I am Hollywood

[Chapter 1188: Twisted Hands (2)]

Eric adopted a strong attitude, causing John Casablancas's tone to weaken slightly. Yet he couldn't help but say, "Eric, in my view, those new executives aren't particularly suited for their current positions. Take Levin Hills for instance; he didn't even know many of the basic rules of the modeling agency industry, yet he nitpicked over minor discrepancies in the company accounts."

Levin Hills was the financial director that Eric had dispatched from Firefly Group to Elite.

During this time, John Casablancas had been having quite an unpleasant experience with new financial director Levin Hills, who was strict with the audits at Elite. Even though he knew that Hills was acting on Eric's direct orders, John still couldn't help but direct his frustrations towards him.

Although John Casablancas was the founder of Elite, he had long since ceased to be the majority shareholder of the company.

On the other hand, John still wielded significant control over Elite, which inevitably led to conflicts of interest between the shareholders and management. Therefore, before Eric took over, it was almost unavoidable that management was lining their own pockets. This was why John reacted so strongly to Hills's financial audits.

In fact, on the second day of Levin Hills's employment, he informed Eric in an email that Elite's financial state could only be characterized as extremely chaotic. It was quite apparent that the financial data had been manipulated during Eric's recent acquisition.

However, when Eric read Levin Hills's email, he wasn't surprised at all.

In murky waters, one can catch fish; had Elite's financial data been as clear as crystal, John Casablancas and the other management wouldn't have had any room to maneuver.

Due to his relationships with Cindy, Linda, and other women, Eric was well aware of many internal issues within modeling agencies without even having to look at Elite's financial statements.

For instance, most modeling agencies would additionally deduct transportation fees, makeup expenses, photography costs, and many other miscellaneous charges from the models' earnings. Some were even so stringent that every little action by a model would incur a bill. Yet, many of these charges should be classified under commissions, as the agency was responsible for providing these basic services to the models.

Thus, the result was that while the agency collected substantial extra fees from the models, most of it flowed directly into the management's pockets. Simultaneously, they designated a portion of the models' commissions as company administrative expenses, further reducing the profits that should have belonged to the shareholders.

At this point, Eric already had several audit reports submitted by Levin Hills. Should he choose to, these reports could lead him to file lawsuits against John Casablancas and other Elite management, yet he showed no intention of doing so.

On one hand, what John and his peers siphoned off merely regarded the original shareholders of Elite, not Eric. On the other hand, just as John had subtly implied, some matters had indeed become unspoken rules within the industry; a clear water would not yield fish, and rooting them out completely was simply impossible.

Moreover, even if Eric wished to reform the industry, he leaned more towards gradual change rather than exposing all the issues at once, creating an uproar.

"John, I'm not inclined to pursue past matters. This audit is merely for me to gain a true understanding of Elite's balance sheet," Eric stated. After noticing that John Casablancas's expression visibly relaxed, he continued, "However, in the future, Elite will definitely implement more rigorous financial systems. As Elite progresses, I will not withhold your salaries and bonuses, but some money you'll definitely not be seeing anymore. You can pass my words onto all members of Elite's management. If they wish to leave now, I won't stop them, but if they partake in any violations in the future, it won't simply be a matter of termination."

John Casablancas initially wanted to argue a bit but ultimately nodded obediently under Eric's sharp gaze.

After reprimanding John Casablancas, Eric noticed that Edward Razek was standing not far away with a girl beside him, so he had no intention of continuing the conversation. "Well then, we're done for today, John. You can head back. You can reach out to me anytime if needed."

...

Once John Casablancas left, Edward Razek walked over with the girl.

Though the girl had been mentally preparing for some time, now that she was in front of Eric Williams, she found herself at a loss for words, her demeanor awkward as she stood before him, feeling a little voice in her head urging her to speak. "Say something, you idiot!"

Eric eyed the girl, who was dressed in a pink Victoria's Secret nightgown. Seeing her silent, he smiled and asked, "So, what's your name?"

"Angela Lindvall," the girl finally reacted upon hearing Eric's inquiry, hesitating a moment before boldly extending her small hand. "Hello, Mr. Williams."

At that moment, the music in the hall started playing again. Eric realized the next rehearsal was beginning, signaled for Angela to take a seat beside him, and said to Edward Razek, "Edward, that's enough for today. After this, let's let them wrap up."

Edward Razek nodded and turned to leave.

Angela Lindvall obediently sat next to Eric, glancing sideways to secretly observe the man's profile. Feeling the subtle aura radiating from him, her cheeks turned a bit warm, and her thoughts began to whirl -- excited, hopeful, and a little anxious.

As a signed model under IMG, Angela Lindvall had actually debuted in 1993.

IMG initially saw great potential in her, and per the established training regimen of top modeling agencies, Angela was supposed to catch her break around the age of sixteen and officially enter the frontlines at eighteen, earning endorsements from top brands.

However, the rise of the Victoria's Secret Angels completely disrupted the established rules of the modeling industry.

A slew of supermodels gained fame via the Victoria's Secret Fashion shows, instantly becoming the darlings of brands worldwide. Regardless of whether a brand was a high-end luxury label or a second or third-tier fast-moving consumer good, the most critical factor in selecting a spokesperson was the model's popularity. Within the fashion circle, the clout of the Victoria's Secret Angels was indisputable.

