novellhall Chapter 172 Three Women, One Show [5000] Happy New Year, everyone!
Chapter 172 Three Women, One Show [5000] Happy New Year, everyone!
Chapter 172 Three Women Make a Drama [5000] Happy New Year, everyone!
Chen Xun's private messages have been flooded!
Christine posted more than twenty messages:
It started with, "Are you okay?"
Several messages were sent in quick succession.
The next line reads, "Call back immediately upon seeing this!"
The last message was, "I'm on the plane, wait for me!"
Dakota's comment was even more direct: "If you dare to die, I'll expose you sleeping with me to TMZ."
Jennifer's longest message, consisting of long paragraphs, can be summarized as: worry, fear, and being on her way to the airport.
Chen Xun rubbed his temples.
This is troublesome.
"List!"
Vin Diesel walked over: "The team is ready, let's head to the hotel."
Having gone through the war, the two had become so familiar with each other that they were like friends.
As the convoy, escorted by five armored vehicles, drove away from the factory area, it was already dawn.
Chen Xun looked out the car window.
The battlefield where life and death were fought yesterday is now completely under the control of the military.
People in different uniforms were busy, police tape was everywhere, and reporters were trying to break through the cordon to take pictures.
"We've got tomorrow's headlines!"
Paul lay on the stretcher opposite him with a wry smile.
Who wants to become famous this way!
"Not just tomorrow."
Director Justin Lin, holding his prized camera, said, "We'll be making headlines for the next week."
The military has booked an entire luxury resort.
Having survived the gunfight, the resort's security is so tight that not even a fly can get in.
Everyone was scheduled for a full medical check-up. Apart from abrasions and slight dehydration, Chen Xun was perfectly normal.
After the medical examination, he was taken to a suite.
Pushing open the door, I saw three people sitting on the sofa.
The production team included the film's producer, a representative from Warner Bros., and a middle-aged man he had never met before.
"Chen Xun, sit down."
The producer said, "This is Mr. Stevens, a special envoy from the White House Communications Office."
Chen Xun's heart skipped a beat.
Even the White House was alarmed?
"Relaxing is not a bad thing."
Stevens smiled and said, "The president is very concerned about this incident and wants to ensure that all American citizens and international friends who contribute to the film industry receive the best care."
"We also hope to take this opportunity to convey some positive messages."
"What information?"
"America will not compromise with terrorism, and America will protect the safety of every citizen."
Steven paused: "Hollywood is an important part of American culture and should not be violated."
understood!
A political show.
The press conference is scheduled for 3 p.m.
The producer then instructed, "You, along with directors Van, Paul, Gale, and Lin, all need to attend. We have prepared speeches, but you can adjust them as needed, as long as you don't say anything wrong."
"What do you mean by 'misinterpreting'?"
"For example, criticizing the Brazilian government for inadequate security or questioning the efficiency of the rescue operation."
Stevens put it bluntly: "What we want to emphasize is the rapid response of the Brazilian military, the efficient cooperation between the US and Brazil, the unity and courage of the crew, and ultimately, the victory of good over evil!"
Chen Xun nodded.
He's familiar with this formula; Hollywood mainstream movies are all made this way.
Back in his room, Chen Xun took a shower.
This is the first time he has ever felt hot water since the start of filming.
Standing under the shower, he closed his eyes, his mind replaying everything from last night.
Gunshots, explosions, corpses, and the instincts that erupt on the edge of life and death.
The skill "Street Vehicle Offense and Defense Instinct" is more powerful than he imagined.
It not only enhanced his combat effectiveness, but also seemed to strengthen his battlefield intuition and adaptability.
After taking a shower, he turned on his new phone and started replying to messages.
Call Christine first.
The phone rang for half a ring before being answered: "Chen Xun?"
"It's me, I'm fine."
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by suppressed sobs.
Christine cried for a full minute before sobbing, "I just got off the plane, and I'll be in Rio in three hours."
"You don't need to come, I'm already safe."
"I must see you."
Christine said firmly, "Dakota and Jennifer are with me. Everyone is worried about you!"
Chen Xun's vision went black.
Three women, at the same time, in the same place.
This is even more terrifying than when he faced thirty gunmen last night.
After hanging up the phone, he sent messages to Dakota and Jennifer saying he was safe.
