Reset Life with Infinite Talents - Chapter 243

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Infinite Talent Reset Life Episode 243

The path leading to Starburst’s altar.

Talking about the past, present, and life.

“Whew.”

Baz Luhrmann clicks his tongue while looking at the billboard attached to the building.

“Your persona has caused another incident?”

It’s no ordinary incident either. The current cumulative audience number has exceeded a whopping 250,000, and they’re all giving rave reviews.

‘No matter how famous a star is…’

How many famous photographers could draw this kind of audience numbers?

‘None.’

Photography isn’t a profession that can gain fame even if it can earn recognition, especially now that media has developed unlike the past when only TV and newspapers existed.

‘No, even in times when media hadn’t developed, they couldn’t have drawn such audience numbers.’

“Haha. It’s more heartbreaking not knowing what to do first.”

Like the miracle of Tanzania that made him decide to make films, just following behind Johann brings forth inspiration and material.

So much that he doesn’t know what to film first.

“How about producing those films as original content on our Netflix?”

Flinch!

Matthew Payton is startled by the voice that suddenly interrupts, and Baz Luhrmann narrows his eyes.

Ted Sarandos acts surprised as if he’s just now seeing Baz Luhrmann.

“Oh, Director Luhrmann! I received word that you’ve finished all the filming. You’ve really worked hard.”

“…That guy seems to have been won over.”

The assistant director.

Excluding Matthew Payton, there was only one person he told about this LA trip – the assistant director he drank with and asked what he’d do next.

“Huh? Oh, I don’t know what you mean. I just happened to be in this area for an important appointment!”

“Then we can part ways here.”

“Oh dear. That appointment just got canceled, hahaha! So I was wondering who to have dinner with…”

And he just happened to meet Baz Luhrmann like this.

‘And Matthew Payton too!’

Matthew Payton, who didn’t win an Oscar but has already proven his capability to make A-grade films successful.

‘Filming Johann Jefferson’s life?’

Johann, whose every talent reaches the heavens, who knows how many more talents he has hidden.

‘I must secure a contract!’

At least millions of Wolfies would watch it.

“If it’s not rude, may I join you two for dinner?”

“Oh… I’m sorry. Today I have important matters to discuss with Senior Baz…”

“It’s fine. You don’t need to make excuses. You’ll follow along no matter what I say.”

This works out perfectly. If he brings the Chief Content Officer, he might be able to make a contract more easily.

‘Seeing how they contacted me directly, information must have leaked from these guys.’

Information that he covets Casanova.

So they’re trying to fix things by monitoring and rushing over like this.

‘Since they contacted me, it seems other production companies refused…’

Or they’ve already finished a contract with some production company, and that official came out to recruit even Baz Luhrmann himself.

‘Either way, it’s a loss for this guy.’

From the rising price of the original work to having to share the pie with other production companies.

Netflix, which found a production company deeply connected to them to invest the remaining half excluding the half of the next project’s production cost specified in the contract, and even adjusted the profit settlement ratio.

Thinking of Ted Sarandos whose face will soon contort makes him want to laugh already. Baz Luhrmann chose to go along just to see that sight.

“Oh, thank you! I was worried about how to stick around to buy dinner if you refused!”

“Right. Keep talking like that.”

‘What’s this?’

Matthew Payton narrows his eyes while looking back and forth between Baz Luhrmann and Ted Sarandos. For some reason, their discord seems deep.

‘Should I have watched The Get Down?’

There’s only one reason for a production company and director to be so hostile toward each other.

When the production company interferes with directing. Continuously, at that.

Unless it’s that situation, a director would rarely bare their teeth at a production company.

‘Did I tell him about Casanova for nothing?’

He feels a small regret.

“This is the place.”

The place where they’re meeting the original creator.

As Baz Luhrmann speaks, Matthew reads the sign.

“Kang Ho Dong Butcher…”

“It’s a Korean barbecue restaurant! Korean barbecue became famous because of Sir Jefferson, right? Oh, come to think of it, Director Payton must already know Korean barbecue through Sir Jefferson!”

Ted Sarandos smiles brightly and rolls his eyes.

‘Could the writer possibly be Asian?’

Inside the restaurant bustling with Asian Students even though the sun hasn’t set yet. The savory smell of fat and meat cooking stimulates the nose and stomach.

“Welcome! This is Kang Ho Dong Butcher!”

“Three people…”

“There should be a reservation under Penguin Random House.”

Baz Luhrmann cuts off Ted Sarandos’s words.

He snorts while looking at Ted, who acts shamelessly surprised.

