[Chapter 173: Acquiring Iron Man]
Daniel said, "You're overthinking it. Do you really think there won't be a price to pay for what happened today?"
Anne asked, "What kind of price?"
"The seal I burned for you today is called a Luck-Transfer Seal. It basically pulls the good luck meant for your future and brings it forward for use today. Since you've spent your future good fortune all at once, you're bound to face some bad luck."
Daniel's face grew serious, his tone grave. "And this bad luck is very likely to cost you your life."
Anne Hathaway jumped back in surprise. "That serious?"
Daniel said, "Be careful over the next few days. If anything feels off, tell me immediately."
Anne's face went pale. She wrapped her arms tightly around Daniel. "Daniel, what would I do without you?"
Once again, a new marathon began.
...
The news that Anne Hathaway had landed the female lead in Hitch quickly spread through Hollywood.
Alongside that, news broke that the four other actresses who auditioned had all been rushed to the hospital with severe stomach issues.
One of the actresses even tried to sue Will Smith, accusing him of poisoning them.
Will Smith shot back, pointing out that Anne had also drunk what they did and was fine, labeling their accusations baseless.
The entire scandal dominated the front pages of major outlets, even briefly overshadowing the buzz about Anne's role.
Still, Hitch, already generating excitement, suddenly caught the attention of countless people.
Many who hadn't cared about the film before now knew about Hitch and its leads, Will Smith and Anne Hathaway.
Anne was at a turning point in her career. The sudden spotlight had left her grinning from ear to ear for two whole days.
But soon, her smile faded completely.
Her house suddenly collapsed, reduced to rubble.
The crash caused a commotion like an earthquake -- the dust drifted into neighboring yards. The neighbors filed a lawsuit against Anne, demanding compensation for damages.
She told Daniel about it, her voice heavy with worry.
Daniel just laughed. "Looks like your bad luck has come."
Anne pouted. "I'm having such terrible luck, and you're this happy?"
Daniel said, "The horror of bad luck lies in never knowing when it will hit. Now that it's here, you don't need to worry. And this isn't even that big a deal. You can solve it by paying some money. Compared to a sudden, massive crisis that could leave you hurt or dead, this is nothing."
Daniel's thoughts drifted to Amanda. If he hadn't been there, she would've died long ago.
Anne considered this and had to admit he was right. She couldn't help but crack a small smile. "You're right. I can handle this."
Daniel said, "Anne, now that your bad luck has passed, you should move out."
Anne's expression stiffened. "I really can't keep living here?"
Daniel's tone was firm. "No."
Looking into his calm, resolute eyes, Anne sighed inwardly. "Alright, I'll have someone find a place tomorrow."
A week later, Anne officially moved out of Daniel's home. Daniel personally drove her to the new rental.
The house was nice, built within the last few years. Not huge, but just enough for Anne.
That night, Daniel stayed over and held a housewarming private party with Anne to celebrate.
---
The next day, Anne officially joined the Hitch crew, and Daniel caught a taxi to the airport, headed for New York.
After a series of negotiations, Daniel's team finally reached an agreement with Marvel.
In the end, Daniel acquired 22.12% of Marvel's shares, becoming their second-largest shareholder. The price: over $280 million.
On top of that, he purchased the full rights to Captain America for $50 million, Thor for $45 million, Iron Man for $20 million, and Guardians of the Galaxy for $40 million.
If these were just film rights, the cost would be lower -- but Daniel had bought full ownership, all at once.
From now on, these heroes would belong to him, not Marvel.
As for the other mortgaged heroes -- Ant-Man, Captain Marvel, Black Panther, Hulk, and more -- Daniel also agreed to lend Marvel $420 million, with interest calculated at standard financial rates.
With Frank Douglas's help, Daniel established two companies: one to manage these heroes' rights, and another to handle the loans.
...
The very next day, at Marvel's headquarters, Daniel shook hands with Avi Arad, Isaac Perlmutter, and several major shareholders, whose shares were diluted to make Daniel's purchase possible.
Marvel's current state was uncertain, so many weren't optimistic.
After all, last year Marvel had invested $140 million producing Hulk and The Punisher, which flopped so badly it nearly bankrupted the company.
They were somewhat relieved to sell shares at a premium to Daniel.
Only Avi Arad and Isaac Perlmutter weren't thrilled -- they still dreamed of producing big Marvel blockbusters but had to accept this to secure funding.
Daniel stared at the contract in his hand, joy bubbling beneath a faint smile. "Pleasure doing business with you."
If he could, he would've bought more heroes, but Arad and Perlmutter held firm.
Still, with these assets, Daniel had already made a huge profit.
After a celebratory banquet, Daniel took his Marvel shares, the heroes' rights, and his negotiation team back to Los Angeles.
With the loan in hand, Avi Arad and Isaac Perlmutter immediately began prepping Marvel's next film.
Several plans were on the table: one was a sequel to Hulk.
Though the original lost money, it still had some audience goodwill. A sequel might turn things around.
Another option was to look for a new hero to center a film on.
They quickly discarded the sequel plan and shifted their search toward a fresh character.
---
In the blink of an eye, Halloween arrived at the end of October.
The holiday was a night of partying and revelry. Costume parties were held everywhere.
A few days earlier, Daniel had received many invitations.
There were ones from Frank Douglas's daughter, Katherine; from Amanda, Megan, Miranda, and Anne Hathaway.
These women weren't just close to him; the invitations represented their entire social circles.
Whoever Daniel chose to attend would signal which circle he was joining.
As Daniel hesitated, another call came through on his cell phone.
"Mr. Cross, are you free tomorrow night?" a pleasant female voice asked.
*****
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