Chapter 204: Furious

Arthur calmed himself, looking at the two men who hadn't gone far outside the window. It really did scare him just now.

Almost enraged beyond control, Arthur opened the car door.

Sophie Marceau was startled when she saw Arthur get out of the car and shouted, "Arthur, let's just go home. Forget it!"

Arthur waved his hand back, "Just stay in the car and don't come out."

Then he looked at the two men. The light was dim, so he couldn't see their faces clearly. Arthur, already irritable and angry, didn't care anymore.

The two men were jabbering something unintelligible, seemingly mocking Arthur and reaching for something.

"Take the wallet and get lost," Sophie Marceau threw a wallet out of the window and yelled at the two men.

She then said to Arthur, "Just give them the money. Let's get out of here!"

Arthur looked at the wallet in front of him and pointed at it. Sure enough, the two men walked over, completely unafraid.

"Bang!" Before they knew it, Arthur charged at them, leaping up and driving his knee into one man's chest, sending him flying and rolling on the ground, screaming in pain.

The other one didn't have time to react before Arthur hit him with a right hook, making him spin around and then sweep his legs out from under him, followed by a kick to the face. The man's agonizing screams echoed in the night, and he lay on the ground, unable to move.

The first man, who had just stood up, saw this and, terrified, tried to run but was quickly caught by Arthur, who kneed him in the stomach again.

"Oof!" The man screamed in pain as Arthur grabbed his dreadlocks and dragged him over to the other man lying on the ground. He then slammed their heads together.

Sophie Marceau, watching everything from the car window, was stunned. Arthur's skills were truly impressive.

Arthur checked the two men lying on the ground and found only a flashlight and a small knife. Luckily, they had no guns. France wasn't as flooded with guns as the United States, and Arthur realized he'd been too angry to think clearly.

"Damn, has the chaos in Los Angeles reached France?" Arthur shook his head and threw the flashlight and knife into a nearby ditch.

"Quiet down," he said to the two men still groaning on the ground, then dragged them over and tossed them into the ditch as well.

"Ah, that's better," Arthur said, feeling calm as he returned to the car and picked up the wallet Sophie had thrown earlier.

"Unbelievable," Sophie Marceau said, unable to hide her smile as she quickly started the car and drove away.

"Arthur, that was reckless. What if you couldn't beat them?"

Arthur laughed, "I noticed they only had a flashlight. They probably thought the car was empty and wanted to steal something. I figured I could handle it easily. Otherwise, I'd have told you to start the car."

After returning to Sophie Marceau's house, they went straight to the bathroom to shower.

"You scared me earlier. I was really afraid something would happen to you. I wouldn't know how to deal with all the women who'd come after me," Sophie Marceau said, lying on Arthur's chest in the bathtub, worried.

"Don't worry," Arthur smiled, "In that situation, the sudden appearance of a face outside the car window with a flashlight almost scared me to death!"

"By the way, is Galaxy planning to strengthen its cooperation with Gaumont?" Sophie Marceau asked, recalling seeing Arthur talking to Gaumont's chairman Nicolas Seydoux at the party.

"Yes," Arthur nodded, "Galaxy will set up an office in Paris soon. Gaumont's theater resources and strength make them a good partner. Plus, there's the video tape business, cable TV broadcasting, and other markets. I have a lot of people to meet."

Channels like Canal+ and distribution companies like UGC and AF are essential for the French market. While Gaumont will be a key partner, Galaxy will retain control of its films' French distribution rights, making Gaumont, UGC, and AF local collaborators.

"But for the next couple of days, let's enjoy Paris," Arthur said, holding Sophie Marceau's face. "I'll be returning home soon, and you'll be staying here to shoot Fanfan. It'll be months before we see each other again."

Sophie Marceau remained calm, "I'll be in the U.S. for the promotion of A Few Good Men when it releases, won't I? Besides, who can stop you from coming to see me?"

Arthur laughed, "I might be busy then!"

With that, he embraced her and kissed her...

Following the end of the Los Angeles riots, the citywide curfew lifted on May 4th. However, the damage was substantial, estimated at over $1 billion. 850 families were left homeless, over 20,000 people lost their jobs, 58 people died, and 2,383 were injured. Of the thousands arrested, 6,000 were sentenced.

More than 3,000 buildings were destroyed or burned down, and 3,000 businesses were affected. However, the federal government promised $600 million to help rebuild Los Angeles and criticized the LAPD and City Hall for their unprepared response to the riots.

In North Hollywood, at Galaxy's conference room, Amy Pascal was discussing the release strategy for The Bodyguard with her team:

"The Bodyguard isn't just an action movie. It's also a love story between a white bodyguard and a black pop star. We can highlight the theme of breaking racial barriers, an interracial romance. Whitney Houston is a top black pop star with huge popularity, paired with action star Kevin Costner in a thrilling love story."

With a week left before The Bodyguard premiered, Galaxy was working diligently. To everyone, Kevin Costner's The Bodyguard and Tom Cruise's A Few Good Men were Galaxy's major summer releases.

After the meeting, Frank Darabont, the director of The Shawshank Redemption, happily walked into Amy Pascal's office. "Morgan Freeman fits the role perfectly. The set renovations are almost done, and we're also shooting in Mansfield, Ohio. The Shawshank Redemption will start filming in two months!"

Realizing his dream, Frank Darabont was incredibly excited.

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