King of Hollywood
Chapter 660 - 68: The Second in the World

Chapter 660: Chapter 68: The Second in the World

On January 20, Junior Bush officially announced his inauguration, which was a hard pill to swallow for quite a few people, yet for another group, it was the anticipated outcome.

"So, are you ready to deliver the final blow to them?" Adrian asked his buddy Claude in his office, using a relaxed tone. Although he had just arrived in Los Angeles yesterday, he didn’t seem to suffer much from jet lag. Could it be because he had gotten cozy with Parineeti on the plane?

She was an Indian girl but had lived in the United States for a long time and was relatively open-minded. However, this openness still carried a hint of shyness, and because her heart briefly opened up, she was very engaged, thus quite tempting. Plus, Adrian had built up a lot of tension in London, especially since he had deliberately controlled himself to impact Keira, so rolling in the sheets became somewhat wild. Initially, he had planned out how to get the three of them in bed one by one, but later, all he thought about was how to take Parineeti to even greater heights. After all, they were on his plane—was there any chance they could slip through his fingers?

In any case, his spirits were high right now, so he came straight over to ask Claude about the situation. Actually, Junior Bush’s inauguration didn’t have much to do with him—it was Claude who had been in charge from start to finish. The primary reason for hurrying back was to find out about the specific progress, knowing that every day of delay meant a loss.

"Don’t be so anxious, dear Ed. Junior Bush has just taken office. He still needs time to get accustomed to the White House, to adjust his personnel. If nothing goes wrong, by the middle of next month, before the Oscar nominations are announced, we will have completed this acquisition," Claude reassured him with a smile, "The big picture is set; there’s no need to worry about their little schemes."

"AT&T Broadband’s financial report for last quarter was quite good. If we delay any longer, we will have to spend more money. Though this was anticipated, it’s still somewhat uncomfortable," Adrian spread out his hands.

Claude looked at him in surprise for a moment and then started laughing: "You know, Ed, you’re becoming more and more like the chairman of a corporate board."

"What, as if I never cared about the corporation’s interests before?" Adrian raised an eyebrow.

"Of course not, but never quite so..." Claude gestured with his hands, laughing without continuing.

"Well, I didn’t care much at first, deviations were all within the forecast, but that was until I saw this year’s TV and film plans," Adrian stood up, smiling at Claude, "This year, AC Media will experience an explosive development. We can use this opportunity to fully demonstrate our strength to other groups. Acquiring AT&T Broadband is just the first step; after May comes the second, and by the end of the year, the third step. We will prove with facts that AC Media is the undisputed largest media group in the United States and the world!"

"What an exciting prophecy. In that case, I have to work even harder and then—wait to see all of these come true," Claude said with a serene tone, his hands crossed on the desk.

This wasn’t much of a prediction, apart from the step at the end of the year, which was still under consideration. The step in May was already becoming apparent, and as the CEO, Claude would have noticed it, so all that was left was to wait for that time to come.

After learning about AT&T Broadband from Claude, Adrian immediately turned his attention to another issue that had brought him rushing back, Avril’s new single.

"To be frank, Vini, do you have some vendetta against this piano?" Adrian sighed after listening to the performance in Universal Records’ instrument room, "You’re gritting your teeth, looking like you’d devour it if you could."

"If this piano was made of cake, I would have definitely eaten it by now. If you were made of cake, I would have devoured you too!" Avril, sitting in front of the piano, said, arms crossed and huffing.

"Well, if you can play the piece beautifully from start to finish, I will order a cake the size of this piano and another cake roughly the size of me for you to have your fill," Adrian said with a chuckle.

Avril rolled her eyes and slammed the piano lid shut as she turned around, "Why can’t I use a guitar accompaniment? Why can’t I use the instrument I’m best at and must use the piano?"

"What’s the matter, the singer from Universal Records with the most potential who claims to be proficient with any instrument can’t even handle the piano?" Adrian teased.

"Uncle ED!" Avril glared at him fiercely, emphasizing the pronunciation of "E" and "D" heavily, but her cheeks immediately flushed with a hint of red after she spoke.

Adrian couldn’t help but roll his eyes, then waved his hand dismissively, "Alright, no more jokes. Indeed, it’s easy to arrange this song for guitar, but you have already sung it before, even helped arrange it. Vini, you love this song, don’t you? So, tell me, which is better, piano accompaniment or guitar?"

Avril opened and closed her mouth a few times without saying anything, finally letting out a sullen sigh. She then looked up at him as if thinking of something, "Can we not find someone else to play it? Like... you? You play the piano quite well too, Uncle AD. Last time we performed this song, it was you playing and me singing, and the effect was quite good, Eric thought so too."

