….
[Next Day]
[July 8th, 2010]
….
Regal sat in his office, this time, a real, fully functional one, not just a glorified workspace crammed into a corner or entrance of his house.
Yep.
He had finally moved out. Again.
Also, it had been two days since he got back from the UK.
Today makes it three weeks and two days since [Following] hit theaters.
Just yesterday, they had wrapped up the crew's success party.
Of course, none of the biggest names had shown up - both Stephen Hawking Sr. and Jr., Deonte Maravich, the president of Red Pictures.
And two more - Christopher and his assistant, Anne.
Not that it was unexpected. If those heavyweights had shown up, the whole atmosphere would have been different.
The rest of the crew might not have been able to enjoy themselves as much, and honestly, even the big names themselves would have had to keep things a little more restrained.
It was like some unspoken understanding.
Even Gwen hadn't made it, though her reasons were completely unrelated to the others.
Now, three weeks after the release, [Following] was still going strong at the box office, already cemented as a massive success.
Current total?
$139 Million.
According to the contract, Regal's cut sat at a hefty $37 million.
…and by the end of its run, projections put the final total at at least $150 million.
That was what the so-called experts were saying.
But if you asked Regal?
It was going to hit $200 million.
Which meant his share would be around $50–55 million.
The thought alone made him grin. He could already picture the look on Deonte's face when the numbers kept climbing.
"…that petty bastard." Regal muttered, smirking to himself.
He would have loved to bask in his success a little longer, to let the reality of [Following]'s triumph sink in. But there was no time for that.
His next project was already looming on the horizon, and he knew - without a doubt - that the stakes this time would be much, much higher.
Since the film's release, the offers had poured in.
Most of the medium range studios, even a few major players and names that had once dismissed him outright during the pre-distribution phase.
Now, their emails and calls flooded his inbox daily.
Their sudden change of heart wasn't surprising to anyone.
Everybody in the industry knew there are no enemies in Hollywood, and even if there were - success always rewrote those relationships.
Now they approached him with eager pitches, pretending their previous skepticism had never existed. Their words dripped with flattery, their tones warm and inviting, as though they hadn't shut the door on him months ago.
Alas, Regal had no patience for pretense.
At every meeting, he laid out his terms, his voice calm but firm:
"If you want me on board, I need complete creative control. If that's not something you can do, feel free to back out now."
That single statement sent most of them packing. The majority reacted with exasperation, their thinly veiled irritation seeping through their polished smiles.
"Just one hit, and he is already this arrogant?"
"What does he think he is? A veteran auteur?"
Regal was again not oblivious to their skepticism. He knew full well that what he was asking for was unheard of for someone with just one film under their belt.
But he didn't care.
He wasn't about to let anyone dilute his vision, or worse, seize control of his work entirely.
He had seen it happen too many times. Brilliant films wrecked by overbearing producers and directors forced into creative compromises that gutted their original intent.
Regal wasn't closed off to suggestions. He valued constructive input. But the final call, the ultimate decision, it had to be his.
So, one by one, the studios walked away.
Even those who stayed tried to negotiate, offering partial control instead of full creative freedom. They dangled tempting deals in front of him, sweetened with larger budgets and access to elite resources, but always with strings attached.
Regal wasn't interested in those strings. He maintained his polite but firm response.
"I will be in touch if I have a project that fits us both."
It was a courtesy, nothing more. He had no intention of calling them back.
He was fully aware that his demands were bold, even reckless, for someone still proving themselves. [Following] success was a step forward, but it wasn't a guarantee of future control. The industry was fickle, one misstep, and everything he had gained could be taken away.
If he wanted to make the rules, he had to prove why he deserved to.
That meant his second film would likely be another independent project, produced by himself, just like the first.
This time, however, he wouldn't be working on a shoestring budget. He had earned enough to push the boundaries further. His growing reputation meant better access to resources, a larger scale, and a more ambitious vision.
And he already had something in mind.
Leaning back in his chair, Regal stared at the blank cork board on the wall, a canvas for his ideas.
A small smirk played on his lips.
He wasn't just planning to match the success of [Following] with it.
He is looking to surpass it.
Staring from the concept, each frame, every decision - he would make it undeniably clear why his creative freedom wasn't just a preference, but a necessity.
Then, the door to his office swung open.
A woman stepped inside. She was dressed in a crisp, tailored secretary outfit.
