King of Hollywood
Chapter 442 - 164 Further Studies

Chapter 442: Chapter 164 Further Studies

"Now that the song collection part is complete, all that’s left is recording, promotion, and distribution, so our classes need to be paused for a while," Adrian said as he returned to the study after finishing tidying up another room, addressing Britney, who was likewise neatly dressed—not in the school uniform she wore only during lessons, naturally, she changed after class.

"Why is that?" Britney, arm in arm with him and walking towards the exit, asked curiously. "These two things don’t conflict, do they?"

The girl’s eyes sparkled with a desire and a shy expression. Although she was not as bold and explicit as Kirsten, she had taken the initiative to seek Adrian and had become addicted to this pleasure under his guidance.

"Because I need your full dedication, understand?" Adrian said seriously as he caressed her cheek. "This is your first album. All the trials before have proved that I was not wrong; you have considerable potential, so I only allow success, no failure!"

"I understand! I promise to do well enough!" Britney’s eyes suddenly brightened. Although she was hopelessly clumsy in social interactions, she had a natural intuition for singing and her career. After all, without some real talent, even the best and most exquisite packaging would be nothing but an easily burst bubble.

"Of course, since this is your debut album and you haven’t accumulated popularity through movie theme songs like Christina, the initial results might not be ideal. This will last for quite a long time, then it will slowly improve. You better be mentally prepared, Britney," Adrian continued, giving her a heads-up.

Britney’s rise to fame was somewhat decipherable to Adrian, having been in the entertainment industry for so long. Essentially, it boiled down to increased promotional investments, continuous efforts, and her debut single being very appealing to teenagers. At that time, Britney was also adorable, beautiful, a bit sexy, and a bit innocent, combined with a bit of luck, she then became a pop princess following Madonna.

Understanding this, replicating it was not very difficult. Eric Norton was indeed an outstanding music producer, and Adrian’s media company was now quite well-established. After discussions, Norton confidently claimed an 80 percent chance of achieving Adrian’s goal.

"No problem, I’ll listen to you," Britney said cheerily, playfully shaking his hand.

Her nearly ingratiating cute gesture even made Adrian’s heart sway; he pinched her chin and sighed inwardly. Honestly, he did not truly wish to pause the "classes"; over this past year, he had grown accustomed to seeing Britney in her school uniform at his mercy, gradually getting ensnared in the web he had woven, the feeling of complete control was particularly satisfying.

But to gain some, you have to lose some; to completely have her, a pretense was necessary first. Moreover, her parents were somewhat bothersome, though they were quite money-minded, they were also rather sharp.

The two quickly reached the front door of the house. Adrian was about to drive Britney a distance when two women got out of another car.

"Mr. Adrian," Nakama Yukie bowed at 90 degrees as usual—she always addressed him this way in front of others.

"You’re back," Adrian nodded, then looked at the other Japanese girl getting out of the car with her.

"Hello, Mr. Adrian," the other also bowed at 90 degrees, but with a smile that made her look neither too stiff nor very sincere—a considerable improvement over Yukie, "I am Ayumi Hamasaki, pleased to meet you."

"Yukie, take Miss Hamasaki inside, I’ll be back soon," Adrian nodded discreetly, then motioned for Britney, who had stepped back upon noticing others, to leave.

Britney still had some cunning about her, although she genuinely wanted to confidently walk around arm in arm with Adrian in front of others. Indeed, at the beginning, she had done just that a few times, and it took many hints from Adrian before she reluctantly changed. At that time, he still lived in the previous villa, and besides Charlize, Yukie, and Mrs. Galen, there were no others around—just avoiding Mrs. Galen was enough. But now things were different, having sold for a huge mansion required more servants, and it was okay to occasionally clear everyone out for Natalie, but doing it often wasn’t feasible. Fortunately, Britney was obedient.

"Is he the chairman of AC Media, senior?" Ayumi Hamasaki asked Nakama Yukie in a low voice after Adrian had left, driving another car to take Britney away, with the driver’s help carrying the luggage.

"Yes, that’s him, he should be back in ten minutes at most, don’t be rude," Nakama Yukie warned as she gave her an encouraging smile, clearly fond of the girl who had traveled all the way from Japan for an apprenticeship.

"Was that his girlfriend just now?" Ayumi Hamasaki cautiously asked, her tone very respectful.

"Um... this..." Yukie’s face flashed with an awkward expression, not knowing what to say. Seeing this, Ayumi immediately changed the subject, "By the way, is there anything else I should be aware of, Senior?"

"Oh... actually, there’s nothing much to note, I’ve already told you the important things on the way here," Yukie breathed a sigh of relief, and after bringing her a pot of tea, she continued, "Mr. Adrian is really easy to talk to and understands Japanese... or rather, Asian culture very well. You won’t feel uncomfortable talking to him... he’s... different from other Americans."

