weddingnovel Chapter 61 The Butterfly's Wings
Chapter 61 The Butterfly's Wings
The fluttering of a butterfly's wings not only stirs a breeze in the silk threads of Suzhou embroidery, but also unleashes a hurricane called "Hunger" on the Hollywood wasteland across the ocean.
In Hollywood gossip magazines, this Malibu beach villa is often described as "the nest of America's sunniest man".
But at this moment, the villa's floor-to-ceiling windows were tightly closed, and heavy curtains blocked out Southern California's most generous sunshine.
Matthew sat shirtless in the shadows, with a well-worn copy of "Dallas Buyers Club" on his lap.
"Matthew, your intake today is below the physiological limit."
Brian pushed open the door and came in, holding a glass of nutrient solution that looked like mud. It was a low-carb, minimalist supplement formulated by a nutritionist.
"We're still waiting for a reply from Columbia Pictures. They even hinted that the salary could be negotiated to eight million US dollars. If you just give us a nod, we won't have to drink this 'dishwater' anymore."
Matthew looked up, but Brian froze.
Just a week later, Matthew's face, once hailed as one of the "sexiest faces in the world," has begun to show a sickly sharpness.
The once full apple cheeks have disappeared, replaced by a hollow below the cheekbones.
"Brian, do you know what Ron Woodruff was thinking before he died?"
Matthew's voice sounded a little hoarse, a result of being on the verge of dehydration for a long time.
He wondered why God had given him a body as strong as a Texas bull, yet allowed it to rot away in just thirty days.
He stood up, and the outline of his ribs was beginning to appear faintly under his skin.
"You're destroying yourself, Matthew! For a Chinese director who hasn't even officially invited you yet!" Brian roared angrily.
"No, if he goes back to Los Angeles and sees me still as that cool cowboy on the beach, the deal is completely ruined."
In mid-June, Matthew McConaughey's scale stopped at 152 pounds.
But the numbers kept going down. The nutritionist reduced the daily intake from 1800 calories to 1400 calories, with protein sources limited to chicken breast and egg whites, and carbohydrates almost gone.
Brian yelled at him three times on the phone: "You haven't fucking signed the contract yet!"
But every time he yells, the next day he'll still show up at his door with new nutritional supplements.
Matthew ignored him and stood in front of the mirror, lifting up his T-shirt.
The outline of the ribs was clearly visible under the skin, from the fourth to the eighth, each one was equidistant as if measured by a ruler.
He reached out and pressed his chest. It wasn't the hardness of muscles engorged after a workout at the gym; it was the hardness of bone, covered only by a thin layer of muscle and skin that was still thinning.
"What was Ron Woodruff thinking before he died?" he asked himself in the mirror, his voice hoarse.
His vocal cords became dry from being constantly on the verge of dehydration, causing his voice to crack at the end, like a string that had been stretched too tight.
Brian didn't answer because he knew Matthew wasn't asking him.
Lower Manhattan, New York.
Anne Hathaway has been working as an intern at Women's Wear Daily for two weeks.
The editorial office of this fashion industry newspaper is hidden on the fourth floor of an old building in Soho. The mirror in the elevator lobby is bigger than the office, and everyone who enters or exits looks in the mirror before looking at themselves.
Her supervisor was Susan, a woman who had been in the fashion media industry for twenty years. When she first met Annie, she only said three things: "Your workstation is next to the break room," "The button on the left side of the coffee machine is for espresso," and "Don't wear wedge heels, the devil in the woods will kill you."
She smiled as she said the last sentence. She knew why Annie had come here, and it was also a recognition of an actress who was willing to learn from scratch.
Fox's production department had informed the newspaper's senior management beforehand about Anne's internship at Women's Wear Daily.
It's no secret that Hollywood actors immerse themselves in real life for roles; it's not uncommon in the industry. However, most actors who come for internships only stay for three to five days, take a few photos, release a press release, and then leave.
Susan has met several.
Annie is different. She clocks in at 7:30 every morning and gets off work at 6:00 in the evening, with a half-hour lunch break in between.
During her first week, her main task was to organize sample copies and archive back issues. Susan asked her to go through the entire Women's Wear Daily from the past year, not just looking at the headlines, but at the spelling of brand names, designers' full names, and the dates and locations of fashion weeks in each article.
"Andrea hadn't even read 'Runway' before she joined the show," Lin Ruiyang told her during the audition.
"So her first mistake was not knowing who Miranda Priestley was. You're better than her, you know who you're playing, but you need to know what she faces every day."
