The movie deal was finalized. Hardy, aside from being a screenwriter and investor, also retained the rights as the second producer. The remaining matters were left to MGM and director Hitchcock to handle.
Two days later, both parties finalized the details and signed the contract.
...
Elizabeth Taylor was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, sitting on the backyard grass. In the past, her mother would never have allowed her to do this.
But now she had a reason, immersing herself in the role.
Taylor held a revolver, which she had persuaded her mother to buy for her. It was a real gun, but Sarah hadn't given her any bullets.
The gun was pointed at a large tree in front of her, and Taylor pursed her lips.
"He killed my parents and siblings. I want to kill him with my own hands!" This was a line from the movie, and Taylor was searching for Matilda's feelings.
Phew! She put down the gun.
Taylor sighed.
It had been two days since she had seen Mr. Hardy, and she didn't know how the movie negotiations were going. She was also worried about whether she could really play the role of Matilda.
Although she was young, she knew a lot, especially how difficult it was to confirm the cast of a movie, especially the main role.
At that moment, a servant hurried to the backyard.
"Miss Taylor, Mrs. Sarah wants me to call you to the front hall to meet a guest."
Taylor frowned.
She didn't like these kinds of social gatherings, especially with the so-called society ladies her mother knew, who were all very talkative and would chatter on for ages, making her sit there for half the day.
"Who is it this time?"
"It's Mr. Hardy," the servant said.
Taylor's face lit up with surprise, and she sprang up from the grass and ran quickly to the hall.
At this moment, Sarah was entertaining Hardy, and they were sitting in the hall talking.
Sarah placed a cup of tea in front of Hardy and smiled, asking, "Mr. Hardy, how have your communications with MGM been going these past few days?"
Sarah was most concerned about this matter because it concerned her daughter's future.
"Hhh, the agreement has been signed. The total investment is $2.6 million. MGM is contributing $1.6 million, and I'm contributing $1 million."
Sarah's smile grew broader upon hearing Hardy's investment amount.
Money moves the heart, for Hardy to invest a million dollars in a movie, in Sarah's eyes, he was already a wealthy man, and his status had risen considerably.
Previously, she had only thought of Hardy as an assistant to Chairman Noah, knowing important figures like Mayer. She had believed he must be quite capable.
Now she realized Mr. Hardy was even more capable than she had thought.
"Has the casting been settled?" Sarah asked cautiously.
"It's settled. Director Hitchcock has confirmed using Cary Grant as the male lead."
Hitchcock was a renowned director, and Cary Grant was one of MGM's top stars, comparable to Clark Gable. Working with such a director and actor was a dream come true for countless actresses.
"What about the role of Matilda?" Sarah asked, unable to conceal her nervousness and anticipation.
"As a producer, I recommended Taylor to Mr. Mayer and Director Hitchcock, and they agreed after negotiations," Hardy said.
Sarah was thoroughly excited.
She was a clever woman, and she knew her daughter didn't have any advantages for this role. Ultimately, it was all thanks to Mr. Hardy.
"Thank you for your recommendation, Mr. Hardy." Sarah quickly expressed her gratitude.
Just then, Elizabeth Taylor burst into the hall, and upon seeing Hardy, she rushed over to him, slightly out of breath, saying, "Mr. Hardy, you've finally come."
"Oh, missing me after just a few days?" Hardy smiled.
Taylor felt a bit embarrassed.
She had dreamed about Hardy several times over the past few days.
Lifting the revolver in her hand, she said, "Mr. Hardy, look, I asked my mom to buy me a gun. I'm practicing how Matilda would hold it."
At that moment, Sarah interjected, "Elizabeth, did you know? Mr. Hardy just said the movie details are finalized. Cary Grant will play the male lead, and you will play Matilda."
"Really, Mr. Hardy?" Taylor looked at Hardy in amazement.
"That's right. You'll be playing Matilda."
"Ah~~~"
Taylor screamed and immediately jumped into Hardy's arms, hugging him tightly.
She was so happy. She had been thinking about this for days, and now her dream was finally coming true.
Seeing her daughter clinging to Hardy, Sarah felt it was somewhat impolite, but she held back her words. Elizabeth and Mr. Hardy's close relationship could only be beneficial to her.
In Sarah's mind, Hardy had become someone she wanted to get close to.
After the excitement settled, Taylor got down from Hardy's arms, and he said to her, "Now the roles are tentatively confirmed. MGM is responsible for the initial preparations. After the preparations are complete, Director Hitchcock will have you audition. That will be when the roles are finally confirmed."
After saying this, Taylor looked at Hardy and asked, "Mr. Hardy, will you continue training me? I feel your training is very effective."
"Of course, whenever I have the time."
"How about today?"
"Today works just fine."
"That's great!" Taylor exclaimed happily.
Sarah escorted them to the villa's entrance, waving goodbye as she watched her daughter get into Hardy's car. As she watched the car slowly drive away, a thought crossed Sarah's mind.
