America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 177, Section 176: A Shocking Birthday Gift, So What If I Do It in Front of You?

Beverly Hills, Theron's birthday party.

Eric walked toward Stuart Townsend, though ostensibly his target wasn't him, but rather the others around him.

At that moment, Stuart Townsend was chatting with Tobey Maguire and several people Eric didn't recognize.

"Hi, Toby, it's nice to see you again."

Hearing someone call his name, Spider-Man, who hadn't yet evolved into a bully, turned around.

Upon seeing that it was Eric, his face immediately lit up with a smile, and he proactively opened his arms and walked over.

"Haha, Eric, you actually came to the party too! It's so lucky to see you here."

The two weren't actually very close; they had only met a few times and chatted at various ceremonies and parties, but had relatively little contact in private.

It was clear that Tobey Maguire wanted to build a relationship, and Eric gave him that courtesy, giving him a light hug.

"OMG! Nobody told me you'd be attending."

Eric smiled slightly: "Theron and I are good friends. She just finished filming a movie that MGM invested in."

"Did you direct it?"

"No, but I did a short stint as director, so we have a good relationship. She's a smart and beautiful woman, and this movie will definitely help her win a big award."

"Yes, Charlize's charm is well-known, but first of all, congratulations on the huge success of Get Out. I went to see it in the theater, and it was thrilling and exciting with a deep plot. It's a truly excellent film."

"Seabiscuit is also great; the story is very inspiring and uplifting."

Tobey Maguire waved his hand: "Don't try to comfort me, boss. I know the situation perfectly well. Audiences simply don't like this type of movie."

"Caught between two giants, Pirates of the Caribbean and Get Out, defeat was inevitable."

"I originally hoped to make this my transition role, since I can't let the audience think that I can only play Spider-Man, but now it seems that I still need to look for new opportunities."

Eric patted him on the shoulder and comforted him, saying, "Don't be discouraged. If the right opportunity arises, MGM will contact you."

"Really? You're a big boss, you can't lie to a small-time actor like me."

"Hey! Toby, you guys seem to be having a great time chatting, aren't you going to introduce us?"

A man who looked to be in his twenties said something, though they were all well aware of Eric's identity.

You rarely get the chance to meet a big shot like that, so now that you've met one, you naturally want to try and build a relationship like Maguire did.

If you're incredibly lucky, you might fall in love at first sight and become a go-to actor.

Just like Spielberg and Tom Hanks, their chance to rise to fame and fortune has arrived.

Tobey Maguire led Eric over.

Before he could even begin the introductions, Eric pointed at Stuart Townsend and said, "Bring me a glass of red wine!"

Tobey Maguire quickly grabbed his fingers: "Eric, he's Stewart Townsend, Charlize's boyfriend, not a waiter."

Eric pretended to look the other person up and down, and said in a strange tone, "Not bad, you've found a pretty great girlfriend."

Everyone present knew the fact that the woman was stronger than the man, so Eric's words sounded reasonable and even seemed like a compliment.

But he always gave off a strange, sarcastic vibe, and Stuart Townsend couldn't help but smile awkwardly.

The group shook hands with Eric one by one, and when it was Stuart Townsend's turn, someone happened to be passing by with a tray of food.

Eric took a glass of red wine from the glass, leaving the latter's hand awkwardly held up in mid-air.

It would be impolite to take it back, especially since the other party is the head of MGM; that would be tantamount to disrespecting them.

Stuart Townsend could only wait somewhat awkwardly.

Eric took a sip of his wine, then pretended to realize what had happened and looked at the other person: "Sorry, Stuart, I almost forgot about you."

Townsend forced a smile: "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Cooper."

"It's a pleasure to meet you all. Please introduce yourselves and let me see what your representative works are. Perhaps I have some suitable roles for you."

"Of course, Toby doesn't need to. I wouldn't dare hire you if you weren't the male lead."

Maguire immediately shook his head repeatedly: "Eric, as long as it's your invitation, a supporting role is fine. I will completely obey your orders."

