King of Hollywood
Chapter 348 - Chapter 348 Chapter 72 Slander

Chapter 348: Chapter 72 Slander Chapter 348: Chapter 72 Slander “Of course there is, but you definitely don’t want to see it, and…” Claude paused, “the risk is very high.”

“So it’s best to ensure the first plan is feasible, right?” Adrian quickly replied, “No problem, I guarantee the sensation caused will be enough for you to make Eisner flustered, provided the preparations are in place.”

What he didn’t want to see was merely raising the financing scale, potentially further weakening their control over the company. Although Claude had made a good amount of money in the international financial markets in the past six months, his main focus wasn’t there, and compared to the costs required for the acquisition, it was just a drop in the ocean. But that didn’t matter to him, all companies would eventually adopt this model, failing to integrate with that group and monopolizing for too long would eventually lead to being divided and conquered. In any case, as long as he maintained absolute control over the company before 2000, Adrian didn’t mind accepting more capital later.

But the “very high risk” that Claude mentioned was of real concern to Adrian. Thinking back to the things they had started doing a few years ago, which of them wasn’t risky? Still, they gambled when they needed to gamble, and a few short years weren’t enough to blunt Claude’s edge. So if even he was saying this, the risk must indeed be greater than imagined.

Adrian couldn’t figure out the specifics, and Claude didn’t seem inclined to explain in detail. Perhaps even if he did, Adrian might not quite understand–on this subject, he was far from Claude’s equal.

Besides, he trusted Claude to handle these things, so his job was to hype up the movie that was about to be released, to win Claude the greatest chance.

We are indeed young, we are indeed a new enterprise, but how can you be so sure we can’t handle ABC? Adrian thought to himself. Thanks to God or some unnamed powerhouse, after being given a rich memory bank, he also had such an outstanding buddy. Not everyone is Steve Jobs, and the world has more successful people like Bill Gates.

Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but sigh. Although the Microsoft shares he held were all absorbed from the market, it wasn’t difficult for him to obtain Microsoft’s development briefings, and the latest one vaguely mentioned that new products would be released in September. Others might not know what it is, but how could Adrian not be clear? Just why couldn’t Windows 95 be released earlier? If so, the IT industry would start to soar, and his funds would be even more plentiful.

People are always like this, eating from the bowl while looking at the pot. Of course, as long as you’ve almost finished eating from the bowl, it’s okay to reach for the pot, and keeping an eye on it might even help you eat better.

These were work matters. Although he had put in the time to sort them out, dealing with them would still require a lot of effort, so Adrian stayed busy. Fortunately, his personal life wasn’t as chaotic as his work. Even though he had to navigate relationships with several women, one of whom was heavily pregnant, his methods were sufficient to keep them all spinning happily.

The only thing he needed to be careful of was the paparazzi. The second scandal with Julia hadn’t completely faded, and the paparazzi were still hoping to get more news from him, so he was extra cautious when dating. Even though both scandals were coincidentally captured, who could tell if there wouldn’t be a third coincidence? Fortunately, sometimes these things could be handled alongside work.

———————————-

“Good job, Sarah!” Director Jim Spier applauded from behind the monitor, and the smile on his face showed he was quite satisfied with the shot.

Sarah, who had just been confronting a fisherman, relaxed, adjusted her breathing, and smiled at the director: “Thank you.”

“Alright, take a 20-minute break, and then we’ll shoot the scene in the store. Remember to adjust your emotions,” the director said in a reminding tone, looking over the shooting schedule handed to him.

“Okay, Jim, I got it,” Sarah nodded in understanding. Acting was like this: One moment, you’re running for your life in terror, and the next, you’re singing and dancing with friends. So, being able to quickly leave the previous emotions and enter into the next is what distinguishes outstanding acting from the mediocre.

Many exceptional actors have their own methods of adjusting. For example, Judi Foster, after sinking too deep into a role, could immediately come back by eating a large sandwich–an approach that seemed illogical but somehow worked.

Sarah, of course, wasn’t there yet. Talent played a part in acting, and although she worked hard, she wasn’t particularly outstanding. So at the moment, she was gulping down water, regulating her emotions, getting ready for the next shot.

Despite the director’s praise just before, there were some scenes she simply couldn’t get right, needing over ten takes to pass, especially those in acting opposite… The feeling of discomfort troubled her deeply.

After taking another big gulp of cool water and letting out a long breath, Sarah finally felt a bit better. Looking around, it seemed to her that the gazes of the crew no longer seemed as loaded with other meanings, perhaps because Ed was there today?

The young actress gave a wry smile in her heart; when Ed was around, she hardly dared to talk to him much. With that thought, she looked desperately around, but she couldn’t spot Ed anywhere. Where had he gone?

