The Protector (The Return Of The God of War) novel Chapter 481

The Return of God of War Chapter 481

Helena throat moved as she gulped.

She came from a poor village and naturally wanted the money too. Fifteen million was undeniably a lot.

At that moment, she was stuck between the temptation of money and maintaining her principles.

“Mr. Waller, thank you for the kind offer, but I have to decline,” Helena rejected the contract.

“I won’t sign it too!” Helena’s other two companions followed suit.

“We’ll sign it!” Another three supporting actors couldn’t resist the temptation and agreed to accept the contract.

Before Helena and the other two left, Horace openly threatened, “Ms. Helena, despite how popular you are now, you have just limited your own options by rejecting the Triple Group’s offer. Haha…”

After Helena and the others left, Horace patted Maurice on his shoulders and smiled. “I think Zoey has something against you and wants to destroy your career.”

Then, Maurice told Horace about the incident with Levi.

“Haha, so you did offend her husband! What a joke! Besides, her husband isn’t much of a benefactor anyway. All he did was to use you as cheap labor by only offering you five hundred thousand. Do you know how much both movies made so far? Six billion!” Horace burst into laughter.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Maurice slammed his fist on the wall repeatedly and hissed, “Damn you, Zoey! I made six billion for you, and all I got was five hundred thousand?”

“So, why don’t you join me. I will guarantee that we will make you a superstar! I’m sure you are aware how powerful the Triple Group is.” Horace offered.

Maurice smiled in response. “Mr. Waller, My sentiments exactly! I can no longer stay with Oriental.”

“Alright, but you have to stay with them for now. When the time comes, I’ll sign you over. By the way, I heard that their directors and screenwriters are very capable too. I have a job for you. Get them to join us, and I’ll pay you a million for every single person you convince!” Horace smiled diabolically.

He planned to recruit the core members of the Oriental Star Group.

When he heard that he would be compensated for his efforts, Maurice readily agreed.

In fact, he volunteered, “If you are interested in Zoey, I would try my best to get her in bed with you.”

At the thought of Zoey, Horace licked his lips. “That would be wonderful!”

Maurice, too, fantasized about Zoey. He smiled slyly. “By then, don’t forget to share her with me. She’s someone that’s just irresistible. It’s just that I don’t dare express myself to her in the company. If she weren’t the boss, I would already have taken her.”

Meanwhile, Horace stood up with a grin. “Maurice, I have prepared a surprise for you. Enjoy!”

After Horace left the room, Maurice’s eyes gleamed when two pretty girls entered.

They’re more gorgeous than my girlfriend!

I’m not going to let that ugly country bumpkin tie me down my whole life.

With that thought in mind, Maurice pulled both women into his embrace and stepped into the tub with them.

Little did he know that the room was filled with pinhole cameras, and all his actions were captured from every imaginable angle.

The cameras did not miss a single detail.

The next day.

Maurice came into the office looking exhausted.

“Maurice, come quickly! The Union Square has an event that requires your presence.” A member of the staff informed him.

“How much are they paying?” Maurice asked.

“The appearance fee is five hundred thousand. It’s the highest we have received recently.” The staff replied.

“Five hundred thousand? That’s peanuts! I’m not going.”

The Return of God of War Chapter 482

Everyone present was shocked at Maurice’s remarks.

In their eyes, Maurice was someone so ambitious to the point that he would accept work for fifty to a hundred thousand.

So why did he turn down a job worth five hundred thousand?

“Maurice, the appearance fee is five hundred thousand. Did you mishear it as fifty thousand?” The staff clarified with him.

“I didn’t get it wrong. Is five hundred thousand a lot? Do they think I’m that desperate?” Raising his voice, Maurice caused the staff to tremble in fear.

“Are you aware that the two movies I acted in grossed seven billion? That means I’m worth at least tens of millions. So, are they looking down on me by just offering five hundred thousand?”

With fifteen million in hand, five hundred thousand was peanuts to Maurice now.

“Maurice, are you crazy?” The staff couldn’t help but retort.

“Of course, the movies made the company a lot of money. But don’t forget that you are just a newcomer. The company not only provided you the opportunity but also gave you five hundred thousand. Furthermore, they spent a lot of resources on promoting you. Isn’t that fair enough?”

“Besides, you were the one that signed the contract willingly.” The other members of staff added.

