My Life in Hollywood C35 Meeting a Bigshot (Patreon)

Right now, Netflicks needed Douglass for the ambitious plans Marcus had for the company. Jefferson felt a headache coming on just thinking about dealing with Douglass on investment terms, but he didn't have much choice.

Because he knew people like Douglass could throw twenty to forty million dollars at a small startup without blinking.

Which was reasonable, considering the guy had a net worth over five hundred million. He was even known in the investment world as "The Flip King"—Douglass Burton.

To grow his money to that level... the man was no joke.

"Why are you looking for me?" Douglass's voice started getting excited. "You trying to have some fun here in Japan? I'll tell ya, I've got some real nice girlfriends here..."

"Oh, you talking about those pretty actresses in the entertainment industry?" Jefferson had done his homework. Hell, pretty much everyone in Japan knew Douglass had been chasing actresses here. Many rejected him, but plenty accepted, and he'd managed to crack quite a few.

In short, his old friend had been a walking controversy. Definitely not the kind of influence Jefferson wanted around his young partner, Marcus.

"Hahaha! You're pretty well-informed!" Douglass laughed loudly. "Just say the word, I can get some of my girlfriends to line up for you!"

Jefferson sighed. "Douglass, you never really change, do you?"

"Haha, why the hell would I change? This is what life's all about!" Douglass said loudly.

So loud that Jefferson had to pull the phone away from his ear.

"If I don't use this damn dick of mine before I drop dead, how the hell am I gonna live with myself!?"

Jefferson chuckled wryly. "You're still full of shit as ever, old friend."

"This is the Texan way, baby!" Douglass drawled. "You know how it is—everything's bigger in Texas. Egos, trucks, and poor life decisions. Why settle for one mistake when you can make a dozen?"

"I wanted to meet you for a specific reason," Jefferson cut in before Douglass could run off at the mouth again. "Not for some fun."

"Not for fun? I thought that's exactly why you were looking for me!" Douglass's voice was filled with disappointment. "You're making me sad, my dear old friend. I was so eager to show you my list of B-list—hell, even a few A-list actresses I managed to crack here—"

"Brag all you want," Jefferson cut him off, "but what you can do here is something you can't do in Hollywood."

Those words managed to offend Douglass effectively. "What do you mean I can't do this in Hollywood!? Are you forgetting the time Nathan introduced me to that fine, beautiful young woman!?"

"Oh that?" Jefferson's voice was filled with mockery. "Wasn't that a D-list no-name actress so willing to get on her knees for a paycheck?"

"Your memory's getting fuzzy! Did you forget I hooked up with that beautiful B-list actress—that girl from that famous wizard movie?"

"Oh that? You got her when she was still unknown, and she was just a side character in that movie."

"What about that woman—"

"Stop bragging." Jefferson shook his head. "Without Nathan, you wouldn't have gotten any actress. You can't touch A-list, or even solid B-list actresses in Hollywood. You can only brag about getting that level here."

Silence on the phone.

Back in the day, when Douglass was only worth eighty million, he'd been very active in Hollywood. But with that amount, he couldn't even shake hands with famous actresses, let alone date them with his personality.

If it weren't for Nathan acting as a bridge, he wouldn't have gotten anywhere near those women.

Even now, at a net worth of five hundred million, he still couldn't land a genuine Hollywood A-lister. Because in Hollywood, five hundred million was just another rich guy. The real power players—studio heads, producers with decades of clout, heirs to entertainment empires—they had access. They had history. They were part of the ecosystem. Douglass? He was just a rich outsider trying to buy his way in. And A-list actresses didn't need his money. They had their own.

Money opens doors, but in Hollywood, the doors that matter are guarded by people who've got more money than you—and better stories to tell.

Douglass broke the silence. "It's 'cause I bet on Nathan and he tanked! If that movie worked, I'd be up in the Hollywood Hills right now doing the nasty with Margaret!"

"Yeah, you can't do it," Jefferson mocked again.

