"Cheers!"
"To Luca's growing success!"
"To the early completion of our movie!"
On the Ipanema, a seaside restaurant, music played softly. Over in the buffet area, more than thirty people gathered around a long table, raising their glasses, lively and joyful.
At the table, besides Luca and the crew of Buried Alive, there was also Marcio, who had arrived earlier, along with two of his friends—one, a girl named Caroline, and a middle-aged man.
"Luca, this is Marcel, remember him?"
After a few drinks, Marcio pointed to the middle-aged man beside him and introduced him.
The man, in his thirties or forties, wore a white suit with an open chest revealing a thick gold chain—giving off a slightly tacky vibe.
"Of course!"
Luca swirled his wine glass. "I used to get my stuff from him. It was some strong stuff."
"Uh..."
Marcel's smile froze, unsure how to respond.
People who quit drugs usually despise their former dealers, and Marcel had some guilt. To make more money, he'd offer higher-grade drugs to wealthy customers, knowing it would get them hooked.
Luca, indeed, got hooked and spent a lot of money.
Now that the old story was brought up again, Marcel frowned. If Luca held a grudge, it would be hard to discuss any business.
He shot Marcio a look.
"Luca, Marcel doesn't do that stuff anymore," Marcio hesitated and said.
"Yes, Mr. Kelly," Marcel explained. "In recent years, the government's crackdowns have gotten stricter. There are too many drug dealers in Rio, and the competition is fierce. It's not as profitable as doing legitimate business, so I've divided up my old business.
I've shifted towards the entertainment industry—I own several nightclubs in the city and a film company. I'm in the legal business now."
"Is that so?" Luca smiled faintly, unconvinced.
People who've used drugs find it hard to quit; it's easy to give in to weakness when you're feeling lonely or empty. Similarly, drug dealers also find it hard to stop—there's no business more profitable than drugs. And even if there is, it's not something uneducated people can easily get into.
As for his claim of cleaning up and moving into entertainment? At best, it's a front—or maybe money laundering.
Such things were common.
"Yes, Mr. Kelly. I have many colleagues who believe in your potential. We'd love to collaborate with you. We have plenty of funds and connections, both here and in Hollywood. We can help you however you need," Marcel said, passionately.
Luca took a sip of wine, savoring the taste slowly.
He had underestimated this guy.
This man wasn't acting alone—he had a whole group behind him. And now, that group had its eyes on Luca, hoping to use him for money laundering.
Realizing this, Luca shot Marcio a glance, thinking, Look at the kind of people you bring around—getting played and not even realizing it.
Marcio didn't understand the look and just grinned.
"Luca, didn't you often say Hollywood is biased against foreign actors? That it's hard to make it there? If we had the money, we wouldn't have to care what they think. We could make our own movies," Marcio said.
Marcel nodded. "Mr. Kelly, if you have any projects, we'd be happy to support them."
Luca thought for a moment. "Thank you. I'd love to work with you, but in recent years, I've been focused on indie films. You know how indie films are—small budget, small productions, slow profits.
Like my current project—the total budget is only two million. Would you still want to invest?"
"An indie film?" Marcel frowned. Indie films weren't his thing. Could they even make money? But a small investment could be made into a big one, and even if it lost money, it could be turned into profit. He didn't want to give up on Luca and his international connections just yet.
"Mr. Kelly, I'm sure your indie films are great. I hope we get a chance to collaborate," Marcel insisted.
Luca pondered for a moment and offered a script collaboration instead.
"A script?" Marcel frowned. What he wanted was Luca's good-looking face, not a script.
"Yes," Luca said confidently, raising his handsome face. "Besides being a model and actor, I'm also a well-known screenwriter. Currently, there are four companies in Hollywood producing my scripts—Goal!, She's the Man, Step Up, and Kicking and Screaming.
And beyond those four, there are two more scripts in pre-production, with Tom Cruise and Jennifer Aniston as collaborators."
"Tom Cruise? Jennifer Aniston?" Marcel's eyes widened. These were mega stars.
"Yes. If you're interested, you can look into it. It's no secret in Hollywood," Luca smirked. "Marcel, my scripts are top-notch. If you're hesitant, you can wait a year or so. When my films are released, you can see if they make money. If not, we can talk again."
"A year or two?" Marcel wanted to make quick money.
"If you don't want to wait, I have another script. I was planning to handle it myself, but after some research, I realized the theme might be hard to get approved."
Luca stroked his chin.
"Mr. Kelly, what kind of film is it?" Marcel asked.
