Neverland Ranch was originally a farm, covering 2800 acres, which is larger than ten Tiananmen Squares combined.
Michael Jackson bought it in 1987 and spent a fortune transforming the farm into a resort integrating an amusement park, sports fields, a zoo, a cinema, and more, naming it Neverland Ranch, after the Neverland in 'Peter Pan'.
However, unlike a typical resort, it was not open to the public; it only welcomed Michael Jackson's friends and children.
"If it were any other time, there would be many children playing here, from Santa Barbara and other places, they come from all over the country."
"When the children played here, Neverland Ranch would be filled with laughter and joy, but sadly, it's all gone now."
Driving the tour car, Michael Jackson took Eric and the two women on a tour of the ranch, sighing over what used to be.
"Don't be disheartened, Michael, everything is temporary. I believe it won't be long before Neverland Ranch welcomes laughter again."
Michael smiled, "I hope so."
Gadot didn't really know Michael Jackson well; she had heard his songs, but by the time Gadot grew up, Michael Jackson's peak had passed, and the market was gradually dominated by newcomers.
But it didn't matter; she stood wherever Eric stood.
She said indignantly, "Those media outlets are truly hateful, especially that Martin Bashir. That guy is a scumbag."
Michael sighed, "I never expected things to turn out this way. I think I'll never accept another exclusive interview or documentary. There are always people with malice in their hearts, and you can never detect it."
After a moment of hesitation, Eric still offered a reminder, "Michael, it's not just the media, but also Gavin Avizo and his family. According to recent media reports, this family's whereabouts are very suspicious."
"Especially Gavin Avizo's mother, Janet, she seems to be plotting something bad, something that might be detrimental to you."
When the boy's family was mentioned, Michael's expression clearly soured, but he still forced himself to say, "It shouldn't be like that. Perhaps she just wants to protect Gavin. I've met their family; they are all very good people."
"But you have to know, not everyone remains unchanged. Good people can turn bad under certain conditions, especially when their personal interests are involved."
"Michael, let me ask you a question: will you always support Gavin Avizo? I heard you not only paid his medical expenses but also improved his family's life, but will you keep doing that forever?"
"I mean, until Gavin Avizo's parents die of old age, will you?"
Although Michael Jackson was kind, he wasn't a fool, especially after the betrayal in 1993, he understood what a huge piece of meat he was in some people's eyes, worth a staggering 20 million dollars for a single bite.
Seeing Michael Jackson's face turn somewhat grim, Eric continued, "Michael, there's something else I need to tell you. According to what I know, Janet Avizo has multiple criminal records; she is a repeat offender."
"I'm not saying that people who have made mistakes will never change, but you must learn to protect yourself when dealing with such people."
"Don't gamble your kindness on other people's character!"
Like a bolt from the blue, this sentence pierced directly into Michael's heart like a sword.
His face grew even uglier. Just then, the car arrived at the zoo. Michael looked at Elizabeth, "Do you want to go in? I keep animals from all over the world here, some of them very rare."
Elizabeth nodded. Even though she had been to many fun places, the splendor of Neverland Ranch still amazed and intrigued her.
The two happily walked into the zoo, and Eric and Gadot followed.
"Wow, they even keep penguins here!" Elizabeth exclaimed, looking at the adorable little creatures in front of her.
"These aren't Antarctic penguins, they're tropical penguins. I brought them in from Isabela Island; they're called Galapagos penguins," Michael explained.
Hearing that penguins could live in the tropics, not just Elizabeth, but even Gadot was surprised.
"Can I touch these little guys?" Elizabeth asked excitedly.
Michael quickly waved his hand, "You can't. Don't let their cuteness fool you; these little guys bite. I once got my hand bitten, and it really hurt."
"What a shame."
After visiting the zoo, the group went to the amusement park.
Elizabeth pointed to the roller coaster, "It looks so beautiful, much grander than the ones outside. Can I ride this?"
Michael shrugged, "No problem, but for my age, roller coasters are a bit too thrilling. I can't participate in this one."
Eric looked at Michael. Although the man didn't look old, he was actually over forty.
Eric couldn't understand how a man in his forties maintained such a childlike innocence. Perhaps some people are just that pure.
Looking at him, Eric felt he was a bit like the Old Urchin in 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes', but he wasn't as boisterous as the Old Urchin; he was more responsible.
