload time.
Having superhuman stats in endurance, stamina and libido will do that to a man.
He groaned, as he yawned and woke up slowly, trying to piece together the knowledge that had been crammed inside his mind.
"Vani if it was gonna be that headache inducing you should have warned. I would have kept a painkiller ready." he muttered under his breath as he opened his eyes and into his surroundings.
The room which he had already seen every inch of still looked the same but he could also spot so many tiny details that his eyes had missed before.
It wasn't like he needed glasses as he had near perfect vision before but having superhuman senses really did make a difference.
Upon observing further the room, he found that his eyes were now so sensitive that he could see how the lights were bouncing off of the surfaces and lighting up the room.
Even though it seemed like a useless skill at first glance, Mark knew how to think outside of the box.
This new skill, if used in combination with his genius intellect and;knowledge of lighting and camera angles could actually help him to determine how the lighting equipment needs to be set up so that he can get the desired "look" in a room at just a few glances.
"It's definitely a quality of life improvement as the game devs used to say." Mark chuckled as he experimented with his improved body treating it almost like a game avatar and limit testing his senses.
He found that if he focused on his ears he could hear the breathing of his bodyguard posted up outside his room.
Even though his mind was quickly recovering from the headache he had when he got up in the morning, physically he felt better than he had ever before in life.
He felt so energized that he felt like he could run a triathlon, he couldn't help but admire his physique in the full length mirror near his bed.
Mark already had a very impressive physique, which he had gained by a dedicated exercise regimen and a nutritious balanced diet which he has followed for nearly the entirety of his new life.
He already pretty much looked like a greek god in human flesh with but a few imperfections here and there but now.. now even he didn't know how he would describe his body. Only one word came to his mind. "Perfection."
He flexed and thought about doing some poses but immediately broke out of it. "Crap, I might become a narcissist if I keep admiring myself for too long."
"Woah, my eyes look even more beautiful now," he said, finally noticing his eyes that looked even more beautiful than before.
"Damn, I almost feel bad for the other men out there.. how can they possibly hope to compete with.. all of this." He had spread out his arms as he flexed for the last time and admired his physique.
Tying a bathrobe around himself he went to the door of his room and knocked in a sequence. The guard posted outside heard it returned the knock. It meant that all was okay.
Mark cracked it open slightly and said, "Ask Rose to come after an hour with my breakfast and tell her to make sure that the afternoon show is going on as planned."
"Of course, sir. I hope you had a good sleep." The guard replied cordially, being hired by Mark was a great opportunity for him as the pay was beyond anything even a PMC could give.
"It was okay. I do need to shower though.. Thanks for staying on guard all night." he replied and thanked him sincerely.
"Just doing my job, sir." He replied casually but Mark's sincere gratitude did bring a smile to his face.
They nodded at each other and Mark closed the door as he drew a bath for himself.
'Vani, how is it looking? Did you find any problems with the new skill?' he asked casually as he took off the robe and hung it up.
[Good morning, Mark. Nope, there are no complications but there is a new development with the system and the skill that I think needs your attention.]
'Of course, what is it?' he asked as he gathered the soap, shampoo and conditioner.
[Well, the so-called tutorial is finally over.]
'Tutorial? What was I in some kind of test phase?' Mark immediately asked, enjoying this new development. His life had been going in easy mode and felt a bit bland to him; he wanted to feel excited, feel challenged.
"So, what triggered it? Was it me buying the only remaining Unique Skill in the system shop?' Mark asked, rapidly analyzing the situation he found himself in.
Mark had an excited smile on his face, happy to have finally found something interesting to engage his mind with.
[Yes, the tutorial was like a grace period for you Mark.]
'Grace?' he asked as he started the shower and wet his full body.
He then turned it off as he took the soap and began to lather up his body while doing so he found that despite looking muscular he was still very flexible. Meanwhile he was still intently listening to Vani's explanation and paying attention to her words.
[The grace period of the tutorial reduced the threshold your creative works like books and movies need to reach at bare minimum to reward you with Hunting Points.
