Every recording studio has its own soul—one that brings out the best in every take and turns memories and cents into something lasting. It's more than a color profile; when everyone starts syncing with the art, Fincher's carefully studied approach transforms creation into something majestic, at least to the eye. That delicate system stirs the senses, overwhelming them with a desire to stay close to good places.
–Anne gets a little intense when it comes to playing along. That's something I like about her. She's always willing to give her all. –Billy said happily, speaking about their differences. The money was moving, and Billy found it amusing how those differences played out, thinking that with her in charge, some companies might hesitate to claim those advantageous accounting benefits. When she starts trimming or restructuring, simplicity suddenly becomes less reliable.
–So, when are you going to claim some money? We need around two billion by the end of the year to meet everyone's needs, and I hope you'll make it happen. –Raimon said, exaggerating. If they crunched the numbers, they might expose the younger players. But expanding a console company without taking Autodesk public was the ideal profile—not going public, but still making purchases at Jobs' discretion. It was necessary.
–You're joking… how can you even suggest that much? That's practically the current value of the company. –Billy replied, thinking that 200 million was more than enough to integrate the companies' value.
–Well, I don't want to be the bearer of bad credit news, but there's the payment for that Matrix series, the Clone Wars money, investments in three independent films under Lux Films—we had a good year, but some didn't earn as much as we expected, and we barely made anything back from them. Then there's your plan to expand Discovery into two channels, the kids' programming payments, and the purchase of that movie company in Santa Monica. You'll also be paying for Jobs' company. We do have the funds, but if you want another acquisition, you're going to have to pay for it… You wanted to grow your restaurant chain? Well, we'll push that to 1999. –Raimon added, complaining, while being distracted by a blonde model winking at him. He blushed and tried to pretend he wasn't being teased, then took a sip of water.
–The models behind you are messing with you. –Billy said, laughing.
–It's not just that—I don't like being stared at while I talk. Especially if they look like angels designed to tempt. –Raimon replied.
–Don't be dumb. They just want my number and are going after whoever might say what they want to hear—like my number, or maybe to sit here and flirt… But don't make that face, most of them are just here for the money. –Billy added, shaking his head. Even in Santa Monica's finest restaurants, daughters of rich men were never in short supply, with generous family businesses giving them the freedom to live a life of luxury.
–You don't have to be so blunt about it. –Raimon grumbled. –Maybe she likes how I look. I trimmed my beard and got a new cologne. –
–Let's make a bet. –Billy said.
–I don't want to bet against you. You always win when it comes to girls. They're out of my league anyway. I like a different kind. –Raimon admitted.
–Tattooed, Polish, and skinny. What is it with you and Polish women? –Billy asked.
–Your stepmother's Serbian. –Raimon pointed out the difference.
–Jim said you've been studying voice acting a lot, and that the Pixar dubbing consultant mentioned you nailed a variety of sounds that aren't easy to replicate... You've got some serious talent. –Billy replied.
Raimon blushed, tapping his chest with pride and adjusting his posture with satisfaction.
–I'm getting a costume for part two of my Clone Wars character. A few friends are dressing up as clones, different species—we even have a really talented seamstress. –Raimon said.
–I'll give you VIP tickets, as long as it's no more than twenty people. But yeah, you can take your friends to a screening—we'll rent out the theater so you can enjoy this one, even though it's not that great… Part 3, split into two, will be a turning point in Star Wars history. –Billy told him.
–We'll talk business later… what I need to know now is one thing. Do you want to go all in with ID Software? –Raimon asked.
–Do it. Add some strong projections for Apple, talk to Steve, but I want to buy a company for Apple. I want to buy SanDisk. Memory innovation is a solid business direction—it'll serve Apple and the game consoles too. –Billy replied.
–SanDisk?… Honestly, sometimes I think you'll just do what everyone else does. But I can work with that, I'll make arrangements. –Raimon answered. –I was hoping for something more aggressive, like Be Inc., Kind of like Next, it would solve our software issues—and the team is excellent. They'd help us revamp our Mac systems, which need it. I mean, we're selling, but not as much as we want. –
–Sharp… Jobs told you that. –Billy asked.
–He did, but turns out you're sharper than you look… We'll buy it if we get the chance. For now, I want to stabilize the company. We've got a lot of things that'll fall into place once Intel microchips and Nvidia GPUs come in. Use all the profits to reinvest in the company. –Billy stated.
–Ohhh, another one of your evil schemes. –Raimon said, half-mocking. –I like those marketing campaigns that come out of nowhere for a big sales push. Even if the business line feels fuzzy, we're going to sell high-end computers, mobile phones, and game consoles. I'd love for us to sell holocrons—I see myself in blue. –
Billy smiled.
–That kind of tech's at least fifty years away. –Billy said.
–But we'll build it. What about space travel? Lightsabers? –Raimon asked.
–A hundred years. The materials we have now just aren't right. If we push too far, we risk it all. We need advances across the board. Right now, launching rockets is a waste of resources. Today, we use less and get more done. That's what tech's about—when you do more with less, that's when real breakthroughs are possible. –Billy replied.
–Wow… but without today, what do you expect from tomorrow? –Raimon whispered.
–It's what you hope for when you do things. When you test something and the idea feels far off, but you still try because it's necessary… even failing can be satisfying for anyone. –Billy said.
Despite the unfinished work, Billy had been at it for a long time, taking his time to ensure no one said no—and to confront the inner resistance he still felt in his own body.
–Unexpected, but hey, you've got a lunch to attend, and I've got a bed to crash in. It's been a while since I've taken a proper breath. –Raimon said
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