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Room 16 at Black Sky Hotel
Early the next morning—
David packed his things, left a kiss on Linda's sleeping forehead, and quietly slipped out of the hotel.
They'd agreed she'd take him to the train station today.
But Linda had gotten all fired up last night like she was possessed or something, and ended up too exhausted to get up this morning.
So, no choice—David had to fend for himself.
With a little swagger, he hailed a cab to the New York Railway Station and used the cash in his pocket to buy a train ticket.
Why not take a flight?
Simple—he wanted to experience life.
He found his seat on the train: a hard sleeper. It couldn't be helped—Hollywood was too far, and a hard seat would kill his back.
He had to take care of that precious spine.
The train slowly pulled away from the station.
New York faded into the distance.
David pulled up the blanket, closed his eyes, and grinned with satisfaction.
Before he knew it, he had drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, after the platform broadcast—
David, already packed and ready, slung his backpack over his shoulder and got off the train. He confidently flagged down a taxi.
After a quick round of haggling, he hopped in.
Over an hour later, he finally arrived at the Hollywood World Studios.
He took out his phone and called the number his mentor Dean had given him.
"Senior bro, I'm here at the film base."
"Wait there, I'll come get you."
Less than half an hour later, a small sedan pulled up in front of him.
A rugged-looking man in his thirties got out and looked at him, guessing, "Junior bro?"
"I'm David. You're… Senior bro?"
"Damn, with a face like that and that build, why the hell are you being a director instead of acting?"
"Uh… dreams don't have a price tag, man."
John gave him the kind of look all men understand. "Dreams, my ass. Maybe I'd buy it from someone else, but you?"
"I've heard stories about your 'achievements.' Your reputation back at school was straight-up notorious."
David waved it off like a boss. "All in the past, not worth mentioning."
"You think I'm complimenting you or something?"
John laughed and playfully punched David in the chest.
He liked this junior bro already—at least he wasn't the shy, awkward type.
In the entertainment industry, you gotta have thick skin to survive.
"Come on, let's go meet the director of the 'Painted Skin' crew first. Then we'll grab some food to welcome you properly."
"Sure thing. I'll go with whatever you say, Senior bro."
Once they got to the set, John introduced David to the director, William.
"Director James, this is my junior bro, David. He's studying directing. A personal student of Principal Dean. He's here to learn and get some hands-on experience."
William glanced at David and gave a lukewarm response: "You handle it."
Translation: He's not my problem.
This kind of situation—letting people tag along for clout—is pretty much an open secret in showbiz.
As long as you don't stir up trouble, nobody's gonna say anything.
Plus, this kid was recommended by Principal Dean himself—William couldn't exactly turn him away.
Not to mention John brought him in personally.
John then led David away.
No dramatic face-slapping scenes here—people in this industry care about appearances.
Unless there's a major conflict, no one's gonna throw shade to your face.
At the hotel, John brought David to his room so he could drop off his luggage.
Then they headed to a nearby small restaurant, ordered a couple of simple dishes, and cracked open a bottle.
Didn't take long for the two to hit it off.
"Senior bro, you got a pretty big role in this production, huh?"
With a few drinks down, David started asking some real questions.
"I'm… one of the producers."
"One of?"
John lit up the cigarette David handed him, exhaled a puff of smoke, and said leisurely:
"This project—you know how much investment it's got? Fifteen million US dollars! Only big-name movies like Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial or James Cameron's Avatar ever get budgets like that here. We've got four producers. What do you think that tells you?"
David nodded. "Too much money at stake. Investors don't feel safe. They're keeping an eye on Director James?"
John looked at him in surprise. "Damn, you really nailed it."
David lit one up too. "Isn't it obvious? With this kind of money in play, and Director James being a British guy working in Hollywood… who else would they keep tabs on?""
John gave a satisfied nod. This junior bro had his head on straight—no wonder Principal Dean liked him so much.
"As long as you get it. Just don't go around talking about it."
"Relax, Senior bro. You think I'd cause you trouble?"
In this industry, it's not just about money—it's about playing the social game.
You've got to know what to say and when to shut up.
Speak human to humans, ghost talk to ghosts—it's a survival skill.
Then David asked, "Senior bro, Director James looked exhausted. Things not going well for him?"
John took a bite of food and nodded. "This crew is a damn jungle. Look at the cast—Jennifer, Elizabeth, James, Robert—which of them isn't drama royalty?"
"And with a few producers constantly scheming for more power… You think he can catch a break? He's just a Hong Kong director trying to make it in New York City. Who can he afford to offend?"
"You, maybe?"
John grinned. "I'm just here for the paycheck. I don't step on anyone's toes. How else do you think you got this honorary assistant director gig so smoothly?"
David raised his glass. "Senior bro, I toast to that."
They kept drinking and chatting, getting more and more into it.
John started to understand why women liked David so much.
It wasn't just the good looks.
That smooth-talking mouth of his? Damn sharp.
He could turn black into white, and had something to say about everything—never left a conversation hanging.
Talking to him was just easy.
Eventually, their conversation drifted to gossip about the cast—mostly because David was curious.
"Actors, you know how it is. It's always about who's the bigger star. Male actors fighting male actors. Female actors going at each other. Everyone wants to be top dog."
"Director James and Robert go way back—they're from the same circle. Naturally, he favors Robert and gave him a bunch of extra scenes."
David frowned. "But wasn't James supposed to be the male lead?"
"….."