436-440

Chapter 436: It's All About Participation

Blair felt like she must have lost her mind, standing there in front of Anson, laughing and crying simultaneously, with tears and snot mixing together—she was a total mess.

Oh God, she should leave.

Right now. Immediately.

But then Anson’s voice came, anchoring her in place.

“I know,” he said.

Even though they hadn’t spoken about it, Anson understood. Everyone has their own coming-of-age experience, and he once thought that his seemingly endless youth was something he’d never escape from. The worries that seemed insignificant to others felt like a slow-moving current, gradually pulling him into a deep, endless blue, leaving him standing there, slowly suffocating.

Yes, life isn’t filled with grand, earth-shattering moments. It’s the small, seemingly trivial pains that make people realize their helplessness and vulnerability.

Until, at some point, they realize they’re not alone.

That simple “I know” easily broke through Blair’s final defenses.

Taking a deep breath, Blair mustered the courage to look up at Anson. His deep blue eyes were smiling at her, like the Mediterranean Sea bathed in golden sunlight, lazily enveloping her. Her heart suddenly sank, falling into that endless blue.

Her disheveled state didn’t seem to matter anymore.

Blair’s smile fully blossomed. Laughing and crying at the same time, she really did look like a lunatic, but this time she gave up on wiping her tears. Instead, she confidently displayed her disarray. “Nice to meet you, Anson.”

“Oh, God, I must look terrible right now. I can’t believe this.”

Blair tried to cover her face, but after shaking her head, she decided to give up, lifting her head to look at Anson again. This time, she found herself caught in his smiling eyes, which glimmered with sunlight.

Then, Blair boldly asked, “Anson, can I give you a hug?”

Anson didn’t reply with words but instead opened his arms, smiling.

Carefully, Blair stepped closer, waiting for Anson’s arms to wrap around her. A clean, refreshing scent surrounded her, like morning dew on pine trees with golden sunlight slowly filtering down. It was intoxicating.

Instinctively, Blair closed her eyes, allowing herself to get lost in this warmth.

It turns out that happiness is truly within reach.

It turns out that dreams really do exist.

For a brief moment, Blair was almost lost in the warmth, unable to pull herself away.

Finally, she summoned the courage to step back from the embrace, looking up at Anson with boldness and courage, his handsome face shining through the tears in her eyes.

“I’ll definitely watch your movie.”

Blair blinked, flashed a big smile, and quickly turned around, dashing out of the studio.

Her heart was racing, almost to the point of bursting, but happiness surged like a volcano, making the whole world seem brighter.

It wasn’t until she was outside the studio, her steps slowing down significantly, that she realized she had forgotten something:

Karen!

What about Karen?

She abruptly stopped, turned around, and looked back at the studio, thinking about going back to find her friend. But before she could, someone else appeared—Karen, running towards her with open arms, her face, actions, and every movement radiating pure joy.

Karen screamed, “Ah!”

Blair screamed back, “Ahhh!”

No words, no conversation, just screaming, as if they had reverted to their primal instincts. But somehow, those screams conveyed everything.

They paused, exchanged glances, realizing that despite their overwhelming joy and excitement, they couldn’t find the right words to express it. So they just went back to screaming together.

“Ahhh!”

Clearly, they weren’t alone.

As Anson and the others left the studio, the California sun still shone brightly, and they could see people outside, reluctant to leave, screaming as soon as they saw them—

For Connor and the others, the scene was completely unexpected, even a bit overwhelming. It was hard to believe that a single recording session could have such an impact.

Looking around, there was no sign of Edgar.

Apparently, Edgar was still busy with the show, paving the way for Anson.

Anson didn’t hesitate, urging his bandmates to jump into the car. They sped off before the enthusiastic fans could surround them.

The situation hadn’t gotten out of control—just a little bit crazy.

Breathless, drenched in sweat, they sat in the car, looking at each other. It took them a while to process what had just happened, and then they all burst out laughing.

