Chapter 537: "Of Course Not a Problem"

[Chapter 537: "Of Course Not a Problem"]

In the screening room, the showing of Deep Impact had just ended. The audience and media journalists were still engrossed in the film's realistic scenes of a tsunami striking Manhattan, eagerly questioning director Roland Emmerich and the creative team. Not many noticed Eric's early departure.

Like many fans invited to the premiere, Kate lingered in the theater, exclaiming over the disaster footage, when she noticed Charlize's distracted expression. After glancing at the empty seat next to her, she finally realized what was happening and asked, "Where's Penny?"

Charlize gestured toward the stage, and Kate looked over to find Eric was not there. She quickly reacted, covering her mouth in surprise. "No way! Penny... is it that fast?"

Charlize muttered a curse, unwilling to stay any longer. She stood up to leave just as a young man in his thirties approached them along the aisle. He said, "Ms. Beckinsale, Ms. Theron, I'm Mr. Williams' assistant. He had an urgent matter and asked me to apologize on his behalf. He also wanted me to offer you a ride home."

The two girls exchanged strange glances before looking toward Allen. He felt a bit awkward but could only shrug and make an understanding face.

After a brief silence, Charlize said, "This... sir, we can get home ourselves. No need to escort us."

"You can call me Allen, Ms. Theron. We met a few months ago at Firefly Studios," he explained, then added, "The car is already outside the theater. It's peak dispersal time, so it's not that easy to catch a cab."

Upon hearing this, Kate gently tugged at Charlize, turning to Allen. "Thanks, Allen. We can leave now."

...

Once they returned to their place in Santa Monica and thanked the driver, Kate finally broke the long silence. "Stop overthinking it. You don't look any worse than Penny. You'll definitely get another chance."

Charlize shot a mildly annoyed glare at Kate. "What are you talking about? I don't think so."

Kate pulled out the leftover snacks from the movie and popped one in her mouth. With a mischievous grin, she said, "If that's the case, just open the door. I don't have the keys."

Charlize produced a set of keys and walked to the door, mumbling, "I just think Penny is too..."

At that moment, she fell silent, not finding the right word as she opened the door. Was she too pragmatic? Weren't they all a bit mercenary in Hollywood? Too brazen? That didn't quite fit either; if it weren't for Eric Williams, Penny wouldn't have been so forward.

...

"Deep Impact grossed $2.68 million at the midnight showing, surpassing Batman to become the second-highest midnight gross in North America." -- Los Angeles Times

"Following Twister, another classic disaster film emerges. Deep Impact showcases breathtaking CGI effects that bring forth disaster scenarios previously existing only in our imagination." -- San Francisco Chronicle

"Deep Impact's outstanding midnight box office has once again proven the vast commercial potential of CGI films. One can anticipate another fundamental technological revolution in Hollywood, following the development of sound and color films over the past eight decades." -- Chicago Tribune

"While Jurassic Park continues to rake in profits at the North American and worldwide box office, Firefly Productions launched yet another visually stunning effects-driven film. The midnight gross for Deep Impact is a resounding testament to its immense commercial value. Meanwhile, just a week prior, Firefly Software announced that its line of effects software would be publicly available for sale, causing quite a stir in Hollywood. However, I worry that as Hollywood continues to commercialize, a new generation of directors including Eric Williams, James Cameron, and Roland Emmerich, have forgotten the essence of the artistry that films should embody, instead pursuing dazzling visual effects and blatant profit. It's disappointing when a company as massive as Firefly submitted a zero-nomination report at last year's Oscars..."

...

By the next morning, in the dining room of Liberty City Manor, Eric was enjoying breakfast while leisurely reading the new day's newspaper.

As he read an article in the Chicago Sun-Times by a conservative Hollywood critic, he noticed some light sounds behind him, turning to see Penelope walking in barefoot, looking like a cat.

"Good morning, little wildcat," Eric greeted with a smile, pointing toward the kitchen. "I made breakfast for both of us; yours is in the kitchen."

With just a quick wash-up and no makeup, Penelope appeared more refined. Hearing Eric's remark, she blushed slightly, returned the greeting shyly, and tiptoed to the kitchen. After a night of training under Eric's guidance, the wildness had vanished, leaving her resembling a lazy house cat.

Eric had managed to eat a little after last night, but Penelope was starved after sleeping like a log. As she walked toward the breakfast table, she couldn't resist snatching up a piece of bread and nibbling on it.

Seeing Penelope's eager expression, Eric couldn't help but tease, "You look more like a little wildcat right now. Are you that hungry?"

Penelope remained silent but obediently sat beside Eric.

He was pleased with how Penelope was behaving and continued reading the paper, saying, "I'll make a call later. You can take the day off and skip training. Since the weekend is coming up, you'll have until Monday to rest. Of course, if you're feeling up for it, I can send you to Santa Monica."

"E...Eric, can I stay here?"

Eric smiled at the downcast Penelope and nodded. "Of course, you can stay until Monday, but I need to go to Europe today, so I won't be able to be with you."

Penelope bit her lip softly. She sensed that Eric understood what she meant, but since he had rejected her, even though she felt a pang of disappointment, she wouldn't dare push her luck after what happened last night.