The end of this grace period wasn't triggered by you purchasing the unique skill Mark. Rather it was triggered by the $200 million box office of your movie. It was the deciding factor that you now have a secure base and are able to create good movies.]
'I see, I guess I truly am suffering from success.' he chuckled as he joked about the new situation in his life.
He didn't really care that the tutorial was over because for him; he already had all he would need to achieve his dreams. And he didn't even ask why she didn't reveal this information before.
After all, she was programmed to be unable to tell him about the hidden achievements so he just logically thought the same thing applied here and didn't waste his breath on unnecessary drama, after all she was just a chat bot to help him out and not a friend.
'So what changed.' he asked, wanting to move forward and see if there are any new features unlocked because of the ending of the tutorial phase, or if there are any new skills or items available in the system shop.
[Of course, Mark. The system shop has been updated and some new skills and items have been added to the list. There are few things in there that you will definitely want to snatch up as soon as possible.]
'I see, new skills and items are always appreciated. Show me the new skill list first please.' he thought as he turned on the shower and rinsed off the lather.
By now the tub was filled with warm water, he tested to see if it was too hot but the temperature was perfect for a warm soak. He got in as Vani showed him the new skill list.
[Here's the new skill list, Mark.
Special Skills — This is a new category of skills that will allow the user to better understand and perform their desired task. As most of your current focus is on direction and film-making so most of the skills are also geared towards that profession.
1. Actor's Shoes (C-tier), (Active) – Allows the user to get into the actor's shoes and reduce the boundaries between the actor and the user to place themselves in the "shoes." of the actor, allowing them to perfectly guide the actor through a scene. (Can only be used once per actor per movie, a maximum of 3 actors.)
Also provides a minor boost to the improvement of the Skill: Performance Guidance.
Hint: Can evolve to increase the number of total uses, have multiple uses on one person or even to be used on multiple people in the scene.
Price – 35 HP.
2. Action Direction (C-tier), (Passive) – Allows the user to gain the basic knowledge of a director that is a specialist in stunts, action, choreography and designing action set pieces that can amaze the minds of the audiences.
Evolving to a higher tier allows the user to gain better skills and improve themselves in this niche. Currently at the C-tier it allows the user to gain the skill with 65 points in mastery.
Price – 30 HP.
3. Guiding Light (D-tier), (Passive) – Allows the user to passively raise the rate of improvement of an actor's (person's) skill employed by him. Also creates a perception for the actor (person) to notice this change, making them feel the benefit of acting (working) for the user's Film/TV-show/Crew/Company.
Also gives the user a very small chance for the best/most talented actor (person) in the Film/TV-show/Crew/Company to have a breakout performance if they are challenged enough and pushed to the limit of their current skills.
The increase in their rate of improvement and the degree to which an actor (person) perceives this change/improvement, depends on the tier of skill, the higher the tier the better the effect.
Price – 35 HP.
4. Word's Worth (D-tier), (Passive) – Raises the likelihood of people to spread the word about your creative work that they have seen. It also raises their effectiveness, making it more likely for a person to be influenced by this word-of-mouth effect and be drawn to try out your work for themselves.
If they like it as well they will also spread the word in turn and draw in an even bigger crowd, this effect slowly snowballs.
Word of Caution: This skill is a double edged sword, because if the people genuinely dislike your work then they will also be more likely to spread negative comments and drive people away from your work.
Price – 25 points.
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'Woah' Mark thought with his eyes closed as he looked at the system panel in his mind's eye.
It was something he discovered later on by happenstance, he found that even when he closed his eyes or somehow lost them it won't hinder him from reading the system panel.
Just reading the description of all those skills was making his mouth salivate. His hunger to quickly earn more hunting points, for a second made him want to give up on his press tour and immediately start his grind once again.
If he hadn't been rewarded with the 90 points at the beginning from the starter he wouldn't have been able to buy both the unique skill from the shop and that was with the discounts.
But now the tutorial is over. Now just a simple C-tier skill, cost him a whopping 30 to 35 points.
He still remembered buying the Character Evaluation skill for just 50 points and that was an A-tier skill. The tutorial unknowingly had truly been a godsend for him.
