King of Hollywood-Chapter 596 - 4: Teach Them a Lesson?

In fact, apart from "Winter’s Bone," there was another film that would have fit Adrian’s plan perfectly, and it was the first thing he thought of, but he dismissed it soon after careful analysis. Some films, whether released sooner or later, are bound to receive favorable reviews, like "Winter’s Bone"; while others only achieve unexpected success if released within a specific time frame, like "Juno."

"Winter’s Bone" tells a simple story of a girl who, due to her father’s negligence and his using their home as bail for a drug charge, must somehow track down her missing father to save her family home, regardless of the danger. It is a story of a little person struggling at the bottom of society, as Natalie has said, as cold and harsh as its name implies, yet not without hope. Such a story could happen in any country, in any region, and as long as the film could capture its inherent qualities, it would almost certainly resonate with mainstream society.

"Juno," on the other hand, is different. It’s an idealized representation of the middle class in the minds of mainstream America. Had it been released in 2007, it certainly would have garnered acclaim, and even if released a bit earlier in 2005, or even 2003, it would have received a favorable reaction, but launching it around the Millennium would have been a foolish act.

In the United States, abortion has never been a pleasant topic. On one hand, there is advocacy for natural human rights, the freedom of choice for everyone—In Hollywood blockbusters, the good guys always claim "we have freedom" like they’ve been injected with adrenaline before taking down the villain, a trend that only grows with the prevalence of superheroes in cinema. Yet on the other hand, there is a deep-seated hatred for abortion, with conservatives tirelessly trying to link abortion to murder, and endless debates over whether a fertilized egg should already be considered a life.

Any public figure inevitably faces scrutiny on this issue. It’s manageable for stars or entrepreneurs, but if a politician dares to make a clear public stance, or for instance, a Republican senator supports abortion, or a Democratic senator opposes it, their political careers would face a serious blow.

If the intention is just to make an indie film, then any portrayal would be fine, but as mentioned earlier, "Juno" was the epitome of the ideal middle-class representation in the American mainstream. A cool girl with a pair of very cool, calm, and accepting parents, a not-so-smart but responsible boyfriend, and a conflicted couple who find clarity and redemption through this cool girl—heartwarming despite its twists and turns.

If such a film dared to cross the line on such a controversial issue, it would be courting death. But as it’s a portrayal of the middle-class, liberty and human rights must be included—how to present these aspects without inviting criticism? The screenwriters and directors were smart. First, they had the girl decide to have an abortion, an act of free will; she had the right to choose. But at the clinic, she encounters a girl who had an abortion, who bitterly expresses her regret and the innocence of her child, followed by discussions on abortion in other countries. Then, the girl decides against the abortion and to raise the child alone—another act of free will—later to be convinced by her understanding parents to have the baby and give it up for adoption.

See, it perfectly pleased all social strata, presenting an ideal fairy tale.

From this perspective, producing it in 2000 seemed possible. However, the issue lies here—since its success hinged on pleasing all social strata, would it be able to charm each one now? The answer is negative. Social strata are always shifting, people’s focus is constantly changing, much like the adage that "you can’t fool all people all the time," "Juno" could please all strata in 2007, but that does not mean it would in 2000. Gemini hadn’t collapsed yet, the dividends of the cold war had just been spent, the impact of the IT bubble burst had not fully unfolded, America had not yet been mired in difficulties, the entire social hierarchy was still aspiring and positive, as if anything was achievable, and mainstream society did not yet need a film like this to court the middle class.

Indeed, court. Mainstream society continued to propagate the beauty of the middle class, that the American dream was still attainable, which is why "Juno" was the quintessential middle-class archetype in their minds. Coupled with a sensitive subject like abortion, if released now, the film might attract some attention, but achieving the all-around applause of 2007? Impossible. At best, it would be merely a second-tier film.

"Winter’s Bone" was different. It never intended to please everyone, and it showcased the indomitable struggle of the lower classes, what was once praised would still be praised today.

Moreover, in terms of character, "Winter’s Bone" was more suitable for Natalie. "Juno" had a wealth of colorful characters, although centered on the leading lady, somewhat diminishing her shine. In contrast, "Winter’s Bone," to some extent, was a one-woman show, offering Natalie more room to perform. Besides, having already starred in the prequels to "Star Wars," having her play a mature yet naïve, boisterous and bouncy character could backfire, and Natalie, seeking transformation and breakthrough, would probably dislike this role.

