I am Hollywood

[Chapter 1065: Eat More Nuts]

After signing an autograph for Poppy Delevingne, Eric picked up the box of nuts he had just set down. As he munched on a few, he continued chatting with Richard Branson about Virgin Records.

Poppy sat next to Eric, listening quietly to their conversation while her gaze curiously flitted between him and the ongoing discussions. Before meeting Eric, she had imagined that a man with a string of accomplishments, one that most people would find unattainable, would be incredibly proud and aloof. However, she was surprised to find that he was so approachable, exuding a naturally mature charm that made her want to be close to him.

After a while of discussing, the host announced that the show was about to begin. Eric's attention momentarily shifted to the runway when he caught sight of Poppy's eyes sparkling as she gazed at the box of nuts in his hand. He smiled and offered, "Want some?"

Poppy quickly shook her head and pointed shyly at a camera that had just swept over the audience.

"It's okay," Eric assured her with a smile, "if they catch you eating, I'll personally ask them to edit it out."

Hearing Eric's words, Poppy chuckled softly, her shyness melting away as she reached into the nut box to grab a few large almonds. She briefly glanced at the nearby camera before popping one into her mouth.

...

As the lights dimmed in the venue and the upbeat music started to play, the fifth Victoria's Secret Fashion Show officially commenced. The first segment's theme was Dreamy Fairies, with a backdrop of a new song by the Spice Girls.

As Cindy, the opening angel, stepped onto the runway in a beautiful angelic ensemble that resembled a fairy from a flower, the audience of six thousand erupted into applause and cheers. Poppy, sitting beside Eric, became mesmerized. Now entering her teenage years, she couldn't help but pay attention to the beautiful women on stage.

When the first act ended, Poppy blinked, unable to contain herself as she exclaimed to Eric, "They are so beautiful!"

"You'll be just as stunning as them one day," Eric replied.

Though Poppy was only twelve, her height had already surpassed five feet three -- definitely model material in the making. Yet she had always felt she wasn't that pretty. Upon hearing Eric's comment, despite feeling a rush of sweetness, she instinctively asked, "Really?"

"Of course," Eric nodded, handing her the box of nuts again with a grin. "Do you know why they are so beautiful? They eat more nuts."

"Hehe," Poppy giggled softly, growing bolder as she grabbed a handful from the box without hesitation.

However, just as she gathered a handful of nuts, a photographer capturing behind-the-scenes moments swept his camera over, making the well-mannered girl feel suddenly awkward and unsure in front of the lens.

Noticing the moment, Eric placed the nut box on Poppy's lap to help her catch her bounty. He then raised his hand, mimicking a throat-slicing gesture toward the photographer in a playful warning. The photographer, catching the gist of the boss's 'warning', quickly shifted his camera away.

"See? It's fine, just be careful not to spill them," Eric reassured her.

"Mm-hmm," Poppy nodded, instinctively scooting closer to Eric. She attempted to shift the topic, asking, "Eric, does your new movie still have that little girl with the stuffed animal?"

"Yeah, she does," Eric answered, not realizing that his small gesture had made Poppy feel more fondly toward him.

"But isn't that a space movie?" she pressed.

"Of course, you can have a little girl with a stuffed animal in a space movie," Eric replied confidently. "You'll see it next year."

"Next year? That feels so far away."

As they chatted casually, time seemed to fly by.

...

Unconsciously, when the last act started, Poppy Delevingne suddenly realized that she had to leave soon. She had begged her parents for a long time to be able to attend this show, and her parents would definitely not easily allow her to attend the after-party.

Thinking about it made her lose interest, even with the scene-stealing Michael Jackson dazzling the crowd. Hesitating for a moment, while Eric was engaged with Richard Branson, Poppy gently tugged at Eric's sleeve. "Eric."

The noise in the room was loud, so Eric leaned in closer, puzzled. "What's up, Poppy?"

Feeling the warmth of the man's presence, Poppy's cheeks flared slightly as she raised her voice a bit. "Eric, could you talk to my mom and dad and see if I can join the after-party?"

Eric glanced over at the Delevingne couple, smiling and replying, "Well, you still have school tomorrow, right?"

"I promise I'll only stay a bit! I want to get signatures from Ms. Cindy Crawford and the others."

"Okay, I'll give it a go, but if your parents say no, there's nothing I can do."

As Michael Jackson's performance concluded, the show came to a fantastic close.

The tickets for the after-party were ten times the show's regular prices, and due to limited spots, only a few guests received invitations. However, these constraints didn't apply to Eric. Sneaking in a couple of people would be no problem at all.

After relaying Poppy's request to her parents, Eric proceeded to speak on her behalf. The Delevingne couple agreed after a moment of hesitation.

...

This year's after-party was held in a different hall at the Earl's Court, and as the runway show wrapped up, most of the guests began to leave the venue, while those with after-party invites made their way to the party scene. Eric guided Poppy, who had become like an eager shadow, to the backstage area.

Given the significance of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show to the brand and the models' careers, everyone who participated felt immense pressure, worried about any hiccups during the procession.

With the show perfectly concluded, there was a palpable sense of relief among everyone backstage as Eric arrived, only to be caught by Cindy. "Eric, come on! We need to take a group photo. Who's this girl?"

"This is Poppy, Poppy Delevingne," Eric introduced with a smile. "I won't be in the picture with you. When I stand among you, I always feel like the men nearby want to kill me with their eyes."

Cindy merely asked about Poppy out of curiosity, but her attention quickly returned to Eric. "Well, you could sit like last year -- this is our last runway show together, and after this, we'll hardly see one another again."

