I am a literary giant in Europe

Chapter 373 Jiang Wen Wants to See Me?
An Air France Airbus landed smoothly at Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Liu Jin, who was fast asleep, dragged his carry-on suitcase and carried his backpack as he got off the plane.

The VIP shuttle bus arranged by the airport took Liu Jin to the VIP channel, where he passed through customs and security without any hindrance.

It was early morning, and the temperature was a bit low.

The arrival hall at Charles de Gaulle Airport was almost empty, with hardly anyone around.

Liu Jin hailed a taxi at the airport terminal entrance, gave his residential address in Mahai District, and then closed his eyes.

The driver was a Black man who was taciturn.

Liu Jin didn't bother to say anything and remained silent the whole way.

Liu Jin stopped at the intersection of Cultural Square in Mahai District, paid the fare, and slowly walked along the path, dragging his suitcase.

The streetlights cast a dim yellow glow, and the streets were quiet.

Liu Jin suddenly remembered that he and Chloe had come to look at houses together last winter.

That day was just as quiet.

……

After returning to France, I felt much calmer, unlike the restless mood I had in America.

I'm definitely not suited for America!

Liu Jin muttered to himself, then picked up his suitcase and walked up the steps.

Just then, the phone rang abruptly.

Liu Jin took out his phone and glanced at it. It was Mela's number, so he answered the call without thinking.

"Mera, aren't you asleep yet?"

"You landed?"

"Yes, we've arrived at Mahai."

"That's good... I'm fine, I just wanted to make sure you landed safely."

By the way, be careful in Paris. I heard things have been a bit chaotic there lately, with a lot of refugees causing trouble.

"I see."

“Buy a car in Paris. Also, contact Dumont and talk to her in person if possible. If everything is fine, I’ll have Chloe sign the contract with her.”

"Is Clay in Paris?"

"Yes, you can contact her."

"Why are you back in Paris again?"

“Mr. Magnon has assigned her a case, so she has been in Paris for the past two weeks.”

"Then I'll contact her after dawn."

As Liu Jin spoke, he arrived at 16 St. Anthony Street.

The lights in the pub next door were still on.

This is also one of the advantages of living in the Mahai district; when you want to go out for a couple of drinks in the evening, you won't have trouble finding a place to go.

Most of the shops on this street remain open into the night.

But if you go to a different neighborhood, it might have already closed down much earlier.

Liu Jin took out his key and opened the door.

I walked along the passageway into the courtyard, and then went up the stairs.

I pushed open the door, went inside, and turned on the light.

Liu Jin stood in the entryway, took a deep breath, and felt exceptionally relaxed.

He left his suitcase in the entryway and went inside.

He casually tossed his backpack onto the carpet, then leaped onto the sofa, hugged a cushion, and relaxed completely.

It's still more comfortable to be on your own turf.

He rolled off the sofa and sat cross-legged on the floor.

Just as I was about to sit quietly for a while, the phone rang again.

"Sophie? Is there something you need so late?"

"You've arrived in Paris?"

"Yes!"

"Come to Cannes."

"What?"

Liu Jin asked in confusion, "I have an appointment with someone tomorrow to discuss security matters."

Afterwards, I plan to go back to Toulouse to prepare for my dissertation defense. Why go to Cannes? I've already been twice; I don't want to go again.

"Someone wants to see you."

"Who?"

"Jiang Wen, you should know him as a director and actor in China."

"Why did he see me?"

"I'm not sure!" Sophie seemed to have had a few drinks, and her accent was a little unclear. "He's also a member of the jury for this year's film festival. He mentioned you when we were talking about the Pulitzer Prize a few days ago."

"Forehead?"

He said he wanted to get to know you, but he didn't know if you would come.

"So, you agreed?"

"Hehe, I was a little drunk at the time, so I agreed... However, Director Xiahou and Director Spielberg also asked about you."

Amos, you're much more famous than me now.

It's understandable that Patrick asked Liu Jin.

After all, they had dealt with each other a few times.

But Spielberg...

Liu Jin couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.

He and Spielberg should just be strangers.

Today is the 21st.

Liu Jin thought for a moment and asked, "What's the closing ceremony of the film festival again?"

"25."

"I'll try to go on the 23rd, but it might be the 24th."

