From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

His footsteps moved against the tide in the bustling, shoulder-to-shoulder crowd, and one could clearly see the excitement on each face.

“Russell, ahhh…”

“…He's just like a child.”

“I've watched ‘A Beautiful Mind’ ten times, ten times!”

That joy and happiness were so vivid and alive.

Similarly, Nicholas's pace quickened, a smile crept onto his lips, and he even began exchanging glances and high-fives with the enthusiastic movie fans around him, his mood soaring as if he were on cloud nine, turning the premiere into a carnival party.

It wasn't until he finally broke free from the crowd and regained some breathing room that he rushed towards his parking spot.

Wait, why… did it feel like he wasn't the only one "going against the flow"?

A quick scan with his peripheral vision revealed at least five people rushing towards the parking lot outside the blocked-off area, their vaguely discernible figures darting at the edge of his vision, the whole world spinning rapidly like a vortex.

Maybe it was just his imagination.

He couldn't just assume that others had the same idea as him simply because he was preparing to leave, right?

However, a short while later, Nicholas realized—

They exchanged glances, a tacit understanding flowing unspoken in the air, and without a word, they set off in the same direction.

The air was slightly cool.

The Wilshire Theatre is located in the center of a residential area, surrounded by low bungalows. Ascending the slope of Beverly Hills, one could see the off-white building hidden behind vines, the iconic ancient Roman arched colonnade design immediately catching the eye.

There were no commercial districts, no large shopping malls, no tourist attractions, not even convenience stores or restaurants, so there weren't many passersby in the area. If one wasn't specifically coming to see a movie, few strangers would likely pass through this area.

Therefore, tranquility was the norm.

But Nicholas was still slightly perplexed because liveliness was also the norm during premieres. Even if the scale of the "Butterfly Effect" premiere couldn't compare to "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World," it shouldn't be this deserted.

Turning a corner into the street where the Wilshire Theatre was located, a surging crowd instantly filled his vision, a long, mighty line climbing up the slope, standing neatly against the red brick wall; the road in the center was completely open, vehicles prohibited, but pedestrians could walk freely—

There was no red carpet.

Looking from afar, the red carpet only covered a small section at the front entrance of the Wilshire Theatre.

The Wilshire Theatre was located in a remote geographical location, situated at the T-junction of a T-shaped intersection. The north-south road ran through it, and a straight downhill road extended eastward, while the back of the theater on the west side was a dead end, used as a small parking lot exclusively for the theater.

At this moment, Nicholas and the others were slowly walking uphill along the eastern road, and the Wilshire Theatre would be just past the intersection.

In the past, when premieres were held at the Wilshire Theatre, this road would be covered with a red carpet, and after the north-south road was blocked off, reporters and audiences would stand on both sides, waiting for the guests to arrive.

Today, however, there was none.

This uphill and downhill road was completely open, as was the north-south road. Only a small section of the parking lane in front of the theater was covered with a red carpet.

Nicholas was slightly perplexed. So where should Anson and the others get off? And where should reporters and audiences watch the premiere red carpet?

Could the safety and order be guaranteed with such a completely open layout?

Questions, one after another.

However, this was exactly what Nicholas was expecting—

Unpredictable, unimaginable, breaking the rules, subverting conventions, completely different from ordinary premieres, making the audience unable to resist their curiosity.

As expected, Anson would not disappoint.

Perhaps some would say, why not think this was New Line Cinema's inspiration?

Nicholas wouldn't deny that possibility, but in his opinion, this was Anson's first film as a producer, and he would inevitably be more attentive and proactive. Moreover, with the film clashing with another monster movie, Anson couldn't possibly stand idly by. Anson could always bring surprises.

Slowly, Nicholas began to walk.

At this moment, the T-junction was filled with people coming and going, including audience members, reporters, and if Nicholas wasn't mistaken, even crew members.

The scene was like a carnival, with everyone scattered around, enjoying their time.

So, what exactly were they doing?

Along the three roads, there were booths that looked like telephone booths, square and upright. A quick glance revealed at least ten, possibly more.

Crowds bustled around the telephone booths, laughing and talking, going inside, staying for only a short while, then coming out, holding a stack of things mysteriously in their hands, both joyful and excited, before heading to the next booth.

Unfortunately, these booths, like camping tents, blocked the view, and one couldn't see inside unless they went up to them themselves, otherwise, there was no way to know what was going on inside.

Nicholas made a slight judgment and decided to first figure out what the long line against the wall on his right was about. His intuition told him:

This was the starting point.

So, Nicholas obediently started to line up, following the moving queue—

Although the line was like a long dragon, the progress was rapid. In less than five minutes, Nicholas had reached the top of the slope along the incline, and turning to his right, his vision suddenly opened up.

Here, directly facing the Wilshire Theatre, was originally a residential parking lot. Because the surrounding area was all slopes and the roads were narrow, there was a special small parking lot here that allowed nearby residents and visitors to park, separate from the theater's own parking lot.

At this moment, the parking lot was full of people, neatly arranged with ten arcade game machines, which filled Nicholas with confusion.

Arcade game machines?

Seriously?

Because there were enough game machines, no wonder the line was moving so fast. In a short while, Nicholas had arrived in front of a game machine, with the screen displaying:

“If you could go back to the past, which year would you want to return to?”

Nicholas was stunned. It wasn't actually a game machine. He subconsciously entered a year: 1994.

Immediately, a line of text appeared on the screen.

“Ah ha, 1994, I know you're definitely going to say that was a year packed with classic movies, blah blah blah, but you know what? I'm tired of ‘The Shawshank Redemption,’ ‘Forrest Gump,’ ‘Pulp Fiction’ these names. Actually, they're not that great. I think you should watch ‘The Olive Trees of Justice,’ also a must-see masterpiece of 1994.”

Ha!

Nicholas couldn't help but laugh out loud, but this wasn't the end.

After a pause, another line of text appeared.

“What? Everyone knows Abbas? Do you really think I'm artificial intelligence?

Okay, ‘Wild Reeds’ is also worth recommending. Enjoy the movie.”