I am Hollywood

Chapter 535: Chapter 536: Are You Looking for Someone?



[Chapter 536: Are You Looking for Someone?]

Hearing the teasing tone in Eric's voice, the three girls exchanged glances.

Though she knew that the young man before her was only twenty-three, Kate saw none of the pride and restlessness often associated with someone his age. Instead, Eric carried himself with a calmness and detachment that was characteristic of someone who had experienced much in life.

When the three girls jumped at the unexpected interruption, Eric stood up, leaning against the patio railing, smiling at the three girls clustered in the corner like quail. He playfully shook the cigarette box in his hand and asked, "Whose is this?"

Penelope and Charlize turned their gazes toward Kate.

Eric had already suspected that the cigarette belonged to Kate Beckinsale. There might be many smoking actresses in Hollywood, but few were recognized as having a strong addiction, and Kate was one of them. This somewhat unconventional British rose had been

photographed more than once by paparazzi smoking openly in public, showing no intention of hiding it, even in front of cameras.

Just as Kate mustered the courage to say something in response to Eric's gaze, he leisurely slipped the cigarette box into his pocket and addressed the two girls beside her. "Charlie, Penny, keep an eye on Kate. She's not allowed to smoke anymore. At least not until her contract for Charlie's Angels is up. If either of you tells me she's caught smoking again, I'll deduct ten percent from both your paychecks."

The three girls widened their eyes at Eric's words. Unable to hold back, Penelope pointed at Kate and exclaimed, "Then... then what about her?"

With a mischievous smile, Eric replied, "Kate's paycheck stays the same."

Finally, Kate spoke up, "Mr. Williams, it's all my fault. If there are pay deductions, just take it from me. It has nothing to do with Charlie or Penny."

Eric shook his head gently. "No way. If I take it from you, you won't care. It's gotta be from them."

Since that initial date, Charlize had harbored some inexplicable resentment towards Eric. Hearing his somewhat ridiculous punishment, she couldn't help but raise her voice in retaliation. "You're being totally unreasonable!"

Eric looked at Charlize's slightly round baby-faced cheeks and resisted the urge to tease them, replying, "I'm too busy to argue with you."

Ignoring the girls' collective eye rolls, he extinguished the half-smoked cigarette in the nearby trash can, dusted off his hands, and said to the girls still standing in front of him, "Go change your clothes. Mr. Yuan just told me you three have performed well these past two months. As a reward, I'll take you to a movie tonight -- the premiere of Deep Impact."

The three girls exchanged glances. Penelope was the first to head toward the training room, and Kate followed closely. Although Charlize wanted to say something, the moment her gaze met Eric's, she quickly looked away, unwillingly stepping inside.

...

Once in the changing room, Kate and Charlize found that Penelope had already quickly stripped off her training outfit, now only in a fitted top. However, the Spanish girl didn't rush to get dressed in her regular clothes; instead, she pulled out makeup tools from her bag and started meticulously applying makeup in front of the fitting mirror.

Unable to resist, Kate teased, "Penny, I think you don't even need makeup. If you step out in that outfit, Eric Williams won't know what hit him."

Unfazed, Penelope continued to groom her eyebrows and replied, "Hmph! You shouldn't be talking. If it weren't for your encouragement to smoke with Charlie, we wouldn't be in this awkward situation."

Kate shrugged off the matter, casually changing clothes as she spoke. "Don't worry; I'll just quit smoking for a few months."

"Who knows if you can resist?" Charlize folded her training outfit, placing it neatly in her locker. Taking advantage of Kate and Penelope's banter, she suddenly interjected, "Hey, didn't you two ever think about why Eric Williams came to see us out of the blue?"

Kate, having just put on a cropped T-shirt and holding her jeans while posing in front of the mirror, glanced at her fair skin and remarked somewhat narcissistically, "I mean, it's pretty obvious. But I'm definitely not letting this playboy get his way." After saying this, she shot an exasperated look over at Penelope.

Feeling a little uncomfortable under Kate's stare, Penelope retorted, "What's your point? You have a boyfriend; I don't."

"Who told you I have a boyfriend?" Kate shot back.

"Who was that guy who called you last weekend, then?" Penelope pressed.

"He's just someone I met while filming Much Ado About Nothing. I didn't agree to be his girlfriend."

Charlize listened silently to the two girls, changing into her regular clothes. Looking at Penelope, who was leisurely putting on her makeup, she felt compelled to let down her own ponytail that had been tied up for practice and instinctively checked her reflection in the mirror.

...

Because it was summer, all three girls wore light clothing, and being at a blooming age, they exuded a vibe of youthfulness that left Eric feeling a refreshing shock at the sight.

Noticing the subtle change in Eric's expression, Penelope felt a surge of happiness and approached him, asking, "Mr. Williams, where are we going next?"

