Chapter 034: Playing Poor
Chapter 034: Playing Poor
“Hey, baby, dress up nicely tonight. We’re going to a cocktail party… Hmm?”
Eric frowned slightly.
“Meeting some television producer? Annie, didn’t I already tell you? If you want, I can specifically write a television script for you… I know you want to rely on your own abilities, but what about tonight? James specifically told me to bring a female companion. If you don’t go…”
“How could that be? You’re the only one in my heart…”
“Alright, alright, fine then. Bye.”
After hanging up the phone, Eric sighed in disappointment.
Ever since Home Alone became a success, a subtle change had appeared in his relationship with Jennifer Aniston.
The girl who used to act spoiled and a little willful around him had become much more restrained in front of him.
Having lived two lifetimes, Eric easily analyzed the cause.
After reading the tabloid comments about their relationship, Aniston had developed feelings of insecurity and inferiority.
Although Eric had tactfully comforted her several times, the knot in the girl’s heart had not loosened.
Aniston herself was also trying hard to break out of this state.
The most obvious sign was that within just one week, through introductions from her father, she had continuously attended auditions for several productions—both television dramas and films.
Her goal was simple.
She wanted to become famous as quickly as possible.
If she became famous herself, then those newspapers would no longer look at her like some “Cinderella.”
…
At John Aniston’s house in Beverly Hills, Aniston hung up the phone and sighed gloomily as well.
Deep down, she also wanted to attend the party with Eric.
She also wanted to become the female lead in Eric’s films.
However, she knew that if she did that now, the public would label her as a woman who climbed upward by relying on her boyfriend.
That “label” would follow her for the rest of her life.
Perhaps some women would not care, and might even be delighted by it.
But for the fiercely competitive Aniston, that was absolutely unacceptable.
Beside her, John Aniston pretended to read a newspaper. Seeing his daughter absentmindedly sitting there, he could not help saying:
“Annie, how about I go to the meeting with Costello myself today? I’m sure your Uncle Costello won’t mind.”
Aniston shook her head.
“No, Dad. Uncle Costello may not mind, but if I don’t go, it would still be too rude. After all, he put in a lot of effort to help me get that role.”
“Annie, Eric is a good young man. He’s far more mature than most people his age. I don’t think he would mind certain things.”
“But I mind, Dad.”
Aniston spoke irritably.
“Just look at what those newspapers are saying. God, I didn’t even know I was supposedly that kind of woman.”
“If you keep caring about those things, you’ll never be happy.”
John Aniston tried to comfort her.
“Eric has already achieved such dazzling success at such a young age. Unless something unexpected happens, he’ll spend his entire life surrounded by all kinds of halos. As his girlfriend, there’s no way you can avoid those halos unless…”
At the end, John Aniston quickly shut his mouth.
He did not want some careless remark of his to plant a seed in his daughter’s heart and make her resent him in the future.
Although his impression of Eric had improved, because of his daughter’s competitive personality, he still did not feel optimistic about the future of the two of them.
…
After Aniston refused to accompany him, Eric also lost much of his interest in the cocktail party.
It was not until near evening that he dug out one of the suits left behind by his father, changed into it, and drove toward the Hilton Hotels & Resorts where the event was being held.
The moment he appeared in the banquet hall, sharp-eyed James L. Brooks immediately came over to greet him.
However, after seeing Eric’s outfit, James frowned slightly, wrapped an arm around Eric’s shoulder, and quietly led him aside.
“Eric, your status is different now. You should pay a little more attention to your clothing. At the very least, you should wear a better-fitting suit.”
Eric glanced at the slightly oversized suit he was wearing.
It had belonged to that cheap father of his.
With a helpless shrug, Eric pulled out his wallet and waved it in front of James with a bitter smile.
“James, aside from the car in the parking lot, all my belongings are in here. A total of… hmm, five hundred twenty-one dollars and seventy-five cents. In order to finish Home Alone, even the deed to my house is still sitting in a pawnshop. I really don’t have money for new clothes.”
The bizarre contrast of a “youngest billionaire” currently dominating media headlines crying poor right in front of him made the corner of James’s mouth twitch slightly.
“Alright then, Eric. Mr. Barry Diller is already waiting for you. Let’s head over.”
The cocktail party had already begun.
The hall was brilliantly lit, the band played soft and gentle music, and waiters carrying drinks moved back and forth through the crowd.
Many major celebrities whom Eric had only ever seen on screens in his previous life stood in groups chatting together.
When people noticed famed producer James Brooks leading a young man through the crowd, they curiously asked about Eric’s identity.
Although newspapers had already printed many photos of him, many people still failed to recognize him in person.
But the moment their companions pointed out who Eric was, all kinds of gazes instantly focused on him, making him feel rather uncomfortable.
