Chereads / America: Beginning with the acquisition of MGM / Chapter 110 - Chapter 91. Besieged (Part 1)

Chapter 110 - Chapter 91. Besieged (Part 1)

In front of the MGM building, a crowd of journalists suddenly appeared, surrounding several people.

Vul immediately called security, but journalists aren't hooligans, and interviews aren't a breach of public order, so using force was out of the question, or MGM would face public outrage.

The security team struggled to push through the crowd, trying to free their boss.

"Mr. Cooper, are you dating Nicole Kidman?"

"Mr. Cooper, someone took a picture of you leaving Nicole Kidman's villa last night. Is it true?"

"Mr. Cooper, is this your car in the photo?"

"Eric Cooper, have you been together with Nicole Kidman for a long time? Is that why you saved her at the Oscars?"

"Mr. Cooper, at the Vanity Fair party, Nicole Kidman kissed you. Did she invite you to spend the night together to celebrate her victory as 'Best Actress'? Is that true?"

Eric was stunned by the barrage of questions. In the photo, he saw his Lamborghini leaving the villa and realized it really was his car.

Yesterday, after leaving the villa, paparazzi started investigating who owned the Lamborghini. By this morning, the results were in—the car was his. The news spread quickly, leading to this situation.

Eric guessed that Nicole Kidman had likely been bombarded by paparazzi as well. By evening, these rumors would flood the internet, and by morning, the papers would be filled with reports.

He shoved aside the nearest microphone, but the crowd didn't allow him to move.

"What the hell? Was I secretly photographed?"

He glanced at his father and the DreamWorks trio. These four were not young and could hardly withstand such pressure. Seeing Spielberg's glasses on the verge of falling off, Eric shouted:

"Stop! Stop! Everyone, stop!"

"I'll answer your questions, but step aside and clear a path. Otherwise, someone might get hurt."

The journalists slowly parted, giving them space. Spielberg adjusted his glasses and looked at Eric in surprise:

"Young man, you're a real star."

Jeffrey Katzenberg gave Eric an envious look, as if to say: "Nicole Kidman, huh? Lucky you." And David Geffen, being openly gay, quietly gave a thumbs-up.

Eric waved his hand, and the three elders got into their car and drove away. He glanced at his father, who, not wanting to get involved, stepped back a few paces.

Charlie thought to himself, "Son, you're on your own with this one. Just make sure Mom doesn't find out. Looks like there's no hiding it now. I'm staying out of this."

The journalists began to press in again, and Eric raised his hand, signaling them to stop.

Taking a deep breath and gathering his thoughts, he calmly said:

"I know what you want to ask. The answer is no, I'm not dating Nicole Kidman, and I didn't spend the night at her place."

"Mr. Cooper, if that's true, how do you explain these photos?" one journalist asked loudly.

Eric smiled and continued calmly:

"Interesting question. Actually, even if we hadn't been photographed, MGM would have announced this soon anyway."

"The thing is, MGM is preparing a new film, but the leading actress hasn't been confirmed yet."

"At the Oscars, I suddenly realized that Nicole was the perfect candidate."

"So, at the Vanity Fair party, we discussed it and arranged to meet for further talks."

"But why did the meeting take place at Nicole Kidman's villa and not in an office or a café?" asked a clueless journalist.

Eric laughed, "Ha ha ha."

"Does it matter where you read a script? As far as I know, many stars read scripts at home. Why don't you ask them?"

"Besides, in a café with so many people, there's always a risk of running into fans. How can you work on a script in such an environment?"

Charlie Cooper nodded to himself, agreeing that this explanation made sense.

"Mr. Cooper, why did you go to Nicole Kidman alone? Why didn't you bring a screenwriter with you?" another journalist asked.

"Because... because I'm the screenwriter. I'm enough on my own. That's all. End of story."

Eric turned and headed toward the MGM building, but the journalists had no intention of letting him go and swarmed around him again.

Security immediately rushed in to protect their boss.

"Mr. Cooper, one last question! You said you're not only the producer and director, but also the screenwriter. What genre is the film? What's its title? Everyone is curious about Nicole Kidman's next role."

A journalist from The Independent persistently asked the question. This pack of bloodsuckers wouldn't stop until they had their scoop.

Eric, looking at the reporters, seriously said:

"Alright, I'll answer the last question. But after that, I demand fair media coverage. If you intentionally distort the facts, MGM will sue you and your outlets."

"The film is called La Vie en Rose. It's a biographical movie about the legendary life of French singer Edith Piaf."

Eric dropped the movie's title. The journalists were stunned, and even his father, standing behind him, was shocked, trying to recall if such a project existed in the company's plans.

Though he had passed on his production duties to Eric, it didn't mean he knew nothing, especially when it came to hiring an Oscar-winning actress, which would require significant funds and his approval.

Finishing, Eric turned and walked away. From the moment he'd been surrounded, he had been thinking of how to get out of this, and discussing a script seemed like the only option.

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