“Ah! If you go around that way, you’ll find a separate entrance. That’s the VIP Room reserved by Penguin Random House!”

“Thank you.”

They exit the restaurant again and move to where the Employee directed them, and indeed there was a separate entrance and employee.

Knock knock knock!

As the Employee knocks on the door, there’s bustling inside.

When they open the door and enter, three people greet them with bright smiles.

But among them is someone who shouldn’t be here.

“Huh? Jo, Johann?”

“It’s been a while, Manager. And nice to meet you. I’m Johann Jefferson, the writer of the novel Casanova.”

‘Crazy!’

‘Johann Jefferson was the Original Creator!’

Baz Luhrmann, Ted Sarandos, and Matthew Payton all gasped and laughed with different emotions.

* * *

“…”

Perhaps too shocked. Shock, chaos, and questions can’t come out of their closed mouths, and their eyes just blink, unable to accept reality.

Johann looks at them frozen and points to the opposite seats while texting someone with one hand.

“Please sit. The meat here is really delicious, so I chose it as our meeting place. I hope you like it.”

“Really… it really is you, Johann, right?”

“It’s been a while, Director Matthew.”

“WHAT THE HELL-?!”

It took a bit more time for them to calm down.

“You were the writer who wrote Casanova…”

They had no idea. Because Penguin Random House didn’t advertise this tremendous good news.

“Haha. I was a minor at the time, and I wanted to be recognized only for the work’s merit, so I asked them, and they gladly accepted.”

“Wait. So you started serializing this when you were 16?”

“Haha.”

“If the Writer had revealed his identity, it would have brought several times more profit than now, but since it was a work that would succeed sufficiently as it is now even without revealing it, we decided not to. Nice to meet you. I’m Colin Shaker, in charge of Writer Jefferson.”

“I’m Michelle Cole.”

As they extend business cards and introduce themselves, Matthew and the others quickly offer their cards too.

“I’m Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s Chief Content Officer.”

Ted Sarandos.

Johann and the others straighten their attire at the unexpected big shot.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Sarandos. I’m Johann Jefferson.”

‘He must have really not wanted to miss out.’

Director Baz Luhrmann.

And Casanova.

If Sarandos had planned to come along, he would have mentioned it beforehand.

‘He must have been monitoring.’

He probably rushed over as soon as Director Baz Luhrmann left New York.

‘But what does that matter.’

What’s important is Baz Luhrmann anyway.

Johann looks at Baz Luhrmann. Baz Luhrmann also stares intently at Johann.

Tension settles between the two.

“…I’m Baz Luhrmann, Writer. You wrote Casanova quite temptingly.”

“Thank you for the compliment, Director. I enjoyed watching everything from Romeo and Juliet to this recent The Get Down.”

Baz Luhrmann’s eyes light up.

“Which work did you like the most among them?”

“Romeo and Juliet.”

A fresh interpretation that followed the original but smashed everything else. Being a love story of immature teenagers made it feel more poignant.

He really enjoyed Moulin Rouge and The Great Gatsby too.

“The Director’s unique thoughts and mise-en-scène in unraveling human primal instincts, emotions, conflicts, and self-compromise were really good.”

“Then what was the most boring work?”

‘Oh?’

This confirms it.

Ted Sarandos is an unwelcome guest.

“The Get Down. I couldn’t see the Director’s mise-en-scène anywhere in the work.”

Flinch!

Ted Sarandos’s expression wavers at their conversation.

Content that seemed to mock Netflix, to mock him.

“Probably… because there were too many megaphones. Since it was a work with massive funding invested.”

“Oh?”

It was a question meant to mess with Ted and understand Johann’s personality, and just showing hesitation would have been enough, but he doesn’t hesitate to smear shit on Ted’s face.

‘Look at this guy?’

He’s an incredible nutcase. Exactly the style he likes.

“You seem to know this industry well?”

“Haha. I’ve heard a lot about various things…”

‘These bastards?!’

Before Ted can open his mouth, Johann presents the Casanova Episode 1 script.

“When I heard the Director coveted my novel, my heart raced and I couldn’t sleep at night, so I tried adapting it into a screenplay. Please take a look.”

Let’s look at the script first and then talk.

Baz Luhrmann’s eyes shine at that confidence.

“Then excuse me.”

Baz Luhrmann pushes away Matthew’s face leaning in and opens the script…

(Faint but resonant comedy dialogue echoes in darkness. Small footstep sounds ring out, then it brightens.)

(Backstage waiting room, young Casanova surprised by people moving busily. Female actors changing clothes for the next stage catch his eye.)

