novellhall Chapter 201 Annie, the victim of cyberbullying! [5000 views]
Chapter 201 Annie, the victim of cyberbullying! [5000 views]
Chapter 201 Annie, the victim of cyberbullying! [5000 views]
Three o'clock in the morning.
Annie stared at her phone screen, her finger hovering over the like button, but ultimately didn't press it.
It was a tweet from a fan defending her: "Why do people always criticize Anne? She's a great actress, has no scandals, and deserves her Oscar."
The top-voted comment below is: "Because she's too perfect, so perfect it's unreal. Do you know that feeling?"
Like that girl in the class who always gets A's.
Annie smirked and tossed her phone onto the sofa.
Perfect?
If she were truly perfect, she wouldn't be spending 3 a.m. unable to sleep, scrolling through Twitter reading strangers' analyses of her personality flaws.
The living room lights were off, except for the laptop screen displaying the script for "Interstellar".
She plays Dr. Emilia Brand, a rational astrophysicist who is willing to sacrifice all emotions for the survival of humanity.
The dialogue was full of terms like singularity, spacetime curvature, and five-dimensional space; she had to check Wikipedia three times to barely understand it.
Sometimes she feels that playing a scientist is easier than being an actress.
At least the equation won't talk bad about you behind your back.
My phone vibrated again.
It was a text message from my agent, Lisa: "Have you seen the new article in The Hollywood Reporter? They're analyzing why you took a pay cut to star in Nolan's film. Should I prepare a response?"
Annie didn't reply.
She got up and walked to the window, looking at the Los Angeles night view outside.
At this point, there are streaks of light from traffic flowing on the highway in the distance.
She lives in what is considered an affluent area; it's quiet and safe, but also deserted.
She wasn't like this five years ago.
At that time, she had just started dating Rafero Farrieri.
He's of Italian descent, a hedge fund manager, handsome, eloquent, and he showers her with flowers and jewelry, taking her to high-class parties.
In the photos taken by the media, she was smiling very happily, and the headlines were all "Anne Hathaway has found true love".
Then the FBI arrested him.
Fraud, securities fraud, money laundering.
The amount involved is several hundred million US dollars.
The day the news broke, Anne was filming "Les Misérables".
She played Fantine, the poor woman forced to sell her hair and teeth.
After director Tom Hopper yelled "Cut!", his assistant carefully handed her a phone: "Uh, Annie, you might want to take a look at this."
She sat in the dressing room, staring blankly at the photo on the screen of Farijeri being handcuffed and led out of the office.
The following day, she released a statement announcing the breakup: "Rafero Farieri and I have ended our relationship. I am shocked and saddened by what has happened recently, but I will not be commenting on it further."
The comments section was filled with this sentiment: "As expected, they ran away as soon as trouble struck."
"I've always said she has bad taste."
"He's probably faking it; he probably already knew."
Anne turned off the comments and continued filming.
She poured all her emotions into the character of Fantine.
The woman abandoned by the world sang "I Dream" until her voice became hoarse.
On the day filming wrapped, Tom Hopper hugged her and said, "You will be remembered for this role."
He was right.
She won an Oscar and stood on the stage, crying incoherently.
Then I got scolded.
"The acceptance speech was too contrived."
"Were the tears fake?"
"Can't she just be natural?"
Looking back now, Anne feels that period was like a long Mercury retrograde.
From the moment Farijeri was arrested, everything began to go in a strange direction.
She won awards and was criticized; she gave interviews and was accused of being too much of a public relations persona.
She was mocked for overdoing it when she wore a certain outfit.
Sometimes she really wanted to drag those netizens out and ask: What did I do? I was just acting properly.
My phone vibrated again.
This time it's a Twitter post: "Anne Hathaway joins 'Interstellar,' netizens are not buying it: Why did Nolan choose her?"
Annie clicked on it.
The article included a few comments: "Seeing her makes me lose focus."
"Nolan's films need actresses with a strong presence; she's too soft."
"I heard she took a 30% pay cut. How much does she want to hitch a ride with Nolan?"
Annie took a deep breath and placed her phone screen-down on the table.
She did indeed take a pay cut in exchange for an opportunity to work with Nolan.
Lisa disagreed: "Annie, you're an Oscar winner now, you should raise your price, not lower it."
Anne said, "I need a movie that can change public perception."
-
Has Les Misérables remained unchanged?
"The situation has changed, but the direction is wrong."
Anne looked at herself in the mirror at the time and said, "They now think I'm just an actress who can only act in melodramatic roles and is pretentious after winning awards. I need to act in something tough, like science fiction, physics, or saving the world."
