Chapter 158: Chapter 158

"Anna, I just checked, and there’s no information about this director on Wiki."

The director’s name is Quinn Locke, and he also wrote the screenplay.

But online, there’s no trace of any other works by this person.

"If it’s a properly initiated film project, why would they send the script directly to you instead of through a company? I bet it’s one of those projects that’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing, with insufficient funds and unsettled actors, and it’s uncertain if it can be shot at all," Mary doubted.

"It doesn’t matter, at least we have the script! From this script, I can see his sincerity, and I don’t think it’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Isn’t there a director’s phone number left at the end? Help me contact him, let’s meet and talk further."

Mary had said she trusted Anna’s judgment, so since Anna Thornton was optimistic about this script, she quickly helped to arrange a meeting for her.

She called the director to confirm the time, initially planning to set up a meeting at a café the next day.

Who knew the person would change the meeting location to a fast-food restaurant at the last minute, requesting to meet Anna Thornton there.

Mary had never heard of discussing a film project at a fast-food restaurant, so she put a mask on Anna before getting out of the car.

Luckily, it was a not-so-busy fast-food joint, and when they arrived, they found that there weren’t many people.

But after searching for some time, they couldn’t figure out who among them was Quinn Locke, the director who sent the script to Anna Thornton.

How should I put it? Anna Thornton had met quite a few domestic directors at Marilyn Ford’s birthday banquet last time.

Though some had bulging bellies and others had greasy balding heads, without exception, they were all in suits and ties.

And compared to those people, the one before her seemed very different.

Quinn Locke was younger than Anna Thornton imagined, seemingly just into his thirties at most. Slim build, very fair skin like someone who rarely sees the sun, unshaved beard, hair appeared as if it hadn’t seen a barber for at least six months, resembling a bird’s nest.

Anna Thornton understood that many who are deeply immersed in artistic creation don’t care much for the details.

Yet Quinn Locke was different from those who deliberately grow their hair and beard long like performance artists. From his washed-out denim shirt and the nearly soleless canvas shoes, it was clear he was simply poor.

Facing Anna Thornton, Quinn Locke seemed somewhat awkward, and he actually blushed before opening his mouth to speak.

"Miss Thornton, you are even more... beautiful than I imagined."

"Thank you, you’re also not quite what I imagined."

Hearing this, the other party looked even more embarrassed: "I stayed up late last night writing a novel, almost couldn’t get up today, so I didn’t have time to tidy myself up before going out."

"You’re a novelist?" Mary asked him.

"Writing novels is just my side job. My real ideal and pursuit are to become a director. But since I haven’t had a chance to make films in recent years, I need to earn some royalties from writing novels to maintain my livelihood."

"So have you made any works before these recent years?"

"No, ’Customized Girlfriend’ will be my first work."

The more Mary listened to him talk, the more unreliable he seemed.

He hasn’t directed a single movie, yet he sent the script to Anna? What kind of people dare to dream of being directors now?

Mary saw him as just a social anxiety-prone homebody who writes a bit of light fiction, with not-so-high royalties.

"But I really did graduate from the film academy’s directing department. If you don’t believe me, I can show you my diploma! Although I graduated seven years ago without any works, every time I made a school project, it placed first. You can check the school’s website for proof; you might even find my photo there. During my school years, I practically swept all the drama competition awards hosted by the school’s various clubs."

Quinn Locke came with a backpack, seemingly carrying his diploma with him. He’s ready to prove himself, anticipating the doubts from Anna and Mary.

Anna Thornton first looked at his directing diploma, Mary also leaned in.

Seeing the handsome young man in the graduation photo, Mary couldn’t help scrutinizing the person across them more closely.

Is it because the dream of being a director is too difficult or writing novels is too draining? How did a few years take such a toll on him?

"Because my grades were always excellent at school, there was someone willing to invest in me to make a film right after I graduated. The script for ’Customized Girlfriend’ is something I’ve been writing since seven years ago," Quinn Locke explained, "But during the course of refining the script, I never found the right actors for it, and the project was continuously delayed. Later, my investor also faced financial issues, and the budget kept decreasing. I’ve adjusted the script along with the shrinking budget, but I couldn’t withstand my investors going bankrupt one after another, so it ended up shelved."

As Quinn Locke shared his bitter experience, he embodied the spirit of being down on his luck from head to toe.

You see, whether a film can succeed half depends on skill and largely depends on luck.

This guy is so unfortunate, can his script really be taken on? The more Mary thought, the more worried she became.

"But rest assured, I’ve secured two investors this time. I’ve spent seven years refining this script, putting all my heart into it. I will definitely do my utmost to make it well. As long as Miss Thornton is willing to accept my sincere invitation to play the lead actress in this film, I won’t let you down."

"To be honest, I have high hopes for your script. But I’m just a newcomer; are you confident in having me take on the lead role?" Anna Thornton asked him.

Quinn Locke immediately nodded with full confidence: "I’ve watched your revenge movie; your acting is excellent. To see you today, even more beautiful than I thought, perfectly fits the manufactured robotic goddess setting, makes me even more assured."

"But our Anna currently doesn’t have the box-office draw, if you want her to take the lead role, you’d need to put more weight on the male lead. By the way, does this movie have seven male leads, are they all settled?" Mary asked him.

"I’ll discuss the male leads with you in more detail later, let’s eat first," Quinn Locke said, pointing to the menu above the fast-food counter, "Today it’s on me, order whatever you like."

Anna Thornton: "..." Follow current novels on NoveI~Fire.net

"Let me treat you instead, fast-food places are crowded and not suitable for script discussions. I know a quieter restaurant nearby where we can talk while we eat," Anna Thornton surmised that the reason this director set up a meeting at a fast-food place was due to financial constraints.

Seeing a more upscale restaurant, and then looking at his shoes, Quinn Locke hesitated to enter.

So Anna Thornton walked beside him on purpose, ensuring the staff knew they were together to avoid any awkwardness.

"You order, I’m not really hungry... I can just eat anything." Quinn Locke, after sitting in the booth, uncomfortably pushed the menu towards Anna Thornton and Mary.

To ease his awkwardness, he looked around idly.

Coincidentally, the booth they were sitting in faced the street outside the restaurant, where one could see others entering.

"Hey! I see that... isn’t that the actress Marilyn Ford!" Quinn Locke happily pointed out the window.

Hearing this, Anna Thornton put down the menu and glanced, indeed it was Marilyn Ford along with Conrad Sterling.

What a coincidence? They also came here for a meal!