Natalie was young but very clever. Even though she knew she was Ryan's best friend, she never pried into things she shouldn't know. So, after Kinsley had only exchanged a few words with Ryan, Natalie took the initiative to step out of the cabin.
Seeing her disappear, Ryan chuckled. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Pat, let me give you a piece of advice."
"Oh?" Kinsley's eyes lit up. Ryan's advice always seemed unreliable on the surface, but they had brought her huge benefits in the past.
"Sign Natalie." Ryan had already recognized Kinsley's capabilities. Rather than letting Natalie sign with another agent, it was better to keep her close. "Her talent for acting far exceeds mine."
Kinsley, of course, knew who Natalie referred to. She also knew how close Ryan and she were. But better than him in acting? That was hard to believe.
"I'm not joking," Ryan said seriously. "Natalie started learning dance at four, and by six, she was already performing in theater groups. If you have time, go to Long Island. There's a community theater there where you can see her performance. Of course, since you're my agent, Natalie herself isn't the problem—you'll need to convince her parents."
"Well… I'll do my best," Kinsley nodded lightly.
"Actually, I've already prepared a script for Natalie." Ryan made a 'this is a secret' gesture, then continued, "She's a bit too young right now. Maybe next year or the year after."
In truth, Ryan knew even if Kinsley could sign Natalie, she'd only be handling her Hollywood acting career. Natalie would likely still have her mother, Mrs. Sherry, act as her manager—just like in his previous life. That clever girl would never entrust her fate to someone else, not even her best friend.
With Kinsley's arrival, their camping trip came to an end. One day later, the group returned to Los Angeles.
After learning that Ryan had declined to write the script for Home Alone 2, Disney conveyed mild dissatisfaction through Kinsley. But upon hearing he was fully focused on creating an animated script, they immediately brushed their displeasure aside.
Animation was Disney's bread and butter. Although Michael Eisner had gradually cut investments in animation after taking office, once an animated film succeeded, the profits far exceeded those of live-action films. Regardless of box office performance, the merchandise revenue alone could reach staggering levels.
"So this is the Oscar statuette?" Natalie stood in front of a glass cabinet in Ryan's room. "Can I take it out and have a look?"
"Of course. If you like it, I'll give it to you."
Ryan was organizing his design sketches—a pile of colored pencil sketches of cartoon animals: the majestic lion Simba, the wise old baboon, the despicable hyena Shenzi, and the sinister Scar, among others.
"I don't want it." Natalie wrinkled her nose and said proudly, "Someday, I'll win my own Oscar. And the heaviest one too."
Ryan couldn't be bothered to argue. Carter Eisner was waiting in the guest room. "Nat, hang out here for a bit. If you get bored, there are books on the shelves, and my new manuscript is on the desk."
"Mm-hmm~"
In the guest room, Carter Eisner was pacing back and forth. Upon hearing that Ryan was working on an animated script, he had rushed over—even though Touchstone Pictures only handled live-action films.
"Hey Carter, long time no see." When Carter was finishing his second cup of coffee, Ryan finally appeared in the guest room. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I was organizing the character designs—it took a bit of time."
Seeing Ryan hand over a stack of sketches, Carter immediately accepted them. While the drawing level was still far from Disney's master animators, he could still see the potential.
"A story about Africa and lions?" he asked.
"That's right." Ryan nodded firmly. "These are just some of the character design sketches. I've mostly finished outlining the plot. The script is called The Lion King—a savannah version of Hamlet."
"So when can we sign a contract?" Carter Eisner knew full well that there was a long line of studios trying to get the rights to this kid's scripts and adaptations.
Ryan immediately felt a metaphorical dark cloud over his head. He hadn't even officially started writing yet. "Carter, can we not rush? These are just design sketches! It's an animation script. I'll definitely prioritize Disney for cooperation."
He silently added in his heart: As long as you meet my conditions.
"How long will it take?"
"One summer."
"That's too long." Carter grumbled. Others might not know, but he did—if Ryan really put his mind to it, he could bang out a script in twenty days.
"Carter, you know it's almost July. I have to participate in the promotion of Terminator 2, and I also need to outline Harry Potter book four. A summer is already cutting it close." Ryan glanced at the time. "Let's end it here for today. A friend from New York is visiting, and we're heading to Disneyland. Once the script is done, I'll have Pat contact you."