“Oh my God, what just happened?”

“I don’t know, I don’t know! Damn, I can’t believe any of it.”

“Someone just asked me for an autograph. My brain completely froze: An autograph? Are you serious?”

“So, did you sign it?”

"Yeah, I just signed my name, but it felt so weird, like I was signing a mortgage agreement or something."

"Hahaha."

The laughter echoed in the car as the Aston Martin raced through the sunlight, golden streaks of light carrying their joy and happiness across the road.

As the laughter began to die down, someone started choking on their own spit from laughing too hard, causing them to cough violently. The sight of it was so comical that it set off another round of teasing, filling the car with lively chatter once more.

Despite standing in the spotlight on stage moments ago, radiating brilliance as if they were at the center of the world, offstage, they were just a group of young people who loved music.

Happiness was really that simple.

Anson, sitting in the driver’s seat, glanced up at the rearview mirror, taking a moment to gauge everyone’s expressions. An idea popped into his head, and he spoke up, "Guys, how about we record an album together?"

The air in the car suddenly froze.

The other three fell silent, staring at Anson in stunned silence.

The lively, cheerful atmosphere from just a second ago vanished, plunging into an icy stillness as all eyes focused on Anson, stunned.

The abrupt shift left Anson momentarily taken aback.

With his hands on the steering wheel, Anson shrugged slightly and pulled a funny face, "Hello, is anyone there? Looks like that was a bad idea."

Lily immediately grew anxious.

She glanced at Miles and Connor, unable to hold back any longer. "No, no, that’s not what I meant… Anson, are you serious?"

"Oh my God, this is amazing news! Of course, I mean, at least I’m all in, but Miles? Connor? Are you guys going to say something?"

"Anson, are you joking? I mean, this couldn’t be better! Jesus Christ, I’m sweating right now."

Lily’s words tumbled out in a rush, disjointed and almost incoherent, but her enthusiasm was unmistakable—

She was thrilled.

Anson wasn’t joking; he was dead serious.

Whether as an actor or a musician, Anson had made up his mind from the start—this time around, he wasn’t going to squander his opportunities. He would enjoy every moment and run wild, not worrying about the outcome, but focusing on the experience.

He had said he wanted to reclaim the version of himself that he had lost before he was twenty-five in his previous life—the one who lived life boldly and passionately.

A band?

Why not!

Chapter 437: A Small Step

As soon as the words left his mouth, Anson couldn’t contain his excitement.

In that moment, he felt like he was transported back to before he was 25 in his past life—reckless, wild, and carefree, like the Monkey King causing chaos in the heavens. He did whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, living life in full bloom under the sunlight.

Lily felt the same way.

Originally sitting in the front passenger seat, Lily twisted herself completely around, still strapped in by the seatbelt, to look at the two companions sitting in the back. Her eyes were filled with eagerness and longing, emotions she could no longer hold back.

"A record, Miles!"

"Connor? Say something!"

However, Miles and Connor seemed to be stunned, unsure of how to respond. Their brains stopped working, and they couldn’t make a sound.

Anson noticed this.

He thought it was normal.

"I think you should seriously consider it. For me, it’s just a small matter, but for you guys, it’s not."

Lily froze. "Anson, what are you talking about? We don’t have a choice right now."

"Miles, what’s wrong? Don’t you want to record a real album?"

"Connor, our dream... it’s finally coming true."

Anson had to raise his voice, "Lily, we have plenty of time. This isn’t a one-time deal. You guys can take some time to think it over."

Lily’s face was filled with anxiety.

Anson chuckled, "If you’re worried that I’ll regret it once I cool down, don’t be. Like I said, it’s a small thing for me, but it’s not for you."

"Hey, think about it."

"I have a fallback. For now, my acting career is going well. I don’t need to worry about what’s next. I don’t care if the record succeeds or fails. Even if no one listens to it, I can still move on with my life."

"And besides, the media probably won’t miss out on a story like this."

