Chapter 4: The Agent
Kensington was one of London's most famous wealthy districts. Its most iconic building was undoubtedly Kensington Palace, the residence of Princess Diana.
However, as it was only the early summer of 1989, this symbol of royal dignity was off-limits to the vast majority of people without an invitation.
Just one street away from Kensington Palace stood the independent villa where Ryan and Nicole lived. In the living room, two women and one man sat around a small white table, deep in conversation.
"What? You want to be my agent?" Ryan's question was directed at a white woman in her thirties who looked sharp and highly capable.
The woman carefully studied the boy across from her. He looked about nine or ten years old. The well-fitted dark blue suit made him appear somewhat slender. His soft, light brown hair carried a faint golden sheen, and his sky-blue eyes were as bright as stars, occasionally flashing with cleverness and maturity far beyond his years.
Ryan felt a little dazed. He glanced at the person beside him. The tall, sensual Nicole Kidman sat right next to him, her eyes filled with indulgent affection as she looked at him.
She brushed back her slightly messy golden-red curls before introducing them. "Ryan, this is Ms. Pat Kingsley. She's the agent I signed with recently. Pat, this is Ryan Jenkins."
"Nicole…"
Ryan hesitated, his small hand quietly grasping the woman's fingers. A strange look flashed across his face, seen by no one.
Whether intentional or not, he asked the female agent a few questions and quickly became ninety percent certain.
Alright. Since he could be reborn, and some higher power had delivered Nicole Kidman to his side to become his guardian, it only made sense that Nicole would meet her original agent earlier than in his previous life, right?
That's right. Ryan was almost sure that the woman named Pat Kingsley sitting across from him was the same agent who had represented both Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in his past life. He remembered she only signed with them around 1990. So why had she appeared in London now?
It seemed his tiny butterfly wings had still managed to alter some people's trajectories.
"You're spacing out again." Nicole gently pinched Ryan's ear. After nearly three years of living together, his frequent daydreaming was the thing that annoyed her the most.
Ryan gave an embarrassed smile. Having lived in London for two years and received strict training from an etiquette teacher, every movement he made displayed excellent manners and upbringing.
"Ryan, the truth is, I came to London with Nicole specifically for you!" Pat Kingsley's words gradually brought understanding to the boy. He had roughly guessed what was happening, but he still asked deliberately, "Me? Why?"
Pat Kingsley didn't answer immediately. She reached for her handbag and took out three books: Jurassic Park, Ryan's Story Collection, and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
They were exactly the three books Ryan had already published!
At this point, if Ryan still didn't understand that the woman knew he was the author of these three books, he would truly be an idiot. His first reaction was to look at Nicole, but the Australian woman shook her head at him, indicating she hadn't leaked the information.
Ryan could only sigh. After thinking for a moment, he figured out roughly why Pat Kingsley had shown up here.
Clearly, she had her own information network and considerable skills. Somehow she had learned that he was the author of these three books. Knowing it wasn't easy to deal directly with a child, she had used a roundabout tactic — approaching the person closest to him, Nicole Kidman, gaining her trust, becoming her personal agent, and then traveling all the way to London.
In his previous life, she had thrived in Hollywood and even managed to leave Tom Cruise in a difficult position. She truly was a woman with vision and skill. She had spotted the best investment opportunity before anyone else had noticed.
Ryan wasn't surprised at all that Pat Kingsley had come looking for him. In his past life, he had some understanding of the agent industry. Many agents would actively pursue targets they considered worth investing in. It was perfectly normal for him to be targeted by this woman.
Just looking at the three books on the table was proof enough.
Jurassic Park had become the number one bestseller in America as early as 1987 and had held that position for more than thirty weeks. It had sold millions of copies in the US and UK alone and was considered a top children's book by many.
Although Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone had started quietly, any discerning person could see it was only the beginning of an entire series. Since its release last year, sales had quietly surpassed one hundred thousand copies.
As for Ryan's Story Collection, it compiled all the novellas and short stories he had published. Even though it had only been out for a few months, it had already climbed onto the national bestseller list.
Most importantly, anyone with even basic knowledge of the film industry would understand that the stories he wrote were highly suitable for movie adaptation. The potential profits were obvious. Besides, he was only nine years old right now. Who knew whether he would become the next Stephen King or Michael Crichton?
A fat sheep that had delivered itself to the door? Ryan rubbed his chin, already calculating in his mind.