Yukie, somewhat excited, couldn’t help but let a faint, sweet smile slip, much like Sarah. Under Adrian’s protection, the now Yukie was also relatively more innocent. Coupled with rarely seeing a fellow countryman from Japan, she just spoke her mind.

Sitting on the living room sofa, Ayumi Hamasaki occasionally let out sounds like "Oh," appearing to listen intently, but her eyes flickered with surprise, jealousy, and admiration. Although she referred to Yukie, who was a year younger, as "Senior" repeatedly, her thoughts weren’t so pure.

Adrian soon returned. After slightly adjusting his clothes upon entering the living room, he sat down across from Ayumi Hamasaki, took the coffee that Yukie had brought him, and smiled at the young woman in front of him, "Hello, Miss Hamasaki, welcome to the United States."

"Thank you, Mr. Adrian. You can call me ’Ayumi.’ Mr. Matsuura asked me to send his regards to you." Sitting neatly on the sofa with her legs together and slightly slanted, Ayumi promptly bowed slightly.

Although she lacked the fashion sense and allure she would have in a few years, she still possessed a certain purity at this time. Moreover, being petite compared to Yukie and dressed in a knee-length skirt, exposing her delicate legs, it wasn’t surprising she would later achieve such success in Japan. It’s known that Japanese women, due to long periods of sitting on their knees, typically have thicker calves. Yukie’s calf curves were already quite nice, but Ayumi’s were even more perfect.

"Your English is quite good," Adrian noted, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, since Mr. Matsuura suggested I come to the United States for training, I’ve been practicing consistently, thankfully with some effect," Ayumi respectfully replied.

"I haven’t seen Katsuto in a long time. We basically just chat on the phone. I really miss him," Adrian said, blatantly lying, but still exuding a nostalgic air without seeming insincere.

"Well, since he has entrusted you to me, I will have the best teachers guide you. Just focus on learning well at the company," he then said, "I’ll have someone arrange a place for you to stay."

"Thank you very much." Ayumi immediately bowed again, paused, and as if remembering something, she added, "If possible, I would like to find a job. I heard privately from Mr. Matsuura that the company’s finances are not very robust right now. While I may not earn much, I can help alleviate the situation a bit, and it would also be a great opportunity to cultivate myself."

She spoke very sincerely, staring at Adrian with unwavering big eyes, like a diligent and pure girl eager to better herself. If Adrian hadn’t known her from his past life due to her high fame, he might have been deceived by her.

"Is that so?" Adrian replied noncommittally, then glanced casually at Yukie who was now sitting beside him.

"Yes, after hearing about Senior Nakama’s experiences, I was greatly inspired. Since Senior Nakama could work so hard alone in a foreign country, I naturally should not lag behind," Ayumi said resolutely.

Did she notice something? Or? Adrian thought silently, shaking his head slightly. It must have been from earlier when she got information from Yukie. Interesting, a very smart woman indeed. First using Yukie as an example to enhance her persuasiveness, then using her tone just right, giving the impression of following her senior’s example to pursue her dreams. What’s more important, by implying through Yukie, she suggested that what Yukie could do, she could do as well, no wonder she could achieve such status in a place like Japan where male superiority is quite pronounced. A trace of intrigue flashed in Adrian’s eyes, then he discreetly looked at Yukie who was observing Ayumi with an appreciative gaze.

"No need," Adrian unexpectedly declined her request, "since he has arranged for you to come here for training, you just need to concentrate on learning. I think Avex can still afford this expense. I’ve heard your music; although I’m not familiar with the trends in Japan, personally, I think you have a lot of potential to be explored, so just focus all your energy on this and don’t worry about anything else."

"Hmm... Thank you, Mr. Adrian," Ayumi Hamasaki managed a bow, barely keeping her manners, even though being praised by such a figure was an honor, she couldn’t hide the disappointment on her face.

Though somewhat scheming, she was also somewhat green, not yet able to keep her emotions entirely off her face, given she was not yet 20 years old. Adrian chuckled to himself.

"However," he suddenly spoke again, "if you want to earn some pocket money, I have no objections. I’ll consider it after you’ve settled down."

"Really?" Ayumi Hamasaki asked, surprised. After receiving a affirmative answer, a flash of thrill crossed her eyes, and she bowed again, "I really appreciate it."

She clearly understood why Adrian had made such a remark, and her tone became even more respectful.

Adrian nodded slightly, pleased with her response to his hint. He then continued, "I’ll have someone look for a suitable apartment for you to move into as soon as possible. In the meantime, you can stay here."

This time, Ayumi Hamasaki didn’t show any signs of disappointment; instead, she tentatively asked, "So, may I come and visit Senior Nakama often?"

"As long as Yukie allows it, I have no objections," Adrian shifted the responsibility to Yukie.