Maurice scoffed, “The fact is I made them seven billion, but they only gave me five hundred thousand. Why don’t we make it public and let our peers decide whether they are taking advantage of newcomers?”

“Maurice! What are you doing? Come with me now!” Helena pulled Maurice aside to somewhere private.

“Maurice, as your long-time classmate, I would advise you to stop going down this route. In life, we should have a conscience when making choices, or else we would end up with a bad reputation.” Helena cautioned him.

Meanwhile, Maurice brought out a set of car keys and swung it around his fingers. It was obvious those keys were for a Ferrari.

“I don’t think it’s such big a deal. I’m driving a luxury car and staying in a mansion now. Isn’t it wonderful? Why do I have to stay back here and suffer?” “Helena, my advice to you is to sign the contract with Mr. Waller. I remember that your parents are seriously ill and need surgery immediately. Also, your siblings still have to attend school, and you were worried you couldn’t afford their school fees. Don’t you want them to live a comfortable life? All you need to do is to say yes. Your parents could live a life free of pain, and they would be happy. Isn’t that what you want?”

Helena was dumbfounded at Maurice’s words.

“Helena, listen to me. Sign the contract with the Triple Group. With the one-off buyout worth tens of millions, your family’s fortunes will be changed forever!” Maurice continued to tempt her.

After struggling within herself, Helena was adamant. “No! I’ll still stick with Ms. Lopez. I don’t mind making less money as long as I can sleep at night.”

Seeing Helena leave, Maurice berated her, “You’re a fool! Stupid girl!”

The next few days, Maurice acted with impunity within the company. He would scold the staff and other newcomers without reason.

However, due to the popularity of the movie, everyone had no choice but to endure.

Meanwhile, Zoey had begun to notice that Maurice was wearing clothes that cost hundreds of thousands and wearing watches that cost more than a million. On top of that, he drove a luxury car. It was obvious something wasn’t right.

Not only that, but a few of the other up-and-coming stars were also visibly less motivated in their work.

They rejected most of the projects offered and simply lounged around the office while putting on airs.

As they largely didn’t break any rules, Zoey had no basis to intervene.

Finally, the Triple Group managed to organize their charity gala in South City, and it was a resounding success. Both the media and public came away praising how the Triple Group was a socially responsible organization.

After that, the Triple Group planned to organize a charity gala in North Hampton.

The Return of God of War Chapter 483

As the Triple Group continued to expand, South City was no longer enough to satisfy it.

They wanted to penetrate the city with the largest economy in the region, which was North Hampton.

Soon, the list of guests for the charity gala was announced.

“Ms. Lopez, take a look at the guest list quickly!”

Gerry and his staff brought over the list hastily.

“Morris!, Wilford, Trisha…” Zoey read out their names solemnly.

There were ten in total, and they were all new stars who the Oriental Star Group was promoting.

They had surreptitiously signed a spokesperson’s contract with the Triple Group without the company’s knowledge.

Zoey was infuriated. “Didn’t I say that we would decline to work with the Triple Group? Why did some of them still sign a contract still? Go and get all of them here!”

Meanwhile, Gerry replied, “Ms. Lopez, please calm down. Our contracts with them do not contain any clauses that bar them from freelance work. Hence, what they’re doing is not illegal and neither does it breach the contract terms. If there’s any conflict with them, it would not benefit us at all. Given how well received the two movies are currently, it would damage both our reputation and financials if we offended the lead actors.”

“Are you suggesting that we just bear with it?” Zoey fumed.

“For now, that’s our only choice. We have to pretend that we don’t know anything about it,” Gerry concluded reluctantly.

He did not expect to have been promoting such an ingrate. Maurice was even more difficult to deal with than Niall.

“Ms. Lopez, Maurice wants to see you.”

At that moment, Maurice arrived and threw a set of accounts onto the table.

“Zoey, the movie has grossed ten billion now!”

Zoey picked up the accounts and took a look.

Aren’t these the respective accounts for the two movies?

The accounts were supposed to be confidential. Other than the company and large broadcasting websites, no one had access to them.

“Where did you get the accounts from?” Zoey demanded.

Meanwhile, Maurice sat down and sneered, “It doesn’t matter where I got it from. I just want to know – how much are you going to pay me now that you made ten billion?”

