I am Hollywood

[Chapter 555: No Strategy Yet]

In the villa's living room, only a wall lamp cast light, and Spanish voices echoed from the television. Eric saw a Spanish girl curled up on the couch, engrossed in the screen while munching on chips, the crunching sound reminding him of a little mouse nibbling away.

"Hey, wildcat," Eric said as he walked closer to the couch, greeting her.

The Spanish girl turned her head and, upon seeing Eric, her eyes widened in surprise. She wrinkled her nose, catching a whiff of alcohol on Eric, and instinctively recoiled while clutching the bag of chips protectively in front of her.

Eric sensed something was off but attributed it to the fact that he had overindulged in drinks that night. He instinctively shook his head to clear it, only to feel a wave of dizziness, causing him to sit down on the couch and wrap an arm around the girl next to him, pulling her onto his lap with a gentle tug.

"Sorry, Penny. I didn't mean to drink so much," Eric said as he yanked the bag of chips from the girl's hands and tossed it onto the coffee table, leaning down to give her a quick kiss on the lips.

The girl, who had been dazed, suddenly felt Eric's movement. Her cheeks instantly flushed, her eyelashes fluttered rapidly as she regained her composure. It was then she recognized Eric and shyly placed her hands in front of him to prevent any further advances, speaking in broken English, "Mr. Williams, I'm not Penny. I'm Monica."

"What did you say?" Eric couldn't quite catch what Monica Cruz said, her accent thick as he struggled with a slight haze still lingering in his mind.

Just as Monica was about to explain, another voice chimed in, "Monica, I think I just heard a car outside. Is that Eric... ah!"

Penelope came down from the second floor and reached the stairway, spotting her sister shyly perched on Eric's lap, letting out a surprised gasp.

Eric turned and saw Penelope at the top of the stairs, still in that black dress from earlier in the day. Looking back at the girl in his lap, he recalled Penelope mentioning that her sister had just arrived in Los Angeles. The two girls bore such a striking resemblance that, though he could differentiate them if he stared closely, distinguishing their features was difficult for Eric at the moment.

Noticing Penelope's mix of surprise and an odd expression at the top of the stairs, Eric instinctively tightened his hold on Monica's waist, lifting her off to set her down nearby. "I thought I felt a bit light. Turns out, it was just the sister."

Monica's confusion was evident, while Penelope chuckled at the situation. Ignoring Eric's slight awkwardness, she walked over to the couch and whispered something in her sister's ear, which made Monica nod shyly before getting up to wish Eric goodnight and dashed upstairs.

Once Monica's figure faded from sight, Penelope mimicked her sister's earlier actions and settled herself on Eric's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Eric, do you think I've put on weight?"

Not bringing up the earlier misunderstanding, Eric remained tight-lipped. He stroked the soft curve of her waist and replied, "Yeah, but I think women are more attractive with a little extra meat."

Penelope leaned against him, closing the distance to tease, she whispered in his ear, "What kind of feeling are you talking about?"

"I'm a bit drunk and can't recall right now. You have to try to find out."

"Then let's try it," Penelope leaned in, lightly biting his ear, and whispered, "Right here is fine."

...

Monica Cruz spent the whole night restless after overhearing sounds in the stairwell the previous evening. Initially, she felt a mix of awe and curiosity towards her sister's man. In Spain, she had heard more than once about the wonders Eric had created. However, after the little misunderstanding last night, those feelings morphed into something she couldn't quite place.

Despite being tired from the lack of sleep, Monica woke up on time for school. Remembering that Eric was probably still at the villa, she hesitated by her wardrobe for a bit, before finally choosing a pink dress to wear. Although she had to wear a school uniform, she thought it would be nice for him to see her like this, even just for a moment.

Stepping out of her bedroom, Monica found the hallway upstairs very quiet. Penelope's door was still closed, and she assumed both her sister and Eric were still asleep. Disappointed, she made her way downstairs to prepare breakfast.

Once in the kitchen, she spotted Eric already busy making breakfast, a light aroma of oatmeal filling the air.

Hearing her footsteps, Eric turned around while frying an egg, this time recognizing her immediately. The resemblance between the two sisters was striking, but their auras were quite different. Penelope carried a wild charm while Monica lacked that same presence.

"Good morning," Eric said, knowing that Monica's English was limited. He spoke slowly, asking, "Is Penny awake?"

Monica felt comfortable with Eric's deliberate tone and replied, "Not yet." Then, almost involuntarily, she added, "She often sleeps in."

Upon saying that, Monica noticed a fleeting teasing smile on Eric's face, causing her to blush and lower her gaze, regretting her words.

"Let's not bother her. Help me serve the oatmeal, and then we can eat breakfast," Eric said, gesturing to the ingredients on the counter.

Though Monica didn't understand some of the words Eric used, she saw the hand motions clearly and eagerly stepped forward, pulling out two small bowls from the cupboard and dishing out the fragrant oatmeal.

After serving breakfast, they walked to the dining area together. Taking a seat, Eric glanced at the empty space to his right, where he used to see a stack of newspapers. This had been true even back when he was in Europe.

"Did you subscribe to papers?" he asked.

Monica lifted her head, taking a few moments to recall the meaning of the word 'newspaper.' "Yes, I'll get them."

After a while, Monica returned with several newspapers in hand, handing them to Eric.

