System Shocked (2)

Although ticket prices varied depending on regional cost of living and theater policies, they generally hovered between four and five dollars. This put the estimated box office gross at approximately seven million dollars.

Even for Miramax, the company that had opened a new horizon for the indie film market with the distribution of sex, lies, and videotape, this was an "overwhelming" short-term revenue they had never achieved before. Furthermore, it presented them with an opportunity to rake in even more revenue.

As the film showed massive numbers, inquiries regarding screenings poured in from theaters all across the United States. Though they had secured a substantial 853 screens from the start—an impressive number for an indie film—this momentum allowed Miramax to continuously sign additional distribution contracts. With this wind at its back, the film's box office performance was poised to accelerate even further.

Harvey Weinstein uncorked a bottle of expensive whiskey he had been saving.

"This is a total jackpot."

In a suburban mansion quite far from the office, his younger brother and co-chairman, Bob Weinstein, sat across from him and agreed.

"Tell me about it. Sion Lee's star power is definitely the real deal. This doesn't even feel like an indie movie anymore."

"Hmph, that bastard... At least he delivers as much as he throws tantrums."

"Haha, I've never seen you so completely helpless before, Harvey."

"Who's helpless?! I was just humoring him!"

"Didn't look like it to me. With a personality like that, even a Hollywood super-director would struggle to handle him. How on earth did you manage?"

"Damn it... A punk who only made it because of his pretty face."

"Well, he can actually act now."

"That was just pure luck! He's from a poor background in Chicago, so he just happened to fit the movie!"

Harvey denied it desperately, but Bob merely smirked and brushed it off.

Late into the evening, the brothers continued their conversation, sipping their whiskey.

"So, what do you think the final ticket sales will look like?"

"With a first-week trend like this, I'm thinking it'll hit around five million viewers during its theatrical run."

"...It did 1.5 million in the first week, and you only expect five million? Aren't you being a bit too pessimistic?"

"The peak is always the first two weeks. People who decide to watch a well-promoted movie will make time to visit the theater within the first two weeks. After that, you're just keeping it on screens for latecomers who heard about it through word of mouth or repeat viewers. Hmph, given the boring nature of indie films, people will just talk about its artistic merit for a bit, and this bizarre fever will cool down in a week."

"Didn't sex, lies, and videotape start slow but eventually surpass five million viewers? So shouldn't this one do even better?"

"That was because the real promotion only started after it won the Palme d'Or. The circumstances are fundamentally different."

"Still, I think it'll pull in more than that."

"This is already a massive hit. Don't get too greedy."

"Are you sure you're not the one who doesn't want it to do better?"

Hit right where it hurt, Harvey's eyebrow twitched. In truth, his prediction was biased and overly conservative. After all, the number of screens was only going to increase.

"...Why? Is there a problem with that?"

"It's unprofessional. You sound like a college student filmmaker."

"Shut up! My authority in this company took a nosedive while working on this movie! Damn it, these days, even when I yell and threaten people, I can clearly see them just smiling and brushing it off. On top of that, because the final cut we handed over to Sion Lee turned out to be a massive hit, everyone is starting to doubt my eye for films!"

"...Well, as long as the revenue is good, isn't that all that matters?"

"Damn it, it has to succeed through *my* power! That's how every single bastard in Hollywood thinks! If we succeed because of someone else's talent, I just become a useless scarecrow! Sighed, if I can't have a hand in it, it failing completely would have been the next best thing..."

Harvey's words sounded like the greedy ramblings of a distributor head, but they held a strange, cold truth in a business context. For an ordinary employee, the success or failure of a project would affect their performance review, but for a leader like Harvey, whether he had spearheaded it himself was what truly mattered.

"Well, let's just wait and see."

Bob cut his words short. But did Harvey Weinstein have any idea? That his own brother, Bob, was quietly relishing the thought of Harvey's failure as a rival.

As the conversation died down, Bob Weinstein quietly turned on the television. The Tonight Show was just about to start.

"Oh, right. Didn't they say Sion was appearing on this tonight?"

"Turn that off. It's ruining my drink."

Though his words were harsh, a blatant sense of intimidation was visible in Harvey's eyes. It was a reaction akin to a beaten ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠dog flinching at the sound of a bell. Now, even a single mention of Sion Lee's name made him look like a dog tucking its tail.

Ignoring his brother's grumbling with a smirk, Bob watched the screen.

The Tonight Show was the quintessential Hollywood talk show. Its host, Johnny Carson, was a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠veteran among veterans who had hosted the show for over thirty years. The fact that Sion Lee was appearing as a guest on such a show meant that Swing in Chicago was riding a massive wave of popularity.