Ultimately, Eric was pulled onto the roller coaster by Elizabeth, while Gadot expressed that she had a phobia of it and never wanted to try it again after riding it once before.
The two sat in the front row, securely fastened by the safety restraints.
Suddenly, feeling his hand being grasped, Eric looked at Elizabeth Olsen.
Little Elizabeth took a deep breath, "This way, neither of us will be nervous!"
"Are you scared?"
"A little."
"Then why are you still riding?" Eric was speechless.
"I want to try it, you know."
As the roller coaster slowly started, Elizabeth secretly glanced at Eric's face and felt a surge of secret delight: "Only this way can I hold your hand!"
Ah!
The screams of the two echoed throughout Neverland Ranch.
After a day of crazy fun, all four felt a bit tired, even little Elizabeth was low on energy.
At the dinner table, Michael brought over a soup tureen containing steaming beef stew.
He said somewhat shyly, "My cooking is very ordinary. If you don't think it tastes good, eat the other food. Those were made by Avi, he's the professional chef."
The three smiled. A meal personally cooked by Michael Jackson was about more than just taste.
Eric had seen photos online of Michael cooking for the Beatles, and he never imagined he would have such a day himself.
He picked up a piece of beef and put it in his mouth; immediately, the aroma spread through his mouth, and he couldn't help but give a thumbs-up.
Everyone was hungry after a day of playing, and more importantly, this playful interaction instantly brought the four closer, so Gadot and little Elizabeth had no lady-like reservations and just dug in.
Seeing the three eating happily, Michael also smiled from the bottom of his heart.
Neverland Ranch hadn't had guests for several months; at this moment, he felt he was no longer alone.
After dinner, the four sat or lay on the floor, watching a recording of Michael Jackson's past concerts on TV.
Michael came over with drinks and distributed them to everyone. Elizabeth suddenly asked, "Michael, why aren't you releasing albums anymore?"
"My last album was released in 2001. You might not know, but making an album takes a very long time."
"It often takes more than two years. I am indeed preparing my next album, but it will still be a long time until its release."
Elizabeth was a bit surprised, "Two years! My sister also releases records, and their production process seems very easy and quick."
Eric patted Elizabeth Olsen's little head, "Your sister's records are specifically for children and teenagers, completely different in difficulty from Michael's."
"Michael's albums sell hundreds of millions globally. It would be a miracle if Ashley and Mary's records sold 10 million."
Seeing Elizabeth Olsen puff out her cheeks, Michael Jackson comforted her, "I love children's songs, Elizabeth. Next time you come, could you bring me one of your sister's records?"
"Of course!" Elizabeth agreed while glaring at Eric.
Eric spread his hands, "Alright, I said the wrong thing. But Michael, releasing an album does take a long time, but why not release singles? Singles should be relatively simpler, right?"
Michael, however, shook his head slightly, "You can't think that way. Although singles take less time to produce, the requirements are higher. An album can have one or two main songs, but a single, generally speaking, must be a main song. So, if there isn't a good song, it's better not to release one!"
"I see. By the way, I have a song here, you can listen to it."
"You can write songs too?" Michael looked at Eric with some surprise.
"No, I haven't studied music theory, I just hummed it myself."
"That's alright, many songs start with humming. Sing it."
When it came to music, Michael clearly became excited.
"Sing it, sing it! I haven't heard you sing yet, Eric."
Gadot and Elizabeth also joined in the teasing.
Snap!
Michael snapped his fingers, "Avi, turn on the equipment."
A Black woman from next door walked over, pressed a button on the wall, turned on the home theater, and then brought Eric a microphone.
After a few coughs, Eric hummed a few more times to get a feel for it, which made Elizabeth giggle non-stop.
Although he wasn't a singer before transmigrating and didn't really study English songs, he still knew a few of those globally famous, breakout hits from frequently singing karaoke with young actresses.
The song Eric chose for Michael Jackson today was Adele's iconic masterpiece—"Rolling in the Deep."
There's a fire starting in my heart
Reaching a fever pitch and it's bringing me out the dark
Finally I can see you crystal clear
Go ahead and sell me out and I'll lay your ship bare
See how I leave with every piece of you
Don't underestimate the things that I will do
There's a fire starting in my heart
Reaching a fever pitch and it's bringing me out the dark
The scars of your love remind me of us
They keep me thinking that we almost had it all
The scars of your love they leave me breathless
I can't help feeling
We could have had it all
Rolling in the Deep
Your had my heart Inside of your hand
And you played it To the beat
Singing is an act where you might be shy for the first line, still shy for the second, but by the tenth line, you'll definitely loosen up.
