Leon had a taste of the British host's questioning style. If American hosts asked questions like hunters aiming with a bow and arrow to gain ratings, then the Brits were masters of trapping, always digging holes and waiting for guests to jump in themselves.
These were two completely different hunting methods.
"Can't you be friends after breaking up?"
"Of course..." The host sat up straight, revealing a smile. "Forgive us Brits for being relatively traditional. I mean, is this the American style of romantic relationship? Your behavior towards each other seems overly intimate; it's hard not to overinterpret."
"Whatever." Leon spread his hands. "Everyone who knows me knows that I am a person who respects women and an advocate for gender equality. Can't be friends after breaking up? That's actually a manifestation of sexism."
"This..." The host was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to end the topic he started.
Before the millennium, the UK was still a relatively conservative country, at least much better than France across the channel, known as the birthplace of European leftists.
But after the millennium, conservatism has been submerged by leftist ideology. The UK has become another center of the leftist movement, contending with neighboring France.
The BBC is the absolute advocate of this trend. In this environment, the host cannot say anything with conservative tendencies; this is a manifestation of political incorrectness.
"Robbie became popular globally with Faded, and you established your foundation in the rock music scene with the Demons album. Your popularity in the UK is very high." The host cleared his throat, bypassing the awkward topic. "Everyone here is very curious about the reason for your breakup. Is it convenient to reveal?"
Leon and Robbie had never discussed the reason for the breakup in public; the answer could only rely on media speculation.
Currently, there are two popular theories. One is that Taylor intervened in their relationship as a third party.
Scumbag Leon was unable to resist the temptation of long legs, coupled with the traffic attraction of the little diva, and mercilessly abandoned Robbie.
The second theory is that Robbie sparked with Leonardo DiCaprio during the filming of The Wolf of Wall Street.
Either theory has certain evidence to support it: one is a photo of Leon and Taylor walking out of a restaurant holding hands.
The other is the scene where he had a fierce eye confrontation with Leonardo to win the Elder Wand at a charity auction.
"Not convenient to talk about?" The host continued to induce. "I originally thought this would be a frank chat. You know, British fans don't know much about you; they are eager to know more."
"Nothing I can't talk about." Leon responded freely. "The reason is not as mysterious as everyone speculates, just because of different personalities and concepts."
"Just because of this?"
"Otherwise?" Leon's expression became serious. "I hope the audience in front of the TV will disenchant public figures. Everyone is a carbon-based life form, essentially not that different. We are equally greedy, equally eager for recognition, and have our own troubles."
The host laughed loudly. "You seem very relaxed when talking about this relationship."
"I know what you want." Leon sneered back. "Or should I deliberately put on a melancholic expression, and then you guys add a segment of Funeral March in post-production to play for the audience?"
"Fxxk..." The host cursed secretly in his heart. Why is this kid even more venomous than the British? This is not American at all.
In the 90s, he once interviewed Madonna, who was at the height of her popularity. The blonde bombshell's performance was highly consistent with her appearance—big boobs and no brain.
Without the host digging holes, Madonna would jump in herself.
In fact, most singers from the American music scene are like this.
In the golden age of rock and roll, most bands from the UK continued the Beatles' bloodline, showing introverted academic temperament.
American rock bands presented a completely opposite quality: drug use, violence, orgies, tragic childhoods...
They talk about these sensitive topics without taboos, without the host's guidance.
The host still didn't give up and continued to attack. "Let's talk about the female stars you have had scandals with. Ariana, Kim Kardashian, Amber Heard, even... Ms. Beyoncé. You seem to have never publicly responded to these questions."
"Scandals, absolute scandals!" Leon said righteously. "Of course, these ladies are my good friends. They are all good girls. Maybe I will create a work in the future to pay tribute to all their names."
The host was awestruck. Writing a song to pay tribute to one's scandal objects? What kind of showy operation is this?
"Is what you said true? We are a relatively serious talk show; the audience will remember every word you say."
"Of course!" Leon opened his mouth and came, his tone firm.
"I think no one will not look forward to this work..."
After the interview, Leon adjusted his suit, lowered the brim of his flat cap, and walked quickly out of the studio with the wind.
In the business van back to the hotel, Bonnie held the laptop and read tomorrow's schedule. "Tomorrow morning at nine o'clock, there is a short talk show on BBC Two. It is much simpler than today's formal interview, mainly to introduce the concept of your new album to the audience."
"Next, you have to participate in a Vlog recording to record your life in London."
"Vlog? Why should I shoot this thing?"
Vlog is a video diary, mainly popular in online communities.
