I am Hollywood

[Chapter 905: Kinship]

At six o'clock in the afternoon, the first day of the Titanic exhibition hall came to an end.

Initial reports indicated that, aside from the $100,000 earned from selling 20,000 tickets, the revenue from souvenir shops, restaurants, bars, and other attractions in the park on opening day reached $570,000. In total, the operation garnered $670,000. If this kind of popularity could be sustained, the exhibition hall's revenue for the year would exceed $200 million, especially considering that Firefly had invested less than $15 million into the entire project.

Of course, it was unrealistic to expect the Titanic exhibition hall to maintain this level of excitement indefinitely. With its single-film theme, the ticket prices were only $5 -- just a fraction of what you'd pay at Universal Studios. But with such a good start, it seemed only natural to expand Firefly's theme park.

As night fell, while the exhibition sections associated with the film had closed, places like restaurants and bars remained open late into the night. The grand banquet hall aboard the ship was set to host various parties in the future.

To celebrate the grand opening of the Titanic exhibition hall, Firefly hosted a lavish party aboard the ship. Eric had initially intended to skip the event, but he was reluctantly pulled along by his assistant.

...

"The problem now is that the north side of the studio is bordered by Balona Creek, the south is a dense residential area, and Lincoln Boulevard is to the west. The theme park can only expand to the east, which would conveniently connect to the Titanic exhibition hall. However, that area has become increasingly residential over the years. If news of our park expansion leaks, the residents over there will definitely raise their prices. This isn't without precedent; when Orlando Disney World was being built, they faced similar issues when planning leaked and land prices skyrocketed."

On the top deck of the ship, Katzenberg stood alongside Eric, leaning against the railing while watching the crowds reveling around them, discussing the expansion of the studio.

Eric turned his gaze eastward; in the night, compared to how desolate Firefly Studios had been when it was established, the area now lit up with numerous lights.

When they first acquired the land beneath them, it was purchased for little more than the price of raw land. Playa Vista had even offered several incentives to ensure Firefly Studios was located within its tax district.

But now, expanding towards the residential areas had priced the land far beyond those initial bargains. With Firefly Group's current financial strength, no one would pass up a chance to cash in.

As he withdrew his gaze and returned to leaning on the railing, Eric pointed out the dark zone west of Lincoln Boulevard. "Jeffrey, how about that side?"

Katzenberg followed Eric's indication, saying, "I've had people gather data on that area. There are roughly 160 hectares of vacant land going west from Lincoln Boulevard all the way to the coastline; it's even bigger than the area of the studio. However, if we were to buy that for theme park development, the Titanic exhibition hall and other upcoming attractions in our studio would be divided by Lincoln Boulevard. Also, even without considering that division, the distance from where we are at the Titanic exhibition hall to the coastal beach is over four kilometers -- visitors wouldn't want to run that far."

After considering for a moment, Eric replied, "Okay, Jeffrey, contact the Playa Vista district government to secure that land on the west side. Have the theme park team attempt a preliminary plan. Even if the park doesn't go through, a large parking lot in that location wouldn't hurt. A theme park definitely needs spacious parking."

Katzenberg nodded; purchasing the 160 hectares of land wouldn't put financial pressure on Firefly Group. "What about the east side?"

"Let's buy as much as we can, but we can't let ourselves be taken advantage of. If those residents demand too much, we will just forget it," Eric added. "Also, we can leak false information about the park being developed on the west side; it might make land acquisition easier."

...

In the bustling banquet hall aboard the ship, Melanie Gleason had just returned with two cocktails when she spotted two boys flirting with Caroline.

Quickening her steps, Melanie positioned herself between Caroline and the boys, and in a slightly sassy tone, warned, "Hey, guys, my sister's only twelve! You'd best steer clear."

Although the boys were a bit put out, they hesitated to cause a scene. They took lingering glances at the doll-like little girl before reluctantly walking away.

Perhaps caught up in the lively atmosphere, Caroline's cheeks were slightly flushed. Taking the cocktail from Melanie's hand, she expressed her mild displeasure. "Mel, I'm not that little! Last time you said I was fourteen!"

"These little punks are getting bolder. Fourteen doesn't apply anymore," Melanie chided, playfully pecking Caroline on the cheek. Watching the girl shrink her neck in a coy manner, she added, "Let's take a look around first, and then we'll meet with the Boss that you've been dreaming about."

"You're teasing me again," Caroline protested, glancing around wistfully. "What a shame Rachel went back to England; she would have definitely come tonight."

"Focus on yourself for now," Melanie advised. "Are you really planning to stay close to Eric?"

"Well, I think this is a great opportunity," Caroline replied, her long lashes lowering as her tone took on a hint of melancholy. "And just like Peter, after working with Eric for a while, I'll probably end up going somewhere else."

Melanie sighed, knowing that Caroline understood far more about everything than she let on. Although Caroline always appeared like a delicate doll, every time Melanie used the guise of the girl's age to fend off suitors, it had always worked wonders. Yet, in reality, she was already 26 and could no longer be the naive young girl she once was upon leaving the confines of her sheltered life.

Reaching out, Melanie cautiously pulled Caroline in for a hug. "That's just how it goes; every girl has to deal with a few jerks while growing up."

Caroline lightly tapped Melanie's arm. "You're quoting Eric's movie to tease him again. He's not a jerk."