Regal glanced up, expecting who it was - Samantha Cross.
Yes, he had simply hired her.
She had proven herself during the grueling audition process of his first film, not as an actress, but as someone who could manage the chaos of production with precision and efficiency.
More importantly, she had something Regal valued above all else.
Reliability.
Regal's system panel flickered into view, displaying Samantha's profile in crisp detail.
===
[Name:] Samantha Cross
[Traits:] Diligent, Balanced, Earnest
[Management:] S +
===
More than capable. Regal thought, watching as she entered the room with her usual composed efficiency.
Since taking over the endless stream of business cards and offers flooding his inbox, Samantha had proven indispensable.
Regal didn't need to hover - she handled everything with finesse.
"Let me guess? Another one turned away?" He asked, reclining in his chair.
"They couldn't meet your terms." Samantha confirmed, setting the pile of files on his desk. "Once I laid out the conditions, they declined and left."
Regal nodded. "Thank's."
A flicker of understanding crossed her face before she returned to her professional poise. "That being said, some are still persistent. A representative from Pixy Studios is particularly interested. I have sorted out the most promising contacts for your review."
Glancing at the files, Regal felt a familiar sense of relief. With Samantha managing the front lines, he could focus entirely on what mattered - his next film.
"Anything else?" He asked, studying her expression for any signs of urgency.
"Nothing pressing." She tapped her tablet shut.
"Alright. Thanks, Samantha."
She nodded briskly and turned to leave.
As the door closed behind her, Regal exhaled, shifting his gaze back to the floating system panel.
Time to claim his rewards.
Leaning back, he let a smirk tug at his lips. The anticipation never got old.
For now Regal already has a total EP of 3,631,893 in his pocket.
•-------[NOTIFICATIONS]-------•
Ⓘ [Solo Leveling] –> [Completed(✓)]
….
Ⓘ [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint:] Web Novel
–> [Collect Accumulated Rewards:] [Y/N]
([┘]- 24 days of Accumulated Rewards)
….
Ⓘ [Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone:] Book
–> [Collect Accumulated Rewards:] [Y/N]
([┘]- 24 days of Accumulated Rewards)
….
Ⓘ [Following:] Movie
–> [Collect Accumulated Rewards:] [Y/N]
–> [Achievement Available] (Collected ✓)
–> [Achievement Available] (Collect)
([┘]- 25 day of Accumulated Rewards)
•---------------------------•
One thing immediately caught his eye - after [Solo Leveling] wrapped up its serialization, the system had stopped tracking its EP and accumulation days.
It made sense. The system couldn't endlessly generate points for the same project.
Regal shifted his focus to the pending rewards from [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint] and [Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone], feeling a flicker of expectation.
Recently, while uploading a chapter, Regal had observed that the former had seen a noticeable spike in views, likely due to [Solo Leveling] fans shifting over.
Meanwhile, [Harry Potter] was performing as expected, it had entered the worldwide market and was gaining traction fast.
From what Gwendolyn had told him, the book was doing exceptionally well. Overseas sales had already hit 59,000 copies in the first week, while domestic sales still reached 3,000 within this week.
Without hesitation, he tapped the Collect button for both.
The numbers on his balance shifted instantly, EP flooding into his account at a rapid pace.
•---•
「Ding! User successfully collected [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint] rewards!」
[Total View Count:] 15,251,317 + ↑3,226,735 = 18,478,047
[Total EP Earned:] 322,673
「Your total EP is now: 3,631,893 + ↑322,673 = 3,954,566」
•---•
Next, Regal clicked on the [Harry Potter] reward.
•---•
「Ding! User successfully collected [Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone] rewards!」
[Total Readers Count:] 521,081 + ↑ 65,090 = 586,171
[Total EP Earned:] 97,635
「Your total EP is now: 3,954,566 + ↑97,635 = 4,052,201」
•---•
"That's 4M EP now…" He muttered. "And finally, the movie."
•---•
「Ding! User successfully collected [Following] rewards!」
[Total Watch Count:] 18,012,671
[Total EP Earned:] 9,006,335
「Your total EP is now: 4,052,201 + ↑9,006,335 = 13,058,536」
•---•
Regal stared at the total, blinking in disbelief.
"Damn! 9M just from the movie? That puts me close to …13M. T-that's insane… or maybe not?"
