The next day, there were filming tasks again, and under the watchful eyes of the tyrant of the set, the party didn't last long. By around ten o'clock, it was over. Watching the sibling pair leave hand in hand, Carter Eisner's eyes flickered as he returned to his trailer.
This was the accommodation prepared by the film crew for visitors, and considering he was a mid-to-senior level executive at Disney, the crew hadn't treated him badly, providing him with a private, luxurious trailer.
After a quick wash, Carter Eisner leaned back against the headboard of the bed and thought again about what had happened at the bonfire party. Strictly speaking, he wasn't an expert in music, but even he could tell that Ryan Jenkins had a remarkably high level of musical ability. The two songs were so captivating that even a layman like him could appreciate them.
Yes, his voice carried a certain immaturity, but boys, unlike girls, undergo a noticeable change in their voices after the voice-breaking period. Moreover, he could write his own lyrics and compose his own music!
What else can you do? Carter Eisner thought to himself. The boy kept surprising people, continuously stimulating their nerves. Did he have the blessing of God, or had he received the embrace of Satan?
It wasn't hard to see why Carter was so interested. After all, Disney didn't only have a film subsidiary, but also a music subsidiary!
Hollywood Records, which had been officially established on January 1st of the previous year, was still in its infancy in the pop music world, with the few artists they had signed being relatively unknown. Though they were working with the Disney Channel to revive the Mickey Mouse Club, only God knew whether this unreliable plan would succeed.
Undoubtedly, the record label needed a heavyweight figure to make a breakthrough. In his eyes, Ryan Jenkins was a perfect fit. He could write songs, sing, and although his vocal technique wasn't fully developed, he performed two different styles of songs with ease. Besides, after Home Alone, he had never doubted Ryan's talent!
In fact, he even suspected that this boy's artistic talent and ability far exceeded everyone's expectations. He could tell from the party that Nicole Kidman and Pat Kingsley weren't at all surprised. Clearly, Ryan had already shown these abilities in his everyday life.
Of course, he might be overestimating Ryan's musical talent, but if things were really as he imagined, the benefits were obvious.
You see, the position of an executive at Test Screen is far from enough for him. He wanted to rise to the upper levels of the group company, just like his uncle Michael Eisner, and pursue greater development. And right now, this was undoubtedly a good opportunity.
...
New Mexico was much warmer than California. Even in January, there was no hint of chill. After finishing a long take, Ryan eagerly walked over to a table piled high with weapons, from AK-series rifles to M-series automatic rifles—nothing was missing.
The item that caught his eye the most was the Gatling gun. This wasn't a prop, but a real weapon. Unfortunately, it had no ammunition, and due to his age, the prop master kept a strict watch on him, not letting him touch it.
"Hey, Stu, you're too stingy. I'm just looking, and there are no bullets!" Ryan complained.
"Ryan, James specifically said that real firearms are strictly off-limits for you. Don't you want the crew to be sued by the Children's Association?" The prop master blocked his way.
"Alright then."
Ryan shrugged. Despite America being a country with an abundance of firearms and frequent school shootings, there were strict rules for minors regarding firearm use. It was fine in private, but in public, it would cause huge trouble.
He walked over to the prop guns, picked up an M9 pistol, and tried to look cool, spinning it just like in the movies. Nicole, walking by from the other side, couldn't help but laugh silently.
"Ryan, are you really that interested in firearms?" Nicole asked.
"Not really. After all, every boy has a gun dream!" He picked up an old Colt revolver. "Nicole, do you want to try?"
"Forget it." Nicole glanced at James Cameron, who was shouting angrily, and sighed. "Is James always like this?"
"Much worse." Ryan widened his eyes and stuck out his tongue, making a nasty face. "He usually scolds people like this. Don't worry. After he scolds me, I always find a way to get back at him."
At that moment, Carter Eisner and Pat Kingsley walked over, still chatting. When they saw Ryan and Nicole, they stopped their little argument.
"Ryan, were those two songs you performed last night really your creations? Don't get me wrong, I don't mean anything by it, I just want to confirm," Carter said, rubbing his nose, seemingly a little embarrassed by his sudden question.
"Yes, I wrote them. But you should have noticed that the second one can only count as half a song," Ryan straightforwardly admitted. After all, where could they find the real author of that song? She seemed to be just a little girl.