If the Harem King's Template hadn't been such a broken skill, with multiple perks that would with time will quite literally turn him into a God amongst men.
Then he really might have died of regret for thinking with his dick and not saving some points for the yet-to-be unlocked skills. After all he had 160 hunting points that he spent on Harem King's Template, it still hurt him a bit when he thought about it.
"Vani, please show me the Harem King's Template's description. I want to see if it's still the same as the one I read or are there any new features that were unlocked by me assimilating it?"
[Of course, Mark. Here's the new description –
Harem King's Template (S-Tier), (Passive/Active) —
A fragment of the Legendary Essence of The Harem King. Allows the user to obtain the following perks –
• A body just above the peak of your species in ability, one sculpted to match your original appearance with a few tune ups to make you look like the perfect version of you. «New: The user's body will remain at this peak even if he stops actively trying to maintain it with exercise or a balanced diet, only adequate sustenance is required.»
• Provides the user with a Greater Willpower to go beyond your limits and tackle any foe, even bloody and broken he will not stop.
• Provides the user with superhuman level endurance, flexibility, dexterity, senses, stamina, vitality, libido and ability to disregard pain to a certain extent.
• Unmatched in the realm of sexual activities, even the most ennui stricken succubus or demoness of lurid passions could be left a mewling mess.
• Passively boosts the users lifespan making them age slower and live longer. Women who are sexually intimate and active with the user enjoy the same perk but to a lesser extent.
• All of the user's fluids are now like an aphrodisiac, even the iciest composed soul would be reduced to an utter slut begging for another taste. Luckily no one can overdose on it. (Can be toggled on/off or only have it affect certain fluids.)
• The user now has perfect control over your fertility/virility, their line of descendants will never suffer from any issues of inbreeding or unwelcome mutation. «New: Causes the user and their harem members to become immune to STDs.»
• A signature bloodline with a few benefits up to user's discretion. Can be passed onto a few descendants chosen by the user to carry on his legacy.
• Perfect memory with almost infinite storage and perfect recall. «New: Due to the user already having this perk except for the infinite storage and the user failing to meet even the minimum number of members required for a proper harem. He is awarded with a new perk.»
• «New Perk: Luck of the Harem King: Provides the user with a halo of luck that attracts people (celebrities or people with great destiny) towards the user. What attracts these people will vary from one another but there always will be something that piques their interest in you.
This interest can with some effort from the user be turned into genuine friendship, brotherhood or even love with some time spent in your company. (Can be toggled to specifically target/attract a certain group of people.)»
• Mastery of many weapons and unarmed martial arts and even just plain old brawling. (Must be actually trained for the muscle memory to properly integrate.)
• An immense skill in strategic and tactical warfare of any kind. «New: (This perk will slowly raise the user's skill in strategy and tactics, to avoid overloading the user's brain.)
• A good handle of logistics and how to raise and train a force from a small band of soldiers to an entire spy network. «New: (This perk will slowly raise the user's skill in logistics, leadership and management, to avoid overloading the user's brain.)
• A mastery of economics, logistics, an understanding of politics, and other things needed to run a functional power. «New: (This perk will slowly raise the user's knowledge and skill in the aforementioned subjects to avoid overloading the user's brain.)»
• A Charisma that grows with every conquest which will eventually become powerful enough to bend the will of entire nations and provide the user with the sheer presence of a monarch that others would describe as divine.]
'Wow.. so, now I have a lucky halo that passively raises my chances of having "lucky encounters" with female celebrities and even influences people who will accomplish great things in the future to get in contact with me whom I can then get to join my group.'
'f**king hell yeah! Best perk yet, by far. And I got this OP perk not only because of me already being a genius but also because of me being very picky and cautious while picking women for my harem. Wait, Vani..'
'What would have happened if I had enough members in the harem and didn't trigger this new perk. Would I have still gotten the perk later on by evolving the skill?' he thought about the what ifs.
[Well, Mark, the skill is currently at the S-Tier rank but it's still the same as the other skill so as you fulfill the skills' conditions it will evolve and unlock newer perks, even this Lucky Halo would have been unlocked eventually as well.