"One day, I swear to God, one day! I'll show you I can crack an A-list actress in Hollywood!" Douglass sounded almost desperate, even if it was half a joke between friends.

"Sure, buddy." Jefferson didn't believe it.

"Damn it, did you call me just to mock me?" Douglass sounded annoyed.

"No. I want to meet you for business. Important business." Jefferson's voice took a serious turn.

"Oh. You're talking business. Now I like it." Douglass's tone shifted—still excited, but sharp now. Not to be taken lightly.

---◖⁠⚆⁠ᴥ⁠⚆⁠◗---

At Ichiraku Ramen, Marcus was going over plot points with Minato. So far, the studio had been busting ass to change character names in the episodes and handle some minor animation tweaks—but even calling it "minor" was generous. It was a ton of work.

It'd still take weeks before the episodes were ready to stream on Netflicks.

Besides that, Marcus had been searching for other anime that might exist here under different names.

He was eager to see if his favorite, One Piece, existed.

He'd only gotten to episode 700 back in his previous life before work and personal stuff ate up his free time, but it was definitely one of the anime he loved.

He wasn't some hardcore anime fanatic—just a casual watcher who liked long-running series with straightforward plots. So he'd never actually gotten around to watching Naruto.

But in this life, he might finally get the chance, since a version of it existed here.

He was hoping for the same with One Piece.

But his luck at Studio Shaft seemed to be a one-time thing. He hadn't seen any signs of One Piece anywhere.

Not even a manga. He wondered if the author was still too young to have broken through yet, or maybe too old and had already been rejected by publishers one too many times.

By the end of the day, Marcus returned to the hotel to find Jefferson was back.

"You're back," Marcus said with a nod. "How'd the drama licensing go? Did you land anything good?"

Jefferson replied, "I managed to grab a few locally famous films, but some of them are horror flicks that international audiences won't touch—too culturally specific, full of folklore and ghost stuff that doesn't translate well. As for dramas, I also struck a deal with a network. We can stream their series on our platform. Soon as we get the subtitles done, they'll go live."

"Good work," Marcus said. "Once we're done here, we should head to the Asia TV Forum in Singapore. That's gonna be the best place to license content in bulk."

Exactly. Besides coming to Japan, they'd planned to hit Singapore next. The Asia TV Forum was coming up soon—a massive gathering where local media giants from across the region showcased their work.

It was the perfect place to license shows.

With the two hundred grand per month they were pulling in—and with basically just a skeleton crew, most of which was Marcus and Jefferson anyway—they could afford to reinvest aggressively into the company's future.

Combined with what was left of Jefferson's seven million dollar investment, they could definitely license a solid lineup of shows.

Sure, it didn't sound like much. But in Asia, especially for content that hadn't been licensed by Western distributors yet, that budget went pretty damn far. Way further than it would in the States.

"I'm looking forward to that event," Jefferson said genuinely. Then his tone shifted. "But even with licensing rights from that forum, we're gonna be on a tight budget. We still need to expand our servers and pay our employees."

"You're right," Marcus said. "This past week, I actually met with some people through Tanaka's connections. Most of them are skeptical about internet companies. A few are willing to throw in tens of thousands, maybe." He sighed deeply. "If it was millions, I'd be willing to part with shares. But for pocket change? No thanks."

Jefferson chuckled. "No need to brag. I know how greedy you are when it comes to money and control."

"You get me," Marcus said with a smile. He'd developed a solid rapport with Jefferson over the past few weeks.

"That's why I found the guy who's perfect for your appetite," Jefferson said suddenly.

Marcus's eyebrows shot up. "You're talking about your friend?"

"Yeah. And he wants to meet you tomorrow." Jefferson smiled. "But don't get your hopes up yet. I told you before—this guy's not as easy as I was. If you underestimate him, you're gonna regret it."

"Are you saying I underestimated you?" Marcus pursed his lips in mock disapproval.

Jefferson just shrugged.