Frankly, when Avex’s Matsuura Katsuto called overseas hoping to arrange for a newcomer to come to the United States for training, Adrian had no idea it would be Ayumi Hamasaki. Investing in Avex was easier than expected; although Adrian had originally had Claude prepare several scenarios to deal with Japanese capital, it only took a little effort and a few turns to secure a position on Avex’s board.

It wasn’t surprising though, considering that giants like Panasonic and Sony also had capital from outside Japan, let alone a medium-sized company like Avex that was eager to expand. As long as the Japanese consortia’s foundations weren’t touched, they too would tacitly agree. Even so, Adrian still instructed his representative not to interfere too much with their daily operations, firstly because Avex’s business strategies were generally sound, and secondly, it was necessary to keep a low profile before Avex grew stronger.

However, with this connection, when Matsuura Katsuto signed on Ayumi Hamasaki, a newcomer discarded by Sony, and planned to send her to the United States for training, he naturally thought of Adrian who owned AC Media. Matsuura Katsuto even personally visited Adrian twice in Los Angeles, both out of respect and surprise that the girl in the data was her. Adrian had agreed to take care of her and promised she would receive the best training.

Today, upon meeting her, well, she indeed was very calculating, at least current Yukie could not compare with her.

"What do you think of her?" Bathing in a steamy hot tub, Adrian, enjoying a massage from Yukie’s delicate fingers, suddenly asked with his eyes closed.

"Who? Ayumi?" Yukie stopped in her tracks, soaked in the hot water, wearing a shirt that clung wetly to her body, revealing her silhouette provocatively, particularly the rosy points at her chest stoking fantasies. Adrian liked how her petite figure looked in a wet shirt, so Yukie occasionally wore one while massaging him in the tub.

"Yes, share your thoughts, just your thoughts," Adrian nodded slightly.

"Ayumi is a very smart girl, also hardworking and persistent but..." Yukie frowned slightly, "I always feel..."

"Feel what? Don’t worry, go on," Adrian reassured her, patting her hand.

"I don’t know how to describe it properly, it just feels off, probably because I’ve only just met her," Yukie reasoned after a pause.

"Oh, Yukie, you really should use your brain a bit more," Adrian laughed heartily as he pulled her into his embrace.

"You mean... she..." Yukie wasn’t a fool, and a look of surprise appeared on her face as she realized something.

"Yes, she’s very scheming, and you couldn’t see it at all," Adrian kissed her damp cheek and his hands began to gently move, the feeling through the wet shirt was still quite nice, "but don’t worry, she just wants to use you to get close to me, and for a long time, she will try to please you."

"How... how can... this be," Yukie muttered, feeling both annoyed and bewildered as if she couldn’t accept it.

Adrian didn’t speak further, only increased the intensity of his movements, stripping off her drenched shirt, and continuing downward until Yukie began to moan softly, her eyes becoming a bit hazy before he finally stopped.

"Don’t worry, just pretend you don’t know, it’s a good chance to practice your acting," Adrian said with a smile.

Although he couldn’t be entirely certain of Ayumi Hamasaki’s intentions, he could somewhat anticipate them; a fling was okay, but anything further was out of the question. Filming movies in the United States and being a singer in the United States were different matters. While American music magazines might cover Japanese female singers, for a Japanese female singer to make it in the United States was nearly an impossibility. Adrian had always adhered to the principle that one should only demand from others what they themselves could offer.

Besides, having Yukie Nakama by his side was enough; Ayumi Hamasaki was not even 20, yet she was quite scheming, plus... The initial reason he had brought Yukie to the United States was because he saw her as relatively pure and conservative, and she lacked complex social ties, otherwise, why would he have allowed her to stay by his side?

"Really..." Yukie murmured, wrapping her legs around Adrian’s body and pouting in a sulky manner.

"What? Don’t have confidence in yourself? Or feel unsatisfied?" Adrian teased, then leaned closer to her ear, "If you want, you can completely..."

Hearing his whisper, Yukie’s cheeks instantly flushed, and she looked at him with a slight reproach, "Adrian, you’re so bad!"

Despite her words, the eager look in her eyes didn’t escape Adrian’s.

"I’m thinking about you," Adrian said with a smack on her perky bottom, "you are mine."

Yukie immediately hummed, her cheeks already reddened by the steamy mist turned even redder.

"Yes, I’m yours," she said softly, her head bowed and her legs tightening further around him.

"So, is she sleeping with you tonight?"

"Yes, she said she just came to the United States and is still getting over the jet lag, sleeping with someone from her hometown will be more comfortable."

"Great, then tonight show her what ecstasy and satisfaction are,"

Adrian laughed heartily as he lifted Yukie up, her small whimpers echoed in the bathroom along with the ceaseless sound of splashing water. (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to visit qidian.com and vote for it or leave monthly tickets. Your support is my biggest motivation.)