"Something like a hobby band, or not focusing on your main career—there will be all sorts of rumors. Even if the record is released, it’ll face plenty of challenges."

"But you guys are different."

"You don’t have a fallback."

"If you choose to record this album, Connor will have to quit his job, Lily won’t be able to do any gigs for a while, and Miles would have to leave the symphony. Your absence will definitely cause resistance and discontent. If the album fails, there’s no guarantee they’ll welcome you back with open arms."

"And more importantly..."

Anson paused slightly.

"You guys have hit a wall before, more than once. If you fail again this time, lighting that spark of hope only to snuff it out, rekindling a dream only to have it shattered—that’s the most brutal part."

"So, Lily."

"I know what I’m doing. But are you guys really sure?"

A slight breeze stirred, and the car fell silent.

Hope can be cruel.

Especially when it’s ignited, only to be extinguished again. When you touch the dawn and then it vanishes, the journey from hope to despair is the harshest punishment.

Lily’s excitement and fervor suddenly froze—

She thought this was great news—Anson was actually willing to form a band with them and record an album. They were finally on the verge of achieving their dreams.

After all, Anson was an actor, the soul of their performances, and his talent had sparked the chemistry their band had been missing. He was the key, and everything hinged on Anson’s willingness.

But now, as she calmed down, Lily understood what Anson meant.

Indeed, Anson didn’t need to pay any price, but they would have to throw themselves into the fire.

But—

"I’m in," Miles spoke up.

All eyes turned to Miles.

Miles’ gaze met Anson’s in the rearview mirror for a brief moment.

"Anson, you’re right; but you’re missing the most important fact."

"Without you, our dreams would’ve already died."

"We’ve been wandering the streets for so many years. We’ve got the passion, the creativity, and the skills, but we never had the chemistry to bring it all together until you came along."

"So, with your talent, you’ve reignited our dreams. You’re not just an optional part; you’re not just doing this for fun. You’re the soul of the band and our only hope."

"If I refuse, I’d be betraying everything I’ve stood for all this time."

"We’ve already failed so many times—what’s one more? After all, we’re still young right now. If we fail, we can get back up. A few years later, we might not have the strength anymore."

"So while we’ve still got the strength, I want to give it another shot."

Miles was calm and collected. His words were steady and unassuming, with no dramatic flair, completely different from the way he played the cello. But his simple and sincere words carried the weight of a thousand pounds, pressing heavily on their chests, making their blood boil.

Lily’s lips moved slightly—

She admitted to herself that she yearned for this opportunity, even if it meant crashing and burning. But when the words reached her lips, she couldn’t bring herself to say them.

Because she realized that if she agreed, all the pressure would fall on Connor.

They all knew what Connor had been through, and she didn’t have the right to force him to make a choice.

The words lingered on her tongue, and her gaze became strained.

Connor noticed.

He looked up to meet everyone’s eyes, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Lily, if you want to nod, go ahead. We all know how much you want this chance. You’re the only one among us who has stuck it out, no matter how hard it’s been."

Lily felt her nose start to tingle. "But…"

But without Connor, it wouldn’t feel right.

Connor glanced at the rearview mirror, locking eyes with Anson. "I thought I’d come to terms with reality, but I’ve just been fooling myself. The moment I took leave to come to Los Angeles, I knew I was lying to myself."

"Give up?"

"Heh, even I don’t believe that."

"Anson, does your band still need a bassist?"

Lily quickly covered her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes.

Anson paused for a moment. "Actually, we still need a drummer. Can you handle that?"

The car fell silent.

Miles quietly raised his hand. "I could give it a try."

Connor, confused, replied, "Huh?"

Miles looked serious. "We can’t put a cello in every song. We need to show what makes the band unique, and that means fully utilizing the instruments. So we should be bold and try different things."

Lily cautiously added, "I can play the banjo."

