The news of 'Pulp Fiction' winning the Palme d'Or spread, and the entire small town of Cannes erupted in excitement. Media reporters scattered throughout the city rushed towards the Palais des Festivals.
Due to the time difference, it was still daytime on both the East and West Coasts of North America. When the news reached there, it caused another stir. Many evening newspapers temporarily changed their layouts, putting the news of 'Pulp Fiction' winning the award on the front page.
After the ceremony, the judges rushed to attend the closing press conference, where they would, as usual, spend some time explaining the reasons for the award results. Simon and the other winners were also arranged in another press conference hall to accept interviews from reporters.
After posing for photos with the box containing the Palme d'Or, everyone sat on the stage, and the Q&A session began, with all the reporters in the hall instantly raising their hands.
The host chose a tall, dark-haired reporter, who, without waiting for the microphone, asked directly: "Simon, I'm Mark Winster from The Hollywood Reporter. As the youngest Palme d'Or winner in the history of the Cannes Film Festival, how do you feel right now?"
Simon smiled and said, "I'm very excited and honoured. This is one of the most memorable moments of my life".
After the warm-up question, Mark Winster continued: "I heard you're preparing for 'Batman,' Simon. Will you continue to make distinctive, anti-genre films like 'Run Lola Run' and 'Pulp Fiction' in the future?"
Simon nodded without hesitation: "Of course, I actually have many very interesting ideas in my mind. It would be a great pity if I couldn't bring them to the big screen. However, I believe the planned 'Batman' will also be a very excellent film, no less than 'Run Lola Run' and 'Pulp Fiction'".
Another reporter asked: "Simon, I'm Peter Richardson from Screen. You just said you have many other ideas. Can you name one?"
"I can't", Simon refused with a smile, saying, "If I tell everyone in advance, there won't be any freshness in the future".
Amidst the light laughter, another reporter was called upon. After taking the microphone, he looked at the stage and said, "Simon, I'm Arthur Brady from The Guardian in the UK. Compared to 'A Short Film About Killing's' exploration of the meaning of life and 'A World Apart's' focus on racial issues, do you think a film like 'Pulp Fiction,' filled with profanity, violence, and drugs, truly deserves the Palme d'Or you hold?"
The Palme d'Or results at the Cannes Film Festival are questioned in various ways most years.
Simon knew very well that he couldn't escape this situation. Hearing the question from The Guardian reporter, he wasn't surprised at all and affirmed without hesitation: "I believe my film deserves this award".
After saying this, without waiting for the other party to press further, Simon proactively explained: "First of all, Arthur, you need to understand one thing: the merits of a film itself are irrelevant to its stance. The judging criteria should encompass all aspects of it as a film, including its script, cinematography, lighting, editing, and so on. I don't deny the profound intent of 'A Short Film About Killing' and 'A World Apart,' but in terms of the overall quality of a film itself, I am confident that 'Pulp Fiction' is superior to them".
Arthur Brady pressed: "According to your view, Simon, should film festivals completely detach from a film's intent and judge a film in a completely neutral way?"
Simon shook his head and said: "This is just an extreme argument you've personally imagined. Film is essentially a vehicle for ideas; filmmakers use it to express what they want to express, and audiences can freely choose what they want to see. As an important bridge facilitating communication between these two, film festivals should be inclusive. Without crossing bottom lines, they need to allow films of various genres, themes, and intentions onto their platform and give them due recognition. As for 'Pulp Fiction,' I didn't deliberately promote gore and violence; this film is essentially a bizarre and absurd black comedy".
As Simon spoke, the reporters below showed thoughtful expressions.
Seeing this, the host no longer gave The Guardian reporter a chance to cause trouble and quickly selected the next questioner.
Only a minority of media outlets were able to enter the Palais des Festivals for interviews. After the brief press conference, Simon and his entourage were immediately surrounded by a swarm of reporters as soon as they left the Palais des Festivals. Amidst the dense flashing lights, media reporters with various accents shouted out questions.
Next, they still had to attend the official celebratory dinner.
Simon no longer bothered to deal with the surrounding reporters, protecting Janette beside him as they squeezed through the crowd and got into a car by the roadside, quickly driving away.
It was late at night when the celebratory dinner ended. Starting the next day, more media reactions about 'Pulp Fiction' winning the Palme d'Or spread further. The discussions and controversies surrounding Simon, a twenty-year-old winner of the Palme d'Or, perhaps the youngest winner whose record might be difficult to break in the future, were naturally imaginable.
