….
So, the Unique FX studio suggested cutting corners - reducing rendering quality, tweaking certain shots, making compromises.
However, Regal immediately shut the idea down.
Instead, he provided a different suggestion.
He would forgo his own paycheck.
….
During the discussions, Darren stared, completely dumbfounded. "Are you out of your damn mind?"
Simon, part of the conversation with Samantha, chooses quietly observing. By now, he had a pretty solid read on Darren, he was the more emotionally expressive one.
It had become clear while working together as line producers.
Regal knew it too. Hell, even Darren himself was aware of it. But was it really a shortcoming if he recognized it? In fact, at this moment, Simon finally understood why both of them had been chosen for this job.
Darren was raw emotion, unfiltered and direct.
He, on the other hand, weighed his choices carefully before acting - though he wasn't above a little favoritism when it suited him.
Regal needed both logic and instinct on his side.
But this time Simon agreed with Darren's words; this wasn't just any fee Regal was walking away from.
He was the director, writer, screenwriter, and dialogue writer - the sole creative force behind the film.
And, with a successful film already under his belt, his pay for any one of those roles could easily surpass two million.
Yet, for all of them combined?
He had only taken three million for the entire project.
And now, he was giving that up too? Darren couldn't understand it, and neither could the rest.
Sure, Regal had done something similar with [Following], but that was just 500K - an amount most of them could earn in five years or less if luck was on their side.
But sixty million?
That was a number most of them couldn't even fathom earning in a lifetime, let alone having the guts to bet it all on something as unpredictable as filmmaking.
Even if someone did take that kind of risk, they would at least set aside a few million as a safety net - just in case things went south.
That was why Darren had insisted that Regal take his pay from the budget.
But now, even that was being thrown back into the film.
Reckless.
Darren had always hated that about him.
And this wasn't the first time.
Of course Regal wasn't one to back down, his met gaze unfazed. "Darren, I was already all-in on this film. An extra three million changes nothing. So calm down and think for a second."
If there was one more thing that took Darren, Simon, and even Samantha by surprise, it was Unique FX Studios stepping in with an unconventional offer.
They agreed to lower their cost and complete the work for an additional two million instead of six.
That alone was unheard of.
Even more surprising?
Since the start of this project, they had stopped taking on any other work.
So, no freelancing, no side gigs. Just this film.
Simon processed the information. "So, the entire studio is working full-time on this?"
Samantha nodded.
Darren exhaled sharply, finally grasping the weight of it. "So if this flops?"
"They take a hit too." Simon finished.
Silence.
They weren't the only ones all-in.
Regal voiced his thoughts. "So, don't worry, I still have a million left."
Darren barely had a second to breathe in relief before Regal rubbed his chin, looking thoughtful. "Though… I could put that into something more efficient."
Darren's stomach dropped.
Oh no. He silently prayed no unexpected financial issues would arise. Because if they did?
Regal would absolutely throw that last million in too.
…..
.
Meanwhile, news of Regal being the author of 'LIE120' still spread like wildfire in the web novel community.
There were many reasons for this.
One of the biggest? They had been suppressed for too long.
Films had always dominated entertainment, with music and even books trailing behind.
Web novels? Barely acknowledged, often dismissed as insignificant.
Most people weren't concerned about the struggles of such a small industry.
But this? This was different.
A mainstream book author and a director with a blockbuster hit had started his career as a web novel writer.
And it wasn't just anyone.
It was LIE120 -
The author who never locked his chapters.
Who never missed a single update. Who never asked for a dime. Who rejected exclusive contracts from major platforms.
Above all - his stories were just damn good.
For the community, it was like they had finally found their representative.
A symbol.
….
Of course, someone who had been following LIE120's work more closely than anyone else, now revealing Regal as the man behind it, was quick to catch onto the news.
In fact, he was probably the first to know.
And that person was none other than Gregor - the very same man who had first reached out to Regal about a comic adaptation.
As the industry buzzed with talk of adaptation rights being sold, Gregor wasted no time.
He sent yet another email, urging Regal to reconsider his offer.
Despite the rumors swirling, Gregor wasn't one to take speculation at face value.
Instead, he started connecting the dots.
Regal's ties to EverLeaf - the very company that had published [Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone], suddenly made everything click.
After a little digging, he uncovered something else.
EverLeaf had been quietly preparing to expand into the comic industry.
Until now, it had just been a rumor.
But not anymore.
At least, not to Gregor.
There were just too many coincidences.
Too many signs are pointing in one direction.
If his instincts were right, the adaptation rights for [Solo Leveling] and [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint] were as good as gone.
And to say he was disappointed would be an understatement.
He had wanted to be the one to oversee these projects.
To oversee it from scratch. To witness its formation - every struggle, every challenge, every breakthrough that came with bringing them to life.
Because Gregor wasn't just some industry executive chasing after a good deal.
He loved these stories.
"Alas… it's not happening anymore, it seems." Gregor muttered under his breath.
Then, after a pause, he added. "I just hope the adaptations live up to expectations… Or else, I am cursing them to death - EverLeaf or whoever is responsible."
Gregor wasn't the type to care about profit margins or industry politics.
For him, craft came first.
Even before his own career.
A rare kind of person in this business.
But he wasn't the only one eagerly awaiting news about the comic adaptations. Many others were just as anxious.
Little did they know, Regal wasn't planning to keep his fans waiting much longer either.
There will be an announcement soon.
In fact, as soon as [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint] finished serialization.
Which, by the way, was already in its final arc.
But for now, Gregor had something else to deal with.
"Come in."
At the call, Gregor pushed open the door and stepped inside.
Barely a second later—
Thwack!
A file came flying at him, pages scattering across the room.
It missed, sliding to his side instead of hitting its intended mark.
Not that it was intentional. The person who threw it was just bad at aiming.
Gregor flinched slightly but said nothing.
Silently, he crouched down and started picking up the scattered pages, while a barrage of sharp words rained down on him from the woman seated at her desk.
Gregor did his best to ignore them. Or at least, he tried. But some of her words still reached him.
"You were the one in charge of securing those two novel contracts, and you failed."
Gregor pressed his lips into a thin line - 'No, I wasn't. You all ignored it until now, and I was the only one who kept trying until the end.'
He wanted to say it.
But, of course, he didn't.
He wasn't looking to get fired. Not yet.
The taunts continued as Gregor calmly placed the now-organized file onto the table, standing silently and only responding when necessary.
But another thought lingered in the back of his mind.
Maybe it was for the best that he hadn't secured the adaptation rights.
Because if he had?
With these people in charge?
There was no guarantee the adaptation would be any good.
.
….
[To be continued…]
★─────⇌•★•⇋─────★
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