King of Hollywood
Chapter 428 - 150: Let’s Go Then

Chapter 428: Chapter 150: Let’s Go Then

"White House dinner?" Adrian furrowed his brow slightly, "Do I really have to go?"

"According to the rules, if you want to decline an invitation to a White House state dinner, you can only use one of four reasons..." Claude had only just started speaking when Adrian interrupted him irritably, "Isn’t the fourth reason tailor-made for me?"

"The problem is you used that excuse last year. Do you really plan to tell them you’re traveling abroad on important business again? The current White House Chief of Staff isn’t so easy to dismiss," Claude responded with a good-natured smile.

"Come on, Claude, has Nick Rockefeller attended a White House dinner? Has Andrew Morgan? Has Soya Mellon? Of course, we can’t compare ourselves to them, but what about Walt Kahn’s cousin? Or when did The Godfather or my uncle ever attend?" Adrian argued vehemently.

"Unfortunately, Ed, both my father and your uncle have attended," Claude replied with a smile, looking somewhat cunning. Only after Adrian showed a slightly astonished expression did he add, "Though it was 20 years ago."

"You know it was 20 years ago," Adrian argued once more, "The real winners are those who hide in the shadows, observing the changes in the world and seizing opportunities that suit them. I’ve already been exposed too much, and I’ve always been perceived as having little business skill—even though half of that is true. It’s better to let them continue under that misunderstanding, so I’d rather you handle this formidable task."

"Don’t you think that’s a bit like... stealing the bell while covering one’s ears? Even so, it doesn’t change the fact that you are the chairman of AC Media," Claude shook his head.

"In fact, you know, even though we’re on good terms with Clinton, we’re not seriously qualified to attend, if it weren’t for owning two television stations," Adrian said, dismissing the matter.

To be invited to a White House dinner generally required one to be a business magnate or a well-known political figure, and only a few Hollywood stars made the cut. Although AC Media was doing well and had begun to show its prominence, it was still too young. If it weren’t for owning popular news networks like CNN and one of the Four Major Broadcast Companies, ABC, and because Adrian, seeing potential in the IT industry, had favored Clinton and donated sizable political contributions during his two campaigns, they would indeed not be considered based on seniority alone.

"Alright, Ed, I know you don’t like politics much, but this isn’t some state banquet; it’s just the annual journalists’ reception. Don’t be so nervous," Claude said, amused.

"You mean..." Adrian pondered, "the annual journalists’ reception?"

"Exactly, a tradition of the great caretaker of the United States, probably to celebrate the reelection. The White House has invited more Hollywood stars than ever before; you really don’t need to worry," Claude explained.

At the end of April each year, on the last weekend, the White House holds a journalists’ reception, inviting many from the media industry. What began as a routine meeting between the Journalists Association and the White House somehow turned into a traditional reception. Compared to other White House banquets, the journalists’ reception was much more relaxed, attended by political and business figures, as well as numerous Hollywood stars. Furthermore, there was always a selection for a comedy routine, discussing more uninhibited topics, simply put, it was like a bigger, more elaborate party.

"It looks like I don’t have much of a choice, do I?" Adrian said, somewhat distressed as he scratched his head and looked at Claude’s undisguised triumphant expression, "You’re not going?"

"I certainly am not. Last year I went to a proper state dinner; it was luxurious but also incredibly boring. I don’t care to go again anytime soon." Now it was Claude’s turn to speak with conviction.

"Unless you’re going too, I’m not going," Adrian said, clapping his hands on the spot.

"Damn it!" Claude’s mouth twitched immediately, "Do you think I’m your babysitter, Ed?"

"Oh, Claude, those words really hurt my feelings. I’ve made such a big sacrifice, can’t you be a babysitter just this once?" Adrian burst into laughter, "That’s that, my word is final."

After leaving Claude speechless, Adrian went on to talk with Cameron and others.

Not to worry about the White House’s routine press reception for now, there were still some aspects regarding "Titanic" that needed attention. Cameron had already done a splendid job, the overall quality of the movie and the theme song sung by Celine Dion were quite perfect, even surpassing the original version he remembered in some respects. Hence, the only thing left for replicating the miracle he remembered was promotion!

"Yes, for the summer season, if possible, and if the speed of fermentation is enough, I’d like to be in the first batch of releases. I want all movies during that period to tremble under the shadow of ’Titanic’!" Adrian said to the head of Fox with obvious arrogance.

Although Clayden Cox outwardly agreed submissively, he couldn’t help but grumble inwardly. As Claude had said, ideally, it takes at least 500 million US Dollars in global box office to break even. In recent years, the best-selling movies like "Terminator 2" and "Jurassic Park" had only fluctuated around this figure. If anything went wrong, it could be a total loss.

