The Strongest Brain Carrying the Team Online
Leo Foster nudged Avery Hayes into a chair. She'd insisted it wasn't a good time for her to look at his paperwork, but the moment she sat down, she was already helping him anyway.
Leo wasn't actually recording anything. The second he offloaded the files to Avery, he collapsed onto the sofa with a dramatic groan, looking utterly spent. He sprawled out, all limbs, as if trying to physically demonstrate just how much his brain hurt.
Maya Laurent thoughtfully handed him a barbecue skewer to help him recharge.
She and Owen Bowen had snuck a peek at his files earlier, and all those rules and clauses were enough to make your head spin.
For a rich kid who only knew how to party, forcing himself to read legal documents for over an hour had clearly been a struggle.
Avery pulled a file toward her and started examining it. It was a due diligence report for a film script's copyright.
She gave it a quick scan. "When did you get these?"
"Three days ago," Leo replied, his voice drained. "Director Duke gave them to me."
Avery raised an eyebrow. Just as she'd thought, completely clueless.
With his attitude, she figured if Dexter Reed wasn't watching his back, Leo would get scammed out of his last dime.
This kind of document was the very first thing an investor was supposed to look at.
You had to confirm there were no issues before you could even file for pre-production.
If you didn't, and the project turned out to be plagiarized halfway through filming or after its release, not only would the show get pulled, but the actors and director would be dragged through the mud with it.
The report covered the copyright's validity, the chain of adaptation rights, and the risk of conflict with prior works.
The first two parts were straightforward, but the third could trip up a newcomer.
The "risk of conflict" section was basically a check to see if the core story had been filmed by someone else before, and if that version was copyrighted.
If it was, the show Leo was investing in would need to get permission from them.
Without it, they were just walking into a lawsuit.
Luckily, Dexter Reed and Director Duke were veterans. What the rookie Leo didn't get, those two understood perfectly, and they'd already secured the necessary permissions. As far as the report went, there were no red flags.
Avery was incredibly fast. The documents that Leo had spent over an hour staring at, completely baffled, she breezed through in about ten minutes. She tossed the file onto the table, poured herself a glass of water, and sat down next to him on the sofa.
"The file's fine," she explained simply. "In the future, when you look at these reports, just focus on the 'Risk of Conflict with Prior Rights' section. As long as it says the permissions have been secured, you're basically good to go."
Leo immediately perked up and eagerly offered her a barbecue skewer. The food was a little cold by now, not nearly as good as it was fresh off the grill.
"So, can you help me with the tax planning stuff later? And that whole 'inflating costs' thing? I don't get any of it," he said, having no problem admitting he was clueless. If he didn't know something, he wasn't about to fake it.
Avery glanced at him, this guy who'd jumped headfirst into the film industry knowing absolutely nothing, and a dull throb started behind her eyes. She sighed and patiently broke it down for him.
"The finance department will handle the taxes; you just need to have a general idea. As for inflating costs, when you have a minute, go ask how much your crew spent to rent the sets at Hollywood. Then go to the studio office and check their past rental prices.
If the price your crew paid is way too high, that's your inflated cost."
She finished, then hesitated for a second.
"Look, if you're just doing this for fun, investing in one or two shows, you can take or leave what I'm about to say. But if you want to make a real go of this, you should hire a professional lawyer and an accountant for your team."
You were going to run into this stuff constantly, and you clearly didn't have the patience to learn it.
If that was the case, it was better to pay professionals to handle the professional work.
Besides, people you hired privately had their interests tied directly to yours, making them a safer bet.
Honestly, Avery couldn't fathom how, with Leo's goofy personality, his dad had trusted him to go out and make investments. Even with Dexter Reed at Stellar Media to guide him, the chances of him losing a ton of money felt incredibly high.
"What if I just hire you?" Leo's eyes lit up, and he looked at her, practically beaming with hope.
Avery's eyebrow twitched. "Not interested," she said, shutting him down flat.
He looked crushed and slumped back into the sofa cushions.
After a bit more chatting, Maya, who had just finished a game, glanced at the short drama platform on her phone. Her eyes lit up. "Oh, the show's out! Let's watch it!"
"No rush," Owen said. "It just went live, so there won't be many people watching yet. We finally have some free time, let's play a few more rounds. Leo, Avery, you in?"
"Yeah, I'm in," Leo said. "You're pretty good. Carry me."
Avery was fine with that. She pulled out her phone, logged in, and sent a request to join their squad.
Her account was still under the name 'Dr. Avery Hayes,' and a beginner's guide even popped up when she logged on, a testament to just how busy she really was.
She almost never had time for fun. As for Avery herself, she actually liked playing battle royales, but her time had always been limited, buried in case files day after day.
It was rare to find a moment to play a round or two.
In their four-person squad, Owen was the sharpshooter, Leo was the aggressive charger, Maya was the best at hiding, and Avery was a pro with grenades. Seriously. Without even seeing the enemy, she could just listen for footsteps, arc a grenade over a hill, and get a direct hit nearly every time.
After a few more rounds, all the barbecue skewers on the table were gone.
Maya twisted her stiff neck and checked the time. "Okay, it's about that time. We can't watch a show without drinks and snacks. Avery, want to run down to the supermarket with me to grab some stuff?"
Avery glanced at the leftover barbecue mess on the table and thought for a second. She'd only had a few bites earlier and was still hungry. "Let's go."
As the two of them put on their shoes and headed for the elevator, Owen stood up and started clearing the trash from the table.
Summit Ridge was a high-end condominium complex with its own supermarket right on the property, which made shopping super convenient. Avery and Maya had just left the store and were walking back, laughing as they crossed the grassy common area.
Just as they were about to reach their building's lobby, three men walked out of the one next door.
Avery and Maya both recognized the man in the middle instantly. It was Scott Rivers, the second male lead from that period drama they'd watched.
Of the two men with him, one was well-built with a fierce look in his eyes, about the same height as Scott. The other was lean and sharp, a smile fixed on his face as he chattered away at Scott's side.
Scott seemed annoyed by the constant talking. He suddenly picked up his pace, putting some distance between them in just a few long strides. They were clearly in a hurry, walking so fast they were out of the complex in no time.
"Huh, did Scott Rivers sign with Zenith Entertainment?" Maya muttered, watching them leave.
Zenith Entertainment was one of the nation's "Big Three" entertainment companies.
It had a massive roster of artists, including four A-listers who had all won major awards and were the faces of the company.
Their business spanned variety shows, music, movies, and television, pretty much the entire industry.
Avery looked in the direction the men had gone. "You know him?"
Maya nodded. "The skinny one is an agent from Zenith. He tried to get me to sign with them last year when I was just starting to make a name for myself in short dramas. I turned him down."