Furthermore, the not-so-pearl-like Natalie was also a better physical match for the protagonist of "Winter’s Bone." Which pregnant woman appears frail? How many children from impoverished families look plump and healthy?

All things considered, Adrian chose "Winter’s Bone," and Natalie was keen on the role. What follows is naturally preparation, casting, filming, and swiftly completing post-production, aiming for a release within the year. As for why, there’s no need to elaborate; this was just the beginning, as he had a series of arrangements planned.

I have to say, the sensation of months of pent-up passion finally bursting forth was truly intoxicating. Natalie came to discuss the new script and stayed for only two nights, but during those two nights, Adrian and she made sure to exhaust themselves in bed before falling asleep. Despite lacking a certain something from before, a slightly more unrestrained Natalie had learned how to indulge him, so Adrian was quite pleased.

Even though she left quite soon, he immediately tasted that flavor again.

"No, I’ll go back by myself," Ivanka replied coldly without turning her head.

"I’ll take you back," Adrian stood up, came up behind the girl, and placed his hands on her shoulders, speaking in an irrefutable tone.

Ivanka paused, glanced at herself and Adrian in the mirror, bit her lip, and said no more.

Adrian, who observed this silently, smiled to himself. Although Ivanka had become much more composed over the past six months, most of her thoughts still couldn’t escape his notice. After Ivanka chose to go to Stanford, Trump promptly found Adrian, hoping he could look after her in secret, since he too was a Stanford alumnus. Of course, Trump didn’t realize that this was like throwing a lamb into a tiger’s den.

So, even though Adrian hadn’t met with Ivanka in months, he was well-informed about all aspects of her life—it was well known that his donations to the Stanford alumni fund were always the highest. The Ivanka who entered Stanford was a completely different person from before. The previous Ivanka had been dazzling and good at presenting herself; although measured, she loved to play. But now she almost devoted all her energy and time to studying, even reportedly starting to delve into more advanced courses, hardly attending any parties, making few friends in that area, almost becoming known as a "weirdo" among the Sisterhood. The only habit she maintained was dressing herself up neatly every day.

Because of this, many young men who initially flirted with her eventually disappeared—one by one. Otherwise, Adrian would have contacted her long ago, instead of waiting for months. Also because of this, when Trump came to Los Angeles yesterday to record his last few episodes of ANTM and was preparing to launch "The Apprentice," Ivanka also came from Palo Alto, and Adrian lured her away with some tricks. Her performance in bed could almost be described as frenzied.

From last night to this morning, Ivanka fully and thoroughly exemplified the term "desperate." If it hadn’t been for Adrian, if it had been some other man, he might have been drained dry by now. This showed that not only had Ivanka not had any sexual activity in the past few months, she probably hadn’t even masturbated. It was incomprehensible why she was pushing herself so hard academically.

Glancing at Ivanka, who sat in the passenger seat and hadn’t said a word the whole way, her aloof demeanor was like that of a completely different person from the one fervent with desire the previous night and that morning. Adrian chuckled quietly to himself and didn’t take it to heart. From the way she had been unapproachable to others last night, yet had a strong reaction when he teased her slightly, making it easy for him to take her to the hotel, it was clear that Ivanka was still within his grasp.

"This is fine," said Ivanka suddenly as they just entered Palo Alto.

Adrian raised an eyebrow but didn’t say much, immediately pulled the car over to the side of the road, and Ivanka got out without a word. Then Adrian leaned out and called after her, "By the way, Innie, can I come to see you at Stanford in the future?"

"I don’t think that’s a good idea," Ivanka huffed without turning back.

"Thank you, I will," Adrian then shouted after her. The girl’s figure paused momentarily, then continued striding forward.

The haughty princess was always especially charming. Watching Ivanka’s figure disappear at the corner of the street, Adrian chuckled and whistled softly before starting his car. His last words to her weren’t just for show—he would naturally find an opportunity to visit before her first year at Stanford came to an end, regardless of whether Ivanka accepted or not. Although that kind of explosive encounter was thrilling, sampling it occasionally was enough, and some things were more important, like declaring ownership.

But let’s not dwell on that for now. After several days of consideration, Michael Jackson finally accepted Adrian’s offer, and then the deal was completed with lightning speed. AC Media was naturally very happy. However, if some were thrilled, there were definitely others who were not.