(Approaching Female Actor) Oh, who are you? Who are you looking for?

(Casanova thinks briefly, then makes a tearful face and hugs her.)

(Surprised Female Actor) Oh my?

(Casanova grabs the female actor’s chest. Squeezes it.) Mother.

Thrill!

His hair stands on end.

‘What is this?’

As if it entered his own mind, dialogue and stage directions that are exactly like the opening he had envisioned but more refined.

But what’s truly surprising isn’t that.

‘Faint but resonant comedy dialogue echoes in darkness. Small footstep sounds ring out, then it brightens.’

It’s exactly this part.

‘He knows how to direct?’

Guidelines and directorial composition as if telling him to direct this way.

‘This isn’t his first time writing a scenario?’

This is impossible unless you’re a director who has directed or a writer who has written multiple works with directors.

Baz Luhrmann glances at Johann with trembling eyes and quickly flips through the script.

And after reading through the script in an instant, he stares blankly at Johann.

“Huh?”

Johann smiles gently looking at him who seems soul-drained.

“How is it? Wouldn’t that be good enough to work with Wolf Pictures?”

Thud!

‘Crazy!’

He knew this would happen.

It’s the moment Ted Sarandos urgently opens his mouth.

Knock knock knock!

“Yes, come in.”

Swoosh.

Two people who entered through the door glance at Baz Luhrmann and the others, then extend their hands toward Johann.

“Sorry we’re late. It’s been a while, Mr. Jefferson. I’m Laura Warner from HBO drama planning and production.”

“…Wow.”

‘How is that person here?’

Laura, the young mother of 6-year-old boy Ross whom he saved from the Eagle Street apartment complex area fire during job experience at the fire station when entering high school.

‘Plus Warner?’

Johann’s eyes widened.

* * *

Dozens of minutes earlier, in a cafe filled with fragrant coffee aroma.

Slurp!

A Middle-aged Man sits across from a 20s Woman drinking a smoothie and licks his lips inwardly.

A parachute who transferred to his department a few days ago, suddenly transferred even though it wasn’t personnel transfer season.

‘Laura Warner…’

Warner.

The owner of Time Warner, HBO’s parent company.

For him, a mere drama planning & production department team leader, she’s his superior.

“Have you adapted somewhat, Laura Senior Associate?”

Senior Associate.

A position given to assistant manager-level employees, and it seemed Laura Warner wanted to learn work from the bottom up.

“Ah, yes! Thanks to the Team Leader and team members teaching me well…”

Ding!

The Team Leader’s phone notification interrupts Laura’s answer.

The Team Leader’s expression hardens after checking the message.

“It seems an unwelcome guest has interfered with our plan. We need to get up.”

The plan to meet them at a second venue after Johann lured them with the script and stamp the directing contract.

Laura, whose complexion also hardened, quickly gathered her things and stood up.

* * *

Ted Sarandos grimaces inwardly.

The worst situation he imagined, where Warner is also targeting the dramatization of Casanova, has occurred.

Johann, who had been suspected of having close ties with Warner all along.

His movie was invested in and distributed by Warner, the only variety show Johann had re-appeared on so far was Trip Road produced by Warner, and even his album was distributed through Warner Music, so there had been such suspicions, and it seemed to be true.

‘Even so, for the Warner Family to step forward!’

This meant that the Warner Family also held Johann in special regard.

His mind raced quickly.

It was the worst situation, but there had to be a way out.

“Haha. Nice to meet you. I’m Ted Sarandos, CCO of Netflix.”

“…Oh! Nice to meet you, CCO. I’m Michael Wood from HBO’s drama planning and production team.”

“I’m Laura Warner.”

Ted Sarandos frowned upon hearing their introductions.

‘Michael Wood?’

Mountain beyond mountain, this was completely the worst.

“…Wow! I never thought I’d get to meet the person who discovered Game of Thrones like this! Hahaha!”

Game of Thrones, which recorded HBO’s highest viewership numbers of all time.

The man right in front of him was the one who discovered and made it successful.

‘Warner’s bloodline plus Michael Wood?’

The director is Baz Luhrmann, the screenplay is by Johann.

‘Damn it.’

It was checkmate. There was no way to handle this.

Ted looked at Baz Luhrmann and Johann, who were watching this situation as if it were interesting, and opened his mouth.

“No touch.”

“Hmm?”

“Whatever the production cost may be, we’ll pay half, but we won’t interfere with production in any way.”

Instead, the online service would be through Netflix.

He had essentially declared surrender.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————