I am the only one who practices magic: I practice magic in the city

Chapter 531 Diving Bell (4720)

“Dani, I asked her. Alex does have a crush on Zack, but the guy is smart enough not to have any inappropriate thoughts.”

Wearing a casual shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing his strong arms, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson spotted his ex-wife Dani Garcia in the crowd and whispered a few words to her.

Dani Garcia greeted passersby with a broad smile, her eyes fixed straight ahead.

"Okay, I'll tell Christina in a bit and put her mind at ease."

"However, you should still warn that kid to stay away from Alex, lest he get carried away and drag Alex down with him one day."

"Didn't he want to transfer his contract? If we sign him to our company, we can give him a supporting role in Jumanji."

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson shrugged: "The next generation of the Daddario family are all doing art. No one is inheriting the family's power, so they are destined to become mediocre."

“Alex clearly prefers people in the industry. Even if Zack is gone, there will be Tom or Jerry. There’s no point in her mother doing this.”

"It is highly unlikely that Christina will continue the family's glory through her daughter's marriage."

"However, if we want to expand our talent agency business, Zach is indeed a good choice. He has a good appearance and acting skills, and he can transition to art films."

With striving, all things come to life.

After Fenjin's downfall, CAA undoubtedly became the dominant force, but many others saw this opportunity and wanted to get involved in the talent agency business and enter the power game in Hollywood.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and his ex-wife Dani Garcia are one such couple.

His agency contract is currently with CAA, but it's more of a partnership, giving him considerable autonomy.

The two own their own company, which focused on signing wrestlers in the early years, and recently they have also taken an opportunity to get involved in artist management contracts.

While smiling and nodding to the others, his ex-wife Dani Garcia said in a low voice, "The Italians in the New Anglo-Saxon region no longer need a representative of their interests. The transformation of the next generation of the Daddario family is inevitable."

"They are related to the Quincy family by marriage, and no one can say for sure what the future holds."

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson chuckled: "The Quincy family? The Quincy-Adams alliance seems to be in more trouble now, and the Omniscient Society... heh."

Dani Garcia's eyes flickered slightly: "These are all rumors; nobody knows what really happened."

"Recently there's been a rumor that they didn't disappear, but rather that a doomsday prophecy is about to come true, so they've gone into hiding. Who knows?"

“We don’t need to think about all that. It’s just a small favor for Christina, as a small reward for the Malaysian bank increasing our credit line by 30 million Malaysian dollars.”

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson clinked his beer bottle against his ex-wife's and laughed heartily: "Yes, that's a good deal. Cheers!"

Although she doesn't have the same illustrious background as Kate Easton, Alexandra Daddario also comes from a genuine upper-class elite family.

Her grandfather served as a member of the House of Representatives for decades and was the top official on several congressional committees, participating in and leading the congressional appropriations for the Apollo program.

In addition, the elder D'Addario also represented the interests of Italians and was the backer of many Mafia families in New England at the time.

Even the old Godfather might not be allowed to sit at the table for a meal when he meets her grandfather.

The idea that McClean can control senators is just a Hollywood fantasy.

Her father was one of the highest-ranking officers in the New York Police Department, having served as a federal assistant inspector and, after 9/11, as the second-in-command of the New York Anti-Aircraft Division for a long period.

Moreover, he was the kind of powerful second-in-command who outlasted three previous leaders, and at one point he could arrest whomever he wanted, wielding power comparable to the factory's most beautiful woman.

Her mother, Christina, was born into the Quincy family.

The Quincy family are allies and backers of the Adams family. They are John Adams' maternal family and one of the original shareholders of the United States, making them the golden-blooded aristocracy of the United States.

Many people believe that the Quincy Adams family did not accumulate much wealth and that most of their descendants are middle class, but this is actually a misinterpretation.

The descendants of the Quincy-Adams family are mostly in the fields of education and culture, much like the Brahmins of Mai and Cicero of Romana. They may not seem to have much money, but they have extremely high social status and influence far exceeding what money can bring.

The wealthy need to donate money and buildings to buy recommendation letters to get their descendants into Yale and Harvard, but the direct descendants of the Quincy Adams family don't need any recommendation letters or any grades at all; their surname and bloodline are their admission notices.

In addition, her mother also served as the head of the legal department at Merrill Lynch. After Merrill Lynch was acquired by Merrill Lynch, she transformed herself into a legal advisor to the SEC and a director and supervisor of several Wall Street financial institutions.

People in the financial industry know that the head of a securities company's legal department is even more untouchable than the president or CEO, as their actual power is extraordinary.

Oh, right, this Adams is the same Adams who made offerings to Nabasu before.

Alexandra Daddario herself attended the best private girls' school on the Upper East Side from a young age. This school only admits about sixty students each year, while the acceptance rate of Harvard, Yale, and Princeton exceeds 20%.

They have connections in all three sectors of society: black, white, and gold.

In terms of actual status, this background far surpasses that of many collateral heirs of so-called "old money" families.

