Why did this girl come over at this hour?
Leon quickly stubbed out the cigarette, walked over from the terrace and explained: "Sorry honey, forgot to introduce you. This is Miss Anya, the first actress signed by Apocalypse Agency."
"This girl is the heroine of Ready Player One?" Taylor asked.
After getting an affirmative answer, she first looked Anya up and down, then turned her head and glared fiercely.
"Come in and sit down, Miss Anya. Drink something? Coffee or water?" Her tone carried a bit of New York noble lady's carelessness, announcing sovereignty as the hostess.
Anya froze at the door, not knowing what to do, but finally walked into the house under Leon's greeting.
Two women and one man sat on the sofa, the atmosphere awkwardly weird.
Anya was the first to break the silence. "Sorry Miss Taylor, I know it's a bit late now. Regarding the script of The Witch, I have some parts I don't quite understand and want to ask Mr. Leon."
A lonely man and a woman chatting about the script at midnight?
Why do you take me for a fool?
Taylor suppressed the inner monologue and rolled her eyes.
Then suddenly realizing something, she sat up quickly and questioned: "Besides Ready Player One, you also invested in other movies?"
"That's right, this was all James' idea." Leon spread his hands, throwing the blame cleanly in a few words. "He thinks that in the start-up stage of the new company, shooting more low-budget horror movies is the best choice. Although I don't fully agree with his idea, you know, he is the professional when it comes to making movies."
Hearing this, Taylor's eyes were about to spray sparks.
She didn't care much about how many movies Leon invested in. The important thing was that the female lead roles of two consecutive movies were given to the same girl.
Even a retard wouldn't believe there was no problem in this.
In a few words, her hostility towards Anya became even stronger. Scanning the other party with cat-like sharp eyes, Anya felt creepy all over being stared at.
But with deeper understanding, especially hearing that the other party was only fifteen years old and an amateur just out of school, her expression finally relaxed.
Women can easily smell danger on other women, usually calling this "bitchiness."
Taylor considers herself a master of identifying scumbags, and equally an expert in identifying btches.
But she didn't smell any danger from Anya.
Those deer-like eyes revealed purity from inside out.
And Anya's behavior was also very appropriate, avoiding any intimate gestures with Leon.
When chatting about the script, she intentionally involved Taylor, even though the other party knew zero about The Witch.
Half an hour later, the two gradually became familiar.
Taylor's social butterfly attribute was activated. The topics of the two girls ranged from the Twilight series movies to beauty products and clothing outfits, with no cold period.
Even as public figures, the topics are no different from ordinary people.
Similar family backgrounds made the two seem to have endless topics to chat about. Leon, the only male in the house, became transparent instead.
"I simply love Downton Abbey to death. Have you watched the second season? Mary is simply too bitchy!"
"I'm also following that show! Mary's change in the second season is too abrupt..."
Chatting about dramatic British dramas, Leon couldn't get a word in at all, only able to lie on the sofa alone studying the script, occasionally glancing through the gap of the paper.
The scene of two tall white girls under the same roof was unexpectedly harmonious.
He sighed while reading the script, "This bearded freak really has something."
After Robert Eggers sent the script via email, he had only glanced at it roughly.
This was the first time he calmed down to read it carefully.
The script design of The Witch is very clean and exquisite, absolutely without harsh screams, ghosts rushing towards the screen, and flesh and blood flying.
Only gloom and desolation.
The wilderness and dilapidated houses make people feel depressed, and the deep forest opposite the farm is more like a place haunted by evil spirits conjured up in people's minds.
Every thing appearing in the script has a metaphor. The hare represents the sin of lust in the "Seven Deadly Sins"; the black goat represents Satan worship; the apple symbolizes enlightenment and dispute...
Originally, Leon was not interested at all in these designs deliberately increasing the viewing threshold.
Most directors who suffer from pretentiousness and want to teach the audience a lesson will be taught a hard lesson by the box office in the end.
But Robert's every design is extremely exquisite. The philosophical speculation conveyed through the script does not feel deliberate at all.
Combining all clues points to a theme—exploration of the essential evil of human fear.
"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown."
He realized he had picked up a big treasure. James Wan is a "orthodox" horror film director adept at sensory stimulation with plasma splashing and astonishing plot twists as the core.
Then Robert is a stream-of-consciousness master adept at dissecting audience psychology.
Usually, this type of horror film is very difficult to shoot and can easily make the audience fall asleep collectively in the cinema.
