America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 98. Filming wrapped up. Your eyes are practically drooling, Miss!

"Hi, Nico, I'm home."

Lying in bed, Eric called Nicole Kidman. He hadn't been in touch for a few days and was starting to crave the beautiful woman.

Let's sound them out first. If it's a good fit, we can arrange a time. It's a bit risky to just sneak home like last time.

Nicole Kidman's gentle voice came from the other end of the phone: "Eric, when did you get back?"

"I just got home a short while ago and just had dinner. Are you home?"

"What do you want to do?"

"It's nothing, I just brought you a gift. I want to give it to you personally; otherwise, how can I show my sincerity?"

Nicole Kidman's soft chuckle rang out from the other end: "Dear Eric, you might be in for a disappointing visit."

"Why? Aren't you home?"

"Yes, when I saw you go abroad to avoid the country for a few days, I thought it was a good idea, so I left too. I'm in Australia now; I've gone back to my hometown."

"Huh?" Eric was somewhat disappointed.

"Don't be like that, darling. I'll be back in a few days. The limelight has mostly died down by now. Thanks to Halle Berry, she stole my Best Actress award, so we're even this time. Honey, can you wait a few more days for me?"

What could Eric say across the Pacific Ocean?

It's too far out of reach.

"Okay, I should have known better than to go back to the US. I should have flown straight to Australia to see you. We could have taken a vacation together; the weather there is perfect right now."

"Yes, it's autumn here now, the most comfortable season. But why haven't you contacted me? It's been a week. If you had contacted me even once, I think you would know where I am. Maybe we'd be listening to opera in Sydney right now."

Caught off guard, Eric chuckled dryly, "Nico, you've misunderstood. I'm going to China for work; avoiding the paparazzi is just a side thing. The itinerary was planned long ago. Even if it weren't for our business, I would still have gone."

"You have no idea how busy it is over there. I have so many things to deal with, but I only have a week, so every night is filled with endless drinking and unavoidable social engagements."

"Every time I finish drinking, I have to vomit into the toilet for a long time, and then I faint on the bed in a daze, but in my dreams, your shadow is often with me."

I miss you, Nico.

Eric may have said these words with genuine feelings, but such sweet talk might work on a young girl like Gadot, but Nicole Kidman's immunity to it is clearly not comparable to that of a young girl.

She made a few cute nasal hums, like a pitiful puppy whining, but then her tone took a sharp turn.

"Eric, while I'm touched by your words, I have to ask, why haven't you contacted me?"

"You had a week, why didn't you contact me?"

"Mom, okay, I heard you, I'm coming right now! Sorry, Nico, I have something to take care of."

Eric yelled at the air and then hung up the phone.

In Australia, Nicole Kidman, both annoyed and amused, tossed her phone onto the sofa after it was abruptly disconnected.

"What's wrong, daughter? It looks like someone made you angry."

Beside him, the elderly father asked while drinking beer.

"Nothing much, just a little rascal."

The old man looked at her and chuckled, teasingly saying, "Wow, looks like an unusual little rascal. I'll introduce him to you sometime."

"Dad!" Nicole Kidman exclaimed, her eyes wide.

"Honey, okay, I heard you, I'm coming right now!"

The old man shouted at the air, then nimbly disappeared.

The Transformers crew.

Patty Jenkins reviewed the remaining shooting schedule, while Neill Blomkamp organized the set setup, and the actors arrived one by one to sign in.

Suddenly, Patty Jenkins heard someone shout "Director" loudly next to him. He subconsciously responded and looked up to see Eric walking into the studio not far away.

Chris Evans, Gal Gadot, and many others gathered around.

She was stunned for a moment before realizing that she was the assistant director, but Eric had been offline, which gave her the illusion.

"It's okay, it'll be over soon anyway, and I can start filming 'Monster' in the second half of the year."

After reassuring himself, Patty Jenkins quickly joined in.

"Don't worry, don't worry, I know you all miss me and are eagerly awaiting my return. Now your wish has been granted, and I've brought gifts for everyone!"