"Ryan, do you want to go back to Los Angeles?" Nicole Kidman suddenly asked.
"Back to America?" Ryan frowned. Even though he had lived in Los Angeles for seven years, it still felt like a foreign city to him.
"Here's the thing. In a few days, I have to go to Los Angeles for a film audition. Why don't we go back together?"
As Nicole explained, Ryan gradually understood. With the release of Dead Calm, she had clearly attracted quite a bit of attention.
"What movie?" Ryan kept repeating silently in his heart, Please don't be that one…
please don't be that one…
"Days of Thunder. If the audition goes well, I'll get to work with Tom Cruise!"
To Ryan, those words struck like thunder. Nicole was one of his favorite actresses from his previous life. He knew better than anyone in this world what would happen if she starred in Days of Thunder.
She would fall in love with Tom Cruise, marry him after the film's release, soon face irreconcilable conflicts, and eventually be left emotionally devastated. During the divorce, that pretty boy would hire that infamous Italian to dig up dirt on her, forcing her to sign a humiliating settlement.
Was the inertia of history this strong? After only two years, it was already trying to drag Nicole's changed life trajectory back onto its original path? This was absolutely not the outcome he wanted to see. After more than two years of depending on each other, he and Nicole had developed a deep bond. He would never allow the person he liked and cared for deeply to suffer any harm — not even the slightest bit!
"You don't want to go back to Los Angeles?" Nicole asked, a little confused. After all, it was his hometown.
"Oh, no. I just suddenly thought of something else." Ryan smoothly changed the subject and turned to the female agent, asking directly, "Pat, are you Mr. Cruise's agent?"
"Of course not."
Although slightly surprised by the question, Pat Kingsley answered without hesitation. "Actually, Nicole is currently my only client."
Ryan breathed a sigh of relief. He knew exactly how much Nicole longed to break into Hollywood. In that case, they might as well return to Los Angeles. After years of preparation, it was time… to begin the plan!
He refused to believe that after all this time and with their deep relationship, he couldn't compete with some pretty boy.
Besides, he had the advantage of knowing what would happen. He would naturally use some methods to make Mr. Tom Cruise back off.
To enter that world of fame and fortune, a highly capable agent was essential. Ryan quickly reached a verbal agreement with Pat Kingsley. As for the formal contract, they would wait until they returned to Los Angeles and have his personal lawyer, Mr. Wilson, review it first.
Since they were leaving London, there were many things to handle. Ryan personally visited all the private tutors who had taught him, especially the masters from the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Although Nicole had paid them handsomely, without their careful guidance, Ryan wouldn't have reached his current level of musical ability. He could now compose some fairly complex pieces, and his piano and guitar skills had reached professional standards.
After handling the school withdrawal procedures with Nicole, all that remained was packing their luggage.
He didn't have many belongings. The instruments he used for practice were ordinary brands and could easily be replaced once they returned to Los Angeles. The most valuable items were contained in an entire suitcase filled with manuscripts. If any of his old friends from his previous life saw them, their jaws would hit the floor. Just look at the titles: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Sixth Sense, Titanic, and many more.
Ryan thought for a moment and took out the screenplay for The Sixth Sense and the novel Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. These were the ones he would need immediately after returning.
Of course, these were copies. He would never hand over the original manuscripts casually — what if someone sold them?
"Ryan, do you need any help?" Pat Kingsley knocked and entered the room. What she saw was a suitcase full of pages covered in text, making her head spin.
"Pat, this is the second book of Harry Potter. When we get back, please hand it over to Analog Science Fiction magazine. And this is The Sixth Sense — the movie screenplay. You can read it first. If it looks good, make several copies and send them to all the major film studios." He handed the two manuscripts directly to her. Breaking into Hollywood as a newcomer was difficult, so he would carpet-bomb them with scripts. Now that he had an agent, he could leave all the legwork to her.
"Screen… screenplay?" Pat Kingsley was stunned. She quickly flipped through the pages. The more she read, the brighter her eyes became. She gradually realized that she might have just discovered a gold mine.
"Leave it to me. Actually, I have some connections with the major studios."
It seems heaven hasn't treated me too badly after all! Ryan's lips twitched. Having connections was much better than sending things blindly. He really couldn't underestimate Pat Kingsley.
As she was leaving, Pat Kingsley glanced at the suitcase again, her mouth twitching uncontrollably. Don't tell me the entire suitcase is filled with manuscripts of this quality?