Connor, with a touch of embarrassment, said, "Uh, actually, before I became a bassist, I was a guitarist. It’s just that no one else in the band wanted to play bass…"

"We’ve heard that story before," Anson quipped, sparking laughter all around.

Excitement, joy, anticipation.

Was this really how dreams came true?

The more it felt real, the more uneasy Lily became. Regaining a bit of her composure, she asked, "What if we record the album and no label wants to release it?"

Anson slowly retorted, "Then you’ll all be working off the debt you owe me. Hey, guys, I’m not running a charity here."

"Wait, I thought you were financing it, and you’d take the lion’s share of the profits. Naturally, that means you assume the risk, right?"

"Oh no, is it too late to back out now? I thought teaming up with you meant we’d have a guaranteed record deal. I think I’ve just boarded a sinking ship."

Amid the playful chatter, the car continued on its way into the unknown.

No one could predict the future, but that’s precisely what made it so alluring.

Chapter 438: Fatal Crisis

"Damn it!"

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

After a string of expletives, Adam Scott still couldn't control the boiling anger in his chest. He paced back and forth, finally lowering his voice again to curse.

"Shit!"

Finally, barely managing to control his emotions, Adam turned to look at the others in the conference room.

"What did Edgar Cooke say?"

A slightly stiff voice replied, "He insists he didn't breach the contract. Anson's schedule doesn't conflict with our promotion in any way."

"No conflict of interest... Ha, haha, what a great 'no conflict of interest'!" Adam couldn't help but let out a cold laugh at the absurdity and unexpectedness of it all. He once again heard the bubbling sound in his chest.

At this moment, in this place.

In the conference room of Sony Columbia's marketing department, department manager Adam Scott was holding an emergency meeting, and the entire department was in a state of panic.

While Anson and the others were confidently looking forward to the future, the future in front of Adam was dark, as if he could see a storm approaching.

The reason was "Spider-Man."

Since its inception, "Spider-Man" had been a top-tier project of utmost importance for Sony Columbia. With the continuous downturn of the summer box office in the past two years, its importance had been steadily rising, undoubtedly making it the biggest blockbuster of this year's summer season.

On one hand, Sony Columbia had almost desperately poured all its resources into it, and the marketing department had been working day and night on related promotions.

They couldn't afford the cost of failure.

On the other hand, the entire Hollywood viewed Sony Columbia as lunatics, mocking them both inside and outside for placing their bets in the wrong place.

Although "Batman Returns" in 1992 had once written the peak of superhero movies, to be fair, superhero movies were still a typical subculture at present.

Warner Bros. held the adaptation rights to the entire DC Comics universe, and Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman were all well-known superhero figures, yet they hadn't made any attempts in a whole five years.

The disastrous failure of "Batman & Robin" served as a wake-up call. So, Warner Bros. would rather develop new franchises like "The Lord of the Rings" and "Harry Potter" than continue to invest time in comics.

Indeed, in the past two years, 20th Century Fox's investment in the "X-Men" series had achieved considerable success. However, the films were planned entirely as B-movies, and their box office performance wasn't particularly impressive. Compared to genres like sci-fi, comedy, and action, they didn't have an advantage.

From all indications, the superhero genre was still suitable for development as B-movies. There was no need for excessive investment or taking it too seriously, and it might still be profitable.

Yet, Sony Columbia was planning the "Spider-Man" project on the scale of an A-list blockbuster. Even if it wasn't exactly throwing money away, in the eyes of Hollywood insiders, it was a blind bet made out of desperation.

And to make matters worse, Sony Columbia had put all its eggs in one basket.

In this predicament of internal and external troubles, the pressure was pushed to an unbelievable level.

Whether it was within Sony Columbia or among other Hollywood insiders, all eyes were focused on "Spider-Man," which was about to kick off this year's summer season. Success or failure hinged on this one move.

Furthermore, there was another crucial unknown factor.

Since the "9/11" incident last year, the entire North American continent had been shrouded in a gloomy and pessimistic atmosphere. Hollywood was inevitably caught up in it, and the prolonged downturn in the film market seemed to have no end in sight.

