My Life in Hollywood C56 Recognition (Patreon)

Richard studied the young man across from him. After climbing from the bottom to where he sat now, he'd developed a sixth sense about people. An instinct honed over decades in business.

He could tell who saw him as an easy mark and who recognized the threat he posed.

"I'm sure you know why I wanted to meet," he said, opening the conversation.

"Yeah." Marcus nodded. "You want to buy my company."

"Exactly." Richard smiled. "That's why I invited you here today. To make you an offer personally."

His tone stayed casual, almost conversational. "What do you think of $630 million? That enough for your company?"

The question came out calm, like he was discussing the weather. But his eyes never left Marcus's face.

Sure enough, Marcus blinked. The number clearly caught him off guard. It was a hell of a lot of money, after all.

But to Richard's surprise, that was it. Just a blink. No excitement, no eagerness, none of the reactions a normal person should have when hearing a number like that.

"What do you think?" Richard pressed.

Marcus cleared his throat. "It's definitely tempting. But I don't want to string you along; I'm not planning to sell Netflicks." He met Richard's eyes directly. "I wanted to be upfront about that."

After all, Richard wasn't Christopher. He only wanted to mess with Christopher. This guy deserved straight talk.

"Oh?" Richard's eyebrows rose slightly. "You don't plan to sell?"

His eyes narrowed. "Then what's this I'm hearing about you considering offers from Blockbuster Cinema?"

Marcus hesitated. He wasn't sure how much to reveal to the old man in front of him.

"And then you turn around and say you won't sell? Is this because of..." Richard trailed off, then continued, "Is this about that convertible note you took out? The one with change-of-control provisions? I imagine there are breach penalties if you try to sell without your lender's approval."

Marcus wasn't surprised Richard knew about it. Chesterfield's investment team had clearly done their homework, combing through Netflicks' financials and legal agreements.

"If that's the issue, I can handle it." Richard's confidence came through clearly now, his humble demeanor fading. "I'll negotiate with your lender directly, cover any breach penalties or consent fees they demand. That's on top of the purchase price. You walk away clean with the full $630 million."

Marcus stared at him. The guy was dead serious about acquiring his company.

Before he could respond, the office door opened. A man in his forties walked in carrying a tray with coffee and snacks.

Richard coughed lightly. "Sorry, I got ahead of myself jumping straight into business. Forgot you haven't even had a chance to settle in with some coffee yet."

"I don't mind." Marcus glanced at the tray. Richard had even figured out his preferences; the man had done his research thoroughly.

The secretary set down the tray and left, closing the door quietly behind him.

Richard stood and moved to sit closer to Marcus, positioning himself directly across from him. He grabbed a cookie and bit into it casually. "So? What do you think of my offer?"

Marcus stayed quiet, watching. Richard was trying to lower his guard by acting familiar: sitting close, eating freely, creating the illusion they were just two guys having a casual conversation instead of a high-stakes negotiation.

Marcus took a breath. "I'm gonna be straight with you, Mr. Chesterfield." He paused. "I'm not selling. Not because of the lender situation—I just don't want to."

Richard stopped mid-bite, cookie halfway to his mouth.

Marcus continued, "Truth is, I'm riding Blockbuster's loud acquisition announcement for free publicity. That's it." His tone shifted, apologetic. "Sorry if that's disappointing. I know that's probably not what you wanted to hear."

He decided to be direct. Richard would figure it out eventually anyway. No point dancing around it.

He watched for Richard's reaction.

But the old man just sat there, grabbing another cookie and biting into it. The crunch echoed in the silence.

Then he lifted his coffee and took a slow sip, like Marcus hadn't just admitted to playing games with billion-dollar companies.

'Damn. This is awkward. Is he mad?' Marcus couldn't read him at all.

Then, unexpectedly, a short laugh escaped Richard's lips. Like he was trying not to crack up.

"..?" Marcus stared at him.

Before he knew it, Richard lost it completely. "Ha—haha! Ahaha!" He slapped his thigh. "Young man, you are quite something!"

Marcus blinked in confusion. Cookie crumbs flew from the old man's mouth as he laughed, all traces of polish gone.

"Forgive me, forgive me." Richard caught himself, still grinning. "I didn't mean to laugh like that—"

"No, it's fine!" Marcus waved him off quickly. 'Are you serious? You're a billionaire. How could I possibly be offended?'

Richard was still chuckling, wiping his eyes. "You certainly made this meeting worthwhile." He stroked his chin. "So you're using Blockbuster's very public overture as free marketing while letting them believe they have a genuine chance?"

Marcus felt his face heat up. "...Pretty much, yeah..."

Richard caught the embarrassment. "Don't be embarrassed. That's intelligent strategy. Your company benefits enormously from their arrogance." He added, "Blockbuster has only themselves to blame for announcing so publicly without securing your commitment first."

Marcus nodded. He was just riding the current, letting bigger players make noise while he benefited. Sometimes the smartest play wasn't fighting the ocean—it was knowing which waves to catch.

