King of Hollywood
Chapter 650 - 58 Always Changing

Chapter 650: Chapter 58 Always Changing

"You seem to be having a great time, Ed," a familiar voice reached his ears after Adrian had ordered a whiskey at the bar.

"I knew it, nothing gets by your eyes, Charli," Adrian said with a smile to his former secretary, raising his glass to her. Clad in a black long-sleeve silk top with an over-the-knee skirt and pointed high heels, she sat cross-legged on a high stool, a faint, elusive smile gracing her always-charming face. As the head of ABC’s planning department, her presence at the party was only natural.

"If you’d like, we could find a room and have a proper chat," he suggested as he leaned in towards Charlize with a suggestive wink.

"I know you’re quite something, Ed, and I know you’re strong, but..." Charlize casually took an olive out of her Martini and slowly chewed on it. The way her cheeks puffed and turned as she chewed was incredibly alluring. After a moment, she continued, "Let me think who else is here, maybe we can go to the room and talk together?"

Adrian didn’t answer right away, instead, he chuckled, scanning the surroundings. Unfortunately, the hall was crowded, and he couldn’t spot either Katherine Heigl or Alexis Bledel at that moment. Thinking back on the passionate encounters separated by half an hour, he knew it would be thrilling to play with both of them. But then again, if he had to choose a woman to join Alexis, Jennifer Connery was the best option. It was with this in mind that Adrian had someone persuade Connery to take on "Gilmore Girls."

Realizing his thoughts were wandering, Adrian quickly and subtly shook his head. There would be plenty of opportunities in the future, and a single play with either Heigl or Alexis was certainly not going to happen. So, he picked up his glass and changed the subject, "By the way, congratulations, Charli, ’American Idol’ is doing exceptionally well in the ratings."

The lineup of reality shows and dramas launched in the fall had been quite successful. "Two and a Half Men" went without saying, as the series had run for seven or eight seasons, which was evidence enough of its success. The scriptwriters and producers below were all outstanding, and Adrian briefly went over the essentials even though some parts of the first season differed from his memory. Still, the show was funny and interesting, naturally meeting the expected ratings.

"Alias" hadn’t deviated much from his expectations either. The premiere had attracted four to five million viewers, but after a few episodes, the numbers had risen to around seven million. These figures might have differed from those in his previous life, but maintaining this level would definitely pave the way for a second season.

The same was true for reality shows. "The Apprentice" had been immensely popular right from its debut. There weren’t many movies or television shows about business in the United States, with only a few movies like "Wall Street" and television dominated by sitcoms, legal dramas, cop shows, and doctor dramas. And for a reality show, it was completely new. Moreover, with a real billionaire as the host and his forceful catchphrase "You’re fired," the show’s appealing image had won over the audience. In just under two months, the average viewership had already broken ten million.

But none of that could compare with "American Idol," which had started generating buzz with its auditions. The number of registrants was overwhelming, and each contestant had a sizable group of friends and family cheering them on, creating a strong resonance among the general public. Many details had been perfected early on, Charlize secured the golden Wednesday time slot for the show, and Simon Cowell had agreed to be a judge after persuasion from Adrian’s people. As a result, the viewership for the first episode had surged to ten million, and in the weeks that followed, the average had reached the twenty million mark.

Online, "American Idol" had sparked endless discussions, especially in the ABC official website section dedicated to the show, which received several times the traffic of other sections. The forum was filled with debates about who performed well and who didn’t, and the finalists’ friends and family had even set up personal websites or blogs to actively promote and draw support. Given this high level of popularity, many media outlets had joined the fray, attracting even more curious individuals and families, and as a result, the show’s ratings had steadily risen.

With just the audition phase being this explosive, one could only imagine how high the popularity would soar by the time of next year’s spring finals. As the planner, Charlize’s status within ABC had risen correspondingly. Although many suspected that the concept for the show came from Adrian, her effort to eliminate dissent and ensure the show ran smoothly from start to finish was visible to all. Even if some were still envious, they held back, which was why Adrian had congratulated her.

"Thank you," Charlize replied elegantly, lifting her glass, "Thank you for your ideas. Through this practical operation, I’ve learned a lot."

Pausing for a moment, she continued, "So I have a concept, or rather, an experiment, to try airing during the daytime slots."

"Oh? Lets hear it," Adrian expressed interest, and after noticing her noncommittal expression, he quickly waved his hand, "Come on, Charli, tell me your thoughts. Aren’t they still your ideas?"

"You are so annoying, Ed, can’t you be less blunt?" Charlize said with a laughing smile.

"That’s something I learned from you, dear Charli," Adrian shrugged his shoulders.

"As a gentleman, shouldn’t you be a bit more modest?" Charlize squinted her eyes.

"Well then, back to the original topic," Adrian raised his hands, "let’s hear your idea, maybe I can add something to it."