Now what condition would you as a Harem King need to fulfill? For the harem aspect, I would suggest getting more lovers in your harem. Maybe even gaining mistresses and servants might do the trick.
As for the King aspect, I would suggest you create or buy more businesses or organizations. Maybe even create an entire city or country of your own later on and establish yourself as its ruler, like a true King.
Change the Hollywood industry, Mark, for the better. Conquer it. Rule over it with an iron fist like a benevolent emperor, that is what this skill is all about. It's not just for creating harem but also a kingdom with you as it's King.
Also, you may have realized, the tutorial ending has also caused the prices of the skills to rise. But there is a silver lining: the items were always fairly priced so there is no change in their prices.]
"Vani, so, let me get this straight, to evolve the Harem King and unlock more perks. I need to increase my money, power, fame and influence?" Mark asked Vani as he summarized her explanation in short.
[And women as well. Mark.]
"Of course, sorry, can't forget the women." he replied, chuckling at this childish joke.
'Hmm, Rose should be here in a half hour. That leaves me with enough time to go over the new items and clear a few doubts I have about the special skills.'
'Vani…'
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Half an hour later.
~ Rose Headey's POV ~
It had been a wonderful trip for her, Mark even gave her permission to visit her family when she wasn't busy baby sitting. Her boss despite being nearly a decade younger than her gave her the feeling of a man in his 30s or 40s.
Not that behaved like an old man but he didn't have the restlessness that the people of his age are infamous for. Mark had an air of surety and experience to him, an unflappable confidence that was just so sexy.
When someone from Disney approached with a deal asking for information on her boss. She already knew that the other two colleagues of hers would have also been approached.
Now normally in a situation like this most people would say yes to Disney's offer but her instincts told her that Mark was not someone to be trifled with. She also had a good feeling about him, he treated her with kindness and generosity.
So against her better judgment and trusting on her instincts, she decided to place her bet on Marc Spector and now she felt like it was the right thing to do. As Mark began to trust her more and even opened up to her, telling her his real name.
Coming into the job, she was expected to sleep with her boss if he demanded it. She dreaded it but after seeing how handsome and charismatic he was, she instead had been the one who was trying to get inside his pants.
Unfortunately it hadn't gone any further than kissing, groping and spanking. Well she was able to give him a blowjob once when both of his lovers were unavailable and he had to relieve some "stress."
Yesterday she had gone to see her elder sister and 7 year old niece, who had recently started taking ballet lessons. She had taken them as well, so the two aunt and niece had a blast dancing together.
It felt great to her as she finally got to catch up with her family after so long. Checking the time at her wristwatch, it was a minute till 8 am. She was waiting outside his room with a warm breakfast covered with a cloche.
Mark was a stickler for always being on time and demanded the same from those that worked for him.
"Knock" x3
She knocked thrice and stepped back, Mark opened the door and allowed her in, his mask as always in place.
"Sir, I think halls are safe, you really don't need to wear a mask."
"Better safe than sorry." came the reply in his smooth and deep voice, which seemed like the most sexy voice she had ever heard. It always did something to her whenever she heard him speak.
"So are the preparations ready for my farewell gift?" He proceeded to write something in a book as he took a bite of the English breakfast she had brought him.
"Of course, sir. The tickets to be distributed at the orphanages and children's hospital and schools along with sizable donations have already been sent last night." she replied, happy to be doing something for the children.
"Universal was able to make a reservation at Union Chapel for around an hour for an impromptu press meet and your performance."
"I also made sure that the music sheets were already distributed yesterday before I left. They agreed with your opinion of it being a simple arrangement and that it shouldn't be too much of a trouble for them." She gave a brief account of her completing her tasks yesterday.
She said relaying the requests she had gotten, "But I have still gotten a few requests from the musicians who wanted to do a few rehearsals with you if possible before the show."
"Many of them even sincerely requested if you could meet their family or friends for a few seconds, their all big fans, sir." she finished with a look that said, "please don't turn it down."
