Exploiting Hollywood 1980

"Hey, Rick (Nisita), I'm sorry to bother you, I have something urgent. Richard is still on the plane across the ocean." Ronald called his agent in Los Angeles regardless of the time difference.

"Ah, it's okay. Just wait for me. I'll go out to pick her up. Paula and the child just went to bed." It was just past two o'clock in the morning in Los Angeles, and he ran to the study to answer the phone.

"I wanted to get in touch with Princess Diana. I only met her at a few premieres. I also sent her some videotapes of the movies I made, and received a personal reply from her, but I couldn't quickly A way to contact her in person. I need it now...yes, it's very important..."

The only aristocrat Ronald knew well in Britain was Princess Diana. From their experience of getting along with each other, he felt that Diana was a person with modern middle-class values ​​and treated her friends as equals, so she would definitely do him a favor.

"Ah, that's a bit difficult. Britain is actually a hierarchical society, and the royal family has many rules. We have to apply to the royal family through formal channels first, and then wait for Buckingham Palace's approval. I will try to find someone to help, but it will take some time. Please relax. Just wait there for my news. When Richard arrives, you will tell him everything." Niceta looked embarrassed.

"I do have something urgent to contact the princess. Ovitz often boasts that he can travel a thousand miles to do things for his clients. Now I'm counting on you." Ronald was a little anxious, and his voice couldn't help but be higher. If it were easier to do, , why do I still need CAA?

"The Duchess of Wales..." Elton John heard Ronald's voice next to him and interrupted with a smile.

"What?" Ronald turned around, not knowing why.

"Although you Americans often call Dai Princess, the royal family does not actually give her the title of 'Princess'. Her official title is Duchess of Wales." Elton John corrected the American grandmaster with a smile. Brother's misconception.

"You can contact Duke Diana... No matter what her name is, I actually know her, I just communicate with her through emails. This is about me... You understand, Elton, I don't want to take the opportunity to get to know her... "

Ronald was overjoyed and a little unable to express his feelings.

"I can call her personal secretary. If Dai is willing to talk to you in the end..."

"That's all I ask for, a chance to talk..." Ronald was very happy, "Hang up!" He hung up Niceta's phone.

"Dududu...", there was a busy tone on the phone, "shxt, when will Richard arrive in London?" Niceta held her forehead...

"Is it Patrick (Jafson)? I'm Elton...which Elton? Elton John...had a friend from Hollywood,

He and Day are friends, and he is in London now, hoping to have the opportunity to meet..." Elton John dialed Day's secretary.

"Let me check...Mr. Ronald V. Lee, no problem. He is on the white list given to me by the Queen's secretary and can be met at any time. The Duchess happens to be returning to London this afternoon and there is a public meeting at Canary Wharf. , you can go there to meet her." Jafson was the newly selected Royal Private Secretary who took up the post after retiring from the Navy. After reviewing the records, he agreed to arrange a meeting immediately.

"Dai happened to be free this afternoon at Canary Wharf." Elton John looked at Ronald and wondered, the highest-level white list was mostly for various relatives of the royal family. Visit Buckingham Palace anytime by appointment. He hasn't even made the list yet.

…

"The hospital has been established for three years. There are no patients at all. They are all doctors and nurses..." Princess Diana was chatting with Fergie Ferguson, wife of Prince Andrew. They had just attended an anniversary ceremony at a public hospital and were returning to London's Canary Wharf.

"Your Highness the Duchess, the private secretary called. Elton John and Ronald Lee, a film director from America, happen to be in London. Do you want to meet them?" the personal maid came over to report.

"Hey, does he have any new movies? Send some more videos to watch." Fergie Ferguson's carefree character gave Diana an answer that could be met.

…

"As for the Royal Ballet..." Diana did not immediately agree after Ronald made the request. The best ballet company in the country is named after the royal family and is actually sponsored by the Queen and his wife.

"Dai, you have to help Ronald. He took the Concorde to find traces of that friend..." Elton John and Diana met at a charity gala in 1981. The relationship between the two is that of best friends, and they can talk about some gossip topics.

"Ronald, if your friend doesn't have a persistent preference for the Royal Ballet, the English National Ballet is actually a very good choice." Diana regarded Ronald as an equal friend, and she was very happy. Take care to preserve Ronald's dignity.

Diana had a close relationship with the English National Ballet. She loved ballet dancing and took private ballet classes when she was young.

She now also serves as the company's patron, publicly raising funds and raising its profile. In addition, he often participates in the daily activities of the National Ballet, such as watching rehearsals and attending premieres.

