Chapter 14: Borrowing a Little
William's words struck Hirsch exactly where it hurt.
What stood before him now was an opportunity—
and whether he could seize it was entirely up to him.
After a long pause, Hirsch took a deep breath.
Then he extended his hand toward William.
"To a successful partnership."
Even William hadn't expected Hirsch to be this decisive—to agree without haggling over the price at all.
But after a moment's thought, it made sense.
Just as William had said, Adult Valley was crowded with adult film companies.
For Vivid Entertainment to rise and eventually become a giant, it had to possess something others lacked.
Hirsch's willingness to gamble—
that kind of boldness—
was likely one of the reasons the company would go far.
And Hirsch had clearly seen the bigger picture.
Los Angeles was currently a pressure cooker of racial tension.
This kind of subject matter was red-hot.
Once released, a film like this would almost certainly trigger intense reactions from both Black and white audiences.
That kind of controversy translated directly into attention—and sales.
---
After finalizing the deal, William stood on the street, the signed contract from Vivid Entertainment in his hand.
They had promised that the advance payment would be transferred to his account within a week.
Once the money hit the studio's books, the immediate cash-flow pressure would ease considerably.
More importantly, William was confident—
This film was going to explode.
And when it did, the profit share that followed would be substantial.
Time moved quickly.
After wrapping up the first film, William wasted no time plunging into preparations for the second.
At this stage, he continued to focus on sensitive racial themes.
Sure, one could say this was feeding on social pain.
But since the pain belonged to Black communities, William felt absolutely no guilt about it.
---
That pace didn't last long.
Just a few days later, William received a message from Katya.
"So," William said, leaning back on the sofa,
"your father's willing to meet me?"
Katya sat beside him, relaxed.
"Yes," she replied casually.
"He agreed without hesitation. After all, it's just a meeting."
Katya didn't think much of it.
But William couldn't shake the feeling that things were never that simple.
What was the Russian mafia, really?
He'd assumed Katya wouldn't be able to persuade her father at all.
That would've spared him a potential headache.
Yet not only had her father agreed—
he'd agreed to meet him.
That alone was enough to make William restless.
---
The $100,000 advance from Vivid Entertainment—and the profit shares starting next month—could only be used within Umbrella Entertainment.
If he moved that money elsewhere, California state taxes combined with federal taxes would chew up at least forty percent.
But if the funds were categorized as operating expenses, a significant portion of that tax burden could be avoided.
Which meant one thing:
That money could not flow into the Japanese stock market.
And if William wanted to go long on Japanese equities—
then short them at the start of 1990—
he needed capital from another channel.
He'd already secured a $350,000 loan by leveraging Umbrella Entertainment.
The accounting firm had confirmed the amount.
But the funds wouldn't arrive until next month.
If Katya's father was willing—
even out of consideration for his daughter—
to lend him more…
William was confident he could multiply his gains several times over.
He didn't understand finance.
But he understood history.
---
The next day, Katya brought William to what looked like a modest private office.
It was located in Fairfax District, an area densely populated by Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian immigrants.
Katya's father was exactly what one would expect.
A towering, broad-shouldered Russian brute of an old man.
His eyes were sharp—hostile even.
The moment William stepped through the door, the man's gaze locked onto him as if he were staring at an enemy.
"Sit."
He pointed to the empty chair across the desk.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Ivanovich," William said calmly as he took the seat, meeting the man's stare without flinching.
After a long moment, Sergei realized William wasn't intimidated.
He nodded, faintly satisfied.
"Drink."
He slid a small shot glass across the desk and poured vodka into it.
"Dad!" Katya protested, eyes wide. "It's the middle of the day!"
"Katya, go outside," Sergei said firmly.
"Give us some space. Man to man."
It was obvious he didn't want her present for what came next.
Though reluctant, Katya stomped her foot and left the office.
The door closed.
Only William and Sergei remained.
---
The glass was filled again.
The vodka bottle hit the desk with a heavy thud.
"Drink."
No explanation. No pleasantries.
William knew better than to refuse.
Fortunately, since his rebirth, his body was in peak condition.
A single shot of vodka wasn't going to do anything to him.
He picked up the glass and drained it in one gulp.
The liquor burned its way down his throat, sharp and aggressive—
then faded just as quickly.
"Ah."
William exhaled lightly and looked up.
Sergei stared back, expressionless.
Minutes passed.
Neither spoke.
Then suddenly—
Sergei burst into laughter.
"Cyka! Brit! I like you, kid! Come—another one!"
He poured again.
William didn't hesitate. Another shot, straight down.
The more Sergei watched, the more pleased he became.
Pouring himself a drink, he said,
"You know… you're nothing like how Katya described you."
"Oh?" William asked mildly.
"And how did she describe me?"
"A British pansy. A limp-wristed faggot."
Sergei downed his shot without blinking.
"But don't worry," he added, refilling William's glass.
"To me, you're a man. I've never seen a British pussy drink like this."
William couldn't help but feel a little amused.
Looks like his memory awakening had come a bit late—
Katya's impression of his former self was already set in stone.
Still, he didn't care.
Money came first.
"Mr. Ivanovich," William said, setting his glass down,
"did Katya mention that I'm here to ask for a loan?"
Sergei placed his glass down as well.
He studied William for a moment, then spoke calmly.
"How much do you want?"
"What interest are you offering?"
"And how long before you pay it back?"
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