Chapter 007: Ignite the Flame

Lance turned to Ryan, slightly squinting his eyes, suddenly retracting his smile, and his voice dropped directly, "Buddy, you don't know much about me, there is still a lot more." The malevolence that erupted in that moment startled Ryan, and due to the sheer unexpectedness of it, Ryan's expression became somewhat stiff—although he did not embarrass himself, that was already enough in front of an old fox like Barry.

Lance shrugged, his gaze conveying a precise and restrained hint of regret and surprise. "He can only reschedule the time, rearrange the itinerary, and redo the shooting." This statement elicited an expression of disbelief from Barry, as such occurrences are bound to happen in any film crew—it's not a possibility, but a certainty! However, in America, everything is negotiable; even significant matters like street closures have room for maneuver, let alone a hotel. It is precisely for this reason that the cultural shock is even more intense.

What happened next?" Barry furrowed his brow slightly and asked.

In fact, "Lost in Translation" is a low-budget production, absolutely a small-scale production

Bari, upon hearing such an explanation, was evidently very pleased, a faint smile appearing in his eyes. He opened his mouth to respond, but Ryan, standing beside him, interjected, "Really? I have known you for over ten years, yet I had no idea you had an understanding of Asian culture?"

Lance's seemingly simple words revealed too much information; a foolish person might simply overlook it, but a wise person would ponder it more and delve deeper. Both Ryan and Barry are intelligent individuals

Barry gently nodded his chin, revealing a serious listening demeanor, successfully capturing Lance's attention; not only Barry, but Ryan's attention was also focused on Lance's words at that moment. He vaguely sensed a whiff of danger, yet could not articulate the reason, only able to closely monitor Lance.

Between the three individuals, everything seems harmonious, yet each person's gaze is so profound, concealing the tumultuous waves within their hearts

Lance knew that he had succeeded; his gamble had paid off. He had successfully instigated uncertainty in Barry and Ryan's minds. All he needed to do next was to ignite another spark.

From the fragments of conversation just now, Lance believes that Ryan and Barry still have some doubts about the entire crew's plan to personally travel to Tokyo for filming, and what he needs to do is merely to deepen this hesitation

Please forgive my rudeness, I just overheard your conversation, and it seems I heard that Warner Bros. has a project planned to be filmed in Tokyo? Lance's eyes carried a hint of sincere apology, yet the smile at the corner of his mouth subtly eased the atmosphere, making it easy for others to forgive his abruptness and carelessness

To the point, with lingering resonance. After achieving his purpose, Lance did not intend to stay long and wisely took his leave, saying, "Look, it seems I have appeared at an inopportune moment again. I will leave now and give you two some space." Lance's ambiguous gaze left Barry speechless with laughter, and Ryan couldn't help but tug at the corner of his mouth.

More importantly, a low-budget production does not require collaboration between two companies for filming—more accurately, Warner Bros. does not need to collaborate with Ryan and can complete the production independently; intriguingly, Ryan also does not need to collaborate with Warner Bros., yet he has come seeking collaboration. What does this signify? Is it that the prospects of this project are not promising, or is there an issue with the production team, or does Ryan have other motives? It is intriguing that Ryan also does not need to collaborate with Warner Bros., yet he has come seeking collaboration. What does this signify? Is it that the prospects of this project are not promising, or is there an issue with the production team, or does Ryan have other motives?

Of course! Lance nodded decisively, "However, I have a considerable understanding of Japanese culture. Japan is a country that adheres strictly to etiquette, to the point of being somewhat rigid. Therefore, for a film crew, shooting in Japan is a very challenging and arduous task"

Lance's words were incredibly lighthearted, yet Ryan felt that Lance's gaze always seemed to linger on him, much like underwater seaweed—unseen and untouchable, yet exceedingly irritating. That subtle sharpness kept Ryan's expression perpetually uneasy

Indeed, Barry laughed heartily, with a glimmer of joy evident in his eyes, clearly amused by Lance's words. Ryan couldn't help but tug at the corners of his mouth, his stiff face relaxing somewhat, and then he let out a couple of dry chuckles, finally managing to cover up the awkwardness from earlier.

Bari knew that Lance was speaking to him. He did not want to get involved in the personal feud between Lance and Ryan, but at that moment, Lance's measured words did not evoke any resentment in him. On the contrary, they piqued his curiosity, and with a half-smile, he said, "What? Are you interested?"

"Hehe, is there anyone who is not interested in collaborating with Warner Bros?" Lance chuckled lightly, his somewhat dull voice carrying a hint of magnetism, blossoming in the sunlight. This rhetorical question brought a faint smile to Barry's face. "The real reason is that I have a better understanding of Asian culture, especially China, so when I heard Tokyo, my ears inevitably perked up." After saying this, Lance slightly raised his hands, placing them in front of his chest, making a half-surrender gesture, vividly expressing his apology once again. This rhetorical question brought a faint smile to Barry's face. "The real reason is that I have a better understanding of Asian culture, especially China, so when I heard Tokyo, my ears inevitably perked up." After saying this, Lance slightly raised his hands, placing them in front of his chest, making a half-surrender gesture, vividly expressing his apology once again

"Once everything is settled, we can talk slowly later." Lance shook Ryan's hand again, applying a bit of pressure with his right hand, which caused Ryan a slight twinge of pain. However, before Ryan could retaliate, Lance released his grip, quick and direct, like a rattlesnake. Then, Lance turned to Ryan and offered a faint yet polite smile before turning and leaving.

