"You're a good fit for the role of Black Widow, but I had to make sure you didn't have any surprises in the role, so I had the psychiatrist evaluate you. Eric leaned back in his chair, as if not noticing the girl who was making a defensive gesture like a hedgehog, and said, "After so many years of madness, you yourself want to get out of your current life, right?"

Julie didn't answer Eric's question, but was a little more defensive in her posture.

Seeing that Julie didn't speak, Eric continued: "Last year you filmed "Jiya", and this year you want to take on "Soul Shifter", and the characters in these two biographical films have a lot of similarities with yourself. You can see that you want to look at yourself through them. Now, you're back in the fight for Black Widow, an important role in mainstream commercial films, which means you're planning to change yourself and live another life. That's why I decided to give you one chance, but the only one. ”

Although she wanted to get the role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Julie instinctively resisted the feeling of being completely seen through in front of Eric. There was silence for a moment before she finally spoke again: "Mr. Williams, I don't need this opportunity for charity. ”

Eric glanced at the girl opposite, couldn't help but smile, and said, "What do you think is worthy of my charity?"

Julie's lips moved, a little speechless, and suddenly felt that the smile on the corner of the opposite man's mouth was very hateful, so she glared back as if she fought back.

"Actually, I'm a person who really admires giving in return, and rarely makes gestures like charity. So, you got this opportunity just because you fit the role and for no other reason. And if you want to get the role, you definitely don't just have to be guaranteed and regulated and so on, you need to do a lot more. After saying this, Eric added, "Of course, I would never force someone to do anything. If you don't want to, you can leave now, and if you want this opportunity, then we'll talk about it. ”

Julie's expression was a little struggling, she knew very well that if she gave up this opportunity, the major film companies of the Firefly system would definitely close the door to her completely. As for the others, due to the influence of the firefly system, her chances of getting a film contract in the future will be very slim.

Eric Williams gave her a choice tantamount to whether or not to continue to be an actor. But if she doesn't become an actress, she will completely lose her only direction in life.

After hesitating for a while, Julie finally made a decision, looked up at the man opposite, and once again had a little more habitual rebellion in her expression, as well as the initial nonchalant tone, and said, "Okay, Mr. Williams, what should I do next?"

Eric pulled out a few pages from the folder and handed them over, "UNICEF is currently working on a medical assistance project for Southeast Asia, mainly providing free vaccines, health check-ups and health consultations to poor children in Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and other countries. I want you to volunteer for three months. When you get back, you'll be able to get this character. However, you will be required to volunteer for three months a year for the remainder of your contract. ”

When Julie heard Eric's even inexplicable request, the meaningless expression she had just made put away again, frowned slightly, picked up the pages and flipped through them, and looked up and said, "Mr. Williams, I don't quite understand. ”

"You don't need to understand, you just need to answer yes or no," Eric shook his head, not going to explain to Julie again.

An important turning point in Julie's life was the filming of Tomb Raider in Cambodia.

During the filming of the film, Julie was greatly affected by Cambodia's backwardness and poverty, and she later said in an interview that after seeing the people struggling to survive in Africa and Southeast Asia, she realized that the troubles of adolescence were insignificant.

Later, many people always questioned Julie's series of adoption charity acts as a show, but in Eric's opinion, these things were largely Julie's heartfelt actions.

A woman who will make a small bottle of blood with her lover and then expect to be able to be forever is actually an innocent little girl in essence, so that a person who still has too many expectations for the world will definitely not lack its good side.

Julie glanced at the information in front of her again, and there was not much resistance in her tone, but she added, "However, I am not a doctor." ”

"Volunteers don't need to be doctors, and when you get there, they'll do what you can," Eric said, "and if you want, you can fly to Laos next week, and the Foundation team has been working for a while." ”

"Well, I agree. Julie thought about it for a moment and nodded, saying that it was acceptable to let her volunteer in Southeast Asia for a few months compared to her initial vision of the meeting.

She has no goals in her life, except for filming, most of the rest of her time is spent on all kinds of senseless indulgences, so she even has some vague expectations for this different experience.

"Well, you can go next door and get a bite to eat now," Eric said, pointing in the direction of the small door he had just been, standing up, "You're going to miss life in Los Angeles for the next few months." ”

Although Eric has not experienced these first-hand, a friend once went to the southwest to participate in teaching. When I went, I was in high spirits and thought it would be a very interesting life experience. When I came back a year later, I saw what to eat, I gained twenty pounds a month, and whenever I talked about that experience, I cried, and my tone was like Boss You who was abandoned in the ravine and became a weasel in "Party A and Party B".

Julie obviously didn't have an intuitive impression of what she was about to face at this time, and when she heard Eric say this, she sat still and didn't move, and flew a look: "So, Mr. Williams, is that all?"

Although she is not used to accepting kindness from others, Julie also realizes that Eric's arrangement must be helping her get out of her current state. She is not a woman who is good at expressing gratitude, but she suddenly feels that even if something happens to the man in front of her, it is a very good choice.

Eric, who had wanted to go next door, stopped, walked over to the woman, and reached out to hold up the beautiful face. Although Eric is a standard thin lip control, I still have to admit that Julie's sexy plump lips do look very seductive.

Julie was obviously not used to Eric's almost playful posture, and after a short pause, she suddenly turned her head sideways, opened her mouth to bite one of Eric's fingers, and her eyes gently bited provocatively.

With a smile on the corner of his mouth, Eric slowly pulled his index finger from between his plump lips, casually scratched a wet mark on the woman's cheek, and said, "Let's go, I just said that if I want to sleep with you, I will tie you up first, and now there is no such time." ”

……

Jolie flew to Southeast Asia two days later, and the casting of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is basically completed, as for the "X-Men" series on Fox's side, it is still in the early planning for the time being, and it will be officially launched early next year.

