I am Hollywood

Chapter 270: Liberty City



[Chapter 270: Liberty City]

Hearing Eric's words, Sheryl Cody hesitated for a moment. But soon she realized that this hesitation was rather silly.

She understood perfectly well what Brad Pitt's situation was; over the past six months, he had only been able to make occasional cameo appearances in some films or TV shows. Given that, if she could land the lead role in a major TV series, what was there to worry about? After all, many second and third-tier stars in Hollywood were competing for the lead roles in The X- Files.

Coming to that conclusion, Sheryl Cody said, "Mr. Williams, I believe The X-Files is going to be a great show. If we can get the lead role, what difference does it make if we get typecast?" That woman sure knew how to talk, Eric thought to himself.

Sheryl Cody then added, "However, Mr. Williams, is it really necessary to sign a five-season contract all at once? Isn't that a bit too long?"

Eric immediately shook his head and replied, with a tone that left no room for discussion, "Not at all. The six leads in Friends signed five-season contracts."

Sheryl Cody wasn't sure if Eric was telling the truth. If it were indeed the case, she certainly couldn't find any reason to negotiate further. Besides, even if it were five seasons or more, it seemed that neither she nor Brad Pitt had much leverage.

Eric watched Sheryl Cody's expression and said, "If you have no objections, I'll take a look at Brad Pitt's audition tape tomorrow. If his performance satisfies me, I'll notify you to come in and sign the contract."

...

The next day, Eric arrived at the Fox lot where the auditions were held. He found the tape of Brad Pitt's audition, watched it multiple times, and confirmed that Brad's current acting skills were indeed sufficient for the role of Fox Mulder. He then called in producers from both Fox and Firefly Films to discuss, and it was quickly confirmed.

Next up was the lead actress and a few minor roles. Eric naturally had no intention of getting involved with the minor roles; he focused his energy on selecting the lead actress.

At the same time, another variety show promised to Fox finally began to move forward. After much consideration, Eric chose the safest option: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.

This show originally came from the UK in the late 1990s and took the world by storm. Eric recalled that many television stations across many countries were airing similar imitation shows. Even until before Eric's time travel, these shows hadn't exited the television screen, and rumors often circulated about someone becoming a millionaire in different countries due to the show. This program capitalized on the public's desire to get rich quick, thus having no limitations by time or era -- unlike other shows that might also succeed now but came with loads of complications. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire was far simpler.

So, once he drafted the planning proposal, Eric promptly sent someone to many countries that emphasized intellectual property protection to register the copyright. Once the show became popular, he believed that merely selling the rights would bring in a substantial profit.

...

"Hey, Eric, how about this question: In Home Alone, how many siblings did Kevin have?" Drew, sitting in the passenger seat of the car headed to Malibu, held a small hardcover notebook, jotting down notes now and then.

Upon hearing the question, Eric laughed and shook his head. "No way. I've said it before -- the trivia questions must be relevant to real life and incredibly interesting. Your question is just testing people's memory. Who's going to waste their time worrying about how many siblings Kevin had?"

Drew pouted and countered, "Well, your questions sound even more boring. Who's concerned with how insects breathe?"

Eric raised an eyebrow at the young girl. "Clearly, you weren't paying any attention in class. This question is definitely in your biology textbook."

"You're just making excuses. Only a nerd would care about these things," she huffed, chewing on her pen as she pondered. Then she asked, "How about this one: What year did the Hollywood sign get established?"

Eric nodded, "That's a good question. Write that down."

"Yay," she giggled, scribbling it in her notebook.

Eric thought for a moment and then looked at her. "By the way, I genuinely don't know what

year the Hollywood sign was established. What year was it?"

The young girl rolled her eyes, "How would I know?"

||||

"How did you come up with that question then?"

She replied, "I just happened to pass by there yesterday." Drew continued to bite her pen thoughtfully and glanced ahead. "How far is it?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Five minutes, we're almost there."

...

The car parked outside the mansion at the Malibu tip. As Eric opened the door, he heard the young girl call out from inside the car, "Ah, Eric, I bumped my knee, help me out!"

"Climb out yourself," Eric thought the girl was just being dramatic and didn't pay her any mind as he headed straight to where Frank Gehry and his personal lawyer, Edward, were waiting at the mansion entrance.

"Wow, Eric, you're so heartless," just as Eric reached out to greet the enthusiastic Frank Gehry, he felt a soft body jump onto his back.

Eric slapped her on the bottom, "Stop it. Can't you see there are many people around? If you don't stop acting up, I'll throw you in the trunk."

"I really bumped my knee, it's all red now. Look!" the young girl said, obviously pouting.

With a couple of quick motions, Eric lifted her off his back and examined her knee, noting a small bruise but no blood or swelling.

"You're fine. Just run two kilometers, and it'll be good as new." He said as he set Drew down. The girl giggled and clung to his neck for a moment before finally letting go.

Just as Eric released Drew, he felt someone watching from afar. Following his instinct to look in that direction, he didn't spot anyone and thought perhaps he was just being paranoid. For some reason, these days, he had felt an uneasy sensation as if someone were tailing him.

