[Chapter 141: Counterattack]
The next morning, Linton left Ellie to handle the press conference and media clarifications, while he took Mira, Danny, and others back to Los Angeles.
In the Universal Pictures president's office, Lou Wasserman and Levitt watched the footage Linton brought back. They felt both furious and uneasy.
They were angry because those Hollywood Actors Guild bastards had teamed up with others to sabotage the Step Up 2 crew, completely disregarding Universal Pictures' huge stake in the project.
They felt uneasy because it seemed Linton might really have some sort of magic. How else could he casually ask, and the actors' guild members obediently spilled all the truth? It was clearly unbelievable.
How were they supposed to work with him from now on? They felt no sense of security at all.
Yes, the rumors that Linton was God's messenger who could wield magic had already spread in Hollywood. Though there was no Internet yet, gossip traveled at the speed of light. At first, the two of them just laughed it off.
It was impossible. They'd been around Linton for a long time and knew him inside out. They believed he was a genius more than anyone else, but magic? No way.
Yet that morning's news about the Step Up 2 crew, with a short clip of Oakland's voluntary confession and the Baltimore police's public information, planted some seeds of doubt.
After seeing the actors' guild members honestly confessing on film, they decided to believe it. And somehow, maybe just psychological, but Linton seemed sharper and more radiant than before today.
...
"Linton, what do you need from Universal?" They exchanged glances, and Levitt spoke up.
"Two things. First, push the LAPD to catch Eric Matt ASAP and find out who is behind him."
"We contacted Hoff-Del before you came. He said LAPD has searched Eric's workplace and home but found nothing. Eric's colleague said he rushed out after a call yesterday afternoon, probably escaping early and likely already left LA. But they're monitoring the case long-term."
"That's a pity. I also want to know who is behind this." Linton thought, 'He was probably already thrown into the Pacific, swallowed by the fish.'
"Second?"
"I intended to release the actors' guild video directly to the media, but that would hurt the guild too much. After all, only Hass Carsonberg and a few others were responsible. I think the guild deserves a chance."
"So what's the plan?"
"You take this footage to the actors' guild and demand two things for the Step Up 2 crew: First, kick Hass Carsonberg out of the guild. Second, make the guild compensate the Step Up 2 crew $13 million for losses."
"Removing Hass is fine. I think the guild leadership is very unhappy with him too. But $13 million? Isn't that too high? They probably won't accept it. Also, the crew only paused for one day; losses can't be that big," they gasped, startled by Linton's bold demands.
"Losses? Have you thought about what would happen if I hadn't stepped in? If the guild kept harassing the crew, causing delays and forced changes, would the movie have been killed? Even if not, if competitors stirred up widespread media smearing, backed by the guild, wouldn't the box office be a disaster? Honestly, $13 million is just the production cost. Haven't you calculated the profits? I'm already being generous by not asking for profit compensation."
"When you put it like that, it's really risky. This involves more than a hundred million for both our companies, almost ruined by those scumbags. We can't let them slide."
Hearing Linton's explanation, they broke out in cold sweat. When their interests were involved, they united against their common enemy.
"Tell the guild they have one week. If they don't give a satisfactory reply, don't blame me for going straight to the media."
"They can control the media, but with so many outlets nationwide, I'll offer all the footage free. Not all will listen to them. If needed, I can even leak it to foreign media; they might be more interested," Linton added.
"Is one week too short? And what's the minimum compensation?"
"Gentlemen, don't be too soft on them. When they screwed us before, they didn't spare you an ounce of respect. If they dare to reach out, they should be prepared to pay dearly. You're Universal, one of the Hollywood Big Seven. When attacked, shouldn't you fight back hard? Or who'll respect us next time? Probably every cat and dog would bite us a bit.
Also, $13 million is the baseline. I promise to reward you two 10% of whatever we get as compensation. If it's more than $13 million, 40% of the excess is yours."
"Alright, we're not pushovers either. We'll make those bastards bleed," they declared, turning their attitude around instantly upon hearing the generous rewards.
"One more suggestion: the full amount doesn't have to come from the actors' guild. We don't know the real mastermind, but Hass definitely does. You can suggest they make the mastermind pay the bulk."
"Great! Let them fight among themselves. Maybe they'll tear each other apart. That'd be sweet revenge," Levitt gave a thumbs-up.
"Fighting each other is unlikely, but at least the mastermind won't have it easy."
"Wait for good news."
...
Linton left the details of how Universal pressured the actors' guild, how the guild's internal clashes unfolded, and how Hass Carsonberg was forced to implicate the mastermind alone. The deadline was set. If no satisfactory answer came, he would not hesitate to blow the lid off.
As for whether the guild would become hostile or refuse compensation, with his current influence and wealth, Linton wasn't too bothered.
...
Later, he dove into the company's post-production studio, continuing to edit the movie Speed.
For safety, he recalled Sandy and others, rewarding each $10,000, and beefed up security at the estate, company, especially around himself. Whenever he went out, he was never without at least four armed bodyguards.
*****
https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.