As Eric spoke, he pointed behind him, where Chen Xing and Peter were each carrying a large bag, both heavy bags filled with small gifts they had brought from China.

"Everyone gets a gift! Come and get yours!"

OH

The people who had been surrounding Eric scattered instantly, and swarmed around Chen Xing and Peter.

Patty Jenkins crossed his arms: "Look at them, they're full of energy in an instant. But Eric, you're the most comfortable director in the world. Being away from the crew for 23 days straight is unimaginable. I'm absolutely certain of one thing: no other director or crew in the world would ever do that."

Sensing her anger, Eric immediately gave her a thumbs-up and praised, "Patty, the reason I dared to do this is because of you. You're an outstanding director. Even in Hollywood, not many people can pull off a large-scale production like Transformers, but you did it."

But it would have been better if he hadn't said anything; once he did, Patty Jenkins felt even more aggrieved.

"Yes, it sounds good, but I always feel it's ironic. After all, every shot I shoot is done under your control. In fact, instead of making me feel relaxed, it sometimes makes me more tired."

Eric has always been kind and open with his friends and colleagues, and he prefers to speak frankly, so Patty Jenkins also spoke frankly about her grievances.

She considers herself a film professional with some artistic cultivation, but deep down she prefers to make more artistic works, or rather, to incorporate artistic elements into commercial works.

But in Eric's hands, Patty Jenkins felt like a puppet, a feeling that made her very uncomfortable.

In fact, all directors would feel very uncomfortable in this situation, because everyone who becomes a director has a strong desire to express themselves deep down, and repression makes people suffer.

"Alright Patty, I know what you mean. I assure you you can film 'Monster' without worry. MGM will only invest and won't interfere with the filming process, okay?"

Patty's expression softened considerably: "The filming of Transformers is nearing its end. According to the plan, it will take me about half a month to finish by myself, but if you join in, I think a week will be enough."

"Sure, barring any unforeseen circumstances, I'll stay on set the entire week. We'll try to wrap up filming within five days!"

While everyone was dividing up the gifts, Eric slipped into the dressing room by himself.

As soon as he closed the door, Gadot rushed over and pinned him to a chair, straddling Eric with her two tight, long legs, and wrapping her arms tightly around his back as she began to kiss him.

After a long, passionate French kiss that lasted several minutes, Eric gently brushed the hair from her temples: "Your eyes are practically drooling, miss!"

"Then you should understand how much I miss you."

"Hmm"

Gadot's passion ignited Eric's desire as well. Just as he was tracing the girl's neck, preparing to explore deeper, the headset on the table suddenly rang.

"Gadot, where are you?"

Upon hearing Neal Bromkamp's voice, Gadot instantly woke up.

"Damn it, I forgot my scene is coming up soon, I have to get ready."

Eric grabbed her arm and said, "I'm the director. I make the decisions. Whoever's movie I want to film, that's whose movie we'll film."

"Yes, do you think Patty and Neil will contact you? After all, you're the director."

"Well"

Eric was speechless; that was indeed the case.

Patty was in charge when I wasn't there, but if Patty is still in charge now that I'm here, then what the hell did I come for?

He shook his head, realizing it was too conspicuous on set, and took out a delicate little box from his pocket.

"I bought this especially for you. It's a very beautiful pair of earrings that no one else deserves."

The special gift signified special treatment, which naturally delighted Gadot.

She opened the box with a smile and then gave Eric a big kiss on the cheek.

Unfortunately, filming required her to wear jewelry, so Gal Gadot could only carefully put the box away, send a kiss from afar, and then sneak out of the dressing room.

With a sigh, Eric began to suppress his desire. Women have an advantage in this area; they usually go unnoticed, while men's desires are far too obvious.

A few minutes later, after straightening his slightly wrinkled clothes, he opened the door handle.

boom!

Suddenly, a figure rushed in, and the two collided head-on, with Eric being knocked back into his chair.

