Gal Gadot's Apartment.
With Judy and Bar Refaeli gone, only Eric remained in the living room.
Turning on the TV and switching to HBO, he saw that it was 7:40 p.m. – twenty minutes until the start of The Walking Dead.
Eric picked up a glass of water from the table and noticed a distinct red lipstick mark on the rim. Walking over to the kitchen sink, he thoroughly rinsed the glass under running water, nodding in satisfaction. When you don't like someone, everything about them bothers you, even their good traits.
This took only two minutes. Eric returned to the couch, glanced at his old Nokia, and sighed, reminiscing about the smartphones from the future.
Of course, in the future, Apple would become the winner in the smartphone wars. As a Chinese man, Eric didn't have any particular fondness for them, but he couldn't deny that on a global scale, they were the leader. Right now, though, Apple hadn't yet reached those heights, and Nokia was still the dominant company.
Although now wasn't the best time to buy Apple stock, it was still a good opportunity. Unfortunately, Eric didn't have much spare cash for investments, especially after the conversation with his father, where he realized just how difficult things were for him.
At the moment, MGM had launched over a dozen projects simultaneously, including several low-budget horror films. While those films didn't require full upfront financing, the burden was still significant. It was especially tough with large projects like Transformers and Frozen, each of which cost over $150 million. In a month, he'd have to pay the second installment to Weta Digital, which would be another several tens of millions of dollars.
There were also the bank loans. Eric had already paid off $50 million of the principal debt, but the interest remained huge. By June, it would again be time to pay the interest for the second quarter.
At the moment, Eric had few assets left for collateral. His most valuable holdings were the 16% shares in Hasbro, but a portion of those had already been pledged, otherwise, he and Elin would have already been in court with JP Morgan. Of course, he could pledge the remaining shares, but constant borrowing was like a drug—the more you take, the more you need. Banks don't give money for free.
Another way to quickly relieve financial pressure was to re-enter the stock market, but after discussions with his father, they decided that now wasn't the right time. If they waited for Transformers to be released, MGM's value would at least double.
Money! There's never enough of it!
So don't envy those driving luxury cars—they might have been bought on credit.
"Eric, what time is it?" came Gal Gadot's voice from the bathroom. She came out in a robe, with wet hair cascading down her shoulders.
Looking fresh and natural, she exuded a clean yet seductive aura.
"Let me check, two minutes left—it's almost eight."
"What! I don't have time to dry my hair."
"Then go ahead and dry it, gorgeous. Though I'd love to hold you right now, I've heard that wet hair makes women uncomfortable."
Gal laughed. "But I don't want to miss the show. The beginning is always important—miss it, and you'll miss key moments."
Eric pointed at himself: "Look here, darling. I'm the one sitting on your couch—the writer and producer of The Walking Dead. If you want, I can tell you everything that happens in the next few episodes."
"Haha, right! How could I forget who you are? Alright, I'll go dry my hair. You can tell me what happens later."
The sound of a hairdryer echoed from the bedroom, and Eric turned his attention back to the TV screen.
With the roar of the lion, the first scene began.
In a small town by the roadside, a police car is parked. The main character, Rick, is talking with his colleague Shane.
The conversation was about family. Rick admitted that things with his wife Lori were tense, to which Shane responded that arguments were normal and that he could help.
The plot in the series differed from what Eric remembered. In the original, they were supposed to be chasing criminals, but that seemed unrealistic to him. In real life, when apprehending armed criminals, dozens of officers are involved, not just a pair of patrolmen. So Eric had changed the plot: Rick and Shane were heading to a hospital on a call about a patient's unruly relative. That's where Rick gets stabbed.
While at the hospital, he is immediately taken into surgery.
Then follows a series of blurred memories: Shane visits him, bringing flowers, and Lori comes only a few times before stopping altogether. Eventually, even Shane stops visiting.
An unclear amount of time passes. Rick hears screams and gunshots, and he slowly starts to wake up. The dried flowers by his bed are a sign that Shane hasn't been around for a long time.
At that moment, cold hands grabbed Eric by the neck from behind: "The zombies are coming!"
Eric looked up and said, gazing at the ceiling, "If all zombies were like you, every man in the world would dream of the apocalypse. And also Judy."
Gadot laughed and kissed him.
"Mmm, though I'd like to continue, this position isn't very comfortable for my neck."
"Then how do you want to?" Gal winked.
Eric patted his lap, and the girl obediently sat down, pressing against him as they reclined on the couch together.
"Oh my God! This place is clearly a disaster zone."
On the TV screen, Rick was exploring the hospital, while the audience took in the environment. The corridors were in disarray, the lights flickering, the floor littered with broken glass, and the walls streaked with blood and bullet holes. It was clear that a violent struggle had taken place here, corresponding to the noise and gunshots Rick had heard during his unconsciousness.
