America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 336, Section 334: If you dare utter a single word of dissent, I'll make you regret it!

Sexual orientation is not static; it is fluid.

It's normal for people to suddenly change because of emotional distress or immense pressure.

Some people might feel that watching same-sex romances isn't unpleasant. Of course, I'm not suggesting you watch porn like those on Pornhub, but simply love stories or real-life events.

In more open countries like those in Europe and America, this is even more common.

For example, two of the most famous examples in Hollywood are Ellen Page's transition to become Elliott Page.

This girl was hailed as a prodigy from the moment she debuted, her acting full of talent.

I also dated boyfriends, and at that time I was probably still heterosexual.

She later suddenly came out as gay, officially became a lesbian, and then successfully underwent gender reassignment surgery and married her girlfriend.

There's also Kristen Stewart, famous for her role in "Twilight," who had a public relationship with co-star Robert Pattinson that lasted at least five years.

Sexual orientation during this period is definitely normal.

However, he later came out as gay and married his girlfriend of more than two years.

Regarding her sudden change, the media and psychologists speculate that it is most likely related to her relationship with Robert Pattinson.

It is estimated that over the course of five years, this relationship caused her severe psychological trauma or aftereffects, leading to a reversal of her sexual orientation.

Putting Judy's current situation in mind, Eric couldn't help but feel that she was somewhat similar to Kristen Stewart.

"Judy, are you upset? This change is a little scary."

"I don't know, I just don't know when it started, but suddenly I don't find you so annoying anymore."

"Don't joke around, this is no small matter. And don't you know my situation? There are six women living in my house."

Judy shook her head: "I don't care. I don't look down on ordinary men. At least you meet my standards in every way except for being a womanizer."

"Didn't your family introduce you to a boyfriend? A prominent family, a promising young man, a good match, and he still doesn't meet your standards?" Eric asked, somewhat puzzled.

Judy thought for a moment: "Well, if it were right after graduation, I could find a job myself and earn ten or twenty thousand dollars a month."

"I would say yes, the men my family introduced me to are quite good."

"They are all graduates of prestigious universities, and at a young age they have already become senior executives in companies or embarked on political careers. They may inherit the family business in the future, and their future is bright."

"Unfortunately, the timing was wrong; at that time, I only had feelings for women."

"But now, when I see them, I just chuckle a few times and have no desire to have any in-depth conversations with them."

"Last year I went home to a party where my peers were all proud of having made a mere million dollars."

At this point, she rolled her eyes: "Come on! What do you want me to say? Tell them I'm already worth over a hundred million?"

"That's too superficial. Those guys are no longer on my level. Not having common ground is a painful thing, and it might last a long time."

"Besides, I don't expect to look like a big star, but at least I should be healthy and handsome."

Have you seen the preview of "Twilight"? Henry Cavill, who plays the male lead, is a must-have for the film.

"Tsk tsk."

After hearing Judy's request, Eric was speechless, thinking that it was almost a pipe dream, if not a fantasy.

Most Americans can't earn a million dollars in their lifetime. For a normal middle-class family, it's quite good if they can save ten or twenty thousand dollars after working for several years.

Good looks are harder to achieve than money. Although Henry Cavill hasn't developed a sexy physique yet, his face is certainly not to be underestimated.

With 80% of his good looks, he was enough to completely overshadow Ryan Reynolds.

Besides, this face is given to me by my parents, it's my natural face, and if I'm ugly, I'm ugly.

As for plastic surgery?

Go ask these big families if any of the men have had cosmetic surgery.

I'm rich and powerful, and you still complain about my looks? Is it so hard for me to find someone younger and prettier? You're trampling on my dignity.

"Ahem. Aren't your demands a bit too high? Wanting everything is the same as wanting nothing."

"Think about it another way. You're very strong, so it's actually better for you to find a weaker man. Two strong people together can easily cause problems."

"There are countless examples of you arguing over all sorts of trivial things and then refusing to back down."

Judy suddenly grabbed his shoulders: "So, after looking around, you're the only one who meets my requirements."

"You are stronger, possessing intelligence, handsomeness, and wealth. I can't think of any other person my age who could win me over!"

"But I have girlfriends, a whole bunch of them. To be honest, besides the six at home, I have a few more outside."

"It's okay, if there are too many, I can even help you deal with a few."

