King of Hollywood
Chapter 651 - 59 It is Necessary to Fight Back

Chapter 651: Chapter 59 It is Necessary to Fight Back

Because "Alias" starred Kelly Hu, many aspects had changed, such as the condensed plot. As a suspense series, filming just over ten episodes per season was sufficient - dragging it out only increased the plot holes until it became utterly nonsensical. The original "Alias" had ended abruptly because it constantly filled existing plot holes with even more complex ones, leading to yet larger gaps that eventually made further production impossible.

Part of the plot was altered and, along with Kelly’s Asian appearance, some character designs were changed as well. Consequently, as Lin Xilei had mentioned, the production team was looking for either Chinese or Asian temporary actors, and a scout had discovered Liu Yufei in New York after asking her a few questions and then convinced her to join following her mother’s encouragement.

This did match Adrian’s memory - this mother-daughter duo should indeed have been living in New York at that time. However, he later found out that the supposedly decent role Lin Xilei spoke of was merely a neighbor’s daughter who appeared for less than ten minutes across two episodes, which explained why she ended up at this party...

"Probably because of cultural differences, I prefer bold and heroic poetry, so verses from Li Bai, Su Shi, and Xin Qiji really suit my taste," Adrian remarked after reciting Li Bai’s "Guan Shan Yue."

Thus, flaunting his knowledge of Chinese culture and with Lin Xilei adding remarks opportunely by his side, Adrian easily made Liu Li relax completely. Liu Yufei, though rarely speaking, scrutinized him with curiosity. Only Lin Zhiling seemed a bit disheartened; being unfamiliar with many subjects Adrian discussed, which were still part of Chinese culture, she did not dare to interrupt and hence, could only offer a forced smile by the side.

Seizing the opportunity, Adrian had more or less gleaned the situation of Liu Li – they had moved to the United States in 1999 and currently lived beside a Chinese-American lawyer in New York. Liu Yufei was still in school but, having poor English, had not made many friends, which is why, upon encountering a talent scout, Liu Li had persuaded her daughter to go ahead in the hopes of making more connections.

Of course, this was what Liu Li herself had disclosed; Adrian, comparing against his memories, knew much more, hence did not probe deeply into her profession. He could almost confirm that 80% of the rumors about the mother and daughter from his past life were true. So why let someone else benefit? Why shouldn’t Adrian be proactive? Wouldn’t that be interesting? Besides, keeping a beautiful "trophy" wasn’t a bad idea, and considering Liu Yufei’s age, which matched perfectly as Asians naturally look younger, he wouldn’t need to resort to casting stereotypical faces to please the audience’s aesthetic senses.

Thinking this, Adrian gave Lin Xilei a knowing look, to which she nodded knowingly, whispered something to Lin Zhiling, and reluctantly took Liu Yufei away. The girl appeared reluctant and looked pleadingly at her mother, but sensing something, Liu Li simply suggested she walk with Lin Xilei and the others.

"Do you have something to say to me, Mr. Adrian?" Liu Li, a woman who had seen her share of grand scenes and, thanks to Adrian’s friendly demeanor, adapted quickly, thus maintaining her composure.

"You know, Ms. Liu, I am familiar with Chinese culture, being an American, so I’ve always appreciated the saying ’speaking one’s mind clearly and opening the skylight to speak the bright words,’" Adrian smiled, "So I’ll just speak plainly."

He paused, looking into Liu Li’s eyes, "Ms. Liu, I am very interested in your daughter, and I find her very charming."

"What... what?!" Liu Li’s face showed a shocked disbelief whether she had prepared herself mentally, but clearly, she did not expect him to be so blunt.

"I like your daughter very much," Adrian continued smiling as if stating something very ordinary.

Liu Li turned her head away from Adrian, her face alternating between white and pale, remaining silent, but in his mind, Adrian increased the probability of the rumors from his past life by another 5%. If she truly loved her daughter, her first reaction to such a statement should have been a slap followed by storming off with her daughter.