"That's great!" Carter clapped his hands. "Ryan, I wanted to ask, have you studied music systematically? I noticed you know quite a lot about the guitar."
"When I was in the orphanage, I learned guitar and violin from students at the Art Academy," Ryan said. Carter looked slightly disappointed, but then Ryan continued, "During the two years in London, Nicole hired several private music teachers for me, including some masters from the London Philharmonic Orchestra. I even studied with other members of the Philharmonic Orchestra for a while. But after returning to Los Angeles, I've just been practicing on my own."
"Besides the guitar, do you play other instruments?" Carter asked, showing a determined attitude, as if he wouldn't stop until he got an answer.
"Piano and violin are decent. The rest I can only say I can get by," Ryan began to realize that these people were incredibly perceptive. Actually, he understood that the second incomplete song was no big deal, but Because of You was really impressive.
Strictly speaking, such a song wasn't something a child could write, but he had those memories from the orphanage, which he could always pull out to impress. Moreover, he had explicitly stated that the song was for Nicole.
Besides, since the unscrupulous media had already portrayed him as a monster, he might as well show them just how much of a monster he could be. Could the federal government really cut him up for research at the National Academy of Sciences? If that happened, Einstein would probably have been sliced up dozens of times by now.
Well, maybe he'd be sliced up after death, but if he were dead, who cared about floods?
"Ryan, you're zoning out." Nicole gently pinched his ear.
"Sorry." Ryan looked over at Carter, who had just spoken. "Could you repeat that? I spaced out."
"It's fine." Carter wasn't surprised, since it wasn't the first time this had happened. "Ryan, do you like music? Have you ever thought about releasing an album? Disney has a Hollywood record label, and if you're interested, you could stop by after we return to Los Angeles."
"This…" Ryan scratched his head and glanced at Nicole, who gave him a look that said he should make his own decision. So he temporarily declined. "You should know that I haven't hit puberty yet, so I'm not planning on doing anything in this area for now."
"These things aren't a problem," Carter said, waving his hand. "We'll provide some necessary guidance during the voice-change period. You should know that if you're not careful, it could hurt your vocal cords."
"Let's talk about it when I get back to Los Angeles. I'm pretty tied up right now." Ryan thought for a moment, not agreeing nor rejecting.
"Alright then." Carter looked around at the busy set. He knew the boy couldn't make a decision immediately. If he did, James Cameron would probably kick him out right away. "Ryan, if you want to pursue music, please consider us first, okay? Although Hollywood Records is just starting, we have our own advantages, even though we can't compare with the five major record companies."
"That's fine. After all, we worked really well together on Home Alone," Ryan said, seeing his assistant walking towards him. He realized it was time for his shot. "I need to go for filming now. Nicole, I want to have bacon and eggs for lunch."
Carter Eisner sighed. Although he hadn't gotten a definitive answer, the fact that Ryan didn't refuse was a good sign. It meant he had a positive opinion of Disney. Right now, Hollywood was focused on his work and acting, and not many people knew about this aspect of him. He had the upper hand.
But with so many people hearing his songs last night, who knew if it would leak out? He needed to act quickly.
It looked like after returning, he'd have to meet that tyrant uncle again.
The filming continued at full speed. Nicole borrowed the crew's kitchen and was making bacon and eggs herself. Pat Kingsley, standing nearby, didn't quite know what to say.
Just because of one sentence from Ryan, Nicole had driven to a small town, not too close by, to buy special bacon and the boy's favorite mountain eggs. Originally, she had tried to persuade her to just use the food provided by the crew, but Nicole Kidman's one sentence left her speechless.
"I need the freshest bacon and eggs. Ryan doesn't like olive oil. Pat, didn't you see? He's lost so much weight. It must be because the food from the crew doesn't suit him."
Damn! Pat Kingsley wanted to hold her forehead. Ryan had indeed gotten a little darker, but where was he thin? He was definitely more robust than when they came last time.
Having spent so much time with them, they were close enough to be considered friends. Pat looked at Nicole, who was busy, and decided to remind the smart Australian woman. "Nicole, don't you think you're spoiling Ryan a bit too much? Isn't this bad for his growth..."
"Pat, I know what you're worried about." Nicole smiled but didn't stop her work. "We've been doing this for years. I don't think there's anything wrong with it. Look at Ryan, he's growing healthily, both mentally and physically, don't you think?"