"Okay, I will meet them but after the rehearsals. Also, I won't delay the show no matter the reasons." He replied with a sigh as he kept eating.
"Any news from Eva yet?" He couldn't help but ask as Knives Out had already earned over $200 million at the box office and there hadn't been any big moves from the rivals.
"Yeah. Just like you predicted the attack has begun. She said that the fake news about Johnny, River and Salma is on full blast now and that they are trying to drag your name through the mud as well."
"Last night there was even a case filed against Eidolon Entertainment for trademark infringement by one of its subsidiary studios – Nirvana Pictures." she told him all that Eva had said but she didn't even look at least a bit concerned and why would she when her boss burst out laughing hearing it.
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"Ahahaha." Mark was grateful that he didn't have any food in his mouth when he heard that news.
He shook his head as he said "Damn. So predictable."
He had already made a list of predictions for the kinds of shit they would have to deal with and even left a sealed envelope titled Contingencies to care for them when he left.
It's just that he didn't think that they would get so desperate that they would launch all their attacks at once.
"It's alright, she'll take care of 'em. Anyways, how was time spent with family?" He asked while going back to his breakfast.
They spent the rest of the time that he ate, talking about how they spent their previous day and what things were on his schedule for today.
It wasn't really a lot, just a radio show, then he was holding a small charity event and then it was off to Union Chapel for his interview and performance.
Johnny and Salma had PR events of their own as he didn't want to overlap too much and target a wider audience.
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~ Trent Crimm's POV ~
(From a small newspaper called the Independent.)
It was an odd sight to see an American director here at Union Chapel, it was even weirder to see him host an impromptu press meet right before they had to perform their own song before them.
But after following him for a while now, he had realized Marc Spector was no ordinary man. After all he was a self made multi-millionaire and a very accomplished writer.
And now even a director and maybe even a potentially talented musician; was there really something he couldn't do?!
Whereas, He was Trent Crimm, just a mediocre journalist in his late 20s working for a small-time newspaper called the Independent but he liked where was at life and that's also what he noticed in the crowd.
The group of reporters and journalists gathered there were all from similar local small-time newspapers or even just random people who were lucky enough to buy a ticket for the event.
Marc was supposed to start the meet in 5 minutes and he had heard that the man was always on time. But he wasn't so sure now, as they had just gotten news from American media that the actors of Knives Out were being brutally slandered.
One was being called a drug addict, one being called out for owning a club that is frequented by predators that drug women and then rape them.
The last one he read about was pretty tame compared to drug addict and rape allegations. It was about the heroine of the movie, one Salma Haye sleeping with the director to get the role of Marta.
Now, that was a normal thing in Hollywood and any other competitive industry even if it was frowned upon by society.
But he had seen Marc Spector on TV and even without seeing his face because of the mask. He could bet that Marc was a good looking man and with all the rest that he had going on for himself who could blame the woman for shooting her shot.
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The end of the tutorial had been a surprise but not an unpleasant one. He was glad for the selection of different skills and items that were now available.
His brief talk with Vani had revealed quite a lot of information like how more things are coming and will slowly be added to the shop. He just wanted to make sure if anything was there on a limited time basis.
But Vani had laid his fears to rest. She told him that he could purchase any skill or item he liked at his own pace, taking his time to plan and then buy whenever he felt like it was the right time to buy them.
He knew that she could not tell him about somethings but till now she had never lied to him or tried to control him and that was something that he had appreciated about her even though she was just an AI chat assistant.
He was slowly getting better at doing interviews now; the experience he had gotten from the Character Template of Mr. Spielberg had already given him many insights on how to deal with the press and media.
It had allowed him to show a better side of himself in front of the media and people. This interview was going pretty much on point except for the part where they asked about the allegations and even the dispute with the trademark infringement.
It was all still with his prediction though and he had already prepared answers for them while he was having breakfast with Rose.
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"Marc, what do you think about the allegations against Mr. Depp? He is an actor and a friend of yours we believe, do you have anything to say in his defense?" a middle-aged woman asked trying to get a scoop to boost the sales of her small newspaper.
"Defense?" Mark asked back.
"Umm."