But if shot brilliantly enough, not only can it win generous box office returns, but it also has a good chance of winning awards at influential international film festivals.
For SLW Apocalypse, a fledgling film company, the importance of awards is no less than the box office.
Leon was too focused when studying the script; the hour hand pointed to 11 o'clock unknowingly.
The two girls also felt sleepy and yawned one after another.
"I think I have to go, Miss Taylor. Meeting you is the happiest thing since I came to America!"
"Me too, dear. Remember to call me often!" Anya's sweetness and gentleness conquered Taylor in just one night; the two seemed to have become best friends who talk about everything.
Leon tilted his head watching all this.
Friendship between women is different from men; it seems not to need time as a lubricant at all.
But most of the time it comes fast and goes fast too.
Two days later, Tim lived up to expectations and settled Scott. Taylor will become a guest performer for Leon's show in Nashville.
After the news was disclosed via social networks, it immediately caused a sensation among music fans—this most watched couple in the music scene made their first joint appearance and performance.
Performance tickets were snapped up in less than an hour.
The performance location is at the Grand Ole Opry, a live music performance venue with shows every week.
Visitors can watch live concerts here and feel the pure country music atmosphere.
Music legends such as Kenny Rogers, John Denver, Dolly Parton, and even Elvis Presley have performed here.
Because of this, it is hailed as the "Sanctuary of Country Music."
In the backstage dressing room, Taylor took a box of fried chicken from the assistant and shook it at Leon twice. "Want a piece?"
"Don't you always say fried chicken burgers are junk food?" Leon complained.
"Nashville fried chicken and fast-food restaurant fried chicken are not the same thing!" Taylor's expression suddenly became serious, shaking her finger. "This is true Southern style, spicy fried chicken with Cajun sauce. The sweet and spicy grilled chicken wings sold by KFC cannot be compared with it at all!"
KFC sweet and spicy grilled wings has a louder name in across the ocean—New Orleans Grilled Chicken.
Actually, there is no New Orleans Grilled Chicken in New Orleans. Cajun sauce originating from Nashville conquered all southern cities.
"Okay..." Leon took a piece of grilled chicken wing from the box, and was immediately amazed after taking a bite.
"How is it? This taste won't disappoint you, right?"
"I have to say, Southerners understand fried chicken..." Leon teased while chewing.
Any cuisine emphasizes inheritance; without inheritance, it is impossible to achieve brilliance.
Fried chicken is a typical "plantation cuisine."
When Scottish plantation owners cooked chicken dishes, they only selected parts with more meat and threw away wings, chicken feet, and chicken necks.
Black slaves would pick them up and fry them in oil.
A family bucket is half the bitter history of black brothers.
Less than half an hour before officially going on stage, Leon's makeup and styling were basically completed.
The stylist completely copied his rough cowboy look in Old Town Road. Even the cow dung on the sole of the shoes was perfectly reproduced with colored clay.
To match Leon's image, Taylor did not choose modern-style clothing.
The stylist team designed a white fluffy gauze dress for her according to the Southern style of the late 19th century, looking like the eldest daughter of a plantation owner.
But Taylor was obviously not satisfied with this, frowning and complaining constantly. "This dress is too tacky. Am I attending a country ball?"
Even though she is a pure-bred country singer, she rarely deliberately caters to the aesthetics of rednecks. Ultra-short hot pants and refreshing camisoles are always her favorites.
This is also why she can break through the limitations of country singers and harvest countless young fans.
"You look good. Ready to see you explode the stage tonight." Leon looked at Taylor's retro styling and said with a smile.
"Explode the stage? No, tonight you are the protagonist here. Nashville fans can't wait to get to know you properly." Saying that, Taylor tapped his cheek lightly.
Less than 20 minutes before the performance started, even backstage, one could feel the increasingly restless sound waves of the audience.
"Ready, Mr. Leon?" The theater manager wiped the sweat from his forehead. Grand Ole Opry hasn't had such heavyweight performance guests for a long time, and two at that.
This performance absolutely allows no mistakes.
"No problem." Leon adjusted his lapel, his boots making a "clack-clack" sound on the ground.
Lowering the brim of the cowboy hat, right hand resting on the prop revolver at his waist, he walked quickly through the passage.
At the same time, all lights in the theater went out. The audience knew this was the signal for the start of the performance, and screams instantly drowned this place.
The guitarist strummed the strings, charming guitar sounds piercing the darkness.