Poppy, who had been excitedly following Eric, watched as other models still clad in sexy lingerie gathered around, playfully pulling Eric toward the photo area. Looking down at her own petite frame, she suddenly felt a surge of anxiety.

After the lively group picture, the angels scattered to change outfits, gearing up for the after-party excitement.

Eric approached Poppy, who had been waiting off to the side. "Let's go, Poppy. Who do you want to get signatures from? I can introduce you."

With a nervous expression, Poppy tentatively raised her small hand, and when Eric smiled and opened his arm, she cheerfully linked her arm through his. Before attending this show, Poppy had been eagerly interested in all the stars and supermodels present tonight, but now, her focus was entirely on Eric.

...

As they made their way to the after-party hall, Poppy asked hopefully, "Eric, can I dance with you for the first song later?"

"Sure," Eric nodded, jokingly adding, "But I can't dance well, so if I step on your toes, don't shout in pain."

Poppy raised her chin to admire Eric's chiseled profile. "I'm not much of a dancer either."

"Well, that's good," Eric replied with a grin. "Do you know what happens when two bad dancers step onto the dance floor?"

"What?"

"Everyone gets stepped on," Eric pretended to mime stepping heavily.

"Hehe."

As the two arrived at the after-party hall, the angels were still changing, and the festivities hadn't kicked off yet. Guests mingled in groups, chatting away.

Emily spotted Eric with Poppy and widened her eyes, pulling him aside. "You sly dog! I told you to chat more with the Delevingne couple, and you ended up tricking their daughter here?"

Eric felt somewhat helpless. "Come on, Emily, 'trick' is a bit too much!"

Emily shot a knowing glance over at the girl and reminded him, "Since you brought her here, remember to return her safely."

"Huh?" Eric was puzzled for a second before he caught on. "Did the Delevingnes leave already?"

Emily nodded. "They said they had an early flight to Berlin tomorrow, so they left early."

Eric raised his hand, resisting the urge to smack his forehead. What careless parents! No wonder they chose such unfortunate names for their kids.

Noticing Eric's stunned expression, Emily rolled her eyes, aware he wouldn't abandon Poppy. She swiftly shifted the topic and asked, "When are you planning to head back?"

"I guess I'll stay one more day at least."

Now that he was in London, he couldn't miss the chance to visit Olivia. Although Eric had a difficult time accepting the familial connection, since he occupied this body, he realized many things simply couldn't be cast aside.

Emily knew the situation with Olivia and nodded. "So are you going straight back to New York?"

Yahoo's IPO was officially set for November 20, just a week away, so Eric was certain he needed to attend this significantly crucial event for the Firefly network.

Eric shook his head. "I'm going back to Los Angeles first. You know, my film just entered post-production, and I need to oversee a lot of things. I'll probably head to New York a couple of days earlier."

...

As the angels finally donned their dresses and gathered for the party, the mood became lively.

Eric shared a dance with Poppy and introduced her to Gisele and a few other young girls to keep her entertained before he moved on to socialize with other guests.

After doing a quick round of the hall, Eric made his way to the buffet table to grab some food. He sat down with Cindy on a couch when Linda soon joined them. "Eric, who is that girl?"

As Eric became preoccupied with a shrimp, he followed Linda's gaze and responded with a smile, "Poppy Delevingne."

"Mm-hmm?"

"Poppy Delevingne."

"Come on, you!" Linda exclaimed as she snatched a peeled shrimp from him. "After all these years, you're still most interested in little girls."

"Well, if not, would you even be able to get within ten feet of me?"

Linda's sultry tone always carried a slight childish lilt, and upon hearing Eric's reply, she felt a surge of pride. She glanced at Cindy, as if setting a comparison.

Cindy barely lifted her gaze, too relaxed to care as she remarked, "Eric, I read in the papers about the pressure surrounding Yahoo's IPO. Do you think there will be any issues?"

After breaching the 2000-point mark, tech stock skeptics began increasing as NASDAQ soared higher.

Months passed, and the index had nearly reached 2500 points. Next week's Yahoo IPO would be pivotal in determining if NASDAQ could successfully breach the 2500-point milestone. Should 2500 points be surpassed, the span between 2500 and 3000 would become significantly unstable. Only upon breaching the 3000-point mark would the tech market succumb to sheer irrational exuberance.

These matters were far too intricate for quick explanations, and Eric simply nodded, "From the feedback on the roadshow, it looks fine. By the way, what's your stock value up to now?"

Cindy didn't respond immediately but instead wiggled two fingers in the air.

Linda, who was close to Cindy, knew about her tech stock investments and typically chimed in humorously about Cindy possibly bankrupting herself. Seeing her friend's two fingers now, confusion flickered in Linda's eyes. "Two million?"

Cindy shot her a glare. "If it were only two million, I would've wasted these years."

Linda's eyes widened in disbelief. "Two hundred million, USD?"

"Bingo," Cindy replied, an air of triumph in her tone. "To be precise, two hundred thirty-seven million six hundred thousand dollars, and it's still climbing."

"Wow," Linda squealed softly, nearly bouncing in excitement. "Eric, you selfish guy!" She wrapped her arms around his and shook him.

Erik looked bewildered, "How did I get pulled into this?"

Linda persisted, "Why didn't you help me invest back then? Now Cindy's richer than I am!"

"Cindy's always been richer and more capable than you," Eric chuckled, wrapping an arm around Linda's waist. Observing her disgruntled expression, he teased, "Well, think of it this way: even if Cindy has twenty billion, she still seems like a small fry to me, right?"

Linda swayed her freshly snagged shrimp, almost dramatic. "Then does that mean I'm less than a small fry?"

Eric fought a grin, solemnly nodding his head. "Looks like, that's the case."

*****

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