"Why would I need to defend him? Yes he is my friend, yes, he is an actor and a damn good one at that." he said sincerely praising Johnny as an actor and showing his support.
"Does he own a club? Yes. Why? Is it illegal for an actor to become a business owner now? I don't think there's such a law like that." he was speaking in rhetoric showing how absurd and funny the situation actually was.
"But he is only a named partner and doesn't participate in its management or operations. All he did was put his money into the business, but now there are these baseless allegations that are trying to make a criminal out of him."
"Asking him to pay for his crimes, what crimes did he commit? I don't see any. And they haven't even given us any proof. No names of victims or evidence of the incidents."
"He could be running a restaurant on the side like I am – Ichirakus by the way." Some of the people there couldn't help chuckle and laugh at how lightly Mark was treating this and joking about it.
Looking like he was in complete control of the situation, maybe even expecting something like this to happen to him.
"And he would still end up being accused of something. Maybe that the restaurant is just a front for a money laundering operation."
"After all, these people don't care about the truth, only about spreading a hot topic that they can "sell" as a story." He knew that it was a very controversial thing to say and he might offend the media but that is why he has only brought in local newspapers.
"Well, I just have six words for liars like these – I will see you in court."
After that ending remark from him they moved on to the trademark infringement dispute and Mark very carefully handled that landmine without giving way too much of his plan. He did hint that even this absurdity was within his expectations.
But what they didn't know as Mark refused to was that he had already decided to change the name of his studios from Nirvana Pictures to something else.
Something more grand and majestic to denote the Studio that will be in charge of creating his best movies. But that was a name that won't be revealed to the world until he comes out swinging at Hollywood with The Killing Joke.
The musicians behind him had already taken their places, with smiles on their faces.
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Marc had been an absolute gentleman backstage, meeting with his fans big and small, signing his name on books, t-shirts or even get-well-soon cards writing something witty and endearing on it for the receiver.
He even played the arrangement of the song for them solo on the grand piano. And it had been an experience for them, one that they never thought would get from hearing his music.
It humbled them, some even had tears in their eyes as they listened to the melancholic yet triumphant song.
It was a song with no words, but it didn't need any for its melody was so beautiful, so deep its meaning that it didn't need any words for it to be understood.
Every musician in that crowd backstage couldn't believe their eyes or their ears that this beautiful symphony was composed by a 20 year old who treated music as just his hobby rather than a lifelong goal.
Mark's song called "Experience" had stolen the hearts and souls of these people backstage and they knew soon it would be the whole of the UK and eventually the world.
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There were many disparate thoughts in the minds of the audiences listening in on Mark's performance.
'I can listen for hours, it's something magical, so piercing, an indescribable feeling.' thought a middle-aged woman as she lost herself in the beauty of Mark's song.
'This is giving me the chills. It's hauntingly beautiful and is making me remember so many things. Don't cry.. don't cry.' thought a man in his 40s as he tried to hold in his tears.
Trent couldn't stop the tears that rolled down his eyes, he couldn't help but remember his struggles of trying to get a job, of trying to get his foot inside the "door."
He couldn't help but pull out his notebook his note book to write down his thoughts as listened to the beautiful symphony –
It is a retrospective journey, we look inside ourselves; what we have been, what we are now; its music that you look inside yourself but also outside, like looking into a mirror. At first glance it might seem sad but it also gives you hope, the strength to get back up on your feet.
It's sublime, I am enchanted. I don't want it to end…
The performance was cheered and clapped with a standing ovation. At the request of many people in the crowd, Mark and his group of musicians ended up playing Experience over 3 times for their listeners.
At the end Mark just told them that the song was called – "Experience";and said that it is his gift to musicians around the world. That they could play it wherever they wanted, and all he asked for in return was just due credit.
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~ A few days ago at Disney's HQ ~
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~ Lisa Ann's POV ~
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Secretary of Harold Biggs, Head of Disney's PR dept.
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Lisa couldn't help but wince as she heard the shouting that somehow still made it out of the closed doors of the office of Micheal Eisner. Her boss was inside, being chewed out by the tyrant of Disney.