Influencers like Bonnie will record their lives and show them to the audience, whether it is luxurious, poor, or shameless life...
This is like a kaleidoscope. In the internet age, no matter what class a person is in, they can easily peek into the lives of other classes.
Leon couldn't understand why, as a dazzling public figure, he had to accumulate fans in this way like an internet celebrity.
Phil also fanned the flames on the side: "The schedule Tim arranged for you is really stupid... Hurry up and contact that bald fool to modify the schedule. There will be a heavyweight match in the Premier League tomorrow afternoon. Manchester United plays Arsenal at Old Trafford. Imagine how excited British fans will be if you can appear in the most conspicuous position in the Theater of Dreams?"
Leon nodded, genuinely believing that the old geezer's suggestion was much more reliable than shooting some Vlog.
Football is a global sport, and in the UK, it is a national sport.
Here, regardless of age or gender, everyone is a football fan. Even teams with poor results have their die-hard fans.
The English professional football league system has four levels, and semi-professional leagues even extend to ten levels.
Counting regional leagues, the entire hierarchical span reaches an astonishing sixteen levels.
Winning the goodwill of British fans through football is undoubtedly an excellent way.
The old geezer continued to output his views. "Heard that old guy Ferguson is about to retire. Maybe the Manchester United in the future won't be the Manchester United now... The Glazer family doesn't understand football at all. Maybe a chef will lead Manchester United forward in the future... Contact Manchester United's official; they will definitely be very interested in your appearance and will immediately offer VIP box tickets!"
Bonnie rolled her eyes at the old geezer. As an internet celebrity, she firmly defended the idea of shooting Vlogs. "This is a decision made by Mr. Tim after discussing with the PR department. I think this is a promotional method in line with the internet age. Your ideas are as old-fashioned as your body and should be buried in the soil."
"What are you saying, you ignorant woman?" Phil raised his voice by three degrees. "You'd better go study G-strings; that suits you better. Like I said before, the talent you should have added to your brain was all added to your butt."
Seeing the two getting more and more heated, Leon felt a headache. "Shut up, just execute according to the original plan. I have a hunch that temporarily changing the schedule will be more tiring..."
At seven o'clock the next morning, Bonnie knocked on his door on time.
Leon stretched, dark circles clearly visible.
"Looks like you secretly did something physically exhausting last night." Bonnie teased.
"I'm sleepy as hell, not in the mood for jokes." Leon waved his hand. "Let's go quickly."
In fact, after returning to the hotel last night, he didn't get a chance to rest immediately. The social software window kept flashing non-stop.
"Honey, do I look good in this dress?" Taylor sent more than a dozen photos of her performance costumes at the concert in a row. He had to evaluate each outfit without showing perfunctoriness.
Ariana had been sending multiple messages since nine o'clock, asking him for advice on music creation.
What Leon couldn't handle most was Beyoncé. Her relationship with Jay-Z seemed to have obvious cracks.
Even if they still showed the appearance of a loving couple under the spotlight, with the intervention of Rihanna and Leon and Diddy's arrest, everything could not go back to the past.
She often sent some very seductive private photos, and JAY-Z's figure could be faintly seen in the background of the photos.
The plump long legs always dispelled Leon's sleepiness.
Coming to BBC Two, the host asked about the album theme as soon as he opened his mouth. "Judging from the lead single of this album We Don't Talk Anymore, this album seems to have little to do with rock music."
"I have said before, this album is my exploration and attempt at new styles."
"Then how to ensure the unity of the album." The host asked, "I mean, this is an album; an album must always have a theme."
This kind of question is not a tricky topic, but because the style of the works refreshed by the cheat is uncertain, Leon is always difficult to answer.
He was annoyed by the questions. After thinking for a few seconds, he said: "Future music should be fusion. The boundaries of various styles of music will be blurred... Do you know Cyberpunk? Futurism is the theme of this album..."
The host nodded, trying hard to show that he understood.
After walking out of the BBC building, Bonnie had been waiting for a long time with a Vlog shooting team composed of three photographers.
Next, their task was mainly to go to some famous attractions in London to shoot fashion blockbusters for Leon.
Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, Big Ben...
Sometimes he also needed to read some lines according to the script prepared in advance.
At the entrance of Harrods, Leon was still wearing yesterday's custom suit.
Even though the brim of the newsboy cap was pressed very low, he was still recognized by many fans, who came forward to ask for photos.
"Sorry, miss, Mr. Leon is shooting; please leave us some space." Bonnie persuaded the fans.
