King of Hollywood

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"Did you know, I was really angry during that restaurant scene? I finally managed to find a little bit of feeling, and then Dennis ruined it. At that moment, I really wanted to kill him!" Kate said emphatically, stabbing at the bacon on her plate with a fork, as if it were Dennis.

"I have to remind you, Kate, if you keep stabbing, it won't be edible anymore," Adrian said leisurely.

"Even if it becomes minced meat, I can still eat it!" Kate huffed softly, cutting off a small piece and putting it into her mouth, her moist red lips chewing with true gusto.

As they dined, they chatted, talking about the recent film shooting and various issues Kate faced. Naturally, they brought up the one thing that made Kate angriest. Those few scenes in the restaurant were the simplest of all her parts, with the fewest shots required, so Kate had always wanted to have fewer NGs to prove that she had some acting skills. Certain people in the crew had subtly suggested she got the role because of Adrian.

Unfortunately, during a slightly longer semi-rotational shot, it seemed she could pass in one take, but Dennis suddenly sneezed, and the entire scene had to be reshot. If it had just been that, it wouldn't have been so bad. However, for some reason, small problems kept occurring during the subsequent shoots, whether it was Kate suddenly forgetting her lines, the lighting being off, or the cameraman not aligning the shot properly. In the end, they NG'd about ten times before finishing.

How could Kate not be angry? She often complained about Dennis in front of Adrian.

"It seems I should have scheduled the bar scene for later," Adrian joked.

Kate was slightly stunned, then immediately reacted, glaring at him playfully. That bar scene where Kate tricks Dennis by spitting in his drink and then serving it to him when his illness acted up, and Dennis actually drank it, was what Adrian was implying.

"Are you planning never to forget that?" Kate asked through gritted teeth.

"Why should I? Isn't it a fact?" Adrian laughed heartily but quickly waved off the topic. "Let's not dwell on those scenes, Kate. Actually, your progress is quite noticeable. Even I am still learning, and I've learned a lot from this shoot."

"I'm not dwelling on it; I'm just a bit frustrated," Kate said, tossing down her fork and pouting, resting her cheek on one hand while looking out the floor-to-ceiling glass. Her short, masculine haircut, required for the filming, made her look both pure and adorable.

Adrian shook his head with a laugh and reached out to caress her cheek. "Don't think too much. These days are Thanksgiving; let's go back after eating. Let me think about where to take you for a stroll tomorrow."

"Alright," Kate drawled playfully, her high nose nudging Adrian's palm cheekily.

It should have been an afternoon filled with joy and sweetness—if not for the events that followed.

"This is a robbery, everyone stay seated! I'll repeat, this is a robbery! If you don't want to die, be honest!" Two white men suddenly jumped up from their chairs, brandishing guns and shouting.

"I knew it!" Adrian rolled his eyes discreetly. Here was not far from the Los Angeles slum; the security was nowhere as good as in other districts. If it weren't for the famous flea market here, he wouldn't have brought Kate.

He thought it was still early, and nothing would happen after having a meal and leaving. He didn't expect this to actually occur... What were these guys thinking, robbing in broad daylight, and robbing a restaurant? Adrian slightly frowned then grasped Kate's hand, who was pale with fear.

"Don't be afraid, nothing will happen," Adrian said softly. "Just do as they say. It's daytime now, they won't stay here long."

Kate trembled, nodding, clinging to Adrian's hand tightly.

"Hurry up, gentlemen! Take out your wallets and throw them into this bag, quickly!" A robber came along the dining tables. Though he looked skinny enough to be blown over by a gust of wind, and his waving weapon was just a six-shot revolver, the men and women seated obediently took out their wallets and put them into the bag he held.

This was quite normal. In the United States, the most important rule when facing robbers was to do as they say. At this moment, the robber was the boss; all his words must be followed. Only people with a recklessly heated brain would try to become heroes and topple him, but this wasn't a movie—you could get killed.

"Your turn, sir, your wallet," said the skinny robber as he approached Adrian's table.

Sir? Adrian raised an eyebrow and then pointed to his jacket pocket. "May I?"

"Please hurry up, we don't have much patience," the robber waving the gun sneered, making his already unpleasant features more grotesque.

"Can we negotiate?" Adrian asked calmly as he pulled out his wallet. "Besides money, I have a few credit cards and other things in my wallet, which I believe won't be useful to you. Why don't I give you the cash and keep the wallet? You still have time anyway."

