Chapter 43: Preparing for the New Movie
Back in the world of "The Princess Diaries," Jake frowned as he looked at the helicopter and tank parked on the lawn.
Leaving these weapons so openly displayed seemed a bit too conspicuous.
So, he went through the trouble of driving the tank to a secluded park and hiding it in the woods. As for the helicopter, he couldn't legally own one privately; he figured buying a few more through proper channels wouldn't be illegal.
Meanwhile, under Old Silas's management, the entire estate had been transformed.
The lawns were immaculate, and the lake outside the palace was pristine, crystal clear, with fish actually swimming in it.
Transportation had been upgraded to two boats: an electric boat and a classic wooden rowboat. The wealthy always appreciate a touch of elegance, don't they?
Looking at the truly renovated, fairytale-like palace, Jake was in high spirits. He contacted Silas, showering him with compliments, giving him a generous bonus, and telling him to take an extended vacation.
On the lake outside the palace, a small wooden boat drifted gently.
Occasionally, a fish would swim by, circling the boat curiously before swimming away.
Jake lay in the boat, letting it drift.
He was usually busy figuring out storylines, and such leisurely afternoons were rare.
He stared at the clouds for a while; in just half an hour, the cloud above his head had changed shape seven or eight times.
He pulled out his phone to check the progress of the second movie section. He had entered "Operation Condor" and "Lord of War," and had even made a cameo appearance as a mercenary in "Operation Condor," which added significantly to his storyline.
"One more cameo in a movie, and I can unlock the next movie section," he thought, searching for his next target.
"Fast & Furious? In the end, it's just a story about street racers. The scenes might look flashy, but someone who already knows the plot will definitely find it boring."
Racing? He already has a tank; what's the point of racing?
"Die Hard? The Expendables?... Gunfights, action heroes, totally uninteresting."
"The Hunger Games? Hmm, Jennifer Lawrence..."
.........
The Hunger Games was a sci-fi movie that Jake had watched and found very compelling.
It didn't suffer from the curse of trilogies inevitably declining in quality; at least Jake had watched all three back-to-back.
The female lead, Katniss, is played by Jennifer Lawrence, who also played Mystique in X-Men: First Class. Her figure goes without saying—after all, Mystique doesn't exactly wear much clothing.
Her personality was also one that Jake really appreciated, both in and out of character.
Her spirited personality was similar to Mia's, but the two were completely different.
Of course, this didn't mean Jake was planning to enter the movie to pursue the female lead. Wouldn't it be even more appealing to have a character he admired in a movie? Fighting alongside someone you respect—there's probably nothing more exciting than that.
The Hunger Games tells the story of North America, devastated by a catastrophic war. New societies were established, but with brutal new policies: each of the 12 districts had to select one boy and one girl (24 total) to participate in the "Hunger Games." In the Hunger Games, participants not only had to survive against various deadly creatures but also kill other contestants; the last survivor received a massive prize.
Katniss's younger sister was unfortunately chosen as the female tribute for District 12. To protect her sister, Katniss volunteered to take her place in the Hunger Games.
It was a brutal struggle among the poor, a form of entertainment for the wealthy elite.
During this battle, Katniss's defiant spirit inadvertently inspired the rebels, who adopted her as their symbol and beacon of hope.
Ultimately, they launched a revolution, overthrowing the Capitol regime.
This was a science fiction film featuring incredibly futuristic hovercrafts, high-speed magnetic trains, and holographic projection technology—two supports could project a virtual screen.
There were also massive, manually controlled "game arenas," where operators could even manipulate the weather, water flow, terrain, and even creatures.
But this wasn't a high-tech combat sci-fi movie. You could see this from the Rebels' tactics in the third film—using human wave attacks to overwhelm gunfire, and they actually succeeded?
You're telling me a nation with advanced aircraft was pushed back by a group of people charging with their bodies?
Most importantly, only a few dozen of these rebels who used human wave tactics actually died.
This was why Jake dared to enter this world.