Eric pointed to the door outside as he walked. "I initially planned for you three to make an appearance on the red carpet for Deep Impact, but I think it's best if you don't. If all three of you show up together, it might overshadow the talk for Deep Impact. We'll discuss that during Charlie's Angels press conference."

Penelope didn't pay much mind to her two freinds behind her and matched Eric's pace. "So what about this time..."

"I'll arrange for you to go straight in. After the premiere, I'll take you all out for dinner. Sound

good?"

"Sounds great! But I heard there's usually a party after movie premieres?"

"Do you want to go?"

"We... we'll follow your plans."

"Ha, this time we won't. I have to head to Europe tomorrow; it wouldn't be right to stay out

too late. I won't take you to the party this time; maybe next time."

"Okay," Penelope nodded obediently.

Charlize and Kate, trailing behind Eric and Penelope, exchanged a glance at their

conversation, involuntarily pouting but not opposing Eric's arrangements.

...

After arriving downstairs, Eric squeezed the girls into the backseat of his car, taking the passenger seat himself before instructing the driver to set off.

Although the premiere didn't start until seven o'clock, by five that afternoon, the red carpet had already been rolled out at the China Theater, filled with media and fans eager to attend the event. Eric didn't take the three girls directly to theater; instead, he stopped at a nearby hotel where the film's creators and guests were temporarily settled and handed the girls over to the staff to be arranged.

Upon seeing Eric, several stars, who had come to support the premiere, greeted him. After exchanging pleasantries, Eric made his way over to Roland Emmerich, the director of Deep

Impact.

"Eric, congratulations! The box office for Jurassic Park is simply astounding."

"Thanks, Roland. I believe Deep Impact will perform wonderfully too," Eric said, greeting Jon Landau, the producer for Deep Impact, as well. "What were you two just discussing?"

Jon had originally been Eric's go-to producer for Cameron, but since Cameron only made a film every couple of years, Eric paired Roland with Jon to work on the Deep Impact project, which had proved successful.

In response to Eric's question, Jon pointed at Roland and said, "Roland's still worrying about Deep Impact's box office. It's his first film with an investment over fifty million dollars, and to be honest, I'm a little anxious too."

Given the phenomenal box office performance of Jurassic Park, as the second CG effects

blockbuster released by Firefly during the summer season, Deep Impact attracted significant media attention, not to mention that its production costs were similar. Eric could empathize

with the pressure Roland Emmerich was feeling.

However, Eric felt much more relaxed compared to Roland. With nearly a decade of experience since his early days in The Noah's Ark Principles, Roland's directing style had matured significantly, and with Eric's oversight, this version of Deep Impact was undoubtedly

superior to the original.

In 1993, CG effects had only recently begun to rise in popularity, with the North American and global film markets still starving for more. Eric had no doubt that Deep Impact would achieve

an impressive box office performance.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

He didn't hold back, sharing his thoughts with both men.

Roland acknowledged the sense in Eric's words and nodded, though his anxiety hadn't quite

eased. Eric understood that only after the actual box office numbers rolled in would Roland completely let go of his worries -- a common ailment among directors before their films' releases. Eric himself felt a bit anxious before Jurassic Park's release. So he avoided offering

too much consolation.

...

The press conference for the premiere had been scheduled to occur after the screening, which made the red carpet segment much simpler. Eric strolled leisurely down the long red carpet, signing autographs at the wall before he soon entered the screening room.

As he approached his seat in the front row, he caught sight of a familiar voice with an accent

calling out, "Mr. Williams."

Turning his head, he saw the three girls seated together, with Penelope speaking and waving at him.

Eric gave a slight nod in acknowledgment. He had exchanged greetings with quite a number of people along the way, so the girl's gesture didn't attract much attention. However, he couldn't help but think that this Spanish girl was quite open with her intentions. Unlike Kate, who was a bit more carefree, and Charlize, who often had an inexplicable bit of resistance against him, Penelope felt like a little wildcat rushing recklessly toward him.

In his memory, a loudmouthed male star in Hollywood had once given Penelope Cruz a rather fitting label: trouble. In the original timeline, this fiery Spanish girl had a knack for making headlines with the male leads of her films, often breaking up couples in the process. She had even been public about her romance with Tom Cruise after his split with Nicole, evidently aiming to become the next Mrs. Cruise. However, Eric mused that the reason for their

ultimate breakup might have been Tom's realization that he couldn't keep up with this restless firecracker.

With all these thoughts running through his mind, he became quite intrigued. He wanted to

see what kind of waves this emerging little enchantress could stir up in this timeline.

...

As Eric took his seat, the host of the premiere said a few words before announcing the start of

the screening.

The lights in the screening room dimmed rapidly, and the Firefly Pictures logo that everyone had come to recognize lit up the big screen.