"Ha ha ha ha."

Across from them, several young male actors immediately perked up. This party couldn't have come at the perfect time; it was like a windfall.

"Mr. Cooper, I am Shane West. I appeared in the ABC TV series 'The Reunion,' had a supporting role in 'The Breakup Guru' the year before last, and played the male lead in 'The Memories of First Love' last year."

Eric nodded: "That's right. I know 'First Love,' a great innocent romance movie that seems to have made a lot of money at the box office."

Shane West grinned and said, "It can't compare to your movies, but it still made some money. I really hope to act in an MGM production."

"Hmm, you look great. I see potential in you. Let me think about whether there's a suitable role for you."

"Thank you. Please contact me if you have any questions."

After Shane West introduced himself, the others followed suit and began to boast.

Regardless of whether it was true or not, Eric gave it a positive review, praising the other party highly.

When it came to Stuart Townsend, he was naturally very eager to get an opportunity.

That's how the entertainment industry is. A single role or movie can change an actor's life. He desperately needs a good role to break free from the image of a strong woman and a submissive man who lives off his wife.

With a fawning smile, he said, "Mr. Cooper, I debuted in 1993 and have acted in many productions, including Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, and Universal."

"Including works like 'The Bride's Home,' 'Queen of the Vampires,' and 'Step by Step Crisis,' I have extensive acting experience and can handle a variety of roles, as long as..."

"etc!"

Before he could finish speaking, Eric interrupted him.

"I remember 'Queen of the Vampires,' it was a movie from last year, right?"

"Yes."

"I vaguely remember that this film cost Warner Bros. a lot of money."

"Well, the box office wasn't great, but the DVDs sold pretty well, so we didn't actually lose much money," Stuart Townsend tried to salvage the situation.

Tobey Maguire chimed in, "I've seen that movie too. The reason it didn't do well at the box office was because the plot was too cliché, but Stewart delivered an excellent performance."

"Eric, through this film, Stewart has become very popular among young women. At least he hasn't let any film down."

Eric nodded slightly: "Stuart, you have a good appearance. I do have a suitable role in mind, but I need to test your acting skills first."

Stuart Townsend's eyes lit up instantly. It was like a windfall. It seemed his gut feeling was wrong; the other person really was a good person.

"No problem, Mr. Cooper, I can audition tomorrow."

"No need for tomorrow, let's do it now."

"Now? Here?"

"That's right, MGM intends to make a Tarzan-like movie, with the male lead being a man abandoned in the forest and raised by animals."

"His behavior should have animal characteristics; you've learned to imitate animals, right?"

"Yes, every school teaches these things, so of course I do too."

Eric gestured for the group to move aside: "Come on, try to imitate me and show me your acting skills."

Stuart Townsend hesitated, feeling somewhat embarrassed to do so in front of everyone.

But deep down, he desperately wanted the role—it was the male lead in a blockbuster movie. If he didn't follow Eric's requirements, he probably wouldn't even get the chance to audition.

I gritted my teeth and figured it was a party, a time to relax and have fun, so there was nothing wrong with letting loose.

With that in mind, he no longer hesitated. The images of Tarzan cartoons and movies came to mind, and he immediately squatted down and began to imitate the gorilla.

"U-U. Ah-Ah-Yi-Yi"

He made a bunch of incoherent noises and hopped around on the floor, immediately attracting everyone's attention.

A group of people surrounded him, watching with curiosity as Stuart Townsend did something strange.

Hahahaha

Suddenly, someone burst into laughter, and everyone else couldn't help but laugh along.

"Next, Stewart!"

A banana was thrown from behind and hit him right on the head, causing another burst of laughter.

Surrounded by laughter, Stuart Townsend suddenly felt incredibly humiliated, as if he were the biggest fool in the world.

"Damn it, what am I doing? Tonight is my girlfriend's birthday party, and I've been fucking ripped off! I've been played by that damn Eric Cooper!"

Once he came to his senses, Stuart Townsend began to roar inwardly, his head burning hot, his face turning red to the roots of his ears.