Eric was very pleased with how Penelope understood the situation. He continued reading the newspaper, and once she finished her meal, she proactively tidied up their dishes before sitting next to him again.

He then took out a credit card from his shirt pocket and handed it to her.

Penelope looked at the Citibank VIP credit card on the table and lifted her hand slightly before quickly suppressing her thoughts. "Eric, I don't want it. I'm not doing this for... for the money."

"If it were for money, I would give you a check, not a credit card." Eric watched her closely. "You see, not every girl gets a credit card from me. This card is equivalent to a contract, and I think a smart girl like you understands what the contract entails. You can choose not to accept it, and we can just see last night as a beautiful memory. However, if something comes up in the future, I'll be sure to help you appropriately."

Penelope's eyes flickered with conflict. She knew perfectly well what Eric meant by 'contract.' After hesitating for a while, she suddenly blurted out, "Eric, how much is on it?"

Eric smirked. "I haven't put any money in, but I recall the maximum overdraft limit should be around 50 million dollars."

Hearing that figure, Penelope's hand trembled, which had been resting on her lap. Coming from an ordinary family in Spain, she had always dreamed of a comfortable, wealthy life. Up until now, the most significant amount of money she was due to receive was for her role in Charlie's Angels. While her pay was $250,000, after taxes, agent fees, and living expenses in Los Angeles, she'd likely pocket only a few thousand. Still, that amount had made her ecstatic, considering the movies she shot in Spain had yielded less than $10,000 in total.

Now, after just one night, she had before her a credit card with a limit of 50 million dollars. Even if the figure were to be reduced by a zero, she felt like selling herself was worth it.

Penelope raised her hand again and asked, "Eric, what if... what if I lose it?"

Eric chuckled. "If you lose it, just report it lost and request a new one. You don't think it just belongs to whoever finds it, do you?"

Penelope awkwardly smiled but did not hesitate this time. She quickly reached out and took the card, curiously rubbing it between her hands.

"Remember, this is a contract. Once you sign it, there's no turning back. You have another chance to reconsider. If you feel uncertain, just leave the card here before you leave the Manor."

"Eric, I... I've made up my mind," the Spanish beauty said without hesitation, snuggling up to him.

Eric gently pinched her chin. "Better think it over again."

Penelope didn't reply but continued nuzzling against his arm. "Eric, it's still early. You're not in a hurry to catch a flight, right?"

Eric ignored her implication, standing up. "I still need to go to the office first, so let's go. Help me pack my bags."

Seeing Eric stay unaffected by her advances, Penelope felt a bit dejected as she got up to follow him. Suddenly, she hurried to his side and said, "Eric, I need a favor from you."

"What is it?"

"I want... I want my sister to come study in America."

Eric stopped suddenly and turned to Penelope, catching the fleeting hint of guilt in her eyes. He chuckled. "Sure, no problem. What's your sister's name?"

"Her name's Mónica."

"Oh," Eric replied, nodding without any trace of emotion. "Wait for my call; I will have someone get in touch with you."

He finished and refrained from asking more questions. Penelope followed him, lightly shaking her fist. Even if she couldn't capture this man's heart, perhaps she could with her sister, who looked a lot like her. While contemplating this, the Spanish girl began scheming, completely unaware that Eric, ahead of her, wore a slightly amused smile.

This was genuinely interesting, Eric thought, his mind flashing with thoughts of Monica Cruz. To be honest, aside from their age difference, the two Spanish sisters hardly looked any different from twins.

...

By 9 o'clock, Eric promptly left Liberty City Manor. Penelope evidently felt some reluctance to part immediately and remained behind. Eric wasn't concerned; given Penelope's demonstrated intelligence, she wouldn't do anything out of line.

After arriving at Firefly's headquarters to arrange a few things, Eric took a private jet from Disney Group to New York. After a brief stop to visit two little ones still living in Long Island, he left again amid Virginia's grumbling and flew directly to Berlin.

Berlin was nine hours ahead of Los Angeles. Eric departed on July 2nd, and after a grueling 20-hour flight, he arrived in Berlin just past 5 AM on July 4th. This day marked America's Independence Day; of course, it had nothing to do with Germany, but the occasion reminded Eric of another matter. It appeared that the script he had prepared for Roland Emmerich, titled Independence Day, had led to various disputes in other film companies in the original timeline. While the project had been revealed to the public, Firefly hadn't officially announced the film's title. Once settled in Berlin, Eric promptly called Los Angeles to instruct Firefly's production team to follow up on this issue.

Eric wasn't overly worried. In the original timeline, Independence Day was initially called Doomsday. It was only shortly before the film's release that Fox studio secured the naming rights from Warner and scheduled the premiere for July 4th, essentially as a marketing ploy. Undoubtedly, the strategy served a purpose, but it was by no means essential. If Warner tried to squeeze him, Eric wouldn't feel compelled to be taken advantage of over a title.

The Berlin premiere proceeded without any surprises or drama. The German branch of Firefly had everything arranged meticulously. After Eric arrived in Berlin, he had only to familiarize himself with the schedule before smoothly completing everything that followed.

Jurassic Park had already made waves around the world due to its astonishing box office performance and realistic CGI effects even before its release in Germany. Coupled with the tireless efforts of the German branch, the film quickly shattered multiple box office records in the market.

*****

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