Followed by the sound of Leon's boots stepping on the floor, forming the prelude atmosphere sound with the guitar.
The audience immediately quieted down, holding their breath and staring at the stage.
Yeah, I'm gonna take my horse to the old town road
I'm gonna ride 'til I can't no more
The spotlight lit up. Leon held the microphone stand with one hand and the brim of his hat with the other.
Singing to the climax of the song, he pushed the stand down hard. The drum beats in the accompaniment became denser and heavier.
The style switched instantly from country to electronic music.
"You can whip your Porsche, I been in the valley, you ain't been up off that porch, now; Can't nobody tell me nothin'..."
According to the design, Leon, who sang high, pulled out the revolver from his waist and spun the gun body while singing.
The staff under the stage handed over signed CDs. Leon threw these CDs to the audience seats, instantly triggering a scramble.
"Awesome, Taylor's boyfriend doesn't seem as bad as the media says~"
"I've been brainwashed by this song these days. Honestly, although it's plugged in (electronic), it can't be denied the style is very country..."
The audience sitting in the front row whispered. Leon's avant-garde country music moved the picky Southern listeners.
After a song was sung, the accompaniment still didn't stop.
The staff threw two cans of beer onto the stage, and Leon caught them steadily.
Then raised them high above his head and smashed them together hard.
Bang—!!
The impact deformed the beer cans instantly, foam and liquid splashing out.
Leon raised his head and poured two cans of beer into his mouth, his performance outfit wet from head to toe.
"One more, one more!" The rough behavior instantly ignited the restless hormones of the audience; shouts came wave after wave.
This was not an improvisation but part of the stage design, from the hand of the Columbia Records PR team.
Their idea was that the concept of a street hooligan might be a bit too avant-garde for conservative Southern audiences, while the image of a rough country hooligan would be more accepted.
Judging from the reaction of the live audience, this little trick was designed very successfully.
After the cheers gradually subsided, Leon grabbed the microphone and shouted: "How are you, Nashville! Star of the South!"
"Yeah!" The huge sound wave almost lifted the dome of the theater.
"This is my first time in Nashville, but just this once I fell in love with this city. Just now backstage I tasted Nashville spicy fried chicken. Who wouldn't love Cajun sauce!"
"Yes!"
Leon established an emotional connection with the audience through food topics; the sound wave on the scene rose wave after wave.
Human stomachs are connected to souls. Almost everyone thinks the food of their hometown is the best food in the world.
Hometown landscapes and customs can be complained about, but food absolutely not; this is the bottom line for most people.
The cunning Leon made full use of this, and then said, "The meaning of this city to me is so different, because of a girl. Do you know her name?"
"Taylor, Taylor, Taylor!!"
Before he finished speaking, the audience couldn't wait to shout the name of the Queen of Nashville.
"Look at the audience's reaction." Leon looked back backstage. "Come out quickly, honey; the audience and I can't wait anymore."
As soon as the voice fell, Taylor appeared in a white gauze dress. The image completely different from usual performances immediately caused a sensation, especially among those older rednecks.
Blonde hair, red lips, tall figure, long skirt...
This is almost every redneck's ultimate fantasy of a goddess.
"The stage is yours." Leon kissed Taylor lightly on the cheek. Just as he was about to go backstage to rest a little, he was stopped by her.
"Wait a moment, honey."
"What?"
While he was puzzled, Taylor's red lips had already pressed over.
The defense line between lips and teeth was easily breached, skillfully entangled together.
"OMG!"
"Is this real?"
The audience climaxed collectively; their flushed cheeks looked even more excited than the two parties on stage.
They separated only after about twenty seconds.
Leon showed an unsatisfied expression, tucking Taylor's hair. "Isn't it too excessive?"
"Not at all; this is Nashville~"
After speaking, she smiled playfully at Leon and walked straight to the center of the stage.
Every time she wanted to pick up the microphone to speak, she would always be interrupted by cheers immediately.
After pulling back and forth several times, Taylor finally got a chance to speak. "I have a special gift to bring to you, Nashville, my dear family."
"This is a new song that hasn't been released yet. Tonight will be my first time performing this song."
Cheering all night, most of the audience's throats were hoarse to losing voice, but hearing such heavyweight news, they still roared regardless of the stinging pain in their throats.
This woman simply spoils her hometown fans too much.
"It was Leon who gave me the inspiration to write this song. You'll know why later."
"This song is for you, I Knew You Were Trouble."