Chapter 678: Chapter 86 Next
At the Oscar Awards ceremony, there is always one entity that recipients are bound to thank, and that is the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. They established the award, they operate it, and they decide who gets it, so every winner must thank them; it is a symbol of their power.
But at the 73rd Oscar Awards ceremony, there seed to be a trend for another individual to share in this gratitude, this power. It might sound comical—how could one person stand shoulder to shoulder with an institution? Unfortunately, that was indeed the case. A few years back, when Al Pacino finally won Best Actor, he had already thanked Adrian, but at that ti, people hadn’t taken note. Even after years of his protégés consistently winning awards, even though countless accolades like Miracle Director, ace screenwriter, and Gold dal producer were heaped upon him, it wasn’t until today’s sudden outburst that people began to realize that he had significant influence across several major industries in the film business!
Of course, as an individual, one definitely couldn’t compare with the Film Academy, but to have such a public display of gratitude from several important award winners, and all at the sa Oscar ceremony, over the years, no one except Adrian had done that. Although he only went on stage at the end as a producer to present Best Picture, his na was incessantly heard throughout the ceremony. The audience might not be familiar with the Chinese saying, “He isn’t in the scene, but there are legends of him in the scene,” but they had definitely seen a movie—one of Francis Coppola’s top works, ‘The Godfather’!
“So what?” Adrian said with a chuckle, looking at Claude as he casually took a glass from the bartender’s hand, “Everything I do is within the rules. No one says a dia conglorate’s chairman of the board can’t be a director and producer, nor does anyone say a director and producer can’t use what they can for their own promotion and public relations. I am very much a rule-abiding person, as long as everyone else is, too.”
“Yes, you are a rare talent,” Claude laughed as well, “No one else can do it quite like you, owning a massive dia conglorate and producing outstanding films at the sa ti.”
True, there were plenty of producers in Hollywood who were good at PR, who had the power to support people in winning awards, like the Weinstein brothers under AC dia. Similarly, there were no small number of great directors with powerful connections and their own major film companies who could produce good movies and consistently be nominated for Oscars—Spielberg for instance. But Weinstein could never produce a film like Spielberg’s, nor could Spielberg match the flexibility and sensitivity in PR and promotion that Weinstein had. It was like wanting both fish and bear’s paws—sothing that could not be had at the sa ti.
Yet, Adrian unified these elents. Not only did he own the world’s largest dia conglorate, wielding a massive publicity machine, he was also skilled at discovering talent in screenwriters, actors, directors, and even producers, guiding them to the peaks of their careers. At the sa ti, he could direct and produce high-quality works that fit the taste of the Oscars—the latter point being the most important. Even if the guests attending the Oscars tonight were irked by so many people thanking Adrian, they might criticize ‘Erin Brockovich’ or Julia or Nicole for their shortcomings, but they would never dare say that they didn’t deserve the Oscar.
The quality of the movies was there for all to see, undeniable unless one was willfully blind, but such denial would offend more than just Adrian. That’s why Adrian wasn’t too worried about the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ reaction. After all, it was a loose group with thousands of mbers, and he was one of them. Many in the Academy had affiliations with him, and dividing them with ample resources at hand was not a difficult task—as long as no lines were crossed.
Adrian was always good at stopping just short of the line, just as he had told Claude, he was very much a rule-abiding person—as long as others abided by the rules too. As long as he played his cards right, even if soone wanted to flip the table, he might not be able to do so.
“Hello, Mr. Cowell, I was just listening to so people discussing you; didn’t expect to bump into you here,” a voice then reached Adrian’s ears.
The speaker was a woman in her thirties who sat down next to him and ordered a drink from the bartender before turning her head to greet Adrian. Hmm, she was certainly better than those others trying to hit on him.
“Hello, Miss Lane, I didn’t expect to see you here either, you’re still so beautiful,” Adrian nodded politely.
Diane Lane, a youthful icon in the 80s alongside Brooke Shields and Jennifer Connelly, was also considered one of the industry’s “vases”—a term for pretty but untalented actresses. Youthful idols could never escape this label. To this day, Brooke Shields had married and divorced, her glory days long gone, and Jennifer Connelly had switched to television roles because of Adrian. Two movies that should’ve marked her coback, “A Beautiful Mind” went to Gwyneth, and “Requiem for a Dream” didn’t even get released—Adrian hated it for its cruelty for the sake of cruelty; aside from the score, it had nothing to recomnd it, the typical pretentious effort to do sothing unusual just to draw attention.
But that’s an aside. Although Diane Lane was still active in the film industry and a regular at parties like Vanity Fair’s Oscar Night, she could never shake off the “vase” label, so it was obvious why she was chatting up Adrian. Of course, as a woman who had been in the industry for over two decades, she knew precisely what to do, chatting briefly with Adrian before excusing herself politely, without showing any sign of lingering too long.
“A very charming woman, and very perceptive. Much better than those who like to cling on endlessly,” Claude comnted from the side.
