King of Hollywood
Chapter 433 - 155: The Promotion of the Big Ship

Chapter 433: Chapter 155: The Promotion of the Big Ship

"So you brought him here without even asking for my opinion?!" Liv’s face immediately showed her anger again.

"Calm down, Liv," Adrian soothed as he held her shoulders. "I just wanted to give you a surprise."

"If that’s the kind of surprise it is, I’d rather not have it!" Liv crossed her arms, still sounding resentful. "I’ve said it too, I agree with Sarah’s words that providing sperm doesn’t make him a father!"

"Liv!" Adrian’s tone suddenly became much sterner, "Sarah can say that, but you can’t!"

The young girl was about to argue further, but involuntarily shrank back under his intense gaze.

"Sarah is different," Adrian continued in the same tone, "Her father truly is a bastard with no sense of responsibility, who left her and her mother without a word. If he ever comes looking for her, unless Sarah really forgives him, I will absolutely not let him get close to her!"

He paused, then his tone softened a bit, "But you are different, you were born... well, Stephen didn’t know, your mother never told him. Although it was through his concert that you learned the truth from your mom, he still doesn’t know. So why not give him a chance?"

Adrian embraced Liv fully, gently stroking her face, "I’m not asking you to take over and forgive him immediately, I just think you should give him a chance to fulfill his duties. No matter what, Stephen is still your biological father, even if he hasn’t played a father’s role during these 20 years, but that’s an unchangeable fact. So, since he is unaware rather than intentionally irresponsible, why not try spending some time with him, see if he’s a fit father, see if he deserves you calling him dad."

Liv stared at him for a long time, then buried her head in his chest, yet still did not provide an answer. Adrian sighed deeply, patting her back and delivering the final straw, "Don’t you see why I had them write such a story and insisted on you starring in it?"

The body in his arms trembled, and the young girl finally looked up.

"Fine, for your sake, I’ll give him a chance," Liv looked deeply into Adrian’s eyes, "but if I feel it’s necessary to end this situation, I don’t want to hear ’give him another chance’ ever again."

"No problem." Adrian smiled and kissed her.

Then the two returned to the lounge they previously occupied. Willis, Joaquin, and members of the Aerosmith band were getting along well, but Tyler sat distractedly in a corner until Liv returned and finally showed a smile. They didn’t talk much more after that; Tyler took out the lyrics for the theme song, asked everyone for their input, and sang a little bit before the meeting concluded. Liv, although back in the lounge, remained silent throughout.

"You should be paying me, Ed. This job isn’t easy," Willis joked as he was leaving.

"Although $150 an hour isn’t particularly expensive, the main work is being done by me, so how about splitting it half, Dr. Malcolm?" Adrian asked with a smile.

After most of the main characters—especially Liv—had left, Stephen Taylor came up to Adrian: "Thank you, Mr. Adrian."

His tone was still quite sincere, and Adrian responded with a slight smile, "It’s nothing, I did it for Liv. But that’s as far as I can go. Whether you can earn her forgiveness, you still need to keep trying."

"I know," Tyler nodded, hesitating before he tentatively asked again, "If possible, could you tell me..."

"We are dating." Adrian didn’t hide this fact; Bibi Bill was aware of his attempts to reconcile Liv and her father. Although she no longer had feelings for Tyler, she was always uncomfortable and uneasy about Liv clinging to a playboy, especially knowing his interest in other women. It was impossible that she hadn’t mentioned this to Tyler, hoping he could guide Liv.

"Mmm... okay, I understand." Tyler seemed slightly disoriented but said nothing more.

Seeing this, Adrian chuckled softly to himself. Some things were not so easily accomplished, and he never acted without justification. If he hadn’t intervened earlier, Liv might have reconciled with Tyler due to her participation in his music video, but sadly, Adrian had taken her to Los Angeles, and became the father figure or protector she sought in her heart.

Showered with protection at Adrian’s, coupled with her shared misfortunes with Sarah and his impeccable techniques in pampering women, Liv became increasingly infatuated with him, while completely pushing Tyler out of her mind. However, that wasn’t enough. Now, at a crucial emotional juncture, Adrian used this tactic: whether or not the matchmaking succeeded, Adrian would continue to hold the most important place in Liv’s heart.

Although other scenarios might occur, the chances were slim, as Stephen Taylor didn’t exactly stand out as a good man or father, evident from his treatment of Bibi Bill and her daughter. Adrian had told Liv that Tyler was unaware he had an illegitimate daughter, but in reality, how could he not know? The entertainment industry could be vast yet small at times; it was merely that no one else brought it up, so neither did he.