Nolan's film is just right.
She has collaborated with Nolan twice.
One instance was when she played Catwoman in "The Dark Knight Rises".
Nolan told her, "You have a kind of vulnerability, but there's a fierceness in your eyes. This role requires both of those things."
Then last month, Nolan asked her to talk about Interstellar.
In a Burbank café, the director showed her concept art on a tablet: "Amelia Brand is a scientist, but she's also a person, struggling between reason and emotion, and that's what I want you to play."
As Annie looked at the design drawings of black holes, wormholes, and space stations, she thought to herself: This is much simpler than dealing with netizens.
At least the laws of physics won't speak ill of you.
The computer screen went dark, so Annie turned it back on and opened Google.
She typed "Chen Xun".
The page displayed a bunch of results:
"Green Lantern: Rise of the Blue Dragon" broke box office records, "The Hunger Games" training camp video went viral, Warner Bros. officially announced the male lead of "Interstellar" and the "CP" joke between him and Jennifer Lawrence, and Annie clicked on an interview video.
Chen Xun sat in front of the camera, wearing a simple black T-shirt. The host asked him, "As an Asian actor trying to make it in Hollywood, have you ever encountered discrimination?"
Chen Xun smiled and said, "I've encountered it before, but I think discrimination is like a barbell in the gym. When you can't lift it, it crushes you, but when you can lift it, it becomes your muscle."
The host paused for a moment, then said, "That's an interesting analogy."
"Just telling the truth."
Chen Xun shrugged: "This industry depends on both ability and luck. All I can do is make myself heavy enough so that those who want to push me away will have to put in some effort."
Annie pressed pause.
She stared at the face on the screen.
Chinese people, with deep features, seem to possess a unique charm.
His eyes, in particular, were full of confidence.
Even in this foreign land, he remained confident, as if nothing could defeat him.
Annie clicked on another video.
It's a scene from Chen Xun's "2 Broke Girls".
He plays an Asian boss who performs magic tricks with a coin. He speaks with a slight accent, but his rhythm is excellent. The comments below are full of people saying, "Who is this actor? He's so funny."
Anne watched the coin trick three times.
She doesn't use surprise techniques.
There are plenty of actors in Hollywood who can do magic.
What surprised her was that feeling of relaxation.
He plays an Asian character in a sitcom, yet manages to bring his own unique flavor to the role and still make the audience laugh.
This is not easy.
She turned off the video, went back to Twitter, and searched for Chen Xun's name.
Several tweets in the live feed mentioned Interstellar: "Chen Xun + Anne Hathaway, this combination is interesting."
"I hope Annie won't hold us back; Chen Xun's acting skills are genuine."
Am I the only one looking forward to this couple?
Anne gave a wry smile.
Holding someone back?
She, an Oscar winner, was said to be dragging down an actress who came from a television background.
This world is truly magical.
But she also understands.
Chen Xun's approach is too unique.
A Chinese actor played a superhero, rewrote the script, and became a sensation.
Audiences love stories that break the rules.
And what about her?
She is a typical example of someone who succeeds by following the rules.
She started as a child star, played Disney princesses, transitioned to art films, and won an Oscar.
It was methodical and impeccable, but also lacked any surprises.
What netizens want is not perfection, but authenticity.
Even if being real means having flaws, making mistakes, and occasionally breaking character.
My phone vibrated again.
This time it was an email from Nolan Studios: "Interstellar training schedule confirmed, starting December 3rd at NASA Simulation Training Center. Please ensure your availability."
Anne replied, "Received."
She glanced at the calendar.
Today is November 28th, five days left.
She was going to see Chen Xun in five days.
That Chinese actor who appears impressive in Google search results, seems relaxed in videos, and is highly praised in Twitter comments.
She will act opposite him, playing a pair of partners struggling to survive in space.
In the script, Emilia Brand tells Cooper, "Love is not something humans invented. It existed before us and will continue to exist. Love is the only thing that can transcend time and space."
When Anne reads this line, she always feels it's a bit cheesy.
But Nolan insisted on keeping it: "This is the emotional core of the film."
Ok.
If love can transcend time and space, can it also transcend Twitter comment sections?
Could we ask strangers to say less to someone they've never met?
she does not know.
The sky outside the window began to lighten.
At four in the morning, Los Angeles slowly woke up.
Annie turned off the computer and went to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water.
A note was stuck on the refrigerator, in her own handwriting: "Do what you should do, and let time tell."
This is a sentence that Farijeri wrote to herself on the day of her accident.
Five years have passed, and time has said a lot, but it seems no one is listening attentively.