While the Victoria's Secret team was feverishly snagging brand endorsements and dominating the top runways, they inadvertently blocked the ascent of many newcomers. Although modeling agencies were frustrated, they had no choice but to shift away from traditional training strategies and direct more energy toward the Victoria's Secret shows.

Consequently, though many fashion moguls often disparaged the lowbrow nature of the Victoria's Secret show, an undeniable fact was that in recent years, nearly every high-street model competed fiercely for casting opportunities as a Victoria's Secret Angel, with runway spots being so sought after that they saw fierce competition.

Under these circumstances, Angela Lindvall spent six years at IMG before finally earning a spot on this year's Victoria's Secret runway.

Now, Angela felt like this year was simply her lucky year.

The man next to her? That was Eric Williams.

Even when Angela was still an unknown model, she had heard countless rumors about Eric Williams, not just regarding his wealth or status in Hollywood. Even set aside these, in the fashion world, Eric Williams was an exceptionally transcendent figure.

Mr. Biggest, Jealous Daddy.

While it might sound all too suggestive, the top supermodels in the industry privately referred to Eric Williams with these nicknames, a privilege that girls like Angela didn't have. If she dared to say them, she would likely be mocked for being oblivious.

Now, seated beside Eric Williams, Angela quietly watched the girls rehearsing on the runway from a distance, feeling a hint of superiority -- almost as if she had tapped into the man's dominating aura.

Suddenly, the music on stage stopped again, and seeing the girls cheer upon hearing that they could wrap up early, Angela recalled what Eric had just said.

Everyone else was finishing early, what about her?

There seemed to be no suspense about it. She wasn't a naive little girl and certainly knew why Eric Williams wanted her to stay back.

With that thought, Angela felt no resistance. Instead, she found herself unconsciously inching closer to Eric Williams.

After all, something happening with the man beside her was a dream come true for many girls in the industry. In fact, becoming this super tycoon's girlfriend, or one of them, would be a leap into the heavens for girls like her.

...

The hall gradually quieted down, and again, Eric Williams's voice broke the silence. "So, how old are you this year?"

Angela did not feel any specific emotion when Eric asked her age. She obediently responded, "20 years old, Mr. Williams. I'm 20."

Eric replied, "Seeing how tense you were on the runway, I thought you were only just turning 18."

Eighteen was the minimum age requirement to become a Victoria's Secret Angel, and LTD wouldn't sign models that were minors.

When Angela heard that, she felt a bit anxious, thinking that Eric might think poorly of her performance. She quickly clarified, "Mr. Williams, I--I was just too nervous. After all, this is such a rare opportunity."

"Of course, there's no better platform to showcase yourself than Victoria's Secret, so you should let loose a little."

Angela nodded eagerly like a chick pecking at rice. "I will!"

Eric looked at the girl, unable to hold back a laugh. "Don't nod like that; it doesn't suit your temperament at all."

Angela instinctively wanted to nod again but stopped herself and shyly smiled. "Got it, Mr. Williams."

"Well then, are you free tonight? Let's have dinner together."

Angela feigned shyness as she avoided Eric's gaze but answered without hesitation, "Sure."

...

As they chatted, Edward Razek and the director of the upcoming Victoria's Secret show, Andrew Niccol, approached.

The time had just passed four in the afternoon, and Eric had no intention of leaving early. He stood up, instructing the group, "Let's have the sound engineer get ready. Angela, go change into the outfit you had on and come back on stage."

Angela was momentarily stunned by his words but quickly snapped back to reality and obediently headed backstage.

Eric and Edward Razek moved to the front rows, chatting about the preparations for Victoria's Secret while waiting for Angela to change.

After a moment, Angela reappeared on stage, clad in the lovely, translucent feathery attire she had practiced in.

Eric approached the edge of the runway. Noticing the girl wanted to crouch down to hear him, he quickly waved his hand to stop her. "Those long gloves of yours are beautiful! So, when you walk, keep your hands up like you're dancing in a nightclub. Oh, but don't raise them above your head; most importantly, be seductive and slow. Also, take long strides. Alright, go prepare over there and give me a wave."

Angela attentively listened, nodding as she returned to the entrance of the runway.

After a moment's thought, she turned back to give a nod in his direction.

Eric snapped his fingers, instructing the sound engineer standing nearby, "Music."

The music started playing.

Angela patiently waited a while, catching the rhythm while stepping out, her arms moving a bit awkwardly.

The way she walked was quite visually appealing, carrying an obvious personal style. As she walked, her presence transformed starkly from the rehearsal just moments before. However, her once-superb model walk seemed overly practiced now, lacking the previous essence of a mystical jungle witch casting spells.

Eric was never one to lack patience. After Angela completed her first round, he called her over again, meticulously pointing out her earlier shortcomings, even demonstrating a few moves from his memory.

A supermodel's runway style is not something that can be honed overnight. Eric was patient enough, and naturally, no one else complained. For well over an hour, they practiced until Angela finally regained some of that "unstoppable model" aura.

At the very least, while love and admiration played into it, both Edward Razek and Andrew Niccol genuinely felt that Angela's style had become even more charming after this transformation. A unique supermodel was destined to emerge from the Victoria's Secret runway.

Before anyone realized, it was already quitting time, and Eric, without delaying anyone's break, said goodbye to Edward Razek and the others, leaving with Angela Lindvall from the Lexington Avenue warehouse.

Initially intending to pick a restaurant for dinner, Eric received an invitation call and led the girl to the Upper East Hydee to attend a business gathering hosted by Goldman Sachs CEO, Henry Paulson.

*****

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