Screaming fans

When it comes to New York, people always seem unable to separate themselves from the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, and Central Park. Of course, in this largest city in the world, there are countless tourist attractions worth mentioning. This was the second time within a year that Hugo had come to New York. The last time was for the filming of "Scent of a Woman", and this time it was for the filming of "Sleepless in Seattle". However, the similarity was that Hugo and the entire crew quietly arrived in New York without the enthusiastic pursuit of the media. Obviously, the recent situation of Hugo and Meg was not good enough to attract media attention.

The lack of media attention naturally had no effect on the crew. They hurriedly went to the Empire State Building. This was where they will shoot the final encounter between Sam and Annie, the climax of the movie.

Nora Ephron wrote the script for "Sleepless in Seattle", inspired by the movie "An Affair to Remember". The favorite movie of the female protagonist in the play is "An Affair to Remember", and the ending of the movie was written to make up for the regret of the male and female protagonists not meeting at the Empire State Building.

Therefore, Nora arranged for Sam and Annie to meet on the top floor of the Empire State Building at the end of the story, drawing a perfect conclusion to the love story that originated from the radio. This is also the first true meeting and conversation between Sam and Annie. So it was crucial to capture the sparks generated by this meeting, allowing the story to come to a perfect conclusion.

Since Nora wanted to shoot on location at the Empire State Building and present the most realistic effect possible, after obtaining permission from the Empire State Building, the filming schedule for the crew became very tight. They had to complete the shooting of this scene in one night, not only due to coordination issues with the Empire State Building but also the pressure of renting the shooting location. Shooting at the Empire State Building on-site was not cheap.

The Empire State Building is one of the most important and iconic buildings in New York. It was not only one of the tallest buildings in the world but also regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. It was built in the 1930s and is considered a symbol of America's economic recovery. Standing on the top of the Empire State Building, you can have an unparalleled view of the city, just like King Kong climbing to the "top of the world".

So when Hugo reached the top of the Empire State Building, the first thing he did was leave all the crew members behind and walk to the edge of the building. From there, he looked out over the entire concrete jungle of Manhattan. New York is one of the cities in the world with the most skyscrapers, especially on the island of Manhattan. Hundreds of concrete buildings are scattered in every corner of the island, forming a cold and desolate forest that extends densely in sight. The flickering silver, yellow, and red lights resemble countless fireflies wandering in the forest, faintly delineating the curve of the forest, spreading high and low towards the horizon. Then you can see a deep blue ribbon cutting through this forest, which should be the Hudson River, followed by a gradually lowering gray area.

This spectacular sight, artificially constructed, brings a sense of visual impact as if carved by a divine craftsman. It is different from the spiritual baptism brought by the grandeur of nature. The scene before the eyes is built brick by brick by humans, and it is more of a spiritual shock. It is like the feeling of seeing the Great Wall, the Egyptian pyramids, or the Hanging Gardens. It is an indescribable impact that renders language colorless.

"So, how does it feel?" Meg also walked to Hugo's side and asked while looking at the scenery in front of them. However, the gust of wind coming towards her made her inhale a large amount of air, and she couldn't help coughing lightly.

The strong wind also made Hugo's eyes a bit dry. He turned his head away from the oncoming wind and smiled at Meg. "Cold?" It was already 9 o'clock in the evening, and it was March in New York. The weather was not only cold but could even be described as bone-chilling.

Meg was originally rubbing her eyes with her head down, but Hugo's teasing made her laugh. She tilted her head and glanced at Hugo, smiling as she said, "I thought there would be more expressions of awe."

"Yes, yes..." Hugo nodded repeatedly. He squinted his eyes again and looked into the distance. "I heard that standing here, you can see the scenery of five neighboring states, but... I didn't know that I can't even see Brooklyn now."

"Didn't you notice that it's already evening?" Meg chuckled lightly. "Besides New York, there aren't that many cities nearby that never sleep." Even on a global scale, there are only a few cities like New York that stay awake all night.

"Well, that's a shame. I originally planned to appreciate the scenery of other states," Hugo shrugged, expressing regret.

"Then you should choose to travel," Meg retorted with a chuckle.

"Hugo? Hugo! Ah... Hugo!" A series of screams from behind interrupted Hugo and Meg's conversation. Meg was startled, and Hugo instinctively took a step back, placing the lady behind him. He turned his head to assess the situation and saw two familiar faces among the crew members.

