Chapter 106: Chain Collision

The sun disappeared behind the dunes as Sofia Coppola trudged across the soft sand toward her trailer. While her body wasn't particularly exhausted from the busy workday, her mind was completely drained. Her ears, battered all day by the constant roar of massive explosions, still throbbed with a persistent ringing.

"Good thing I'm used to it by now," she muttered.

Reaching her trailer, she glanced next door out of habit. It was Duke's place, and clearly empty. When that guy threw himself into his work, "laser-focused" barely covered it. They had shot so many explosion sequences today, there was no telling what time he would finally knock off.

"No need to worry about him. Doesn't he have Naomi Watts around now anyway?"

Sofia murmured to herself. She pulled open the door to her trailer and stepped inside, peeling off her sand-covered clothes. Ducking into the bathroom, she stood beneath the showerhead, tilting her face up to meet the warm, clean water.

The crew's explosions had been so massive today that plenty of sand had found its way into her hair.

Thinking back to the afternoon shoot, Sofia felt her heart rate suddenly spike. Even though she had adapted to Duke's directing style, seeing a hundred-foot spaceship model swallowed by a sea of fire amidst thunderous explosions still left her trembling. That explosion fanatic—that maniac of destruction—had actually ordered the crew to rig dozens of explosives on the model and set them off in sequence like fireworks.

After her shower, Sofia quickly dried off. Seeing that it wasn't too late, she wrapped herself in a towel, sat down at the table, and pulled out her fountain pen and notebook to jot down a work diary entry.

She didn't write every day, but whenever she had new insights about film, she made sure to write them down. And it wasn't just the movie she was writing about—it was also the guy she was working for.

The pen spun slowly between her fingers. Sofia flipped open the notebook, but suddenly lost the drive to write.

Setting the pen down, she left the notebook open and leafed through the pages, reviewing her past entries. Her observations about Duke's directing style seemed especially amusing right now.

November 12, 1992. Sunny...

At Warner Studios, I discovered that beyond his focus and hard work, Duke is full of a spirit of adventure. Words like "impossible" or "unfeasible" never come out of his mouth. Even in the face of massive challenges, he doesn't waver. Although he is always under pressure and bearing the brunt of everyone's anger, he keeps a cool head. He views himself as an independent outsider within the crew, always ready with timely criticism and advice for staff who make mistakes.

March 2, 1993. Sunny...

During post-production, Duke had a disagreement with Charles Roven. They argued for two hours, and then he convinced Charles. When Duke makes a film, it gives me the feeling that he is the Creator. If he says let there be light, there must be light, by any means necessary. We discussed General Hummel's mutiny in the film. Duke firmly believes that humanity won't suddenly evolve to a certain stage where everyone just joins hands and sings about world peace, instantly erasing all plots and schemes.

I have to say I believe his stance: that peace can only be achieved through superior military force—and perhaps it is this deep-rooted view that influences Duke's understanding of film. He is always so obsessed with special effects, explosions, and action sequences.

August 16, 1993. Overcast...

Independence Day has been greenlit. It will be a massive blockbuster with a total budget exceeding a hundred million dollars. Duke finally secured full authority over the set and post-production. He deserves all of it. Most people, myself included, share this realization: Duke will always be that director walking off the set with an intense desire for control and destruction, and we all live engulfed in his overwhelming aura, rarely having a say!

October 3, 1993. Sunny...

Duke finally made it to Duke Studio. I could smell women's perfume and marijuana smoke on him. He went to a supermodel's party yesterday—it didn't take a genius to guess what he'd been up to! Duke admitted it, too. He was with Charlize Theron and Cameron Diaz last night. We got into a fight. I found I couldn't suppress my anger at all, nor did I want to!

I demanded to know if, after achieving a little success, he had forgotten the importance of hard work. Had he forgotten the massive investment in the film we were prepping? I warned him that if this movie failed, he would be completely ruined and worthless! Wallowing in lust would only hold him back!

"Sofia, I want you to understand one thing—once we embark on this adventure and the cameras start rolling, nothing can stop me. Not even the most beautiful, sexiest women! The only way to stop me is to kill me!"

That was how Duke answered me. I looked into his eyes and realized he truly meant it—he wouldn't hand his destiny over to anyone; he would only hold it in his own hands!

A sudden knock sounded from outside the trailer. Sofia put away her notebook, walked over, and pulled open the door. Standing outside was a fairly short girl, the youngest among the main cast.

"Scar, is something wrong?" Sofia asked, poking her head out.

"It's almost time for dinner. Mom wanted me to ask if you're coming with us," Scarlett said, taking a step up. "Can I come in?"

