Ding.
The elevator smoothly reached the fourteenth floor, but no one paid any attention to its arrival. Everyone was completely focused on their work, creating an atmosphere of tranquility.
This wasn't Anson's first time at the film company, but different departments had vastly different vibes. The one before him was a typical office setting – neat cubicles and glass offices with light gray blinds, orderly and quiet, easily mistakable for an accounting firm.
He paused briefly, glancing around before heading towards the reception desk on the right side of the elevator.
"Good morning."
"Anson Wood, 9:30 AM, Chris Bender."
The receptionist, Lena Wilson, quickly checked her computer, the crisp sound of typing filling the air.
"Please wait in the lounge area for a moment. Mr. Bender's secretary will come to get you."
After completing her instructions in a business-like manner, Lena paused, but before she could react, Anson had already turned and walked towards the lounge area across from her. A beat too late, Lena was left stunned.
Anson, the Anson?
Gasp.
She took a sharp breath.
Working at Warner Bros., she had seen her fair share of top stars – directors, actors, screenwriters, producers, you name it. But every time she encountered one of these legendary figures, her heart couldn't help but race.
Like now.
Anson Wood, currently the hottest young actor in North America, was just casually standing before her eyes?
Lena swore that after truly entering Hollywood, she had experienced disillusionment. Some radiant stars were repulsive in private. But at the same time, there were also seemingly aloof and unapproachable stars who were actually warm and friendly, exuding a genuine star quality.
People were different, and actors were no exception.
Involuntarily, Lena craned her neck to steal a few more glances at the new Spider-Man:
White shirt, smoke gray suit, black tie.
An ordinary and formal attire, yet it was clear at a glance that he was different. The fitted shoulders, the tapered waist, a rebellious rock-and-roll vibe amidst his slender frame. An understated yet stylish aura that broke the dullness of the suit, even casual wear could sense the trend.
That should be Dior Homme, right?
Slightly different from his image on the big screen and behind the camera, it was a shock that stripped away imagination while bringing surprises.
As she scanned him with her peripheral vision, her heart couldn't help but flutter. Even though Lena repeatedly warned herself not to peek, she couldn't resist taking another look.
Just by sitting there quietly, he effortlessly attracted attention.
A woman in a skirt suit, who was merely passing by, stopped in her tracks due to a casual glance. She took a closer look, gasped, and almost cried out.
Although she covered her mouth with her right hand to restrain herself, she couldn't control her feet. She involuntarily approached Anson and started chatting with him in a low voice, letting out a silver bell-like laughter. Subconsciously tucking her hair behind her ear, she giggled, seemingly unable to move her feet.
Witnessing this scene, Lena finally lost control. She picked up her phone, furtively placing it under the counter, and quickly typed a message.
"Oh my God! Anson Wood is at the front desk! He's even more charming than I imagined, just looking at him is making me melt! Unbelievable! How can he be so handsome and good-looking! Ah! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
"Sabina is trying to seduce him, the same Sabina from the rumors last time. I can't believe it, she's smiling and flirting with him!"
After a series of exclamation marks, the message spread like wildfire on the fourteenth floor. Lena's hands trembled uncontrollably, her heart pounded, and the buzzing in her ears made her mouth dry.
Jeff Robinov pushed open his office door, his mind racing.
Although it was only October, with more than two months left until the end of 2002, they should start planning for the 2004 film market.
Currently, major projects centered around "Harry Potter" and "The Lord of the Rings" were on track, but no one could ignore the tremendous success of "Spider-Man" this summer. Warner Bros., holding the DC Comics rights, naturally couldn't overlook it either.
Of course, Jeff agreed. They needed to value the resources they had. But as a film enthusiast, Jeff also firmly believed that they couldn't solely focus on these adaptation projects.
"Harry Potter," "The Lord of the Rings," DC Comics – these works shared a common trait: they were adapted from original works.
Such works needed attention, but the power of originality couldn't be ignored, as original works were the source of inspiration that kept cinema vibrant.
If they poured all their energy and resources into these adaptations, once "Harry Potter," "The Lord of the Rings," and other similar works concluded, Warner Bros. would find itself in trouble.
However, this was just Jeff's own concern. At most, it was a precaution. Without better projects, Jeff couldn't convince Warner Bros. to allocate more resources to original works.
After all, the overall trend in Hollywood was a decline in originality. After half a century of vibrant development, originality was indeed entering a bottleneck.
If there were so many excellent original works, film companies wouldn't be rashly shifting their focus to adaptations. This was a dilemma.
Now, Jeff was pondering how to strategize for 2004.
His gaze wandered forward, inadvertently landing on a figure.
Honestly, it was hard to miss him. His presence itself was a statement. And Jeff was certain it wasn't his imagination; compared to their last encounter, his aura was even more captivating, with a touch of confident and rebellion, gradually blossoming.
It felt like... this was the real him.
Interestingly, Jeff also recognized the woman in the skirt suit, Sabina. Her tight-fitting attire accentuated her curves, the buttons on her blouse and suit jacket threatening to burst, easily capturing the attention of passersby.
Last month, four men from different departments within the company had fought over Sabina. Yet, this sexy and glamorous woman had feigned innocence, refusing to be associated with any of them, and cleanly extricated herself without a hair out of place, leaving everyone dumbfounded.
But now, standing before Anson, she was completely overshadowed. Jeff noticed Sabina, but his gaze remained fixed on Anson.
"Hey, Wood."
Jeff stopped, smiling, and greeted him playfully.
Instantly, all eyes turned towards them. The woman in the skirt suit held her breath, glanced at Jeff briefly, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then quickly turned to leave. Though reluctant, her footsteps hurried away.
Anson raised an eyebrow slightly but didn't speak. He merely looked meaningfully at the woman's departing figure, then back at Jeff.
Jeff, with his bald head, raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "I'm really a good guy."
read more inpatreon
belamy20