[Chapter 8: Mira's Worries and the Paparazzi]
The next morning at 10 a.m., Mira picked up Linton and reminded him that it was ti to get a new car. As a rising pop star, driving an old pickup truck was not exactly fitting. Linton agreed wholeheartedly, thinking that since he had no plans for the day, they might as well go car shopping.
Upon arriving at the auto mall, the array of luxury cars dazzled him. Considering space and comfort, and wanting to avoid drawing too much attention, he ultimately bought a Cadillac for $50,000.
...
After swiping his card, he drove it straight ho. On the way to Linton's villa, Mira hesitated for a mont but finally spoke up, "Logan, the vice president at WMA, wants to throw a party to celebrate your success. How do you want to handle that?"
Noticing sothing off in Mira's tone, Linton asked, "What's wrong? What are your thoughts on it?"
...
Mira had been under a lot of pressure herself lately. On one hand, Linton's skyrocketing fa proved her eye for talent and brought imnse benefits to both herself and WMA. Excluding the signing bonus, just the sales from his first single topped five million copies at an average price of $6, with a 22% royalty rate, netting Linton a whopping $6.6 million. WMA's commission would amount to $660,000, of which Mira would pocket $330,000.
Moreover, there were two more singles to be released soon, and Universal hinted that their quality would not be any less impressive than the first one. Given the situation, it was clear that Universal would undoubtedly want to release an album for Linton by the end of the year.
A quick calculation made it evident just how lucrative Linton's contract was, and that didn't even account for potential overseas markets. Everyone trusted Universal's international promotional abilities -- they had a real cash cow on their hands.
...
As Linton's popularity soared, Mira's status at the agency rapidly improved, too. Just last week, there were rumors of her being promoted to senior agent; at first, she felt quite pleased. But then colleagues began calling her, hinting they wanted to join her team to assist her with Linton, which doused her excitent. That wasn't a promotion -- it was clearly an attempt to claw at her benefits.
Last night's phone call from Logan heightened her worries. Although he spoke sweetly about providing her with a bigger platform and greater responsibilities, what it really boiled down to was that he wanted to get involved in Linton's contract directly and share in the benefits of representing him, even trying to establish direct contact with Linton.
What troubled her even more was that given her connections and experience, plus the immature office politics, it was likely the agency might seize control over Linton's representation this way. Other agents could easily swoop in and take her main representation spot.
And Linton's contract was only for a year. She knew that under these circumstances, every talent agency in Hollywood would be vying after Linton as his contract expiration approached, presenting him with new offers. Losing Linton as a client was sothing she dared not imagine.
Fortunately, Linton recognized and trusted her service, delegating all his matters to her. Even when Logan tried to bypass her for direct dealings, Linton remained unresponsive, which brought her so reassurance. She knew her greatest asset was Linton's trust and recognition. However, she didn't want to disturb him with this situation, fearing it might distract him from the great montum he had going on. She also worried Linton might think the agency's arrangents would be more beneficial for him, making it even harder for her to maintain her position.
But now that Linton asked, it indicated he was aware of her predicant. After hesitating, she eventually shared the company's plans with him.
...
There were mainly two points: First, the higher-ups wanted to establish direct communication with Linton to have so influence or intervention in matters concerning him, such as casting for music video leads. This was also why many at the agency were unhappy with Mira. The previous two casting decisions had no ties to WMA, and colleagues thought she was not putting the company's interests first.
The second point was to form a managent team for Linton, transitioning from Mira providing individual support to a team led by her that would offer him comprehensive service.
Linton pondered over it; the first point was absolutely unacceptable. He had mories from the future and a unique skill set that made it impossible for him to allow others to ddle in his affairs. The second point might sound beneficial at first, but upon reflection, as soone who possessed a specific path for growth and had no bad habits, he had little need for their services. Mira was more than capable of handling the routine matters of life, and Universal had already assigned him an assistant and bodyguard; too many people around would only complicate things.
The famous saying went, "too many cooks spoiled the broth." Too many people involved often led to poor outcos.
