Chapter 27: Trial of the Mirror

  The sound of the wooden guitar was intermittent, and the boy holding the guitar sometimes had a flying spirit, sometimes closed his eyes in meditation, and occasionally scribbled on the score. When inspiration struck, he would even write down a few lines of lyrics.

  Kaijin Lily sat across from him, flipping through a stack of sheet music that looked like scribbles. As an insider in the entertainment industry, she understood some of it and occasionally hummed a short tune, but most of these scores were disorganized and hard to piece together into a complete song.

  She let out a soft sigh, and Jin Silie couldn't help but advise her. In her opinion, Ryan was learning too many things and knew too many miscellaneous things, which wasn't beneficial. Being all-around but not specialized would be disadvantageous for future development. It's hard to find another Barbara Streisand in this era.

  Ryan shook his head ambiguously, but thought of another thing, that the tyrant on the set actually sent him an audition invitation, as for the role, who else could be the future savior!

  "Ryeon, have you thought it through?" Giselle asked as she saw Ryeon put down his guitar.

  "When do they turn it on?" Ryan asked.

  "If casting goes smoothly, it will be around mid or late October." Jin Silie saw some of Ryan's thoughts, "You... plan to accept the invitation?"

  "Why not?" Ryan asked back with a smile. "It's just an audition, James Cameron may not even see me."

  It was probably the conversation at the premiere of "The Sixth Sense" that left an impression on the future king of the world, who surprisingly invited him to participate directly in John Connor's second audition.

  Cameron quickly gave the Terminator 2 crew a response, a thin script about John Connor was handed to Ryan, who flipped through it and laughed. Although there were many differences from the movie he remembered, the main plot remained unchanged.

  ……

  "Jim, I don't understand why you're bringing that guy in for a second audition." Annie Hed, as the film's producer, was clearly unhappy with her ex-husband's decision. "No question, Ryan Jenkins showed breathtaking acting chops in Sixth Sense, and I agree no child actor could have done better, but let's not forget his brooding nature is way off from John Connor's character!"

  "Anne, you must not have met Ryan before?" James Cameron shook his head after seeing the other nod, "I saw him at the premiere of 'The Sixth Sense', and the concept of T1000 came from him. The real-life Ryan is completely different from the movie, a bright and intelligent young boy, it was just an audition."

  "Was the idea of T-1000 from him?" Annie Hard ignored the rest of the words.

  "Yes, how did he put it?" Cameron recalled slightly, "A shape-shifting liquid robot like a Porsche. No need to doubt, both Arno and Mario were present at the time."

  "Alright." Annie Hed looked at her watch, "Let's get ready, the audition is about to start."

  North Hollywood, the place where he had lived for nearly seven years after his rebirth. Ryan sighed in his heart, flipped over the rearview mirror, and took a look at the light brown large pompadour that covered more than half of his forehead, pursing his lips. This newly created hairstyle, combined with the worn-out jeans, made him look rebellious to the extreme.

  "Ryan, you know? You're giving me a very strange feeling right now!" Jin Silie said as she opened the car door for him.

  Ryan shrugged, this hairstyle was specially done by a stylist, since he agreed to participate in the audition, he naturally had to show some professionalism.

  They walked into the T2 studio set up by James Cameron specifically for Terminator 2, and under the guidance of the staff, they quickly arrived at the outside of the audition room. After casually finding a place to sit down, Ryan looked around at the other competitors, especially trying to find that guy in his impression.

  However, Ryan looked at it several times and didn't find that face, and couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Could it be that this big butterfly blew him away?"

  Waiting was dull and boring. After chatting with Jinsili for a few words, he simply daydreamed and started his habitual random thoughts.

  "Ryan! It's your turn." After an unknown amount of time had passed, the voice of his agent reminding him reached his ears.

  Ryan adjusted his mood, straightened his clothes, and followed the staff into the audition room. This was still his first time participating in an audition, so he couldn't help but feel a little curious.

  There are too many legends about Hollywood's casting couch, and although those messy things gradually disappeared after the 1980s, some situations can't be completely eradicated when both parties are willing.

  "I am Ryan Jenkins, born in 1980, so far starred in "The Sixth Sense"..."

  Ryan shook off his somewhat comical big hair, without a hint of the gloomy temperament in "The Sixth Sense", looking sunny and cheerful, with a hint of rebelliousness.

  "Looks a bit younger." Annie muttered, but couldn't deny that the boy's appearance didn't match his age, especially his temperament, which was worlds apart from his portrayal in "The Sixth Sense".