She batted her eyelashes, with a hopeful glint in her eyes, evidently longing for that, but Adrian pressed her head gently, "Do you think your fans would prefer to watch you play and sing in front of the camera, or would they prefer to see someone else playing the piano while you sing next to them, looking clueless especially after ’wherever you will go’?"

"But I could play the guitar and piano together," the girl persisted somewhat stubbornly.

"Enough now, Vini, instead of fussing over changing instruments here, why don’t you spend that time practicing more to become more proficient? It’s just this one song, you won’t have to use the piano for everything in the future," Adrian finally couldn’t resist and pinched her cheek. As usual, Avril slapped his hand away as soon as he touched her, but also as usual, her expression didn’t change a bit, obviously used to it.

"Let’s leave it at that, if you don’t work hard, the release date of the new album will have to be postponed. If it comes out after September, then you can forget about participating in next year’s Grammy Awards," Adrian said with a laugh as he turned and left the instrument room.

Avril sat in silence on the bench for a long while, finally she let out an inevitable sigh and opened the piano lid again to resume practicing.

"A Thousand Miles," that was the new single Adrian had prepared for Avril. Undoubtedly, in terms of lyrics and melody, it was a perfect fit for Avril’s current image, and she also liked it. Moreover, the song had been very popular in the previous life, a great foundation for her musical path. The only issue was that the song was performed on the piano.

Although Avril could play many instruments, her forte was the guitar. She could play the piano, but to reach the level needed for "A Thousand Miles," more practice was necessary. Forcing the girl who loved and was accustomed to playing the guitar to switch to another instrument was more painful than anything else for her. Yet, the unique resonance and pure sound quality that the piano contributed to "A Thousand Miles" could not be replicated by any other instrument.

In his previous life, Adrian had heard the guitar version and frankly, it wasn’t as good as the piano version. So, to achieve the perfect effect for the song, Avril had to make the sacrifice. As for the suggestion of playing both piano and guitar, it was even worse than just guitar. If the piano was the main instrument, then it should be the one performing the song, but unfortunately, it was the girl who played the guitar asking. This contrast would leave a poor impression, worse than simply singing while someone else played.

I hope you understand my intent, Vini. Adrian thought to himself. Where did Avril’s strengths lie? Youth, vitality, passion—she emanated an uplifting energy that couldn’t be concealed, even by a heavy smoky-eyed look. The image of a talented young woman who could write her own songs was why so many teenagers loved her. But what about later?

She could maintain this image until she was 25—guitar, light rock, a girl full of explosive power. But what after turning 25? A singer must constantly adjust and transform to either cater to or lead the market, and Adrian wasn’t optimistic about Avril’s efforts in the latter. Furthermore, record sales would gradually shrink; hence, the focus had to be on the former. Consequently, he chose "A Thousand Miles" as Avril’s second single with the hope that this foreshadowing might play a role in the future.

Sure, they probably would. Adrian sighed inwardly and then turned his attention elsewhere. Following the launch of the music video for "wherever you will go," Avril’s image began to resemble the one he remembered: long hair, smoky eyes, short-sleeved black T-shirts, jeans, canvas shoes, and the overwhelming energy when she sang, among other things. But in some ways, there had been no progress, although they had grown quite close. Avril was willing to talk to Adrian about anything on her mind and enjoyed chatting and playing little games with him. Occasionally, he could even teasingly pinch her cheeks. The girl would quickly pull away, but without anger, wanting just a bit more was always out of reach.

For some reason, perhaps it was the issue of the term "Uncle"? Adrian couldn’t figure it out, and such confusion had only occurred with a few women like Kate, Charlize, Sarah, and Blanchett in the past two years.

If every woman were like a little pet, he wouldn’t have to expend so much energy. But then again, some women would lose their charm if they lost their personalities. Adrian thought idly to himself until Britney’s voice brought him back to reality.

"Master!" Britney pouted while sitting in his lap, somewhat displeased because of his distraction.

"Sorry, Britney, there’s been a lot going on lately, so my mind wandered," Adrian placated her, then wrapped his arms around her, showering her with kisses, and she quickly melted.

"Were we talking about the concert just now?" he asked, smiling as he stroked her moist lips.

"Yes," Britney replied, playfully biting his finger and teasing with her tongue at the corner of her mouth, "I hope you can attend my concert in New Orleans next month."

"The world tour this year?" Adrian raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, starting in Louisiana, I’m going to travel the whole world!" The girl nodded excitedly, then quickly added, "You don’t have to come in a high-profile manner; I just want to see you at the concert, Master."

After she spoke, she made a pitiful face, a look that had always gotten her what she wanted from Adrian.

