David Beckham, a football superstar hailing from the youth training of the illustrious Premier League giants, Manchester United.
To put it succinctly, Beckham is not categorized among the most powerful contemporary stars, yet he undeniably stands out as the most attractive player among his peers. Kaka, while also very handsome, does not boast the same impeccable fashion sense as Beckham. Santa Cruz, too, is quite the looker, but he cannot be considered a first-class star.
Moreover, Beckham possesses his own set of unique talents. During the first round of the 1996 Premier League, in a game against Wimbledon, the young Beckham scored a sensational goal with a long-range lob from an astonishing 60 meters. This feat catapulted him to fame!
Beckham's passing abilities are exceptionally precise, most notably his signature "full moon scimitar."
Thus, despite Beckham's poor dribbling skills and lack of excellence in other areas, his commercial value remains significantly higher than that of other stars. This is largely due to his one-of-a-kind tricks and his striking good looks.
In 2010, Beckham found himself at the twilight of his football career. Having savored the pinnacle of success with both Manchester United and Real Madrid, the 35-year-old star joined AC Milan.
Tragically, an ankle injury sustained during a club match and his advancing age led to his exclusion from the 2010 World Cup squad. This omission deeply saddened Beckham but granted him the opportunity to focus on his lucrative commercial endeavors.
As one of the foremost football superstars in the UK at this juncture, Beckham's commercial appeal surpassed that of many British A-list actors and singers, even exceeding that of his celebrity wife, Victoria Beckham.
That day, Beckham strolled onto the beach, where a commercial shoot was underway. A comfortable lounge chair was promptly placed behind him, and upon his reclining, a service staff member swiftly unfurled a large parasol to shade him from the sun.
Lying on the chair with legs crossed, he resembled a man on a leisurely holiday. Meanwhile, five towering professional football players from the English Championship had been warming up and preparing for the shoot, which was to feature Beckham from a distance of 40 meters.
Julian, an onlooker with a puzzled expression, clutched his coffee and mused: "Why are these other players here? Isn't this a solo 40-meter shot for Beckham's commercial?"
As the director approached Beckham with a respectful nod, Beckham interrupted him with a wave of his hand. In his distinctively feminine tone, Beckham requested, "I need a coffee... Without it, I can't get into the right mood at all."
The director leaped to his feet, bellowing, "Coffee! Mr. Beckham requires coffee! Hurry!"
Immediately, the entire film crew was in a flurry, and the service staff rushed out to buy coffee for Beckham.
Julian looked down at the coffee cup in his hand and quickly concealed it behind his back.
This coffee was no longer suitable for Beckham; it couldn't be given to the superstar.
Julian's attempt to hide the coffee was caught by Beckham.
"Wait, don't you guys have it ready?" Beckham pointed to the coffee in Julian's hand.
Julian was momentarily stunned before the director rushed over and snatched the coffee cup from him. "Bring it here! Why are you drinking coffee before Mr. Beckham?" the director scolded.
"I-I'm not, I..." Julian stammered, "This coffee...is cold!"
Beckham took the coffee from the director, grinning. "Great, I've liked cold coffee since I was a kid. If it were hot, I still couldn't drink it!"
Panicking, Julian added, "Wait! This coffee...is very bitter!"
Beckham chuckled. "How do you know that I prefer cold and bitter coffee? This is the taste of a true British gentleman!"
Julian was desperate. "Don't, don't! This coffee is..."
Before Julian could finish, Beckham downed the coffee in one gulp.
"It's so aromatic! So smooth!" Beckham seemed invigorated. "This is genuine coffee! Believe it or not, I tasted haggis in this cup. This is much stronger than espresso—photographer brother, thank you for this cup. I'll sign for you. Oh, yes, what were you about to say?"
Julian sighed, "Forget it...you've already had it."
Beckham encouraged him, "It's alright, tell me. I'm eager to know more about this coffee. I can't wait to have three more cups like it."
Julian feigned reluctance. "Well, I was going to say—I've already had this cup of coffee."
"That's all?" Beckham's smile grew wider. "Even though I'm a star, I'm still a football player. I'm not as picky as those in the entertainment industry. It doesn't bother me if you've had a sip!"
The director beside him gushed, "Look! Mr. Beckham is so down-to-earth!"
Julian continued, "I took a sip and found it too bitter, so I spit it out."
"That's it?" Beckham said, his smile unwavering.
Julian shrugged. "Well, yes. But since you insist, I'll tell you the whole truth."
Beckham's charming smile instantly disappeared, and he leaned on the armrest of the chair, retching violently. The director, caught off guard, started retching alongside him.
Julian quipped, "Looks like I can't drink it either, but you still wanted some."
"Detected 65 points of negative emotion from David Beckham. System bubbles are being generated..."
"Detected 41 points of negative emotion from James Dolores. System bubbles are being generated..."
Julian's eyes lit up. Beckham's negative emotion value was incredibly high! It's only natural, considering a world-class football player just drank his saliva. And who is this "James Dolores"? He must be the commercial's director. What kind of directorial skills could he have?
As Beckham and the director continued to retch, a second blue bubble emerged beside them. Julian, keeping his excitement in check, nudged the two blue bubbles with his feet.
The bubbles burst in a brilliant flash, turning into two light threads that merged with Julian's body.
"The host has acquired the skill from the filled bubbles: Director's Communication +1. Today's pick-up progress is 2/10."
"Reminder: This skill allows the host to communicate with actors one-on-one from a director's perspective. The effectiveness increases at night. It is applicable to both male and female actors."
Julian was taken aback. Wasn't this supposed to be a serious director's skill? It sounded more like a...director's communication skills!
Julian: ...
This hell, is it a serious director skill?
Is this skill spelled wrong? Is it the director's communication skills, or the director's communication skills!
Wait, I think I figured out why this ad featured those five tall players. Shit!
This is a director with a story!
Forget it, don't overwhelm yourself with too many skills...
Besides, what we are looking forward to is not the director's skills, but the skills of football superstar Beckham!
Little brother system! Don't cheat!