I've been reading books of old
The legends and the myths
Achilles and his gold
Hercules and his gifts
Iron Man's control
And batman with his fists
And clearly I don't see myself upon that list
On stage, as the soft, mellow background music began, Avril played her guitar, and over 20 kindergarten children swayed along.
One little boy and one little girl were the first to sing, their voices clear and bright.
These children were all from little Wendy's school, either in his class or an adjacent one.
After Eric assigned the task, everyone had been rehearsing for a week, keeping it a secret from little Wendy.
For children, it wasn't about singing perfectly or having flawless pitch; simply standing there was enough to overshadow the best singers in the world.
This song, "Something Just Like This," co-written by Coldplay and The Chainsmokers, goes without saying how famous it is.
Countless people came to know The Chainsmokers through this song, and it won numerous awards.
The melody is very catchy, especially the intro, which, like spring rain, can nourish the softest part of one's heart.
The first time Eric heard it, he even thought it was a soundtrack from a superhero movie.
Later, when he understood the meaning of the song, he loved it even more.
As a famous song covered by countless people, "Something Just Like This" belongs to The Chainsmokers, but it has also transcended their scope.
It's the type that values emotion over technique; as long as it's sung movingly enough, there's no difference between a male or female voice.
This time, Eric gave the song to Avril to sing, only slightly changing one word.
He changed "Spiderman" to "Iron Man," which still rhymes in an English context and sounds perfectly natural.
After all, Spider-Man 2 hasn't even finished its run yet; I spent so much effort, I can't promote it for you!
On the big screen, close-up shots clearly showed little Wendy clapping happily.
He even called out the names of the two children singing: "Darren, Kay!"
Many audience members involuntarily showed an 'auntie smile' on their faces. How to describe that feeling?
It was a warm, comfortable feeling in their hearts.
At this moment, the first verse finished, and the remaining children opened their mouths simultaneously.
The combined voices, though lacking brightness, became more powerful, instantly uplifting people's spirits.
But she said where'd you wanna go
How much you wanna risk
I'm not looking for somebody with some superhuman gifts
Some superhero, some fairytale bliss
Just something I can turn to
Somebody I can kiss
I want something just like this
Doo~~doo~~doo, doo~~doo~~doo
Wow!
CBS, NBC, and Lionheart Network, three TV stations with close ties to MGM, broadcast the entire process live.
Many viewers in front of their televisions also exclaimed in admiration.
The song was good to listen to, but more importantly, it was very meaningful.
As the children hummed softly, Avril put down her guitar and picked up the microphone in front of her.
She had specially changed into her everyday clothes today, wearing only light makeup.
The moment she opened her mouth, her voice, soft yet powerful, reached everyone's ears.
I've been reading books of old
The legends and the myths
The testaments they told
The moon and its eclipse
And Superman unrolls a suit before he lifts
But I'm not the kind of person that it fits
As the song reached its climax again, little Wendy's parents had already walked onto the stage.
Seeing them, the child happily pointed at the choir in front of him, and Avril playfully winked at him.
Wendy's father watched everything with a joyful smile, while his mother wiped away tears with her hands.
They never imagined that simply going to see a movie that day would lead to such a big event.
Tens of thousands of people fulfilling a dream for their child—surely this was the happiest day since their son was born.
At this point, the performance had reached its final climax. Avril waved her hand, and a group of children immediately ran over, surrounding Wendy's family.
"Wendy, now you're a superhero, you must be brave!"
"I will, Missy!"
"Brother, I'll be waiting for you at school. I have a super cool toy to play with you," a little Black child said.
"What toy is it?"
"I can't tell you now, you have to wait until you're well. Okay, actually, it's my new transformers, I have a whole set!"
"Wendy, here's this, I made it myself this weekend," a little girl took a small box of cookies from her pocket.
"I've tasted them, they're sweet and delicious. My grandma also said they're great."
On the big screen, a group of four- and five-year-olds spoke the most moving blessings in the purest tones.
This scene touched countless people, making their hearts feel a heavy blow.
Although their noisy voices disrupted the singing, and Avril's performance was mixed with a lot of noise.
But who would mind?
These childish voices not only didn't make the song sound bad, but rather elevated it. You would never find a more real, more moving scene than this.
It's imaginable that even if Avril later released a studio version, even with the best equipment and the most advanced techniques, it would absolutely never surpass this version.
Finally, this dream-fulfilling journey came to an end amidst excitement and emotion.
MGM did not deliberately show its presence. Eric himself did not appear, nor did he even send a representative.
Because he didn't want to disrupt the harmonious atmosphere on site. Going up to speak a few words in such a situation would simply add a commercial stench to this perfect journey.
Not only would it not have a good effect, but it would also attract some people's disgust.
People would say, "So you weren't doing it for the child, but for movie promotion," "Capitalists are never good people," "Children are just tools to be exploited," and so on.
This was also why he involved a public welfare organization from the beginning.
After the event, a large number of media would certainly interview little Wendy's family, and they would know what to say.
Moreover, superheroes like Iron Man and Captain America also made a big appearance, especially the physical Iron Man suit made by the prop master, which would definitely attract a lot of attention from young people and young men.
In Beverly Hills, Eric watched the entire live broadcast with Elizabeth in his arms.
"That's really good, we did a great thing. Look at little Wendy's state, he looks really happy."
"Helping others brings joy. When you help others, you feel happy, it's just like that."
"So that's why you all like to participate in charity events?"
Eric chuckled, and the women also shook their heads repeatedly.
"Elizabeth, charity events are for show. If I could, I wouldn't want to participate anyway."
"That's right, and you don't even know where the money you donate actually goes."
"Aren't financial records made public?"