...
"Nice environment," Jake said, carrying a large backpack and dressed casually, looking like he was on a camping trip.
To join the plot, he definitely needed to participate in the Hunger Games with the female lead, Katniss.
This was something others would avoid at all costs, but for Jake, it was a necessary condition for joining the storyline.
It was hard to imagine that this world, after the catastrophic war, would have such a beautiful environment.
A clear sky, lush green grass, and Jake could even see a young man and woman sitting together chatting happily on the grass in the distance. Without the oppression of the Hunger Games, perhaps this world would have developed quite well.
"A guy and a girl?" Jake was about to turn away when he paused. "Looks like the female lead and the second male lead."
Wasn't this the scene at the beginning of the movie?
The female lead, Katniss, and Gale, a boy she was close to, were happily sharing a small roll on the grass.
"Too bad, this guy didn't even get to hold her hand in the end."
The two childhood friends were ultimately separated by the Hunger Games.
"Excuse me, is this District 12?" Jake's voice interrupted the two who were chatting happily.
Katniss was still holding half a piece of bread, and after hearing the voice, she instinctively hid it beneath her, making Jake's eyebrows twitch. Girl, you hid it under your butt, I wouldn't eat it even if you offered.
The athletic guy, Gale, stood up and looked at Jake. Standing over six-two, he was like a wall in front of Jake, his shadow completely blocking Jake's view.
However, his attitude was decent enough. "That's right, who are you looking for?"
"I'm from out of district." Jake stared at Katniss for a while. When the movie The Hunger Games was first released, Jennifer Lawrence was already 22 years old, yet she had to play a 16-year-old girl. It had seemed a bit off.
But now, the movie world had automatically corrected itself; Katniss was genuinely a 16-year-old in her prime, with her signature braid and gray eyes looking exceptionally striking.
Or rather, she was simply a girl who naturally commanded attention.
It wasn't until Gale coughed in displeasure that Jake snapped out of his observation, but he wasn't embarrassed. "I wanted to ask about the address of the District 12 administrator. I think I might be living here from now on, and we might become neighbors," he said, smiling directly at Katniss.
Katniss, however, wasn't shy like most girls; instead, she glared at him defiantly.
Feisty! Jake found himself suddenly more interested.
"He's in that tall building in the very center," Gale reached out and pulled Katniss protectively behind him, then pointed in the direction behind Jake. Jake turned around and saw a tall building indeed.
"Okay, thanks," Jake nodded with a smile, completely unconcerned that Gale had grabbed Katniss. She wasn't his girlfriend yet, so why would he be bothered? Maybe this time he could take the male lead's place in the Hunger Games and win her over?
Before leaving, Jake pulled out two protein bars he had prepared beforehand and handed them to the two as a thank you gift, and to Katniss specifically, he even gave a wrapped candy.
In this world, giving food was clearly much more effective than giving jewelry.
Ignoring the pair staring hungrily at the unexpected treats, Jake slung his bag over his shoulder and headed toward the District 12 administration building.
"Hello, sir."
"Hello," came the reply from a portly, man—the kind of bureaucrat sent down by the Capitol.
"We seem to have met before. Do you remember me?" Jake stared intently into the bald man's eyes. "A, B, C, D, E, F, J!...J!" He counted each letter, and when he reached J, he clearly noticed the man's eyes flicker with recognition.
"Jack? James? Jason...Okay! Jason!"
"Remember me? Jason?" This was the power of psychology and suggestion.
Hypnosis wasn't something that could be accomplished with a snap of the fingers; it required constant psychological conditioning. To establish such conditioning, the other person had to lower their guard.
A stranger who could instantly recall your name would instinctively evoke a sense of familiarity and lower your defenses.
With the first step completed, what happened next was even simpler. Jake paid a small gold coin and became an official resident of District Twelve in this nation.
Until Jake left, Jason didn't notice anything amiss; he simply looked at the gold coin on the table and happily pocketed it.
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