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Lord of Entertainment C381 The Billionaire Guest
🕑 Added 2025-07-31 21:06:52 +0000 UTC(3rd Person POV)
The Skull Organization's leadership—Fearless Eagle, Smart Monkey, and the other high-ranking members—unanimously decided to send Lady Fox to Horn Kingdom for reconnaissance on Arthur Pendragon.
Lady Fox was their most effective spy, her fox-like abilities granting her supernatural hearing, enhanced scent tracking, and natural cunning that allowed her to blend into any situation. Her predatory instincts, combined with keen intelligence, made her unmatched at information gathering.
She departed with trusted subordinates via airship, completely unaware of the trap awaiting them. The several-day journey gave Arthur precious time to prepare his deception.
---
Meanwhile, at Hellfire Studio, Arthur introduced Keanu to his production crew for the "John Wick" casting session.
"Hello everyone, I'm Keanu Reeves," he said nervously, his divine nature somehow forgotten in the face of industry professionals.
The crew exchanged confused glances. Elisabeth from casting raised her hand. "Arthur, why choose an unknown for such an important project? Clint Foster would be perfect—he's established, under our agency, and has proven box office appeal."
"Exactly," another crew member agreed. "With Hellfire's reputation on the line, shouldn't we play it safe?"
Their concerns were valid. John Wick would be their next major franchise, and the studio's growing prestige demanded careful casting decisions.
Keanu's confidence crumbled as he glanced desperately at Arthur. 'Are they replacing me already? Arthur promised me this chance!'
Arthur smiled calmly. "Clint is talented, but observe Keanu closely. Notice that mysterious, dangerous aura? That's exactly what John Wick needs."
The room studied Keanu with renewed interest, though skepticism remained about his actual acting abilities.
"Show them what you've got, Keanu," Arthur encouraged. "Give us John Wick."
Keanu took a deep breath, closing his eyes momentarily. When he opened them, his entire presence had transformed. His posture straightened with lethal grace, his expression hardened into something cold and calculating, and his eyes held the weight of countless battles.
"People keep asking if I'm back," he said in a low, gravelly voice that seemed to emerge from somewhere dark and dangerous. "Yeah, I'm thinking I'm back." His predatory gaze swept the room. "You can either run, or face the consequences of waking something that was better left sleeping."
He maintained the character for several intense moments, radiating controlled violence and barely contained grief, before gradually returning to normal.
Stunned silence filled the room.
Klein, the casting director, broke the quiet first. "That was... genuinely impressive. I didn't expect that level of intensity from someone new."
Lilith, the assistant director—who functioned more like Arthur's overworked secretary, managing his schedule and endless creative demands—nodded enthusiastically. "That performance exceeded all my expectations. There's something authentically dangerous about his approach."
Approving murmurs rippled through the room as other crew members voiced their surprise and growing excitement for Keanu's casting.
Arthur smiled with satisfaction, his strategic choice now validated. "Great. Now that we're aligned, let's begin detailed planning for John Wick."
The production team nodded eagerly, their earlier doubts replaced by genuine anticipation for the project ahead. Unknown to them, they were about to create the most authentic action film ever made—with real criminals as unwitting co-stars.
During the planning discussion, Arthur mentioned something intriguing. "Certain action sequences will be genuinely dangerous—so realistic that only specialized camera operators can film them safely."
The crew exchanged curious glances, but Arthur offered no further details, leaving them wondering what he had planned.
If only they knew he was planning to involve a real criminal organization for authenticity—they'd be too terrified to participate.
The meeting stretched for hours. Keanu grew restless but listened attentively, absorbing details about his first major role. Eventually, scripts were distributed to various agencies for casting. While Arthur's Hellfire Talent Agency had many actors, he still needed additional performers for John Wick.
He'd already selected key roles: Shafel, a beautiful elf actress and Firfel's close friend, would play the deadly Ms. Perkins. Clint Foster, still popular from his Han Solo role and Western films—especially his iconic performance as Blondie in "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly"—would portray Iosef.
