Chapter 124: Train to Busan

[Chapter 124: Train to Busan]

"He was just making advances, and Ryan was only trying to stop him," Trey answered, panicked, as she faced the officer's questions.

"I'm not... I didn't do anything!" Kevin Williamson awkwardly dragged his right hand along with his left, revealing his fingers curled up in a way that resembled a claw due to the pain, making his face look distorted.

"I saw it with my own eyes! I've already contacted a lawyer. This isn't going to end easily," Ryan declared, filled with righteous anger.

"Is that true?" The officer turned to Kevin Williamson.

"I..." Kevin struggled to find his words. Strictly speaking, he had indeed touched Trey's wrist a bit too much, but did it warrant this kind of response?

He looked down at his fingers, which were hard to straighten out, and burst into tears.

Seeing this, the fat woman on the side joined the discussion, suggesting that a compromise might be in order, a proposal that resonated well with Ryan. Both sides decided to part ways, and Ryan, Tracy and the fat woman came outside the office. After the officer left, the woman turned to Ryan.

"What just happened?"

Ryan recounted the entire ordeal, explaining that he hadn't been the instigator.

"He really brought this on himself; if he didn't want you invested in the project, he shouldn't have said those things." The woman shook her head in disdain.

She introduced herself as Julie Plec, and her stature seemed to dwarf even Taylor's mom. Starting out as a director's assistant, she progressively became a co-producer; The Vampire Diaries was a joint project between her and Kevin Williamson. Kevin handled the script, while she was in charge of production.

"Well, looks like he hit a wall," Julie muttered.

"So he's a repeat offender?" Ryan began to put the pieces together.

Julie shrugged, not needing to say anything explicitly to convey her acknowledgment.

If Daddario really joined The Vampire Diaries cast, who knew what might unfold next?

Seeing that collaboration was off the table, neither Julie nor Ryan said much, but Julie and Trey began chatting. Julie seemed eager to collaborate with Trey, likely thinking the two were of similar ages. Trey, however, didn't give a definite answer.

...

"One thing they said was true -- there are lots of new shows, why not switch projects?" Trey said as she speared a piece of rib with her fork and took a bite. Each year, major networks launched at least ten new programs.

"Forget it; this industry is more complicated than it seems," Ryan rethought his investment in the series. The entertainment world was notoriously fickle, and the chances of losing money were significant; the risks hardly justified the potential returns.

Trey hesitated before ultimately choosing not to comment. She actually wanted to dive into the film industry, but seeing Ryan losing interest in investing kept her thoughts in check -- she understood it was his money, and he would decide how to use it.

After leaving Dimension Films' office, they turned and walked into a small diner nearby. Ryan didn't disguise himself, but the waitstaff reacted without excessive surprise upon seeing him.

"So, do you often see other stars here?" Ryan asked as he took his drink.

The blonde waitress, in her bright yellow uniform, nodded.

"I just moved here not long ago," she began speaking, ignoring whether Ryan was engaged in her story. Her family had suffered during the financial crisis, resulting in her father's decision to jump from their high-rise, leaving behind debts. As a result, this former rich girl found herself in an apron, working as a waitress.

"You're chatting with customers again." Another waitress, who appeared more seasoned, approached to scold her. She exuded a no-nonsense vibe, with a more casual appearance.

"Big star, how does the food taste?" she forced a merchant's grin.

Ryan noticed the Black cashier and Asian owner behind her and then looked at her. A strong sense of deja vu struck him...

"What's your name?" Ryan whispered.

"Julia... what's wrong?" the waitress asked when she noticed Ryan's eyes rolling back and his eyelids fluttering, reminiscent of someone dreaming in deep sleep.

Trey noticed something was off with Ryan, quickly getting up to check on him, only to find him frozen in place, eyes uplifted, looking terrifyingly out of sorts.

...

In the hospital room, Ryan suddenly awakened, feeling a throbbing headache. He glanced around, seeing Trey on his left and Taylor on his right. Trey's head hung low, likely asleep, while Taylor, noticing Ryan was awake, rushed over.

"You're finally awake! You scared me to death." Relief washed over Taylor, but her expression looked worn.

Ryan glanced at the clock on the wall; it was already early morning. He learned that Taylor, hearing about his collapse, had quickly canceled a fan meet-and-greet to rush over.

Trey also awakened to the commotion, exclaiming, "You fainted! Do you even know that?" She proceeded to describe how terrifying Ryan looked in the restaurant.

Ryan had been rushed to a hospital in Los Angeles after he collapsed.

"Maybe I was just too tired; honestly, I'm fine," Ryan shook his head, assuring them not to worry. He understood that his sudden fainting was just due to being overwhelmed by the barrage of information he had processed in that fleeting moment.

He had a long dream about two waitresses wearing yellow uniforms, one named Caroline and the other Max. Caroline once came from a wealthy family but had to work in a restaurant due to her family's downfall, while Max had a humble background, having worked as a nanny previously. The two shared an apartment as they pursued a mutual goal of opening a bakery.

The dream consisted of a few straightforward scenes, repeating an environment that felt very sitcom-like, peppered with canned laughter.

He mused, "Trey, we don't have to invest in a series; we can produce one ourselves." Sitcoms generally required a lower budget compared to others.

Trey and Taylor exchanged glances.

"Did you get your head checked?" Taylor whispered.

"I did; everything's normal," Trey nodded.

Ryan threw off the covers, preparing to get out of bed. "Trey, reach out to that Julie woman we talked about; have her as producer while you direct. I need to gather a few writers to help with the script."

For convenience, Ryan had nothing underneath his hospital gown, and the design resembled a skirt, which made Trey gasp and back away when she caught a glimpse.

"Taylor, is the AMA performance ready?" Ryan asked.

Taylor hesitated before nodding.

...

"Countdown... Car starting, Ryan look toward camera three." The director's voice crackled in his earpiece.

Outside Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, countless female fans had formed barricades as the streets were cleared. A classic convertible slowly rolled by, and as fans spotted Ryan in the passenger seat, a deafening scream erupted, shaking the air.

The high-pitched collective roar made Ryan fear that the windshield might crack under the noise.

"Oh no, a fan just jumped the barricade! Step on it!" The urgency in the earpiece escalated.

Ryan glanced in the rearview mirror, noticing a group of fans had indeed breached the barricade, frantically chasing the car. With a little makeup, they could look like they were going to make a cameo appearance in a zombie movie.

When Ryan came to his senses, he saw a large group of fans in front of him breaking through the security personnel's blockade and attacking the vehicle from the front and back.

"Ryan, jump out of the car!"

Seeing this crazy move, Ryan was really afraid that he would be "eaten." Without thinking too much, he supported the car door with both hands, raised his legs, and jumped out directly through the convertible door...

*****

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