"Though there’s a Chinese saying, ’better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of an ox,’ she won’t become the head in mainland China’s entertainment industry, and here, some things – like discrimination – even I can’t change, but she certainly won’t be the ox’s tail. I am very sincere and trustworthy, and nobody has ever been dissatisfied with this," Adrian calmly stated, first analyzing the pros and cons, although she might not even have considered sending her daughter back to China or entering the entertainment industry yet, then subtly hinting that such situations had happened more than once.

"I know this is an important decision for you, think it over, and if you wish to discuss further, you can contact Ms. Lin Xilei," Adrian added, then walked away, leaving her no chance to respond. Although he didn’t elaborate much, if Liu Li thought about it, she couldn’t help being moved, and from there on, it was Lin Xilei’s responsibility.

Leighton, Keeley, Liu Yufei... Damn, I’m almost turning into a creep. This thought suddenly popped into Adrian’s mind. First shocked, then unopposed, he finally shook his head dismissively.

In his heart, he affirmed, "I’m actually a good person." Look, I provided Leighton with a comforting environment and even sent her to study at Burbank High School; I altered Keeley’s path, so she didn’t have to become a Page Three girl for The Sun; as for Liu Yufei and her mother, I remember a friend from last life knew a professor at Tongji Medical University in Wuhan, who mentioned that Liu Li was forced out by her in-laws. They looked down on her status as a dancer and preferred a son over a daughter.

Therefore, relying on men in various ways is understandable, of course understanding aside, this doesn’t alter certain facts. Liu Yufei was completely raised by her mother, so she was unopinionated and listened only to Liu Li; thus, whatever her mother arranged, she did, including...

At least I can provide her with a far more prestigious celebrity status. Adrian thought smugly, then his thoughts shifted to how he would spend the night. Little did he know, on the other side, two women were arguing, and this altercation would determine where he’d spend the night.

"What exactly do you want, Lin Xilei? How far are you willing to go?!" Lin Zhiling was staring at Lin Xilei somewhat rudely, her dissatisfaction plainly visible on her face.

"I don’t understand what you’re trying to say," Xilei simply smiled with good humor.

"Don’t forget what you promised me before; you should be helping me!" Zhiling said irritably.

"Come on, don’t puff up like an angry cat; she’s just a little girl and poses no threat to you," Xilei shrugged indifferently.

"Forget it, you and I both know his tastes; I can’t rely on the possibility that he won’t grow tired of the old and favor the new, although he hasn’t shown it yet... I haven’t..." Zhiling started and then bit her lip and folded her arms, her face showing strong resentment without finishing her sentence.

"I don’t care about any of that," Xilei stated bluntly, "Don’t you understand yet, Zhiling? You and I are different. Even if ’Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ fails, it doesn’t matter. As long as Adrian wishes, he can still make you a star. As long as you become fully famous, even if you leave him eventually, you can still achieve something with that fame. But I’m different. Although I sit in a big office now, have many subordinates, and can chat with well-known directors and producers, it’s all built on his support, do you understand? Even the connections are borrowed from him; their willingness to speak pleasantly to me is because he supports me from behind! Without his support, what could I, a person from Taiwan, do here as an agent? I don’t care what others think or say about me, I just find out what he likes and make it available to him to keep him happy, it’s that simple!"

Fortunately, Xilei’s reason wasn’t lost, even though she was agitated, she still controlled her voice. Even though Zhiling couldn’t refute, her expression turned quite unsightly. People are like that; once they have tasted something, it becomes very difficult to let go, and the fear of losing it becomes overwhelming, leading to all efforts to hold on to it. This was true for both Zhiling and Xilei.

After the two women looked at each other for a long time, Xilei finally eased up, "I am helping you, Zhiling. Do you really think that if there is no other Chinese woman by his side, you can maintain your advantage? Don’t be naive; there’s only one you. Even with me, that’s just two. Unless you become a plaything for him, like that Japanese woman!"

Realizing her emotions were flaring up again, she took a deep breath to calm down before continuing, "You should know, there are many small circles within this industry, just like Adrian is often called the spokesperson for the Australian clique. They might not care for each other usually, but if something significant occurs, they’ll definitely unite. Tell me, Zhiling, what circle do we have? If something happens to me and you, who will speak up for us?"