Rick tried to make a call, but the connection was cut off. He continued searching, not understanding what had happened—just like the audience, eager to find out what had transpired and what would happen next.
Gadot, like the rest of the viewers, was captivated by the plot. Her hand stopped moving, and she focused intently on the screen.
Eric felt her grip tighten when the first corpse appeared on-screen—a female skeleton with scraps of flesh grotesquely peeking out from under tattered clothing. Such a shot would be rare even in films with a high rating, it was that terrifying.
If the MPAA saw this scene, they would definitely have given the show an NC-17 rating instead of R.
"Are you scared?" Eric asked quietly.
"No, just tense. He's going toward the door with the 'Don't Open' sign!"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
As if sensing a living person, the iron door began to shake. Suddenly, filthy, decomposing hands started pushing through the crack.
Frightened, Rick turned back and, dragging his weakened body, barely managed to escape through the hospital's side door. As soon as he opened the door, a wide view of the entire building unfolded before the audience. The hospital and surrounding buildings were in ruins.
The camera panned down, revealing piles of white body bags, scattered ambulances, and trucks filled with corpses. Flies crawled over the bodies, and Rick silently opened his mouth in shock.
This scene had left a powerful impression when Eric first saw it—it had stunned him. The apocalyptic atmosphere instantly filled the screen.
Looking over at Gadot, he saw her face tense up even more.
Rick then made his way to a nearby military camp, which was in the same state of destruction.
"The world is destroyed?" Gadot looked at Eric.
"Yes, the military is gone, the world has fallen. This is a story about survival in an apocalypse. Look, he's found a bicycle."
Gadot's attention returned to the screen as Rick tried to ride away on the bike. Suddenly, a nearby zombie stirred, letting out a low growl and attempting to bite him.
The sight of the half-dead creature shocked Gadot, and she turned away. "Eric, how did they shoot that? It's terrifying."
"They wanted to use special effects, but Frank Darabont found a dwarf actor and had him dressed up with makeup."
"When you say it like that, it's not as scary anymore."
Rick then rode the bicycle home. The contrast between the apocalypse and a sick man on a bike brought an involuntary smile.
He then met Morgan and his son, through whom the director explained the situation to the audience.
Rick started to recover under their care. But soon, Morgan and his son faced a dilemma—whether to kill the zombie that used to be their mother.
"Eric, if it were you, could you kill her?" Gadot asked.
Eric nodded. "Yes, even if it was a loved one."
"Why? Wouldn't you feel sorry? It's a wife or a mother!" Gal frowned.
"Yes, but the dead can't be brought back. Leaving them like that isn't the best option. The living are more important than the dead."
"If I became a zombie and retained my consciousness, I'd prefer death, just to protect the living."
Gadot kissed Eric. "I agree. I'd do the same."
After the tank scene, the tension began to ease as Rick found weapons at the police station.
On his way to Atlanta, Rick used a radio to contact Shane, but the connection was poor. Shane had become the leader of a group of survivors, which included Rick's wife, Lori, and their son, Carl.
The audience believed Shane to be a hero who had saved his friend's wife. But in reality, he was already sleeping with Lori.
Gadot watched in disbelief. "Wait, he pulled out the photo of his wife—that's Lori. She's with his friend?"
"Yes. In an apocalypse, moral standards collapse."
Gadot shook her head. "The actors are going to get criticized. Viewers don't think deeply, they just see the surface."
"Let them criticize. Every show needs antagonists. The zombies can't be the only villains."
"You're talking about Shane?"
"I didn't say anything. I have no idea what Darabont will come up with."
"But you're the writer."
"Just kidding!"
"Ugh, you're becoming such a bad guy!"
It was 8:50. Ten minutes were left in the episode, and the iconic scene appeared.
Rick was riding a horse into Atlanta. To the left were rows of abandoned cars filled with corpses, and to the right, a derailed train and scattered bones. As he entered the city, the horse grew nervous, attracting the zombies. Rick tried to flee, but ran into a horde of the undead who immediately swarmed him.
Soon, the space for escape vanished. Rick fell from the horse, which was devoured by the zombies. Surrounded by thousands of zombies, he realized that his weapons were useless. These zombies were fast, unlike the slow ones from typical movies.
The atmosphere of despair intensified. Gadot squeezed Eric's hand tighter, her eyes glued to the screen.
Rick took shelter in a tank, but the zombies began prying open the hatch. In desperation, he prepared to shoot himself.
Suddenly, a voice crackled over the radio: "If you want to live, listen to me!"
Rick stared in shock at the camera.
The Walking Dead Season 1, Episode 1 – End.
Gadot stared at Eric in frustration. "That's it? Nothing more?"
"It's a special episode—60 minutes, a whole hour."
"So fast? I want to know what happens next!" Gal asked eagerly.
"I can't, I'd be breaching my contract."
"What if I trade something for it?"
Eric thought for a moment. "Depends on the offer."
"Will this do?"
"Very valuable offer."
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