System in Hollywood

Liu Xiaoli didn't need to say much. Almost every day, she would send Wayne messages, trying to strike up a conversation. But Wayne was always "too busy," responding with lukewarm replies that left her frustrated—yet even more determined to win his approval. 

After all, the hardest things to obtain are often the most desirable. 

Meanwhile, after Mike hung up the phone, the next person he called was Eva Green. 

Eva took the news better than Zhang Ziyi. When she received the call confirming her role as the second female lead, Jill Valentine, in *Resident Evil 2*, she let out a long sigh of relief, her face lighting up with excitement. 

"Yes! Thank you, Mr. Jones! My passport is ready, and I'll definitely be there before the audition!" 

Overwhelmed with excitement, Eva immediately called Wayne. 

"Darling! I just got a call from Mr. Jones! Thank you so much—" 

Eva enthusiastically expressed her gratitude before asking when they could meet again. 

Wayne, for his part, was much warmer toward Eva than he had been with Zhang Ziyi. They chatted for five or six minutes and agreed to meet up once they were both back in Los Angeles. Only then did Eva hang up. 

Still buzzing with excitement, Eva called her mother to share the good news and then busied herself arranging time off. 

That same evening, she boarded a flight to Los Angeles. 

Mike, however, was working even faster. By 5 PM that afternoon, he had already contacted everyone on Wayne's list. 

Actresses like Zhang Ziyi and Eva Green eagerly accepted their roles without hesitation. 

As for the rest, apart from the biggest star, Ben Stiller—who had yet to respond—the other agents immediately agreed to meetings upon receiving invitations. After all, Hemera Pictures had built quite the reputation for being generous. 

As usual, though, Mike couldn't leave the office on time. He stayed late to comb through the script for other roles that might suit his clients. 

For Mike, this was a labor of love. Most agents could only dream of getting access to a script. Usually, just obtaining information about the characters required pulling strings or paying fees. But thanks to Wayne's trust, Mike had direct access, making him feel like he'd hit the jackpot. 

By the time he finished reviewing the script, it was already 1 AM. 

Undeterred, Mike picked up his list and phone, contacting the clients he had in mind. 

For actors, especially those without established careers, every audition opportunity is critical. Mike was confident his clients would appreciate his calls, even at such a late hour. 

And they did. 

"Hello, Megan? It's Mike." 

Megan, who had been living frugally to save for acting classes, was fast asleep when Mike called. But when she heard she had an audition for the third female lead in *Resident Evil 2*, she was ecstatic and profusely thanked him. 

Although hearing the news at midnight versus the next morning didn't change anything, celebrating early felt sweeter. 

However, Megan's excitement might have been premature. 

The journalist character, Susan, was a role Suzan had been considering for Naomi Watts. 

Suzan had a soft spot for people who worked hard to overcome adversity. While Naomi Watts didn't have a "redemption" story, her journey from Australia to Hollywood and her nearly decade-long grind deeply resonated with Suzan. 

Moreover, Suzan and Naomi had collaborated successfully on *Gifted*, giving Naomi a much better chance of landing the role than Megan. 

But that's a story for another time. 

Meanwhile, when Mike finally reached Ryan Reynolds' agent and spoke to Ryan directly, the actor was working part-time as a server at a men's club. 

When Ryan heard he was being considered for the male lead in a $30 million production, his first reaction was disbelief. 

After confirming it wasn't a joke, Ryan wondered if one of the wealthy women at the club had taken a liking to his "innocent and youthful" appearance. 

When he learned it was Hemera Pictures, and the offer came from Wayne himself, Ryan jokingly speculated that Wayne might have a personal "interest" in him. 

It's probably for the best that Wayne never found out—he might have reconsidered the casting. 

As *Resident Evil* entered a new phase of production with plans to shoot the first and second installments back-to-back, Wayne's finances were stretched thin. 

---

**[Name: Wayne]** 

**[Remaining Film Investment Funds: $37 million]** 

**[Ongoing Projects:]** 

**The Bourne Identity: Production budget $56 million, with $41 million invested so far.** 

**Resident Evil 1 & 2: Production budget $65 million, with $15 million invested so far.** 

In a mountainside hotel room in Koblenz, Germany, overlooking the Rhine Valley, Wayne stood alone on the balcony, wearing a bathrobe. As he enjoyed the cool night breeze and fed Mia and the others, he opened his system panel to review his finances. 

With *Gifted* completed, its threefold return on the $36 million production cost had already been deposited into his system account. 

If Wayne had stuck to his original plan of shooting just one *Resident Evil* movie and avoided hiring big names like Ben Stiller, the budget could have stayed under $30 million. 

After all, the only significant special effects in *Resident Evil 1* were for the Licker in the final battle. The rest of the zombies were handled with practical makeup. 

But with two movies being shot simultaneously, even with careful spending, the costs had inevitably ballooned. 

(End of chapter)