America's No. 1 financial conglomerate

Chapter 28 Water Shadow Jessica

The atmosphere in Simon & Schuster's meeting room was so oppressive it felt like you could wring water out of it.

Joseph, his face dark, strode to his seat and slammed the file on the table with a loud bang, nearly spilling the coffee and startling everyone.

Faced with Joseph's expressionless gaze, some people lowered their heads like ostriches, wishing they could bury their heads under the table, while others had smiles hidden in their eyes, their smiles even harder to suppress than their morning physiological reactions.

Everyone knows about the conditions offered by Ernst's fat, lecherous agent; this is the second time he's come over today.

Moreover, because of his loud voice, even though Joseph's office door was closed, it was as if he had a megaphone, and most of their conversation was overheard.

McHale, Ernst's contact, will obviously become a victim.

Apart from a few people who usually had a good relationship with him, no one was unhappy, not even employees who didn't usually interact with him.

The workplace is like a battlefield; colleagues are colleagues, but interests are what truly matter.

Ernst's Hunger Games became a massive hit, causing his income to skyrocket.

According to predictions from relevant organizations, the two Hunger Games books are expected to sell at least 20 million copies this year.

Ernst previously signed a contract with Simon & Schuster with an 11% royalty rate, earning him about $1.2 per book. This year, Ernst will earn $2500 million from "The Hunger Games".

Leaving aside taxes, in America, death and taxes are inevitable; no one can escape them.

As they say, taxes are only within the range of artillery fire.

There is no way to evade taxes except through legal tax avoidance.

In addition to taxes, Ernst also had to pay for the brokers and the liaisons between Simon and Schuster.

Agents typically charge between 5% and 10%, so even though Ernst set out the terms, Craig still asked for an exorbitant price, as it directly impacted his income.

McHale, Ernst's contact person, would normally receive 2% of Ernst's income.

$2500 million, 2% is $50.

That's a huge sum of money; no one wouldn't be envious.

Clearly, McHale, the person everyone envied, made a misjudgment, failed to maintain good customer relationships, and messed things up.

Now that McHale is responsible for this, someone will fill his place.

"Give me an explanation."

Joseph didn't name names, but everyone's eyes turned to McHale, as if they were looking at a lamb to the slaughter.

McHale stood up, pale and shaki, looking like a student who had made a mistake in elementary school.

"I'm sorry, it's my fault. I didn't maintain a good relationship with the client."

"Snap."

Joseph slammed his fist on the table and stood up, his anger reaching its peak, like a bull in heat who had just been cuckolded while trying to mate with a heifer.

"Sorry? Did I come here to hear your apology? Do you know how much money your actions and your nonsense in the media have caused the company to lose?"

Pointing out the window, Joseph's anger intensified. "It's because of you that I have to endure that fat man's humiliation. He actually implied that I wanted to have a friendly conversation with Jenny."

Many people lowered their heads even further, the little flames of gossip burning wildly in their hearts. There had been rumors that Joseph and his secretary Jenny were having an affair, and this was self-inflicted?

"It's because of you that he has the right to make exorbitant demands and even put on a show of charity, like a master giving a bone to his dog. Does he think I'm a beggar?"

"And what about me? I can only endure all of this, letting the other party be arrogant and domineering in front of me."

Joseph knew that McHale was just an excuse, and even without him, the other party would find other reasons to raise the price.

But now he needs an outlet, and McHale is the unlucky one.

"I don't care what method you use, you must get their forgiveness and settle the contract for 'The Hunger Games 4'. Otherwise, get the hell out of here."

McHale gave a wry smile. "According to the contract we drafted before?"

"Otherwise what?" Joseph stared intently at McHale, who was sweating profusely with nervousness. "If that fat bastard had made the offer, would I need you?"

After the main meeting ended, Joseph kept a few senior executives behind for a smaller meeting.

"The contract we offered was definitely not good enough for them. McHale could never complete this task; he would just be cannon fodder."

"I know," Joseph said, having calmed down by now.

"I'm just squeezing the last bit of value out of him. Before firing that good-for-nothing, I'll use him to vent Ernst's anger and make it easier for us to negotiate a lower price."

At this moment, Joseph's face was cold and indifferent, showing no trace of his anger; his eyes were filled with calmness and wisdom. McHale's fate was already sealed. An employee who liked to spout nonsense in front of the media and earn extra money by riding the wave of popularity could not be allowed to remain at Simon & Schuster as a potential threat.

"Although that annoying fat man asked for an exorbitant price, both sides knew it was impossible to reach an agreement and would break the rules of the publishing industry."

"However, the contract we previously agreed on is clearly no longer sufficient for the other party, and we need a new solution."

After the first Hunger Games book became a huge hit, Simon and Schuster began internally discussing the next contract with Ernst.

A 25% royalty rate, plus a 10% profit share, makes this one of the top author contracts in the United States.

However, this contract is no longer sufficient for Ernst's greedy agent, as it falls far short of his demands.

The other party clearly had Simon & Schuster's Achilles' heel, knowing that they had to secure the publishing rights to The Hunger Games: Mockingjay.

Firstly, it was to build a reputation, and secondly, it was to let outsiders know that Simon and Schuster could produce masterpieces.

Don't assume that Westerners aren't superstitious. Their level of superstition is more terrifying than anyone else's. Otherwise, they wouldn't believe in God and there wouldn't be so many evil religious organizations.

Simon & Schuster didn't have any top-tier, globally bestselling works to release before, so it was difficult to poach them, which made people hesitant.

Ernst's work served as a stepping stone for Simon to collaborate with Schuster and other top writers.

Inside the meeting room, Simon and Manida, the only female executive at Schuster, had some thoughts of their own.

"I think we can work on the prepayment; they're really short on cash right now."

Everyone's eyes lit up. Everyone knew that Ernst had taken over MGM, and he was now burdened with a mountain of debt, practically on the verge of selling his body.

"Immediately find an evaluation company to re-evaluate the sales data for 'The Hunger Games,' especially the impact of the movie on book sales, which must be taken into account."

This is Los Angeles, and The Hunger Games is a perfect fit for a movie adaptation. Plus, Ernst has a major film studio behind him.

If the movie is a big hit, the books on "The Hunger Games" will also benefit, and their value will rise accordingly.

"That's one idea, but the contract still needs to be revised. Let's discuss it."

While Simon and Schuster were discussing a new contract, Craig happily went back to report the good news.

He figured that although the other party wouldn't agree to such harsh conditions as a 35% royalty rate and a 20% profit share, exceeding the target would definitely not be a problem.

He needs to prove himself and demonstrate his value. Where else can he find such a good job with an annual income of a million dollars?

To his surprise, he was turned away without even entering the door or seeing the person inside.

A girl opened the door, wearing an Ernst shirt that accentuated her loose fit.

Because the shirt was too big, the hem covered the upper thighs, and Craig even wondered if the girl was going braless.

The key point is that he knows this woman and has a deep impression of her, because Ernst was sent to the police station because of her.

"Where is Ernst?"

"He went to run the bathwater. He said he had something to do and asked you to come back tomorrow."

Jessica Alba's voice was a little hoarse, a hoarseness that Craig was familiar with; he could hear that husky voice every time he overfed her.

"I have something important to discuss with him."

Jessica stepped aside. "He said he also had important matters to attend to and didn't want to be disturbed. You can go in and ask him if you don't believe me."

Craig rolled his eyes. What's the big deal? Everyone knows what you're up to dressed like that.

But Greg didn't bother him any further.

Craig left, and Jessica returned to the master bedroom, stripped naked, and got into the bathtub.