The upcoming summer season carried the hopes of industry insiders to revitalize the market, but it was also mired in unpredictable chaos. No one could accurately predict what would happen next.

Which movie, when, and in what way would break the market's slump? Everything was unknown.

In previous years, the competition during the opening weeks of the summer season was fierce, but this year, there was a cautious atmosphere of testing the waters. Sony Columbia scheduled "Spider-Man" for the first week of May and surprisingly encountered no competition, easily securing the release date. Everything was going too smoothly, which was unsettling.

All of this, all of this.

One could imagine the pressure the Sony Columbia marketing department was under.

For an entire month, Adam had been in a state of high-intensity, high-frequency work. To be precise, he had been on edge for the past three months, with everything revolving around the promotion of "Spider-Man."

And the result?

The result!

When Adam learned that Anson had secretly recorded "The Tonight Show," his first reaction was that his head exploded, and all his hair stood on end.

How dare he, how dare he!

They had countless meetings and discussions, and finally, they determined the best promotion plan. They tried their best to avoid exposing Anson and Kristen's shortcomings. They were like Barbie dolls, obediently staying in the box for display only. This was the best plan, it was that simple.

Barbie. Display.

This was their only requirement, nothing could be simpler, but Anson偏偏 messed up at this stage.

Moreover!

Of all the shows, why did it have to be "The Tonight Show"? The current king of talk show ratings, which meant that even a slight mistake or deviation from Anson could wipe out all the promotional efforts their entire team had worked so hard on for over half a year.

Some might say, why not be optimistic? Maybe the show will be a hit? Maybe Anson's performance will bring surprises? Even if Sony Columbia doesn't help, at least they shouldn't hinder, right? Shouldn't Sony Columbia be grateful for Anson's proactive promotional attitude?

Firstly, Adam didn't like surprises. One surprise could disrupt his entire plan, which meant increased workload and the need for them to work overtime to follow up and adjust.

Secondly, Adam didn't believe the show would be a hit. The collision between a newcomer and a talk show was a disaster. This was a consensus throughout Hollywood, from top to bottom. No newcomer would go on a talk show, none!

Thirdly, Anson taking the initiative to promote himself was definitely not helping but hindering. The promotional plan they had painstakingly formulated was based entirely on professional opinions and targeted strategies based on market research. Interference from an outsider would only bring unnecessary trouble.

Think about it, in "Spider-Man," Peter Parker was a shy and introverted high school student. No matter how Anson performed on "The Tonight Show," his appearance would only undermine the audience's sense of identification with Peter Parker.

Not to mention, there were also those media outlets waiting to stir up trouble. Even if there was nothing wrong, they might create some waves. Now, Anson was practically handing the media a weapon, cheerfully inviting them to launch an attack.

God! Disaster, this was an absolute disaster!

Only an outsider would think that Anson was helping with the promotion.

Now, Sony Columbia had to spend resources, energy, and time to compensate for the chain reaction caused by Anson's rash actions. How could they possibly continue to fuel the flames?

His mentality crumbled.

Chapter 439: Rapidly Changing Situation

Adam was truly shattered, completely broken.

He couldn't imagine Anson secretly going to record "The Tonight Show." Even more absurd was that "The Tonight Show" actually agreed to it.

Sony Columbia was backstabbed like this, their entire plan disrupted. Wasn't this adding insult to injury?

No matter how much he thought about it, Adam couldn't control himself.

Shit!

Cursing again, Adam had to force himself to calm down. He didn't have time to settle the score with Anson right now. Controlling the crisis and minimizing the damage was the top priority.

As for Edgar, hmph, settling accounts later wouldn't be too late.

He would let them know that no matter how battered Sony Columbia was, it was still one of the seven major Hollywood film studios. It was the 21st century now, so there was no need to talk about silly things like banning or not banning, but teaching actors and agents a lesson was still possible.