He spoke quickly, the thin robber feeling somewhat dizzy, took a while to react. "How much do you have?"

"$1400," Adrian said as he pulled out all the bills, opening the wallet and shaking it out.

The robber couldn't help but whistle. "Wow, hitting the jackpot! You have this much on you."

Adrian couldn't help but smile wryly. He could fully sense the eyes around him. Carrying so much cash was just a habit from his previous life, but today it benefited the robbers.

"Alright, you can keep your wallet—your turn, miss." The robber grabbed the green bills and stuffed them into his bag, then glanced towards Kate.

A bit nervous, Kate said nothing, taking the loose bills from her bag and placing them on the table. Perhaps the $1400 put the robber in a much better mood. Without even looking, he swept them into the bag. Before leaving, he gave Adrian a friendly pat on the shoulder. "It's alright, this will be over soon."

And he wasn't wrong. As long as the robbers weren't mentally unstable or drug addicts, as long as the people cooperated, they wouldn't do anything excessive. They'd take the money and leave. After all, robbery charges were different from intentional injury or first-degree murder. But accidents always happened.

"Stop her, Stan!" shouted the other robber suddenly.

A girl about thirteen or fourteen years old was running frantically towards them. The robber called Stan was momentarily stunned, then reached out to stop her. The panicked girl, not knowing what to do, stumbled and flew headlong into Adrian's arms.

Adrian froze for a few seconds before holding the girl.

"Damn little bitch," the other robber came over angrily, holding a gun and pointing it at the girl in Adrian's arms, his eyes filled with murderous intent. "Give it to me! Do you hear!"

The girl's face showed terror, her complexion pale as she stared at the black muzzle, but she bit her lips, saying nothing.

"I told you to give it to me!" the robber called Quincy commanded fiercely, cocking the hammer.

Kate couldn't help but yelp in fright, and Stan was also startled. "Quincy, there's no need for this."

"Shut up!" Quincy shouted angrily. "That damn little bitch dared to bite me! She dared to bite me!"

The gun pointed at the child in Adrian's arms trembled violently with his emotions, and Kate had to clamp her mouth shut to keep from screaming. Adrian frowned inwardly but stayed calm.

"Can you please calm down, sir?" he gently hugged the trembling body.

"What? Do you want to say something? Want to teach me, kid?" Quincy retorted irritably at Adrian.

"No, I don't want any trouble, sir. I just want to remind you," Adrian stood, pulling the girl behind him. "You don't have much time. Delay any longer and the police will arrive."

"You're threatening me!" Quincy placed the gun against his head, furious.

"No, sir, I said I was just reminding you," Adrian's expression did not change, "It's unwise to do this. If it's just robbery, it's no big deal, but if someone gets hurt or killed, it would be a disaster. So it's better to take the money and leave before the police arrive. It's best for everyone."

For him, a reborn, death was not something scary. Besides, a robber who used the word "sir" wouldn't be terribly ruthless.

And indeed, Quincy looked contemplative, and Stan added, "He's right, Quincy; the police are coming. We've got enough today; we should leave quickly."

Several seconds later, Quincy withdrew his gun, and Kate exhaled in relief.

"Alright, we should indeed leave, but," Quincy pointed at the girl hiding behind Adrian, "that little bitch must give her money up!"

"No!" came a low cry. The girl quivered slightly from fear, but the stubbornness in her eyes was evident.

"Listen, girl," Adrian gestured for the robbers to relax and hugged the girl, "give them the money."

"No!" The girl shook her head vehemently, her expression toward Adrian changed, weakly pushing as though to leave.

"Listen to me first, okay?" Adrian leaned in and said urgently in her ear. "Think about what is most important. I know this money is important to you, but money can be earned again. If someone gets hurt, it won't be worth it. They aren't nice nor patient people. If your money gets taken and you get hurt as well, think about how sad your parents would be."

He lightly pinched the girl's arm. "Trust me, every difficulty will pass, and things will get better."

The girl's misty eyes hesitated as she looked at Adrian. Her lips turned down, yet she finally took out the bills from her pants pocket. Adrian finally understood why the robbers were so persistent—it was quite a sizable roll of cash, certainly not less than his $1400.

Letting a child carry so much money, what were her parents thinking? Adrian frowned. Moreover, the girl's parents had never shown up since the robbers arrived. What was happening?

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