Ever since the Vanity Fair party began, there had been a stream of people coming up to strike up a conversation with Adrian—n and won, old and young, actors, producers, magazine editors, and so on, even though just tens of minutes before they were in the Holy Grand Hall, complaining about so many people thanking him. Humans are creatures of interest, so Adrian didn’t have to worry about today’s networking casting a negative light on him.
“Do you want to talk to her in private?” Adrian asked with a smile, “While you’re still relatively free.”
“Oh, hell, can we not talk about that?” Claude rolled his eyes in evident pain, “Dad has already… Forget it, let’s leave that to you, the Hollywood Godfather.”
“Give it a rest, Crow, can we not use that title?” Adrian sighed.
“What’s wrong?” Claude asked in surprise, raising an eyebrow, “Does the Miracle Director, who wields imnse influence in Hollywood, also have monts of discomfort?”
“Of course not, I just don’t like the term ‘The Godfather’; it tends to bring up a lot of associations. I prefer another word,” Adrian flashed his teeth in a smile, “King!”
After parting with Claude, Adrian started to wander around the party. He wasn’t there just for leisure, so were waiting for his consolation, of course, and so didn’t need it.
“Why should I be upset? You’ve prepared for this hundreds of tis. Do I still need to care?” Kate shrugged nonchalantly as if she really didn’t mind at all.
“Uh…” Adrian wasn’t sure what to say for a mont and rubbed his nose before asking again, “So, I’m leaving.”
Kate simply gestured for him to go ahead.
“Am I really leaving?” Adrian lifted his leg as if he was about to walk away.
Kate looked at him with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile.
“Do you really not plan to ask to stay?” Adrian frowned.
“Why would I ask you to stay? There are many people waiting for you,” Kate huffed, “I just saw Gwyneth over there looking sullen, as if she doesn’t want to talk to anyone. Aren’t you going to comfort her and show off your charm?”
“I have to show it to you first.” Adrian laughed, reached out, and brushed a lock of hair from her temple, “Alright, then I’ll be off. Be careful. The number of journalists circling around you will only increase. So pay special attention when you take Lily out, don’t let them get pictures.”
“You’ve said that hundreds of tis too.” Kate rolled her eyes at him.
Adrian smiled, glanced around, and even though there were many people, there seed to be few looking their way, but who could really tell? This was just fine; he pinched Kate’s chin, leaned in, and gently kissed her lush lips before he left. Kate was stunned for several seconds before she watched his retreating figure and sighed with mixed feelings.
“Hey, why are you sitting here all alone?” Adrian quickly arrived beside Gwyneth, who was sitting in a corner holding a glass of drink.
The lady looked at him with a mournful glance and finished her drink in one gulp.
“Ha, that’s not like my treasure,” Adrian laughed and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, “It’s just a Best Supporting Actress award, why bother caring so much?”
“I’m not bothered, I just…” Gwyneth argued, biting her lips in a way that showed her unwillingness to accept defeat, “I just… don’t want to lose to that woman!”
As she said this, she suddenly looked at Adrian with suspicion, “You didn’t give her so special public relations support, did you, Ed?”
“How could I?” Adrian could only chuckle in response.
Well, Gwyneth’s agents and PR team were arranged by Adrian, and he hadn’t given any specific instructions, so they hadn’t used all their resources for PR; hence even with her parents or The Godfather to help, they couldn’t sway the outco. Adrian hadn’t lied to her, he indeed hadn’t lent any special support in Nicole’s PR.
“There, there, dear Gwyneth, don’t mind all that.” Adrian’s hand slipped behind the sofa, hugging her waist, and started to caress her from behind, “To , this is better. The constant failures, the relentless effort, and then when you lift the Oscar statuette, everyone will cheer for you. No one will be able to question you.”
He paused there for a mont and looked to the side. Just perfect.
“Russell,” Adrian called out, passing by the newly-minted Best Actor who imdiately stopped in his tracks and walked over with his girlfriend.
“Ed,” he said, his face lit with excitent, clearly still basking in the joy of his award.
“How does it feel to be Best Actor?” Adrian asked jokingly.
“Amazing, totally amazing. I love this feeling,” Crowe answered with a beaming smile.
“Don’t get too carried away,” Adrian cautioned with a smile, then switched topics, “By the way, ‘A Beautiful Mind’ has been shooting for a month now, going well, right?”
“Yeah… it’s going pretty well,” Crowe answered seriously, though not sure why the topic had suddenly changed, “Mr. Nash is an extraordinary mathematician, and he’s a wise man who seems to hover between madness and lucidity. I rember visiting his ho; he was almost…”
At this point, Crowe seed to recall sothing amusing, “He spent nearly ten minutes pondering whether to drink black tea or green tea.”
After these words, everyone present burst into laughter, including Gwyneth.
“I must say, Alicia Nash is an amazing woman, too. Lucky for him, her daily care probably helped him co back to his senses,” Crowe then added.