So, if something unexpected happened, it was merely the will of God. Still, nothing was more convincing than reality. Tyler had left, and Liv, still childish and resentful by evening, had entwined herself passionately with Adrian, utilizing all her skills, and even tried positions she was usually shy about. Adrian promptly took the opportunity to explore further, and though Liv cried, she was exceedingly cooperative.

"Armageddon" was set to release only by the end of the year, as was "Con Air," financed and produced by New Line. Although "The Matrix," directed by Adrian, was shot with his usual efficiency, it was equally not ready for immediate release. Despite nearly having another month till the summer blockbuster season, did AC Media really lack major productions to contend for the release schedule?

Impossible! Adrian never really took that concern to heart—one "Titanic" was enough! Even though the film was distributed by 20th Century Fox and his investment was personal, who didn’t know he chaired AC Media? His prominent backing meant no one would fuss even if AC Media skipped the summer season.

Although the promotional work had only just begun, "Titanic" had already caught many eyes. Fox was ’old school,’ one of the seven major studios, with a solid marketing team behind it. Business marketing wasn’t about tossing a few innovative concepts to make a product popular. Of course, from an outsider’s perspective, marketing itself seemed quite straightforward.

For instance, Fox initially released a silent preview of the trailer, then slowly defused various gossip articles about the movie as public interest grew—like Cameron had spent years preparing, built a 1:1 scale model in Mexico, employed extensive CGI, or even circulated the news of Gwyneth, the lead actress, almost contracting pneumonia from prolonged exposure in water.

These stories interwove previously heard rumors with fresh news, fostering more curiosity among people. As the biggest publicity feature, with a total investment of 260 million US Dollars—yes, this figure. Although AC Media’s television network supported the promotion wholeheartedly, financial records had to be meticulously tallied: 240 million in production costs plus 20 million for marketing, inevitably inflated to 260 million for usage purposes by Fox.

Ultimately, the staggering investment figure was intended for massive publicity, perhaps not assuredly ’unprecedented,’ but definitely ’unrivaled.’ Coupled with Adrian’s keen vision that supported Cameron’s ambitious venture, it left many astounded.

"I don’t know what drives Adrian—the love for movies or just proving something—but this is unquestionably the craziest investment ever," commented the Los Angeles Times.

To date, not accounting for inflation, the highest investment in a movie was just 100 million US Dollars. Although Cameron’s works had held this record, his sudden doubling stunned many, leading them to be skeptical of the film, "It feels like another ’Heaven’s Gate,’ even if the producer is a miracle director and a gold medal producer, it can’t change my mind."

But ordinary people were more curious about Adrian’s net worth. Thanks to his low profile over the years, in their eyes, Adrian was first and foremost the Miracle Director and then the chairman of AC Media. Yet now he could dig deep into his pockets and pull out nearly $300 million in personal funds to invest in a movie, which was truly astonishing.

Unfortunately, there was no definitive answer to this question. Since AC Media was not publicly listed, estimates had to be drawn from other publicly listed companies like ABC, TBS, and Marvel. Even so, it was clear that he had at least several billion dollars, given that Adrian ranked within the top 30 on the Forbes billionaires list.

The upcoming movie was an unprecedented grand production that Cameron had been preparing for years, with a lot of effort and investment from Adrian, the young, wealthy, Miracle Director. Debates about the movie "Eyes Wide Shut," released earlier in the year, hadn’t completely subsided either. These various factors intertwined, and with constant widespread advertising, "Titanic" had garnered immense attention within just half a month. Many people had already decided that even if the movie was terrible, they would still go to the cinema on the first day to see what a nearly $300 million investment looked like.

See, it’s that simple. But without a professional team managing every aspect and dealing with various situations, the idea of selling a product based on a few novel concepts was mere fiction.

Overall, the feedback received so far indicated that many professionals were not very optimistic about the movie, and there were quite a few dissenting voices. For instance, an independent director tartly complained, "They’d rather invest funds in something like ’Titanic,’ a case of old wine in new bottles, than support independent films. I need just a fraction of the funds for my project."

After the news reached Europe, directors from the self-proclaimed "land of culture" also scorned Hollywood for its lavish spending habits.

