Chapter 100: Chapter 100 The Tonight Show (2)

“I know what you want to ask, Jay, let’s just skip that question and move on to the next,” Adrian said preparedly with a smile, “As for the truthfulness of these reports, I believe everyone present knows the extent of it. I just want to say, if those nouns are singled out, indeed, some of them happened.”

“Can you specify which ones?” Renault promptly asked, taking back control of the conversation.

“Most of the things American high school and college students have done,” Adrian spread his hands, looking sincere, “I don’t deny these. When young and reckless, filled with rebellion, I was curious about everything that was explicitly prohibited and naturally wanted to try them all. Honestly, it’s not something to boast about.”

“It seems like Adrian has his own understanding of that period in his life,” Renault chuckled, “Indeed, everyone has their reckless moments, and these are certainly not things to boast about. Now, let’s get back to the formal question. I believe many people are eager to ask how you decided to become a director.”

“This… how to put it?” Adrian scratched his head, an endearing gesture that immediately brightened the eyes of many in the audience, “Some things I won’t repeat, as I believe you know, because of… my parents’ affairs, there was a time when my life was very chaotic.”

“Oh, of course, that’s unfortunate,” Renault nodded sympathetically, “I am sure they would be proud if they knew.”

“Thank you,” Adrian smiled slightly, “Anyway, my life had no regularity, sometimes I was just like a walking corpse. If it weren’t for Mrs. Galen constantly looking after me, who knows what I would have become. Even though she is a chatty, slightly overweight elderly woman, here I still want to say: thank you! I’m very grateful!”

The audience erupted in applause, including Renault.

“Alright, bringing the conversation back,” Adrian continued after gesturing, “I have no idea how I woke up; it might have had something to do with me deciding to fix my bedside lamp on my own.”

“Fix the bedside lamp?” Renault looked puzzled, and the audience’s curiosity was piqued.

“Yes, what I remember is that I came home drunk one night, and since the bedside lamp was broken, I decided to try fixing it–knowing that one’s judgment is off when drunk. Anyway, I started messing with the lamp without any tools, and needless to say, I got electrocuted.”

A few gasps sounded from the audience seats, and Renault widened his eyes in disbelief, “Are you serious?”

“Or do you think a drunk could successfully fix a bedside lamp, Jay?” Adrian asked back.

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“Alright then,” Renault raised his hands, “What happened next?”

“There was no accident; I fell on the bed and didn’t get up until the morning light,” Adrian looked thoughtful, “Then I felt I should do something, thought about it, and filmmaking came to mind.”

“Please wait, are you saying that getting electrocuted gave you the idea to make films?” Renault asked incredulously.

“If you want to see it that way, you can. Even I find it unbelievable. When I woke up, after feeling hazy all morning, suddenly I felt I couldn’t continue like that anymore and should do something, so I just went for it,” Adrian spread his hands.

“Okay, indeed… unbelievable, or are you telling us, when we want to change our lives but lack the courage to do so, fixing a bedside lamp might just give us the determination?” Renault half-jokingly suggested.

The audience burst into laughter.

“I didn’t say that, I can’t be sure if my change was related to that, maybe it was, maybe it was just coincidental,” Adrian shrugged, “But I truly hope not, I wouldn’t want to be invited to the National Academy of Sciences for research after this show.”

This elicited more laughter from the crowd. How do you make a truly absurd yet real event seem less believable? Seriously present it as a joke in front of others.

“Okay, let’s continue with the next question,” Renault signaled, “We all know that before ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels,’ you had no experience in filmmaking. So, how did you manage to make it?”

“Actually, I love reading,” Adrian revealed a thoughtful expression, “To be exact, I love reading stories, whether they are thrilling, joyful, or sad, I enjoy them all. Whenever I finish an incredible story, I feel an indescribable feeling, just like tasting delicious food or hearing a beautiful melody.”

“Like it resonated with you?” Renault interjected.

“No, that’s not quite right, I think ‘enjoy’ might be a better word,” Adrian shook his head, “The most basic thing about movies is storytelling. I used to write stories for fun, so I started by writing a few scripts and sending them out, and they were really bought by a movie company. This greatly boosted my confidence, and that’s when I started thinking about making my own film, so I began reading books on directing while devising my script.”

“You mean, studying theory while directing and producing?” Renault looked surprised, and the audience began whispering among themselves.

“That sounds a bit exaggerated,” Adrian continued, “As I mentioned to Haggis, I had already tampered with cameras back in university, and I used to shoot and produce videos for Brotherhood parties. If you check with Stanford’s Brotherhood–they might still have them–I did have some relevant experience. Plus, I spent a lot of time researching, and the theme was familiar to me–my maternal grandmother was British, and I had spent a significant part of my childhood in London, witnessing street vendors hawking and policemen hurriedly fleeing the scene, yes, just like the opening of ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.'”

At this point, Adrian paused, turning his head towards the camera, “Of course, I must also thank those who generously helped me; without them, a novice like me couldn’t possibly have completed my first movie. Laverne, the then-general director, helped me contact his friends in the UK to facilitate our crew; Ted, who had to take on multiple assistant roles due to tight finances; Joseph, who assisted in casting and recruiting extras, hardly a day went by without them bearing the brunt of my temper; and, of course, Ray, I didn’t expect the actor I picked up off the street to perform so brilliantly! Thank you all for your support!”

A robust round of applause arose from the audience.