Sitting quietly in the coffee house, the passage of time slowed down because of the lazy afternoon sun, in the blink of an eye, Lance has been sitting here for nearly half an hour, a quarter of an hour has passed since the appointed time, but Lance still did not show an anxious demeanor, calmly picked up the coffee cup, took a sip, the rich aroma of coffee mixed with a sweet taste danced on the tip of the tongue, let him put down the coffee cup with satisfaction, and re-cast his eyes on the latest issue of the "Los Angeles Times" in front of him, Read intently.

This is what Donald-Ranvaud sees when he enters the coffee house. Lance sat elegantly and calmly in the chair, his right foot comfortably cocked Erlang's leg, the black short and medium hair was neat and profound, not messy, holding a newspaper in his hand and reading carefully, there was a kind of precipitation in the aroma of coffee, like the English aristocracy in the middle of the last century, the calmness of Tarzan collapsing in front and not changing color was eye-catching.

Donald pushed open the door of the coffee house, and the wind chimes above made a crisp sound, slowly echoing in the room, and many guests reflexively raised their heads and subconsciously focused their eyes on the door. But Lance didn't, and he remained focused on the newspaper in his hand, either because he was engrossed in reading or because he didn't care about what was going on outside. Either way, it says one thing: his tardiness didn't interfere with Lance's feelings.

Donald quietly commented on Lance in the depths of his heart, and then he stepped forward, and when he came to the table, his feet broke into Lance's vision, and he raised his head, and the eyes of the two men collided just right.

"Sorry, I'm late." Donald smiled and apologized, polite but humble.

Lance unhurriedly folded the newspaper and placed it on the chair next to him, and after completing this series of movements in an orderly manner, he stood up and said with a gentleman's smile, "Then this cup of coffee will be on your account." A little ridicule, humorous but a little more playful, expressing the dissatisfaction with being late, and just the right way to convey understanding.

Donald's assessment of Lance went to the next level, "Of course, I hope I have this honor." Donald smiled and nodded in the affirmative, then turned to the waiter who followed, "A glass of Columbia Mandheling, thank you." ”

"Mandheling? Good taste! The smile on Lance's face rippled like a dragonfly landing on a lotus leaf, which made Donald cast a puzzled look, and Lance picked up the coffee cup in front of him and raised it, "I have always had an inseparable preference for the sweetness of Mandheling. ”

Donald only noticed at this time that Lance's coffee was actually Mandheling, and the sugar jar and milk cup were placed next to it, within reach. This made Donald chuckle, "My wife always likes Subamo more. When these words came out, Lance frowned and shook his head, and Donald was even more happy, "Look, I mean the same thing, the bitterness of Subamo is too heavy, I still like Mandheling, every qiē is just right, and the sweetness is very intriguing." ”

Lance didn't answer, just raised his glass, made a toast, and took a sip, which made Donald's whole body relax, his eyes were full of smiles, and even his tense shoulders slackened silently.

Lance let out a soft breath inwardly, the plan he had so carefully convented was finally half successful, and he had made an excellent start! In fact, while reading the newspaper just now, Lance's eyes had been looking out the window - he could see directly the passage at the entrance, in other words, Lance had already started to lay out when Donald got out of the taxi.

It seems easy and simple, but every step is frightening.

But Lance didn't let up at all, because he knew that this was just the beginning. The thumb of his left hand couldn't help but gently rub the side of his index finger, and the clear grain felt beating on the fingertips, calming all Lance's feelings.

The most difficult part of filming "City of God" is that the film had to be filmed in the City of God in Rio de Janeiro, where the scene of the ghetto can be realistically presented, and only there can be the true expression that the film and the script want to express.

But there are too many unknowns in the City of God, and there are not only many hidden dangers, but also uncertainties. Therefore, this requires the crew to find an intermediary, an intermediary who can build a bridge with the Rio de Janeiro municipality/government, so that the government/government can escort the filming; An intermediary who can communicate with the ** forces of the City of God, so that the crew can avoid being harassed by the local ** forces - or obtain permission to shoot there.