"Thank you very much, Your Royal Highness. My friend also auditioned for the National Ballet." Ronald breathed a sigh of relief. Here in Britain, although he speaks a similar language, he has to do something. It really doesn't work.

"Do you have any new movies?" Fergie Ferguson is still like a girl from a middle-class family, very interested in new Hollywood movies.

“Yes, there will be a ‘Working Girl’ movie coming out next year, and I’ve also invested in a movie about American Southern women, ‘Steel Magnolias’…”

Both princesses were very interested in this kind of female-centered film and told Ronald that they must screen it in London as soon as possible.

"Ronald, once you come to London for a royal premiere..." Diana put her hand on Ronald's arm and made a request.

Different from the fashionable and beautiful princess when we last met, after several years of adjustment after marrying into the royal family, Diana has gradually found the dressing style of the royal family. Gone are the bleached blonde hair, tight leather jackets, and bubble skirts from before.

Today's Diana has a conservative style, and her dressing style is simple yet elegant. That kind of warm attitude towards others has not changed.

"No problem, I will negotiate with the British distributor as soon as possible." Ronald was overjoyed when he heard this. He met the princess, got things done, and even got a royal premiere for free, which is equivalent to making millions of pounds in Fleet Street. Advertised.

"This is the phone number of my personal secretary Patrick (Jaffson). You can contact him at any time when you come to London... As long as I am in London, you are a welcome guest," Diana also gave Ronald A contact method in case this situation happens again.

…

Sure enough, when I came to the English National Ballet, the attitude of the performers here was completely different. In addition to immediately signing Antonia's job offer, Ronald was also personally taken to visit an exclusive theater near the Royal Albert Hall.

This ballet company is small in scale, with only 70 dancers. However, after receiving funding from Diana, it signed the famous Danish dancer Peter Schaufos as its artistic director, and also equipped it with an exclusive symphony orchestra. It has become the second among the five major ballet companies in Britain.

"Shall we give this job offer to Miss Antonia's agent, or will you personally deliver it?" The other party began to show his kindness in every possible way. The sponsor personally called to explain. I don’t know what the relationship is.

In addition to having strong connections, the royal family greeted me, and the sponsorship from the Americans was also very satisfying. With large annual donations of tens of thousands of pounds, coupled with Antonia's own ballet skills being beyond average, her foreign background and ethnicity are no longer obstacles.

"Um..." Ronald said to himself, I don't know where she is now, "You should just follow the rules."

Elton John's creative enthusiasm is now high and inspiration is constantly emerging. This kind of romance spanning six thousand miles is so rare. He invited Ronald to his home and asked the chef to prepare real English dishes. Ronald must tell more about this background.

Ronald scratched the surface and talked about his past with Antonia. He asked Elton John to write a song without involving his name. And it's best not to reveal details in the lyrics, so that friends in America can't guess that you are the protagonist.

Elton John said it was nothing, he just needed some real romantic inspiration, and then started asking Ronald for details.

"Sir, here is Mr. Li's long-distance phone number."

Ronald, who happened to be a bit embarrassed, got up to answer the phone and ran away from Elton John.

After a while, the operator with a strong French accent spoke, and the call was connected. "Ronald? I'm Mike Pike...it's even harder to find you than it is to find Miss Franceschi..."

On the other end of the phone was Mike Pike, the detective hired by Ronald, calling from Paris.

"Where did you find Antonia?"

Ronald heard what the other party meant, and now things began to go smoothly.

"There's good news and there's bad news." McPike thought this business was very profitable and joked, "The good news is that she is in Paris now, preparing to apply for a job at the Paris Opera Ballet."

McPike's line of investigation was completely different from Niceta's. He started with Antonia's relatives and colleagues.

Antonia, whose parents are both dead, has a younger brother, but he has left Manhattan to live in Brooklyn, and he doesn't know much about Antonia's arrangements. When his sister left, she just left her car with him and said she would look for opportunities in Europe or London.

There were not many clues from colleagues at the New York Ballet. All I know is that Antonia was ostracized a lot in the dance troupe because of the accidental death of Bole Blanchine. Because in the past few years, Blanchine often selected Antonia to play roles that dancers with more seniority than her had no chance to do.

Without her backer, the new artistic director was not so partial to her, and some people who had unintentionally offended her in the past continued to build momentum and fabricate various rumors about Antonia. As a result, she didn't get any decent role in two years.