With a flick of their finger, they could make Anson and Edgar suffer.

Pulling himself together, Adam regained his composure.

"What about 'The Tonight Show'?"

The conference room fell silent.

After a short while, a timid voice finally answered, "The show hasn't responded."

Adam: ...

"The Tonight Show" and Jay Leno were tough nuts to crack. Adam knew it was impossible to ask them to pull the episode, but at least they could postpone its airing, right?

Delay it a bit, avoid the peak of the storm, wait until two weeks after the release of "Spider-Man," no, even airing it after the opening weekend would be fine. This way, they could control the damage within a reasonable range.

Adam believed this was negotiable since "The Tonight Show" wouldn't suffer any losses.

However, the show didn't respond.

Adam glared fiercely.

The person immediately understood, "I'll continue calling the show right now."

Flusteredly gathering their documents, the figure quickly left the conference room. In their haste, they didn't even have time to open the door and rushed out, slamming into the door panel with a bang.

A loud crash!

Everyone in the conference room winced in pain, but the person didn't have time to rub their forehead. They opened the door and quickly fled the scene on all fours.

Adam paid no attention, looking at the crowd with a blank expression and continuing, "So, how should we turn the situation around now?"

The conference room exchanged glances.

The air almost solidified.

After a brief silence, someone finally spoke cautiously.

"If we can't avoid it, why not use it to our advantage?"

"Anson has a close relationship with producers like Darren Star and David Crane. Jeff Robinov also mentioned his name. Not long ago, he just finished working on a project with Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. Maybe we can contact them and have them mention Anson, taking advantage of the situation to make this game bigger..."

The more they thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.

However, dark clouds gathered over Adam's face.

The next second, all he heard was a ringing in his ears.

"Idiots."

"What's their relationship with Anson, and what's their relationship with us? Why would they endorse 'Spider-Man'?"

"Jeff Robinov?"

"Steven Spielberg?"

"Why don't you just have Warner Bros. and DreamWorks' teams help us with the promotion? Let the whole Hollywood see us as a joke."

"Huh?"

"Ahhh..."

The volcano finally erupted. The entire room fell silent, and no one dared to look Adam in the eye.

Adam almost flipped the conference table. The entire space was filled with a deathly silence, and everyone lowered their heads, afraid of being targeted by the dinosaur.

After venting his anger, Adam finally regained his composure and took a deep breath.

Ultimately, he still needed to solve the problem, and he believed he could.

"Connect me to Brian Swozstone."

Not long ago, Brian Swozstone had been promoted to CEO of William Morris.

In fact, the matter wasn't that complicated. There was no need for a direct confrontation. Just a little pressure to push back the airing time of "The Tonight Show" would suffice.

If Sony Columbia forced "The Tonight Show," it might be difficult. But if Edgar himself made the request, the show had no reason to refuse.

So, to solve the problem at its root, Adam went directly to the William Morris executives.

On the phone, Brian displayed the efficiency of a seasoned professional. He didn't make excuses or beat around the bush, readily agreeing. He would inquire about the situation and would absolutely cooperate with Sony Columbia's promotional plan.

Of course, Adam wasn't a child and was long past the age of naivety. He couldn't believe everything Brian said and still needed to make multiple preparations. Sony Columbia also became fully engaged.

However!

"The Tonight Show" still aired.

It wasn't postponed, nor was it canceled. It even aired three days earlier than planned.

Their stance couldn't have been more assertive.

Rumor had it that when Jay Leno learned of Sony Columbia's unreasonable demands, the king of talk shows was outraged and immediately went to the NBC executives.

Although no one heard the full conversation, snippets could be caught before the office door closed, such as "Since when does someone else tell me how to do my show?" and "They think they can control everything." It was a rare sight to see Jay Leno lose his temper.

Because he hosted talk shows year-round, Jay Leno always wore a smile, creating an illusion:

He was a harmless teddy bear.