Sure enough, after thinking for a few seconds, he agreed, "Well, since it’s a request from my little pet, there’s no reason not to agree."

"Thank you, my Master, I’m so happy!" Britney immediately cheered and jumped up, hugging Adrian and kissing his cheeks. She was always easily pleased in his presence.

Adrian chuckled and shook his head, after another moment of affection, they separated, and then he broached another topic, "Since we’re talking about the world tour, I should tell you something about your future plans."

He paused, fixing his gaze on the girl for a moment, whose eyes showed nothing but anticipation, her expression saying "I’ll listen to you completely."

"After the world tour, I’m going to arrange for you to further your education at a university, Stanford, UCLA, or the University of Southern California, it’s up to you," Adrian continued.

Unexpectedly, Britney, who usually followed his advice, showed a reluctant expression, "Why do I have to pursue further education at a university? Am I supposed to give up my current career?"

"Of course not, my little pet," Adrian said with a smile as he lifted her chin. Britney’s reaction was within reason; no popular singer would engage in activities unrelated to their career when they’re at the peak of their success, especially since the little pet had already devoted her affections entirely to Adrian, more infatuated with the feeling of being surrounded by flowers and applause than the average singer.

"You need to understand, Brit, teenagers love and idolize celebrities uncritically, responding to whatever resonates with their taste; however, their parents and families are very selective. They hope that the idols their children admire have quality. For instance, they should maintain a healthy image, not have excessive negative news, and not be overexposed or flaunt themselves—that’s why I was against deciding to take the sexy route for your third album. It’s not that you don’t need to change, but changes should be gradual. Moving too fast can easily lose a part of your fans, and if there aren’t new fans to replace them, your popularity will drop. A gradual change allows them an adjustment period, and as they have to grow up, when you fully reveal your sexy side, they will still follow by your side. Do you understand what I’m saying?" Adrian asked earnestly.

Britney looked at him blankly, first shook her head, but then immediately nodded.

"I—understood some of it, although it’s a bit confusing, I really did understand a part of it!" she hastened to explain.

"Well, besides that, there’s also the fact that they want their children to admire idols with higher education," Adrian continued, "Put it this way, Brit, do you know how many Hollywood stars have a college degree? Less than five percent! So, if you go back to university, first, you’ll give the public the impression that you’re still working on improving yourself even at the height of your popularity, which would improve your image; second, it provides your young fans a buffer period to grow until they or their parents can accept you becoming more sexual; lastly, you can take the time to work on improving yourself, like learning how to speak better, or studying how to write lyrics and compose music—remember what I’ve said? You have certain talents, as a singer, how can you not try your hand at songwriting and composition?"

He gazed at her, fingers gently tracing her smooth cheek, "And there’s only one problem to solve, how to maintain your current popularity while pursuing further education at university. For others, this would be difficult, but for me, it’s a piece of cake. Continuing your education doesn’t mean neglecting your career entirely; you’ll still need to show up for some necessary shows and endorsements, hold some necessary concerts and charitable events, and produce two refined singles a year, occasionally showing up in the media and so on. Of course, it won’t be possible to maintain all the popularity, but keeping your current status should not be a problem at all. Do you believe me?"

Just like before, Britney looked at him blankly for a moment, then asked a question completely unrelated to everything they had discussed, "Which version of me do you prefer, Master? The current me, or... the me who has pursued further education?"

Adrian laughed and brought her face up to his own, "It doesn’t matter, as long as you stay obediently by my side, as long as you are still my little pet, I like you. Everything I have planned is just to make you shine even brighter, Brit; you should shine. This is my reward to you."

The corners of Britney’s mouth immediately turned upward; she seemed to like the word "reward" a lot. She nodded, "Then I will go back to university for further education."

After a pause, she suddenly pouted, "But this way, winning a Grammy award will be even more difficult."

Adrian couldn’t help but laugh silently. She thought she was being subtle, but did he not know what she was thinking?

"Don’t worry, Brit, your album sales are about to break 40 million, and with such numbers, the Grammys this year have to give you an award anyway," he chuckled, "Maybe you won’t catch up to Kristen, but at least you’ll close the gap."

So far, with the East Asian market tapped, Britney’s third album’s global sales were nearing 40 million, surpassing Madonna to become the second highest-selling female artist in the world. From the current outlook, even surpassing the first place, Shania Twain, seemed very likely. With such hot sales and popularity, the Grammys would have to give at least a consolation prize, despite any bias.

"Is that so?" Britney, with no concern for her blush being exposed, asked in a disappointed tone.

"Alright, Brit, the world isn’t perfect, you can’t have everything. Let’s leave it at that," Adrian said as he pinched her cheek. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to cast recommendation votes and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)