Penelope hadn't subscribed to many papers; most were female-oriented, along with a couple of gossip tabloids. Thankfully, Eric spotted the Los Angeles Times among them, its pages laid open in front of him.

Monica ate her breakfast demurely, occasionally stealing glances at Eric. If their eyes met, she would greet him with a shy smile.

As Eric flipped through the pages, he asked, "Today is Wednesday. You still have school, right?"

"Yes," Monica instantly focused, mentioning a private school name that Eric couldn't make sense of, as it sounded Spanish.

They chatted casually until they finished breakfast, but Penelope did not wake up. Eric recalled Penelope mentioning she had no plans for the day, so he didn't wake her.

Monica cleared up the dishes after breakfast and returned to her room. A few minutes later, she emerged in her school uniform, carrying a backpack.

"You look lovely," Eric complimented as he noticed Monica in a white sleeveless shirt and a red and black plaid skirt. He made a remark about school uniforms, noting how he preferred Japanese girls' sailor suits; American students' attire seemed a touch too formal.

"Thank you, Eric. I'm leaving now," Monica waved, and once he acknowledged her, she headed for the door.

Eric glanced at his watch and figured it was about time to go. He left Penelope a note and rolled up the not-yet-finished Los Angeles Times, stepping out of the Spanish girl's villa, planning to finish reading it in the car on the way to the office.

The driver was already waiting by the road at the villa's entrance. During the dim lighting of the night prior, Eric hadn't noticed that the villa overlooked a sprawling blue ocean. Now, peering past the lawn and gentle slope, he could faintly hear the sound of waves crashing.

Moreover, the road in front of the villa formed a C-shape, with no buildings on either side, ensuring privacy. If one desired seclusion, a wall could be built, showing how much thought the Spanish girl had put into it. It was obvious that it required funding -- this was 1993, and in Santa Monica, million-dollar homes weren't plentiful. Most residential prices there didn't exceed $300,000.

Eric looked around. Monica's figure had vanished, and he didn't mind how she would get to school. He slid into his Bentley, instructing the driver to start the engine.

After driving a short distance and making a turn, Eric happened to glance up and saw Monica quietly waiting at a fork in the road. He asked the driver to stop. Rolling down the window, he waved at her, "Need a ride to school?"

Monica had initially thought the school bus would arrive soon. However, seeing Eric's warm smile made her heartbeat quicken, and she nodded softly. Eric opened the car door, shifting a bit to make room for her beside him as he confirmed the school's address before putting the car in motion again.

Monica's school wasn't far away. In under ten minutes, the car stopped at the entrance of a private middle school. Although America was a car-centered nation, the impressive Bentley remained out of reach for many average citizens, and Santa Monica wasn't the affluent Beverly Hills; most students here hailed from middle-class families.

As the car halted, several middle school students en route to the entrance stopped, glancing curiously at Eric's vehicle while others paused to catch a glimpse of who might be getting out.

Naturally, at just sixteen, Monica felt a sense of vanity swell within her at the stares from outside, interpreting it as an affirmation, which imbued her gaze toward Eric with more significance than before.

"Just here is fine. I won't get out; I'll be recognized," Eric reached across, assisting her by opening the door on the other side.

Feeling Eric's arm brush against her inadvertently, Monica didn't flinch this time. Instead, she shyly thanked him, hesitated for a moment, then suddenly leaned over and kissed Eric on the cheek before hurriedly exiting the car.

Eric smiled and touched his cheek where she had kissed him, reflecting on how he hadn't even intended to win her over yet, and was already at a ninety percent completion rate.

Setting aside his slightly mischievous thoughts, Eric handed the backpack that Monica had left behind to the driver. "Please deliver this to Ms. Cruz."

...

In Paris, negotiations concerning the equity division within DreamWorks Pictures reached a conclusion in the final three days. Firefly Films secured a 30% stake, becoming the largest shareholder of the production company, MGM acquired 15% through a stock swap, while DreamWorks garnered nearly 9% of MGM, while various European film investors claimed the remaining 55%. 

Following the approval of the final proposal, MGM launched a fervent promotional campaign. However, the management team resorted to some clever tactics, failing to disclose the specific terms of their stock swap arrangement, instead touting MGM's 15% stake in DreamWorks, branding it as the second-largest shareholder.

This favorable outcome led to MGM's stock price soaring by 11% within a week, while Lyon Credit Bank's previously unnoticed MGM shares suddenly attracted numerous interested investors. Despite this newfound interest, Lyon Credit Bank was no longer in a rush to sell. Even if over the next three years, DreamWorks released a film generating half the box office revenue of Jurassic Park, MGM's market value would steadily increase. By then, Lyon Credit Bank could seize an appropriate moment to sell, possibly recovering their initial multimillion-dollar losses and even turning a profit.

After finalizing the DreamWorks contract, Eric also took the lead in preparing the production of Charlies Angels. To ensure no mistakes were made, he took on the role of executive producer and was involved in the entire filmmaking process.

At the same time, Eric began consulting with major Hollywood agencies, searching for suitable scripts for the remaining eight films planned by DreamWorks, aside from the Charlies Angels and Resident Evil projects.

It was Eric's first time publicly selecting scripts on such a massive scale. Although it was not for Firefly Films itself, the script agents from the three major agencies overwhelmed Firefly Films' licensing department within days, delivering a plethora of untapped and promising projects to Eric. This caused quite a buzz and drove many independent film companies, eager for quality scripts, green with envy.

*****

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