On Saturday night, the lights were bright at the Lijing Hotel, where celebrities gathered.
Twentieth Century Fox hosted a banquet under the name of "Titanic," and both the cultural and entertainment circles responded enthusiastically.
"It's over there."
Navigating through the crowd, Robert Lee gestured with his eyes towards the left: "The person across from Leonardo is Saleh Zayed. My friend saw him once, and I caught a glimpse from afar."
Ronan nodded, handing his glass to Robert and heading towards another small circle near Leonardo.
Going directly over wasn't the best choice; the banquet had just begun, and there was plenty of time to find the right opportunity.
The circle where Saleh Zayed was had four or five people, and Ronan quickly observed that the center of attention was undoubtedly the prominent Leonardo DiCaprio, while Saleh Zayed seemed somewhat excluded.
The circle he approached was close to Leonardo, with five or six people engrossed in conversation with Kate Winslet.
Elevating oneself while belittling others was Hollywood's most basic survival rule.
As Ronan walked and observed Saleh Zayed with a keen eye, this Arab man appeared young, perhaps around twenty-five.
Robert's friend had obtained some information about him.
Saleh graduated from Cambridge University last summer with dual master's degrees and was one of the deputy directors of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority in the United States, a typical academic achiever.
But he sat in his current position not because of his academic prowess but because of his name, Zayed.
In Western terms, Saleh Zayed was a member of the royal family of the United Arab Emirates.
Of course, there were several dozen princes in Abu Dhabi, and he wasn't particularly prominent for now.
Finding a secluded spot, Robert ordered a glass of champagne, sipping it while watching Ronan. Perhaps the failure of the previous project had transformed this young man significantly; his arrogance and pride had disappeared entirely, and he became more organized in his actions.
Would this financing plan succeed?
Robert lacked confidence in this regard; perhaps Ronan couldn't even handle that Arab man.
If it failed, it was time to consider an exit strategy. Accompanying Sha Hai Entertainment up to this point also served as a tribute to the deceased old Anderson.
Arabs... Robert shook his head. Arabs didn't have a good impression in Hollywood; they were difficult to deal with.
Approaching the circle where Kate Winslet was, Ronan adjusted his tie and pushed up his glasses, adding a touch of maturity to his dark suit and gold-rimmed glasses.
As two people left, Ronan hurried a few steps and approached Kate Winslet, wearing a broad smile as he extended his right hand: "Hello, Miss Winslet, congratulations on your Best Actress nomination."
In the recent Oscar nominations, Kate was listed, but Jack was left out.
"Thank you." Kate Winslet gently shook his hand.
Ronan was about to say a few more words when he heard an unusual remark from Leonardo's side.
"Does the Arab world have movies?"
Leonardo's voice carried arrogance and mockery: "Can you watch movies in Abu Dhabi?"
Laughter erupted around.
Kate Winslet looked over, and Ronan turned to look as well.
A middle-aged man wearing black-rimmed glasses chimed in, "That side is a civilized desert."
Saleh Zayed argued logically: "The UAE is a free, civilized, and open country with over a hundred cinemas."
Leonardo shrugged, smiling at the people on both sides, "Who here has heard of a UAE movie? Can anyone name a UAE movie?"
Saleh was about to speak, but Leonardo preempted him, "Tell us the name of a UAE movie to broaden our horizons."
The people on both sides responded to Leonardo's words.
Ronan shook his head slightly; Leonardo was currently the darling of the media and producers.
As for the Arab world, even in ten years, in the eyes of the vast majority of Hollywood practitioners, it still wouldn't belong to the civilized world.
Leonardo was young and arrogant now; not long ago, he publicly announced that he wouldn't attend this year's Oscar ceremony, boldly claiming it was to avoid stealing the Oscar spotlight.
Ronan remembered reading in some reports from his previous life that James Cameron privately commented on this period of Leonardo—arrogant, spoiled little brat.
Looking at the current situation, James Cameron's words were not unfounded.
"What nonsense." Someone left shaking their head, "Arabs trying to break into Hollywood, wishful thinking!"
Saleh remained calm, saying, "The UAE film industry is just beginning..."
"In other words, it's a desert of cinematic civilization!" Leonardo arrogantly interjected.
He was nothing like the kind uncle he would later become.
"That's absolutely wrong!" Ronan spoke up to refute Leonardo, then entered the circle, saying, "The film policy in the UAE is very open, constantly importing Hollywood blockbusters and Indian Bollywood musicals, and cinemas are almost always full."
Leonardo and Saleh immediately looked over in Ronan's direction.
