King of Hollywood
Chapter 458 - 179: Question 11

Chapter 458: Chapter 179: Question 11

Schwarzenegger hesitated when faced with such an invitation. On one hand, he knew that collaborating with the Miracle Director would definitely be beneficial, as countless facts had proven this in the past few years; but on the other hand, he had already begun to plan on reducing the number of films he made, following his wife’s suggestion. The reason for this didn’t need much explaining.

Adrian, although not entirely clear on the details, had guessed a bit and had people lobby Schwarzenegger specifically, increasing the pressure. He believed that even if Schwarzenegger couldn’t think of it, his shrewd wife would. Despite Schwarzenegger being a Republican, and the Cowell and Ronris families leaning more towards the Democratic Party—after all, this was California—for large corporations, betting on both sides wasn’t uncommon; it was merely a question of how much money was involved.

Besides, Schwarzenegger agreeing to it late at night wouldn’t have any impact; after all, the script for "The Expendables" had only just passed its first draft and was still subject to changes. However, several key settings had finally been established: first off, Stallone, Schwarzenegger, and Willis would be the founders of the Mercenary Group, known as the "Three Giants," commanding a group of fierce soldiers, accepting various commissions worldwide.

For this group of fierce soldiers, Adrian had already considered several suitable candidates. Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren were still relatively famous, having clashed in "Universal Soldier" back in ’92, and Steven Seagal went without saying. Although he couldn’t currently compare to the likes of Willis, he was nevertheless a widely recognized action star. His part might not be large, but it couldn’t be absent or insignificant.

If one were to consider non-typical action stars, then Travolta and Cage could make the list, and they could also invite Connery or Brosnan to make cameos as intelligence agents from other countries. They could also promote some newcomers; it seemed that The Rock was already beginning to dabble in films, Van Diesel had just started to show promise, and Jet Li was also already setting his sights on Hollywood.

"Just wait and see, a lot of people are going to like it." Adrian said while organizing the documents for "The Expendables," thoroughly and completely altering a movie to create a brand—that was the reason for his fervent enthusiasm.

"It’s really exhausting, although you don’t feel it while working, once you stop, that tiredness just wells up involuntarily," Adrian said, yawning while resting on plump, sexy thighs.

"What, even a workaholic gets tired?" Monica teased while massaging his forehead with her fingers.

"Dear, workaholics are human too," Adrian wagged his finger, letting out a comfortable moan.

"What about a sex maniac?" Monica asked with a mischievous smile.

"Then that’s definitely not human," he replied before suddenly sitting up. Grabbing Monica into his arms, he put on an intimidating face and raised his hands, ready to grab at her perky breasts.

"Alright, Ed, the food will be ruined," Monica scolded, swatting away his body, then stood up to head to the kitchen.

Adrian shrugged and stood up as well, following her to the kitchen doorway, leaning against the frame to watch Monica, standing at the cooking counter, fiddling with the food. She was dressed simply in a blouse and tube skirt, with an apron tied around her, yet it did little to hide her graceful curves. Chuckling, Adrian moved behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and took a deep breath against her nape.

"Don’t disturb me," Monica said, half in warning.

"Don’t worry, I definitely won’t disturb you," Adrian said with his eyes closed, smelling her hair, "but tomorrow morning I want you to stand here in just an apron and make me breakfast."

"Why tomorrow morning and not right now?" Monica responded, clearly annoyed.

"If you’d like, it could be now," Adrian laughed and kissed her earlobe, his hand sliding up her waist just a fraction higher.

Monica immediately turned around, shooting him a somewhat fiery glare, then suddenly untied her apron and let it fall. Following that, right in front of him, she tossed down her blouse, then the bra, skirt, panties, and stockings.

"Now, are you satisfied?" Monica straightened her chest after tying the apron back on, purposefully tightening it so that the deep cleavage was clearly visible.

"Satisfied, very satisfied," Adrian nodded earnestly. With Monica being so understanding, what was there not to be satisfied about?

"Look, but don’t touch!" Monica warned again, then turned her back to him.

Adrian didn’t make any other move this time but appreciated her beautiful back curves with his eyes. After a while, he asked, "By the way, Monica, have you read that script I had them send you?"

"I’ve read it," Monica answered without turning back.

"How do you feel about it?" Adrian continued to inquire.

Monica paused for a long moment before continuing her task, "It’s very real, very... resonant, beautiful women seem to always be... watched."

"So, do you think you can play this woman well?" Even though he sensed something, Adrian didn’t mind.

"Of course — I don’t think anyone is more suitable than me. But Ed—" Monica turned around, looking at him with complex eyes. "Are you sure you want me to play the role?"

"You just said no one is more suitable than you, Monica," Adrian laughed, "Don’t worry, I will produce and direct this movie, I know what I’m doing."

As he spoke, he reached out and lifted her chin: "You belong to me, Monica."

