King of Hollywood-Chapter 235 - 233 Bestseller List
Chapter 235: Chapter 233: Bestseller List
Chapter 235 -233: Bestseller List
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Although it’s a pity, there’s no need to feel too regretful. After all, Adrian has plenty of other concepts, and many of them are high-profile productions with high ratings. While they might not compare with “Friends,” they can still be considered classic American dramas. Once the company’s TV department has fully grown, thanks to “Friends,” they could produce these other concepts one by one.
Moreover, to boost television ratings, one doesn’t solely rely on exceptional American dramas. Don’t forget, he also has plenty of classic variety show concepts. A comprehensive approach is indeed the best way forward, so it’s best to take control of TBS first and foremost.
After taking a break of nearly two weeks, and once Independence Day had passed, Adrian returned to the company’s studio to begin post-production for “The Professional.” The editor had already edited a quarter of the film according to the storyboard, and he was able to further refine the montages and simultaneously supervise the scoring and theme song production.
Overall, however, it was still quite relaxed since there was plenty of time, and Adrian could work at the slowest of paces. Unexpectedly, the staff found it a bit hard to adjust, as they had grown accustomed to his fast-paced, intense, and demanding work style over the past two years. A sudden change to a more relaxed pace was naturally a bit uncomfortable.
“That’s great, so let’s speed things up then,” Adrian said to the staff after hearing such discussions, and although everyone knew he was joking, the comment still sparked some good-natured uproar.
As a joke, yes. Even though overtime pay was high and bonuses were plentiful, nothing compared to a comfortable and regular life. Since Adrian had mercifully stopped rushing work, why would anyone take the initiative to ask for it? This might be precisely why Hollywood sees several instances of film companies allegedly exploiting interns each year, and some jobs in society have nearly become the province of ethnic minorities or immigrants. The hardworking spirit of the ’20s and ’30s was all but disappearing.
Well, those are digressions. The editing work didn’t affect Adrian’s current leisurely lifestyle at all. Aside from dating, attending various gatherings, and reviewing the situations at the companies, he also had time to visit record companies and check on Britney and Christina’s training progress.
They were still doing really well. Their two to three years with MMC had laid a solid foundation for them. Although Adrian had instructed the teachers to be strict and made this clear in front of the two girls, the teachers all expressed their admiration for them.
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“You guys are doing really well, and I sincerely hope you can keep it up,” Adrian inevitably took them aside and offered a few words of encouragement, along with a hint of suggestion. Of course, he would have Christina leave first and then keep Britney for a few more words.
“Alright, kiddo, just behave, and I promise to make time to come see you.” Adrian sat back with his feet up on the desk, laughing while holding the cordless phone, “Well then, goodnight, and I love you.”
Only after the sound of disconnection came did he sit up and put the phone back in its place, then took a long sigh of relief. Emma returned to London after Adrian finished shooting in New York. She couldn’t stay too long here, even with Maeve’s care. In fact, it was already quite good that the little one had come to New York at all, so no matter how much he misses her, she had to obediently return. Of course, when they parted, there were inevitable tears, and it took a while to coax a smile from her.
The little one, Adrian thought to himself, and then his mind went to Rodlin and George, who are raising her now. But he just shook his head; certain things weren’t appropriate for him to intervene in.
He stretched, pushing these thoughts aside, and picked up a letter from his desk.
“…I’ve finished reading the book, and frankly, the story is intriguing, and the philosophical contemplation of virtual cyberspace is quite surprising. My dad also said that compared to other similar novels, it has many flashes of brilliance. However, it’s a pity that I think the fight scenes detract from the philosophically rich atmosphere…”
Gazing at the elegant handwriting, a slight smile curved Adrian’s lips. He had seen Natalie reading a newspaper, specifically the “New York Times,” so he had leaned in to take a look and then was surprised to discover “The Matrix” occupying the 76th position on the bestseller list.
What a pleasant surprise. Ever since he had handed over the finished manuscript of “The Matrix” to the publisher, Adrian hadn’t inquired about it, not even the sales figures—in fact, he had forgotten about them. The publisher would certainly have reported the sales to him, and besides, he had Charlie keeping track of various pieces of information for him, so it was accurate to say that he simply hadn’t given it any thought.
It was unexpected for it to see now on the “New York Times” bestseller list, even if only at the 76th position, which was already quite good. Knowing that initially, Adrian expected the novel to rank somewhere between second-tier and first-tier, he couldn’t help but exclaim, “I didn’t expect my book to make it to the 76th spot.”
