In front of the MGM Building, a large number of reporters, as if appearing out of thin air, surrounded the group.
Volvo hurriedly called security, but reporters were not thugs, and interviewing was not causing trouble, so coercive measures could not be used. Otherwise, MGM would surely face public condemnation.
The security guards could only laboriously push through the crowd, trying to rescue their boss first.
"Mr. Cooper, are you dating Nicole Kidman?"
"Mr. Cooper, someone photographed you leaving Nicole Kidman's villa yesterday evening. Is that true?"
"Mr. Eric, is the car in this photo yours?"
"Eric Cooper, have you and Nicole Kidman been together for a long time, which is why you came to her rescue on Oscar night?"
"Mr. Cooper, at the Vanity Fair party, Nicole Kidman kissed you. Did she invite you to spend the night to celebrate her Oscar for Best Actress, right?"
Faced with the onslaught of these mad paparazzi, Eric was momentarily stunned. Looking at the lamborghini in the photo, which had just left the villa, whose could it be if not his?
It turned out that after he left yesterday, the paparazzi had already begun investigating the owner of that lamborghini.
By this morning, the results were in, and the car was, naturally, his.
The news had spread, and he didn't know how, leading to the current situation.
He feared that not only he but also Nicole Kidman would be besieged by paparazzi.
By this afternoon at the latest, news would definitely be flying all over the internet, and print media would rush to report it first thing tomorrow morning.
Eric pushed away the microphone in front of him, wanting to leave but unable to get out.
"What's going on? These guys, was I secretly photographed?"
He looked at his father and the three DreamWorks giants around him. The four of them were not young and strong like him, and they couldn't endure this kind of physical contact.
Seeing that Spielberg's glasses were almost knocked off, Eric could only shout loudly: "Stop! Stop! Everyone, stop!"
"I will answer your questions, but clear the way for me. Don't continue to surround us, accidents will happen."
Having received Eric's promise, the reporters slowly backed off and cleared the way.
Spielberg adjusted his glasses and looked at Eric with some surprise, saying, "Young man, you are truly too popular."
Jeffrey Katzenberg gave Eric an envious look, as if to say, you lucky guy for getting involved with Nicole Kidman.
As a homosexual, David Geffen quietly gave a thumbs-up from behind, exclaiming, "It's great to be young."
Waving his hand, the three old men left by car.
Eric, however, looked at his father, who quickly stepped back a few paces.
Xia Li Cooper thought, "Son, this time you're on your own. You can do whatever you want, as long as your mother doesn't find out. But now it seems it can't be hidden. I'm not getting involved in this mess."
Seeing the reporters about to surround him again, Eric waved his hand, signaling them not to rush.
Taking a deep breath and organizing his thoughts, he said with a calm expression, "I know what you want to ask. My answer is no. Nicole Kidman and I are not dating, and I did not spend the night at her villa."
"Mr. Eric, since you say no, how do you explain these photos?" a reporter asked loudly.
Eric smiled, his tone still calm: "Interesting question. Actually, even if this hadn't been photographed, MGM would have announced it soon."
"The truth is, MGM has a new movie to shoot, but the lead actress has not been decided yet."
"And at the Oscar awards ceremony, I suddenly realized, isn't Nicole exactly the right person I've been looking for?"
"So we discussed this at the Vanity Fair party and agreed to meet to talk in detail."
"Then why arrange the meeting at Nicole Kidman's villa? Shouldn't it be in a public place like the company or a coffee shop?" another foolish reporter pressed.
"Hahahaha."
Eric gave a dry laugh: "Does it matter where we read the script? As far as I know, many celebrities read scripts at home. Why don't you go ask them?"
"Besides, at a coffee shop, with people coming and going, you'd always encounter fans. How could we focus on studying the plot?"
Xia Li Cooper nodded to himself; this answer was very reasonable and flawless.
"Mr. Eric, then why did you go to Nicole Kidman's villa alone? Why didn't you bring the screenwriter with you?" the reporter pressed again.
"Because… because I am the screenwriter, so I alone am enough. Alright, the matter has been clarified, that's all for today."