"Yes, I am your personal property, I am your little pet, I am your sex..." Although she didn’t say the last word out loud, one could tell what it was by the shape of Monica’s lips. Even so, her tone was full of mockery, and her twinkling eyes also carried a teasing expression.

"I don’t know why you’re in such a hurry. I just finished dubbing for ’The Matrix,’ and I haven’t had a proper rest before starting to prepare for a new movie," she then complained.

"Because I promised you," Adrian’s fingers traced her cheek. "Remember? Now is the time, otherwise why would I direct it myself?"

"You mean?" Monica’s eyes widened, and the spoon she had just picked up fell back into the soup pot.

"Yes, it’s time to give you the honor you deserve," Adrian nodded affirmatively. "No rush, we won’t start filming until the second half of next year at the earliest, and it won’t be released until the year after. You can use this time to really get into the character."

No sooner had his words fallen than Monica had rushed forward to wrap her arms around his neck and gave him a passionate kiss, entwining eagerly for a good while before they parted.

"Although that’s nice, it’s not enough of a reward," Adrian said, touching his lips unsatisfied.

"What more do you want?" Monica asked, catching her breath and with a challenging tone.

"For example, how about after you make dinner, you sit on me and feed me?" Adrian said with a playful smile, stroking his chin.

Just as Monica was about to say something, she immediately remembered her current outfit and quickly understood, spitting at him fiercely, "Ptui, you sleazebag!"

After that, she rolled her eyes at him and turned to continue her work, while Adrian burst into laughter.

Let’s not dwell on the flirtatious banter between Adrian and Monica. After completing the dubbing for the leading actors of ’The Matrix’, the post-production had finally reached the halfway mark. However, finishing the other half seemed to be an indefinite prospect, as Adrian always had other things to attend to. It wasn’t Monica’s new film that he was preparing for, as he had said, the filming for this movie wouldn’t start until the latter half of next year, so there was no rush to prepare. Moreover, Adrian had decided on this film over a year ago and had intermittently refined many details of the script; spending a little more time wasn’t a bad thing.

So, what kept him busy now was other films, such as the post-production of ’Armageddon’, which was nearing its finale, and the marketing was already on the agenda. Without any surprises, it would definitely be released during the Christmas–New Year’s period. ’L.A. Confidential’ was the same; if Adrian hadn’t insisted on perfection, wanting to fully portray the ambiance of Los Angeles in the 1950s, it might have been possible to release it during the Thanksgiving period.

Internal screenings, marketing strategies, the feedback generated, and so on for these two movies, Adrian needed to inquire about everything. The former does not need to be said; the golden combination of Michael Bay and Brokheimer had already proven their charm with ’The Rock’, and with the indestructible Don Simpson in an observer’s position making adjustments, this movie’s prospects were looking good.

And it seemed that Liv had already reconciled with her father, often appearing together in the company. But the real situation, well...

"You’re right; after all, he is my father, and I should give him a chance. But giving him a chance doesn’t mean he can meddle in my private life!" Liv complained, lying beside the pool, then raised her little fist and waved it, "Do you know what he said when mom told him I was dating you? ’Oh Liv, how could you be with that playboy!’"

She deliberately lowered her voice, imitating her father’s husky tone with perfection.

"Your dad’s not wrong, Liv, I am indeed a playboy, aren’t I?" Adrian said, shrugging his shoulders as he sat in his chair.

"So what, who I date is my business!" Liv huffed indignantly, "If he could guide me with patience like you, maybe I would consider his opinion. But trying to force me to do something, no way!"

Then she revealed a triumphant smile, "Oh, Ed, you really should have been there. When I told my dad that I knew you had many women but I didn’t care, his expression was priceless."

Adrian laughed heartily, shaking his head noncommittally. This was exactly what he wanted to see.

"Alright, Ed, come on and try to catch me again. If you can catch up, I’ll give you a surprise!" Liv declared before diving into the pool, then swam gracefully to the other end like a mermaid.

Facing such a challenge, Adrian always found it interesting. So he got up, stretched a bit, evaluated Liv’s speed and distance, and then dived into the water with a swan dive.

These were some trivial matters concerning ’Armageddon’. In short, the collaboration of powerful directors and producers, along with Willis who had not yet declined significantly in popularity, the company unanimously believed it would be well-received.

’L.A. Confidential’ wasn’t so lucky. After the internal screening, the opinion was split into two, with proponents and skeptics in equal measure. Those in favor believed that the film beautifully captured the essence of the era, and the puzzle was intricately interwoven, creating full-bodied characters. The skeptics thought that the era of films with such style had passed, relying on nostalgia for box office success wasn’t wise. Moreover, the puzzle was too simple and could be figured out with careful thought. The action scenes weren’t thrilling either, making it hard to say whether people would like it.

