Director in Hollywood

After finishing a day's work, Gilbert returned to his apartment to rest. With the film nearing completion, he was feeling a bit anxious about the impending results.

Upon reaching his apartment door, Gilbert saw a girl with short brown hair, wearing a leather jacket and skirt, and knee-high boots, waiting for him.

The girl approached Gilbert and greeted him, "5 Fingers Girl?"

"Uh," Gilbert thought this phrase was something he'd only used with Gwyneth Paltrow.

"You must be Gwyneth's friend," Gilbert said.

"Gwyneth? You seem quite familiar with her. Nice to meet you, I'm Winona Ryder," the girl extended her hand for a handshake.

"I know you. You were in *Edward Scissorhands* last year with Johnny Depp," Gilbert said, recognizing her.

Winona Ryder waved her hand dismissively. "Don't mention him. We broke up."

"Ah?" Gilbert was even more surprised. "You dated Johnny Depp?"

"That's all in the past. Aren't you going to invite me in?" Winona Ryder tilted her head, signaling.

"Oh, sure." Gilbert quickly opened the door. "Come in, make yourself comfortable. Can I get you something to drink?"

It didn't seem like much. Gilbert casually handed Winona Ryder a bottle of Coke.

Once inside, Winona Ryder looked around the one-bedroom apartment, which was a bit messy and seemed not often tidied.

"So, you and Gwyneth did yoga here?" Winona Ryder rummaged through the bedside table and even found a condom.

"She even told you that?" Gilbert was stunned.

"Of course," Winona Ryder said with a knowing look. "We talked about everything. She even discussed your abilities and size with me!"

"Pfft…" Gilbert was drinking water and ended up spraying it out at hearing that.

Was this what American best friends were like?

Winona Ryder continued, "I don't believe you're that good at yoga. I think Gwyneth was exaggerating."

Only now did Gilbert understand what Gwyneth Paltrow meant.

"Hey, can you be a bit more proactive and start undressing?"

"Uh, okay…"

So, naturally, Gilbert and Winona Ryder did a yoga session together until they were both sweating profusely.

After the workout, they lay on the bed. Winona Ryder took out a cigarette and began smoking, offering Gilbert a puff.

Gilbert declined. He didn't smoke in his past life, and he wasn't going to start now.

"You really are an odd one," Winona Ryder remarked, glancing at Gilbert and tracing circles on his strong chest muscles.

"I see why Gwyneth is so attached to you. You're really strong and, like your father, quite popular with women," Winona Ryder added.

"You know about my father?" Gilbert asked curiously.

Winona Ryder explained, "I've heard people talk about him."

Gilbert was speechless. It seemed that his father's past flings were well-known in Hollywood.

His father often bragged about his one-night stand with Marilyn Monroe and his date with Audrey Hepburn.

Whether true or not, his popularity with women was real.

Even now, at sixty-six, his father still managed to charm barmaids, proving his abilities.

"Alright, I should get going. Thanks for the pleasant evening," Winona Ryder said as she got dressed.

"Leaving already? Aren't you staying the night?" Gilbert asked.

"I'm not Gwyneth. If my agent found out I stayed at another man's place overnight, I'd probably get scolded," Winona Ryder said, giving Gilbert a light kiss on the lips.

"I'll come find you again, strong man. Bye…"

With that, Winona Ryder left, leaving behind a lingering scent for Gilbert to remember.

Perhaps due to her agent's tight schedule, Gilbert didn't see Winona Ryder for the next few days. Instead, Gwyneth Paltrow called to ask how Gilbert was doing.

"You called just to ask this?" Gilbert said, puzzled.

"Is there something else I should call for?"

"No, I mean, the film is nearly finished. Aren't you interested?"

Gwyneth Paltrow then remembered, "Oh, right. We made a film."

"I've been busy with performance classes lately, and it's driving me crazy. How's the film coming along?"

"Almost done, just a little more, and you'll see it soon," Gilbert replied.

Gwyneth Paltrow was pleased. "That's great. Make sure to include me in the promotion. I've been wanting to get out and have some fun. Now I have a chance."

Gilbert was speechless. It seemed Gwyneth Paltrow didn't care much about the film's success.

After all, she was Spielberg's protege, debuting in *Hook* and starring in *The Shallows*. Even if *The Shallows* failed, her Hollywood prospects wouldn't be affected.

It was Gilbert who had to worry. He prayed to every deity he could think of, hoping *The Shallows* would succeed.

If it didn't, Gilbert would have to wait a long time before he could direct another film.

Sexual matters could only be a distraction. When under pressure, such releases could indeed be relieving.

No wonder so many in Hollywood are obsessed with relationships, of any kind, regardless of gender.

But compared to others, Gilbert was practically a lotus in the mud, relatively pure.

Others were involved not only in relationships but also in drugs, narcotics, and other vices.

Compared to these, Gilbert wanted to stay as far away as possible.

Setting aside these distractions, the film was the foundation. After various twists and turns, *The Shallows* was finally completed.

Now there were two versions of *The Shallows* for Universal Pictures to choose from.

After watching Gilbert's version, Tom Blake strongly recommended it to the higher-ups at Universal.

This piqued Universal Pictures' curiosity about what made Gilbert's version so noteworthy.

Though they didn't fully follow Blake's recommendation, his endorsement helped Universal's executives approach Gilbert's version with a degree of curiosity.

To some extent, this made up for Gilbert's shortcomings, allowing Universal's higher-ups to judge the two versions of the film more objectively.

An internal screening was soon announced, attended not only by Universal Pictures' president, Akio Tani and vice president Lew Wasserman, but also by executives from distribution, marketing, and public relations departments.

Additionally, Universal's film selection experts would be present to provide opinions.

Spielberg had also sent Frank Marshall to attend. Though he hadn't seen the final cut, he was curious about Gilbert's work.

Due to his busy schedule, he couldn't attend the screening himself, so he sent Frank Marshall to watch and report back to him.

Gilbert sat in the corner, observing the Universal Pictures executives. He recognized the Japanese president and Leu Wasserman but was unfamiliar with the others.

In this setting, he was just a minor character.

Yet, what was about to happen today would determine his fate.

So, he was nervous…