After Eric finished speaking, he turned and walked into the MGM Building. The reporters, of course, wouldn't let him go and instantly swarmed forward.
The security guards immediately rushed over to block them, protecting their boss's safety.
"Mr. Cooper, please answer one last question. Are you saying you are not only the producer and director, but also capable of handling the screenwriter's job? Then what type of movie is it? What is its name? I think everyone is very interested in the Oscar Winner's next movie choice."
A reporter from The Independent newspaper pressed loudly, digging for details. These guys wouldn't be satisfied until they uncovered the rumored affair between Eric and Nicole Kidman.
Looking at these bloodsucking leeches, Eric's expression turned serious: "Alright, then I will answer the last question. But after I answer, I demand that you report fairly. I do not wish for any intentional slandering; otherwise, MGM will pursue legal action against your statements and the newspapers behind them."
"This movie is called 'la vie en rose'. It is a biographical film, telling the legendary life of the French chanson singer Edith Piaf."
Eric blurted out a movie title, which not only stunned the reporters in front of him but also his father behind him, who kept recalling if the company had such a project. He had handed all production authority to Eric, but not interfering didn't mean he was unaware, especially with inviting an Oscar Winner to star, which would certainly not be cheap and would definitely need his approval.
After Eric finished speaking, he turned and left. From the moment he was surrounded, he had been thinking about what excuse to use to get away. After much thought, a director going to an actress's house seemed to only have the option of discussing a script.
Fortunately, he wasn't caught late at night, otherwise, a 'night script' would truly make the public look like fools.
His mind raced, trying to filter out suitable movies. The first one he thought of was "The Devil Wears Prada," and having Nicole replace Meryl Streep seemed somewhat appropriate.
However, he immediately realized that this movie was based on a novel, a 2006 film, so the novel must have been published much earlier, and most likely the rights had already been bought.
If he were to say MGM was going to make this project, his lie would be exposed in minutes.
Then he thought of "Lucy," but having Nicole replace Scarlett Johansson felt a bit off.
Nicole Kidman's demeanor is rather aloof, with a very elegant look, suitable for noble superiors, which doesn't quite fit a sci-fi movie like "Lucy."
The third one he thought of was "la vie en rose," a more artistic type of film. The style of this movie was quite fitting for Nicole.
Moreover, the film won the Berlin Golden Bear, Golden Globe Awards, and Oscar Best Actress awards, as well as numerous other awards.
More importantly, the box office was not bad, making it a rare commercial art film, perfectly suitable as a shield.
Back in the office, his father asked, "After the Oscar, you didn't go home. Did you really spend the night at Nicole Kidman's villa?"
"Of course not, Dad, why are you also slandering me like those gossip reporters? I am your son."
Xia Li Cooper slapped his forehead: "Alright, it seems it's true."
"…"
"And that 'la vie en rose' you mentioned, how come I haven't heard of it? Did you just make that up too?"
"It will exist, it will exist, very soon."
Ring!
Just then, the phone rang. Eric picked it up and saw, sure enough, it was Nicole Kidman.
He looked at his father, signaling him to leave first.
His father shrugged: "Eric, remember to prepare a set of excuses for your mother too. I never thought you'd be the first; I always thought it would be Joshua."
Waving his hand for his father to close the door, Eric answered the phone.
"Hi, Nicole, let me guess, reporters came to surround you, didn't they?"
"Eric, why do you sound so happy? We were secretly photographed, and those hateful paparazzi found you too?" Nicole Kidman's annoyed voice came from the other end of the phone.
"Heh heh, I was surrounded at the MGM company entrance. Everyone witnessed it, including the business partners I just finalized a deal with."
"Oh, that's too bad. I just closed my gate. Let those paparazzi stake out if they want; I don't plan on going out for a few days anyway."
"That's good, take it as a vacation for yourself. But I can't do that; there's too much company work, and I can't hide from it even if I wanted to," Eric said with a hint of envy.
"Then can you still come over and keep me company?"