By afternoon, Arthur was about to suggest lunch when an assistant hurried in and whispered urgently in his ear.
"Is that so? I'll be right there," Arthur replied, his expression shifting with interest. He turned to the crew. "I have an unexpected visitor. Please continue discussing the project—we'll reconvene shortly."
Arthur headed to the studio's reception area, where employees had gathered around their distinguished guest. Billy Dark, the legendary dwarf tycoon, sat in an ornate, magically-enhanced floating chair, surrounded by tall, intimidating men in expensive suits whose alert postures suggested they were far more than bodyguards.
Despite Arthur's arrival, Billy didn't rise from his seat, instead regarding Arthur with calculating eyes that spoke of years in high-stakes negotiations. The air thickened with unspoken tension as the two powerful figures prepared to meet.
"Finally! I get to meet face-to-face with the man everyone in the film industry talks about—Arthur Morningstar." Billy's wide grin was partially obscured by his thick beard and mustache. "I am truly honored."
Arthur studied the dwarf calmly, sensing several powerful artifacts emanating from him—roughly demigod-level enchantments that would pose a serious threat to most people. As a deity himself, however, Arthur remained unimpressed. "You seem to be misinformed, Mr. Dark. Morningstar isn't my family name—I'm Arthur Pendragon now. And I believe we've met before, at the Alicorn Auction."
Billy paused, his expression shifting slightly. "Ah, right. Pendragon. And yes, you're correct about the auction. Forgive me—my memory isn't what it used to be." His tone suggested he wasn't particularly sorry. "I hope you're not offended."
Arthur had no interest in whatever this insignificant being was plotting, so he cut straight to the point. "Not at all. But I'm curious—I know you're not here for pleasantries. What's your real purpose?"
He saw no need for diplomatic niceties, especially now. When he'd been at demigod level, he might have been more cautious around this tycoon. But with his current divine power, such concerns were irrelevant.
Besides, he had a strong suspicion about Billy's intentions.
Billy chuckled, unsurprised by Arthur's directness. 'Success at such a young age breeds arrogance,' he thought, failing to recognize his own arrogant nature.
"Indeed, I have specific reasons for coming here," Billy smiled. "But could we discuss this somewhere more private? This area is rather... public."
Arthur glanced around the reception area. "Follow me."
He led Billy through the expansive studio complex to a private conference room. The Hellfire Park facility was massive, designed for both functionality and impressive scale.
Once they were seated in the private room, Arthur fixed Billy with an expectant look.
"Since you dislike beating around the bush, I'll be direct," Billy said, his expression turning serious. "I want to propose a partnership."
Despite expecting this, Arthur felt a flicker of surprise. 'Called it. A partnership proposal.'
Billy continued, "I'm not here to buy rights to your technologies—barcodes, Hellphones, computers. I've tried offering billions before, and that approach clearly doesn't work with you. So I'm proposing something different."
Arthur leaned back in his chair with casual confidence. "Partnership, hmm? What drove you to this idea?"
"Because of how absolutely ridiculous you are," Billy said bluntly.
Arthur raised an eyebrow, while Billy's security team shifted uncomfortably at their boss's unexpected candor.
"Time after time, you keep innovating as if there's no tomorrow," Billy elaborated. "Your films deserve praise, certainly, but the way you've revolutionized technology—computers, internet, ATMs, and especially that Hellphone..."
His expression grew contemplative. "I realized that continuing to operate like other traditional tycoons will lead nowhere. I need to adapt. This partnership is what I believe represents the best opportunity." He chuckled. "But honestly, the Hellphone was the breaking point. The technology is so impressive that I flew here personally from the USE just to discuss potential collaboration around it."
Arthur studied Billy with new interest. 'This dwarf is considerably more intelligent than he initially appears.'