“Did you hear that, Gwyneth? You’re playing a remarkable woman,” Adrian imdiately said, turning to Gwyneth Paltrow, “Can you fully capture her essence?”
“Of course,” Gwyneth said with a displeased expression, “Nash has praised more than once, and Russell can testify.”
“Absolutely, he has,” Crowe knew why Adrian had called him over and nodded in agreent, “Gwyneth is outstanding, Ed. The director has indeed acknowledged it. You were right to recomnd her for the role of Alicia, and I think we might celebrate for her this ti next year.”
“Maybe at the sa ti we could celebrate for you — well, then I’ll just wait to see the finished product,” Adrian said with a aningful glance at Gwyneth, before bursting into laughter.
After a few more words, Crowe left, and Adrian gazed into Gwyneth’s hazel eyes, “Do I need to say anything else?”
“No need, I’ll do what I need to do,” Gwyneth said, lifting her chin.
“Then, I’m off to another place. Sorry, sweetheart.” Adrian gave her a peck on the lips, then stood up and left.
Watching his retreating figure, Gwyneth exhaled deeply and couldn’t help but frown slightly, feeling like she was missing sothing.
After consoling Zetajones and teasing Julia, who was with Small Emma, Adrian left the party hall and walked down the corridor.
“How strange, I’m sure I saw her here just now,” he murmured to himself after walking back and forth.
Maybe check in with Nata before heading back? Although he wanted to save her for last, it would be a pity to leave early. As Adrian thought this, he was about to return to the hall when suddenly, a pair of hands reached around the corner, grabbed his collar, and yanked him into an adjacent room.
Adrian hadn’t even spoken when his mouth was suddenly blocked by moist lips, aggressively attacking, as if trying to seize the chance to overwhelm him. He naturally fought back without any courtesy, their tongues intertwining back and forth, a squelching sound echoing non-stop in the dim room until, after what seed like an eternity, they finally gasped for air and parted.
“You lured here on purpose,” Adrian laughed after switching on the chandelier.
“So what if I did?” Nicole’s cheeks were flushed, her greyish-blue eyes misty, giggling in a silly and exceedingly bewitching manner.
She swiftly grabbed the hem of her dress, slipped down her thong in two or three motions, and kicked it aside. Then she skillfully unbuckled Adrian’s belt and, unzipping his fly, reached in aggressively.
“Fuck !” she exhaled hotly into his ear, a faint sll of alcohol on her breath from a few earlier drinks, “I know who you’re supposed to be with tonight, but it’s okay, I only want you now, I want you to ravage , Ed! Get it? Ruthlessly, without rcy; if you don’t leave paralyzed here, I’ll never let you go!”
“I love how slutty you are right now, Nicole,” Adrian breathed deeply, feeling her hand movents, “As you wish, but…”
He made a gesture of searching for his wallet, “I don’t have that much cash on tonight to cover this.”
“You really are the worst brothel frequenter in the world!” Nicole glared at him, teeth clenched, but the excitent in her eyes intensified, and she lifted a leg, rubbing it against his waist, “But it’s okay, I’m giving you a free ride tonight, satisfied now?”
“Extrely satisfied.” Adrian laughed heartily and scooped her up in his arms.
—————-
“Yes, it is a bit of a pity, but it’s quite normal; I’m just a little too young,” Natalie replied distractedly to the producer in front of her while occasionally glancing around with her peripheral vision.
“That’s exactly the problem with the Oscars. The awards should be given to the truly talented, not based on who’s been in the industry longer. Frankly, I think ‘Winter’s Bone’ has more social relevance than ‘Erin Brockovich,'” the producer chattered on non-stop.
Natalie smiled without responding and once again glanced around, still no one in sight.
“Are you looking for Mr. Adrian?” the producer noticed.
“Yes, no matter what, I should thank him in person… just like Russell or Julia would,” Natalie took a deep breath.
“I’m afraid you’ll have to wait a bit then. I saw him heading upstairs with so lady just now,” the producer winked, “Why not we find a place to have a private chat until he returns?”
“No, that’s not necessary, I should be getting back. The thanks can co later,” Natalie grabbed her purse, preparing to leave.
“I can drive you ho,” the producer offered imdiately.
“Thank you, but there’s no need,” Natalie’s tone turned colder, “I’ve arranged everything for my return.”
With that, she hurried out. Thankfully, the annoying fly didn’t follow her, relieving her greatly. But the intense conflict in her heart made her unbearably uncomfortable. After witnessing Adrian’s powerful influence tonight, Natalie knew he could elevate her to the pinnacle of the world if he wished. Having co so close to the highest Oscar honor and setting a nomination record, only to barely miss it, she never craved it as much as she did now, especially knowing she couldn’t win. Even as Spacey opened the envelope on stage, she was still irrationally hoping her na would be called.
Now, Adrian had proven what he had said before, but she was afraid…
(To be continued. If you like this work, please welco to recomnd and monthly tickets on qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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