America: Beginning with the acquisition of MGM

USA, California, Los Angeles, UCLA Medical Center. This is one of the best hospitals in the country, known for its very high level of medical care.

In a single room, a young man was slowly regaining consciousness. Blurry images flashed before his eyes until his pupils began to focus.

Frowning, he looked around and immediately realized he was in a hospital, lying on a hospital bed. A woman was keeping vigil nearby, but it was the middle of the night, and she was asleep.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, not fully aware of what was happening.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head, and countless memories began to surface in his mind, images washing over him like a wave.

After a brief flash of pain, he touched the bandage on his head and exclaimed, "Damn it! I've been transmigrated!"

This guy from the 21st century was an assistant director on a film crew, with the director being his uncle. After finishing this film, he was supposed to start his own directing career.

That evening, after work, he went to a party with friends from the film crew, where they ate and drank a lot. But instead of starting his directing career, he passed out from drinking too much at the table.

When he woke up, he realized he had successfully transferred into the body of an unfortunate patient in this hospital.

The body he now occupied belonged to Eric Cooper, a tall, handsome, 22-year-old white guy who had recently graduated from UCLA and was quite talented.

Some might doubt that a graduate of a branch university could be considered smart, but this is a common misconception.

After all, each university excels in certain disciplines. For example, the University of Southern California is renowned for its film arts, while UCLA is known for its economics and finance programs.

Many Nobel and Fields Prize laureates have come from this university. It is known as one of the "Public Ivies," highlighting its high status in the educational world.

Note: "Public Ivy" is an unofficial term for public colleges and universities in the United States that are thought to provide an Ivy League collegiate experience.

In addition to his appearance and intellectual abilities, Eric Cooper was also well-off.

Although his family wasn't aristocratic, his father held a decent position at MGM. Yes, the very same movie studio with the roaring lion. Eric's father, Charlie Cooper, was the acting CEO of MGM.

His mother, Emily Cooper, was a traditional homemaker, taking care of the home and raising Eric's older brother. Eric himself was the youngest son in the family and the most beloved.

"Having read so many books about travelers, I can say that I'm lucky. This isn't exactly the pinnacle of success, but compared to those who start from scratch, I have a significant advantage."

"Moreover, my father is the CEO of MGM. Although this company went bankrupt later and was bought by Amazon, it's still a major company. Helping his son make a few films is not a problem."

"I don't need much—low-budget films, even horror ones. The main thing is that I can hold the director's microphone I've wanted for so long!"

While Eric was pondering his situation, the woman next to him woke up from the noise. Seeing her son awake, she cried out, and tears immediately streamed from her eyes.

"Oh my God, Eric, my boy, you finally woke up!"

Looking at his mother's exhausted face, Eric froze for a moment, then accepted his new identity. Since he had been transmigrated, it was time to say goodbye to the past.

He gently patted his mother on the back and tried to say something comforting, but the dryness and hoarseness in his throat after a long comatose state prevented him: "Mom, I need water."

Emily Cooper quickly wiped away her tears, called for a doctor and nurse, and handed her son a glass of water.

As a 20-year-old man, Eric tried to refuse the help: "Mom, I can manage on my own. My head is a little dizzy, but nothing serious."

But Emily insistently made him drink. He had to agree, as a patient can't refuse.

Gradually, he remembered the cause of his injury—he had fallen from the balcony of his house. Although the height was only two stories, he had landed headfirst.

The fact that his neck wasn't broken and he wasn't paralyzed spoke to his good physical condition.

Soon, doctors and nurses came to check on his condition. Being one of the best medical centers in Los Angeles, the service here was top-notch.

After standard examination procedures, the chief doctor, Charles, looked puzzled.

"Mr. Cooper, according to the examination results, your body is weakened, which is normal for such a situation, but all your indicators are within the normal range."

"Frankly, I don't understand. In my 30 years of practice, in similar cases, if a person is in a coma for more than two weeks, they usually become a 'vegetable.' Of course, I don't want to scare you, it's just strange."

Eric thought to himself, "I have a new soul, what could you know about that."

"Dr. Charles, maybe I was just lucky. Can I be discharged?"

Dr. Charles hesitated: "Theoretically, yes, but I would recommend staying under observation for at least a week."

Eric rolled his eyes: "If everything is fine, I don't need a sterile room, I need fresh air!"

The examination took more than two hours. When Eric came out of the office, his mother Emily was waiting for him with another man.

The man in a suit, shoes, and even a tie had probably come straight from work. Don't think that people in America don't work overtime.

"Eric, my boy, I'm so glad you woke up!" Charlie Cooper quickly approached and hugged his son.

"Careful, Charlie, you might hurt him!" Emily quickly pulled her husband away.

Eric shrugged: "Mom, your son isn't that fragile."

But Charlie quickly let go of him anyway: "I'm too excited, I don't even know what to say. Honestly, I've never thanked God this much before!"

Then a discussion began between the attending physician and the patient. Eric insisted on being discharged, while Dr. Charles suggested staying.

In the end, it was decided that a week of observation was impossible, three days at most. Eric's parents were worried about him but also respected the doctor's opinion and found a compromise.

Eric accidentally noticed the calendar on the nurse's desk, which read May 20, 2002.

At that moment, it hit him.

2002, MGM, John Woo, "Windtalkers."

"Damn!" he shouted with a frightened face.