He hurriedly stood up and pushed through the crowd to leave.

Just then, Theron's voice came from the side.

"What are you doing? Why are you all in a circle? Has something fun happened?"

The crowd made way for him, and Eric walked over to Stuart Townsend, patted him on the shoulder, and said...

"Your boyfriend just made everyone laugh with his superb acting skills. He's absolutely hilarious."

Theron smiled and looked at her boyfriend: "Really? No wonder it's so lively."

Stuart Townsend's lips twitched, but he couldn't manage a smile. He opened his mouth, but was too embarrassed to explain.

Having toyed with his opponent, Eric couldn't go too far, so he pulled Theron towards Sergei's location.

Theron nodded and followed him to a corner.

Behind the two, Stuart Townsend suddenly felt a surge of energy gathering in his chest.

For a moment, he had the illusion that he had become a stranger, and that Eric Cooper and Theron were the real couple.

"Sorry Theron, Stewart was actually auditioning for a new MGM project, and I think he's a good fit for the lead role."

"He was a Tarzan-like character, so he imitated a gorilla, which made everyone laugh."

"I noticed Stuart didn't seem too happy. It was my oversight. Could you apologize to him for me privately?"

Upon hearing this, Theron looked at Eric gratefully and said, "Thank you. It's already great that you came, and you even let Stuart play the male lead. You're such a good person."

"Don't worry, he won't mind. As an actor, it's what he should do."

Eric hummed in agreement: "It's good that you understand. Actually, it's all because of you. Who told me to like you?"

Theron didn't respond, but just smiled shyly.

She was very conflicted. On the one hand, she felt that betraying her boyfriend was immoral, since the two had only argued and had not had a major conflict.

On the other hand, she was also infatuated with Eric's affection, a sweet feeling that she couldn't resist, even though she knew that doing so would be unfair to Stuart.

But she still couldn't break up with Eric; instead, she became more and more involved, sometimes thinking how much better it would have been if the two of them had met sooner, then Stuart wouldn't have been involved at all.

Eric, unaware of Theron's complex inner thoughts, pointed at Sergei and asked, "How did his conversation with Kate Winslet go?"

"Great, your friend was a bit nervous at first, but quickly got into the zone."

"Winsley has a great personality; she's very outgoing and fun-loving. If it suits her taste, she won't refuse."

"Does Winslet have a boyfriend now?"

"I'm not sure, but she's been divorced for a long time, so maybe she is. I haven't been paying much attention."

"It doesn't matter if he does, Sergei has a wife anyway, but they've been separated for many years. He's a middle-aged man who desperately needs emotional support."

"It's somewhat sad that middle-aged people are looking for love again."

"Yes, I hope we don't wait until middle age to find love. Wouldn't it be better to cherish the present?"

Theron glanced at Eric and naturally understood what he meant.

Surrounded by people, and worried that Eric might do something rash again, Theron turned and walked towards her group of sisters.

Time flew by, and it was soon 11 p.m. The party was almost over, and everyone began to say goodbye one after another.

Charlize walked out of the villa to see everyone off.

Suddenly, there was a series of muffled thuds, and then the sky was dyed in colors.

Countless fireworks exploded in the sky, their brilliant colors illuminating the entire Beverly Hills in a kaleidoscope of shapes.

The fireworks formed patterns, eventually transforming into the words "happy birthday".

"OMG! Who set off those fireworks? They were so beautiful!"

"That's so creative! If someone did that for me, I would love them."

"Stuart, did you do that? Well done, buddy."

Stuart Townsend was speechless with embarrassment, then glanced furtively at Eric.

Meanwhile, Theron also glanced at Eric, who smiled back at her, everything unspoken.

It cost a lot of money to book the entire mountain; this fireworks show alone cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

But seeing Theron's eyes practically brimming with tears, it was worth it!

On the other hand, Stuart Townsend's anger burned ever brighter, and he felt as if his head had turned into a green meadow.

His fists were clenched tightly, and he was on the verge of exploding.

(End of this chapter)