Chapter 145: Double Blessings

Last night, I was tormented by a series of faint noises until late, eventually starting to doubt whether it was all just my imagination. While brushing my teeth, I checked for any dark circles in the mirror, relieved to find none—what a disaster that would have been.

It's seven in the morning.

Saturday.

The weather in Parker City remains cold in January, yet the house is as warm as spring.

Stepping out of the bedroom, I slowed down guiltily and glanced at another door nearby, wondering if he was still asleep.

Descending the stairs to the living room, I got quite the shock.

Simon was already sitting on the single sofa by the fireplace, on the phone. Janet curled up in his arms like a kitten, her eyes squinting, wearing only a long pale pink woolen sweater. Her dazzling white legs boldly extended from beneath the hem, presenting a limitless vision of spring.

Frozen at the top of the stairs for a few seconds, I only moved when he nodded at me, pretending to casually walk over and sit on the adjacent sofa.

Yet, my heart felt sour.

After he kissed my neck in the car that day, despite no further intimate contact, I naturally assumed a certain connection had formed between us.

Now.

Janet could curl up in his embrace without any reservations.

While I could only sit by his side, carrying a faint sense of guilt as if I had stolen something.

After chatting on the phone for a while, Simon hung up and asked me, "How did you sleep last night?"

My mind once again filled with those embarrassingly suggestive noises, my gaze shifting away as I nodded stiffly, "Fine, um, who were you calling just now?"

"Ed McCracken, CEO of Silicon Graphics," he explained. "I realized last night there's no need to rely on acquiring another company for 3D animation and CGI effects. We can hire people and form our own team, which would be more cost-effective and allow us to control the technology's development more flexibly. Silicon Graphics supplies professional graphic workstations to many universities, enterprises, and R&D teams, which gives me access to the right contacts. I just asked McCracken to introduce me to some people."

I listened distractedly as he spoke, then suddenly realized something, looking up at Simon, "You thought of this last night?"

He nodded, "Yeah, why?"

Before I could respond, Janet, still snuggled in Simon's arms, couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Simon quickly caught on, glancing at my blushing face, and added, "Actually, I've been considering this since leaving Pixar's headquarters the day before yesterday."

Feeling even more embarrassed, I stood up and excused myself, "I'll go make breakfast," and fled to the kitchen.

Simon watched my hurried departure with a smile, patting the still drowsy Janet, "Honey, why don't you go back to bed? Be careful not to catch a cold."

Janet wrapped her arms around him, coquettishly saying, "Carry me there."

After bringing Janet to the upstairs bedroom and tucking her in, Simon promised to wake her when breakfast was ready and returned downstairs.

Hearing the phone ring as he descended, he saw me stepping out of the kitchen, likely to answer it. Seeing Simon, I quickly retreated like a startled deer.

Simon smiled helplessly, picking up the phone. The call was from New York, where the workday had already begun.

After Westerlo Corporation started selling New World Entertainment stocks yesterday, their price plummeted from $16.75 at Thursday's close to $13.25 by the end of Friday.

The shareholders and executives of New World Entertainment, who had been eagerly anticipating contact from Simon's side, became anxious. Early this morning, Larry Koopin, a major shareholder of New World Entertainment, personally visited James Redbird in his office to discuss the situation with Simon over the phone.

Since purchasing New World Pictures from B-movie king Roger Corman in 1983, Larry Koopin and his partner Harry Sloan still held over 40% of New World Entertainment's shares after several years of mergers, expansions, and reorganizations.

During the call, Larry Koopin acknowledged their awareness of Simon's intentions, expressing eagerness for the deal and hoping to formally begin acquisition talks.

Even at yesterday's closing price of $13.25 per share, New World Entertainment's market value exceeded $330 million, still beyond Westerlo Corporation's reach.

Moreover, official negotiations would undoubtedly cause the stock price to rebound.

New World Entertainment's main challenge was a lack of funds. If Simon agreed to start acquisition talks, Wall Street capital, eager for a hefty cut from Westerlo Corporation, would ensure the company's operational issues were resolved, making it much easier for New World Entertainment to overcome its current difficulties.

Thus, Larry Koopin's intentions were clear.

Maintaining contact with Simon, a major financier, would likely help New World Entertainment weather its current storm, regardless of whether the deal went through. Simon, not one to be exploited, casually brushed off the conversation and left the matter to James to handle.

After breakfast, at nine o'clock, Simon, Janet, and I headed downtown to attend the premiere of a film titled "Dreamland," with Robert Redford serving as executive producer through the Sundance Institute.

Simon had spoken with the director, Michael Hoffman, at a party at Redford's house last year. Despite being Hoffman's first feature film, with not quite polished storytelling, Simon greatly appreciated the film's exploration of disillusioned ideals and confused realities under its cold cinematography.

Leaving the Egyptian Theatre after the premiere of "Dreamland," Simon and others, including Robert Redford, were about to dine at a nearby restaurant when they were surrounded by reporters.

Initially unconcerned, Simon realized the reporters were there for him when he heard their questions.

Earlier that day, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) announced the nominations for its awards, completely overlooking Simon's three films from last year: "Run Lola Run," "The Butterfly Effect," and "Final Destination," none of which received any nominations.