"It’s just a simple idea because it’s a daytime show, so it needs to be short and snappy but also make people want to keep watching," Charlize started, "Thinking about all the things I’ve handled for you, it suddenly occurred to me, why not make a pranking show? Targeting the stars of Hollywood, I think a lot of people would like to see their surprised faces after being pranked, and it gives celebrities another channel to get exposure and show a different side of themselves. Of course, the pranks can’t be too extreme, and they would need to be discussed with the participants beforehand."

Adrian raised his eyebrows in surprise, and this wasn’t for show; he was genuinely astonished that Charlize could come up with such an idea. With a little thought, he could recall the show Punk’d that MTV launched years later, which was inspired by the Canadian prank show Just For Laughs, the difference being that Just For Laughs pranked unsuspecting pedestrians rather than celebrities. He wondered if Just For Laughs had already started airing, as it seemed to be a show from around 2000. If it hadn’t been broadcast yet, it might not be a bad idea to adopt it.

The thought flashed briefly through his mind before he dismissed it. Such shows don’t need to be overdone; they’re generally only suitable for daytime airing. In the evenings, with so many dramas and reality shows, short comedy skits have little to no competitive power. Charlize had also mentioned this was an idea for a daytime show. Compared to Just For Laughs, Punk’d would undoubtedly be more popular, just as Charlize had said. Audiences love to see the look on a celebrity’s face after a prank, and it provides them with an opportunity for exposure and to show an unusual side of themselves.

"To be frank, it’s a great idea, Charli, and I don’t think I have anything to add, except for one thing. You could reveal a bit to the participating celebrities, just tell them there’s a surprise but not what kind of surprise. Otherwise, unless they’re exceptionally good actors, the act will soon be seen through," Adrian said after a moment’s thought.

Such programs simply couldn’t be done without prior communication with the celebrities; only fools would believe they were unaware when being pranked. If they were to encounter a hot-headed celebrity having a bad day, it could lead to a violent incident which would be a disaster for both the television station and the celebrity themselves. Even for interview shows, celebrities often have their PR teams negotiate with producers and prepare for how to handle sensitive or embarrassing questions, let alone for pranks.

"I think that with the right editing afterwards, they don’t need any acting skills," Charlize said with raised eyebrows, a clearly teasing look in her eyes.

Adrian rolled his eyes and cleared his throat to speak, when suddenly a figure sat down next to Charlize, "Hey, what are you guys discussing?"

Sarah was all smiles, obviously having a great time at the party, her outfit comprised of a long-sleeve jacket, jeans, and ankle boots exuding as much energy as ever.

"Of course, it’s about how, after the party, I’m going to spend time with you and Charli," Adrian immediately sported a wicked grin, earning a big eye roll from Sarah.

"You’re just in time, Sarah," Charlize turned around, "We’re discussing something and maybe you can give us some advice from an outsider’s perspective."

"What’s the topic?" Sarah’s interest was piqued instantly.

Charlize briefly described her concept and Adrian’s opinion, then spread her hands wide, "As a very popular celebrity yourself, do you think we should communicate everything up front, or just part of it?"

"Hmm, from a celebrity’s perspective, it’s best to communicate clearly to avoid any problems. However, for the audience and TV shows, it’s best to keep some surprises," Sarah deliberated for a moment before offering this neutral answer, then without waiting for Charlize and Adrian to speak, she caught the gin tonic passed by the bartender, stuck out her tongue and said, "But personally, I’m totally fine with the second approach."

After she finished speaking, she lowered her head to sip her gin tonic; Charlize immediately showed an "I knew it" expression, while Adrian laughed triumphantly.

"Hey, Sarah, so you’re here—Hi, Adrian, you’re here too." At this moment, a young girl hurriedly ran over and grabbed Sarah, then greeted Adrian upon noticing him and looked quizzically at Charlize.

"This is Charli, Charlize Theron. Charli, this is Amanda, Amanda Seyfried," Sarah quickly introduced.

The two shook hands, then Charlize gave Adrian a meaningful look. Adrian, however, pretended to see nothing and asked Amanda with a smile, "What’s so urgent that you’re chasing after Sarah all the way here?"

"Nothing much. We were all having a good time when suddenly we noticed Sarah was gone, so I came looking for her," Amanda replied cheerily.

"I just came over here to get a gin tonic," Sarah sighed.

"Well, now that you’ve got it, let’s head back. Everyone wants to keep hearing your fun stories," Amanda said, shaking her arm.

"Alright, alright," Sarah shook her head, then gave Adrian an apologetic look. Adrian shrugged his shoulders and then, as if he had just remembered something, called out, "Wait, Sarah, you should have read that script by now, right? Remember to tell me your thoughts these next few days, so I can get them preparing."

"Got it," Sarah responded without much enthusiasm, unaware of the fleeting look of envy that flashed across Amanda’s face.