History always belongs to the victors.
Just like the 1999 Oscars in the original timeline, 'Shakespeare in Love', which won Best Picture, Best Director, and other awards, carried too much controversy, but it was ultimately the one remembered. The other four nominated films, aside from Spielberg's 'Saving Private Ryan', hardly left much impression on audiences.
As for the award for 'Pulp Fiction', Simon was certain of two things: the quality of the film itself was sufficient to qualify for this award, and there would be no scandals of buying awards or bribery behind the scenes. Therefore, the Palme d'Or in his hand was beyond doubt.
That was enough.
They stayed in Cannes for another day due to various errands. Early on May 25th,
Everyone was packing their luggage, preparing to leave, when a business sedan drove into the mansion and stopped at the villa's entrance. Nastassja Kinski still had that nonchalant look, lazily getting out of the car. The driver unloaded three extra-large suitcases from the trunk and then drove away.
As a main competition jury member, the film festival had originally arranged a hotel for Nastassja Kinski.
Now, that privilege had clearly ended, which was also the reason why the woman had forcefully borrowed a house from Simon on the awards ceremony stage.
Simon and Janette came out to greet her. Nastassja Kinski, seeing Janette, perked up slightly and hugged the woman in greeting, then eyed Simon, and then glanced at her several large suitcases.
Simon pretended not to understand the woman's hint, remaining unmoved.
Janette smiled, took Nastassja Kinski's arm, and walked towards the villa, saying, "Come on, I'll have Neil help you move them later. You can stay in our master bedroom".
Simon followed the two women into the living room. Jennifer and the former real estate agent, Sophia Fessey, also came over to greet Nastassja Kinski. Simon and Janette were leaving Cannes, and the house still needed to be entrusted to Sophia Fessey for care.
Nastassja Kinski, hearing Sophia Fessey's self-introduction, unceremoniously said, "Ms. Fessey, could you please hire a housekeeper for me? And a chef, a maid, and a driver".
Sophia Fessey, not understanding the reason, just nodded and said, "Of course, no problem, Ms. Kinski. I'll send over some candidate lists tomorrow, and you can interview them personally. Is there anything else you need?"
"Not for now", Nastassja Kinski shook her head and calmly gestured towards Simon, adding, "Oh, and put the bill on Westeros".
Sophia Fessey paused, instinctively glanced at Janette, and then looked at Simon.
Simon, feeling Sophia Fessey's ambiguous gaze, leaned back on the sofa somewhat resignedly and said, "They all have to be women".
Sophia Fessey pursed her lips and smiled, saying, "No problem".
Janette and Jennifer also smiled and continued packing, and Nastassja Kinski followed them out.
Simon had just picked up a newspaper for the day when he noticed Sophia Fessey still standing there, and he couldn't help but size her up. The real estate agent, a woman in her thirties, full of feminine charm, was wearing a white blouse and a black pencil skirt today, with low heels, looking very pleasing to the eye.
Noticing Simon looking at her, Sophia Fessey stood still, and after a moment, she asked, "Mr. Westeros, is there anything else?"
Simon put down the newspaper and asked directly, "Sophia, how much money did you earn in the past three years?"
Sophia Fessey thought for a moment and said, "Before tax, about 1.2 million francs".
"Are you married?"
Sophia Fessey didn't shy away and said, "I was, then divorced. I have a pair of children, and I have custody".
"Then, would you be willing to come work for me? I'll pay you 1.2 million francs a year", Simon simply put down the newspaper, looked at the woman, and said, "As for the employment date, until your next marriage".
Sophia Fessey looked at Simon and said, "What do you intend for me to do?"
"Housekeeper", Simon said, "mainly responsible for managing my properties in Europe".
Sophia Fessey said, "Mr. Westeros, you don't seem to have many properties in Europe".
"So, your other task is to continue to help me acquire properties until Westeros's real estate spreads across all major cities in Europe".
A hint of surprise flashed in Sophia Fessey's eyes as she said, "That will cost a lot of money".
Simon said, "Making money is my business".
Sophia Fessey thought for a moment and said, "In that case, Mr. Westeros, 1.2 million francs a year won't be enough".
Simon shrugged, saying, "If you want more, you need to prove it to me first".