Of these, "The Butterfly Effect," despite its innovative plot, received poor reviews from critics last year, making its snub understandable. "Final Destination," a gore thriller, was even less likely to be nominated.

Thus, "Run Lola Run" was seen as Simon's main contender for awards season.

Media predictions had favored Simon for an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, given his age and the box office success of his three films from the previous year, making him a deserving recipient.

The main voters for the Oscar's screenplay categories are members of the WGA.

Now, with "Run Lola Run" ignored by the WGA, Simon's chances at the Oscars, especially for a screenplay award, seemed slim to none.

Returning to the resort condo in the afternoon, Simon received more detailed information from Los Angeles.

At the nomination press conference, WGA West's president, George Kogge, explained that "Run Lola Run" was dismissed for favoring style over substance, failing to meet the nomination criteria.

Simon simply laughed it off, not expecting the WGA's "big stick" to be so blatantly used because he refused to join.

However, after a brief discussion, Simon only had Pat Kingsley issue a statement respecting the WGA's decision.

Simon himself didn't care about awards, but he couldn't ignore the interests of Daenerys Entertainment's films.

Ultimately, awards season is a game, and participants must play by the rules to win rewards.

Thus, although some media outlets noticed Simon wasn't a WGA member and questioned the fairness of the nominations, Simon made no response.

The tumultuous day ended.

In the evening, Simon, Janet, and I sat on the sofa by the fireplace, each holding a screenplay.

Robert Redford had sent over two large boxes of screenplays, and with Simon planning to return to Los Angeles the next afternoon and attend another premiere in the morning, he only had the evening to review them.

After "Dreamland," Simon had agreed to finance another film by Michael Hoffman, titled "Sisters," about a college student's amusing encounters with a strange family while visiting his girlfriend in Canada.

Janet was engrossed in this screenplay, leaning against Simon.

I, however, was somewhat distracted. Last night hadn't been too different, as we all went to bed soon after returning from a party. But tonight, in this unfamiliar small town surrounded by snow and cold, the quiet resort cabin felt bizarrely intimate with one man and two women.

The most bizarre part was the other two seemed completely oblivious.

Eventually, the ringing phone broke the awkward silence. I looked up to see Simon answering it briefly before hanging up again.

Janet, slightly annoyed by the disturbance, snuggled closer to Simon, asking, "What's it about?"

Simon picked up the screenplay he had been reading, smiling, "We've got 'The Lord of the Rings.'"

Janet scoffed, "For $10 million, it'd be odd if Saul Zaentz refused."

I was unaware of Simon's negotiation with Saul Zaentz the night before, incredulously asking, "10 million dollars for the rights to 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy?"

"Yes, but keep it to yourself," he advised.

Still surprised, I merely nodded.

Janet playfully grabbed Simon, teasing, "This sheep is well-fed, Jenny, don't you want to feel it too?"

My cheeks reddened, pretending not to hear her.

Janet then stood up, pulled me to my feet, and guided me to her previous spot before sitting down next to Simon, squeezing him into the middle.

The sofa, directly facing the fireplace, wasn't very large, and three of us sitting together felt cramped.

Whether it was the warmth from the fireplace or not, feeling Simon's presence so close made my cheeks heat up. Unsure of what I was feeling, I hesitated before deciding not to flee, cautiously staying next to him and pretending to focus on the screenplay again.

Simon, thinking about securing "The Silmarillion" rights next, didn't expect Janet's sudden move but just smiled, remarking, "Only two, that's a bit few."

"You little rascal, how many do you want?"

"Of course, the more, the better... ah, stop pinching."

"Jenny, you pinch him too."

Tentatively, I lifted my arm, but seeing Simon look over, I shyly withdrew, waiting until their playful banter subsided before awkwardly changing the subject, "Have you picked any screenplays?"

Simon waved the one in his hand, "This one's not bad."

Curious, I leaned over to see the cover titled "3000."

"3000"? What's that about?

Simon, sensing my curiosity, volunteered, "It's a noir drama about a streetwalker named Vivian who agrees to spend a week with a wealthy man for $3000. However, I plan to turn it into a romance."

Hearing "streetwalker," I frowned slightly, then asked, "A romance, like, um, 'Camille'?"

"Exactly," Simon nodded.

Janet added, "If it's going to be a tragedy like Dumas' work, maybe it'll interest some. But who would care for a modern-day tragic romance of a streetwalker?"

"I didn't say it would be a tragedy. The prince and princess live happily ever after, of course," Simon clarified, looking at the screenplay and adding, "I've thought of another name for it, 'Pretty Woman.'"

Remembering "Pretty Woman," which was adapted from a noir drama script titled "3000," I realized the coincidence wasn't so strange after all, given that the Sundance Institute was a platform for aspiring directors and writers, and a noir drama like the "3000" screenplay fit the festival's style.

After "Run Lola Run," if "Pretty Woman" also emerged from Sundance, Parker City was sure to buzz even more.

Sitting on the sofa by the fireplace, with two women by his side, Simon thought about the double blessings of securing "The Lord of the Rings" and "Pretty Woman" tonight.

Perhaps.

Parker City truly was his lucky place.

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