The meeting lasted until five o'clock, and everyone left work.
Simon brought the record company information compiled by Jennifer to the parking lot from the side door of the office building, only to see the female assistant standing in front of her car, with the hood open, and Neil Bennett leaning over to check it for her. What.
Simon walked over, looked at the car engine a few times, and asked, "What's wrong?"
Neil Bennett withdrew his hand from the engine and said to Simon: "It can't start. There must be something wrong with the electronic control system."
Simon listened to Neil Bennett's explanation, glanced at the engine again, felt Jennifer looking at him expectantly, smiled and said to the female assistant: "You don't think I can repair cars, do you? "
Jennifer felt Simon looking at her from a close distance, and slightly shyly shrank her neck, but said: "You should be able to do everything."
Simon nodded sympathetically and said: "It seems to be a little bit. However, if I repair your car at this time, my emotional intelligence will be too low."
Jennifer was puzzled: "Huh?"
Simon pointed to his car and said, "Let's go, I'll take you home. Just send your car to the repair shop tomorrow."
Jennifer's fair cheeks turned red immediately, and she couldn't help but glance outside the parking lot, where there were already paparazzi taking pictures with their cameras. Feeling that my head was dizzy, I unknowingly got into his SUV. It wasn't until I heard his voice asking where I lived that I woke up and said quickly: "I'm still staying at my uncle's house for the time being."
Simon smiled and said: "I wish I hadn't been to George's house yet."
So he told him the address of his uncle's house, and after realizing it, he quickly explained it to Neil Bennett in the front row.
Like a restless deer caught in a trap.
Noticing the smile on the corner of the man's mouth next to her, he was obviously enjoying her abominable state of panic. She suddenly felt a little embarrassed and wanted to reach out and pinch him.
After being so embarrassed for a moment, or maybe she just felt embarrassed for a moment, when she saw him lowering his head to open the documents in his hand, he randomly found another topic: "How is Miss Johnston doing lately?"
As soon as I said the words, I felt like I was really stupid.
Obviously he knew it.
Besides, this question is really stupid.
Simon did not turn his head, his eyes still fell on the documents in front of him, and said: "She is still in New York, and I will go there to spend Christmas with her next week. By the way, we can go there together then, and you should also go back to New York. Right?"
She nodded, quickly changed the subject, looked at the record company documents in his hand that she had compiled over the past few days, and asked, "Are you planning to open a record company?"
Simon shook his head and said: "Let's take a look first, but it's best to buy one. It would be too troublesome to start from scratch."
When I think of this incident, it’s actually because of the song I wrote for Madonna.
Although it was an additional condition for lobbying Madonna to participate in "Pulp Fiction", this song cannot be written in vain.
The specific contract was negotiated between Jonathan and Madonna's production company. The basic salary was US$100,000, which was nothing to Simon. However, when the album became a hit, Simon's personal income immediately doubled.
Due to the popularity of "Celebration", Madonna's current album is expected to sell more than 10 million copies worldwide.
As the songwriter of "Celebration," Simon's personal position is similar to that of a screenwriter in a Hollywood movie. Under RIAA rules, songwriters receive a percentage of the revenue from each album sold, a rule that has been in place since the early 2000s, long before the Writers Guild's video split provisions. The original share for songwriters was 2 cents per record. After more than half a century of repeated negotiations and revisions, it has now risen to 7.5 cents.
then.
Based on the global sales of 10 million copies of "You-Can-Dance", Simon is expected to receive a share of US$750,000.
Just like the screenwriters of the film receive an equal share of the TV broadcast rights in addition to the income from the video tape, in addition to the pure share of the album sales, Simon can continue to receive income from the TV and radio broadcasts of "Celebration", concert performances, film and television episode licensing and other channels. .
According to past statistics in the industry, this part of the income can at least be equal to the album sales share.
Taken together, just one song in an album can bring Simon about US$1.6 million in income in the next few years.
1.6 million US dollars is a drop in the bucket for Simon's current net worth, but it made Simon realize how huge the wealth of the countless songs in the memories of all thirteen people in his mind will be in the next thirty years.