A bad premonition suddenly arose in Sarah’s heart, particularly because another person was also missing from the set. Moreover, she seemed to have seen… After hesitating, she headed towards the other end of the studio’s corridor, deciding she had enough time to make a quick loop during her break.

She passed several corridors and greeted a few staff members she brushed past, and just as she was about to step outside, Sarah stopped and prepared to head back, still feeling uneasy. Because of this, she took a wrong turn on her way back and found herself on a different passageway. Realizing her mistake, she chastised herself with a self-deprecating laugh and turned back.

Just then, the sound of a door opening came from behind her at the end of the corridor. Sarah instinctively turned around and then saw Jennifer Love Hewitt, looking disheveled, as she turned the corner. Her hair, dyed light for the film, was messily strewn over her shoulders, and her cheeks were still flushed with a lazy satisfaction that made it obvious something had happened.

Sarah’s face went quite pale, as if a hand had reached inside and squeezed her heart harshly. As Love staggered a few steps before noticing Sarah not far off, her expression became awkward and embarrassed, but quickly Love noticed Sarah’s change in expression. Something clicked, and Love puffed out her chest, her gaze turning triumphant as she purposefully sniffed disdainfully while walking past Sarah.

Watching her leave, Sarah covered her face and let out a long exhale only after Love was out of sight, nearly leaning on the wall for support. A feeling of emptiness spread through her, hollow, much like when she was six and came home to find her mom sitting on the floor, informing her that her dad had left without a word, taking his things with him.

This was… normal, after all, he was that kind of man, flirting with various women… keeping them around… even… even getting Kate pregnant… Besides, my relationship with him was… nothing more… Sarah consoled herself internally, but the sadness gnawed at her relentlessly.

She could treat his other women with indifference, but she couldn’t let go of this one. For a moment, Sarah truly wanted to turn around and leave the set, to escape the agony of being there.

But, after much hesitation, she eventually went and pushed the door open.

“Sarah?” Adrian, who had already straightened out his clothes and looked ready to leave, was somewhat surprised to see the young girl enter, but his eyes showed little shock.

“Hi,” Sarah greeted him, standing woodenly, at a loss for what to say.

“What, you don’t like my gift?” Adrian asked with a smile, walking up to her, looking down from above.

“Gift…?!” Sarah wore a confused expression, not understanding at all what he meant.

“Yes, that little thing done the same thing before, would she dare spread rumors behind my back now?” Adrian shrugged casually.

“Spreading rumors…” The young girl’s breathing became hurried, and she turned away, not daring to meet his eyes.

“Oh, Sarah, you’re still so cute,” Adrian sighed, closed the door behind him, and pulled her into a chair before wrapping her into his arms. Sarah struggled a bit and then stayed still.

“You really think that if you say nothing, I won’t know anything, Sarah?” The man looked at her with a knowing gaze. “Do you remember what I told you before? Do you remember what you promised me?”

“I just… I just…” Sarah mumbled with her head down, not knowing what to say.

“Just what? You feel embarrassed? Or you feel inferior?” Adrian shook his head. “Why didn’t you tell me from the beginning, Sarah? Don’t you think that ‘she got the role because she slept with the producer’ is just a rumor spread by losers out of jealousy?”

“Isn’t it true?” Sarah’s expression darkened considerably.

“Do you really think so?” Adrian became serious. “You really think the role I prepared for you has nothing to do with your acting skills, your image, and is solely because you slept with me? Do you really believe our relationship is just a transaction? Yes, I have many other women, but I do like you, Sarah–I like your stubbornness and your strength, as well as the vulnerability that lies deep within your bones, and your willingness to do whatever it takes for your family.”

Sarah looked up at him for a long while, then rested her head on his shoulder. Just a few words filled up the emptiness inside her significantly.

“Maybe I do feel a bit inferior, especially after noticing the strange looks from others. I can’t refute the rumors, so I can only try harder to prove myself. But every time, it ends up being less than satisfactory, especially when acting alongside Jennifer…” she murmured.

“My mistake, Sarah. I should have realized this sooner,” Adrian sighed, taking all the blame upon himself. “You really don’t need to care about these things. No one is perfect, and no one is free from malicious speculation and slander. If you care too much about what others think, you’ll live a very tiring life. I know how you feel, Sarah. Don’t take those to heart. It’s far more important to understand what you want than to be told by others what you need.”

As he spoke, he cupped Sarah’s face in his hands and said seriously, “As I just said, that girl was slandering you out of jealousy. Why bother yourself with a loser like that?”

“But you just slept with her,” Sarah looked up and snapped a curse word, her eyes also becoming somewhat discontent. Clearly, Adrian’s comfort had helped her feel much better.