Time flew to mid-October, and there was only one month left before the release of "Gravity", and the promotion of the film began to sprint.

The promotion of Gravity is largely linked to the 3D and IMAX screening modes, and even more inclined to highlight the two new screening modes.

Firefly Group will also open some very small-scale screenings in the next month, inviting industry film critics and ordinary fans to watch movies in advance, paving the way for the promotion of these two new screening modes.

On the Nasdaq market, after last month's rally was suspended due to the collision between Microsoft and the Firefly system, although the Firefly system did not have the slightest intention of stopping, the market gradually stabilized, and under the hype of Wall Street, the Nasdaq index began a wave of slow upward movement again.

However, many people also understand at this time that waiting for Wall Street capital to completely cash out and leave, and the cold winter of the new technology industry will also come completely. As a result, during this time, the Internet industry has begun to see frequent consolidations and transactions in order to survive the crisis in the coming years.

While tightly suppressing the two major businesses that Microsoft is trying to enter, the expansion and acceptance of the Firefly system itself has not been affected in the slightest.

In addition to several mergers and acquisitions that have been basically determined, the next goal of the Firefly system is mainly to take advantage of the great opportunity of the stock market crash to further increase the shares of the core enterprises of the Firefly system through its own strong capital strength and expand its control over these enterprises.

The previous investment in Amazon's convertible bonds, as well as the 5% or so shares that Firefly Group has begun to recover, all belong to the layout of the Firefly system.

The operation of fireflies in the open market is not too secretive, not to mention, the entire capital market is closely watching the actions of the firefly system. Therefore, the Firefly system's covert and large-scale absorption of Sprint and Comcast, the two basic operators, was soon exposed.

After the announcement of the new Forbes rich list at the beginning of the year, the person named Howard J. Brown, who published an incisive analysis of Eric's personal industrial layout in the Washington Post. Glassman's financial analyst, after seeing that his original article on the firefly group's next step to expand into the field of basic operators to make up for the lack of its own vertical industry chain has become a reality, once again published an analysis article of more than 5,000 words, and after boasting proudly, once again called on the federal government to limit the pace of expansion of the firefly system.

However, although the article inevitably caused a heated discussion in the media, it was more of a positive stimulus for the Nasdaq stock market again.

Wall Street has also gone out of its way to advocate that since Firefly is still so optimistic about the prospects of the new technology industry, there is no need for investors to worry too much about the new technology sector.

In recent years, the federal government has become increasingly restrictive on the expansion of large businesses.

In Eric's memory, the economic policy of the United States in the next ten years is even more so, there are more and more oligarchs in all aspects of the industry, and successive presidents are basically only the spokesmen of various industry giants, so he is not worried that the expansion of the Firefly system will be hindered by the administrative aspect.

Of course, after the news of the further expansion of the firefly system gradually came to light, all sides still reacted.

While Eric was busy with the release of "Gravity," Steve Bernstein, who had jumped to Comcast as COO last year, flew in from Comcast's headquarters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In downtown Santa Monica, after Steve Bernstein got out of the car, he looked at the building in front of him, which resembled a concert hall, and the huge IMAX scale "Gravity" poster outside the building, which was 16 meters high and 22 meters wide, and couldn't help but feel a little shocked.

"Mr. Bernstein, please come with me," Caroline waited patiently for Steve Bernstein to look at the poster in front of her before politely making a gesture of please.

Steve Bernstein nodded and followed Caroline into the IMAX theater inside the theater.

In the huge screening room, several staff members who had spoken to Eric had just left, and Eric was the only one sitting at the front of the screening room.

The two greeted each other, and Eric motioned for Steve Bernstein to sit down next to him, gestured to the IMAX screen in front of him, and said, "How do you feel?"

Steve Bernstein laughs, "Very shocking. ”

"It's a pity that there are some minor problems with the equipment, otherwise I can invite you to watch a movie," Eric gestured around, "The standard 455 seats, the well-designed fan-shaped arrangement, and the garbage seats with bad angles have all been removed to ensure that each position can bring the most shocking feeling to the audience." The 100 IMAX theaters in North America are basically of this uniform standard, and Firefly has not compromised at all for some venue reasons. When a suitable venue could not be found, a number of new venues were built for this purpose. The other 2,000 3D screening halls are also subject to very strict standards, which means a very large project expenditure. Therefore, the '4200' plan is completely only allowed to succeed and not to fail. ”

Steve Bernstein listened to Eric and said from the bottom of his heart, "It's going to work." ”

"Of course, I am also very confident, in fact, in the film industry, it is very easy to do well, as long as you are more attentive. Of course, many failed film projects are not because the creators are careless, but because they are often constrained too much. ”

Steve Bernstein said, "Like Warner Bros."

Eric smiled and nodded, "Just like Warner Bros. did." ”

Steve Bernstein followed the topic and said, "Eric, the reason why Time Warner is like this is because the company is already too bloated and huge. The current strength of the Firefly Group is much stronger than that of Time Warner Group, don't you have this concern?"

"You're wrong, Steve, Time Warner just lacks a capable and strong enough leader like Steve Ross back then, Terry Semel in the past, and even worse Steve Keys now, that's the tragedy of Time Warner," Eric shook his head and said, "And, in terms of scale, General Electric, which has hundreds of subsidiaries, is even larger, but it has still been thriving over the years." Although Cisco, Microsoft, these companies in the market value of a few months once surpassed General Electric. But in fact, among so many large companies in the world, only General Electric has a market value of $500 billion. Jack Welch is retiring soon, and I've been getting people to contact him lately to join the boards of some Firefly companies and offer some advice on the future of Firefly Systems. ”