Knock knock knock!
It was nighttime at the hotel.
Luca knocked on Billy's door.
"Mr. Kelly!"
Billy's assistant opened the door, greeted Luca, and quietly exited the room.
The living room was brightly lit, and Billy was slumped on the couch, staring blankly at the TV without focus.
"Billy, watching an adult film?"
Luca walked over with a bottle of whiskey.
"Hmph!"
Billy glanced at him briefly and then closed his eyes.
He sat with his arms crossed, slouching on the couch, his greasy, pudgy face scowling, every part of him screaming two words: I'm angry.
"Heh~"
Luca chuckled, pouring two glasses of whiskey. "Billy, care for a drink?"
"…"
Billy remained silent, keeping his miserable expression.
"What a pity. I know you love whiskey, so I brought this Portuguese Royal Whiskey all the way from Brazil. Cost me 800 bucks. Man, it pained me."
Luca swirled the glass, the golden liquor swirling inside, its fragrance filling the air. He downed it in one gulp.
"Ah~ refreshing!"
He poured himself another glass, and the room's air grew even richer with the scent of alcohol.
Whoosh~
Suddenly, Billy's eyes snapped open. With lightning speed, he grabbed a glass and gulped it down.
"Ahh~"
Billy let out a long sigh, his fat body trembling slightly.
"Good, isn't it, Billy?"
Luca asked with a playful smile.
"It's okay."
Billy set the glass down, his tone indifferent.
Luca smiled and filled it up again.
"Billy, do you enjoy shows like this?"
On the TV was a late-night adult variety show called Island Lovers. Eight teams of men and women, wearing barely anything, lived on an island for four weeks. Occasionally, the show featured nudity.
But the bodies of these participants were quite average, which made Luca, who was surrounded by supermodels daily, a bit nauseous.
Billy glanced at the TV and blushed.
How did the channel end up here?
It must've changed automatically!
"Haha, Director Billy, don't be shy. We're all adults here. Watching some adult entertainment is perfectly normal."
Who's shy?
Billy shot him a glare, downed another glass, and remained silent.
Luca shrugged. "Billy, did you know? Back in the day, I almost became a glorious adult film star myself."
"Huh?"
Now Billy was curious.
"I'm serious."
Luca shrugged again. "Back when I was just a lowly assistant, I dreamed of making it big, experiencing the glamorous world of showbiz. But being a Brazilian with some old injuries, it seemed impossible to make it the regular way.
So, I agreed to follow an agent into San Fernando Valley and began my journey toward becoming an adult film actor."
"You did porn?!"
Billy's eyes widened in shock. "Tell me what you did! How come I've never heard of this?"
Luca smirked. Typical men.
"Wait, wait, wait. If you'd done something like that, it would've been huge news. How come there's no record? You're lying!"
Billy glared at him.
Luca shook his head. "I'm not lying. After I got to the set in San Fernando Valley, I was totally captivated by the wild, free atmosphere. I went a bit crazy, you know, trying to 'blend in.' But my back injury acted up before shooting even began. I had to leave and take care of myself.
So, my adult film career ended before it even started."
"That's it? That's all?"
Billy rolled his eyes. "You can't call it a career if it never even started! Total nonsense!"
"I said I almost became an adult film star. Almost. You missed the key word, so you can't say I lied."
Luca laughed.
"Hmph!"
Billy downed another glass. "So why are you here? Trying to convince me to follow your plan for the movie? Sorry, no can do."
"No, no. I'm not here for work. Tonight, we're just drinking. Just talking about adult films."
Luca raised his glass with a grin.
"Talk about what? You never even shot one."
Billy wasn't amused.
Luca raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Billy, who's your favorite adult film star?"
"Why should I tell you?"
"Maybe I've worked with her."
"…"
Billy blinked, his small eyes gleaming. "Wait… are you serious?"
"Of course. Don't forget who I am. Mr. Big. I've got the looks, the body, and I studied hard. During my time in San Fernando, I crossed paths with many actresses."
Luca smiled faintly.
"Tera Patrick, too?"
"Her?"
Luca chuckled, pulling out his phone. "I still have her number. Want an introduction? Tera's been looking to transition into more mainstream films, but she hasn't had the chance. You're a big director; maybe you could be friends. Want her number?"
Billy thought about it, then waved it off. "Nah, nah. I'm too old for that."
"It's fine. You can just be friends. Tera's actually a very decent woman. No need for anything more."
Luca kept pushing with a grin.
"No, no. Knowing myself, I might not be able to control myself."
Billy refused.
"You're really weak-willed, you know that?"
Luca sighed in relief but kept going. "During my time in the Valley, I didn't just meet actresses. I met some directors too. Some of them were originally professional directors with amazing skills. In their hands, even the most explicit scenes became beautiful and artistic. They could turn an ordinary actress into someone truly captivating.