Now it was just a scale of a dozen onlookers. Wait until the number gathered; today's shooting plan would definitely be delayed.
"Understood, understood! Oh my God, I'm so happy!" The girls got autographs and jumped excitedly. "Can I ask which work's MV is being shot today?"
Bonnie put her index finger on her red lips. "It's a secret..."
Harrods is located in the famous Knightsbridge in London. Tens of thousands of tourists from all over the world come to check in every day.
Many models bring professional shooting teams, so Leon's appearance did not attract large-scale attention.
After those dozen fans were evacuated, the shooting officially began.
Leon held the script, his brows furrowing tighter the further he read. "Do I really have to say such stupid lines?"
"This was designed by the PR team. I think British fans will like this." Bonnie spread her hands.
Leon didn't want to struggle anymore, just wanting to end all this quickly. He waved to the photographer and said, "I'm ready; we can start."
"Action!" Since it was a team temporarily assembled just for shooting Vlog, Bonnie guest-starred as the director and satisfied her craving for directing.
Wearing a Birmingham gangster-style suit, Leon lowered the brim of his hat and walked into the flow of people in front of Harrods.
"Cut!"
Before he started saying his lines, he was stopped by Bonnie.
"What's wrong?"
"You can't press the hat so low; the audience can't see your expression clearly at all." Bonnie looked like a director, with a serious expression. "You have to try your best to show the expression in the script."
"Fxxk, I refuse!" The script required him to show a shocked and fawning expression, exaggerated enough to make his eyeballs drop.
Saying those stupid lines already made him physically uncomfortable. Adding the hyperthyroidism-like expression, he would rather go on strike directly.
"Okay..." Bonnie could only compromise facing the boss. "But don't forget to say those lines!"
Leon walked back into the lens, stood in the center of the endless stream of people in front of Harrods, took a deep breath. "Although I am an American, I must say... our Britain is really great! Look, behind me is a Fish and Chips shop with a hundred years of history!"
"I have fallen in love with this delicacy, crispy and fragrant! With mushy peas, it is definitely top-notch cuisine!"
"I love Britain!"
In the following clips, although the lines were slightly changed, they were basically the same routine.
The shame-exploding lines consumed Leon greatly, even more tired than shooting MV for a day.
"Fxxk, I hope this is the last time shooting such a stupid Vlog..."
"You performed very well!" Bonnie handed over a cup of iced coffee. "I also know these lines sound stupid, but this is the traffic code. Overseas fans don't know much about you. This Vlog is very beneficial for closing the distance between you."
"Enough, I don't want to stay here for a second longer." Leon turned and walked towards the business van.
Because his pace was too fast, he bumped into a young girl's shoulder after walking a few steps.
"Yah!" The girl staggered and almost fell.
"Sorry, miss." Leon looked back, apologizing perfunctorily with a cold face.
"It doesn't matter; I was staring at my phone myself..." The girl's accent was strange, with both a British accent and a hint of Spanish accent.
The moment the girl looked up, Leon was stunned for two seconds.
Her features were three-dimensional and exquisite, her face only the size of a palm.
Especially eye-catching were those distinctive eyes, large enough to be unlike human proportions, shining with agile light.
To exaggerate, she could rival the alien in E.T..
The most characteristic thing was that her eye distance was a bit wide, which did not conform to modern European and American aesthetics, but had a very classical temperament.
Just like what Leon often said, "In Hollywood, being beautiful is useless; you have to be beautiful with characteristics."
The girl in front of him had distinct characteristics, perfectly matching his fantasy of the character Samantha in Ready Player One.
"Are you alone, miss?" Leon asked.
"Yes... no..." Faced with the accosting of this strange man whose face couldn't be seen clearly, the girl seemed a little flustered. "I mean I'm going to meet a friend."
"Don't be nervous; I just want to apologize properly." Leon raised the brim of his hat to reveal his true face.
"You..." The girl stared at him with wide eyes, feeling more and more familiar the more she looked.
Two seconds later, she asked timidly, "You wouldn't happen to be Leon, the Street Jesus?"
"It's me; you saw right."
"Oh my God..." The girl covered her mouth, posing shyly. "I saw your update on Blue Bird (Twitter) that you were coming to London. I didn't expect to meet you on the street. It feels like a dream."
Leon straightened his lapel. "I didn't expect to meet such a beautiful girl like you here either. Originally, this trip to London was terrible for me."
Being praised by a big star to her face, the girl blushed and lowered her pretty face unconsciously.
"By the way, what's your name?"
"Anya. Anya Taylor-Joy."