McPike was very confused and left the car to his younger brother. This was a very decisive decision to leave. But not only did her friends not hear about it, they also didn’t find out what Antonia’s connections were with the London ballet scene. She also had no previous study tour there, so she couldn’t find out at all.

Ballet is a small circle, and McPike didn't believe that a ballet dancer with aspirations could just leave like a waiter in a restaurant. He began to investigate people who left the New York City Ballet at the same time as Antonia.

Sure enough, he found out that the person who resigned from the dance company at the same time was a principal brass player named Gerhard Koch.

"What about the bad news?" When Ronald heard that he had found Antonia, a stone fell to his heart. He had a vague premonition of the so-called bad news.

"The bad news is that she has a boyfriend, and she came to London because her boyfriend found a position in a London orchestra."

"Hmm..." Ronald confirmed his suspicions. After all these years, Antonia is not a nun, and it is normal to have other feelings. However, Ronald's inner thoughts are not what Richard fears, which is to get back his past love. But he had a hint of doubt about his past choices.

Ronald, who had never formally proposed, wondered if he would have changed his destiny if he had made a different choice at that time.

At the moment when people propose, what prompts them to make a bet, thinking that they can be happy with a complete stranger for the rest of their lives (or before divorce)?

What did Harry have to go through before he could figure out how to be with Sally? How can Sally forgive Harry for his previous mistakes and agree to be with him?

"Is Antonia's boyfriend also in Paris?" Ronald asked after a long silence.

"No, her boyfriend is in London and did not come to Paris with her."

"I'm going to Paris, you can wait for me there..."

Ronald put down the phone. This quick trip to Europe was about to reach the moment of truth.

"Elton, what is the position of principal concertmaster? What is the position in the ballet symphony orchestra?" Ronald asked the host Elton John.

"Oh, God." Elton, being a very sensitive artist, guessed the truth from Ronald's expression. He didn't say comforting words like ordinary people. This kind of turn was just the source of inspiration needed for song creation.

"The status of the principal flute in the ballet company is higher than that of the general symphony orchestra. Ballet music often has unique melody lines and solo parts. The flute can also add a unique color to the music..."

"Well, I have seen Swan Lake." Ronald nodded. Such a person would be a good match for Antonia.

"I want to take the earliest flight to Paris..." Ronald declined Elton's suggestion that he stay overnight.

"I'll ask the butler to book the tickets."

…

At Heathrow Airport, there were not many people in the terminal. There were only some business travelers and people who were anxious to go home waiting to board the earliest flight in the morning.

A tourist, whose hair was soaked with sweat and pulling a large suitcase, rushed over from another arrival hall at a sprint speed of 100 meters.

"Hey..., can I still pay for the first flight to Paris?" Richard, who had just arrived from New York by ordinary civil aviation, called Niceta at Heathrow Airport and learned that Ronald was going there again. When I arrived in Paris, I was shocked. This trend of madness became more and more obvious. He hurried over to see if he could catch up and stop Ronald's head from heating up.

The clerk at the counter pointed in the direction of the transparent glass wall in the lobby, where a British Airways flight was rising from the ground.

…

"She has accepted the interview and now lives near the Paris Opera House in the 9th arrondissement. She spends time at the Café de Flore every day, waiting for a reply from the Opera Ballet. It is estimated that after a while, she will finish her morning practice and come Have a quick lunch here.”

Mike Parker was sitting in the Cafe de Flore, which was close to the most prosperous area of ​​Paris, next to the Louvre and Galeries Lafayette. In order to save money, like Antonia, he could only stay in budget hotels.

"Your expense reimbursement..." Ronald took out a check and handed it to McPike. The detective knew that Ronald wanted to face personal matters alone, so he picked up the check and went out.

This is the most prosperous art and business center in Paris. A little further away, there is the theater where Ronald’s female companion Juliette Binoche performed when he came here before. I also spent a pleasant time with her at the Café de Flore. time.

However, Ronald didn't feel like waiting to date a girl in high school, and was looking forward to Antonia's arrival.

Ronald, who was lost in thought, saw the door darken, and a woman wearing a simple blue long-sleeved top, light black pants, and carrying a backpack walked in.

None other than Antonia Franceschi.

In Ronald's eyes, she didn't change much. She was still so beautiful, confident, and unique.

"Antonia," Ronald called as he stood up.

"Oh..." Antonia looked over here...

"It's you, Ronald!" Just like when she left Aunt Karen's house to pick up Ronald's dry cleaning, she smiled softly when she saw Ronald waiting for her, "So you are here... "