However, let me make this clear first: I've been really busy since I got back, and I probably won't be staying in Cannes for long. "Okay, I'll talk to Mr. Jiang Wen about it tomorrow."

Sophie Marceau did drink alcohol.

Moreover, they drank quite a lot.

She pulled Liu Jin aside and chatted on the phone for almost an hour.

Talking about the filming of "About Time Travelers" and gossip about Hollywood.

Mel Gibson, Sean Connery, and Nicole Kidman... Later, the conversation turned to French cinema.

It's as if they've been holding back a lot of resentment and are finally letting it all out.

Liu Jin didn't show any impatience, but listened patiently until she said she was tired and hung up the phone.

Celebrities are only glamorous on the surface.

Previously, he was just playing around and didn't have much contact with the film and television industry.

And this trip to Hollywood...

Now that he's practically part of the film industry, he finally understands why Leonardo DiCaprio is so unrestrained—the pressure is immense. Frankly, to ordinary people, DiCaprio seems incredibly successful, but that's only in Hollywood.

On a broader scale, actors are nothing compared to America's society as a whole.

The best actors are politicians.

Leonardo DiCaprio is just a spokesperson.

He also complained privately that he was actually not free at all.

So, minimize contact!

I'll just rub against it, I absolutely won't go inside.

Even Leonardo DiCaprio has to submit to the rules. As a Chinese citizen, even if he gets in, he'll just be a puppet at best.

……

The next morning, Liu Jin was woken up by the ringing of the telephone.

It's Chloe.

Looking at the time, it wasn't even seven o'clock yet.

"Clay, what's wrong with you? It's not even seven o'clock yet."

"Hehe, I heard you're back. Just calling to wake you up to pee. Bye!"

Chloe hung up the phone before Liu Jin could respond.

Enraged, Liu Jin cursed at the dial tone, threw his phone aside, and couldn't fall asleep again.

So I got up, took a hot shower, changed into casual clothes, ordered breakfast at the cafe downstairs, and then sat on the wicker chair by the door, lost in thought.

On the way back, I bought two newspapers.

One copy of Le Figaro, one copy of Le Monde.

The morning light shines on the balcony of the living room.

Liu Jin sat on the balcony, holding a cup of coffee he had bought from the coffee shop downstairs, and flipped through the newspaper.

He doesn't care much about current affairs and politics.

He is more concerned about the French book market over the past six months.

The number one bestseller of the latest week is Philip Claudel's *A Grey Mind*. This book has been number one for six weeks.

The second place went to a novel called "Nobody".

The author is Linda Leigh, and the book was published by Personne Publishing House. It sold 68,000 copies.

Yes, a Vietnamese-American female writer.

I have had previous works, and they have achieved good results.

It seems to be a contracted author with the Burgova Publishing House.

However, Liu Jin didn't know her and had never read her books.

……

Third place: Pirates of the Caribbean 3: World's End

Fifth place: The Old Man and the Sea.

Eighth place: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Pirates of the Caribbean 3 was published at the end of last year.

After holding the top spot for fourteen consecutive weeks, it was dethroned by "Grey Heart".

This result is not bad either; it's been half a year and it's still in the top three.

Four of the top ten books are by Liu Jin.

Among the top twenty, there are seven books by Liu Jin.

The three are "Life Is Beautiful" (11th place), "A Time Traveler" (14th place), and "Before Sunrise" (17th place).

Million Dollar Baby has fallen out of the top 20.

A commentary in the literary section of Le Figaro quoted an article by Pierre Poncena, editor-in-chief of the magazine "Lire".

The book market in 2003 was unremarkable.

Amos's legacy continues to rage; though no longer in contention for the top spot, he still maintains astonishing sales. New works, however, seem unable to pose a significant threat. "A Grey Mind" is written in concise yet sharp language, and its story is deeply moving.

But it seems to be missing something.

I was somewhat disappointed.

But I'm also really looking forward to it.

Because there will be a good show in the second half of the year.

……

What's the good show?
Ponsena did not say it explicitly.

However, Le Figaro offered an explanation.

The most anticipated works of 2003 are Harry Potter and the Order of the Five Phoenixes, and the upcoming Notre Dame de Paris.

Is Mela starting to build momentum?

Thinking about it, it seems like it's about time to build momentum.

To be honest, Liu Jin wasn't entirely confident about pitting Notre Dame against Harry Potter.

……

(End of this chapter)