King of Entertainment World: Waste To Be Rich

Chapter 5

Ernest smiled at Ashley, turning at the weird director who was still bewildered aside and showing him a relaxing expression. “I guess you will need a discussion first, Mr. Durkheim.”

“Mr. Eswaranski…”

Michael's heart nearly stopped beating when he saw Ernest standing up. He didn't even have time to yell at Ashley—the one who had broken all his wonderful plans. He was about to hold Ernest's sleeve, but Ernest dodged Michael's hand fast like a wind, showing the obvious refusal though he didn't say that.

“We will talk later, Mr. Durkheim.”

“We don't work with you! Get out of here! Now!”

At the moment Ernest was about to put his feet out of the van, he heard Ashley's disdainful words, and the finger pointing at the outside filled with underestimation. The people around him didn't say a word, just looking at Ernest as if he was an old toy, which could entertain them for just a few minutes.

He realized that he couldn't leave this way.

Ernest turned back at Michael, who was engulfed in despair, anger, and confusion.

“About the question you've asked… May I know the budget planned to produce this film?”

“One million dollars, sir.” The director answered him immediately, and he called Ernest ‘sir’ without realizing it. “We need to pay for the crew, buying the props, and editing after that. We haven't added the promotion expenses…”

Ernest slightly shook his head.

“I'm sorry if my words hurt you, but it's too expensive. A waste, I suppose.” Ernest pointed at the manuscript which Ashley was holding, “This document just needs twenty thousand dollars at all.”

The director dropped his jaws, and so did the people surrounding. They started whispering with some words going to Ernest's ears.

“Is he crazy?”

“How the hell could we do with just twenty thousand dollars? We have so many people!”

“But the director asked for his opinion, right? God knows if this stranger tells the truth.”

Michael also heard what other people said. He was not different from them. Michael spent twenty years working in this field, and though he's still unfamous, there's a long list of films projects which he had used to work in. Twenty thousand dollars was just impossible to produce a film! It's not even enough to maintain the crew for a week! How could he deal with that tiny budget?

But all his questions and suspicions were gone when he saw Ernest's calm face, as if a twenty thousand dollar budget was an undeniable fact, and asking for more was just a sign of stupidity.

“Putting too much money in a small project will completely destroy it, Mr. Durkheim.” Ernest left one sentence, which made the stable belief within Michael start to be unstable.

Everyone looked at Ernest leaving the film crew, but no one thought of asking him any question. They couldn't figure out why, but all of them now paid attention to the problem Ernest left: so this young man just needed twenty thousand dollars after all?

Right after Ernest’s figure disappeared at the street corner, Kelvin asked his assistant, “Why do you say so, Ashley? Do you know who that young man is? ”

God knew how regretful Kelvin was when he saw Ashley show up and yelled at that mysterious young man. His jaws dropped. He couldn't even expect that his assistant, who was clever at communicating, would stupidly destroy all of Kelvin's career that way!

Yes, destroy!

Though that man tried to be an ordinary person by wearing a low-priced outfit, didn't Ashley see how the director treated that guy? Michael Durkheim spent half of his life communicating with the elite class to maintain his career, so couldn't he recognize who the true elite is?

Michael’s courteous attitude had proved all the thoughts running back and forth in Kelvin's mind. That young man, with elegant behavior and full of knowledge, came from a wealthy clan!

Kelvin himself was about to apologize to Ernest, because Ernest could turn Kelvin’s future into ashes by just some words. But now his assistant provoked that noble man! Even if Ernest tried to be polite after all, Kelvin could easily see that the man was upset!

“Then what?” Ashley didn't feel any wrong.

Kelvin pointed at Ashley for the first time. “You…”

Kelvin wanted to explain everything to his idiotic assistant that Ashley had shot at his own foot, but he suddenly remembered that Ernest didn't even wear a pricey shirt though he could. He didn't want to reveal the elite identity, and Kelvin couldn't do the opposite.

“I regret having such a stupid assistant like you, Ashley.” Kelvin immediately left after saying this. He had to go back to the company and ask for contract termination before too late.

Ashley’s eyes opened wide. He couldn't believe that the actor who was by his side for years now left just because of a stranger… no, an idiotic beggar who tried to fool all the film crew!

What happened?

Wasn't it right not to let strangers access the manuscript and its related contents?

Michael sighed. He witnessed everything and it's a bit unfair for Ashley to be treated that way. Ernest was unsatisfied with all the things Ashley had done—Michael deeply understood—the elite was courteous since it's a must of their class, not scaring anyone.

God knew if that young man would forget Ashley’s arrogant attitude.

Michael came closer to Ashley with a hand patting Ashley’s shoulder.

“That young man is not a beggar. Not even an ordinary guy, Ashley.”

“How do you know that, Mr Durkheim?” Ashley narrowed his eyebrows, “His clothes were tattered to the point the cockroaches won't bite. There is nothing special! Why do you guys think that he is something better?”

Now Michael sighed. Maybe Kelvin was right, Ashley might be a good assistant, but his stubbornness would kill him one day. Why didn’t Ashley realize everything?

Michael couldn't hold back his anger. For God’s sake, not even his naughty daughter could provoke him that bad.

He looked at Ashley, and for the first time, Michael Durkheim, the gentle middle-aged man, criticized the young assistant.

“Have you ever seen a beggar with a wide knowledge and elegant attitude? Why does he have to do that? Scamming? He didn’t even want to take a penny from us!”

“Have you seen any scammers decreasing our expenses? Even a kid knows that he has to blow up the f*e so that he can take some! What the heck can he take if twenty thousand dollars vanishes immediately?”

“Have you ever thought of what we were doing before you came and interrupted our talk? I was asking for investment! And if you didn’t disrupt us, he would have given me some advice to make a better film with a low budget!”

Michael’s words were knives stabbing Ashley and he couldn't dodge one. He was confused, he stood still like a sculpture. His mind said that Ernest could be a scammer, but he also found Michael’s words logical.

The anger vanished fast when Michael realized how confused Ashley was. This young man was energetic and devoted despite his stubbornness, so…

“His name was Ernest Eswaranski,” said Michael, “Go searching for this surname, you might find something interesting.”