The Best Actor in the Vase of Meiyu

Chapter 2074 Without a trace
Anson has disappeared.

Hollywood: ...I don't want to talk.

This is no joke, nor is it a complaint; Anson has truly disappeared, and in full view of everyone, he's practically David Copperfield.

This isn't the first or second time. Not long ago at the Oscars, Anson, returning to Los Angeles from London, pulled off a clever escape, quietly arriving in Seattle amidst the spotlight and fooling all the reporters and paparazzi. The aftermath hasn't completely faded yet.

And then, what happened?

The entire Hollywood was not just shocked, but utterly bewildered and confused.

How can it be?

In today's Hollywood, even Dustin Hoffman wearing plaid pajamas to take out the trash can't escape TMZ's attention. Details of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's affair have been thoroughly investigated. The ever-present paparazzi are using technological advancements to penetrate every corner of the entertainment industry.

And Anson, Hollywood's number one, a superstar whose every move can cause a huge stir in the entertainment industry, a top figure who can steal a bunch of entertainment headlines by tripping and falling on the street, living under the media spotlight in every aspect, how did he disappear from the camera?
What's truly outrageous is that people get infected once, twice, or even three times, yet they still can't figure it out, and they just watch helplessly as Anson disappears from their sight.

He was so angry that he laughed; such an absurd thing was actually happening right before his eyes.

It was no secret that Anson was filming "In Bruges" in Bruges, but when filming wrapped up, Anson suddenly disappeared.

Imagine those paparazzi standing at the entrance of the Rose Garden, looking utterly dejected and hopeless. Hollywood professionals wouldn't even have time to be angry; they'd all burst out laughing.

This is absolutely a sight to behold.

Jeff Robinoff was also dumbfounded. Michael had already arrived in Bruges, only to find that he hadn't arrived at all, giving Warner Bros. a real scare.

Upon closer reflection, Jeff couldn't help but laugh out loud. What was truly unbelievable was that Anson was accompanied by security personnel on his trip to Bruges. This was likely the first time Anson had traveled with security personnel, and the scale of the operation was quite impressive, truly showcasing his rare superstar status.

However, the security personnel were left in Bruges, while Anson disappeared.
So, does this mean that the security personnel were a smokescreen from the very beginning? Did Anson dig a trap early on, just waiting for the paparazzi to foolishly fall into it?
Rumor has it that Lucas Wood was furious.

A reporter went to Forest Films to question Lucas about whether Anson's behavior was mocking the public. He witnessed firsthand what it looked like when a Tyrannosaurus Rex was enraged. When he left Forest Films, he was so scared that his knees went weak and he scrambled away from the scene.

Michael kept making phone calls, wailing and protesting, tears streaming down his face, desperately begging Jeff to find a solution.

Anson's phone was switched off and he was completely out of contact. Jeff did consider calling Anson's personal phone number, but he hesitated. This number was very private, and only a handful of people knew it; only true friends would have access to it.

Once the information is leaked, Anson can easily find the source by doing a little investigation, and when he changes his personal phone number again, he won't be given a second chance.

Jeff believed he could reach Anson through the number, but the question was whether he was really willing to waste this favor for Michael's project.

In the world of fame and fortune, everything is just numbers. This applies to both interests and relationships. Interests can be negotiated again, but once relationships are exhausted, it is difficult to rebuild them. It may take ten or even a hundred times the effort to get them back.

He had considered calling Lucas to subtly probe the matter, but after careful consideration, he ultimately abandoned the idea.

After careful consideration and weighing the options, Jeff turned to Michael.

Good things come to those who wait.

In Jeff's view, when Michael set his sights on Anson, he should have been mentally prepared. Patience was the most important factor. They couldn't achieve their goal overnight. It would be a basic requirement to make three visits to Anson's home. It wouldn't be surprising to be turned away. If things were simple, it wouldn't be Anson.

Jeff proved to be right; this intuition has led him to where he is today and kept him safe during this storm.

Lucas was indeed furious. The oppressive atmosphere shrouded the entire Forest Films in gloom, making it almost impossible for anyone to breathe—Anson had truly vanished. Not only were his external phones switched off, but his personal phone was also off.

A closer look reveals that it was all premeditated.

On the set of "In Bruges," Anson's scenes were all filmed two days ahead of schedule. In other words, while the crew was still wrapping up filming, Anson had already left Bruges.

Martin and the rest of the crew all knew about this, and the filming schedule was adjusted according to Anson's request.

but!

No one informed Lucas, and he was completely kept in the dark.

If that were all, Lucas might be angry, but he wouldn't be furious. The real problem lies ahead.

Anson left Noah behind, and even Noah, who had always followed closely behind Anson, was left behind as well. Clearly, Anson did this on purpose.

Anson knew that Noah was Lucas's informant and that no information could be kept from Lucas, so this time Anson deliberately kept it from Noah.

This is retaliation, and also a counterattack.

Anson did it on purpose, to retaliate against Lucas's previous trap. "Lucas vs. eight bodyguards" seemed to give Anson a choice, but in reality, there was no choice. The real choice should have been "Lucas plus eight bodyguards vs. eight bodyguards traveling alone." He cunningly made Anson willingly step into the trap.

Now, the counterattack has begun.

Perhaps the only saving grace is that not the entire security team was left in Bruges; Reese and Eduardo disappeared along with Anson.

Normally, it would be assumed that Reese and Eduardo should have followed Anson, but the problem is that both of their communication devices were turned off.

Lucas went completely insane.

Reason told him that everything was Anson's arrangement, and everything was part of Anson's plan; but his mind still couldn't help but start to wander into wild thoughts.

What if they were kidnapped? What if they were in danger? What if the three of them fell into the canal and were swept away?
With just a thought, Lucas felt his blood run cold. He dared not continue thinking, lest he be completely lost in the boundless darkness.

Kidnapping... If Anson is kidnapped again...

Lucas had to exert all his strength to control himself and remain calm; he needed to temporarily suppress his urge to destroy the world and focus on Anson—

Find the clues and answers by following the slightest traces; everything else takes a backseat.

Unfortunately, that reporter ran right into the line of fire, so don't blame Lucas for going all out.

Just when Lucas was on the verge of exploding from tension, news finally arrived.

“Mr. Wood. Everything is safe. Anson has forbidden us from contacting you. We will talk again once things have settled down.”

From Ries.

(End of this chapter)