Only at this moment could people recall that when Johnny Carson was about to retire, the competition for the successor of "The Tonight Show" was also a bloody one. Originally, David Letterman had received a promise from the executives, securing the job, but in the end, David Letterman left in anger, and Jay Leno forcefully took the position.

What exactly happened behind the scenes remained a legend.

But one thing was certain, Jay Leno was definitely not a pushover or a simpleton.

Although no one knew the specific content of Jay Leno's conversation with the NBC executives, the result was clear: the show still aired.

Not only did it air, but it also aired earlier.

Undoubtedly, this was a slap in the face, and Jay Leno didn't intend to save face for Sony Columbia. This counterattack made things very ugly.

Later, Sony Columbia had to find a mediator to ease the relationship between the two sides. Jay Leno used the third party to convey his views.

"Wouldn't I, the host, know whether the show is good or not?"

"For them, the success or failure of a movie is of limited importance. Compared to the losses on Wall Street, it's just a drop in the bucket."

"But for me, I have my reputation to uphold. I invited him to be a guest on the show and recorded the episode, so I need to be responsible for its quality."

"This is my show, damn it, this is my brand."

"Who is he? Someone from the marketing department, coming to tell me how to do things, pointing fingers at my show. Does he even have a brain?"

"I'm willing to air this episode, which shows my confidence. Even if he doesn't believe in those newcomers, he should believe in my ability and judgment. I won't allow others to question my professionalism."

Facts proved that Jay Leno was right.

Chapter 440: The Rabbit Magic Trick

Adam Scott had meticulously planned everything but overlooked the most crucial element:

Jay Leno's pride and professionalism.

Sony Columbia's worries and panic, from another perspective, were a form of doubt and provocation, completely infuriating Jay Leno. Even NBC quickly expressed their support, firmly standing behind their talk show superstar and eagerly appeasing him.

NBC's stance completely changed the situation.

"The Tonight Show" aired smoothly.

Not only that, but when Sony Columbia's executives learned about it, they immediately ordered Adam to apologize to Jay Leno and repair the relationship at all costs.

After all, Sony Columbia had a series of upcoming movies that needed promotion. Although the late-night talk show competition was fierce, and Jay Leno wasn't the only option, other shows weren't "The Tonight Show." This particular talk show had firmly held the ratings championship in the 11 p.m. slot for a whole decade.

Ten years!

Indeed, there were many other talk shows, as well as radio programs, magazine interviews, and so on, but none of them could match the promotional effect of "The Tonight Show."

"The Tonight Show" was irreplaceable.

Since Jay Leno took over the show in 1992, it had also experienced a series of challenges and shocks. After all, he wasn't Johnny Carson, and it took some time for the audience to accept him.

In those years, "The Tonight Show" consistently held the top spot in late-night talk show ratings, but it was mainly due to the lingering influence of Johnny Carson. The competition from other shows was still very intense.

The turning point came on July 10, 1995.

The guest for that day's interview was Hugh Grant.

Just a few days before the show's recording, to be precise, on June 27th, Hugh Grant was arrested by the Los Angeles police for receiving oral sex from a prostitute in a car on Sunset Boulevard. Caught red-handed, he faced potential jail time and was engulfed in a Hollywood scandal.

Almost everyone thought Hugh Grant wouldn't appear on "The Tonight Show," but Jay Leno personally stepped in and persuaded him.

And after Hugh Grant took his seat, Jay Leno uttered the classic line that shook the entire North America, "What the hell were you thinking?"

Although it wasn't exactly profanity, it was close enough.

That episode completely changed Jay Leno's position on "The Tonight Show," completely erasing Johnny Carson's influence and establishing his own prestige and reputation.

Since then, "The Tonight Show" had truly become Jay Leno's show, with viewership consistently staying above four million.

The highest viewership for other talk shows might be four million, usually hovering around two million; but even the worst viewership for "The Tonight Show" was four million, and it could easily surpass five million every now and then, even reaching higher numbers wasn't surprising.