Though still silent, Zhiling’s face showed subtle changes, clearly contemplating. That’s the difference between people. After being won over by Adrian, Zhiling soon started living comfortably; previous setbacks seemed insignificant in comparison, and she naturally wanted to continue to keep her share all to herself, initially dismissing Xilei for this reason.

While Xilei, though starting to enjoy a lifestyle beyond her imagination after becoming an agent, also faced many pressures like cold looks from colleagues and achieving her own results. Under such pressure, she rarely showed her potential, thus thinking more comprehensively and not minding sharing a bit at the right moment to gain more and greater benefits. Therefore, after being reminded by Adrian, she no longer had conflicts with Zhiling and always handled their disputes very smoothly.

"We need our own circle, Zhiling, no matter how small," Lin Xilei continued. "I’ve had a lot of contact with them, and that girl hardly has any opinions of her own; it’s almost all her mother making decisions for her. With Adrian’s personality, he won’t tolerate not having control, but he doesn’t like to use strong measures. So that’s where your opportunity comes in, you can get close to her at the right time, comfort her, and then make her one of your own, understand?!"

Lin Zhiling pursed her lips and glanced around at the crowd, using this as a way to disguise her troubled thoughts. Although she wasn’t under as much pressure as Lin Xilei, she had been scrambling in Hollywood for two years and learned things that the small circle in Taiwan couldn’t teach. After a long pause, she finally made up her mind, "I understand."

"That’s good," Lin Xilei also breathed a sigh of relief. "Now you just need to think of a way to consolidate your position."

"Speaking of which, I do know a good way," Lin Zhiling bit her lip, her gaze at Lin Xilei started to flicker, seeming to make some decision. "You will help me, right?"

Killing several birds with one stone, not bad at all. Adrian chuckled to himself, enjoying the moment further. What comes next could wait for another opportunity.

After the party came Thanksgiving, and as the TV series autumn season passed, the popular movie season arrived. Although Universal’s "The Bone Collector" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" were scheduled for late December, films invested by New Line and Miramax, such as "Sense and Sensibility" and "The Cider House Rules," were slated for release around Thanksgiving.

Of course, these were aimed at the Oscars, so the number of theaters releasing them was relatively small, ranging from dozens to hundreds, and the premieres were relatively minor. Adrian attended most of them. "Sense and Sensibility" needs no mention, Blanchett and Gwyneth were both Miracle Girls, although Blanchett, being heavily pregnant, could not attend, Gwyneth was still there. Their relationship, known not just inside but also outside the circle, though not entirely confirmed, had constant speculations on gossip websites about whether he had been with both of them.

As for "The Cider House Rules," with "Serendipity" performing better than the original and the promotion of the "Tomb Raider" movie edition progressing with the filming, the media had turned their focus towards Kate. The events of her starring in "Twisters" had also been dug up. With their persistent spirit, many things being revealed was only a matter of time, and Lily couldn’t avoid appearing in public, so it was better to muddy the waters and let them guess first.

However, Adrian’s main focus wasn’t on this. Though the premiere had achieved good results and received almost universally positive reviews, the number of theaters showing "Winter’s Bone" hadn’t increased much. In such a popular period, cinemas would prioritize more commercial movies. Even so, the film had accumulated over $20 million in box office revenue in North America and had already completely recovered its costs, so not increasing the number of theaters didn’t matter; a long run might even break $100 million.

Yet, although the good reviews were continuous, many discussions still inevitably linked it to the upcoming "Erin Brockovich." Although this also served as publicity for "Erin Brockovich," it would be problematic if most attitudes towards it were negative. Adrian believed that many who came to such conclusions would change their minds after watching the movie, but leaving this situation unchecked wasn’t acceptable, and this change was very strange, so Adrian felt it necessary to make a counter-move, which was also one of the reasons he attended the premiere. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote and support it at qidian.com, your support is my greatest motivation.)