“After the old director retired, I went through some even worse things. At that time, the sky felt not only cold to me, but also filled with darkness. This situation continued until I happened to meet Nicole. She took me in and spent all her savings to fight a lawsuit over custody. Without her, I simply can't imagine what I would have become.”

At this point, Ryan seemed to be moved emotionally and gave Nicole a grateful smile. “Although, under Nicole’s care, I became much more cheerful than before, I was still somewhat withdrawn and rebellious, and often got into trouble. Whenever that happened, Nicole would sit down and talk with me—not the kind of scolding that comes from a place of authority, but a conversation and communication on equal footing. As we spent more time together, we understood each other better and our bond grew deeper. The issues about communication in the script actually come from this. It’s communication that reduces people’s fear of the unknown and deepens the feelings between family members, isn’t it?”

“This script, aside from the supernatural elements, is mostly based on my own life experiences.” At this point, Ryan added specifically, “That single mother who deeply loves her son is actually Nicole in real life. Without her, there would be no such story, and no script for ‘The Sixth Sense.’ I racked my brains to write this script just to commemorate this special bond between me and her.”

“May I ask which orphanage it was?” Harvey Weinstein’s eyes sparkled.

“It’s in Los Angeles, the North Hollywood Norston Orphanage.”

Ryan wasn’t worried about the other party investigating or anything like that. After all, almost everything he said was true, just forcibly fitted into the script. Moreover, his words were filled with unintentional hints and guidance.

Of course, with Weinstein’s experience, he would naturally notice these things. But don’t forget, Ryan was just a child under ten years old. Adults might suspect a child of lying, but they wouldn’t think that some of his words were deliberately setting traps for others to fall into.

In fact, after Ryan finished speaking, Harvey Weinstein was already ninety percent convinced. A child under ten who could express himself so clearly and logically was proof enough of his intelligence. Besides, he had always had confidence in his own judgment.

Besides, the Norston Orphanage was right next to Hollywood. The truth of these words could be easily verified by simply asking around.

“Ryan…” What he said made Nicole feel a lot of emotions. Although she knew their bond was deep, she hadn’t expected that he always remembered her kindness to him. At this moment, no words could compare to an affectionate hug.

Well, he hadn’t managed to fool the fat man across from him, but he had moved Nicole to tears. Nestled in Nicole’s soft and fragrant embrace, Ryan felt a mix of emotions and a bit of helplessness.

Harvey Weinstein had read this script more than once. There were quite a few minor issues, especially in the division of scenes, but that only proved it was written by a novice. He had discussed it with his brother Bob Weinstein, and the excellence of this story was beyond doubt—especially the ending, which would absolutely shock everyone.

Moreover, this type of film didn’t require a large investment. As long as there were no disastrous problems, profitability was entirely foreseeable. He even already had a few candidates in mind for the director and leading actor.

But the little boy Cole was the biggest headache. To have such a unique boy portrayed so vividly was by no means an easy task. After so many years in film production, Harvey Weinstein knew well that animals and children were the two most uncontrollable elements in filmmaking. It was hard to explain to them what needed to be expressed—especially children. When they performed poorly, they could ruin a film, but when they performed well, they could save it.

However, after hearing Ryan’s words, he couldn’t help but have a thought: since most of the script was adapted from his own experiences, why not let him play the role himself? He wouldn’t even need to act or deliberately perform—just being himself would be enough.

Most importantly, he was a complete newcomer, which would save a lot of money on salary. Besides, even if they held a large-scale audition for the role, who could guarantee that the boy chosen would fit the character—based on his own life—as well as he did?

And that Australian woman was a fairly well-known actress. He had recently watched her in “Crossing the Horizon.” Aside from being a bit too beautiful, her acting was quite good, and she could definitely play the single mother. Bringing their real-life relationship and experiences to the big screen in another form—wasn’t that perfect for publicity and hype?

A deal like this, getting two for the price of one, was simply too good to pass up. As for the woman’s age and appearance, with makeup and post-production, it was just a minor issue.

In almost an instant, these thoughts flashed through Harvey Weinstein’s mind. Weighing the pros and cons, it had to be said—he truly was a profit-driven businessman.