Even though it was just a cappella, without accompaniment, Adele's voice was already echoing in Eric's mind.
It wasn't until the chorus came that he suddenly realized this body had no singing talent at all; he couldn't hit the high notes and could only strain his neck to sing.
"Hahahaha"
Gadot and Elizabeth couldn't help but burst into laughter; they had never seen Eric look so comical and embarrassed, and even the Black woman next to them slapped her thigh and laughed.
Eric spread his hands, meaning, "You see, this is my level."
But unlike the others, Michael Jackson's eyes were sparkling, as if he were looking at a treasure, as he stared at Eric.
"Don't stop, keep going Eric, keep going, don't worry about your singing skills, just keep singing."
As he spoke, he stood up from the floor, snapping his fingers and gently swaying his body.
Encouraged by Michael, Eric also swayed his body, opened his mouth, and continued to sing.
Baby I have no story to be told
But I've heard one of you and I'm gonna make your head burn
Think of me in the depths of your despair
Making a home down there as mine sure won't be shared
The scars of your love remind you of us
They keep me thinking that we almost had it all
The scars of your love they leave me breathless
I can't help feeling
We could have had it all
Rolling in the Deep
Your had my heart inside of your hand
And you played it
To the beat
But you played it
You played it
You played it
You played it to the beat
As the last note fell, Eric looked at Michael; as for Gadot and Elizabeth...
Well, they were still laughing heartily.
"Michael, what do you think of this song?"
Michael seemed still immersed in the melody; after only hearing Eric sing it once, he could already hum a part of the tune.
After a while, an increasingly fervent smile appeared on Michael's face.
"Eric, did you really hum this song when you had nothing to do?"
Eric shamelessly nodded.
"Oh my god! You are a genius! Although your singing skills are poor, it doesn't diminish the excellence of the music and lyrics."
"'Rolling in the Deep,' whether from its style or tune, possesses a strong sense of the new era."
"If the arrangement is completed and a suitable singer is chosen to perform it, I am very sure it will top the Billboard charts!"
"Billboard, are you sure?"
"Absolutely sure. I've seen too many singers and heard too many songs. I'm very certain that some songs are destined to be huge hits as soon as they appear."
Eric nodded. He didn't know if "Rolling in the Deep" had ever topped the Billboard charts, but since it was a global hit, he figured it wouldn't be a problem.
Taking a piece of paper from his pocket, Eric took Michael's hand and placed it in his palm: "Then I'll give this song to you."
The scene immediately froze. Michael Jackson looked at the paper filled with lyrics, also marked with various crooked lines.
He understood that this was Eric, an amateur, marking the tones.
"No, no, no, I can't take it. This song is too precious; it shouldn't be given away as a gift."
"Eric, you should find a professional team to complete this song. Believe me, many people would be willing to pay a high price for it."
With that, Michael Jackson pushed the paper back.
Eric smiled at him: "Michael, are you worried about something? Do you feel it's inappropriate to accept a gift because it's our first meeting?"
"But I think even though it's our first time meeting, we get along very well, and you see it as very precious, but to me, it's just a tune I hummed casually."
"What is a song compared to friendship!"
But Michael kept shaking his head: "Eric, you're not in the music industry, you don't understand the significance of a good song to a singer. It's worth millions of dollars, it's too precious, I can't accept it!"
"Millions of dollars? Gadot, what's the investment for 'transformers'?"
"500 million dollars."
Eric shrugged: "Michael, I think it's a piece of paper, so it's a piece of paper. If you don't want it, then burn it."
"I have a lot of work to do and no time to deal with a song. Do you want it to forever sink into darkness?"
Michael Jackson's face showed a conflicted expression. As the King of Pop, his love for music was deeply ingrained.
If he hadn't heard it, burning it would be fine.
The problem was, he had already heard it. The song was like a spell, constantly whispering in his mind. Burying such an excellent song would deeply pain him.
Seeing his expression, Eric once again took the other's hand.
"Michael, I believe that in your hands, it will truly shine!"