The red Chevrolet wound its way through the winding roads of Bel-Air before finally stopping at a small plaza at the end of a road atop the hill. Ahead, a sprawling mansion perched on the hillside was bustling with activity, its interior brightly lit against the backdrop of the newly fallen night.
Lena Kane parked her car and turned to Amy Adams and Jessica Chastain, who were about to get out. "Alright, girls, it's up to you now. Remember what I said: even though this is a party, try to drink as little as possible. Also, don't be shy. If you recognize any big names, go up and say hello. Make an impression. They might think of you for their next project. But remember, restraint—always restraint. Don't let those guys sweet-talk you into bed. They're experts at walking away without a second thought."
Amy, holding the car door handle, listened to Lena's advice and then asked with a smile, "Lena, what if we run into Simon?"
Lena's tone turned serious. "Don't hesitate for a second. If you get the chance, kneel in front of him, undo his belt, and use every trick you've ever heard of or seen."
Amy reached out to pinch Lena's round face. "Lena, can you not say such shameless things with such a straight face? Haha."
Lena swatted Amy's hand away, her eyes widening slightly. "Hey, I'm 100% serious. Amy, did you hear everything I just said?"
Amy retracted her hand, her expression becoming more serious as she nodded. "I remember, Lena."
Lena then turned to Jessica, who also nodded quickly.
Lena waved her hand. "Alright, then. Go on. I'll pick you up at 10."
The two girls got out of the car and, almost in unison, paused to watch Lena turn the car around and drive off. Only after Lena waved from the driver's seat did they take out their invitations and head toward the mansion's entrance.
As Jessica Chastain handed her invitation to the doorman, she couldn't help but glance back at the red Chevrolet that had already turned around.
Once Lena Kane had made up her mind, she didn't waste any time. After accompanying the two women to their audition that morning, she helped them find a new place and move in that afternoon, all without slacking off on her work. However, during this time, the round-faced assistant had also taken the opportunity to share her plans with Jessica after she had settled into her new home.
Jessica had her own opinions, but she was convinced by Lena's reasoning. The only awkward part was how to break the news to their agent and, especially, to Amy. In a place like Hollywood, where everyone had their own agenda, Jessica could feel that Amy genuinely considered her a friend. Yet, even without Lena's analysis, Jessica knew that the two of them were destined to be competitors.
Lena decisively took charge of the situation, assuring Jessica that everything would be resolved within a weekend.
As for their agent, that was another matter.
With Amy, the two had already moved into separate places, and with each having their own agent, they would inevitably be busy with their own careers. It was likely that their friendship would naturally fade.
After their invitations were checked, the two women walked into the mansion. As soon as they entered the grand hall, they noticed a portly white man chatting animatedly with guests. Lena had shown them a photo earlier—this was Michael Jordan, the chairman of Westinghouse, who shared a name with the basketball legend.
Seeing the two women approach, the red-faced Michael Jordan immediately recognized them. After all, few people in the industry hadn't seen Paranormal Activity by now. "Good evening, ladies. Oh my, you both look stunning tonight. Absolutely breathtaking."
"Mr. Jordan, thank you for having us."
"Please, call me Michael, or Mike. By the way, your performances in Paranormal Activity were fantastic. The film once again reminded everyone of the powerful magic of cinema."
As Michael Jordan showered them with compliments, both women had the same thought: this was a man who knew how to talk, someone who could easily win people over.
Fortunately, they hadn't forgotten Lena's repeated warnings.
Restraint, always restraint.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, the two women excused themselves and moved on.
Thanks to the success of Paranormal Activity, they didn't have to put in much effort to attract attention. Just a few steps away from Jordan, they were approached by another man.
This one was equally talkative, and they recognized him—Michael Ovitz, the head of CAA.
After similarly praising their performances in Paranormal Activity, Michael Ovitz got straight to the point. "Amy, Jessica, have you considered joining CAA? In my opinion, both of you have tremendous potential as actresses and deserve better opportunities. Come to CAA, and I can personally help map out the next steps in your careers. Remember, this is important."
Sugar-coated bullets.
Restraint, always restraint.
The two women smiled politely, silently repeating Lena's advice in their heads, and didn't lose their composure.
The CAA boss had clearly played a word game. Saying he would personally help plan their careers didn't mean he would personally represent them. Even though CAA operated on a unique cross-representation model, if they switched agencies, there was no guarantee they wouldn't be handed off to some unfamiliar agent. In contrast, they knew Jason Baster and Lena Kane well and trusted their abilities.
In the end, they couldn't completely resist Michael Ovitz's persuasion. Before parting ways, they gave him their contact information, which led to them being pursued by CAA's notoriously persistent "foot soldiers" for quite some time afterward.
"Oh, Mr. Howard, I'm a huge fan of yours. I've seen Splash, Cocoon, and Apollo 13. And that film you did years ago, Willow—I think it's really underrated. By the way, Mr. Howard, what are you working on now?"
"Currently, I'm working with Hanks and others on a documentary series for HBO about the moon landing in the 20th century."