  "Ryan, what do you think of John Connor as a character?" The question was asked by James Cameron.

  "Rebellious at heart but still retaining innocence and kindness." Ryan thought for a moment before giving this answer.

  Sure, here is the translation:

  As expected, several people behind the long table nodded unconsciously.

  "What's your take on this movie?" Annie Hed asked.

  "Although I only saw part of the script, some ideas can be seen from it. Unlike Terminator 1 which purely relies on blood and fighting to attract audiences, more thinking has been added to the script, such as 'Will humans be destroyed by their own technological creations?' And what will a robot do when it has human emotions? Also, science fiction and philosophical thinking are perfectly combined..."

  Although the people opposite him gradually opened their mouths, Ryan didn't stop at all, recalling his previous life's comments on "Terminator 2", combining what he had seen in that part of the script, and talked endlessly, it wasn't until several minutes later that he finally closed his mouth.

  "Oh God, what Ryan said is exactly in line with my thinking." Cameron clenched his fist and pounded it heavily on the palm of his hand.

  "Ryann, are you really only ten years old this year?" Mario Casas asked with a surprised expression.

  "I think this is no secret."

  Ryan spread his hands and looked at James Cameron, who had actually been in contact with him several times before adopting the T-1000 concept, and had even called him specifically. Ryan naturally wouldn't refuse.

  After asking the questions, it's time for a segment of John Connor's performance in front of the camera. For Ryan, who has gone through the baptism of "The Sixth Sense" and has a thorough understanding of this sci-fi masterpiece, it's not a difficult task at all. Just look at the satisfied smiles on the faces of several examiners after he finished acting with his temporary assistant.

  "Ryan, I heard you signed a contract with Touchstone Pictures, is that true?" Annie Hurd asked, straightening her face.

  "Yes." Ryan nodded, "If nothing unexpected happens, I'll be following the crew to Canada in a few days."

  "Really." Several people's faces showed a look of embarrassment.

  "Actually, Columbus is expecting to wrap up all filming in about a month and a half," Ryan added.

  "Alright then," said Annie Hed, "We'll stop here for today, and we will notify you as soon as possible."

  Ryan was talking to Kim Sae-ron about the audition while walking outside, he was the last one to attend the audition. The corridor had already become empty at this time. When they arrived at the front desk of T2 studio, they suddenly found that several people were arguing.

  "Sir, we're just a bit late because of some issues at home, can you give us another chance?"

  "Only a minute? You're over two hours late, the audition is already over. Sorry, that's it." The staff member refused without hesitation.

  "Edward, say something."

  The boy with a hairstyle extremely similar to Ryan's pursed his lips, "Forget it, even if the trial mirror is successful, what can we do? We're still just money-making tools for them, I don't want to stay in that house for another moment, let's go."

  The boy finished speaking and walked out without looking back. The middle-aged man, who was presumably his agent, hurriedly followed him out.

  Ryan took all of this in, but didn't feel anything. Since the day he started writing, who knows how many people's fates would be changed because of it? One more wouldn't make a difference.

  "Let's go, Patrick."

  Several people in the fitting room did not leave and after watching the video of the try-on again, several people already had a clear candidate in mind.

  "Jim, which one do you think is suitable?" Mario Casas asked.

  "And you?" James Cameron turned to his ex-wife. "Anne, Mario, I see the same answer in your eyes as mine."

  "Doesn't he think he's a bit too young? And if the shooting schedule of Touchstone Pictures has problems, it will affect us!" Annie Hed raised some objections despite having already acknowledged the candidate.

  "These are all minor problems that can be solved, aren't they?"

  Just before Ryan left Los Angeles, the good news was passed on through Goldie Hawn, and at the same time, a thick script was handed over to him. If the negotiations between Goldie Hawn and Carolco Pictures go smoothly, he will be the future savior.

  "Nicole, don't worry, I'm not a little kid, I know how to take care of myself." At the gate before boarding, Ryan tightly hugged Nicole Kidman. To be honest, he didn't want to be apart from her for so long either, but it wasn't just him who had to participate in the filming of "Home Alone", Nicole would also be traveling between Seattle and New York soon to film scenes for "Sleepless in Seattle".

  Perhaps due to the inertia of history, although Ryan did not make any suggestions to the director and actors, Miramax still found Nora Ephron to direct, with Tom Hanks playing the male lead.

  "Ryan, remember to call me every day." Nicole instructed solemnly.