Chapter 006: A Funeral

After calming down, Lance realized that a scrutinizing gaze was fixed upon him, seemingly probing into his current oddity from every angle. Lance knew that it was George's gaze; he was an intelligent man, and of a particularly astute kind, so it was impossible for him not to notice Lance's peculiarity

George was indeed sizing up Lance before him, with his heroic eyebrows, deep blue eyes, well-defined nose, and thin lips, all intricately outlined like a traditional ink wash painting. His jet-black hair, neatly styled in a side part, added to his striking appearance. The elegant yet piercing aura that emanated from him possessed a deadly allure, making it impossible not to be captivated.

This is not the Lance that George knew. It made George's heart tighten once again; could it be that Lance had truly sensed his secret

Ryan soon caught sight of Lance's figure. Ignoring Lance had never been an easy task, and especially today, after Lance's appearance, he had allocated a portion of his thoughts to constantly monitor Lance's every move. Now, as Lance suddenly approached him, Ryan found himself somewhat unprepared—he had anticipated numerous possibilities, with a direct encounter being the least likely. Yet, it was happening in reality; with each step Lance took closer, Ryan's heart raced a little faster.

Lance pushed away George, who was trying to help him up with his right hand, and stood up by himself. He instinctively reached into his suit pocket but did not find what he was looking for. His brows furrowed slightly as he still regarded this place as 2015, but it was actually 2002, and he should have been accustomed to this change. However, soon his brows relaxed again, and he let out a gentle sigh, allowing all the chaos to settle completely. He still regarded this place as 2015, but it was actually 2002, and he should have been accustomed to this change. However, soon his brows relaxed again, and he let out a gentle sigh, allowing all the chaos to settle completely

A single sentence left George momentarily stunned, and he soon scoffed with a laugh, giving Lance a punch on the shoulder, "Get lost!" This was the Lance he was familiar with. So, was what he felt just now merely an illusion?

In the midst of conversation, Lance had already arrived in front of Ryan and Barry, his face adorned with a flawless social smile. He gentlemanly extended his right hand, saying, "Mr. Meyer, it is a pleasure to meet you." After gently shaking Barry's right hand, he politely turned to another direction, "Hey, Ryan, it's good to see you again"

Even though George had known Lance for such a long time, he could not help but marvel at how God favored this man so much. With a chiseled face and strong, three-dimensional features, almost every line was meticulously crafted, meeting the most stringent aesthetic standards from any angle. However, in those clear and bright eyes, there was a kind of fragility that seemed ready to break, as if he could never harm others, yet others could easily hurt him. That blend of wildness and gentleness in his demeanor left one in awe of the Creator's exquisite craftsmanship.

The last time he appeared at a funeral, he made a fatal mistake, immersed in the joy and chaos of time travel, putting all his efforts into concealing his own flaws, to the extent that he overlooked everything that happened at the funeral. He forgot how Ryan colluded with others, betrayed him, and used tricks to expel him from the company, leaving him with nothing. In the end, he even left behind a mess and walked away, allowing Western Mirror Film Industry to grow stronger and stronger, until he could no longer compete.

Just as George was about to test the waters, Lance spoke up first, a slight smile blooming at the corner of his mouth, revealing a hint of cunning and mockery, "Don't fall in love with me"

However, Lance knew that beneath this gentlemanly exterior lay a treacherous, duplicitous, and shameless thief. Therefore, the two punches he had just delivered to George were certainly not a mistake; they could be considered a small advance on interest. However, today, George was not the main target he needed to deal with; it was Ryan who was. He still had plenty of time to settle accounts with George.

"Who threw those two punches just now?" Lance's words successfully captured George's attention, and he complained vehemently.

George's voice came softly from the side, "I am going over to greet two friends." Lance turned his head, followed George's gaze, and then saw the figures of Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, the couple. Lance also gently nodded his chin, as a way of acknowledging the greeting.

George naturally had no objections and quickly walked alongside Lance towards the gathering of people

"Should all the filming work be done in Tokyo? You know there are pros and cons to this, are you sure there are no issues?" Barry's voice quickly drew Ryan's attention back; compared to Lance, Barry was the most important. Ryan chuckled lightly a couple of times, masking his panic while his thoughts quickly settled down.

Ryan spoke slightly faster than usual, and Barry immediately noticed the anomaly. He sensitively detected Ryan's distraction in his peripheral vision. Naturally, he turned his head and saw Lance approaching, which caused a smile to curve at the corners of Barry's mouth. He meaningfully glanced back and forth between Lance and Ryan, politely and silently making a little room, becoming an observer.

