"The Old Man's Rear Window—I knew it was going to be popular, but I didn't expect it to blow up this much." Edward stared at the constant chatter in the fan group and couldn't help but feel a bit surprised.
This particular group was supposed to be a community for horror film enthusiasts, yet even after so long, discussions about Rear Window were still burning hot. From that alone, one could tell just how captivating the film was. Edward himself had to admit that the old man's craftsmanship was truly extraordinary.
Now that Rear Window had been in theaters for two months, it was also nearing the end of its screening run. Reviews had begun pouring in. With just a casual scroll, Edward could see plenty of critics talking about it—basically, every reputable reviewer had written something about Rear Window. Among them, Edward was particularly interested in those written by veteran film critics whose opinions could influence the "Best Film of the Year" awards.
["Rear Window — I'm delighted to see my old friend Director Kirk make such a triumphant return with his first comeback film."]
["Rear Window is a classic suspense film directed by Kirk. To be honest, when he announced his return, I was a little worried my old buddy might tarnish his legacy. But after watching it, those concerns completely vanished. In fact, after discussing with several colleagues, I personally believe this film might well be considered one of Kirk's most successful works."]
["This movie doesn't just explore the theme of voyeurism to its fullest—it uses brilliant storytelling and visual language to delve into the nature of humanity, love, and life itself."]
["The story follows a photojournalist named Jeffrey, who, after being injured during a racing accident, is forced to recuperate at home. Out of boredom, he begins observing the lives of his neighbors through his window. But what begins as idle curiosity soon spirals into suspicion."]
["Jeffrey notices strange behavior from his neighbor Thorwald—sneaking out into the rain at night with large suitcases. He starts suspecting that Thorwald may have murdered his wife and disposed of the body."]
["Kirk showcases his mastery in building suspenseful atmospheres in Rear Window. Through a unique use of camera perspective, he pulls the audience directly into Jeffrey's point of view, allowing us to peep into those seemingly ordinary yet secretly unsettling slices of life. His expert balance of long shots, close-ups, mid-shots, and wide angles creates both a visual feast and a deeply tense, nerve-wracking experience.
Overall, Rear Window is an excellent piece of cinema. Of course, I still think my friend's work isn't without flaws. After all, voyeurism is, strictly speaking, illegal—this moral issue is an inherent, unfixable flaw. But from a filmmaking standpoint, it remains a remarkable piece of work.
The film offers a dual thrill—both voyeuristic and suspenseful—while displaying Kirk's distinctive cinematic language and deep intellect. Even after his long absence from the industry, his technical prowess remains as sharp as ever."]
["It's truly wonderful to see my old friend Kirk back in the film world."]
"Director Kirk really hasn't lost his touch, huh? Even that old critic came out to praise him," Edward muttered with a sigh as he scrolled through the reviews. He had to admit—the reviewer's reputation was no joke. In the film industry, this critic was considered one of the senior voices with wide connections and immense credibility.
Still, Edward wasn't particularly worried. The moral flaws of Rear Window were obvious. Unless someone wanted to directly oppose the League Film's ethics board, the film could never win "Best Picture." As long as there wasn't another masterpiece released this year, Edward was confident that his film would take the award.
"Boss, RULE#1 has finished filming and post-editing. Do you want to take a look?" Zoroark walked in, holding a data drive in its claws.
Edward blinked, momentarily recalling that Ghost Films no longer only had him as its sole director. Under his guidance, several other directors had also begun producing movies. Still, aside from a few who were already well-known, most of them were still far from reaching Edward's level. They had a long climb ahead.
"Bring it here," Edward said, perking up a bit. RULE#1 had originally been his own project. But back when the script was ready, he had been too busy shooting The Grudge 2 and managing Tomie's projects, so he had handed the script to one of his directors—Luis Roda—to handle instead.
After that, he'd pretty much forgotten about it. Now, months later, it was actually finished.
Zoroark handed over the edited film, and Edward decided to watch it right there in his office.
As the movie began, the first thing that appeared on the black screen was a bold line of text:
"RULE#1: There are no ghosts in this world."
That single sentence immediately set the tone. Edward raised an eyebrow but didn't comment, simply continuing to watch patiently.
Zoroark sat down beside him, equally curious about the film.
Edward glanced at his partner but said nothing. He picked up Q, released Void from its Poké Ball, and the three—one human and two Pokémon—settled in to watch together.
The film wasn't particularly long, but once it ended, Edward's expression was… complicated.
He'd seen the original version of RULE#1 back in his previous life, so he was very familiar with its structure and story beats. But Luis's version was markedly different. The result was oddly jarring—almost like watching two parallel versions of the same story.
Still, Edward had to admit: Luis did an excellent job. He'd even woven in numerous Pokémon elements, which surprisingly enhanced the horror.
"…Not bad at all," Edward finally said, nodding in approval. "The idea of evil spirits possessing Pokémon instead of people—that's clever."
In the original version, ghosts possessed humans and tormented their loved ones. But Luis, adapting Edward's script to fit the Pokémon world, had them possess Pokémon—and then use those Pokémon to haunt their trainers.
That twist wouldn't work in his previous world. At best, it would have turned into some bizarre pet-horror splatter flick. But in the Pokémon world, it hit differently. Edward knew that the bond between Pokémon and their trainers was profound—Pokémon weren't just pets; they were family, lifelong partners.