She took a sip of water, the icy water sliding down her throat.
Training will begin in five days.
She was going to put on a spacesuit, step into the simulator, and learn how to operate the equipment in a weightless environment.
Perhaps things would be simpler in space.
There was no gravity, and no suffocating comments.
The phone screen lit up again, this time with a tweet: "Anne Hathaway remains silent on the Interstellar casting controversy: Is she guilty or focused on preparation?"
Annie turned off the screen; she didn't look.
She went back to her bedroom, lay down, and closed her eyes.
In the last moments before falling asleep, a trivial thought popped into her head.
What Chen Xun learned on the Canadian farm—driving tractors, repairing irrigation systems—
Are those skills useful in space?
It probably won't work.
The day after Chen Xun flew back to Los Angeles from Calgary, his inbox was flooded with emails from Nolan Studios.
From: Nolan Productions Subject: Interstellar Training Schedule Confirmation Content: NASA Simulation Training Center, December 3 - December 21.
All lead actors must attend.
-
Those who are absent will lose their role.
Chen Xun stared at the last sentence, "will lose the role," and clicked his tongue.
Nolan knows how to put pressure on people.
The email attachment contained a 30-page PDF titled "Syllabus for Basic Aeronautics Courses".
Chen Xun clicked on it, and the first page completely baffled him: "Course 1: Fundamentals of Orbital Mechanics (Kepler's Laws, Hohmann Transfer Orbits, Orbital Decay)"
Course Two: Physiological Effects of Microgravity (Headward Shift of Body Fluids, Muscle Atrophy, Space Adaptation Syndrome)
Course 3: In-cabin Operating Procedures (Airlock Recirculation Procedures, Oxygen System Monitoring, Carbon Dioxide Scrubbing)
Course 4: Spacesuit Operation (Differences between EMU and IVA suits, use of cooling underwear, helmet communication system)
Below that was a line of smaller print: "Lecturers: Dr. Robert Chandler, former NASA engineer, and Maria Soto, former mission control specialist."
Chen Xun rubbed his temples.
He thought that driving a tractor and repairing a water pump in Canada was hardcore enough, but Nolan told him: Dude, that's just a warm-up.
The phone rang; it was Robert.
"Did you see the email?"
"I saw it."
Chen Xun slumped onto the sofa: "I only rested for one day, one day! I just got back from a farm where it was minus twenty degrees Celsius, and now you want me to study orbital mechanics?"
"You know Nolan's style."
Rob laughed on the other end of the line: "He selects actors like he selects special forces soldiers. He throws them into extreme environments for testing, and only those who survive are qualified to join the crew."
"I thanked him."
"By the way, you can't bring an assistant or use your phone during training. It's a NASA regulation, they say it's to ensure focus. You have to stay in the training center's dorms."
Chen Xun closed his eyes briefly: "Is it too late for me to quit now?"
"The penalty for breach of contract is 20 million."
"Then let's study orbital mechanics."
December 3, Houston, NASA Jensen Space Center.
Chen Xun stood at the entrance of the training center, looking at the huge NASA logo.
Anne Hathaway arrived earlier than him.
She was wearing a simple gray tracksuit, without makeup, her hair tied in a ponytail, and looking at the document booklet in her hand.
Upon seeing Chen Xun, she nodded and said, "Good morning."
"morning."
Chen Xun walked over: "You look very clear-headed."
"I arrived last night!"
Anne closed the booklet: "Have you looked at the schedule? This morning is about the fundamentals of orbital mechanics. I did some previewing beforehand, and there are so many formulas I could use as a cookbook."
Chen Xun smiled. They were in the same boat!
Training began at 9:00 AM sharp.
The instructor was Robert Miller, a former NASA engineer in his sixties, with gray hair and wearing a polo shirt.
Wearing a shirt and khaki pants, he looks like a college professor.
But the moment he opens his mouth, his aura is fully unleashed.
"I'm Robert. I've worked at NASA for thirty years and participated in twenty Space Shuttle missions."
He stood at the podium, with a projection screen behind him: "Over the next three weeks, I will teach you the basic principles of spaceflight. But let me make this clear first, I'm not here to teach you how to act like astronauts, I'm here to teach you how to become astronauts, even if we only have three weeks."
There are more than a dozen people sitting in my heart.
Chen Xun, Annie, and several other actors who went to space together, as well as several core members of Nolan's team.
Director of Photography Hoyt van Hoytma, Visual Effects Supervisor Paul Franklin, Production Designer Nathan Crowley.
Nolan himself sat in the last row, taking notes in his notebook.