The crew was organizing the cooperation of tourists for the shoot. Before Annie and Sam's encounter, Jonah had arrived at the Empire State Building, and there were many tourists present. Nora hoped to keep some of the willing tourists to assist the crew's filming. As the crew began setting up lighting and recording equipment, they also organized the tourists, hoping that those who were willing to participate in the shoot could cooperate with the crew.

However, at this moment, it was apparent that two girls broke through the staff's blockade and rushed towards Hugo and Meg. From their voices, it was clear that their target was Hugo.

The two girls almost reached Hugo's side before he could react, and they excitedly and eagerly shouted, "Hugo, Hugo..." They seemed overwhelmed by their excitement and didn't know what else to say besides calling Hugo's name.

The staff behind them caught up and held onto the two girls. Apologizing to Hugo, they tried to persuade the girls to follow the rules. But Hugo raised his hand to stop the staff. "It's okay, it's okay, we're fine." Hugo turned to look at Meg and confirmed, "Are you okay?"

Meg nodded and smiled, lifting her chin slightly. "These are your fans."

Hugo turned with a smile and looked at the girl standing on his right. "Um... have we met before?" Hugo had always struggled with remembering people's names. It was difficult for him to keep a large number of names in his mind. Many times, he would find a face familiar but couldn't match it with a name, and this was one of those moments.

"Do you remember me?" The girl exclaimed excitedly, once again screaming, "Ah... Ah! Do you remember me?"

Hugo couldn't help but reveal a bitter smile. The test his eardrums were enduring was truly daunting, but he still nodded with a smile. "Yes, but... I'm sorry, I don't remember when I met you." After the recent mystery surrounding the big-name incident, Hugo's mindset had changed. Compared to excitement, "joy" would be a more accurate description of Hugo's feelings upon encountering fans who were willing to scream for him once again. So, Hugo honestly expressed his thoughts: he didn't remember when or where he had seen this girl before.

Meg looked at Hugo, who spoke the truth, and couldn't help but widen her mouth. Not to mention her, even the three staff members who followed along were surprised and burst into laughter. Hugo's somewhat silly behavior was not desirable for a celebrity. It was normal for celebrities to forget fans. At a premiere, they might encounter hundreds of fans, and it would be impossible to remember every face. But celebrities would never admit this because it would "hurt" the fans' feelings. However, Hugo, in a carefree manner, admitted it, which was truly amusing and exasperating.

However, the girl clearly didn't mind at all. She still had an excited expression on her face, as if she might faint the next second. But she made an effort to explain, trying to jog Hugo's memory. "I watched "A Few Good Men" with my father at Universal Cinemas before, and then I met you..." Yet, Hugo honestly shook his head, and onlookers rolled their eyes once again. "Um... um... I, I started screaming when I saw you, and then many people gathered around?"

"Screaming?" Hugo seemed to finally have a recollection. He certainly remembered that time at Universal Cinemas when he watched "A Few Good Men" and ended up being surrounded by a large group of fans. It was his first encounter with such an attitude, and it was the first time he realized that he had gained some popularity. But now, Hugo was associating the screaming girl from his memory with the girl in front of him.

"Ah! Ah!" The girl screamed again, but this time it seemed like a demonstration, successfully awakening Hugo's memory. "Oh, it's you! I remember you!" Hugo's face instantly lit up with happiness. He finally connected the girl in front of him with the vague image in his memory.

"Yes, yes, it's me! It's me!" The girl joyfully lost control of herself. She could hardly contain her emotions, to the point where she even forgot about her friend standing beside her, who could only wear a helpless expression.

"Nice to meet you." Hugo's smile finally fully bloomed. Meeting his supporters always made him happy, especially since Hugo was currently going through a difficult time. It was hard for him to feel that he still had people supporting him.

"Ah... Ah..." That was the girl's response. She looked at Hugo's outstretched right hand and couldn't even dare to shake it. She could only stare at Hugo's right hand and continue to scream.

Hugo's right hand hung in the air, somewhat awkward. He could only extend it politely and pat the girl's arm, which resulted in even more exaggerated screams, boldly challenging the raging wind on the top of the Empire State Building. However, Hugo couldn't help but laugh at the girl's reaction. It was just too amusing. "What's your name? Um... although I might not remember, I still want to know out of politeness because you've left a deep impression on me through your screams."

"Ah! Ah!" The eye-rolling response appeared once again.