85-86

*Chapter 85: Moving House *

In New York City, the massive Hollywood writers' strike continues in full swing.

However, Allen, one of the participants, has long since withdrawn from the frontlines of the strike in New York.

He has flown back to Los Angeles.

The primary reason he participated in the strike was to advance the evolution of his screenplay. Now that the goal has been achieved, he has no intention of continuing to march with the masses on the streets daily.

After all, as a screenwriter with a modest reputation in Hollywood, he cannot afford to be overly visible in protests, shouting slogans.

In reality, even the big names who participate in the strike follow a similar pattern: they show up at the protests for a quick photo op to demonstrate their support, then return to their glamorous Hollywood lifestyles.

---

"Recommended neighborhoods?"

On the phone, James Wan's expression turned surprised upon hearing Allen’s question.

When he received Allen’s call, he had assumed it was to discuss the post-production progress of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. Instead, Allen didn’t even mention the film but asked for recommendations on good neighborhoods in Los Angeles.

"The area where I currently live doesn’t have good security, so..."

Compton, in a cheap apartment.

"…F** you, you little b***..."

"Why? Why would you do this? Are you trying to get back at me? You’re so young! Skipping school to fool around with men was bad enough, but now you’re back, pregnant? You’re too young to be a mother! Tell me, who’s the father of this child?"

"Don’t worry about it. I’ll raise the baby myself!"

"You little b****! Do you even know what you’re saying? Have a baby? You can’t even support yourself, let alone a child whose father you don’t even know!"

As Allen listened to the familiar yelling from the Black mother and daughter next door, he explained to James Wan over the phone.

"I’m planning to use this downtime during the strike to move to a safer neighborhood."

After discovering a way to use the system’s evolution feature without needing to stay in one place, Compton had lost its appeal to Allen.

Since he could evolve his scripts in a beautiful, secure neighborhood, why should he continue to stay in Compton, worrying about stray bullets or idle youths loitering in alleys?

In fact, the lease he signed with his landlord was set to expire by the end of last year, leaving him with less than a month.

Unsurprisingly, the stingy landlord tore up the contract, refusing to return the security deposit. Instead, he allowed Allen to stay until the deposit was used up, at which point he would be evicted—a fate that befell most Compton tenants.

Allen could have walked away, but at the time, he was swamped with work. Whether it was shooting The Blair Witch Project or developing scripts in Texas, his packed schedule meant the move kept getting delayed. The cheap apartment ended up being his only temporary residence in Los Angeles.

However, after getting used to the bright and serene neighborhoods where Modern Family was filmed, returning to the chaos of Compton felt increasingly jarring to Allen.

As the saying goes, "It’s easy to go from frugality to luxury, but hard to go back."

In America’s capitalist society, this contrast is even starker.

In the U.S., the gap between slums and wealthy neighborhoods is like night and day.

---

"If you’re looking for a safer area, Beverly Hills is always the top choice. As one of Hollywood’s most famous neighborhoods, it has a near-perfect security system. Police patrol 24/7, making it arguably the safest place in America—except for the White House," James Wan explained.

Although slightly exaggerated, Beverly Hills indeed met Allen’s criteria for safety.

However, when he considered his current financial situation...

Although he had earned a good sum from The Blair Witch Project and Modern Family, Beverly Hills' multi-million-dollar mansions were still out of reach. The luxurious security of Beverly Hills came with an equally extravagant price tag—after all, why else would the police patrol tirelessly 24/7?

It’s because they’re well-paid.

In America, police salaries are funded by local property taxes.

Wealthy neighborhoods have dedicated, well-compensated police forces, while poorer areas lack these resources.

---

"Imagine me, a behind-the-scenes mastermind, capable of creating worlds, yet fretting over not being able to afford a mansion."

For a brief moment, Allen even considered using the system’s evolution feature to earn money directly.

However, this idea was quickly dismissed.

With his rising reputation in Hollywood, simply "creating" scripts would eventually allow him to afford a mansion in Beverly Hills. Why waste his hard-earned *Plot Points* from the system?

Shaking off the fleeting thought, Allen said wryly over the phone, "Forget it. Beverly Hills isn’t realistic for me right now. Recommend something more practical."

"Hehe," James Wan chuckled. "Even I, a rising director in Hollywood, can’t afford Beverly Hills. But I can suggest a few reasonable options."

"If not Beverly Hills, then Malibu or the rapidly developing Santa Monica might work. But if you want a place particularly suited for Asians, there’s San Marino, also known as ‘Little Beverly Hills.’ Nearly half its population is Asian, and it has one of the lowest crime rates in the area."

"San Marino?"

Allen murmured the name to himself.

If Beverly Hills wasn’t an option for now, "Little Beverly Hills" seemed like a decent alternative.

---

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 86: Moving House *

New York City – The massive Hollywood writers' strike continues unabated.

