Went Abroad to Be a Director, Shook Hollywood’s Box Office - Chapter 6

Qin Feng frowned. He hadn’t expected to be turned down so bluntly on his very first call.

He looked again at the photo of the museum displayed on his phone screen.

No… I have to bring Horner on board. I don’t trust anyone else with this job.

With that thought, he stood up and went to find the director.

At the office door, he knocked lightly.

“Come in.”

Spielberg, who currently had no new project underway, had been spending his free time here researching new film ideas instead of heading to the studio every day.

“Oh, Qin Feng,” he greeted, setting aside the papers in his hand.

“Director,” Qin Feng began, “I need to take a short trip to Montana to meet a paleontologist. I should be back in a couple of days.”

“Oh, sure,” Spielberg said with an easy smile. “Go ahead. We’re not shooting yet, so you don’t need to check in with me for leave.”

“Thank you.”

“By the way, Qin Feng,” Spielberg gestured for him to sit, “do you have any thoughts about the main cast?”

Qin Feng thought for a moment. The original cast of Jurassic Park had been perfect for their roles.

But instead of saying that outright, he asked, “Director, you probably already have someone in mind, don’t you?”

Spielberg chuckled. “Yes, for Dr. Alan Grant, I’m leaning toward Harrison Ford or maybe William Hurt… of course, it depends on their schedules.”

“And you? You must have someone in mind too.”

Qin Feng cleared his throat. “While writing the script, I actually pictured three specific actors for the leading roles.”

Spielberg’s eyes lit up with interest. “Oh? Let’s hear it.”

“First, for the male lead, Dr. Alan Grant, I thought of Sam Neill.

Second, for the female lead, Dr. Ellie Sattler, I imagined Laura Dern.

And lastly, for Dr. Ian Malcolm, the chaos theorist — Jeff Goldblum.”

Spielberg listened quietly, mentally comparing each actor to the character descriptions in the script.

When Qin Feng noticed his silence, he spoke up, “Director…”

After a few seconds, Spielberg suddenly slapped his thigh, startling Qin Feng.

“Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!”

“Qin Feng, you’re a genius! These three fit the roles perfectly. I’ll have someone contact them right away.”

“You’ve just saved me a lot of trouble!”

Seeing the director’s excitement, Qin Feng couldn’t help but smile as well. Those three actors were part of his own childhood memories.

As long as the main cast remained unchanged, everything else could be adjusted later.

After all, the current timeline was 2009 — the original cast members were much older now, and the children from the original film were already grown.

—

The next morning, Qin Feng boarded a plane bound for Missoula, Montana.

By the time he reached the Dinosaur Museum, it was already afternoon.

The museum’s interior was vast and open. Since it was a weekday, there weren’t many visitors.

In the main hall stood seven or eight fossil displays, each carefully assembled and showcased.

The most eye-catching of all was a massive Diplodocus skeleton, stretching over twenty meters long. Its towering frame left Qin Feng quietly amazed.

After taking in the sight for a while, he approached a staff member.

“Excuse me, is Dr. Jack Horner here today? I’d like to speak with him.”

“He’s downstairs, in the basement level.”

“Thank you.”

Following the directions, Qin Feng descended the stairs. Near the back of the corridor, he found a room where, through a glass window, he saw three people working.

He recognized Dr. Horner instantly — bald on top, with hair growing long on the sides, a thick beard, and dressed in his typical outdoor excavation gear: a dirt-colored shirt and trousers.

Inside the room were several large slabs of sediment. Horner and two students were carefully brushing and chipping away at small fossils embedded within.

Their work was slow and meticulous, as if they were handling the most precious remnants of Earth’s history.

Qin Feng knocked lightly on the door and cleared his throat. “Dr. Horner.”

The paleontologist looked up, surprised to see an Asian young man at the door. “Who are you?”

“Dr. Horner, we spoke on the phone yesterday afternoon. I’m from Universal Pictures.”

“…Ah, it’s you. Didn’t I tell you already? I’m busy. Please don’t disturb my work.”

Qin Feng stepped into the room. “Dr. Horner, I sincerely hope you’ll agree to serve as our film’s scientific advisor. If you refuse, I’m afraid I’ll just have to stay here until you do.”

Horner snorted. “Suit yourself. No one’s stopping you. Just know — there’s nothing here but fossils.”

Qin Feng casually picked up a small fragment of fossil from the table. “Fossils? Well, if that’s all there is, then I agree — it’s not that interesting.”

“Hey, don’t touch that!” one of the students scolded quickly.

Qin Feng examined it for a moment, then gently set it back down.

“What do you mean by that?” Horner asked, slightly intrigued. He paused his brushing.

“Aren’t you curious, Dr. Horner?” Qin Feng said. “People are already tired of looking at bones. They’ve never seen a real dinosaur.”

“A real dinosaur? Don’t be ridiculous! You mean those cheap, fake dinosaurs in sci-fi movies? They’re an insult to science!”

Qin Feng glanced at the sediment before the doctor, noticing a small skull emerging from the rock. Casually, he said, “That’s an Ornitholestes, a theropod from the Late Cretaceous period, isn’t it?”

Horner’s eyes widened. “You know paleontology?”

His two students looked up as well, surprise written across their faces.

Being able to identify a species from a partial skull was no simple feat.

Qin Feng smiled modestly. “Just a little. Coincidentally, that species also appears in our film.”

Horner stroked his beard thoughtfully. After a pause, he asked, “You’re really making a dinosaur movie?”

“Absolutely. The script is complete, and the director is Mr. Steven Spielberg. I can promise you — it won’t be a careless production.”

Dropping Spielberg’s name had the desired effect.

“Dr. Horner, we’re asking you to join us precisely because we want scientific accuracy — to show audiences the most authentic and believable dinosaurs ever depicted on screen. Do you not trust us… or yourself?”

“I…” Horner hesitated.

“Doctor,” Qin Feng pressed on, “your decades of research deserve to be seen by the world — by everyone who loves dinosaurs. Our film will be released globally. Isn’t that the best way to share your life’s work?”

Horner fell silent, saying nothing.

Sensing that the timing was right, Qin Feng pulled out a business card from his pocket and placed it on the table.

“Please give it some thought, Dr. Horner. I’ll be staying in Missoula for one more day. If you decide, call me. I’d love to discuss the details of these creatures with you.”

With that, he turned and left.

Horner stared at the card for a long moment, muttering to himself, “We’ll see.”

—

After leaving the museum, Qin Feng found a nearby hotel. Exhausted from the trip, he went to bed early.

The next morning, he spent some time wandering around the city and later stopped by the local library.

As he was reading, his phone suddenly rang. A strange number flashed on the screen.

“Hello?”

“Mr. Qin Feng? This is Horner.”

“Oh, Dr. Horner! So, what have you decided?”

“Heh… I’ve thought it over,” came the amused voice on the other end.

“I’ve decided—”

“To join your project.”

(End of Chapter)