It was precisely because of the influence of the Daddario family, especially in the Miami police force, that no one in Hollywood dared to use their power to force her to sit on the red sofa.

But no one would proactively offer her any good resources.

It's somewhat like how some large companies send poor relatives over when they can't refuse a big shot.

They certainly wouldn't dare to bully them, but the higher-ups wouldn't assign any important tasks to poor relatives either.

Moreover, her acting skills are only average; they're not bad, but they're definitely not good either.

Therefore, despite possessing Hollywood's "top-tier body," she could only resort to showing skin in various B-movies and playing some decorative supporting roles.

If it weren't for the fact that her mother and Dwayne Johnson's ex-wife were both high-ranking executives at Merrill Lynch, she wouldn't have been cast as the second female lead in "Baywatch".

Whether in Hollywood or the broader entertainment industry, the decline in aesthetic standards and the decreasing quality of professionals stem from similar reasons.

It's not that there aren't any beautiful women left, it's just that the ugly boss's daughters have all come of age.

Of course, although D'Addario is also the "boss's daughter," she is definitely not an "ugly daughter." On the contrary, she is a true "rich, beautiful, and fair-skinned" woman.

Similar to Kate Easton, she has a very calm mindset, accepting whatever roles are offered to her without resorting to underhanded tactics to secure resources. She is also very dedicated to her work, playing whatever roles are given to her and demonstrating strong professional ethics.
-
Inside the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, where the music was deafening, celebrities were everywhere, wearing beach shorts, carrying beer bottles, chatting and joking.

D'Addario and Kate Easton didn't initiate conversations with anyone, each carrying a bottle of beer and chatting idly around the corner of the terrace stairs.

"...This script has absolutely no credibility. Why would that Japanese man fall in love with Margaret?"

"And in the end, do they have to cut off their fingers to atone for their sins and repent?"

"Didn't he say that having an affair with a Japanese man is normal? Why should he repent?"

"Why would Margaret love him?"

"...No, no, no, Kate, you misunderstood. The relationship between Margaret and Hejin is not love, but mutual redemption between two lonely and incomplete souls."

"She only felt a sense of belonging and became 'whole' under the violence of Hejin..."

"While I don't want to compare it to 'Lost in Edo,' the role of Margaret is more challenging than Charlotte's..."

D'Addario took a sip of beer and enthusiastically shared with her best friend a script she had just received.

The story, titled "I'm Not a Bird," revolves around a mentally unstable American woman who travels to Edo, Japan, to become an Anglo-speaking teacher. Every night, she goes to a love hotel in Japan and randomly tutors a Japanese man in Anglo-speaking language for free.

Then she was subdued by a gang member, who fully satisfied the American woman's alphanumeric tendencies, followed by a series of pointless moans about pain and loneliness.

The plot is utterly absurd.

“Not every script labeled with ‘Edo’ or ‘loneliness’ will be the next ‘Lost in Edo’. Catherine Hanlahan is not Sofia Coppola, and you are not Scaccio.”

"The only thing you can compare to Skajo about is these two babies..."

"Ah! I know! Do you think Skacho got his Ballon d'Or nomination just because he has two Ballon d'Or awards like you?"

"But don't be discouraged, you can try to win the 'Miqing King Award'."

"I believe that even now, every moment around the world, countless males are watching your scenes in True Detective and getting Fiji."

Kate Easton rolled her eyes and sprayed venom at her best friend.

"Get out! I'm not doing this for the award!" Daddario, enraged, grabbed Kate Easton by the neck and delivered a guillotine-like blow.

"Stop! Stop! You're suffocating me!"

Kate Easton felt as if her face was enveloped in well-fermented dough, making it hard to breathe. She pounded her hands on the wall in surrender.

"Okay, okay, let's get serious. I've read Catherine Hanlahan's novel, and I can confirm that this is an R-rated film labeled as 'artistic,' and it's even R18."

Kate Easton broke free from Daddario's guillotine, took a few breaths, and then spoke in a serious tone.

"I guarantee you, the reason this film company approached you is to recoup their costs by selling your bears."

"However, if you want to take the role, I support you. Try to get me a supporting role too. The filming location is in Edo, right? We can take a trip to Da Zhou while we're there."

"I saw a video on TA's channel of a train passing through a building. It's so crazy, I want to go see it. Want to come together?"

Daddario shook his head violently, looking disgusted: "I have no interest in Da Zhou. Kate, you heard what Dr. Liu said last time. It really is XXXXXXXXXX... The things on Tabo and Ysou are all false advertising."

Kate Easton was just saying that casually, shrugged indifferently, and steered the conversation back to Hollywood.

"Speaking of which, Skajo has a lot of projects lately. Her Black Widow project has been officially launched, and there are two more films that are vying for Oscars. It seems that the competition for the CAA's number one actress has already been decided."

After saying that, Kate Easton, who was standing at the corner of the stairs, nodded at Anne Hathaway downstairs, gloating: "No wonder she was in such a hurry to make a comeback when her child was only six months old. Now it seems that she will probably get a divorce soon."