"I originally thought Adrian Cowell would be like Woody Allen, a director somewhat different from other American directors. But now it seems he and his American peers have no differences, with a greater fervor for technology and investing in commercial films, while neglecting the essence of cinema itself," wrote a critic from the French newspaper Liberation in his column, though not long ago he had praised Adrian’s "Eyes Wide Shut" for having a Kubrick-like flair.

By the way, "Eyes Wide Shut" sold quite well in France. As for why... well...

Moreover, many groups waving the banner of charity also joined in, believing that instead of splurging such huge funds on movie production, it would be better to donate it to help more people. Although not much was said publicly about this, online discussions were rife, with some even calculating how the investment could benefit many people in third-world countries.

"Don’t mind them. Once the movie is released, they will all quietly shut up," Adrian had said and then waved his hand dismissively, as if shooing away a mosquito.

Hearing this, Cameron didn’t quite know what to say. He was relatively confident in "Titanic" since he had produced the film himself, but Adrian seemed even more confident.

Well, enough about that. Though "Titanic" was being hyped, the majority of Adrian’s focus wasn’t on it. He even ignored many charity-focused groups that approached him. For the wealthy, whether for a good reputation or genuinely wanting to give back to society, charity was a must, but they also had their established channels. Making donations to anyone who knocked on their door was a fool’s errand.

Thus, after finishing the day’s shooting for "The Matrix," life was still quite leisurely, albeit with a bit more on his plate than before.

"It’s truly captivating..." Adrian lay on his side in bed, caressing a beautiful body and marveling as he spoke.

"Do you really like it?" Kirsten, lying beside him, turned her head, asked with a giggle. Her cheeks still flushed, her expression one of contentment.

"Of course, who wouldn’t?" Adrian chuckled softly, tenderly kissing her smooth back.

At her birthday party, Adrian hadn’t had as much fun, given that there were still many people downstairs, and it was Kirsten’s first time, so it didn’t last too long. Technically, Kirsten’s birthday should have been on the last day of April, but they celebrated earlier over the weekend, so if you really counted... but what did that matter? Everything that needed to be done had been done, and they weren’t missing that last step.

Over the following period, the girl had frequently visited him. Although they had already been intimate many times, even having bananas several times, it was nothing compared to really going inside. Plus, Adrian was always considerate, especially with women on their first time, so Kirsten, who had gotten a taste, naturally wanted more, especially since she now had more free time.

"Speaking of which, at your birthday party, there were a few girls who looked pretty good, and they all want to be actors," Adrian said casually.

"Really? Do you want me to introduce you to them?" Kirsten turned around, playing coquettishly with her hair and smiling seductively, lifting her legs up and down in a swinging motion.

Despite what she said, her eyes sparkled mysteriously, and she was unknowingly biting her lower lip.

"No need. They don’t have much potential. At most, they’re just ordinary second or third-rate actors, not to mention compared to you." Adrian chuckled inwardly, then slapped her pert buttocks.

"Ed!" Kirsten pouted, seemingly embarrassed by his compliments but actually pleased.

She didn’t mind his other women because she felt her youth gave her an advantage. That’s why she got anxious whenever he mentioned other young girls, leading her to slip him a note at the Oscar ceremony to meet her in the restroom after seeing him chatting amiably with Scarlett. More blatant, bolder also... more vulnerable. That last word was something Adrian had deliberately left unspoken. Kirsten, Liv, and Sarah were similar in one respect; in fact, most of his most devoted women, except for Monica, who had been through more, generally shared that trait.

"What if I want to show more potential?" The girl wrapped herself around his body like a water snake.

"Don’t be too greedy, dear Qiqi. Remember what I always say?" Adrian caressed her lovely body. "Just two more years, don’t worry. I have considered it."

"Okay, I understand," Kirsten sighed, then wrapped her arms around his neck and breathed sweetly, "When can we go out together? It doesn’t have to be long. I just want to be alone with you. How about the day after tomorrow?"

"The day after tomorrow? Sorry, Qiqi, I’m busy that day," Adrian shook his head.

"Can you tell me what it’s about?" The girl quickly asked. Although his emotional fluctuations were subtle, Kirsten’s focus was entirely on him at the moment, and she sensed this change and had a vague premonition.

"It’s nothing—since you’re in such a good mood and it’s still early, why don’t we go for another round?" Adrian deftly changed the topic and then flipped her under him.

"You’re so annoying," Kirsten called out coquettishly, but soon became panicked, "Wait... where... where are your fingers?!"

"Relax, you recover pretty fast anyway. Let me taste; I won’t hurt you."

"No! Please! Don’t! Ah! Ah..." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to Qidian.com to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)