"Right, right," Melanie agreed, then recalled some amusing tales Rachel had shared with her and laughed, saying, "He's a bad boy."

Caroline blushed deep red. "Ugh, how annoying! Rachel told you that?"

...

After discussing the studio's expansion with Katzenberg and mingling with some important guests, Eric noticed Caroline and Melanie had made their way to the top deck. He waved them over.

Melanie nudged Caroline, who stepped forward to greet Eric politely. "Good evening, Eric."

"You too," Eric smiled, taking in Caroline's knee-length fitted dress. "You look beautiful tonight."

"Thank you," Caroline said, nodding. As she saw Eric relaxing against the railing, she took a small step forward, standing beside him while gazing at the night view.

Having considered everything for several days, Eric had finally made up his mind. Looking at Caroline's captivating demeanor by his side, he casually started a conversation. "So, how've you been lately?"

"Very well," Caroline said, instinctively wanting to linger a bit longer beside him. She added, "My aunt came to Los Angeles to see me last week."

Suddenly, Eric felt a fleeting memory spark inside him. "Your aunt?"

"Yeah, it's the first time I've met her. Eric, have you forgotten? When we met at Harvard, I showed you her picture," Caroline reminded him.

Eric's memory clicked; he recalled the woman in a black shirt he had encountered at the London premiere of Casino Royale.

The photo Caroline had shown him during their Harvard days surfaced in his mind. The lighting in the hallway had been dim, but he was now one hundred percent certain that woman was Caroline's aunt.

But why had she been at the Casino Royale premiere? He remembered Caroline mentioning that her aunt had referred to her in a letter. It seemed plausible that she had come to check on her niece's "boyfriend."

Yet, reminiscing about that woman's expression, Eric felt a nagging sense that things were more complicated than they appeared.

"So, Caroline, do you have a picture of your aunt with you right now?"

Caroline didn't understand why Eric was asking this but nodded, retrieving a small wallet from her handbag and flipping through it. "Here, this is a picture we took together on the Walk of Fame last week."

Eric accepted the wallet, looking closely at the image of the woman affectionately embracing Caroline, his mind swirling with an inexplicable feeling. He struggled to pinpoint what was amiss.

Seeing Eric staring at the photo for a while, Caroline suddenly recalled the T-shirt she wore that day might have shown a bit of her waist. Feeling her cheeks warm, she wanted to take the wallet back but hesitated. Instead, she attempted to keep the conversation going. "But, um, Eric, I think your eyes look a lot like my aunt's."

Caroline's innocent remark struck Eric like lightning, clarifying the chaos in his thoughts. He noticed he had loosened his grip, causing the girl's delicate pink wallet to slip from his fingers.

If a woman were simply there to check on her niece's boyfriend, she wouldn't show an expression of guilt like the one he had seen.

However, considering a different perspective, many details began to add up. Eric finally grasped that the strange feeling within him was a sense of deja vu.

As the wallet fell, Eric came back to reality, quickly apologizing to Caroline and instructing a waiter on the lower deck to retrieve it. He caught it as it was thrown up and handed it back to the girl. "I'm so sorry; it slipped."

"It's okay," Caroline shook her head, putting the wallet back in her bag. Looking up, she caught Eric looking at her again, shyly inquiring, "Eric, what's wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing," Eric replied, reaching out to playfully tug at a strand of hair on her shoulder. "You've got a hair here."

"Mm... Huh?" Caroline began to nod but felt a sudden tug above her head, tilting her head as Eric nonchalantly withdrew his hand, his casual demeanor causing her to scrunch her nose in dissatisfaction. "Eric, you're such a tease."

Eric found her annoyed expression adorably cute. After a moment of hesitation, he gestured for Melanie, who was standing a short distance away, to come over. Once she arrived, he said, "Here's the plan, Melanie. You and Caroline will stay close to me from now on."

Caroline and Melanie exchanged bewildered looks.

In truth, Melanie had considered this idea already. However, she knew she couldn't be by Caroline's side forever. Plus, if Eric needed two assistants simultaneously, it might not naturally fall to her.

Eric didn't elaborate any further. Seeing no objections from either girl, he declared, "Then it's settled. Next week, Kelly will help you both get arranged. For now, go have some fun; I have a few things to take care of."

...

Once the girls had left, Eric leaned against the railing, finishing his glass of red wine in silence. He left the top deck and found Katzenberg discussing early preparations for Spider-Man. Together, they headed to an office within the ship's cabin. Eric handed Katzenberg a napkin-wrapped package and said, "Jeffrey, do me a favor, and let's keep this under wraps."

Seeing the serious expression on Eric's face, Katzenberg nodded earnestly, accepting the package with a hint of confusion in his eyes.

Eric explained, "Inside are two strands of hair. I need you to have someone do a kinship test."

Katzenberg clearly didn't quite grasp the term. "Kinship test?"

"DNA testing. Have someone check if the owners of these two strands of hair are, uh, cousins."

With that clarification, Katzenberg finally understood.

While his curiosity grew, he also knew that Eric wouldn't share such private matters unless he trusted him entirely. He stowed the package in his wallet with the utmost seriousness and nodded. "Don't worry, Eric. I'll get it done right away and have results for you by Monday."

*****

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