After numerous revisions of the script, this version of Deep Impact had deviated significantly

from the original. One could say they were two entirely different movies. Many subplots that

didn't align with the film's main theme had been cut. After a comet on a collision course with Earth was discovered, Roland Emmerich focused the narrative on three threads: the federal government, journalist Jenny Lerner, and the boy who discovered the comet, Leo Beiderman. Through adept interweaving of the plot and skillful suspense setups, he gripped the audience's hearts during the forty-minute build-up.

During an astronomy observation, young Leo Beiderman discovered a comet that did not appear on any star charts. He reported the news to his mentor, and soon, an astronomer calculated that the comet's trajectory would overlap with Earth, meaning it was on a collision

course.

While the astronomer was rushed to relay the news to the federal government, an accident occurred, creating significant suspense at this juncture. Time then jumped one year ahead. Journalist Jenny Lerner was diligently investigating a scandal that eventually led to a woman named 'Eli'. Suddenly, she was apprehended by the FBI and taken to meet the president, who requested her to halt her investigation. She refused and continued her accusations, and the ensuing discovery shocked her: 'Eli' was not a person but a comet, a comet that was set to collide with Earth.

Meanwhile, the boy who discovered the comet, Leo, continued living a normal life in a small

town, just like many American high schoolers, with no one realizing disaster was looming.

As Jenny edged closer to the truth, the federal government decided to publicly disclose the facts, and she was first in line to question the president at the press conference.

It turned out that although the astronomer had encountered an accident while relaying the

news, the fact that a comet was on a collision course with Earth had been discovered. To resolve the crisis, several major powers collectively built a space shuttle armed with nuclear

bombs over the year, planning to destroy the comet before its impact. However, to alleviate public panic as much as possible, the governments opted to keep quiet about it. From this point onward, Roland Emmerich's mastery of storytelling began to unfold. Much

like the heart-stopping moments remembered in his film 2012, the launch of the space shuttle to intercept the comet, the federal government's choices, the fates of ordinary individuals, and the struggles of humanity under disaster all captured the audience's attention tightly. When the first attempt to destroy the comet failed, resulting in part of it crashing into Earth and creating catastrophic tsunami scenes, gasps filled the screening room.

The ten-minute-long tsunami scene had been produced using the most advanced CG effects technology available, providing a far more convincing experience than any miniature models. As massive waves surged toward New York, toppling the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building, exclamations of "Oh my God!" could be heard from the audience. Feeling the reactions in the auditorium, Eric leaned close to Roland Emmerich's ear and

whispered, "Roland, I think you can relax now. Perhaps you can spare a moment to discuss your next film. What do you think about the script for Independence Day?"

Aside from a few critics, most of the guests invited to the premiere were diehard fans. If even

these fans reacted so strongly to the film, it would undoubtedly create a sensation among general audiences -- a truth Roland Emmerich knew full well.

"If you can carve out some time, then I'm all in," Roland replied, his tone relaxed. "But I hear

you have to leave for Europe tomorrow. I don't know when you'll be back."

"That's not an issue. If I have to personally oversee everything, then what's the point of me

being a boss?"

Both men shared a knowing smile.

...

As the movie approached its final act, Eric quietly told the person next to him that he was

going to the bathroom.

Although most people in the screening room had their focus on the screen, Eric's movement

was still noticed by some.

Penelope glanced over at Kate, who was entirely engrossed in the movie, then cautiously bent her body to leave her seat and chase after the figure Eric had disappeared toward. Noticing Penelope getting up, Kate didn't pay it much mind. However, Charlize watched Penelope until she caught sight of her venturing toward the exit where a man had just passed, murmuring something under her breath, feeling a mix of reluctance, frustration, and a hint of insecurity. Soon enough, all that emotion shifted to the man, and Charlize clenched her jaw,

growing furious. She could no longer concentrate on the film.

...

This might be her only opportunity; if she missed it, who knew when the next chance would

come.

With that thought, Penelope rushed through a side door down a corridor, just in time to spot Eric's figure turn a corner. Without hesitation, she followed him.

As the Spanish girl reached the corner, she bumped right into someone, and just as she was about to apologize, she heard Eric's voice asking, "Girl, are you looking for someone?" Penelope stopped, catching the playful glint in Eric's eyes. Rather than feeling embarrassed, she confidently replied, "Mr. Williams, what a coincidence." "Indeed, it's quite the coincidence," Eric said with a smile, taking a few steps forward to push

open the men's restroom door and step inside. After he took care of his business, he returned to find Penelope pretentiously standing at the sink doing her makeup. With the prey conveniently laid out before him, Eric leaned beside her at the sink, turned on

the faucet, and whispered playfully near her ear, "It's just us inside; do you want to step in for

a look?"

Penelope froze for a moment, then broke into a sly smile, her eyes sparkling with a touch of playful defiance. "Sure, as long as you don't mind getting caught."

Eric led her into the men's restroom, casually placing a 'Cleaning in Progress' sign outside the

door.

*****

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