Like the vast majority of Hollywood crews, the atmosphere on this set was far from harmonious. Open and covert conflicts were endless—this was an exceptionally competitive circle, and if you wanted to stand out, you had to use every means possible to climb upward, especially for those with ambition.

Of course, the king here was Spielberg, but even a director as successful as him could be troubled by funding issues, and in the search for investment, the crew was even forced to halt production at one point.

Likewise, there were those who challenged his authority, such as the leading actress Julia Roberts.

Before the production was suspended, Duke had personally witnessed the big-mouthed actress, after taking drugs, get into an argument with Spielberg over a trivial matter, even shoving him at one point. If someone hadn’t intervened, it could very well have turned into a physical fight.

Perhaps due to the funding issues and the fact that the big-mouthed actress had already filmed a large number of scenes, Spielberg didn’t replace her. But it’s hard to say that Julia Roberts’ rise from superstar in the early to mid-90s had nothing to do with this incident.

After a day’s work, Duke casually found a corner, changed out of his work clothes, put on his own jacket, left the soundstage, and slowly walked toward the parking lot along the narrow road squeezed between numerous buildings.

As a temp worker with no status, someone like him could never enjoy the privilege of a dedicated electric cart.

Despite the exhausting work, Duke still stood tall, his broad figure as upright as the palm trees lining the road.

Suddenly, the sound of brakes came from behind. A white six-seater electric cart stopped steadily beside him.

“Duke Rosenberg?”

A somewhat familiar voice called out. Duke turned to look and saw Rick Solomon sitting in the driver’s seat of the cart.

He nodded slightly in that direction and turned to leave.

“Hey, Duke!”

Rick Solomon first honked the cart’s horn, and when Duke looked over again, he called out loudly, “I heard you wrote a script and have been pitching it to companies all over Hollywood. So, big director, when does your movie start shooting?”

His tone was thick with sarcasm. “Don’t tell me your film has already started production at Universal Studios? That would be big news…”

Before Duke could respond, he pointed to the badge hanging around his neck. “See this? A Universal Studios pass for the ‘Alien 3’ crew! I’m a supporting actor in it!”

“David Fincher’s directorial debut?” Duke’s lips curled slightly as he said calmly, “Congratulations.”

Seeing that Duke was as composed as ever, showing no sign of envy or jealousy, Rick Solomon looked down at him and added, “Oh right, Duke, I heard my father mention a few days ago that Warner Bros. once held a meeting to discuss your script…”

Duke raised his eyebrows, and Rick Solomon smiled. “Too bad, your ‘Speed’ was rejected by Warner!”

He patted the steering wheel lightly. “Duke Rosenberg, give up on your dream of being a director! Just keep working as a temp on set—such a promising career!”

Suddenly, a horn sounded from the cart behind them. Clearly, the two of them—one on foot, one in a cart—were blocking the way.

Duke stepped aside, but the cart behind didn’t leave; instead, it stopped as well.

“Duke?”

A girl of about twenty jumped off the cart. She wore a short-sleeved shirt with striped patterns and blue jeans. She was slim, with striking facial features: a hooked nose, dark eyes, full lips, and when she smiled, her mouth turned up, revealing white teeth.

“Hey, Sophia.”

Duke waved to the approaching girl. Though they weren’t very close, he’d seen her many times at George Lucas’s house—her father was the famous Francis Coppola. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m working on the ‘Alien 3’ crew,” she said with a slight nasal tone. “I’m a temporary assistant for David Fincher.”

“Hello, Sophia.”

At some point, Rick Solomon had also jumped off his cart and came over to greet her.

“Hello.”

Sophia Coppola nodded lightly, completely ignoring his enthusiastic smile, and gave Duke a firm slap on the arm. “I haven’t congratulated you yet!”

“Congratulate me?” Duke was puzzled.

“I went to San Francisco yesterday to visit Uncle Lucas.” Maybe it was a personal habit, but she always spoke with that monotone nasal voice. “He mentioned you, said your script is about to be greenlit by Lucasfilm, and you…”

A hint of envy crept into her tone. “You’re the confirmed director.”

“Is that true?” Duke’s first reaction was disbelief.

“Would I lie to you?” Sophia crossed her arms and looked at him. “I guess Lucasfilm will be contacting you soon.”

“All right, enough about that.” She pointed to the cart. “Get in, I’ll give you a ride to the parking lot.”

The two of them got into the cart, and only then did Rick Solomon react. “Hey, Sophia, you’re joking, right?”

But the only answer he got was the sound of the cart speeding away.