Daddario stared wide-eyed at Anne Hathaway downstairs, who was chatting and laughing with the man of Zhou Yi, her arm around her husband's. He looked on incredulously and asked, "Aren't they very much in love?"

Kate Easton, looking like an old man on the subway: "Do you really think there's true love in Hollywood?"

"Her reputation was terrible a few years ago. She married her current husband in an attempt to use Jude's influence in Hollywood to whitewash her image. Everyone knows that."

"Remember her ex-boyfriend who was a con artist? She cut ties with him immediately after he was arrested."

“Jude’s influence in Hollywood is not what it used to be, and this marriage has become a liability for her. Knowing her as I do, she will definitely try to get a divorce.”

Kate Easton curled her lip in disdain.

“When she was filming Love and Other Drugs, I knew she was going to crash and burn sooner or later. Her attitude changed too quickly.”

Kate participated in the scriptwriting for Love & Other Drugs and even played a small supporting role in it.

At first, Anne Hathaway didn't know who this girl was and acted bossy on set. But after hearing about her family background, her attitude immediately changed completely.

From then on, keyboard warrior Kate Easton became Anne Hathaway's lifelong hater, frequently using alternate accounts online to attack Anne Hathaway.

"Didn't I tell you? Oh, that means I don't even want to mention her. This woman is really good at flirting..."

"...Speaking of which, although she pretends, she's still relatively reserved in this area. Jennifer Lawrence is the real addict. Kirk told me that once..."

Kate Easton's eyes lit up as she chatted about Anne Hathaway and Jennifer Lawrence, revealing a wealth of gossip that left Daddario speechless.

real or fake?

Is this really that interesting? Why would anyone react like this? I don't see it that way.
Thinking back to her boyfriend of seven years, who was six years younger than her and whom she had just broken up with less than six months ago, Daddario couldn't help but feel saddened.

She got engaged to her ex-boyfriend a year ago and broke up with him six months ago.

Because my boyfriend cheated on me.

Her boyfriend's reason for cheating on her was that being with her was too boring.

She doesn't consider herself cold, but she's certainly never been extremely impulsive.

She had watched some movies with her ex-boyfriend, but she always felt that they were all acted out and that it was impossible for him to be so invested in them.

But judging from Kate's words, are there really people in this world who enjoy this kind of thing?

Could it be that there's something wrong with me?

"Holy Crap!"

Kate Easton suddenly exclaimed, interrupting Daddario's self-doubt.

"Look what they're doing!? I knew it! I knew it! Fangis is so handsome, those scumbags definitely wouldn't let this opportunity pass them by!"

"That's so despicable! Shameless! OMG!"

Kate Easton tugged at Daddario, her voice trembling with excitement.

Daddario followed Kate's gaze.

Huh? What is Anne Hathaway doing?

Is she flirting with that Zhou man named Fang Jisi?

Holy shit!

Her husband was separated from the two of them by only a corner of the wall!
Are you that bold?!

In an instant, Daddario felt his understanding of the world was greatly shaken.

They went out one after the other? Where were they going?
"Let's go and see!"

Kate Easton, her eyes blazing with gossip, pulled Daddario along and tiptoed down the stairs.

If Lu Jiayan knew her, he would definitely consider her a close friend.

Go back to the past?
Daddario's heart was pounding. He was pulled along by his best friend and stumbled, but he reluctantly followed her.

It was already dark outside, with only the moonlight and a few ship lights on the opposite shore casting scattered spots of light on the sea.

"Where is he? How could he have disappeared so suddenly?"

Kate crouched by the railing outside the exhibition area, furtively glancing left and right, unconsciously licking her lips.

"That's strange... I clearly saw them walking this way just now..."

Santa Barbara is in Southern California. It's in the thirties during the day, but it gets a bit chilly at night. With the sea breeze blowing, D'Addario, who was only wearing a T-shirt, unconsciously hugged his shoulders.

"Kate, there's nothing to see, or..."

Daddario bit his lip, about to persuade his best friend to go back, when he heard a "thump!" from not far away.

Kate Easton's eyes lit up, and she pulled Daddario down to squat, inching forward step by step.

Under the moonlight, a large orange-red gourd came into their view.

"Purisima diving bell! How did they get in?"

Kate Easton was completely baffled.
-
The old A8 is still an A8.

Fang Yu really didn't expect that the old A8 with the interior that he had seen in the 4:3 era would still be in such good condition in this era when wide-screen IMAX is almost outdated.

What I didn't expect was that not only was the car in good condition, but the other party's skills were also quite good, and their level of desire was ridiculously high.

Life is indeed full of surprises.

The only problem is that the space inside the diving bell is too small, making it difficult to maneuver.

However, there are also advantages; in such a confined environment, one's senses are amplified.

Even the slightest sound or moisture will echo like a low-frequency reverberation within the diving bell.

Huh? Someone's getting closer?
Daddario and her tablet-obsessed best friend?

(End of this chapter)