Chapter 40
“Dad, what are you talking about?” Aiden gave an embarrassed smile. “Hailey is my daughter. How could I ever treat her as an outsider? I can’t dote on her enough. But this is company confidential information. Besides, Hailey is just a kid. She doesn’t know much.”
Thomas snorted coldly and didn’t bother to pay attention to him. “Hailey, sweetheart, go on, don’t mind him
Hailey said, “Grandpa, how about this? I’ll briefly read these projects to you, and you can decide what you think.”
Thomas nodded. “Alright.”
“The first project is a harem drama. Judging from the script, production team, and cast, it’s pretty standard. This type of show has already had a legendary one before, and that show’s leads and production team were top–notch. It’ll be hard to surpass it.
“The second project is Moonblade Legends, a large–scale fantasy drama. As long as the male and female leads have good acting skills and the special effects are on point, it’s bound to be a hit. Dad is right. Everyone likes this kind of show now!
Hearing this, Aiden’s expression eased a little. ‘Luckily, she doesn’t cause any trouble for me!
However, Hailey suddenly changed her tone. “But…”
“But what?” Thomas asked.
Hailey looked at the specific budget allocation and frowned slightly. “Dad, isn’t the budget for special effects too low? Out of the 26 million dollar budget, 23 million dollars is spent on the leads, leaving only three million dollars. How is that enough?
Thomas’s eyes turned cold.
Aiden quickly explained, “Dad, let me explain. Our leads are the hottest top male star in the industry right now, Piers Horton, and the most popular young actress in the past two years, Vita Andrus.
“Quite a few fans ship them, and their fan base totals over a hundred million. Think about it, with such popular leads, their appearance fees are definitely high. But don’t worry.
“As long as they are the leads, this show will definitely make a profit. Everything else is secondary.”
“Dad, that’s not right,” Hailey said calmly. “A good show needs more than just good acting from the leads. Costumes, props, script, special effects, and other aspects must all be up to par.
“They may have a lot of fans, but a show isn’t just for the fans. There are also regular viewers. No matter how many fans they have, not everyone in the world is their fan. No one will accept a poorly made show that’s an eyesore.”
“That makes sense,” Thomas said seriously. “If you insist on doing this show, I can’t stop you. But if you’re going to do it, do it right. And the leads must have acting skills. Even if they’re newcomers, as long as their acting is passable.”
This really put Aiden in a difficult situation.
Both Piers and Vita were idol types. Their singing and dancing were just so–so, let alone acting. They were just popular idols hyped up by the capital.
“Dad, you don’t understand. Where can we find someone with both acting skills and popularity now? Those with acting skills aren’t popular, and the popular ones don’t have acting skills. We can’t risk using newcomers.
“That would definitely be a huge loss. Besides, the traffic of these two leads is amazing. Not to mention making a profit, our show definitely won’t flop!” Aiden said confidently.
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Chapter 40
However, in Hailey’s opinion, Aiden was completely treating the audience and fans as fools.
By the time this show came out, probably only the brainless fans would be able to stand watching it.
“Dad, you’ve got to believe me. I’m your son. Don’t you trust me anymore?” Aiden was getting a bit anxious and looked at Hailey, saying. “Hailey, you tell him. He listens to you the most.”
“You want me to speak?” Hailey raised an eyebrow slightly.
Aiden immediately regretted it.
“Grandpa, I think this project is bound to fail,” Hailey said bluntly.
Aiden’s face changed instantly. “Dad, don’t listen to her. She is just a silly young girl who doesn’t know these things…”
“I think Hailey makes sense.” Thomas stood up and made his decision directly. “This drama really isn’t suitable for a big investment. Hailey, what do you think about other projects?”
While Aiden was talking, Hailey had already gone through all the scripts.
She said, “The Moon in My Heart would be perfect for the company’s key project in the first half of next year.
“I just read it, and not only does it talk about love, but also the war of resistance, friendship, and the greater good of family and country. With a good team, it’s definitely going to be a hit.”
“Huh! Definitely going to be a hit? That’s easy for you to say,” Selena scoffed coldly. “I mean, Hailey, since you’re not an insider, could you please stop meddling? Everyone likes light–hearted or fantasy shows these days. Who still watches those outdated war dramas?”
Hailey didn’t respond. She had said her piece, and now it was up to Thomas to decide.
“Hailey.” Thomas seemed to have an idea, looking at Hailey with a smile. “I remember you mentioned before that you wanted to be a director, right?”
Thomas had indeed asked Hailey casually before what she wanted to study.
Being an author, besides writing books, what Hailey wanted most was to turn her books into movies. So, she said she wanted to be a director in the future.
Unexpectedly, Thomas remembered.
“Yes, Grandpa,” Hailey replied nervously.
“How about this? You take charge of The Moon in My Heart, and Aiden handles Moonblade Legends,” Thomas proposed.
“Dad, how could that work? Hailey’s a girl; she’ll get married someday. It’s not appropriate for her to get involved in company affairs.” Aiden frowned in refusal.
“Just because Hailey will get married doesn’t mean she won’t be part of the Dalton family anymore, does it? And Selena will get married too, right? If so, then she shouldn’t enjoy Dalton Group’s resources as an artist.” Thomas looked a bit angry.
“What are you saying, Dad? Selena is an artist. Whether she gets married or not, at least now she can use her abilities to generate revenue for the company. But giving Hailey company resources to practice is essentially a losing deal,” Rose complained discontentedly.
“I’m saying it again.” Thomas was furious. “Hailey is my granddaughter. No matter how badly you treat her or consider her an outsider, since her surname is Dalton, she belongs to the Dalton family.
“She has a share in the Dalton Group and will join it sooner or later. All we’re doing now is giving her in advance the
privileges she rightfully deserves. Don’t push your luck. I’m not dead yet, and you dare to think of driving her away? Dream
on!”
“Dad, that’s not what I meant…” Rose tried to explain but was interrupted.
“Dad is right.” A man entered from the entrance, speaking calmly. “I agree with Dad’s suggestion. Dalton Group will eventually pass down to the younger generation. Since Hailey has ideas and motivation, why not give her a chance to prove herself?”
