Chapter 41: Location

[Chapter 41: Location]

"Woohoo! I'm ready to fly!"

On the Pacific Coast Highway, the sun shone brightly, and the deep blue sky merged with the ocean below. Tall palm trees stood like soldiers with wild hairstyles, quietly lining both sides of the road.

A red convertible sped southward into the ocean breeze. In the passenger seat, Chris Barnes suddenly stood up, pumping his fist and shouting.

"Shut up! We're on the freeway -- standing up is dangerous. Sit down!"

Daniel DeVito yelled from behind the wheel.

"Haha, Daniel, you know what? I'm feeling so pumped right now! The one thing I've always wanted to do was cruise in a sports car on a California highway, looking at the ocean and the blue sky while the buildings quickly sped by in the background. It feels amazing!"

Chris flexed his bicep and shouted hysterically.

"Stop rambling and sit down. Buckle your seatbelt."

"Alright, alright. The only thing that's different from what I imagined is that in my vision, I had a couple of hot girls in shorts beside me, not you -- an old guy." Chris glanced over at Daniel, who was wearing a casual suit with his bald head, Mediterranean complexion, and black-rimmed glasses.

"Humph!"

Daniel DeVito grumbled in silence.

"Daniel, we're on vacation! Why do you always have that frown? Smile a little -- it's a vacation!"

"Shut up! We're not here to vacation; we're making a movie."

"Link said we could treat this shoot like a holiday."

"Link doesn't always know best. Chris, do you have any idea what this film means to Link?"

"How would I know? Just look at these muscles! Obviously, I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed. Can you stop speaking in riddles?" Chris flexed his bicep again.

Daniel shook his head. "What it means, Chris, is whether Link can make a name for himself in Hollywood. He's a genius director, and many movie studios and media outlets are watching him. If this film succeeds, Link can break through in Hollywood; if he fails, he'll be the laughingstock and lose the 'genius director' badge."

"Whoa, is it that serious? What do we do, Daniel? You're the seasoned producer -- what can we do to ensure this film doesn't flop?"

"There's nothing we can do. Link is too stubborn; he doesn't take advice. So I hope you can talk to him more -- tell him to focus on the movie and not on other distractions."

"Other distractions? What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean."

Daniel adjusted his black glasses and looked ahead at the silver Cadillac DeVille where Link and Monica Bellucci were sitting.

When he first heard Link planned to use $20,000 for his second film, he thought it was nuts. Later, seeing there were only two main characters -- a man and a woman, with most scenes in bed -- it raised his suspicions.

Upon seeing the leading lady, Monica Bellucci, he instantly speculated that maybe the crew was a cover; making a movie was a front, and chasing girls was the real aim. If that speculation turned out to be true, this trip to San Diego would have been a waste of time. If it was a misunderstanding, then this film had little chance of succeeding.

He was worried not only about Link's new movie, but also about his own future.

...

"Ring, ring!"

The car phone rang.

"Link, what's going on?"

Chris Barnes was quick to answer the call.

"There's a car following us -- a black Chevrolet SUV. It followed us from Los Angeles; it's probably paparazzi."

"Yeah, I see it. Should we pull over and confront it?" Chris glanced behind and saw a black Chevrolet about three hundred meters back. Through the windshield, he could vaguely make out two men in the front seat -- one was holding binoculars.

"No need. Daniel, once we reach De Mar County, we'll separate and find a way to shake them off."

"I'm on it!"

...

After hanging up, the Cadillac in front accelerated, while Daniel DeVito slowed down, moving gradually forward.

The black Chevrolet suddenly sped up, following close behind the Cadillac. Daniel glanced back, noticing no other vehicles behind him. Entering De Mar City, he took a turn and sped towards San Diego.

San Diego County is the southernmost city in California, about 200 kilometers from Los Angeles and only five kilometers from the Mexico border.

The reason for filming here was that the home designs better fit the script's setting, and it was far from Hollywood, keeping paparazzi at bay -- perfect for shooting a movie quietly.

...

Around 1 PM, when the California sun was blazing, Daniel DeVito drove with a drowsy Chris Barnes to the affluent neighborhood in Mission Valley located east of the San Diego State Historic Park.

San Diego was California's second-largest city and the eighth largest in the U.S. Many large telecommunications or biopharmaceutical companies, like Qualcomm, Pfizer, Novartis, and Amgen, had their headquarters or branches here.

The development of communication technology and biopharmaceuticals had brought a lot of wealth to the area, with Mission Valley being one of the upscale neighborhoods.

Daniel parked in front of a rented villa at N23, which he had arranged in advance. The property spanned more than 20,000 square feet, featuring a lawn in the front, a garden in the back, four bedrooms, a large terrace, a basketball court, and a swimming pool -- quite a nice environment.

...

"Daniel, this place is great! It fits my needs perfectly, but there are some details in the rooms that need to be fixed. Here's the sketch; please have someone redesign it."

As soon as the car stopped, Link stepped out of the villa, holding a few sketches with modification notes.

"Okay, I'll get someone on it right away." Daniel took the sketches and drove off.

...

"Link, what do you need me to do?" Chris Barnes asked with a yawn.

"First, help me set up the recording equipment and lighting in the right spots. The sofa in the living room needs to be moved a bit, and we need to set up three rigs in the bedroom. We can figure out the rest during the shoot."

"Sure thing! I might not be much good at other things, but I can definitely handle the physical work."

Chris flexed his muscles again, waddling like a duck as he picked up a box and grunted his way into the villa.

...

"Link, how do I look in this outfit?"

Monica Bellucci came out of the bedroom in a white artistic t-shirt, blue jeans, and brown sneakers, her dark hair falling just to her shoulders.

"This is what you wanted -- the character is a 24 to 25-year-old college student, bringing in that college vibe and youthful style."

"Looking good! However, to nail this role, you'll need to truly embody it and be natural -- especially in your interactions with the male lead. Showing a relaxed and friendly nature will help convey a closeness in your character's relationship, even amidst the eerie happenings. This closeness helps control the pacing of the story, adding tension to enhance the horror elements."

"I get it! I graduated just five years ago; playing a college student is easy for me."

Monica wrapped her arms around his, tilting her head against his shoulder and softly humming a tune.

"What are you doing?"

"We're a couple; I'm just practicing a bit early. This way, it will be more natural when we perform and have better chemistry, right?"

Monica fluttered her long eyelashes and smiled.

"Alright then!"

*****

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