Ronan smiled politely and continued, "The film industry faces difficult beginnings. Hollywood itself started from scratch and took nearly a century to reach its current position."
Upon hearing this rebuttal, Leonardo frowned, seemingly displeased.
Saleh nodded to Ronan first, then said, "In order to promote the development of the film industry, Abu Dhabi actively engages in international cooperation and is willing to collaborate with Hollywood."
"Ha..." Leonardo laughed, too lazy to bother with Saleh, instead turning to Ronan and saying, "I remember who you are now. You're that prodigal son!"
Kate Winslet pulled Leonardo aside, seemingly reminding him not to speak recklessly.
Watching this, Ronan remembered the declaration of love Kate Winslet had made to Leonardo: "I'm so glad I can stand here and tell you how much I love you. I've loved you for 13 years. I love you with all my heart, truly."
It was a declaration of friendship.
Perhaps Ruth's heart always held Jack, but Jack clearly wasn't interested.
Leonardo couldn't care less, addressing everyone around him, "Allow me to introduce, this is Ronan Anderson. You might have heard of his father, John Anderson, from Shāhǎi Entertainment."
"Shāhǎi Entertainment's John Anderson?" someone chimed in.
Regarding Ronan's earlier rebuttal, Leonardo was clearly unhappy, continuing, "When I was filming 'Growing Pains,' John was the assistant producer of the crew, very capable. Unfortunately, the company he developed over ten years was wiped out overnight."
The middle-aged man wearing black-rimmed glasses leaned in to whisper something to Leonardo, yet it was loud enough for everyone around to hear, "Leo, haven't you heard? That prodigal son is preparing to make a new movie again."
Ronan didn't refute; his gaze subtly drifted towards Saleh, quietly calling for even more mockery.
These taunts were all assists!
Knowing that at this stage Leonardo was arrogant, why did he jump out to argue?
Leonardo's smile was bright, his demeanor handsome, but the words that came out of his mouth were unpleasant: "Not everyone has self-awareness."
Kate Winslet pulled Leonardo away again, walking while murmuring, "Leo, it was this prodigal son who didn't give me face first! I see this kind of person once..."
"You
should say a few less words." Kate Winslet interrupted him.
Others quickly dispersed.
Only Ronan and Saleh were left.
"Hello." Saleh stepped forward two steps, saying to Ronan, "Thank you for speaking up for me."
Ronan waved his hand, "It's nothing. I just spoke the truth."
Saleh said earnestly, "They went too far."
"It's okay. I'm often ridiculed by people." Ronan smiled bitterly, "I'm seen as a Hollywood oddity by them."
He shook his head, "These people, each one arrogates themselves as noble, yet they lack the most basic respect."
"It's alright." Saleh used Ronan's words, "I've gotten used to it recently."
Ronan deliberately glanced at Saleh, then lowered his voice, saying, "To survive in Hollywood, you really have to adapt. The Jews control the discourse in this circle."
Saleh agreed, "Yes. I've been in Los Angeles for two months, and all I've heard is ridicule and attacks." He smiled awkwardly, "You're different from them."
Ronan appeared particularly sincere, "That's how this circle is. Under the deliberate push of certain forces, whether it's works or reality, they lack a fair stance towards you."
"Right." Saleh felt this young man was worth befriending, introducing himself, "I'm Saleh Zayed, from Abu Dhabi."
Ronan shook his hand, "I'm Ronan, Ronan Anderson. Owner of a small film company and a newcomer producer."
The two exchanged pleasantries, quickly becoming acquainted due to their recent alliance.
After chatting for a while, Saleh remembered Leonardo's words and asked, "From their tone, it seems you've encountered some trouble?"
Ronan shook his head wryly, "I messed up a movie and lost a lot of money, so they all say I'm a prodigal son. Seeing my new project facing difficulties, they mock and ridicule me."
Saleh asked with concern, "Difficulties?"
Ronan shrugged, "Nothing major. Those Jewish vampires..." He scratched his head, "Look at me, speaking out of turn again."
"What you said is all true." Saleh confirmed that this guy was indeed an oddity. The Hollywood practitioners he had met before were all eager to curry favor with the Jews.
"I can't stand those Jews." Ronan grumbled, "Always playing the victim, taking advantage of situations, acting like the whole world owes them."
Saleh agreed, "Indeed."
Ronan shook his head, feeling helpless, "To survive in Hollywood, you have to compromise. They control distribution, publicity, and smearing someone is too easy."
He spoke almost entirely the truth from start to finish; "And then there are those vampires, controlling a large amount of capital. For my new project, if they don't provide financing, I can only stare blankly."