He turned to Mira and said, "Never mind. Starting tomorrow, I'm diving headfirst into promoting the single Numb. I'll skip the party; I just don't have the energy. Plus, I'm satisfied with your current work -- just keep it up. There's no need to change things or create a managent team.
Tell the agency exactly that. Also, when you have so free ti, learn about fan managent because we're going to need it soon. Oh, and find the ti to sell the old pickup; it's taking up space in the yard."
Mira was overwheld with joy and nodded continuously. "Linton, thank you for your trust! I promise to do my utmost to get everything you've asked done."
She then brought up the nurous endorsent requests she'd received lately, asking Linton whether they should pursue them now. Given the rapid rise in his fa, it was not the right ti for that; if they were to take any, it should be after he released the three singles first when he'd definitely be much more established. They agreed to revisit the discussions in July.
...
In truth, Linton thought things through simply. When soone shot to fa so quickly and evidently, it would impact many established players trying to reclaim resources from those in the sa lane.
While the audience's attention was vast, their purchasing power and focus were finite. If one person shot to fa, it affected others imnsely. Nobody expected him to breakout so quickly, and because he did, everyone trying to sabotage or sar him didn't even have ti to make their moves; who would pay attention to soone who had just debuted?
But it was different now -- he was becoming well-known and was about to release a second single. Competitors and peers would undoubtedly strike back. Various slanders, rumors, and negative reviews were bound to surface. In this sense, strengthening the managent team beca necessary; Linton was not on the path of a gangster rapper.
However, even if Linton considered these points, he probably wouldn't change his mind, as his core goals differed from everyone else's. While many aid for fa and fortune -- boosting sales, increasing prominence, and cultivating a good public image, regardless of personal chaos, to secure more and better gigs -- Linton's core objective was much simpler: he sought to level up his abilities and ultimately gain immortality.
While others' sar tactics might impact his single sales and image, he understood that controversy could actually boost the fa he needed. In improving his powers, he believed every ounce of attention only aided his pursuits.
In the face of his aspirations, all else was secondary; he couldn't misalign his priorities. Additionally, given his current earning potential, would Universal simply stand by? They'd probably be even more anxious than he was.
---
Mira left happy, and Linton enjoyed a rare evening at ho. To his surprise, he received a call from Caron Diaz that evening. She asked if he was free to join her for dinner, clearly relishing the connection. Linton was certainly obliged.
Earlier, he had worried about the paparazzi but then thought, 'Whatever! If they want to spread rumors, let them. It might even help my reputation and raise Caron's profile. It's a win-win situation for .'
He drove his newly purchased Cadillac to the restaurant, and during dinner, there wasn't much worth discussing. However, upon exiting, they spotted a few paparazzi snapping away. They were unabashedly taking pictures. Afterward, one approached and asked, "Mr. Anderson, Miss Diaz, are you two dating?"
Both just smiled and didn't answer, hopped in the car, and headed straight to the villa.
Click, click! The paparazzi were thrilled. Dining together and departing in the sa car -- they would hastily follow to see where they went. They trailed them all the way to the entrance of the community, and once Linton and Caron drove inside, their spirits soared.
Click, click, more snapshots -- the headline would read, "Hot New Star and New Model Actresses Possibly Living Together." What a great scoop! They planned to sell it for a high price.
The reality was that Linton had achieved fa too rapidly. He had been tied up recording and shooting music videos, leading up to promotional releases. There hadn't been any juicy gossip to work with, and the dia and audiences were feeling quite parched for tidbits.
Ideally, they hoped Linton and Caron wouldn't co out tonight. They strategized to keep watch and decided to team up, calling partners to sell existing footage to newspapers and magazines, aiming for the morning news.
...
anwhile, Linton took Caron ho. As soon as they entered the house, they beca entwined, and it quickly escalated into a passionate encounter.
Throughout the villa, signs of their vigorous activity were everywhere.
What thrilled Linton was that Caron's fa noticeably increased, and during their ti together, he could feel its benefits. It seed wise to pursue connections with female stars or make his partners stars. He was determined to execute his plans without fail.
*****
spatreon/Sayonara816.
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