Just before crossing the hall, Eric finally spotted someone familiar.
At a long table in the corner, Penny Marshall, dressed in a black evening gown, was chatting with Tom Hanks beside her.
When she looked up, her eyes happened to meet Eric’s.
The two smiled and nodded in greeting.
Eric could not help taking another glance at Tom Hanks.
Although Hanks was already thirty-two years old at this time, his facial features were handsome and his figure tall and upright. He was still an undeniably handsome man, completely lacking the heavier appearance he would develop in later years.
Arriving at the door of a guest room, James said to Eric:
“Eric, go on in. Mr. Barry Diller is waiting inside. I’ll excuse myself now.”
Eric knocked on the door. After receiving permission, he pushed it open and saw a man and woman sitting on the sofa talking quietly.
When they saw Eric enter, the exquisitely beautiful woman in her thirties whispered something to the middle-aged man with the large nose, picked up her handbag, and walked out of the room.
The middle-aged man was obviously Barry Diller.
Eric had seen footage of this media tycoon countless times in his previous life.
“Hello, Eric.”
Diller stood up and extended his hand.
Pretending not to notice the faint blush still lingering on the departing woman’s face, Eric smiled and replied:
“Hello, Mr. Diller. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
The two shook hands and sat down on the sofa.
“You know, Eric, many people experience a sense of defeat when they see you.”
Eric raised an eyebrow and could not help asking:
“What about you, Mr. Diller?”
Diller did not mind Eric’s somewhat impolite counterquestion and smiled.
“Of course not. I don’t believe in luck. I don’t believe in shortcuts. I only believe in my own abilities. I climbed up step by step from the lowest-level mailroom clerk at William Morris Agency. Maybe I envy your achievements, but I’m still proud of my own career.”
“Mr. Diller, do you also think Home Alone’s success was purely accidental?”
Barry Diller nodded.
“I had people conduct a special analysis. This film’s success truly involved many accidental factors. So I’m curious, Eric. Back then, why did you dare sign that gambling agreement with Columbia? You know there was an eighty percent chance you would walk away with nothing.”
Eric replied:
“I had nothing to begin with. If I lost, then I lost. I would just start over.”
Barry Diller sensed that Eric’s words were not entirely sincere, but he did not pursue the matter.
“Then, Eric, on behalf of Fox, I’d like to invite you to join us. What do you think?”
Eric had no intention of tying himself to a single tree.
If he accepted this kind of direct invitation, he would likely end up signing a multi-year contract.
Shaking his head, Eric replied:
“Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Diller, but I don’t like being restrained. So I plan to establish my own independent film company and first produce a few low-budget films to train myself.”
Seeing Eric refuse directly, Barry Diller did not force the issue.
Ever since Eric began showing his brilliance, specialized organizations had thoroughly analyzed his background, personality, and various records.
Diller had also read those reports.
He knew this young man possessed a decisiveness that did not belong to someone his age.
Once Eric made a decision, it would be extremely difficult to change it.
At the same time, Diller paid little attention to Eric’s plan to establish his own film company.
After becoming famous, many directors liked to break away from the Six Major studios and strike out on their own in order to gain more benefits and greater authority.
Usually, after losing the full support and resources of the Six Major studios and crashing into reality several times, those people finally realized that the road of independence was nearly impossible.
Even DreamWorks Pictures, which had the greatest chance of becoming a film giant in Eric’s previous life, ultimately ended in failure.
That alone showed just how difficult the road truly was.
Investing in films was like gambling.
Before a movie premiered, nobody knew whether it would become a massive hit.
The reason DreamWorks failed was not primarily because it lacked distribution channels or suffered suppression.
The biggest reason was that several films failed commercially, resulting in enormous losses that ultimately forced the company into a bleak ending.
But this gambling-style risk did not apply to Eric.
As a transmigrator, he already knew the outcomes of most of these gambles.
That gave him confidence that he could carve out his own territory.
Perhaps the major studios would join forces to suppress him in order to protect their monopolies.
But Eric was not afraid.
As long as his movies continued succeeding, then in this profit-driven world, nobody would reject money.
Just like in his previous life.
Several years after publicly tearing into Tom Cruise in newspapers, media tycoon Sumner Redstone still had to sit at the same dining table as Cruise for the sake of profit, chatting and laughing like old friends.
Paramount even distributed a film starring Tom Cruise that openly mocked Redstone’s greed.
After casually chatting for a bit longer, the topic quickly shifted to Home Alone.
At present, this was the only bargaining chip Eric possessed that could truly attract the attention of the major studios.
Even Jurassic Park had not yet received enough attention.
“Eric, let’s talk about Home Alone now.”
“I have a suggestion.”
“How about selling Fox the overseas rights, merchandising rights, and sequel rights to Home Alone? We’ll offer a very reasonable price.”