---
"Hey? You're here again. Don't tell me you want to sleep on the couch?"
In the evening, when Sophia saw Dunn , she couldn't help but smile.
Dunn chuckled, "I just wanted to come by to say thank you. I appreciate you helping me get in touch with your father. Otherwise, things might have been hard to wrap up today."
Sophia was surprised, "I'm really curious how you managed to convince my father. He's quite a stubborn old man!"
"Convince? No, I never thought about convincing him," Dunn shook his head repeatedly, speaking slowly, "I just told him that Sophia was being harassed by a dozen Italian brats on set, the local police wouldn't intervene, the production budget was limited, there weren't enough bodyguards, and we were helpless."
Sophia was stunned, both angry and amused, "Dunn , you're shameless!"
Dunn moved closer to her, grinning mischievously, "Want to try something even more shameless?"
As he spoke, he reached out to wrap his arm around her waist. He was confident—if a woman lets you sleep on her couch, it means she might also let you sleep in her bed!
Sophia gave him a sidelong glance, raised a delicate finger, and lifted his chin in a teasing manner, saying, "I'll give you a chance! But... you'd better work hard. If you don't satisfy me, don't blame me for spilling the beans! Trust me, that old man will definitely get angry. He hates being toyed with."
Jokes aside, Dunn 's calm and composed demeanor during the day, much like the prince charming from fairy tales many girls dream of, was indeed captivating.
"Don't worry, old Mr. Coppola may be hard to deal with, but Miss Coppola will be a breeze!" Dunn scooped her up and headed to the bedroom.
"Wait, let's take a shower first," Sophia blushed, feeling a bit shy. Doing this with a close friend still felt a bit odd.
Dunn whispered in her ear, "No need, I like it au naturel."
"Pfft!" Sophia playfully rolled her eyes at him, "You're so bad!"
"So, do you like the good ones or the bad ones?"
Sophia couldn't help but laugh.
"Answer me!"
"The bad ones!" Sophia gently punched him, "You bad guy!"
...
"Hey, let's find some time for me to visit your father."
After a long silence in the bedroom, Dunn broke the mood with this line.
"Huh? Oh, okay," Sophia, too tired to move, mumbled, "Dunn , haven't you thought about getting a girlfriend? Are you just going to keep messing around like this?"
Dunn laughed and said, "You say that as if I'm the only one fooling around, when you're involved too! As for a girlfriend... I'm looking, but there's no rush."
Sophia suddenly became interested and turned over to face him, "What type do you like? I know plenty of pretty girls. You know, I've been a model, an actress, and even produced music. I have a lot of friends in the fashion world, so..."
"Alright, Sophia!" Dunn interrupted her, "When it comes to that, I'll just go with the flow. If you want to introduce me to some... fun friends, that's fine. But a girlfriend? Let's not."
Sophia was so angry that she bit him hard on the chest, "I've never met a scoundrel like you!"
Dunn winced in pain but suddenly remembered something, "By the way, I remember you said you were planning to make a movie?"
"Yes, the script is ready. I was about to start filming, but when I heard you were making a new movie, I postponed it to learn from you." Sophia admitted openly.
Dunn was a bit surprised, "Do you need my help?"
Sophia shook her head, "No, that's not necessary. I've already talked to Paramount Classics. They're funding the project and will help me set up the crew. You know, my father's *Godfather* trilogy was made for Paramount."
Dunn frowned, "In the future, just work with me for your films. There's no need to involve your dad's connections."
"You?" Sophia raised an eyebrow, "How much money do you have? What if the movie flops?"
Dunn shook his head, his expression serious, "You have to be extra careful with commercial blockbusters, but for those deep, artistic films, even if they lose money, I think they should still be made. Hollywood has made plenty of money; it's time to give something back."
Sophia pondered Dunn 's words, and after the excitement faded, her hazy eyes began to shine brightly. She sat up, not caring about the sudden exposure, "Dunn , are you serious?"
Dunn smirked, "Sophia, neither of us is wearing any clothes right now. Since we're being honest, there's no way I'd lie to you!"
Sophia's eyes sparkled like stars, "Dunn , I'll hold you to that. In the future, you have to invest in my films, unconditionally!"
Dunn laughed, "My greatest virtue is keeping my promises!"
---
By November, *Titanic* had dropped out of the top ten at the box office, but its $5.8 billion North American gross had already driven the entire United States crazy.
With the current box office trend, *Titanic* was likely to be pulled from theaters before Christmas, and surpassing $6 billion was almost certain.
As for the overseas box office, "explosive" would be an understatement. The $10.3 billion international gross had Fox Studios so excited they threw a three-day celebration.
However, Dunn , who was busy filming *My Big Fat Greek Wedding*, did not attend.
It was reported that at the celebration, James Cameron proposed to Bill Mechanic that he was planning a new film, which genuinely surprised Dunn .
In his previous life, after finishing *Titanic*, Cameron started indulging in deep-sea exploration and didn't return to mainstream commercial films until years later with *Avatar*.
But now, Cameron was already planning a new film?
This news stunned Dunn for a moment before he burst out laughing.
In his previous life, Cameron's deep-sea adventures were fueled by the financial security *Titanic* provided him with—$100 million in net income.
But things were different now. Dunn was the director, taking most of the profits, while Cameron only received $3 million as a production fee, which wasn't enough for his underwater escapades. It was natural for him to consider making a new film.
However, with Cameron's meticulous nature, this project wouldn't start for at least two or three years.
Dunn may have missed the celebration, but Bill Mechanic personally called him, asking when the film would wrap up and informing him that he must return to Los Angeles by December 15th.
That day was the Oscar Board of Governors Awards banquet, where the Lifetime Achievement Award and other major awards would be presented.
More importantly, it was a prime opportunity to network and build relationships.
At the 1998 70th Academy Awards, *Titanic* was certain to receive multiple nominations, but whether Dunn could secure a nomination for Best Director was uncertain.
*Titanic* was an excellent film, but Dunn Walker was only 18 years old!
In the 70-year history of the Oscars, there had never been a director nominated at such a young age.
So, Bill Mechanic's point was simple. Cameron, Kate Winslet, and the others would likely secure their nominations, as would the technical categories. But the Best Director nomination was worrisome.
Dunn remained silent for a long time.
By nature, he didn't care about the Oscars! Why should his films be judged by them?
But there was a significant issue—his Sunglasses System!
The system currently had two major skills: "Mirror Possession" and "Contract Snatch."
The condition for obtaining "Mirror Possession" was quite strict, requiring a global box office total of $1 billion. But that wasn't a problem for Dunn —*Titanic* alone could almost provide him with two "Mirror Possessions."
However, "Contract Snatch" was more troublesome, as it required winning an Oscar.
One Oscar equals one skill reward.
Dunn had secured the director's role for *Titanic* using this skill, demonstrating its power. The newbie package gave Dunn two "Contract Snatch" opportunities, and he still had one left.
But that didn't mean he wouldn't need it in the future!
So, when it came to the Oscars, Dunn had to suppress his disdain, just like other big stars, and play the game—flattering, pleading, and hoping to win the award.
It was frustrating!
"Okay, I understand. The film will wrap in about half a month, and I'll definitely make it back in time."
Dunn sighed, holding back any rebellious words about the Oscars.
Who was Bill Mechanic, after all?
After being ousted from 20th Century Fox by Tom Rothman and Jim Gianopulos, he had joined the Academy, quickly rising to become the Oscar president...
"There's no way I directed *Titanic* and won't even get a nomination, right?"
Dunn couldn't believe it!