Both of them replied quickly, and the content was similar.
I'll be there soon, just wait.
At 2 p.m., Chen Xun changed into the formal attire provided by the film crew.
The suit was Armani, and the size was perfect; it was clearly prepared in advance.
He looked at himself in the mirror.
She had dark circles under her eyes, but seemed to be in good spirits. The gauze on her arm was covered by her sleeve.
"Like a hero who has just returned from the battlefield."
He chuckled self-deprecatingly.
2:30.
Everyone gathered.
Vin Diesel also changed into a suit, and his bald head was gleaming.
Paul had a sling on his arm, but insisted on attending.
Gail wore a beige trench coat, which covered the injury on her left arm.
Director Justin Lin looked the most haggard, but his eyes were very bright.
"Everyone!"
The producer gave a final message: "Remember! We are a team. We made it through. We are grateful to everyone who helped us. Don't blame, don't complain, keep positive energy."
"Understood!" Everyone nodded.
At 3:00 PM sharp, in the press conference hall.
The moment the door opened, a barrage of flashes came from the camera.
Chen Xun squinted and saw that the room below was full of reporters.
CNN, BBC, Reuters, Associated Press, Xinhua News Agency —
All the major global media outlets were there.
He followed the group onto the stage and sat down in the seat with his name on it.
There was a dense array of microphones in front of me.
The press conference has begun.
First, a spokesperson for the Rio military gave a briefing, followed by the US representative, and then the producer.
By the time it was the actors' turn to speak, half an hour had passed.
Vin Diesel was the first to speak.
He spoke calmly, thanking the Brazilian military and the US rescue forces, emphasizing the unity of the film crew, and concluding, "The film will continue to be made; we will not back down because of violence."
When it was Chen Xun's turn, he cleared his throat: "I want to thank everyone who risked their lives to save us, and I also want to thank my teammates."
"Everyone showed extraordinary courage last night, and I want to say to everyone who cares about us that we are fine, and we will turn this experience into art and bring it to the audience."
During the Q&A session, the reporters' questions became increasingly pointed: "There are rumors that the attack was a retaliatory action against the film crew. Is that true?"
"Were there any security lapses on the part of the film crew?"
Will this incident affect the film's release schedule?
The press conference lasted for an hour.
As soon as Chen Xun stepped out of the lobby, he was stopped by a staff member: "Mr. Chen, there are several visitors waiting for you in the VIP room."
Chen Xun's heart tightened.
He pushed open the door to the VIP room and saw three familiar faces.
Christine rushed over and hugged him tightly.
Dakota stood behind, arms crossed, his face saying, "You're lucky you survived."
Jennifer's eyes were red, and she hesitated to come over.
Three women, three expressions.
-
Chen Xun suddenly felt that the hail of bullets last night didn't seem so scary after all.
The room wasn't small, but it felt a bit cramped at the moment.
Christine was still holding Chen Xun tightly, so tightly that it hurt his ribs.
Looking at the group of women, Chen Xun felt that if he didn't do something soon, he would explode on the spot.
He took a deep breath, his mind racing.
Suddenly he saw Christine's assistant, Emma, waiting in the corner to watch the show.
Chen Xun gently patted Christine on the back: "Let me say hello to them first."
Christine then let go, but still held onto his arm, as if afraid he would run away.
Chen Xun gave her a reassuring look, then turned and walked straight to Emma in the corner.
"Emma!"
Chen Xun opened his arms, his voice carrying just the right amount of gratitude and exhaustion: "Tiankui, I'm so glad to see you! You must have had a hard journey, and I'm sorry to have troubled you to fly here with Christine. I'm sorry to have worried you."
Emma froze on the spot, her eyes wide open like saucers.
She's just an assistant!
A wage earner who works!
Isn't this plot going wrong?
But Chen Xun gave her a friendly hug without saying a word.
The arms are placed only on the shoulders and back with great restraint, the body is bowed to maintain politeness, and the duration is exactly three seconds.
After letting go, Chen Xun still had his hands on her shoulders, looked at her earnestly and said, "Really, thank you. Christine is lucky to have an assistant like you."
Emma opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.
She had only one thought in her mind: Will the boss fire me?
Chen Xuncun gave her time to react, then turned and walked towards Dakota.