"What?"

"I can help you handle them. I'm very good at dealing with women, you know that."

"Wait, but aren't you?"

"I mean I can accept men now, it doesn't mean I reject women."

oh

Eric understood, and he nodded slowly: "But why does this feel like a transaction? We're like two merchants discussing a commodity."

"Isn't marriage essentially an emotional transaction?"

"I have a question for you, please answer it seriously."

"What?"

Do you have feelings for me?

Eric hesitated for a moment: "I've always considered you a brother, a good friend, someone I can share my most secrets with."

That's irrelevant. I asked you, "Do you feel anything?"

"I don't know!" Eric shouted.

Before he could finish speaking, Judy took the initiative to kiss him.

A moment later, sensing something amiss, Judy smiled wryly and said, "It seems the body is much more honest than the mouth."

As she spoke, she took off her top, but Eric stopped her.

"Wait, wait, now is not the time."

"You look down on me? Eric Cooper, in this situation, if you dare utter a single word of dissent, I'll make you regret it!"

As she spoke, she clenched her fist: "When I was in college, I could beat up all four of you, and I still can now."

Eric quickly denied it: "No, no, no, I admit you're hot Judy, but I really have something to do tomorrow."

"An excuse!"

"Really, I need to see a doctor."

Are you sick?

"It's not an illness, it's just conditioning the body. If you don't believe me, come with me. He's a very experienced old doctor."

Judy crossed her arms and looked him up and down suspiciously. "Fine, you're definitely lying to me."

...............................................................

The next day, Eric went to check out the factory area.

After the expansion, it can accommodate about 12000 people, but the limit is 15000 people. It is simply not allowed to take up more land.

Expansion into coastal cities is an inevitable path.

After giving him a few words of advice on safety in production and urging him not to cause any accidents, he left the factory area and went to Oriental MGM.

We went to the internal cinema to directly participate in the screening of "The Meg".

When the shark was finally defeated by a young Jason Statham, the lights came back on.

"Eric, it's been about 110 minutes, how does that feel?"

Eric nodded slowly. The movie was indeed filmed according to his script. Although there were some cuts and changes in the lines, it was not a big deal.

If it were a commercial film, it would be considered good enough to be shown on the big screen and entertain audiences.

Of course, a commercial film is a commercial film, and it has its share of problems.

For example, Xu Jinglei, who played the female lead, didn't interfere much with the casting process, but judging from the final product, she was far inferior to Li Bingbing.

The two are not people with the same temperament. Xu Jinglei always looks delicate, even though she tries very hard to show her strong side.

This is probably the biggest flaw in the movie. Fortunately, the younger Guo Da was more outstanding, with excellent action scenes and intense underwater battles.

It's foreseeable that it will be labeled as a bad movie with illogical plots after its release, but as I said before, it's just a commercial film.

"Hmm, it's not bad. If the special effects are made a little more refined, I think it's ready for the big screen."

Old Han immediately smiled and said, "I feel much more at ease with your words. Please give me your suggestions on what else needs to be improved."

Eric thought to himself, "Is it realistic for me to ask you to replace Xu Jinglei and reshoot now?"

He mentioned a few trivial details, but since he spoke casually, others couldn't just listen to him casually; they quickly took out their notebooks and wrote them down.

Just kidding, Eric Cooper, an internationally renowned director, whose personal box office is approaching $20 billion, is a man of his word.

"Huang Bo's acting was very good. Even his death was humorous. Although his screen time was limited, he was a highlight."

"I remember you recommended him, right?"

"Yes, when I went to the school to promote Transformers, I felt that it was very distinctive and would add some color to the movie."

"A discerning eye. This actor may not be good-looking, but he works very hard. He can be used as a character actor. He can play petty thieves, illegal merchants, and thugs. He looks exactly like them no matter how you look at him."

Eric laughed heartily, but if Huang Bo were really trained in this direction, his future might be ruined.

"Look at it more broadly. His demeanor is less like that of a rogue or villain and more like that of an ordinary person, someone we see anytime, anywhere on the street."

"If there is such a role, why not let Huang Bo give it a try? I think he can do a great job."

"Let's not talk about him anymore, Lao Chen. You've seen the film, so if there's anything we need to cut, just let us know and we'll fix it right away." Lao Han looked at Chen Ou.

