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"Please let me down."

Montecito, Ernst's mansion.

Connery blushed, her head held high, her voice trembling.

However, the flushing of the face is not entirely due to shyness, but more so to the stimulation brought by the body itself.

"A bet is a bet. I didn't force you; you agreed to the bet yourself."

"But...but you didn't say you would give such a punishment."

Wearing a pure cotton white vest and dark blue jeans, and riding a wobbly rocking horse, Connery recreated a memorable scene from his 1991 film, "The Magnificent Scoundrels."

The slight difference is that the cowboy's family is not well-off, his clothes have two big holes in the front, and his jeans also have the most popular ripped style in later generations, but the rips are quite big and in some tricky places.

"Isn't it rare? I spent six thousand dollars to have this custom-made. Didn't you see it even has a retaining rod?"

"You're just a..."

He didn't finish his sentence because the cowboy collapsed on the horse's back after a bumpy ride.

Faced with Connery's weak, helpless, and pitiful pleading eyes, Ernst finally softened.

"Alright, I'll let you off the hook for today."

Connery felt like he had been granted a pardon and quickly escaped the wild horse. His movements were swift and agile, and Ernst even wondered if he had been tricked.

"Can I be your date again tomorrow?"

Although "The Man from Earth" is still showing, the number of screens in North America has shrunk to less than 800, and the focus will now be on the market in small and medium-sized cities, which can no longer bring huge box office revenue to the film.

So Iger proposed holding a celebration party, firstly to generate buzz and see if it could boost the film's box office, and secondly to officially announce that MGM had entered the Ernst + Robert Itter era, making a perfect start.

Ernst returned to Los Angeles from Mountain View for two reasons: one was to attend the celebration party, and the other was to avoid those reporters who were like flies.

The news about Google's funding is changing daily. Not only are a large number of investment institutions flocking to Mountain View, but the valuation is also being touted by the media as ridiculously high.

The most absurd report Ernst saw claimed that Microsoft planned to exchange 10% of its shares for a 20% stake in Google in order to acquire Google's shares.

If that were the case, Ernst could fly straight to Bill Gates's house and drag him out of bed that very night.

What size is Microsoft? Its market capitalization has exceeded $130 billion, and this 10% stake is worth $13 billion.

And what about Google? Selling the entire Google wouldn't even be worth one-tenth of the value of just one tenth of that company's shares.

What's even more absurd is that some people actually believe it, like the equestrian goddess in his arms.

Today, someone actually asked Ernst if he would become a billionaire after the stock swap, which made him laugh.

"So that's why you were so proactive today, you came with an ulterior motive."

I'm sure I'll be the biggest focus of attention at the celebration party for "The Man from Earth".

Fortunately, Hollywood is an entertainment city, so even if reporters ask about Google, they won't go too deep, unlike the reporters in Mountain View who block the door like a protest march.

Connery followed him simply to increase his exposure.

Anyway, everyone in the circle says that she has become Ernst's plaything and his possession.

Even if he was just a plaything, Connery wanted those Hollywood bitches to know that he was someone they could only envy.

However, she was really overthinking things this time; Ernst had no intention of taking her along.

"Not today, I have an important guest, I don't have time to spend with you."

Connery propped himself up and punched Ernst in the chest with two water balloons. "I don't need you to keep me company. You can do your thing."

Ernst's eyes narrowed slightly, and Connery, clearly noticing, quickly spoke up.

"Alright then, but next time you must let me be your date."

Good, a vase should have the awareness to be a vase.

Clearly, every woman who can survive and thrive in Hollywood possesses a keen eye for detail and is highly intelligent.

......

In the general manager's office at Staples Center Stadium, two elderly men with white hair sat with two tall, beautiful women serving them.

"The game was fantastic. Shaq truly deserves to be called the best center in the league right now; his dominance on the court is astonishing. That number eight kid is also very good; he'll definitely grow into a superstar. The Lakers are probably going to return to the Showtime era."

The NBA season has resumed, and a high-stakes regular season game just concluded at the Los Angeles Lakers' home court. Playing at home, the Lakers secured a narrow victory against the visiting Western Conference powerhouse, the SuperSonics.

Now that the game is over, the team's owner and general manager, Jerry Buss, invited his friends to his office to celebrate with cigars and red wine.

"Haha, hearing you say that makes me feel like I'm seeing the Lakers back to their dominant era in the 1980s."

The Lakers in the 1980s were the first dynasty era after Jerry Buss acquired the team, with Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ushering in the Showtime era in Los Angeles.

If Magic Johnson hadn't contracted HIV, the current Air Jordan might not have achieved his first three-peat dynasty.

Even Jordan himself admitted that Jason could handle any moving object; he was omnipotent.

There's a saying in the NBA: Jordan wins over the audience, James wins over the players.

Among players who experienced both eras simultaneously, everyone says Magic Johnson was the most difficult to deal with.

"However, that Chicago sprinter has also made a comeback. It won't be easy for you to rule the current dynasty. Especially that number eight kid you value; he's no match for the sprinter now, he's still far from it."

Jerry Buss also doesn't deny that the current Bulls are indeed beyond the Lakers' ability to compete.

"To achieve greatness, one must have the courage to face greatness. The saying 'pulling up seedlings to help them grow' applies to ordinary people; strong people only become stronger when faced with stronger opponents."

The other person burst into laughter. "It seems you have a very high opinion of this number eight. I look forward to the day when he grows up to be someone I remember by name."

He finished his glass of red wine, glanced at the gleaming gold watch on his wrist, and said, "It's about time; we should set off."

Jerry Bass stood up and glanced at the beauty sitting next to him on the sofa. "It seems you're quite interested in his proposal, otherwise you wouldn't have been willing to bring out these two masterpieces that you've trained."

The man stood up and, with the help of the beautiful woman, put on his coat.

"I'm old, and I've lived a foolish life. I should leave something for my descendants, shouldn't I?"