"All matters will be discussed tomorrow."
When Chen Xin and Susan left, Eric went to take a shower to rid himself of the smell of cigarettes and alcohol.
For someone who doesn't smoke, the scent of other people's tobacco is pure torture. But at a business dinner, it's impossible to stop others from smoking.
"Damn, I left so quickly that I forgot to grab a change of clothes. Tomorrow, I'll need to ask Chen Xin to buy a few sets," he muttered, shaking his head.
Lying on the bed, Eric turned on the TV, and the first channel that popped up was CCTV-8, which was airing a promo for the next episode of Story of a Noble Family.
On-screen were a young Chen Kun, Dong Jie, who hadn't yet met Wang Dazhi, and a youthful Liu Yifei. Seeing them, Eric couldn't help but smile, feeling a pang of nostalgia.
He remembered working with Chen Kun on The Rise of Phoenixes, where Eric had been merely an assistant director—not even a deputy.
Back then, it was a time when capital had the strongest influence in the entertainment industry, and popularity meant everything. The director's system was turning into an actor-centric one.
Except for the most outstanding directors, everyone was subject to the dictatorship of capital. At the time, Eric was just a pawn. But now, everything had changed. One gesture from him, and the heads of numerous film companies would come running, eager to please.
As for actors—they weren't even worthy of serving him.
Nowadays, Hollywood remains a desired destination for stars all over the world, and China is no exception—it remains an unbeatable force.
It's harsh, but it's reality.
"Ding!"
Eric was about to fall asleep when his phone suddenly rang.
Seeing an unknown number, and a Chinese one at that, he decided to ignore the call. At this hour, unknown numbers were usually either scams or something fishy.
But immediately after he declined the call, the phone rang again from the same number.
Eric dismissed it again, but the phone rang a third time.
"Could this be something important?" he wondered.
Hesitant, he decided to answer, and on the other end came a familiar voice.
"Mr. Cooper, this is Zhang Ziyi."
"Oh, is something wrong?"
Hearing her voice, Eric frowned. This woman wasn't known for having an innocent character.
But then again, in the entertainment industry, there are no simple people. It's a place much like a chicken coop or a duck farm, where actors and directors are like small animals searching for food.
And people like Eric play the role of the farmer, throwing out feed to fatten up the chickens and ducks, who could then be either consumed or sold off.
"The thing is, Mr. Han noticed that you didn't have a change of clothes, so he asked me to bring a few sets over for you."
"Just leave them at the reception desk, and the staff will bring them up."
"Um… Mr. Cooper, may I know your room number? I think it would be better if I delivered them personally."
"Why?"
"There are other items besides the clothes that aren't convenient to hand over through strangers."
Eric paused for a moment, then answered, "Alright, come to Room 301."
"Thank you, I'll be there shortly."
Smiling, Zhang Ziyi headed towards the lobby, but instead of taking the elevator, she first stopped by the restroom.
She pulled out her makeup kit and carefully applied some touch-ups to enhance her appearance even further.
Then, she used some mouthwash to get rid of the alcohol smell. After checking to ensure the scent had diminished, she smiled in satisfaction.
A quiet night, alcohol, and passion—all of this was playing to her advantage.
When she traveled abroad for events, many foreign men had given her greedy looks. Zhang Ziyi was confident that with her charm, she could easily win over a young man like Eric Cooper.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
Hearing the knock on the door, Eric got up and opened it. Seeing a woman with fresh makeup, he immediately grasped her intentions.
"Thank you for going to the trouble. You can go rest early," he said, taking the clothes from Zhang Ziyi and getting ready to close the door. He had no desire to get involved with this woman, who carried quite a few scandalous rumors around her.
However, she slipped inside before he could close the door.
"What are you doing? Do you still have some other matters?" Eric asked with irritation.
Zhang Ziyi flirtatiously flicked her hair, her eyes glinting.
"Eric, there were too many people at dinner, and I had a few questions about cinema that I wanted to discuss with you. Now no one will interrupt us. Can we talk?"
Eric yawned.
"It's too late, and I'm exhausted from the flight. Let's discuss it tomorrow. You can ask Han to set up a meeting, and we'll go over everything then."
Zhang Ziyi was taken aback. Did he really not understand? A woman coming at night to talk about movies? Could he be this naive?
"Wasn't I obvious enough? Or is he just too young, having recently become the head of MGM, and hasn't encountered this kind of situation yet?" she wondered.
Determined to press harder, she said, "Eric, may I use your bathroom? I drank too much and feel unwell."
Eric was about to suggest she use the restroom in the lobby so he could close the door, but Zhang Ziyi had already darted into his bathroom before he could decline. Soon, he heard the sound of running water.
"Mr. Cooper, I've run into some trouble. Could you help me?" her voice echoed from the bathroom.
"What? That's not convenient. What's the matter? I'll call the staff to assist you."
"No, no, please don't! I don't want them to see me like this. It's too embarrassing!"
Her words made Eric wonder what could be so humiliating. Could it be her predicament?
"Well then, I'll call the police. They'll ensure your privacy. I'll call right now!"
"Wait, no need, it seems it's not that serious after all. I think everything is fine," she said, emerging from the bathroom with a puzzled look on her face. Eric's innocent and concerned expression only seemed to annoy her further.
"This is impossible. He can't not understand. Have I not made myself clear enough? Or is he just a gentleman? That's unlikely too!" she mused, her thoughts racing.
At this point, she should have retreated. But Zhang Ziyi wasn't one to give up easily. Letting an opportunity like this slip away wasn't something she could accept. Another chance like this might not come again anytime soon.
Deciding to go all in, she gambled. Who doesn't know that cats love a treat?
"Mr. Cooper, besides the clothes, Chairman Han said there was something else for you."
"Oh? And what would that be?"
"Me!"
With that, Zhang Ziyi quickly removed her sweater and, seeing Eric's surprised expression, began to undo her belt.
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