The same process.
"Dakota!"
Chen Xun opened his arms: "I'm so touched that you came. You've had a tough journey and I'm so sorry for making you worry."
Dakota had been worried about Chen Xun for several days, and at this moment, she didn't care that her best friend was standing aside, and immediately hugged him.
This time, their hug was noticeably less forceful than when they hugged Emma.
Chen Xun also had no choice, and Dakota hugged him tightly as soon as he entered his arms.
He could clearly feel his shoulder was slightly damp; Dakota was obviously crying.
Chen Xun had a bad feeling.
Fortunately, he had his back to Christine at the moment, so no unusual phenomena could be seen for the time being.
Chen Xun gently patted Dakota's back and whispered in her ear, "Thank you for coming, really!"
Dakota stiffened for a moment, then relaxed.
Finally, as if remembering something, she let go, took a step back, rubbed her eyes, and said in a deliberately relaxed tone, "Ellie was so worried about you, what kind of hug is this!"
Finally, it's Jennifer.
This easygoing woman from Pingxiang also came to Rio.
This was what Chen Xuncun thought of.
But he was much more relaxed with Jennifer: "Come on, bro, give me a big sister hug!"
When he held her, Chen Xun could feel Jennifer's body trembling slightly.
As she let go, Jennifer forced a smile: "We're practically family! With you as my brother-in-law, my influence as my older cousin is practically halved. The crew insisted on sending me to check on things before they felt comfortable; a whole bunch of people are waiting for you to start work!"
The three women exchanged glances before looking away.
Chen Xun breathed a sigh of relief.
That risky move turned out to be the right one.
He stepped back, pulled up a safety barrier, and then clapped his hands: "Since everyone is here, I'll do my best to be a good host! Although Rio isn't my home, I've been filming here for a few months, so I'm practically a local."
"Tonight it's my treat, we'll have authentic Western-style barbecue, Vin Diesel, Paul, director Lin and the rest of us will be there, consider it a celebration of surviving this ordeal."
Christine was the first to nod: "Okay."
Dakota shrugged: "My village's opinion."
Jennifer wiped her eyes and smiled. "Sounds good."
"The age is set!"
Chen found a staff member at the door: "Could you please help me book a restaurant? We need the best variety, the whole place, and the bill will be on my tab."
The staff member nodded and left.
Chen Xun then looked at the three women again, his smile becoming more sincere: "You should go back to your rooms and rest for a while. I'll have a car pick you up tonight."
Separation is the best option.
Give them their own space, and give them their own social standing.
All three were opposed by the village.
At 7:30 p.m., Rio’s top-notch barbecue restaurant was completely booked.
YY's dining table was full of people: Vin Diesel, Paul, director Justin Lin, Gale, the producer, and others.
Harper, Raphael, Kristen Stewart, Dakota Johnson, Jennifer Aniston, Emma Watson, and several other key members of the cast and crew.
The meat sizzled on the grill, filling the air with its aroma.
Waiters bustled about pouring drinks, serving one Keplina cocktail after another, a specialty of the West.
The opening was a bit reserved.
After all, the appearance of three of Chen Xun's female friends at the same time is a rare sight even in Hollywood.
But after a few drinks, the atmosphere gradually warmed up.
Vin Diesel, remembering the wine glass, turned to Chen Xun and said, "If you had been there last night, we might not have made it to the rescue. It would have been a miracle."
Paul raised his glass and said, "Chen, I owe you my life. It's a cliché, but I mean it."
"Me too!"
Gail said, "When you rushed out with me, I thought this man was either crazy or a hero, and now it seems he is both."
Chen Xun smiled and shook his head: "Don't say that. Anyone would have done the same thing in that situation."
"Not everyone can be a good young man."
Director Justin Lin interjected, his face flushed from drinking a bit too much that night: "Chen Xun, you're so young—I watched the footage later, and it's so realistic, it could be directly cut into the movie. The reactions and the eyes are so real, no matter how good the acting is, you can't pull that off."
These words silenced the dining table for a moment.
Then Dakota chuckled: "Director, are you trying to give him more screen time?"
"Chen Xun's role in 'Fast & Furious 6' is more important, he deserves it."
Justin Lin spoke very seriously.
The producers around them nodded in agreement.