"And Amanda," Adrian quickly called out again, "seeing how lively you are, maybe there’s a role you could try out for—a film series about campus cheerleaders."

"Me?" Amanda’s surprise was genuine.

"Of course. It’s a youth movie targeting young actors, but don’t think it’ll be easy to land a role. You still need to do the necessary homework," Adrian said with a light chuckle.

The movie he mentioned was "Bring It On"; Kirsten starred in the first one. It wasn’t extremely popular but had a sizable audience, so it could definitely become a film series rather than just releasing the sequels straight to DVD as in his previous life. As Adrian had just mentioned, it was a good youth movie. With cheerleading deeply ingrained in the United States’ culture, as long as the story had basic logic and they did a good job depicting dance moves, legs, and adolescent relationships, while keeping production costs under control, such movies wouldn’t lack an audience. Adrian also held a film series in his hands that could cultivate the acting skills of suitable young actresses like Amanda.

"That’s a great idea," Charlize said languidly after Sarah and Amanda had left. What Sarah failed to see didn’t mean she would miss it.

Adrian gave a dry laugh, downed the rest of his whiskey in one gulp, and then left the bar. If he stayed any longer, God knows what sort of words she might come up with to mock him. Charlize knew there were some things she couldn’t change, but that didn’t stop her from inventing various sharp words to describe him in ever-changing ways.

Actually, listening to her occasional mockery wasn’t too bad; at least she really cared about him. Adrian thought this as he squeezed through the crowd in the hallway. Being single, sharp glances were occasionally cast his way, giving him a sudden urge to return to the bar. Just then, a few silhouettes in the corner to his right caught his eye, prompting him to raise his eyebrows in surprise.

There were four women, four Asian women, including Lin Zhiling, who had a major role in the latest season of "CSI," and her agent, Lin Xilei. Then there was a middle-aged woman around her forties and a young girl with jet-black, shiny, long hair that gave her an innocent appearance. Their features were very similar, evidently a mother and daughter. The mother was engaged in a genial conversation with the Lins, while the daughter stood shyly by, having barely said much at all.

Adrian squinted his eyes. Having been in the entertainment industry in his past life, how could he not remember this mother and daughter duo? But what were they doing here? His gaze then fell back on the Lins. Lin Xilei kept a smile on her face as she talked with the mother, while Lin Zhiling seemed somewhat perfunctory and distracted.

Recalling what he had heard about this mother and daughter in his past life, Adrian’s interest was suddenly piqued. After a brief thought, he walked over and addressed them in Chinese, "Hey, ladies, so you are here."

"Hi, Ed," Lin Zhiling and Lin Xilei responded in unison, with Lin Zhiling immediately reaching out with a beaming smile to link arms with him.

"I saw you were talking to a lot of people, so I didn’t want to bother you," she said with a bit of coquetry.

Adrian subtly raised his eyebrows and, after offering a few comforting words, turned his attention to the mother and daughter with an expression of interest, "And who might these two be?"

The mother seemed a bit flustered, probably not used to seeing a Westerner speak Mandarin so fluidly. If she was like this, her daughter was even more timid. Thankfully, Lin Xilei gave a light cough and chimed in, "Ms. Liu, this is Mr. Adrian Cowell, the well-known Hollywood director and media magnate I told you about—Ed, this is Ms. Liu Li and her daughter, Liu Yufei."

Just as he thought, Adrian mused inwardly, smiling and extending his hand, "I’m pleased to meet you, Ms. Liu, and Miss Liu."

"Um... um... I’m also very happy to meet you, Mr... Mr. Adrian," Liu Li’s eyes flashed with excitement, and despite feeling a bit out of place, she quickly took Adrian’s hand.

"H-hello, Mr. Adrian," Liu Yufei extended her hand timidly, and quickly withdrew it after a brief handshake, appearing indecisive. Clearly, she had been accustomed to her mother making decisions for her since childhood, yielding to her mother’s will. No wonder...

"Just call me Adrian or Ed, Ms. Liu. You’re from Mainland China, right?" Adrian maintained his smile.

"Yes... that’s right," Liu Li’s complexion changed slightly.

"I really like China, so I learned Chinese, but unfortunately, I never got the chance to visit," Adrian added, "I speak quite fluently, don’t I?"

"Of course, you speak even better than many Chinese," Liu Li immediately retorted with a compliment, causing her expression to lighten considerably.

"Thank you," Adrian said, looking toward Lin Xilei, who understood and began to explain, "Miss Kelly Hu stars in ’Alias,’ which needed some Chinese actors to play neighbors and friends. A talent scout took an interest in Yufei, and after persuasion from Ms. Liu Li, Yufei auditioned and landed a nice role. She had content in two episodes, which have been recently aired. So when Zhiling invited me to ABC’s party, I casually invited Ms. Liu Li and Yufei to join as well."

(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)