If in his previous life, losing one's parents meant losing one's sense of home, then in this world, people always had their Pokémon beside them. Some Pokémon could even live long enough to accompany multiple generations. That made them invaluable.
So, when Luis introduced the concept of beloved Pokémon being possessed by malicious spirits and forced to commit horrifying acts—it struck deep. It made the horror far more personal, far more chilling. And considering how in Edward's past life there were already horror films aimed at pet lovers, this adaptation was a stroke of genius.
"Boss, between RULE#1 and The Grudge 2, which one should we release first?" Zoroark asked after the credits rolled. Although the movie left it uneasy and heavy-hearted, it wasn't outright terrified—just deeply unsettled.
The tone of despair throughout the film was suffocating, and the ending was far from a typical "good triumphs over evil" resolution. The protagonist got possessed in the end—it was downright bleak.
"The Grudge 2," Edward replied without hesitation.
The timing was perfect. The Grudge 1 had been hugely successful, and even after its theatrical run ended, Ghost Films had continued making profits through DVD sales and paid online releases. It had been lucrative—and the cheaper online viewings meant even more people had watched it.
Now, with The Grudge still hot in people's minds, it was the perfect time to push out The Grudge 2. Plus, it had finished filming earlier anyway.
And so, The Grudge 2 was sent for review and approval.
Meanwhile, Edward sat in his office, reviewing some financial reports. Zoroark and Kennedy had just finished calculating the cost of building a hospital. When Edward saw the figures, even he had to admit—he had underestimated it.
"I knew hospitals were expensive," he muttered, "but this is ridiculous…"
The estimated cost came out to a staggering two billion pokedollars. Even for him, that was a jaw-dropping number. The medical equipment alone was outrageously priced, not to mention staff salaries and operational costs.
Still, compared to his total assets, it wasn't much—barely a drop in the ocean. But Edward had no intention of using Devon Corporation's funds for this project. If his father found out, he'd definitely force him to return and take over the company.
He wasn't ready for that—not until "Fortune" was properly trained to take over.
"Two billion… and that's just the rough estimate," he sighed. "If we go with top-tier medical equipment, the price will skyrocket even further."
No wonder hospitals weren't something ordinary people could just start up—it was a colossal undertaking, even for him.
Factoring in ongoing expenses, it would take years before the hospital could turn a profit. And if he stuck to his original idea of making it a low-cost public hospital, while still paying doctors fairly based on their skill levels, the breakeven point would be even further away.
But Edward didn't care. Money was still flowing in faster than he could spend it.
Just the Tom and Jerry IP alone brought in nearly 1 billion pokedollars a year in pure profit. Sherlock Holmes added another 8 hundred million. Of course, not all that money could be spent freely—some went toward company growth, daily operations, and employee salaries and bonuses.
Even so, pulling out two billion for charity was well within his means.
After a moment of thought, Edward signed the approval document with a firm hand and placed it on the desk.
Charity was something that had to be done.
The Stone family was vast and powerful—Devon Corporation had become the Pokémon League's leading enterprise, glittering in both reputation and wealth. But behind that brilliance lurked danger. If the League ever decided to take action against them, they could still be in serious trouble.
That was why his father had once told him:
"The Stone family doesn't need to grow endlessly larger. True wisdom lies in staying low-profile, building goodwill, and strengthening the foundation of Devon Corporation."
Edward didn't argue with that. He never had ambitions of ruling the world or anything. With the wealth he already possessed, he could live comfortably for a hundred lifetimes.
All he really wanted was to keep making horror movies.
"Boss, I'll start giving orders to move the hospital project forward then," Zoroark said, standing at attention as it looked down at the signed document. Its eyes were filled with awe—this was no small undertaking.
Edward nodded.
As Zoroark hurried off to get things in motion, Edward leaned back, pulled out his phone, and chatted lazily with Shizuka for a while before yawning and calling it a day.
The Grudge 2's review would pass without issue. Once it did, they could start cutting trailers and building up hype. Though the sequel's story was more complicated, Edward wanted to see how the market would respond. If the box office stayed strong, The Grudge 3 would be next.
His plan was to make The Grudge 3 based on the movie version of The Grudge 1, and then wrap up the series with The Grudge 4.
Yes—technically speaking, The Grudgedid have an ending. It was just that the series' popularity had been so overwhelming that studios kept milking it with sequels until it eventually became trash.
In Edward's opinion, the true ending was actually The Grudge 2 (Film Version)—where Kayako, after becoming the Ghost Queen, reincarnated into a human and started a new life. In the final scene, she pushed her mother off a pedestrian bridge and walked away alone, free at last. That, he thought, was the perfect conclusion.
He had no plans to continue it beyond that. The later installments might have been serviceable, but they were unnecessary.
Still, he mused, thinking back to his trip to Kayako's world, some of the poor souls he'd encountered there could make for interesting material someday.
"The Grudge 3 can wait until after Tomie," Edward said to himself, tapping his chin. "Though I do wonder—after Tomie wraps up, will it hurt her popularity?"
After all, Tomie had become the top star of the Ghost Amusement Park—so popular that even talent scouts from the entertainment industry had started reaching out, hoping to sign her.
(End of Chapter)
TN: The money reach billions here so I changed to lesser as I think its too exaggerated and the money is in yuan in raws and sometimes chatgpt will add another zero in the numbers like 1 billion becomes 10 billion.