"Ouch! Huh? Sevi!"

The one who suddenly rushed in was naturally Colossevini. I hadn't seen her before and thought she had finished filming and left the crew.

"Eric, you bastard, what are you doing in the dressing room?" Colossevini asked viciously.

"Me? I need a quiet environment to answer a phone call."

"Really? But I saw Gadot sneak in too."

"What's so strange about that? Is the dressing room my private space?"

"Let me see and I'll know."

As she spoke, Sevier's hand reached down, and she stuck out her tongue and lightly ran it across Eric's face: "Wet, looks like someone's doing something bad."

Even though you've got leverage over someone, you can't let your guard down.

Eric nodded, his voice low and somber: "Yes, it's you!"

"Me? Okay, then let's do something naughty!"

"What! Now is not the right time."

Eric was in a bit of a predicament. He knew perfectly well that Gadot was secretly watching them.

They might have already discovered that Sevilla had sneaked in, and if I don't leave for a while, it might arouse suspicion.

He had just appeased the girl; if he were caught red-handed, even if the entire crew sided with him, he wouldn't be able to explain himself.

"Don't worry, I'm watching. Nobody noticed me coming in, especially Gadot."

Sevier's tongue continued to wander, as if knowing what Eric was worried about and giving him a heads-up.

"This should be a swift and decisive victory!"

With Sevini pinned against the door to prevent anyone from barging in, Eric began his wild sprint without any foreplay.

Ten minutes later, he walked out of the dressing room with a calm expression. Luckily, no one came over in the meantime, except for the young Wonder Woman who was secretly glancing at him.

"Eric, why did it take you so long to come out?" Gadot asked suspiciously.

"Honey, I need to calm myself down. You're just too hot, it's hard, you know?"

Hearing her boyfriend praise her charm, Gadot felt a sweet warmth in her heart, but she was still a little puzzled: "But it shouldn't take this long, right?"

"You'll find out soon enough, don't blame me when you can't stand it anymore!"

The girl blushed instantly, secretly pinched Eric, and ran away.

"Transformers Episode 133, Action!"

At Patty Jenkins's command, the crew began their work for the day, while Eric reviewed the shooting schedule and past footage.

He needs to understand the specific filming schedule before he can start. A director who can do this much is truly the best in film and television.

Then Severini appeared behind him again, like a ghost.

"You bastard, you're hurting me!"

Eric felt no remorse; he knew she had some masochistic tendencies: "You asked for this, little girl! And why are you still on set? You should have finished filming all your scenes by now. I saw Tom Hardy and Fassbender have already left."

"You want to kick me out? Men, they really do forget about you once they've pulled up their pants!"

Eric glanced around and said, "Miss, if you speak any louder, the film crew next door can hear you clearly."

"And of course I'm not trying to get rid of you, I've just arranged other work for you."

"What?"

"Don't you remember? Back in Santa Monica, I mentioned a new movie, and you were the lead actress."

Sevierni's face lit up instantly, but he then asked cautiously, "It's not another one of those unconventional genre films, is it?"

"Of course not, it's a horror movie. The director of 'Saw' is in charge, and I participated in the screenwriting. Believe me, this movie will definitely be a big hit, and you will soon get rid of the label of a genre actor."

Severny then beamed, suddenly pecked Eric on the cheek, and then happily walked out of the studio.

Five days later, Eric kept his promise and stayed with the crew the entire time, and the filming schedule suddenly accelerated.

With Chris Evans roaring and raising his arms, his ferocious expression perfectly captured on camera, the final scene was finally filmed.

Eric yelled, "OK, fantastic! I declare Transformers wrapped!"

OH

The entire crew was immediately engulfed in applause and cheers. After 64 days, the blockbuster was finally completed.

This speed has broken the average film shooting time, but it's achieved through a lot of overtime work.

Now, they can enjoy a few days of leisurely vacation, and unless reshoots are needed later, it has nothing to do with most people anymore.

(End of this chapter)