My teacher is Bruce Lee, who dominated Hollywood.

Chapter 35: The Prologue to the Golden Age

"Whoosh."

With the final stroke, Qin Han finished signing the thick supplementary agreement.

"Alright, Mr. Ashley. Now I'm your 'co-producer'."

Ashley leaned over, picked up the contract, and smiled as he extended his hand to Qin Han:

"Congratulations, Qin. For the first time in Hollywood history, a young man with yellow skin has the power to say 'no' to an A-list production."

Qin Han smiled, not becoming arrogant because of the other party's flattery.

Five years ago, even if I were in the exact same position, this scene would never have happened.

At that time, Hollywood was still dominated by the studio system.

MGM and Paramount are like lords with the power of life and death, while actors and directors are nothing more than serfs who have signed indentures.

Even for a superstar like Marilyn Monroe, you had to play whatever the company told you to play; if you dared to say no, you would be immediately blacklisted.

But now, times have changed.

1973 was a chaotic time of transition between the old and new order in Hollywood.

Super agents completely killed old Hollywood with their "package deals".

Film companies have become more like banks and distributors, while talent agencies package scripts, directors, and stars together and sell them as a complete product to production studios.

It was this brand-new system that ushered in Hollywood's golden age and was the reason why he was able to move between giants like Warner and Universal.

Now that we've entered the prelude to this golden age, we must make the most of every opportunity.

"Mr. Ashley, this is a fair trade."

"What Warner Bros. is willing to pay for is my script, my mentor's kung fu and film philosophy, and his current immense popularity, isn't it?"

Ashley laughed upon hearing this assessment.

Without a doubt, the young man in front of me has grasped the core of the coming new era.

Entrusting this film to him will definitely solve any problems!

"Very good. Now that you've mastered the rules, I don't need to worry about you turning the film set into a game."

"Tell me, co-producer, what's the first step you plan to take?"

Qin Han looked out the window at the distant horizon: "My master is already on his way back to Los Angeles. As soon as he lands, the pre-production preparations for the film will begin immediately."

"Therefore, we need Warner to verify the budget as soon as possible and transfer the money to Golden Harvest."

Ashley nodded; this was to be expected.

"No problem, Fred will personally oversee this. The first installment of funding will be wired out in three days."

Having finished his business, Qin Han gave a slightly embarrassed smile: "Mr. Ashley, now that the big business is over, I'd like to talk about my personal matters."

Ashley was in a good mood and teased, "What? Want me to introduce you to some newly debuted Playboy girls?"

"No." Qin Han helplessly rummaged through his empty pockets and said half-jokingly, "I want to get an advance on the screenwriting fee or the producer's allowance."

Ashley then realized that the young man who was pontificating in front of him was now living in a shabby slum and owed the mob a huge sum of money in high-interest loans.

After a long pause, he shook his head, somewhat speechless, "Qin, sometimes I really don't understand you..."

"Given the way those accountants at the company behave, it would take at least a week to process an advance on salary."

He opened the drawer, took out a private checkbook, quickly filled in a string of numbers, and pushed it in front of Qin Han.

"Consider this a personal interest-free loan I'm lending you."

"I don't want to see news like 'Warner Bros. producer collapses on set from hunger' in the newspapers. I can't bear that kind of embarrassment."

Qin Han glanced at the amount on the check—a full twenty thousand US dollars—and naturally pocketed it.

"Thank you, Mr. Ashley. I'll consider this your investment in me as an agent, and believe me, the return will be much higher than buying Disney stock yesterday."

After leaving the office, Fred led the two into the elevator.

As soon as the elevator doors closed, he eagerly asked, "Qin, are you going to use this money to pay off your debts?"

If that's the case, I might as well add my own contribution to strengthen our relationship with Qin and Han.

"No, there's no rush to pay off the debt. There are still two months left," Qin Han shook his head.

The way Chinatown gangs operate is quite different from the way white gangs exploit and exploit people.

After all, in Chinese culture, there is a saying that you should leave yourself an out so that you can meet again in the future.

"Tiger" Chen Bing knew that his master was Bruce Lee, so he repeatedly gave himself time to pay off his debts.

He also held back when the man came to collect the debt; otherwise, it would have been impossible to drive Rona's car away with just a pistol.

It's just tough on that female reporter... I'll have to make it up to her later!

"I need this money to move. Once the production is up and running, there will be countless phone calls, meetings, and visits."

"Therefore, a decent place is needed that can be used for living and also as a temporary office for brokers."

Fred's eyes lit up: "Leave it to me! I know the Los Angeles real estate market very well. What are your requirements?"

Qin Han carefully considered the options: "First, it needs to be close to Hollywood for work convenience; it should ideally have several bedrooms, as many people will likely live here in the future; and it needs to be safe. Everything else is a minor issue."

"Haha, then I have an excellent recommendation!" Fred said confidently.

With the title of "co-producer," the group continued to use the stretch Lincoln with a clear conscience.

After driving through the bustling Sunset Boulevard, the car stopped in front of a Spanish-style building on the edge of West Hollywood.

It's less than a 20-minute drive from Warner, with red-tiled roofs and white walls, surrounded by lush greenery, and has excellent security measures.

"Do you like it? Seven bedrooms, five bathrooms, and a huge living room and kitchen," Fred said with a mysterious smile.

"It's pretty good, but the rent must be expensive, right?" This place is indeed very suitable, and the only thing that worries Qin Han is the cost.

"How about $300 a month? You'd better sign the contract before I change my mind."

It turns out that this was a property that Fred had left vacant.

In return for the stock recommendation, he gave Qin Han the right to use the house, essentially renting it out for free.

After settling into their accommodations, everyone headed straight to the Seventh Block.

The luxury car slowly drove into the graffiti-covered street, and none of the thugs and hippies around dared to approach.

For those living at the bottom of society, there is an ironclad rule—

In this country, wealthy people often mean trouble you can't afford to mess with; you have to be more careful around them than around the police.

A short while later, the car stopped in front of the dilapidated apartment building.

"Qin, is the person you're picking up staying here?"

Fred looked at the colorful filth on the ground with disgust: "This is practically an open-air toilet."

"Fred, for people living here, having a roof over their heads to shelter them from the wind and rain is already a blessing."

Qin Han led him up the dimly lit stairs. Before they could even knock on the door, they heard arguing coming from inside.

"Renee! That box is too heavy!"

"Shut up, George! Throw away those useless comic books! We're only bringing clothes and the necessary documents!"

He smiled and knocked on the door.

The arguing inside stopped abruptly, and the door opened a crack, revealing George's freckled face.

Upon seeing that it was Qin Han, the boy's eyes lit up instantly: "Master!"

Qin Han pushed the door open with a smile and entered. Renee was struggling to seal a huge cardboard box, her hair damp with sweat and sticking to her cheeks.

Seeing Fred follow Qin Han in, his expensive custom-made suit clashing with the surroundings, she straightened up somewhat awkwardly:

"Mr. Qin...we...we're packing up. Why did you come here by yourself? Has the plan changed?"

For her, this sudden stroke of good fortune was accompanied by a strong sense of unreality, fearing that the dream would end at any moment.

Qin Han patted George's head: "Yes, the plan has indeed changed."