Hunting in Hollywood

Unable to sort out the many issues involved with "surrogacy," Simon directly dismissed Janet's idea.

Thinking to himself, future matters can be dealt with in the future.

Early the next morning, Cliffside Manor began preparations for the midday baby shower.

Around ten in the morning, Simon was sent by Janet to the airport to personally pick up the Johnston family. The noon event was lively and cheerful. In the afternoon, Simon, along with all the men who attended the party, was driven out by Janet.

The reason given was that the afternoon was for the ladies.

Simon understood Janet's thoughts; she didn't forbid him from interacting with other women, except for one.

After showing Patrick Johnston around Daenerys Studios for a bit, Simon sent him off to entertain himself, as he had no interest in babysitting.

Simon idly passed the afternoon in his office and returned home at dusk. Janet was kneeling on the carpet in the living room, organizing the gifts from today's guests, surrounded by a pile of gift boxes, looking in a good mood.

Simon sat down on the carpet as well, helping to unpack the gift boxes while casually chatting with Janet.

He picked up a pretty, cartoon-style music box and, after examining it for a moment, complained about Sandra's poor gift-picking skills. Janet suddenly said, "I discussed something with my aunt this afternoon."

Without looking up, Simon untied a ribbon on another gift box. "Hmm?"

Janet said, "Auntie agreed to help us look after the baby."

Simon paused, glanced at Janet, and said, "Why would you come up with such an idea?"

"Auntie can't stay single forever, so I thought if she helps take care of Mel for a while and experiences what it's like to be a mom, maybe she'll find a man to marry."

Simon's eyes flickered, and he resumed fiddling with the gift box in his hands.

A small hand reached over and poked him on the shoulder.

When he didn't respond, it poked him again.

Simon suddenly turned his head, pretending to bite, and Janet giggled, pulling back her little paw. She then changed the subject, "Darling, what are we having for dinner?"

"I'll cook for you myself."

Janet pouted and said honestly, "Actually, your cooking isn't very good."

"Pregnant women should eat light; carrot and rice porridge is excellent."

"But the baby needs nutrients."

Simon glanced up and down at the woman beside him, smiling. "You're already over-nourished."

Janet couldn't stand it, glaring at him. "Did you just call me fat?"

"I didn't."

"You just said I'm fat."

"Okay, I think you're fat."

"Whoa..."

Janet leaned over and bit Simon's arm.

Pregnant women naturally gain some weight, especially someone like Janet, who has always been pampered.

However, Janet had an excellent figure. Even though she looked more plump due to pregnancy, at seven months along, she was far from being considered "fat."

Letting Janet gnaw on his arm for a while, Simon, noticing she had no intention of letting go, grabbed her wrist lightly. Like flipping a switch, Janet's body softened, and she let go of his arm, cuddling up to him softly.

A soft, murmured voice followed, "You're bullying me."

Simon picked up another gift box to unwrap and smiled. "Do you like being bullied by me?"

"Mm-hmm."

"So..."

Janet rubbed her head against Simon's body and suddenly asked softly, "Would you bully others like this?"

"Is there anyone else I can bully like this?"

"Absolutely not allowed."

"Mm, I promise."

Veronica Johnston was staying in the house east of Cliffside Manor, where Janet originally lived. Patrick Johnston had taken his girlfriend into the city and wouldn't be back tonight. So, dinner was just Simon and Janet again.

He spent Sunday with Janet, and the new week of work began.

The first weekend box office results for the Halloween season were officially released.

"Scream 3" grossed $27.11 million in its opening weekend across 2,672 screens, achieving a per-screen average of over $10,000.

Despite the careful crafting of this finale, with a budget of $30 million, the repetitive formula naturally led to mixed reviews.

Although the opening was decent, neither Daenerys Entertainment nor the media had high hopes for the sequel's continued box office performance.

Opening simultaneously with "Scream 3" was John Hughes' new film, "The Best Q Scheme," which tells the story of a con man teaming up with an orphan girl to pull off scams. It followed John Hughes' usual formula, clearly mimicking the style of last year's Christmas hit "Home Alone."

Thanks to the success of "Home Alone," John Hughes' status in Hollywood had risen. Despite lacking big stars, "The Best Q Scheme" had a budget of $30 million.

However, the film's quality was underwhelming. Otherwise, Warner wouldn't have placed it in the relatively less favorable Halloween slot instead of the year-end.

"The Best Q Scheme" didn't bring Warner any surprises.

Opening on 1,634 screens, it grossed only $4.97 million in its first three days, with an estimated first-week total of about $6 million. Its North American box office was projected to be between $20 million and $30 million, barely matching its production budget.

After the success of "Home Alone," John Hughes hastily produced two similar children's films this year. The summer release "Kid Elf" performed even worse, with a $17 million budget and a total domestic box office of only $4.6 million in the July peak season.

These back-to-back failures essentially exhausted the halo John Hughes had gained from "Home Alone."

Hughes had signed very lucrative profit-sharing contracts for both children's films. Now, with both movies ending in losses, profit-sharing was out of the question, and Hughes began to focus more on "Home Alone 2."

In Simon's memory, "Home Alone" was both the peak of John Hughes' career and the beginning of his decline in the '90s. Audiences eventually grew tired of his repetitive techniques.

With the start of the Halloween season, the year's release schedules were finalized.

