"Mr. Jiang, you must be tired from your trip. I’m Peter. Director Felton asked me to pick you up. Your hotel has already been arranged,"
A man in a suit greeted Jiang Chen and his party with a complimentary smile as they approached.
The city of Los Angeles, known as the City of Angels.
Hollywood, the global trendsetter for fashion and the film industry, is located on the outskirts of the city to the northwest.
Jiang Chen, who had flown in from Paris, responded with an amiable smile and a nod.
Peter opened the car door, "Please."
Jiang Chen and Pei Yunxi got into the car.
As Peter walked around to the driver’s seat and began to open the door, intending to get in, a strong arm blocked him.
"You take the car behind."
Peter turned around and met a pair of indifferent and cool eyes.
Peter tensed up and instinctively let go.
Annabelle had already taken the passenger seat in the car.
Dwayne took over and got into the car.
"Get in," said Bai Haoran, turning to walk toward another car parked behind them.
Peter had no choice but to follow suit.
The two cars left the airport one after the other.
Jiang Chen might have thought it an odd trait, but he felt his money was well spent. Indeed, these professionals from a top-level security company earned their reputation through their expertise.
In Meilijian, where freedom abounded, it was even more imaginable on the West Coast, where hip-hop and gang culture pervaded every street and alley. With them by Pei Yunxi’s side, he could rest assured.
Each place had its own unique character.
One could occasionally see walls covered in abstract graffiti and people in extravagant outfits.
Jiang Chen looked on with interest.
There’s a saying: It is better to travel ten thousand miles than to read ten thousand books.
What people call worldliness is just one aspect of the world.
Peter’s car led the way up front.
It had to be acknowledged that Thomas Felton was indeed a workaholic. With a major financier coming to visit, anyone else might have hurried to receive him personally, but Felton just sent an assistant.
However, Jiang Chen quite liked this aspect of Felton’s character.
"They say that when Director Felton starts filming, he gets so absorbed that he forgets everything else. You’d better be prepared," Jiang Chen joked.
Just like those internationally renowned directors who seemed amiable in daily life, but once they were at work, Thomas Felton was known to be a tyrant on the set.
Pei Yunxi’s trip to Los Angeles was, of course, with the intention to throw herself into the movie’s production.
Even though she was now the chairwoman of K.E Group’s board and occupied a spot among the world’s wealthiest women, life is not just about striving for money, but also the pursuit of dreams.
Perhaps tired, Pei Yunxi closed her eyes to rest, not engaging in conversation.
Dwayne drove steadily.
It was understood that both he and his fellow bodyguard on this security detail were not from Meilijian.
Annabelle, who shared her name with a well-known horror film, hailed from Poland, while Dwayne was Austrian.
A car zoomed past them, its window rolled down, nearly colliding with theirs. The music was loud in the other vehicle, the passengers moving their bodies passionately to the rhythm and constantly shouting provocations at passing cars.
The behavior indicated that if this had happened back in their home country, it was very likely due to drunk driving. Yet here, another possibility presented itself: they could be high.
In the land of liberty, the consumption of illegal substances was hardly shocking; it was actually a trend. Half of Meilijian’s youth had experienced doing lines, and having powder at parties, bashes, and nightclub raves was a common form of entertainment.
The astonishing reality was that to facilitate the quest of the addicts for pleasure, some states had even started to set up zones where doing lines was lawful.
History is often remarkably similar.
The final days of Shenzhou’s last feudal dynasty appeared to have been much the same.
Jiang Chen glanced over.
Large gold chains and watches, full arm tattoos, among them a black youth wearing sunglasses and a headscarf, seemed to be rapping along with the music.
A vivid representation of the West Coast vibe.
They were making a ruckus, and their driving was dangerously erratic, causing other vehicles to desperately avoid them.
They took pride in their behavior, growing increasingly bold.
If they’d encountered someone with road rage, they might have been met with shouting, but one should never doubt the professionalism of hired soldiers.
Dwayne, driving, didn’t bother arguing with the miscreants, accelerating to pass; however, they closed in as if trying to orchestrate a collision. Dwayne floored the accelerator and managed to evade them just in time.
One of the rules for bodyguards:
Avoid unnecessary trouble.
Annabelle in the passenger seat turned to glance at that car.
That look drew the attention of the excited West Coast youth, causing them to become more animated. The driver extended his hand out the window, slapping the car door as if to catch Annabelle’s attention, while the others began teasingly to whistle.
There are certain differences between Eastern and Western aesthetics.
To Jiang Chen, the tough and wild-looking Annabelle may not have seemed extraordinary, but to Westerners, she might appear very different.
Even though Dwayne intended to accelerate to get away, the other car was relentless and chased them.
The two cars bumped each other lightly.
The tremor of the car body caused Pei Yunxi, who was resting with her eyes closed, to open them.
The other car drew close again, side by side, with its passengers shouting strangely at them.
"Stop the car," Annabelle said aloud.
Dwayne pressed the brake.
The other car, apparently modified many times and painted in various colors, also came to a halt.
"Hey, gorgeous, you’re really hot."