[Chapter 36: Shameless]
Halle Berry let out a sigh of relief and gently sat down like a lady, half of her on the chair, with her upper body straight and slightly leaning forward. Noticing Charlie's unabashed gaze, she didn't act coy at all. Her previous shy demeanor wasn't from shyness. In Hollywood, no actress had that kind of personality.
Halle glanced at the young big boss who squinted his eyes, absentmindedly scanning the crowd, shifting from cold to warm unpredictably. She took the initiative to start the conversation. "Rachel didn't come with you?"
Charlie finished a glass of red wine. "She's lucky, working on a Universal blockbuster."
Halle said with envy and jealousy, "Yeah, white actresses always get a lot of opportunities. Congratulations. I had to work hard to earn your favor to be in a movie that helps my career, thank you, Godfather."
Charlie smiled but didn't continue the topic, nor did he have the mood to comfort anyone. When he was younger, he was very interested in understanding women's hearts. Gradually, he became as hard as stone. No matter how beautiful the lady lying in his arms telling tragic stories, he couldn't feel any emotional fluctuations.
He was busy thinking about future developments and Tupac's annoying issues. Achievements in filmmaking alone were limited. Didn't you see? The top content creator, producer Steven Spielberg, worked all his life but was still overshadowed by the power of huge media conglomerates.
Halle had to take the initiative again, "Are you worried about Tupac?"
"No!" Charlie suddenly smiled, grabbing Halle's hand warmly. "That's just a small problem. I'm thinking, who is the real Godfather of America? Look around, who here truly shines inside and out, who really holds the power?"
Halle felt a little pleased and leaned in closer. Then Charlie added, "Don't flatter me."
Halle was at a loss. After hesitating a while, she tentatively said, "Harvey and Robert Shaye are with Disney and Warner Bros., respectively. Maybe Tom Rothman counts as half?"
Charlie didn't answer. With a gentle smile, holding her hand, he softly said, "You're not young anymore, but your skin is great. Interested in chatting more about projects tonight?"
Halle didn't know if it was a compliment or a slight, so she forced a slightly awkward smile and nodded. "Of course, it's an honor to continue working with you."
Charlie generally wasn't interested in women of more pronounced black features, but this 30-year-old lady seemed to be at her peak in looks and figure. Since she came to him, he didn't mind having an intimate conversation to dispel the negative mood Tupac brought.
"Wait here for me!" Charlie stood and walked into the crowd to greet Harvey and others, indicating he was leaving.
...
Midway, Matt Damon's agent Patrick Whitesel approached, "Mr. Corleone, are you leaving? I was hoping to chat; CAA wants to strengthen cooperation with you."
"There will be opportunities," Charlie responded politely.
Whitesel had just joined CAA last year as head of talent. They had several talks during filming. Charlie appreciated his sense of responsibility for his employers and his producing skills.
...
Soon Charlie left with Mord, Lamont, Etto, and Halle Berry. They each linked arms with some ladies. Honestly, if Tupac hadn't been causing trouble, they wouldn't be gathering at this hour.
As they walked out of the estate, nearby entertainment reporters swarmed to take photos. Only a couple wanted to interview Halle Berry, and since Charlie didn't care, she gave brief answers.
Suddenly, loud engine noises came. Looking over, they saw a convertible rolling by, flanked by two Jeep Cherokees showing off. Closer, everyone saw Tupac sitting atop the convertible Ferrari, flashing a colorful and arrogant middle finger.
"Bastard, what do you think you're doing?" Lamont shouted angrily.
Mord and Etto looked serious. Mord quietly approached Charlie and whispered, "Boss, you don't have a gun permit, don't forget to take mine later."
Etto immediately took out his phone. "I'm calling Ophir and Gert."
Charlie calmly shook his head and locked eyes with Tupac. Tupac said nothing, just contemptuously made a throat-slitting gesture and yelled, "Watch out, bastard!" Then drove off.
Reporters boldly clicked away. "Mr. Corleone, can we talk?"
"What the hell does he mean?" Mord cursed angrily.
Charlie smiled, patted Halle's hand, and said to the others, "He's issuing a challenge."
"What do we do, strike first?" Lamont frowned.
"Don't rush, I'll handle it!" Charlie said calmly. "Alright, everyone get back to your business. At least for the next few days, there won't be any problems!"
So everyone left with a lot on their minds.
...
Charlie had a good mindset and spent the whole night in deep conversation with Halle. The next morning at 10, just after waking, his phone kept ringing.
"Son, what's going on with that rapper? The news is all over the papers. I heard he has a Black Panther background. Should we talk to your grandfather?" Judy said worriedly.
Charlie finally calmed his mother down.
...
Then Rachel called him, cursing, "Bastard, what were you doing last night? You brought a slut in front of all the reporters! I was only gone for one day. You disappoint me so much."
Charlie's reply made Rachel furious to the point of a stroke. "Darling, you're about to get Universal's favor as the lead in a big investment movie. We're no longer suitable for each other, so I want to break up early!"
"What? What do you mean break up early?" Rachel was shocked and crying. "Did you plan to split right from the start? I can't believe you are such a bastard."
"Haha, now you know. It's not too late, congratulations!" Charlie replied gleefully.
Rachel cursed bitterly, "Ugh, bastard, fuck you. I loved you so much..."
Charlie didn't comfort her; instead, he slowly hung up, slapped Halle's hand, and laughed as he got dressed.
...
Halle sat up and looked at him strangely, mocking, "You don't hide anything at all?"
Charlie wasn't ashamed, reflecting, "Why hide? She's going to be a superstar soon, and I'm a money-driven independent producer. We're not suited. I used the worst behavior to cut ties quickly. I'm actually helping her."
Halle was stunned again. She fully saw the shameless side of the Godfather. "So I should thank you. Good thing you aren't planning to let me be your girlfriend for a few days."
"Oh, you're welcome!"
His attitude left Halle speechless.
Charlie wasn't interested in playing emotional games. He got up, packed, and left.
...
Driving to the company, he gathered Spike and the others to inquire about the latest information on Tupac. These guys had no good ideas. Charlie had to temporarily put them aside and connect with Lawrence Bender from Miramax about plans for Good Will Hunting.
However, Lawrence brought Harvey's message, "Charlie, Harvey heard about your trouble and is willing to help."
"What's the price?" Charlie asked.
"A full buyout of your Corleone Studios, including Corleone Copyright Management Company."
*****
https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.