Chapter 538: A New Beginning in Hollywood
Because Yu Linna had accepted the contract, she had started to write the script. But the horror theme had always been a field she was not good at. She didn’t watch horror films much, and she herself was scared to death. After thinking for a long time, she had decided to write a horror story about a cursed doll. In her country, there were still many stories about cursed dolls, and she had also heard people talk about them before. Especially in the university dorm, at night, when Xiao Yanhan was free, she would tell ghost stories after the lights were out, which had scared her so much that she couldn’t sleep.
And because this was America, the cursed doll was changed to a Western-style doll. She would just write about a series of terrifying things that had happened after the Western-style doll was brought home. It felt like a very cliché story, but Yu Linna still wanted to write it well first.
She had specially gone to the hospital to ask Ye Zhiyun and had taken notes, asking her what kind of scenes she liked to see as an audience member.
“What kind of scary scenes do you like?”
“Of course, the more terrifying, the better, the more stimulating. Like a sudden scare, I think it’s both stimulating and refreshing.”
“If the story is too cliché, then it probably won’t be able to scare people.”
“It mainly depends on the atmosphere. The horror film that South Korea had filmed before was not scary at all. I felt it was very boring. It was just that the atmosphere was not rendered well enough. Like the horror films in America, the atmosphere is rendered very well.”
After asking Ye Zhiyun about her ideal horror film, Yu Linna had recorded it and had planned to go and find Xiao Yanhan or Lan Ranyan, to discuss with them about the audience of horror films and the plot they wanted to see. Because it was her first time writing this type of story, she also wanted to write it well. But since she was not good at it, she could only ask them one by one. She also planned to do a survey to see what the current audience liked to watch.
“Are you really going to write a horror film script? If it’s not scary enough, that would be a big loss.”
Ye Zhiyun lay on the bed and said leisurely.
“Of course I know that! Who asked them to have me write this kind of theme? I didn’t want to take it on at all!”
“That’s right. For a person who’s afraid of watching horror films to have to write a horror film script, it’s too difficult.”
“I’m not afraid! I just don’t like it!”
“Alright, alright. You don’t like it.”
“You’re just being perfunctory with me, right!”
While chatting with Ye Zhiyun, Yu Linna had taken a lot of notes, and had made full preparations for the script.
…
This day, she had returned to Chinatown. After changing her clothes, she had to go to the kitchen again. These days, she had settled down at the restaurant in Chinatown. Many of the Chinese customers had also gotten to know her and also knew that this shop had a mixed-race chef. When Yu Linna had brought out the dishes, occasionally someone would strike up a conversation with her.
“Little Linna, you’re on duty quite early today. You’re not taking leave?”
“If I keep taking leave, I won’t get paid.”
“Hahaha, what salary do you need from this shop? You should just buy a stake in it. For you to be a chef is a real bargain for them!”
When the Chinese people were communicating with her, they had also all used Chinese. Yu Linna could also have a very fluent conversation with them. Occasionally, she would also encounter people who spoke Cantonese. Yu Linna was not flustered at all and could also handle it fluently. In this restaurant, she seemed to have become a little celebrity. It seemed that there were no customers she couldn’t handle. Yu Linna also quite liked this kind of atmosphere. Compared to the coffee shop she had worked at before, she felt that this place was better. The regular customers here were all good people, and they were also very concerned about her. Plus, she cooked a good hand of dishes herself, and was very popular in Chinatown.
This day, Yu Linna had just taken off her hat, thinking of resting for a while, when she had found that at the back door of the restaurant, the boss, Pan Yong, and his older brother, Pan Yi, were standing there, as if they were arguing about something.
“Big brother, why are you here again? I’ve already said that this has nothing to do with you. It’s my own business who I hire. Can you respect me?”
“Do you think I want to manage you? I’m telling you, when I’ve saved enough money, I’m going back to my home country. If it weren’t for our parents wanting to go abroad, I wouldn’t want to come here. Isn’t it comfortable enough to stay in our own country?”
“Then why are you looking for me time and time again?”
“I’m telling you, you’ve hired that chef, and you’ve snatched away all the business on this street. And a foreigner. Those old guys who have been here for decades will surely not be able to stand you. They came here many years ago. Although they can’t do anything to you, you will still be in a lot of trouble. If you don’t want to cause trouble, you either ask her to leave, or you go and visit those old guys yourself, and also take some money, to make a big matter small and a small matter nothing.”
“Can you go back after you’re done talking?”
Yu Linna had listened to the entire conversation on the side.
Although she didn’t think she would be driven away, she had come here just to have a place to stay, but she would not stay here forever.
She couldn’t help but think of her own childhood. When she was little, she often had nowhere to go. Many places didn’t want her. She would usually only stay there for a month, and then she would leave. She had been wandering for many years, and it had never changed. Perhaps she was not liked by adults. This concept had been with her for many years.
At this time, Hollywood’s side had also called her.
“Hello, Mr. Williams.”
“Hello, Miss Yu. How is the script you’re writing coming along?”
“I’ll be starting to write it soon. I’m currently collecting materials and taking notes.”
