"I don't have any plans. Like I said before, Kim still has a year off to college, and I just want to spend more time with her during that time. Besides, I'm not good at handling business matters."
Brian wasn't actually that old, barely in his early 50s, but he'd likely experienced a lot of harsh conditions in his youth, with very noticeable wrinkles around his eyes and forehead.
Compared to the sassy old CIA Joe Mason and the more cheerful bald Frank, Brian had a more somber demeanor and an extremely low-key demeanor. He was the type who could be completely unnoticed in a crowd.
Such a person was best suited for two professions: assassin or bodyguard for VIPs, and Jack suspected he'd excel at both.
"So what about a year from now? Living it up on the beaches of Los Angeles? I know retirements are supposed to be generous in your line of work, but isn't that a little too soon for you?"
Jack said, gesturing at Joan Jett, who was singing "I Hate Myself For Loving You" on stage. "Like this Queen of Rock. She's over 60 this year, right? And yet she still delivers such passionate rock music."
Being able to watch celebrity performances from the backstage side passages was probably one of the few perks of the job. Jack listened to music, but
he had no interest in singers or celebrities. Joan Jett, the Queen of Rock, was one of the few rock stars he could remember. This old lady was an absolute legend, single-handedly carving out a niche in the male-dominated rock scene of the 1970s and 1980s, influencing generations.
While many Chinese might be unfamiliar with Joan Jett's name, most have likely heard Edward Wagh's cover of "I Hate My Infatuation."
"You can start by forming a team. The cooperation between Leila and Shangri-La will deepen, and situations like today's that you can't handle alone will become more frequent.
You said you wanted to be with your daughter Kim, but what about Leila?" Jack asked loudly, shaking his legs to the rhythm.
Seeing the complex expression on Brian's face, someone secretly smiled with triumph.
He had already seen that this old man treated Leila more than just an employer; he doted on her like a daughter. Even his gaze towards Red held a hint of the scrutiny of a father-in-law.
Jack continued to lay out his conditions. "And didn't you say your daughter Kim wants to be a star? You've been with Leila, and you've probably seen a lot of the entertainment industry's turmoil. Are you really confident she'll be stuck in the mud alone?
You should also be familiar with our style of work. Shangri-La can't guarantee your daughter will become a star, but at least it can keep her away from drugs and unspoken rules."
"What do I need to do?" Brian's cheek twitched involuntarily, perhaps because Jack's words reminded him of something. Perhaps Brian's cheek twitched involuntarily, as if Jack had brought something to mind.
Jack chuckled, knowing he'd basically convinced him. "Don't worry about the business side of things. Just manage the security team. It'll be whatever you want."
"I'll seriously consider it, Boss."
Hearing Brian change his address, Jack was overjoyed and waved his hands.
"Call me Jack. Chris is the boss. I'll finalize this with him as soon as possible. You can tell your daughter the good news now. Chris will arrange a suitable agent and the necessary training."
He wasn't worried about whether Brian's daughter had the talent to be a star. The character was originally played by Maggie Grace, who had starred in the American TV series "Lost" and "Twilight."
She was perhaps most memorable for her role as the lead actress in the film "Space One," where she was incredibly beautiful.
Seeing Brian's gloomy expression change, and excitedly pick up his phone and head for the break room, Jack's lips curled up into a smile, silently sighing at the compassion of parents.
The performance on the stage is still going on. Many big-name singers came today, and there are more than ten thousand people in the audience. Leila usually sings and has never released an album. Today she is just here as a guest to show her support and will not stay for the entire concert.
There was a small commotion backstage. Jack thought Leila was leaving, but when he looked, he saw two familiar faces.
"Cassell, Alexis, over here."
Seeing Jack, the great writer's face lit up with surprise, and he walked towards him, his arms around his daughter and another familiar-looking girl.
"Why are you here?" they both asked in unison.
"I'm here as a bodyguard, what about you?" Jack said succinctly.
Castle curled his lips, a look of disappointment on his face. "Alexis and her new friend wanted to get autographs from the rock queen and that actress, Leila, so I brought them backstage."
Jack knew what he was disappointed about. He probably thought a murder had occurred the moment he saw him, and his detective instincts had kicked in again.
He greeted Alexis and then looked at the slightly older girl beside her. She looked more and more familiar. "Alexis, so who's your new friend?"
"Kim Mills, the stepdaughter of oil tycoon Stuart. Her mother brought her to New York for a visit."
Before Castle finished speaking, a surprised exclamation came from the side. Brian, who had been frowning as he walked out of the lounge, clutching his phone, hugged the girl next to Alexis.
"Kim!"
"Dad!"
"Huh?"
Castle swallowed his words as he watched the embraced father and daughter. He secretly poked Jack. "What's going on?"
Jack hadn't expected such a coincidence. Just as he'd been talking to Brian about his daughter, this person magically appeared.
After a few introductions, they finally understood what was going on. It turned out that Castle, who had a wide circle of friends, had a friend named Stewart, an oil tycoon.
Stewart had married Brian's ex-wife, and Brian's daughter, Kim, now lived with her mother, making her Stewart's stepdaughter.
Kim knew that her biological father had been working as a bodyguard for the "big star" Leila. So, she pestered her mother to come with her to New York to visit her biological father and witness the New York Fashion Week.
Then Stuart asked his friend in New York, the great writer Cassel, to take care of his wife and stepdaughter, because he happened to have a daughter, Alexis, who was about the same age as his stepdaughter.
Even though Jack had long been accustomed to this messy world of self-interpretation in film and television, he still felt a little incredible.
He secretly thought about whether he should go back and hint to Brian, telling him not to agree if his daughter wanted to go to Paris, France, or take Alexis with him when he took her there.
The renovation downstairs started shaking again, so I'm sorry if I didn't see her today.
(End of this Chapter)