“Maurice, stop being rude! You’re speaking to Ms. Lopez!” Gerry reprimanded him.

Maurice scoffed, “So what if she is? She’s still human. What’s wrong with my question?”

Zoey smiled in response. “Five hundred thousand. Your pay for both movies is simply five hundred thousand!”

“It has been decided in the very beginning that all the actors’ salaries combined would not exceed ten million. The company still needs to spend on special effects and pay the scriptwriters. Everyone knows that.”

Maurice nodded. “I understand that. But it’s obvious that the movies have made a profit of ten billion. Are you serious in just paying me five hundred thousand?”

Zoey’s lips widened into a broad smile. “That’s right. It’s because the contract states that your fee is five hundred thousand. Whether the film is a success or a failure, it has nothing to do with you.”

“Hahaha, didn’t you always emphasize that Oriental is a people-centric company? In the end, you still choose profits over ethics. How could you only pay the male lead five hundred thousand when the movie has made ten billion. Isn’t that simply unfair?” Maurice challenged.

Zoey remained expressionless. “I speak based on my principles and will follow the contract to the letter. No more, no less.”

“Fine, shall I expose this issue and let the public decide who is in the right?”

Maurice was smart to use the film’s popularity to blackmail the company.

“No, don’t! Maurice, please calm down. Everything is open for discussion,” Gerry interjected.

If the matter got out, it would be very damaging to both the company’s reputation and financial position, regardless of who was in the wrong.

“Maurice, name your price!” Gerry demanded.

“Three billion!”

The Return of God of War Chapter 484

Gasp!

When Maurice stated his price, everyone present caught their breath.

Three billion, is he crazy?

Maurice laughed. “What is it? Do you think I’m being greedy? Both the movies are expected to earn eighteen billion in the end. Even after you paid me three billion, you still have fifteen billion in profits left. More importantly, if word gets out, the reputational damage would be devastating. Taking that into account, three billion isn’t too much to ask for.” Maurice explained confidently.

Gerry and the others exchanged glances as they weighed their options.

If Maurice blew the matter up, the controversy would easily cost the company more than three billion.

More importantly, the loss in credibility would be beyond repair.

“Maurice, let’s discuss it further. Could you lower your demands? In return, we will pay you more for your next film,” Gerry asked, trying his best to negotiate.

“No! It’s three billion. Take it or leave it!”

Since Maurice had planned to sign a contract with the Triple Group, he didn’t care about the next movie.

Gerry and the others were running out of ideas. All they could do now was look to Zoey for her decision.

“Ms. Lopez, what do you think?”

By now, Maurice no longer respected Zoey.

Looking at him, Zoey scoffed, “No way. We won’t give you anything, so stop dreaming!”

“Uh…”

Gerry and the others were stunned as they expected Zoey to continue negotiations.

Instead, she rejected Maurice outright.

Maurice, too, was caught off guard as Zoey didn’t even bother to negotiate.

“Very well. What an unethical boss!” Maurice sneered as he left.

“Ms. Lopez, are you sure that’s alright? The impact will be huge if it blows up.” Gerry was feeling doubtful.

Zoey replied firmly. “If we compromise, it will open the floodgates for others to do the same.”

At night at North Hampton’s Grand Manor, the Triple Group held their charity gala there.

It was a massive event.

Everyone who was somebody in North Hampton was invited. Even Grover attended the event.

Many of them were the rich and famous of North Hampton who came from all industries.

Actors and actresses were definitely included.

Meanwhile, the media broadcasted Maurice’s arrival live as he was the most popular actor then.

Everyone’s attention was focused on him as the viewers who tuned in exceeded ten million.

The gala was hosted by Horace.

“The Triple Group has decided to make a one-off donation of ten billion to North Hampton’s charity and public welfare organizations. It would be used to build retirement homes, orphanages, schools, etc.” Horace announced at the end of the night.

At the same time, he handed a cheque of ten billion to the President of North Hampton Charity Association, Sanford Collins.

All the media were focused on reporting and showcasing that particular moment.

“The Triple Group is a socially responsible company. Not only did they donate ten billion to South City, but they also donated ten billion to North Hampton.”

“That’s right! Although they are a Keerean company, they have contributed significantly to the development of Quebec.”

“From now on, I will only buy Triple Group’s electronic products!”