“That’s good. It’s like this. This drama will also be put on the agenda soon. If you’ve finished the first version of the script, please hand it over to me right away. We’ve left a small studio for you near the company. No one is living there for the time being. If you need it, you can contact me. This was also left behind by one of our screenwriters who had resigned before. Of course, I don’t think you need a place to live very much.”
“…No, maybe I do. Sir, how is the hygiene there? Can I stay there for the time being?”
“If it’s just to stay until the movie is finished, it should be no problem, because we also don’t know how to deal with this piece of land for the time being. But do you really want to stay? The hygiene is a little bad. If you want to stay, I suggest you find a cleaner to clean it.”
“No need. I can clean it myself. Sir, thank you for giving me this place. I just happen to need a place to stay.”
“If you can write the script well, I don’t think it’s a big deal.”
Yu Linna had decided to change places.
She had kicked out the resignation, had left Chinatown, and had gone to another place. Although it was also in Los Angeles, it was a little bit of a distance from Chinatown. When Pan Xinan had heard that she was going to resign, she had been against it. No matter what, she was not willing for this child to leave.
“Why are you leaving? We can give you very good treatment here. Food and lodging are all included. You don’t have any friends or relatives in America. What will you do if you run out?”
“I still have to go. Because there are also people who don’t like me here, right?”
“Is it my eldest uncle who has come again? How outrageous! I’ll go and settle the score with him right now! How can he drive people away?”
“Don’t go. I’ve already decided to leave.”
Yu Linna pulled Pan Xinan, had her sit down, although Pan Xinan still stood up.
Yu Linna shook her head, indicating that there was no need.
“I’ve been used to this kind of life since I was little. There will always be people who don’t like me. I don’t think it’s a big deal. Besides, I’ve been staying at your place for so long. I’ve clearly been asking for leave often, yet you still give me a monthly salary. I think I’m quite satisfied. I’ve been bothering you for so long. I should be going now. But you don’t have to worry. I’m not far from here. I’ll still come back when I’m free.”
Yu Linna had insisted on leaving, and no one could stop her. Pan Xinan had tried to persuade her for a long time, but unfortunately, Yu Linna had no intention of changing her mind. And so, Yu Linna had left the place she had stayed at for almost a month. This kind of floating and uncertain life felt as if she had returned to the past.
When she was in the hospital, Ye Zhiyun had also heard her say these things. Her mood was very bad. She turned her head away, looking at Yu Linna, who was peeling fruit for her. She was clearly about the same as usual, but she always felt that there was a taste of loneliness in her.
“Nana, is this really okay? You don’t want to leave, do you? And you don’t have to care about others’ opinions. If others don’t like you, why do you have to punish yourself with others’ mistakes?”
“I used to think so too. But I still couldn’t stay anymore. You know, when I look at that family, I have a feeling, just like when I was living at Ningning’s house before. I always feel that I am superfluous. I don’t know why I would think so. I think it’s better for me to live alone. I don’t want to trouble others.”
Yu Linna said with a smile.
To herself, this was not a big deal, because she had also been through this before. When she was little, she had changed places to live many times. Just in primary school, she had changed several places. At that time, her mind was not yet sound, and her three views had not yet been formed. It was a wonder she had been able to hold on at that time.
It was just changing a place to live. She didn’t feel that there was anything wrong.
Perhaps because she had drifted too much when she was little, she was used to not causing trouble for others, and would not think of causing trouble for others. Her premature sensibility had made her completely different from an ordinary child.
“Nana…”
“Alright, let’s not talk about this. Zhiyun, here, eat a pear. I’ve peeled it for you.”
Yu Linna deliberately concealed her own expression, pretending not to care. But how could Ye Zhiyun, who knew her so well, not know? She must be very lonely in her heart. She was always like this, used to not causing trouble for others. This was a child who was lacking in love in her heart.
But Ye Zhiyun knew that she couldn’t help with anything. She could only watch silently. In her heart, she swore that in the future, she would surely chase her back and properly make it up to her.
…
After moving out of Chinatown, Yu Linna, with the help of Williams, had moved into the studio he had mentioned. To say it was a studio, it was actually just a small room in an apartment. The living room had enough things for her to work. Although it was a bit messy, it could be cleaned. Originally, as a screenwriter, she didn’t need too many complicated tools. She had a printer and a computer, which was basically enough. And then Yu Linna had started to build her own script.
This time, the horror film script, she had temporarily named it Stella. It was a story about a Western-style doll. In this way, her screenwriting career in Hollywood had also officially begun. This was also her third experience of climbing up again after a low point.
And after Yu Linna had joined Hollywood, Lionsgate’s side had also started a new film project in an orderly manner. They hoped to use Yu Linna to create a brand new film, and then to regain the market in Hollywood. In the last century, they had been very influential in Hollywood. At that time, they could be said to be in their prime.
“This new screenwriter named Yu Linna, have I seen her somewhere before? I always feel that her face has an impression on me somewhere in Hollywood.”
“It’s probably just a look-alike. After all, she also has American blood.”
“I guess so. It’s just that I feel she looks very much like a certain star.”
This was Yu Linna’s new beginning in Hollywood.