"That sounds amazing. I can't wait to see it."
"And you, Jessica?"
"Me? I just auditioned for a new Woody Allen film today. Also, I'll probably be the lead in the sequel to Paranormal Activity."
On the backyard lawn of the Bel-Air mansion, which offered a panoramic view of Los Angeles, Ron Howard raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly when Jessica Chastain mentioned the latter part. "The sequel to Paranormal Activity, huh? That's a great continuity plan. I've been keeping an eye on that project too, and I've even been thinking about making a similar film."
"Oh, I'm sure you'll do a much better job than us," Jessica said, extending her hand to Ron Howard. "What I mean is, Mr. Howard, I hope we can work together someday."
Ron Howard, realizing this was the end of the conversation, shook her hand with a smile. "Of course."
"Well, I'm sorry, but I should go say hello to some other people."
"By all means."
After leaving Ron Howard, Jessica headed straight for her next target: the famous Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer.
Amy was no longer by her side.
Mainly because, during their initial mingling, Jessica noticed that most people's attention was focused on Amy, the lead actress of Paranormal Activity, while she, like in the film, was relegated to a supporting role. So, Jessica took the opportunity to separate from Amy and navigate the party on her own.
This further reinforced her belief that accepting Lena's advice had been the right decision. If she had stayed with Jason, their agent would have naturally focused more on Amy, who had higher visibility.
After playing the "lead in the Paranormal Activity sequel" card, Jessica quickly hit it off with Jerry Bruckheimer.
As they chatted, they suddenly noticed a commotion coming from the direction of the mansion. They turned to look and, within moments, gathered from the surrounding guests' chatter what was happening.
Simon had arrived.
Hollywood wasn't short of people named Simon—or any name, for that matter. But there was only one "Simon" who could cause such a stir among the top-tier celebrities in Hollywood.
Jessica hesitated, wondering if she should go over and say hello, but Jerry Bruckheimer beat her to it. "Excuse me, Miss Chastain, I need to step away for a moment."
"Oh, of course."
Jessica watched as the legendary producer, known for countless blockbusters, hurried off. Many of the Hollywood heavyweights she could only admire from afar were also subtly making their way toward the mansion's entrance. After a brief pause, she followed.
Soon, she ran into Amy, and the two women exchanged a glance. With Simon's arrival, they naturally gravitated back toward each other.
As for why they stuck together, it was probably an instinctive belief that two 70s combined could at least surpass an 80, even if they didn't reach 140.
Through the crowd, the two women could only confirm that Simon was still in the mansion's main hall. Some people had already approached him, while most were waiting nearby. This wasn't a fan meet-and-greet; crowding around the young mogul wouldn't help them make connections—it would only annoy him. So, everyone instinctively maintained a respectful distance, waiting their turn based on their status or position.
The two women stood on the outermost edge, subtly maneuvering until Amy finally caught a glimpse of Simon. She nudged Jessica with some surprise. "Look, next to Simon—hah, he really does switch things up occasionally."
Jessica followed Amy's gaze and immediately recognized the tall, dark-haired woman leaning close to Simon. It was the model, Shalom Harlow, who had passed by them earlier that morning at Daenerys Studios. They had crossed paths again later when she was also auditioning for Celebrity. Jessica hadn't expected to see her here tonight.
However, after observing for a moment, Jessica said, "She's clearly the one making the moves, and I saw her here half an hour ago. She didn't come with Simon."
The facts quickly proved Jessica right.
Within moments, the dark-haired woman, who had tried to wrap her arm around Simon's, was gently pulled away by his bodyguards.
Amy also noticed these details and felt a sense of vindication. She then seemed to realize something and said to Jessica, "Look, it seems Simon didn't bring a date this time?"
Jessica caught the barely concealed eagerness in Amy's tone and nodded, adopting Lena's serious demeanor. "You should take the initiative later. Don't hesitate."
Amy didn't mind Jessica's teasing and even took it further, leaning in to whisper in her ear, "Let's do it together later. We'll seize the moment and blow his mind."
Jessica: "..."
Unaware of the two women's "scheming," Simon, still in the mansion's main hall, gestured for his bodyguards to remove the clingy woman and then turned to Michael Jordan of Westinghouse. "So, Mike, how did your trip to Tokyo go?"
Michael Jordan had just returned from Japan.
After successfully selling off Westinghouse's conventional power division, Michael Jordan had set his sights on expanding the company's media business, with the goal of acquiring a major film studio.
In Hollywood today, the most suitable—and perhaps only—target was Columbia Pictures, owned by Sony.
Sony had been hemorrhaging money with Columbia for years, and rumors of the company selling off its film division had circulated countless times.
Where there's smoke, there's fire.
Moreover, the rise of ThinkPad and the internet in recent years had severely impacted Sony's consumer electronics and music businesses. Add to that the recent Asian financial crisis, which had also hit Japan hard, and the likelihood of Sony scaling back its operations was growing.
Thus, Michael Jordan had recently made a trip to Tokyo to discuss the acquisition of Columbia Pictures with Sony's top executives.
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