However, Adrian’s style was very much to Cameron’s taste; putting all efforts into creating such a grand production was bound not to fail, so he was also actively scheming for promotions.

"We can occasionally leak various kinds of news, some unclear, some with a definite theme. Let people first guess what kind of movie this is, then continue guessing based on what’s revealed, keep them guessing and hook their curiosity. By the time it releases, they will naturally rush to buy tickets." This was one of the numerous suggestions Cameron made during the subsequent period.

Frankly speaking, it was a good suggestion, conforming largely to the promotional elements of the internet age, yes, viral marketing. Although such a marketing strategy has existed since advertising began, it only tasted a bit viral due to fast transmission in the internet age and also supported a whole bunch of so-called economists.

Adrian, although keeping tabs on the progress, was mostly very confident. He was aware that Fox didn’t quite take his words seriously, but as professionals, they made significant efforts in promotion. So, while shooting "The Matrix," he still had the energy to do other things.

For instance, accompanying Sarah to revisit familiar spots in San Bernardino National Forest Park. After some playful fun, they repeatedly made love in that small cabin where she had offered her virginity. The movie she starred in recently, "School Ties," had also been released with fairly decent box office returns. It wasn’t as good as the previous "I Know What You Did Last Summer," but it wasn’t bad either.

Adrian contemplated letting Sarah take a minor break for a year, then elevating the level of her movie roles. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" had secured her a solid idol status among teens but it also restricted her. As her doting lover, he certainly wouldn’t let her suffer. However, Sarah wasn’t much concerned about these matters. She might have discussed it with Adrian at other times, but during their time in San Bernardino National Forest Park, she was completely immersed in their world, doing whatever Adrian said and extremely happy.

As such, Adrian naturally cherished her even more, so Mrs. Jennifer Love Hewitt would inevitably face even more tragedy. Initially, Sarah, who had suddenly risen powerfully, had given that woman a good thrashing without making too much noise about it, and she didn’t bring it up in front of others either. During promotions for "I Know What You Did Last Summer," she even put on a sister-like appearance with her in front of the media.

However, Love, having been embarrassingly put in her place and despite Sarah’s silence, her submissive demeanor in front of Sarah sparked a lot of speculation. Such humiliation couldn’t possibly appease the ambitious Love; she naturally wouldn’t introspect about the root causes but only pondered how to surpass Sarah and trample her underfoot.

The simplest option seemed naturally to charm Adrian. After all, wasn’t Sarah Michelle Gellar favored because she had successfully burrowed into his arms? So, Love just needed to seize the opportunity to show favor towards Adrian.

Playing it for fun, Adrian had a few friendly matches with her. As another top idol from the late 90s who could stand side by side with Sarah, Love was quite impressive both in figure and appearance. With her deliberate flattery, it was natural for Adrian to play however he wanted. However, she would have an interesting expression if she knew that all these were requests made by Adrian to Sarah.

Since there was a deal, Adrian wasn’t going to back out. So, after "School Ties," he arranged a movie role for Love and complimented her singing voice. He asked if she’d like to try putting out an album at an appropriate time and suggested that, since she also had a knack for writing, perhaps she could consider publishing some books and crafting an image as a versatile talent.

Love agreed immediately to this good fortune, but unfortunately, she was still too young to understand that being a jack-of-all-trades often meant mastering none. Even female actors who became big stars could publish books and release albums, casually sharing insights and still be called talented. Thus, by agreeing, Love probably sealed her fate of never becoming a top star, and her agent from Adrian’s agency, of course, wouldn’t say too much.

After all, this was the path she chose; it was merely starting sooner. Adrian felt no burden about it. Initially, his plan was to use Love to cultivate another side of Sarah, providing an outlet for her to release her accumulated negative emotions. He could definitely continue this now and, besides, occasionally hanging out with Love wasn’t too bad.

In addition to this, he spent a weekend in Hawaii with Julia, accompanied by the nearly 6-year-old Emma Roberts. While pampering Julia, he was preparing for the fourth part of the "Love Quintet"—"The Runaway Bride."

"As this part wraps up, and as the fifth begins, another long-prepared project can also kick off. By then, I’ll personally ensure you ascend to the throne!" On the beaches of Hawaii, watching Emma playing lively in the water, Adrian, resting his head on Julia’s lap, spoke these words.

"We’re here to vacation, not to talk about work," Julia gave him an eye roll. Even so, her expression showed she was quite pleased, which meant that subsequently... nothing happened. They were on a private beach, but Emma was nearby, right?