Adrian remained noncommittal about these opinions. He was increasingly reticent to comment on films he did not direct, even though he had approved or requested their production. After all, his achievements were there for all to see, and any significant controversy would immediately subside at his word. This was beneficial in some aspects, but not in others. If debates like these were absent within a company, the vitality would gradually fade.

Of course, he was still quite optimistic about the movie even though two of the main actors had been replaced, and there were many differences in the editing from the original version, but the attention to detail was still remarkable, and the depiction of the era’s customs was well crafted, not to mention that both River and Zetajones had delivered even more impressive performances.

Zetajones hardly needs mentioning; she was almost playing herself: sexy, glamorous, and with a bit of sly intelligence, adept at dealing with different people. At that time in Hollywood, although there weren’t many black-haired beauties, she captured a charm completely different from the blonde, blue-eyed look, even more enticing than Kim Basinger. As for River, his acting was certainly worthy of that little Golden Lion from Venice. He captured Edmund’s transformation from initially somewhat stiff adherence to principles to a fluid and flexible application of the rules after many experiences; rescuing him had indeed been a wise decision.

Add Kevin Spacey and Russell Crowe, both equally outstanding, and the current "L.A. Confidential" will undoubtedly rival the original.

"Let’s see who comes out on top when the two brothers face off in the movie," Adrian had once said to Joaquin and River, and then added, with some resentment, "Just show Silver what a stupid decision it was to give up acting in movies."

Silver Phoenix is now 13 years old, and his height had shot up significantly, making him look more like he’s 15. Although "The Sixth Sense" had brought him fame for a brief period, even surpassing his older brother River, he didn’t go astray and was already a very handsome young man. One has to admit, the Phoenix family possesses some fine genetic attributes. Good looks and great acting skills—not taking on more movie roles seemed like a waste, but Silver was set on making his mark in music.

Although he hadn’t entirely given up on movies, attending quite a few auditions of late, and his recently released single during the summer break hadn’t made much of an impact, he was still tirelessly dedicated— there’s no helping it.

"If you need, just give the word, and he will certainly oblige any request of yours," the joyous brothers said to Adrian after hearing his words.

Adrian shrugged; he knew this. Perhaps it was because he had once saved River that Silver admired him so much. So, if Adrian needed, the other party would surely not refuse. But a forced melon is not sweet, is it?

If you think that after settling these two movies there’d be nothing else, you would be sorely mistaken. There are several movies currently in production, such as Sarah’s "Legally Blonde."

After "School Ties," Adrian wanted Sarah to star in another medium-scale production before bringing this movie out. Her image was very suitable for the film, and as for hair color, dyeing it blonde would do. However, upon learning by chance of the original actress—an alumnus of Adrian’s—current situation, after being surprised for a while, he immediately decided to bring this movie to the screen sooner, because that original leading lady had chosen the same path as Joey Water’s daughter!

It was just too interesting. The butterfly effect often brings surprises, and her record had been fine until ’95, still attending Stanford University. But suddenly in ’95, she dropped out and left. The reasons are unknown; universities in the United States aren’t exactly Heaven. After two quiet years, she suddenly appeared on the cover of "Attic" magazine as a contract girl.

"Attic" is much more risqué than "Playboy," and being on the cover of "Playboy" can be a beautiful thing at times—Cindy Crawford had graced it as a supermodel. But appearing on the cover of "Attic" was essentially a mark of an adult star. Although she had only done some large-scale photo shoots up to then, it was guaranteed she would release videos once she reached the right age.

Adrian realized that something had changed only because he had inadvertently bought the issue of "Attic" featuring her. Those adjectives hadn’t changed: blonde hair, blue eyes, sweet little thing. But in his eyes, it held far deeper significance. However, he had no intention to delve into what major setback she had faced or to understand her relationship with her family. Besides, there have been many examples of university students turning into adult stars, so all he was concerned with was scheduling "Legally Blonde."

"It’s simple; the film needs to show that the female lead seems silly from the outside but is actually quite astute and determined on the inside. It’s normal for you to feel there’s something off," Adrian said to Sarah, stepping out of the elevator.

"So you’re just saying I don’t look dumb enough, is that it?" Sarah stuck out her tongue.

"It’s not about appearance; it hinges on acting skills. If you can portray that feeling, your acting is sure to ascend to the next level," Adrian replied with a smile. He wanted to touch her cheek but refrained, considering they were in the company and people were passing by in the corridor.

Witnessing this, Sarah couldn’t help but giggle, making a silly face in secrecy.

"Alright, let’s go to the office to grab some things first. We can talk more in the car, okay?" Adrian looked at her with a bemused smile.

He had only taken a few steps when he suddenly stopped. The door to the lounge on his left was ajar, and from his angle, he could see a girl sitting on the sofa in a daze, her face blank and her gaze unfocused. It was Scarlett Johansson! (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)