"I want to know what the hell is going on! Why was there no hint of this in advance!" In the conference room of Sony Records, CEO Thomas Mottola was thundering at his executives, even employing expletives, "The company put in so much effort, using so many methods, on the verge of success, only to let someone else reap the benefits! Someone has to be held accountable!"

None of the executives present opened their mouths. Even if they had known about it, they couldn’t have stopped it. If Michael wanted to sell and MCM Records wanted to buy, securing the deal would have meant offering a higher price, which certainly wouldn’t be Sony’s choice.

Yet being glared at fiercely by the boss wasn’t a solution, luckily someone finally spoke, "The reason lies with MCM Records not playing by the rules. We had communicated with several major record labels, MCM Records should have been aware of this, but they still made contact with Michael without notice, and offered a staggering 2.2 billion. This is betrayal."

Placing all the blame on others was a nice way to absolve themselves, as if they didn’t see calculating against Michael as anything reprehensible; it was all for profit.

"We must retaliate! MCM Records can’t get away with this cheaply!" Mottola declared sharply, pounding the table, "No one can underestimate us!"

The executives fell silent again, knowing all too well that MCM Records was part of AC Media, and the man in contact with Michael was said to be AC Media’s chairman, Adrian Cowell. To take on MCM Records, they had to confront AC Media, and AC Media was now a match for Sony itself. What did they have to counter with?

In the end, the same executive who had spoken earlier spoke again, "The parent company will support us. They have always been dissatisfied with Marvel taking back the Spider Man copyright and the compensation they made. In Japan, Avex Records, controlled by AC Media, is nearly monopolizing our market. These are not sights that the parent company wishes to see."

"There are many who are unhappy with AC Media," another started, and the atmosphere became much livelier, another executive picked up, "Last weekend, I had lunch with a person in charge at NBC, and they have always been dissatisfied with AC Media passing ’Friends’ to ABC. Besides, AC Media has grown too fast, and its relationships with most media groups aren’t too good. Whether it’s Time Warner, Disney, or News Corporation, if we can present a solid plan, they would be very willing to join us in teaching AC Media a lesson."

"Even though Viacom is quite close to AC Media, if it’s just about giving AC Media a lesson, they’d be glad to see it, perhaps even take advantage of the situation," someone said.

"So what’s the plan?" Mottola immediately asked.

"Word has it that when the IT bubble burst, AC Media suffered huge losses but also pulled back some funds. Now they’re making big moves in the record industry," the first executive spoke again.

"I need someone to find out their exact targets," Mottola said right away.

"We only need to wait, there are only two or three record companies worth their notice, such significant acquisitions must be made public," another executive added.

"By that time it will be too late. What I want is not just that; those record copyrights must be recaptured!" Mottola’s tone was incredibly stern.

The conference room fell silent again, and after a moment someone said, "I once talked to an assistant from AC Media’s publicity department, he seemed dissatisfied with his current job."

"Someone in charge of music at ABC is very fond of horse betting."

"That’s not enough; we need someone with access to more confidential information."

"So what do we do? Bribe Claude Ronris’s assistant?"

The executives began discussing amongst themselves.

"Perhaps we can also find a way to start with Adrian Cowell?" Such a suggestion was suddenly put out there.

"Who? That playboy?" someone chuckled.

"Start with what? Stealing women? Oh, there are rumors that the fastest way for an actress to become famous in Hollywood is to sleep with him."

"What you’ve heard is outdated. The latest rumor is that the fastest way for an actress to become famous in Hollywood is to make him happy in bed."

"Undoubtedly, the so-called ’Miracle Girls,’ which one hasn’t been in bed with him?"

"I heard that Nicole Kidman once stripped naked in front of the crew to seduce him during the filming of ’Eyes Wide Shut’, and that’s why Tom Cruise divorced Nicole."

The executives, engrossed in their gossip, didn’t notice their boss, Thomas Mottola, turning a sickly shade of green.

"Gentlemen! I didn’t bring you here to discuss that damned playboy!" Mottola slammed the table hard with a bang, roaring loudly.

The roomful of people finally caught on, they retracted their necks and dared not say anything more, but this only infuriated Mottola further. Before he could roar again, a voice suddenly said, "Perhaps we could start with the women around him." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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