"Of course."

Even though the little girl was a bit of a handful, Sofia really liked her. She let her in. "Have a seat anywhere. I'm going to change."

After changing, Sofia walked with Scarlett Johansson toward the catering trucks to meet up with Melanie Sloan, who had headed over earlier.

"Did you finish your study hours for today?" Sofia asked, holding her hand.

"Finished. It was so boring." Scarlett's brows furrowed. "Why do all my scenes have to be filmed separately instead of grouped together in a few days? Is Duke mad at me again?"

"Sweetheart, on set, Duke is strictly business," Sofia said, turning to look at her earnestly. "Even though, strictly speaking, you're his little sister, he won't go easy on you if you make a mistake. Scar, any director would do the same."

"Why are you always taking Duke's side?" Scarlett's eyes shifted, suddenly changing the subject. "Sofia, you don't like Duke the way that Naomi Watts does, do you?"

"That's none of your business." Sofia shook her head.

"Tch. I'm almost ten." Scarlett studied Sofia's face but didn't notice anything unusual, so she added, "It won't be long before I can get a boyfriend, too."

Joking back and forth, the woman and the little girl walked into the massive tent connected to the catering trucks. It served as the crew's communal dining hall. Aside from the rented trailers and catering vehicles, most of the facilities were actually provided by the military. The Pentagon really had made things quite convenient for the production.

"I see Duke." Scarlett pointed toward a dining table near the corner of the tent. "He's sitting with that annoying woman, Naomi Watts."

"Annoying?" Sofia felt entirely baffled. "Did she do something to you?"

"Once, back at Warner Studios, I brought Duke some ice cream." Scarlett Johansson waved to her mother across the tent, then started toward Duke's table. As they walked, she whispered to Sofia, "Duke was busy, so he set it aside for a moment. But then she came along and threw my ice cream straight into the trash."

"It made me so mad! I was furious!" she grumbled. "I don't like her one bit. If she becomes Duke's girlfriend, I'm definitely going to badmouth her to my godmother. Duke respects his godmother the most."

Sofia couldn't help but roll her eyes. This little girl was an absolute handful.

"Hi, Duke!"

Just before they reached the table, Sofia noticed Scarlett Johansson instantly flip a switch, her face beaming with an innocent, adorable smile. She trotted over, pulled up a chair, and sat right next to Duke. "Mom wanted to eat in the trailer, but I missed you, so I came over on purpose just to find you."

Pulling over a chair of her own, Sofia sat down beside Scarlett.

"What do you want to eat?" Duke grabbed a glass, picked up a bottle of Gatorade from next to Naomi Watts's cup, and poured the kid a drink. "My treat today."

Duke had just received a call from his mother yesterday, telling him to look out for her adorable goddaughter a bit more.

"Nah, that's alright." Scarlett took the glass and shook her head. "We're going to New York in a few days. How about you treat me in New York? Oh, and the Super Bowl is coming up soon. I heard my godmother say that Santa Fe is hosting a halftime event. Can you take me with you?"

He thought about it for a moment. Looking at the eager eyes on her tiny face, Duke slowly nodded. "I can take you to Atlanta to watch the Super Bowl. But don't celebrate just yet, Scar! There are two conditions. First, you have to deliver a performance that exceeds my expectations during the shoot. Second, you have to convince your mother yourself!"

"I promise I will!" Scarlett laughed in delight.

"The Super Bowl?" Naomi Watts, sitting on the other side, seemed to take an interest as well. "Why don't we all go to Atlanta together?"

Before Duke could respond, Scarlett Johansson hurriedly piped up, "Together? You want to go too, Nami?"

Seeing the woman nod, she feigned confusion and scratched her blonde head. "Nami, are you Duke's girlfriend?"

"Do you even know what love is, Scar?" The brief flash of awkwardness on Naomi Watts's face vanished instantly; masked by her increasingly stellar acting skills, no one even noticed it. "You're still so little."

"Of course I do!" Scarlett nodded forcefully.

"Scar, what do you want to eat?"

Duke stood up, cutting off a topic that was completely inappropriate for the moment. After listening to the little girl list off a few dishes, he tipped his head toward Sofia and Naomi Watts. "Let's go grab dinner."

The three turned and headed for the food truck. Behind their backs, completely out of sight, Scarlett Johansson reached over and grabbed Naomi Watts's cup. She spat a large wad of saliva right into the Gatorade, deliberately swirled it around, and inspected it carefully. Satisfied that it looked completely normal, she placed it back where it belonged.