The latter replied calmly, "This film doesn't need any editing. There are no sensitive parts; just shoot it directly."

"You said it yourself."

"I've made the decision; you can rest assured!"

After the screening meeting, the director, co-writer, and others hurriedly made revisions as required, and the three returned to the office to have tea.

Chen Ou looked at Eric and said, "I'm planning to set up a high-profile forum. Would you be interested in joining me?"

"A forum? Another discussion about the gap between films? No need for that. It'll just be the same old stuff about technology, censorship, and cost. It's not very interesting."

"Not entirely. The theme is how Chinese films can compete for Oscars."

"Ever since Ang Lee won an Oscar for 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' in 2001, the mainland has always wanted to win a major award of equal significance."

"Zhang Yimou made 'Hero' in 2002, but unfortunately it only received a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film."

"Last year, we made another film, 'House of Flying Daggers,' which didn't even get a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film, only a nomination for Best Cinematography."

"When He Ping directed 'Warriors of Heaven and Earth' in 2003, he didn't even get a single nomination."

"These directors in mainland China are confused. They don't know how to make films that will win the favor of the Oscars. Why don't you go and give them some guidance?"

"I've invited Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, and Feng Xiaogang to join us for a chat."

Eric sighed; he couldn't be bothered with any work that wasn't part of his plans.

And does this thing work just by talking to it?

If I remember correctly, this year should be the day the epic flop "The Promise" was born, and next year will be the day when the equally flopping "The Banquet" will be released.

These big-name directors in mainland China seem to have fallen into a vicious cycle of thinking: they must make period dramas and tell a messy story that no one can understand.

Their obsession with the Oscars has driven this group to madness; they're so envious of Ang Lee that they're practically going crazy.

They all wanted to recreate "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," but they were all too hasty, only copying the form and abandoning the spirit.

There's no saving him; he'll only wake up after he falls down.

It was clear that Eric didn't want to participate, so Lao Han persuaded him, "It won't take too long, it'll be over in a little over an hour."

"Okay, I'll take you there in a bit. It'll start at 8 a.m. and end at 10 a.m. tomorrow, so it won't interfere with your journey south."

Since they had both said so, Eric couldn't refuse them, so he reluctantly agreed.

"Alright, Lao Chen, you get ready, we need to take care of something."

"Okay, see you tomorrow."

After leaving the Oriental MGM, we picked up Judy, who was shopping for clothes in Wangfujing, and drove all the way to the north of the city.

After several twists and turns, you'll find yourself in a long alleyway when you get off the bus.

Even though Eric had spent a long time in Yanjing, he had no idea where he was.

Old Han led the way to a courtyard house, where an old man with a white beard and reading glasses stood before them.

He looked to be at least seventy or eighty years old, but he was full of energy and vitality, which fits the image of an old Chinese medicine doctor.

Old Han and the other person must be acquaintances, so he asked Eric to sit down and take his pulse.

After a moment, he shook his head slightly: "Young man, your body is in good condition, except for one organ, which is your kidney."

As he spoke, he suddenly pressed hard on Eric's index finger.

Eric felt as if he had been electrocuted and couldn't help but scream, startling Judy who was next to him.

"You're severely in debt, but luckily you're young, exercise regularly, and drink the medicinal wine I prepared."

After a few dry laughs, Eric hurriedly asked, "Doctor, what should I do? To be honest, I have several wives."

The old Chinese medicine doctor wasn't surprised. Anyone who came to him was a womanizer and had multiple wives. Anyway, not getting a marriage certificate wasn't illegal.

He took out a box of pills and wrote down a prescription.

"Take this first, then go to Chinatown to get the medicine according to the prescription. Take one dose every three days for a month."

"Here's another disc with a set of movements. Go home and learn it, practicing once in the morning and once at night."

"But let me tell you, these are all external things after all. The key is to exercise restraint. Otherwise, even ancient emperors died from exhaustion, let alone you!"

Eric nodded repeatedly: "I thought I'd get a book, like a kung fu manual."

The old Chinese medicine doctor rolled his eyes at him: "What era are we living in? Don't you know how to keep up with the times?"

"Well"

Behind him, Judy patted Eric on the shoulder, and he could only ask sheepishly, "Does taking the medication affect our sex life?"

(End of this chapter)