Working with a big studio is undoubtedly the fastest shortcut, and in addition to their capital, their network of contacts and power is also incomparable. But if you leave aside the big studios and want to do the filming of "City of God" on your own, then Donald Lanwad is the best person for this middleman.

Donald, who is over 50 years old this year, has been working hard in the international film market for 13 years, and Donald, who was born in Brazil, started as a film producer, and has since traveled around the world to bring excellent local works to South America, and also exported excellent South American works to overseas markets. Donald had an indissoluble bond with China, and "Farewell My Concubine" was brought to the United States by him.

Donald can't be regarded as a big man, South America is still an undeveloped wilderness for the world film market, and Donald's matchmaking works have limited influence, so it is naturally difficult to attract the attention of Hollywood bigwigs. But Donald's deep knowledge and vast network of contacts about Brazilian cinema – and the South American film industry as a whole – is unquestionable.

Lance had a deal with Donald once, and they teamed up to bring Grand Central Terminal to the North American market. However, at that time, the two did not have a deep friendship, and only cooperated in distribution. This time, Lance planned to form the "City of God" independently, and the first thing that came to mind was Donald, which led to today's meeting.

"I've heard about your recent developments, how is the work going?" Lance is the one who asks for help, so he takes the initiative to close the distance.

Donald is trying to bring a Brazilian independent film, "The Enchantress," to the United States, but the off-the-beaten-track and controversial work has struggled to find an appreciator, and his recent work has been rocky and difficult.

Donald didn't care about Lance's politeness and closeness at all, and waved his hand, "We all know that today's meeting is not to talk about my work, but about yours. So, I guess, we can omit the polite part. ”

Lance secretly clenched his fists again, he actually deliberately sold a flaw to Donald. If Donald is willing to talk about "Sata the Enchantress", then they can continue to play close, and Lance is fully prepared; If Donald refuses to talk, then Lance takes the initiative to show weakness, making Donald feel that he has the initiative, but in fact it is Lance who has no last resort.

Lance showed just the right amount of embarrassment on his face and smiled jerkyly, "Of course, of course, let's talk about the City of God." ”

"The City of God?" Donald's brow furrowed slightly, he didn't know the real purpose of meeting today, and Lance just said on the phone that there was a movie that he wanted to shoot on location in Brazil, and he hoped that he could match it. I just didn't expect that the opening of the conversation would attract all his attention.

Lance nodded, "Yes, City of God!" Lance still maintained his comfortable and comfortable posture, but there was a touch of sternness in his words, "It's just that no one knows whether it is a city favored by God or a city abandoned by God." There, without the shackles of law, without the norms of morality, without the laws of justice, everything has lost its control and has been reduced to chaos, as if it will never see the dawn of the future. Donald, why do you think the City of God is like this? ”

Donald stared at Lance in front of him as if it was the first time he had seen him. In fact, it was indeed the first time that Donald had looked at Lance so seriously, those unfathomable eyes firmly attracted all his attention, and a mocking smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, "Fate? ”

The fall of the City of God, no one can explain it, and no one can save it. Donald knew this deeply, so he didn't think Lance could give an answer. Donald admits that he didn't expect Lance's project to be related to the City of God, which caught his attention; But then Lance's self-righteous question made him scoff.

"So what do you think?" Donald asked rhetorically, the shock had faded and he had regained the initiative.

Surprisingly, however, Lance showed no nervousness, as if Donald's detachment was an expected reaction. Lance's expression didn't change much, and he just replied seriously, "Education." "A large part of the root cause of poverty and chaos comes from education, and Lance has always believed so.

Donald sneered and laughed, not hiding the sarcasm and disdain in his eyes, and even a little disdain, as if to say, "Child, you are too naïve", "If you follow your words, greed, money, government, drugs, lust...... These can all be root causes. Donald shook his head slightly, his interest in the project proposed by Lance was greatly reduced, and if it weren't for the previous favor, he would have turned around and left directly.

No, Lance not only didn't get angry, but he didn't get angry, but chuckled and leaned forward, "Mr. Ranwald, this is the core idea and ultimate goal of the project I am currently working on, I hope that after watching this work, every audience can have their own thoughts, why is the City of God like this?" ”