Christine gently touched Chen Xun's hand under the table.
He turned his head and saw pride, but also worry, in her eyes.
Jennifer sat across from him, quietly eating her barbecue, but every now and then she would look up at Chen Xun with a loving gaze.
Chen Xun's nerves have been on edge since last night.
Firing guns, dodging bullets, directing the breakout, dealing with press conferences—
Every step is like walking a tightrope.
It's safe now. Everyone is alive, with hot barbecue in front of us and ice-cold beer in our hands.
"Come on, let's drink!"
Chen Xun remembered the wine glass, stood up, and said, "A toast to everyone who is alive!"
"Respect for life!"
Everyone echoed in agreement.
One cup after another.
Chen Xun was always reluctant to drink alcohol, and never really drank much.
But tonight he let loose.
Capricorn has a high alcohol content, and when mixed with beer, it quickly made one feel unwell.
Paul, his face flushed, began recounting the details of last night: "Your village saw it, Chen jumped from the second floor, landed with a somersault, and took down two people with a single blow—his stunts were amazing! Our stunt designer is pretty good too!"
Vin Diesel nodded: "I was looking out the window and wondering, who is this kid? A retired special forces soldier? A former CIA agent?"
"I'm just an actor."
Chen Xun slurred, then took another swig of wine.
"You're such a good actor, it's fucking worth it."
Harper, who was also quite drunk, put his arm around Raphael's shoulder and said, "Raphael says your intuition is terrifyingly accurate!"
Plates of barbecue were served, and bottles of wine were emptied one by one.
Music played in the restaurant, a warm and inviting atmosphere.
It was completely different from the announcement last night, yet it was just as heart-pounding.
Christine walked over and sat down next to Chen Xun: "Drink less, your injury is still not healed."
"Village affairs!"
Chen Xun waved his hand: "I'm happy today."
Dakota, holding a wine glass, swirled over and looked down at him: "The villagers of Fuleke will carry you back."
"I've been sleeping here since I was a year old."
"
Chen Xun looked up at her and smiled, "The sofa in the restaurant is quite soft."
Dakota rolled his eyes.
A group of people who had just escaped death started drinking without being urged to stop.
Soon someone started drinking it.
Chen Xun was, of course, the first.
Chen Xun felt the ceiling spinning, and the candlelight on the table turned into clusters of light.
A muffled conversation reached my ears: "He's gone."
"Let him sleep for a while."
"Should we take him back to his hotel?"
"Wait, let him calm down—"
When I woke up again, the restaurant was mostly empty.
Only Vin Diesel, Paul, and a few other crew members were still chatting in the corner, their voices hushed.
Chen Xun opened his eyes, his head throbbing as if it were about to split open.
"woke up?"
Christine's voice came from the side.
He turned his head and saw Christine sitting in the chair next to him; Dakota and Jennifer were not there.
"Where are they?" he asked in a hoarse voice.
"Back to the hotel."
Christine handed him a glass of water: "Dakota is flying to New York early tomorrow morning. Jennifer's agent is urging her to go back and reshoot some scenes."
Chen Xun took the water and drank a big gulp: "Then you—"
"I took a week off!"
Christine stood up and reached out to pull him: "Let's go, I'll take you back to your room."
Chen Xun stood up with her help, but his legs were still weak.
Vin Diesel saw them and waved: "See you tomorrow, heroes."
"See you tomorrow!"
Chen Xun responded listlessly.
This was the first time he had fallen asleep in the village after drinking alcohol.
Stepping out of the restaurant, the night breeze sobered me up considerably.
But the headache got worse.
It's like I've been drinking fake alcohol!
Chen Xun complains.
Once in the car, Christine held his hand without saying a word.
Upon reaching the hotel room door, Christine showed her the room key: "Stay in my room tonight, it'll be easier to take care of you!"
Chen Xun and Christine hadn't seen each other for a long time, so they readily agreed.
Once inside the room, Christine helped him take off his coat and helped him to bed.
"Want to take a shower?"
"Wait a minute, lie down for a bit first."
Chen Xun lay down on the bed and closed his eyes.
The events of the past two days began to flash before his eyes.
Chen Xun felt like he woke up countless times throughout the night, and each time Christine was lying next to him watching him and wiping his sweat.
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