As the live band played, the announcer, Ed McMahon, introduced him.

"And ladies and gentlemen! Heeere's Johnny!"

Johnny Carson stepped out from behind the curtain and began his monologue.

The legend of late-night talk shows. The overwhelmingly prestigious The Tonight Show had officially begun.

Thunderous applause erupted at Johnny's introduction. High-pitched screams from women echoed from all corners of the studio.

Sion Lee, looking as breathtakingly handsome as ever, stepped out and walked toward the seating area under Johnny's guidance.

The guest on the sofa, and Johnny Carson behind his desk. It was the familiar, comfortable setup of a late-night talk show designed to extract celebrity gossip.

"How have you been, Sion? Have you been doing well?"

"I've been busy with this and that. Which is why my appearance on this wonderful show was delayed."

"Haha, indeed. Your performance at the Golden Raspberries not too long ago was quite something."

Johnny Carson was a living legend of the industry, now ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠well into his golden years. With a natural flow that made it seem as though he had memorized his cue cards, Johnny guided the conversation, and Sion responded with slick, witty remarks, keeping the talk show running smoothly.

Bob, who had been watching the show half-entranced, let out an amused chuckle.

"He's definitely something else. It's been a while since he's been on TV, but he doesn't look nervous at all."

"...Tsk."

Harvey took a bitter gulp of his whiskey in annoyance. However, the actual situation beneath the stage where the show was taking place... was slightly different from what they imagined.

"Sion. I have a few words before we go on."

The legendary broadcaster in his twilight years, Johnny Carson. Sion had complied without much thought when Johnny approached him with his signature warm, pleasant smile.

"Don't even think about pulling any of your stunts while you're on air with me. This isn't a request, and it's not a warning. It's a declaration."

...The words that followed carried the raw weight of the decades of experience he had accumulated in the industry.

In the dressing room before the broadcast, Johnny Carson had walked away immediately after delivering that line, professionally discussing details with the producer. Sion had stared blankly at his retreating back, wondering if the host was having a bad day.

And so, The Tonight Show began after that subtle battle of nerves.

When Johnny asked how the Golden Raspberries had been, Sion shrugged and replied.

"A lot of people have trouble accepting their mistakes. I simply wanted to embrace mine. Back during Deadly Summer Camp, I was an uncontrollable troublemaker."

"I heard you were quite different in this film. Where do you think that change came from?"

"..."

Hearing this, Sion pretended to fall into deep thought for a moment.

"The night is long. Take your time. Come on, take a deep breath."

Johnny Carson offered a casual, almost joking remark. It was a question Sion already knew from the script he had received beforehand. Yet, even with the same words, he could feel a hidden intention in the subtle nuance.

Pressure. It was a natural question, but it carried a distinct weight. Even in the dressing room earlier, hadn't he softly but firmly put a leash on Sion Lee, the notorious Hollywood brat?

Come to think of it, why did he do that? It's just a show.

It was a question where a wrong answer could step on a landmine either way. He wanted to avoid causing trouble for the people involved in both of his films as much as possible. Unlike his past life, the current Sion was only playing the brat for the sake of show business.

In truth, he could easily resolve this by acting a bit cocky, keeping it within bounds, and turning the topic into a light joke. That approach had worked perfectly fine in other places.

But is that the right move here?

Johnny Carson had issued a "declaration" warning Sion Lee not to pull any stunts. Because it was so sudden, Sion couldn't fathom the reason, and since he hadn't grasped the context of the host's intent yet, he decided to avoid the core of the issue and give a moderate answer.

"It probably has to do with the filming locations. Unlike here, Chicago was freezing, which made my body stiffen up. Maybe that's what made the difference in my acting between the two films?"

"Hmm, so how did you end up leaving California to star in this movie?"

"I was planning to take a short break after finishing my last movie. So I went over to Chicago to rest, and then I thought it might be fun to audition for an indie film. I wouldn't go so far as to say I was returning to my roots, but since Chicago is my hometown, it felt somewhat like that."

"I heard you gained quite a bit of weight for the shoot."

"Ah, that..."

As he answered the rapid-fire questions, Sion caught a subtle shift in Johnny Carson's expression. A faint, almost imperceptible look of boredom in his eyes. The moment he saw it, he knew.

Ah, so that was it.

Johnny Carson was trying to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠"provoke" Sion Lee, the Hollywood brat, to extract some wild, unhinged content for the broadcast.

The warning in the dressing room was all part of the 'show' too!

A late-night talk show. A man with the seasoned hosting skills to walk the tightrope of censorship under any circumstances had thoroughly analyzed the public persona of Sion Lee and tailored his approach accordingly.