When the broadcast of the charity gala was over, the internet cheered.

Perception towards the Triple Group improved significantly soon after that. In just over ten minutes, the online sales of Triple Group products in Erudia increased by a few billion.

Most of its electronic products were sold out.

Meanwhile, Levi was watching the broadcast and was infuriated.

The trust fund that he had painstakingly set up had not only been usurped by the Triple Group but used to further their commercial interests.

At that moment, Azure Dragon informed him that South City sent their apologies.

They did not expect the Triple Group to have extended their claws over North Hampton.

“Hmph, don’t blame me after coming here to taunt me!” A frosty glint flashed across Levi’s eyes.

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With her fist tightly clenched, Zoey, too, was trembling out of anger.

“This really is a capitalistic society. Power and influence can not only cover up the truth but also whitewash sins into virtues!”

Meanwhile, the charity gala was still being broadcasted.

The Triple Group had lined up ten poor kids in front of the cameras. Horace declared, “The Triple Group will take care of these ten kids up until they graduate from university!”

“That’s great!”

Many in the audience were clapping and cheering.

Thunderous applause rumbled throughout as the atmosphere there was ecstatic.

The Triple Group had won a decisive victory in both reputation and financial gains.

They were now known as a socially responsible organization.

“Ladies and gentlemen, our next segment may not be aligned with tonight’s theme. But I feel it’s an opportunity to help someone redress an injustice.” Horace changed the topic of the night.

“Oh? Does someone want to expose an injustice done?”

Everyone was curious to know what it was about.

At that moment, Maurice, Wilford, Trisha, and the rest stood on the stage.

“Let me introduce to you the most popular male actor currently, Maurice. Followed by supporting actor and actress, Wilford and Trisha respectively…” Horace presented.

Given how popular their movie was, everyone recognized who they were.

“What’s going on? Were Maurice and the rest treated unjustly?”

Everyone was puzzled.

Horace then passed the microphone to Maurice.

Looking at the crowd in the eyes, Maurice explained, “Everyone knows that I’m the male lead in the two recent blockbuster movies. Up till now, the Oriental Star Group had made more than twenty billion in profits. However, do you know how much I am paid for the films? Please take a guess!”

“Fifty million!”

“No, that’s too much. Guess lower!” Maurice yelled.

“Ten million!”

“No!”

“It can’t be less than five million, can it? Even if they paid five billion, it would still be reasonable.” Someone questioned

“Fine, let me tell you the answer! I, alone, am paid with a meager sum of five hundred thousand!”

When Maurice exposed the answer, there was an immediate uproar.

Everyone’s face was filled with disbelief.

“What? They only paid the lead five hundred thousand after making twenty billion? Is that even possible?”

“This is outright absurd! Oriental Star Group is practically abusing the rights of their employees! Five hundred thousand… are they kidding me?”

“The Oriental Star Group is a malignant tumor that must be removed from the industry! How can they lowball their actors like that?”

Everyone present was angered by the injustice that they had just heard about.

Meanwhile, Maurice was satisfied with the impact he made.

“This is not something I made up myself. I have proof as I even kept the receipt!”

Changing the subject, Maurice asked again, “Do you want to know how much my friend was paid?”

Taking over the mic, Trisha reported her salary, “I was paid three hundred thousand!”

Then it was Wilford’s turn. “I was also paid three hundred thousand!”

“I was paid even less, two hundred thousand!”

“I, too, received two hundred thousand only!”

“I’m the lowest at a hundred and fifty thousand!”

When the supporting cast exposed their salaries, the outcries from the audience were deafening.

Many of them were cursing and swearing at Oriental.

“This is a joke! A movie that garnered twenty billion in profit only paid less than three million in salaries to their cast?”

“The management of Oriental are bloodsuckers! How could they do such a thing?”

“How can we have such an unethical company in North Hampton? They should be blacklisted!”

Just like that, public opinion turned against Oriental.

It wasn’t only those in attendance that were angry, but even those online were berating Oriental.

There were calls to boycott Oriental. In fact, some even urged revenge!

“How could they shamelessly twist the facts!” At that moment, Zoey was so furious that she almost smashed the TV.

The Return of God of War Chapter 486

Zoey knew that Maurice would take revenge, but she didn’t expect him to do it by defaming Oriental Star Group on the night of the charity gala.