Lance discerned scrutiny and detachment in Barry's ambiguous smile. Clearly, Barry was merely being polite and accommodating. This indicated that Lance's subsequent words must be chosen with care; moreover, there was Ryan, who was watching closely from the side.

However, what work are you referring to? If it is a large production like 'The Matrix', then please forget everything I just said. Lance aptly expressed his surprise and curiosity, then subtly brought the topic back, saying, "Look, I am just rambling with whom." Lance chuckled lightly, turning to Barry, but his peripheral gaze remained fixed on Ryan, "A project that requires collaboration between two companies must be a major production, right? So, please disregard me!"

I happened to overhear the keyword "Tokyo" just now, and then I caught some fragmented clues from a conversation between Barry and Ryan, which, combined with my own memories... "2002", "Tokyo", "on-location shooting", "Ryan Kavanaugh", all of this pieced together forms a classic masterpiece, "Lost in Translation"

Ryan's hesitation was well concealed; there was not a hint of a flaw in his expression, and outsiders could not discern that he was wavering. However, Lance had known Ryan for ten years and was thoroughly familiar with this close friend. He could clearly see through Ryan's thoughts from the unconscious gesture of adjusting the hem of his clothes.

Ryan stood beside, a flicker of uncertainty flashing in his eyes. On one hand, he was shaken by Lance's words, beginning to worry about the difficulties and setbacks of the on-site filming in Tokyo; on the other hand, he was doubting the authenticity of Lance's statements, after all, he and Lance were not friends at this moment.

Everything that Lance just said is a fact, with no false content whatsoever. Even if Ryan or Barry were to verify it personally, they would absolutely not be exposed. However, Lance's words convey a meaning: if this is a big production, money can make the world go round, and thus all problems will cease to be problems; but if this is a low-budget production, there is no need to go through such trouble, as personally traveling to Japan for filming only complicates matters further. Yet, Lance's words convey a meaning: if this is a big production, money can make the world go round, and thus all problems will cease to be problems; but if this is a low-budget production, there is no need to go through such trouble, as personally traveling to Japan for filming only complicates matters further.

However, before Ryan could speak, Lance's smile once again rose at the corners of his mouth. His pair of azure eyes reflected the shadows of sunlight, shimmering like the dew on the tips of leaves in the morning. "If I were to say that I speak excellent Chinese, you certainly wouldn't believe me, would you?" Those eyes sparkled with brilliant confidence, carrying a hint of teasing, as if the momentary mischief just now was merely Ryan's illusion, and all along it was just a joke played by Lance.

In 2000, Barry Meyer became the CEO of Warner Bros., implementing sweeping reforms that led the company to unprecedented glory. From 2001 to 2010, Warner Bros. ranked among the top three in North American box office nine times over the decade, winning the top spot six times, dominating Hollywood and ushering in an era of blockbuster films unique to Warner Bros. As the helmsman, Barry is not only visionary but also a cunning strategist, not to be underestimated by anyone. Warner Bros. ranked among the top three in North American box office nine times over the decade, winning the top spot six times, dominating Hollywood and ushering in an era of blockbuster films unique to Warner Bros. As the helmsman, Barry is not only visionary but also a cunning strategist, not to be underestimated by anyone

Almost imperceptibly, Lance firmly took control of the conversation's focus and the direction of thought. Meanwhile, the two old foxes, Barry and Ryan, remained oblivious to this shift.

However, Lance should not be aware of his current calculations, so he should not be plotting against himself, right? Ryan hesitantly raised his head and looked at Lance

"Even if you can speak fluent Chinese..." Barry raised an eyebrow, and with that mocking tone, it was clear he did not believe that Lance could speak Chinese— to them, Chinese was no different from hieroglyphics. "However, China is not the same as Japan."

Lance has exerted himself to the utmost; he has made the greatest effort within the limits of his capabilities. His understanding of this funeral is exceedingly limited; he only knows that at this funeral, Ryan achieved a significant breakthrough, the most noteworthy of which is the collaboration agreement for five works with Warner Bros, which has become an immensely important turning point. As for the details of the agreement, the specifics of the collaboration, and so forth, Lance knows nothing at all. His understanding of this funeral is exceedingly limited; he only knows that at this funeral, Ryan achieved a significant breakthrough, the most noteworthy of which is the collaboration agreement for five works with Warner Bros, which has become an immensely important turning point. As for the details of the agreement, the specifics of the collaboration, and so forth, Lance knows nothing at all

A friend of mine once went to Japan to shoot a documentary. He had a verbal agreement with a hotel to film until 4:00 PM. However, as you all know, unexpected situations always arise during film shoots, especially in documentaries. Lance's sincere and focused blue eyes inadvertently caught the attention of Barry and Ryan. As a result, my friend was unable to complete the shoot on time. After 4:00 PM, he was still busy in the hotel, thinking he would apologize to the owner later and offer to cover some additional costs, which should not be a problem. However, unexpectedly, at 4:10 PM, the owner cut off the power to the entire hotel. Barry and Ryan's eyes revealed their surprise. Moreover, my friend was harshly scolded by his Japanese companion, who also expressed that this was a serious breach of trust and disrespect towards the owner.

Ryan stood still, his right hand faintly aching, his clenched teeth nearly ready to shatter.

Lance boldly speculated that Ryan hoped to collaborate with Warner Bros. on the production of "Lost in Tokyo". Perhaps "Lost in Tokyo" is the beginning of a five-project collaboration agreement between Ryan and Warner Bros., and what Lance needs to do is to undermine the possibility of this agreement, sabotaging Ryan's best opportunity for ascendance. If possible, he even hoped to seize this opportunity and hold it firmly in his own hands