However, things changed at night. After putting Emma to bed, Adrian pulled Julia behind nearby rocks, where under the bright moonlight, they passionately explored their wild sides. Julia was very engaged, maybe due to Adrian’s sweet nothings, his renewed promises, the joy of the Hawaiian vacation, or perhaps a mix of all three.

But compared to another woman, her engagement was still far from enough.

"Woo-ha!" Catherine Zetajones stood from her seat, waving her hat high and shouting. The convertible racing at nearly 100 miles per hour swept her hair into chaotic beauty, giving her a wild charm.

Only after hundreds of miles did Adrian finally slow down.

"Hey, why slow down? The wind felt great," Zetajones said in slight disappointment as she settled back into her seat, then grabbed a bottle of brandy and took a large gulp, emitting a bold and lofty air.

Although her throat moved and a few bubbles emerged from the bottle, she hadn’t really drunk much, but her flushed cheeks showed she was quite thrilled.

"I’d rather not get a speeding ticket from the cops," Adrian shrugged, "What do you think? The thrill of racing is completely incomparable to riding, isn’t it?"

"They each have a different vibe, so naturally, they can’t be compared," Zetajones said with a giggly smile. "But I love both."

"I feel the same," Adrian said with a smile as he looked out the car window. They had almost entered Nevada, the vast wasteland stretching before them. "In this boundless place, whether riding horses or racing cars, there’s a unique flavor to it. That feeling of vastness is something you don’t normally experience, making everything feel extraordinary."

"Really?" Zetajones chuckled, rising to glance at both ends of the highway. It was the heat of the day, and even though April’s sun wasn’t that fierce, they couldn’t see another car. "What if we did something naughty?"

Adrian couldn’t help but look at her, Zetajones leaning sideways on the seat armrest, her smile provocative, defiant, seductive, and unrestrained.

"That would definitely be different." He reached out, held her chin, and caressed it for a while, as if admiring a beautiful commodity. Then, with a turn of the steering wheel, he drove off the road and parked behind The Rock several miles later.

Leaning against The Rock, Adrian raised one hand behind his head, looking up at the gray-blue sky, with one hand on Zetajones’ head kneeling in front of him, thoroughly enjoying her mouth. Doing this in such a vast environment indeed felt extraordinarily different.

Initially, Adrian hadn’t asked for such things, knowing that hasty desires often fell short. If he cashed in on Zetajones’ potential cooperation prematurely, future encounters might feel like prepaid services—a completely different sensation than indebtedness. Therefore, he aimed for the long term and decided to keep her.

Thus, at "The Mask of Zorro" premiere, Adrian had made a bet with Zetajones—if the film’s North American box office surpassed one hundred million US dollars, he could have her mouth. Zetajones neither agreed nor refused, which Adrian took as consent. Eventually, "The Mask of Zorro" did notch just over $100 million in North America—a squeak past but a milestone nonetheless.

Two days before, when visiting the set of "L.A. Confidential," Adrian had asked Zetajones to go horseback riding at the racetrack. After several laps, she began to flirt actively, and Adrian tested her skills dressed as a female rider in the woods. Then, he asked her out again to speed drive on the interstate—a second time now.

"What a wonderful sensation; you’re really fantastic, Kate," Adrian said as he adjusted his clothes, complimenting her.

"Thank you," Zetajones said, wiping the corners of her mouth, her smile extraordinarily seductive.

Although among the three Kates, she was not the best, her skills had haltingly started in the woods, but after just one direct guide, she had already become rather adept—an undeniable quick learner, right?

Soon, the two got back in the car, started the engine, and headed back the way they had come. There were no further passions ignited, as with the last time. These exciting locales were unpredictable, and without full preparation, it was better to head back to a motel—even a roadside one.

Interestingly, Adrian and Zetajones held a rather detached emotion towards each other, even less than with Gwyneth, purely transactional. Despite always maintaining that emotions and benefits should go hand in hand, sometimes sustaining a purely beneficial relationship could be intriguing, considering it was only background decoration for his collection.

Zetajones somewhat understood this, motivated by her own goals, never hiding the roving spirit she showed before him. Yet, she never realized that Adrian always held the power.

What could he ask for the next time the box office surpassed a hundred million, plus a Best Supporting Actress nomination? On the way back, Adrian watched the fatigue-stricken Zetajones, who had dozed off in the seat, and smiled amusedly at the thought.

Before the end of April passed, Adrian had finally gone to Washington to attend the routine White House press reception. Since Crow had agreed to join him, he had no excuse to refuse. Well, let it be, it’s not like walking into an execution ground. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to visit qidian.com to vote for and recommend tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)