You now look like you crawled out of a garbage heap! Lance continued to tease, his eyelids slightly lowered to conceal his brief moment of panic, and then he quickly raised his gaze again, scrutinizing George, who had regained his elegance and composure. If it weren't for the bruises on his face and the slightly swollen corner of his mouth, one would hardly notice his disheveled state

However, the Lance before him seemed somewhat unfamiliar, having shed the vitality and innocence of youth, as well as the despair and frustration of the low points in life. Most importantly, the absolute trust that belonged to their friendship appeared to have become hazy, following the fragility reflected in his eyes. Although Lance was clearly standing right in front of him, George felt as if Lance was both distant and near, floating and elusive, as if he could not be grasped at all. The absolute trust that belonged to their friendship seemed to have become hazy, following the fragility reflected in his eyes. Although Lance was clearly standing right in front of him, George felt as if Lance was both distant and near, floating and elusive, as if he could not be grasped at all.

Lance patted George on the shoulder and pointed to the crowd that was gradually gathering not far away, "Let's go, everyone is already here, if we don't head over now, we will be late." Lance noticed Ryan and Barry engaged in conversation, and he had little time left. He couldn't afford to linger with George; he needed to join the funeral as soon as possible. If he remembered correctly, Ryan had ulterior motives for attending this funeral.

Quiet, still quiet, Lance and George exchanged glances, and the air seemed to solidify around them. After about a second, the corners of both their mouths relaxed simultaneously, and then they burst into hearty laughter. The unspoken understanding between friends surged within their laughter, as if they had returned to the most beautiful moments of their time together

Even if one has experienced it once, the second time does not necessarily imply that one is already proficient; however, at the very least, he is not completely devoid of experience

Objectively speaking, Karel's influence as a director is limited, yet today's funeral appears to be quite lively, with many important figures from Hollywood in attendance. In his previous life, Li Jin did not understand the intricacies of the situation and was utterly perplexed; however, now he is very clear that in similar occasions, what matters is not the deceased, but rather those who are present.

Lance, however, was completely unyielding, confidently stating, "That serves you right for bringing up a taboo topic"

Ryan was merely thrown off balance by Lance's sudden action, but in fact, he was well aware that he was the victor in the competition between him and Lance. Therefore, his smile quickly returned to its usual composure. "Barry, we all know that shooting overseas is not an easy task. If possible, we would prefer to stay in Los Angeles for studio shooting. In fact, I believe that San Francisco's Little Tokyo is a wise choice. However, if there is a need for overseas shooting, trust me, we are absolutely fully prepared."

Lance's right hand was placed upright and straight in front of him, without haste, embarrassment, or awkwardness, simply extending politely in mid-air, waiting calmly and patiently for a response. Ryan quickly realized that, in front of Barry, it was he who was being impolite for not extending his hand sooner. He hurriedly reached out his right hand and grasped Lance's slightly cold palm, "Long time no see, Lance"

The same mistake, he will not and cannot make again

"I’m sorry, I’m sorry." George's voice rang out from above. Lance looked up and saw George's face filled with panic and astonishment, clearly indicating that George had not anticipated falling down so abruptly.

After expressing condolences to the host, Becky Blair, at today's funeral, Lance began to survey his surroundings. While taking a moment to calm himself, he also attempted to discern Ryan's true purpose for attending the funeral amidst the surging crowd

George sensed a hint of bitterness in Lance's smile. He turned to look at Gwenyth, who was gradually walking away in the distance, and the last trace of doubt in his heart dissipated. He raised his hands and said, "Brother, it was my fault, entirely my fault." This statement made both of them chuckle lightly, as if a smile could erase their grievances. "However, man, your punch just now was a bit too fierce, wasn't it? Those who didn't know might think we had turned against each other."

After a moment of contemplation, Lance decided to take the initiative and walked directly towards the location of Ryan and Barry.

Karel Reisz is one of the most important directors after World War II. In the 1950s, he became a representative figure of the Free Cinema movement as a film critic and documentary director. His works, such as "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning," "Morgan," and "The French Lieutenant's Woman," are all regarded as classics in film history

However, unlike in the second life, this time Lance was not flustered at all. Instead, he calmly turned his head and looked directly into George's eyes, meeting the probing exploration with composure. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, sketching a teasing smile, as he began to scrutinize every detail of George's expression, as if trying to glimpse the true feelings hidden beneath the mask of "close friends" that George was currently wearing.

In short, funerals are held for the living

Lance gently raised an eyebrow, "Who knows, perhaps one day, we will be."

Ryan was clearly not mentally prepared, while Lance stood calmly in front of him, wearing a perfectly measured smile, accompanied by a hint of familiarity between friends, neither too deliberate nor too distant, as if everything that had happened before had never occurred. This version of Lance sent shivers down Ryan's spine.

Retracting his gaze, Lance looked around but was unable to find any clues. There were many important figures present at the scene today, and each one could potentially be Ryan's target. The possibilities and uncertainties were rising sharply. He only knew that Ryan was definitely not here just for the funeral, but he did not know where to begin.