"Uh, at least not now. Let's wait until the buzz dies down, I hope you understand, Nicole," Eric paused before answering.
Laughter erupted on the other end of the phone: "I'm not a teenage girl; you don't have to try to coax me. But I want to know how you plan to handle this?"
"In fact, I just handled it. I am the director and screenwriter, and you are the actress. We are studying the script, it's that simple."
Eric recounted what had just happened, and a sigh came from Nicole Kidman on the other end.
"Eric, that's a bad excuse. You might as well have hidden back in your office. Haven't you considered what if we can't produce this movie?"
Eric laughed heartily: "Don't worry, this project does exist. You'll see it once the script is finished, and I guarantee you'll be satisfied."
"Really? I am an Oscar Winner after all; a script of poor quality is not within my consideration."
"Nicole, I wouldn't be comfortable putting my name on a poor-quality script either."
It turned out that Eric had overestimated the integrity of these media outlets.
Even though he had provided a reasonable explanation, the media, in their quest for sensationalism, automatically ignored his answer.
Except for a few major newspapers that were relatively objective, all the others were fabricating stories, even if that was the truth.
That afternoon, rumors were indeed flying all over the internet.
Chicago Sun-Times: "New Oscar Winner in Secret Rendezvous with Boyfriend, Turns Out to Be MGM's Young Master."
Los Angeles Post: "New Oscar Winner Nicole Kidman's Romance Exposed, Dating 22-Year-Old Wealthy Younger Man."
Salt Lake City Entertainment News: "A Helping Hand at the Oscar Led to the Romance Between Eric Cooper and Nicole Kidman; Mature Oscar Winner Can't Resist the Charm of a Young Hunk."
America Entertainment Online: "Heroic Rescue or Hormonal Outburst? Nicole Kidman's Two-Year Hiatus Finally Broken!"
ABC Entertainment Section: "transformers Director Eric Cooper Stays at Nicole Kidman's Villa for Over 3 Hours, Studying New Script 'la vie en rose'."
NBC Entertainment Online: "'la vie en rose,' an Excuse or a Fact? Nicole Kidman Hides at Home, Refusing to Comment."
"A pile of crap!"
Looking at these reports from unscrupulous media, Eric slammed the table in anger, his HP – 1.
At the same time, he also had a bad feeling that these paparazzi would definitely not let him go. He wouldn't have peace anywhere he went in the short term.
"Or should I also go home and hide for a few days like her?"
But he immediately dismissed that thought. Are you kidding? If he went home, his mom definitely wouldn't let him off the hook either.
Although she and Nicole Kidman were both Catholics, for such a matter, let alone a believer, even the Pope might not be able to help.
One must know that Nicole Kidman was 13 years older than Eric. What mother would want her son to date a divorced woman over a decade his senior?
Don't actually think American parents don't interfere with their children's marriages; they just don't rush them into marriage or arrange blind dates for them.
But not arranging and not interfering are two different things. Parents all over the world are alike; this is due to human emotional nature.
After thinking for a moment, he called Chen Xing in.
"Contact Susan. Tell her I'll be flying to China Film Group Corporation for a few days tomorrow. Try to arrange a meeting with people from China Film Group Corporation to finalize the branch company matters."
If I can't afford to provoke them, can't I at least hide? I'm out!
He naturally didn't go home that night; the company had specialized resting rooms, and sleeping there was just as comfortable as at home.
"Mom, how can you think that way? Those gossip media love to fabricate stories and make groundless accusations. I really was studying the script with her. I believe Nicole Kidman is very suitable to play the lead role," Eric explained over the phone.
"Of course, I always remember your instructions and will definitely not mess around outside. Don't worry, I'm not Joshua, and it's even less possible for me to mess around with a woman in her 30s. You absolutely don't need to worry about that."
"Don't worry, the scenario you're afraid of will absolutely not happen. No woman will suddenly show up with a child; if there is one, it would only be Joshua's."
"Okay, I'll go to bed early. You rest early too, take care of yourself, and don't pay attention to those gossip newspapers."
"I love you, Mom!"