Horace took the microphone and spoke into it. “I’d like to make an announcement. Maurice Lorraine and the ten directors here had been personally invited to attend this event. Their presence here tonight has nothing to do with Oriental Star Group.”

“Huh? How is that so?”

Some were confused.

“That’s right. It was a private invitation!” Horace explained with a smile. “I once proposed to Oriental to invite a few directors to the event, but the president turned me down.

She doubted my kind initiative and thought we were planning to use the charity gala’s reputation to earn blood money, so she refused to cooperate with us! Sigh… Triple Group sure has it rough. We get flamed when we don’t take part in charity, but when we finally involved ourselves, our motives end up being questioned. This is just cruel!”

“What? Oriental is that despicable? Why would they question someone else’s kindness?”

“How shameless can they be? Triple Group has really been doing charity work; they’ve already donated over two billion to South City and North Hampton! Is that not charity?”

“Oriental is a joke. A company like this deserves to fail. Let’s join forces and bring them down!”

…

With Horace adding fuel to the flame, the crowd became enraged.

They now utterly despised Oriental Star Group and wanted the company to fall into ruin.

The situation was even worse online.

Thousands of netizens began to boycott Oriental Star Group.

Let’s flood their movies with horrible ratings!

Within an hour, two major films received tens of thousands of bad reviews.

The films suffered greatly in regard to sales and reputation.

Oriental Star Group was now in a mess.

Horace continued, “I’d like to attest to Maurice Lorraine and the rest of the directors here. Even though it isn’t a huge amount, they had offered their contributions.

They disregarded the company regulations and are risking their jobs just to be a part of this charity gala! Therefore, I’d like to request for a round of applause for these youngsters!”

“Wonderful!”

“I’ll invest in any movie you make in the future!”

“Yeah! Maurice Lorraine should become North Hampton’s charity ambassador!”

Many big shots gave their responses.

A thunderous applause ensued.

The Internet was filled with positive comments about Maurice and the rest of the directors.

The ten directors were now regarded as powerful and fearless charity heroes.

Upon seeing this, Maurice curled his lips into a smile.

He didn’t expect things to turn out so well.

All the fame and fortune are now mine!

Then, he thought of Helena Engler.

“You must have a few screws loose! Now that Oriental is finished, so are you!”

Maurice announced to the crowd, “I refuse to work under such a despicable company! Is there anyone who’s willing to take me in?”

Wilford Boyd and the others chimed in, “Same goes for us! We don’t want to remain in Oriental anymore. We’ve had it with this trashy business!”

“Come work for us!”

Many bigshots were more than happy to hire Maurice and the others.

Horace smiled. “I’d be willing to give you guys a chance if you’re interested.”

“Please! Working for Triple Group is all we could ever ask for!” Maurice and the rest responded, immediately accepting the offer.

However, Maurice added, “But I’m still under contract with Oriental. They might refuse to let me go.”

“Don’t worry about that, Mr. Lorraine. You have the support of everyone here!” the audience exclaimed.

“In that case, I’d like to sign with Triple Group!” said Maurice and the others.

And just like that, all of them joined Triple Group.

The Return of God of War Chapter 486

Zoey knew that Maurice would take revenge, but she didn’t expect him to do it by defaming Oriental Star Group on the night of the charity gala.

Horace took the microphone and spoke into it. “I’d like to make an announcement. Maurice Lorraine and the ten directors here had been personally invited to attend this event. Their presence here tonight has nothing to do with Oriental Star Group.”

“Huh? How is that so?”

Some were confused.

“That’s right. It was a private invitation!” Horace explained with a smile. “I once proposed to Oriental to invite a few directors to the event, but the president turned me down.

She doubted my kind initiative and thought we were planning to use the charity gala’s reputation to earn blood money, so she refused to cooperate with us! Sigh… Triple Group sure has it rough. We get flamed when we don’t take part in charity, but when we finally involved ourselves, our motives end up being questioned. This is just cruel!”

“What? Oriental is that despicable? Why would they question someone else’s kindness?”

“How shameless can they be? Triple Group has really been doing charity work; they’ve already donated over two billion to South City and North Hampton! Is that not charity?”

“Oriental is a joke. A company like this deserves to fail. Let’s join forces and bring them down!”