“I like the word ‘slept.'” Adrian burst into laughter, “That’s right, I slept with her. It took just a few words to hook her, and then she was all over me, trying to please me. Tsk tsk, she really knows how to seize an opportunity.”

“Adrian!” Sarah called out annoyed, staring at him for a long while before huffing, “Okay, I get it. Everything you just said was just making excuses for sleeping with her.”

“Don’t worry about that, dear. It was just for fun,” Adrian’s hand around her waist tightened, “Isn’t that what she said about you? Now she’s done the same thing. What right does she have to talk that way?”

Sarah’s face immediately turned unsightly, but as if catching onto something, she looked at Adrian.

“Yes, but, it’s different. Jennifer Love Hewitt must pay the price for her actions.” Adrian said with a cold laugh, and then leaned in to whisper in Sarah’s ear, “I want you to do something…”

The girl was first a bit confused, but quickly her eyes widened, and finally, she looked at Adrian with a strange expression.

“That seems a bit… not so right, does it?” Sarah stumbled over her words.

“Don’t forget what she has done to you, dear,” Adrian said with a sardonic smile, “What, a moment ago you were upset and indignant, and now you’re starting to feel sympathy for her?”

“I just feel…” Sarah made a gesture, “this seems a bit too much, and you actually want me to…”

At this point, she made a disgusted face, but her eyes flickered uncertainly, and her cheeks were slightly flushed.

“This is a great opportunity to establish your own authority,” Adrian shrugged indifferently, “You’ll encounter many more situations like this in the future. Your concessions will only make them push further.”

“But it’s too…” Sarah’s eyes darted around, and her lips twitched nervously in an amusing way.

“Only by completely crushing the opposition can you achieve the best effect,” Adrian said, his gaze carrying a profound meaning, “Of course, you don’t need to overdo it, just make her beg for mercy and admit defeat.”

With that, he kissed her cheek. “You’re a bit too kind, Sarah, sometimes I wonder if I’ve protected you too much, making you forget the existence of certain things. You need to toughen up, Sarah, show them what you’ve got. You’re a Taekwondo black belt, after all–consider it a change for me, okay?”

“If… if that’s what you want…” Sarah gazed at him for a while, her cheeks flushing once more, “then I agree–but I’ll only go so far.”

“No problem,” Adrian nodded with a smile.

“Ah, break time is almost over, I better hurry back.” The girl glanced at the time, let out a yelp, jumped off him, and then walked a few steps to the door before pausing and turning back thoughtfully.

“I guess there will be more gossip for them today,” Sarah said, smacking her lips, her tone carrying a hint of self-mockery, yet her expression was relaxed.

“It’s not just about you, remember I just ‘had’ a little fling with a girl,” Adrian replied with a raised eyebrow, looking at her teasingly and emphasizing the word ‘had’ heavily.

The girl immediately made a silly face and ran out quickly.

Adrian sat quietly in the room for a long time, then after stretching his body well, he left to head for the set. Honestly speaking, Jennifer Love Hewitt’s taste wasn’t bad at all. She was very perceptive and knew when to seize an opportunity, following him here after just a few words. No wonder she could become one of the top quality idols alongside Sarah in the late 90s in the United States. I remember she could sing quite well and even released an album–wonder how that mouth of hers works…

Okay, drifting off topic, but as is usually the case, being a jack of all trades means nothing stands out, lacking that memorable quality. That’s why after 2000 her popularity began to slide and she was relegated to the television circuit.

“I Know What You Did Last Summer” was a film that featured both Sarah Michelle Gellar and Jennifer Love Hewitt from Adrian’s memory, except in his memory, Love was the lead actress and Sarah the supporting actress.

For this reason, when Adrian noticed that Love’s name was among those auditioning, he allowed her to be cast as the supporting actress with a quick decision, basically flipping their roles. He hadn’t thought much of it at the time, simply acting out of inertia from his memory. Although Love was young and beautiful, he didn’t plan on keeping her, at most they would have an occasional friends-with-benefits relationship if she was willing, but he didn’t expect it to turn into such a big deal.

In simple terms, Love initially auditioned for the lead role and the director Jim also found her quite good. But the lead role was already designated for Sarah by Adrian, so the audition was just a formality. That was all normal so far. Audition rejections are common, but Adrian chose her for the supporting role after watching her audition.

Though Love agreed, once the filming started, she somehow found out that both the lead role of Sarah and her own supporting role were handpicked by Adrian. Given that, it was inevitable that she would imagine her lead role was taken by Sarah. At that time, she was only 16 years old, full of youthful fervor, naturally finding it hard to swallow this pill, thus the rumors started. (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to come to Qidian (NovelFire.net) to vote and support me. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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