From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

Heading south, a westward turn at a crossroads reveals another coffee shop. Unlike the brightly colored coffee workshop from before, this is a chain store with standardized decor.

Anson paused, a bit puzzled. In the original owner's memories, this should be Pasqua Coffee, a chain based in San Francisco, but now it's a Starbucks with a dark green background.

Nevertheless, Anson immediately spotted Edgar sitting by the floor-to-ceiling glass window, wearing sunglasses, pretending to be leisurely but actually tense. His crossed leg was completely stiff, unable to relax at all.

As soon as he saw Anson's figure, Edgar took off his glasses and waved repeatedly.

Before Anson could sit down, Edgar stared at him intently, his words cautious, afraid that even a slightly louder voice would startle Anson.

"So, no encounter?"

If they had met, sitting down for a chat would take at least ten or fifteen minutes. Adding in the time for queuing, planning, and creating an opportunity, half an hour would be inevitable. But how much time has passed now?

The most likely explanation is that Sam didn't show up, a wasted trip.

Anson shook his head, looked around, and relaxed into his seat when no employee came to stop him from bringing in his takeaway coffee and the surroundings were peaceful.

"No, Sam is there."

"However, Scott Speedman was one step ahead of me, striking up a conversation with Sam first, and it hasn't ended yet."

In the first half of the sentence, Edgar was a little anxious, not knowing what had happened; but in the second half, Edgar immediately reacted, revealing a thoughtful expression.

After pondering for a moment, Edgar looked up at Anson, his eyes firm, "You're not the type to back down, so what else happened?"

Not only would he not retreat without a fight, but Edgar also believed that Anson's ability to adapt was outstanding, and he would definitely consider other countermeasures.

Anson chuckled, "Running away when you can't win isn't anything to be ashamed of."

Edgar was slightly stunned. For a second, he was fooled by Anson and couldn't help but wonder if his understanding of Anson had deviated, but he immediately saw the calm smile between Anson's eyebrows and realized what was happening. He didn't rush to speak but patiently waited for what was coming next.

As expected.

Anson took a breath, "I don't think Sam would appreciate that kind of visit."

Then, Anson summarized and retold his observations and the entire course of events in a few words, which made Edgar fall silent.

After thinking carefully for a moment, Edgar exhaled, "You may be right. Regardless of whether Sam seriously reviews the auditioning actors' information, even if he hasn't reviewed it at all and knows nothing about you substitute actors, he would recognize you when waiting for the audition after just meeting. I'm afraid Sam would still think all of this is carefully planned."

Anson raised his chin, "And his view is correct."

The encounters were indeed carefully arranged.

That also means that Sam's initial impression is already not very positive. Regardless of whether the chance encounter in the coffee shop can fool Sam, preconceived notions may become a potential hidden danger.

Therefore, Anson decisively chose to leave, which was a wise decision.

Edgar chuckled silently, not responding to Anson, but fell into another worry, his words revealing a little hesitation, "Then tonight's dinner... we may need to reconsider it."

"Dinner?" Anson seized a key word.

Edgar didn't hold back either.

"I am contacting the company, hoping to connect with one of the producers to arrange a private dinner for us with the director."

"If that doesn't work, I can also use taxi drivers and hotel doormen to track Sam's whereabouts tonight, and then create a chance encounter at the restaurant."

"I was thinking, we could talk while eating, setting aside the burdens and baggage of the audition, and then persuade him face-to-face that you are the perfect choice."

"But now it seems we may need to think twice."

But Anson didn't rush to jump to a conclusion but gave another possibility, "Why don't we wait until after the audition and see how it feels, maybe we can get some inspiration. Or, before it's my turn to audition, everything is already over, and they've made a decision."

Edgar raised his eyebrows slightly, "So? If it's over before your audition, you'll give up?"

Anson shook his head gently, "No, since they've already made a decision on the actor, it means we need to burn our boats and make a desperate gamble. Then there's no difference between conspiracy and open conspiracy. We always have to let go and try."

"Since we've come to New York, we always have to truly communicate face-to-face and then bang our heads against the wall to be content. Or, to be more precise, to be unwilling but helpless, but at least we've tried."

"Instead, we should let go."

Calm and breezy, yet you can feel the agitation of passion between the words.

Edgar regained his smile, nodded gently, but didn't respond but jumped to another topic, "So after you controlled the situation, you chose to turn around and leave on the spot, without any nostalgia."

Anson spread his hands, "At that time, leaving decisively was the best choice."

Retreating to advance.

Edgar agreed, "A wise choice." He gave a thumbs up and then changed the subject, "Of course, I also need to apologize. The intelligence gathering wasn't thorough enough, and I overlooked Scott Speedman."

Anson didn't mind, "Now there's finally some sense of reality in competing for a big role. Swords and shadows, hard to guard against, relying on strength alone isn't enough."

Anson thought of Hayden's audition. And, of course, James's audition.

Edgar nodded gently, but there was no tension, no worry, no frustration, but a kind of eager excitement. This is the work he craves.

Then Edgar looked up at Anson.

"Before heading to the audition, there's one more thing. Although I'm not sure if it will come in handy, I think you need to know."

"Sam Raimi, in that meeting that lasted more than an hour, how did he convince those opponents at Sony Columbia and Marvel? I found out the situation through a reliable source."

Surprise!

Regardless of whether it can come in handy, there is no doubt that this is key information.

"When Sam was twelve years old, his parents gave him a Spider-Man portrait as a birthday gift. From that time on, he fell in love with Spider-Man."

"To be precise, that was October 1971; and 'Spider-Man' only started having his own personal publication in May 1963, which means that these comics accompanied Sam throughout his childhood."

"Not only 'Spider-Man,' but he also particularly likes other comics under Marvel, knowing them like the back of his hand. It's not just relying on some temporary homework that can be done, but truly remembering the impact of different comics and different characters on his growth process."

"One hour, Anson, he spoke for one hour."

"Then, the next day, those producers and executives all unanimously agreed to Sam as the director. They believed this was the perfect choice."

Fifth update.