In some ways, I think they're even better than some big Hollywood directors. Like that famous scene in Titanic where Jack draws Rose? That was inspired by a work from an adult film director."
Billy nodded. "Some of those directors really are talented. I've been blown away by some shots in adult films. If I had to do it, I might not be able to do as well."
"Exactly. There are so many talented people out there, but very few get the chance to show their skills. If those people were given the opportunity, who knows what they could achieve?"
"Opportunity…"
Billy sighed, downing his drink.
Luca refilled his glass and continued, "Yeah, opportunity changes everything.
Take me, for example. I'm not exceptionally talented.
Before I became famous, I was desperate for any chance to make it big. I prayed to God every day for just one small opportunity, and I swore I'd shine.
Maybe God heard me. He kindly gave me that chance.
I seized it, became a supermodel, won the Silver Bear in Berlin, and saw my scripts and songs turned into real projects. In a way, I've made it. I became a minor celebrity. I was proud, maybe a bit cocky at times, but I never felt I was that great.
The one who's truly great is God. If He'd given those chances to someone else, they'd have succeeded too—maybe even more than I did.
Don't you think so, Director Billy?"
Billy stared at his drink, deep in thought.
Back when he graduated from college, Billy dreamed of becoming a big director like Spielberg. But things didn't go as planned. Instead of making films, he became a music video director.
After several years of ups and downs, he believed his talent was on par with top film directors—just that he hadn't been given the right opportunity.
Last year, he finally got his chance. He directed Honey with the big star Jessica Alba.
He was thrilled, thinking his dream of becoming a big-time director was within reach.
But unfortunately, the film's box office results were mediocre, and he faced a lot of criticism.
He reflected on it, identified his weaknesses, and became more confident. He believed that if he got another chance, he could do much better.
That's why when he got the script for Step Up, he was eager to film it. He wanted to prove his talent—he knew he wasn't any less capable than anyone else.
The first failure was just due to inexperience. The second time, I'll nail it.
That was his mindset.
But he didn't expect to encounter so many "weak links" this time—more than one, actually, a whole team of them.
Billy took another gulp.
"Luca, just say it straight. Don't beat around the bush. You've been talking for ages. Are you telling me to seize the opportunity? In this case, it's not me wasting it. It's you guys dragging me down."
Dragging him down?
Luca rubbed his cheek in frustration. After all that, he's blaming me for being the weak link?
"Director Billy, do you remember what made you decide to shoot Step Up in the first place?"
Luca asked directly.
Billy thought for a moment. "I liked your script. I wanted to make it into a movie."
Luca nodded with a smile. "Thanks for liking my script. But after seeing the footage, I noticed you made a lot of changes. Can I ask why?"
Billy hesitated, then sighed. "A script is just a reference. When it comes to actual filming, things always need to be adjusted. No director follows the script exactly. If they did, why have a director at all? Might as well just let the writer do it
Luca smiled gently, "Yes, writing a script is easy, but actual production is difficult. I don't oppose revising the script; it's the director's right. But I still don't understand why you changed it. Was there something wrong with the script design?"
"No, the script is solid," Billy frowned.
"Then why change it? Are you avoiding difficulties?"
"What?" Billy was confused.
Luca shook his head. "Billy, I watched a few scenes you shot. It's still your usual style. Do you think that's a good or a bad thing?"
Billy blinked but didn't respond.
Luca patted him on the shoulder. "Billy, I used to hear you say you wanted to push your limits and become a true filmmaker. But during production, your old habits kicked in. You stuck to what you're comfortable with and did what felt easiest.
Think about it carefully. Did you change the script because there were actual problems with it? Or was it just because it didn't fit your familiar style? Or maybe, you lacked the confidence to shoot it as written?"
Billy opened his mouth, and a sheen of sweat appeared on his chubby cheeks.
"Billy, you're both the director and the investor. I don't oppose you changing the script. If you can come up with a better director's script, I'll fully support you.
If you believe your approach will make a better film, I'll support you 100% as well. Director Billy, do you have that confidence?"
Billy stood there, stunned, unable to respond.
Luca sighed quietly to himself. Billy had great talent but struggled with execution.
He was an experienced director with his own ideas about film. He didn't want to follow the script and just be a tool; he wanted to make changes. But he lacked the ability to improve on the script, leaving him in a tough spot.
La la la~ The TV program ended.
"The show's over, and I should be going. Billy, you're not young anymore. Watch less of these kinds of shows—it's bad for your health."
Luca patted his shoulder and left the room.
Everyone has their own reasons for doing or not doing something. Billy had to figure this one out for himself.
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