"I hope this didn't waste your time. I came all the way here just to tell you I'm not selling." Marcus apologized again.

"Not at all. I appreciate the honesty." Richard sounded genuine. "In fact, I'm glad you were direct with me."

Then his expression shifted slightly. "Besides, that wasn't the only reason I wanted to meet."

"Oh?"

Richard nodded. "Yes." His eyes sharpened, the friendly demeanor receding. "I wanted to meet the young man who negotiated circles around my son."

"Ah—" Marcus froze. Right. This was Alexander's father.

Remembering how he'd worked Alexander over, he probably should've seen this coming.

He was genuinely nervous now. "About that..." He had basically hustled the guy's son, after all.

"What will you say about it?" Richard asked, though there was a trace of amusement in his voice rather than anger.

Seeing Marcus tense up, Richard finally relented. "Actually, I'm not troubled by it at all."

"Wait, really?" Marcus looked genuinely confused. 'What's with this guy? One second he's calm. Then laughing. Then cold like he's angry. Now he's fine with everything?'

"I have only myself to blame for trusting my son's judgment." Richard sighed, looking genuinely troubled. "Sometimes I wonder how he'll ever be ready to inherit this company with that level of... competence."

'Uh, yeah, I'm not touching that one. Not my place to comment.' Marcus thought, feeling the awkwardness settle in.

"The truth is, if your company hadn't met my standards after my investment team's report, I wouldn't have proceeded with the twenty million anyway." Richard said it casually, like it was obvious.

Marcus went still. So all that effort manipulating Alexander had been for nothing?

Not that he minded, really.

"I've been hesitating, you understand. Twenty million may be pocket change in the grand scheme, but it's still my money." Richard paused. "However, after meeting you today, I've made my decision."

Marcus swallowed. 'What is this? Feels like I'm waiting for a judge on some reality show to deliver the verdict...'

Like a judge drawing out the suspense, Richard let the moment hang. "I've decided to proceed with the investment."

This time, Marcus couldn't keep his composure. He stood up, relief and excitement breaking through. He'd been waiting for days, half-convinced Alexander had talked his father out of it. "Seriously?"

Richard noticed the shift, clearly amused to see Marcus react like a normal person for once. He nodded. "Yes. I'm making this decision based entirely on our conversation today. You amused me, but more importantly, you impressed me."

"Thank you. Really, thank you." Marcus meant it.

"Don't mention it." Richard stood, extending his hand. "If you hadn't made me laugh with that absurd Blockbuster scheme of yours, I probably would've backed out."

Marcus clasped his hand firmly. "I'm no comedian, but if I can get investments by making people laugh, maybe I missed my calling."

Richard chuckled, his grip steady. Now he was seeing the real Marcus—the kid beneath the business mask. Ambitious, sharp, full of energy. 'Reminds me of myself at that age. Good old days...' he thought, a flicker of nostalgia crossing his face.

After some more conversation, Marcus left. Richard remained by the window, watching the young man disappear into the elevator. A small smile played at his lips.

His secretary approached. "You seemed to enjoy that, sir."

"I did." Richard turned from the window, hands clasped behind his back. "When I first heard about Netflicks, I thought the company was the prize. A business positioned to own a piece of the future." He paused. "I was wrong."

The secretary's brow furrowed. "Wrong? Your instincts about trends are usually spot-on. What changed?"

"Meeting the person behind it changed everything." Richard walked back toward his desk. "It's not the company we should be watching. It's the young man running it."

He picked up his coffee, swirling it thoughtfully. "The streaming concept is brilliant, yes. It has real potential. But a company only becomes great if the right person is driving it."

"Netflicks could exist under anyone. The idea's solid. But the execution? The vision? The ability to outmaneuver competitors when they inevitably copy the model?" Richard set down his cup. "That depends entirely on who's making the calls. Wrong person at the helm, and Netflicks becomes just another player. Right person, and it dominates."

The secretary's eyes widened. "You think he can actually pull that off?"

"Without question." Richard's answer came immediately. "It's not just his intelligence or his tactics. It's instinct. I've spent forty years reading people, and that young man has something rare."

He turned to face his secretary fully. "The streaming subscription model will be copied. Probably within two years. Netflicks won't have the market to itself for long. What separates winners from also-rans in that scenario?" He tapped his temple. "The person steering the ship."

The secretary studied Richard's face. "You really believe that strongly in him."

"All I see when I look at Marcus Crown is potential." Richard's voice was firm. "Raw, unpolished, but undeniable."

The secretary went quiet. His boss was rarely wrong about these things.

"Arrange for the team to finalize the twenty million." Richard's slight smile returned.

His secretary heard what wasn't said. Not "invest in the company." Not "invest in Netflicks."

Invest in that young man.

"I'll contact the team immediately." The secretary understood perfectly. His boss wasn't buying equity in a startup. He was cultivating a relationship with someone who might become unstoppable.

A sapling that could grow into something towering.

He just hoped Richard's instincts were right about this one.