Sophia Fessey didn't hesitate much and said, "What should I do next?"
"Draft an employment contract for me yourself", Simon pulled out his checkbook, quickly signed a check, and handed it to Sophia Fessey, saying, "This is your salary for the first year. As for next year, it depends on your performance. You know what I want. You give me your loyalty, and I will give you everything you want. If you deceive me, I will leave you with nothing".
Sophia Fessey took the check and carefully put it away, saying, "You definitely won't be disappointed, Mr. Westeros".
Simon nodded, gestured towards upstairs, and said, "No need for a housekeeper. From now on, you are the housekeeper. Take good care of this place, and also take good care of that woman".
Sophia Fessey nodded and said, "I understand".
Simon leaned back on the sofa, picked up the newspaper, and noticing that the woman still hadn't left, he asked, "Any more questions?"
"Mr. Westeros, you just said", Sophia Fessey hesitated slightly, "that the employment period is until my next marriage".
Simon shrugged and said, "Yes, obviously, this is a man's possessiveness at play".
"Heh, Mr. Westeros, you're quite direct".
"So?"
"I am a normal woman, Mr. Westeros. I already have a good boyfriend. He is..."
"Cohabitation counts too".
"Hmm?"
"I mean, if you plan to cohabit with him long-term, that also counts as marriage. In that case, you'll lose your job".
Sophia Fessey pursed her lips and said, "You really are a tyrannical boss".
Simon said, "It's obvious that a salary of 1.2 million francs a year isn't that easy to get. You can also try to deceive me".
"What if I get caught?"
"As I just said, I might spend 12 million francs to make you realize you shouldn't deceive me". Simon looked up again, glanced at the woman, and asked, "So, do you still want this job?"
Sophia Fessey looked at the check in her hand again and said, "In that case, 1.2 million francs isn't actually that much".
1.2 million francs, at the current exchange rate, was approximately 180,000 US dollars, equivalent to the annual salary of a vice president at a Fortune 500 company. In the 1980s, this level of annual salary was definitely considered high income.
Simon noticed Sophia Fessey's obvious hints in her words and actions after she appeared today, and coupled with his own needs, he made this temporary job offer. Hearing her words, he said, "Sophia, just like raising a cat, you can't always feed them too much; that way, the cat will be more dependent on its owner".
"Mr. Westeros, do you think women are cats?"
"Yes, as one of the most fickle and untameable creatures in this world, I never expect too much from you all," Simon nodded and said, "So, for the first year, it's only 1.2 million francs. However, as long as you satisfy me, perhaps in 10 years, you could get 12 million francs, or even 12 million US dollars".
"Is that a promise?"
"It is".
"I suddenly feel, Mr. Westeros, that at your current spending rate, you might not be able to afford this compensation in ten years".
"That's not an issue, because before then, you might have already decisively left".
Sophia Fessey hesitated this time before saying, "I won't do that"
"I'm glad to hear you say that, but I still can't give you a raise immediately".
Sophia Fessey showed a beautiful, intellectual smile and said, "What if I want to resign one day?"
"You might be responsible for a very large asset soon, so tell me six months in advance".
Sophia Fessey nodded: "Then, Mr. Westeros, I have no more questions".
"But I still have one question", Simon looked at the woman in front of him again, saying, "I need to know what kind of woman I've hired".
Sophia Fessey nodded and said, "I will prepare a resume for you".
"No, I mean, do you have any past experiences that you absolutely don't want outsiders to know about?"
Sophia Fessey thought for a moment, then shook her head: "No".
"In that case, I will hire a detective agency to create a 'resume' about you. I hope you don't mind".
Sophia Fessey said, "I mind very much".
Simon said, "You can stop it, and I can only say it's a pity, but I must ensure that the person I hire has no violent tendencies, history of mental illness, criminal record, and so on".
Sophia Fessey looked at Simon with a strange expression: "Violent tendencies and a history of mental illness?"
Simon was stunned for a moment, then smiled and spread his hands, saying, "That's right, this could also be a very dangerous job. You can think about it carefully and tell me the result before I leave Cannes".
"Mr. Westeros, but you're leaving in an hour"
"Opportunity is fleeting".
Sophia Fessey hesitated for a moment, then said, "I will draft my employment contract as soon as possible".
Simon snapped his fingers: "A wise choice".