"A gangster film!" Luca grinned. After learning more about Brazilian cinema, he noticed something strange.
There were rampant gangs in Brazil—so much so that sometimes they replaced the government in certain areas. Yet there were very few films about these gangs, especially high-quality ones.
And Brazil had so many beautiful women, yet it hadn't become a production hub for films like in other parts of the world. He found that curious.
After asking around, he learned it had to do with strict government controls.
However, in recent years, the government had started loosening its grip, realizing that local films were no match for Hollywood.
Luca had always wanted to make a gangster film—play with a cop vs. gangsters story. But was there a market for such films in Brazil? He wasn't sure.
That's why he wanted someone to test the waters.
Marcel was perfect for that.
"A gangster film?" Marcel frowned. "Can that even be made? Would it get wide release? If it can't be shown, how would it make money?"
"Don't worry, Marcel. The movie's direction will be perfectly fine," Luca reassured him, pulling him in close with a smile. "Let me tell you the synopsis—the movie's called Saving Ronaldo."
"Huh?"
Marcel and everyone around him froze. "The Ronaldo?"
"Haha, of course not. There are tons of people named Ronaldo in Brazil," Luca chuckled. He had originally wanted to call the movie Saving Pelé, but Ronaldo had recently praised Lima in front of the media, even saying he wanted to date her, which had annoyed Luca. So, he decided to get back at him.
"The story takes place in a Rio favela. Ronaldo is a 15-year-old kid with great soccer talent. At 15, he leads his team to win the local youth championship. But his father is a gambler, deeply in debt to loan sharks..."
In this script, Luca borrowed elements from many Hong Kong gangster films, blending them into a classic crime movie that portrayed Rio's gangs as patriotic, principled, and compassionate.
"... After a bloody battle, both Gang A and Gang B suffer heavy losses, but Ronaldo is safely protected by Gang B and boards a plane to the big match. He leads his team to victory and becomes a hero, while the gang members become unsung heroes."
"..."
When Luca finished his story, the people around him were silent. The plot was exciting and full of passion, but...
"Luca, are there really people that good in gangs?" José asked, frowning.
"Why not?" Marcel, who was riding high on the story, didn't appreciate the skepticism.
"Many gangs are into charity work now—setting up orphanages, offering free health checks, giving out medicine, maintaining local security—sometimes they do better than the government," Marcel said. "Luca, this script is brilliant. Can I buy it?"
"Sure, one dollar," Luca said.
"One real?" Marcel blinked in surprise.
"A small gift to celebrate our first collaboration."
"Alright, Luca, you've got yourself a friend for life," Marcel said, delighted.
Luca smiled and clinked glasses with him.
He genuinely hoped the film would succeed.
If it did, he could bring over more Hong Kong films—Drug War, Cold War, Infernal Affairs...
Aside from that, Luca had another goal—cultural influence.
In many Hong Kong films, people in gangs often talk about rules—things like loyalty, brotherhood, righteousness, and even love. But when there are too many rules, people in the gang start killing each other, and in the end, everyone dies, leaving the world peaceful.
However, in Brazilian gangs, many don't follow this code. They kill people on the streets for money, without any sense of honor.
That's not good. It makes the world chaotic.
He wishes the gangs here would be more like the ones in Hong Kong, following some rules and engaging in more internal conflicts.
But is that useful? He didn't know, and it didn't really matter. It was just idle thoughts.
"Luca, I really like the character 'Parrot,'"
Márcio hesitated.
"Parrot?"
"Yes, I feel like that character suits me. Can you give me that role?"
Márcio asked eagerly.
Luca smiled lightly, "This project is Marcel's now. You should ask him."
"Haha, Márcio, we're friends. It's just a small supporting role. Once the film gets started, I'll contact you first."
Marcel then looked over at Luca.
"Thank you, thank you!"
Márcio was overjoyed and repeatedly thanked him.
Luca shook his head, then returned to his seat and started mingling with the crew.
That evening, he didn't just provide good food and drinks, he also had Márcio bring in plenty of dancers—both male and female.
Soon, the shameless crew was dancing wildly with the dancers. Some female colleagues joined in as well, without a trace of embarrassment.
The music started, and everyone was dancing provocative disco moves, "Lambada, Lambada," in a wild and racy manner.
Luca, being a proper man, shook his head in disapproval. This was outrageous. Where were all the proper people?
He couldn't watch any longer, so he called Márcio over, gave him a few instructions, and left the party early.
(End of Chapter)