"Lasseter!" Zane said with a playful pout. "You've been so busy lately. I've tried to get you to play golf a few times, but you're never free!"
"Haha, sorry about that, Zane," John Lasseter replied, waving his hand. "Things have been crazy at work."
Zane and Lasseter had been friends for over a year. Zane knew his friend wasn't ignoring him; he was just swamped. Pixar was making its second big movie, A Bug's Life. And because Toy Story was such a hit, the company had grown from a few dozen people to nearly four hundred!
"Wow," Zane exclaimed. "You guys are really building an empire. Pixar is unstoppable!"
Lasseter smiled modestly. "We're doing alright."
But the tall man standing next to him wasn't so modest.
"Hmph!"
Steve Jobs gave Zane a mean look. "Mr. Blackwood," he said coldly, "Pixar was great before, it is great now, and it will be great in the future. We don't need your flattery."
Son of a...Job! Zane thought. What the heck?!
(A/N : what if 'steve' name was 'blow' instead of steve?? Damn it too much Instagram brain rot reels!!!)
I give you a compliment, and you act like that?!
Zane was annoyed. Everyone said Steve Jobs was arrogant, and now Zane saw it was true.
But then he remembered. When he first met Jobs in 1995, Jobs was poor and desperate. He had to be nice. But now, thanks to Toy Story, Pixar was worth $1 billion. Jobs didn't have to pretend anymore. (Zane also knew that soon, Jobs would go back to Apple and become even more famous.)
"Jobs," Zane said, trying to stay calm, "we've worked together. You don't have to be like that."
Jobs shook his head. "I don't have to. But every time I think about how you bought the Toy Story rights for such a cheap price... it makes me mad. Usually, I am the one who tricks people. No one tricks Steve Jobs."
Well then...
Zane's anger disappeared. He actually smiled.
"Heh," Zane said, "when it comes to a good deal, I'm not afraid of anyone. I'm delighted to see you so upset about it."
Zane wasn't a saint. If someone pushed his buttons, he pushed back!
"You...!" Jobs glared at Zane. He realized he couldn't do anything, so he just stormed off in a huff.
Lasseter sighed. "Zane, could you go easy on him? You know he's just a stubborn old grump."
"Hey," Zane said with a grin, "I was just making conversation! Who knew he held a grudge for so long?"
Victor, Zane's CEO, just shook his head. Jobs had a bad temper, but Zane wasn't much better!
"Hey, Lasseter," Zane asked, "aren't you afraid your boss will just explode one day?"
Lasseter smiled. "Nah. He holds grudges, but he's actually very good to us at Pixar."
Zane nodded. He knew that was true. Pixar was famous for being an amazing place to work. They had gourmet food, soccer fields, swimming pools... it was a dream job. Steve Jobs did take care of his people.
...
Soon, the party officially started, and the real Hollywood giants arrived.
Steven Spielberg (the famous director).
James Cameron (the Titanic director).
The bosses of Warner Bros., Fox, and Paramount.
Tom Hanks (the actor who voiced Woody!).
Every one of them was a legend.
"Victor," Zane whispered, "don't be jealous. In a few years, we will be the ones getting invited to all the big parties. And people will want to meet us even more than them."
Victor smiled a wry smile. "Whatever you say, boss."
He didn't really believe it. Beating the "Big Six" studios seemed impossible.
But Zane was confident. He was a time traveler! He knew exactly what was going to happen in the future. He knew he would make a killing when the internet exploded in 2000 and again during the money crisis in 2008.
For the rest of the night, Zane and Victor turned on their charm. They networked like crazy!
"Hello there!"
"Hello, Will Smith! I'm Zane Blackwood."
Zane went straight for Will Smith. After Independence Day, Will was a global superstar. Zane knew he would only get bigger with movies like Men in Black and I Am Legend.
Next target: Leo.
"Mr. DiCaprio! It's a pleasure."
"I own a movie company, but I also own a toy store chain called 'SpongeBob's House'."
"Oh? You've heard of it? Even better!"
"We have seven stores in Los Angeles, and they are doing great."
"The reason I'm asking is... would you be interested in being the official spokesperson for our stores?"
"Don't worry, we would pay you very well!"
Zane chatted happily with the young actor.
Leonardo DiCaprio was already famous from movies like What's Eating Gilbert Grape. He was a serious, respected actor. But he wasn't a megastar yet. And he didn't have many endorsement deals.
If this were after 1997 (when Titanic comes out), Zane would never be able to afford him.
I'm a clever one, Zane thought with a secret smile. If I can sign him now, my toy stores are going to be huge after Titanic comes out!
I'm such a clever devil!
...
The party ended after two hours. Zane and Victor felt great. They had met so many important people.
When Zane got home, he was still buzzing with excitement. Then, his phone rang.
It was more good news.
"Mr. Blackwood," a voice said, "our program, ICQ, has been developed. Would you like to come and see it tomorrow?"
Even though it was almost 11 p.m., Zane was too thrilled to sleep.
===============================
100 Power Stone = 1 Bonus Chapter
Send me some powerstone.
https://www.patreon.com/c/kapa69
In it you will get all my fanfics.
Want to read 200+ chapters ahead? Support me on Patreon! And here by donating powerstone
for every 100 power stone I will drop a bonus chapter