"Alright then, Ryan." Ryan had always had a solid reputation. If he said so, Carter believed that as long as the conditions were reasonable, Disney would definitely be his first choice. "Also, Reed asked me to remind you to protect your voice."
A black Audi pulled out of the villa. George made two loops around Beverly Hills to shake any possible tails before heading straight to Disneyland near San Marino. Even though Natalie was clever and mature for her age, she was still extremely interested in the park.
Getting out of the car, Ryan wore a baseball cap and a pair of sunglasses. The long hair from Terminator 2 had been cut back to his usual short style. His appearance had changed quite a bit, and with his growing body, few would recognize him unless they looked closely.
To Ryan, aside from the roller coaster, pirate ship, and a few other attractions, Disneyland wasn't all that interesting. But Natalie was different—she was truly a ten-year-old girl and was having the time of her life: taking pictures with Mickey and Donald, bouncing around with the Seven Dwarfs—she was visibly thrilled.
"Here, take this." Natalie had bought two masks and handed one to Ryan. She quickly put the other one on—it was a Minnie Mouse head.
"Why is mine Donald Duck?" Ryan grumbled.
"Because you can be as naggy and annoying as Donald Duck," Natalie said without giving him a chance to protest. She grabbed the mask and popped it on his head. "Now this is better. No one will recognize you as Ryan Jenkins."
"Ah—!"
Amid sharp screams—even with the Minnie mask on—Natalie had shut her eyes tight, letting Ryan rant all he wanted in the wind. She wasn't opening them for anything. Around them, other tourists were also screaming.
Finally, the roller coaster came to a stop. Most of the riders were dizzy and disoriented. Natalie felt like her feet were stepping on clouds. With Ryan supporting her, she finally managed to stand and stumbled forward. If she hadn't leaned half her weight on him, she would've collapsed.
"Ryan, you jerk! Why did I ever listen to you and get on that damned roller coaster!" Natalie complained angrily as she walked.
"Hey, Nat, you were screaming excitedly just now!" Ryan shamelessly lied, pretending innocence.
"Ryan Jenkins! Your brain must've been rattled silly! That was fear! F-E-A-R! Got it? Don't tell me you've turned into a complete idiot!"
If her legs hadn't been shaking and she wasn't so exhausted, Natalie really wanted to leap up and bite his annoying face.
"Whoa, there's the pirate ship! They say it's really fun. Nat, want to check it out?" Ryan pointed deliberately toward it, his mischievous side showing.
"Ryan… Jenkins~"
Natalie drew out his name slowly. Feeling strength return to her legs, she finally lost her patience. She stomped down—her little boots landing squarely on his foot. As Ryan bent down in pain, she suddenly opened her mouth and bit his cheek hard.
"Ow—ow—Nat! Let go! Are you a puppy? If you keep biting, I'm gonna fight back!"
But threatening her was a mistake. Upon hearing this, Natalie wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, making it harder for him to escape. If they weren't still kids, they really would've looked like a pair of frenzied lovers.
After quite a while, Natalie finally released her bite. Ryan rubbed his cheek furiously, instinctively putting some distance between himself and the slightly unhinged little girl. He hadn't expected the mature and intelligent Natalie to show such a childish side.
Natalie wrinkled her nose and shook a tiny fist at him, then lifted her chin high like a triumphant Caesar and proudly walked toward the rest area.
"Ryan, what's up with you? Why are you covering your face all the time?"
Back at the rest area, George looked at Ryan, who kept covering one side of his face, curious.
Damn it! Ryan cursed silently and shot a glare at the smug Natalie before replying, "Got bitten by a crazy little puppy."
"Puppy?"
"Ryan, is the other side of your face itchy too? Want me to bite that one as well?" Natalie opened her mouth and playfully ground her white teeth like she was savoring the moment.
"Wait—wait! Nat, I'm gonna go buy the hottest chili sauce and smear it on my face—bite all you want!"
"Ryan, don't think I won't! Don't forget, you still have ears!"
"Oh my God! You're serious! My ear's gonna fall off! Natalie, I swear—someday I'll make you pay for this! I swear it to both God and Satan!"
George finally figured out what was going on but wisely stayed silent, letting the young pair argue and roughhouse all they wanted.