In addition to nurturing her daughter into a star, Sarah also had another idea--to marry Taylor into a wealthy family.
This Mr. Hardy, in his twenties, is handsome, wealthy, and has a career and capability. If her daughter were a bit older, marrying him wouldn't be a bad idea.
Heading out with Hardy again, Taylor was filled with excitement.
"Mr. Hardy, what are we doing today?"
Hardy looked at Taylor's excited face and asked, "Can you ride a motorcycle?"
"No, I can't."
"Do you want to give it a try?"
Taylor's eyes immediately lit up.
Hardy drove and found Big Ivan, asking him to bring a motorcycle. Big Ivan was quite happy because the boss was asking him to do something again, indicating he wasn't mad anymore.
The motorcycle quickly arrived, a Harley-Davidson that resembled Captain America's.
"Take my car back to the security company," Hardy said.
"Sure thing." Big Ivan nodded and bowed.
Hardy got on the motorcycle, and Taylor hugged his waist from behind. Big Ivan waved goodbye continuously.
Taylor found it amusing and asked Hardy, "He's so tall and looks fierce, but why does he seem a bit afraid of you?"
"I once beat him up and starved him for three days. Maybe that's why he's afraid of me, hhh."
Taylor laughed along after hearing this.
On the highway outside the city, the two of them rode the motorcycle recklessly.
Hardy sat behind, teaching Taylor how to ride a motorcycle, feeling the speed and excitement of the wind, while Taylor shouted excitedly.
After returning from outside the city, the two went to the market.
"Mr. Hardy, what are we doing at the market?" Taylor looked curiously at the variety of goods at the market stalls.
"Experiencing the life of ordinary girls in the market."
The two bought hot dogs and sat on the bustling street. It was Taylor's first time eating in front of so many people.
At first, she felt embarrassed, but seeing Hardy eating so heartily, she followed suit.
Inside a grocery store, several slot machines and punching machines were set up, surrounded by many people. Hardy and Taylor finally got a machine and started playing.
Bill's slot machine business now covered Red Bill's and the Austrian gang's territories. Bill had reported to Hardy that over 15,000 machines had been deployed. Apart from the profit sharing and labor costs, each machine could earn about $30 per week, which meant $45,000 per week, totaling $2.3 million per year.
It was more profitable than selling drugs.
After playing for a while, Hardy took Taylor to explore the market.
They bought fruits, small trinkets, played shooting games and won toy prizes.
Passing by a flower stall, Hardy stopped and asked, "Boss, what's the name of this potted plant?"
"Silver Queen."
The middle-aged boss looked at the green plant and said.
"I'll take this pot."
He paid and took away the flowerpot.
Taylor looked curiously at the flower in Hardy's hand. "Mr. Hardy, this flowerpot doesn't seem to bloom. Why did you buy it?"
"It's for you."
"Why are you giving it to me?"
She hoped to receive vibrant roses instead.
"Remember when I mentioned that Leon had a green plant? He would care for it meticulously when he had nothing to do. He's a lonely and cold-blooded killer, but this plant represents another side of his personality, the only bit of kindness and longing for life."
"From now on, take care of this plant."
Taylor nodded vigorously as she held the flowerpot.
Seeing that it was already past four in the afternoon, Hardy prepared to take Taylor back. The two of them left the market to fetch the car.
Nearby, there was a bank branch.
A white cash transport vehicle was parked nearby, with several armed guards around it. Bank staff were carrying two money boxes out of the branch.
Hardy and Taylor walked closer.
Suddenly, Hardy sensed danger, hugged Taylor, and hid in the corner of a nearby house, and the next second.
Boom!
An explosion rang out at the bank entrance.
Several masked robbers rushed out of a black sedan.
They were all armed with guns and immediately opened fire at the guards next to the cash transport vehicle.
The guards, still disoriented from the sudden explosion, were caught off guard and fell to the ground as bullets rained down on them.
Some guards managed to react and took cover behind the vehicle, returning fire with their guns.
Rapid gunfire echoed in the street.
People around them were frightened, lying on the ground. Some unfortunate ones were hit by stray bullets due to their proximity, while others screamed in terror. The street was in chaos.
Originally, there were eight guards, two were killed by the explosion, and a few more were shot down by the robbers as they descended from the sedan. Now only two guards remained.
The robbers didn't have time to engage them. One of them pulled out a grenade from his backpack, pulled the pin, and threw it.
His aim was precise, and the grenade landed directly behind the two guards.
Boom!
An explosion sounded, and both guards were severely injured.
The robbers rushed over and finished off the wounded guards.
"Grab the money!"
The robbers' black sedan pulled up, and they moved the iron boxes from the cash transport vehicle into their car.
A few men got into the car.
The one who had thrown the grenade didn't immediately get into the car but pulled out two more grenades, laughing loudly. He threw both grenades into the bank.
Boom boom!
Two explosions followed by screams of agony.
Once the robbers were in the car, the black sedan disappeared in a cloud of smoke.