Chapter 48

In the eyes of ordinary Americans, paying taxes is as natural as birth, aging, illness, and death, and it is something that accompanies one throughout life.

U.S. tax law stipulates that all U.S. citizens, green card holders, and those who operate businesses within the United States must pay personal income tax. Tax evasion does occur, but it is rare and carries extremely high risks. The IRS uses a random audit system; if you fail to report some of your income and don't get caught, you're lucky. If you do get caught, you face severe penalties that can bankrupt you, lose your bank credit, and even face imprisonment.

The U.S. tax law is commendable for its rigor and fairness. Everyone is equal before the tax law. Former President Clinton hastily pardoned a billionaire who had committed serious tax evasion and fled to Switzerland before leaving office, which drew widespread criticism. In the end, Congress declared the pardon invalid. The strictness of the tax law is evident from this.

After Donny's multiple layers of tax calculations, the final amount he would receive from the first payment would be around 45 million.

It doesn't stop there. According to the contract between Chen Tiandu and DreamWorks, as long as the film doesn't lose money, DreamWorks must pay Chen Tiandu the agreed-upon amounts for his roles as screenwriter, director, and lead actor, totaling 4.5 million, of which he would receive 3.54 million after taxes. Therefore, the amount he would receive from the box office would be around 48.5 million, nearly half a billion.

Box office figures in the hundreds of millions look impressive, but the actual amount that ends up in an individual's hands is not much.

However, 48.5 million is still a huge fortune in the eyes of Americans. Compared to what Chen Tiandu plans to do next, it still seems a bit tight. Fortunately, there is a 20% share from DVD, TV on-demand, and other ancillary revenues, which is the most profitable business.

If history doesn't change, "The Sixth Sense" will be rented by 80 million people next year, making it the most popular video and DVD of the year. This alone will match the box office revenue.

No wonder George Lucas, when filming "Star Wars," preferred to forgo box office shares and even director's fees to secure all ancillary revenues from the film. At that time, the only source of profit for films was the box office. As a result, Fox watched helplessly as Lucas made over 3 billion dollars from "Star Wars" merchandise, while they received nothing.

But is Chen Tiandu's contract really that extraordinary? Is it real?

A DreamWorks distribution manager responded to the journalists, "The compensation he earned from this one film alone is enough to rank him among the top three highest-earning stars in Hollywood, just behind Tom Hanks and ahead of Bruce Willis. Even next year, he will still receive ancillary revenues from the film..."

"Wow~~"

Once this news was confirmed, it created a bigger sensation than "The Sixth Sense" grossing over 300 million at the box office, immediately making Chen Tiandu the headline news.

"High-Stakes Bet at the Turn of the Century! Do You Dare to Bet on the Future, Winning Half a Billion in One Go!"

This is the latest sensational headline given to Chen Tiandu by The New York Times. The article features professional analysts who estimate that Chen Tiandu's net worth has exceeded 45 million. Moreover, "The Sixth Sense" is a strong contender for next year's Oscars, and classic horror films are always popular for collectors. With the hot sales of "The Sixth Sense" DVDs, his net worth could double.

Charlize Theron was also in a daze, "It's really frustrating to see how some people can achieve what others can't in years of hard work. He did it with just one film. Who in this movie could have earned more than Chen Tiandu?"

Kate was very happy; her investment of a few hundred thousand in the film paid off with nearly two million in returns, making her a millionaire. She was elated when she returned to her apartment, "I can take a long break from work. Now, thinking back to the reluctant looks from DreamWorks, it feels great."

Chen Tiandu teased her, "Is that all you aspire to?"

Kate, in a good mood, rolled her eyes and came closer, "Darling, can we go on a trip?"

"Didn't we just get back? Where do you want to go?"

Kate thought for a moment and said, "China, I want to see it."

Chen Tiandu shook his head regretfully, "I'm afraid not now; I can't leave for the time being."

The latest cover of Vanity Fair features a mixed-race handsome man, who, despite being mixed, clearly has an Asian face—Chen Tiandu. He took time out to give the magazine an interview and a photo shoot.

However, the magazine editor didn't understand why he insisted on using such a striking photo as the cover, even offering to pay the magazine.

On the cover, Chen Tiandu is wearing a black long cloak that flutters in the wind, with a sharp, chiseled face and a simple, cool pair of sunglasses. The background is a green digital rain, and Chen Tiandu is in a martial arts stance, legs staggered, hands slightly apart. "The hands are two gates, the feet do the fighting," he is in a defensive posture. The photos are simply amazing.

"Is this a movie poster? When did Vanity Fair start advertising movies?"

Indeed, he has a good appearance. After this issue was published, it was quite popular, and some even asked about the brand of the cloak.

Chen Tiandu was also pleased; this outfit was one of the results of his recent busy work.

To create this outfit, he racked his brains. In the original first movie, Neo's black cloak had a rain flap, which was simply unbearable. Sure enough, in the second sequel, the rain flap was gone.

Chen Tiandu, who could foresee the future, would not let such a thing happen.

—Yes, the movie he downloaded early was "The Matrix."

He didn't know when the Wachowskis started planning "The Matrix," but once he downloaded it, it meant that the future of this world had changed. If he couldn't download it, it would mean that certain events in this world had already begun. This is the insight he gained from controlling the "artifact" for over a year.

The future is always changing. Once you see the future and participate in it, it is no longer the true future.

"The Matrix" has many flaws and shortcomings, but it cannot hide its unique charm and appeal:

"Cyberpunk masterpiece!" "Revolutionary bullet time!" "Absolute consciousness!" "A major transformation of Hollywood sci-fi themes!" "New sci-fi philosophy!" "A visually stunning feast!" "Sci-fi that touches the soul!" "Even twenty years later, 'The Matrix' remains an unattainable peak for all sci-fi films, including 'Avatar'!" ...

No matter how many times fans watch it, no matter how many flaws and shortcomings they scrutinize, they feel a void when it ends, because they don't know when they will see a film with the same quality again.

After downloading and watching the complete movie, Chen Tiandu was determined to make it the best.

To achieve this, he did a lot of preparation, including traveling with Kate to gather inspiration and scenery for the film's outdoor shooting. Different people have different feelings when they watch a movie.

Now that it's in Chen Tiandu's hands, he will make many changes.

The success of "The Sixth Sense" boosted his confidence.

So this time, facing "The Matrix," he won't just follow the script rigidly. Standing on the shoulders of giants, he can even see the low-scoring but insightful reviews in advance, knowing the film's weak points. How can he not make some changes?

(The Matrix, some of you might have guessed it already. Can you guess the next movie? Ha, take your time, it's not easy to guess now...)

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