Maybe I should hire a security team, Eric thought, though he kept his focus on the people in front of him.

...

"Apologies, this girl loves to mess around," Eric said as he shook hands with Frank Gehry and Edward Lewis.

"It's no problem," Frank Gehry chuckled, and Edward joined in agreement.

"Shall we head inside? We've waited over six months for this architectural design to become a

reality."

Eric's eager demeanor prompted laughter from Frank and the others.

"Please follow me," Frank said, ushering everyone into the vehicle as the temporary guards opened the mansion's gates. They drove directly toward the cliffside mansion, and Eric had little interest in inspecting the other buildings in the estate. As long as everything passed inspection, that was what mattered; after all, those buildings were just for servants or guests. Several cars made their way along a winding path toward what Eric called the 'Liberty City', the main building at the cliff's edge.

As they exited the vehicles, Eric was taken aback by what he saw. The silver shell-shaped building before him was even more exquisite and grand than what he had imagined.

In his memory, Tony Stark's Malibu mansion was just a concrete building. However, although this building also utilized some reinforced concrete, most of its structure was made of granite, special glass, and high-strength steel. The shell-like exterior was covered in shimmering silver titanium alloy materials, sparkling in the sunlight.

Originally, Frank Gehry's budget for the estate came to $5 million, but under Eric's assurance

of unlimited funds, Frank continually raised the budget -- from $10 million to finally $20 million. Near the end of construction, he requested an additional $2 million from Eric, 90% of which went into this building. It's essential to understand that at this time, $20 million could have built a 20-story building. And now, the entire Malibu housing market still hadn't reached the level of tens of millions of dollars. Most Malibu villas were priced at just a few hundred thousand dollars, even luxurious homes with private beaches only cost a few million. This made it plain how extravagant a $20 million single structure could be.

...

The group unconsciously lingered outside the silver building for several minutes before Frank finally broke the silence with pride. "Alright, I think we should head inside. I believe the

internal structure of this building will amaze us even more."

The staff opened the grand door of the mansion, and Frank Gehry led everyone inside.

As soon as they stepped into the foyer, the first thing they saw wasn't the vast living room but the shimmering sea through the windows.

"Wow, so beautiful!" While the men held their composure, the young girl broke the restraint, gasping as she rushed to the two-meter-tall floor-to-ceiling window.

"Eric, Eric, come quickly!" Drew called out, pressing her face against the glass, gazing out at

the ocean. Eric, slightly worried, asked, "Mr. Gehry, is this glass okay?"

"Of course," Frank Gehry replied. "It's special glass. At first glance, it looks like ordinary glass, but it's actually three layers with a layer of polycarbonate in between. Even if shot at, it can withstand anything short of a high-caliber sniper rifle. So a regular impact won't cause

any harm at all."

One of Edward's assistants exclaimed in surprise, "Mr. Gehry, if what you say is true, doesn't that make it bulletproof glass? It must be very expensive?"

Frank shook his head and replied honestly, "While it's not technically bulletproof, it's pretty

close. And yes, the $20 million was spent on such features. Eric, shall I take everyone on a

tour?"

"Of course," Eric waved off Drew, who was still pressed against the glass, gazing at the view, and followed Frank Gehry into other parts of the mansion.

As they walked, Frank explained, "This floor mainly comprises the living room, kitchen, gym,

and meeting room. According to the designs you provided, the basement is a workspace. The second and third floors have eight bedrooms in total, as well as a study, a small screening room, and a total of twelve bathrooms in the villa."

Eric nodded gently as they climbed the spiral staircase to the second floor, listening to Frank's

narration and looking around. The group eventually reached the top floor, where there was a spacious master bedroom with panoramic views. Through the glass, not only could one see the Malibu skyline but also the distant ocean.

As he looked around, Eric suddenly remembered to ask Frank, "Mr. Gehry, is this glass one-

way?"

"Of course. There's no way I would overlook such a crucial detail. All the windows in this building have been specially treated. While they may appear bright from the outside, no one

can see anything inside."

"That's good," Eric nodded, glancing around the master bedroom. If he were to find himself

tangled up with a lady in bed and someone was peeping through a telescope, that would be

catastrophic.

After about ten minutes of touring, the group returned to the living room, but Drew had mysteriously disappeared.

"I bet Miss Barrymore has made her way to the outdoor pool," Frank Gehry chuckled.

"Perfect! The view from there is splendid. Let's head over there to discuss matters."

After moving past a door beside the living room, they arrived at a massive outdoor swimming pool overlooking the cliff's edge.

While the indoor area was wonderful, it was still behind a layer of glass. Here there was no barrier, exposing them to the wide-open sky.

"Mr. Gehry, can we go swimming now?" Drew's voice came from behind a lounge chair.

Everyone looked over and realized she had somehow found a pair of sunglasses and was lounging in the sun.

"Of course, Miss Barrymore," Frank Gehry replied with a warm smile, clearly fond of the girl. "But we need to wait until Mr. Williams signs the contract for the project acceptance first."

*****

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