System in Hollywood

No wonder, though—this is $800,000! Even with just a 10% commission, that's $80,000. After deducting the company's cut and taxes, she'd still take home at least $40,000, which is definitely not a small amount nowadays.

Across from her, Sarah Michelle Gellar was equally excited, jokingly venting, "Damn it! If we weren't starting filming the day after tomorrow, I'd go to a fancy restaurant and feast right now! You have no idea, Wayne is just too much. I was exhausted this afternoon!"

The agent rolled her eyes. "Venting?" More like bragging!

"You've really let yourself go with your diet and body since you've been with Freddie Prinze Jr., especially with the alcohol. That stuff is a woman's worst enemy—you really need to quit!" The agent's face turned serious as she warned.

"Okay, I get it. I'll quit," Sarah quickly promised.

She hadn't seen any hope before. Even though starring in *Cruel Intentions* gave her some fame, she hadn't landed any roles for almost two years, having no real connections in the industry.

Frustrated, she'd given up and let things go.

But now, seeing hope again, there was no way she was going to continue down that path.

"So, what are you planning to do about Freddie Prinze Jr.?" the agent asked.

Sarah hesitated and frowned, saying, "Does it really matter?"

The agent stared at her coldly, replying, "I looked into it. Wayne seems to be pretty possessive in that regard. If you're just playing around and don't want resources, fine. But if you want something from him, you'd better not be half-hearted."

Sarah's expression grew conflicted.

Seeing this, the agent continued pushing, "You have to understand, being noticed by Wayne is an opportunity people would kill for. You were at that party yesterday. Those women were willing to spend $3,000 just to get an invite and say hello to Wayne. Even big stars like Catherine Zeta-Jones and Jennifer Connelly are trying to cozy up to him. Do you realize how rare this chance is?"

"Let me think about it," Sarah replied, unable to make a decision right away.

It wouldn't bother her to cheat behind her boyfriend's back—this is Hollywood, after all. But to break up with a boyfriend she'd been with for months made her hesitate.

"Suit yourself! Hope you make the right decision." The agent glared at her in frustration before getting into the car.

If Sarah weren't so stunning and hadn't caught Wayne's eye by sheer luck, the agent would've given up on her long ago.

Meanwhile, Wayne had no idea he might be the cause of yet another breakup.

After some intimate time together, he had planned to head home. But at Nicole Kidman's request, he softened and decided to stay.

The next morning, after they made breakfast together, Wayne was driven to Warner Bros. headquarters, where he met with Sarah and her lawyer to sign an investment contract for *Ocean's Eleven*.

It's worth noting that Wayne, knowing the trilogy would be a hit, proposed signing for the entire series at once.

Since the terms were unchanged—Wayne didn't take a large cut of the box office and wasn't involved in DVD sales, only asking for streaming rights and control over the lead actress—Warner Bros. agreed without hesitation. After all, investors like him were rare.

After the contract was signed, Wayne transferred the first $7 million payment, impressing the project's vice president enough to invite him out for lunch.

As for the remaining $8 million, it would be transferred after filming began and 35% of the progress was made.

Unlike the independently produced films from his production company, *Ocean's Eleven* used pooled investments, introducing progress tracking and completion guarantees to avoid any mishaps during filming.

However, after transferring the $7 million, Wayne's funds became tight.

[Name: Wayne]

[Remaining Film Investment Funds: $21.2 million]

[Current Film Projects:]

[*The Bourne Identity*: Budget $56 million, $51 million spent]

[*Resident Evil 1 & 2*: Budget $65 million, $30.5 million spent]

[*Mean Girls*: Budget $20 million, $7.8 million spent]

[*Taken*: Budget $35 million, $5.6 million spent]

[*Ocean's Eleven*: Expected Investment $15 million, $7 million invested]

On the way back to his estate, Wayne glanced at his system's figures and frowned.

Because he decided to star in *Mean Girls*, the film's budget had ballooned from $13 million to $20 million.

Although he didn't pay himself entirely upfront this time, opting for staggered payments, the *Ocean's Eleven* investment still posed a risk of cash flow issues, or even a full breakdown.

Unless he dipped into the promotional funds for *The Bourne Identity* or the company's daily operating expenses.

But doing so would mean forfeiting the system's triple return on that portion.

"The only thing left for *The Bourne Identity* is the final payment for the director and actors. No more funds needed for now."

"If *Resident Evil* keeps the same pace, it'll need around $8 million this month."

"*Mean Girls* should reach 80% completion by the end of the month, requiring around $5 million."

"For *Taken*, the pre-production phase doesn't need much, maybe $3 million. But once we start casting, Liam Neeson's first paycheck alone will be $3 million, and by then, the system account won't have enough funds."

"Also, the film adaptation rights for *The Notebook* have been delayed long enough. If we keep stalling, Nicholas Sparks might refuse to sell altogether…" 

(End of Chapter)