---ฅ⁠^⁠•⁠ﻌ⁠•⁠^⁠ฅ---

The next day, Marcus and Jefferson rode a glass elevator up a high-rise apartment complex. The view outside was incredible—overlooking the entire city. The building was pristine, sleek, modern.

"This is where your friend lives?" Marcus asked, eyes wandering. He wasn't some country hick, but he could tell that anyone living here had serious money. Even if this wasn't New York, a place like this didn't come cheap.

"Yep," Jefferson said. As the elevator doors opened and they stepped into the hallway, he added casually, "And my friend owns half the apartment floors in this entire building."

Marcus's breath caught. 'Half the floors? That's basically owning half the building.'

Without a doubt, Jefferson's friend was loaded.

Owning half the residential floors in a luxury high-rise in central Tokyo wasn't just rich—it was fuck-you money.

Real estate in this part of the city went for tens of millions. And this guy didn't just own one penthouse. He owned multiple floors. That meant he was sitting on a portfolio worth hundreds of millions, easy.

Knowing he was about to meet someone seriously loaded, Marcus adjusted his suit and tie, then licked his palm and ran it through his hair to smooth it down.

Jefferson noticed and cringed. "That's disgusting. You didn't need to do that."

"My bad." Marcus had forgotten how sensitive Jefferson was about stuff like that. The guy had mild OCD or something.

"I told you before—this guy's no joke," Jefferson said as they approached the door. "He'll eat you alive. And considering how young you are, he's gonna see you as an easy target."

But then the door swung open, and a man with tanned skin stepped out wearing a relaxed robe. His build was thick and burly, but he wasn't tall—built like a heavyweight boxer. "Well, well. Jefferson," he said, his voice carrying a raspy edge. "Talking behind my back? What if you scare the kid off? Nobody wants that."

Jefferson flinched. "This is the guy you need to watch out for."

Marcus smiled warmly, putting on an easy-going appearance. "You're Jefferson's friend? You look younger than he described."

Douglass seemed genuinely surprised by that, then laughed. "Hahaha, yeah, I am pretty young! I can go five rounds without breaking a sweat, haha!"

Marcus felt the awkwardness of that comment but didn't let it show. He wasn't really "sixteen" inside. In this body was a depressed programmer who'd given up on code and chased other distractions instead.

"Sounds like you're a real lady-killer with that kind of stamina," Marcus said smoothly. "Must keep you busy."

Both Jefferson and Douglass looked genuinely surprised.

"Hahaha, I like you already, kid! You get it!" Douglass couldn't stop grinning. "Come on inside. We've got a lot to talk about. I can already tell we've got plenty in common, haha!"

Marcus exchanged a glance with Jefferson and stepped inside. The interior was modern and spacious—floor-to-ceiling windows, minimalist furniture, everything pristine. The cool air from the AC brushed against his skin, and he had to admit, the place was impressive.

"I figured you guys were coming, so I had some food and coconut water set out for us," Douglass said. At the table sat several dishes and glasses of coconut water. A Japanese woman was finishing setting everything up.

"You didn't have to go through all this trouble," Marcus said, scratching the back of his head like he was embarrassed. "We must be a pain."

Jefferson rolled his eyes. He'd spent enough time with Marcus to know when the kid was putting on an act.

"I insist," Douglass said. "After all, I'm meeting my old friend Jefferson." He looked at Marcus. "And meeting my friend's son."

Marcus looked confused. He waved his hand. "Uh, no. I'm not Jefferson's son—"

"I know. You're Nathan Crown's son." Douglass's smile widened. "I heard he got dumped by his wife? Ah, man. That's rough for him." Though he said it sympathetically, his tone had a hint of gloating.

Marcus's expression froze for just a second.

'Don't get provoked, kid,' Jefferson had kept reminding Marcus before this meeting. But he couldn't be sure how Marcus would react.

To his surprise, Marcus just shrugged. "Yeah. It's rough for the old man. But hey, now he's got more time to focus on his shitty filmmaking career."

His tone was light. Almost amused.

Douglass looked at Marcus with genuine surprise. 'Interesting,' he thought.