However, Allen, one of the participants, had already withdrawn from the front lines of the strike in New York.

He had flown back to Los Angeles.

Allen primary purpose in joining the strike was to further the evolution of his screenplay. Now that he had achieved his goal, he no longer had any interest in spending his days marching in the streets with the rest of the crowd.

After all, as a screenwriter with growing recognition in Hollywood, he couldn't always be out on the streets shouting slogans.

In truth, even the big names participating in the strike were just showing up for a brief appearance at the picket lines, getting their pictures taken for the media to show their support, and then heading back to enjoy the glamorous lifestyle Hollywood offered.

...

"A recommended neighborhood?"

On the phone, James Wan couldn’t help but show surprise when he heard Allen's inquiry.

He had expected Allen to call about the post-production progress of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, but Allen didn’t bring up the movie at all. Instead, he asked if James knew any good neighborhoods in Los Angeles.

"The area where I currently live doesn't have the best security, so..."

In a cheap apartment in Compton:

“...Fu* you, you little b**h...”

“Why? Why are you doing this? Are you trying to get back at me? How old are you? Skipping school to mess around with men was bad enough, but now you’re back, pregnant! How old are you? How dare you try to be someone’s mother? Tell me—who’s the bastard responsible for this?”

“Leave me alone! I’ll have this baby no matter what!”

“You little b***h, do you even hear yourself? You can’t even take care of yourself, and now you want to raise a child—one whose father you don’t even know?”

As Allen listened to the familiar argument between the Black mother and daughter next door, he explained his decision to James Wan on the phone.

"I’m thinking of taking advantage of the free time during the strike to move to a neighborhood with better security."

Now that he had identified the system’s script evolution locations and could rely on its recording function, Compton had lost much of its appeal.

If he could evolve scripts in a beautiful, secure environment, why should he continue living in a dangerous area like Compton, constantly worried about stray bullets or the groups of idle youths loitering in the alleys?

Besides, his lease with his stingy landlord had almost expired at the end of last year. With less than a month left, the landlord unsurprisingly tore up the agreement, showed no intention of returning the deposit, and simply allowed Allen to stay until the deposit ran out—after which he would be evicted. This, in fact, was the fate of most tenants in Compton.

Faced with the landlord's forced extension tactics, Allen could have chosen to leave immediately.

However, he was at his busiest back then. From the filming of The Blair Witch Project to evolving scripts in Texas, the hectic schedule caused him to postpone the move repeatedly. As a result, the cheap apartment in Compton became his only temporary residence in Los Angeles.

But after experiencing the sunny, idyllic neighborhood where the Modern Family crew had filmed, with its peaceful security, returning to chaotic Compton always felt unsettling.

As the saying goes, "It’s easy to go from frugal to luxurious, but difficult to go from luxurious to frugal."

In America’s capitalist society, this truth was starkly evident. The difference between living in a slum and living in a wealthy area was like night and day.

...

"If you’re looking for a safer neighborhood, Beverly Hills is always the top choice," James Wan suggested. "As one of Hollywood’s most famous locales, it has an impeccable security system. Police patrol the area 24/7, making it arguably the safest place in America—outside of the White House."

James' description was a bit exaggerated, but it was undeniable that Beverly Hills perfectly matched Allen's idea of a secure neighborhood.

However, considering his current financial situation...

Although the success of The Blair Witch Project and the early production of Modern Family had earned him a decent amount, it still paled in comparison to the multi-million-dollar mansions in Beverly Hills.

Beverly Hills’ luxurious security, after all, was built on vast amounts of money. Why else would police patrol so diligently?

It all came down to money.

In America, police salaries come from local property taxes.

Wealthy neighborhoods have dedicated, motivated police forces because they pay well.

...

"To think that I, a master of manipulation with the ability to shape worlds, am fretting over affording a mansion."

For a fleeting moment, Allen considered using his system’s script-evolving ability to make money directly.

But that thought quickly dissipated.

With his growing reputation in Hollywood, as long as he continued to "create" screenplays step by step, buying a Beverly Hills mansion would be an eventual certainty. Why waste the precious [Plot Points] he had painstakingly accumulated in the system?

Shaking his head to dispel the impulsive thought, Allen spoke to James Wan with a helpless tone.

"Forget it. Beverly Hills is out of my league for now. Give me some more realistic recommendations."

James Wan chuckled. "If Beverly Hills is off the table, Malibu or the rapidly developing Santa Monica might be good options. But if you’re looking for a place that’s particularly suitable for Asians, there’s always San Marino—often called the ‘Little Beverly Hills.’ Asians make up nearly half its population, and it has one of the lowest crime rates."

"San Marino?" Allen muttered to himself.

If he couldn’t afford Beverly Hills yet, maybe Little Beverly Hills wasn’t a bad idea.

---

(End of Chapter)