For Thanksgiving and Christmas, Daenerys Entertainment, including Universal Pictures, would release four films: "Toy Story" and "Cape Fear" for Thanksgiving, opening on November 22 and 29, respectively.

For Christmas, "The Piano" and "Fried Green Tomatoes," with "The Piano" opening on December 6 in a limited release, and "Fried Green Tomatoes" on December 27, the last week of 1991.

"Toy Story" and "The Piano" were Daenerys Entertainment productions, while "Cape Fear," starring Robert De Niro, and "Fried Green Tomatoes," starring Kathy Bates and other actresses, were Universal projects.

After "Cape Fear" and "Fried Green Tomatoes," Universal's distribution department would be formally disbanded, retaining only the Universal Pictures production label.

Moreover, in a few years, Universal's production label would also be fully integrated into Daenerys Entertainment.

Though Universal had been a classic label for over half a century, Daenerys Entertainment now had the capability to replace it.

In this world, nothing remains unchanged forever.

In Malibu, at Daenerys Studios.

After much discussion, the director for "The Ring" was finally decided: Philip Noyce.

Simon spent the morning going over the weekend box office report and then discussed "The Ring" details with the director.

He had instructed Danny Morris to pick some promising new directors, and while Philip Noyce was new to Hollywood, he wasn't young, already 41 years old.

Simon chose him mainly because of his resume.

Philip Noyce was from Australia and had been interested in film from a young age, shooting his first movie at 18. He had worked in the Australian film industry until two years ago, when he made his Hollywood debut with the sea thriller "Dead Calm," produced by George Miller and starring Nicole Kidman.

Yes, Simon's choice of Philip Noyce was influenced by his connections with George Miller and Nicole Kidman, as well as his intentional support of the Australian group.

However, if Noyce lacked the necessary talent, Simon wouldn't use him.

Noyce had both a professional film school background and extensive industry experience since he was 18, making his capabilities undeniable.

Moreover, in the original timeline, Noyce directed hits like "Patriot Games" with Harrison Ford and "Salt" with Angelina Jolie, showcasing his cinematic skills.

Noyce had also dabbled in horror films, albeit not in Hollywood, making him a suitable choice for "The Ring."

As a "newcomer" with only one Hollywood film, Noyce cherished this opportunity. After being contacted by Danny Morris, he flew to Japan to discuss the film's style and plot with the original author, Koji Suzuki, and further researched Japanese horror films.

Many renowned directors had impressive early works but later declined. Simon believed that the main reason wasn't so much losing creativity as it was a change in attitude. Once successful, directors often didn't invest as much effort into their projects.

After a two-hour meeting, Simon instructed Danny Morris to proceed with contract discussions with Noyce.

Having finished this task, Simon had just started reviewing a patent list from San Francisco that was about to be integrated into the World Wide Web Foundation when his assistant knocked on the door. "Boss, Ms. Johnston is here."

Simon didn't react immediately. "Hmm?"

The assistant clarified, "Veronica Johnston."

Simon paused and nodded. "Let her in."

The assistant stepped back, and the door opened. Veronica Johnston, in a black OL outfit, walked in.

Standing a short distance from Simon's desk, Veronica said softly, "My flight's in the afternoon."

Simon and Veronica exchanged a glance. He gestured towards the sofa area, indicating she should sit, then resumed reviewing the patent list.

Veronica didn't expect Simon's attitude towards her to change much. She walked to the sofa and chose a seat facing Simon.

Moments later, the assistant brought coffee, sensing the awkward atmosphere in the office. She gave Simon a reproachful look before placing the coffee down and sitting in the sofa area herself.

After chatting briefly with Veronica, the assistant excused herself, signaling Simon not to neglect their guest.

The assistant didn't understand the peculiar relationship between Simon and Janet's aunt but instinctively felt Simon should be more welcoming.

Jennifer left, but the atmosphere in the office remained unchanged.

Veronica quietly finished her coffee, hesitated for a moment, then softly asked, "Do you know what I promised Janet?"

Simon nodded.

Seeing he didn't speak, Veronica didn't know how to continue.

At least he wasn't being harsh this time.

Janet's suggestion for Veronica to help with the baby was impulsive, but Veronica agreed, driven by guilt or a need for atonement.

She hadn't taken responsibility in the past.

Now, this was a small way to make amends.

Though...

After another pause, Veronica set down her empty cup and was about to leave but couldn't help asking a long-buried question.

"The Levinsons, why did they disappear? How did you end up alone in San Francisco?"

Behind the desk.

Simon mechanically flipped through his documents, his brow furrowing as if recalling unpleasant memories.

The office was brightly lit.

But at that moment, Veronica felt that Simon, not far away, was enveloped in a cold, dark shadow, making her heart stop.

Snap—

The sound of a pencil breaking.

The atmosphere dissipated instantly.

Veronica remained stunned, unsure how long passed, until she heard a distant yet close voice: "You should leave."

Inexplicably, tears welled up in Veronica's eyes.

She covered her mouth, trying to stifle her sobs.

But the tears kept flowing, soon streaming down her pale face and seeping through her fingers.

Simon silently reviewed his documents, only looking up after finishing the ten-page report, gazing at the slightly calmer woman on the sofa. "Join me for lunch."

She softly agreed, "Mm."

Simon stood and headed for the door.

Veronica followed quietly, keeping a careful distance.

Realizing she might have overlooked or never known too much, she knew it was impossible to make amends.

How could she?

Resolving never to bring up certain matters again.

___________________

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