Natalie sitting beside him could not possibly miss this remark, and immediately seized the newspaper to scan it quickly, then exclaimed in amazement, “Are you saying that this novel ‘The Matrix’ is written by you?”
“Of course. Is there a problem?” Adrian spread his arms.
“Um…” Natalie was suddenly at a loss for words, “Well, I’m just a bit surprised. After all, you’re a director… I mean, writing scripts and writing novels are two different things, so…”
She made hand gestures, smiling awkwardly.
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“Actually, it’s all about creating stories, just with different techniques,” Adrian said with a smile as he freed her from her confusion, “Honestly, I didn’t expect this novel to achieve such success. Originally, I planned to write it as a screenplay, but when you think about it, even though it could be made now, the budget alone could reach astronomical figures, so I decided to write it as a novel first. However, because of… um… certain reasons, I used a pseudonym. Please don’t tell anyone about this, okay?”
Natalie was initially astonished, and then she smiled slightly, “I think that won’t be a problem.”
After a pause, she remembered something and said, “Looks like I should buy a copy to read, to see how good you are at writing novels. Oh, can I post my review after reading?”
“Oh, of course, everyone has the right to express their opinion,” Adrian nodded, “However, I’m about to head back to Los Angeles, so you can either publish your review in the newspaper or write to me—don’t talk about using the phone or anything, that’s not a review; it’s just an opinion.”
“Then that’s settled,” Natalie decided after thinking for a bit.
This incident occurred towards the end of the filming of The Professional. Because Adrian shared his little secret with Natalie, she readily agreed to keep in touch through letters. Often, it’s the distance that creates attraction, especially after that kind of incident.
“Alright, now I have to think about how to reply to the letters and keep it going.” Adrian muttered as he flipped through the pale blue stationery. Sometimes the seemingly trivial things can have a significant impact.
“Ed, you should go now,” Charlize knocked on the door frame and walked in without waiting for Adrian to respond.
“Hey, Charli, you should wait for me to let you in before you do. What if I was naked? That would be so embarrassing,” Adrian joked with a tone of complaint.
“You, embarrassed?” Charlize rolled her eyes and walked away.
“Oh, Charli, you’re breaking my heart. How can you say such things?” Adrian got up, chased after her out of the study with a smile, all the while straightening his already well-put-together attire.
Charlize didn’t bother with him and mumbled indifferently as she reached the staircase, “By the way, Ed, I’m planning on moving out in mid-month. There’s a nice villa for rent in West Forest District.”
“Don’t even think about it, Charli, I’m not going to agree,” Adrian flatly refused.
“Damn it, Ed, you’d better understand that I’m just your…” Charlize started to say but then shut her mouth; after a few seconds she continued, “Okay, I won’t talk about this anymore, otherwise you’ll just say I’m nagging. Anyway, where I decide to live is my business, and I have the freedom and right to move whenever I want!”
“Oh?” Adrian stopped, turned to look at Charlize with a light laugh, then suddenly walked up close and stared at her, “Well, looks like I’ll be standing them up tonight—How about we have a good talk in the study, Charli? I’m sure I can persuade you to drop this idea.”
Charlize nervously stepped back until she was pressed against the wall, unable to resist Adrian’s invasive gaze.
“What’s it going to be, Charli?” Adrian whispered in her ear with a low voice.
“Um… um… there’s no need. I’ll… reconsider that issue,” Charlize gritted her teeth and spoke with a sense of defeat.
“Alright then. I’ll leave the house in your hands, Julia is waiting for me to pick her up,” Adrian said with a smile, gently kissed her flush lips, and then turned and walked downstairs.
Watching his figure grow smaller, Charlize, still leaning against the wall, slid to the floor. After several minutes in a daze, she took a deep breath, half-annoyed and half-dejected, and covered her forehead.
Parties are always an indispensable part of American life, especially in Hollywood, where the dazzling array of parties can mesmerize. Parties often also serve as a platform to display one’s status—especially that of the host—evident from the guest list.
The party Adrian attended tonight was naturally the celebration for Friends, which achieved such high ratings that it warranted a celebration. Although Bossworth Film Company was hosting, as the nominal producer—his input in the script’s concept and the casting originated from him—he could be considered the host. So plenty of people accepted the invitation and came.(To be continued. For more about what happens next, please visit www.qidian.com. More chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!)