Lesson 1: Orbital Mechanics
Robert pulled up the PowerPoint presentation: "Simply put, it's about how to make one object rotate around another without falling down or flying away."
An animation of Earth and a spaceship appears on the screen.
"Many people think that going to space means flying as high as you can, the higher the better."
"wrong!"
Robert pointed to the orbit with a laser pointer: "What you need is speed, not altitude. You need to reach the first cosmic velocity, 7.9 kilometers per second, to enter orbit around the Earth. If you go below that speed, you'll fall back down; if you go too high, you'll fly out."
Chen Xun listened attentively.
Several attribute orbs floated past him and fell off Robert:
[Scientific Thinking +4] (Purple)
[Logic Explanation +5] (Purple)
Chen Xun absorbed it quickly.
He felt that the knowledge that Robert had been explaining that he couldn't understand at all was now becoming somewhat understandable.
The more Chen Xun listened, the more he realized that Robert was truly amazing.
He couldn't help but think.
If I absorb enough attribute orbs, will I be able to actually fly into space in the future?
"In your movie, the spaceship has to travel through a wormhole to another galaxy."
Robert switched to a diagram of a wormhole: "It's theoretically feasible, but there are many practical problems. For example, wormholes may be unstable, and the process of traveling through them could generate huge tidal forces that could tear the spaceship and its crew apart."
Annie raised her hand: "So how is it resolved in the movie?"
"Artistic embellishment!"
Robert shrugged: "Director Nolan hired Professor Kip Thorne as an advisor, and he will make sure that your plot does not violate known laws of science."
"This is the limit of what Hollywood can achieve!"
Soft laughter rang out in the classroom.
The morning theory class lasted three hours.
Chen wrote seven pages of notes.
My mind was filled with words like Hohmann transfer orbit, gravity boost, and orbital decay.
During a break, he went to get coffee and ran into Annie.
"How is it?" Annie asked.
"It's harder than driving a tractor, at least a tractor doesn't make me think about the nature of the universe."
Annie knew that Chen Xun had been frozen for two months and learned to drive a tractor, so she couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh: "I stayed up until 2 a.m. last night and barely managed to figure out what spacetime curvature is."
"Can you understand it?"
"If you don't understand it, just keep reading."
She took a sip of coffee: "Director Nolan said that if actors don't understand what their characters are doing, the audience will be even less likely to believe it."
Chen Xun nodded.
There's nothing wrong with that logic.
The afternoon session consisted of practical training, which took place in a simulation training cabin.
The training pod is a large steel structure, with its interior replicated 1:1 from a real space capsule.
The control panel is densely packed with buttons, switches, and displays.
Robert led them inside and explained the basic operations.
"This is the airlock control panel."
He pointed to a row of switches: "It takes seven steps to get from inside the cabin to outside. The order cannot be wrong. If you make a mistake, it may lead to depressurization or the cabin door not being able to be opened."
Chen Xun looked at the buttons.
Each valve is labeled: Main Valve, Standby Valve, Pressure Balance, Lockout Release —
"Practice in pairs."
Robert pointed to Chen Xun and Annie: "Chen, you and Annie are in one group, the rest of you are in two groups."
Chen Xun and Annie stood in front of the control panel.
"You go first, I'll write down the steps."
Annie reached out and squeezed Chen Xun's arm, gesturing for him to go first.
Chen Xun followed the steps Robert had taught him, operating them one by one.
The first three steps went smoothly, but in the fourth step, I accidentally pressed the wrong switch.
The alarm went off.
Although it was just a simulated alarm, the sound was sharp and piercing.
Robert walked over and glanced at the panel: "The order is wrong. If this were a real mission, you would probably have already vented half the air out of the capsule into space."
"I'm sorry," Chen Xun said.
"No need to apologize, let's start over."
Robert said expressionlessly, "Real astronauts might repeat a mistake a hundred times during training until it becomes muscle memory."
Chen Xun starts anew.
This time he slowed down, confirming each step before pressing it.
Anne whispered a reminder from the side: "The next step is to balance the pressure."
After completing the seven steps, the airlock status light will turn green.
"pass!"
Robert nodded: "Now it's Annie's turn."
Annie was more careful when operating the system, but she still made a mistake on the sixth step.
She took a deep breath and started again.
It passed for the second time.
Robert looked at them and said, “Remember, in space, there’s no 'almost'. It’s either right or you die. Even though you’re just making a movie, Nolan demands that your performances be at a professional level.”
The training lasted until 5 p.m.
When it was over, Chen Xun felt a headache coming on, and his fingers were sore from repeatedly pressing the switch.
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