Take "You-Can-Dance" as an example. It's just record sales. Based on the average selling price of US$20, global sales of 10 million copies means total revenue of US$200 million.
As a songwriter, Simon may only be able to get a share of US$750,000 in album sales, but if he turns into a record company boss, just like he has now changed from a screenwriter to the boss of Daenerys Pictures, as an album producer, the corresponding income will be Much more than $750,000.
Of course, it is definitely not easy to create a record that sells more than 10 million copies worldwide, otherwise Madonna would not become Madonna.
In fact, less than 5% of all the albums released by major record companies in North America have achieved platinum sales of one million, and more than 95% of the other albums have failed. However, for Simon, who is not lacking in fame and strength but also knows the trends of the European and American record industry in the next thirty years, it is definitely not possible to create several top pop singers and release some hot-selling albums with countless hit singles in his mind. Something too difficult.
Simon casually chatted with Jennifer while looking through the documents in his hand.
The SUV unknowingly turned onto the mountain road in the Bel Air community. Seeing that they were about to arrive home, Jennifer paused and said, "Simon, there is one more thing."
Simon felt Jennifer suddenly become cautious, raised his head and said, "What?"
After hesitating for a moment, Jennifer took out a newspaper from her satchel, unfolded it, handed it over, and said, "I think you should read it."
Simon looked at the newspaper handed over by Jennifer. Most of the page in front of him was a revelation of family recognition.
A couple in San Diego, southern California, lost a four-year-old boy in 1972. The newspaper published the boy's photo, name, date of birth, case records, missing person notice and other information. The couple felt that Simon It was their long-lost son. After contacting them privately to no avail, they publicly hoped that Simon would respond to them through newspapers.
After simply glancing at the contents of the newspaper, Simon shook his head and said, "False."
Jennifer whispered: "The little boy in the newspaper looks very similar to the photo published by the orphanage where you are."
"Maybe, but they are definitely not my parents," Simon closed the newspaper, felt Jennifer's concerned gaze, frowned slightly and thought for a while, a certain emotion came over him again, until he felt a little dizzy, he gave up and continued to look back at the past. memory. However, over the past year and a half, some vague fragments have been accumulated: "Jenny, you know, I was 5 years old at the time, and I already have some memories. Although it is a bit blurry now, I roughly remember that my parents, um, They should not be Americans. Therefore, as long as these people who identify themselves as relatives are from North America, they must be fake."
Jennifer listened to Simon's intermittent words as if nothing had happened, but she suddenly felt a strong feeling of pity, because she was surprised to see that when Simon said these words, tears flowed out of his eyes unknowingly.
It turns out that he also sheds tears.
He is such a powerful boy that he seems to be able to conquer the world.
only.
Why did I feel so uncomfortable when I saw him crying
She subconsciously raised her hand, wanting to help him wipe away his tears, but Simon himself had already noticed it, stretched out his hand to wipe it on his face, and found that he had just shed tears again, so he just smiled awkwardly at Jennifer and said, "I'm sorry. , I don’t know what’s going on.”
She took out a tissue from her bag and handed it to him, saying in a guilty tone: "It's my fault, Simon, I shouldn't have shown you this newspaper."
Seeing him wiping the tears on his face, he couldn't help but think of the things mentioned in the newspaper.
He would rather be self-reliant from the age of thirteen than accept adoption, apparently having an instinctive fear of family. Then, his biological parents may not have left him even a trace of warm memories. In this case, there seems to be no need to look for those two people now.
She secretly made up her mind to never mention this matter in front of him in the future.
Entering the Bel Air community, the SUV quickly stopped in front of a villa. Simon glanced out the window and said to the female assistant: "I won't go out anymore. See you tomorrow. Say hello to George and me."
Neil Bennett got out of the car, turned to the other side and opened the door.
She wanted to hug him, but looking at the paparazzi who had come over to take pictures of the front window of the SUV, she could only nod her head and said, "See you tomorrow."