It was not a pretty scene obviously so he had asked her for her own good to stay outside. Mr. Eisner was obviously not in a good mood because of Knives Out's success, he didn't want her to be fired over him being petty.
She could call her boss, whatever she wanted – pervert, opportunist, devious, etc. but it won't diminish one trait of his that she liked and found to be quite rare in higher level execs and managers.
Her boss, Harold genuinely cared about those that worked under him, not wanting to see them be unjustly fired because of a higher up's mood swings. Like right now, she was being saved from the tyrant's tantrums.
It's not like it was a fault in their operations; they had already tried all the soft approaches already. But the Spector's film was just that good, they failed in swaying the public's opinion time and time again.
The Market Research team and even some pundits on the news have coined this effect as the "Spector's Call". This had all started when Marc had shamelessly advertised the release of his movie on each and every one of his creative works.
From his recently released books like – Halo and Resident Evil (III), to even comic books like Naruto, DOOM and Marvel, he was handing out discount fliers in his Ichiraku's restaurant and on every purchase at his EE store.
Advertisement tactics like these were never seen before by Hollywood who only tried to pull each other down in an attempt to get ahead.
Whoever was the one who came up with these marketing strategies had made themselves the number one target for their head hunters of the majority of the studio's in Hollywood.
But that isn't even the main issue, the main issue was just how good the Spector's film actually was. Nobody had taken him seriously thinking that it was just his first movie. How good can it even be?
To check out the competition her boss had ordered the entire department to go and watch the movie for themselves. To see if they could find any flaws to target or mistakes that could be weaponized.
She was one of the skeptics as well, not believing the film to be actually any good and just getting box office due to the hype and the marketing tactics. But all that went away, when she finally got to see the film with her friends.
She was shocked to find it was one of the best suspense thriller films she had ever seen in her life. Marta was her part of the movie, her honesty and genuineness made her want to have a friend like her.
It was then that she realized why they couldn't disturb the rise of the Knives Out's box office that easily. The film was simply phenomenal; it could stand on its own and eventually become one of the best films of the Year and even a box office hit by itself.
But the marketing tactics employed by Mark had allowed it to soar into the sky like a rocket and earned him huge box office returns. Unfortunately for him, it was also something that got the attention of many unsavory eyes in Hollywood.
Studios like her own were getting desperate she could see for herself and had already heard the rumors that were circulating the grapevine about how the studios were about to use some desperate measures in an attempt to bring down Knives Out's success.
She found the situation to be a real shame, as she had loved the movie and after watching that ending she must admit she was a fan now.
Not that she would admit that in front of her bosses even if a gun was pointed to her head, after all she wanted to keep her current job. Because it was a real headache to find a well paying job in this economy and especially in this city.
— To be continued…
In the next episode of dragon bal–
*Cough* *Cough*
I meant in the next chapter of Hollywood: Head-Hunting System.
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POLLS/Suggestions –
♦ This one's more like suggestions but yeah I do need some help. As you can see the tutorial phase is over. I need suggestions for the items and skills that I will be putting into the store. 4 news skills I have already added but more are always appreciated.
So, I desperately need ideas for new items that can be put into the store. Right now I have an idea for only 1, it's the Optimized Knowledge Script.
[Optimized Knowledge Script (A-tier) –
An upgraded version of the knowledge script. It is an A-Tier item that bestows upon the user the knowledge about how to produce and direct a perfect movie or one season of a TV show.
Any movie or TV show selected by the user will be edited by the System itself and rid of all its possible flaws, taking into account the target audience and market trends it will be modified into the perfect film or TV show of that particular genre.
Price - 20 points]
So I need more ideas like these, please help out your author here guys. New Items and skills, I need ideas and suggestions for both.
This chapter was supposed to come out two days ago even with all the delays but I found a beautiful TV show had just sucked me in. I couldn't write until I finished it. Its called Ted Lasso, its one Apple TV and I highly recommend it. One of the best TV shows I have had the pleasure of watching this year.
My three favourite TV shows this year – Ted Lasso, Loki season 2 and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.
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