The following week, Susan started letting her answer the phone.
The phone lines at fashion media outlets are different from those in regular offices. The person calling here might be the public relations director of a brand's headquarters in Paris, or a show coordinator for a fashion week.
It's also possible that the intern was scolded to tears by a tyrant like Miranda and then called to resign.
The first call Anne received was the latter. A girl on the other end of the line was crying so hard she couldn't speak clearly, and Anne held the receiver and listened to her cry for three minutes.
Susan walked over, took the phone from her, and said in an extremely calm tone, "Send your resignation to the HR email address, CC me," and then hung up.
At that moment, Anne Hathaway clearly felt the most fundamental and authentic aspect of the fashion industry: extreme efficiency, and the almost ruthless order that accompanied it.
After hanging up the phone, Susan didn't comment on the crying girl, but simply turned to Annie and said:
"Listen, the fashion industry doesn't believe in tears; it only believes in the final cut, sample magazines, and runway shows. The mistake that girl made wasn't failing to complete the task, but rather that she tried to use emotions to cover up her professional abilities that didn't match the job requirements."
In the fashion industry, magazine editors are already much better off than brand designers; at least these interns have the opportunity to learn from their mistakes.
Anne nodded silently.
Over the next few days, Anne's workload intensified. She was assigned to organize the sample room, known as "The Closet," a veritable fashion mecca.
Those were ready-to-wear garments, handbags, and accessories sent in by countless top brands for the photoshoot. Anne needed to categorize them by color scheme, material, and brand history.
That was extremely physically demanding work. She walked through a room filled with silk and leather, wearing stilettos that she wasn't used to.
Her fingers were red from the stiff zippers of the dress, and her nostrils were filled with the distinctive dry cleaning scent of expensive fabrics.
By the third week, she could accurately identify the brand, year, and collection of an unlabeled silk shirt within three seconds.
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Yanjing, North Third Ring Road.
China's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.
2005 was an extremely special year for the Chinese film industry. It marked the centenary of the birth of Chinese cinema.
The atmosphere in the meeting room was solemn and dignified.
"A letter has been sent from Toronto."
An elderly leader wearing glasses put down the documents in his hand and looked around at the heavyweight figures in the film industry present.
"To commemorate the centenary of Chinese cinema and the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Canada, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has specially set up a Chinese Film Screening Week. The Canadian side attaches great importance to this event and hopes that we can send a representative delegation with an international perspective."
A murmur of discussion broke out in the conference room.
While the Toronto International Film Festival may not be as competitive as Cannes, Venice, or Berlin, it serves as a bellwether for the North American film market and marks the start of the Oscars season.
"The person chosen to lead this team must not only be knowledgeable in administration, but also in art, and be able to engage in dialogue with those arrogant North American film critics."
Another official tapped on the table.
Han Sanping, sitting in the corner, took a sip of tea and spoke slowly:
"Regarding the selection of personnel, I propose that, in addition to the regular administrative leaders, the delegation must include some new faces that can catch the eye of the international media."
We can't just rely on the old ways of the Loess Plateau to maintain our image; we need to show people our future generation.
"Sanping, do you have any specific recommendations?"
Han Sanping smiled and pulled out several newspaper summaries from his briefcase.
Lin Ruiyang, who came from the Beijing Film Academy.
When he uttered the name, the conference room fell silent for a moment.
"Isn't he too young? Lin Ruiyang is good, but he could be ranked a bit lower," someone raised a concern.
Deputy Director Zhao Shi, sitting in the main seat, flipped through the newspaper summary in front of him, glanced at the preliminary list of the delegation, and finally looked up.
"I know a little about Comrade Xiaolin's situation, and Berlin's performance was indeed impressive. Since Comrade Sanping recommended him, I think we can include him in the delegation list."
Young people should go out and see the world more often, and exchange ideas with international counterparts; it will benefit their future development.
"Alright, let's continue discussing other candidates, especially considering those from mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong."
He tapped the table lightly on the words "two sides of the strait and three regions" and glanced at everyone present.
"On the mainland side, there need to be representatives from all three generations. On the Hong Kong and Taiwan side, there also need to be people who can keep things in check."
He opened a list in front of him and read out a few names. With each name he uttered, someone in the conference room nodded slightly.
After thorough discussion, it was finally decided that a delegation led by Zhao Shi would participate in the celebration on the 15th. The "Myth" crew had the most slots, including director Stanley Tong and lead actors Jackie Chan and Kim Hee-sun.