America 1919

Donnie didn\'t ask Dwight why he had requested to come here the night before.

By now, Dwight had become a competent driver and naturally didn\'t inquire about Donnie\'s activities last night either.

Upon returning to the tavern, Chris said to Donnie, "Bruce just called and said to call him back as soon as you get here!"

"Could it be more good news?"

Donnie went to the phone and dialed the hotel in Philadelphia where Bruce was staying.

"Donnie, it\'s a done deal!" came Bruce\'s excited voice on the line. "I\'ve found a film production company here willing to shoot each documentary for 70,000 US dollars. Fox wanted 150,000. Let him have his fun!"

Donnie too was overjoyed after hearing this; good news seemed to be coming one after another these days.

"That\'s great, How\'s their quality?"

While the lower price made Donnie very happy, he was even more concerned about their capabilities.

"I\'ve seen the films their company has made, the quality is definitely not an issue, and I\'ve already sent the film over to you. You\'ll be able to see it by noon today."

Delighted, Donnie said, "Okay, if there are no problems after I\'ve watched it, then have them send someone over to discuss the specifics."

"Will do!" Bruce laughed, then continued to update Donnie about the private speakeasy business in Philadelphia—a topic he hadn\'t delved into in detail while he had been contacting film companies these past few days in Philadelphia.

He only knew the gist of it: Philly\'s bootleg business was currently controlled by two major gangs, one led by Salvatore Bella of Sicilian descent and another by Harry Rosen, known as \'Nig\'.

Furthermore, these two gangs had been provocatively jostling over Atlantic City\'s speakeasy business lately, causing the Philadelphia police much headache.

"That\'s all I\'ve managed to gather for now; I\'ll have to wait for more detailed information!"

"Okay, I\'ll be waiting for your good news!"

After ending the call with Bruce, Donnie would\'ve cracked open a beer to celebrate if not for the fact he had drunk too much the night before.

"Boss, William Fox is here!"

Dwight approached Donnie and whispered.

Donnie looked toward the tavern\'s entrance and indeed, William Fox, wearing a black suit, walked in.

"Dear Donnie, I\'ve thought it over. We\'ll go with your figure, 110,000 US dollars per documentary. We can sign the contract now and I\'ll send our company\'s filming team to each city immediately!"

William Fox chose to completely capitulate, otherwise, he might indeed lose Donnie as a client.

Donnie shook his head, his expression one of regret, "Dear William, if you had told me that figure last night, we would already be partners. However, now, if you still want to partner with me, then the price must be reduced to 60,000 US dollars!"

Since the film company in Philadelphia had offered a price of 70,000 US dollars, it clearly indicated that these companies were still making a profit.

Donnie suddenly felt the anticipation of being a client holding a bidding process.

As Donnie\'s mood improved, William Fox\'s soured completely.

He had already conceded, and yet the other side was still pushing further.

However, considering the benefits these three documentaries would bring to his company, William Fox forced a smile through clenched teeth, "Donnie, you truly have a sense of humor. Not to mention 60,000 dollars, there\'s no way any film company could make that work for even 70,000!"

Donnie spoke indifferently, "I\'m not joking with you, William. Our staff is currently in Philadelphia and has already contacted the film companies there. They have accepted our offer!"

William Fox\'s face went pale; he hadn\'t expected Donnie to be so cunning, already sending his staff to Philadelphia while negotiating with him.

Philadelphia\'s film industry had indeed lagged far behind Los Angeles.

But lacking as it might be, it still existed.

"No, dear Donnie, I\'m familiar with Philadelphia\'s film industry. Their technology is outdated; they couldn\'t achieve the quality you\'re after!"

William Fox still tried to struggle.

But Donnie, uncaring, smiled and said, "Our documentaries don\'t actually require that advanced technology. As long as it can perfectly capture the looks of those girls, that will be enough. So Mr. Fox, is your company willing to bring the price down to 60,000 dollars? For Walker\'s sake, if the prices are equal, I\'ll choose Fox Films!" Discover more content at mvl

Obviously, William Fox couldn\'t accept the 60,000-dollar price tag. Fox Films had become a first-class film company in Hollywood while Philadelphia\'s film companies were like small workshops in comparison.

A small workshop could drastically cut costs, but a large company couldn\'t.

In the end, William Fox could do nothing but leave Block Tavern with a sense of resignation.

At that moment, Donnie was indifferent to William Fox\'s departure.