"Do you believe what they make public?"
"Uh..."
Gadot was painting Theron's toenails: "I received another invitation, for this Wednesday, to be held in Seattle."
"Then just show your face, eat and drink, and don't donate money," Elizabeth suggested.
Eric pinched her cheek: "That won't do. Money still has to be donated, unless you want to be shameless like Ruby Lin."
"Ruby Lin, who is she?"
"A very strange female celebrity. She participates in charity events every year but never donates money. After being exposed, her reputation plummeted, and she became a laughingstock."
"No one wants to be friends with her, and no one is willing to hire her for acting anymore."
"Wow! Is it that serious? Luckily, no charity events have approached me yet."
"Oh, right, seeing little Wendy and them is so cute, I want a baby too. How about we stop using protection in the future?"
Eric was almost thrown off balance by Elizabeth's sudden change of topic.
Among his women, she was the only one he absolutely had to use protection with, even though Rose had said that condoms only have a 97% success rate, they still had to be worn.
If Elizabeth's stomach got big, the sky would truly fall.
"Baby, you can't have such thoughts right now, it's too early for you."
"I let you play juno, not to actually become juno. juno isn't cool at all, okay?"
Ashley, Mary, Nicole, Theron, and Gadot also advised her, saying that even if they couldn't get pregnant, she, the little ancestor, definitely couldn't.
If she got pregnant, this scoundrel of a man beside them wouldn't get out for several years in jail.
If he went in, what would they do? What about this vast business empire? Those are all their assets.
"Alright, alright, I just said it casually, it was a joke. Why are you taking it seriously?"
"I'm not a child who doesn't understand anything; I'm very clear about the seriousness."
"Better be!"
Nicole still said with some unease: "In the future, when you two are intimate, I must be there to supervise, just in case."
However, her scheme was immediately exposed. Theron, with her arms crossed, teased: "I think you want it, don't you? Eric can't give it to Elizabeth, so if you're there, he can just give it all to you, how cunning!"
"No way! I'm purely doing it for everyone's good."
Ring.
Ashley picked up the phone: "It's Avril calling. Looks like she wants to thank you."
Noticing the women all scrutinizing him, Eric coughed a few times: "What? Why are you all looking at me like that? Speakerphone, I'll put it on speakerphone for you to hear, isn't that enough?"
"Hi, Avril, it's me."
"Of course I know it's you. Why didn't you come to the event?"
"It wasn't appropriate. I didn't want the event to become commercial."
"Okay, then where are you?"
"I'm home."
"It's noon. Let's have lunch together, at that same burger joint."
Cough!
"Hmm? Did I interrupt you?" Avril asked, hearing Mary suddenly cough.
"No. What about the matter we discussed last time? Have you thought about it?"
"I have some ideas, which is why I need to talk to you in person. Of course, if it's inconvenient for you, we can do it another day."
"OK, then wait for me."
Hanging up the phone, Ashley pretended to sniff: "I think I smell something fishy."
"That same restaurant last time, which means this isn't the first time, right?" Theron walked up to Eric and looked down at him.
Shrugging helplessly, Eric rolled his eyes: "How can you look at me like that? You heard it just now, we need to discuss business."
"Hmph! Who knows if that's a secret code you two arranged?" Nicole sneered.
"Exactly. Otherwise, why would you give her such a beautiful song to sing? UTA has plenty of singers too," Gadot also questioned.
"You have a problem, kid!" Mary also stood up.
Eric was on the verge of tears. I damn well want to, but I haven't done anything yet. Do you have to treat me like a thief?
He looked at Elizabeth, who nodded: "No matter what happens, I trust you."
"See? This is the attitude a wife should have towards her husband. You all need to reflect on yourselves."
"If we don't trust each other, how can we live together for a lifetime?"
"Let's go, baby, I'll take you with me, so these women know that I would never do anything to betray you."
Seeing the two appear together, Avril was a little surprised.
"Elizabeth was playing at my house, and she's hungry too."
"Hello, Avril, I like your songs."
"Hehe. I like your acting too. Hurry up and order, or I can recommend the most delicious things to you."
The food was quickly served, and the three ate and chatted.
"Regarding that matter, what do you want to talk to me about?"
Avril pulled out a half-eaten chicken leg: "Of course, it's about money. That's the most crucial issue."
"Money? What money?"
"The breach of contract fee. Didn't you say that if I switched companies, UTA would pay the breach of contract fee?"
Whoa. Oh.
Eric quickly took a sip of cola to clear his choked throat.
"Avril, are you really preparing?"
"Yeah! Once a decision is made, don't delay. That's always been my style. Did you think I was joking?"
"Uh, I thought you were, but now I know you're not."
Little Elizabeth's eyes widened: "Avril, you're coming to work at UTA? You're going to sign with UTA?"
"Yes, Eric promised me that I would get the best resources at UTA, and he would also write a hit single for me. I think it's a good deal."
"I've already checked the breach of contract fee; it's about 25 million dollars. I personally can't afford it anyway."
After speaking, she looked at Eric, her meaning clear: it was the big boss's turn to state his position.
"Give me a few minutes."
Eric walked to a secluded spot and called Michael, explaining the current situation.
If it were any other record company, Michael would hesitate, as poaching like this would be breaking industry rules. But Avril was with Sony.
Let's do it!
Poaching from Sony was simply too satisfying.
Everyone knew about the animosity between the two sides. If you have the guts, come poach from my house too.
Moreover, with copyright protection, Sony couldn't do anything to UTA and would have to swallow it, even if it made them spit blood in anger.
Returning to his seat, Eric opened his arms, with Avril looking on expectantly: "Welcome to ME Records!"