He wasn't expecting such a jump. But after collecting rewards so many times, he had started to notice a pattern in the EP distribution-
[x0.1] for web novels, [x1.5] for physical copies, and now [x0.5] for movie watches or ticket sales.
Movies were clearly the most lucrative, if done right.
Regal leaned back, arms crossed, deep in thought.
"So, what now?"
A lot of ideas were running through his mind, but one thing was certain - he needed to max out his [Director] skill from [Master] to [World-Class].
"That alone is gonna take up almost 50% of this EP…"
And then there was his [Writer] skill - 2M to push it from [Expert] to [Master], and another 5M if he wanted to max it out completely.
Then there was [Drawing], still stuck at [Novice].
He couldn't afford to ignore that -
…because his next project is gonna require a lot of storyboarding for people to understand what he was imagining.
Regal exhaled, shaking his head with a smirk.
"Yep, I really thought I was overpowered for no reason."
•-----[SKILL SLOTS]-----•
» [Slot-1:] Director (Rank – Master)
» [Slot-2:] Writer (Rank – Expert)
» [Slot-3:] Drawing (Rank – Novice)
Ⓘ [Unique Skill:] Insight
•----------------------•
"Now for the second [Achievement] collection for the movie. I wonder what it will be like this time."
Regal navigated to the [Achievements] tab, his eyes scanning the available rewards. He still remembers the [Title Token] he got.
•--------•
Ⓘ [Following:] Movie
–> [Achievement Available] (Collected ✓)
–> [Achievement Available] (Collect)
•--------•
With a tap, the system chimed in.
•--------•
「Ding! User collected the [Achievement Reward] for crossing 100M box office for the first time!」
「Ding! User received [Skill Slot]x1 as the [Achievement Reward]!」
ⓘ [Note:] It is directly activated. You can now use an extra skill!
•--------•
Regal exhaled, rubbing his temples.
"...feww~ Guess that means more EP is about to disappear with a new skill added for upgrade."
He tried to hide his evident disappointment.
Sure, he is happy that he will get to have four skills activated at every given time, but he was hoping it would be something else.
A [Title Token] exactly - because unlike the first time when he chose the script from the [Bulletin Board], this time he already decided what it will be.
Anyway, rightly enough, his [Skill Slots] updated in real-time, displaying a fresh empty slot.
•-----[SKILL SLOTS]-----•
» [Slot-1:] Director (Rank – Master)
» [Slot-2:] Writer (Rank – Expert)
» [Slot-3:] Drawing (Rank – Novice)
» [Slot-4:] Empty
Ⓘ [Unique Skill:] Insight
•---------------------•
"Finally time to buy the script… at least this won't be burning a hole in my wallet."
Regal swiped open the [Bulletin Board], his fingers gliding past the endless listings, scripts, books, novels, and even music albums.
He barely spared them a glance, his focus locked on a specific movie script.
It has the [Rank -E] on the list - with a (⚲) symbol hovered beside its title.
No kidding. He is purchasing the lowest rank script for his next film.
And of course, the film was a failure. It wasn't just a failure either. It was a spectacular failure.
Despite the massive mixed buzz, the movie had crumbled beneath the weight of its own ambition, leaving behind nothing but disappointed fans and scathing reviews.
Poor creative choices, questionable execution - there had been doubts from the start, and in the end, the skeptics had been proven right.
And yet, after careful consideration, this was the script Regal had chosen.
He knew the risks. The stigma alone would be enough to drive most away.
But that was precisely what made it interesting. There was something about its potential, buried beneath its flaws, that made his pulse quicken.
•----•
[Movie:]
Death Note - (Rank: E, Price: 305K EP) – (⚲)
•----•
"Haa… I am not digging my own grave, right? Hope not."
With a tap, the system processed the purchase - Yep, it's the same Netflix version of [Death Note].
•----•
「Ding! User successfully purchased [Death Note] script.」
•----•
Regal wasted no time, he immediately opened the [Item] bar and consumed the script.
A long ten minutes of silence.
Then–
"Dog shit. Absolute dog shit."
His expression twisted in disbelief.
"This is the biggest piece of trash I have ever seen. The script is butchered in every possible way. No wonder nobody liked it."
…and this is exactly why he wanted the [Title Token].
But now he had to make do with this blundered script.
Actually, is this script even gonna be any help? He wondered.
.
….
[To be continued…]
★─────⇌•★•⇋─────★
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