However, there was one thing even the living legend who had hosted this show for thirty years didn't know: Sion Lee had lived an entire lifetime and returned. Thus, he didn't even register the host's provocation as a provocation.

The moment the question mark in Sion's mind turned into an exclamation point, he smirked cockily and began to take control of the conversation.

"...Hmm, Johnny. This kind of talk is a bit boring, isn't it?"

"Not at all. It's highly entertaining. I quite like a calm Sion as well."

"Oh, come on. That's not what you said in the dressing room earlier."

"..."

Johnny's eyes widened slightly as he blinked. Even the great Johnny Carson seemed to experience a split-second brain freeze. But Sion didn't mind and kept going.

"People's minds are so fickle, aren't they? The important thing isn't whether you like me or hate me. It's that people find entertainment in consuming me that way. That's how I built my career up to this point, and I have no intention of denying it. Even if I'm not to someone's liking, that version of me is still loved by someone. That's why I accepted that award."

"Are you referring to the Golden Raspberry?"

"It's a fun award. Besides, the cinephilic interest from that crowd probably contributed, at least in part, to allowing me to live in an expensive Hollywood mansion at the age of eighteen. So I wanted to give something back. By honoring my past self, in the only way I knew how."

"Fascinating. You certainly have changed recently."

Only then did the tension in Johnny Carson's eyes melt away.

"Well, that's because I started to feel like I was becoming a boring actor who kept repeating the same old tricks."

"Are you saying that everything you've shown us up until now was just an act?"

"I'll leave that to your imagination. ...Well, as you can probably guess, it was all a load of crap."

"That's a bit crude for television."

"Oh, did I violate broadcasting standards? Then shall we call it 'a well-crafted fabrication'?"

"There is a perfectly normal word called 'lie,' Sion."

The banter between the two began to click perfectly like interlocking gears. The audience erupted in laughter, hanging onto every word Sion uttered as a reformed "brat" with intense curiosity.

"I finally woke up. I wanted to do a good job."

Amidst all the banter, the point Sion wanted to make boiled down to one thing.

"From now on, I will decide how I am consumed. If I screw up along the way, well, so be it."

The studio audience warmed up to Sion's confident declaration. They began to see him as a complex individual with a deep inner self lurking beneath the surface, quite different from the image the media had painted of him. Cocky, yet possessing both talent and professionalism.

Having completely dominated the atmosphere, Sion finished his thirty-minute talk with Johnny Carson. Once he confirmed the broadcast had cut to a commercial break, he let out a quiet sigh of relief.

I'm glad I caught on in time.

The most important thing on television is quick wits. At first, he had been cautious because he couldn't read Johnny's true intentions, but he was glad he had caught on quickly and delivered the right lines.

During the ten-minute commercial break, Sion stepped off the stage after completing his duties as the first guest. Johnny Carson walked over to him. Unlike before the show, his blue eyes flashed coldly as he asked:

"Hey. Do you think television is a joke?"

"Is this about the comment I made earlier? If you didn't want me to say it, you shouldn't have said those things in the first place."

"..."

Johnny Carson fell silent with a tense expression, but soon burst into a hearty laugh.

"Hahaha! Good, very good!"

Of course, Sion had already expected that even this reaction was part of the "act."

"That's just how television works. The person broadcasting gets to decide what's real and what's fake, so all we have to do is put on a 'show.' I tried to genuinely trick you at the end there, but you didn't fall for it, did you? Haha, you've become quite the sly fox. Thanks to you, I had a wonderful time 'working' today."

"Thank you, Johnny."

"I never imagined that Hollywood brat would grow up so much in such a short time."

"Maybe I was always this grown up?"

"Ha! Not a chance!"

Johnny declared with absolute certainty.

"Who do you think you're talking to? Up until last year, you were practically a wild animal. I thought you were just another immature brat, destined to preserve only your fleeting moments of beauty on screen before vanishing, like all the other pretty young actors who rise and fall in Hollywood. ...But for some reason, you are completely different now."

He patted the shoulder of the quietly listening Sion in encouragement.

"To be honest, I thought it was a bad joke, but... you might actually reach it."

The Academy.

Leaving those words behind, the living legend Johnny Carson turned around and stepped back onto the stage for the next segment. Watching the back of the man who had guarded this show for thirty years and was set to retire next year, Sion thought:

I feel like I've learned something valuable in this short time.

From a man who had spent nearly half his life as a broadcaster in Hollywood, he had learned what "show business" truly meant. What it meant to be a master in the realm of "entertainment."

It was a vivid lesson he had never truly experienced in his past life.