For the 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. time slot, the stability and dominance of "The Tonight Show" was undoubtedly an incredible legend.

Even David Letterman's show in the same time slot, who had a deep-seated feud with Jay Leno, could only compete for the second place in ratings while looking at the back of "The Tonight Show." There was an insurmountable barrier between them and "The Tonight Show," even a desperate and clear gap.

Similarly, the ratings figures that advertisers and sponsors cared about the most, as well as the main consumer group aged 18 to 49, were also firmly locked onto "The Tonight Show."

While the ratings of other late-night talk shows generally hovered below 3.0, with every breakthrough to 3.0 being a cause for celebration, the average rating of "The Tonight Show" had long surpassed 4.0. Anything below 4.0 might require a meeting for review, and 5.0 was the working goal.

Simply put, the competition wasn't even on the same level.

Sony Columbia naturally didn't want to offend Jay Leno.

To be precise, no Hollywood film studio wanted to offend Jay Leno. It wasn't a matter of whether they could or not, but there was simply no need to.

Moreover, even in the eyes of Sony Columbia's executives, Adam Scott's handling of the matter this time was questionable. They had no excuse.

Adam: So, this is what it feels like to be a scapegoat.

To make matters worse, Jay Leno proved himself right.

His worries were unnecessary. How could Jay Leno risk his own brand?

After this episode of "The Tonight Show" aired, it ignited a wave of enthusiasm.

In the first half, the "Star Wars Episode II" crew, led by Natalie Portman and Ewan McGregor, appeared.

In the second half, an unknown indie band took the stage.

If someone hadn't watched the show and only read the first paragraph of the "Los Angeles Times" report the next day, they might have the misconception:

The show was a hit, wasn't that a given? It was "Star Wars"! Anything related to "Star Wars" instantly became a hit, right?

Even if they knew nothing about movies or talk shows, it wouldn't prevent them from being amazed by the influence of "Star Wars" on the North American continent.

Of course, this was indeed the case.

In the first half, although the interview with Natalie and Ewan wasn't as interesting as imagined, and the show even seemed a bit stiff, relying on the appeal of "Star Wars," the show still easily attracted 5.5 million viewers, and the ratings effortlessly reached a high of 4.5, undoubtedly becoming the focus.

The North American market was ready to welcome "Star Wars Episode II."

However, as one continued reading the "Los Angeles Times" report, they would immediately notice something amiss. Things were taking a strange turn.

"...While everyone was immersed in the joy of the upcoming release of 'Star Wars,' Jay Leno, like a magician, pulled a rabbit out of his hat. No one knew how it happened, but the surprise came nonetheless, whether the audience was mentally prepared or not.

A band, a street performance, an internet sensation. And, Anson Wood."

Readers: ???

Clearly, things were different from what they had imagined, completely different.

Who would have thought that "Star Wars" would one day play a supporting role for someone else?

Thanks to Natalie and Ewan's warm-up in the first half, although the show wasn't as exciting as expected, "The Tonight Show" effortlessly retained most of the audience. A habitual action prevented the audience from picking up the remote and changing the channel. Then, they witnessed the show kick off with a stunning and shocking band performance.

Surprise!

An absolute surprise!

In the words of the "Los Angeles Times," "A cello appearing in a pop band was already a gimmick, a novelty. However, this wasn't the band's true adventure. The spectacle of four band members playing one cello was just the beginning of a journey."

The talk show interview hadn't even properly started, yet "The Tonight Show" had already ignited curiosity in the late-night hours.

The ratings climbed steadily.

According to Nielsen statistics, after the band started performing, the viewership saw a slow increase, with the upward trend not being particularly obvious. However, the ratings experienced a significant and steep surge.

The data showed that the main consumer group aged 18 to 49 was immediately captivated. The curiosity and excitement of young people were easily ignited and widely spread, creating a rare and unique scene in the late-night time slot.

And all of this was just the beginning.